The Grand Duelist

"Damn, a place that is perpetually hidden from the sun is really incredibly dark..."

Having lost the enchantment that they received from the two sisters that gave them the ability to see in the dark. Joseph couldn't help but express his frustrations out loud. Now that his eyes weren't capable of seeing through the dark anymore, he couldn't see anything but pitch-black.

It was impossible for someone to navigate through an unknown area in an environment so dark that you couldn't even see your own hands.

Common sense told everyone that such a thing was impossible.

But right now, under Alice's leadership, the two of them were navigating just fine within such an environment. Even though their movements were slow

"Say, Alice..."

"How are you navigating through this dark and shitty place without having your sense of sight?" 

Alice furrowed her eyebrows.

The sweat that formed on her forehead made it evident that she wasn't having a good time leading the way for the two of them.

"Can you not talk for now until we reach the place that we want to go? It's really hard for me to keep on using this technique and it requires a lot of concentration so, I must not be distracted." Alice said in a matter-of-factly voice that didn't want any opposition.

"Fine, fine... But if you need help, just tell me, all right? Maybe there's something that I can help you with." Joseph didn't mind her tone of voice as he replied.

"Is there even anything that you can do in this pitch-black forest? Do you have a technique that we can use to navigate through this forest that is not as taxing as mine?" Alice raised an eyebrow.

Joseph shook his head and said, "No, I don't have one..."

"Then, shut up, all right? If you really want to help then protect us against ambushes. I can't keep my guard up while doing this thing right at the same time." Alice closed her eyes and didn't bother about him anymore.

Joseph knitted his eyebrows.

"Blulululululupblubblup..." He flicked his tongue and gave out a weird sound. 

"What are you doing?" Alice asked with a frown.

"Just trying out echolocation. Use that sonar-thingy from bats so we can see things in this pitch-black shitty place."

"Sonar-thingy from bats? What are you talking about?"

Alice's frown deepened and she couldn't help but pinch him on his waist.

"Ah! Wait, wait, wait, stop! I'm just joking, I was just trying to cheer you up!" Joseph almost gave a shrill shriek due to the sudden sharp pain that he felt from his waist. He tried getting away from Alice, but her pinch felt like an octopus' tentacles. It was stuck on his waist and never let go.

"Oh? You just wanted to cheer me up? I guess, that is a good reason, but that is not enough for me to spare you from these hands!" Alice gave an evil chuckle, but Joseph suddenly moved. Causing her grip to slip and for him to be released.

"You bastard, do you really think that you're the only one that knows how to pinch?" Joseph glared right at her even though he couldn't see her. Afterwards, he stretched his hand out and pinched.

But instead of a shrill shriek, what he heard from Alice was a moan that struck him like a bolt of lightning out of a blue.

"Wha... What is that voice?" Joseph whispered and he was astonished to find that the waist fat that he was pinching had a shape that was similar to a cup.

He hurriedly retracted his hand upon this realization and explained before Alice could even speak.

"I know that you may not believe this, but trust me. What happened was a complete accident. It was never my intention to try and take advantage of you amidst this darkness. I swear, in my own name and honor that what I am saying right now is the truth and nothing but the truth."

Joseph hurriedly made a promise like his life was on the line.

For everyone else, what he said didn't make any sense and was a complete exaggeration. But if they knew how terrifying Alice could be if she found out that you took advantage of her. Joseph was completely sure that they would also act the same as him.

For him, what he was doing right now wasn't reasoning it out with Alice.

It was damage management.

But...

"Pffft!" Alice gave a chuckle. 

... Joseph didn't expect that he'd receive a burst of laughter instead of a slap.

"Wh-Why are you laughing? A man's honor is not a laughing matter!" Joseph said. 

"Pfft!" Alice laughed once again, "What you are doing is completely opposite of what a man should do! A man should never casually stake his honor for such trivial things!" 

Joseph was astonished by what he heard, "Trivial things, you say? Aren't you the one that always acted like I kicked your dog whenever I accidentally grope you whenever we are sleeping together? You can't really blame me for acting like this, no one wants to get hurt if they can avoid being hurt."

Alice rolled her eyes, "Look at you blowing everything out of proportions again. You also completely missed my point!" 

"Missed your point?" Joseph knitted his eyebrows, but his expression suddenly changed into enlightenment as he gave a sly smile on his face, "Oh? I see... I understand now. So that is why you purposely said that the matter of me accidentally groping you this time is just a trivial thing..."

"In other words, you are hinting that it is okay for me to grope?!"

When he had completed his sentence, Joseph couldn't help but inwardly exclaim at such a faux pax that he committed. Just what was he saying? Alice was a prideful woman that would never let herself be disadvantaged, yet what was he saying? 

Fuck, when did I become such a creepy man... Joseph repented, he resolved that he would never let his pervertedness take over him once again so that embarrassing mistakes like these would never occur again.

