A ghastly, gray, smoky sphere exited the remains of the once gorgeous creature. It was unlike any living soul Vin had seen. That individual wasn't a breathing mortal like them, but it wasn't entirely artificial like a clone or android either. The fact that it carried hints of emotional remorse was- jarring.

Real or not, Vin had killed yet another person. He wondered just how long he could pass for a human. At what point would he simply be reduced to a savage... A Ravenour.

That wasn't the time to mull over it. Soon, everything happened at once. First, another distant magical explosion drove Less to haul her drenched face to Hughton. The man dropped to his knees and consoled her, but her tears were boundless. At the same time, Vin sensed Gideon and Tristen were killed, likely by whatever caused the eruption. Further adding to his disorder, his Journal appeared from a lesser portal without warning and flung open with spunk. Simultaneously, a woman shouted, "The Eternal has killed one of the Elves!"

Vin wanted to tell the entire world to shut up. Soon, another Ravenour saw the field of fire, the Elven corpse, and then shouted loudly to spread a message: "The Eternal fights alongside us! Do not fear!"

That robust news rallied some, though seconds later, a more vigorous and meaningful transmission dominated theirs. Short and concise, Maeve yelled from somewhere in the endless battleground, "Do not fight! Run!"

She repeated herself several times while mobile, running across a field littered with hundreds of dead Ravenours to ensure everyone got word. She did not fear being named a coward by the barbarians for fleeing; no, her pride lay elsewhere.

After traversing that area and giving the command to flee, she surfaced from the crowd and ran to Vin. He hurriedly covered his personals with his Journal, then received Maeve with a scowl. He exuded an inimical attitude, but part of him was glad she was alive.

Maeve came to a harsh halt in front of him. She was breathing heavily, her clothing torn in several places and covered in blood splatters. Her injuries were light, so the crimson mess that stained her attire must have belonged to her guards. He'd sensed their passing with an earlier explosion, and knowing their dedication to the princess, they probably died protecting her.

The royal's face was flushed with many terrible emotions. Her eyes were as wide as Vin had ever seen them, her usual coldness blown to dust. She clenched Vin's arms and looked at him with defeated, pleading eyes. "We're trying-" she began, stopping to catch her breath,

"We're trying to escape, but more and more forces are appearing. We're already down to half our numbers, and, and-"

A cold droplet rolled down the side of her face, and she frantically wiped the blood off while panicking, "Gideon and Tristen saved me, but- a-and I know you can use your power on them too, so-"

"I know I don't have the right to ask you for help, but please," she begged. Vin moved his lips to respond but was cut off when Maeve's long, sharp ears flexed. She snapped around and roared across the battlefield, "More reinforcements are coming, hurry!"

Vin looked behind them and saw no new reserves. His hearing had improved, but her ability to pick up sounds amid that chaos was nothing short of remarkable. More importantly.

"If more enemies are coming, then we have to hurry," Vin said composedly. Maeve returned her attention to him and shot him with a countenance of absolute shock.

"I'm not helping because you asked me to," he said, roaming to the body of- what used to be a person, now just scattered ash. He gathered what gear hadn't melted into a pile before merging all of it into the shape of a sword and a small animal. He gave Hughton the weapon before giving Less a palm-sized bunny sculpture. "Alright you two, get going."

Less looked at the soft-featured metal creature in her hand, then up at him with a silent, fitful, teary expression. Vin couldn't quite identify it as surprise or fear, but he was sure she'd go on to overcome this day. On the other hand, Hughton was restless and eager to battle more, but even though his warrior blood boiled, he understood that more than just his life was at stake. The Warden picked up Less with one arm and wielded the blade with another, wishing the human the best. "We'll meet again."

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

Vin nodded, and Meave took over, using her perceptive hearing to point the two in a safe direction. With them gone, Vin began to follow the direction in which Gideon and Tristen's souls were suspended. They were also people he- somewhat, didn't dislike, so he wouldn't let eternity take them yet.

While Vin and Maeve pushed through the battlefield, he had to confirm what he'd seen briefly when his Journal previously materialized.

----------------------------------------

[Status:]

[Name:] Vin Dance

[Race:] Human

[Age:] 17

[Occupation:] Adventurer

[Rank:] Expert

[Survivability Rating:] 154/300

----------------------------------------

'Already the second rank? What a cheap system,' he thought. His Survivability Rating was only 11 last he checked, but it skyrocketed after facing Kaelix and just one Elf. Not that the title mattered; the benefits were more important. His previous research established that individuals could only cast magic one rank above their own, which may have been why he couldn't control or create fire. However, now he felt his authority was higher. He would definitely make those stubborn flames submit to his will.

After a minute or two, he could see where the explosion had happened. There was a collapsed building covering the bodies of the two deceased guards, plus many more unfortunate individuals, but that wouldn't be a problem. As Vin became more intimate with death, he found a stronger connection with the ill-fated. He was still dozens of paces away from Gideon and Tristen, but he tugged on their souls and resurrected them. The radius of the fiery eruption cleared the rubble, and they arose, joining him in nudity.

That commotion earned them the attention of an Elven warrior who'd been some distance away, slicing through Ravenours like dry clay. This person's metal helmet covered a gorgeous face and glossy gray hair. His shining armor drastically differed from the others, embedded head to toe with various glowing, magic crystals.

Despite the majestic knight's heavy gear, they zipped across the ground faster than any mortal could. He dashed past Vin and Maeve, only interested in the two figures who appeared to wield flame magic.

He was wrong in his assumption. Vin ordered Tristen and Gideon to remain in the circle of flames, hoping the Elven man would run into their personal space and ignite. As if reading his mind, the crystal knight outstretched his blade, forged entirely from brilliant quartz, and swung with so much force that a wave of wind plowed the fire away from the guards.

The gallant warrior charged through the temporary clearing they had made, but the flames only retreated briefly before surging back, grasping at his boots. Undeterred, he pressed forward, reaching Gideon and Tristen and cutting them down with a single brutal swing.

To Vin's disfavor, the crystal knight lept away from that spot, but the consequences of touching the purple blaze were already in effect. Marvelous dark flames stuck to the man's boots like parasites and began to liquefy them. Unfortunately, none of Vin's opponents were fools. Alert of the persistent fire, the Elf tried to stomp it out but gave up and removed his footwear before standing barefoot on the bloodstained stone ground.

While the knight had removed his boots, Vin covertly outreached his palm toward the flames, squeezing his fist as if choking the life out of the blaze. Upon his will, all the fire in the area suffocated, only leaving slight remnants on the footgear to make them unusable.

The knight noticed the blaze around the rubble had vanished, then peeked at his burning footwear, understanding that the magic he encountered was irregular. Perhaps he was even relieved he'd killed the two casters before it spread.

As the Elf analyzed the situation, a sharp concrete pole flew at him. He effortlessly moved his head out of the trajectory before turning to Vin. The young human male picked up more debris and shaped it into another spike before hurling it with acceptable accuracy, but the crystal knight readily deflected the projectile.

Now held by a scornful gaze, Vin created a stone blade and handed it to Maeve. Since he wasn't adept with sabers, he fashioned himself a crude club and readied for a fight.

By then, Vin had also heard the large unit of Elves marching against the main party of Ravenours. Maeve spoke aloud, telling him, "We have to hurry."

Vin exhaled slowly, pushing any fear to the back of his mind. It only took a moment for his unlocked mind to forge a strategy. He clenched the stone club and spoke with a callous, unwavering voice, "We'll be quick."