From then on the days mixed together; once when I had enough money, I bought a book about skills. From this, I learned that power from skill grew exponentially as the level increased. The weird thing about skills, though, is that it’s the hardest to get a skill out from level one because of how weak they were.
After reading the book, I tried using telekinesis again but quickly gave up after I got a splitting headache. Eria, seeing me trying to push the skill book, ughed so hard she couldn’t breathe.
Another moment that stood out to me was when I got so sick that I couldn’t go to the Adventurers Guild. While I could barely move, Eria went to and completed enough quests to get the money to buy medicine. I remember seeing how happy she was as she gave me the medicine. I looked at all the cuts and scratches she got while getting the medicine.
One day a new group entered the adventurers guild; they called themselves the witch’s guild. I sat at a table near the reception desk, and I overheard them talking.
“I told you, we need all the registered adventurers with the witch csses card.” Said a tall, hooded man, who I think was their leader.
“You know this; we can’t give out adventurers information.” Said the receptionist, then the guild’s manager walked behind her and whispered something into her. She sighed and gave the strangers the cards with a disgusted look on her face.
In the coming weeks, I saw the group of strangers banging on doors and taking people with them. Thinking little of it, I paid it no matter; still, I and Eria did our daily quest, scrounging together just enough to live. Looking back on it now, I don’t know if the thing that happened was good for me or bad. It gave me the power to get into the academy, but it left scars, scars that will never heal.
The day that I would ter call the worst day of my life started off like any other day; I and Erica used our little money to buy breakfast. We went to the adventures guild to get a quest, but something strange happened while we were there; a hooded man grabbed my arm and looked at my hand. After a moment he let out a ugh; he let go of my hand and walked away like he was never there.
We did our quest like usual and headed back to the alley we called home. As I entered, I saw a hooded group wearing the badge of the witch’s guild. The one I saw before talking to the receptionist stood in the front.
“Eria, you knew this day would come; you can’t run from the path the goddess chose for you.” Said the hooded man in a deep voice. “I know you don’t want to, but we all have to follow the path; you know you would one way or the other.” He continued, and one of the other hooded figures came closer and grabbed Eria by the shoulder. Seeing this, I pushed the figure's hand aside.
It was silent as all the hoods turned words to me. The man in the front sighed and pantomimed the motions of locking a door. A second ter it felt like thorns made of lead were being pushed through my entire body. I started screaming and colpsed to the ground; the pain felt like it was seeping into my soul. Eria started to yell, “Stop! Please just stop hurting him.” The pain didn’t stop.
One of the good figures pantomimed crushing something under his foot. Just as he did that, it felt like someone shot me with a cannon; I felt the foreign taste of blood in my mouth. I started coughing, and blood spattered everywhere, spshing on my clothes.
“Fine!” Eria said, “I’ll go with you; just stop, please.” As she said this, she walked towards the hooded figures. The man in the front smiled and cpped his hands; the pain suddenly stopped. I stared at Erica from where I y, and in the blink of an eye, she and the hooded figures dissolved into thin air.
I y there in a puddle of my own blood, barely able to breathe. I crawled deeper into the alley, and when all the strength I had left was gone, I passed out.
