After passing through the city's gate, I lowered the hood of my cloak further over my head. Although the guards gave me suspicious glances and grumbled with sour moods, they allowed me to pass through the exiting line with little issue. I suspected they were just glad to see me leaving the city, probably operating on the same fact that I was a part of the beast clans. I suppose that could be the case for any country that wishes to keep undesirables out. However, little did they know, I planned to return by the end of the day – or at least, I hoped so.
I massaged my shoulders from beneath the cloak. As I walked, it gradually grew heavier, but not to the point where it was inconvenient. I should make an effort to build some muscles while I can. Who knows? I may need them at some point. Beyond its weight, the cloak wasn't uncomfortable by any means. It draped over nearly my whole body, which felt quite snug. Oddly, it didn't have the same resizing runes my other equipment had. If it did have them, would the weight adjust accordingly with the size? My other equipment barely changed when it resized itself, so it's hard to say. Theoretically, it should be doable; after all, it is thaumaturgy. I imagine anything should be possible. The light implants are a great example of that. I should probably throw this question at Thobin the next time I swing by his shop.
I gazed ahead, my eyes fixed on the massive bridge that stretched over the Koit River. Off to the side of the road, an array of wagons with various adventurers stood out. Some shouted at each other to hurry while others pooled around in groups. Without much effort, I spotted the familiar face of the blond boy I met earlier today. Lotch, right? He stood with two people anxiously watching the main gate. I was about halfway across the road when his hand rose, signaling me over.
"Ciel, you made it!" Lotch greeted, a grin lighting up his face.
"Sorry for being late. I had trouble finding my way around the city," I replied, shaking my head at the absurdity of it.
"I completely agree. I’ve only been to Veinbor a few times, and I still find it hard to navigate. At least you're here now. Let me introduce you. These are the companions I was talking about," he said, motioning towards the two women flanking him. Interestingly, both are polar opposites in height. He pointed towards the tallest of the group.
"This is Haldir, a wind arcana archer."
Wait, so she's actually a he? Talk about defying expectations. I'm not insecure enough not to admit he might be the most beautiful man I've ever seen in this world and Earth. He had light green eyes, fair unblemished skin, and platinum blond hair tied back into a flowing ponytail that cascaded over his shoulder. His gear was very high-end stuff, even at a glance. It’s definitely more expensive and better made than my equipment.
He wore a long blue battle tunic adorned with intricate silver outlines that seemed like delicate vines winding through the fabric. A quiver hung casually from his waist, the leather belt wrapping around a few times. He positioned himself away from the group, arms crossed, with an alluring silver bow nonchalantly slung over his shoulder. A silver gauntlet covered his right arm, extending up to his elbow, perfectly paired with a sleek silver shoulder guard. The guard then latched onto a half-silver breastplate on the same right side. After Lotch introduced him, Haldir made no move to greet me.
"And this is Gwingiel, our pugilist," Lotch introduced, motioning to the shorter member.
Gwingiel was clearly a dwarf, no doubt about it. Like most dwarves, she had a short and stocky build and was a whole head shorter than me, barely reaching up to my shoulder. Her skin was tan, a cool caramel shade, and her dark red hair was styled with short shoulder-length locks tied behind her head. A few strands dangled over her face, too short to be tied back. What caught my attention, along with her golden eyes, was the tattoo over her left eye, which looked like a pair of reversed crossed capital F's.
The same as everyone else standing around, she was fully geared. She wore a sleek dark brown leather vest with red shoulder padding while still giving her arms the freedom they needed. Her muscles were well-defined and looked like toned steel. They were covered by tough-looking wrist bracers that covered her knuckles. Below her waist, a dark brown battle kilt with open sides and red borders hung loosely, which blended well with grey-white shorts. Like a monk, she stood patiently, unbothered by the seemingly nervous-looking Lotch and, for whatever reason, upset Haldir.
“Nice to meet you. As Lotch mentioned, I'm Ciel, and I specialize in Arcane Thaumaturgy," I said, wrapping up my introduction to the two party members. The dwarf, Gwingiel, closed the gap between us and extended her hand, and we clasped wrists.
"Well, it ain't every day we see dark elves venturing this far out of the Bastia Enclave. Not unless they’re on their Arvendralis.” She said, giving me a knowing wink. I raised an eyebrow, confused, unsure of what she meant to convey. “Well, either way, having a thaumaturgist on board is a welcome change," Gwingiel remarked, her grip on my wrist surprisingly firm as she gave me a reassuring pat on the other arm.
"T-thanks," I managed to say, fighting to keep a wince from showing on my face from her vice-like grip. On the other hand, Haldir seemed uninterested in either shaking hands or offering any greeting. Instead, he let out a scoff as I introduced myself and strolled away. I shot a quick look at his retreating figure as he hopped into the rear of a wagon that had come to a stop on the road just a short distance away.
