Robert obeyed Samuel's orders, patrolling the designated circuit despite his drained energy. With the sun setting, he pushed through, resolved to fulfill his duty.
"Oh! My limbs feel like they're about to snap in two," he gasped, breathing heavily, sweat dripping, throat parched.
"I should've just said no to his request! Damn, I let my excitement get the best of me! My mind's already in turmoil after the meeting with Alistar, then that skirmish with the mercenaries, and I haven't had enough sleep. And just a few days ago, I had my first spiritual encounter," he muttered to himself, frustration evident in his voice.
"Maybe I should turn back? Or signal for help with the pin. Heh, nah, they're counting on me! How embarrassing... they're relying on me to assist them, but here I am, feeling like a burden. Damn it! What should I do? I can't move another inch," he groaned, frustration and exhaustion weighing heavily on his mind.
The darkness of the forest, combined with his exhaustion, intensified by the cacophony of natural sounds—rustling leaves, whispering wind, chirping insects, and mysterious creatures—stabbed into his mind like a knife. Robert was hit with an intense migraine and pain.
"Ugh!" he grunted, overwhelmed by the sensory assault.
He fell to the ground, his back resting on a tree. He then smirked. “I guess it’s the only way!”
Maybe I should try some energy manipulation, “If I could morph rock into cubes, then maybe I can morph air into energy and healing!”
“Ugh!”
Pain seared through him, interrupting any attempt at visualization. The intense migraine made it impossible to concentrate.
"I wonder... am I going to die?" he questioned, a flicker of fear tinged with resignation in his voice.
Closing his eyes, Robert envisioned himself enveloped in an infinite void. In this boundless expanse, he reached out to the minuscule particles of air, their presence imperceptible yet omnipresent.
"Oh, particles of air, whose magnitude eludes perception, I beseech you: heal me, empower me. O benevolent forces of the universe, grant me the strength to safeguard this wondrous forest, a sanctuary for countless creatures and cherished memories," he whispered, seeking solace and renewal from the unseen energies surrounding him.
"Rays of the sun, reflected on the moon, lend me your strength!" Robert called out.
He chuckled softly before adding, "As for you, God, you're too great for me to perceive. But if you're listening, please grant me healing."
Suddenly, a ray of multicolored light enveloped him, washing away his exhaustion and fatigue in an instant.
As the newfound energy surged through him, Robert couldn't shake the feeling that it came too easily, almost like a cheat. Deep down, he sensed intuitively that there would be a price to pay later on.
He sighed a sigh of relief, then swiftly moved with renewed vigor through the forest. Suddenly, he stumbled upon a confrontation between two Eldorian soldiers and a mercenary. One of the soldiers launched a fireball towards the mercenary, shouting, "Take this! You wretched invaders!" A grin spread across his face as he watched the unfolding skirmish.
"Whoa, he's morphing air into fire!" Robert admired the soldier's skill, impressed by the display of elemental mastery.
"The mercenary used his Gauntlet to absorb the ball of energy, then in less than an instant, he teleported behind the scout. Gripping the Eldorian scout's face, it withered and transformed into a skull.
"Holy shit! What speed! And what's with that gauntlet? Is he able to absorb life force or something?!" Robert exclaimed, astonished by the mercenary's abilities.
The mercenary had white cape, and he was wearing bandages around his forearms. One of his legs was an iron leg.
“This guy is not normal! He is in a different league compared to the ones I faced in the morning.”
The other soldier didn’t knew what to do and with all his might, while roaring casted, a fire pillar on to the mercenary with the white cape.
The fire pillar was so intense that trees started to fall, yet the mercenary remained unfazed. Evading the attack by teleporting into the air, he seemed to toy with the soldier, appearing next to him multiple times in rapid succession. Overwhelmed, the soldier collapsed to the ground.
"Beg.... Beg for your life!" the mercenary demanded, his voice dripping with menace.
Terrified, the soldier pleaded, "Please, I have kids, please don't kill me!"
"Nice... don't be afraid," the mercenary said softly, almost soothingly, as he caressed the soldier's hair. Then, with a sudden, merciless grip, he twisted the soldier's head, ending his life without remorse.
Upon witnessing the brutal skirmish, Robert felt his heart pound against his ribcage, fear gripping him tightly. "He's not human. Who is this guy? Teleportation and energy absorption... how do you defeat someone like him?" he wondered, a sense of helplessness creeping over him as he contemplated the formidable abilities of the mercenary.
He decided to leave the scene, he pinched the pin in the bracelet to alert the telepathic abilities of Samuel.
Then, as he glanced one last time, Robert's eyes widened in shock. "What the fuck!" he exclaimed under his breath.
"That's the sigil of Faurecia?!” he wondered, his mind racing with the implications of seeing such a symbol on the mercenary's back.
