Deep within Nature's Grove.
Inside a small clearing.
A white-haired young man had a look of fascination on his face.
His right hand was outstretched, a tenebrous energy forming over it as he touched the bark of an ancient tree.
However, instead of feeling his skin meet the rough rind… all Alden felt was nothing.
Under his captivated stare, he watched the bark crumble beneath his touch.
The sensation was eerie and unnatural, but morbidly, it made him feel like he was on top of the world.
It filled him with a sense of absolute power. As if he could never be stopped.
Like… the harbinger of death.
Shaking his head slightly, Alden suppressed the hint of dread that had appeared in his heart.
The power to decay…
What a terrifying ability it was.
It was both insidious and utterly harrowing. Lethal and hideous. Destructive and merciless.
Staring at the chunk of rind that disappeared after he touched it, Alden was reminded of the heavy responsibility that came with using his Magic Class.
It was not something that could be abused.
Otherwise, he would be no better than the Defiled prowling the lands in search of some delicious human prey.
Alden's expression turned grim at the thought. Releasing his hold, the young man scanned his surroundings, maintaining utmost vigilance.
He did not want to come across another abomination. Though… as he flicked his eyes to the upper branches of another tree where his bond was perched, Alden mused it would make for an interesting spectacle.
Especially now that he had awakened.
He was slightly curious how he would fare against the Defiled leopard a second time round, armed with the devastating power of the Abyss.
A corner of Alden's lips rose.
He shook his head again, heading towards another nearby tree to practice.
Stretching out his palm, Alden closed his eyes.
He tugged at his navel with some concentration. In response, a warm current travelled from his core, flowing to the tips of his fingers.
Then, under his closed eyelids, he sensed another piece of bark crumble underneath his touch.
Instead of being satisfied, a frown knit Alden's brows.
'Too slow.'
The time it took to activate and use [Abyssal Entropy] was still not fast enough. He needed it nearly instantaneous, in case he had to react to a sudden ambush or fight a deadly foe.
Alden sighed.
'Practice makes perfect…'
He reminded himself that success didn't come straight away.
He had to work for it.
With that in mind, Alden continued to train.
***
Swifty released an audible sigh.
Gazing at the makeshift camp his group had set up, he couldn't help but sigh for a second time.
"I understand why they assign people like me to fight inside the Glacial Belt, but I can't help but think us flame wielders will be more effective here in Nature's Grove. A single spark and this forest will be burnt to a crisp. What'dya think Charmy? Do you agree?"
Whittling away at the branch in his hands, Swifty turned to look at the attractive blonde.
Charmy's golden locks, captivating blue eyes and the pleasant smile on his lips made him very popular with the ladies. So much so that Swifty did not doubt there were more than a few lovesick maidens out there desperately awaiting his return.
He clicked his tongue at the thought, a little envious.
While Swifty's fiery-red hair and matching eyes weren't half bad, they could not hold a candle to Charmy's allure.
The blonde took a moment to mull over his colleague's words.
"Your words are true, but I can also see why the Keeper entrusted those with your power to deal with the Dark Elves. The Zephyr Clan are useless against creatures of frost, after all. Unlike your Ember Clan."
"Still, that doesn't make the cold any better…"
Swifty grumbled.
Charmy merely smiled, keeping up the amiable facade. Only Swifty knew of the monster that lay dormant beneath.
He silently shuddered.
Continuing to whittle away at the branch, Swifty allowed a brief lull in the conversation to surface.
Turning to his left, he gazed at the leader of their expedition. A black-haired man sat on a fallen log, sharpening his small blade.
A menacing scar ran down the side of his face.
Trying not to shiver, Swifty watched as the sparks generated from the whetting stone illuminated the neutral expression on Scar's face in more detail.
The dying fire's shadows also added their own sinister touch to the scene.
Swallowing some saliva, he opened his mouth.
"Scar, how long until we arrive at the Sanctuary?"
As the person with the best navigation skills, the responsibility to lead them home naturally fell on Scar's shoulders.
"We should arrive by tomorrow."
Not bothering to look up from sharpening his weapon, Scar replied indifferently.
Swifty breathed a silent sigh of relief.
The sooner he was inside the Sanctuary's Barrier the better.
The magical boundary was stated to keep out Defiled Titans with ease. Of course, nothing that dreadful had attacked the bastion in a long time.
Still, the barrier's capabilities made Swifty feel a sense of security. Which, to him, was all that really mattered in the end.
Whether it could prevent a Defiled Titan from actually entering the Sanctuary was another matter.
One… he would hopefully never get to witness.
Shaking his head, Swifty thought back to the reason he and his fellow Scouts had been ordered to go into Nature's Grove in the first place.
Apparently, there were more and more Dark Dryads cropping up, to the point where both the Four Clans and the Guilds were beginning to worry.
Something which did not bode well for the humans.
If even the High Command and those responsible for ensuring their safety were troubled, things were beginning to look a little grim.
As such, his group was instructed to document how many Dryads they had come across during their brief forage into the Wilderness. Their findings would help the Four Clans and the Guilds decide whether to send a party of Paladins to eradicate some of these corrupted nature spirits or not.
"...!"
Swifty's neck snapped at the sound of a cry behind him.
His body tensed like a coiled spring.
Slowly, a lone figure stepped forth from the shadows.