Chapter 25 - Insight

Between the darkness of night, a glowing orange light which originating on the center of a glade dimly illuminates the surrounding terrain. The light comes from a bonfire that protecting three people from this chilly night, chatter followed by their occasional laughter filled this silent place. They seem like a carefree people who like nature and relaxing below the starry sky.

Those people — a man and two girls — are sitting encircle around that bonfire and spent their time prattling while eating some meat. That man mostly only listened to those girls banter towards each other, and sometimes let out free laughter after heard their funny remark. There no reservation or any awkwardness between them, after all, they are siblings — these kinds of jest are everyday things for them.

Other people will see them as ordinary campers if not only for the fact that this isn't on earth and danger lurk everywhere.

However, the fact that they can casually converse in this strange area proven how unordinary they are. They never showed any sign of anxiety even though the bonfire makes them sitting ducks for possible wild predators, but their carefreeness wasn't baseless.

Whoever or whatever dare to see them as prey, won't live any longer because the man has slaughtered them immediately.

Many fresh corpses of monsters — Kobolds, Goblins, Lamias, Orcs — spreading like garbage not far away from their place. All remained living monsters after seen this kind of spectacle, become wary of their presence and don't even dare to get close.

Uncaring about those monster dread, those people continue their chatter as though tonight is another regular night.

"Haha, is that true Amber," a man laughing aloud after hearing his sister tantrum.

That man is wearing clean casual attire while his black curly hair neatly tied backward, but even though he has a ponytail hairstyle, it doesn't reduce his masculine aura. His narrow black eyes still give chills to his enemies.

Hansoo, the greatest assassin in the underworld, even his name made his enemies shiver when they hear it, but his reputation as an assassin with a hundred percent completion rate justified that notoriety.

Nevertheless, when he with his sisters, he still let out an amicable feeling.

"That's true, big brother. If I'm slightly weaker, everything would be different," the girl's throwing her tantrum, want to let out her emotions, "those damned goblins."

Although she kills many goblins earlier, the girl still appears clean without any drop of blood on her body, but that because she just finished her bath which apparent from her wet hair. She's wearing slightly torn clothes which caused by her previous fight, but it only shows her tomboyish childlike aura rather than a sexy vibe.

"That's true, but luckily big brother already train us," after hearing Amber tantrum, another girl let out her remarks. She let out a sigh of relief, realizes how dangerous their situations earlier.

"Finally you understand how important self-defense skills are," Hansoo chuckles hearing this girl remarks.

This girl wears nerdy clothes with black rim glasses sit comfortably on her face, while her braids tied neatly like a stereotype model students. Her appearance contrasts with Hansoo and Amber, but it was apparent that she close to them from their nonchalant interactions.

Hearing her brother words, that glasses girl's facing the man. She put out a deep thought before letting out any words, but then she finally asks, "big brother, I also want to train martial arts like Amber too."

After hearing his sister abrupt request, he falls into deep thought while stroking his chin. He never expects that his sister would request this, after all, she never likes violence which of course, he respects her inclination and avoids her from any possible danger.

"I understand Emily, I'll give you lessons in martial arts," after a long silence, Hansoo let out a sigh and choose to grant her request.

He made a rational choice after weighing his options. Although he wants to make his sister has a carefree life, but he can't underestimate the danger of this world any longer after hearing Elias explanation before.

It's impossible to survive in this world if what she has only some basic self-defense skills.

Even though he can protect her now, but the situation always can go awry and makes him can't always at her side.

Usually, he only needs to instruct his organization members to protect her from the shadow while he did another dangerous task, but now that he separated from them and no one he can command to guard her if something goes wrong.

It's better to train her as a preventive measure while he gathers all his companions which spreading around the world.

"Waai, thank you, big brother Hansoo," hearing her brother agreement, Emily jumps with happiness.

Looking at this odd scenery, Amber get astounded, her nerdy and delicate sister who hates violence and training become delighted with a training promise from Hansoo. Is this still her sister, How come to her personality change greatly?

"Did she got knocked in the head again?" Amber whispers towards Hansoo, but her voice was loud enough to be heard by Emily.

"Hey, that's rude, I only want to help," Emily says angrily.

"That's not rude, you just become weird," Amber retort.

After hearing their banter, Hansoo let out another laugh while touching his stomach.

"It's okay Amber, Emily wasn't crazy or anything. Before I found her, she nearly makes a man lost his life, she probably feels guilty because she can't help him in any way earlier," Hansoo tries to defend Emily.

"Eh is that so, well, that's a bummer," Amber says dejectedly, but she somehow still angry after looking at Emily's smug face.

"Yes," Hansoo pauses, "Either she feels guilt towards that man or a small crush," he tries to tease Emily.

