Upon arriving, he crouched and handed over the meat.
"Eat," he said without expression.
"Huh? Me?" The girl looked in disbelief.
"Yes, you're hungry, right?"
"B-but that's meat, I-I can just eat the leftovers, will you eat first, sir?"
Ngp}
"I'm not hungry."
"Besides, this really is for you."
"And, I'm not your master, you're no longer a slave."
The girl fell silent for a few moments, then her trembling hand slowly reached out.
Occasionally, she glanced at Rayne.
"Haup... Yum," one bite made tears flow from her eyes.
"Haup... Haupp"
"Delicious..."
She ate very ravenously, almost like a bear that had just come out of hibernation and gotten its first meal.
It didn't take long for the girl to finish all the meat.
After that, she looked back at Rayne and, without thinking, immediately took a prostrating position.
"I-I, Elvie, swear loyalty to you, my Lord, with my life as the stake!"
Hearing those words, Rayne only put on a lazy face.
"Don't you have many things to do?" he said in a low voice.
"What will change if you keep being a slave?"
"Don't be stupid, you just want to depend on others."
"If you don't want to die in vain, do everything you can... Alone."
Ignoring the reaction of the girl named Elvie, he turned around and walked away.
However, Elvie, who was dazed for a moment, then realized one thing. "Right, I... I didn't think about it."
"Earlier I swore loyalty, just because I didn't want to be abandoned, because I was too afraid of being alone, because I thought I could be safe with him."
"If I want to do everything I want, I have to do it myself."
Meanwhile, Rayne had already walked quite far...
{Ding! System mission triggered, the girl named Elvie has gained enlightenment, legendary mana core detected awakening, protect her while awakened, and ensure her life is safe.
Reward: Eyes of Wonder
Punishment: unable to see for a lifetime.}
Woshhhh... A gust of wind accompanied by mana blew strongly from behind, pushing Rayne several steps forward.
With an irritated face, he turned back.
"Bastard! Again I'm being forced!"
Quickly, he drew out two swords and dashed toward the girl.
Dashh...
When standing near Elvie, the overflowing mana crazily pressed down gravity and air, making Rayne feel as if he were carrying a massive rock while wearing a training mask.
Swoshh...
The longer it went on, the stronger the mana pressure became. Rayne, who was still able to endure at first, was slowly forced down.
Gravity multiplied several times over.
His bones creaked, his knees began to touch the ground.
"Ughhh... What's there to protect, I'm the one in danger!" he muttered with irregular breathing.
Swoshhh...
Brakkk!
As the pressure increased for the umpteenth time, Rayne's body was slammed flat against the ground, his face buried, making it even harder to breathe.
....
From afar, precisely in the sky, a figure of an old man in white robes with golden Phoenix patterns could be seen.
His white hair fluttered, with a firm face and eyes like those of an eagle.
He shot forward riding a sword like a rocket.
As he passed above Elvie, he immediately realized something very unusual.
"Hm?... Interesting, whose raging mana is that?"
He looked downward, his eyes piercing through the trees, and saw a small girl in a meditation position and a boy whose body was half sunk into the ground in a prone position.
"Oh? That girl..." cutting off his words, he shot downward at a speed that ordinary eyes could not follow.
Swoshhh...
The old man landed smoothly, his sword disappearing into particles of mana that scattered.
Meanwhile, Rayne, sensing someone's presence, roared inwardly, forcing his body to move under pressure beyond its limits.
After great effort, he managed to lift his head.
When he saw the old man standing in front of Elvie, Rayne's gaze turned feral.
It was nothing else—if Elvie did not survive, his sight would be lost.
Without thinking, he imagined his bones turning into weapons.
The weapon core within him began forming bones according to Rayne's image.
In an instant.
The old bones slowly cracked, giving birth to new bones that were stronger, sturdier, and pitch black.
Rayne could only scream hysterically in his heart, the tremendous pain nearly killing him on the spot.
It was not in vain; his body slowly rose, he stared at the old man standing before Elvie.
The previous pressure was no longer so meaningful to him.
Dorrr...
"T-this... This is the first time I've felt such pure mana eruption, this child is extremely talented!" the old man said, gazing at the girl while stroking his beard.
Right after those words, a small explosion sounded behind him.
Before he could turn around, a black bullet grazed his cheek.
"Ap..."
Cratttt....
"Tch, I didn't expect it to miss," Rayne said in his heart.
The pressure that nearly crushed his body made it difficult for him to control accuracy.
"Bastard!...." The old man's face darkened, an aura of death immediately enveloped his body.
"Sword God, slay those who transgress. Sword of Justice!" The old man swung his hand and instantly, three nearly transparent swords shot out.
If seen with ordinary eyes, those swords were only like thin clusters of dust about to disperse; when launched at high speed, they were practically invisible.
However, Rayne's experience was not little. Swiftly, he formed two swords and managed to slash all three swords.
Crangg... The three swords were easily cut apart, vanishing as they were swallowed by mora energy.
The old man froze for a moment, before five swords were launched again.
Crangg... Just like before, all the swords vanished in a single slash.
"What do you want, you old fossil!" Rayne shouted.
As he said that.