"Please take no offense; he's particular about social interactions." Said Lotch as he slung his satchel over his shoulder.
"Yeah, a particular asshole." Gwingiel chimed in. Lotch shot her a quick glare, which she ignored as she climbed into the back of the wagon.
"The wagon will take at least a few hours to get to the western section of the forest, so it's best we leave now." Lotch continued walking toward the wagon. While I'm uncertain about the distance between here and the western forest, I suspect it's considerably farther than the eastern section, where Rennard Village is nestled.
Once we settled into the wagon, it gradually set off, crossing the bridge before picking up pace and trotting along the dirt road, flanked by both farmland and the Koit River. The driver, an elderly man with graying hair, didn't say a word after we climbed in the wagon. I couldn't see his face since I was near the wagon's tailgate. However, what stood out most about him was a prominent, gleaming bald spot at the crown of his head.
He harnessed three horses to the wagon, each almost identical in appearance, with black coats except one with a white spotted coat. We traveled at a decent pace—at least five times my walking speed. We could reach Rennard Village in just over thirty minutes if we abruptly altered our course. If I had thought to hire a wagon coachman, my first quest would have been so much easier. It would have saved me time and a lot of effort.
"Lotch," Gwingiel said suddenly. "I think we should go over the specifics of the quests with Ciel. I don't want any of us to be caught unaware.” She sat to my right. Her arms crossed in front of her, muscles bulging as if she might be trying to strangle her own chest. Her short legs were sprawled wide on either side of her, nearly occupying the entire bench we shared. For a dwarf, she could take up a lot of room when she wanted, especially with bulky muscles like hers. They were toned to an almost unreal level. They put the muscles I was so proud of on Earth to shame. While I did give this body some tone in the character creation menu, it wasn't as impressive. I wouldn't go so far as to say I was jealous; rather, I was impressed. Okay, maybe I'm a little envious.
"I was just contemplating that," Lotch remarked. His voice carried a hint of uncertainty. "You're aware, of course, that our objective is to exterminate gnolls in the eastern expanse of the forest. However, an additional request was added not long after you left the guild this morning." He paused, hand venturing into his pouch, retrieving a folded piece of paper. "A village was attacked by goblins near the area we're headed, and apparently, they were riding gnolls." He paused again, looking at me as if gauging my reaction. When I didn't, he continued, "The guild requested that we verify this information before we attempt our extermination quest." Lotch concluded.
“Which also means doing more work than we originally fucking planned to do.” Gwingiel chimed in, sounding more than annoyed with the whole situation. "What's the name of the village again? Welben or Welisbid?" She mused aloud.
"Welshbride Village," Lotch corrected, interrupting her. "I mentioned this to you before. It's among the only three river villages in the kingdom," he added, a hint of exasperation in his voice.
“Is that all the information they gave you? What did they say to do if we find this evidence?” I asked Lotch.
"If the situation turned out to be more than what we could handle, we are to return to the capital, and the guild would make a formal quest to another higher-ranked party without the penalty fee." He said with a reluctant expression.
"I’ve never heard of two distinctly different monsters working together before," I responded. At least not in the game.
"Not all monsters are slag-brained. Some, like Goblins and Gnolls, enslave other species either for labor or as fuck whores. I hate fighting those horny fuckers. Raiding their camps is more of a letdown than fun." Gwingel said, her face a scowling frown.
Why would the guild give Lotch's party the green light to proceed with the revised quest that was already above their rank? The quest rank must have risen if they've changed it from an extermination quest to an investigation one. Could this mean they know the quest is more than the party can handle and waved the penalty? Or could it be more accurate to say that we never attempted it, to begin with. Why else would they allow us to continue while knowing the danger? Or could I be overthinking things?
"Let's investigate first, and then we'll decide after we learn all the facts," Lotch said.
"And let's not forget about the extra coin, the only good thing about this," Gwingel interjected while yawning. It was a swift and subtle gesture, but I noticed the hint of annoyance on Lotch's face as his eyes darted toward Gwingel, who appeared utterly unconcerned.
"Yeah, I was just about to mention that. The guild mentioned we'd receive a reward for reporting anything significant alongside completing our original quest—two extra gold coins to split among us," Lotch explained, folding up the quest paper and returning it to his pocket. The smile that had decorated his face was less pronounced after Gwingel's interjection. I hadn't considered the possibility of an additional reward, and if Gwingel hadn't said anything, I doubted he'd share that detail with me.
"Moving on from that, Ciel, could you apprise us about your specialization in arcana? It would help us better understand your abilities," Lotch inquired, his friendly smile returning. In response to his question, the Gwingel and Haldir both looked at me, suddenly more interested in the conversation. Not knowing a party member's capabilities could be fatal. How should I explain what I can do to them? I can't simply say I'm a strategic backline support with a focus on burst elemental thaumaturgy. That's overly convoluted. Besides, I suspected that explanation might fly over their heads. Then again, I might be overthinking things again.
