Chương 92: 1-91 Expectations

Some people physically took a step back at Linda's suggestion. Not that she had worded it like one, but the fact her sword hadn't struck implied as much to Josef. Opening his mouth to tell her off, it took him a worrying amount of time to come up with a retort. After all, if the law made no effort to punish a healer, then why shouldn't they? It was the pitfall of vigilantism, and its depths now held an alluring call. Boreas would never hurt anyone again if he died here and now.

He had probably done much worse to people even more vulnerable than he was right now. And if he had resisted even a little during their short encounter, he would have killed him on the spot. Josef would have hated doing so, but he had steeled himself enough not to hesitate in the middle of combat. Now though? They weren't fighting anymore, and there was no rush of adrenaline helping to suppress his emotions. What Linda called for was nothing but an execution, decided on entirely by their own small group.

Or maybe even just her and himself, as no one else seemed too enthusiastic about that option. He wasn't a native of Aurum, and less than two weeks were not enough to give him a familiar mindset. However, he could logically understand where they were coming from. All he had to do was imagine a few dozen people wandering about Earth, able to cure even cancer by miraculous means. People would understandably bend themselves out of shape for their favour.

Most governments would let just about anything pass if such an asset signed up with them. Unless, of course, if they could somehow be forced into service. But it didn't seem like things on Aurum had taken such a turn, not that it would have been any more preferable. Ultimately, though, Josef had to admit to himself that he had no clear answer on how to deal with the elf in front of him. But he had to, because everyone present was now looking towards him, awaiting his decision.

He knew he couldn't execute a man in cold blood. An excuse, he knew, that wouldn't hold, because there were several people present willing to go for it. He just had to ask. His familiars wouldn't mind, and Linda herself was only waiting for his word. Just a week ago he could never have imagined himself even considering taking such measures, but looking down at the elf before him, he found that things had changed. If only because, try as he might, he could only find the barest hints of order mana in him.

Not the amount he would have expected of someone under control. It reminded him how he hated being in the spotlight. Or taking charge. If only the elf wasn't a healer, then they could just… Putting up a hand to hold back Linda, he glanced at Boreas, finding terror in his eyes.

"Were you born a healer, or did you receive a class-stone? Answer honestly, your life depends on it." As he pulled the vine from the elf's mouth, the answer rushed out of him with desperate vehemence.

"I was given the class by Sanctum! My brother is a natural healer. He sponsored me after joining them." Then he abruptly stopped, witnessing the expression on Josef's face. It was an entirely out-of-place smile. He couldn't suppress it, receiving exactly the information he had hoped for. With that, he had a plan to deal with the elf with no need to butcher him. Once he was done, Boreas might just turn to Linda willingly, though.

The elf was about to endure something he wouldn't have imagined in his worst nightmares. It was a little something that had been inspired by Dusty and brought back to his mind after the fight with Onyx.

"Try not to resist, or this might kill you anyway," he mumbled, barely audible to anyone but those closest to him. Both Zippa and Bezzo were looking questioningly, and the older one in particular seemed far tenser than usual. He was clearly concerned about what was about to happen, but didn't step in. Josef really hoped he wouldn't be letting down that trust. Re-gagging the elf, he went around him, putting both hands on his back.

He had just made the decision not to use chaos mana on other people carelessly, and now he would already go back on that principle. Considering what had happened after Dusty had been alone with that feral woman they took off the street, there was one particular thing the chaos affinity could pull off with some ease. It might not have been the original purpose of that particular affinity, but it had clearly worked well enough before. And if Dusty could break a magic core, then so could he.

The process was far smoother than it had any right to be. The chaos mana invaded his body with a vengeance, causing the elf to scream futile, spasming in his bindings. With Sprout handling the restraints, he had no room to back away even an inch. Even the body's own defenses, mana surging to push out the intruder, crumbled soon after under a tide of sheer endless mana. Josef's own reserves proved themselves to be far larger, and his constant drain on the surrounding mana was overkill on top of that.

Finally, as the defending energy was pushed all the way back to the lower abdomen, pitch-black tendrils of chaos pushed into the core. The crack that followed wasn't audible, but he felt it through his mana. The core had snapped in two. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. At the same moment, Boreas collapsed, coughing out blood from behind the vine in his mouth.

The remainder of Josef's chaos mana was running amok in his body, but was suppressed soon after with the help of a little healing magic. He also didn't miss out on having his familiar extract the broken pieces while he was at it. Who knew if Sanctum could restore broken cores? He decided it was better not to risk the reclamation, and so he took and stored the pieces in his hoard, right next to Onyx's. At this rate, he was building a strange and macabre rock collection.

Seeing the broken stone pulled from the healer's body, right after the leading question, understanding had quickly spread among the onlookers. Adventurers were murmuring uncomfortably. Whether they were scared by the ease with which he had broken a class-stone, or terrified by his handling of the healer, he couldn't tell. From now on, they would have to live with one less healer inside Highsend. Considering how little that one had worked, he doubted it would make much of a difference.

