"I'll be going then," Lou said, a hint of finality in his voice. "And I’m filling them in on everything about you, Bug. Believe me, you’re going to need a tight leash after this. Prepare to face the council of the eight nations when we return to Alaranta."
“Oh, before I go. Protect Mina with your life! Consider this your very first mission as a future Flow Practitioner.”
I nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. Given the weight of his discoveries, it was only prudent to be monitored closely. I couldn't blame him.
He mentioned bringing someone of the Crowd Controller specialization. If I recall correctly, these individuals were exceptional at manipulating external Flow, capable of holding their own against entire armies. Yet, their power came at a cost—excessive Flow consumption. A fascinating specialization, to say the least.
"He'll be back in a day, or so he said," I told Mina, taking her hand in mine. "Can you still sense your mother's Mana?" Her small hand trembled slightly as she nodded. "It's getting weaker," she whispered, her voice filled with worry.
I squeezed her hand reassuringly. "We'll find her in time," I promised, forcing a smile. "Don't worry, we'll save your mother and everyone else."
Meanwhile, she silently nodded, her expression a mix of hope and fear.
A wave of guilt washed over me. I was using Mina as a means to an end, a convenient excuse to pursue my own agenda. The realization was bitter, a stark contrast to the warmth of her trust. I hoped, deep down, that genuine care for her was beginning to bud amidst my selfish motives.
"What's your magic affinity?" I asked, desperate to change the subject.
Her eyes met mine, a spark of curiosity in their depths. "Frost affinity," she replied. "I inherited it from my father."
I feigned surprise. "Frost affinity, huh?" I exclaimed, placing a hand over my mouth for dramatic effect. "That's incredible! So, you're from the main Shlimm family?"
A proud smile spread across her face. "Yes!" she confirmed. "I know a few small spells. Can I show you one?" Her eyes pleaded for my approval, a childlike eagerness that was hard to resist.
I surrendered to her charm. "Of course," I replied, my heart softening. "Let's see it."
Her hand glowed with an ethereal white light. "Whisper of the north, scatter and soothe - Snowflurry," she chanted. In an instant, the light transformed into a flurry of delicate snowflakes, cooling the surrounding air.
Her eyes, wide with anticipation, held a question mark that begged to be answered. My own breath hitched in my throat, a silent echo of her earlier gasp. "Oh, the air feels so refreshing!" I managed, a childish lilt to my voice matching hers. Her teeth flashed in a grin, a spark of triumph igniting her eyes. "I bet you'll be a marvelous mage one day, Mina!"
A blush crept up her cheeks, transforming her face into a blooming flower. "Thank you!" she exclaimed, her voice finally shedding the remnants of fear. "I practiced really hard!"
I returned her smile, a warmth spreading through me. This child, untouched by the cruelties of the world, was a beacon of pure potential. A pure-blood, untouched by the tainted lineage of royalty and slavery that plagued many, like me. With proper guidance, she could have ascended to heights unimaginable, a true prodigy of magic. But fate, a cruel mistress, had dealt her a hand of suffering even before she could grasp the world. A mere four-year-old, bearing the weight of trauma that would scar a soul for life.
Moments later, a realization hit my mind. And a shiver ran down my spine. How was it possible? I, a Flow Practitioner, could sense Mana. It was an anomaly, a contradiction of the laws I understood. A hand instinctively found my chin as I delved into the depths of my mind. If perception was the key, could manipulation be far behind? Was this body, foreign and unfamiliar, capable of wielding both magic and Flow? Or was it a phantom sensation, a trick of the mind? Only one way to find out.
“Say, Mina!” I started, an index pointing at my chest, “Do you sense any Mana in me? Like, can you see my Mana Pool or something?”
Mina focused her gaze at my body, her eyes slightly narrowed, “I’m not really sensing any Mana in you…” She started, raising her head to look me in the eyes, “However, you do have a Mana Pool! An empty one.” She giggled, “I’ve never seen anyone with an empty Mana Pool! This is a first for me!” She chuckled, while another cold shiver ran down my spine.
Well, it was rather unexpected. For me to have a Mana Pool as well… Damn it, whenever it felt like I got closer to finding my answer, another question wouldn’t hesitate to jump in, huh? Since I had a Mana Pool, would I be able to fill it with external Mana by meditating? Thus awakening my affinity?