“I’m able to use Fire, Earth, and Ice Arcana. Of the three, I’m most proficient with fire Arcana," I explained, focusing on the primary skills I mostly use.
"Wait, you can harness three Elemental Arcana?!" Gwingel exclaimed in astonishment. Her mouth agape, Lotch's gaze remained fixed, and Haldir's annoyed expression turned into a glare.
"Yes, and on top of that, I can use the Flow Arcana from the Esse Domain and both Light and Dark Arcana from the Primordial Domain," I responded, feeling a touch flustered by the surprised reaction from the party.
"I've never encountered anyone capable of harnessing arcana from all three domains simultaneously," Lotch marveled. "Do you have any proof?" he asked skeptically.
“I do, but I don’t know any subtle arcana besides buffs and debuffs,” I quickly mentioned to the group.
"Buffs and debuffs?" Gwingiel questioned with a raised eyebrow.
"She's referring to enhancing and debilitating endowment arcana. It was the terminology used before the Gleshmar era," Lotch explained, his thoughts ticking over as he observed me. Old terminology? Did that mean they used terminology from the game two hundred years ago? Why did they stop? I’ll have to ask him about it later.
I stood up in the back of the moving wagon, wobbling slightly as it moved along the dirt road. I’m not sure how thaumaturgy is taught in this world, but if I’m going to show proof that I’m not lying about my abilities, there’s only one way to do it. I raised my right hand above my head, pointing at the sky, and instinctively felt the skill activate within me as I verbalized the invocation.
“Fireball,” I let slip the words as the energy sparked to like in the palm of my hand, then shot off into the air. I watched the ball of fire sail into the sky until I lost sight of it. There wasn’t an explosion. Perhaps it needed a target?
“An invocation omitter as well,” I heard Lotch mumble to himself. He’s starting to make me think he’s realizing something only he knows about with his reactions.I hate people who do that. I shook my head. I didn’t bother looking behind to see the other two reactions. That was only one skill so far. I pointed two fingers out in the distance in front of me from behind the wagon. As I thought of the skill in my mind, I let the same innate feeling take hold and felt the evocation rising from my throat and part from my lips as I uttered the words for the first time.
“Lithosnap,” I let spill. Immediately a loud bang followed by a large dust cloud rang out far from behind the wagon on the road. It was far enough the horses only whined in alarm, scanning the area for monsters. I nearly fell out of the wagon before the wagon driver got them back under control. To catch my balance, I turned and sat on the tailgate. The wagon driver turned around in his seat and growled at me with a wrinkly stare.
“Sorry,” I said, embarrassed, feeling chastised by the old stranger.
“I think that’ll do for the demonstrations for now, Ciel. We’ll see what you can really do when we find the gnolls.” Lotch said, also not wanting to get on the old man's bad side. I sat back down next to Gwingiel, who seemed satisfied with my brief demonstrations, at least for the moment. Haldir on the other hand was far from satisfied. He seemed more upset than anything.
"Ridiculous!” he shouted, fixing me with a fierce glare. “Even Her High Majesty is limited to Arcana paths from only four of the three domains. A filthy dark elf of no consequence who can't even manage punctuality is one matter, but one who spews blatant falsehoods is utterly embarrassing," Haldir derided. His voice contrary to his seemingly gentle appearance. It was deep with an air of regality that demanded your attention. His words were weighty and filled with disdain behind them. He seated diagonally to my right, next to Lotch. I noticed he was upset earlier over me being late, which seemed to be the case, but that couldn't have been the only reason. He seemed insulted that I claimed to know more Arcana paths than this High Majesty and even went as far as to insult me without provocation. Was he a...
"Light Elf?" I uttered, perplexed. A tense silence settled among the party members. Only the rhythmic drumming of the horses' hooves on the ground and the wagon's creaking along the road passed among us. I gazed at Haldir, whose eyes blazed with anger as his brow furrowed with deep creases that marred his objectively handsome face, twisting it into a scowl.
"Guard your loathsome tongue before I cut it out, you repugnant creature," Haldir hissed. I flinched involuntarily, feeling a coldness pass through me despite the clothing I had on under the warm sun.
I could sense he meant what he said as I felt a familiar cold hand take hold and grip my heart tightly, squeezing it with vigor. The boundless cold seemed to permeate every fiber of my being. I know this feeling, fear. It was something I was so close to yet so far away from, but this was different. It wasn't like the momentary scare I'd get from watching a scary movie or having a loud noise suddenly ring out near me. This was a relentless blizzard that only grew colder as it seeped into me.
I felt the tip of something pressing against my skin just above the neckline of my cloak. I lowered my gaze and caught the glint of a silver dagger there. While it didn't break the skin, I knew it could slice through me like butter if a bit of pressure were applied. I stiffened slightly, alarmed. How had it gotten there without me noticing? Tracing its length, I found Lotch on the other end, his expression devoid of the unsure shyness he once held before, replaced by a steeliness I've only seen in some adventurers around the guild. The people I made sure to stay far away from because they felt dangerous.
