This is annoying. Although White has only been training for 4 months, he's already better than me. Even though I trained hard with my father long before White started, it's really annoying! This is injustice!
Strolling deeper in the forest whilst letting off steam by butchering the chimeras heading my way, I just kept on slashing to cool my head. It's not like I am bad at using swords, Dad said I was actually good. Although I kinda doubt that cus he says it creepily.
White though. At first, his features kind of looked funny. His white hair reaches his shoulders and his expressions are always so funny to look at that it just makes you want to tease him. Even if he tries to ignore me, I could tell that he couldn't because of the sour look on his face.
But every time I see him use a sword, it's like he's a completely different person. Even when I tease him, he doesn't pout annoyingly like he used to, and instead just has a smile plastered in his face like some painting.
I do know that he is still White though, but it's annoying when someone you deem as cute began being better at what you're good at.
"Huff... Huff.." My ragged breathing seems to be the only noise in the forest. I moved linearly to make sure I can come back to the site, and I also have this ring that would serve as a tracker in case I get lost. The trail of butchered chimeras would also serve as waypoints, so being lost is something I can't even imagine.
I looked up to see a trail of blood that my sword has spilled. "I've made a mess.." Even if White is better than me, he did it through hard work for the past 4 months so that's not something I should feel unjust about. Besides, he is still the cute effeminate looking White I know of. *grumble* Maybe because of my exhaustion, I started feeling hungry. So I turned around to go back when suddenly the environment dimmed.
It was the middle of the day and the sun was shining brightly just a moment ago, yet now it feels like I'm strolling in a fairy's den. The trees were no longer swaying with the wind but in hush silence. Is there a beast here? I ask myself mentally but it's useless as I already know the answer.
I looked up at the sky to see if I'm mistaken, I hoped I'm mistaken, but I was not. Violet and indigo motes rose from the ground up as it levitated in the air before dying out when it reaches above the trees. That confirms it; there is a beast here, and a high-level one at that. I need to go.
High-tier beasts are best known for their ability to influence the environment around them by releasing their pure aura alone. However, since there are two colors of motes here, it could only mean that two high-tier beasts are coming this way. I'm lucky it just happened, which means I can still escape before the beasts themselves get here. I sheathed my sword and ran full speed back to the site when suddenly a sound breaking screech ruptured the air catapulting me to a nearby tree.
More than the pain echoing throughout my entire body, fear erupted from my heart. I can barely move, my throat was dry and my body was exhausted which makes me an idle meal. Even if these beasts were unseen, the fact that they were able to attack me without me seeing them is already troublesome. I stood up and attempted to hide inside a hollow tree, it would be useless to run
so the best thing I can do is hide my presence.
Moments after crawling inside a hollow tree, another screech erupted from the beast. But this cry was different as if it was in pain. Noticing the small hole, I took a peek. A winged giant snake with three-horned heads about the size of a tree was in a clash with a white-winged lion with a bird head.
I've heard of the three-headed snake from dad before. It was a beast known as a Hydrangaea which the demon army used during the great race war. Hydrangaeas were titled "fortress destroyers" because of their ability to use their massive bodies like a giant ram and corrosive breaths that could melt even steel.
As for the lion..? Eagle? I haven't heard of a beast like this. Although it isn't big as the Hydrangaea, it was still fairly big similar to a bunker bed. Despite the size, however, it was still putting up a fight using wind magic and its sharp claws. *Screech* the bird-head lion let out a ferocious screech. The sound itself wouldn't be a problem, but its screech was infused with mana that was able to visibly shake the Hydrangaea as well as deleaf the trees around it. It then flew high above and sped up to the Hydrangaea with an astonishing speed as it used its front claws to try and dice the giant snake.
But the corrosive breath the Hydrangaea released was able to instinctively alarm the bird-head lion to back off. The Bird-head lion crashed and stumbled before releasing another wave of its aura as it aggressively attacks the Hydrangaea. The giant snake did the same as both beasts savagely attacked each other both physically and magically as they use their thickening aura to both attack and defend.
From what I can see, it was a stalemate. The bird-headed lion however, seemed to be exhausting at an alarming rate. Scars, burns and corrosion were all present in its body as if it was fighting other beasts before this thing.
Right now however, I need to circulate enough mana in my body so I can get out of here. Since both beasts are still busy with each other, my presence shouldn't be noticed unless I let out bloodlust.
Right as I was thinking that, a streak of white flew straight above the hollow tree I'm currently hiding, crashing like a cannonball on another tree before falling and sprawling unconscious on the ground. It was the Bird-head lion.
As if it was showing its dominance, the Hydrangaea slowly made its way to the bird-head lion. I covered my mouth to silence my heavy breathing as the Giant snake slithered it's way just a feet away from where I'm currently hiding. After it passed through, I let out a sigh of relief as this giant monstrosity wasn't able to notice me. But as if the Gods of Dorr Valia were playing with me, the tail of the Hydrangaea whipped the hollow tree as if it was forgotten trash.
Surprised, I accidentally let out a small shriek as the hollow tree I'm hiding in rolled and crashed in the bushes. The Hydrangaea must have heard my feeble shriek as it stopped in its tracks before one of its heads turned my way.
Because of the force of impact from the Hydrangaea's tail, the hollow tree almost cracked like an egg revealing me. Luckily, the bushes served as a cover for that hole, or at least that's what I thought. The hydrangaea turned all three of its head towards me revealing a savage, hungry look.
