Chapter 20: Traveler

  Nitaan's hair stood on end. His body darted forward, his hands grasping a short knife from his pocket, hurling it towards the source of the sound without hesitation.

  Kiita, equally startled that the other party could get so close, leaped in infront of Nitaan. He clutched a mole-hide cloak in his mouth, ready to receive any attack that might threaten his family's lives.

  I barely have any energy left. Nitaan frowned.

  Nitaan's mind raced, anxiety spreading across his face. This area was a hunting ground for Emerald-fur bears, so normally there would be no more powerful devil beasts around. If he were unlucky enough to encounter another devil beast, Nitaan was confident that he and Kiita could detect it in advance and escape.

  But this suspicious person had approached him while Kiita was totally unaware.

  "Youngsters nowadays are so impatient." A voice with a hint of a smile came from behind Nitaan again. The short knife he had thrown stopped mid-air, trembling slightly. Then, it floated back into Nitaan's hand helplessly.

  Hearing the approaching sound, Nitaan tried to dart away again but found his body completely immobile.

  It was as if the air around him had turned into a cage.

  Nitaan glanced at Kiita, finding him in the same state, his body frozen, unable to move. Even the saliva dripping from his mouth remained still, defying the laws of nature.

  Nitaan's pupils narrowed at the sight.

  Time Stop? And the level was incredibly high. An Enlightened!?, or even higher?

  Nitaan tried to focus on his link with Kiita. He needed every possible piece of information to find a way to survive.

  His internal organs were still functioning normally, his blood was circulating, and his heart was still beating. It wasn't Time Stop. This... Nitaan frowned.

  Dimensional Seal!?

  The ragged figure of Sage emerged from the void in front of Nitaan and Kiita.

  The figure smiled slightly, looking at the two who remained motionless.

  "Why worry? If I wanted to kill you, I would have killed you long ago. I wouldn’t waste time with greetings." Sage smiled.

  Nitaan and Kiita's bodies suddenly regained their ability to move. Everything returned to normal, even the daggers in his hands seemed as if they had never been thrown before.

  Kiita ran back to Nitaan's side, his eyes fixed on the mysterious person in front of him. Although Kiita no longer showed any signs of preparing to attack, his eyes were still full of suspicion, ready to erupt to fight at any moment.

  Nitaan, equally apprehensive, takes a deep breath to compose herself. Then he respectfully clasped his hands together in a greeting.

  "I apologize for my earlier rudeness. I have been in the forest for a long time, so my reaction may have seemed somewhat aggressive," Nitaan said.

  "Ho ho. So this is the respectful greeting and bowing custom of the Firegan Kingdom. What was it called again? Oh! It’s 'Wai’ right?" Sage continued to smile.

  "You are correct. May I ask who you are, Elder?" Nitaan asked.

  "Elder? What Elder?! I just grew a beard! Look closely, I'm much more handsome than you!" Sage said, his smile fading as he frowned.

  "Uh... yes, may I ask who you are, Senior..."

  "Just 'sir' is enough!" Sage snapped.

  "May I ask who you are, sir…" Nitaan's eyebrow twitched.

  "That's more like it. You're not yet qualified to know my name, but most people call me Traveler. Traveler who seeks unexplored lands and travels around to learn about different cultures." Traveler grinned.

  "I only entered the forest to eliminate the Emerald-fur bear devil beast. I had no intention of offending Traveler." Nitaan remained composed, trying his best not to anger the unimaginably powerful being in front of him.

  "Ho ho, very polite young man. Don't worry, I didn't come here to give you any problems. Didn't I tell you the reason for my appearance?" Traveler smiled slightly.

  Nitaan recalled the moment this strange Traveler appeared.

  "Or perhaps Traveler was referring to what I murmured just now?" Nitaan looked up.

  "Of course. Don't you want to know why that dog is so strong?" Traveler pointed towards Kiita.

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  Before Nitaan could speak, Traveler continued.

  "You probably haven't noticed, have you? That dog discovered Words of Power, just like you."

