"Can you tell me where this place is?"
A resonant yet unexpectedly serene voice cleaved through the heavy silence.
Jasmine, still trembling in the clutches of death's shadow, braced for the inevitable strike.
Yet, no assault came; instead, some calm and unhurried words floated to her ears.
At first, disbelief clouded her mind, 'who... who's speaking like this... in this situation? That bastard?'
She first suspected that imposter of a first-circle mage.
'Impossible! Can't be that bastard. Then... another person?' Jasmine then thought it was someone else.
But there wasn't anyone else in the crater. Jasmine dismissed it as a hallucination due to her fear of death. But then, it came again.
"Hey, I'm talking to 'you'. Can you tell me where this place is?"
This time, curiosity pierced her veil of terror, blooming alongside bewilderment, pushing back the fog of fear just enough to stir her senses. The voice felt real, tangible as the sweat on her skin.
Slowly, Jasmine pried her eyes open, blinking against the grit-laden air. Her gaze darted left and right in frantic sweeps across the crater's scarred expanse.
Then, abruptly, her sight locked onto the fake first-circle mage's indistinct form. He now stood right before her.
'...Was that really... him speaking?' Jasmine wondered, her thoughts a whirlwind of confusion.
But in the next breath, her soul quivered once more, terror resurging like a tidal wave as the fake first-circle mage extended his right hand toward her. His fingers outstretched in a gesture that could herald either mercy or malice.
'...H-has this monster been toying with me all this time?' Jasmine gritted in seething fury, her innards ablaze with indignation at the thought of his twisted charade. A bonfire of rage scorched away the remnants of her fear, leaving only smoldering resentment.
But, alas! Against such a monster, Jasmine was utterly powerless. She possessed no spark of rebellion. Even more so, now that she could no longer use any spells. Jasmine, once again, circled back to the brink of demise.
'...Hmm?'
However, this time too, the improbable unfolded. Instead of attacking Jasmine, the fake first-circle mage slowly reached out and delicately lifted her mask, peeling it away like shedding a second skin, exposing her face to the cool night air.
'...What now?' The sudden vulnerability sent a shiver cascading down her spine.
'Ugh! This is unbearable.' Jasmine's state teetered on the edge of collapse, her mind reeling. 'Just kill me already, you mons-te-r...'
But then, the dust veil suddenly yielded to the breeze's insistent tug, dissolving in languid swirls that unveiled the fake first-circle mage's form. His features emerged from obscurity.
He was a young man, wearing very ordinary clothes. Although, calling his attire 'clothes' might be an understatement. It was just raw hides, untanned and bristling with a thick layer of yellow fur, haphazardly draped and bound around his frame in a makeshift fashion, evoking the primal garb of ancient humans.
Around his neck dangled a talisman-like necklace — a small square black stone, threaded on a simple cord that rested against his collarbone without a care in the world. Its surface absorbed the moonlight rather than reflecting it.
Around his waist hung a sword, forged not from steel or timber but from bones; its edges rough. The sword hung naked without any sheath, ominous like a predator's fang bared in warning.
The young man's physique however, belied the barbarity of his attire: a visage fair and luminous, skin like polished alabaster, framed by short locks of raven-black hair that fell in casual disarray. His eyes held the profound depths of an azure sea, twin abysses that drew the gaze inexorably inward, promising storms beneath their serene surface.
Tall and lean, his build carried no hint of frailty — muscles taut and resilient, a lithe figure that spoke of hidden endurance. Altogether, he was extraordinarily handsome, a striking figure that could turn heads in the grandest halls or the wildest frontiers.
Jasmine stared in stupefied wonder, not ensnared by the young man's beauty or his shabby and barbaric clothes, but stunned by the paradox, '...How can it be? How can this young man be such a powerful mage? He looks only twenty!'
What Jasmine witnessed simply defied logic. Jasmine herself was twenty, yet she had only reached the fourth-circle, and that too through circumstances tied to her past. Normally, mages didn't ascend to the fourth-circle until their thirties. The exceptionally gifted ones might manage it in their late twenties, but never younger.
And as for the fifth-circle… the youngest recorded in history had achieved it in his forties.
But this man who seemed to have power on par with a fifth-circle mage, looked only twenty!
Jasmine simply couldn't believe her eyes.
But then, another possibility arose in her head, '...Does this monster consume elixirs to preserve his youth?'
It wasn't impossible. The Moonveil Elixir was known to keep one's youth untouched by time. Yet, its price was enough to bankrupt an entire major city. It was far beyond the reach of ordinary folk. Only rich nobles or powerful mages with vast wealth and connections could dream of such luxury.
