As I entered the dimly lit alley, the faint sll of damp earth filled my nostrils. Two figures stood at the far end, both cloaked in black clothing that allowed them to blend seamlessly into the shadows. Their eyes glinted dangerously as they watched my approach, like a pair of wolves ready to pounce.
"You two, you must be assassins, right?" I said, my voice steady despite the racing of my heart. I kept my stance casual, but every muscle was tense, ready to react at a mont’s notice.
The two n exchanged a glance, their eyes widening slightly in surprise at my boldness. They clearly hadn’t expected to be found out so easily.
"You’re waiting for Father to beat those guys and suddenly attack so you can catch him off guard," I continued, narrowing my eyes at them. I needed to buy ti, gauge their reactions, and maybe throw them off their ga.
One of them, a taller man with a deep scar running down his cheek, spoke up. "You brat, how do you know we’re here?" His voice was harsh and gravelly, filled with an edge of irritation.
The other, slightly shorter but with a bulkier build, sneered. "There’s no use in hiding if we’re already discovered. Let’s just go there and help them fight that magician," he said, dismissing as if I were a re inconvenience.
"Wait," the scarred one interrupted, his gaze shifting back to with a cruel glint. "Why not take this brat as a hostage?" He tilted his head, sizing up like a wolf considering its prey. "That way, we can make that magician not use his magic if he doesn’t want his child to get hurt."
The bulkier man grinned, showing a set of yellowed teeth. "You’re right; let’s do that," he said, his tone dripping with malice. "I’m impressed," he added, turning to his companion. "I didn’t know you were pretty smart."
The scarred one chuckled darkly. "Hehe, I’m not really that smart," he said nonchalantly. But before I could react, his hand flicked out, a glint of silver cutting through the air as he threw a knife straight at . The sudden movent caught off guard, and my instincts scread at to act.
"Water Shield!" I shouted, my voice echoing off the narrow alley walls. A shimring wall of water materialized before , solid and unyielding. The knife struck the barrier with a tallic clink before dropping harmlessly to the ground.
Both assassins halted in their tracks, shock flashing across their faces. They clearly hadn’t expected to be capable of using magic.
"Brat, so you’re a magician too," the bulkier one muttered, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. "Now that we know it, we won’t hold back."
"Wait, this is just a child," the scarred one interjected, though his voice wavered slightly. "If we take it seriously, he might die."
"Don’t underestimate a magician, or you might find yourself dead," the other snapped back, his gaze locked on . They were weighing their options, trying to decide if I was a real threat or just a minor obstacle.
"Don’t forget that I’m still here," I said, not giving them the chance to act first. My heart pounded in my chest, but I couldn’t let them see my fear. I had to stay calm, stay focused. "Water Arrow!" I shouted, thrusting my hand forward.
Three arrows of water ford at my command, shooting toward the assassins with blinding speed. Two arrows targeted the bulkier one, while the third aid directly at the scarred man’s chest.
With a swift motion, the bulkier assassin brought up his sword, managing to deflect one arrow, but the second one grazed his shoulder, leaving a shallow cut. The scarred assassin blocked his arrow with the flat of his blade, but the force pushed him back a step.
"Look at what I just told you," the bulkier man growled, his eyes flashing with anger and pain. He clutched his shoulder, blood seeping through his fingers.
"Yeah, I won’t hold back anymore," the scarred one replied, his voice cold and resolute. His eyes locked onto mine, and I could see the deadly determination in them.
They charged at , their movents a blur as they closed the distance with swords drawn. Their blades glead in the dim light, deadly arcs aid at cutting down. I held my ground, waiting until they were almost upon .
"Wind Repel!" I shouted, thrusting my hand out just as their swords were about to strike. An invisible force pushed outward, like a wall of air that knocked their weapons back. They staggered, montarily disoriented by the unexpected resistance.
Now was my chance. I took a deep breath, channeling my energy into my next spell. "Sonic Boom!" The words left my lips in a rush, and the air in front of seed to ripple. A slicing blade of wind shot forward, hitting the scarred assassin directly in the stomach.
He gasped, his eyes widening in shock and pain as the wind blade cut through his leather armor, leaving a deep gash. With a strangled cry, he collapsed to the ground, clutching his stomach. Blood seeped between his fingers, staining the dirt beneath him. He looked at with a mixture of fear and disbelief before his eyes rolled back, and he passed out.
Wind Repel and Sonic Boom—two new spells I managed to learn before we headed to the capital. Wind Repel is a defensive spell, forming an almost invisible barrier of wind that blocks enemy attacks. Unlike the Water Shield, it has the advantage of being transparent, allowing to see through it clearly and catch every movent my opponent makes. I can spot any openings when they hit the shield, making it easier to plan my counterattack. However, it’s not without its downsides. The Water Shield covers a one-ter radius, giving a bit of breathing room, while Wind Repel’s range is only half a ter. That ans unless I know exactly where my enemy is coming from, Wind Repel is practically useless because of its short range. It’s a spell that demands precision, and in the chaos of battle, precision isn’t always easy to co by.
