Nightman

by Arozy Saputra

  Chapter 2 "Welcome to the underworld"

  "I hates government!", "me too, we should be able to destroy this country. We must try everything.", "lets take a rest now. Call for any progress."

  Arozy appear on harsh and dark forest. No ordinary building or plant visible. Air on that place is so heavy like breathing on smokes. Light is coming from lava and weird firefly. "Where am i? Is this underworld?" Yes it is underworld. A realm with infinite border and possibilities. With his survival ability ars go exploring that place. You can imagine how the panorama of that place. Not good at all. Until a sound appear. A screams of monster. Do you know how metal song? That the sound. A moment later, a goliath is appeared. Not so friendly because that monster attack ars directly. Ars is speechless and reflect every movement. Ars just can run from that hungry beast. running from from one trees to another trees. This goliath is too strong to faced without weapon. With limitation of stamina ars finally be caught. Ars can't thinking other than death. His punch, kick, and even a bite not effective. That goliath push ars hard to ground. He know he will die now. "Oh, allysha i am sorry, i can't go home." A moment later a fire blast coming from goliath back. That goliath feel pain and try to deflect. It leave ars and chase that fire blast caster. Ars follow that beast which is faced with a man dressed like wizard. He cast fire magic to face goliath. "Ok newcomer, take this." That man throw a sword to ars. "Help me to defeat this beast."

  Ars know how to handle sword because he has been practicing before. While that man use magic, ars attacking with sword, working together to defeat that goliath until it died.

  That goliath die by emitting some shiny red orbs. Ars touch that orbs and that orbs suddenly drained to ars body. "That's called soul. You already know every living forms have soul. And that soul can be used as energy." That man take his sword from ars and introduce himself. "Welcome ars, my name zagas, i am merchant on this realm.", "how do you know my name?", "i am magic merchant. I have many magic to use including mindreading.", "magic merchant? So you trading magic but how can i pay.", "that's good question, follow me, i will take you to my shelter. We don't want that beast friends appeared." Ars agree with that and following zagas to his shelter on the forest.

  zagas shelter looks like ordinary house with magic wall around it. Make that house invisible. So that why there are no building visible. "Invisible house? Good for richies.", "i hear that, and i am not richies, even i don't have money to buy food." This jokes make that house little bright. Considering there is scary outside. "Make yourself comfortable, i won't wasting for chit chat." Ars looking around. So many potions, scrolls, and herbs on that house like real wizard house. "Alright ars, listen me. Every living forms have soul including humans. This soul can be used as energy source for magic. depends on its size, amount and power soul can be used as payment. Every wizard take soul as payment for his magic. Wizard use soul as money or energy of his magic. Like my fire blast.", "so i need to kill someone or something to buy magic? How can i count how many soul i have and where i save this soul.", "the weakest soul is sized like 1cm ball and doesn't emitting light. We can call that 1 soul. Bigger size and shiny light affect its price. Color used to determine type of living form that have that soul orbs. Human soul is blue and monster is red like you see on that goliath. That so many variety of soul. But remember underworld not source for soul. Because almost all monster here have weakest soul. That goliath we kill priced 48 soul. Your body functioned as wallet. But everyone have different limit, some can save 999 soul, 9999 soul, or 99999 soul", "how do you know that amount?", "i have counter magic that extend my vision to view soul and count it price like i do now on you." Zagas stare ars body and looks surprised. "Oh... your soul...", "what? How many my soul is?", "i can't found your soul. Your body are too large. Oh, man, i think you are destined as soul hunter. You can save as many soul as you want."

  "What's that mean, i can buy more expensive magic?", "who is the richies now?", "..." arozy stuck on his own words. "Ok for the beginning i'll lend you soul hunting magic. you must kill some monster and collect soul to pay this magic. If you have more soul, you can spend it too.", "why i can't hunt magic on earth only.", "yes but you can't open portal manually. You must go to portal temple. Unfortunately that temple is guarded by demons. We can't face that demons, because they are to strong. Even for me.", "ok, that seems complicated. Can we start hunting soul?", "that's the spirit.", "come here, i'll show you my weapon collections." Zagas and ars entered armory, there are many weapon on that room. Sword, axe, mace, or spear. "Whoa, am i on blacksmith forge?", "i obtain all of these weapon on my exploring. I got it from knight corpse or from other monster. Choose one you like, this is free." Ars grab one sword. "Good eyes, that is tizona. I got that one from dead knight on crimson biome.", "thanks for the sword, i must start practicing.", "next, eat this." Zagas offer some relic. "That's relic, how can i eat it?", "don't worry, this is not solid, this is magic relic, its will stay om your soul so you can use it.", "oh" ars eating that relic. Its taste like eating light. "This scroll will help you to learn your magic."

