The carriages were heading full speed even as night was encroaching upon them. As the light began to fade and darkness set in, certain monsters became more active, and most of all, people would end up getting more and more tired. Although they had veterans at their side, they would only intervene if necessary. The creatures which pulled their carriages, the Klarins, were quite fluffy, but apparently as soft as they were, they were also quite sturdy and strong. In fact, their fluffy fur was able to absorb great shocks, and it was difficult to slash or stab them as the fur could also be quite durable and strong, not to mention it was easy to misjudge the reach. The adventurers guild raised and bred them, and some nobles did as well, although they otherwise still used horses, believing them to be the most noble of steeds.
Kuroki was admiring that, but he couldn't help all the ruins that they passed. Their architecture was different from the ruins they encountered before, and seemed almost older, and yet also seemed more solid and sturdy. There were clear remnants of a city in these woods.
"What are these?" Kuroki asked, watching the ruins.
"Ancient Elven Ruins. Supposedly from before the Demon KIngs, let alone the other ruins the current city is built over" an adventurer by the name of Clyde responded. He was riding in back with them, but he was actually a veteran. A C-Ranker who was here as an escort. The Adventurer's Guild had ten senior adventurers here just for guard duty, in addition to the examiners themselves. He appeared to be Elven himself, and wore glasses with his long red hair.
"Ancient Elven Ruins? First I have heard of them".
"Supposedly they might even predate any human kingdom. Some believe it might be the remnants of Elas'hathul, the legendary Elven City that was said to have been destroyed by darkness. The legends don't specify what darkness this was though, but it was said that large chunks of it were swallowed up into the Shroud, while others were buried into the Below. Some even say it was tricked by spirits, by demons, not what the evil god turned them into but what they originally were, and the city itself was corrupted and destroyed itself. Whatever the truth, apparently this was beginning of the end for the ancient elves, who are said to hold magic far greater then that of normal people, and whose lifespans could be thousands of years long".
"Wait, but don't elves still exist today?"
"Hmmm...technically, pure blooded elves do exist, but also technically, they are not ancient elves. Scholars often debate what these differences were, but apparently they are two different things. Supposedly elves are descendents, but not True Pure Bloods, or something like that. Ancient Elvish was a lost language, and people are still trying to decipher it. So far, the most that survived was the works of poets and playwriters, so everything is riddled with symbolism and vagueness, rather then detailed accuracy. Then again, if you live for thousands of years, I suppose you don't feel a pressing need to write history books".
"I see..."
"In any case, these ruins have been picked through, so it should be safe, but be careful. Ancient Elves used ancient Elven Magic that they guarded with various secrets, since it made a huge part of their empire and power. They didn't spread its details, and each caster and artisan is believed to have their own individual styles on top of that, and they really liked traps and puzzles and riddles. Supposedly it was some show of superiority, that they were such intellectuals they could so easily live freely and control their magic despite being surrounded by volatile elements. Or maybe it was a cultural thing, to teach them how to be careful and control their vast powers...or else. The exact reason is still debated by the scholars of the Illuminarium to this day".
Kuroki nodded as he peeked at the ruins again. They dotted the landscape here and there, making it far more interesting then just some random forest to him. He was never much of a camping person. In fact, before coming to this world, he was absolutely more of an indoor person.
This Illuminarium sounded interesting to him though.
"What is this Illuminarium like?"
"Think of it like a giant library, mage's guild, debate hall, and research labs all rolled into one. Many prominent researchers across the continent gather there. Apparently the Empire has their own, and continents have their own version, but I think the Illuminarium is among the most famous, except perhaps for The Sky Citadel. And perhaps the Isle of Mystero, forever surrounded by mist".
More interesting places. Kuroki might need to visit them soon, but first he needed to learn more about magic. He was only a beginner, and even if he made good progress, he was already starting to hit walls when it came to his intermediary stuff. He was able able to use his new Ring Casting method, and he was sorely lacking in understanding of actual theory. Amyris was prioritizing the practical to help him learn how to protect himself, but apparently theory would be invaluable later on for that as well. Amyris gave him plenty of short term help, but theory was more long term help. They had dabbled in it of course.
