"I see now, it was indeed marked," Lionel said, scratching his head and blushing with embarrassment. "I'm sorry, it's just a bad habit I picked up from my dad."
Choppy grunted in response, clearly displeased. "I told you not to touch it."
Lionel stuttered and coughed as he straightened his clothes. "Don't blame me, the entire place was already covered with these mysterious markings."
Choppy surveyed his surroundings for a while, muttering with a strange expression. "These markings," the orc conveyed. "They're not just random symbols. They're ancient runes of protection."
Lionel felt a chill run down his spine as he looked at the runes more closely. He had seen similar symbols in his father's old books but never thought he would encounter them in real life. The weight of their significance started to sink in.
After a slight pause, he slung his axe over his broad shoulder and remarked in disgust. "This place would have been pleasant if it weren't for the reeking stench of goblins."
Lionel observed the languid clouds meandering across the sky, their slow steps marking the passage of hours. He could see the sloping hills in the distance, filled with rolling rocks fused within the giants' embrace, mines carved deep into the earth, and slanted trees that nearly brushed against the ground.
"From the looks of it, the hut we entered transported us to a different location," Lionel stared at the sky for a while, shocked. "But how is that possible? The path was stable, there were no fluctuations."
Choppy didn't respond immediately, his eyes scanning the horizon. Finally, he spoke, "Magic has its ways. The runes, the hut—they're all part of it. We need to be cautious."
"Here, take the map," Choppy tossed the item in a grunted voice. "You'll be the navigator this time."
Lionel caught the map and unfolded it, confused by the sudden change. "What's the map for? I thought we were transported to a different location."
"We're still in the Hidoran Forest. Remember?" Choppy halted his steps. "Besides, that map is just a failsafe in case of an astral event."
"I can't wait for you to meet those goblins," he said with a smirk.
***
[Hyclatus Flower]
Material: An ethereal essence made of twilight energy.
Quality: Rare.
"Are you done?" Choppy bellowed, his voice suffused in the symphony of battle. The orc swung his massive axe with brutal force, cleaving through his enemies as if it were made of butter. Gremlins, small and grotesque creatures, swarmed around him, their sharp claws threatening to pierce his leather armor.
With each swing of his axe, Choppy unleashed a whirlwind of destruction. The sheer weight and power behind his strikes sent gremlins flying through the sky, their twisted bodies crashing into the ground. The impact of his blows resonated in the air, creating a chorus of grunted screams and bone-crushing thuds. The lantern summoned beside him emitted a strange aura, infused with a reddish hue. Its radiance enhanced his battle prowess, with each swing of his axe magnifying his ferocity and infusing his muscles with unstoppable energy. It was a simplified version of a berserker rage channeled through the lantern beside him.
Supported by his semi-berserker state, he appeared and reappear with each strike, rendering it nearly impossible for his foes to predict his next move. The gremlins hissed with a blood-curdling cry, refusing to bend by the overwhelming strength that Choppy emanated. But it was futile, they were like ants before a raging bull. Their mangled eyes protruded from their skulls and dangled out of their sockets, only to survive with their instinct to devour and consume anything in their path.
Lionel could hear the battle ringing through his ears, but he remained composed as he continued to focus and clip the petal without any recognition of the battle taking place. He could feel the sweat trickling down his forehead as any moment could be his last.
"More gremlins might be on their way. Act quickly!" Choppy shouted in exhaustion.
In an instant, the flower finally landed in Lionel's hand. He stored it in his bag without hesitation. "Phew, I've got it, I've got it!" Lionel shouted.
Choppy swung his axe, hurling the gremlins into the corner and herding them into a small space so the thick vines could slow them. The gremlins hissed and screeched, refusing to let their prey slip away. Once they made their way out, the vines happened to barricade the terrain, leaving them both nowhere to go. Without their knowledge, the vines had already succeeded in transforming the forest into their prison, constricting them from all possible escape.
The vines twisted and writhed, as if mocking their escape attempts.
Choppy suspected that a mage was controlling the vines, and the scent of sulfur in the air confirmed his suspicions. The flower the gremlins were guarding must have had great value to the mage. Choppy wondered how the gremlins, who were nothing more than broken fragments of dead souls, had acquired the ability to cast spells. It was rare to see a gremlin that could cast a spell, even a basic one.
It was almost impossible for such creatures to appear out of nowhere. There had to be drastic changes that occurred during their travels.