"That should suffice, Ciel. Please, dispel the fire," Lotch instructed, his gaze shifting down to my right hand where a flame flickered lazily in my palm. When had I conjured that? I wondered, taken aback, snuffing out the flame as I observed it as my gaze lingered on my hand. In response, Lotch withdrew the dagger from my neck.
"I apologize for the unpleasantness, Ciel. However, I cannot permit you to attack any of my companions," Lotch remarked, sliding the dagger back into its sheath on his thigh. "And Sir Haldir, kindly refrain from provoking Ciel," he added, his tone firm. "We have more pressing matters to attend to." He concluded. His voice was a stark difference from the boyish facade he put on before. Was this the real him?
“Well, that was bloody intense! For a second there, I thought we’d all go up in chunks!” Gwingiel said heartily, laughing with her head thrown back, completely unconcerned. “Are you pissing in your pants yet Haldir?! Why the long face, boyo!” Gwingiel continued, laughing at Haldir. I looked at him, his face was pale but quickly grew flush when at Gwingiel's remarks.
“Shut up, you hideous dwarf!” Haldir yelled in retort, but that only made Gwingiel laugh all the harder at his poor attempt to cover for his clearly wounded pride.
Despite the casual exchange of insults between Gwingiel and Haldir, which didn't seem playful to me, my mood soured, and I slipped into a cocoon of silence within my cloak. I wondered if jumping onto this quest was the right choice. I mean, I barely knew these people, and already one threatened me just because I inadvertently insulted some queen I'd never heard of. Or perhaps he was just a racist prick, which is pretty accurate as far as a game goes. And as for the other guy who invited me on this quest, put a knife to my neck. Plus, he's got this weird personality thing going on, making it hard to tell which is the real him. Now that I think about it, it's kind of understandable in a medieval fantasy world kind of way. I did, after all, summon an explosive ball of fire in my hand shortly after his companion threatened me. What was he supposed to do? Just let me blow him or us up.
Now a distant haze hidden under a speckled sky of clouds. I cast a glance back at the mountain the Veinbor Kingdom is perched atop. I wonder what Melda is up to. If the past few days are any indication, she's probably dishing out drinks to drunkards right about now. Nearly a week has passed since I found myself in this world, yet It feels like I’ve been here for much longer. Does time flow differently in this world? If so, is it slower or faster than Earth's? Damn, that’s more questions I have no answers to or anyone to ask.
This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
The wagon gradually slowed down until it came to a halt in the middle of the road. Rousing from my thoughts, I lifted my gaze for the first time in the past hour, taking in my surroundings. The gentle sound of flowing water drifted through the air as the Koit River meandered peacefully nearby. We had paused a few meters away from a collapsed stone bridge that led to the Welshbride Village. Looking ahead, I spotted a wall made of spiked logs hammered into the ground in the distance, partially hidden by overgrown branches that dangled low from the bridge. I squinted, trying to focus my vision as if it would help me see further. I couldn’t make out the details, but it was clear the village gate was closed.
Lotch was the first to hop off the wagon, followed by Haldir, Gwingiel, and finally, me. Gwingiel stretched her arms and cracked her back, letting out what sounded like the most satisfying of grunts. While Lotch went over his gear, securing his sword to his waist, and adjusted the buckle on his satchel. I glanced over at Haldir, who stood slightly apart from the group again, his gaze fixed down the road toward the village. He had his silver bow in hand and quiver secured to his waist already.
I gave my gear a once-over, double-checking that everything was in place. I had left Melda's inn in a rush to make it to the gate on time—or, at least, to be less late than I already was. I tightened the buckle of my dagger on my waist, ensuring it was secure. I then unzipped my satchel just to catch a whiff of the sweet aroma of the jerky Melda had given me. Apparently, she usually gets a bit of meat for jerky, which she gives to Phen when he heads out on quests. However, since he vanished without a word this time, she decided to give it to me, and I'm damn glad she did. Five straight days of fried fish and pickled vegetable dish variations were getting very bland. It was almost torture.
"We better pick up the pace before sundown. Camping out in this forest doesn't exactly sit well with me," Lotch urged, his gaze briefly resting on Haldir. "I appreciate your assistance," he added, passing a silver coin to the coachman, who quickly pocketed it. Surprisingly, the coachmen hadn't uttered a single word the entire ride. He seemed to mind his own business the whole time, except for when he grunted at me for scaring his horses. He was unfazed by the argument and the awkwardness that followed. I wish I could be like that, someone unbothered by social awkwardness. Just as he had arrived, he departed, riding back down the road.