  Magic acquired: "Soul blast" ability to charge soul and fire it to enemy. Blast can be formed as sword, hand, or ball. Results different type of damage. Consume varies soul depends on attack level.

  "Last thing you need is armor." Zagas open chest contains leather armor. "Take off your clothes, and wear this." Ars wearing his new clothes. His first armor. "Is this strong enough to protect me?", "don't worry, you will got new stuff on your journey same like me. Ok put this health potion on your pocket." Zagas give small vial contains red liquid and ars put it to his leather armor pocket. While zagas bring so many potion with him. He take potion and that drained to his body. That make ars curious. "Where that potion gone? Your soul?", "oh, this, no, this is called space pocket. This relic convert any solid object to magical object and save it to my physique body not my soul body. "Wah, that's mean your blood contains so many potion and sword. Doctor couldn't be touch you.", "ok, that's funny. Lets go!" Ars and zagas leave that house and start exploring. On behind, zagas house start disappear. "How you know where your house should be?", "using special map."

  On the way to portal temple ars and zagas kill so many monster. And this time ars can face it without problem. "By the way can i have that space pocket too?", "no, this is just one. You must find it yourself or maybe other merchant have it for trade." Until they are arrived on portal temple. That place is more scary than underworld itself. There are some demons flying guarding that place. "Here we are, the portal temple. An only place to go home to earth. Since we can't open manual portal.", "this place looks dangerous. I hope this is my first and last time to go here.", "ok, before we continue, we can start trading, what magic you want to buy?", "alright, lets see what you got.", "i have plenty of useful magic. Not too strong but you can upgrade it yourself with your soul once you go home to earth. Here my list of available magic. You have 1565 soul on your wallet and i will take 100 soul as your first buy. Now you have 1465." Ars see that list and choose some magic.

  Magic bought: "soul vision" this ability is used to view, measure and manage obtained soul.

  Magic bought: "soul command" transform soul to a pet or auto pilot to do every command they are received.

  Magic bought: "telekinetic" ability to moving object. Can be enhanced to transform, mutate or shape object. And affect various type of object.

  Magic bought: "magic translator" ability to translate any text to other text. Can be used to make spell.

  Magic bought: "soul converter" convert soul or non soul object to working differently and working with various element.

  Magic bought: "soul eater" ability to drain soul directly from its source.

  "Ah, now with that ability you are become the real hunter. That all priced 1400. Now grab my hand." Ars grab zagas hand and light appear from zagas light and move to ars body. "You got the magic. Read this scroll to read more about your new learned magic. I'll leave you here for a moment. I want to check this tem
ple if we can enter without being seen." Zagas leave ars alone. While he clearing the temple ars is busy reading about his new magic. "Now with this magic i can coding even faster. Even an instant typing. I can use soul command to typing code for me. While magic translator and soul converter will make me can creating magical apps. I can create virus that roams on air to kill people for me. Than i can combine soul command and soul eater to collect all soul. Bingo!" Now that's how modern teen is thinking.

  Zagas is back and ars done reading and ready to fight. "Do you know you can use soul converter to transform a stick to a snake. Lets go, i found safe path." First step entering temple courtyard. Its aura is so demonic. Ars and zagas is managed to enter temple gate. Hide from wall to wall. From boulder to boulder. One of demon is guarding gate. "How we can enter?", "watch this!" zagas take out a doll and possess it with soul then transform it into a fairy. That fairy fly away. Attract attention of demon guard and chase it. Ars and zagas successfully entered the temple. They watch how that demon kills the fairy. The demons fire a purple blast. Exploding the fairy. "I can't imagine if that is your head."