Lionel strained his eyes as he glanced at Choppy with a worried expression. He didn't think that their journey would come to this. The situation seemed dire, and a restless feeling crawled through his skin. But he refused to succumb to despair. To salvage the current situation, he quickly devised a plan that could help them escape from their predicament.
Choppy continued to swing his axe in a wide arc, severing the vines that tried to ensnare them. With each powerful swing, the gremlins were forced to halt their advance, creating a brief moment of ceasefire.
Meanwhile, as Choppy halted the gremlins' relentless lunges, Lionel fiddled with his fingers through his bag and remembered a potion he had brewed during his stay with his uncle. Inside were items arranged neatly according to their usage. He also brought the tools that he had been given from the camp, which stored small glass containers, measuring spoons, and a mortar and pestle.
Lionel borrowed several books about alchemy to expand his knowledge. After numerous attempts and careful refinement, he finally crafted a potent powder derived from the essence of the Ingris Slime. The powder had the unique ability to induce a controlled explosion. He couldn't think of a name for the powder yet, but it could help them escape. He stared at the pouch dangling beside his belt, filled with numerous vials stacked with different effects.
[Healing Elixir]: This vial contained a vibrant blue liquid infused with the essence of healing herbs. When consumed, it could mend wounds and restore vitality.
[Strength Enhancer]: The serum from the vial was a concocted with herbs and alchemical compounds that he found from the camp, which temporarily increased the user's physical strength and endurance.
[Fireburst Potion]: The vial held a fiery red liquid that, when thrown, would explode upon impact, engulfing the surrounding area in flames. A potent tool for creating distractions or causing controlled chaos.
[Sight Enhancer]: This vial contains a potion that temporarily improves vision and perception. It enhances visual clarity and allows the drinker to see in low-light conditions.
Lionel stared at the Fireburst Potion in his hands, its fiery red liquid swirling with vicious energy. An idea struck him, but before he could act, the vine, sensing their desperation, tightened its grip even more, nearly wrapping around their entire bodies. The vines then lunged upward, coiling around their necks and choking the breath out of them.
"Are you done?" Choppy bellowed, his voice cutting through the chaos of battle. The orc swung his massive axe with ruthless force, cleaving through the gremlins as if they were nothing more than paper. The small, grotesque creatures swarmed around him, their sharp claws snapping dangerously closer to his leather armor.
With each swing of his axe, Choppy unleashed a whirlwind of destruction. The sheer weight and power behind his strikes sent gremlins flying through the sky, their twisted bodies crashing into the ground. The impact of his blows resonated in the air, creating a chorus of grunted screams and bone-crushing thuds. The lantern summoned beside him emitted a strange aura, infused with a reddish hue. Its radiance enhanced his battle prowess, with each swing of his axe magnifying his ferocity and infusing his muscles with unstoppable energy. It was a simplified version of a berserker rage channeled through the lantern beside him.
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Supported by his semi-berserker state, he appeared and reappeared with each strike, rendering it nearly impossible for his foes to predict his next move. The gremlins hissed with a blood-curdling cry, refusing to bend to the overwhelming strength that Choppy emanated. But it was futile; they were like ants before a raging bull. Their mangled eyes protruded from their skulls and dangled out of their sockets, only to survive with their instinct to devour and consume anything in their path.
Lionel could hear the battle ringing through his ears, but he remained composed as he continued to focus and clip the petal without any recognition of the battle taking place. He could feel the sweat trickling down his forehead as any moment could be his last.
"More gremlins might be on their way. Act quickly!" Choppy shouted in exhaustion.
In an instant, the flower finally landed in Lionel's hand. He stored it in his bag without hesitation. "Phew, I've got it, I've got it!" Lionel shouted.
Choppy swung his axe, hurling the gremlins into the corner and herding them into a small space so the thick vines could slow them. The gremlins hissed and screeched, refusing to let their prey slip away. Once they made their way out, the vines happened to barricade the terrain, leaving them both nowhere to go. Without their knowledge, the vines had already succeeded in transforming the forest into their prison, constricting them from all possible escape.
The vines twisted and writhed, as if mocking their escape attempts.
Choppy suspected that a mage was controlling the vines, and the scent of sulfur in the air confirmed his suspicions. The flower the gremlins were guarding must have had great value to the mage. Choppy wondered how the gremlins, who were nothing more than broken fragments of dead souls, had acquired the ability to cast spells. It was rare to see a gremlin that could cast a spell, even a basic one.
