BL: THE KING'S GUARDIAN

CHAPTER 3

Half a day later...

The sun is setting, Al stretches his body and the delicious sound of bones cracking was heard. Ahh so much better!

He can finally move freely without feeling lethargic and organs hurting! Al was excited and pumped his fist, ready to find his missing staff and spellbook.

Swoosh~

A breeze passed through and Al trembled. He suddenly curled himself like shrimp as he holds his arms tightly; teeth rattling and run to the nearest house he could see. Although the temperature inside and outside is the same it was enough to shield him from a sudden breeze.

Brr.. is he in the north why is it so cold here!?

He quietly lamented how he can't even do a simple spell, like warming himself or protect himself from the sudden breeze. The half an hour of him gathering magical energy was just enough to protect himself from immediate danger.

He cant have the luxury to warm himselfㅡ

Grrr...

His stomach growled angrily...

(=_=)

...and apparently, he's also hungry!

Thus he gritted his teeth in both anger and cold as he rummaged through the remaining contents of the house.

The house is empty any type of clothing is either have holes or cannot use as clothing. He looks around and out of the corner of his eyes, he saw dark cloth. When he comes closer, he saw it was a navy blue winter woolen coat! And it seems in his size.

Dear god from above, who's listening wishes thank you for granting my selfishness! Al thought they didn't have to make it sumptuous!

Desperately he grabbed it, as soon as he lifted it he was greeted by the child's surprised yelp and shockingly beautiful eyes.

Al was caught off guard and can only stare down.

The boy has round blue eyes and black hair like an onyx, the contrast in color makes his eyes more noticeable than the rest. He had big eyes that carried a pair of bright and clear blue irises. It was so beautiful that it shines as the light reflected on it. They were so clean that they were able to clearly mirror Al's figure. He didn't know him but somehow the child seems familiar, he just can't distinguish where he had seen him.

It felt like a deja vu but instead of scenes and situation it was the child's face that seems familiar but he was certain that he didn't know him at all. If he does know him, he should be old right now and not a toddler like this human.

Al's brows furrow as he scans the boy... or a tiny human? No there's something wrong with him.

The boy seems to be between the ages of 3 to 5 or seven? Eight perhaps? He wasn't sure because he never really know what's the difference between those ages to a toddler and a kid. But the boy is small and round, he looked like a rabbit with those chubby cheeks and big round eyes.

For a moment, the boy just stares blankly at him. Al wasn't sure what to do, he was practically naked and just stole the child's coat. He didn't know how to address the issue less to explain why he was naked! Hell, he didn't even know where he is!

He opened his mouth to start but then the child suddenly gets up and run fast. Al was speechless and for two seconds he didn't move as he watches the back of the waddling toddler. He doesn't want to assume things but why's the child run?

He narrows his eyes as suspicion clouded his mind. He had been lying on the snow for half a day but not once he noticed the child. Is he that weak or this child is skillful than him?

With him wearing the stolen coat, Al followed the child outside.

Maru felt a strong wind and knocked him over. Suddenly he was crushed to a wall with immense force. Al's hand easily picks up Maru and squashes his throat. Maru's feet are lifted off the ground, his back against the wall, and the weight of his entire body is sustained by that one hand grasping his neck. He begins suffocating very soon and his face reddens completely.

When Maru blink his eyes, he was met by the mage's hallowed golden eyes.

The mage looked down on him coldly. No light within, only a glint of death and looked like it was about to swallow him up.

Maru's short legs struggle in the air frantically but in vain. Instinctually, he grabs hold of Al's hand, but he cannot remove it no matter how hard he tries. He struggled underneath the tightening hands of Al and golden murderous eyes.

He then heard the mage's wintry voice "How long have you been watching me?"

As he heard him, he consciously looked up but Maru saw something more terrible than having his like taken by the mage. He doesn't want to be an Eret, a man-eating monster!

He wants to warn the mage, but the hand on his neck tightens as he struggled desperately. Opening his mouth and closing it but no sound was heard only his gasping. He uses his eyes to tell the mage that thing behind him as he grabs the mage's arm and wrestles his way out.

His sight blackening and his gasps shortening, he summoned the last bit of his breath and chokes his last words. 'look... behind...'

"Ooksh... hindssksa..."

Al couldn't understand what the toddler had said but noticed his strange behavior, he unconsciously looked back from his behind, and bloodied hands reaching towards him. He agilely avoided the touch by stepping to the side, grab the toddler's collar flung him to the distance.

