The blade moved at the speed of sound, aimed directly at Kael as he deftly dodged the attack meant for his head. Looking around, he was surprised not to see anyone. He felt no presence and Alexa did not alert him.
"Something must be amiss,"he thought to himself as he quickly bent down to avoid the same blade passing over his head. It was a star blade, gleaming brightly.
Kael let out a breath when he straightened up, caught off guard by the unexpected assault. Who would anticipate a blade moving backward and then forward? He turned his head to see if there was a reason the blade rebounded towards him, but found none.
As he shifted his gaze, another star blade approached from the left. narrowly evading it, though it left a small cut on his lower abdomen. Holding his stomach, he scanned the area to find dozens of blades surrounding him.
"Who are you? Show yourself!"he demanded angrily, but received no response. The blades advanced slowly towards him, no longer a joking matter. If he activated his Ultimate Predator Skill, he wouldn't be able to catch all the blades at once, so he decided to use the All Crushing Skill.
"ALEXA: ACTIVATE THE ALL CRUSHING SKILL. ALL CRUSHING SKILL ACTIVATED."
Upon hearing Alexa's command, the blades were destroyed, and Kael sensed an entity behind him. Turning around, a force pushed him backwards, causing him to lose his balance and fall to one knee. Looking up, he saw a being standing in the air. Her aura was unlike anything he had ever encountered before.
Her flawless skin and flowing green hair cascaded down her back. Clad in a white garment adorned with green floral patterns and a veil draped around her neck, she stood with her hands clasped together and eyes closed. Kael surmised she must have been the one controlling the blades.
Frowning, he rose to his feet, feeling more empowered. He refused to be intimidated by a radiant lady levitating in the air. Before he could utter a word, she charged at him, fingers aimed straight at his throat. Surprisingly, he did not see her approach. Fortunately, Alexa managed to activate the Shadow Manipulation Skill, causing him to vanish and reappear in front of a tree.
Before he could react, his limbs were bound to the tree, and he looked up to find the young lady standing before him. Her calm demeanor while he struggled to break free only fueled Kael's frustration.
"ALEXA: ALERT. THE ENTITY YOU FACE IS A RANK TWO NEXUS MAGE."
"Rank two,"he scoffed, "and she's treating me this way."He screamed out in his mind. After a, he's a rank four celestial novice.
ALEXA: YOU MISQOUTED ME. SHE'S A RANK TWO NEXUS SERVANT.
"Nexus Servant?"He looked up only to receive a punch that sent him crashing his head against the tree. The once serene young lady now appeared fierce as she prepared to deliver another blow.
His head collided with the tree once more, causing blood to trickle from his nose.
"What have I done to deserve this?"He inquired, attempting to free himself from the branches binding his limbs to no avail.
At the mercy of this peculiar woman exuding a murderous aura, he watched as her emerald fingers elongated, pointed menacingly at his face. It seemed she was on the verge of gouging out his eyes. 'Alexa, you must intervene.'
'Maybe I shouldn't rely solely on Alexa.' The notion wandered through his mind as the specter of death loomed in his gaze. Clenching his fists and gritting his teeth, he managed to break free from the branches and collapsed to the ground, his face meeting the dust.
Furiously, he rose to confront the youthful woman. "I do not know who you are or what you seek from me, but you will pay for making me doubt my strength."
After concluding his extensive sermon, he aggressively approached the young lady, attempting to strike her with a punch that she adeptly evaded. Undeterred, he then attempted another punch, only to have her skillfully grasp his fist and throw him to the ground.
Despite his physical prowess, Kael soared through the air uncontrollably until he collided with the tree, jolting his back. The elixirs he had ingested were fortifying his body, shielding him from any pain. Rising to his feet, he confronted the woman, a scowl etched on his face.
He detested appearing childlike in her presence, despite possessing a multitude of skills. She hovered above the ground, rendering his Earth manipulation powers useless. "Why did you eliminate Aethralis?"she inquired.
Her voice, soft and melodious, caused his mind to whirl. He was taken aback by the revelation that this woman exuded such a menacing aura. "Aethralis.. Who is that?"Kael asked, his confusion provoking the woman's anger once more.
Her demeanor shifted as she clenched her fists, fixing a stern gaze on Kael. "Enough!"Her command reverberated through the forest, triggering the ground to tremble. Roots and vines burst forth from the earth, ensnaring Kael's limbs and constricting tightly around him. He struggled, feeling his vitality being drained.
With a flick of her wrist, the guardian summoned ancient trees, their branches forming a barrier around them. "You defiled Aethralis' sanctuary," she said, her eyes glowing with an otherworldly light. "For that, you will pay dearly."
Kael gritted his teeth, feeling his energy drain as the roots tightened "I don't even know who Aethralis is!" he shouted, his voice hoarse.