We hopped the gap in the collapsed bridge on our way to the village. The gap was small enough for anyone to get over, but it was large enough that wagon wheels would quickly get stuck within it. The walk toward the village was short, only a few minutes from where we stopped. The wall was tall up close, maybe fifteen feet? The logs it was made from were thick and weather-treated, but they looked warn from assault by monsters, it seemed. Large gash marks marred its surface in many places, especially the doors. Dark, dried blood stained all around the doors. Guard towers a few feet taller than the wall protruded outward from behind it, giving whoever was atop a clear view of the gate and anyone who could be knocking. It was essentially a killing field. I eyed the towers, worried, but it was unfounded. No one was atop them.
When we reached the town's gate, they opened with the old squealing of wood grinding against itself without so much as a peep from Lotch, the leader of the party, who had prepared himself to announce our arrival. I was last in the experienced party's arrow formation, making it a diamond. Lotch led the group at the head, with Gwingiel on his left and Haldir on his right. They assumed the formation without a single word, and I just filed in behind them, already familiar with it. Lotch paused briefly before we followed him past the gate into the village. A friendly-looking old man, followed by two younger men, greeted us at the gate.
"Hello, adventurers. What brings you to our humble village?" The old man said in a tired voice, yet somehow maintaining a friendly tone, his smile hidden behind a bushy mustache.
"We've come because there was a request made with the guild. A band of Goblins riding Gnolls attacked this village. We're here to investigate the situation. Can you tell me how many attacked and the color of war paint they wore?" Lotch asked the older man.
"Goblins?" The old man repeated incredulously, "There haven't been Goblin attacks around here for some time," he coughed, "In fact, not since this one was a wee lad." the old man said, pointing his walking stick at one of the men standing next to him.
"Are you saying a man named Kebnick didn't report a Goblin attack this morning?" Lotch said, his tone reminding me of the one used when he held his knife to my throat earlier.
"Yes," The old man said plainly. "That boy has always been a liar. He'll call Horned Hound if it would get him attention. Even the holy sun would be remiss with the boy." He said with a dismissive wave of his frail-looking hand. "I'm sorry your time was wasted coming out here, adventurers. Please return and inform the kind guild."
"Lotch, something's not right here," Gwingiel said in a whisper, "that old man is clearly lying out his wrinkly ass," she said, eyes scanning the village.
She had a point. I shifted my gaze past the old man and the two younger men behind him toward the village. There wasn't a soul in sight. Unlike Rennard Village, which had been bustling with activity, albeit in the midst of a frantic search for two missing kids, there were at least people to be found there. Even if the request to the guild had been a lie, there should have been some signs of people working or, at the very least, strolling about twiddling their thumbs.
"Where are the other villagers?" Lotch pondered aloud. "For a small trading village, there should at least be traders about and children playing around. There aren’t even guards attending the village walls," he said, voicing his suspicion, his gaze fixed on the elderly man who remained silent. I noticed Lotch's hand inching toward his sword. Was he going to attack them?
"Please, just leave," the old man pleaded, his voice a feeble croak as he dropped his charade. He locked eyes with Lotch, who remained still, his intentions unclear to me. Was he going to kill this old man?
"Just get the hell out of here, you bastards. You’ll make them suffer more!" one of the men who stood beside the old man exclaimed, his voice laden with frustration and grief through gnashed teeth.
"Sesnoll, you damned fool, don't!" the old man hollered, but it was too late. Sesnoll took a step forward, seemingly intent on shoving Lotch back through the gate. Yet, Lotch deftly sidestepped and nudged him toward Gwingiel, who swiftly tripped and flipped him onto his backside, where she pinned his arms behind his back. He tried to stand, but Gwingiel twisted his arm, making him yelp in pain.
"Explain yourself or," Lotch started to say but cut himself off, instead diving into Haldir as a glowing ball shot through the air from one of the nearby homes behind the two suspicious villagers.
I remained frozen, my eyes locked on the glowing orb hurtling through the air, on a collision course with the bewildered and unsuspecting old man. Time seemed to slow as I witnessed a blinding flash and heard a thunderous explosion enveloping his figure. Before I knew it, I was hurtled from my spot and abruptly brought to a jarring, painful halt against a solid surface.
As I opened my eyes, the world around me swirled in a disorienting blur. Vague, indistinct shapes danced around me from where I lay, gradually sharpening into focus as the ringing in my ears subsided. I shook my head groggily before mustering the strength to push myself onto my knees. My body ached, but it seemed that nothing was broken.
Turning my attention to the growing number of figures that danced around me, I watched as they slowly became focused, trying my best to figure out what they were. They moved about in darting patterns, some tumbling when they came too close to another, more stable and agile figure, while others leaped sporadically from one place to another.
Suddenly, as if snapping back into place, my vision sharpened, and my head cleared, allowing me to fully absorb the chaos around me. Five armed, grimy green goblins encircled Lotch. One of them rode atop a scrawny, green-furred hound-like creature with robust, muscular forward arms that seemed too long for its body. While the other road atop a rat and wolf hybrid like creature with long dark spiky hair covering only its back, leaving bare leathery brown skin that pulled taught over its muscles exposed. It has a long snouted face, with pointed ears, and deep inset red eyes.
