Lys chuckled. He shrugged. "Well, soone might have ssed up along the way to one. No more questions. Co on. Show what you've got down there... bold pal."
He didn't hold back before beating his horse to ascend towards the distant gaping entrance. Its hooves made soft brushes on the grasses accompanying the path. And, surprising Lys, as he glanced back, the amateur had already begun to follow him.
He smiled. 'I expected so reluctance. Suppose he finds interest in what I have got for him...'
They closed in on the entrance. Each approaching step seed to draw Zy for so reason. But he had experienced this quite a few tis during the past assessnt. The experience everyone gained was worthwhile, he presud.
A few monts later, they reached. Lys dismounted his companion. He wove a rope, hooked to its nostrils, around a sturdy tree. It had grown from within the cave's walls.
Afterwards, he passed through the entrance and Zy followed. The flanking walls inside were like a set of stagnant companions on their journey.
A kind of black plant, which Zy had never seen before, stretched on the walls around the entrance. The walls were clayey rock with a jagged, rough structure. Scattered rocks covered the ground. An orange light illuminated the interior with most intensity.
The cracks in the roof were allowing sand to seep through at so points. It threatened to split open and crush them to the ground.
Zy realised he was the only one looking around. One could expect this of soone visiting a place for the first ti. But Lys was only moving through more rough-shaped circular entrances.
He must have visited a lot of tis before now, Zy assud.
He only kept on following him. But his hand didn't leave the hilt of his sword. Anything can happen at any ti. Anyone could betray... without prior notice.
... In a few monts, Lys stopped, entering another entrance. Zy's movent slowed, and he lingered at the front as he crept forward. He closed in. He saw a crimson light spread a long reflection on the ground...
Zy passed through the entrance. The next mont, he glanced to the right.
The air slled sowhat both gross and fragnant...
... Of any cave parts or entrances in this cave, there couldn't be any on the right side Zy looked at. A rectangular red watery entity stretched from the ground to the roof.
And from left to right. One could see aquatic animals on the surface. But, they were only a result of the movent of the surface itself. It was watery.
Lys glanced at Zy. "Will you believe if I said there's a larger training field through this barrier?"
Zy sighed, shutting his eyes in disbelief. He didn't want to clench his jaw.
"What's there not to believe? Of course, sothing like that must be inside," Zy scoffed. "But why deep in a cave, though? Seems you folks have seen too much to make anything easy..."
Lys only chuckled. "Ti is running out. We must get done so you could get back to prepare for your summoning..."
He paced towards the barrier.
"... Summoning?" Zy asked, his brows creased. He walked behind Lys.
"Yeah. They will soon summon you, with the two others, to et the Magi Lords..."
Zy mouthed a particular word.
'The Magi Lords? That is sothing, I suppose.'
On one part, he felt overwheld and a little excited. He knew these people were infleuntial and respected, being the only descendants from... the Great Sage Hall.
Too bad he had no idea what that realm was about. But they had ford a genuine alliance with humans to protect the world.
They both stepped into the barrier at the sa ti. Cold sensations sent shivers down their spines.
Realisation hit Zy imdiately.
He could be standing at the edge of sowhere dangerous. But his attention was only on the creatures gliding in the sky above. His mouth grew wide.
Their monstrous snarls filled the air. It echoed. The sky might be blue, but their many clustered numbers made it hard to even see it in its usual form.
Though not the sa, they were like octopuses. They could glide with the precision characteristic of predatory hawks. Dark fus burned throughout their bodies, as if they composed them.
He mumbled, "What are these creatures? They're from dark magic, aren't they? Nothing from the latter could be as horrible as this..."
He shook his head.
Lys chuckled, as usual. Finding Zy impressive since then.
"I see you weren't so naive country boy before getting awakened," he noted. "Yes, they once attacked Eldengrove at large. Beasts summoned from the Noctisveil beast realm through necromancy. That is... definitely the work of malicious druids."
He offered a faint smile.
"Because Necrots don't have an interest in smaller gas, in spite of their individual ranks."
Screech!
The air shifted all of a sudden.
Zy's eyes shot upwards, locking with another large serpentine one. One of the necromantic beasts descended from the sky towards him!
