World Awakening: The Legendary Player-Chapter 84: Round 2

Mela stepped forward. "Come, Sun Elf."

’If he is alive?’ The words hit Serian like ice. ’What did they do to him?’

She pushed herself up. "What have you done with him?"

Fena didn’t even turn around. "That is not your concern."

Mela put a hand on Serian’s arm. "We have to go."

Serian shook her off. "No." She looked at Fena’s back. "Where is he?"

Fena picked up a small clay bowl, examining it. "You ask too many questions. A bad habit for a guest." She set the bowl down. "You will go to your room. You will rest. You will wait."

"I won’t."

Mela moved between them. "Do not challenge my mother," she said, her voice a warning.

The door opened again. Nox stood there, flanked by Jor and another elf. He wasn’t bloody. He wasn’t even dirty. He just looked bored.

Serian’s breath caught in her chest. ’Oh, thank god, he’s okay.’

He walked into the room, his eyes finding hers for a second. He gave a tiny shrug.

"He is alive," Fena stated, finally turning around. She looked Nox up and down, a strange look on her face. "And my guards are not."

Jor flinched, looking down at the floor. "He... he was too fast, Elder. He used some kind of trick."

"Tricks do not break bones, Jor," she said, her voice cold. She turned her full attention to Nox. "You defeated five of my best warriors. Without a scratch."

Nox crossed his arms. "If these are your best, than you have your work cut out for you."

Her face was stone. "You think you are better than them?"

He shrugged. "I’m still standing. They’re not."

Her eyes narrowed. "I want to speak with him." She pointed a finger at the door. "Alone."

Mela looked at her mother, then at Nox, her face full of worry. "Mother, that’s not a good idea."

"Out," she said. Her voice was not loud, but it left no room for arguing.

Jor opened his mouth to protest. "Elder, he is dangerous."

Fena’s head snapped toward him. "Did I ask for your opinion, Jor?"

He shut his mouth, shot Nox a look of pure hatred, and stalked out of the house. Mela hesitated, then bowed her head and guided Serian out of the room. The door closed behind them.

’This should be fun. I wonder what she wants to talk about.’

She walked around the fire pit slowly. She did not take her eyes off him.

"You have a power that does not belong to you, human."

He leaned back against the wall, crossing his arms. "You find a wallet on the street, it’s yours. I found this. Same thing."

She stared at him, her dark eyes unblinking. His casual arrogance was a wall she couldn’t seem to break through. She had expected fear, maybe even defiance, but this... this was just boredom. It was insulting.

This was going nowhere. She gave up and turned away, walking back to her table. She picked up her pestle and began grinding herbs again.

But Nox had his own questions.

"This forest," he said, his voice quiet but clear. "It’s dying, isn’t it?"

That got her attention. The grinding stopped. She set the pestle down slowly and turned back to him, her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What are you talking about?"

"On my way back here, I sensed some mana gaps," he explained, pushing himself off the wall. He took a step closer to the fire pit, the light flickering on his face. "It’s hard to notice, of course, but my senses are not ordinary."

"Your senses are human," she scoffed, dismissing his words. "You cannot possibly feel the lifeblood of the woods. You are blind to it."

"Am I?" He took another step, circling the fire pit, his eyes scanning the room as if he could see through the walls. "Then tell me, Elder. Why is the Great Root, the one that anchors this entire village, rotting from the south? It’s slow, a darkness creeping up its core like a poison. I can feel it from here. A cold spot in a warm river."

Fena froze. Her composure, which had been as solid as stone, finally cracked. Her eyes widened, genuine shock and fear passing through them before she could hide it. No one could know about the Great Root. It was a secret known only to her and the oldest chanters of the village. A human could not have sensed such a thing. It was impossible.

"How..." she started, her voice a strained whisper. "How could you know that?"

He saw the terror in her eyes, the complete and utter shock. He had hit a nerve, a deep one.

He grinned. "I told you. My senses aren’t ordinary."

That was the wrong thing to say.

The fire died instantly and the room went black. She moved faster than he could track. Her hand slammed over his mouth before he could blink, iron fingers digging into his jaw as she lifted him clean off the floor. His feet dangled uselessly in the air.

"You have no manners for those above you," she growled.

’Hehe, guess I got under her skin.’ He didn’t fight it. Couldn’t anyway. He just hung there, studying the cold strength in her grip. It was incredible.

"You think this is a game?" She squeezed harder and pain shot through his skull. "How do you know about the Great Root? Did Gorok send you? Is this his new trick?"

’Gorok? So he is known even here.’ He just raised an eyebrow at her.

She lost it completely.

"Insolent child!" She slammed him back against the wall hard enough to rattle his teeth. The whole house shook from the impact. "I can crush your skull like a dry leaf!"

’Yeah, she probably could. But she won’t. she will need me for this root thing.’

He was right. She held him there, shaking with barely controlled rage. She couldn’t kill him, not until she had answers. And he couldn’t give them to her. Not the real ones anyway.

The stalemate stretched between them until finally she lowered him back down, but she kept her grip on his face.

"You are a plague," she whispered, leaning in close. "But you are a plague that has seen the wound. The Great Root is failing. A rot has taken hold that my chanters cannot cleanse. It’s killing this forest, killing my people."

She finally let go.

He rubbed his sore jaw.

"That’s a real sob story. But you see, I don’t give a shit."

Her world world tilted, he punched her so fast she didn’t even realise she was punched until she was already off her feet, flying into the wall.

"That one felt solid," he said, grinning while creating 2 daggers.

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