It saw me! Fear, panic, despair-- everything was present. I can't do anything, I'm already exhausted and my body won't listen to me. I felt light-headed while I was covering my mouth's heavy breathing, desperately hoping that this beast hasn't really seen me. Tears begin to form from my vision as the blood drained from my head and the only thing I could think of is a desperate plead for someone, for anyone to save me.
The giant monstrosity loomed above me with its constant hissing. As our eyes met, I felt the snake's six red eyes penetrate my soul through and through. Why was I here again? What kind of stupidity did I have to hunt alone? My breathing became more and more rapid as every regret, memory, reason, desire, and despair I'm feeling right here and now was like fighting for my sole attention.
It's hopeless I finally thought before losing consciousness from the overload of thoughts and emotions.
--------------------------------------
"She sure is taking her time..."
It's been a few minutes, probably one-fourth of an hour since Kayla went out on her own. Although that may seem like a short time, since she was already exhausted before going into the forest, I assumed she'll come back after like ten minutes or so.
Like how she's already done in the past.
Guess I'll go look for her I thought as I closed the book I'm reading. "It would be bad if Mr. Renard knows I let her daughter go alone in there." Although it was entirely her decision to go out alone, I kind of also been at fault for giving up easily from persuading her. Now that I think about it, she's just the one at fault, I mean I'm just being considerate because I already know venting out when you have something in your mind is a good idea, and it was technically White's fault for letting her go.
W-well regardless, this would still be bad...
I stood up and did a little stretching before heading out when a sudden loud and powerful sound breaking screech ruptured the air, blasting and swaying the trees. The noise of that screech, no, it wasn't simply a 'noise,' it was comparable to releasing an aura. Mana fusion is an internal technique designed to make the mana circulating in the body fuse with the body's inner workings,
strengthening and sharpening them in the process. While the aura was the opposite where you simply release the quality of mana you're circulating. Although not as strong as processed attributed magic, if the mana a person is circulating is high in terms of quality, then it could also be used as a weak Omni-directional attack.
But it doesn't mean that when you have a better mana quality, it means you're stronger than those with lower mana quality. A mana's quality barely has anything to do in a fight. Although it's true people with high mana quality have an advantage over those with lower mana quality, it doesn't account for techniques, skills, and experience. Well, at least that's what master told me.
Don't get me wrong, I always take master's advice with a grain of salt. This one, however, makes absolute sense.
However, another thought came to my mind. Although that screech was impressive and all, the direction in which it came from was "Kayla!"
Damn it! I cursed. Master went down our site to the river, while Kayla went to the opposite side deeper in the forest. This means that if I decide to go and get Master now, it might be too late for Kayla. Fusing my body with mana, I dashed to Kayla's location.
.....
...
.
Arriving at the scene, my vision was bombarded with many different things. From the demolished leafless trees to the two different colors of motes floating and disappearing, it was like a sacred forest that got hit with a disaster.
Following the trails of destruction, I saw an eagle- wait no, that's a Griffin? Although I was surprised by its existence and size, I was more astonished by how it was badly beaten and sprawled like it was on the ground. But a quiet, yet domineering hiss caught my attention as I looked towards its source.
A giant winged snake with three-horned heads was attending to a bush. Could it be? I thought to myself. Without making a noise, I came closer to the giant snake to see if my hunch was correct.
To be honest, I don't think a fight with something like this monstrosity would end well for me, but if there's a chance that Kayla's hiding there... I thought back to the memories I had in this world for the past four months. Compared to my life in my old world, this life was more... fulfilling would be the right word, and one of the reasons that it was is because people like Kayla and
the old man were always there for me. I know this life isn't mine, but these feelings, they are real. Losing these people means losing and ending these fulfilling memories and experiences.
I was hoping I was wrong, but as I tried to peer through the gaps of leaves and cracks of the log, she was indeed there. Kayla has always been a cheerful girl, very cheerful in fact that she can take my tactless words as mere jokes, and yet what I saw beyond the gaps was a small girl cowering in fear. Her face twisted in emotions of despair and sadness, her ever so cheerful face nowhere to be found.
Just the sight of it already made my heart boil in rage. I looked at the three-headed snake, it hasn't noticed me yet as it was busy playing a staring contest with the cowering girl.
This bastard! I cursed. Conjuring the blue flames, I infused it on my sword. I bolted straight to the giant snake with the flaming blue sword at hand, how do I attack something like this? It didn't matter. Those thoughts were flushed out by the rage I had boiling inside me and the only thing I can think of was the desire to desecrate this thing.
With a flash of blue, one of the snake's heads whitened as it rolled on the ground. There was no blood, of course there wasn't.
As if not realizing the situation at hand, the giant snake, with its two remaining heads looked at me as I walked over to the white head of theirs on the ground. The two heads look at their missing head before realizing the fact that they just lost it. From where the head was originally at, it was frozen as if it was preserved meat. Even the blood on its veins was frozen solid as the veins pop blue.
The blue flame didn't stop there, however, as it burned both internally and externally. Continuously freezing its way to the main body turning it white.
Sensing the spreading nature, the giant snake bit the area of itself. Blood erupted like a fountain and drenched the entire area in red. Its earlier domineering red eyes were now that of a ferocious beast staring daggers into me.
But now isn't the time to get cold feet. This monster was trying to tear my new life apart, and I'm not naïve enough to let something this dangerous roam free from here.