It was now around several minutes after Adrian, Marilyn, and Cecilia had heard the recording of Felix Knolton, briefing them on what they were about to face in this operation they had taken. And since then, those three have gathered the rest of the group to share their newfound information.
They sat at the centre of the outpost in a small circle, on the ground. Most of them were anticipating the incoming new information they've found, but one person was just being half-serious about this whole ordeal.
“Elysia…” Marilyn began, inclining her head as she raised an eyebrow. “Why are you eating while we're having a discussion?”
The rest of the group turned to Marilyn as she said those words, then towards Elysia. The sound of chewing was very apparent, to the point that it might annoy someone, but they're used to it.
“Hmm~?” Elysia perked up, in the middle of a bite. She was eating canned soup. She wanted to reply, but decided to swallow first, “Why shouldn't I, Lyn-lyn?”
Marilyn chuckled, with a hint of second-hand embarrassment, “It's just…rather impolite, I guess?”
Elysia took another spoonful of soup, “Well I’m not fighting on an empty stomach, that's for sure!” she argued, with a half-yell to her tone.
Marilyn blinked a couple of times, glancing at Cecilia who sighed in response, and the rest of the group who were neutral. Well, Elysia was just being Elysia, so there was no need to actually complain about her antics. Vincent would disagree on that, but she wouldn't want to act like he did towards her.
“Well alright, I hope you enjoy your meal,” she responded, smiling.
Elysia had a wide grin in response, as she continued to devour what was essentially her second lunch for the day, half-listening in towards the conversation, and half-focused on eating her canned meal. Marilyn tried to think of how she's doing this with no drink, but she didn't bother to pry any further.
“So uhh…the hell did y’all find?” Vincent interjected, his legs crossed, body hunched forward. His gaze had focused itself upon the three people that explored the larger building in this outpost.
“We found a recording, by Felix Knolton, the one who gave us the mission to come here.” Adrian explained, his eyes facing Vincent.
“Him again?” Vincent questioned, raising an eyebrow. “Let me guess, he’s saying that we’re on our own to figure this shit out?”
“That, and our target is located in the royal palace…this Veil's version of it anyway.” Cecilia said to him, “The live map that's uploaded to our Tomes showed us the paths we could take to reach it, ones that are safer to do than choosing for our own.”
Vincent was mildly surprised, his expression changing from very mild frustration to slight satisfaction, in his own way. “Huh…well that's good.”
“Agreed,” Adrian quickly responded, “In any case, I should be able to explain while we're on the way there, because I don't think we can spend much time here either. The Veil's nature is stated to be unpredictable, so I don't want us to get lost.” Adrian turned towards the others, “Before that though…what about you two? I know Elysia definitely found the food pantry and began her assault on it, so I just need to know what you guys found.”
Vincent crossed his arms, scoffing at his disappointment, his back straightened. “A whole buncha nothin’, apart from kits and such, useless for us currently.”
Adrian nodded, then looked at Eldryn, who had been sitting quietly, his expression thoughtful and a touch unsettled. It was odd, and a bit concerning.
“Eldryn,” Adrian said again, gently, “Did you find anything?”
Eldryn took a slow breath, his voice low and steady. “The aura of bloodlust…” He paused, his blindfolded gaze seeming to drift somewhere distant. “It was…immense. Powerful. Centred in the capital. It felt as if it was watching us. Watching me.” He shuddered slightly, though his tone remained calm, underpinned by that quiet, unshakeable faith. “I don’t know what it is, but it’s waiting for us.”
A tense silence settled over the group, each of them processing his words. Marilyn felt a chill run down her spine, resisting the urge to look over her shoulder. She’d known the Veil was dangerous, but this felt… different. Alive. She didn't know if that aura Eldryn was talking about came from something in this place, or if it was the twisted reality itself beckoning them.
“Bloodlust…you serious?” Vincent questioned, turning towards the preacher next to him.
“I am, it is not a jest.” Eldryn responded with a grimmer tone, catching Vincent slightly off-guard. “Though it was odd that you all didn't feel it too.”
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“Hmm…” Marilyn was the one to contemplate it deeply.
Reminding herself of that beckoning call from the Phantom Dragon in her childhood, the one that pushed her to enter its ‘Hunting Ground’, she knew of entities that could direct their auras towards people, to compel them to feel or do something.
In fact, auras could be used in such a way to break the mental defences of combatants, who were instinctively trained to shield their minds from hesitation and doubt.
They could also be used to convey certain feelings of the user and produce tangible effects, an example of which being Adrian's Battle Aura.
“Could it be…?”
For further elaboration, Adrian's aura felt like a flame that could not be put out, his indomitability. And through the honing of skill through the Path of the Warrior, he could direct his Battle Aura to his weapons to produce said flames as lethal attacks. And while less commonly shown, he could also inspire indomitability towards his allies by directing his Battle Aura to them, and shook the morale of others that dared to fight him.
