Hermes rushed toward the extraction point, desperate to reach the secret tunnel—the only safe haven he had before separating from Justin. He navigated along the riverside, pushing down toward the rough road. To ensure he wouldn't get lost, he meticulously left a mark on the trees every meter. The relentless sun made his body feel scorching hot, and within minutes, he was drenched in sweat. His breathing grew labored as he scrambled through the rocky terrain of the riverside. He paused briefly to wipe his face with a handkerchief before shoving it back into his pocket.
Being completely unused to this kind of life-or-death situation, Hermes struggled immensely to adapt to his current circumstances. The brutal fighting scene and the surprising assault by members of the Second Root were the last things he expected. In his opinion, his luck was rapidly running out.
Why is my life suddenly full of surprises? he thought bitterly. What did I do to deserve this? All he ever wanted was to live a peaceful life, end his career as a mafia boss, and retire to the Pacific.
It had taken a lot of his precious time to increase his trust rating among the villagers, especially with the Camelia Household Headmaster and the village militia chief—Zamor Camelia. His friendship with Zamor was fragile and had to be maintained, so he always accepted his ridiculous requests. Despite his efforts, he was still just a magicless user, a talentless nobody. The only things he could be proud of were his money, influence, and power within the island.
"Master, are you alright? You look so tired," the slime asked softly. "I'm fine. It is just a normal debut when you're alone in this jungle," Hermes panted, answering bluntly. "Following the flow of the water is really tiresome work." 'Man, this is tiring,' he grimaced internally.
"I can help you, master," the slime suggested. "I fully advise ordering me to use my ability to remove your fatigue. I'm sure this will greatly ease the pain in your heart." It was genuine advice, but Hermes had a good reason to decline.
"It's a bit of good advice, but I have to endure this one," Hermes countered. "I'm sure you already used up a lot of ingredients to save my ass earlier. We need to conserve our strength and reserve it for the next event, okay? Listen up, you can still help me by scanning the area ten meters ahead of our current position. I need your ability to find any assailants, spies nearby, and other creatures that could be a potential threat to our lives. I mean, my life. Understood?" Hermes directed, walking between two huge rock formations near the river.
The slime remained quiet for a minute. "Hey, why aren't you speaking?" Hermes asked bluntly. "I—I'm sorry, master," the slime answered, trembling slightly. "I feel like I sensed something nearby."
Hermes stopped moving and knelt on one knee, his eyes wandering around as cold sweat broke out. His instincts were immediately alerted by the words of his companion. "What? Where, where exactly?" Hermes inquired frantically. "I'm still searching for the exact position of the origin of this aura. It is a fire attribute that I cannot comprehend the potential power of. It must be a high-tier element that no one but a mage could possess," the slime explained briefly.
"Like I said, where exactly did you sense the aura?" Hermes insisted. "It is on the eastern side of this forest. Around seven hundred meters away from our current position," the slime responded.
Hermes clicked his tongue and crouched to hide inside the bushes, removing his mask to wipe his face. The slime transformed into a small, oblong, gooey liquid substance and jumped down onto the surface. It turned around to tell something to its master. "Master, the aura is gone. I failed to track it down. I—I'm so sorry," the slime bowed down, scared of being scolded, prepared to be kicked for its failure. However, the young Don had a different idea.
Hermes scratched his head and sighed. "It's alright. I don't think the owner of that power will come upon us. Or am I too optimistic about it? Never mind, let's continue our journey." Hermes offered a hand, and the slime gladly jumped on it, transforming back into a normal white mask without eyeholes.
"T—Thank you, master," the slime simpered. Hermes heaved an exhausting sigh. "Hmm, what's wrong, master?" the slime fretted. "N—nothing. You don't have to be worried," said Hermes, forcing a smile. "Your master is fine. Just focus on your job, okay?"
His face looked fine outwardly, but his body was cramping in pain. Being a magicless user and a normal human was a massive disadvantage. Unlike the protagonists of other novels who were blessed with overpowered abilities, he had nothing but his companion. All of his powers were not even his own, and he was truly mad about his uselessness in this situation.
That was one of the reasons he didn't ask for help. His humanity had to be retained, and he needed to show this creature that he could still walk on his own abilities despite being weak. Call him a stubborn child or a petty mob, but he was still a man with honor and pride. He had lived as a normal man with a wonderful life in his former world, and he was still an adult inside a teenager's body.
