Noah extends his hand toward the mutated monster
-Lighting Magic, Electricity Bolt.
A bolt of electricity forms in Noah's hand and he shoots it at the mutated monster but the minster dodges the bolt and immediately retaliates by jumping toward the branch Noah is on. Noah quickly dodges by jumping on another tree's branch.
{Bright}
- What the hell are you doing? Do you think you are a ninja?
- I have no choice. In the tree, because of its big body, its movements are restrained. If I go down there it will be able to move freely.
The monster roars and once more jumps toward the other tree on which Noah landed, but while it's in the air, its claws start glowing red and he swings toward Noah. When the monster swings the claws take the form of a slash made with prana.
- This is a Beast Art! says Noah while jumping off
The tree gets completely destroyed and Noah lands on the ground
- A monster able to use Beast Art means that the monster is at least a silver rank. That also means that it's a threat-level 8 monster at least. says Noah
{Bright}
- You can't fight that, Noah!
- Yes, I can.
{Bright}
- You said "at least" meaning that it's threat-level could be higher, right?
- That doesn't matter if I use my Curse. I will cut down his power. says Noah while running
The monster lands on the ground too and starts running after Noah
{Bright}
- Your Curse can only take out three percent of your opponent's power! Three percent won't make much of a difference right now!
- Maybe it won't but maybe it will. says Noah
{Noah}
" The past has changed again. This is a mutated monster but in my past life, it was supposed to be a new monster. A new monster that I had ways to fight but this mutated monster... I don't know how to fight him, damn it."
{Bright}
- Changes are gonna keep happening whether with want them or not. Some are gonna be good while others are gonna be bad but all you need to do and all you can do is be strong enough to face them.
- I don't think that now is the time for this, Bright. says Noah
{Bright}
- You are right but I can't really help you. Like I said, when it comes to monsters, my brother is the one who knows the most about them.
Noah stops running and turns around. He unsheathes his sword and this time he runs toward the monster.
- Body Of Speed; Lightning
After activating his spell, he jumps toward a tree then he uses the tree as a foothold and jumps in the air above the monster.
- Sunder. says, Noah
His Curse Sigil starts shining and appears in front of his hand then head to the monster's body and then disappears. Noah raises his sword and swings it down while inserting aura into the sword.
- 2 x weight slash!
The slash cuts through the monster's hide and muscle and enters its body. Noah sits on the back of the monster and increases the weight of the sword
- 3 x weight! Plus, Sunder!
Noah's curse appears once more on in front of his hand then heads to the monster's body. When it touches its body the Curse disappears.
- 4 x weight! Plus, Sunder
Noah's curse appears once more on in front of his hand then heads to the monster's body. When it touches its body the Curse disappears.
{Noah}
" This is my limit! I am using too much aura!"
The monster starts running backward and heads toward a tree. It jumps toward the tree with its back first. Before entering in contact with the tree Noah jumps off of it and falls to the ground.
{Noah}
" This is bad. My sword is still stuck on its back with 4 times its original weight. That will slow him down but I can't run forever I am almost out of energy. Should I try to end it with one spell or should I try to go and get some help?"
The monster crouches down and jumps toward Noah but because of the sword and its increased weight, Noah easily dodges its attack by jumping backward. The monster's claws, once more, start shining and he swings his prana claws at Noah. Just as Noah was about to dodge by jumping sideways, his spell Body Of Speed; Lightning runs out and thunder starts appearing around his body and he throws up blood.
- *cough* *cough*
{Noah}
" Damn it! This is the residual thunder from using Body Of Speed; Thunder! I can't move!"
The prana claws that were coming toward him slashed him on his chest and injures him. He throws up some blood again but this time because of the monster attack that landed. Noah falls to the ground but tries to get up while the monster is, slowly because of the sword but surely, advancing toward him.
{Bright}
- Noah! You need to get out of here! Now!
- I would like to but I can't move right now! replies Noah
{Noah}
" WHAT DO I DO!? WHAT THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO DO!? WHY DID THE GODDAMN RESIDUAL THUNDER IN MY BODY KICK IN NOW!?"
The monster that was a few meters away is now right in front of Noah. It slowly raises its paw and when its paw gets all the way up, it swings it down.
{Noah}
"DAMN IT! THIS CANT BE HOW IT ENDS!"
- It isn't. Blade Art; Flying Slash.
A sword slash made of ki flies toward the monster's paw and cuts it in two. Making the monster paw go flying.
- ROOOOAAAARRR! roars the monster
Somebody lands in front of Naoh and that person is none other than the AA-rank adventure rand Gold rank martial artist, Fenrax.
- Are you alright, kid? asks Fenrax
Out of the bushes comes out Abel, Gancelot, and Juliana with Foivos and Mya.
