Amelia the Level Zero Hero

Chapter 125

Kallistus Kal raised his head as he heard the footfalls approaching the dark chamber hidden deep beneath the capital city of his nation. He lowered his hand, and the distorted figure standing before him collapsed into his shadow. He turned to face the robed man bowing at the doorway.

“Ammon. What news do you bring me?” the [Hero King] greeted his servant.

The Arcane Archsorcerer was not an official subordinate of the Kingdom of Kal. However, his allegiance still belonged to Kallistus. He smiled as he looked back up at his King.

“My King, I bring good news,” he said as he straightened. “We have found her.”

“Oh?” That made Kallistus pause. He tilted his head as a smile slipped into his face, and he repeated after Ammon. “You have found her?”

“That is right.” The Arcane Archsorcerer nodded eagerly.

And the [Hero King] closed his eyes. “Good.”

—--

I stared at the man standing before me. I recognized him. I would never forget that battle-scarred face— those pointed ears. The slight smirk he always wore, even when he was beaten to the ground and bleeding to near-death.

His name was Jax. He was an elf, and he was known as the Forsaken Archer because of how he was exiled by his people. Cast out of the elven continent of Drazyl, he found a life here in Laxo as an adventurer. When I met him, he was an S-ranked adventurer. One of the highest-leveled individuals in the world.

He was respected for his strength. But he was also feared because of his history. A savage hunter who never shied away from a challenge. But to me, he was just a major pain in the ass.

It had been very annoying— Jax had sought me out back when I was in Windrip to challenge me to a battle. And I indulged him the first time around, defeating him with ease. However, that only emboldened him.

And back then, I had begun my first foray into cooking. I had been trying to acclimate into this world— to live a normal life in Vacuos. Even though it wasn’t going great, Jax’s interference didn’t help. In fact, he had completely repelled any chance of me getting a customer with his antics.

At the end of it all, he had resolved himself to grow stronger, then come back to face me when he felt like he was ready. And that was why I shifted back warily. My eyes flickered as I spotted Noele gaping behind me. Arthur and Harlan both stared at Jax in confusion. Guardian Angel Z357 didn’t react.

The Forsaken Archer drew closer. He chuckled as he shook his head. “It took me a while to find you. I must admit, you are quite elusive. But I have finally found you…”

He took another step forward— and I unsheathed my blade. He blinked. He froze as I pointed the sword at his neck, softly pressing into the skin of his neck. He stared down at the rusty sword, before looking up at me in surprise. I glared at him.

“Don’t move,” I warned him. “You're not destroying this restaurant. I worked too hard on this for you to mess it all up again.”

The Forsaken Archer stepped back as he raised his hands. “What?”

“Don’t you ‘what’ me.” I crossed my arms. “You’re here because you want to challenge me to a duel again, aren’t you?”

He blinked a few times, before his eyes grew wide. He backed up as he shook his head vehemently. “No! That’s not why I’m here!”

“Then why are you here?” I frowned.

I didn’t really trust him— not after he indiscriminately attacked me at every waking moment he could back in Windrip. But I wasn’t just going to cut him down this instant. Not when he hadn’t attacked me just yet. I eyed him suspiciously as I sheathed my blade.

“Explain,” I said simply.

Jax sighed. “It’s… a long story.”

—--

I sat with Jax and Noele as Guardian Angel Z357 stood off to the side. Xakor, Arthur, Harlan, and Bucky headed off for the night, leaving only the four of us in the main hall of the restaurant. We listened to the Forsaken Archer as he told us his story— as he recounted everything that had happened ever since he left Windrip.

And I sighed. “Did you actually go to Mount Arkais to bother Grat-ra’zun?”

“Well, yes.” Jax nodded as he crossed his arms. “But only after I took on a handful of S-ranked missions first. And I never saw the Elder Dragon— not until I was already SS-ranked.”

Noele’s eyes grew wide as she rose to her feet. “You’re an SS-ranked adventurer now? You can’t be serious, right?”

“Why wouldn’t I be serious, girl?” he snorted, leaning back in his seat.

“There hasn’t been an SS-ranked adventurer in the last century!” she exclaimed. She pointed an accusing finger his way. “You’re lying!”

