[Lorraine POV]
"Welcome everyone to your first test here at the Floating Islands of Legacies. For our first test, we ask that you remain in place as you enter the Bubble of Fortitude. As always, this is a bit of advice. Everything is in the mind."
'Everything is in the mind?'
As a wave of confusion spread across the crowd, I see the instructor summon a light blue bow from nowhere and shoot an arrow straight up. Watching the arrow flying far above our heads, the arrow suddenly burst into a shiny ring.
Plop plop plop
As the ring starts to fall from above our heads, it gets bigger and bigger and I suddenly see someone fall over. Before I could react, more people fall over. As panic started to set in, I quickly looked toward the instructor who was walking away from the crows as though it wasn't his problem anymore.
Looking back at Vein, I could see he was already on the ground. Just as I go to take one step toward me him, I see my surroundings that spin as I suddenly black out.
...
"It's been a year, you finally accepted."
'Huh?"
Hearing a very familiar voice that I've heard so many times before, I look up to see the person who the voice belonged to. A lady wearing a red robe.
'Hmmm, it's m-m...mas...what is going on? why is the person in front of me so familiar?'
"What's wrong, kiddo? Don't tell me you're not ready?"
Despite hearing the lady's call in front of me, I look around at the surroundings. A ring of flame surrounded me and the lady. Beyond the fire was simply a blurry fog with figures that I couldn't make out.
"Hey, are you listening?"
"Who, who are you? Where am I?"
"Hmm, kiddo, I'm here to take you as my apprentice. Don't you remember accepting the message just a few minutes ago?"
"NO! I've already accepted a master!"
While everything looked normal in front of me, I felt something was off. Despite my outburst about having a master, I don't remember having one at all. But it felt like there was something deep inside me that just showed itself.
"You already have a master? Well, there no harm in having another."
"Don't take another step forward."
Seeing the lady take a step forward and see a fire lit in her eyes, I quickly get on guard and pull out the sword from my waist. Seeing me brandishing my sword, the lady smiles a bit before a blue sword appears in front of her as well. The sword was thin and sharp, with two edges and a wide hilt.
"Well, I guess I'll show what I'll have to offer as your future master. Power is everything."
...
[Doherty POV]
Boom! Baang!
"Kliffith, what's going on out there?"
"Aye, it's probably nothing. Every once in a while, there is a drunk adventurer who ends up walking into the guild and causes a lot of noise. Hmm, can you grab a small piece of Mythril? In the back."
"Alright."
Stepping over many items in the messy room where Kiffith works at the Craftsman Guild, I walk past the already-opened metal door and open a small bag placed meticulously on a shelf. Opening the bag, I saw a handful of small glowing rocks of different colours. Taking a light blue one, I walk back before tossing the Mythril to him.
"Hey! Be careful with that!"
Quickly dropping his hammer, Kliffith grabs hold of the piece of Mythril and carefully brings it up to his face to inspect it.
"Doherty, even if you've never used it before, you can't just through it around like that. You don't understand how much I had to heckle the higher-ups for just this small bag."
As Kliffith goes to pick up his hammer, I lean against the wall. I let out a bored yawn as I hear more ruckus outside.
"We're not alchemists dealing with delicate flowers and plants. Our materials won't break unless we really try to. Even more so for Mythril, which is known for being almost indestructible."
"Tha's why you're not progressing, you lack the passion-"
Knock! Knock! Knock!
"Branch! Manager!"
Opening the door, a member of staff comes in while holding his bleeding arm. Immediately, a waft of air comes rushing into the room as I smell something that triggers some old memories, blood and smoke.
"Calm down, what happened? How many adventurers was it this time? Have the guards been called?"
Grabbing hold of the staggering
"S-Sir, there are no adventurers! Bandits came! The city is burning!"
"Sh*t."
Clutching the handle of my hammer, I lift it off the ground and put it on my shoulder before dashing out the doorway, not caring that half of it was now destroyed.
Bam! Ark!
Walking through the bloodied and destroyed floor of the guild, I launch a scarred man with a bloodied sword out toward the adjacent building. I run to the entrance of the Craftsman Guild. I stop for a moment upon seeing the utter destruction and blood everywhere.
Tap tap tap tap
Catching up to me, Kliffith puts a hand on my shoulder as he surveils the damages too.
"Doherty!... My lord... the smoke covers the skies. How could this happen?"
"The bandits were pushed too far. The Arsol bandit gang."
Walking up to the scarred man I had just flung, I pull him out of the rumble and rip a small piece of metal off his arm.
"Arsol?"
"Yeah, it's a dumb name, right? Just the name of the leader of the gang. He assimilated with the bandits in the area a few years back. Had to scuffle with him to keep him away from my town. Seeing each of the members has a red piece of metal attached to their forearm."
Booom! Klank Clank!
Flicking the red piece of junk towards Kliffith, we hear a gentle boom along with the sounds of swords clashing. Immediately, I turn toward the sounds but before I could move Kliffith grabs a hold of me again.
"Kliffith, let go."
"Doherty, I just want to caution you. You have a much larger responsibility holding the Creation Hammer. The thieve is still out there."
"I know, I've sworn to guard it with my life. But I have no use waiting here, I have to find my students."
With that Kliffith lets go of me, and I jump onto the roof of one of the buildings and start making my way to battle.
...
[Random Guard POV]
Bang! Boom! Clack Clank!
"Ha ha ha ha! Kaiser! You dirty brat, how do you like your city in ruins? You noble bastard!"
Seeing the maniac a few dozen meters away, I feel goosebumps across my body. Despite us taking down all his men, we couldn't leave a scratch on him. All the while, we were suffering more casualties as he kept throwing these small grey balls that exploded all around him. At this point, we had to result to using our old shields to block us from the damage.
"Great! Just great. We've lost comrades and will get a beating later for it."
Hearing some grumpy mumbles that I've been hearing for a while, I turn to look at the one in charge at the moment. An old veteran of the guards, Herms Felm. Over sixty years old with a constant scowl in his eyes, he's not someone I would ever want to cross.
"Umm, Mister Felm, don't we have anyone stronger?"
Feeling another shiver go down my spine, I look behind me as the rookie poses a question to the scowling man. Going only by the name Eymer, the rookie came about half a year ago from a small town nearby. I haven't seen him much since he was often at training, though rumours say that he's talented.
"Of course we do, but that kid Kaiser decided to bring them all away. How else would this old man take charge? That kid, we don't even have proper weapons and equipment. We're left fighting with antiques, can't even leave a scratch on this guy."
"What can we do then?"
"Wait. There is no point in engaging. The only thing that's being damaged is word and stone, not humans. I order a few people to get weapons from the Craftsman Guild so they should arrive any minute now. Until then, we wait."
"Ok-"
BOOM!
Hearing a large impact behind us, we turn around only to see what I could describe as a giant man approaching us.
"Arsol, where are my students?!"
...
<------------------:+:------------------>
Name: Arsol
Race: Human
Age: 32
Official Titles: ???
Titles: Bandit, Leader, The Mad Noble
Stats:???
Skills:
Explosive Creation: Use mana to create explosives to explode your enemies.
...
<------------------:+:------------------>