The golden sun slowly emerged from the clouds, washing away the threat of darkness. They had survived their first day on the island.
'Damn… my arm.'
Having used his arm as a pillow overnight, his whole body was sore.
Nox didn't get much sleep. Even after extinguishing the fire so as to not alert anything, he had to keep watch for any movement in the dark.
After all, he had to make sure Opal was safe.
Suddenly, a girl dropped out of the sky, yawning and rubbing her eyes. Opal… had transformed back into rune form during her sleep.
'Does that mean I stayed up for nothing?' He frowned. Well, at least this means she'll be safe during the night.'
Doing the best he could, Nox destroyed all evidence of his stay near the pond. Leaving a trail for others to follow could be… bad.
"Opal, you ready?"
The child nodded, seemingly excited over the prospect of an adventure.
Turns out, life had other plans. A few minutes after they began the trek, a loud noise echoed through the forest. A scream. A ray of light pierced through the clouds, signaling the location of the conflict.
'That voice… a women? No, a girl.'
In an elimination-type challenge, it was possible to team up with other challengers to increase your odds of survival. A call for help could very likely be bait. However…
"Stay close to me, this might get a little messy."
Nox was never one to pass up a challenge.
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"G-get away!"
Elysia clenched her staff, launching a concentrated bullet of wind.
It streaked through the air, before coming to an abrupt stop. Slowly unraveling itself, the spell dispersed midair. The silhouette in front of her moved closer and closer, enjoying her panic.
She raised her staff again, this time creating a wall of wind between her and the enemy.
However, the figure moved his hand. An intangible force rippled through the surroundings, disrupting her spell once more.
Anti-magic.
A rare trait found in otherworldly beings. They could disrupt the formation of spells, destroying them from the inside. The trade-off was that the monsters were usually physically weak.
But that would only matter if the spellcaster could get to them in the first place.
The faceless monster lunged at Elysia, narrowly missing and hitting a tree. She stared at the defiled creature in horror as she scrambled to escape.
Letting out a scream, she watched as the ancient tree withered in an instant. The vibrant colors of the leaves drained and decayed. The bark shriveled and peeled off, leaving only a husk behind. If it had touched her, she would've met the same fate.
In a last-ditch effort, she manifested a crystal ball from her consciousness. Shattering it with her foot, an orange liquid spilled out. An intense ray of light rose from the liquid, giving her a sensation of cool warmth. It then expanded into the sky, forming a barrier around her.
'I didn't want to have to use this-'
Elysia clenched her teeth. The relic was one she had received from a previous encounter, and it would erect a barrier that lasted 10 minutes.
Ray of Hope.
A relic of the Exceptional class, capable of protecting tens of people at once. Outside the challenge, it could fetch a large amount of money. But, she didn't have the luxury of being stingy now.
The monster angrily pounded on the barrier. Possessing remarkable strength for a beast with anti-magic, each blow left the shield reverberating.
'Please… someone come. Anyone...'
She paced restlessly inside the relic. Clasping her hands together, she felt her fingers trembling. The girl knew she had to conserve as much strength as possible.
It was supposed to be a wonderful birthday, a day just for herself.
So… how did it end up like this?
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Pushing away the clusters of branches and leaves, the duo made their way out of the forest.
Arriving at an open area, they saw a beam of light shooting up into the clouds. Inside was a black-haired girl draped in an elegant robe. Covered in azure blue, it had thin golden lines running through. A symbol of a mystical green bird sat at the center of her garment, surrounded by miniature jades.
'Anemoi..'
The symbol of the soaring bird was well known in the regular world. Categorized as a royal family, the Constellation: Anemoi was revered by all practitioners of the wind. To be recognized by him meant that one had exceptional talent.
Nox hesitated, reluctant to get entangled with another Constellation. Another shriek echoed through the air, and he made his choice.
Sprinting towards the light, he examined the enemy. A robed figure, covered in black and purple engravings. It repeatedly lunged at the barrier, aiming to rip apart whoever was inside.
'To be able to push a noble to this extent, it must be stronger than it seems.'
"Opal, you think you can hit him?"
The girl collapsed, exhausted from all the running. She looked over with a determined expression.
Moving closer, they were now only 100 meters from the conflict. The perfect range. Noticing the golden rays starting to grow thinner, it was either now or never.
Crouching down behind a tree, Nox concentrated all his energy on Opal.
On the great island of an unconquered planet, a transformation took place. A cascade of shimmering azure energy enveloped the little girl. As the radiance intensified, she started to blur and dissipate into the air around her. She swirled, taking the form of a mystical weapon.
Grasping the handle, he felt the cool sensation of the bow. It gave off a calming, yet powerful energy. From the deepest parts of his consciousness, he felt another transformation taking place.
[The Third myth is being written…]
[The inexperienced boy carried around the regret of a constellation, guiding her through the hardships of the planet. Encountering someone in need, he didn't hesitate to lend a helping hand. Armed with nothing more than a roughly made weapon, Nox stumbled into the nightmare.]
[You will gain slightly more favourability with challengers you meet.]
Picturing it in his head, Nox nicked an arrow on the bow. It was crudely made, with imperfections on the shaft. The tip was chipped and jagged, resulting from being hastily formed.
He let go, getting thrown back from the recoil.
The arrow sliced through the air, gleaming with power. Simultaneously, the golden barrier fully disappeared.
The corrupt mage reached for her, its arm twisting unnaturally. It suddenly turned around and saw the arrow.
Hitting the mage in the chest, the projectile exploded and sent it crashing into the distance. Elysia ran through the cloud of smoke, hurriedly casting multiple spells to enhance her speed.
Arriving near the duo, Nox finally got a good glimpse of the challenger.
She was.. quite beautiful. Her long black hair swirled, being carried by the invisible current around them. Their flowing blue robe was embedded with intricate golden lines, wrapping around her body. Despite her clear exhaustion, she managed to give off an elegant disposition.
"Thank you for helping me, I'm Elysia."
Elysia cheerily reached out her hand, seemingly relieved to finally have some backup.
"I'm Nox, and this is Opal…?"
Though taken aback, he awkwardly shook her hand.
"You named your bow-?"
The caster stepped back, giving him a weird look.
"Listen…"
Hearing a rumbling in the distance, they paused their conversation and looked over. A towering violet beast glared at them, eyes red with rage. It had given up its' mage form, opting for a more… physical confrontation.
Rushing at them with alarming speed, Elysia quickly erected a barrier of wind.
The monster crashed into the shield with thunderous force, sending the duo flying back from the shockwave. The wind, however, still held.
'What powerful magic..'
Magic was divided into six different tiers. From Beginner to Supreme. To be able to stop a rushing behemoth, the barrier must be of the second tier. Adept.
As a testimony to the barrier's strength, Elysia seemed utterly spent.
"I can't keep up the barrier for long!" She warned.
Nox nodded, he would have to be the frontline for this battle.
'Opal, sword.'
Hearing his thoughts, the mystical bow transformed into a sleek, cyan longsword. He felt his energy reserves draining rapidly.
Nox channeled his remaining energy into the blade. Sweat dripped from his face as the familiar responded. Reacting to his call, the dull blade shone with a bright blue hue.
"One blow."
He would finish the monster in one hit.
(Next Up: Interlude: Birthday Girl)