"10%," I said.
[28%] Neo texted.
"20%," Emerald said.
"5%," Aidan said.
"Goal we need to survive for 15 munites," I said.
"So how do we do that?" Aiden asked.
I look around for anything that we could use to maneuver. With the water still rising we stay here.
"Hey, Aiden. With that big of a boulder do you think it has other dust in it?" I asked.
For that boulder size, the probability of it having other kinds of dust is around 80%. It's probably Earth dust, or else it won't survive that fall. Why? Do you plan to use the dust to kill that thing? Natural dust is more unstable than combat grade dust." Aiden said.
"Onii-san do you plan to use the boulder to be our maneuvering ground," Emerald asks.
"Yes, if we stay here only you and I can evade that thing. Neo and Aidan's combat abilities are severely restricted here. Aiden doesn't even have his Aura shield."
Aura shield needs at least 5% to be passively active to all users even if your Aura pool is higher. Another 5% is needed by your body so you won't faint.
The Grimm, now tired of waiting. It lounge toward us like an overspeeding car.
We all nodded then without hesitation we split up. Aiden Neo and I run around it from the left and Emerald runs to the right parallel to us.
The Grimm decides to attack Emerald.
I throw one throwing knife. Hitting it at the head but it only bounces away. I somehow argo it.
So it charged to us instead. I throw 2 throwing knives aiming at its eyes. With only one hitting and buried deep to its eye.
Then Aiden and Neo make themselves as launching pad. Form me to avoid the Grimm. The Grimm has a glim in its eye and ignore me and focus on raming at Neo and Aidan.
*Shatter*
Surprise its target to just shatter. When it tried to turn to look. I charged both of my tantos with my aura. Making its edge sharper and its blade heavy. I did a drop slash.
I twisted my body mid-air. Only the tip of the blades hit the shell. With the momentum shifted and barely reduced. I used it to smash the part my blade cut with a dull but still heavy blade. I used the recoil of slash to push myself towards the boulder.
Where Aiden and Emerald fully focused on recovering their Aura. With Neo who's recovering her Aura, but not fully focused due to her semblance shattering.
The recoil of my attack nearly dislocates my arms and reduces my Aura to 8% but it causes a few centimeter long fracture on its shell near its tail.
The moment I went close to the boulder I throw multiple throwing knives around the boulder. I went on top of the boulder to recover some Aura and Emerald went at the side of the boulder using both the rock and throwing knives as a foothold. We can't let the Grimm smash directly to the boulder. In fear of more dust inside might activate.
For a few munites Emerald and I keep on switching and hitting the crack that I made if possible. Neo helps us maneuver. While Aiden needs to regain at least 80% of his Aura to crack this Grimm's defense. With Aiden's current Aura pool and Aura recovery speed, he needs at least 5 more munites without distraction so we can have more options than waiting for help.
"15%," I said.
"35% switch," Emerald said.
Neo went closer and share her Aura with me to help me recover more. Emerald and I are lucky to be the fastest Aura recovery in the group. I only need 5 min. to recover 80% of my Aura while Emerald needs 7 min in combat but redirecting the Grimm's attack consumes 20% of our Aura.
*Crash*
The whole boulder shook and keep on vibrating.
"Sorry! I... I messed up." Emerald on Neo's arm said in a self-blaming tone.
Aiden stops meditating. I stared back at him and he nodded. He went back to meditating.
I stared where the Grimm hit the boulder. Water is surging out of it. Stunning the Grimm but we only have at most 2 munites until the water reaches the top of the boulder.
"Emerald look at me." I make her stare at me. "We need you ok. We need you so you must calm down." Emerald hugs me.
"Onii-san are you trying to scare me. You know your eyes are scary." Neo smiled at her insult.
"If you can insult me you should recover your Aura." Emerald and Neo nodded.
We all meditate and try to recover as Aura as much as possible. In less than a minute that feels like an eternity due to me keeping eye on the surroundings.
*ROAR!!!*
The Grimm finally moved. Neo Emerald and I all stood up and look at the Grimm. Maybe due to me focusing on recovering my Aura and looking for any movements of the Grimm. I did not notice my surroundings properly.
"Aiden the whole lake is boiling!" Emerald yelled.
