Monts later, as Jade was engulfed in her thoughts, the door creaked open, revealing the butler dressed in his uniform, carrying a silver platter with a single cross set upon it.
Jade reached for the cross, her movents deliberate. She bowed slightly, offering a genuine smile, "Thank you, sir."
The butler, maintaining his silence, returned the gesture with a slight bow. Without uttering a word, he stepped back, leaving Jade to her preparations. As the door closed behind him, a sudden warmth enveloped her body.
"V, make sure to hold on," she instructed, feeling the onset of the transport's effects.
"Yes, Lady Jade," V responded, placing its clawed hand on her shoulder, sending a chill that contrasted sharply with the warmth coursing through her.
In an instant, their surroundings shifted. Jade's vision, initially swallowed by darkness, gradually welcod back light. A heavy fog enveloped her, and she found herself amidst dozens of trees, the forest thick and unwelcoming around her. The transition was swift, leaving her in the heart of the woods, ready to face whatever lay hidden in the fog.
Jade, scanning the surroundings, noticed a fleeting bright red light from a tree, which quickly vanished into the fog. Explore more at m,v l'e-
"Wow, this thick fog is weird. Where am I even, world-wise? I should have definitely asked. You have any idea, V?" Jade queried, her voice laced with a mix of curiosity and unease.
V, equally perplexed, admitted, "I really never have any idea where I am, Lady Jade. And this is no different, but I don't like it."
"R-Right… sa," Jade agreed, feeling a shared sense of disorientation with V.
Recalling a piece of advice, she mused, "I do recall Oscar stating all you have to do to get the barrier started is picking a spot and pushing your energy through it?"
"Sure," V responded, seemingly indifferent as it floated beside Jade.
Jade then drew the dagger from her side pouch, its oil spill color shimring even in the dense fog. "At least this still looks pretty," she remarked, admiring the dagger before plunging it into the ground. Instantly, an energy field began to span around them, surprising Jade with its swift activation.
"I wonder if it's related to the machine?" Jade pondered aloud, considering the connection between the energy field's rapid formation and the technology they relied on for their missions.
Suddenly, 10 feet in front of her, a small core of energy began to form, emitting electricity like before but this ti of a plain color, with no direct attribute to it. It slowly expanded over the next few minutes.
V, showing interest for once, asked, "Is this what it looked like when I ca over?"
Jade, gripping her dagger tightly, her eyes flaring white in preparation, responded, "Yes, but to be honest, even if it was at a construction site, you were much scarier… at least walking out of it."
No sooner had she finished speaking than a loud snarl pierced the heavy fog. A wolf-like creature sprang from the portal, followed by two others slightly smaller in size, as the portal snapped shut behind them.
"Great, the report didn't ntion more than one creature," Jade remarked, her foot stepping back slightly on the softened dirt. She then inquired, "Any idea what these are?"
V nodded, offering so insight. "Yes, these are the normal dogs of the Vale world. Thousands of them usually spawn daily from the soul of dead souls or sothing."
Before V could continue, the first creature lunged toward Jade. Her eyes, ablaze with a white fla, flared slightly, honing in on the attack's trajectory. With precision, she dodged the monstrous creature, sliding her dagger through its neck. A whelp escaped the creature as a purple liquid sprayed from its wound, the body crashing into a tree, lifeless.
"So, they aren't too much work," Jade observed, her breathing steady as the white glow in her eyes faded.
V, puzzled, asked, "Why would you turn off your advantage?"
"I have to learn how to fight without these. I can't plan to have them forever, after all," Jade reasoned, her focus undisturbed by the encircling threats.
"And why is that?" V pressed, just as the other two wolf monsters tightened their circle around them.
"It's a bit long, so I'll tell you another day," Jade deflected, her attention split between V and their adversaries.
In the next mont, the second creature made its move, aiming for Jade's face. Trusting her instincts and her training, Jade countered the strike, sliding under the creature and slitting its throat with a fluid motion before standing back up, dagger in hand.
V, taken aback by her agility, could only comnt, "Flexible much?"
Yeah, all of Master Ash's hard workouts and those general exercises from Master Gojaro really paid off.
Master… What does that term an?
Jade a bit confused before rembering he basically understands nothing just stated "It's like a formal understanding and respect for how far they have co.
V asked if I should call you master."
As the last wolf-like monster lunged at her, Jade's training and instincts took over. Catching one of its sharp-clawed paws, she drove her blade into its neck with a swift slice, watching the life fade from its eyes as it collapsed. "I guess Victoria was right about this being a bit more simple," she remarked a hint of relief in her voice despite the adrenaline.
In an unexpected move, V leapt towards Jade, pushing her aside. A coin, imbued with so force, struck V, sending him flying into a tree, where he slumped to the ground, motionless.
"V!" Jade scread, concern lacing her voice as she rushed to his side.
Before she could reach him, the whistle of another coin slicing through the air was followed by a soft, taunting chuckle. "You can't hope to get strong with weak creatures like this, right?! Let's spice things up."
Suddenly, a black liquid began to seep across the forest floor, ominously engulfing the fallen wolf creatures. Without hesitation, Jade scooped up V, who was still unresponsive and leaped to a nearby tree, narrowly escaping the encroaching black liquid. From her elevated position, she scanned the area, her mind racing for a strategy as the mysterious voice's challenge echoed in her mind.
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