As we continued our journey towards the south, I found myself marveling at the sheer beauty of this world, far beyond what I had imagined. Vast grassy fields, towering snowy mountains, majestic waterfalls – the landscapes seemed endless. Amidst our travels, we chanced upon a small village situated within the territory of Zunish. We decided to take a brief pause and stop there for a while. To avoid drawing too much attention, I cleverly concealed my metallic form with wooden planks, creating the appearance of an ordinary carriage.
Knowing that Esha hates humans, she decided to remain inside my cabin. I also cast a basic barrier within my engine to lessen it's the noise, ensuring a lower profile. Meanwhile, the elves pulled up their hoods, effectively concealing their distinct ears – the primary feature that set them apart from humans.
This bustling village thrived with various vendors, given its strategic location between the kingdoms of Zunish and Sepyon. Traders frequently passed through this route as their main thoroughfare, transforming the village into more of a bustling market than a typical residential area.
Ishi headed straight to a blacksmith's stall, while Esha ventured off to purchase some food. It was intriguing to note that the currency used in the human continent was rather unique and unfamiliar. Instead of conventional coins or paper money, they employed tiny spheres as their means of exchange for goods and services. These spheres came in five distinct variations. There was a brown matte type, which appeared to hold less value, followed by a white, shiny sphere. Then came the black, blue, and red spheres, with the red ones seemingly carrying the highest value.
Interestingly, gold served as the universally accepted international currency, mainly due to the differing local currencies across various continents.
Esha and I decided to leave the bustling village for a while, choosing to wait for Ishi and Asha while also dedicating some time to practicing sorcery.
-- Listen, metallic junk, to successfully control your mana, you must halt the mana flow in your hands once you've reached the desired amount for your intended use. Give it a try. --
I opened my palm, allowing the mana to stream from my engine into my hands. For a brief moment, my hands glowed, emitting a gentle blue light. However, in the next instance, the hue shifted to red and then to black.
Esha's response to this unexpected outcome was swift and decisive – a slap on my cabin.
-- Not like that! You should halt the flow once you see the blue light. --
- I see, let me try again. -
I attempted once more, allowing the mana to stream into my hands. This time, as the blue light began to manifest, I swiftly ceased the flow. The glow was present, but it appeared slightly darker.
Esha stared at me intensely, her eyes reflecting a mix of curiosity and skepticism.
- WHAT!? RED IS BETTER THAN BLACK, ISN'T IT!? -
-- No! It's still far from ideal. If you intend to use sorcery effectively, you must learn to control the quantity of your mana. If you can't manage that, then you might as well give up. --
- Alright, let me try again. -
Once again, I guided the mana flow into my hands, making sure to halt it before it reached its usual intensity. This time, the resulting blue glow was indeed darker, hinting at a measure of success.
- So, Esha, what do you say now? Who's the better student here? -
-- Shut up, scrap heap. You're the only student here. Since you released a smaller amount of mana compared to the last time, now try to visualize the specific element you wish to control. --
I immediately refocused on the water element, and once again, a smaller mass of water materialized in front of my hand. This time, I directed my attention to a nearby rock. In order to propel the water and make it shoot, I allowed mana to flow into my hands, replenishing the energy, and then transferred that mana into the water ball.
With the mana-infused water ready, I aimed at a large rock and released the water projectile. The water surged through the air with considerable force, striking the rock and causing it to explode on impact.
Suddenly, a group of twelve mounted men appeared on the scene, galloping toward us. Abruptly, they halted about three meters away from our position. One of the men removed his helmet, his gaze fixed on us as he began to speak.
--- I am Julius, a knight of the Zunish Kingdom. I demand that you reveal your identity at once! ---
Esha remained still, refusing to budge. Observing this, Julius raised his hand, signaling one of his men to approach Esha. Slowly, a soldier advanced toward her, drawing his sword as he went. Despite the threat, Esha remained motionless. The soldier boldly reached out and pulled down her hood, revealing her elven features.
-- An elf!! -- the soldier exclaimed in surprise.
In response, Julius signaled for the soldier to capture Esha.
--- Elves aren't common in this area, Your existence is quite suspicious, By the power bestowed upon me, you are under arrest by Destroying the mountain of Evac, and killing 25 member of Royal guild!! ---
The soldier moved to seize Esha, a dramatic turn of events unfolded. A massive stone spike suddenly emerged from the ground, impaling the soldier through his body. The soldier's agonized screams filled the air as blood flowed from his wound onto the ground.
