Desperately, Aiden looked for one more imp to get him to the next level. He had been leveling a little bit at a time and was sure that all he needed was to fight one more imp and he would gain another level.
A few feet away, he noticed something moving near an old dilapidated shed. Excitedly, he closed the distance to the broken down shed, hoping he had found another imp but what waddled out was way too small to be an imp. It was as dark as the imps, nearly black, but it was covered in fur and moved on all fours, and it had a large white stripe down its back.
Aiden chuckled as he realized what it was, “Where did you come from, little guy?” he asked the skunk as it bounded over toward him, “I thought you left with Pearl.”
Aiden bent toward the little ball of fur, but it dodged his hands and instead it moved behind his feet, putting him between itself and the shed.
“What’s wrong?” Aiden asked as he watched the little animal hide behind his feet, stealing glances at the old shed. “Is there something inside,” Aiden asked, “maybe an imp?” he added hopefully.
Aiden took a step toward the shed and just as he did a fiery creature appeared in the doorway. It was a lithe figure, at least a foot taller than the imps with long red claws and an aura of blistering heat. Whatever it was, it was decidedly not an imp.
“QCore, what is this thing?” he asked softly and the system replied:
Creature Name: Emberwisp Level: 3 Description It's like a firework that forgot to burst and decided to chase you instead. Keep a fire extinguisher nearby, or prepare to be the main event at a barbecue.
Aiden considered the Emberwisp, it was not an imp, but it wasn't too high either which was a relief. It was angry, but if video games were to be believed, he could probably handle a level three if he was already a level 3.
Aiden's eyes locked with the Emberwisp's glowing, fiery gaze. The creature stared at him and let out a deep throaty growl. Suddenly, Aiden wasn’t quite as confident.
Behind him, the skunk hissed defiantly, its small form bristling against the larger threat. “Thanks, little guy,” he said looking down at the skunk, who seemed to have found a bit of courage from behind Aiden's legs, “but I think maybe I should try to defend us first.”
He squared his shoulders and prepared for the confrontation. The Emberwisp lunged forward, its movements a blur of speed and aggression. Aiden swung the baton, but the Emberwisp was much quicker than the smaller imps. It darted sideways quickly, its body twisting in a smoky spiral.
Aiden’s Burnished Batton sliced through nothing but hot air, throwing him off balance.
Epic Shot but no hit!
He stumbled, catching himself before he landed on the ground. The Emberwisp stared at him intently, its teeth bared in what Aiden thought almost looked like an amused smile. This thing was also smarter than the imps.
Even from where he stood, the heat from the creature’s body was oppressive, and Aiden felt sweat beading on his forehead, his hands slipping slightly on the handle of his baton. The Emberwisp reeled back for another attack, its eyes glinting like coals in a forge and Aiden realized it was going to attack again.
As the Emberwisp swung his hand toward Aiden’s head, he dodged down and to the left, feeling the heat graze his cheek as he narrowly avoided its touch.
Slick Move!
Dodge: +2XP
Aiden took a few more steps backwards getting as far out of it's way as he could.
Level Up!
Defensive Skill: Dodge Level: 2 – Coy Crouch Description Get low and go—great for dodging low branches or your ex across the street.
Aiden took a few quick breaths. Even with the new skill, the close call sent a jolt of fear through him.
The Emberwisp was circling him now, swinging occasionally toward him as if trying to reach Aiden. Seeing an opening, Aiden swung again and managed a solid hit against the creature’s thin, fiery body. The impact sent a jolt through Aiden's arms as the bat connected with the Emberwisp. There was a satisfying crack, but to Aiden's dismay, the spot where the bat struck the creature began to smolder and burn.
The wood of the baton was actually catching fire from the short contact with the Emberwisp's intense heat.
Warning! Weapon Durability Damage!
Weapon Name: Burnished Batton Durability: 82%
As he watched the message, the durability percentage started moving down precipitously.
Durability: 74%
…
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
Durability: 67%
…
“What the…?”, Aiden pulled the baton back and rolled it on the ground, smothering the flames in the dirt and dust until it was completely out.
Aiden checked the Burnished Batton again:
Weapon Name: Burnished Batton Durability: 62%
Aiden looked around for anything else that he could use as a weapon, but there was nothing but more tree branches which would certainly burn like the baton.
The momentary distraction cost him. The Emberwisp seemed to have recovered somewhat from the hit and now advanced with renewed ferocity. Its clawed hand swiped close enough to singe the fabric of his t-shirt, leaving a charred line across the fabric and a burning smell in the air.
"Come on, Aiden, focus," he muttered to himself.
Realizing his limited options, Aiden hefted the baton again. It might not last long against the Emberwisp, but maybe it would last long enough.
The baton whirred through the air, aimed directly at the Emberwisp’s side. But the creature was incredibly nimble; it ducked under the swing and surged forward, forcing Aiden to leap away, he stumbled as he landed, rolled to the side, and felt the heat of the Emberwisp pass over him.
