A sense of euphoria filled Alden as he gazed at the magical shield.
The effort he had put in to study the skill before he departed had not been in vain.
That realisation made his shoulders almost sag with relief.
Before he had left his home, Alden had completed his preparations early and thus found some free time before dinner. Instead of lazing about and idly waiting for the time to pass, he determined the opportunity to increase his combat repertoire was too good to pass up.
Alden began studying [Shield] and [Haste], hoping he could cast them by the time he left. He reasoned that it was better to have them in his arsenal sooner than later, that way they could help him survive longer in the abomination-infested Wilderness.
Alden's comprehension deepened as he flipped through the pages, scrutinising numerous diagrams that illustrated the step-by-step process to activate the skills. However, it still wasn't at the point where he could cast them comfortably during battle.
Sure, he had a few successes here and there.
But until he could use the two skills at will, the young man deemed them ineligible for high-stake combat.
When Celeste had called out that dinner was ready, Alden had reached a precipice in his understanding.
He just needed a little push.
And one… which, eventually came from this life-or-death battle.
Under this exhilarating high, Alden's troubles vanished.
He grinned.
Then, his surroundings seemed to slow.
…Or was it just his perception that had sped up?
Either way, Alden's figure blurred, imbued with [Haste].
The sensation was intoxicating.
Dazzling.
Beautiful…
Alden was brimming with absolute confidence.
He became assured of his victory.
However, it seemed he had underestimated his opponent, for as soon as he had thrust, the mysterious figure reacted in kind, dodging the blow.
With both of them under the effects of [Haste], it had become a battle of speed.
In return for his earlier strike, Alden received a thrust from his opponent's dagger.
The young man evaded the attack, using his elbow to counter-attack quickly.
The mysterious figure parried with one arm, and used the other to inflict a blow.
Alden groaned as he tanked the hit.
He utilised the momentum of the figure's strike to retreat.
Once he gained his bearings, he dove into the fray once more.
When Alden tried to switch it up and kick, that was also blocked.
When he tried to punch with decay, his opponent somehow knew to back off.
And so, just like that, as the seconds passed, both sides were locked in a stalemate.
'Dammit.'
The two combatants finally separated, each retreating to gain some distance.
Their chests rose and fell, their heart rate no doubt as fast as a galloping horse.
'He's good.'
Alden frowned.
Things began to look a little bleak.
Before Alden could think of pouncing any further, though, a ring of fire suddenly wrapped around his foe, encasing them in a protective embrace.
The young man paused.
His features hardened.
Alden wasn't too worried about the flames considering he had the blessing of Fire.
However, the same could not be said for his cloak.
He clicked his tongue.
'How troublesome.'
That was not all.
There was a time limit attached to the usage of [Haste].
If one prolonged its use, they would pay a hefty price - after all, the skill consumed the body's energy and mana at a frightening pace. After a certain point, it would no longer have the fuel to sustain itself, and would thus deactivate.
However, it was best to avoid getting to that stage.
Alden had heard the backlash was unbearable.
Such was the severity of mana and energy deprivation.
'Come on, think.'
As he stared at the ring of flame, the gears in Alden's mind spun.
He was attempting to find a counter.
The only problem was that he had no long-range skills at his disposal - he still needed to learn to use [Dark Tentacles].
'Hmm…'
As he pondered, keeping a wary eye out for sudden movements from the mysterious figure, an idea sparked to life in Alden's brain.
So far, he had only been trying to coat his whole weapon with decay.
But what if, instead of covering the entire dagger, he concentrated on something like the tip?
Certainly, that would be more manageable for his current self.
Tugging at his core, a determined expression appeared on Alden's face. One shrouded beneath the hood of his cloak.
The young man's eyes glinted, a seed of a strategy forming in his mind.
Sensing Ignia's approximate location through their bond - the little bird had been circling their battle from above, blending in with the pitch-black darkness - Alden quickly instructed her on what to do.
Ignia agreed right away.
A small smile made its way onto his lips.
'Alright, let's do this!'
He thought to himself and the phoenix.
She cried back through the bond, seemingly as motivated as he was to bring their opponent down.
The mysterious figure in question, meanwhile, seemed perfectly content to stay within the confines of the fiery boundary.
Alden briefly wondered what it was they were now planning.
His eyes narrowed.
Then, a second later, they widened as a fiery arrow streaked through the air.
Alden moved his body just in time to evade the magically conjured bolt.
Even though he possessed great resistance to fire, he did not want to tank a fire arrow to the face just to see how strong that blessing really was.
'Heh, that would be foolhardy of me indeed.'
Shaking his head, Alden's concentration deepened.
He split his mind into two, one occupied with keeping track of any incoming arrows, while the other focused on his dagger.
Hidden through the frigid gloom, a tenebrous energy slowly formed at the tip of his weapon.
It seemed to suck any minuscule speck of light in, causing the darkness to become deeper and darker.
Then, as his grip on the knife tightened further, Alden drew his arm back to swing.
'Ignia, get ready!'
Adjusting his aim slightly, he launched the dagger into the air.
It shot forward, right into the waiting claws of his familiar as she dove.
He sensed Ignia bypass the fiery boundary from above.
Alden maintained his focus, ensuring the decay on the tip of the knife was still there.
A slip in concentration and the manifested energy would begin to fade, losing the best part of its potency.
Alden could not allow that to happen.
Clenching his fists, he felt the phoenix's emotions spike and the flaming ring flicker.
'Now!'
The young man dashed into the opening, using the last embers of [Haste].
However, Alden found he didn't need to worry, for the fiery circle abruptly went out as soon as he passed.
'Huh?'
Frowning, he hurried towards his bond.
Ignia was perched atop a signpost, staring at the wounded figure - who had a dagger and a gaping hole in his leg.
She raised her beak in the air, exuding an air of superiority.
Alden chuckled and relinquished his control over the tenebrous energy, letting it fade.
After all, he still had some use for the unknown attacker.
It would not do if they suddenly died out.
Walking closer, Alden followed the trail of blood and heard his enemy groan.
A vindictive grin appeared on his face.
Crouching down so that he was at eye-level with his foe, Alden stretched his hand out to clasp the hood of the figure's cloak.
His grin widened.
Then, he pulled the cowl back, and the features of his attacker soon came into view.