Julius and his fellow soldiers unsheathed their swords, forming a menacing circle around Esha. Their hostile intentions were evident.
-- A typical elf, you must die! -- Julius declared vehemently.
As tension filled the air, Julius extended his arm and began to chant an incantation.
--- Beneath moon's bane, your fate entwined, by my words, your power confined, NOW BIND!! ---
Confusion swept over me as I struggled to comprehend the situation.
- What the hell is this guy talking about!? -
At that moment, Alex intervened with an explanation.
--- Those are chanting spells. Unlike elves and demons, humans and orcs require chanting spells to wield sorcery. Human sorcery is essentially borrowed power from ancient gods, as they lack the innate ability to control their own mana. While the use of magic appears similar, humans and orcs need to cast spells through chanting. For instance, an elf can create a tornado by manipulating their natural mana by releasing it and swirl it into the air, while a human would need to chant a spell to create a tornado automatically. ---
Understanding began to dawn on me as I processed the explanation.
-- I see, thanks.. -- I muttered, absorbing this newfound knowledge.
After Julius cast his spell, I noticed that Esha remained still, seemingly unable to move. As Julius commanded his soldiers to approach and capture her, I decided it was time for me to take action.
Swiftly, I grabbed one of the soldiers using my mechanical arm and hurled him back towards the others. The wooden planks that had previously concealed my metallic form fell away, revealing my true form. Julius's expression shifted to one of surprise as he beheld my metallic body.
-- Ah, it all makes sense now. The metallic monster that destroyed the Viridis Forest and the three elves who escaped from the Azteroth. Capturing them would surely secure my promotion. --
He whispered to five of his soldiers, who promptly turned and hurried back towards the village. Julius once again began to cast a spell, directing it toward me. Despite his efforts, I didn't feel any impact from his spell. Unperturbed, he commanded his soldiers to attack.
Seizing the opportunity, I started my engine, its noise jarring the soldiers and causing them to momentarily falter. I swiftly grabbed Esha and propelled myself forward, aiming to escape their encirclement. Julius appeared utterly taken aback.
-- HOW CAN YOU MOVE AFTER I CAST MY SPELL!! --
With a determined tone, I retorted,
- Your spell was weak. -
Julius's frustration was palpable as he shot back,
-- WHAT DID YOU SAY!! --
Julius tightened his grip on his sword and swiftly launched an attack, striking my metallic body. I accelerated forward, and he spurred his horse to give chase. As his horse closed in on my rear, I abruptly halted and shifted into reverse, causing the back of my body to collide with his horse. The impact threw the horse off balance, and Julius was thrown from the saddle, hitting the ground hard.
With Julius now grounded, Esha regained her freedom of movement and wasted no time launching an attack against him. His men, however, began to retaliate against Esha's assault. This presented an opportune moment to put my newfound sorcery skills to the test.
I extended my hands towards the soldiers, channeling my mana into a focused water ball that materialized within my palm. Catching Esha's eye, she nodded, and quickly withdrew. With a forceful motion, I propelled the water ball towards the soldiers, its aggressive speed causing a near-instantaneous impact. The soldiers were struck with such force that they met their demise almost immediately.
Julius, witnessing the fate of his men, turned his gaze from their fallen forms to me. In desperation, he cast a spell towards himself which seemingly boosted his speed and strength.
With a surge of speed and newfound strength, Julius launched a fierce assault against me. Reacting swiftly, I accelerated forward, our collision causing a resounding impact. He thrust his sword towards a gap in my bumper, using his own body to halt my advance.
In response, I employed my mechanical arm to seize him and flung him away, giving us some breathing room. Quickly aiming my gatling gun at him, I unleashed a barrage of bullets. To my astonishment, Julius's agility enabled him to nimbly evade and outmaneuver my relentless fire.
Meanwhile, Esha displayed her formidable swordsmanship, combining her attacks with strategic spellcasting. The intensity of her assault only grew, adding to the chaos of the battle.
In an unforeseen turn of events, the five soldiers who had disappeared into the village abruptly reemerged, now joined by local village guards who appeared to be aiding Julius.
As the battle's intensity continued to mount, a massive number of adventurers emerged on the horizon, led by none other than Lingzhi, the red-haired witch.
She rode atop a majestic dragon-like creature, a symbol of her commanding presence on the battlefield....