It really was less commonly shown because Adrian is a gentle soul, but it was an example that Marilyn could potentially compare it to. Much like how more conventional magic users of other Paths were capable of producing magic from the external Essence, those that belonged in the Path of the Warrior produced magic from the internal Essence, being one’s own spirit or soul. It was a step further from ‘simple’ amplification of one’s body and physical capabilities using the art of Spirit Cultivation.
One didn't need to have Battle Auras specifically to be capable of breaking mental and spiritual defences, or to direct them towards certain people. But—
“Can creatures somehow have their own auras?” Marilyn asked them all.
“I mean…” Cecilia attempted to answer, “They can. Auras are really just the emanations of one’s soul, and those with powerful souls were capable of producing detectable auras naturally. Battle Auras like what Adrian and Vincent have is just one way to have it be used for other things. The main question really only lies on…”
“...the wielder of that aura being smart or skilled enough to direct it towards one person,” Adrian mused audibly. “That leaves us with one possibility, then.”
Marilyn glanced at Cecilia, suddenly remembering the quiet strength that radiated from her. Although Cecilia—and, by extension, anyone who hadn’t chosen the Path of the Warrior—didn’t wield a Battle Aura in the same way as Adrian, hers was still existent. In fact, it could be said that her aura held a kind of regal authority—an unshakable will inherited from generations of Lenore royalty.
It wasn’t a directed weapon and it would be less versatile in usage, but it was a presence felt by those around her, still capable of inspiring fear. The Princess of Albion didn’t need to announce her power; it simply was.
In any case…
“If the aura Eldryn sensed is sentient enough to focus on us individually,” Adrian mused, “then it’s no mindless creature. We might be dealing with something that’s highly aware…and capable.”
Cecilia nodded. “Exactly. If it can project an aura like that, it’s more than just a beast—it has intent.” She paused, her gaze steely. “This could be someone—something—intelligent enough to guard the Veil’s core. And if it’s waiting for us, then we’d better be prepared.”
“To have a presence that could be felt all the way from the capital…” Marilyn murmured aloud, her voice shaking slightly. The thought was unsettling.
Translated into Tome System terminology, the levels for this target of theirs would be very high, more than enough to be considered truly monstrous, even for them.
“I feel like we're being scammed here, honestly…” Vincent muttered. “You think this is some kind of bullshit setup? We’re going up against something that could shake even the yapping preacher here.”
“For the record, I’m not so terribly shaken, just…quite concerned,” Eldryn rebuked, crossing his arms. “But Vivi here has a point. This might be bigger than we thought. Perhaps we should consider our chances and come up with a plan.”
Adrian nodded thoughtfully, his gaze fixed on the ground as if he were piecing together a strategy from the dust and dirt. “Eldryn’s right. If this thing is as powerful as it seems, we can’t afford to rush in blindly. We need to assess what we’re dealing with and play to each of our strengths.”
Vincent snorted, his scepticism evident. “Easy for you to say, Mr. Indomitable. Some of us don’t have a Willpower as high as yours.”
Adrian shot him a calm, but firm look. “Which is why we must work together. Each of us brings something unique to the table. And I’d rather have all of us focused and alive than one of us going rogue and ending up…compromised.”
“Compromised?” Elysia echoed, chuckling around her spoon as she finished off the last of her soup. She wiped her mouth, then flashed a grin at Adrian. “Don’t worry, fearless leader! I’ll keep my antics to a simmer.”
Cecilia rolled her eyes but couldn’t suppress a smirk. “Just saying, I’m not going to carry you out if you get reckless.”
“Psh, you’d miss me too much if I were gone!" Elysia shot back, unbothered. She leaned back, stretching her arms behind her head. “Besides, who else here is as good at getting under Vincent’s skin?”
Vincent scowled, crossing his arms tighter. “Cute, Elysia. Real cute. Let’s see if you’re still joking when we’re facing down whatever Eldryn sensed out there.”
Marilyn cleared her throat, trying to bring the conversation back to the gravity of their situation. “Regardless…if this entity can project an aura strong enough to feel like it’s watching us from miles away...how do we even face it? A powerful aura translates to an extremely high level, you know?"
"Well, we have faced an enemy above our pay grade before," Cecilia said, her gaze sharp. “If we can maintain some sort of pressure, and focus our cohesive strength to the point where we can equalise our footing...we might have a chance."
Adrian nodded. “Agreed. We stay together, communicate, and rely on each other. And if anyone feels…off, say something. We’re stronger as a team.”
Elysia smirked, rolling her shoulders. “Fine by me! But if anyone starts acting strange, don’t be surprised if I knock some sense into you.”
Marilyn gave a small smile, despite her nerves. “Whatever happens, let’s make sure we come back. All of us.”
A brief silence settled over them, each member nodding to the statement that Marilyn had brought. There were many uncertainties about this situation which they couldn't anticipate, but they must move forward. If not for the sake of the world, at the least for their continued survival.
Marilyn herself certainly would want both cases to be realised.