He steps forward, pointing a finger, and reaches for its forehead to stop it from getting closer, within Al arm's length and a finger, he holds it in place.

It looked all human-like, but the way it acts is a monster in berserk mode, devoid of logical reasoning and intelligence. It has two crazed white eyes, which stared at him without focus. Like a blind person, its irises and pupils seem to be covered by a thin layer of white.

"Rauuuugh!!" an inaudible sound was omitted from its ripped mouth and the remains from its hanging jaw. Its jaw sways as its teeth trying to bite him while its bloodied hands reach frenziedly for him.

Al frowned as he observed the monster. Its body was full of rotting bitten wounds and missing chunks of meats from its limbs. It looked all painful but it didn't seem to bother the man.

Wanting to try to press the wounds he reaches to the man using his other hand.

"D-don't!" said the toddler who's gasping as he catches his breath from his choking. "Don't let it bite you."

"Why?"

"As much as a small wound or a scratch, you will be cursed and be like it."

Cursed? His eyes narrowed and saw small unknown strokes of letters was written on the man's skin. It was not visible at first because its skin was full of dried blood but if you look closely there are words.

He observed the curves. The more he looked at the intricate letters carved on it, the more he thought its familiar. His gazes fixed on the letters and couldn't remove the sense of familiarity that Al couldn't think what it was.

"What is this..." Al is having trouble finding the right words without hurting the feelings of the delirious person in front of him "...person called?"

"That's not a person, it's a cursed dead. A monster who was cursed to eat humans." Maru got closer but not too close and explained. "This one is called Eret, just a level below the Lords.

"The Lords are the person responsible for cursing a person then become an Eret, a man-eating monster. While Erets is the one who spread the curse and makes hundreds and thousands of cursed dead. And become an army of cursed dead for the Lords to control.

Erets are fast and agile, if they have complete limbs they could outrun a human. They are also very aggressive but easy to kill. Aside from fire or heat anything could kill it if you cut their heads off their body."

While the tiny human explaining, Al was not idle, he has his own ways to know. He waves his other hand a water blob appeared, as he whispers, it gradually formed into a long, slim, straight blade of a sword.

Grabbing it, he easily slashes those dirtied hands that reaching for him, since it was not a person, there's nothing to hold back anymore.

Without its hands, the eret still continue to reach for him as those hands didn't matter. It didn't bleed as he thought a normal monster would.

Next, he stabs in the chest and pushes it back. Without any effort it stumbled and unable to stand up. The eret struggled to reach for him as if he wasn't on the ground lying. But still much more alive, even though it was stabbed in the chest. He tried to get up, but rather wiggled and twisted his limbs, trying to make his way over to him.

It was a very grotesque scene.

Since it's unable to bleed, it won't die even if he chopped him into pieces. A perfect dummy for practicing swords. But there's one thing he noticed, and most noticeable, it smells so bad that he didn't know what is that smell.

He just can't take it anymore. God, what this monster ate this morning?

The eret doesn't seem to have a brain as it keeps reaching on Al. It doesn't get up and only try to reach him with its back on the ground. Al can't help but complain, what kind of worthlessness is this?

Weak and easy to dismantle, it can only attack and eat. The rest? It can't even avoid less to form a series of attacks. He didn't even step a foot and the battle was already finished. The only redeeming quality of such a low-level monster was it was quick on running. But once it was tripped over, it was useless. Who's the bastard who created such a worthless thing!?

Irritated he snaps his fingers and fire engulfed the eret. He looked back in the toddler's direction, his chest pumped and he brimmed with pride at what he just did.

Maru's mouth hangs open as he saw the huge fire enveloped the eret.

Maru was speechless. The mage wasn't listening to him at all! He said heat and fire are a big no! Fire could actually make them stronger!

Meanwhile, the oblivious Al wore a proud smile on his face. He made the fire so huge that it was distinctive and brilliant! Now he can't wait for the people's applaud! Ahahahahahaha!

To satisfy his narcissistic needs, the energy he just collected was almost depleted. But it was alright as long as he looked godly in the eyes of the others, everything else was forgotten.

Black lines appeared at Maru's head, seeing how the mage acted dignified and proud, he wasn't sure if this mage is strong or dim-witted or both which is more dangerous.

"RAAAAUUGGHH!!!"

The eret howled loudly that you can feel the vibrations of the sounds.

"Run!" Maru shouts as he waddled and runs away from the now stronger and not easy to kill eret.

He doesn't want to die!