The Master of Uradan

After a long time passed on the first floor, Rohan couldn't find anything. There were only three rooms, and it was simply the interior that was expected to be discovered inside a house. The only point Rohan had paid attention to was that the dishes weren't more intricate than the one inside the other houses.

The people living there didn't have a strong difference of ranks. Or maybe they didn't care about such trivial things in this forest full of dangerous beasts, but Rohan was persuaded of the contrary. Even in a danger, a person with more power would want to show it off in one manner or another.

Rohan chased his thoughts as he lifted his chin under the great pressure. There was a small staircase going up. Whatever was responsible for this pressure should be up there.

The instant he put his foot on the first stair, Rohan felt the pressure increase by a small chunk. His hunched back bent under the power as he groaned under the cracking of his bones. He unconsciously stepped back. Now, instead of feeling like fifty karags were stomping on him, he felt they were only forty-five.

Rohan looked gravely at those stairs. If the pressure was increasing, it might reach such a level that Rohan wouldn't be able to move. He put his foot on the first stair once again. The pressure was bearable, and as he tightened his muscles, he walked on the second stair.

What he was waiting for didn't come. The pressure wasn't increasing, or if it was, it was too minute for Rohan to feel. He was so overjoyed at the prospect to continue that he almost relaxed too much and met the stairs with his face.

He went upstairs at a snail's pace, fighting against the pressure. Even though this pressure was targeting the physique, it was the mind that was wavering. Walking under such an intense force crushing someone would grow his frustration, and over time this someone could also become mad.

But Rohan was only there for a few minutes anyway, so it wouldn't be enough to break his mind. Once he reached the floor, the pressure increased one more time. Veins protruded all over his body as Rohan fought against the desire to sit down for a short time. His muscles screamed of aches while his sweat stuck to his body.

His pace was firm as he chose one door among the three ones. He opened the middle one without much hesitation and entered this room. The view made Rohan curse out loud as he wasn't expecting to really find something this magical.

The room was empty, with only a small orb floating in the center and spinning on itself. There wasn't any opening other than the entrance, and the dim light gave the stone spinning an eerie atmosphere. Rohan struggled to reach it but the pressure was the same all along. Soon, his body was already near this gray orb with runes drawn on it.

The young warrior stretched his fingers toward the item. He hesitated for a short time. This thing could be dangerous, and touching might be a bad idea. But curiosity was stronger. The people living here would never put this item there without more protection if it could kill him. On this baseless assumption, Rohan grabbed the orb.

It was cold, with a texture of stone. Nothing changed the moment it landed on his hand, and he easily could take it away. He wielded near his face to take a look. Although it resembled an orb stone with a random drawing inscribed on it, Rohna felt a strange power emanate from it.

Unfortunately, he didn't understand what this orb was for, and even as he took a step back with it on his hand, the pressure didn't have any alteration. From the look of it, it didn't seem to be the source of this pressure.

While bearing this power crashing against his body, Rohan quickly searched through the two other rooms, only to find a bedroom and what seemed to be a storeroom. Although he was trying to be quick, he would still be losing against a crippled old man in a race.

In the end, because of too much time under this pressure, Rohan decided to put away the search of the storeroom to later. He left the house and felt like he was in shambles. Every muscle of his body was in pain while his legs were shaking as he moved away.

Nothing happened after the orb found itself outside. Since he couldn't understand what this item was, Rohan put it away.

The night was only a couple of hours later, and after a frugal meal composed of rabbit meat, he went to one of the numerous houses.

A joyful smile bloomed on his face. He was even glad for this village to have crossed his road today. For the first time in more than three months, Rohan would finally have the privilege to sleep into a comfortable bed.

He couldn't help but think that it was a pity since the bed inside the large house should definitely be of better quality. Unfortunately, he didn't want to suffer an early death by asphyxia because of a strange pressure coming from a random wooden house.

After a perfect night of sleep along with relaxed meditations, another day welcomed Rohan on these lands. Since there was some water there, Rohan thought he could try to make another gourd with the skin from the rabbits he had hunted.

But since he knew that he would struggle to make one and that would take quite a time, he first took the initiative to hunt to have a stock of food. The beasts didn't seem to come here, it was thus the perfect place to dry the meat as well.

With those thoughts in mind, Rohan left the village and sank in the deepness of the forest. Now that he attempted to orient himself so he didn't lose the village, Rohan advanced cautiously.

The day was a good one, and he didn't even have to wait more than a few hours to kill the first rabbit.

Rohan was strolling around, visiting the surroundings of the village, when suddenly a continuous noise appeared on his right. Intrigued by the sound, Rohan lowered his body and sneaked toward it.

After a few seconds, a strange expression fell on his face. He could have sworn this buzzing song was the same that was done by wasps, but this one was far louder and coming from a few meters away. He gulped down as he thought about something terrifying. If such a thing was near the village, then death would be the end of his path.

The sound filled his ears as he carefully shifted a branch blocking his view. After a light crack and rustle, a catastrophic sight welcomed him. The buzz entered his head and shook his mind as if it was thunder.

There, hovering with sporadic movement and wings blurring under extreme speed, a giant wasp was fully shown. It had a slender and long body, with black and yellow mixing together to form a terrible magical beast. Its long legs made Rohan shudder as a visceral need to flee attacked his whole being.

He wasn't scared of insects, nor was the sole giant insect in front of him extremely dangerous alone. But that was because it wasn't alone. There was no way for it to be a lone wasp.

And that was what made Rohan scared for his life. The herd of monkeys had already threatened his life, and he knew that without the appearance of the mighty beast scaring them off, he would probably be dead right now.

Then what about potentially several hundreds or maybe thousands of magical beasts able to fly at high speed?

Before Rohan could take the decision to flee, he saw the wasp flying in his direction.

His face became ashen.