- Are you okay, Boss? asks Abel
- MASTER! yells Gancelot while running toward Noah
The trio plus Foivos arrives next to Noah.
- You just got out of the infirmary this morning! says Juliana
- Take this. says Foivos while handing Noah a mid-health potion. I can't take out a high-health potion without permission from the headquarters.
- It's okay. says Noah while drinking the health potion
Noah's wounds start evaporating but slowly
{Noah}
" This is weird. Because I have demon blood my regeneration speed is higher than humans. If I add the effect of a mid-health potion, I should be healing faster than this."
{Brigth}
- It's probably because of the prana that entered your body through your wounds.
{Noah}
" What does that have to do with my slowed regeneration?"
{Bright}
- A lot. You see, when an energy that doesn't match yours, or a prana that doesn't match your race's prana enters the body, it becomes a poison. That's why, normally, prana cores are always purified before they are ingested. That phenomenon is called energy intoxication.
{Noah}
" So what do I do? Is there a way to cure it?"
{Bright}
- Normally, to cure it you would need to completely empty yourself of energy before the energies start clashing.
{Noah}
" You know I can't do that because of my constitution."
{Bright}
- I don't think you actually need to worry.
{Noah}
" How can I not worry? You just told me that I got poisoned."
Mya extends her hands toward Noah
- Healing Magic; Healing particles.
Green little orbs start floating and entering Noah's body one by one
- You can use healing magic? asks Noah
Mya smiles
- Yes. Are you ok? she asks
- I am fine.
{Bright}
- Might I remember you that you use an energy that birthed from the fusion of all energies, aura? I think that your body will absorb and purify the monster prana without any problem but since it's the first time that it will be doing it, it might take some time. As for your wound, it seems like you don't need to worry. This child healing magic is powerful even more than your nurse.
Mya retracts her hands, wipes off her sweat with her sleeve, and exhales
- That was more tiring than I thought. she says
- Thank you. Noah says while getting up. What about the monster
- It got away. says Fenrax while walking back to the group
- WHAT? you let it get away? asks Noah
- What was that monster, anyway? It's my first time seeing a monster like that. says Fenrax
{Noah}
" Obviously! Mutated monsters didn't exist before. When the Rifts start opening, the demonic prana that was in the Demon Realm will enter this realm and that will affect a lot of things. One of those things is the monsters. Certain monsters will mutate after eating another monster because of the demonic prana."
- I don't know. I was searching for the monster I was supposed to hunt but this one jumped at me all of a sudden. says Noah while walking toward his sword that fell off the back of the monster when he was trying to escape from Fenrax
{Noah}
"Because the monster had just mutated, its powers were unstable which is why I wanted to kill it now. This will bite us in the ass later"
Noah picks up his sword and put it back in its sheath. He stumbles and falls. Gancelot and Abel come to help him get up.
- Are you really okay, Boss? asks Abel
{Noah}
" The residual thunder inside my body is still acting up."
- Sorry, you two. It seems like I will need your help to go back.
- It's okay, master. These days you keep putting yourself in situations where you almost die. The least we can do is to help you with something like this until we get stronger. says Gancelot
Noah looks at Foivos
- What about my results? asks Noah
- I will discuss the matter with Fenrax. You guys can go home the results will be out tomorrow. answers Foivos
- See you tomorrow, Noah! says Mya while waving at him
The group leaves and head to the front of the guild after Noah called Roan
- What is wrong with her? asks Juliana
- What do you mean, sis? asks Gancelot
- She kept clinging to Noah ever since she arrived. she says
- Maybe she likes you, Boss. says Abel
- I mean, no matter how you look at it, master is incredibly handsome. The only reason why the girls in class don't approaches him is because of the air around master that says "Don't talk to me unless I talked to you" and the way he's been acting ever since the start of school. Oh! and let's not forget his personality. says Gancelot
- What do you think about her, Noah? asks Juliana
- I want her to join our squad. says Noah
Abel and Gancelot gasps
- Are we already getting a mistress!? they both asks
- What the hell do you two have in your heads? asks Noah. I felt it when she healed me-
- You fell in love when she healed you!? they both asks
- S H U T U P. says Juliana in a glacial tone that sent shivers to Abel and Gancelot. What do you mean, Noah? What did you feel when she healed you?
- Her healing spell was stronger than Lexie's.
- How is that possible? ask Juliana. Lexie is a healer with four mana hearts.
- When it comes to healing magic, mana heart only determines how long they can keep the healing going and the number of healing spells. Not the quality.
- Then, what determines the quality of the healing? asks Gancelot
- That is something that I don't know. says Noah. I never used healing magic, after all. But wait... where is my brother?
- He received a message and said he had something to do. After that, he left. explains Abel
{Noah}
" He had something to do?"