Chapter 33 Setting off for the journey
“Look! I knew he was a swindler!” Seeing the man’s vanishing steps, Sabine angrily stamped her feet.
Vandal was not angry. On the contrary, he was still intrigued by the object. There is something special about this disc.
After they bought the provisions and medicines and returned home, Sabine was frowning. However, as soon as they entered his room in the enforcer courtyard section, she was no longer angry or pouting. Instead, a sweet smile hung on her face.
“Oi, did you figure out how to use it?” Sabine asked, still smiling.
“So you were acting just now.”
Seeing the strange change in Sabine, Vandal figured out that she had been acting intentionally. She had clearly discovered his intentions.
“If you had said nothing and given him the fifty denamis, that man would certainly have tried to raise the price. If I did not oppose you, how would you get it so easily?”
“That’s right. You are very smart,” Vandal said. He had already discovered the use of the disc. He was able to read the meaning of the words on it and realized it was written in the giant tongue. On one side, “get life” was written. On the other side, “give death” was carved.
“This disc has words carved on it: get life on one side and give death on the other,” Vandal explained.
“Oh, I think you hit a jackpot. I have heard about items like this. They are usually one-use items, or in your case, two-use items. It could either save a life or take a life, I think,” Sabine said as she scratched her head in thought.
“This is something that every echo warrior would absolutely kill to have. It should go for nothing less than two thousand denamis. It is strange that the man gave away such a good thing for fifty denamis and even ran away. Ah, I know. That man must be an idiot who does not know the value of what he sold, thinking he cheated us.”
“That expensive?” Hearing Sabine’s words, Vandal was shocked at first, but that was quickly followed by great happiness. It meant that this time, he had picked up a huge bargain.
“Ha ha, if I decide to resell this, would I not earn a lot?” Vandal said, clearly delighted.
“I think you should keep it for now,” Sabine said.
“We might see treasures in that graveyard that we can take for ourselves. Although the elder said we should submit any treasures we find, how would they know if we did not? Or maybe we can give the treasures to the sect and earn huge achievement points that will enable us to learn a fragment skill.” Sabine stared feverishly into blank space.
“The graveyard is also home to some nasty echo beasts called black glass spiders. I really hope not to run into any of them.” Sabine shivered at the thought.
Vandal flashed back to the black glass spiders that tore into the camp where he had been experimented on with poison. They were vicious creatures with razor-sharp legs. He had hoped never to encounter them again, but it seemed fate had other plans.
“What’s wrong? Why do you have that expression?”
“It’s nothing.” Vandal hurriedly shook his head. He could not tell Sabine that he had nearly died from black glass spiders and had been severely poisoned.
“I think I should leave you for now to practice the advanced projection technique book,” Sabine said. She then took something out of her waist pouch and handed it to Vandal. “Here, this is your reward for going out for a walk with me.”
Looking at it, Vandal saw that in Sabine’s palm was a fine, almost gray shirt with tiny shiny stones on it, making it look as though it was sewn from the finest grains of sand, glass, or metal.
“This is called a defensive upper-body garment. It is made of refined metal, but it is flexible like cloth,” Sabine said. On the wall of Vandal’s room, there was an axe hung for decorative purposes, though it was still very sharp. She took it off the wall and swung it with all her strength at the garment. It only produced a few sparks, while the axe blade ended up chipped along its edge.
After seeing the item, hearing Sabine’s explanation, and watching the demonstration, Vandal drew in a sharp breath and exclaimed, “This shirt is amazing!”
“This looks like it cost a fortune,” Vandal said as he hesitated to take it.
“I want you to have it. Do not worry about how much it costs.”
“Now go and practice. Meditate. Get stronger,” Sabine said.
“Sabine, why are you so good to me?” Holding the shirt in his hands, Vandal looked at her with appreciation.
“No reason. It is just that every member of the enforcers has one, and you do not. This is to prevent you from being easily injured. In a day, we will be heading into what could be a dangerous mission, and you cannot go in unprepared.”
After saying that, Sabine left. Looking at the door as it slowly closed, Vandal felt a wave of gratitude in his heart. Regardless of the reason, Sabine treated him well.
Sitting cross-legged on the bed, Vandal impatiently opened the advanced projection techniques book. It could improve his force output and complement his Nephilim Fists of Destruction, which he was now certain was a fragment skill.
If he could fully master all the techniques and skills at his disposal, he would become unimaginably powerful in battle.
Vandal was certain that these advanced projection techniques would be useful in the future. Following the training methods, he began to improve his control over his resonance energy and its flow.
The portal at the Exit Tree hummed with a low, rhythmic vibration that made Vandal’s teeth ache. Around them, the standard sect members were being ushered into large groups. Each leader clutched a parchment map, their eyes wide with a mix of greed and anticipation.
Mael stepped away from the crowd and gathered the enforcers into a tight circle. He pulled out a scroll made of dark, shimmering leather.
“The regular disciples have the basic routes,” Mael said, his voice cutting through the noise of the portal.
“But Elder Yung provided us with a detailed map. According to it, we are to locate the Tomb of the Insect King hidden in that graveyard. Do not attempt to enter it. We will mark the location, map the surrounding terrain, and bring that information back so the elders can navigate.”
“Stupid mission,” Sabine muttered, leaning against the bark of the massive tree.
“We must not allow any of the descendants to suffer harm,” Mael said sharply. “We ensure we achieve our objective and earn our keep.”
As if on cue, a group of four disciples approached. Their robes were just like regular disciples but their expressions were full of disdain.
“Is this the ‘protection’ my father insisted on?” the lead disciple asked, fanning herself with a silk pleat. “They look like they crawled out of a gutter.”
Vandal kept his head down, but a sudden shift in the air made his skin prickle. He felt a gaze like a hot iron on the side of his face.
“You,” a voice hissed.
Vandal looked up and met the eyes of someone he never expected to see, Jaeden. The last time they had seen each other, Vandal had humiliated him, and he had never expected him to be a descendant. Jaeden’s face paled for a fraction of a second before twisting into a sneer of pure malice. He still bore a faint scar on his palm where Vandal’s grip had left its mark.
“I wondered where you had scurried off to,” Jaeden said, stepping forward to tower over Vandal. “Remember what I said? If I saw you again, I would not show you leniency.”
“You think you are impressive because you managed to beat Hutrar. You are still just an ant wearing a robe.”
The other descendants laughed, a cold, hollow sound.
“To think a common rat like you is wearing the robes of an enforcer,” Jaeden continued, his voice dripping with contempt. “Do not think your new title protects you.”
Vandal felt Sabine move slightly closer to him, her hand resting near the hilt of her short blade. He, however, remained calm.
“The graveyard is dangerous for everyone, Jaeden,” Vandal said softly. “Even for those with famous fathers.”
Jaeden’s face flushed a deep purple. “How dare you speak my name. You are a guide. You are a shield. You will speak only when you are pointing toward gold or when you are screaming for mercy.”
Mael stepped between them, his presence like a wall of cold stone. “The portal is stable. We move now. Descendants in the center, enforcers on the perimeter.”
Jaeden gave Vandal one last lingering look of hatred before stepping toward the shimmering gate. “Watch your back, trash. I have a very long memory.”
Just great. Now I have to protect these arseholes, especially one of them who would love to kill me. Vandal could feel a headache coming.