The knights are struggling against the constant attacks of the fire soldiers.
Exhaustion looms over them as they fight to defend their kingdom.
I know I can help, but my current situation is complicated.
The executives are watching my every move, making it difficult for me to use my magic.
But I won't let their disapproval stop me.
I call upon the winds, silently casting my Summoning Spell: Zephyr.
Three invisible warriors of wind appear, ready to aid the knights in their battle.
"Attack the fire soldiers, make them lose their balance," I command Zephyr.
With lightning speed, the warriors unsheathe their swords and engage in battle.
The fire soldiers are caught off guard, their backs and legs quickly damaged by the swift strikes of the wind warriors.
As they struggle to maintain their balance, the knights are able to mount a more effective counterattack.
The winds howl and the air fills with the sounds of swords clashing and bodies falling.
The fire soldiers and knights are unaware of the source of the sudden gusts, too focused on the chaos of the battle.
As time passes, the fire soldiers begin to weaken under the onslaught of the knights and wind warriors.
Half an hour later, the battle comes to an end with the fire soldiers defeated and their flames extinguished.
Only the bodies of goblins remain.
"We have emerged victorious!" Erlan exclaims with pride.
The archer and swordman join in, congratulating each other on their hard-won victory.
Zephyr had successfully completed their task and it was time for them to return.
I glanced around, making sure no one noticed the way I called back my summoning spell.
The healer's gaze lingered on me, silent and curious.
I didn't want to raise suspicion, so I summoned back my wind warrior.
Even though I had successfully summoned back my warrior, the healer continued to watch me with suspicion.
She even started to approach me, clearly wanting to ask me something about my summoning spell.
Before she could reach me, Avyanna stepped in, firmly halting the healer's advance.
"The Knights are injured. We should focus on healing them first," she stated firmly.
"The monster is already dead. I need to confirm something with Alstair," the healer protested, still curious about my summoning abilities.
"We still have a long way to go on our main mission. Let's focus on preparing ourselves first," Avyanna's concern was evident in her tone.
"You're right, Laura. Let's heal our comrades before those fiery monsters come back," Erlan intervened.
"Fine," the healer let out a long exhale before returning to tend to the injured knights.
Avyanna smiled at me, her silent acknowledgement of my secret summoning abilities.
She gave me a thumbs up, signaling that the executives were still unaware of my powers.
I breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that we had survived the attack of the fire-spirited monsters.
But the source of their power remained a mystery.
My best guess was that it came from the elves hiding in the cave within this forest.
Perhaps they used their arcana spells, similar to my summoning spell, to transform the defeated goblins into fiery monsters.
Fighting against the elves meant being cautious of their powerful spells.
I had to be careful.
The setting of the forest was still and quiet, providing a stark contrast to the chaos that had just ensued.
The only sound was the soft rustling of leaves in the gentle breeze.
But I knew that danger still lurked in the shadows, waiting for us to let our guard down.
I vividly recall the moment I entered the forest through the Monster Gate.
The air was strange, and I couldn't shake off the feeling that something was amiss.
Despite that, I could tolerate it as Erlan and his team were not greatly affected by it.
Even the Goblins who initially attacked us seemed unaffected by the odd air.
However, as the battle with Erlan and his Knights progressed, the Goblins began to act strangely.
Their breath became labored as they neared death, and to our surprise, fire spirits appeared and transformed them into fiery soldiers.
As we made our way through the forest, we finally reached the dreaded cave.
The air felt different as we approached it, and the uneasiness and stiffness that were once light, now weighed heavily on us.
"Alstair, is everything alright?" Avyanna asked suddenly, sensing my suspicion.
"The air is strangely toxic, if I may say so," I whispered.
"I feel the same. At first, I thought it was just temporary pollution, but the uneasiness is constant and even stronger now," Avyanna agreed with me.
"Perhaps we should take a break before entering the cave," she suggested, coming to a stop. I nodded slowly, in agreement with Avyanna's recommendation.
"Avyanna, what's the hold up?" Erlan's voice was angry.
"There's something off and dangerous in the air. We need to proceed with caution. It could be part of the Monster's plan," Avyanna replied calmly.
"We've all encountered this type of air before! This is a Dungeon, not a holiday destination! What do you expect? Fresh air?" Erlan was still furious.
"No, that's not what I meant. I was just-"
"Avyanna, I am the commander of this mission, not him!" Erlan cut her off, pointing at me.
"You are only a Knight carrier. Don't forget that. The final decisions for this mission lie with me. The executives are also watching us. Do you understand the gravity of the situation?" he threatened me with a murderous look.
I could see Avyanna becoming agitated by Erlan's words, but I stopped her. "There's no need to argue. Let's just go with the flow," I warned her.
I could see dissatisfaction on Avyanna's face, but she chose to remain silent, as I had requested.
On the other hand, Erlan and his Knights gave me cold stares, mixed with feelings of hatred and suspicion.
Well, if they wanted to enter the cave in these circumstances, I wouldn't stop them.
As we continued towards the cave, a notification from the System appeared.
Looking at it, I knew that things would be just as chaotic as I had predicted.
>The Eyes of Dullahan ring activated!
>The poison effect reduced significantly!