"Wa, Wa, what are you saying big brother," Emily hurriedly says with a flushed face while swinging her hand back and forth, "that's not even close."

"Wait, seriously sis," Amber intrigued after seeing her sister suspicious behavior.

"What? No, of course not. Don't believe what big brother said earlier, that only a jest," Emily's half screaming tries to explain, but her sister still seems suspicious.

"Hee is that so," Amber put her hand on her mouth while her eyes change into a crescent shape.

"Moo, time to sleep," after can't find any words that'll convince her sister, Emily turn around and lay down — closing her eyes for a moment and already snooze.

"Damn, she's fast," Amber swears after noticed her sister really fall asleep.

"Let her sleep Amber," Hansoo tries to calm Amber after saw her still shook Emily's body, "today was very taxing for her. She never saw the bloody side of this world before, and today she saw many things at once after separated with us."

Although he says that words, he still never expected that reaction, it seems he needs to talk with Emily later.

'I'll need to save some punch to that Elias guy to see whether he's worthy with my sister or not. Well, I hope it only a small crush,' Hansoo thought.

Nevertheless, Hansoo words aren't unreasonable. Although she already consumed many runes that given by him earlier, which greatly increase her stamina, the accumulated mental stress still put a burden in her mind. After all, she wasn't a member of the underworld, she only an ordinary human that unfortunately thrown into this world. She never saw human cruelty nor human clemency other than her brother, which soon erased by him from her memories.

"Fine," Amber sigh. She then sits down and asks another topic, "well, how about that man, is he dangerous?"

"He," Hansoo silent for a while, "was not a threat for us I guess."

"You guess? I never saw you uncertain about someone before."

"Yeah, he was hard to read, but he protected Emily without ulterior motive and already show good faith towards me."

"So, you give your mercy towards him?" Amber bluntly say so.

Hearing Amber abrupt question, Hansoo flabbergasted for a moment, but then let out a smile while shaking his head, "there something about him that I still couldn't comprehend — something scary and familiar. Rather than mercy, I just don't want to stand in his bad side."

Amber couldn't believe her ears after heard Hansoo words, even though his words were vague, but she understands what it is — praise towards that man. There only a handful of people who acknowledged by Hansoo, and most of them already established their name in the Underworld, all of them already have achievements that no one will surpass in this generation.

They are the greatest human.

Nevertheless, this unknown man viewed on the same level as them by Hansoo.

"Is, is he that strong?" Amber gulp her saliva while asks that.

Hansoo understands what in her mind and then shook his head with a smile.

He realizes that he already eat all his skewer in his hand and then take one lump of meat next to him. While preparing to cook another portion to eat later, he starts to speak.

"You need to learn that power doesn't always lie on the personal strength."

Amber silently listen to his words, but her face saying as though she already understand that kind of thing. Hansoo also knows what she's thinking, but he still continues his words.

"As you heard earlier, he faced an opponent to save Emily's life."

"So?" Amber asks.

"That enemy Qi isn't much weaker than me, and he defeats him with only one hand while in the poisoned state. That victory between that gap of power can't be explained only with a superior technique. Not just that, he knows who I am and how much power I wield, but he didn't afraid. He believes that he had a chance to survive even if I try to kill him. There something more about him, something scary that makes him confident that he has a fifty-fifty chance to kill me — someone who superior in all aspect of power," Hansoo silent for a while.

"He the kind of clever person who always hides his trump card tightly," he says while cutting the meat into smaller part.

"What that's even mean?" Amber's tilting her head after heard another vague explanation by her brother.

Hansoo shook his head again, know well that his sister truly doesn't understand his words. He takes a long pointed piece of wood and pushes it through the meats — preparing another skewers food.

"To put it simply, he views fights in different level with you …," Hansoo starts his explanation.

***

Kiaaak! Kiaaak! Kiaaak!

Scream noises are overlapping with each other for a long time until they reach the goblin champion ears. The goblin champion's still running, try to catch up Elias who escape earlier. He regrets to stand still and not run when consumed detoxify rune earlier.

If he consumed that rune while running, maybe he can still save his minion from whatever demise they got, but his fighting experience makes him stay while consuming the rune to maximize its effect.

His choice is reasonable but incorrect on this occasion.

He quickens his face when he can't hear his minions voices anymore. After running for a while, he finally arrives on a precipice terrain. He looks forward and sees a wide, deep ravine where his minion fell earlier.

The usual place where there an arch crumbles and only left a few signs of its existence. After a few moments, he finally understands what happened to his minions — they fell into their end.

Near that ravine, only a handful of his minions left standing. It seems they the one who doesn't even have enough speed to reach the natural bridge. In other words the trash kind.