It was almost impossible for such creatures to appear out of nowhere. There had to be drastic changes that occurred during their travels.
Lionel strained his eyes as he glanced at Choppy with a worried expression. He didn't think that their journey would come to this. The situation seemed dire, and a restless feeling crawled through his skin. But he refused to succumb to despair. To salvage the current situation, he quickly devised a plan that could help them escape from their predicament.
Choppy continued to swing his axe in a wide arc, severing the vines that tried to ensnare them. With each powerful swing, the gremlins were forced to halt their advance, creating a brief moment of ceasefire.
Meanwhile, as Choppy halted the gremlins with their relentless lunges, Lionel fiddled with his fingers through his bag and remembered a potion he had brewed during his stay with his uncle. Inside were items arranged neatly according to their usage. He also brought the tools that he had been given from the camp, which stored small glass containers, measuring spoons, and a mortar and pestle.
Lionel also borrowed several books about alchemy to expand his knowledge. After numerous attempts and careful refinement, he finally crafted a potent powder derived from the essence of the Ingris Slime. The powder had the unique ability to induce a controlled explosion. He couldn't think of a name for the powder yet, but it could help them escape. He stared at the pouch dangling beside his belt, filled with numerous vials stacked with different effects.
Lionel quickly poured the powder into a small vial and carefully sealed it. "Choppy, I have something that might work!" he shouted, his voice barely audible over the din of battle.
Choppy glanced back, his eyes narrowing as he saw the vial in Lionel's hand. "What is it?"
Upon seeing the vines crawling toward him, Lionel had no choice but to take a risk. He knew the fire from the Fireburst Potion could either save them or doom them further. With a flick of his wrist, he uncorked the potion, waiting for the perfect moment to ignite its explosive power. He threw the vial with precise aim toward a large cluster of vines, leaving a trail of its fluid on patches of grass. However, instead of an explosion erupting upon impact, something unexpected happened.
The fiery liquid inside the vial splashed against the vines, scorching them with its intense heat. The vines writhed in response, releasing a pained screech as the flames consumed their vitality. The heat caused the vines to loosen their grip, allowing Lionel and Choppy to wriggle free from their suffocating hold.
"This effect is more like a toxin than explosives!" Lionel exclaimed in shock. "I need to run! I can't be contaminated by this!"
"Run!" Lionel shouted. They had no time to waste. Adrenaline coursed through their veins as they sprinted from the engulfing flames creeping over them.
"That's one hell of a flame you've got there," Choppy said, dashing through the flames with excitement.
"It's not going to last long," Choppy observed as the flames burned brighter. "We need to keep moving, or we'll be trapped again."
"I know," Lionel replied, dashing through the forest with the orc closely following behind. He could still see the gremlins bathed in scorching flames, wailing in agony as their charred flesh turned to ash. But even with the number of gremlins dwindling under the relentless fire, a sense of unease gnawed at his gut. He knew the mage wouldn't allow them to escape so easily. His instincts told him that their every move was being observed by the unseen eyes of the mage.
Before long, a horde of gremlins suddenly emerged from the brushes, crawling and lunging at them with renewed ferocity.
"Think, Lionel. Think." Lionel screamed in his mind, grabbing another vial from his belt. This time, it was the [Strength Enhancer], a potion he’d concocted after observing Choppy’s immense strength and vitality. Knowing how powerful Choppy's immense strength are during their battles, he concocted the [Strength Enhancer] to further amplify the orc's natural abilities.
"Choppy, drink this!" Lionel shouted, tossing the vial to Choppy, who caught it swiftly. Without hesitation, Choppy downed the potion in one gulp. Instantly, his muscles bulged, veins popping out in bright red, visibly swelling. The transformation was immediate, as though the elixir had unleashed a dormant force within him.
"Roar!" Choppy's feet sank into the ground as his augmented strength caused the earth to tremble beneath him. He let out a thunderous roar that echoed through the forest, sending shockwaves of threat at the approaching gremlins.
"Hang onto my feet, Lionel!" Choppy roared again. Using the ground as a springboard, he launched himself into the air, slicing through the branches and landing on a nearby tree. He sensed a familiar aura in the air—the mage had left traces of dark magic swirling erratically. Choppy’s senses picked up on the remnants of the mage's presence, allowing him to track the source of the malevolent energy.
