Black Sword and Fragments [Vol. 1: Unforeseen Conspiracy]

Chapter 11

Chapter 11: How to become stronger?

Near the side walks where several merchant's tents are stood, Allastor is smirking widely as he continues walking his way to the adventurer's guild. Due to the extreme happiness he felt, he can't help but close his eyes while throwing a wrapped new sword in the air.

“Holy mother of our god system, I did it! I got a new sword!” Allastor happily said. “A sharp sword that cost three gold coins. And oh, I only got it for free!”

As Allastor continue his way to the adventurer's guild, he swam across the crowd of people. His smile became even wider when he heard familiar voices from the distance.

“Brother Allastor!”

“Allastor!”

Allastor saw a group composed of two ladies and children of various ages. As soon as he stored his sword inside his space bag, Allastor immediately rushed toward them.

“Aunt Ishara, Great-aunt Isabel!” Allastor said, excitedly. Allastor's gaze falls upon the two youths his age. These youths are the ones he grew up with in the orphanage. “And you two! What is really happening?”

“Oh my, how come you have forgotten about it again? It's the twenty-first day of March now.” Ishara sighed before smiling. 

Hearing those words, the other just nodded as if they are agreeing on something.

“I wonder whose age is twelve now?” The young lady of the same age as Allastor said while rubbing her chin. She also looked at Allastor Frauzz. “Any Idea, guys?”

Allastor scratches his head in response. “O, oh? Is it my birthday?”

“Heh. Of course dude.” A young man his age placed his arms to Allastor. He smirked. “So you should also be aware now that your balls will start to grow some grass.”

“Ew. Here comes your lame joke again, orangutan. Don't you ever steal Allastor from me.” The young lady from before steal Allastor from the young man. She locks her arm to Allastor's arm and pulls him as she starts walking away. The others followed their direction.

Veins on the young man's forehead popped out as he look at their shrinking silhouette. “That joke is between a man. How come that ugly lady interfere...” 

“Grandma Isabel, I also have balls in our home! Can a grass grow on it, really?” An innocent child asks the old lady.

“Oh, my baby.” Isabel laughed at the innocent look of the asking child. “Of course, it is impossible. A grass could only live in soil, Lillia.”

Hearing that, the young man felt shocked. He whistles as if he was not involved in that sudden question as he slowly followed their direction.

Allastor with his family happily chatted with each other as they roam their way to the beautiful places in the capital. 

About the children who grew up with Allastor in the orphanage, two of them have chosen the profession of becoming an adventurer as well. They are Selena who currently locks her arm to Allastor and Hukkon who joked earlier with Allastor.

Allastor will never forget that once a child unlocks his ability to feel the magicules, they needed to choose their profession. 

Even though the university for the aspiring Royal Soldiers, Black Smith and Herbalist is free, three of them still chose to become an adventurer. One of their reasons correlates to each other. That is to travel the mystery behind the whole Illunor's continents.

*   *   *   *

Many years have already passed eversince Allastor live in the orphanage. And just like what had happened earlier, there are also times where he forgotten his own birthday. But, his family in the orphanage are always there to remind Allastor about that important occasion.

If will be counted, ever since he live with his aunt Ishara, Isabel and the other children, this is his sixth birthday. In that six years, even he wasn't that adept at interacting at the other people in Orphanage, he still sees them as if his own family. And when finally become a adventurer, he became even closer to them and learn to express more of his thoughts.

If the Allastor from before would be compared to the current Allastor, even Allastor himself will definintely say that he has now became a better version of himself. Aside from the increase on his level, the increase on his height can also be noticed. His unique pair of red-clored eyes has become even more clearer. The shape of his face became a bit detailed aswell—making the fats on his face to reduce significantly. 

And now, aside from his rather masculine body, his face is now close to the description of handsomeness. 

In that one month that passed, Allastor used a large portion of his time to train, while the remaining time is for himself and to his two days visit every week to his family in the orphanage. 

He was always accompanied by Hukkon and Selena every time they visit the orphanage. And about the rank and level of them, Selene is a Level eight Bronze rank, while Hukkon is a Level nine. They are definitely stronger than Allastor Frauzz.

Simultaneously to the increase of his height, his level also increase to Level four Bronze rank—a few more steps closer to the rank of Silver.