For one thing, every mage has something inside of them, known as a Spark. This Spark was part of what helped them do and learn magic. Sparks could be something you were born with, but also something you could gain through a variety of means. Sparks could also differ in quality, size, and so on. Kuroki's wish had granted him a major spark, due to his intense desire for magic. But even Riku and Kaede had gotten sparks, but the size of their sparks were smaller and more specific towards certain things, which is why their magic was more fixed. Supposedly, this was likely related to how the Starfall Process worked, since they had been born with artificial sparks in this world basically.
Amyris noted that Kuroki's Spark felt more natural by comparison, but that likely had to do with its quality.
That was part of why magic came easier to him then most, but in the end, its not like he was given unfair abilities, and he was starting to hit walls. Trying to cast multiple spells at once was difficult, and if he tried to maintain more then two continuous spells at a time, they would quickly destabilize. Even just two was hard enough that it could impede his spellcasting ability, and he had to be careful about focus and not getting distracted.
Furthermore, an intensive spell like Twinned Portal was even more demanding then normal. It might as well take two spell worth of concentration, or at least one and a half.
Kuroki would need to learn how to control his powers further, but he was making progress, and if he continued to work hard, that would help. He wasn't some protagonist who could rely on something stupid like guts or grit, he would need to rely on hard work and wit to overcome his challenges.
As he thought about that, he looked at Riku and Ryuu, who were taking naps and leaning on Kaede, who was reading a book. She seemed not to mind, and they agreed to let it happen since they would be standing guard at night first. Kaede was standing guard second, and then Kuroki was with the third shift. They had all agreed to this ahead of time to be prepared, which likely earned some points from the examiners, who knew that preparing beforehand was a good idea. They made sure that each guard time would have four people in it, with a few in reserve for emergencies, in case anyone ended up not being able to, or to have some fully rested people.
They also looked at maps to find suitable campsites. They were heading towards a more rocky area. Could obstruct their view a bit, but would also obstruct the view of monsters. Furthermore, it was around an area noted for having large patches of Narias herbs. Their roots were very useful at neutralizing scents, and their leaves held an almost aerisolized version that came out of them, meaning that scents in this area would be heavily obfuscated. It would be impossible for any monster lurking at night to smell or see them, and the rocks would muffle their noise apparently, although Kuroki also planned to erect a barrier for safety reasons. This would limit sight, sound, and smell. Monsters could be lurking on the other side of the ruin walls and rocks and would be none the wiser of their presence, not that they were so populous here that it should happen. At least regularly.
This was about the best they could do, but the examiners looked impressed. Even Fisto seemed genuinely shocked by their ability. Of course, this wasn't all Kuroki's party. Kuroki offered up the sound barrier, but it was the others who found the perfect spot to evade sight, and another that had mentioned checking on areas known for Narian Root picking. It was a coordinated effort where everyone contributed.
Either way, they were now out of the carriages and making it to the site. Everyone had to keep an eye out, since monsters would appear in greater numbers here. This too was part of the test, and why so many veteran guards came with them. After all, the equivalent of four to five parties was here, so if there wasn't some risk and challenge, it wouldn't make for a very good test.
Along the way they encountered a variety of monsters, including something known as a Vrak'shalen. Apparently it was first named by Ancient Elves, its a beast that seems to be able to hide within the shadows of trees and attacks people who enter its territory. However, while listed as one on investigation requests, it's not actually a monster. Apparently a natural beast of this world instead, its a territorial and fickle beast. Its almost exclusively found near ancient ruins, mainly Elven but plenty of Human, Dwarf, and Beastkin ones as well. It is currently unknown why, but some think that ancient civilizations actually tamed them and used them as guard dogs basically. They appeared almost like six to eight legged long, giant ferrets with claws, and could perform a short range "shadowshift" that let it seemingly change positions near instantly, leaving a smokey shadowy trail in its wake. One might think that would be a good indicator to help, but sometimes they dart around to make a smokescreen, hindering those who tried to fight them.
