CHAPTER 21

A hand lies on the ground. It is green, slender, and long. It is connected to a body, but the body is buried under the ground. A finger twitches. Then, another finger. Then, the hand.

“Ubi sum?”

The hand scratches the ground in an attempt to dig the body out.

“Ubi sunt?”

The ground shakes. A hand breaks out of the ground.

“Si Hic Essem.”

Another hand appears out of the ground.

“Magna.”

A head appears out of the ground. It is blind. Its hair is made out of vines tangled with one another. Its long neck blurs the line between torso and head. Its green body is short but its legs are long. Its third arm is attached to its back, longer than the other two.

It looks at us.

DETAIL CHECK
Rotphyl the Lost Fey

This is not how I thought a Fey would look like.

Before we can do anything, Rotphyl points its third hand to me. My movement becomes slower. My body, heavier. My breath, shorter. The ground is pulling me. Is this gravity magic?

DETAIL CHECK
Correct.

The other two hands shoot vines out of its fingers. Timothy uses his deflect magic to change the trajectory of a vine. At the same time, he fires electric to Rotphyl.

Salty Ray sidesteps a vine while launching a floating hand. The silver knuckleduster destroy one hand completely. The stump is burning with a blue fire. So they Fey has a weakness to silver!

Wanda stabs ground near me. The condition for her magic is that the sword doesn’t point to anyone. It never specified that Wanda has to hold it. Because of the sword, I can’t use any magic. Which means, no Dwarvel and Steam Sapien. However, that also means that the gravity magic is losing its grip on me.

Rotphyl is having difficulty to move due to electricity. At the same time, Salty Ray keeps throwing his hands as if he’s shooting bullets. Rotphyl’s body burns bit by bit until it no longer moves.

Rotphyl doesn’t move anymore. The body disappears.

Oh come on! I didn’t get to check out what I can do! Plus, I’m the only one that got hurt! That’s not fair!

DETAIL CHECK
Audio log unlocked:
Rotphyl the Lost Fey

Can I have another boss? Please? Just for me? Come on! Sometimes there’s a boss just after one was defeated right? Please make it happen now!

Nothing happened.

I want to complain, but this is a testament that this party is getting better. Everyone is multipurpose. Each person can fill in many roles at once. I started this journey with a lot of pain. Now, I don’t even need to contribute in a fight. The only role left for me is tank. My arms and legs can receive heavy damage. My solid steam can provide cover if Timothy is focused on offence. If I would receive a fatal wound, I can heal once per day. Maybe this isn’t so bad after all.

Now the gravity magic is curious to me. I thought that Brenuaza used gravity magic that belongs to Demons. This implies that it’s actually a magic belongs to the Fey. Brenuaza needs Demon blood mixed with Fey blood and gravity magic from Fey. It means that the Demons are studying dimensional travel from Feys. If this is fiction, the obvious plot twist is that Brenuaza is a Fey working with Demons. A traitor perhaps.

Maybe the new audio log can support that. Float—

“Congratulations on your victory.”

Who’s that?

A floating hourglass? It is floating close to Wanda. Is it Wanda’s? Wanda is a Warlock. Could this be her patron?

“I was suprised that you didn’t call for me as soon as the sun rise,” says the hourglass. “However, I’m obliged to appear to you if you defeat a boss without taking my offer. Here I am.”

“Offer?” asks Wanda.

“Everyday, I’ll offer you a blunt weapon. It is the same weapon every day and it will be called back to me during dusk. In order to obtain this weapon, you must give a fatal wound to someone close to you.”

“Sounds dangerous,” says Timothy.

“How good is it?” asks Salty Ray.

The hourglass answers. “The blunt weapon can be wielded by anyone that my Warlock deemed worthy. If the wielder would receive a fatal damage, they’ll be healed once.”

Wait! That’s just my Ambrousian’s ability! But, it can be used by anyone that wields it. That means that if I sacrifice myself, that’s the equivalent of transferring my Ambrousian’s ability to anyone in the team. As long I didn’t die, we can repeat this every day!

“I’ve filled my quota of reminder for today.” says the hourglass. “You have the whole day to decide your answer.”

The hourglass vanishes. Time for me to shine in this multipurpose party!

“Wanda,” I say, “kill me. I’m an Ambrousian. If I have a natural red streak on my hair, that means that I will be revived if I would receive a fatal damage. Let’s use that to get that weapon.”

“Really?” asks Wanda.

“That way, we can save anyone on the frontline instead of just me.”

Wanda raises her sword. “Are you sure?”

I open my arms. “Very.”

Wanda stabs me in the chest. I forgot how painful a fatal wound is. I should’ve think this through before offering it. Perhaps this is what happens when someone has a party. They’ll do crazy things with each other. That’s what socializing is.

White. I almost forgotten what recovering with Ambrousian feels like. There’s nothing for me to do in this white world. I can think but not move. I only have myself in this healing void.

Wait a minute! Floating words! Are you there?

DETAIL CHECK
How may I help you?

So I do have you! Good. Can you play the latest audio log? I don’t know what else to do to with this free time.

DETAIL CHECK
Order confirmed.

“There are so many possibilities in this world. We have explored so much of it. We Feys had maximized what our world offers. What is there to do besides exploring other worlds?”

Okay. This makes sense for their motivation. The next part should be Demons, right?

“I was one of the first in line to explore the Demon world. I was also the first to explore the Ambrousia world and returned.”

Wait a minute. Ambrousia world? Does that mean that it’s also ruined? Returned? What?!

“During my travels, I began to ponder the meaning of our existence. We have different forms but always the same pattern of souls. I began to question why I’m exploring in the first place. I don’t want to anymore. I want to remain a history. Stop looking for me. I won’t move anywhere anymore. Let me be in my slumber.”

I’m sorry for disturbing your sleep. You won’t wake up anymore.

That’s the end of it. Ambrousia world? Does that imply that Ambrousia world is done for? Or, does that imply that World Number 39 is the Ambrousia world? It’s possible that he meant this world. Then that means that I’m technically in my homeworld if I go by my current species.

Oh! I’m back!

Everyone is worried about me. Their sighs of relief gives me energy to get up.

Well what do you know. The weapon turns out to be a baseball bat.