Realm Wars

"My name is Ramuh. Sprit of the sand."

Ramuh zoomed closer to Ryu and Seraphina. Its giant head made their eyes bulge, and they immediately backed away.

"Are you, my master?" Ramuh asked, voice deep and loud.

Despite Ramuh's intimidating physique, he didn't give off any sign of hostility.

Ryu and Seraphina looked at each other. 

"Master?" Ryu didn't know what was going on.

"Could it be. .. ," Seraphina's eyes widened, "are you perhaps. .. a Djinn?"

"Djinn?" Ryu looked like a flower would pop over his head.

Ramuh nodded, and he straightened his back and crossed his arms. "Yes. I am a wandering spirit that was captured and shackled into that pot. I am to perform a contract on whoever is the holder of the pot."

"What kind of contract?" This piqued Ryu's curiosity.

"In exchanged for my powers three times, I am to be released in the pot's hold."

Ryu's eyes shone. "Then can you revive the dead?"

Ramuh's calm façade broke a little. "No. I cannot revive the dead. But I can heal injuries."

"How about transport someone here?"

Ramuh shook his head. "No. I can only transport you to a certain distance."

Ryu was frowning now. "Then what good are you?"

Both Seraphina and Ramuh didn't know what to say. 

"R-Ryu. .. No one could do what you're asking. Maybe if you're God or a higher being. A Djinn is just a spirit. A long time ago, it said that the Gods were capturing them and binding them into a contract so they could use their powers. They mainly aid their masters in a fight. 

"Usually, they're imprisoned in all kinds of mediums and are put under different contracts in exchange for their freedom. In this case, since you're the one who found it and activated its contract without knowing, you are now its master. Your contract stated that if you called them three times to use their powers, that's when they'll be free from their shackles."

Ryu's scowl loosened, and he immediately understood. "How strong are you?"

Ramuh's head titled up slightly. "Who do you want to defeat?"

Ryu thought for a moment and said, "Tiamat?"

".. ." Ramuh's expression fell, and he wanted to smack Ryu's head to make him see reason if he could. "Tiamat is a legendary beast. No Djinn could defeat her. But. . .

".. . Any enemy of yours that is Rank-S and below, I could eliminate for you."

Ryu blinked in surprise. He didn't expect that answer. He was slightly disappointed that Ramuh couldn't beat Tiamat, but if he could defeat a Rank-S beast or Demon, then that meant that he was strong?

"As I said, the God's imprisoned them so they could use their power." Seraphina chuckled at Ryu's dumbfounded expression. "He'll be really helpful to you. It's a God-tier item!"

Ryu nodded a little. Ramuh was indeed helpful in the future. 

"If there is nothing else. I want to return to that pot." 

"So, how do I call you when I need your help?"

"Just rub. .. the pot. . ." Ramuh vanished, and the clouds of sands returned into the pot.

There was silence for a moment before Ryu spoke, "Do you mind if we give the rest of this to Marcus and Halfjack?"

"Sure. I already got the anklet. I don't need anything else in that chest." 

Seraphina was already contented with Tethyt's anklet, while Ryu wasn't interested in the precious stones and other items in the chest. He already got a God-tier item, and it was enough. He also had hordes of precious stones before from the First Islet, so he could just sell those in the real world if he ever needed the money.

"Agh. . ."

Both Ryu and Seraphina's attention went to Marcus when he groaned.

"W-wha. .. what happened?" Marcus was in a daze as he got up to a sitting position. He rubbed his hands over his face before he shook his head to get the sands out of his hair and ears.

Seraphina and Ryu went to Marcus and helped him to his feet.

"We were turned to sand," Seraphina started, "but then Ryu defeated Rakash and returned our soul."

Marcus was still feeling dizzy, but upon hearing that Ryu beat Rakash, he almost strained his neck when he swept his head at the halfbreed. "Ryu did?!"

Marcus was surprised because he never expected that Ryu was so powerful! He had underestimated him because he was a halfbreed, but who knew that he would be the one to beat that monster.