"What!? But the lake was roughly 100 meters diameter wide!" Aiden looks at the boiling lake. "We are standing on a treasure!" We all looked at him. "If I'm not wrong this is one of the rare dust deposits. Fire dust and Water dust can't be stabilized by itself. Besides even if the whole boulder was normal water dust. It won't fill the whole lake. So it must be naturally refined with gravity dust. Which is bad with fire and water dust not balance anymore." Aiden starts mumbling. "WE NEED TO JUMP THIS BOULDER WILL IMPLODE!!!"
"Hey stupid what are you standing there for?" Emerald yelled as we are all ready to jump.
"Hey wait for me." Aiden starts running
"Aiden your shield our back when we jump!" Aiden about to retort of it is an implosion. Em stared at him.
They all jump together. I jump right after them.
*Btooom*
The shock wave drifts us above the boiling water. Then the water suddenly got sucked. We all stab our blade somewhere and hold for our lives. My Aura shield already broke. The boiling water giving 2nd-degree burn. As I about to lose consciousness.
Neo somehow got close to me. With the help of Neo, a was able to check Aiden and Emerald. Emerald's already unconscious. After a while, there is barely any water in the lake and there is a 40 meters semi-spherical crater in the middle.
*Roar*
"You're still alive!?" Aiden yelled.
The Leaf Terrapin Grimm just a few meters away. It's shell full of cracks and barely holding together it can't even move anymore.
Aiden brings Emerald to us. He walks closer and morph his sword and shield to a giant ax and chopped it's head off.
"So you do prove me wrong" Emerald mutter softly. Neo and I smiled.
"So you did save me this time Brat." A man walks out of the fracture at the side of the lake.
Aiden morphs his axe back to sword and shield. He went in front of us and ready to fight. Neo put me down. Emerald and I start recovering our Aura.
The man walks closer and his figure and voice suddenly feel familiar.
"Old man. Why are you here." The man was the old man who we suspected to be part of the legendary blacksmith family in Vale.
"Ohh look how lucky you are that ore stab at your shoulder should at least worth hundred millions of lien." Now that he said that, I only notice that my shoulder was stabbed.
"Let's bring you to Highwind village."
"But Cliffhold town was the nearest," Aiden said.
The old man shows his scroll. " There's an emergency summon to all Rank A huntsmen and huntresses 30 munites ago. All the villages and towns around the swamp were attacked. Only some villages are not attacked and Highwind village has the only facility to fully recover that brat." The old man carried me to the windward village. The others followed.
A few hours later. In a hotel at Cliffhold town
"You guys rest well ok."
"Yes mom/aunty"
*door closed*
...
" What a crazy day right? I finally got my first Grimm kill." Aiden asked.
"I believe we were asked to rest," Emerald said but turned on the night lamp and sit properly on her bed.
Neo just shook her head.
"You're just bitter because I prove you wrong." Aiden smiled.
"*Sigh* Aiden I know you rarely won an argument against Em, but make sure not to pissed her too much. I won't agree on sparring with you even if you beg." I said as I heal my scar tissues.
"Sora bro!" Aiden felt betrayed. Emerald smirk.
"By the way Onii-san, what you did earlier was crazy" Emerald shift the conversation to me. Neo nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, it was refined natural fire dust. If you made a mistake, even 1 gram of it will turn you into ashes." Aiden said making Neo stare scolding me. Thanks, bro, not the assist I need.
"Well, how do you plan on distancing us to an imploding giant boulder. Besides, it works and none of you rejected the idea." I reasoned.
"Come on Sora bro. See we all trust you can pull it. We understand it's Due to the circumstances" Neo's stare intensity lowers.
"Yeah but that doesn't mean it's not crazy," Emerald said exaggeratedly and Neo's stare scolding me again.
"You really have to say that didn't you." Emerald just smiled.
"Speaking of crazy. Why did you show the old man about the blueprint and your notes." I tried to redirect the conversation.
"Like what you said earlier. Everything went well and none of you stop me. As for the blueprints. It's in the public library of the hunter department HQ. Besides nobody found the proper materials let alone the whole building process. Well, we earned a lot just by showing a blueprint and my notes."
A few hours earlier.
"I'm impressed you don't even flinch when they pulled out the ore off your shoulder. Those are some nasty second-degree burns." The old man said.
"Yeah, thanks for the compliment," I said I sarcasm.
*door opened*
Neo run inside followed by Emerald and Aiden.
"Are you ok Onii-san?" Emerald said. As Neo inspect my wounds like how mom did years before.
