I Am The Game's Villain

It was the only source of happiness in this never-ending march…

We walked for more than a day and nothing advanced. 

I hope nobody is starting to look for me…

As always, a couple of guards were stalking me for my security when I was going out but I avoided them thanks to my mask which was really efficient to cover my face. Even powerful guys in a higher Ascension would have a hard time understanding that I altered my face. 

Anyway, I think people would only think that I and Milleia were sick or something like that. Our phones weren\'t working deep inside the forest so I don\'t know if I received calls or messages. I at least wanted to know the outcome of the fight between Jayden and Thomas though.

"C-Ceatha?" Milleia stopped her steps and glanced down at Ceatha who was digging something in the ground with its paws just like a dog would do.

Fast.

Ceatha dug fast two meters deep into the ground in a few seconds. 

Hm?

Then with its teeth, it bit something and took it out.

"A sword?" I muttered as I saw the dirt covered sword. It was definitely not usable anymore but something caught my eyes.

"Something is wrong, Sir Nyrel?" Milleia asked since she didn\'t find anything wrong with a sword being in a forest filled with Mana Beast.

I picked the sword and swung it around, blowing away most of the dirt. The sword was long and slim but it wasn\'t the thing that caught my gaze. 

"The handle…" I could see several patterns on it, patterns that I did recognize. As the heir of a Duke, I was taught a LOT of things and some of them were the History of our Kingdom and the past war. The pattern on the sword\'s handle was depicting a fight between two people. One from the Celesta Tribe and the other one from the Vatra Tribe. 

Amazing…

"The sword has been more than thousands of years old…since the First Great Holy War."

"!" Milleia was speechless at my words. "F-First Great Holy War? B-But why such a sword…"

"There might have been fights here…" Though I said that, I was even convinced. 

The battlefield of the First Great Holy War was in the current Arvatra Empire. Indeed, we found countless weapons and skeletons there but why in the Dorian Forest would there be a sword? I didn\'t hear of any fight or battle happening here though?

"Really…? I don\'t know a lot about the First Great Holy War but…this sword is a big discovery, no?" Milleia was right on the spot.

If the Kingdom learned that we found a weapon from the First Great Holy War here, they would surely send specialists to dig this place in the hope of finding more. 

I put the sword in my space ring and walked ahead.

"S-Sir Nyrel? " Milleia was dumbfounded at my casual move.

"I will give the sword once we are finished. "

"Ah, yes," Milleia sighed in relief. 

Rather than the King…I think I should give the sword to the old man. I trusted him more than the corrupted nobles and it was safer.

Then, as if it didn\'t care at all, Ceatha resumed running.

Is she going to show us even more relics or treasures? 

We followed Ceatha without thinking twice after what we witnessed.

The more we walked, the more the atmosphere turned heavy. Even the environment seemed richer than before. It was like we had taken a step into another forest. Even the number of Mana Beast seemed to diminish. There were only a few ones and they were only innocent animals. 

Why am I feeling this strange?

I had those weird tickling sensations.

And I wasn\'t the only one…

I glanced at Milleia and though she was hiding it well, she couldn\'t prevent her body from shivering. 

"Are you sick?" I asked Milleia.

The latter flinched at my words and denied vehemently. "N-No! Not at all! Please, d-don\'t leave m-me for that!" She pleaded to me with teary eyes.

"Calm down, I just wanted to know what you were feeling," I asked before Milleia\'s innocent charm affected me.

"What am I feeling?" Milleia touched her arms and her chest. "It\'s really strange…something is like traveling inside me…"

Traveling huh…

It\'s just like me.

I couldn\'t understand the reason behind it.

I don\'t think it had to do with the mana being dense in this place but something else that I couldn\'t figure out.

"!"

Suddenly, I felt something rushing at us at great speed from our left.

I immediately jumped back and summoned several mirrors.

"First Lance Of Ares." A calm voice rang and following that, a red blast of energy broke all my mirrors.

Ares?

Don\'t tell me…

I took my two short swords and kicked out the ground.

"Sir Nyrel!" Milleia shouted but I was already rushing at him at high speed.

My eyes narrowed seeing a punch glowing in red reaching my vision. I raised both of my swords and swung them. "Ah!"

-BOOOOM!

The shockwave was so powerful that it uprooted most of the trees around us in a three-meter radius. The pieces of broken trees flew on every side and grazed my body and clothes. 

I wasn\'t the only one bleeding.

The guy before me who was the same age as me was also bleeding.

Eric Scarlett.

A [Pretender] of the First Game. His fiery red hair were blown by the wind and his red eyes were glaring at me. 

What the hell is he doing here?!

Fuck!

I felt slowly pushed back by Eric\'s sheer strength.

His Legacy was Ares, the God of War. He could raise his strength at top notch and send a monstrous blast of energy like now. 

"Who are you?" Eric asked as he channeled even more mana.

Heavy!

I felt great pressure on my hands and my arms started shivering. 

I really didn\'t want to reveal my face to a suspicious guy like him so let\'s increase my strength as well.

I wasn\'t a weakling anymore.

I channeled a tremendous amount of mana and my swords started shivering. 

"You…." Eric was shocked when he saw that.

A web-like crater was created below us when the ground underneath us was gouged out.

"Stooooop!" Milleia\'s loud shout broke both our concentration.

Even more Eric who recognized Milleia.

"You are that girl-"

Taking advantage of Eric\'s lack of concentration, I tilted my sword and hit him with the handle. 

"Urghh!" Eric coughed out blood and jumped on his left.

He stroked his cheek and glared at me. "Coward!"

"That\'s my second name," I sneered at him.

Who is the one who attacked us out of nowhere like a savage beast?

"I will kill-"

"Stop it! Please!" Milleia stepped in front of us and spread her arms. "He is my friend, Lord Eric…please." She asked Eric with her innocent face and it did the work as Eric lowered his hand and greeted his teeth.

I love that expression!

[<Sadist.>]

That\'s my third name.

[That\'s your essence.]

And you are existing thanks to that essence.

I threw a jab at Jarvis\' snarky remark and turned toward Milleia. "Who is that guy? A beggar of the Dorian Forest?"

A vein popped out on Eric\'s forehead and he smiled. "Who is that guy, Milleia Sophren? Your timid, sociopath and shady boyfriend?"

Who is shady?!

[<The one wearing a mask.>]

Shut it!

"B-B-Booooyfriend?!" Milleia\'s brain short circuited at Eric\'s words. " S-Sir Ny-Nyrel i-is not my boyfriend!"

"Nyrel? A suspicious name…" Eric narrowed his eyes at me.

"As suspicious as a guy attacking people like an enraged beast," I snorted.

"I just took you for other people…" Eric clicked his tongue before frowning. "What are you doing here, in the first place?"

I quickly replied to his question. "Nothing. Just sightseeing."

"We are looking for the Golden Grass, Lord Eric, do you know where they can be found?" Milleia also replied!

"..."

"..."

"..."

I slapped my face inwardly.

The Golden Grass was just a Legend and I wanted to avoid anyone knowing what we were looking for.

"W-What…?" But Eric\'s reaction was not what I expected. "You…are also looking for the Golden Grass?" He said in a shocked tone.

Huh?

"Eh?" Milleia\'s mouth hung open. "L-Lord Eric… wants the Golden Grass too?"

"Yes…" Eric nodded with a conflicted expression before looking carefully around us. "And we are not the only ones…"