9 Chapter 09: Just like me (1)

Blood, screams, burnt flesh, and ash—flames consumed all as a figure of a man stood there, gazing at the scene with a twisted grin of satisfaction on his face.

None escaped the flames. The inferno showed no mercy, leaving no goblin to tell the tale. Only the voice of silence could be heard. The man stood in the middle of it all, breathing heavily, before collapsing to the ground. depleted of energy.

Seeing his friend fall to the ground, Raum rushed to him, worry etched across his raven features. He poked his cheek, urging him to wake up.

"Aron! Are you alright? Don't you dare die on me!"

Aron slowly opened his eyes,a mischievous smile spreading across his face.

"Oh!... Raum... Never have I felt more alive," he said, pausing to catch his breath.

"Slaughtering them all felt so damn good. Don't you agree?"

Relief washed over Raum as he nodded in agreement. "Well, at least you avenged me a bit. So, yes," Raum paused before asking, "Can you move?"

Aron shook his head. "Not yet. I need some time to rest and regain my power."

"Alright, I'll go search for the equipment. I don't remember the exact location, but it's around here somewhere"

Raum didn't wait for a response before flying away, searching for the weapons and armor.

Aron, on the other hand, took this opportunity to check the system notifications one by one. Two level-up notifications greeted him, one from completing the quest and the other from the goblin kills. That brought him to level 4, with an amount of XP close to level 5. From the system notification, Aron noted that he killed 30 goblins, with each goblin giving just 20 XP

"sigh!..too low for the amount of work I have done"

Nonetheless, he put the thought aside, determined to find more challenging foes or, if he was lucky, a quest with an instant level-up reward. He also received four attribute points for leveling up. Aron decided to follow the system's earlier advice and, frankly, felt that a balance of strength and stamina would suit him best. So, he put two points in strength and two in stamina.

The effects were immediate. Aron's skin hardened, his muscles bulging with newfound strength. He flexed his fists, feeling a surge of power coursing through him. As for stamina, Aron was surprised to be able to move and flip his body to lie on his back.

The effect of the beating he took from the goblin champion was no joke, and it seemed the rapid healing of his wounds and bones took a toll on his health. However, Aron was relieved. He could feel with each passing second that his body was becoming lighter and the pain was diminishing little by little.

Remembering the fire, Aron eagerly examined his new skill. For him, the skill proved to be effective against multiple enemies.

…

[Skill: Fire Legacy: "Betrayed, deceived, imprisoned, The king's last wish was to see the world on fire"

Able to bend fire to your will. The skill will consume mana each second, and the amount of fire and mana depends on user level.]

..

"Controlling fire is a great thing, depending on how I use it," he paused, rubbing his chin. "But the mana consumption is no joke,"

Aron lay on the ground, resting, his mind consumed by thoughts of his own limitations. The burnt corpses of the small goblins surrounding him served as a stark reminder of his recent struggles.

"If small creatures like this give me a hard time, then how can I deal with much stronger ones? I need to get stronger, and fast."

Half an hour later, Raum returned, carrying good news. He had found the room that held the weapons and armor. Having to search every corner until he found it.

Aron, feeling considerably better and able to move, quickly joined Raum as they ventured into one of the openings in the wall. Upon entering, Aron was surprised to find out that what appeared to be a small hole turned out to be a tunnel.

The tunnel entrance was small; Aron wouldn't be able to walk freely inside. He had to lower himself and bend his legs just to fit in. While the confined space could prove challenging in combat, Aron felt reassured knowing that he had roasted all the goblins in the vicinity. He was sure nothing would dare attack him right now, at least.

As they traversed the tunnel, the darkness gave way to a spacious room, twice the size of the one where Raum had been trapped. Aron's eyes scanned the area, spotting barrels and wooden boxes, some empty and others containing rotting meat and vegetables. The awful stench found its way to Aron's nose. Those goblins couldn't even store things properly; maybe they don't know how.

"Over here!" Raum shouted at Aron, guiding him to the back of the room.