The first was a Timber Gnoll. A subspecies of gnoll that dwelled in forests. Though they look different from their game counterparts. They were much thinner and looked strangely unhealthy. The other mount looked to be a warg. Which despite its intimidating appearance, was a domesticated monster. Which is normally used as goblin mounts.
The goblins on foot, not riding mounts, wielded rusted swords. They were clad in shoddy leather chest armor and loincloths that scarcely covered their dangling bits. I watched Lotch's agile movements as he skillfully evaded and countered the attacks from the goblins on foot, one after another. The goblin to his right swung its sword, but Lotch gracefully sidestepped the blow and delivered a swift kick to the side of the four-foot goblin's chest. It let out a pained yelp and toppled to the ground right in front of the middle goblin. Lotch seized the opportunity and lunged forward with his sword, ready to strike at the obstructed creature.
However, his attack was abruptly interrupted by a spear thrust from one of the mounted goblins, forcing Lotch to parry the spear and retreat quickly. Just as he did, an arrow whizzed past Lotch's head and struck the fallen goblin's chest. The arrow pierced straight through the meager armor, killing the goblin where it lay, eyes wide and mouth agape in frozen shock.
It was then that I spotted Haldir perched atop the guard tower, relentlessly firing arrows down at three other goblins who were frantically leaping about in an attempt to evade his shots. One of them was unsuccessful, collapsing lifelessly with an arrow protruding from its eye socket. Another dying as Haldir released his arrow the moment the goblin sprang directly into its path, the projectile piercing through its throat and nearly exiting from the other side.
I tore my attention away from the fight to find Gwingiel, who lay motionless on the ground. She had been the closest to the blast after Lotch, with the villager Sesnoll positioned in front of her. Using the village wall for support, I managed to rise from my feet, though my head was still spinning slightly. I shook it vigorously, urging it to clear faster, as I hurried over to Gwingiel.
Amid the ringing in my ears, I could barely make out Lotch shouting something at me. Ignoring his words for the moment, I reached Gwingiel and assessed her condition. She was breathing, though only just. Her chest rose and fell in a sporadic pattern of shallow and deep breaths. Ugly, charred burns marred her arms, revealing multiple layers of blackened skin, with some areas exposing down to the bone. Her chest armor, although deeply singed, appeared to have withstood the force of the blast. Considering how little it was burned, she must have shielded her face from the explosion with her arms, which likely saved her life.
Letting the innate instincts guide me, I knelt beside her, placed my hand on her arms, and focused on them as I felt the invocation leave my lips.
"Helia's Embrace," I softly whispered. This was my first time healing another person, and it felt markedly different from healing myself. It was almost unnatural, but I didn't know how to stop, nor did I want to. Despite how wrong I felt, a sudden surge of chaotic warmth welled up inside me, emanating from my navel, coursing upward through my chest and down my arms into Gwingiel's body.
I watched as the horrendous burns on her body began to scab over as new tissue grew underneath, displacing the old, charred, and blackened flesh. "Helia's Embrace," I quickly repeated after the effect ended as I noticed blood flowing from the newly healed tissue of exposed muscle in her arms. Her skin began to bubble as new skin regrew over the revealed tissues as it rapidly healed. "Helia's Embrace," I said one last time as large gashes on her face, stomach, and legs mended together sealing shut, and then finally her deeply reddened face returned to a regular milky brown.
"Fireball!" she hollered as her eyes shot open. Her head swiveled about as she sat up. She moved with remarkable speed, swiftly assessing the situation and leaping to her feet. However, her balance quickly faltered, causing her to stumble back onto her backside.
"Galador's beard! What's wrong with me?" she muttered before vomiting a watery green bile from her mouth. "M-mygeus depletion? Dammit," she cursed, her frustration evident. She then turned her gaze towards me, her eyes locking onto mine.
"Ciel, you healed me, didn't you? I need you to use endowed arcana on me now. I can't fight otherwise," she implored, her gaze unwavering. There was no time for debate. I nodded, recalling that enhancement arcana was similar to buffing arcana.
"Hasten, Aegis Guard, Oaken Body," I invoked the skills in quick succession. Each enhancing her speed, strength, and fortitude. As each word escaped my lips, the same sensation of wrongness welled up within me, much like before, as the various surges of energy coursed through my body, each one distinct from the last.
Gwingiel's body began to emit a faint glow as each skill seeped into her. First, a white radiance, followed by brown, and finally, orange. Once I was finished, she rose to her feet faster than I could follow. I heard a loud snap, followed by a howl of pain and then a thud. I whirled around, following the noise, and found a lifeless timber gnoll sprawled on the ground, its jaw hanging unnaturally from its mouth. Nearby, a shattered spear shaft lay discarded on the ground next to it.
