The wind moving through the forest no longer felt cold.
Raijin couldn't even remember how long he had been walking.
His body had already reached its limit.
With every step, his muscles strained, his breathing grew heavier, and the crashing memories in his mind refused to let him rest.
Aegis Covenant… six people.
His fingers unconsciously curled into a fist.
They weren't ordinary.
They were trained, organized, and they had come to kill.
In that battle…
for the first time—
The Mortal Realm.
A faint shiver ran down his spine at the memory.
That power hadn't felt like a blessing.
It had arrived—
breaking his bones.
He had felt it clearly.
The bones in his hands had cracked, his ribs had caved in.
The pain had been so intense that his mind had gone numb.
And then—
they reformed.
Stronger than before.
But at a cost that words couldn't truly describe.
After that, he never learned how to stop.
Day or night—
running, striking, falling, rising.
Each time his body broke.
Each time it changed a little more.
And as if that wasn't enough—
that monster.
That fight hadn't been necessary.
But he hadn't been able to hold himself back either.
Now…
everything was crashing down on him at once.
Raijin tried to lean against a tree.
His hand trembled.
His vision blurred.
Just a moment…
just—
His knees buckled.
And the next instant—
Thud.
The forest floor embraced him.
---
Some time later—
"There he is!"
A panicked voice echoed.
Three shadows rushed forward.
Sofia was in front.
Relief and fear mixed on her face.
"It's him… that man," she said between breaths.
Ishan and Kade came closer too.
The three of them fell silent when they saw Raijin's condition.
His clothes were torn,
dry blood marked his body,
and his breathing was dangerously slow.
"He's in bad shape," Ishan said.
"Who would leave someone like this?" Kade clenched his teeth.
"No," Sofia said, kneeling beside him,
"he's the one who saved us from the monster."
Without hesitation, she sat beside him.
"Ishan, water. Quickly."
"Kade, find something to eat."
Both ran without asking questions.
Sofia pulled a cloth from her bag and slowly began cleaning Raijin's wounds.
He wasn't even groaning.
That worried her more.
After a while, they lit a fire.
Its faint flame trembled in the dark forest.
Raijin remained unconscious.
Night deepened.
The warmth of the fire reached his face.
His fingers twitched.
Suddenly his eyes opened.
In the next moment—
he jerked back.
"You—!"
His voice was rough.
His hand moved toward his sword, but there was no strength.
"Wait!" Sofia said immediately.
"We're not trying to hurt you."
She explained everything quickly—
how they found him,
how they saw his condition,
how they helped.
Raijin's breathing slowly steadied.
He stayed silent for a moment.
Then he said, "…Thank you."
The words were small.
But genuine.
Sofia held out some food.
"Eat."
"No," he refused instantly.
At that exact moment—
Grrr…
His stomach betrayed him.
Sofia smiled.
Raijin looked away—
and accepted the food.
After eating, silence lingered for a while.
"Where are you from?" he asked.
"Elf Kingdom," Sofia replied.
Raijin's face froze for a brief second.
So far away…
Five continents.
Leone Kingdom.
Elf Kingdom.
Dorf Kingdom.
The other two—only names for now.
"Why so far?" he asked without thinking.
Sofia laughed lightly.
"I like adventure.
Being locked in one room…
that wasn't life."
Raijin nodded.
Then he spoke,
"I'm from the north of Leone Kingdom.
A small village."
His voice grew heavier.
"There was a Lord there.
Tired of his tyranny,
my friend and I… went to kill him."
He paused.
"But…
I was betrayed."
He said nothing more.
Sofia watched him quietly for a few seconds.
"I'm sorry," she said softly.
Raijin lifted his gaze.
"There's no need to be sad," he replied calmly.
"It doesn't matter anymore."
But inside Sofia—
something had changed.
The fire kept burning.
And the forest night—
for the first time—
didn't feel so lonely.
---
Morning light filtered through the trees and fell upon the ground.
The fire had gone out, but its warmth still lingered in the air.
Raijin woke first.
His body was still heavy.
Every muscle complained, reminding him that yesterday's price hadn't been fully paid yet.
He clenched his fist.
No bones broke.
At least not today.
A soft rustle came from behind.
"So early?" Sofia's voice.
Ishan and Kade were already awake.
Just like the night before, they packed their things quickly without unnecessary questions.
"Are you really coming with us?" Kade asked.
Raijin thought for a moment before answering.
He had no place to stay,
no money,
no clothes that would last long.
And most importantly—
he didn't currently have the strength to remain alone.
"Yes," he said.
"At least for now."
A faint relief appeared on Sofia's face.
She didn't try to look overly happy, as if she understood that Raijin trusted distance more than closeness.
They began walking east.
For a while, no one spoke.
The forest didn't feel as frightening as before.
Maybe because Raijin was awake.
Or maybe because he wasn't alone anymore.
As they walked, Sofia asked,
"Are you a swordsman?"
Raijin nodded.
"Yes. That's all I know."
"That's all?" Ishan laughed.
"You don't defeat a monster with 'just that.'"
Raijin didn't reply.
His eyes were on the road,
but his mind was elsewhere.
Aegis Covenant.
They hadn't come without reason.
And they wouldn't be the last.
A few hours later, the trees began to thin.
The forest opened.
And then—
Walls.
Tall stone walls shining under the sunlight.
"We're here," Sofia said.
Raijin repeated the name of the city in his mind.
The moment they entered the city, he felt it—
as if two unseen eyes were fixed on his back.
He shivered slightly.
For a second, everything went silent again—
The voices of people.
The hoofbeats of horses.
The clang of weapons.
Then the world returned.
The place was alive.
Soon, they reached the Adventurer's Guild.
The guild building stood apart from the others—
wide, sturdy, and a large board outside carved with dozens of names.
Inside, there was constant movement.
The woman behind the counter looked up.
"Sofia?"
She recognized her.
"Mission complete?"
"Yes," Sofia nodded.
"And… a new companion."
The woman's gaze shifted to Raijin.
She observed him for several seconds.
"Name?"
"Raijin."
"Weapon?"
"Sword."
"Experience?"
Raijin paused.
"Enough to stay alive."
She didn't smile.
She simply pushed a stone tablet forward.
"Place your hand."
Raijin did.
The tablet glowed faintly.
The woman's eyebrow lifted slightly.
"Interesting…"
She wrote something down.
"Temporary Rank: B.
Until the Guild decides what you really are."
Raijin took the tablet back.
No applause.
No cheers.
But—
He wasn't alone anymore.
Amid the bustle of the city,
from a distant high peak—
A gaze rested upon him.
In another realm—
A name
was slowly
repeated.
"Raijin…"
This is interesting...
Thank You For Reading This Chapter.
Author: Mohammed Zaid Saifi