"Need to leave this place ASAP!" Robert muttered urgently to himself. With a quickened pace, he swiftly departed from the scene, his mind reeling with the encounter and the newfound urgency to distance himself from the mysterious mercenary.
While running swiftly through the forest, Robert heard a loud explosion. "That's coming from the place on the map. I'll head there before returning to headquarters," he decided, altering his course towards the source of the disturbance.
As he arrived at the location, Robert's eyes widened in disbelief. Three mercenaries were present, one callously sitting on the body of a fallen soldier while the other two were shamelessly stripping the clothes from the fallen soldiers and wearing them themselves. The sight filled Robert with a mix of anger and disgust.
"Ohh! What in the world is going on! These motherfuckers..." Robert muttered angrily to himself. "I need to report this! We can't have spies infiltrating our troops, and it looks like these mercenaries are stronger than our own soldiers," he concluded, realizing the gravity of the situation and the need for immediate action.
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As he listened in from his hiding spot, Robert heard snippets of conversation among the mercenaries.
"Man, these Eldorian troops are weak," remarked the first mercenary disdainfully.
"Yeah, most of the strongest soldiers are set to protect the mines and the city," added the second mercenary, sounding somewhat disappointed.
The third mercenary grunted in frustration. "Hmph! I was hoping to meet some strong foes. Too bad," he lamented, punctuating his words with a kick to one of the fallen soldiers, treating him as if he were nothing more than a dummy.
"Just be patient. If everything goes according to the advisors' plan, we shall be dining in the city hall of Eldoria three days from now," one of them stated confidently.
Robert's blood ran cold as he listened to the mercenaries conversation.
"You really trust that advisor?" one of them questioned.
"Yep! He's a genius. The rumors about the advancement of the tribute are spreading now. Eldoria is on guard. However, what they don’t know is that we are sending them fake advisors. Then they're going to give us money for free, which we are going to use to acquire beasts from VornVegr," the other mercenary explained with a smug confidence.
The revelation sent a shiver down Robert's spine. It was clear that the situation was more dire than he had initially realized.
"This is crucial information. I must inform Samuel immediately!" Robert concluded with a sense of urgency. Without hesitation, he sprinted like a bolt towards the headquarters.
Pausing to catch his breath, Robert assessed the time. "In 15 minutes, I will arrive at the headquarters," he noted to himself.
Like a meteor, a figure descended upon Robert from behind with incredible speed, leaving a trail of light in his wake. In an instant, he seized Robert by the head and forcefully slammed his face into the ground.
"Boom!"
The impact reverberated through the forest, leaving Robert stunned and disoriented, his senses reeling from the sudden and brutal attack.
Robert! Jumped back to his feet! His vision blurry, he glances to his left perceives nothing, he glances to his right still sees nothing. Then the figure appears in front of him.
----------------------------------------
10 minutes earlier.
Perched atop a towering tree in the heart of the forest, a mysterious figure cloaked surveyed the landscape below. His gaze, illuminated, pierced through the dense foliage, granting him vision far beyond that of ordinary men.
With a keen eye and heightened senses, the man observed the scattered skirmishes erupting throughout the forest. From his vantage point high above the canopy, he detected the telltale signs of impending conflict and calculated the most opportune moments to intervene.
After a skirmish between 10 Eldorian soldiers and 10 mercenaries, the cloaked figure appeared amidst them. "Who are you?" the mercenaries demanded in surprise. "What a fool! You rushed to your death!"
They unleashed a barrage of spells at him—fireballs streaked through the air, lightning bolts crackled ominously, and colossal stone giants swung their mighty fists. Yet, to their astonishment, not a single attack found its mark. The cloaked figure moved with uncanny grace, dodging and weaving through the onslaught with effortless agility. It was as if he were a phantom, untouchable and elusive, dancing amidst the chaos of battle.
With a commanding gesture, he pressed his palm into the earth, and in an instant, the surroundings transformed. The forest faded away, replaced by an otherworldly dimension. Thick, impenetrable walls made up of tombs rose up around them, while eerie chandeliers dripped with crimson blood casted a red light, macabre shadows with huge sharp scythes stood near this figure. Beneath their feet, the floor churned with dense, swirling smoke, enveloping everything in an unsettling haze. Caught within this surreal space, the mercenaries found themselves paralyzed, unable to move or escape the cloaked figure's grasp.
"Ahhh! Impossible!" cried out one of the mercenaries, his voice trembling with disbelief. "Royal level, Xeno-arcanery! Only one man can do this!"
The cloaked figure raised his hand into the air, and clenched his fist. In response, the solemn tombs lining the walls cracked open, revealing their hidden arsenal. Multiple daggers surged forth, propelled by unseen force, piercing the hearts of the mercenaries with deadly precision. The room echoed with the sound of their anguished cries as they fell to the ground, vanquished by the cloaked figure's mastery of the Xeno-arcanery arts.