To be frank, he was worried about the true Hermes. What happened to the original? If he possessed this body, then was the original gone for good? But the original spoke and acted out of his control sometimes. The true Hermes Archnemesis could still be sleeping inside this body, waiting for the opportunity to usurp it back.
With this idea, Hermes felt a sense of guilt. He was liable for occupying the body of the original without permission. Although the original was a mad child and a menace to society, he should return. Why? Because the body was his. Hermes was only a foreigner, an occupant. He had no right to live in this world.
Aljen Mura was his real name. He should be living on Earth, living like a normal man. He wanted to form a family, but his personality was the only obstacle to achieving it. Why? Because he was an asshole. His pride was too high, something no girl could afford to endure. He had been rejected by his crush, not once, but seven times. He was a virgin old man with no love experience at all.
Hermes shed tears when he recalled the past. The slime was worried about his condition, and it secretly activated its recovery magic to heal his pain. Hermes noticed his body felt lighter than before, so he continued his journey to find the secret tunnel.
Suddenly, the slime alerted his master.
"Master, I sensed a disturbing aura within seventeen meters of our position," the slime notified, its voice tense.
Hermes stopped dead in his tracks. "Where?" he asked quickly, his voice barely a whisper. "I still don't know the exact direction, but the aura is similar to a friend of mine," the slime pointed out.
What? Hermes tilted his head to the side, confused. "But still, we don't know if this creature is a friend or a foe. I advise proceeding because I strongly believe its mission is only to observe us from afar," the slime suggested.
Wait, it's not a human, but an unknown creature? This is bad, Hermes gulped. "Y—you're sure he's only observing us?" Hermes reconfirmed, cold sweat trickling down his neck. "Ah, sorry. He's also following us," the slime corrected.
"Okay, then. I will continue, but please take a countermeasure against that creature," Hermes directed. "If he does something bad against us, hack him down. Got it?" "Yes, master. I will. Leave it to me," the slime assured.
Hmm, what kind of creature is it now? Hermes asked inside his mind. He had already faced a bisexual opponent with overpowered abilities, a skill comparable to the strength of a playable female character. For the past few weeks, he had encountered a lot of things, both advertently and inadvertently. Thankfully, the story so far had received minimal changes because of his intervention.
But still, Arak the Great Tamer shouldn't exist in this world. 'My brothers will avenge me!' Arak had cried as his last words before Hermes left him to die inside the secret area.
Hermes turned pale, sweat dropping from his face. What should he do when he safely returned to the village? No matter where he went, there was a helpless situation he had to surpass. No matter what he did, there was always an unexpected case that could ruin the plot of the story.
Damn it, this is out of my hands. I want to return to my world, he cried inside his mind.
"Milord, there's a tunnel up ahead. We're almost there," the slime said. "Good work," Hermes simpered, heaving a sigh of relief upon hearing the good news.
Meanwhile, their stalker was observing them from high up in a tree. The stalker was not a human, but a magical construct—a paper bird fashioned from old, enchanted parchment. Its edges were sharp as razors, and it had the ability to transform into a simple letter to blend into the environment. It watched Hermes intensely before transforming back into a letter and disappearing from its position.
It reappeared on a branch only ten meters away from the young Don.Is Lord Justin telling the truth? the informant asked itself. The letter transformed back into a paper bird, locking its sharp, papery eyes on its target.
'When I'm gone, find him. Find the true master!' Those were the last words of Justin before he disappeared.
"This is nuts," the informant muttered, its voice sounding like rustling leaves. "Grandlord is the true reincarnation of our master. This child is not him. But still, why is my elder sister with him? Why? I don't understand."
The paper bird was often called an 'informant' because of its ability to transfer messages from its user to a receiver. It possessed the great ability to discharge magical energy and disarm its target if ordered to do so.
After the fall of the Ratican Empire, the Emperor had ordered it to deliver final commands to retainers and subordinates. That was the last command it received before the Emperor vanished from human history. The informant had been left behind, isolated, the death of its master leaving it alone for a thousand years.
But when it had already given up, someone had saved its heart from loneliness: the Grandlord.'Come with me, and you won't be lonely anymore,' the Grandlord had offered, extending his hand.
The informant had been so happy; the chain of sadness finally unlocked from its heart. It served him properly and showed unquestionable loyalty. Its dream to be with its family had even come true. Four of its sisters, out of twelve Great Spirits, gathered to serve their new master.
But to think the eldest among them was working under the fake master... it felt sad. Why? Because the informant would have to fight its own sister when the time came.
"Hermes Archnemesis," the informant grimaced, watching the body Aljen occupied. "Just who are you?"