After a grueling day, Sammuel had his fists become a little bloody. He tried to keep punching but the pain kept him from pushing on too far. He wasn’t like Sadin who could just ignore everything and keep going.
It wasn’t that it was entirely a waste after all. Practicing [Hardened Fist] had given him an understanding of just how vast the difference between this technique and [Flowing Swordsmanship].
[Skill:
Hardened Fist - Solidify your fists into a weapon.
Card Quality: Bronze (Base)
Mastery: Novice | EXP: 4.32/100%
Affinity Level: 18.23%
Combat Power: +3 ~ +8]
He had broken through from Amateur Mastery to Novice Mastery within a single day. It had taken Sammuel numerous days to make progress on [Flowing Swordsmanship] yet he already broke through on the first day.
Another key aspect was that his Affinity Level with [Hardened Fist] rose extremely fast comparatively. Focusing on what he needed to do, it rapidly rose during this day. As such he managed to quickly break through without much trouble.
It was possible for him to develop himself even faster but that would require him to keep abusing his bloodied hands and mangle them on his own. As efficient as this was, he wasn’t a lunatic who could ignore the pain.
After he brought Xeril something to eat, he left the institution to head back. From the shadows, Jynnette had shown herself to Xeril. Her sudden appearance made Xeril terrified but once he realized it was her, he became relieved.
“That doesn’t make sense.” Jynnette had seen Sammuel progress abnormally fast. While [Hardened Fist] wasn’t an overtly terrifying technique, it was something that still required someone with a large foundation. From her observations, Sammuel had done as she had expected except for his absurdly quick learning speed.
If Xeril was the one who learned this fast then she could chalk it up to him being gifted. But she clearly knew just how slow Sammuel should be learning. This did not make any sense.
“Instructor Hease, what do you mean by that?”
“Keep reading. Once you have some actual questions, you can find me.”
“I have some questions right now. In this passage, it said that-”
“You’ll know what I mean when you reach that point.” Jynnette disappeared from his sight as well. She ignored all conventions to directly seek out the head of the Reuge Institution. Blatantly opening the door, Jynnette found Weston going through some documents on his table.
“Miss Jynnette, to what do I owe the pleasure of this fine meeting?” Weston took off his reading glasses and placed the wad of papers in his hands down.
“Something’s wrong with Sammuel. He might be the Hatchling. His learning speed doesn’t reflect his talent.” Jynnette was completely serious about this matter.
“He is an enigma but my sources have determined that he’s not the Hatchling.”
Jynnette could only give her accusations up. If Weston said so then she could only believe it. “Then what’s wrong with him? When I first met him he wasn’t anything at all but now I see him hanging around people like Xeril. His growth does not conform to the logic of this world.”
“People have their own secrets, Miss Jynnette. There’s no use trying to pry it out of him.”
“I don’t like how easily he gets stronger. People struggled for weeks on end on such a technique but he managed to learn everything within a single day.”
“He might be a hidden prodigy. We can only guess.” Weston waved his hand and opened the door. “If you want to test him then go for it, you are his instructor after all. Just keep in mind to not pry their boundaries.”
“What do I have to do to make him a candidate of suspicion?” Jynnette was serious in her approach. There was something odd about Sammuel that she inherently didn’t like.
“You being suspicious of him is reason enough to not suspect him. A Hatchling might be young but they wouldn’t be as naive as to get close to someone like you.”
Jynnette gritted her teeth. She turned around and walked off. There was a small red mark on her back that sprouted up when her clothes swished. It lightly pulsated crimson.
“Opposites attract. He might be the one who manages to find that Hatchling. Be careful now.” Weston slightly smiled. “You’ve only been out here for a few months now. Your mother would get very worried if she ever found you hurt.”
“Just what can that weakling do to me?” Jynnette stormed off with a vicious expression on her face. Needing to clear her mind, she traveled off into the Hallowed Gap, the bridge between the Wasteland of Mortality and the Plains of Divinity.
Stolen novel; please report.
Moving deeper in, the monsters she was fighting against continued to increase in strength. Being so deep in, she finally encountered creatures that could fight her equally. They were formidable foes that would completely and utterly decimate the weaker population of Aganth.
Taking out her twin daggers, she moved like lightning. A towering giant had its head decapitated like it was nothing. As this giant’s body fell down, it caused a shockwave to spew out for countless kilometers.
Feeling more composed, Jynnette aimed to head back when a stifling sensation filled her heart. She looked all around only to find a certain girl walking out under the moonlight. Jynnette brought both of her daggers close to herself and carefully observed this newly arrived creature.
This girl spoke an unknown language. Jynnette felt her split apart as if the very words she spoke shattered her very existence. Roaring out in exchange, she interrupted the girl’s words.
“I forgot that humans don’t understand that language. Very well, I’ll have to ask once again. Do you know where the Hatchling is?” The girl’s voice was cold and hollow as if it was a mere puppet.
Jynnette instinctively knew that she wouldn’t be able to face such a behemoth. She ran off with all her speed. This made the certain girl’s mood sour.
“Running once again. I’ll never understand… you’ve already dominated this world but you’re still so afraid of everything. Have some confidence.” The girl raised her hand as an overwhelmingly terrifying ball of pure destruction appeared.
