The Slayer Ascension: Cursed and Blessed.-Chapter 53: Saviour or Swindler

Chapter 53

Gazel stared at the other guy warily.

The red glow in his eyes faded, bleeding back into blue as the half-transformation reverberated and withdrew into his human form. The shift was subtle, restrained, nothing like his full transformation. The lazy-looking man didn’t seem to notice at all.

But Gazel did not lower his guard.

Not even a little.

If anything, he raised it higher.

His stance tightened, muscles coiling, body ready to explode at the slightest hint of danger.

The other man, on the other hand, looked perfectly calm.

Too calm.

He watched Gazel with an odd expression that sat somewhere between admiration and joy, almost childlike glee. He was studying him. Enjoying the sight.

Gazel didn’t like that. Not one bit.

"And who are you supposed to be, fellow human?" Gazel asked, keeping his distance, prepared to move the moment things went south.

The man wasn’t fazed.

He simply went back to drinking what Gazel assumed was wine. Only then did Gazel notice something strange. The liquid was clear at first. Water. The red color came from some fine powder mixed into the cup, slowly staining it crimson.

After finishing the drink, the man refilled the glass and repeated the process, acting as if the tension in the room didn’t exist.

With that nonchalant attitude, Gazel confirmed it.

This guy was not normal.

First of all, what sane human would be found in a hellhole like this? Not only alive, but comfortable. The cave was massive, structured, almost deliberate. The supplies. The setup. The carefree expression on the man’s face.

None of it was good news.

If this being was the one behind the nightmare Gazel and Blaze had endured for weeks, then Gazel didn’t know what he was supposed to feel.

Joy, at finally seeing a way out?

Or fear.

Anyone capable of creating multiple endless worlds, twisted and isolated like this, had to be beyond powerful. Just imagining what such a figure could do when angered sent a chill down Gazel’s spine.

He didn’t even want to think about it.

"Hey, why are you trembling?" the stranger said casually. "I’m harmless, you know. Take a rest. Living here isn’t easy."

His gaze shifted to Blaze, still unconscious on Gazel’s back, frost clinging to his body.

Then the man spoke again, tone unchanged.

"I should tell you this now. Your companion doesn’t have much time left. Sooner rather than later, he’ll die. The cold has permeated his body too deeply." 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Gazel froze.

This guy... no, this being acted like everything was already decided. Like the world bent to his words.

Gazel didn’t owe the red-haired idiot any favors.

But he didn’t want him dead.

If there was one thing Gazel had learned during their journey, it was that Blaze, despite all his knowledge and power, was foolishly kind. Maybe not naive. Just merciful to a fault.

A good guy.

And if Gazel saved him, Blaze would owe him.

If even ten percent of what Blaze said about his clan and ancestors was true, then that favor would be worth more than gold.

Gazel lifted his head, eyes locked onto the man with the eyepatch.

All those thoughts flashed through Gazel’s mind in less than five seconds.

When he spoke, his voice was calm. Calculated.

"Can you save him?" he asked.

The stranger looked young, maybe a few years older than them, but his eyes carried depth. Knowledge. And maybe trickery layered beneath it. He nodded.

"Bring him closer."

Gazel obeyed, lifting Blaze off his back and moving him forward.

The man set Blaze upright first. Then he placed one hand on Blaze’s forehead, the other on his upper chest. He closed his eyes.

Silence filled the room.

After a while, he opened them again and casually returned to drinking his red-colored water.

He’s lucky, the man thought.

He had checked Blaze’s insides and felt it. Warmth. Traces of heat still clinging to his core. With years of experience and deduction, it was obvious. The red-haired kid’s Azura was tied to fire and heat. If his essence was strengthened, that Azura would surge back. The flames would fight the cold gnawing at his body.

That was the conclusion in his head.

But what he said out loud was different.

He sighed deeply, regret filling his eyes.

The look he wore was exactly the same look doctors wore right before saying they tried their best but lost the patient.

Gazel stiffened.

He had seen that look too many times growing up to misunderstand it.

"Is his condition really that critical?" Gazel asked.

The man sighed again and shook his head.

"It’s serious. But not hopeless," he said. "His Azura is close to fading. When it does, his life force will fade with it. The cold has gone too deep. It’ll take special treatment and careful nourishment of heat to drive it out."

He went on, explaining more. Too reasonable. Too detailed to be fabricated.

Gazel was no fool. He knew how to spot a swindler.

And yet, he was certain.

This guy was telling the truth.

His heartbeat. His movements. They matched those of someone being honest.

What Gazel didn’t know was that he had just stepped into the hands of a master swindler.

And the trap had already closed.

"So you’re saying it’s over for him?" Gazel asked quietly. "There’s no way out. No way to leave this snowy mountain."

By now, Gazel had dismissed the idea that this man was the creator of this twisted world. He felt trapped too. And he didn’t give off that world-dominating pressure Gazel once felt when a devil descended years ago.

The memory flashed briefly, burning with anger.

Gazel shoved it aside and steadied himself.

"But," the brown-haired man said suddenly.

Gazel’s head snapped up.

"There is another way."

"Lift him. Sit him straight," the man commanded.

Gazel did it immediately.

The man reached into a ring on his finger and pulled out a vial of red powder. The ring was similar to the one Blaze wore, more decoration than tool, since Blaze couldn’t even access his.

The powder glimmered faintly in the dim light.

The man mixed the powder with water, turning it into a red-colored liquid that looked like wine. He tilted Blaze’s head and slowly dripped it down his throat.

Then his hands moved.

Complex seals. Precise. Fast.

He struck Blaze’s chest several times, not hard, but sharp and deliberate. After that, he pressed both palms flat against Blaze’s chest and closed his eyes.

Sweat began to form on his forehead.

Whatever he was doing, it wasn’t easy.

He didn’t stop. Not even once.

Then it happened.

Blaze’s body changed.

The icy blue tint faded, replaced by a natural warmth. His skin lost that frozen stiffness and became smooth again. His heartbeat grew stronger, louder, steady and clear.

Alive.

Safe.

The brown-haired man staggered back and collapsed onto the ground, his chest rising and falling heavily. Moments later, he fell asleep where he sat.

Minutes passed.

When he opened his eyes again, Gazel and Blaze were both awake.

They thanked him. Sincerely. Then they asked what they could do to repay him.

The answer wasn’t what they expected.

There was no talk of kindness. No heroic speech. No righteous nonsense.

"I want payment," the man said calmly. "Circus Crystals. Two hundred each."

Blaze didn’t even hesitate. He had no idea what Circus Crystals were, but two hundred didn’t sound like much to him.

Gazel felt different.

Something about the way the man spoke bothered him. Even when asking for payment, there was no greed. No desperation. No visible agenda.

And that was exactly the problem.

It felt like he was being lied to.

More than once, the thought crossed Gazel’s mind.

Kill him while he sleeps.

End it.

Two things stopped him.

First, what if the man truly helped them out of goodwill?

Second, this stranger might be their best chance of escaping this nightmare.

Gazel stayed his hand.

For now.

To be continued...