LEVI ELBRUS'S POINT OF VIEW
I awoke, a foreign pain stabbing into both of my sides as I fluttered my eyes a few times. The room which surrounded me was not one I recognized, and the man who sat cross-legged in a suit beside my bed was also one I didn't recognize.
"Levi Elbrus, C-Rank Hunter who isn't associated with any factions within the Guild, understudy and adopted son of Murdoch Elbrus," the man began, not even looking into my eyes as he began listing facts about me, "despite not having a mana sig-" He took a second glance at me as he stopped speaking, which brought a feeling of anxiety into my chest.
"Mana sig?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at the man. It was only then that I noticed the thick, armor-like glow of bright-orange that clung to the man. He shook his head, his brows furrowed slightly.
"Only recently developed a mana signature," he muttered, "and is adept at sword-fighting." He finished, finally looking into my eyes. The man's gaze held a strict authority within it, only heightened by the lava-like glow he was constantly surrounded by. "Good to meet you."
"Good to meet you too," I spluttered, unable to come up with anything else, "it sounds like you know all there is to know about me, but I have no idea who you are," I admitted, extracting a dry laugh from the blond-haired man, his hair slicked back and held with some sort of gel.
"Not many can say that they are not familiar with me. I am Trafalgar, one of the Seven Holy Shields within the Capital," he announced, much louder than he needed to be, "an S-Rank Hunter, and Leader of the Phoenix Faction." He bowed in a practiced gesture that allowed him to still seem more exquisite than who he was bowing to.
"I see. Where's Kaper?" I asked, somehow hiding the fact that I was already irked by the man's self-loving nature. He shook his head and sighed slightly, fixing himself in his chair as he prepared to speak.
"Randall and Petra, your two little friends," he stated, somewhat condescendingly, "are away on their first quest. Kaper had to take them because they paid for it. He told me that, since Murdoch asked him to bring you to the capital as a favor, he didn't need to take you." He laughed at the part about Murdoch not paying for services, which struck a nerve.
"So you only came to tell me that?" I asked, meeting his gaze with an equally authoritative glint. "If that's all, I need to finish healing up. After that, I'll find a new party and take on my first quest." Trafalgar began laughing once more, but the aura surrounding him turned furious, flaring up to engulf the full wall behind him in its light. I assumed that was his true reaction to my words.
"I see you've let beating one of those sniveling little wyverns get to your head, boy," he stated, his voice much colder now. "I initially came here to offer you the privilege of being my underling, but privileged, self-centered, wet-eared brats like you are more suited to cleaning the boots of the average strumpet on the street. Mind your words." His ego was bruised by my dismissal, but his mana signature seemed to calm down whilst he spoke, returning to its tight coat as he warned me one last time.
"Is that all?" I repeated. My words did not match my hands, which shook under the blanket at the mere sight of Trafalgar. His mana signature was unlike anything I had ever felt, and his recital of every piece of findable information on me had instilled a feeling of weakness within me.
"I think I shall take my leave. Randall seems much more suited to this position anyway." He stated, standing up so that he towered above me. he glared down one final time, a silent warning in his blue eyes. "Petra has made her goal of heightening the power of the Kinghorn Faction known. I look forward to seeing you try to achieve your goals and fail miserably. Good day, boy." He concluded, leaving the room with a resounding slam before I could even reply.
'What even is a Holy Shield?'
I thought to myself for only a moment, as my question was answered instantaneously.
[A Holy Shield is a Hero.]
I placed my head into my hands, the realization only setting in as I asked the question a second time. I laid back, placing my head onto the pillow made from straw stuffed into a sack.
'What is a mana signature?'
[A mana signature is an aura that surrounds everything which can use mana.
The color is usually connected to the element the caster is capable of using.
The size and boldness of a mana signature show the amount of mana the user is capable of accessing at one time, as well as how powerful they are at using that element.]
'Did he say I only recently formed one? I thought I'd been able to use magic since I came to this world?
[Due to the ability to access all elements, Envy's mana signature is clear and therefore is not visible to the naked human eye.
However, due to the new skill, Ancient Blood, the user is now able to perceive mana signatures to a much higher standard.
Your mana signature is also visible due to this ability, but is seen as a white glow rather than colored.]
I sighed, unable to see the size nor how see-through my mana signature was. I remembered how ferocious Trafalgar's looked, and how tightly he had kept it, which seemed to be a much more noteworthy feat than I first thought.
I lay there for a few moments, pondering the revelation until a sudden realization washed over me. If I got caught out, he would be the one to hunt me down, alongside six others who were of similar power. I had no time to spare, not when I was seen as such a pitiable existence to a mortal enemy.
I threw the blanket away and stood up despite the nagging pain in my sides ordering me to return to the bed for rest. I threw on my armored leggings, which were ripped in a multitude of places, and threw on my cloak which had been ripped to look more like a mantle, making a mental note to buy new equipment as soon as I could.
I picked up my sword and equipped my necklace before heading out. As I paced down the hall, tying my sword to my waistband, I bumped into a massive man who instantly grabbed my shoulder and spun me around.
"Listen here, you little fucker. I'm not in a good mood, and you've only gone and made it wor-" He stopped as he looked me in my eyes. I looked up, the size difference in height causing me to crane my neck back. He smiled widely and patted my shoulders as he chuckled to himself. As he threw his head forward, I noticed the two horns jutting out of his head. "Just the man I wanted to see! I've looked everywhere for you!"
"Who are you?" I asked, getting sick of meeting new people who seemed to already know me. I noticed the constant flaring and spikiness of the man's brown-red mana signature, as well as his pitch-black eyes that he looked me over with. "I'm Levi Elbrus, C-Rank Hunter who is loo-"
"I know who you are, Levi! I'm Wrath!"
[Name: Envy (Levi Elbrus)
Species: Leviathan.
Level: 18
Magic Skills: Devour, Electric Discharge, Electricity Resistance, Water Manipulation (+5), Web Secretion, Vine Control, Wind Manipulation.
Physical Skills: Transform, Night-Vision, Thick Skin.
Innate Skills: Mountain-Splitter Style Swordsmanship (Advanced), Ancient Blood (Not Manifested) ]