'Hmm... He must be filthy rich then!' Jasmine's eternal greed stirred awake on her straight face.
Then, 'He he he he…' Jasmine smirked internally as a familiar spark lit behind her eyes. 'If I somehow manage to empty this monster's pockets... I guess that would make my life a breeze, hah!' Her greed even defeated her fear of death.
"What's the matter? Can't you hear me?"
"Oh great mage, I have committed the sin of not recognizing your greatness. Please, forgive this helpless woman."
"....."
The young man stared at Jasmine, dumbfounded.
"Oh great one, please, I plead you. Please, grant me a chance... If you so wish of me, I will be your servant. I will obey every word of yours to the letter. Please... Please believe me. I... I swear, you will not be disappointed."
In that brief moment, Jasmine had devised a plan: she would serenade him with flattery and drown him in praise. However, hidden beneath those sweetness was her true stratagem — a honey trap. It was a simple yet cunning scheme.
Jasmine had overwhelming confidence in her own beauty. And since the young man had already removed her mask, Jasmine's task had become even easier.
Although Jasmine utterly hated such acts, so much so that it filled her with revolution. But, a life-and-death situation was a different matter. To save her own life, she was willing to do anything... Everything. Although, she had another purpose as well. It was a mischievous purpose. And... a greedy purpose.
The instant opportunity presented itself — when the young man let his guard down and stopped using his Mana Telekinesis spell — she would bolt with his space storage clutched in her grasp. This would save her life, and also fill her pockets. It was like killing two birds with one stone.
'Hmph! So what if he's powerful? Beauty defeats all anyway. I did fall into his trap 'cause I let my guard down. But I don't think he can catch me using his Mana Telekinesis again if I resist it with my own from the very beginning.'
'Um… But where is his space storage? I don't see it anywhere. Hmm… he must've hid it inside his clothes then.'
'Come on~ Fall for it, fall for it…' Jasmine was waiting patiently.
However, all of Jasmine's expectations were shattered by the unexpected response of the young man.
"...Are you mentally ill?"
'...Huh? D-did my plan... fail?' Jasmine pondered, her gaze locking onto the young man.
Even though such a beautiful girl was standing right in front of him — her eyes glistening with feigned vulnerability, her voice a mellifluous plea laced with deceptive softness — yet, the young man's features were a blank canvas devoid of any flicker of desire or intrigue, his oceanic eyes steady and impassive as a still pond. No ember of excitement stirred within him, no quickened breath or lingering gaze betrayed the pull of Jasmine's charm.
For a moment, Jasmine thought, 'Is this monster impotent or something?' And why wouldn't she think that. She was, after all, a paragon of allure, her form a symphony of grace and enchantment, her deep green eyes, twin emeralds that could intoxicate any man upon this earth, drawing them into a hypnotic trance from which escape seemed a distant folly.
But soon, Jasmine's thoughts faltered as a flicker of uncertainty creased her brow.
'Wait... Something doesn't feel right. Why is he... so nonchalant?'
Even though Jasmine was curious whether the young man was truly impotent or not, another anomaly became a cause of discomfort for her. The young man's demeanor gnawed at her.
Jasmine had thought that the young man would finish her off. Yet, in his measured cadence, his nonchalant poise, the calm expanse of his azure gaze — there was no trace of bloodthirst, no predatory glint or tensed muscle betraying a hunger for violence, leaving her adrift in a sea of confusion.
'Does he... truly harbor no intent... to kill me? Or... is this merely a cruel facade... of showing me a ray of hope, just to... just to revel in the twisted sight of my torment?' Suspicion clouded her mind like inky storm clouds rolling across a once-clear sky, darkening her thoughts with paranoia. Her pulse quickened with the chill of vulnerability as each shadow in the crater seemed to whisper treachery.
So, what would Jasmine do now?
She had already made mistakes, not once but twice. Needless to say, all of this was the consequence of her insatiable greed. It was a direct blow to her self-esteem that made her bite her own lips in humiliation. Regret and an unexpected embarrassment washed over her in waves, bitter as bile, that bowed her head like a wilting flower.
Jasmine remained silent as the chilling air prickled her skin like invisible needles.
But staying silent now wouldn't do her any good. Whether the young man wanted to kill her or not, he had her trapped at that moment. He had her subdued with his mana telekinesis spell.
It dawned on her, before anything, she had to free herself from this helpless situation first.
At last, after a whirlwind of conjectures swirling in her mind, Jasmine arrived at a resolute decision. "...Oh great mage, sniff... sniff..." Jasmine's tremulous voice emerged. She started begging genuinely. A last attempt to save her life somehow.
