I couldn’t waste this chance, especially considering the possibility that I might have to escape the Empire.
I was in more danger than I had expected, so I had better use this place to its fullest while I still had the freedom to move around.
In the end, I couldn’t avoid the looming threat. If Oscar decided to kill me, he must have already obtained the king’s agreement despite Khione’s warnings. They probably thought Khione wouldn’t care if a weak hero died, but they didn’t know her life was connected to mine.
Still, they were daring enough to risk angering a goddess by killing me. Their fear of losing a hero to the Demon King or other enemies was understandable, especially considering what I had learned from Khione about the previous heroes and the Demon King. Understanding their fear didn’t mean I’d be lenient.
“Now! Hero Nathan! I have immobilized its movements! You can deal the final blow!” Oscar said, his sword embedded in the beast without delivering a killing strike.
How kind of him.
He was playing his role well with Amelia around, making sure she witnessed his “support.”
I raised my sword and plunged it deeper into the monster’s head, killing it instantly. Particles of light escaped from the monster’s body, enveloping me in a glow.
I felt a rush of exhilaration as the particles of light entered my body and absorbed what we could call XP if it was a game but I would say life energy was a better word which makes one stronger.
I could see Oscar watching me with a fake smile, his eyes betraying his true intentions.
Amelia approached. “Are you alright, Nathan?”
“I’m fine,” I replied with a reassuring smile. “Thanks to Oscar’s help I have leveled up too.”
It was true.
I’m now level 73 since I needed just a few Xp to level up.
Oscar gave a bow. “Just doing my duty, Hero Nathan.”
“You did very well for your first time, Nathan,” Amelia said, a hint of surprise in her voice.
I knew that for most, killing a living being for the first time, even a monster, was difficult. Even prodigies like Jason, Aiden, my elder stepsister, Aisha, or Gwen had struggled. But for me, it had become much easier since I started spending time with Khione.
“Well, I thought about it for a long time,” I said, offering an excuse as we advanced deeper into the forest.
Over the next few hours, Oscar continued to let me deliver the final blows to the beasts he had weakened. It was almost laughable how different his treatment was compared to the past month. He likely saw it as a final gift before he attempted to get rid of me.
I wasn’t complaining, though. I accepted the gift with a smile, finishing off the beasts one by one. The monsters we encountered were still within a manageable range for both Oscar and me. The strongest we faced was a level 43 beast, which posed little challenge.
Despite Oscar’s pretense, I knew he was waiting for the right moment. His actions were too calculated, too deliberate. He was biding his time, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. But so was I.
As we ventured deeper, the forest grew denser, the air thicker. The atmosphere became more oppressive, and the sounds of distant creatures grew louder. My senses were on alert. I could feel the tension in the group, a mix of excitement and unease.
“Careful from now on. We are in a new area, lady Amelia.” Oscar said with a serious face.
Amelia nodded with a serious face, a bit uneasy.
I think she was more worried about me because the monsters now were certainly too strong for me, she was thinking. Despite knowing that sticking close to me was affecting her emotions toward me strangely, she still stuck close to me just in case I might be in danger.
Suddenly, we heard a rustling in the bushes ahead. Oscar signaled for us to stop, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the area. I activated [Eye of Odin], my vision sharpening as I assessed the surroundings. There was something big nearby, something dangerous.
“Stay close,” Amelia whispered, her protective instincts kicking in. She positioned herself in front of me, her earth barrier at the ready.
From the shadows emerged a massive creature, its eyes glowing with a menacing light. It was a level 50 Forest Serpent, its scales shimmering with a poisonous hue. Its tongue came out as its reptilian eyes eyed us as if we were preys.
“This one I should take it,” Oscar declared, stepping forward with a confident smirk.
He attacked the serpent with swift, powerful strikes, driving it back.
Honestly it was very impressive. I’m speaking about his swordsmanship.
Putting levels aside, Jason can have ten or twenty levels more than Oscar, I don’t think he will be able to beat Oscar who is a seasoned and experienced warrior and who is clearly better at handling a sword.
Of course this was applying to me too.
I never said it was going to be easy to beat me at least from a neutral point of view even with my Level 73.
After driving back the snake, Oscar looked back at me with the same smile and same demeanor when he let me kill the monsters but this time it was a little different. “Hero Nathan, why don’t you finish it?”
I could see through his facade. He intended to leave me vulnerable against the serpent, hoping it would be the end of me.
“Oh, thanks.”
But I was ready.
I stepped forward, sword in hand, and faced the serpent. Its eyes locked onto me, sensing an easy target. But as it lunged, I feigned surprise stepping back a little.
“B-Barrier!!” Amelia’s voice rang in panic and a wall of earth appeared in front of me protecting me from the snake’s bite.
Oscar watched, his expression a mix of surprise and frustration. He hadn’t expected Amelia to react this swiftly.
I quickly stealthily activated Odin’s Eye and pinpointed the snake movement before piercing my sword through the wall.
With a final, powerful strike, I drove my sword into the serpent’s head, ending its life. The creature collapsed, and once again, particles of light enveloped me as I absorbed its energy.
From an exterior perspective, my strike would appear as a lucky blow, a fortunate coincidence that I managed to kill the serpent in one go. Judging from Oscar’s expression, he was shocked by my apparent luck.
Good. Let him think that.
“Well done, Nathan,” Amelia said, genuinely impressed.
“Thank you, professor, for protecting me once again,” I replied, glancing at Amelia. “And you too, Lord Oscar,” I added with a smile.
“That was a good strike, Hero Nathan,” Oscar’s smile was strained, his plan foiled for now.
“We should rest now, it’s already night,” Amelia proposed, looking at the sky darkening.
“Yes, I know a good place to camp not far from here, just a few minutes of walk. Follow me,” Oscar recovered quickly, his smile looking more genuine as he walked ahead.
“You are very knowledgeable about this forest, Lord Oscar,” Amelia chuckled as she followed him.
I trailed behind them, maintaining my own smile.
It seemed the time had come.
I wasn’t naive enough to think Oscar would lead us to a safe place to rest. He was guiding us to a place where he could dispose of me.
We walked in silence, the forest growing darker and more foreboding with each step. The atmosphere was tense, charged with unspoken intentions. I kept my senses sharp, ready for anything that might have been prepared against me in advance by Oscar.
After a few minutes, we arrived at a small clearing. It was a seemingly perfect campsite, surrounded by thick trees and with a small stream nearby. Oscar stopped and turned to us.
“This is the place. We’ll set up camp here for the night,” he announced, his eyes flicking to me briefly.
Amelia nodded, looking relieved. “Thank you, Lord Oscar. This place looks perfect.”
She was too naive and too kind for her own good but that’s exactly why I wanted her with me.
As we began setting up our camp, I stayed alert, watching Oscar’s every move. He was too calm, too collected. He was waiting for the right moment to strike. I didn’t think he prepared any traps but I wanted to be on my guard just in case. He knew this forest better than me after all.
Once the camp was set up and we began to relax, Oscar approached me. “Nathan, why don’t you gather some firewood? It’ll give you a chance to stretch your legs and get a feel for the area.”
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