In the distance, Lionel caught sight of the mage’s robe. To his surprise, the mage was taller than he had imagined, a stark contrast to the legends he had heard. This was his first encounter with an actual gremlin mage, and he couldn’t help but felt curious at the strange creature wielding its staff. But his fascination quickly turned into fear as he felt a spell tugging at his soul, tempting him into the unknown. The soul often craves knowledge, and when it's lost, it seeks to remedy its longing by plunging its soul deep into the abyss.
The voice slowly changed into screams, apparitions that latched into his feet, and a vision of him being devoured by his own image.
In his delight and madness, the orc's gruff voice reached out to his ears, snapping him out of his trance-like state. With a billowing roar, Choppy summoned the lantern near him, dispersing its accursed afflictions that enveloped him from head to toe.
"Snap out of it, strengthen your spirits, and don't let the mage's nether powers consume your mind." Choppy voice resonated through his mind, a distant echo that shook Lionel back from reality.
"That almost got me," Lionel cursed under his breath.
"What's the plan," Choppy asked. The mage still didn't notice them, giving them ample time to think of a plan and gather their ideas.
"No, it's not a plan that you'll need to think about, but whether you are confident enough to kill the mage in one strike or not."
"Planning takes time, while strength, on the other hand, conquers all."
"This is an opportunity," Lionel firmly said. "A split-second opportunity."
Lionel stared at Choppy with absolute confidence. "With the potion still in effect. There's nothing that can stop you."
Choppy looked into his eyes as his grin curved wide with gleeful brutality. "Nice thinking, Lionel. Keep it that way."
The orc launched his feet from the tree branch, propelled by his enhanced strength. Muscles popped from his veins as the wind whistled past him. Choppy gripped the axe with his two hands, focusing every ounce of his strength into a single decisive strike.
The mage stood before the axe like a lamb waiting to be slaughtered. Within a split second, their eyes met, as time slowed in sluggish motion. Choppy's axe came crashing down with intense force, burying his axe deep into the mage's shoulder.
In defiance against death, a dark ripple of energy erupted from the mage body, a desperate attempt to mend the damage inflicted upon him. But as the mage sensed its life fading away, the darkness that once swirling within him began to disperse.
"I can't die here, not yet, when those damnable sniffling lumps are still alive!"
"Destroy, Destroy!!!" The mage laughed hysterically.
Suddenly, Choppy heard echoes of laughter coming from his ears, a laugh so sinister that it sent shivers down his spine. The gremlin mage's face contorted into a twisted smile, unleashing countless orbs of dark magic that arose through his body.
"Foolish orc, did you really think it would be easy to kill me?" The mage maniacal laughter echoed once more.
Suddenly, Choppy's grip on his axe began to disperse as a whirlwind of dark energy erupted from the mage's shoulder. Choppy felt a powerful force enveloping his body, causing him to stumble and crash to the ground. The energy rippled across the battlefield, spawning shockwaves that echoed from the point of impact. In a matter of seconds, a barrier made of dark energy formed around the mage, laughing defiantly within its confines.
"There's no room for victory in this battle, orc," the mage taunted. "You may have overwhelmed me with your strength, but you underestimate the true extent of my power."
"Now, Choppy!" Lionel called out.
With a mighty roar, Choppy rose to his feet, charging forward once again with his axe. In the blink of an eye, both powerful forces collided, creating a force of energy that clashed on equal footing. Choppy relentlessly slammed his axe against the barrier, determined to break through the mage's defenses no matter the cost.
To the mage's surprise, the balance of power shifted in the orc's favor. Choppy's raw strength lacerated through the barrier, shattering it into countless fragments. The mage's eyes widened in disbelief, unable to comprehend the collapse of its protection.
What kind of madness had gripped the orc to dare to challenge its power? Who? Who is it?
No, that's not possible. I don't even sense any trace of anima from that boy. That potion, it must be that potion. Damn!
The mage was confident enough to overpower the orc with its ability. The mage could tell the level of strength that Choppy had. And the mage knew it wasn't enough to challenge its level with its current strength. It was clear that someone had aided the orc to reach such a level of power within a short period of time.
"Orc! There's no need to battle this to the end. Just give me the flower, and I'll spare your lives," the mage hissed.
"Too late," Choppy mocked.