CHAPTER 50

  THE MAN FROM ANOTHER WORLD

  Hans and Zilong enjoyed each other’s company, both lost in thought about the people they missed. He didn’t know this man’s story, but his actions till now clearly pointed out that he belonged to a kind which was opposite to his, the one who showed compassion for no reason.

  “Great-grandfather always said, if you want to make someone closer, make them confide in you,” Hans broke the serenity, “So Zil…Mr Zilong—”

  “You can call me Zilong,” The commander-grade red demon responded. “People don’t use honourifics here, and I’m not that old.”

  “But you look like you are,” Hans smiled, pointing to Zilong’s appearance.

  Zilong followed Hans’s finger, “Ah, yes, I guess, I have lost my real physique in this mutation.”

  Both chuckled a little. “Mhm…” Hans hummed, nodding. He was trying to ease up the heaviness he was feeling from this man. He looked like a person who had lost everything.

  “I’ve heard you calling yourself Hans, is that right?”Zilong asked.

  “Yes,” Hans nodded again.

  “It's a good name ‘a gift from God’ in your human language. The name suits you well.” Zilong pointed to the villagers, adding, “And you indeed are, at least to them.”

  However, Hans ignored the words and asked something that was bothering him for quite a while, “You sound like you are not one of us. Your kind, your world, your language… are you not from around?” Hans motioned his finger vertically.

  “Yes, I’m a lóng.” Zilong said, his tone proud.

  “No, you are tall, you used the wrong adjective, mister—”

  “Phaha.” Hearing Hans’s words, Zilong burst into laughter, “You are funny, little one.” He continued to laugh for a while and then explained, “I’m Zuìhòu da lóng, it’s too wordy for you people, so they just called me Zilong. I came to your world among these Bakrans, these vile things you call Red demons.”

  “Zee D Long Winters! Holy fuckin shit.” Hans was startled beyond his beliefs, he almost blurted out and he couldn’t stop himself confirming, “You mean, you can turn into that huge flying serpent with claws?”

  “That is what you call a lóng. It’s a mythical being of my world. My lands worshipped us like gods, until we weren’t— You, it seems you’ve seen someone like me?” Zilong got excited, his dead eyes finally showing some colours.

  “Yeah, the whole fucking world saw that. She turned into one and levelled the arena. It was quite the envious thing, you know.” Hans elaborated on the whole incident and Zilong heard it like the story had meant the whole world to him.

  “So, I have a daughter. I hope she looks like me—”

  “Hey, why are you cursing her? Look at the mirror, man. If she’d look like you, then it’s better to kill oneself.”

  Zilong looked at himself again and burst into a laughter that shook the whole village, scaring away the creatures from the vicinity. “MAN! HE IS REALLY POWERFUL.” Hans thought inside, wondering what is stopping this walking disaster from levelling up the Council node and taking revenge. Ancient or not, his presence reminded him of his own father with a noticeable difference.

  Samson, even in the undead form, was oozing with unbreakable confidence that he’d walk out unscathed in any situation, but Zilong was like a wounded beast who had seen his confidence broken several times. “Just what happened to him?”Hans was genuinely curious.

  “So is she pretty?” Zilong asked.

  “Yes, very.” Hans nodded, but all of a sudden, he felt a chill. He stepped back. “What happened? Why the hostility?”

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  “No reasons. I just didn’t like you saying that—”

  “She is super ugly. In fact, she looks exactly like you.”

  Zilong chuckled at the flustered Hans, but the happiness on his hideous face turned to worry. “This is bad. Knights would hunt her for submission.” He stressed, “Even that crazy man Norwin asked me to serve him.”

  “As if.” Hans scoffed, “People don’t get to walk away with their heads intact if they touch my thin… friends. And she is the daughter of Director Aredhel. I don’t see what you are thinking, hoping anytime sooner.”

  “Aredhel… so she went to Concordia—”

  “Okay, caveman. Here is a crash course for you.” Hans explained the whole story, from how an ass Delimira was till how they became close friends to her living in their home in Edenberg. He also included how Aredhel and she were mistreated by the same people whom he was trying to earn acknowledgement. The very same people who’ve intentionally and unintentionally helped Anfaleen, trapping him here and turned him into this hideous monster.

