"To overcome death itself."
Leif's voice was calm and collected despite the fact that they were already surrounded by the forces of goblins. His bright smile against the predicament they faced was like an undying inspiration for Shiva to not lose hope.
"You make it sound so easy but... There are almost fifteen of them here - maybe more," Shiva stated. The beat of his heart palpitated. His hands shook uncontrollably in extreme nervousness.
"Can you still throw like the one you did earlier?" Evading to respond to Shiva's worries, Leif posed him a question instead.
"I can still manage," affirmed Shiva.
The standoff continued. Slowly, the group of goblins closed in on the duo. In front and on both of their sides, the goblins blocked their path.
With the shores of the sandy beach open behind them, Shiva thought of escaping their encirclement.
"Why don't we escape behind?"
"No - that's probably the worst decision we could ever make," answered Leif.
"Then this engagement is unavoidable... isn't it?" Leif nodded to agree with what Shiva had said.
His feet brought him a few steps forward, again taking the vanguard position. Brave. The back of him felt quite big for a moment to Shiva's eyes.
He approached the dismembered body of the hobgoblin on the ground.
"Physis."
[
Name: Leif Twilight
Host Title: -altering- (time left: 28:33)
Health: 28 / 30
Mana: 11 / 12
Strength: 7
Defense: 3
Dexterity: 5
Insight: 8
Agility: 10
Ability Arts: 2
Skill Styles: 2
]
His Physis panel again showed up, but this was not what Leif was looking for. He was aiming to access something... A skill. His unusual ability that he couldn't use earlier this morning.
"View Ability Art: Necro-Sylvan Conjuration"
[
Fallen Leaf Art: Necro-Sylvan Conjuration (Incomplete)
(conditional mana usage)
"Live." Engulf the dead with the lifeforce of nature and turn them into a treant of the same species. Acquire a Sylvan Revenant under your command.
Sylvan Revenants: 0/1
# Needs "Domain Rights" to complete the ability.
]
"This is like an almanac, Leif... Why can't you activate it." Leif whispered to himself. He started a monologue with his thoughts, a quick brainstorming. It was a reckless idea to do for he fronted the enemies before him.
"It doesn't respond when I call it... Is it because it's still incomplete? Or maybe... I'm using it wrong?"
He read the information laid before him on the floating panel as fast as he could. His eyes gazed swiftly. From left to right. Again and again. Until he noticed a single word emphasized in the description.
"Is that word supposed to be enclosed... and be emphasized?" he thought to himself.
The floating panels before him disappeared, and now his attention was solely focused on the remains of the foe he had slain earlier.
"They're almost upon you Leif!" Shiva shouted behind.
"GRAAAAAGGHHH!!" In unison, all of the goblins charged at Leif. Their crazed faces... were disgusting. It displayed a horror sight as they, altogether, closed in fast on him.
Shiva thought Leif was being reckless again, now he couldn't even save him even if he threw the blade on his hand and killed one enemy. But before the enemy blades could reach Leif, he muttered a single word.
"Live."
*** The Rise Of Sylvan Revenants ***
WHOOSH!
A powerful force originating at the top of the hobgoblin's corpse went off. It traveled like sound as it expanded in a circular manner, pushing away everything around like a hurricane - except Leif who remained standing near it. Even Shiva at the back was blown back a bit and the force blinded his eyes for a moment.
Everything happened in an instant - the goblins who went for Leif were down on the ground, dazed.
The green panel again prompted Leif about a piece of new information.
[
Nero-Sylvan Conjuration found suitable hosts.
Tier 1 - Hobgoblin
(10 mana consumed)
]
After it appeared, Leif's eyes widened. For a split second, his wits knew something was going to happen to him. An experience from the past.
Like floating in the air, Leif suddenly felt dizzy. A sharp sense of being lightheaded weakened him for a moment. It almost brought him down to his knees. Shiva, standing near the scattered blades in the distance, saw how he nearly lost his balance.
"Leif! Are you okay!" he shouted.
But before Leif could answer him, something else caught his attention. An unusual light. A glowing green orb started to float atop the hobgoblin's body. The pieces of limbs and the head on the ground slowly floated in the air and became enveloped in green light. Like a whirlpool, the parts were sucked in by the orb.
"What is that!" Horrified. Shiva again shouted in the distance.
The orb then started to materialize something. It started with a clump of brown-like matter that quickly accumulated and formed the shape of a human. It became bigger and bigger - even taller than Leif who stood near it.
Its head, torso, hands, and legs became more accented as time passed. Like the birth of something. A mysterious sight. It took the form of the hobgoblin earlier once it was alive. Cracks began to manifest in its whole body and the faint luminosity of a green substance started to manifest through those cracks.
Finally, the outermost skin of the mysterious creature started to harden. It became wrinkled and detailed. Like the bark of an old tree, its skin began to become thicker and pronounced a bulkier build throughout its whole body. The faint light seeping through the cracks in its body intensified the dark-oak color of its tree-like skin.