He wants to kill the remaining goblins to appease his anger, but he knows it's a waste in this situation, he needs to preserve even the weakest power now. He may be easily angered, but he still rational, after all, he can't survive in the wild if he always followed his anger.

KROAAAAA!

The goblin champion howls to abate his rage, his roars reverberated in this ravine which makes the leftover goblins around him fall backward, afraid they'll face his wrath. However, their anxiety is baseless as the goblin champion won't kill them in this situation.

***

"When you think you make your own choice," Hansoo talks while preparing his skewer.

***

KROAAAAA!

After a few howls finished, the goblin champion sees his enemy — Elias — stand across the ravine with a smirk. He becomes furious as he looks at the enemy scowl, he understands that his enemy's taunting him.

He knows that his enemy assumes that he can't do anything after the arch disappears — thinking that he can't cross this ravine.

Many things make him angry today, his minion had fallen to the ravine, his enemy poisoned him, and their delayed ritual. However, he's not angry because he couldn't jump across this ravine.

This ravine only 10-20 meters wide which he can jump easily with his stats, and now he's in a healthy state. Others maybe will hesitate after saw how deep this ravine is and afraid to fall, but he can gauge his capability clearly.

At first, the goblin champion want to back down and bring his remaining minion towards their lair to continue their ritual — after all, he already lost many today, and kill that human won't bring his minions back, but after he saw his gleeful enemy face, his blood rushes towards his head — clouding his judgment.

He pushes his minions aside and jumps to the other side — this time he'll tear his enemy apart and make him regret what he did.

***

"He cleverly brings you to adhere his cadence."

***

With his currently healthy status, there no way this weak human can defeat him as long he becomes very careful and not get scratched by his poisonous sword again.

In the midair, he's observing his enemy movement, this time he put all of his attention at his enemy hidden movements. Prevents his enemy's cunningness that has many hidden weapons and probably will throw it towards him while he jumps.

The goblin champion suspicions become true, Elias soon throws his poisoned sword towards him. However, the goblin champion already foresaw it and then deflect that sword without losing his momentum. He put out a smile, imagining how he'll tear apart this human after the loss incurred by this detestable enemy.

He doesn't let go his sight to Elias and put all his focus to all his motion, afraid he still has other hidden weapons. After all, he's too cunning, but as long as he pays attention enough, every weapon his enemy throw won't injure him even a tiny bit.

His agility and strength overwhelm his enemy.

***

"When you think the battle only just begin,"

***

Both of them know this too, but contrary with the goblin champion wary state, Elias seems relaxed as though this situation was within his expectation. Elias protrudes his hand and raises two finger forwards making a peace sign while letting out a wide smile.

He let out a childlike expression in this serious battle.

***

"He already sees how it ends." Hansoo pushes the last skewer through the last meat.

***

However, the goblin champion doesn't understand what this sign means, but he knows that he needs to carefully observe without dismissing this sign mean. With his current stats and all his focus that directed towards Elias, every hidden attack from his enemy won't faze him anymore.

That's what he thought.

***

"When you follow his beat," Hansoo says while collecting the skewers.

***

However, something unexpected — still happens.

Booooom!

Without any sign or movement from his enemy, a huge explosion hit his left neck. He knows well what this skill is — a fireball skill — as he often sees it from goblin shamans demonstration, but this time, no light streak rush towards him like a normal fireball. Also, nothing indicates that spell is chanted from his enemy mouth as though it appears midair and explode just like that.

***

"You'll get burned…" Hansoo talks while laying his skewers on the fire.

***

The goblin champion doesn't know that fireball has many levels as he only saw the first one, the basic one. This is an advanced version of fireball skill which only can be used by goblin shaman with a high mana pool. It's impossible for a random goblin tribe will know something advanced like this. They neither have the capability to nurture their own shaman nor creates another variety of skill.

The goblin champion's looking behind him and sees a goblin with overflowing mana stand alone while other goblins become cinders. He finally understands that one of those goblins earlier is neither weak nor slow, one of them is a traitor — a goblin shaman that act as one of the leftover goblins.

If only he runs while consuming that rune, this won't happen.

If only he kill all those leftover goblins earlier, this won't happen.

If only he chooses to back down and not jumps, this won't happen.

If only.

However, soon he shook his head, his enemy know them very well, there no way to know what inside his enemy head and what contingency he still has in his sleeve. His defeat probably already ascertained when he chooses to fight against this human.

Like every battle, there always exists the winner and the loser — and in this battle, he's the loser. Plain and simple — like it should be.

He accepts his fate and closes his eyes.

He loses his momentum from the earlier explosion and falls down — following his minions in a blazing fire.

***

"Very, very, very badly."