My thoughts got cut as Mina stopped walking, her hand growing colder. In exchange, I lowered my gaze to look at her, only to find her eyes shaking, once more.
Mina’s small hand trembled as she pointed towards the descending stone steps, her voice barely a whisper. “It’s here… Mom and the others… they’re down there.” Her grip tightened on mine, a silent plea for reassurance. I understood her fear. The steps, cloaked in an eerie twilight, descended into an unknown. Cobblestone and rusted metal twisted into a descent, devoid of warmth or light. A child’s nightmare made manifest. But still, I needed her to get down with me. I didn’t know her mother’s Mana signature after all, so I did need to use her in order to find someone more mature and ask them about the situation.
“Don’t be afraid,” I soothed, my voice steady. “I’ll protect you. We’ll find your mother.” Night vision activated, casting the descent in an unnatural glow. I stepped onto the first step, the cold stone seeping into my sneakers. With every descending step, the air grew heavier, thick with the scent of decay and damp earth.
The descent was treacherous. The steps, uneven and slick with moisture, demanded full concentration. The walls, adorned with an unsightly tapestry of moss and insects, offered little comfort. Yet, amidst the grim environment, a question gnawed at me. How had we stumbled upon this hidden passage so easily? It was as if the Academy, with all its resources, was oblivious to its existence.
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An unsettling realization dawned upon me. These steps were ancient, relics of a time forgotten. And their accessibility hinted at a purpose, a purpose yet to be revealed. The mystery deepened, a labyrinth of questions with no clear path.
The stone steps finally relinquished their hold, spilling us into a corridor cloaked in perpetual twilight. A wave of acrid stench assaulted my senses - a metallic tang of rust, a musty undertone of decay, and an unnerving sweetness that hinted at something far more sinister. Blood.
Mina's small hand tightened around mine, a silent echo of my own unease. Yet, we pressed on. The path forward was uncertain, and fraught with danger, but retreat was not an option. I had faced a mage, a Flow Practitioner, and a limitless amount of Beasts, and emerged relatively unscathed. Fear was a luxury I could not afford.
The corridor stretched into an endless void, its silence heavy and oppressive. Only the rhythmic cadence of our footsteps and the insidious drip of water broke the monotony. I halted abruptly, my grip tightening around Mina’s hand. Her eyes, wide with terror, mirrored my own growing apprehension.
“What is it?” Her voice trembled, a stark contrast to the chilling silence.
I raised a finger to my lips, silencing her. “It’s too quiet,” I whispered, my voice barely audible.
Mina's face paled. “But it’s always been quiet,” she stammered.
I shook my head, my senses on high alert. “No. This is different. Something’s wrong.”
In that heart-stopping instant, our gazes locked, a silent communion of shared terror. A surge of Mana, raw and potent, crashed over us, accompanied by a familiar energy that pulsed with a chilling intensity. Flow. Yeah, it was a mix of Flow and Mana, no lie.
"You feel that, Mina?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. I wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close as I broke into a run. A determined nod was her only response. "Mama's Mana is getting closer," she confirmed, her voice small but resolute.
A flicker of hope ignited within me. Her presence could be our beacon in this darkness. "Keep tracking her, okay? Lead us to your mother."
"Understood!" Her voice was firm, a stark contrast to her trembling form. I channeled the Flow into my legs, propelling us forward with unnatural speed. The Morphblade, transformed into a whip of pure energy, was clutched tightly in my left hand.
Our sanctuary of terror was shattered by the grotesque symphony of their emergence. Humanoid in shape, yet twisted into macabre parodies, they blocked our path. Missing limbs, extra appendages, and flesh that seemed to ripple and undulate like gelatinous mass. Their mouths, gaping wounds in their faces, emitted guttural moans that scraped against the soul. But it was their essence that truly chilled me to the bone. They were conduits of Mana and Flow, a horrifying amalgamation of power and corruption. They weren’t Flow Beasts, but something else. Something more sinister.
"What the hell are those?" I roared, my voice lost in the cacophony of their screams. The Morphblade lashed out, tearing into their flesh, but they simply reformed, their wounds, as agonizing as it felt to them, didn’t stop them from coming forth at us. A wave of nausea washed over me. These were not mere monsters. They were something far more sinister, a product of dark magic, a nightmare-given form.