"Enough lies!" she hissed, raising her hand. "Spirit of the ancient woods, heed my call. Grant me the strength to vanquish this defiler!"
Green light enveloped her as the forest responded, imbuing her with power. Kael's eyes widened as he felt the oppressive force of her magic. He couldn't rely on Alexa for this. He had to find a way to counter her. Kael relaxed his mind when he channel his inner strength, he summoned the Earth Manipulation Technique, but with a twist. Instead of bending the earth to his will, he sought to harmonize with it. He felt the roots around him hesitate, as if recognizing his intent.
He was freed and this provoked the young lady to frown."Spirits of the inferno, heed my call. Ignite the heavens, scorch the earth. Inferno's Embrace!" She chanted loudly and a wave of destructive fire heads towards Kael.
"The consummate skill of the ultimate predator: Devourer," Kael intoned as his amethyst mist engulfed the raging inferno, dissipating it back into his palms.
"I underestimated you... You pose a significant threat to this woodland. I should have terminated you from the outset," the young woman remarked as she coalesced verdant energy into a spherical form within her grasp.
"Reveal your identity," Kael inquired, clenching his fists in anticipation of the impending confrontation.
"I am the guardian of Aethralis, the forest which you callously obliterated in pursuit of your avarice," she retorted before swiftly propelling the emerald orb towards him.
The projectile struck Kael with such velocity that he was unable to evade it, resulting in his body being hurled several meters away upon impact. Although he was numb to the physical pain, the sound of his bones fracturing reverberated as he struggled to rise.
Realizing his inability to stand upright, Kael discerned the woman's presence behind him, her hands poised at the nape of his neck. With force, she slammed his visage against the earth, lifted him aloft, and cast him skyward as she ascended, arms outstretched towards the heavens.
"Spirit Magic: Cane of Tribulation," she intoned as a powerful energy surged downward, driving Kael to the ground. Undoubtedly, he experienced the impact, and were it not for his physical fortitude, his very essence might have been shattered.
"You possess great strength, however, this is where it concludes,"she declared, forming intricate hand gestures as Kael struggled to rise but ultimately collapsed on the ground. With a myriad of skills at his disposal, he found himself uncertain of which one to utilize.
"Perhaps I shall request Alexa to analyze the intricacies of my skills,"he pondered, exerting pressure on the ground with his hands.
"Spirit magic: Sword of Aethralis,"she intoned, summoning a verdant sword brimming with energy into her grasp. Without hesitation, she charged towards Kael, aiming for his head. In response, Kael exhaled a toxic mist into the air, compelling her to halt midway and shield her nose to avoid inhaling the poison.
Seizing the opportunity, he rose to his feet and executed intricate hand gestures, conjuring a frigid orb in his hands.
"Elf magic: Glacial explosion,"he recited, propelling the ice sphere towards her as she advanced, cleaving through the orb which detonated in all directions. Simultaneously, her sword veered towards Kael's neck, only to be intercepted by a fiery projectile that sent her crashing forcefully to the ground.
"Earth manipulation: The initial manifestation."
As he incanted, the Earth split beneath her, ensnaring her legs while Kael approached her with a smirk adorning his countenance.Despite her efforts to extricate herself from the ground, she was unsuccessful, as Kael crouched directly before her."I am at a loss for words, but I never harbored any intention of decimating this forest. My sole desire is to get healthy,"he articulated, gazing directly into her eyes.
His mind was inundated with a myriad of thoughts. An urge to devour her and thereby augment his power began to consume him. She could discern the murderous intent in his dark eyes, which abruptly transitioned to a pleading expression.
"I shall leave you here... Fear not... I trust that you shall be released once I have distanced myself adequately,"he declared, rising to his feet.
A sensation of a presence behind him gripped him, and upon swiveling around, a paw struck his visage, propelling him to the ground and causing him to lose consciousness beside the young lady, who smiled upon seeing the wolf.
It emitted a resounding growl, the sound resonating through the forest. Towering and more formidable than an ordinary wolf, its glistening white fur and razor-sharp teeth were striking. Its elongated claws excavated the Earth, extricating the young lady. It was no ordinary wolf; it was a werewolf.
The young woman gracefully bowed before him. "I am immensely grateful for your intervention, Great Liam, even though the crewture harbored no malicious intentions towards me,"she expressed with deep admiration. "I am certain he possesses a valid reason for his actions towards Aethralis."
The werewolf's amber eyes flickered as he locked gazes with the young woman. "Fear not, Tyran. I shall take him to the village upon his awakening. He will provide an explanation. Should his response prove unsatisfactory, I shall rip out his head from his body,"he declared.
"So be it, Great Liam."
To be continued...
To be continued..