Journey Of A Legend

"G... Greg?"

*Gulp!*

As Greg was drinking the potion in his hand, he heard a familiar voice, so as a result he stopped drinking and turned his head to the side.

Looking around to see where the voice came from, Greg suddenly saw a familiar face next to a tree waving at him.

Recognizing who it was Greg's whole body froze up in an instant and he didn't know how to react.

However, this surprise of his didn't last long because a small pain appeared in his head, so without hesitation, he raised the bottle in his hand and drank all the remaining liquid in one go.

*Gulp!*

"?"

Joe saw as Greg drank the liquid and was confused, but instead of shouting, he walked closer to him.

"Aghh..."

Finally drinking everything in the bottle, Greg put down his hand holding the bottle and looked at his body.

"Much better.", said Greg and turned his gaze toward Joe.

Seeing his long time not seen friend, he smiled and said, "It is a long time since we last met. How are you?"

Hearing the question, Joe stopped before Greg, but instead of answering he just looked at Greg with calm yet sharp eyes.

Greg felt the gaze on his skin and didn't know how to react, so he wanted to ask a question, but before he could, suddenly the air threads around his torso started to move like crazy, indicating that an approaching attack was on his way.

"!"

Knowing that he had no time to dodge, Greg summoned Shapeless into his hand and defended his side with it in the shape of a staff.

And just as the black weapon appeared in his hand...

*BOOM!*

*CRACK!*

*TREMBLE!*

With a huge shockwave and loud eruption, an iron sword hit Shapless on the side, making the earth below Greg's feet to form cracks in an instant.

"What are you doing Joe?", asked Greg with a surprised expression as he looked at his friend's sword inches away from his waist, which wanted to cut him into half a moment ago.

However instead of answering, Joe just simply smiled, and with a swift move, he put the sword back into the scabbard.

"Just as I thought. You became stronger than ever.", said Joe with a calm manner.

"..."

"What the hell? The very first thing you need to do with your best friend is to see if he can avoid one of your attacks that could have ended his life? Are you insane??!", thought Greg with shock, but still he smiled and said, "Thank you. You surprised me too. That attack was insanely fast and also it seems you successfully broke through?"

"Yes.", said Joe calmly and waved his hand.

In an instant ash black clouds formed above the sky, covering up the whole forest. When the number of clouds reaches a terrifying length, Joe clenched his hand into a fist.

*BAM!*

*BAM!*

*BAM!*

*TREMBLE!*

One thunderbolt after another fell from the sky, turning all the trees below into nothing more but ash and dust, while what remained in their place was blazing flames.

Watching as hundreds of lightning bolts fell from above like it was the end of the world, Greg's eyes widened in surprise and said quietly, "Core Territory? But how? Several months ago you were still in the Soul Collector rank, so..."

As Joe heard this question he waved his hand, making the clouds to disappear instantly, and said, "I could ask this question too. Those golden flames of yours... They were your fire element's Core Territory. And if I'm right the moment I attacked, you used another Core Territory to avoid my blow. Was it your wind element I wonder..."

"Well... Yeah. It was.", said Greg slowly, not understanding how could have Joe figure out this just by one glance.

Figuring out that those Golden Flames were a part of his Core Territory was not a hard achievement, but to figure out the power that only he knows about, was something really hard to believe.

"How did you know it?", asked Greg with curiosity as he looked at Joe.

"It was not so hard to figure out. In the past you always walked and behaved carefully, fearing that someone would surprise you from the shadows, but know you are acting calm. Your posture, your body language... Everything about you telling me that you are calm."

"Calm? This doesn't explain anything at all. I can act calm also because I finally feel confident because of my power.", said Greg with a frown, not believing in Joe's statement at all.

"That is also true.", said Joe and continue, "However, the most obvious fact that made me think this, is that you always checked something in the air. You didn't check your surroundings, but instead the air around you. It's like you are watching something that only you can see. And the only thing that could be hidden away from others is the Core Territory. Am I right?"

Listening to Joe's explanation Greg sighed and said with a chuckle, "You have just as sharp sight as ever."

"Haha! And you are just as surprising as ever. Having two Core Territories... And if I'm right, each of your elements has one, yes?"

"Yes."

"Really? All of them?", asked Joe now with surprise, not expecting that his hunch was really true.

"No not all of them. I still need to break through with my darkness and light element, but there is a little problem."

"Problem?", asked Joe with a slight frown.

Greg nodded and started to tell Joe the things he knew so far. He told him that he needed energy crystals with the correct affinity, but unfortunately, crystals with the affinity of darkness and light elements are hard to find.

He told him also that in the Forbidden Lands the only creature that has such crystals are the Dark and Light Creatures that coexist only together, and also that they were very strong. Or at least that was what Russ and Wayne told him.

"I see. So that's how it is.", said Joe and after thinking for a while he looked at Greg and said, "Then that's settled."

"Huh? Settled?", asked Greg with confusion, not understanding what Joe was talking about.

Walking forward Joe looked back at Greg and said, "I will help you kill these creatures and help with your breakthrough."

***

Before the house on the island, Russ was creating different kinds of potions, when suddenly Greg's voice sounded in his ear.

"Wait, Joe! I'm telling you! You can't help with me becau-."

"Because the place where you are will teleport away every three days and for me to go with you I need to cross the bridge. However, those on the Calamity rank or above will die because of the Alpha. I heard everything clearly."

"Then why don't you stop?"

"Just because."

Not far away from the bridge, Greg was walking behind Joe hurriedly, while trying to stop Joe, but for some reason, he didn't listen to him.

Russ seeing that Greg was talking that casually to someone, frowned and said quietly, "His friend? How did he found us?"

With that, he stopped making potions and walked at the bridge.

"Kid. Who are you and why are you here?"

Seeing as an unknown man he didn't know was standing above the bridge not far away from him, Joe stopped and bowed politely.

"My name is Dia Joseph, from the Dia Family. I am Greg's friend and I would like to cross that bridge. If I don't I can't help him."

Listening to this, Russ was quite surprised, but even like this he stayed expressionless and asked, "Cross this bridge? If I'm not wrong and heard it right you exactly know what this bridge is. Crossing it with your current rank and power, you will just make the Alpha angry and you will die without you even knowing what happened. Are you sure about this?"

As Joe heard this he was a bit hesitant to move, but before he could ask something, suddenly the air around his body started to vibrate and in an instant, his whole figure vanished into thin air.

"Huh?"

Both Greg and Russ seeing this happening looked insanely stunned, knowing just what happened right before their eyes.

"He... The Alpha took him away!", said Russ with shock and looked down at the ground.

"But he wasn't even standing close to the bridge so why?", asked himself quietly Russ and looked at Greg.

However, before he could tell Greg to calm down, he noticed as he was looking high up into the sky with widened eyes and pointed toward the sky.

"Russ... What... Is that?"

"What do you me-, huh?"

*BAM!*

With an insanely fast speed, a bird that was made out of pure thunder exploded onto the bridge, and just how Joe vanished it disappeared into thin air.

A few seconds later as this happened, suddenly the air in the middle of the bridge started to vibrate again, and almost instantly, Joe's figure emerged.

Joe after inspecting his body looked up, but seeing Russ and Greg looking at him with a stunned expression, frowned and asked, "What?"