However, just like what Allastor is thinking, if only his cursed sword and defected body doesn't hurdle his progress, he is confident that he might be much closer if not on the same level to Selena and Hukkon.

It was long before since he started suspecting his body to have some kind of defection. And to his observation, he realized that he was right. Compared to the normal rankers, his absorption to the magicule energies are so weak and has an everyday limit. Even if his cursed sword doesn't steal the energies from the life core he collects, his body wouldn't be able to absorb all of it in a day.

The vigorous suction ability of his Black Requiem sword along with his weak absorption ability, leads him to struggle increasing his level. 

About his Black Requiem, he have realized now how its dangerous power works. 

He realized that in every twelfth magicules it absorbs from the life core, its blade glows significantly—indicating that it was now ready to realease all the energies it absorbed. And in addition, the power that the Black Requiem releases is amplified tenfolds of the total magicules it has absorbed. 

There are times where Allastor uses that ability of his unique sword—it is every time he suddenly encounter strong magicule beast. He have even killed a level seven green cougar before just by using the broken ability of his Black Requiem.

And about Ballion Ibzaar, after the incident that happens inside the Kurnell Forest, Allastor and him seldomly see each other outside the Kingdom. They didn't even crossed path in the Adventurer's Guild. The last and only time they saw each other again is a week ago, in the capital.

Yet, because the roaming Royal Soldiers inside the kingdom are strict, Ballion Ibzaar didn't dare to cause commotion in front of their eyes—even if he is the younger brother of the infamous platinum ranker.

Allastor knows that even doing a commotion ouside the kingdom, will never have a siginificant difference once they caught by one of the kingdom's soldiers. And if one has been proven throwing dirt on one's human rights, will be punished accordingly.

Be that as it may, on Ballion's case, he still can bully weaker adventurers from the outside of kingdom them. Since the outside is limited in roaming soldiers. The soldiers witnessing the commotion made by Ballion Ibzaar, couldn't interfere that easily. They lack formidable number of witnesses outside compared to the inside of the kingdom. In addition, they are afraid to what Stallion Ibzaar can do if they can't proven Ballion's wrong doing.

Allastor, ever since meeting Ballion personally, have realized why Lookout officer Roderick Flameberg is afraid of Ballion despite being a Gold ranker. He is afraid of the weaker ranker Ballion just because of his brother, one of the four formidable generals and is also one of the Platinum rank rankers. 

*   *   *   *

A day have passed after Allastor's birthday. 

On the present time, inside the Adventurer's Pub floor or the exclusive restaurant only for adventurers, Allastor can be seen sitting calmly as he enjoy the food on his table. There is a whole roasted chicken on his plate three pieces of buns. On his right side is a half glass full water. 

If you won't look closely to the chicken dish, you could have thought that this is only a simple dish. In spite of that, if you will look closely, you can see a minature green tree in every pores of this chicken. And in addition, the roasted chicken skin has an unusual glittering golden light. 

When he finished eating the chicken meat, he then drunk all the waters inside his glass.

“Gah! This dish is brilliant!” Allastor happily whispered as he rubbed his tummy.  “So that is the reason why Tree-pore steamed chicken cost two silver coins, huh?”

Allastor's eyes sparkled as he looked at the written menu from the counter. “Next time, I'll try that Red sesami-beef steak!”

A moment later, Allastor's eyes traveled to the surroundings. Just like before, twenty tables with four chairs spread evenly at this floor. The wooden-floor of this pub is sparkling smooth as a mirror. 

Aside from that, two masculine man can be seen observing the surroundings from each side of the walls. They are two of the six lookout officers of the Adventurer's Guild.

One of this man happily greeted Allastor with a wave as soon as their eyes met. On several days that passed, Allastor became close to one of the lookout officers, specifically, to Roderick Flameberg.

Aside from that, a waiter and waitress could also be seen wearing black apron as they roam the place to deliver assist the customers. Their specific job is to list and deliver the order of the customers, and aswell as to clean the tables.

Pumangalum-baba si Allastor sa mesa at saka nagwika nang mayroong siyang maalala, "Hmmm . . . . Napaka bagal pa rin ng pag-usad ng ranggo ko sa [Level 5] kahit na naka-kuha na ako ng Life-core ng isang [Grey Colt] kahapon lang. . ." 