"Please don't misunderstand me, Oh great one. I haven't even thought of deceiving you in any way. I swear, sniff.... sniff.... I swear that I won't tell anyone about today's meteorite fall. In fact, I won't even have the courage to say it ever. Please, don't... kill me. Please... Please, let me go. Sniff..." her eyes glistened with contrived vulnerability as droplets after droplets rolled down her temple.
'You devil, just wait till I escape from here. I'll hang a big poster about this meteorite's fall at the city centre. Let's see who cries for mercy then.'
Jasmine wove falsehood with the conviction of truth.Those droplets of crocodile tears were just for show as vengeance erupted within her like a volcanic cataclysm, a blistering inferno of spite and fury scorching her veins, her spirit ablaze with the promise of retribution.
She tried to use the 'damsel in distress' technique this time. Even though her beauty failed the first time she believed that won't be the case the second time.
"...Meteorite?"
"......"
Jasmine recoiled in astonishment. She hadn't anticipated this, never. The young man asked in such a way as if he hadn't seen the meteorite fall at all.
How bizarre!
"...Oh, I see," the young man murmured, his fingers absently stroking his chin in contemplation. "You thought it was a meteorite." His voice carried no thrill.
"...Wh-what did you... say?" Jasmine stammered. Nothing made sense to her anymore. The young man's words left her suspended in a pickle.
"Oh, that wasn't a meteorite. That was me," The young man threw the bomb with a nonchalant composure.
.
.
.
'...Wh-what did he say? That... wasn't a meteor? That was... this monster?' Jasmine again fell into a labyrinth of confusion.
'...Huh?! Hold on! If no meteor fell... then... there is no Aura Stone... That means... this monster is saying... he fell from the sky... no!! From outer space!!! But how can that be possible?! This devil must be lying! Yes, that's it. I'm certain now — this fiend is just playing with me!' A wave of rage and contempt surged through her. Her body tensed up with visceral fury, veins pulsing with heated indignation that set her teeth on edge.
"Why have you gone silent? Tell me where this place is—!" The young man demanded, placing his hand down from his chin. But, he couldn't finish as he was interrupted.
"You demon! You have the audacity to spew such blatant lies right to my face!" Jasmine's patience shattered. Everything pent up inside her erupted like a volcanic eruption that flushed her features crimson. "You fell from outer space, did you?! Do you take me for a newborn baby, that I'll swallow whatever nonsense you feed me?!" Her voice a raw, venomous snarl echoing off the crater's walls, her eyes blazing with unbridled wrath as she trembled from the force of her unleashed fury. To say it simply, she just lost it.
"You're misunderstanding me—!"
"You vile beast, today it's you or me!" Jasmine forgot all about her predicament again, but this time, it was due to rage not greed . "I'll bury you alive if it's the last thing I do!"
"Hmm, you're welcome to try. But perhaps you've forgotten — your life is in my hands right now."
"....."
Jasmine jolted back to harsh reality, a cold slap of realization dousing her fiery outburst. Her heart skipped in her chest like, her breath catching in a gasp of regret that widened her eyes in dawning horror.
'...Ugh! What... have I done? Now what—'
"Don't worry. I have no intention of killing you. If I did, you'd already be dead." the young man pointed out.
"......"
The young man's words... no... nonchalant threat left Jasmine speechless.
Apart from staring intently at him, Jasmine had no other reaction that caught the young man's attention.
"And what I told you about me falling from space is true as well."
"...A-are you... really... telling the truth?" Jasmine asked to confirm.
Actually, in such a situation, a normal person would have behaved just as violently as Jasmine, if we ignore her 'unending greed' part. And a person who had heard those venomous words, would have burst with rage by now.
But, even after hearing Jasmine's poisonous words, the young man didn't lose patience. Instead, he assured her that he wouldn't kill her. So, Jasmine had no choice but to ask.
"Yes." The young man admitted with a straight face.
'Like hell it's true, you liar bastard.'
Jasmine seemed like acknowledging every nonsense that the young man was spewing on the outside. But she didn't really believe him at all.
Yes. This time, her wise side arose pushing aside her insatiable greed.
"...A-and do you... really... not want to kill me?" Jasmine asked again.
"No."
'Yeah. Yeah. *After I'm done with you, I'll put you out of your misery* — Is that it?'
"...Th-then... please... l-let me go."
Jasmine pleaded to the young man to lift his Mana Telekinesis spell. Because, if he didn't want to kill her, then what was the point in keeping her trapped?
"First, answer my question. Where is this place?"
"......."
Jasmine couldn't even remember that question.