Zippa, however, made his feelings clear.

"Ha! See that? Now they can let him rot in a cell," he roared enthusiastically, his former tenseness having evaporated into nothing.

"That's one way to handle the bastard," Bezzo coolly supplied from where he stood. Only Linda looked displeased, biting her lip as she stared at the collapsed elf. For a moment, Josef believed she was about to finish him off anyway, before she finally sheathed her sword and stepped away.

"Too good an outcome for this filth," she mumbled quietly, the words barely reaching his ears. He was still concerned about her anger, but the fact that she had respected his decision had to count for something. Having dealt with Boreas, it was now time for them to address the remainder of this mess. Depositing the now unconscious healer with the rest of his men, he had to choose how to deal with them as well. Breaking whatever classes these knights had between them was both too time consuming, and too rash.

Knowing just how much life had already been lost within the dungeon, weakening the city even further was not something he desired. After all, there was a beasttide coming their way. While he had never experienced one himself, he could only guess that they were already going to feel the loss of so many combat-ready people. Redirecting the streams of chaotic mana, he used them to crudely syphon the white mana from within the bound knights.

It was a rough process, as the amount of streams necessary to do so quickly left no room for fine control. Fortunately, the clashing affinities caused no damage a quick application of healing magic couldn't handle. With whatever brains they had restored to their own use, he would leave the rest of it to city officials. He might not have liked the culture they had created, so far, but they would probably figure out how to put these knights on a wall, or at a gate once the tide started.

And if they were still returned to Sanctum? Then there would be time to sort them out after the city was no longer in danger. Or once they finally cracked the shiny facade on Sanctum and got people tearing down those gilded walls. A man could dream, Josef supposed. That left him with the last of Sanctum's… assets. Onyx remained close to the spot where they had dealt with Boreas, silently staring at the spot the elf once occupied.

He looked marginally more steady than before, sitting with crossed legs, tail sprawled limply. He still exuded an aura of resignation, but his eye had regained a little spark of something. Wandering back over to the lone reptile, he sat down next to him, his legs welcoming the rest after spending all day on them. Sprout quickly took the chance to join him, laying her head on his lap, while Pretzel wrapped around him comfortably.

Zippa was quick to follow, sitting down on his other side, sandwiching the human summoner. The younger brother and their lady elf had joined the remaining adventurers while Josef was busy dealing with the knights. Someone had to oversee proceedings to deal with all of the dead bodies, and Linda had volunteered, stating it as her noble duty. Bezzo, meanwhile, was taking care of those troops that had fallen on Sanctum's side of the battlefield.

They could not distinguish the differing allegiances of those who had passed with certainty, but ultimately, all were going to share the same fate. First, they would search the bodies for any identifying tags that could be returned, then they were dispersed into mana. That was how things were done in the dungeon, no matter what side you stood on.

"You should have killed him," Onyx finally spoke hoarsely, sounding as if his throat was dry and cracked. He should probably give the reptile a once over, and some water as well.

"It would have been a mercy." Josef shook his head.

"Maybe, but he doesn't get to run from the consequences of his actions. Not so easily, at least." The black-scaled reptile sighed wearily.

"I suppose I should have expected that reasoning. It's why I still have to continue, after all." Then, after seconds of uneasy silence, he continued.

"What do you require of me, Drake?" Quickly looking around to make sure nobody was close enough to hear that moniker, Josef answered in a hushed voice.

"Please don't call me that. It's supposed to be a secret." Something passed through the reptile's gaze.

"I understand. As you command." Josef would never have expected that so few words could make him feel so uncomfortable. That wasn't meant to be an order, just a friendly request to his former opponent turned… whatever they were now. Acquaintances, he guessed. Was the poor guy so used to his magic shackles that he now latched onto the next possible master? It was a possibility, but considering how things had taken a turn during their fight, he had to consider another possibility. It was about him being a Drake.

"Why do you act like this? Is it because I am… what I am?" he finally asked vaguely, though the meaning was clear.

"You don't know, do you?" Onyx finally turned to fully face him, his eye moist with an emotion Josef couldn't guess.

"You have read my status, haven't you? I have felt your eyes bore into me." No surprises there, the upgrade had made it clear that his gaze was no longer subtle. Considering what this was about, he could wager a guess on the relevant part of that information.

"Is it about your level? Or your race?" He could vaguely recall that wyrm were kinda dragon-adjacent in mythology, and he had the heartstone to boot, even if broken. He shouldn't base assumptions solely on information he recalled from Earth, but for this case, he figured the pieces fit well enough. Onyx nodded slowly.

"Wyrm isn't something one is born as. Just like Drake, it is a calling assigned by dragons and the system that be." He could tell there was more, but every word coming from the reptile sounded like an internal struggle. Not wanting to push needlessly, he sat silently and waited until he was ready to continue. His patience was rewarded with words he rather wouldn't have heard.

"A wyrm is what I became after failing my calling as a Drake. We are meant to serve the Drakes as penance, making up for failing the expectations our dragon had of us."