Allastor placed her palm on his face as he leaned on the wooden table. He remembered something. “My progress of reaching the level five is still so slow even after consuming all the magicule energies from Grey-colt's life core.” He frowned, but not long aftet eithet, he sighed. “And until now, my money is still not enough to buy a Grade D sword mastery book...”

“Holy mother, if reaching level five is this hard already, what kind of spikes I should crawl into tk reach level six?” He again sighed. “I'm really jealous of Selena and Hukkon's progress.”

As soon as he said those words, a chatting voices of an adventurers brightened Allastor's face. 

“What?! There you are again, Finx. No one will dare gambling their life to touch that Uzuri's Mana tree.” A semi-bald man's voice reverberated near Allastor's table. “Even if that tree can grant me broken powers, I wouldn't dare try entering the Uzuri's Forest! All the monsters there are speculatef to be beyond platinim rank.”

“And so am I, Bard my son! HAHA!” A skinny old man agreed as he laughed loudly. “Someone with cracked head will only enter that forest. Even the three platinum rankers of our kingdom didn't even have the confidence to go in expedition to that forest either.”

The young lady's face became red. She fixed her glasses before saying. “What a joke. If magicules frlm that place is really that strong, how come they are still not attacking the kingdom? Can you explain that? You and grandpa will see, I will be able to find that mana tree.”

With a tok sound, the semi-bald gently hit the lady on her head as he response smirking. “Of course they will not attack the kingdom, you idiot. If you find a good place to cultivate your power, will you still leave the place? Once that mana-tree that keeping them busy is gone, all of us will surely be perished.”

“Che.”

“Hey, don't be that mad. Even if your level is higher than me by three, I couldn't let you and father be in dangerous situation, you know?”

On the other side, Allastor hearing their chitchats clenched his fist. Honestly, everytime he stop by at this place, he often hears the story of the Uzuri's Forest and its magical Mana-Tree. He smirked widely as he let out words from his mind. “The Mana-Tree again. Is this some kind of synchronicity? Might be, that place is the key for me to become stronger!”

Yet still, the fire of determination in his eyes extinguished as soon as he remembered something from the chitchats earlier. He have heard that even the Platinum rank rankers aren't confident that they can enter that forest safely, so what could he even do being a level four bronze rank only?

“Heh. Instead of dreaming for something that is impossible to happened suddenly, I should work harder for it.” Allastor nods as he said those words inside his mind. “Yeah. That's right.”

Based of the Legend, there is a tree which called as Uzuri's Mana-Tree. This tree has the ability to make one surge in power in an instant.

 Iyon ay kung mahahawakan nito ang alin man sa parte ng mahiwagang puno. Ang isa pa, hindi man gaanong may kasiguraduhan, ang patunay ng mga mamayan ng Kreo na totoo ang mahiwagang puno sa Uzuri's Forest ay ang mga halimaw na naka-tira roon. 

Only if that particular one can touch the Magical tree. In addition, even the accuracy isn't that high enough, the basis of this legend is the magicule beasts living inside that place. Even the weakest magicule beast in that place is said to be on the rank of Platinum, hence, those magicule beasts might have already touched the Uzuri's Mana-Tree.

Noong naunang mga panahon, hindi pa natutuklasan ang kagubutan kung saan maaaring makita ang mahiwagang Mana-Tree, gayun man, apat na pung taon na ang nakalilipas ay agad na nagbago ito.

On the era of the third generation of Kingdom's rankers, the forest where the mana tree could be seen isn't been discovered yet. Howbeit, forty years earlier, it changed. On that time, they have discovered the Legendary Forest which is now called Uzuri's Forest.

Uzuri's Forest is very well known to the whole kingdon of Kreo, not because it is a beautiful place to be, instead, it is well known to the  danger lurking inside it.

That forest has been discovered forty years ago when a group of ten Gold rankers accidentaly entered that forest. However, only one ranker has been able to return alive to tell the stories to what happened to them inside that forest.

That ranker told that several unusual-looking monsters is living in that place. He also told the people of the kingdom that the magicule energies those monsters are emiting is ridiculously stronger than a mere Gold Rankers like them. As per him aswell, he mentioned that all the magicule beasts in that place has an intelligence comparable to humans, thus making them able to speak.

To be continued... 

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