Cruzer barely had time to react. He raised his sword, bracing himself for the impact. The clash of metal on metal echoed through the battlefield as he blocked the heavy strike. The force of the blow sent shockwaves through his arms, sending him flying towards a tree.
The tattooed bandit, whose name was Abas, grinned menacingly. Once a member of Tessa's adventurer party, he had been a level 24 Novice Adept. After betraying Tessa and joining the mysterious young master behind the scenes responsible for today's event, he had advanced to an Adept Mystic.
Tessa noticed Abas and moved to help Cruzer but was blocked by another familiar face—Quinn, a melee-class Mystic. Once a Novice, Quinn had also become an Adept Mystic, and now stood between Tessa and Cruzer.
"Hello Leader, or should I just call you Tessa now?" Quinn started the conversation with a sarcastic tone, a smirk playing on her lips.
"Hmph, I have no words to exchange with you, traitor," replied Tessa, visibly angry. "Don't block me, Quinn. Owing to the fact that I genuinely thought you were my friend, I won't attack you. Begone from my sight before my anger consumes me, otherwise I won't even leave your body behind."
Quinn's smirk widened. "Oh, Tessa, always so serious. But you see, I can't let you pass. Before, I was weaker than you, so I couldn't do the things I wanted to do with you. But now it's different."
She licked her lips as she eyed Tessa with a perverse look on her face. "Don't worry, I won't kill a beauty like you. I will capture you and make you my slave. I'll make sure to play with you to my heart's content," she said, her excitement evident as she spoke, suggesting she thought the matter was set in stone.
Tessa's eyes emitted a cold glow toward Quinn. She then started to laugh, "A weakling like you dares to covet me. Looks like you won't know pain until I show you."
With a swift motion, Tessa cast an Ice Spike spell. The ground around Quinn erupted as jagged spears of ice shot up, aiming to impale her. Quinn reacted quickly, leaping back and avoiding the spikes by a hair's breadth. The ice spears shattered, sending shards flying in all directions.
Quinn's expression twisted with anger. "Even if I want to make you mine, I won't forgive such impudence. You're going to regret that!" she yelled, channeling her mana into her fists. "Earthquake Fist!" She slammed her fists into the ground, causing the earth to tremble and crack. A shockwave rippled outward, tearing up the terrain and disrupting Tessa's footing.
Tessa jumped back, her staff glowing with arcane power. "Frostbite Chains!" she chanted, and chains of ice erupted from the ground, snaking towards Quinn with blinding speed. The chains wrapped around Quinn's arms and legs, their freezing touch sapping her strength and binding her in place.
Quinn struggled against the icy chains, her teeth chattering from the cold. "You think this will hold me?" she spat, her voice trembling. She concentrated her mana, her body glowing with a fierce aura. "Stone Skin!" Her skin turned to a rocky texture, and with a burst of strength, she shattered the ice chains, freeing herself.
Tessa didn't give her a chance to recover. "Flame Burst!" she cried, pointing her staff at Quinn. A torrent of fire surged from the tip, roaring towards Quinn in a wave of searing heat. The flames engulfed Quinn, the intense heat scorching her rocky skin.
Quinn screamed in pain, the fire burning through her defenses. She fell to her knees, her strength drained by the relentless assault. Tessa advanced, her eyes cold and determined. "You're done, Quinn."
Quinn couldn't believe what was happening. She, who had advanced to Adept tier, was still unable to do anything against Tessa, who was a rank lower than her. She couldn't help but remember the day they met.
It was a sunny afternoon in the bustling guild hall, where adventurers of all ranks gathered to take on quests and share stories of their exploits.
Quinn, then a Novice Mystic fresh out of training, had entered the hall with wide eyes, her heart pounding with excitement and nerves. She had heard tales of the legendary adventurers who frequented this place, but she never expected to encounter one so soon.
Tessa had been standing at the center of a group of seasoned adventurers, her presence commanding and graceful. Her long hair flowed like a river of gold, catching the light and making her appear almost ethereal. She spoke with confidence, her voice carrying a warmth and authority that captivated everyone around her.
Quinn's breath caught in her throat as she watched Tessa. It was love at first sight. She admired Tessa's strength, grace, and beauty from that very moment. She remembered how Tessa had noticed her staring and had turned to give her a gentle smile. That smile had sent a thrill through Quinn's heart, igniting a passion and determination she had never felt before.
Determined to prove herself, Quinn had thrown herself into her training, pushing her limits every day. She wanted to catch up to Tessa, to stand beside her as an equal. She took on every challenge, faced every danger, always hoping that one day Tessa would see her as more than just a novice.
Their paths crossed many times after that, each encounter fueling Quinn's admiration and desire. She remembered the time they had teamed up for a particularly difficult quest, how Tessa had saved her from a deadly beast with a swift, powerful spell. Tessa's kindness and strength left an indelible mark on Quinn's heart. They eventually formed party together.
But as the days turned into months, Quinn's frustration grew. No matter how hard she trained, she could never quite reach Tessa's level. Even if both of them were at Novice level, she felt a large chasm separating them.
She was beginining to lose herself, it was then a hope appeared infront of her. She along with her party members were approached by a mysterious figure, offering her power beyond her wildest dreams in exchange for doing some of his dirty work. She had accepted the proposal and when she was away to complete one of his task, her other party members, had decided to finish Tessa.
She was still at dark about the fact that her other teammates had tried to kill her. But Tessa's sudden appearance here meant that she had to fight her no matter what, as the young master would not tolerate her if she didn't do anything. She wanted to defeat tessa and capture her, so as to protect her, was her justification for her actions now.