Indeed, when they got ambushed, Kuroki had to use wind magic to clear the air, which resulted in all of the immediately targeting him. So clearly, the creatures possessed intelligence.
Either way, they had finally made it to the area where they would be looking for a campsite.
"We should keep an eye out for any remaining Goblins. They love to infest ruins as well" one of the party leaders, Ezeri, called out. He was a young Cat Beastkin of about sixteen years old, having joined the guild just one and a half years ago and started at G-Rank.
"Not in Elven ruins though. They seem to avoid them mostly, usually if Goblins are there, then something attracted them or they had no choice. They probably learned not to deal with the Vrak'shalen" another, Themist, mentioned. She notched an arrow and kept an eye on the distant trees. She was a Dwarf, but didn't slow down the other party members.
This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
"We just had a surge, so we should be careful. They might not be operating like normal still" one of the independent F-Ranks, Zarka, said. He had about two dozen daggers, but it wasn't for strange reasons. They were enchanted throwing daggers, apparently they could be combined to cast spells. They were weak though, hand me downs of failed daggers from some magic school, so he got them for cheap and he mentioned a few had some strange effects to them so one had to be careful.
"I don't sense anything coming, but I couldn't sense the Vrak'shalen either. Its possible something else is concealed within these woods, so everyone stay on alert" Kuroki added, as the adventurers kept pushing forward.
"Don't feel too bad about it" Ezeri said. "Vrak'shalen can't be sensed by normal means. I hear it requires really advanced and powerful detection magic to pick even one up, let alone multiple".
"Any other infamous things to look out for in Elven ruins?"
"Well, we won't run into any here. E-Rank exams have been held here for ages now, several times a year. And no one has fallen into a secret crypt or building for over a hundred years now, so I think they finally triggered them all".
"Wait what?"
"Oh yeah, in the past, people often fell into holes and found secret rooms here all the time. But because the monsters were not too difficult, and because it was this close to the city, this place got swarmed by researchers and adventurers. As a result, they went over this whole place with more intensity then a hungry Vrackiodon. No way they missed anything. At least, anything we could find easily".
That made sense to Kuroki. He felt a bit better now. It almost felt like something they might get pulled into, based on recent events, but this made him feel more sure they were fine. Or at the very least wouldn't encounter Elven Ruin shenanigans on this trip at least.
With that said and done, they kept watch. The clouds were getting dark overhead, which did seem rather threatening, but being prepared for any bad weather was also part of the exam. And yet, that was not what they were most worried about. The puddles shook ever so slightly, something that the scouts quickly noticed.
"Hey, we got tremors".
"Intensity?" Themist asked her rogue.
"Low, but increasing".
"Shiza. Okay, everyone, we need to get into cover now!"
The Dwarf girl hurried along, and the others seemed to pick up on the danger. Kuroki wasn't sure what it was, but judging by how everyone reacted, it was clearly something they should avoid, so his party made sure to stick close to them. He also placed a slight barrier around them to muffle their sounds, but maintaining a moving barrier while dashing was difficult. In fact, it was even more difficult than just normally maintaining a twinning portal.
Maybe if it was a personal barrier it would be easier, but even with it just being a slight muffle, trying to cover the entire party was a massive pain.
As they took cover behind some large rocks, the vibrations were strong enough for them to feel now. The sounds could be heard, coming closer and closer. The deep thuds and bounces off the ground, the reverberation across the ways. Clearly something was coming, and something large. Way larger then Kuroki had ever heard of. Given they were at a fixed spot, he turned his barrier into a fixed barrier and increased the muffle, so any noise of theirs wouldn't get out. A safety precaution, to be sure.
What they saw next was beyond Kuroki's expectations. At first, Kuroki thought someone had thrown or knocked aside a large tree trunk. There were many insanely tall trees in this forest, and no way to get around them. And yet, then that trunk began to move back up, as it was connected to a giant tree. A giant, large, humanoid shaped tree.
"A Sylvan...what are they doing here? They are not native to these forests".
"Just more proof that the Demon King has returned, Themist. This is likely due to the Demon King's Influence" Zarka mentioned.
