The Last Legendary System

’What have we learned from this, Benign? Never tell a lie.’

Claiming to be a Protector was his first win within this realm, yet it returned to punish him, and not subtly.

The elf carried a tall steel polearm capped with a short knife. It made Benign’s rod look like an insult.

His shoulders loosened. So much for ’special treatment.’ There was definitely no god looking over him. As always, all was himself.

Leaning towards the elf girl, he asked in unfounded confidence. "I should hold back, right?"

She passed him a smile and nodded. "Please, hold back. He’s just excited to duel a Protector."

The elf adjusted his stance. As his head lowered in what Benign registered quickly as a bow, the three figures around him were already a meter away from him.

Breeze from the movement still slapped across Benign’s face, despite his distance, and pushed hair strands into his eyes. He blew them off, staring tiredly at the elf.

"Thank you for accepting the duel, Sir." The elf bellowed.

The voice was unmistakably teenage. Benign rolled his eyes and took the steel rod backward. "So how do you want it to go? One move only?"

"Yes!" The elf raised a hand, like a schoolchild would. "Can I start first, Sir?"

The childlike actions relaxed Benign, but he never dropped his guard, since his opponent looked nothing like a school child.

The request sounded innocent. But he had seen enough recruits smile before breaking a trainer’s jaw.

He gestured with his head. "After you, then."

So the elf swung first.

Benign stepped inside the arc instead of away from it. His hand caught the elf’s wrist while his shoulder slammed into the arm. He twisted.

The staff slipped from the elf’s fingers, falling to the ground with a heavy THUNK. Benign drove a kick into the elf’s knee, stretching his hand to catch him.

But pain shot up his own leg.

The elf barely moved and merely staggered half a step before planting himself again.

Benign blinked. That kick should’ve folded the knee. Instead, the elf merely staggered. ’You’re kidding.’ He stared down at his aching foot.

From the reflection on the ground, he saw large raised hands coming down on him, but he made no effort to dodge.

"Uh-uh."

Choking sounds left the elf. He fell to his knees.

Calmly, Benign turned behind him, his brows knitting together. The elf girl had left where he last saw her and now stood beside the kneeling, choking elf.

"You lose, Raze." Her hand rested on the elf’s head. "Don’t disrespect yourself and your opponent by going back on your words. One move only."

Looking from the huge elf to the elf girl, Benign tried to understand what happened.

’How did she move that quickly?’

While he had noticed his opponent’s movement, he waited for the swing down to take advantage of the wide opening. Trying to overpower an elf that size wouldn’t work out for him.

The elf, Raze, lowered his head. His elbows sank into the sand. "My apologies, Protector. I acted childish. Thank you for sparring with me."

Benign responded with a simple nod. "Likewise."

He watched the elf leave with slumped shoulders. ’I really should get him in my unit. These elves are built differently.’

There was a pause before a shiver ran down his spine at the thought of a shadow looming over him as they traveled. His altosophobia might act up. ’We wouldn’t work well together.’ He looked away from the elf.

’There’s no need to take a young elf away from his home. The road is dangerous.’ He convinced himself.

From the corner of his eyes, he noticed the elf chief resting on his door. Throughout the spar, the man made himself almost invisible. His daughter spoke with him.

"You never told us your name, sir." The chief sounded too warm for Benign, who expected suspicions after his earlier outburst. "Did you rest well?"

His daughter stood by his side, holding an arm protectively. His earlier experience seemed to have taken a toll on him. "I did. My name is Benign Cross." Benign made a short bow, as was their custom. "Thank you for granting me a place to stay and the water and fruits offered."

Boundless was his joy when he had seen an apple-shaped fruit that tasted like pears. His stomach had accepted it as something familiar, ignoring the banana-shaped ones with a dirt color.

"It is my pleasure." The elf chief nodded. He calmly pulled his hand from his daughter’s hold. She smiled and stepped back once, still close enough to watch him. Benign watched the interaction with a small smile, a face from his past coming to mind.

The chief’s eyes lit up, like he remembered something. His narrowed eyes dropped on Benign. "My daughter mentioned that you once tore a rift in the sky."

"Oh," Benign’s body turned away from the chief. "That was an accident. You don’t need to worry about that affecting you:"

"No. I just wonder." The elf chief paused to count his words. "What sort of blessing were you granted that caused the skies to obey you?"

A long pause. ’Blessings?’

Benign placed a hand on the other. If the system’s skills were known as blessings to the common folks, then it should be natural that he had one that could rain down fire.

’Or is there a limit? Are these blessings supposed to follow a unique pattern?

"Well," he cleared his throat. "As I am not yet a seasoned Protector, my abilities are still lacking and could go out of control at times. I will learn how to manage these blessings, and as I assured, it wouldn’t affect your tribe."

He knew he didn’t answer that question, but he preferred to evade it than tell a lie that would bite him in the ass later. He gestured to the skies. "If you doubt that I do have the blessing, I can demonstrate—"

"No, no." The elf girl grabbed his outstretched hand and lowered it beside him. "No demonstrations."

Benign sighed. "As long as you’re convinced."

"I see." The chief’s eyes dimmed. He raised his hand for his daughter to hold.

She pulled away from Benign’s side immediately and returned to supporting her father.

Benign watched the exchange. The chief’s doubts hadn’t eased.

’Fair enough.’

He couldn’t blame him. Benign had plenty of questions himself.

[Author Note: I’ll appreciate feedback and opinions on my Chapters going forward. Thank you for reading.]