This mistake will forever haunt me whenever I am about to sleep. I can imagine it already, me being so sleepy but suddenly startled awake by my brain who reminded me of this mistake... Joseph gave a bitter smile.

He turned to Alice and looked like he had accepted his fate.

He even stretched his face out so Alice could easily slap him.

But amidst the silence, Joseph never received any response.

The silence and the coldness of the environment made everything creepy and gloomy to the extent that Joseph subconsciously shivered from the creeps. The silence made him feel a bad premonition in his heart as he extended his hand and flailed around.

Shit... Could it be that this is her payback? Did she leave me alone in this dark place? Fuck, how cruel!

Joseph inwardly cursed, he squinted his eyes but no light managed to enter his eyes and register in his brain.

Not even the image of his hands that he was sure that was in front of him could be seen.

He fumbled around and finally felt Alice's presence.

"So you were right here all along? Goddang it, why aren't you saying anything?" Joseph complained.

Alice hung her head low, hiding the crimson blush that spread on her cheeks and the violent heaving of her chest. Even though what she was doing was useless since the two of them couldn't see anything in this place anyway.

She was still paranoid that Joseph may see her face and tease her about it.

If that happened, then there was a high chance that Joseph would use it against her whenever he had a chance.

Oh? Alice, do you remember that time when you invited me to grope you? Hahaha, I really never expected that a prideful woman such as you is actually a closet pervert!

Alice seemed to hear Joseph's voice saying these words as she furiously shook her head amidst the darkness before finally calming herself down through the use of a facade.

"Let's go." She coldly said.

"A-All right..." Joseph stuttered in his response.

Alice then turned around and led the way for the two of them. She finally didn't have to hide her tumultuous heartbeat and her heaving chest as she sucked as much air as she could so that she could calm her furiously beating heart as fast as possible.

The two never spoke throughout the remainder of the journey. When they finally arrived at the location of the City that the residents of this place lived in, Alice was astonished to find that she couldn't detect any signs of life in the area when she was using her technique to navigate.

There was nothing...

"Nothing... There's nothing in here..." Alice whispered in utter disbelief.

"Nothing? What do you mean nothing

? What are you talking about?" Joseph knitted his eyebrows as he asked.

"No... This can't be... There is nothing... There's no signs of life nor any buildings in this place." Alice reiterated.

"Huh? What are you talking about? This is no time for such jokes, Alice! If you really wanted to make me laugh, then you should've told me that joke earlier before we arrived here. We have no time to do that now, we must hide so they won't discover us prematurely." Joseph scolded.

Alice shook her head, although Joseph couldn't see it as she said, "You'll understand once you ignite a light."

Silence fell in the area for a few seconds until she let out a shrill shriek due to the sharp pain that she felt in her waist.

"AH! what are you doing?!" Alice slapped his hand away.

"Oh, it's you? I'm sorry... I thought that you were possessed by Gelial since you recommended such a ridiculous notion, but since you reacted like that as I expected. I guess you aren't possessed..."

"But are you out of your mind? Are you seriously saying that I should ignite a light? You know about the consequences of doing that, right?"

The Mutated Beasts were attracted to light.

If Joseph ignited a light and those beasts saw that light.

They could easily surround and kill them.

Alice replied, "No, I am not kidding. Really, make a light and you will understand what I am talking about." She paused for a moment and when she didn't hear any replies, she continued: "You don't want to? Then, fine. I'll do it myself."

She stretched her hand out above and condensed a ball of light above her palms that served as a candle that illuminated everything in the area.

When the wave of light spread out, Joseph's eyes widened in shock. Alice was also flabbergasted by the scene that she saw even though she knew what was coming.

The plain that Julie and Hulie described as full of buildings and small houses were barren. Julie and Hulie described their city as an undeveloped city that has its own informal economy. However, let alone an economy, there wasn't even a single trace of life, nor building in the area.

"Did we come to the wrong place?" Joseph asked in doubt.

The conclusion that he reached was completely normal. How else could you explain the disappearance of several thousands of people in a mere few days? Furthermore, it wasn't only the people that disappeared. The buildings and the houses that Julie and Hulie described as being made as bricks also couldn't be found.

That was why it was perfectly normal for Joseph to doubt that they had come in the right place.

But...

"No... Impossible, Julie and Hulie said that the City was at the center of this place. Furthermore, this is the only place where a city could possibly be established." Alice whispered. Her shock could be felt from her tone of voice and her expression was pale as a sheet of paper.

"Why do you say that this is the only place that a city could be established?"

Alice replied, "The surrounding areas are full of jagged, solid rocks which makes it impossible for anyone to make solid foundations for their houses and buildings. That place is just not suitable for life, even if they are not humans." 

Joseph finally understood her point, but this didn't make him understand what was going on. He also considered the possibility that the two sisters lied to them, but Joseph couldn't be satisfied with that answer since there wasn't really any motive for them to lie.