Kuroki however looked puzzled. "Is the Demon King really capable of this?"
"You haven't heard the legends, or just doubt them? Well either way, its true. The Demon King has this unnatural effect upon the entire world you see. It amplifies the darkness in people and monsters, causing their dark desires to increase, and even creating new ones in people. Of course, they usually have to have something happen to them to allow such a thing to happen in the first place, or maybe just be messed up in the head, or some other factors we don't know. But they definitely happen. Always when a Demon King rises. In monsters, it tends to cause them to act with more insideous natures, causes them to attack and be more violent, and can also change and alter the way they move and where they make their habitats".
Zarka explained all of this, but Kuroki was still a bit concerned by something.
"So, it's possible these Ents..."
"No no, ents are good tree spirits who inhabit trees. These are Sylvans".
"Right, sorry. These Sylvans are being influenced by the return of the Demon King?"
"Its the only reason I can think of as to why Sylvans would be here. But this one is unusually large at that".
"Still, it doesn't seem to have noticed us. Will the exam be continuing?"
Fisto nodded. "Yes. Its heading far away, and a monster of that size probably doesn't even care about us. It might attack a large caravan, but we have experienced adventurers there who can handle a sylvan, even one of that size. The only issue will be is if it takes root near the river, then we will have to skip that bit. But otherwise, we should be fine".
Perhaps because of the two monitors, or because it was involving everyone, but he was doing his job properly now. Although Kuroki felt like he occasionally spied a small dragon watching them from a distance as well, but perhaps that was just his imagination.
Still, even after the Sylvan left, there were other issues. Pieces of branches broke off as it had swept against the trees, raining down those pieces of wood upon them. And for every piece of wood, something new was created. Everyone braced themselves, as they saw the wood bend and shape, forming something new...it looked honestly horrifying, seeing wood twist and deform like that into the humanoid shape.
"Shiza, we got Sylvs! Sylvan babies! And these things are small enough to notice us!"
"Everyone, combat positions!"
Warriors went into the front, with rogues in the center. A few however manned the rear, in case of a flanking maneuver. In the middle of it all was Kuroki, a mage from Ezeri's party named Sooto, and the archers. There was a third, but his magic was more close range, so he was on the frontline with the warriors, and had a shield with him. He was a solo F-Rank.
"Are we doing this? Is this part of the exam?"
"We cant take on a full blown Sylvan, but Sylvs like this are just F or E Rank threats, and these are fresh, so they might even be G-Rank. We can handle them! Just make usre everyone works together!"
Kuroki cast his spell, as rings formed around his hands. He then formulated another. "I am using Haste to speed everyone up! Make sure you take a test swing and move a bit to know your new speed!"
"Got it, thanks Kuroki!"
"Try and keep the battle away from the trees so I can use fire magic!"
"Understood, Sooto!"
"Don't move around too much, or you might get hit by an arrow!"
"Got it, Nook!"
Everyone communicated and coordinated with each other. It took some degree of combat ability to make F-Rank, and to make E-Rank, you would need to show some ability to cooperate with others as well. So they should at least be capable of this much if they were taking the test.
The Sylvs were essentially lesser Sylvans, while the one that passed them was bigger then even Greater Sylvans. They figured it might be a legendary Grand Sylvan, but that would mean they would need A-Ranks or up to deal with it, which exceeded the rank of everyone here by a lot other then the Vice Guildmaster, who was herself an S-Rank.
Riku took the front, using Brilliant Blaze to start with. Fire worked very well against the Sylvs, but they also had to be careful with it so the forest didn't catch fire. A forest fire could be bad, but not as much as what would happen if the spirits got riled up. And no one wanted to risk what sort of ancient magic could trigger or awaken if an Ancient Elven Forest caught fire. One of hte situations involved them getting transported right into trees themselves, and dying of suffocation.
Kuroki altered the barrier a bit to protect against the Sylvs long range attacks, which was where they pelted the forces with bolts of magic. The relentless onslaught of the Sylv attacks was strong, so Kuroki raised some ice barriers to help limit their approach, and also the risk of a forest fire.