“It hurts… It hurts…”
“I wanna die,” Their cries were a dirge, a mournful symphony of despair. "Kill me," they pleaded. "End us," they begged. Each word a dagger to the heart, a stark reminder of the horrors inflicted upon these tormented souls. Mina trembled in my arm, her small body racked with sobs. I fought back emotions, my blade a blur of motion, a desperate shield against their onslaught. Yet, for every creature I felled, two more rose to take its place.
Their eyes, filled with a mixture of terror and anguish, haunted my dreams. Were they once human? Or had their essence been twisted and corrupted beyond recognition? I could not afford to ponder such questions. Survival was the only law in this subterranean hell.
"We don't have time for this!" I snarled, my voice a hoarse whisper. I seized a fleeting moment of reprieve, their bodies still reeling from my attacks, to push forward. The corridor stretched into an endless abyss, a dark maw that promised only more horrors. But retreat was not an option. Mina's fate, and perhaps the fate of many others, rested on our ability to press on.
Mina's grip tightened on my coat, her small body trembling. Her voice, a shrill cry, cut through the chaos. "Lina! Lina!" Her finger jabbed at the wall to our right, her eyes wide with urgency. "Mom's Mana! I can feel it behind there!"
Doubt flickered in my eyes, but her conviction was unwavering. "Are you sure?" I asked, my voice barely audible over the cacophony. Another nod, this time with a fierce determination. "I'm positive!" Her breathing was ragged, her face etched with fear.
Time was of the essence. The Morphblade transformed into a longsword, its energy humming with anticipation. With a swift, powerful motion, I cleaved through the cobblestone, creating a jagged opening. Dust and debris rained down as we stepped through, into another corridor, identical to the last. This labyrinth was a prison of stone and shadow, with no end in sight.
Mina's finger pointed once more, her direction guiding our path. The familiar surge of Mana and Flow pulsed through the air, a chilling harbinger of the horrors to come. Another horde of those grotesque abominations awaited us, their numbers seemingly endless.
I refused to be trapped in this cycle of slaughter. With a leap that defied gravity, I propelled myself onto the wall, my movements fluid and precise. The undead below were left to their own devices, their attacks falling short. I landed softly behind them as I got back to my run, my focus unwavering. Mina, her face pale with fear, clung to my side.
Their surge of intense Mana and Flow was left behind us. However, Mina's cry echoed our shared terror once again. "Lina! We need to go back! Mom!"
A surge of frustration ignited within me. "Are you serious?" I muttered through gritted teeth. With a swift U-turn, we faced the horde once more. My heart pounded in my chest as I leaped into the air, channeling a torrent of Flow into my left leg. The moment of truth had arrived.
"Eidos: Way of the Wind!" I unleashed the accumulated Flow, manipulating the wind into a razor-sharp blade. With a powerful kick, I sent the wind-blade hurtling towards the horde. The impact was devastating, a wave of destruction that tore through their ranks. But they were resilient, their unnatural vitality defying death.
The Morphblade, transformed into a whip of shadow, became my instrument of destruction. I waded into the fray, my movements a blur of lethal efficiency. Their cries of agony were a haunting symphony, yet I could not afford mercy. They were not human, not anymore. They were vessels of darkness, a threat to my mission.
Exhaustion finally claimed me, forcing me to the ground. My breaths came in ragged gasps, my body aching from the exertion.
On the other hand, Mina stood frozen, her small figure a stark contrast to the carnage that surrounded her. Her eyes, wide with horror, reflected the grotesque scene. I couldn't blame her. For a child to witness such violence, such destruction, was a wound that would scar her for life.
Then, as if compelled by an unseen force, she began to move towards the fallen. Her steps were hesitant, as if she were wading through a mire of terror. Her sobs, a heartbreaking melody, echoed through the chamber. She stopped before one of the creatures, a being reduced to a grotesque mockery of humanity. Kneeling, she wrapped her small arms around its shattered form. Her tears, like rain on parched earth, mingled with the creature's ashen flesh.
A cold dread seized me. What was happening? These were monsters, or so I thought. But Mina saw something I couldn't, something beyond the horror. And then, a word escaped her lips, a word that shattered the illusion I had constructed.
"Mom..."