[Annihilation Nova]
Jynnette knew just what kind of monstrous power this held, as well as the implication of such a move. This was a favorite move of a certain race.
[Light Velocity | Gained Combat Power: +??? | Jynnette: ???]
[Shadow Walk | Gained Combat Power: +??? | Jynnette: ???]
She used both of her fastest movement techniques to run away from that overwhelmingly terrifying move. Yet she just couldn’t. [Annihilation Nova] completely consumed everything in sight as countless trees were uprooted, rivers were drained, and holes turned into ravines. There wasn’t a single thing that could stop it from meeting its mark.
Jynnette could feel encroaching from behind her. Her only hope now was that someone would come and save her. Though that possibility was bleak. She was far too deep within the Hallow Gap for anyone to come and save her.
Slowly, the mass of pure destruction crept up to her. The only thing she was doing was running away from the inevitable. As the sensation of death slowly settled in, Jynnette gritted her teeth and still continued on her best. No matter what, she wouldn’t just give up like this.
Yet as one would expect, such a terrifying move eventually reached her. As she could feel her back slowly scorch into nothingness, an ever-familiar voice spoke, soothing her worries.
“Dragons, eh?” A woman who seemed to be in her thirties came down from the skies. Her blazing red hair and ruby eyes were a shining beacon of hope for Jynnette. The greatsword she held in her hand was even bigger than she was yet she just so easily wielded it. Slashing her greatsword down, she had split [Annihilation Nova] into two. The wave of destruction continued on forward yet already cut apart.
The blazing fire accompanying this new lady caused the forest to turn into light. Taking a look at the girl who had attacked her daughter, she madly grinned. “You sure you want to do this? I’ve heard you already lost Vzella, I don’t think you want to lose another one.”
“We just want the Hatchling back. Nothing more.”
“And killing my daughter’s just a small casualty, huh?”
The girl’s brows furrowed. “You could always just make more. Nine months isn’t that long. I don’t see what the big deal is.” The girl’s body started to be illuminated by moonlight. Her body seemed to be protected by the moon itself. “I guess I should respect your capability. Let me change back.”
A dragon that was greater than anything Jynnette had seen before manifested itself before her. Her scales were pure white, untainted by the malice of the world. Her eyes seemed to have the mysteries of the world solved. As for her size, it was enough to block out the moon itself. This dragon’s eyes were the moons themselves.
“Alyur, the Great Dragon of Moonlight. Too bad our Dragon Slayer’s in bad shape. I would’ve loved nothing more than to see your blood spill on down where you belong. Beneath my feet.”
“All we desire is for the Hatchling to return. We know that you’ve kept her inside Aganth. There’s no point in hiding the fact. We have already divined the truth.” Alyur’s majestic appearance caused the world to turn serene, unhindered by trouble.
Jynette’s mother gripped her sword tightly. Even as viciously as she spoke, her eyes and mouth were bleeding out. It was already taking a toll on her to even stay conscious right now. Alyur had a terrifyingly oppressive domain that could cause people to submit to her will. As the moonlight served to be tranquil, the world would be as well through her gaze. Still and unmoving.
“Killing me will only cause the two Empires to turn their gazes back on you! Do you really want your clan to be wiped out?”
Alyur’s reply was simple.
[Annihilation Nova]
This one was greater than the last attack Jynnette faced. Both of their lives would be forfeit. To compare the strength of this [Annihilation Nova] it was at a quarter strength of Vzella’s full-out attack. Able to completely decimate those unfit to even face it.
“We only wish to ensure the survival of our race. We will stop at nothing to get what we desire. If you stop us then… it could only mean war.”
Jynnette helplessly watched on as her mother gathered up the majority of her strength to block this one attack.
[Limit Break | Gain Combat Power: +??? | Erin: +???]
Erin, Jynnette’s mother, had just activated a self-destructive technique that temporarily increased her mana capacity to an unbelievable degree. “Jynnette, once you find that Hatchling, kill it for me, will ya?”
Erin raised her greatsword and slashed down, completely shoving it in half once more. She didn’t completely stop Aylur’s attack as there was no point. She wasn’t going to survive this but perhaps her daughter could.
Giving Jynnette a way out, she took it. She practically knew that there was no point in trying to talk with her mother. With such an overwhelmingly powerful enemy, such an act would only lead to both their demises.
[Annihilation Nova]
Jynnette could feel another terrifyingly powerful ability shake the very core of the Aganth. They could feel the tremors as if the world was about to end. Alyur’s strength was overwhelming, they couldn’t fight back against it at all. Yet it was cut apart once again.
Jynnette didn’t know what happened behind her anymore but she knew that her mother managed to defend against one more attack. She kept on running away fully knowing that her mother was no more.
Unbeknownst to her, she had managed to come and face the hands of a person she knew very well, Weston. He looked beyond the horizon and cast a spell.
[Isolated Kingdom]
The city of Aganth had just become a solidified fortress where no man could go in and no man could go out. Weston came to comfort Jynnette first but after a while, he said something that was heartless. “We can’t let the city know that your mother has passed. Not until the two Empires have responded. Can you do that?”
Jynnette clenched her fists hard enough to draw blood.