  "Discovered Words of Power??" Nitaan repeated with a puzzled look on his face. He glanced at Kiita, who had an even more puzzled look.

  "Why so surprised? Do you think only devil beasts and intelligent races can discover Words of Power? Ordinary animals are also able to! It's just rare. They could be considered geniuses among animals." Traveler, with hands tucked into his sleeves, spoke with a knowledgeable demeanor, giving off the aura of a hidden sage.

  "From my observation, it should have discovered four words already." Traveler smiled.

  Four words! Nitaan's eyes widened.

  "The first word should be related to scouting or detection. Perhaps ‘Senses’, ‘Detection’, ‘Perception’, or something like that." Traveler held up one finger.

  "The second word should be enhancing-type. Like ‘Invincible’ or ‘Harden.’” Traveler held up a second finger.

  "The third word, I'm unsure of. From what I've observed, it seems to be enhancing-type as well. But this word encompasses physical strength, speed, endurance, and spiritual power. It covers every aspect."

  "To the point that even that Newborn dog could fight an Emerald-fur bear. In my eyes, this Word of Power must be of an extremely high level." Traveler held up a third finger.

  "As for the fourth word, I cannot even begin to guess. I don't know what its ability is. If I hadn't detected it with my power, I would have thought it had discovered only three words. But it seems to be used constantly, which is why I was able to detect it so easily." Traveler held up a fourth finger.

  Nitaan's eyes widened with each sentence Traveler spoke. Images of Kiita fighting alongside him replayed in his mind.

  So That’s why…

  He really discovered 4 words. How old is Kiita this year again?

  "Your dog has boundless potential," Traveler laughed.

  Kiita, who was the center of attention, still had a puzzled expression, glancing left and right. It sensed the kindness of those around it, so its tail started to wag.

  "You are also quite an impressive youngster. I witnessed your fight against Emerald-fur bear. That bear is naturally stronger than most devil beasts of the same level, and it's a 4-word Learner at that. Even five or six Emerald adventurers couldn't guarantee victory, let alone the casualty." Traveler gazed at the remains of the Emerald-fur bear.

  "I was merely fortunate." Nitaan replied, maintaining a composed expression despite his inner turmoil.

  "Don't be so humble. Especially that final attack. The clever application of power and artifact was truly impressive. I commend you." Traveler chuckled.

  "Spinny Electromagnetic Drill Drill Spear was something I only invented by chance," Nitaan smiled. Spinny Electromagnetic Drill Drill Spear attack was a technique he was proud of.

  "But its name is rather... well... never mind. It was a good attack." Traveler cleared his throat.

  Nitaan's eyebrow twitched slightly. This was the second person who disliked the name. The first was Kiita, who rolled his eyes when he mentioned the name of the technique during practice.

  "Woof!"

  Lame name!

  "May I respectfully request Traveler's opinion?" Nitaan sighed.

  "Ho ho, are you sure? This is our first meeting. As for this attack technique, you can use it for a very long time."

  "Meeting such a wonderful Traveler is a great fortune, and this is the first time I've used it in real combat. If Traveler graces its name, it will be a good omen for the future," Nitaan replied.

  For Nitaan, meeting such a strong and benevolent person was truly a stroke of luck. He wouldn't mind if the other party named his attack technique.

  "Well said, young man, well said!" Traveler laughed heartily.

  "When I saw that technique from afar, what came to mind was a powerful comet enveloped in lightning. But comet is weak. It will disintegrate into dust before reaching its destination. Unlike your spear, which can pierce even mountains or vast rivers!"

  Traveler's eyes glowed gray. The image of Spinny Electromagnetic Drill Drill Spear reappeared in the sky. Nitaan's eyes widened, his mouth agape at Traveler's ability to project the past so vividly, as if it were happening again right before his eyes.

  "Meteor is more suitable for your attack. Combined with a massive amount of lightning... Hmm, I've made my decision." Traveler grinned. The image of Spinny Electromagnetic Drill Drill Spear suddenly expanded. The sky trembled violently, and winds swirled wildly.

  "Its name from now on: Falling Vajra!" Traveler shouted loudly, proudly raising both hands to the sky. Numerous meteors streaked across the sky before disappearing into the clouds.

