That… really looked bad.
I waited too long.
I understood now. The assassin had been stalling the entire ti.
At first, the battle had been slow until I gained the upper hand, but the mont the mage had to interfere and my attention shifted to its translucent figure, the assassin doubled its efforts.
Even revealing its trump card.
Hopefully, it’s only one.
A dagger flew toward just as a barrage of firebolts erupted from the mage’s disk. But the staff remained raised high, its energy pouring into the ever-growing mass of floating magma above.
“Luna?”
No response.
And let’s be honest right now, I don’t need a bit of extra energy managent. I need a serious boost in power and control.
Just a mont. A short burst should be fine. There are only two more rounds after this.
I took a deep breath and circulated energy around my inner fla, activating Precursor Sense.
The world inside shifted. My control skyrocketed. And my power soared.
I imdiately activated Swift Stride, channeling four Air Lances through two fingers on each hand.
I lifted my arm and unleashed a powerful Silencing Current, knocking the assassin back just as he lifted a foot to kick .
Another fireball flew toward . The heat grew unbearable. But my feet moved quickly across the pool.
Sothing entered my barrier of sense.
The dagger.
I don’t know why, but it glowed red just like any other living thing once it entered my domain.
Maybe the energy here?
Forget it. I don't have ti to dwell on it.
I ducked, snapped my fingers backward, and fired off the Air Lances stored in them.
I didn’t know if they hit, but they bought ti, ti to close the distance to the mage.
I fired my last two Air Lances, aiming straight for the mage’s head once I was in range.
The disk released one last fireball blocking the first, but my other attack found its mark.
The head.
Instantly, the figure shattered, dissolving into a glittering cascade of blue particles.
I looked up, and the sun was still there. Thankfully no longer growing.
However, to my horror, a mont later, it began to fall.
From that height? It would reach in seconds.
I could feel the heat rising rapidly. I couldn't sweat in this form, but I felt the burn. Like a sunburn actively worsening. Purple particles peeled off my body, burning away into the air.
"DAMN IT!"
A presence in a furious charge rushed into my domain.
"Screw off!"
Two pairs of armants wrapped around my arms and I swung backwards.
Aid straight at the blade descending toward my neck.
*Shatter.*
It cracked apart instantly. I barely felt the resistance.
My other fist flew toward the assassin’s gut.
The mont it landed... *Crack.*
Its eyes widened as my fist punched clean through its form.
A final burst of blue particles erupted as I collapsed to my knees, letting all my abilities fade, panting away my exhaustion.
The heat above vanished instantly.
Then, a pair of eyes appeared.
Mocking and dripping with amusent a voice spoke. "If you had such power… you would’ve fared better releasing it imdiately, fool."
I clenched my jaw.
"Will you continue?"
I hesitated, last ti he didn't ask before starting. Was the next level much worse? "I’ll get nothing if I do?" I wanted to buy just a bit more ti, and of course, any info would help.
A grin manifested beneath the eyes.
"Don’t test . Answer the question."
I hate that this guy... thing, whatever he was, could read minds.
"Answer."
"...YES!"
"Three minutes. Don’t waste them."
And with that, he disappeared.
I exhaled, steadying myself. I could gather so World Force, not as useful as my internal, but better than nothing.
I managed to recover a little, though not nearly enough, before four figures stepped through their respective portals.
Two of them towered behind massive shields, each gripping a pike in their other hand.
The other two, draped in robes like the mage before, wielded so kind of floating cube.
I took the mocking advice of the old man to heart. No hesitating.
I pulled out my gauntlets, engaged my Precursor Sense, then imdiately dashed.
I surged forward, charging a Blasting Wave in one hand and three Air Lances in the other.
If I gained more recovery ti after each round, I might actually make up for my losses this ti.
The robed figures reacted instantly, while the shield warriors planted themselves firmly, shields raised like towers.
They were ready for my approach.
Then the robed figures raised their hands.
I tensed. Ready to counter. Ready for whatever they were about to unleash.
But no visible attack ca.
That was bad.
I needed more information. Without hesitation, I mixed a cocktail of Beast Force and Precursor Energy and shoved it straight into my ‘busy’ bracelet.
Horrible idea.
Luna had said there was too much energy in this place for her to see.
That had been a massive, almost hilarious understatent.
There wasn’t too much force... there was only force.
The entire battlefield flooded my vision in a storm of chaotic colors. A total sensory overload.
Like a swarm of insects clouding my sight, everything blurred into a rainbow of unreadable static.
I couldn’t see anything.