Awesome Evasion!
Dodge: +3XP
He got back up to his feet just behind the creature and took advantage of the Emberwisp’s confusion. As fast as he could, Aiden swung, striking the Emberwisp with rapid, consecutive hits. Each connection released a shower of sparks, and the wood hissed and blackened further under the intense heat. Desperation crept into his movements as he hit it for a fourth time, the bat now visibly weakened and charred.
It growled loudly, the sound deep and rumbling and reached again for Aiden. He went in for one more hit, and as the baton touched the Emberwisp, it cracked loudly, breaking near the handle, and landing in two pieces on the ground.
Club Attack: +4XP
Panting, Aiden dropped the remnants of his weapon and desperately looked around for anything to defend himself.
But then, he realized the creature wasn't coming closer, it was there unmoving, apparently stunned and then suddenly, it dropped to the ground.
Congratulations!
You have destroyed a Level 3 Emberwisp!
Breathing heavily from his exertion, and feeling lucky to be alive at all, Aiden just stood there and watched as the creature's body smoldered on the dirt. A few seconds latter, it had flattened and turned into a sparkling heap and a new message appeared:
Level Up!
Attack Skill: Club Attack Level: 4 - Solid Knock Description Perfect for making an impression on soft earth or sand.
Aiden sighed. The timing on the new level could have been just a bit better.
“SSSTH!” a hiss came from nearby.
Aiden turned to see the skunk as it hissed at the Emberwisp puddle.
It trotted up to Aiden and nudged his leg softly.
Aiden bent down, giving the creature a gentle scratch behind the ears. "I do think the hissing helped," he said with a grin, feeling a mix of adrenaline and relief coursing through him.
Looking down, Aiden saw the remains of the baton, nothing more than a charred heap. The Emberwisp pile was still sparkling so Aiden checked it hoping to find some other type of weapon, but there was nothing except a couple of Plum Galvanite Coins, which he transferred.
With a deep breath, Aiden glanced down at the skunk, “Come on, let’s go back to the group. Before we run into another one of those things.”
He pulled up the map and the screen glowed softly, displaying several dots that represented Jabari, Morgan, and Elara just a block away.
Quickly, he made his way down the now deserted road, the skunk following behind. The adrenaline from his recent encounter was gradually subsiding, as he realized just how close he had come to losing that battle with the Emberwisp. As it was he had lost his weapon, but at least he had won the fight. He didn’t like to think of what could have happened had his baton broken a second earlier.
As he approached, a golden glow appeared on his map, casting a radiant aura over an area not far from where his friends were standing. The light seemed to pulse gently, and he felt an urge to go toward it. It wasn’t strong but it was there, a tugging at his mind, like the subtle insistence of unfinished homework assignment. The closer he got to the glow, the stronger the pull felt.
Upon reaching the group, he realized he probably was less than a block from where he had originally arrived. The runeportal was tantalizingly close now and the glow on the map confirmed it. At the very least, he’d be able to leave this place and if things went well, maybe even get back home. Although with how long he had been gone already, he was sure he would have been noticed missing already at school, but that was a problem that seemed easier to handle than the imps.
“Where did you get off to?” Jabari inquired, his tone a mix of concern and curiosity.
“I thought I was close to leveling,” Aiden explained and since you guys were almost done with the ones nearby, “I went to try to find one more imp.”
“Leveling is important, but it’s not really safe to wander off alone around here,” Morgan chided gently. “There are some dangerous creatures out here.”
“I know that… now,” Aiden admitted with a sheepish grin.
“Well, did you level up?” Jabari probed, his eyes brightening with interest.
Aiden managed to give a weak smile. “I did, I reached Level 4 Club Attack, but…”
“That’s great news,” Elara interrupted, her excitement palpable. “The runeportal is just down this road, and we’ve been trying to figure out a way around the Enchantling guarding it.”
Morgan shook her head, her expression serious. “They’re smarter than the imps, for sure. I’ve tried approaching the runeportal from different angles, and they always seem to know where I’m going and block our path.”
“So how do we get past them?” Aiden asked.
“Well, that’s where you come in,” Jabari said with a knowing smile, clapping Aiden on the shoulder. “They are only one level higher than what we were fighting, and with your new Level 4 Club Attack, these shouldn’t be a problem.”
“There are only five,” Elara added reassuringly.
“That’s all that stands between us and the runeportal now,” Jabari concluded, “Just five Level 3 Emberwisps.”
The word 'Emberwisp', trigged a shiver of apprehension that went through Aiden as he remembered his only weapon, the Burnished Baton, overwhelmed by the creature’s heat, then cracking loudly, and splintering into useless fragments. He had barely survived and now he didn't even a weapon.
"Emberwisps?" he repeated.