  Kiita's mouth dropped wide open, and Nitaan tried to suppress his expression.

  Just naming a technique has to be this extravagant? Nitaan muttered to himself. He just witnessed Traveller projecting past events, summoning meteors in the sky, and even controlling the atmosphere.

  Falling Vajra!

  Kiita, having recovered from his shock, recalled the name. His tail wagged rapidly, and he hopped around happily.

  "Woof!"

  So cool!

  "Truly, my appearance before you today was merely a small act of amusement. But since our destinies are intertwined, I cannot fail to leave you a gift," Traveler continued.

  "Looking into the past, beyond the realm of time, you performed Engraving Ceremony at a young age, abandoning your own talent, didn't you?" Traveler gazed at Nitaan.

  "I had no choice. Kiita was..."

  "Stop. I didn’t intend to reprimand you. On the contrary, I greatly admire how you love and appreciate those around you." Traveler interrupted with a grin.

  "Do you know about a second Engraving Ceremony?" Traveler asked.

  "I know. Some have forced it even when the water in the Spirit Root’s Great River was almost completely dried, yet by a miracle from heaven, they succeeded."

  "That's right. The main reason the Engraving Ceremony can only be performed once is that the water in the Spirit Root’s Great River is insufficient. But what if I told you that some of Nature's Treasures can replenish that water?" Traveler smirked.

  Traveler's words were etched deep into Nitaan's heart. His breathing quickened, his heart pounding with excitement, a feeling he could sense.

  "The descendants of noble families, or the most accomplished disciples of great beings, often possess these treasures bestowed by their masters or elders."

  "Though these treasures cannot fill a vast river, they increase the chances of successfully completing the Engraving Ceremony again. I've even met great individuals who loved their descendants so much that they sacrificed hundreds of such treasures for them to perform Engraving Ceremony three times. That person wasn't exceptionally talented, yet they sacrificed hundreds of pieces to complete ceremony three times, finally achieving five words."

  "A hundred pieces..." Nitaan murmured absentmindedly.

  He didn't even have one! Not only did he not possess one, but he had never even heard of such Nature’s Treasures before!

  "Don't dream big. Even a single piece of such a treasure is more valuable than even the most powerful Engraved artifact. Perhaps the only person in this realm who could possess so many of those treasures is that little girl Gomain."

  That little girl Gomain…this name sounded very familiar to Nitaan. His spirits sank as he thought of someone in particular.

  The pinnacle of the Firegan Kingdom, Queen Gomain Akni Firegan.

  Calling the queen ‘little girl’... No, perhaps it's just someone with the same name. Nitaan held his breath.

  "That fiery girl might have even more. She is the ruler of this kingdom after all."

  “Even I sometimes envy her wealth.” Traveler sighed.

  He really meant the queen... What level was this peculiar Traveler on? Nitaan's eye twitched. He was extremely suspicious of the man before him.

  "My name is Nitaan, and this is Kiita. Nitaan thanks Traveler very much for his kindness. If there is any opportunity to repay, I will try my best to fulfill it." Nitaan bowed in gratitude.

  "That's enough. It will be another thousand before you can repay me. And if you can reach even a tenth of my level, you will know that performing good deeds is nothing." Traveler smiled.

  "My business is finished. I will take my leave. Diligently cultivate your Fate Scripting. If fate allows, you may meet me again." Traveler's figure vanished like an illusion, as if it had never existed in the first place.

  He truly vanished, not even a single trace left. Nitaan thought while receiving information from Kiita.

  "One last thing. There is one such treasure that you might be able to grab. Next year, during the spring, Malakai Empire will hold a tournament held every ten years. Participants must be under 40 years old."

  The traveler's voice echoed.

  "The first prize is Nature’s Treasure, Moonlight Dew, capable of replenishing water in Spirit Root’s Great River to a certain level."

  With that, Traveler's voice faded, leaving no trace. Yet, the name of that Nature’s Treasure continued to echo in Nitaan’s mind.

  Moonlight Dew!