"Slither and Shock, creatures of mana. Go forward and coil. Coil around my foes and make them suffer and toil. Shock Snakes!"
Kuroki also created several snakes made of lightning, which proceeded to go towards the Sylvs, coiling around them one by one and taking them down. Occasionally the Sylvs managed to destroy them or make them use up their power. But it helped decrease the numbers further. Sylvs might be lower ranked normally, but there were so many of them that it was still very much dangerous.
A few sylvs did try and get around, but they were summarily stopped by the rear guard, the warriors who decided to cover the flanks. Thanks to this, the mages never got interrupted, as Sooto brought down flaming rocks upon his foes, using a combination of fire and earth magic.
Meanwhile a shielder named Chimnial used a shield with jagged edges, able to cut through the Sylv bark and as such turned it into a sword of weirdly shaped sword that was also a shield. It was certainly a shield first though Kuroki was pretty sure, but it was a shield with aggression in mind, clearly able to cut through things with extreme prejucie.
A few of the Sylvs let loose shrieks that disoriented anymore near them, but their comrades helped them recover fast and kept the lines up. Kuroki unleashed some more ice and lightning, making sure to bring the full power of a mage upon the battlefield, and to score as good of a response as possible. After all, the more he did, the harder it would be to tank his results.
Either way, soon the Sylv threat passed them over. They made sure to check for any stragglers, disguising themselves as trees. However despite a rather thorough check of all the foliage and making sure none of it was a Sylv in disguise, they were all clear. With this, they survived their first strange encounter with the forest.
"Well then everyone, best we all head out to the camp site" one said after they finished collecting the magic cores. "We should secure it before we lose all our daylight".
And so, they continued on their way.
----------------------------------------
All the while, Ozlo was watching from his office, through his stealth minidragon, a familiar he had.
Ozlo was also not quite alone, as a crystal ball was on his desk, quite active.
"You are such a worrywort Ozlo" Ayazi said through the crystal.
"Sorry, but I just want to be sure. I know I got us a pretty damn good failsafe, but better safe than sorry".
"Again, they will be fine. More importantly, did I hear that right? Are you saying your grandfather fought Chianthias single handedly, and got one of her hands even. Literally. You two fought her in ideal situations while she was shocked and unable to use a lot of her abilities, and still only made off with a draw. And he just defeated her and made her run single handedly?"
"Yep. I know, its annoying, but he is S-Rank for a reason".
"Just how! That means you and Anna combined are weaker then him! He fought her in her own base too! She had allies and the home field advantage. The fact that Riza still beat her like that....that just isn't fair!"
"I agree. He wont even tell me or anyone else how he gained the power he did, he just said he went through some things. Its annoying I know".
"I am amazed he ever found a wife, especially given his personality more then his appearance".
"Well, grandma was grandpa's childhood sweetheart, so they knew each other for like, 17 or so years, since they were like six, when they started dating. So that probably had a lot to do with it".
Riza looked like a child, but certainly, if someone is around them for so long, it made sense they would know for sure his true age.
Though the fact they were still willing to date him after those years is another story, at least from Ozlo's opinion. While their relationship was good, he also found his grandfather to be annoying and a bit insufferable at times. So there was that as well.
Ozlo then looked at the Crystal.
"So, what are you working on?"
"Right now, upgrading the defenses on my workshop. I think I will be relocating soon through, or I might just stay on the move for a bit. It seems like I might end up being targeted soon. I heard a report from a friend that some information leaked, so I had best make myselve scarce and make sure they cant get me so easily".
"An information leak?"
"Yeah, apparently someone attacked a certain associate of an associate of mine. There are investigations ongoing, but suffice it to say, we are taking extra precautions. I also need to find a safe haven for those I rescued".
"Are you going to come down here? THis is the only city that has really been able to get rid of the demon and devil threat facing it. At least to a degree".
"Maybe. It might also make us a target for the Demon King however. In any case, we have a lot of work ahead of us".
"Yeah...good luck, Ayazi".
"Good luck, Ozlo".
And so, the night began to creep in.