Gwingiel stood next to the dead creature, holding a thrashing goblin by its neck. The creature snarled angrily while flailing its claw-like nails at her but somehow failing to leave a scratch. A vicious grin spread across her face, and I involuntarily winced as an audible snap cut through the chaotic atmosphere surrounding us, and the hideous goblin went limp in her hand.
"These filthy fucking creatures," Gwingiel spat with venom, throwing the lifeless corps of the goblin to the ground as though it were a discarded piece of trash. I followed her gaze as she turned her attention toward the cluster of homes deeper into the village. My jaw clenched involuntarily as my body tensed. Two large creatures emerged behind one of the village houses, flanked by a half-dozen oily-looking goblins.
The two creatures looked nothing like the goblins they lead, standing at least twice their size. They had four arms—two of which were robust and muscular, while the other two were smaller, protruding from the sides of their lower torsos like twigs. They were covered in thick, dark brown fur that enveloped nearly their entire bodies, except for scale-like plating on their forearms, shins, upper chest, and back. They were bugbears.
"Ciel, are you with me?" Gwingiel said in a low, steely voice.
"Yes," I responded, my voice hollow, as I rose to my feet. Anger coursed through me as I watched the last of the monsters around the corner of a house. The bugbears had abducted two children, their small bodies cruelly bound around the bugbears' chests in place of proper armor. The children cried in agony as their contorted bodies shifted over the bugbears.
"Good." She said, turning toward me, her face twisted in a furious scowl, "We'll send Galador their broken and bloody corpses together." I nodded, taking in their total numbers.
In addition to the two bugbears, there were six goblins and three gnolls. Among them, a goblin stood out, towering a head taller than the rest. Its robes were a messy brown and black adorned with a layer of leather for extra protection. As I assessed the goblin, I couldn't see its face hidden within the cavernous hood it wore. Like the one fighting Lotch, it seemed distinctly different from the others. Clutched in its yellow-green hand was a wooden staff, crowned with a large, sickly yellow gem that gleamed ominously. Was he the one responsible for casting the fireball?
"There's a goblin thaumaturgist," I said to Gwingiel, who noticed him at the same time I did.
"Aye, I'll leave that bastard to you. The bugbears are mine." She replied with a predatory growl, eyes locked onto a bugbear that elbowed one of the crying children in the temple with its lower arm, making them go limp. "As for the others, we'll leave them for Haldir and Lotch if they stop juggling their balls anytime soon." She continued prompting me to glance where Lotch and Haldir were when I last saw them.
Goblin bodies littered the ground, staining it black with their tar-colored blood. I spotted Lotch as he fought one-on-one with a skilled mounted goblin. I hadn't noticed before, but this goblin was clearly different from the rest, like the goblin thaumaturgist. Its armor and weapon looked to be of a much better quality. It thrust its spear at Lotch with quick yet precise movements, forcing Lotch to remain at a distance from him and his mount. Unlike the other goblin, this one looked to be older and more wisened in battle. Lotch, whose sword couldn't reach the goblin, was forced to parry the spear thrusts aimed directly at his head and unarmored stomach. It seemed neither he nor the goblin was making any progress at delivering a decisive blow. Haldir, on the other hand, just finished off the last of the Goblins he was fighting, losing an arrow into its head. The goblin convulsed briefly with death throws before going still.
I turned away just as Haldir pulled his arrow free from the goblin's skull. I turned my attention back toward the enemies in front of us, but Gwingiel had already launched into a sprint, hurtling toward the bugbears surrounded by the half-dozen goblins. I needed to warn her about the time limit on the enhancement arcana. I could sense the energy ebbing away after casting the skill on her. It was like a slow trickle of energy being absorbed by her body. In the game, there was always a slight debilitating after-effect from buffing skills. She would likely cave to exhaustion and lethargy if she didn't finish the fight quickly.
I felt a sharp sensation, like something dragging across my stomach, prompting me to leap backward on reflex. When I turned my attention back to the front, I was confronted by a snarling gnoll. Its beady black eyes glared at me with frustration, as if it were annoyed that it couldn't slash open my belly with a single swipe of its sharp claws. What the hell am I doing, taking my eyes off the enemies right in front of me? I quickly raised my hand, intending to invoke a fireball, but the gnoll was already closing in with its other clawed hand. It was too close; if I cast the skill now, I'd risk getting caught in the explosion of my own attack.
I pulled back my right hand before thrusting it forward "Ziken Lance!" I yelled just as the gnoll's claws came close to my face. Instantly, a spiraled cone-shaped pillar of fire burst to life next to me, following the motion of my hand. The lance thrust itself into the chest of the surprised gnoll, its black eyes going wide in shock. The flaming lance burrowed straight through the gnoll, setting it ablaze right before me. It let out a surprised yelp of agony before its cry was smothered by the flames as they scorched its body inside and out. I jumped back as I watched the helpless gnoll's blackened chard body slump to the ground in front of me, only to do so once again as the smell of its corps made me gag.