The world seemed to stop for a moment, the old man's lips trembled.
"O-old fossil?.... Insolent! You must be taught a lesson, brat!" With a reddened face, he dashed forward at high speed.
Swoshhh...
Buakkk!...
Rayne was sent flying far backward, without seeing his attacker.
Brukkk... His body only stopped after crashing into a large tree, making the tree shake briefly.
"Huekk"
"Cuihh" He spat blood and tried to get up.
But his body felt limp, as if his energy was completely drained, even his vision began to blur.
"Damn, still too weak," he said in his heart.
As the old man walked closer and closer.
"Enough!" A shrill shout was heard from behind.
When the old man turned, he saw the girl already standing with an angry expression.
"What are you doing to him?!"
"Don't misunderstand, child, I'm just protecting you from that boy."
"Who is protecting whom? That boy is the one protecting me!" She ran toward Rayne, her body still shrouded in a mana aura.
"H-ha?"
As the child passed him, the old man felt a momentary oppressive feeling; he felt his heart beat faster.
As if there was something extremely terrifying and indescribable about that child.
"A-are you okay?" Elvie said while holding Rayne's hand.
"No! I think my body is going to fall apart," he replied.
Unnoticed, the old man was already standing near them.
Without saying anything, he extended his hand. Then he recited a spell.
"Goddess of life, who heals and grants life. Heal!"
Suddenly, a green light appeared from his hand, and at the same time, Rayne felt himself being healed rapidly.
It didn't take long for him to feel his body fully restored, as if he had never been injured.
After that, the old man let out a long sigh, then said.
"Forgive this old man for misunderstanding you, child," he said firmly.
{Ding! Mission to protect Elvie during awakening completed, obtained reward: Eyes of Wonder.}
{Do you wish, maste.... }
"After this, system," he replied, cutting it off.
He looked at the old man for a moment. Then slowly stood up, slightly bowing.
"First of all, thank you and sorry, it turns out you are not someone who came to harm us, I also misunderstood!" he said.
"Hahaha, it's all just a misunderstanding. It's also my first time seeing someone who can easily break my attacks."
"You are very impressive at your current age," the old man praised.
"I'm still nothing compared to you, and—"
"I'm curious, what made someone as strong as you approach us?"
"Ah, I forgot to introduce myself, just call me Grandpa Ton, I am someone from the Horizon Academy who is wandering in search of talent."
"Coincidentally, this child caught my attention," he said while looking at Elvie.
"Academy?... Perfect! This girl is talented, the academy suits her very well," Rayne said in his heart.
"But, after that brief fight earlier, I'm actually interested in you as well!"
"Hahaha, you are still young, but already very talented, I will take you both to the Horizon Academy and carve two new legends in the future!"
Seeing the fiery eyes of Grandpa Ton, Rayne only smiled, but his smile instantly turned to shock when he realized the name 'Horizon' and the golden Phoenix pattern on Grandpa Ton's robe.
Horizon Academy, a place he had always heard about since he was old enough to remember, a place always talked about by his siblings and by the kingdom's elite warriors, a place that had never been spoken of badly.
A place said to have produced hundreds of legendary warriors throughout history.
Rayne did not expect to meet someone from that Academy.
"I didn't expect to meet such a great person like you, however, I have no desire to enter the academy."
"What?" Grandpa Ton widened his eyes, he did not expect anyone to be uninterested in the Horizon Academy, considering the long history they were proud of.
Rayne, realizing Grandpa Ton's reaction, hurriedly explained his reason.
"It's not that I'm not interested, but you must have realized from the start, I don't have a mana core, and never will, because I wasn't born with one
(Because it was eaten by the system ヾ(＾-＾)ノ
"Hm... Turns out he's a very calculating child, he could tell I weakened my attacks because I knew he had no mana."
If earlier Grandpa Ton had been a little serious, Rayne would certainly have vanished by the first three swords.
At first he still wanted to take the child, but not anymore, because he had truly confirmed that the child had no mana core.
"Unfortunately, without mana, at best he would only become a manual clerk at the Academy."
(Manual clerk, one of the most boring jobs in the academy, only recording what is ordered)
"Haha, alright child. Your place indeed isn't at the Academy."
"But, you have talent here.... Don't waste it, at the very least, become a great businessman, lots of money is also great power," he said while pointing at his head (brain).
"Thank you for the advice, Grandpa Ton."
Rayne looked at Elvie.
"Go with Grandpa Ton."
Elvie, hearing that, was extremely shocked, her eyes trembling faintly.
"No! I want to be with you! I don't know what an academy is," she shouted in panic.
"Simply put, the academy is the starting place before you can do everything you want."
"Don't think about following me, I'm not someone willing to protect you forever."
"Remember... Do everything... Alone."
"Alright then, Grandpa Ton, I'll be leaving first."
He bowed toward Grandpa Ton, then turned around and left just like that.
"A-at least tell me your name too!" Elvie cried out.
But Rayne didn't even look back at all.
"If we meet again someday, I will tell you then," he said softly, then continued walking away.
"Ah, what a pity—why did it have to be a child like him, one without a mana core," muttered Grandpa Ton, able only to watch the child's back as it grew farther and farther away, until it could no longer be seen.