Chapter 993 Haldor and Elinor
The mighty beast tore through the skies in an instant, not even sparing Arthur a glance as it passed over him. The city of Xeloria was its target as it spat flames toward its walls. Smoke rose as the walls exploded beneath the flames, while countless ballistae shot their giant bolts at the beast.
It gave a roar of fury before rising toward the sky and fleeing into the clouds. Arthur was standing atop the cliff, shocked by the spectacle. The second floor proved itself a lot livelier than the first. As he was looking at the battle unfold between the city and the mythical creature, footsteps came from behind him.
Arthur turned to see a tall ogre approaching him. It was almost five meters tall with muscles lining its arms and legs. The barbaric nature of the monster was hidden beneath an intelligent expression as it gazed at the unknown intruder.
"This place might be your territory," muttered Arthur as he looked around, seeing no one other than him in this place. "I came here by accident, and will leave now."
Despite seeming to understand his words, the ogre said nothing and grabbed a giant bat made of stone. Arthur sighed as he watched the monster rush toward him. Strength flowed within his arm, preparing to use his new power.
A whistle came from above, and Arthur sensed something cut toward the monster. Before it could reach him, an arrow lodged itself into the monster's arm. It gave a roar of rage as it turned toward a distant tree in the forest.
His perception reached a terrifying degree as he looked toward the tree. Arthur saw a pair of humans hiding behind the branches with their weapons brandished, aimed at the monster.
"Run while we distract it!" shouted a woman from the two before jumping down the tree and firing three more arrows. The attacks cut through the air and lodged themselves into the enraged ogre. Giving a shout of rage, the monster darted toward her.
Arthur watched with interest as the woman ran in an arch around the ogre while firing arrows at him nonstop. Each attack of hers reached its mark, never missing a single one. The ogre seemed unable to block her attacks for some reason as it waved its bat.
Despite being asked to run, Arthur remained to watch. The other human, who was still hidden in the trees, jumped down from the branches to land behind the unaware monster. It was a middle-aged man wearing clothes that shifted in color. Before the monster could sense his presence, the man sneaked behind it and struck its ankle.
The ogre fell to the ground as countless arrows rained on him. Arthur stared with amazement as the monster bled to death from the countless wounds. Then, it collapsed to the ground, but it did not turn into light particles.
"Are you hurt, Haldor?" shouted the woman from afar with labored breath. The man nodded as he walked toward the monster with his dagger ready to harvest.
Arthur sighed as he saw this since his perception could tell that the ogre was not dead yet. It might be different on this floor, but this man was letting down his guard, thinking the monster was dead. Thus, Arthur retracted his leg before kicking a ball-sized rock.
Boom!
The rock disappeared from place, traveling at a speed that could not be seen. Arthur was amazed because this was something unexpected. The rock darted toward the ogre, who jumped from the ground to strike down the man.
"It's still alive!" the woman shouted as she saw the ogre reach toward its bat. Haldor reacted too late as he tried to jump away, but the ogre swung his bat at him. The giant stone club was about to strike him when something whistled past them, destroying the bat into fragments.
Boom!
The ogre staggered back from the explosion as his bat crumbled in his hand. Haldor seized that chance and jumped forward, stabbing his dagger into the giant's neck. Blood gushed out to cover the ground as the ogre gave a final cry before collapsing to the ground.
Haldor remained atop the monster, panting heavily. The near-death experience seemed to leave him shaken, as it did for the woman who stumbled toward him and hugged him tightly.
"You almost died, idiot!"
"I really did, Elinor…" said Haldor as he hugged her back. "What happened to the giant? Why did its weapon explode?" the man tried to understand what happened.
"It doesn't matter," said Elinor as she hugged him tighter. "You are alive. Let's return to the camp," said the woman as she broke off their embrace. Then, she noticed Arthur still standing in place. "That man is still standing frozen. Was he too terrified to run?"
The woman, named Elinor, did not know that Arthur could hear and see everything they did despite the distance. As long as he focused somewhere, his perception allowed him to hear and see everything. The couple rose before waving at him.
In the end, Arthur sighed and walked toward the two. The man began to cut into the ogre as the woman received him, seeming concerned about him. Arthur noticed that she was as old as his mother.
"Are you alright, young man?" asked the woman with a reassuring smile. "The monster is killed, so there is no need to fear it anymore. Have you just arrived on the second floor?"
"Indeed," said Arthur with a nod, with a calmness that made the woman furrow her brows. She noticed his lack of fear or fluster. Arthur did not even sweat despite facing a giant thrice his size. "Thank you for helping me."
Hearing his gratitude, the woman seemed reassured and nodded with a smile. "There is no need for thanks. We were chasing the ogre anyway. Your bad luck made you run into it. What's your name, young man?"
"My name is Seika."
"I am Elinor, and he is my husband, Haldor," said Elinor before wiping away the blood from her forehead. "I have never seen anyone arrive on the second floor in the forest. I know that such an option exists, but no one ever takes it. Most join cities and fight for them."
"Monsters have many useful parts that could be sold. Furthermore, these monsters also have cores, just like the outside world. A core "A friend suggested that I would not," said Arthur before shifting his gaze toward the corpse they were harvesting. "How come the monster is not disappearing like on the first floor?"
"Monsters on the first floor are created by the tower, but these are different," said Elinor with a smile. "Since the second floor is so big, monsters can inhabit its wildernesses just like humans. These are real monsters, not created by the tower."
"And what is he looking for?"
"Monsters have many useful parts that could be sold. Furthermore, these monsters also have cores, just like the outside world. A core can be used to create artifacts within this tower."
"I understand that you have many questions," said Haldor, who rose from the monster. "However, we need to return to camp before the other monsters smell the blood. You are free to come back with us until you understand the situation."
Arthur could tell that he was worried, so he nodded without further questions. The couple began to back and rushed through the forest at maximum speed. Arthur followed after them with ease while Elinor kept checking to see if he could keep up.
Haldor led them through different paths that branched like a maze. However, the group encountered no monsters
until they reached a human settlement in the middle of the forest, right beside a river. The gates opened once they saw the couple, and the three made their way into the settlement.
Arthur noticed that the place was lively with many challengers inside, with countless races in the mix. Elinor led him into the settlement, toward the largest tent where countless challengers stood on guard.
"We are back, Chief!" called Elinor as she walked into the tent. Arthur followed suit, eyed by the warriors outside. Inside the tent was a small council holding their meeting. In the far end of the table was a man wearing half a red mask to cover his eyes.
"Welcome back, Haldor, Elinor," said the masked man as he glanced at them before turning toward Arthur. "Is he a new recruit?"
"We found him at the cliff," said Haldor as he eyed Arthur with suspicion. "He was watching the battle at Xeloria when an ogre attacked him. I invited him since he seems harmless."
"Is that what you see?" said the chief as he rose from his chair before walking toward Arthur. Haldor and his wife moved aside, allowing the chief to stand before Arthur. "I see a man who would follow no other. Am I right?"
"It would be too boring to follow someone," said Arthur with a smile as he met the man's eyes. "On the other hand, I have no desire to lead. You can rest assured that I would not threaten your camp."
"Do I look worried?" asked the chief while squinting his eyes. "What did you come here for, then?"
"I wanted to learn more about this place. I have some friends to meet in the Xeloria forest. Have you chanced upon any other new challengers?"
"No sane person would choose this place," said the chief with a smile. "Although… you do not seem sane either. You are the only one we found so far. If you wish to stay here, you will have to either pay or join us."
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