"How did you even manage to defeat that old elf?! Are you a legendary beast hiding in human skin?" Else Marcus didn't understand how a previous elf leader could be defeated by a mere halfbreed.

Upon Marcus's claims, Seraphina looked to the other side and forced a laugh while Ryu shook his head. "It's not important how I defeated the elf. What's important is that . .. we are alive."

Marcus caught his tongue. He felt that Ryu didn't want to discuss the topic, so he let it go. "You're right. It isn't important." He just wanted his strength hidden, Marcus thought.

Marcus let out an awkward laugh. He then looked at Ryu seriously. "Thank you. .. for saving us."

".. . It's no problem. .. but Abby."

Ryu and Seraphina proceeded to tell Marcus about what happened.

"I see. .. Abby didn't make it," Marcus mumbled, and he worried about Halfjack. They weren't close, but Halfjack would surely be sad about her passing.

The half hugbear was still sleeping, soundly unaware of the current events.

"I can't believe Azor just left like that and without even contesting the chest," said Marcus. "I guess not all rumors regarding him are true."

"About the chest," Ryu paused for a second before he continued, "me and Seraphina already took some items that we needed. If that's okay with you. The rest, you can share with Halfjack.

Marcus was stunned yet again, and he laughed a little. "Honestly, you're the one who defeated that old elf. You have the right to keep the chest to yourself. I'm more embarrassed that you're even willing to share its contents with us when all we did was turn into sand."

Ryu looked at Marcus seriously. "Consider it as my wedding gift for you and Jane."

".. . You. . ." Marcus really didn't know what to say. He was overwhelmed with gratitude. A god's little chest might not be much, but to a mere mortal. .. with the number of precious stones and other rare items in the chest, Marcus was sure that the Éclair's family would finally grant him their blessing. 

Forget about scavenging the seas. This chest alone was enough as a dowry.

"Thank you," Marcus said seriously, looking Ryu straight in the eyes. "I will never forget this debt."

"It's not a debt. You and Jane were very helpful to us. Without you, we wouldn't even make it this far."

Seraphina nodded in agreement with Ryu's words. "Ryu's right. Jane and Theodore were both helpful in our time in the First Islet, and you took care of us in our time here. We are still regretful that we couldn't save Theodore, so we hope with this, we could help you be with Jane."

Marcus rubbed the back of his head. He was embarrassed because, in truth, he didn't do anything much. It was Ryu and Seraphina who helped him. 

Nevertheless, Marcus took the chest and later shared it with Halfjack when the hugbear regained consciousness.

"Is that. .. a passageway?" Marcus asked, pointing to an exit that wasn't there before.

Seraphina and Ryu nodded.

"We haven't checked where it leads. But it should be the exit of these ruins," said Seraphina.

Argh. . .

All eyes went to Halfjack when the hugbear finally woke up. Like with Marcus, the halfbreed was in a daze. Halfjack took his time to regain his bearing before Ryu and Seraphina explained what happened.

Like Marcus and the others had expected, Halfjack was depressed in finding that Abby didn't make it. They were both halfbreed, so he connected with his fellow brethren who suffered slavery and discrimination all their lives.

Halfjack then took a new light of Ryu. Ryu was a halfbreed, but he defeated the old elf that not even a Rank-A demon could. That at least gave hope to Halfjack, and he thought. .. Maybe Ryu could lead the halfbreeds and. . .

Halfjack shook his head and bitterly smiled at himself. That was too much thinking into the future. For now. .. he was just glad that he was alive.

After resting and sharing the loot, the group decided it was finally time to exit the ruins.

"I hope it leads to the next Islet," chimed Seraphina.

"It could lead to anywhere not just straight into Tiamat's Jaws," joked Marcus.

As the group reached the outside light, they were greeted by sands and a portal that looked like the one beside the Leviathan's head.

"Is that. . ." 

"That must be the portal to the next Islet!" Seraphina finished Ryu's words.

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A/N

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