Will of a Prince

Chapter 185: We’ll Meet Again, Somewhere in the Future

It was impossible. Slimo was sure that he had impaled the man through his helmet just now, yet he was moving completely fine as if nothing hit him at all.

’Did I imagine it? Did my sword really not kill him?! No... that can’t be. Zoey celebrated my victory as well. Who the hell is this?!’

The Traveler stretched his legs in a flamboyant manner.

"Let me know when you’re ready for another round! For being so weak, you put up a great fight!"

Slimo gritted his teeth.

"Being so weak?!"

He grabbed his sword off the ground and held it in front of him.

"I’m ready."

The Traveler excitedly raised his massive sword. Lidia put a hand on Slimo’s shoulder.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?"

Slimo firmly held his stance.

"It was a fluke. He must have a Zalo that allowed him to move his body parts in that armor."

The Traveler began to laugh.

"You can think what you want! It’s all the same to me in a fight!"

Slimo darted toward the large man, swinging his sword upward. The two swords clashed against each other with monstrous force. The ground beneath Slimo crumbled under the power of their attacks. The people watching had to back up even further as to not get caught in the crossfire.

Slimo threw a punch into the side of the armor. Its force rang off the surface leaving a small dent. The Traveler punched back, landing a good hit into Slimo’s side. Slimo’s armor crumpled under the impact, and he was sent flying through multiple trees. Lidia and Doc ran over to him to ensure he survived.

However, as they got closer, Slimo shot out from where he was sent, his eyes seething with rage and determination. He threw his sword at the large man with all his might. Even with his large broadsword deflecting most of the impact, Slimo still managed to pierce through his armor once more. Then, using the opportunity, he grabbed a knife hidden in his armor and stabbed it through the new hole he created, as well as under the man’s visor.

Multiple bloodied strikes perfectly found their way through every available crack that appeared in the armor. Slimo was completely overwhelming his opponent. Everyone watched the scene in horror. Blood started seeping from the Traveler as he slowly grew more still. Only after he stopped moving did Slimo finally stop.

He looked down at his bloodied opponent with wrath still in his eyes, heavily panting.

Suddenly, a strange sigh came from under the visor and the armor moved once more. Everyone choked on air watching the sight. However, instead of fighting back, the armored man stretched his arms and legs lightly.

The air grew more tense with every passing moment. Slimo was the first to break the silence.

"What the hell are you? Are you a human or a monster?"

The Traveler looked at him through his cracked visor. The only thing Slimo could see was a mystical green eye staring back at him. The eye looked like it was enchanted with a special magic or was simply blessed with an ethereal look.

"I’m sorry... It’s just... you’re so weak it’s making me upset. I really had my hopes up for a moment there."

Slimo’s heart dropped hearing his words.

"...weak? I completely overwhelmed you. What do you mean I’m weak?"

"You call that overwhelming me? You seriously didn’t notice that I was letting you attack me that whole time? I mean, I hardly swung my sword and almost cut half the forest down! Surely you must have known I am stronger than what I look like, right?"

Slimo was left speechless. He didn’t know what to say or ask first. Even if the man did let him attack, how was he able to survive such wounds?

"You never answered my question. Are you a human or a monster."

Suddenly, the Traveler walked right up to Slimo and whispered in his ear.

"Are you really the right person to be asking me that?"

The meaning behind his words were clear but also gave away the answer he was looking for: this man knew who Slimo was, but only a human could be so cruel with asking such a question in the manner he did. Slimo held his anger in his gut.

"I will admit though, for being so weak, I’m surprised you did so much without activating your Zalo. I will commend you for that."

"Maybe because I do not carry a Zalo."

Suddenly, the Traveler’s attitude shifted from disappointment to curiosity.

"You don’t have a Zalo? Really?"

"Is that a shock to you?"

"To be honest, absolutely! I don’t remember the last time someone fought me without a Zalo of some kind! You’re one ballsy son of a bitch!"

Confusion replaced Slimo’s anger the more the man talked.

"Uh... right. Do people seek fights with you or something? I would have thought it the opposite based on how eager you were to die to me just now."

"Oh, all the time! I heard that I’ve even become a legend of some sorts in these parts. Some think I’m a rogue leviathan! How hilarious, right? Me as weak as a leviathan! It makes me laugh every time I hear it!"

Slimo kept his mouth shut at the last comment. He truly didn’t wish to find out how strong someone as unkillable as this man was. However, his curiosity was burning his brain with the most important question he had.

"How did you survive my strikes in the first place? Can you turn incorporeal or something?"

The Traveler threw his large sword over his back.

"Why the hell would I ever tell you?! You hardly impressed me in our fight just now. You’re lucky I’m letting all of you live in the first place! Especially those two hiding behind the bushes."

The Traveler pointed at Jacob and Maria when he said this. Jacob’s heart trembled at the strange indication that he knew what they were both in possession of.

’But... how does he...’

"You’re letting us live? Why?"

"Hm... well, there’s actually many reasons, most of which involve mercy. However, there are two main reasons why. For one, I am quite intrigued that you were able to keep up with my, albeit weak attacks just now without the use of a Zalo. I want to fight you again sometime in the future when you are stronger. Hell, I would even be okay training you myself! But you would have to show me something I would be proud of before that would ever happen!"

Slimo kept his head down, slightly ashamed he lost so easily to such a strong opponent in front of all his friends.

"What’s the second reason?"

"Well, it’s because I can’t really kill those two. Don’t want to go fiddling with destiny if I can help it! Especially that man over there. Believe it or not, he gives me the creeps."

The Travelers sparkling green eye glared at Jacob. It almost felt as if his own soul was being stared at. Slimo remembered what sorts of power Jacob was secretly harboring and shivered slightly. The Traveler noticed the extremely faint reaction that Slimo had done and leaned in once more to whisper to him.

"He doesn’t know, does he? His power? His destiny?"

Slimo remained silent, refusing to look back at the man. A low chuckle escaped under his visor.

"Good. Keep it that way for as long as you can... if you don’t want to end up as his slave, that is."

After another moment of silence, the Traveler pulled away and started walking south.

"Slimo. Fight me again someday. I’ll be waiting at the furthest point south of here by the ocean. See you then."

Without any more words being said, the Traveler quietly walked away into the thick brush of the forest.

Everyone stared at the scene in silence. Jacob pulled Maria away from the group and started talking with her feverishly.

"I don’t know who that was, but I didn’t like him one bit. Did you see the way he kept looking at us? It felt like he was staring into my very soul."

"Is it just me, or did he feel... familiar?"

Jacob rubbed his head.

"Familiar? I’m sure I would remember some mountain of a man who looks at me funny and makes weird comments. He doesn’t seem familiar at all!"

"Hm. It’s just a strange feeling I have. But I don’t believe there’s anything to be worried about. If anything, it seems like he wants to help us more than hurt us."

"I think it’s all just getting me upset. This mark has done nothing but give us trouble. All people seem to care about ever since I’ve had this is my destiny. It’s just degrading when people keep confirming a dreadful destiny that is painted on my skin waiting to happen. It feels so hopeless."

Maria held his hand.

"What we need is knowledge. Of course everyone is going to flout about our destiny! How can we change a destiny if we don’t know how to change it? If we worry too much about reaching an answer, it’s possible we’ll miss a vital idea that we must understand beforehand."

Jacob rubbed his face with his hands and slapped himself lightly in the face.

"Thank you for being a voice of reason. I’ll try to improve as we journey further east."

After Doc finished healing Slimo’s wounds, they all continued their journey east. After three more days of arduous travel, they had successfully made it out of the forest, and to their first, real kingdom.