There were piles and piles of badly shaped and rusty armor and weapons. Aron frowned, staring at the useless equipment in front of him, unfit for combat. What could he do with broken and rusty weapons? He couldn't even slay a chicken with them.

Almost all the swords had broken blades, and those that were still in one piece were already rusted. Aron managed to salvage two swords that were still somewhat intact. He held one in each hand, and with a simple clap, the blades shattered like fragile glass.

"Useless!...sigh" Aron sighed in frustration.

He needed to find a usable weapon. Resolute, he continued sifting through the piles of garbage, his hands uncovering broken swords, daggers, axes, and maces. While he was searching, something caught his attention—a black hilt buried within the mound of weapons.

Curiosity piqued, Aron grabbed hold of the hilt, only to find it firmly stuck. Determined, he exerted more force, using both hands and bending his legs to leverage his strength. What he found made his eyes widen. A pure black metal greatsword. The sword looked old, very old, with a very simple design without any ornate embellishments, yet the blade remained surprisingly sharp.

To Aron's astonishment, another weapon of the same kind awaited his discovery within the pile. Without hesitation, he pulled, and this time revealing a greataxe forged from the same black metal. Like its companion, the greataxe, much like the greatsword, followed a simplistic design with a keen edge.

A smile graced Aron's lips, knowing that he now possessed not one, but two formidable weapons that would serve him well until he could buy newly forged ones.

Just as Aron held the two weapons in his hands. A notification suddenly appeared.

[Analyzing]

[Unique weapon detected]

[Nameless greatsword]

[Nameless greataxe]

Aron's smile immediately faded when he read the word "Nameless." It reminded him of his own forgotten identity, his lost name buried in the annals of time. "Aron" was just a name he had picked up from the engravings on the coffin.

He couldn't help but gaze at the two nameless weapons with a tinge of sadness. "You two are just like me... nameless and forgotten," he murmured, his voice filled with melancholy.

Raum caught the sorrow on Aron's face but decided not to ask about it. Instead, he hopped on Aron's shoulder and asked,

"Nice weapons, huh? Which one are you going to take?"

Aron continued to gaze at the two weapons, his eyes filled with a mixture of reverence and longing. Without turning his head, he answered with a single word, his resolve firm.

"Both."

Raum found Aron's choice unusual. He had never met a warrior who used two great weapons. However, he could see that Aron was not an ordinary person from his aura and the black eyes that turned crimson when he fought.

Setting the weapons aside for the moment, Aron turned his attention to the heap of battered armor, hoping for better fortune. Alas, the condition of the discarded equipment mirrored that of the weapons—tattered and worn.

"Where did the goblins get this equipment from?" Aron voiced his frustration, his disappointment evident.

Raum offered an explanation. "Mostly from their victims. They salvage whatever they can from raided caravans and farms."

Aron gazed at the piles of weapons and armor from a different perspective.

"Every piece that lies here, behind it, is a lost soul."

After minutes of searching, all Aron could find was a roughly fit chestplate, a right-hand gauntlet, leather pants, a gray cloak, a set of heavy iron boots, and a steel left shoulder piece.

Aron grabbed the ragged cloth he used to cover his lower body. He almost took it off before turning to Raum. a hint of embarrassment coloring his face.

"Do you mind turning around?"

Raum stared at him, initially puzzled. He didn't understand at first, but when he saw Aron's hand grabbing the cloth, a mischievous smile tugged at his beak.

"Ah! I see... You know, you almost gave me a heart attack back then when I was inside the cage. The first person I've seen in a while is running around like a wildling. Weren't you even the slightest bit embarrassed? I mean, even the dumb ogres learned to cover themselves. If you kept going on like that..."

Slap!.

"Ouch!"

Before he finished, Aron snapped at him. His face was red like a tomato as he remembered that time.

"Just shut up and turn around!"

Amused, Raum chuckled softly. Using his wing to shield his eyes, he obliged, turning his head away.

"Fine, fine. I must protect my delicate eyes from your abomination, after all."