I dove to the side, hoping that whatever was aid at , it would miss by pure luck.
A gust of wind blew past .
Thankfully I had managed to dodge the attack just in ti.
I listened. There were no footsteps, which ant the tanks weren’t moving.
That didn’t an another attack wasn’t coming.
I forced my power to shift, canceling my readied attacks and switching to Sensory Veil.
I wanted to see if I could bring my 'inferior' senses back.
At the first activation, it was pitch black.
Too much force behind it.
I stepped backward, hoping whatever was coming wouldn’t hit .
Another gust of wind.
I was getting lucky, but this could’ve already been fatal. I must have been moving within a hair's breadth of the attacks.
Finally, I adjusted the ability enough to see. Blurry, but manageable. I stepped back, tweaking it further, refining my senses until my vision finally cleared, save for a faint haze of color still clouding the edges.
I’d probably wasted enough ti, and if these ghosts had personalities, I’d just given them a pretty good show.
No more delays.
I rushed forward, weapons in hand.
A tank lunged at , spear jabbing for my chest.
I caught it mid-thrust.
*Snap.*
The shaft shattered in my grip, splintering apart like dry wood.
My other hand slipped past the shield, a solid hook smashing into the phantom’s side. It stumbled backward, then faded into blue particles.
That was… easy.
Another gust of wind blew past .
Wait... Where was the impact?
I turned toward the wind-caster, hands still raised, another powerful blast sending a forceful current my way.
I braced myself… but nothing happened. No force. No pain.
If anything, it was… kind of refreshing.
Then it hit .
I knew this ability. A technique designed to shut down certain powers, one that would make this trial brutal for System users.
But for ?
“Oh.” My eyes widened. “OOOH!”
I completely ignored the wind-caster and turned to the last tank.
Two hits later it was gone.
Then I just stood there, staring at the two remaining debuffers.
They didn’t seem like they were going to do anything else… buuuuut, just to be sure, I walked over, grabbed one’s hands, and shoved it to the ground.
Pinned its arms behind its back.
Then I sat on it.
Not comfortable. But it would do.
The robed fighter was now immobile.
As for the other?
Target practice.
After those last two fights, I deserved a little fun.
I practiced my control without Precursor Sense activated, forcing my energy into just one finger, then two. It took effort, but I managed.
I fired at the legs, arms, and anywhere else that wouldn’t kill outright.
I’d feel bad, but these things didn’t seem to feel pain. No screams, no struggle, no personality. So, I fired away.
Eventually, the barely-living phantom looked like it was on its last breath. That’s when I stopped.
“Luna?”
“That was rude, you know,” she answered curtly.
“I know… but I thought I needed your abilities.” I justified lightly. “Anyway, I know it’s nearly impossible to see, but if anything imdiately changes around , can you say sothing?”
“Sure, no problem. I’ll work on my ability later.”
“Thanks.”
I wasted no more ti talking.
I was tired. Before entering the trial, so of my internal force had already leaked out, and I needed to cultivate it back.
Hopefully, I won’t have to do this again outside.
So ti passed, a small nap thrown in for good asure. By the ti I ca to, I felt as good as new.
Though, while I slept… the suffering phantom had faded away.
But the one beneath ?
It had an expression.
Oh no.
Maybe these things did have feelings.
I sighed. “No helping it. Luna, you can go back to practice.”
“Great!”
I turned back to the debuffer, its permanently fused expression of sha staring up at .
Welp. Ti for my final action of pity. “Sorry, man.”
I lifted my foot and slamd it down.
This ti, the old man appeared fully, his arrogant expression still in place.
“Well done…” he mused. “I had forgotten you were just like the girl.”
He rubbed his forehead, sighing. “Will you continue? You have passed, but one more trial awaits.”
I squinted. “Will I be rewarded more?”
This ti, instead of ignoring , he nodded.
“Significantly more. But I will give you only this warning. If the reward increases, so does the risk.”
Truthfully? This trial hadn’t been all that difficult.
The first round surprised since the swordsman kept up with my speed. The second? I failed to act quickly enough. And the third? The less said, the better.
But my goal was high. I needed all the power I could get.
“You have made your decision then?”
I narrowed my eyes. “Do you read people’s minds just to annoy them?”
His entire form pulsed red, the pressure around slamming down like gravity had multiplied tenfold.
I collapsed onto my chest.
Then, after a mont, he sighed, and the weight lifted.
“If I could drown out the noise of insects, believe … I would.”
With that, he vanished.
And imdiately…
A figure stepped through a portal.
That’s...
“Kazriel?”
Reviews
All reviews (0)