Jax just smirked back at her. “You have seen the boundless power of your mentor, and yet you question the feasibility of my own pitiful strength? I should be the one asking you if you’re being serious, girl.”

“That’s…” Noele hesitated. She pursed her lips as she took a step back. “You have a point, but that growth doesn’t make sense. How did you reach Level 70 in just a few months?”

“It is simple, really.” He waved a hand dismissively. “I trained in the deepest depths of Mount Arkais, pushing myself to my limit— extracting a heavy toll on my body.

“There were moments I thought I was going to die. When I was surrounded by monsters that could eat any lesser adventurer alive for breakfast. But I pressed on. I never gave up. I persevered all so I could become stronger. So I could remember the thrill of battle, and challenge the Elder Dragon of Mount Arkais to a duel!”

Jax regaled his tale as he gesticulated wildly— I could sense his bloodlust, even now. The savage look in his eyes did not lie. He wasn’t afraid of anything. Not even death.

I just rubbed my temples. “Poor dragon…”

I would feel bad for anyone who had to deal with the Forsaken Archer. And I felt slightly responsible too, since I was the one who made him seek out the Elder Dragon in the first place.

“So what?” I asked, looking back up at the elf. “Did you get beat up by Grat-ra’zun? Is that why you look like… that?”

I gestured vaguely at him. Jax was evidently not in the best condition— it wasn’t like he got beaten up, but he certainly looked exhausted. However, instead of the affirmation I was expecting, he closed his eyes as he sank into his seat.

“No,” he said simply. “I never even got a chance to face the Elder Dragon. Because they got there before me.”

“They?” I blinked.

I exchanged a glance with Noele, and she was as clueless as me. But Guardian Angel Z357 straightened, leaning closer as he listened carefully to what the elf had to say.

Jax’s gaze darkened as he explained. “It was just an ordinary day. I had woken up at the break of dawn to hunt down the elusive crowned gryphon— known as the King of the Arkais Forest. I had been tracking it down for a week at that point. I could tell by its movements that it was already injured… probably from a past battle—”

“Just get on with it already.” I rolled my eyes. “And then what happened?”

He scowled as I cut him off. But he obliged anyways. “That was when it happened— an eruption that destroyed Mount Arkais itself. An explosion that was so powerful, it completely tore off the mountain top.”

“I heard about that!” Noele’s eyes went round. She turned to me as I gave her a confused look. “We even felt some of the aftershocks here in Wolfwater!”

“We did?” I tilted my head back, trying to remember what she was talking about.

She nodded. “We did— our entire farm shook! But you were so busy cooking at the time, you didn’t even react to it!”

“Oh.” I tapped a finger on my chin. “That did happen, huh? I thought it was just an ordinary earthquake or whatever.”

“I did too… until I heard about what happened at Mount Arkais.” The blonde girl bit her lower lip. She turned to face Jax expectantly as he shook his head.

“At first, I thought it had been a natural eruption. But that was when I saw it. My target. Who I had been looking for the entire time— the Glorious Terror of Mount Arkais.” The elf held my gaze as he continued. “One of the last Elder Dragons left in all of Vacuos.”

“Grat-ra’zun destroyed Mount Arkais? But why?” I frowned as I sat up in my seat.

“Because he was under attack,” Jax explained without blinking. “Grat-ra’zun was locked in battle with opponents that could rival his strength— men and women whose power dwarfed even my own.”

“But how?” Noele asked, but I already knew the answer.

The Forsaken Archer chuckled as he leant back in his seat. “Because they drew their power from the Void.”

“What…?” The blonde girl looked towards me, before glancing back at Z.

The angel didn’t visibly react. But his interest certainly seemed like it was piqued. His arms were crossed as he stared intently at the elf, and Noele shook her head.

“Are you saying that the Sect of the Abyssal Thorns targeted Grat-ra’zun?” she asked as her brows creased.

“I do not know whether the Sect of the Abyssal Thorns was involved in the attack.” Jax raised his head, before tilting his head. “But I do know who it was who carried it out.”

“Who?” The Noble Spellsword drew closer, clinging onto the elf’s every word.

I narrowed my eyes as I waited for him to continue. Jax took in a deep breath, before rising to his feet, turning my way.

“The one who led the attack was Kallistus Kal— the [Hero King] from another world.”