As the mercenaries fell, lifeless upon the ground, a palpable shift occurred. It was as if an illusion had been dispersed, and reality reasserted itself with a sudden clarity. The eerie dimension that had enveloped the area melted away like a mirage, revealing once more the familiar surroundings of the forest. The chandeliers vanished, the walls of tombs crumbled into dust, and the thick smoke dissipated into the air. The cloaked figure stood amidst the now-empty clearing, a lone sentinel amidst the remnants of battle, as the world around him returned to its natural state.
With effortless grace, the cloaked figure darted towards a nearby tree, his movements swift and purposeful. Scaling its trunk with ease, he surveyed the forest below, his keen eyes scanning for any signs of additional mercenaries. Spotting a group in the distance, he wasted no time in springing into action.
Descending from the tree with calculated precision, he swiftly closed the distance between himself and the mercenaries. With each encounter, he dispatched his foes with unparalleled skill and efficiency, his movements a blur of motion as he swiftly incapacitated them one by one. In the span of moments, twenty more mercenaries lay defeated at his feet, their defeat a testament to the cloaked figure's unmatched prowess in battle.
"Hmm... if I defeat more, I think the big bosses will grow suspicious. Maybe I should go back," the cloaked figure mused to himself, a hint of caution tingeing his thoughts.
As he retraced his steps through the forest, he stumbled upon a surprising sight. Some Eldorian troops lay naked and without clothes, their equipment mysteriously missing. "Huh! Looks like some rats have slipped," he remarked with a wry grin, recognizing the work of cunning infiltrators amidst the chaos of battle
He then perceived the exhausted Robert, “Mmm… weird, I thought Eldorian troops went into groups of three or ten. Could he be an infiltrator?”
He then darted towards him; with ease like a meteor sent down from the sky, he grabbed Robert from his head and smashed him into the ground.
With the swiftness of a meteor hurtling through the heavens, the cloaked figure descended upon Robert, seizing him by the scruff of his neck before slamming him forcefully into the ground. Just in case, I'll waste some seconds on this guy, he thought with a hint of determination. He then released his grip from Robert.
Robert! Jumped back to his feet! His vision blurry, he glances to his left perceives nothing, he glances to his right still sees nothing. Then the figure appears in front of him.
Focusing his energy, he conjured a massive shuriken-shaped construct, crackling with potent power. "Why are you alone? Where are the rest of your teammates?" he demanded, his voice low and commanding, brooking no room for evasion or deceit.
“I won’t tell you! I will protect….” Before he collapsed to the ground.
Upon collapsing the red amulet given to him by his mother glowed.
As the red amulet glowed upon collapsing, the cloaked man's eyes widened in recognition. "Is that a sun stone?!" he exclaimed, his voice tinged with astonishment and intrigue.
Moving swiftly, the cloaked man approached the collapsed Robert, his senses on high alert. Searching through the pockets of the unconscious Robert, he discovered an ID bearing the name Samuel. "I messed up! He is a recruit scout! This explains his suspicious movements," he muttered to himself, his mind racing with newfound understanding.
With a determined resolve, he focused his palm, channeling green orbs of healing energy that enveloped Robert's body, repairing the damage and restoring him to. Carefully lifting the young man onto his back, the cloaked figure set off towards Samuel's location, his steps quick and purposeful.
"Don't die on me, young man. Let's hope I'm not too late," he murmured softly, his words a solemn prayer as he raced against time to save the life of the novice scout.
As Samuel sensed the approach of a formidable energy, he swiftly rose from his position and ventured outside, only to be met with a surprising sight.
"Aldeen! High Archon! What are you doing here?" Samuel exclaimed in astonishment, his voice tinged with disbelief. "Your Highness shouldn't bother with weak mercenaries!"
Aldeen, the High Archon, regarded Samuel with a calm demeanor, his expression unreadable beneath the shadow of his cloak. "There are no weak threats when it concerns the safety of Eldoria," he replied, his voice carrying the weight of authority. "Every threat must be addressed, no matter its size or strength."
"Ah, so it was you who dealt with the mercenaries," Samuel remarked, his tone a mix of surprise and realization. "I was just about to send word to Jung requesting additional troops. But then reports started flooding in of collapsed mercenaries strewn across the ground. It seems your intervention was swift and effective."
Aldeen inclined his head in acknowledgment of Samuel's observation. "Indeed, it was I who intervened," he confirmed, his voice steady and resolute.
"Medics!" Aldeen urgently called out, his voice echoing through the clearing. Then, with a solemn admission, he added, "Although, I messed up in the end. This man was a new recruit, and I attacked him, mistaking him for an infiltrator."
"Ahh! Poor Robert! Yes, it was me who sent him!" Samuel exclaimed with a tinge of regret, even as he called for the medics.
"Helena! Helena! Please come!" he shouted, beckoning for assistance as he moved with the help of Aldeen. Together, they carefully laid Robert in a nearby bed, where the medics could tend to him and administer the necessary care to heal his injuries.