Neo I'm good don't worry this is just scar tissue. I just need 2 days to remove it. In 2 days I would look like I didn't get hurt at all." I smiled at comfort them.
Neo just stared at me with one hand on her hips and her face saying 'really?' In a sarcastic tone.
"Come on Neo. Onii-san just wants us..." Neo stared at Emerald "Not to worry... but you're right. Onii-san really?" Emerald backed out while Aiden's just whistling at the corner.
After a 5 munites of Neo's version of scolding usually called glaring. So we named it 'stare scolding'.
"That's weird I felt like I understand what she's saying without saying a thing." The old man looks like he's questioning his sanity.
"You're still here?"
"That hurts you know. I even use my license to give you a discount for your medical bills." The old man wiping his nonexistent tears.
"Old man we're close enough to let you call me brat. You won't be here if don't need anything."
"Well like I told you. You saved my life. I don't care even if you did it intentionally or not. So I will forge you any weapon with that." The Old man said as if he's on the losing end of the deal.
Before I answered. Aiden interrupts.
"Excuse me Akashi-san." The Old man looked at Aiden waiting for him to continue. "Can you please tell me where can I find the materials to forge this?" Aiden extends his hand to show the Old man a blue friend.
"Hmph, a challenge?"
"Nope just asking for a favor."
"Then I won't forge you a weapon anymore. I'll just give you some suggestions." The old man looked at me. I looked at Aiden then nodded.
"Ok then." The old man took the blueprint. After a long time. The old man gave it back.
"So this is where your weapon is based from. I never heard of earth crystal before. I could still build this with different materials, but I know no mineral that could turn impact to dust like energy. This is a good blueprint but based on fantasy. It doesn't even have a forging method." The old man said. He noticed Aiden's notes when Aiden's putting back the blueprint. His face turned from disbelief to doubt. Subtle movements could be seen that he wants to take Aiden's notes. It did not escape Aiden's eye.
"You know about the ancient hunter language," Aiden said.
"Kid can I see that."
"Depends. This is the fruit of my years of research. What can we gain from it." Aiden replied.
"If you have what I need, I'll forge you one weapon, each." All of us are surprised. Especially Aiden.
Aiden stared at the old man. Then he hands over his notes.
"It's cited there how and where I got the translation. The old hunters' language was mostly a combination of ancestral language of Anima and Sanus..." Aiden explained his research with passion.
Based on the old man's body language and facial reaction. He's definitely not listening to anyone. He's full of openings to the point that I have a 70% chance of killing him. His eyes are focused on one part and his muscles are tense probably he finally found something he needs but afraid that he would destroy Aiden's notes. After a few munites he relaxed but his eyes are full of determination. He returned Aiden's notes
"Thanks, brat. Here's my contact info. Just send me what you want me to forge. Send me more of those notes and blueprints. I may build you one set of armor and weapons each." The old man walks out of the room.
Back to the present. We talk for a bit longer before everyone fell asleep on their bed. Well except for me. I went to the rooftop of our hotel.
"Can't sleep brat." The Old man asked.
"How did you know?"
"I'm a pro after all."
"Nope, you did not notice me earlier." He did not notice me here for 10 seconds and based on his ears twitching and a slight shift of his body. He just knows my location.
"Huh, you still douting me. Even if you know I'm epic." He sounds different.
"Me knowing your true identity just prove my speculation."
"Yours?" He replied like how he normally does but still feels different.
"Partially, yeah."
"You're still the annoying and oddly helpful old man to me. Why do you want me to call you Akashi sir?"
"It's sir first before the surname."
"*Tch* So why are you still here."
"Is that how you treat the person who carried you for a kilometer to a hospital."
Hey, you made my wounds worse and you said it your self I save you. Well anyway if you not waiting for someone you won't stay here any longer. You probably waiting for Aiden's master right. He won't come." The old man stared at the horizon.
"Aiden's note will help you find your wife right? You already know where and how to learn the Old Hunter language right. So why not go to Astera and research it? Why let Aiden do it? His research might not be specifically directed to your needs. So why? Have you visit your son?" I just don't get it. He needs to learn the language to maybe found his wife but won't do it. Is it a lie?
"Anything else?" He stood up and jump towards the other building.
"Go visit your son!" I shouted.
"Bed." The old man said. I barely heard it.
"Huh? I don't get adults." I went to our room again. I lay down on my bed.
"Good night." I ignore everything that happens around me than sleep.