He clenched his jaw. "Closing in!"
Lys glanced there as well.
Zy sheathed his sword without delay. He stomped backwards to be in a safe position. The creature snarled, mucur dripping down the tips of its jagged maw.
Ti seed to slow.
Zy clasped his sword right up, leaning it closer to his shoulder bone. He breathed at a steady pace, waiting for the attack to co.
But Lys... he wasn't moving at all.
Then, he brought his fingers closer to his lips, and he whispered, "Arcane Mage Body...!"
Swoosh!
A burst of energy spread forward before him. It rushed across the wide, cracked-surfaced field like a running boorang. It all happened almost in a flash.
The outburst shredded the creatures into dark motes. And the backwards force skidded Zy backwards. He clenched his teeth. He had dug his sword into the ground for stability when it ca. But it was almost pointless.
And at one mont, he got stable. A cloud of dust rose before him.
He glanced forward. And... Recruit Lys was about nine tres away...
As he tried moving upwards, his legs seed to be giving in. They shook, and he ended up back on his knees.
He faced the ground, his two palms pressed down on it. "What an oppressive energy! My body is refusing to yield to because of it.
He possesses the Arcane Mage Body, which I am one breakthrough away from. So, this is what it ans to be around higher ranked people..."
Now that he knew the cause, he assud he could conquer it. While rising, he kept telling himself, 'You own your body, Zy Ashbane! The energy is too strong... but I have got to go against it by all ans...'
And telling himself the greatest part...
'... I must oppose it. If I succeed, I could one day escape the ritual! And die the normal way!'
... Every bone in his body rose with caps up, adjusting to his will. One step at a ti, he moved one knee up. It seed all right, and he finally rose back to his feet. He picked his sword back up on his way to catch up with Lys.
In no ti, he reached his side. He glanced at him with a suspicious hint. He creased his brows on seeing an azure glow in Lys's eyes when he looked at him as well.
He appeared more extraordinary and attention-drawing than his normal form with those eyes.
A random thought told Zy sothing. He was in this world already, either to die or find his path. And he was in this magical ga already.
Yes, he should give it his all.
This was the closest way for him to et his goals. If the scrolls in the library aren't enough, then train with special disciples. That was the deal.
And if not... Lys made ntion of druids. The ritual was dark magic and druids are adept at such too. Thus, they must know how to revert it.
Though he felt confused about how the Minister of Defence could perform dark magic in that past era. No one had magic then.
Whatsoever, being serious about tasks and ready to take risks should be his goal.
"I would like you to proceed with testing my strength, please," Zy told Lys. Lys gave his usual reaction again. After which he widened his palm afront as a ball of lightning ford there.
So, he was an elental magic exorcist? Able to control the lightning elent.
The ball of lightning travelled from his hand, then down the field. It seed as though there would be no end to this until it hit the surface.
It resounded with a loud, exploding sound. A cloud of dust rose at that spot, amidst which one could see twisting movents of lightning.
Roar!
The guttural roar was so deep that it almost didn't echo, despite the width of the field.
As the dust settled, two tall wolves ca into existence. They had silvery fur, their consistent roars a hint of their violent nature. One could see lightning twisting on their bodies, making sparking sounds.
Lys said to Zy, "Greater Guardians earth-made beasts they are. Stronger than the Elental Beasts you amateurs can defeat. They are definitely not your equals.
I am not setting them against you to defeat. I want you to fall but stand strong against the struggle of being vulnerable. Do you think you can do it?"
Zy inched forward. He clenched his fist, proclaiming with confidence, "I will do it. Pain is sothing I can care less about at this point..."
Lys nodded, "Go on then."
Zy approached the wolves with caution. They spaced out from each other, going in separate directions as if to finally keep him in their midst. Their predatory eyes never left him, each flexing its fangs as though anticipating a al.
His thoughts were a tumult of chaos.
'My purpose in this world isn't to make friends or ally with anyone. But to learn to break free from the ritual. The magic and strength I will et along the way are rewards for trying to change my life.'
He clenched the handle of his sword.
'I ain't a pawn!'
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