Spirit Game

"W-wage war? I'm trying to avoid it," Rain said.

"You can never totally evade war in this place, little boy."

Rain pouted. Little boy? "My name's Rain, and I'm already seventeen years old."

The woman paused as if she were surprised, then she laughed softly. "Little boy Rain. My name is Eve."

Augh . . . Rain guessed that compared to the inhabitants in here, he was indeed just a boy in their eyes.

"Eve . . . are you from here?" he asked her.

"Let's just say that I live on the west side of the Barren Wasteland."

"Oh." Rain immediately jotted it down on his map. "Are you alone, or are there others in the west?"

"Totally alone. I control all the west side of the Barren Wasteland."

Rain paused. He shivered at the realization.

Isn't she a ruler then?!

So she's very powerful, right?!

"Uh . . . y-youre . . ."

"I don't rule anyone or anything in the west. It's just me and my . . . friends."

"I . . . I see . . ." Rain decided not to question further.

Friends? Rain shifted his eyes left and right but didn't see anyone. However, he felt a presence — an eerie, ominous, powerful presence — that he initially thought was coming from the woman.

But now that she said she was with her friends, Rain felt like there were multiple eyes on him. And that's when he saw it. It took his breath away, and turned him into stone.

On the ground, where the woman's shadow should have been, loomed the silhouettes of four monstrous creatures. Their immense forms sprawled beneath the boulder, casting shadows that stretched like towering skyscrapers, dark and foreboding.

Rain had thought it was merely the shadow of the boulder, but now that he looked more closely, they were too big!

Cold sweat ran down Rain's back. He felt death gripping at his throat and staring at him in the eyes.

"Don't worry. They're harmless," Eve said, licking her lips. "Unless I tell them not to."

W-what kind of encouraging words is that?! Rain was ready to bolt, but he couldn't feel his legs.

"Anyway, back to the topic . . ." Eve waved her hand, and the shadows disappeared.

Rain could finally breathe easy when that suffocating feeling vanished.

"War is imminent when you're living in the Spirit Realm. However, fighting isn't the answer all the time. Sometimes you have to be smart about it. Negotiation is the key."

"Negotiate?" Rain echoed, a skeptical eyebrow raised. "Sure, that sounds easy — except for the part where the Hobgoblins probably won't be up for a chat once they find out I've been killing their buddies. And as for Lord Izumi and Druger? Yeah, I don't see them eagerly pulling up chairs for a friendly negotiation either."

"Of course, they won't. You're weak, after all. There's no merit in talking to you," Eve said matter-of-factly, stabbing a sharp stake into Rain's wounded pride.

"I know I'm weak! That's why I'm having this dilemma!" Rain defended himself.

Eve smiled. "Then fight like the weak. Make the strong fight for you while you cower inside your shelter."

Rain paused. "Huh?" That didn't sounded right.

"Think about it. The seadwellers, who normally thrive in the ocean, have emerged to live on land. And not just any land — they've chosen this scorching, arid wasteland, the exact opposite of their preferred environment. That angle alone makes a strong case for negotiation."

Rain blinked, the clouds in his mind slowly dissipating. "Oh!" He stood to his feet, eyes wide. "Eve, you're a genius! I think . . .

I think I know the first step out of this situation!"

Eve beamed. "Is that right?"

Rain grinned at her. "It's a long shot, and I might get killed in the process, but . . . if it succeeds, I will not only save my life and my troops but Druger and the others too!"

"Good for you then."

"I don't have time to waste here." Rain shot to his feet and smiled widely at Eve. "Sorry, Eve. I have to go. I have a lot more to do!"

Before Eve could open her mouth, Rain bolted away, waving at her goodbye, momentarily forgetting on how scary she was.

"Thank you! I will come again!"

". . ." Eve only watched Rain run away back to his territory.

The shadows around her returned.

"What a weird boy."

"Does he really get it?"

"Mistress, do you want me to take care of the Hobgoblins and the Ebizos?"

Eve frowned and waved her hand, silencing the shadows. "Leave them alone, and don't interfere."

Her lips then quirked at the side. "I want to see what he's going to do next . . ."

=======

The next day, Chin and Chill returned with information for Rain.

"They're searching for something here?" Rain asked them. "But we didn't stumble upon any Ebizos here before."

Chin nodded, and the two chirped in explanation.

"They're only searching the western part of the Barren Wasteland? But why?"

Rain looked over at the west side of the Barren Wasteland. It's Eve's territory.

Could it be that . . .

"Stay here, all of you, and don't tell this to anyone. Go and help around, and tell them that I went to gather materials."

~Chirp!~

"Don't worry. I won't go too far. I'll just check up on something."

Rain then went to the location where he had met Eve that night. He didn't bring anyone because he didn't know how Eve would react to it.

That woman was volatile, and Rain was afraid that her amusement in him would fade, replaced by anger, if he brought anyone along, and she would just kill him on a whim.

Rain still hadn't established whether Eve was a foe or a friend. But right now, he couldn't afford to take any chances of angering her.

Those shadows that night still gave him nightmares, and Eve might appear weak, but he could feel how powerful she was if she could command those gigantic, scary creatures.

Rain walked hurriedly to the location where he had met Eve before. Then his stride turned into a jog until he found himself running and gasping for air, calling her name when he was a good distance away from his territory.

"Eve!"

"Eve! I have something to . . ." Rain's voice died down when he stumbled upon Ebizo soldiers! Five of them!

Oh shit!

He forgot that a lot of them were searching for something in this area, and it was too late to escape.

They had spotted him!

THIS CHAPTER UPLOAD FIRST AT NOVELBIN.COM