Owen spun around, his heart pounding like a war drum. The "guard" – that thief in disguise, according to the scan – had grabbed Laura's arm in an iron grip. She struggled, her pale face stark against the reddish glow of the setting sun filtering through the trees around the village.
"Let go of me!" she screamed, her voice cracking with fear.
The guard snickered, his eyes gleaming with sick desire.
"You're mine now. I'm going to make you my woman."
Owen felt a surge of rage rise inside him, the same fury that had overwhelmed him against the goblins. Not again, he told himself, holding back the fire threatening to consume him. He stepped forward, seized the guard's arm, and squeezed just enough for the bones to crack.
"You. Let her go."
The guard released Laura with a grunt of pain but drew his sword, dropping into a fighting stance. His face twisted into a vicious grin.
"You shouldn't have stuck your nose in. You're a dead man."
"A dead man…?" Owen echoed, a cold smile forming on his lips.
He summoned a fireball into his palm, the flames crackling with an intensity that even surprised him. The guard's eyes widened in shock.
"You… How are you doing that without an incantation?"
Owen ignored the question and hurled the fireball with a sharp flick of his wrist. The guard activated his sword skill, slicing the flame in half with supernatural speed. Sparks flew, and Owen felt a drain: [-1 mana]. Without wasting a second, he formed a second fireball, then a third, launching them in quick succession.
[-3 mana]
The guard only managed to block one of them; the other two slammed into his chest, driving him back with a scream.
[The guard loses 7 HP. HP: 14/21]
Owen ignited his entire arm and charged like a raging bull. The guard counterattacked, driving his sword into Owen's shoulder at the exact moment the flaming fist crashed into his ribs. A burst of white-hot pain tore through Owen, but he pushed through it, focused solely on winning.
[Fire Magic: D+ → C-]
[The guard loses 9 HP. HP: 5/21]
[You lose 6 HP. HP: 31/37]
Laura let out a piercing scream at the sight of the blade buried in Owen's shoulder. Her cry drew the villagers, who rushed from the nearby houses, forming a curious, hostile circle. "What's going on?" they muttered. "Why is a stranger attacking a guard? And how is he overpowering him like that?"
One villager, a stocky man with a gray beard, threw a stone at Owen.
"Hey, you! Stop that right now!"
The others followed his lead, a shower of rocks pelting Owen. One struck his arm, scraping his skin.
[You lose 1 HP. HP: 30/37]
The guard laughed weakly, clutching his scorched ribs as he tried to retreat. But Owen stepped forward, his arm igniting again with a hotter, almost blue flame. The villagers froze, stunned by this wordless magic.
"Hey, guard," Owen called out, loud enough for only him to truly catch the meaning, "you got a bounty on your head? You shouldn't have done that… I'm guessing I get paid whether you're dead or alive."
"How do you know that?" the guard stammered, terrified.
Owen was now within reach. He drove a massive flaming punch straight into the man's face. The guard collapsed, unconscious, the right half of his face charred. Still, Owen kept hitting him, a primal rage surging again.
"Owen, watch out!" Laura shouted.
A low growl sounded behind him. Owen turned just in time to see a two-meter-tall colossus, built like a wall of muscle, wrench the sword out of his shoulder. Pain exploded, blood running hot down his chest. "Aargh!"
The villagers cheered. "It's the guild master! We're saved!"
Laura rushed to Owen, ignoring the giant. She placed her hands over the wound, a soft white glow spilling from her palms. The flesh knitted back together within seconds, leaving a pink scar. Owen blinked in disbelief. The villagers whispered, stunned: "Who are they? One uses magic without incantations, the other uses healing magic…"
The guild master, imposing in his worn cloak and scarred from countless battles, crossed his arms.
"Hmm… You two, who are you? Explain yourselves."
Owen got back to his feet, still wincing.
"Thanks, Laura… We don't owe you any explanation. If anything, you should be thanking us and handing me the bounty."
He pointed at the guard's limp body. At the same time, he discreetly scanned the guild master.
[Class: Fighter]
[Subclass: Guild Master]
[Level: 35]
[Health: 431] [Mana: 251]
[Defense: 212] [Physical Attack: 238]
[Speed: 187] [Magic Attack: 105]
[Intelligence: 200] [Luck: 12]
[Skills: Martial Arts A+…]
[Magic: Fire, Earth]
[Feelings: Intrigued]
The master nodded, glancing at the guard.
"I'll give it to you, indeed… Follow me, we'll talk about this in my office."
They left the villagers behind and entered the guild building – a sturdy wooden structure decorated with monster trophies. On the way, a system message flashed.
[First quests completed by the South group. Rewards being calculated.]
[Owen receives 30 shop points and 10 stat points. Laura receives 25 shop points and 10 stat points.]
Quests? Owen thought, surprised.
"Laura, did you get that too?"
"Yes," she murmured. "I don't understand what's going on."
"Don't worry, I'll explain."
The master grunted. "Quit whispering, you two."
Owen pulled up his stats in his mind.
[Class: Mage]
[Level: 1]
[Health: 37] [Mana: 50]
[Defense: 14] [Physical Attack: 20]
[Speed: 17] [Magic Attack: 22]
[Intelligence: 19] [Luck: 10]
[Stat points: 10] [Shop points: 145]
[Skills: Scan]
[Magic: Fire]
(1 point = +10 Health/Mana; or +1 to all stats.)
He assigned 3 points to Luck, 3 to Magic Attack, 2 to Mana, 1 to Defense, and 1 to Physical Attack. Then, in the shop, he bought all the basic magic types – water, earth, light, healing… – for 50 points. He advised Laura to do the same. Finally, he purchased the Martial Arts skill for 20 points, ending up with 75 shop points left.
[Class: Mage]
[Level: 1]
[Health: 37] [Mana: 70]
[Defense: 15] [Physical Attack: 21]
[Speed: 17] [Magic Attack: 25]
[Intelligence: 19] [Luck: 13]
[Stat points: 0] [Shop points: 75]
[Skills: Scan F+, Martial Arts C]
[Magic: Fire C, Water D+, Earth D+, Light B, Healing C…]
A sense of power washed over him, but it carried with it a faint unease – every purchase felt like it drew the gaze of something unseen, as if the Gods were watching. At what cost? he wondered, echoing the divine voice.
POV Laura
Watching Owen fight had terrified me, but it had also fascinated me. That protective fury… Was it really for me, or just instinct? I thought back to our confession in Paris, that blurry memory where I'd ruined everything with that other guy. Here, in this world, maybe there was a second chance? But Maddie… Guilt gnawed at me, a knot of jealousy and regret.
POV Maddie, on Earth
At the hospital, Maddie held Owen's limp hand, her eyes raw from crying. A throbbing headache suddenly hit her, along with hazy visions: Owen fighting, a woman at his side – Laura? – healing him. What is this? she thought, her heart tightening with the first spark of jealousy. The doctors were talking about experimental therapy, but she hesitated, sensing that it might break something.
Back to Owen's POV
In the guild master's office, a map spread out on the table, they talked. The master confirmed the bounty: 50 gold coins for the thief, plus a guild card for them. "You two are born adventurers," he said. But Owen felt the air grow heavier – rumors of dark portals, capricious Gods.
That night, a shared dream through the communication: a God laughing hysterically at some trivial joke about Earth, his mad laughter echoing like a warning.
In the village, they met Sarah Gordon, the third member of the South group, fleeing from monsters. Together, they formed a party – but Owen knew one thing for sure: the stakes were rising.