Sonic Boom, on the other hand, is a wind spell ant for offense. It launches a slicing wind blade towards the enemy with incredible speed and force. The main difference between Sonic Boom and Wind Slice is their effective range. Wind Slice can travel long distances, striking foes from afar, while Sonic Boom’s range is limited to just a ter from its caster. This ans it can only be used effectively when the enemy is within striking distance, but the trade-off is worth it. Sonic Boom’s damage and speed are ten tis stronger and faster than Wind Slice, making it a devastating move in close combat. The power behind it is almost frightening, but it’s a spell I have to master if I want to survive encounters with dangerous opponents.
The bulkier man’s eyes widened in horror as he saw his companion fall. He took a step back, his earlier bravado completely shattered. For a mont, he looked like he was considering running, but he quickly steeled himself, raising his sword again.
"Y-you’ll pay for that, brat!" he snarled, though the tremor in his voice betrayed his fear.
"Try ," I replied coldly, my gaze never leaving his. My hand was already preparing another spell, the water around beginning to coalesce in preparation for the next attack.
He watched like I was so kind of monstrous creature that had no place in this world.
"Not only water but even wind—what a monster you are!" He shouted, his voice tinged with a mix of fear and anger. He gritted his teeth, his body tensed like a cornered animal.
His reaction almost made laugh. A monster, huh? Maybe he’s not too far off the mark. While he was still in the midst of processing what just happened, I decided to take the scarred man’s sword. It was a simple weapon, unremarkable in appearance, but it would serve its purpose. I took a steady stance, the weight of the blade feeling foreign yet sohow natural in my grip.
"Don’t tell you can even use swordsmanship skills," The bulkier man said, his voice dripping with disbelief. His eyes widened slightly, the glint of panic flickering for just a mont.
I smirked, deciding to provoke him further. "Not really," I replied casually, my tone almost dismissive. "It’s just that I can’t control my magic well because I’m used to fighting opponents who are stronger than . So I might accidentally kill you." My words were laced with a subtle threat, a challenge that I hoped would push him into making a reckless move.
"Don’t underestimate too much," he snapped back, a sneer forming on his lips. "In terms of swords, I’m far more powerful than you." Without another word, he charged at , closing the distance between us with surprising speed.
As we moved within striking range of each other, I could see every muscle in his body tense as he prepared to attack. He swung his sword with a fierceness that would have intimidated any ordinary opponent. Unfortunately for him, his movents were slow, almost painfully so. To , they were nothing more than sluggish attempts at an assault. I easily sidestepped his first strike, watching his blade slice through the empty air where I had been just a mont ago.
"Sorry," I said, my voice calm and almost apologetic. "But I trained with a sword saint, so your movents are too slow for ." The words rolled off my tongue effortlessly, though in reality, I had only received a beatings here and there. But the effect was the sa—it made him falter, if only for a second.
That was all the ti I needed. Channeling the spell into the blade, I activated a skill. "Sharp Nail!" I shouted, feeling a surge of power course through . In an instant, my speed doubled, my movents becoming a blur as I targeted his chest. The blade was re inches from piercing his flesh when I canceled the spell, halting the attack just in ti.
He gasped, eyes wide in shock as he realized how close he had co to death. A shallow wound was left on his chest, a thin line of crimson appearing on his clothing. His knees buckled, and he collapsed to the ground, the sword clattering beside him. He was still conscious, but just barely. The sheer terror in his eyes was enough to tell that he wouldn’t be getting up anyti soon.
I let out a long breath, feeling the tension in my body release all at once. My limbs felt heavy, the adrenaline wearing off and leaving behind a bone-deep fatigue. All I wanted to do now was collapse and take a break, but curiosity gnawed at . What happened in Father’s fight? I needed to know. I turned and made my way out of the alley, my legs protesting with every step.
When I finally exited, the scene before was almost surreal. Ten bodies were strewn across the ground, each lying in various positions, as if they had been tossed aside like ragdolls. Father was sitting on one of the bodies, his expression as calm and composed as ever. Not a single scratch on him.
"Will, have you finished already?" he asked, his voice steady and without a hint of concern. To him, this was just another day, another fight that he had to deal with.
"Yeah," I replied, my voice sounding more tired than I intended. "And I feel so tired."
He nodded, as if this was exactly what he expected to hear. "Then we should head back now," he said simply, rising to his feet with the grace of soone who had not just been in a life-or-death battle.
"Okay," I muttered, falling into step beside him. As we walked back to the inn, the events of the night replayed in my mind. Each clash, every spell cast, the weight of the sword in my hand—it all felt like a blur now, distant and almost dreamlike.
When we entered the inn, the atmosphere was different. The innkeeper stood behind the counter, her eyes downcast and her expression troubled. She didn’t et our gaze as we walked in, a stark contrast to her usual warm greeting. It was as if she knew sothing had happened but was too afraid or too wise to ask about it. Why was she still awake at this hour? Why did she look so troubled? But the exhaustion weighed heavily on , and I couldn’t muster the energy to ask.
I made my way to Father’s room, deciding not to risk waking Chris by going to our shared room. The idea of collapsing into bed and letting the exhaustion take over was too tempting to resist. I pushed open the door and entered, barely aware of anything else around . I would sleep here tonight, and deal with everything else in the morning.
But that decision, as simple as it seed at the ti, was the biggest mistake I made. Little did I know that when morning ca, Chris would be gone.
User Comments
0 comments from readers