  For the first time, Hans felt the pressure of the man from another world. His power brought the same effect as Delimira. Outside the barrier, right at the top, a swirl of clouds was crackling with lightning, hitting the sunstone barrier spontaneously.

  “Stop this madness, geez. Don’t be reckless— I can’t believe I’m saying this.” Hans halted as he felt the irony in his words. However, just mere words helped Zilong to snap out of his rage. He was living in hiding for a reason. He didn’t want to attract unwanted attention.

  “Deli does not show… but if she has a father, why is he not showing up?” Hans nailed the most important question.

  “I’m a liability—”

  “You are their family.” Hans stressed, “I wouldn’t mind my father returning back, even in this form.”

  “You don’t understand, kid. I’m not what I used to be. I died once, the ‘Lóngs’, my kind have something like resurrecting power, but it comes with a cost, going against the natural law of death. My powers are unstable, and this Bakran’s essence is giving me ‘Insanity’ - the more I use my power, the harder they become to control. I don’t want to meet them as a calamity.

  Hans recalled Aredhel’s words, the future she saw of her husband’s death by his hands, and this was on his graduation test. It means Zilong only had two years before he lost to his internal struggle with Bakran’s essence. “He must’ve turned into a disaster and ended up dying by my hands, yikes!.”

  “Oh, sorry, I was caught up in the moment.” Zilong quickly became calm.

  “Geez, his mood swings could kill somebody.” Hans didn’t say that out loud, but he did ask, “What if you could get your past self back? What would you do? “

  Return. Let these people go home.” Zilong hinted. “Their families must be waiting for them like mine. But—”

  Hans cut him off in the middle, completing his sentence. “But they are the evidence of Anfaleen’s wrongdoings. They will all die when he learns of your… no, this village’s existence, and even if you could pin this on Anfaleen. A high elf with an Ancient’s support is akin to an invincible existence. Did I get that right?”

  Hans now understood why Zilong was living his last days like this. And hearing his words, Zilong clenched his fist. He too knew what Hans was talking about. The hopelessness he felt came back, stealing the light from his eyes.

  “Man, you are one depressed person.” Hans interrupted his brooding. “Listen, a powerful person only backs an inferior existence because they are of use to them. You want to drag Anfaleen to justice? Be my guest and get your heads rolled.”

  “You mean, we have to make Anfaleen useless for the Ancient so he won’t take action, right? How?” Zilong asked, and Hans showed his true nature.

  “A dead man is no use to anyone… maybe except Xandor. So we better burn him when we kill that son of a bitch.”

  “That is a node, the last line of defence of Genas. Even with regular attacks from beings more powerful than your imagination failed to breach those fortresses.”

  “They are not me.” Hans smirked wide and stated. “You don’t have to be more powerful than your opponent to kill them. It’s no honourable duel; we are not fighting fair to begin with.”

  “But—”

  “Don’t get confused. I’m not asking for your help. Anfaleen Torceran will die one way or another. It was decided long ago. Whether you help me or not will decide how quickly I’ll reach that outcome.”

  “You don’t seem the kind who helped others with good in your heart.” Zilong carefully said. “Don’t get me wrong—”

  “No. You are right.” Hans interrupted. “I don’t share compassion like you. This is personal for me. As I’ve said earlier, people don’t get to walk away with their heads held high when they mess with my people. I’m just doing it so she’ll have no fear remain in her heart.”

  Hans’ feeling felt genuine to Zilong, unlike the fake smile he was showing while treating others. He hesitated a bit but asked anyway, “Mind me asking whom Anfaleen hurt?”

  “I’ve told you. I’ve seen this black-gooey thing— the Bakran's essence, what you call it, inside someone. My sister, she was abducted, suffered the same as you, and I can’t see her shivering whenever that cursed Anfaleen’s name is mentioned.”

  Hans added, diverting the topic, “A Parvian’s words are as good as gold, Mr. Zilong. I said it, I’d do it then, and it will happen one way or another. So answer me, I’ll make you as good as you were before. So what will you do? Anfaleen must die so these people, including you, will live. After all, being alive and living are two different things.”