  Inside the temple, there are so many paths and rooms. Formed like some kind of labyrinth. "Where do we go now?", follow me. A portal to earth not too far. Ars and zagas playing hide and seek with demons. Avoiding any contact or they can die. On a path fork some demons pass. Make ars and zagas separated. They can't do anything other than running back to safe path. Make ars and zagas completely separated. Now ars must find that earth portal himself. He check room by room carefully. Until on one of room. Suddenly a demon appear from path fork. Ars running blindly, avoiding demon charge. Ars afraid if his head exploded. Using soul blast to slow down the demon ars enter a big room with a sword attached on altar. Ars see that's a dead end. He thinks its time to fight back. Ars prepared his sword and mental. The demon appear from door. His red eyes make ars scared. That demon lift his hand and start firing his deathly purple blast. And the fight begins.

  Ars move around the room and avoiding every blast. And use his sword blast to strike back. Blue and purple light fly forth and back. Make many light explosive and blast sound. Ars can't even hurts the demon while himself always almost take damage because that blast moving two meters per second. Ars and the demon don't realize if that sleeping sword on altar begin to move and emit black aura. One last demon charge break ars sword. Now ars really scared. "Holy god! Save me!" The demon is laughing seeing his foe lost sword. Do you know how the demon laugh. Ah, i am sure you must already know this from demonic movie. The demon begin to talk, "human... must... die..." with that dialog the demon charge his blast in full power. Ars just can prepare this insane QTE mini game and hopefully can avoid his blast. The demon is four meters close from ars. That mean ars only have two second to reflect. Demon charge is coming. Ars feels very tense. But only three meters purple blast flying, that blast began to turn direction to the sleeping sword. That sword drain the purple blast like fatty eat his burger. Ars and the demon shocked. Without waste time again ars ran toward the sword. The devil started firing his blast again but no luck because his blast drained by the sword. Demon looks mad and fly closely to ars to attack directly. Ars reached the sword and almost touch the sword. A familiar voice coming from the door. "No... don't touch that sword...!" Ars can't hear that voice anymore. He too panic and immediately grab the sword, pull it out, and use it to stab the demon who have been very close to ars. The sword stab through the demon stomach. The demon feel very painfully. His body began to burns and exploded. That demons is dead and all his power was drained to the ars body via the sword.

  An applause sound. That is zagas. "Well ars, congrat, you just kill the demon. But make new problem." While trying to breathe ars replied to what zagas said with confused face. "what do you mean? This sword can kill demons very easily. What i have to worry about?", "and thats the problem, this sword can make you kill and kill and kill again. You will become butcher.", "how can be? Ok i'll put this sword back to its place." Arozy walking to altar. "No, you can't, i hear so many stories about this sword. This sword called sword of vengeance on my country. And on other place its called sword of death, crimson sword, or imperio sword. This sword don't have exact name. But its function remain same. Its can kill almost all creatures and drain its power to transfer it to his master.", "such a powerful sword", "yes but there is one big problem. This sword always want chaos, it can detect chaos and war in radius 100 kilometers. If you don't give him chaos at least once a year he will possess you and turn you into killing machine.", "oh, darn, can i throw it away?", "no, its will teleported to your place, even if you are on another dimension. That why i tell you don't touch it." Ars being more confused than before. "The only way to throw it away is your death. I mean your real death. With this sword on you, you are protected from any damage. You are nearly immortal. You just can life as assassin until your life's ended.", "ok, enough with that depressing explanation, lets find portal to earth.", "oh, right, this way."

  Ars followed zagas to earth portal. And that was correct. The sword can deflect and kill every demon in sight. Ars and zagas arrived at the portal. "This portal will lead you to random place in earth and will closed. You can't go back here again.", "but i going here by portal i found on forest.", "portal never opened by its self, that's mean that portal is opened by someone that know how to open portal manually.", "alright i don't care, i just happy i can go home, i will think about this later.", "ok ars, glad to meet you, see you." Ars entered the portal and finally can back to earth.

  "Ah, finally that sword has been taken by human. I wondered how that human will uncurse that sword. Then i can steal it. Hoho such powerful sword."

  (nightman08)