The Rolling Boulder
"Mm... Apostle, you're up early."
Following Yoahim's lead, Leon sat up in bed. He shook his head a few times, as if trying to shake off the last traces of sleep.
"Yeah. Let's grab breakfast and get ready to head out."
"But Apostle, your complexion looks rough. Bad dream?"
"Not a nightmare exactly... but I did have a weird one."
"Hm. What kind?"
Yoahim pulled his gear from his inventory and started equipping it as he spoke.
"I'll tell you over breakfast. Sasha's probably up by now too, right?"
"Most likely."
Knock knock.
The knock came just as he finished speaking. Leon shrugged.
"Looks like she is."
Yoahim and Leon packed their things, then opened the door and stepped out.
"Did you sleep well, Apostle?"
"Yeah. Let's go eat first."
Yoahim's group headed to the dining hall and ordered breakfast from the waitress. After a short wait, a simple morning meal arrived.
As they ate, Yoahim spoke up.
"Kakali showed up in my dream. Seemed like she was trying to warn me about something, but I couldn't make heads or tails of it."
"Lady Kakali?"
Sasha lowered her voice.
"Could we hear about the dream?"
Talk of Kakali wasn't for prying ears. Yoahim matched her tone.
"It went like this..."
Yoahim gave a quick rundown of last night's dream.
Leon and Sasha listened quietly, then tilted their heads.
"The rolling boulder has to be a metaphor for danger coming our way. But what kind?"
"Who knows... If it's an enemy that could threaten us, Wichikill has to be top of the list."
Nothing else came to mind. Tolstone Tower wasn't going to stab them in the back, surely. Or maybe it was warning about bandits or thieves on the road? But a god wouldn't bother with a personal heads-up for something that minor.
"I think Wichikill too. But they attacked yesterday and got repelled—would they really show up again in just a day?"
"Might not be immediate. Kakali didn't say exactly when the danger would hit."
"Hm... It'd be nice if she'd been more specific. But that's probably blasphemous to say."
Sasha hesitated to criticize Kakali, but Yoahim had no such qualms. Truth be told, the oracle had been useless. They already knew Wichikill was after them; without a timeline, it meant nothing. Like a scam fortune teller saying, "You're indecisive but decisive when it counts, cool on the surface but warm-hearted deep down." Vague enough to fit anyone.
"Don't sweat it too much. Worrying about Wichikill won't magically solve anything right now."
Leon and Sasha nodded. They finished breakfast, returned to their rooms to grab their packs, and regrouped. Yoahim paid the bill to the waitress, and the group left the inn.
They retrieved their horses from the stable and passed through the gates without delay. A cool breeze greeted them outside. The sunlight was warm, the sky clear without a single cloud—perfect weather for the road ahead.
"Alright, let's roll."
With a neigh, Yoahim spurred his horse forward. Leon and Sasha's mounts thundered after him.
For a while, there was only the clop of hooves and the rush of wind. They passed travelers and merchants heading the same way, pushing eastward.
After a good stretch of riding, the sun hung directly overhead. The rays had grown hotter than in the morning, so they decided to break for lunch in the shade.
Yoahim's group settled under a suitable tree. They watered their hardworking horses and let them graze nearby. The smart beasts stayed close, munching on weeds around the group.
"Lunch time for us too."
Yoahim gathered firewood and lit it with magic. He couldn't cook worth a damn, but a hearty stew would do. Long road ahead—they needed fuel to keep going.
"Hm. Leave the cooking to me, Apostle."
"...I'd rather not relive that nightmare."
"Nightmare? Harsh words. I'm hurt, Apostle."
Yoahim sighed.
"I'll handle it. It won't be cooking, but whatever."
He roughly prepped the ingredients, pulled a small pot from his inventory, set it over the fire, added water, and dumped everything in. Beginner slop, but packed with stuff—it smelled good.
"Dig in."
He ladled stew into bowls for Leon and Sasha, then filled his own.
Rustle rustle.
Yoahim sensed movement. Highway robbers? A beggar traveler smelling food? Or...
"Whoa, smelled something good and followed my nose—looks like you're eating."
A young man. Early thirties, maybe. Practical traveler's clothes topped with leather armor. A sword at his hip—expensive-looking. Dark blue hair, grayish-blue eyes. Three tattoo lines ran from his right temple down to his jaw—trouble at first glance.
"Starving after getting here myself. Mind if I snag a bowl?"
The man wedged right into the group like an old travel buddy, boldly holding out a bowl for his share.
"..."
As Leon and Sasha exchanged glances, Yoahim silently filled the man's bowl. He flashed a grin and started devouring the stew.
An awkward silence hung over the group. Everyone stared at the sudden intruder.
Undeterred, the man scraped his bowl clean. He patted his belly and chuckled.
"Want seconds, but vibe says no. Whatever—eat up, don't mind me. I'll wait. Gotta enjoy your last meal without choking, right?"
Yoahim set his bowl down and slowly reached for the sword at his waist.
"Who the hell are you?"
"You should've led with that if you wanted to know."
"Who the hell are you?"
"Who do you think?"
The man stood slowly, draping an arm over his sword hilt.
"Who'd bother tracking you all the way out here? Who'd deliver your end?"
Yoahim could guess by now. He spat it out.
"Wichikill? Damn, you're persistent. Lost yesterday and back today? Criminals with some work ethic."
"Even crime syndicates are organizations. Know how to keep one running? Work hard. Keeps the wheels turning."
"Hilarious coming from scum like you. Yeah, gotta kill and kidnap plenty for that machine. Here to finish me off?"
"Yep. Yesterday was Tolstone Tower's interference. Today? No one's saving your ass."
Yoahim snorted.
"You alone? We're three. Wichikill scraping the bottom of the barrel today?"
"One's enough. And correction: Wichikill didn't send me. I came. No one there outranks me."
Because...
"I'm Alkados—one of Wichikill's three heads."
Yoahim's eyes widened, and in that instant, the man unleashed his hidden power. Just standing there, the pressure radiating from him felt like a chokehold.
"Guh..."
Yoahim forced his head up to look above the man—and there, in crisp letters, his identity floated.
This guy's the real deal...
No impersonator. The genuine Alkados had shown up.
Fuck, this what Kakali meant last night?
Who could've predicted one failed hit would bring out a triad head? And if you're giving intel, make it useful. Yoahim almost laughed at the absurdity.
And this ain't a boulder—it's a goddamn landslide!
Kakali had said to face or dodge the rolling boulder. Dodging was off the table now. Facing it? With what? Levels weren't everything, but a several-dozen gap wasn't nothing. Could they even win?
"...Why come yourself?"
"I hate waste. And I'm pretty diligent. Ever read that fairy tale about the hero and demon king? Hero grinds floors one by one, gets strong, beats the boss. Inefficient, right? Just put the demon king on floor one—no win."
Yoahim had thought the same. But games and novels dragged it out for fun. Instant boss rush? Players would ragequit. If this were a game, the devs would get flamed. Fuck, too diligent.
"Then why not yesterday? Sent your goons instead."
Alkados would've drawn Vincent out. One threat down.
"My men got wrecked too easily, but they could've toppled a small city—via sabotage, not open war. Tolstone's mages were tougher than expected."
Seemed Alkados had weighed it out. Yoahim bit his lip. Alkados smirked.
"Now, draw your sword. Time to end this."