What once the long hair of the hobgoblin was replaced with tangled vines flowing freely at the top of its head. Its eyes shone with much brilliance - green light almost as captivating as an emerald itself. The aura of life and nature overflowed around this creature - as if like a living tree mimicked the shape of a hobgoblin.
[
Conjuration complete!
Total Sylvan Revenant conjured: 1
Tier 1 - Hobgoblin
]
"You don't need to tell me, Physis... I can see it... right in front of me."
"Wawawawawa... What the hell is that thing? Get away from it, Leif!" Shiva exclaimed. His voice trembled in terror at the sight of such an abomination. Despite the absolute fear that he felt, his loyalty prevailed - shooting the sylvan revenant with a dagger to defend his teammate. The dagger successfully struck the back of the revenant's head.
The gritty sound of dirt being ground sounded off as it turned around towards the direction of who threw the knife at it. Its unusual form creeped out Shiva who was watching at the distance - the revenant's stare when it focused on him almost made Shiva run for his life.
The revenant looked down and grabbed a handful of dirt. Molded like mud, it became a dense ball of soil. The revenant held it firmly in its hands as it looked back at Shiva.
When the revenant posed its right arm and arched it backward, the two knew immediately what was about to happen. Its target... was Shiva.
"Yikes!" A scream full of fear escaped Shiva's lungs as he tried to hide behind the trunk of a palm tree nearby.
"No! No-no-no-no-no... no!" The revenant paused and maintained its form for a moment. It turned its head towards Leif, and its sudden response made the young man back off a single step.
Leif lifted his trembling arms and pointed them at one of the goblins in the distance, seated on the ground. The revenant looked in the direction he pointed to. Its eyes stared right at the said goblin. As the poor, little goblin sat on the ground, trembling in fear, the revenant continued to intimidate it with a direct gaze.
The revenant then turned its body around towards the direction of its new, designated target. Its left foot stomped forward as it again arched its arm with the ball of soil. Released with a swing that cut through the air, the ball traveled so fast. Its destination was the goblin immobilized by fear on the ground.
Helpless, the monster couldn't help but watch the last few seconds of its life as the ball of soil rapidly flew toward its head.
THWACK!
Splattered, the ball of soil chipped away the upper part of the goblin's head. The goblin's brain spewed out, bursting like fresh innards. As life escaped its body, the goblin slowly fell to the ground. That's one less enemy for Leif and Shiva.
Thrilled at the sight of his new power, Leif couldn't contain his excitement. A new way to win unraveled before him. All it took... was a single command.
"Slay them all!" Roared, Leif unleashed his new command at their new ally. Betraying its bulky build, the revenant was quite quick on its wild movements. It charged in like a bull - rampaged like what it once was when it was alive. Every sway of its arms sent a goblin flying. Few were too unfortunate to die at the soles of the revenant's feet as it crushed their body.
SPLUCK!
The sound of a dagger as it hit someone's flesh took the attention of Leif on his side. It was a goblin. Almost struck him at his flank without him realizing, the goblin fell dead before him.
"Careful!" Shiva shouted at him from a distance. He was back in action despite the injury on his left arm. Struggling with the pain, he continued to offer what support he could for his vanguards.
The presence of his friend behind him filled Leif with a whole new strength. A sense of safety. Realized, a foreign idea came before him. "I'm not alone anymore," he mumbled under his breath.
His eyes glanced back at the revenant he conjured earlier. It was a sight of an underdog tanker. Fought like a madman, soloed every hit of the enemy weapons that went at it. Pounded, and striked endlessly, yet it baffled every goblin on the ground in return. If not, pulverize them under its steps.
A few goblins found their death with knives and daggers planted at their bodies. The ranger's outdone himself. Shiva, with his exceptional accuracy and precision, safeguarded the two in the back line.
Leif was still silent in the middle of the chaos. The cries of agony the goblins exclaimed rang in and out of his ears, but his attention was untouched.
His heart was very overwhelmed - new feelings swelled upon him endlessly for the first time. The feeling of guilt that his unattentive senses almost killed his friend earlier. The feeling of pride as he enabled a mysterious ability within him. The feeling of overwhelmed by the enemy, and successfully countered them.
Most of all, the mysterious feeling of having allies around him to which he never had before. His wits couldn't grasp what it was, but it knew that it was there.
"What am I doing..." his senses snapped back to reality.
His hand quickly grabbed a green vial inside of his waist bag. Drank in one gulp, the fluid inside was consumed. His mana, once again, was regenerated.
Surged with a new strength, his feet began to move forward. The leaf sage was back in action.
"Leaf Art: Milena."
Upon summoning his ever-trusty leaf, Leif whispered something to the air. "I'm not used to this thing but... It's not so bad at all."
.
.
.
"Allies huh..."