Cleaver Of Sin

Chapter 529: John

Asher didn’t speak, he remained silent, meeting John’s black eyes with his purple ones before slowly shifting his gaze forward, his expression calm and unreadable. Although he hadn’t said anything about his affiliation or combat power, John had already assumed that he was an adventurer and weaker than those who had gone on this mission and subsequently vanished, which was perfectly understandable, because from an outsider’s perspective this was an entire coordinated team of experienced people, and he was only one lone young man standing by himself.

’If I didn’t have this amount of talent and power, and backing, I might have taken his advice,’ Asher mused to himself quietly. If he had been a commoner without much talent or opportunity, Asher wouldn’t have hesitated to return to Star Academy and declare the mission a failure without any shame, because survival always came first.

Although he didn’t know the exact combat power his enemies possessed, he knew with absolute certainty that if he couldn’t beat them, he could simply flee, and even if the worst happened and he was captured alive and rendered unconscious, Virelass would act on her own and teleport him to the Wargrave Estate rather than back to the Star Academy, a final safeguard that ensured he would never truly fall into enemy hands.

"Thank you for the advice, sir," Asher stated sincerely, because he was indeed grateful for the warning and the concern behind it, and oddly enough the words felt heavier than expected, since even back on Earth in his past life as Ethan, he hadn’t exactly had anyone who bothered to advise him or worry about his future, so hearing such simple care from a stranger stirred something faint within him.

"Call me John," John stated with a warm smile, clearly believing that Asher had taken his advice to heart and would abandon the mission like any sensible young man would.

"I’m Asher," Asher replied casually, not bothering to give a fake name, because he couldn’t possibly be the only Asher within the entire Zarethorn Empire, and hiding something so trivial felt unnecessary. John nodded and shook Asher’s hand firmly, his grip rough and calloused from years of labor, but before he could speak again, Asher beat him to it.

"So, do you have a map leading to Blackstone Village?" Asher asked directly, not hiding his intention to still embark on the mission despite everything John had just said.

John stared at Asher with a deep frown for a moment before sighing in defeat, because he could somewhat see a reflection of his younger self within Asher, the same reckless passion that youth possessed, the kind that made them believe that just because they had awakened they could achieve anything and someday reach the mythical Crownstar Life Rank. He too had once believed that, had once dreamed foolishly that the world would bend to his will if he simply tried hard enough.

It had only been a matter of time before reality came knocking on the door of his fantasies and shattered them without mercy.

He didn’t pressure Asher or try to convince him further, because he could tell from the steadiness in the boy’s eyes that words would accomplish nothing, so he simply sighed and replied, "No, I don’t, there are way too many villages around here for anyone to bother having proper maps," he answered truthfully, his tone apologetic.

Asher sighed quietly in disappointment, because even a caravan that had repeatedly traveled through the area didn’t possess one, yet he didn’t give up and instead pressed on, "Since you’ve been to the neighboring villages so many times, I’m sure you know the route by memory, can you draw up a rough map?" he suggested, hoping practicality might succeed where resources had failed.

He had originally come here to join the caravan after inquiring whether they were heading toward that direction, but after hearing John’s words and learning that they had already lost twenty men, Asher was certain that heading deeper into that cursed region was the last thing John and his group would ever willingly do again.

"I’m not a cartographer, Asher, I’m just a small-time goods seller," John replied with a helpless sigh.

Hearing those words, Asher felt a rare sense of hopelessness creeping into his chest, because every method he tried seemed to hit a dead end, one after another like walls closing in. For a brief moment he was tempted to simply teleport to the Wargrave Estate and try his luck there, but he immediately dismissed the idea as foolish and unrealistic.

The Wargrave didn’t even have any form of detailed records about the Star Academy itself, which was widely known, so expecting them to know anything about a random, insignificant village that nobody cared about would be absurd.

"Although I don’t have a map, my group and I will be passing somewhat near that area, we could drop you off there and you would find your way to the nearest village from there," John spoke after a short pause, offering the suggestion hesitantly because he didn’t want to leave Asher completely stranded after sensing that the boy had already exhausted all other options.

Although at the same time he didn’t really want to do it, because helping meant he would knowingly be transporting Asher closer to his death, while refusing meant possibly saving him, yet in the end he understood that this wasn’t his life to control, and sometimes the young had to walk their own paths regardless of the dangers ahead.

Asher’s thoughts froze for a second as he processed John’s words, then a huge smile bloomed across his face, bright and genuine. Although he wasn’t being taken directly to Blackstone Village or even to any village in particular, he wasn’t worried at all, because once he got close enough he could easily track his way toward the nearest settlement and then make his way to Blackstone Village on his own.

"Thank you, John," Asher stated gratefully, feeling as though a massive weight had just been lifted off his shoulders.

"Don’t worry about it, kid," John replied with a smile as he winked and gave Asher a thumbs up, his earlier worry softening into simple goodwill.

"How much will it cost?" Asher asked, remembering Anna telling him earlier that he would probably have to pay a few coins for caravan travel.

"Don’t worry about it, kid, what kind of old man would take money from a kid?" John replied with a chuckle as he rose to his feet, stretching his back, "you just have to pull your weight, after all nobody likes dead weight," he gestured for Asher to follow him and help carry the crates the others were already moving.

Asher smiled and rose to his feet, walking toward the group of workers, John introduced him casually. Everyone accepted him with friendly smiles, while some also warned him again against continuing his mission, their voices filled with the same concern John had shown earlier, but Asher could only smile without replying, keeping his true confidence to himself.

Relying on the telekinesis granted by Astra manipulation, Asher lifted the crates with invisible force, stacking and moving them effortlessly, which allowed the group to finish their work far earlier than usual.

Although John and many other members of the caravan were awakened as well, their abilities weren’t suited for such tasks, and the crates were far too heavy for them to lift freely with Astra energy manipulation alone, so they relied mostly on their physical strength and teamwork instead, making Asher’s silent assistance all the more noticeable.

"Hey, Asher, we leave tomorrow at sunrise, be here on time or we’ll leave without you, we have a long journey ahead of us and can’t afford delays," John stated as he placed a firm but friendly hand on Asher’s shoulder.

With that, the group retired early for the day, each going off to relax or enjoy themselves since, with Asher’s unexpected help, they had ended their work ahead of schedule.

As for Asher, he simply paid for a room at a nearby inn and settled in quietly for the day, lying on the bed with his eyes open as he waited patiently for tomorrow to arrive, his mind already wandering toward the dangers that awaited him beyond the horizon.

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AUTHOR’S NOTE: Need your golden tickets for the ranking. Still open to Super gifts, by the way. Muahahah. Thanks for reading.