I glanced over at Gwingiel, taking care to keep the two gnolls pacing around the goblin thaumaturgist in my periphery. The goblin thaumaturgist strangely made no move to attack me; was it waiting for something? Gwingiel was surprisingly holding her own, having already dispatched two goblins and now engaging a bugbear. The bugbear swung its massive axe down at her with bone-crushing force, violently jolting the wailing child strapped to its chest.
Haldir, on the other hand, was surrounded on all sides, flanked by three goblins as he faced two directly in front of him. He quickly knocked two arrows, drew, and loosed them faster than the goblins in front of him could react. His arrows found their marks, striking one goblin between the eyes and the other in the shoulder, causing it to cry out in pain and drop its weapon. Haldir rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding two sword slashes from the goblins behind him, but took a brutal blow to his side from the third. The rusty blade dug deep into his flesh, sending him tumbling to the ground.
I drew a deep breath, my heart pounding in my chest. I could feel the excitement rising as I faced the charging gnolls. They had broken away from the goblin thaumaturgist, who watched me with anticipation, likely waiting for an opening. The gnolls bore their fangs, snarling as they rapidly closed the gap between us. They moved almost like apes, using their bulky arms to push off the ground for extra speed as they charged me, one following closely behind the other.
"Fireball!" I yelled, watching the blazing sphere shoot through the air, expecting them to make the same mistake as the horned hounds. But, to my surprise, the two gnolls jumped in opposite directions, dodging the blast as if they knew it was coming. The fireball exploded on impact with the ground, but the gnolls were safely out of the blast radius. They quickly covered the short distance to me, now well within my attack range. I launched my next skill.
Ziken Lance!" I yelled, thrusting my arm out towards the closest gnoll, intending to skewer it through. However, to my dismay, it dodged skillfully, using its claws to adjust its angle and narrowly escaping the flaming lance as it drilled a black hole into the ground. Before I could recover and launch another attack, I felt a thunderous impact that knocked the air out of me, sending me tumbling to the side. I rolled on the ground and used the momentum of my spin to stand back up quickly, coughing as I struggled to breathe while keeping the gnolls in my line of sight. The two gnolls worked well together as if they knew what the other would do beforehand.
The two gnolls made no move to pursue me. Instead, they lowered themselves onto the ground, outstretched their arms with claws dug deep into the earth like cats stretching. I raised my hand, intending to launch another fireball at them, but before I could, one of the gnolls shot forward like an arrow, heading straight for me. I jumped to the side, rolling on the ground to avoid its attack. However, I suddenly noticed that the other gnoll had positioned itself right where I would land. With both hands already outstretched in front of me, I yelled, "Earth Void!"
Just as the gnoll launched itself forward. The earth in front of me was immediately gouged out and propelled onward in a deadly wave of stones and dirt. It crashed into the stunned gnoll smashing into it. The loose rock and dirt hit first, almost like cannon balls tarring into the gnoll before the force behind the skill slammed into the helpless creature. Its limp body flew back, pulverizing it into the village wall, the thick wooden log bending inward from the force of the impact. The gnoll's corps was a tangled bloody mess with dirt and rocks lodged in its now blood-soaked furry flesh. I've only used this skill once before against the Alpha horned hound, and even he hadn't taken that kind of damage.
I picked myself up and turned just in time to see the other gnoll recovering from its blitz attack some distance away. It growled at me, its black eyes burning holes that seemed to pierce my gaghlish cloak like butter as if to blame me for killing its partner. I threw my arm out, ready to finish him off. I grimaced, feeling a sudden sharp pain pierce my back and then course through my body. The sensation was intense but brief as it vanished as abruptly as it had come.
When my mind cleared, I noticed I had fallen on my side without realizing it. "What the hell?!" I yelled through clenched jaw in alarm, trying to pick myself back up, but my body didn't move. The gnoll took this chance to charge me, eyes furious and teeth slick with saliva. Fear rang through me as I watched it approach me. I could feel my body begin to respond as it neared me, but not nearly enough to move away. I bawl myself up and cover my head with my arms. I felt the furious gnoll's claws rake across my cloak, tearing it apart with frightening force. Pain seared through my body as the creature's sharp claws dug into my left thigh, drawing hot blood that quickly began to run down my thigh. I felt its clawed hands tare at the hood of my cloak, trying to shred my face apart, but I held my hood tight, pulling it down over my face and gripping it as tightly as I could.
The gnoll seemed to stop for a second, not attempting to shred my face anymore. I almost mustered enough courage to look up when I felt an impact smash into my shoulder, shooting a razor-like pain through it. I felt the reverberating crack of my ribs ring through my chest, followed by the most horrendous pain I've ever felt before. I cried out, barely able to breathe from the pain radiating through my chest. Then, suddenly, my world of pain went black.