The water-foxes moved like liquid shadows, their bodies rippling unnaturally as they darted toward the village gate. Andrew's gaze tracked their movements.
"Andrew," Mella said, her voice sharp, "Their movement is a little issue for me."
"I'll see what I can do."
The archers were still frozen, their fear rendering them useless.
Without warning, he launched himself off the wall, shooting toward the pack. His trajectory was sharp and fast, leaving the guards on the wall staring after him in shock.
"Wait—what are you doing?" one of the archers shouted from above. "You'll be torn apart!"
Andrew glanced over his shoulder. "Really?"
In mid-air, one of the creatures twisted toward him, its sleek body shimmering. A glowing sphere of water formed at its mouth before it launched straight at Andrew. He twisted, trying to avoid it, but the attack hit him square in the side, pain erupting like a flood through his body. His breath caught, but he gritted his teeth and kept his focus.
He fell toward the nearest fox, his sword coming down in a powerful arc. The blade sliced cleanly through the creature, but instead of falling apart, it shuddered, its form rippling.
One of the foxes lunged, its body elongating mid-air as if it were more liquid than flesh. Andrew sidestepped at the last second, his hand darting out to strike the creature hard against its flank. The impact wasn't enough to stop it completely, but it slowed, its watery form rippling erratically as it skidded to a halt.
"Andrew, behind you!" Mella shouted.
He spun, narrowly avoiding another lunge. The creatures were fast, their movements almost too fluid to predict. But Andrew was faster.
He dodged and struck, each blow carefully measured to weaken the foxes without finishing them off.
Finally, he saw his chance. One of the creatures—smaller than the rest—was staggering, its form flickering like an unstable current. Andrew lunged forward, grabbing hold of it with both hands. The creature thrashed weakly, its body splashing droplets of water that evaporated before they hit the ground.
He stole its ability and then cut it in half.
The fox let out a faint, watery hiss before it collapsed, its body disintegrating into a harmless puddle. Andrew staggered back, his hands tingling.
Andrew blinked, flexing his fingers. He could feel the ability coursing through him, ready to be unleashed. He clenched his fist, and a stream of water shot out from his palm, powerful and precise. It blasted a fox.
But there were still more.
Behind him, Mella was already in action. Her iron spears materialized in the air and shot forward, precision and speed combining in perfect harmony. Each one found its mark, taking out one fox after another. A few tried to retaliate, but Mella was relentless. Within moments, the last of the creatures dissolved into harmless puddles.All the foxes were dead.
Andrew pressed a hand against his side where the water blast had hit him. The pain was still there, but he could manage.
The sound of footsteps and murmured voices brought his attention back to the wall. The guards, previously skeptical and hostile, were now climbing down, their expressions a mix of awe and disbelief.
"You saved us," one of them said, his voice trembling. "Both of you... you're incredible. Are you—are you sent by the gods?"
Another guard stepped forward, his glowing tattoos dimming as his weapon lowered. "We owe you everything. If you hadn't intervened, those things would've torn through the village."
Andrew frowned. "Gods? What are you talking about?" He gestured toward the dead water foxes, noticing they wasn't dissolving like they usually did. "Haven't you seen anything like this before? Or people with abilities?"
The guards exchanged confused glances. One of them hesitated before speaking. "Abilities? No… not like that. The creatures are bad enough, but you—you're beyond anything we've ever seen."
Andrew's brow furrowed as he turned to Mella. She looked just as confused.
"They don't know about the system," she said softly. "Or anything like it."
"No damn way..." Andrew looked back at the guards, trying to process what they'd said. It all made sense now—the way they'd reacted to the creatures, their fear, their inability to fight back. "No wonder those things were such a big deal to you. You've never had to deal with anything like that, have you? Not to mention, you have nothing to fight back with."
The guards shook their heads, still staring at him and Mella like they were otherworldly beings.
Before Andrew could say more, a notification appeared before his eyes.
[Congratulations! You have successfully defended 1% of the world Aellar. Return to Earth is now available.]
The message hung in his vision. Andrew stared at it, a mix of satisfaction and confusion bubbling inside him.
One percent. Just one. The implications hit him like a tidal wave. If he was meant to reach 100%, that meant countless battles like this one—and even tougher ones—awaited. And that was just for this world. How many more worlds could there be?
He exhaled, looking over at Mella, who seemed lost in her own thoughts.
"Hey," he said, walking toward her. "I've got a way back to Earth."
She raised an eyebrow. "What how?"
Andrew held out his hand. "Just take my hand. If we're in contact when I go, I think it'll bring you along too."
Mella nodded, glancing back at the guards who were still watching them.
Her hand slipped into his. "Alright. Do your mysterious thingy."
Andrew tightened his grip.
He then waved at the guards. "See you. Hopefully, we will see you all again."
Andrew accepted the System's offer, and the world around them dissolved in an instant. The ground vanished beneath their feet, replaced by a swirling vortex of light and shadow. A moment later, they landed with a heavy thud on solid ground.
The air was different—cooler.
They were no longer in the village. Instead, they found themselves in a vast open field, the horizon stretching endlessly in every direction.
Andrew and Mella sat there in silence for a while.
"What the hell did we just stumble into?" Mella finally said.
Andrew let out a humorless laugh, leaning back against the grass.