In that case, just what is going on?

Joseph stepped forward and he felt his feet making contact with some ashes that looked and felt more like clay.

"Ashes? Wait, now that I see it. This place is filled with ashes! Look at that! That's a mountain of ashes? What the hell is going on? Did everyone in this place turn into ashes?" Joseph pointed at the distance.

Alice followed his hand and she was astounded when she saw a mountain of ashes that looked to be about three meters tall.

A terrifying theory appeared in Alice's mind as she suppressed her shock and looked around.

There, a few meters nearby...

She discovered something horrifying.

What she discovered were ashes.

But those ashes had the outline of a person. It felt like that person was cremated on the spot and his or her ashes formed a vague outline of her body as she was being turned into ashes by something or someone.

"What the fuck..." Joseph let out a curse when he saw Alice's discovery.

"Everyone in this place..."

"Turned into ashes?"

"What the fuck is going on?!"

Joseph's pupils constricted, his face became pale similar to the color of Alice's face.

After a few seconds of deep breaths. He finally recovered as he asked.

"Are there no living beings in this place anymore?"

Alice shook her head, her face was still pale but at least, some color had returned to her cheeks along with her composure.

"There must be! It is impossible for several thousands of people to just turn into ashes all at the same time without causing a huge commotion. That is unless..." Alice formed another theory in her mind.

"That is unless?" Joseph signaled for her to continue.

"That is unless a demon personally did all of these," Alice replied.

"A demon? Wait, that bastard Gelial?" Joseph said in anger.

But he felt that Alice's theory was plausible.

But he just couldn't understand why Gelial would do something like this.

From what he heard from Julie and Hulie. The history of this city perpetually hidden from the sun was actually deeper than he had expected at first...

The city was at least several tens of thousands of years in age, it was even older than the three Kingdoms namely, the Kingdom of Nether, Burning Heaven and Everlasting Frost, or Absolute Frost.

If Gelial had been with them for the entire recorded history of the city, that meant that his schemes were several thousands of years old. In short, why would he deliberately destroy the machinations that he made and carefully established for several thousands of years?

Joseph couldn't understand Gelial's thought process.

But he also didn't deny that Gelial should be the one who made all of these.

After all, he's the only one that could do something that was as terrifying as this...

"Wait... If all the residents of this place are turned into ashes by Gelial... Does that mean that..."

Joseph stuttered, and his eyes widened in shock when he reached the end of his sentence.

Alice stared right at him before her pupils constricted in utter shock upon realization of a certain possibility.

Afterwards, her figure blurred as she dashed towards the distance heading for the direction of a certain place.

Joseph followed suit, a grim expression could be seen on his face as he said.

"Gelial, I swear if you dared to touch their bodies. We will be irreconcilable enemies!" He uttered to himself as his figure streaked through the darkness, closely following Alice who was like a beacon in the darkness for him.

Along the way, Joseph warily scanned the area but he couldn't feel any commotion.

"Why are there no Mutated Beasts coming for us? Did they also turned into ashes?"

Joseph clicked his tongue and the anger that he felt for Gelial intensified as he hastened his pace.

Arriving at the tombstone of the two sisters...

Alice whispered her apologies before she moved and swiftly dug up the grave.

"No..." Alice suddenly paused.

Joseph followed her gaze and even he was astounded by what he saw.

The bodies of Julie and Hulie had disappeared...

They had turned into ashes.

The clothes that they wore when they were buried were still there, but their bodies were now nothing but ashes.

"Gelial... Not even sparing the dead... You're utterly despicable!" It was Alice who gritted her teeth and let out a curse amidst her bated breath.

Joseph embraced her from behind.

Alice's body who kept on trembling in anger dramatically calmed down when she felt his embrace.

She laid her head on his shoulder, and she felt extremely tired.

So many things happened in the past few days that Alice didn't even know how he managed to endure such stress.

Thankfully, Joseph was here and he served as the panacea that always calmed her whenever she was showing signs of extreme emotions.

If not for Joseph, then she didn't know what she would've done while facing Gelial. 

"Joseph..."

"One day... We will kill Gelial," Alice uttered.

Joseph nodded his head, "Yeah, someday..."

"We will have him pay for what he had done to Julie and Hulie."

He stretched his hand out and ruffled Alice's hair, just how he often ruffled the hairs of the two sisters when they were still alive and well.

A light smile escaped his lips and although anger could still be seen within his eyes...

It wasn't that strong anymore for he decided that he would deal with what could he handle as soon as possible instead of paying attention to Gelial, while he still couldn't possibly kill him.

"For now, we must return."

Joseph decided that he must become even stronger first. And for that to happen, he must safely deliver Alice to the Legendary Blacksmith Krid and earn his rewards from the Class-Specific Quest.

Only through that could he become even stronger as soon as possible.