Before this moment, Raphael had never seen Azekiel fight. He hadn't expected such a good performance from the young man. It was as if he was made for battles. His fighting sense was really good, and he knew how to use the chaos in the enemy team to his advantage. He also knew how to deceive the enemy.
Raphael had expected Azekiel to kill a few before asking for his help. However, seeing things progress differently, he was really happy. He was feeling proud of Azekiel.
"He certainly has a talent for battles. Not bad... I guess it is going to be easier than I thought to help him. He might just be able to do it..." Raphael muttered softly.
On the other hand, the last dark mage also dropped to the ground. The trial, which was supposed to be finished in under two days, was finished by Azekiel within a few hours, especially since he didn't let the enemies get back to the Empire. He used each second without wasting any to catch up to them.
Finally, he had finished, he gazed back at one of the dark mages who was still alive. He was the last one who was left; however, he wasn't in a good condition either. The man was bleeding as he laid on the ground. It was as if he was taking his last breath.
Azekiel glanced at Rowan. "You, come here."
He gestured for Rowan to come closer. Rowan was already trembling. He hadn't expected Azekiel to be such a powerful warrior. He previously thought it was just a young man who probably knew how to fight, but now he knew that this guy was no less than a magician himself.
He didn't want to offend Azekiel at any cost. He listened to the command and jumped down as he ran to Azekiel.
"Y-yes."
"Here." Azekiel raised his hand, revealing a knife.
Rowan looked at the knife, confused, not knowing what Azekiel was implying.
Seeing Rowen observe him with a blank face, Azekiel couldn't help but roll his eyes. "Free your sister, you idiot. Take the knife and free her. Finish my mission."
"Ah, right!" Rowen took the knife and hastily ran to his sister. He sliced the rope that had tied the hands and legs of his sister.
As he sliced the knife in another place, Azekiel killed the last man as well.
[Experience +2]
Raphael walked closer to Azekiel. "Good Work. With that, we should be done with the mission."
Raphael talked to Azekiel, but Azekiel seemed somewhat distracted to not notice anything. He was looking blankly at the screen before him, waving his hand.
He had remembered seeing a notification about gaining a new skill when he had leveled up.
He was eager to know what the new skill was. The name certainly caught his eye.
"There it is." He let out, locating the name amongst his skills.
[Card of Judgment]
He tapped the skill name, making a new screen open.
[Name: Card of Judgment]
[Skill Classification: Skill of Luck]
[Description: Randomly received the effect from your selection of one of the six available cards]
[Note: Can only be used once every day]
_____________________________________________
"Huh?" Azekiel gazed at the screen blankly, confused.
He didn't understand what the screen was implying. Everything was written so vaguely that he didn't understand the essence of this skill at all. He still didn't know what this skill actually did? Was it a booster skill? Was it a defense skill? An offense skill?
"Why do they have to make the description so hard to understand? I'll have to test it on the field to know what it does," he muttered, letting out a deep sigh.
He wanted to test the skill right here, but then he remembered that the skill had a cooldown of one day. If he used it now, he was going to have nothing in case he met Michael outside.
"I sure do hope you're a good skill." He closed the screen, hoping for the best. "In the meantime, let's fill up the Soul Bar. I need all my cards available with me for the arrival of Michael."
Azekiel moved from body to body, using Soul Snatch, absorbing the souls. His soul bar kept moving up until it was full. Azekiel was ready to Summon Raphael again in case needed.
However, absorbing so much soul energy also increased the stats of his hunger. He had eaten only a few hours ago before he climbed to the first floor, and now he was hungry again.
"These people came to this desert. I don't believe they came without anything to eat." Azekiel observed all the horses and noticed the bags hanging on each of the horses.
He ran to the nearest horse and opened a bag which brought a smile to his face. There were fruits. There was food that could fill more than twenty people if the bags on all the horses were combined.
Azekiel glanced back at the body of Weiss. "How kind of you to bring it all to me.'
Azekiel picked up a fruit and started eating.
The Princess of Estia Empire, Elina, was freed, and she was down the horse. She properly adjusted her clothes, which were slightly messed up due to the compromised position she was lying at.
"Hey, who is that guy?" She whispered in the ears of her brother.
"I don't know." Rowen shrugged innocently.
"Stop being mysterious. Tell me the truth. Who is that great master? He could kill so many dark mages with such ease. Who is he?" The woman asked again, thinking her brother was intentionally trying to be mysterious.
"I told you I don't know. I was about to kill myself, sitting where you all left me. I was so scared and ashamed, but that's when he arrived like a savior. He gave me the motivation to come here and fight. As for why he did that, even I don't know. All I know is that if he weren't here, I would've been dead, and you..."
"So you don't know who he is? It looks like a mysterious expert was passing through and saw you. He took pity on you and decided to help. If we can get him to work for our Empire, we could have someone who can face the dark mages! Our Empire would become much stronger. We might even win the war!" The woman expressed, still keeping her voice down to make sure Azekiel didn't hear her.
"You think he would work for us? With the strength he holds, he could easily conquer an empire. Why would he work for one? What can we even offer him?" Rowen asked.
"He doesn't work for us, but if we make our Empire something that belongs to him as well?" The Woman suggested.
"What are you implying?"
"I'm saying that I've fallen for him. If I can make him fall for me as well, he will be the husband of a Princess in the future. The Empire will belong to him as well. It's a win win situation."
"You think he would fall for you? That man... I don't know what it's about him, but he's different. I don't think he'll fall."
"Any man will fall before my charms. Just watch." The woman smiled innocently as she ran towards Azekiel, who had his back on them.
Azekiel had just finished the first bag, and he was moving towards the next horse when he stood. The Woman stopped before him, blocking her path.
"What?" Azekiel inquired, frowning.
"T-thank you for saving my life. If you weren't here, I should've been dead," Elina responded with a red face. Before Azekiel could answer, she continued, "I've fallen for you. Here, a token of my gratitude and love to you."
She moved closer to Azekiel and placed her lips on the lips of the young man, giving him his first kiss...
