Chapter 14: The Hunt

Chapter 14: The Hunt The rain outside the small house grew louder, the sound of thunder breaking the silence in the living room. Lucen looked rather torn, both decisions put him in bad spots. Whatever was happening in three months was definitely happening and could be the end of him. However, doing whatever Windy was planning could throw him into more danger later on. There was no way what she wanted was as simple as just catching a thief. Especially if she had some method of seeing the future. He could kill them or simply run the hell away from this area. But what if this danger was specifically after him? Windy set her cup down and fixed Lucen with a forlorn gaze. "You can run from the danger, but one thing I’ve learnt over the years is that it just makes it come faster. You find this thief, and we may be able to slow down the progress of what is coming." "What is coming?" asked Lucen darkly, "Who is this thief, and how are you so sure I can handle someone who stole from the literal demigods in Eshara?" "Knowing also makes things worse," said Windy. "This thief is a simple clerk, Peter Cross, who worked in the Esharan treasury. He, most definitely, can’t use the powers of the spear; he only stole it for its core attribute—it can pierce any defence." Lucen quietly boiled over her vagueness. He thought of his Life magic types. Could she also have divination spells for Life mana? Liam suddenly asked. "Why don’t you find him then? You’re probably more powerful than Lucen." "It is not my life at stake here," Windy answered, "I was guided here by the prophecy, but only Lucen can prove he is the one. If he can’t, he will die, and I will find the next one." Liam’s face turned a bit angrier, but Lucen raised a hand. "You’ll give me magic arts just for accepting this mission, right? How long do I have to finish this task?" "One month," said Windy. "Any longer and you risk your own life." Lucen ground his teeth. "Fine." Liam sat up, eyes worried. "So, Lord Thallor—" Liam gulped, looking up as he said the name. "—and Lord Velkar, are just trying to make things right." Lost Wind shook her head. "Only god, Kal, can decide what is right. The demigods only decide based on what they can do." ■——■ Inside a cozy shop not too far from Windy’s house, Lucen and Liam took shelter and got some lunch. Lucen didn’t want to stay in the house any longer, so they ran under the rain to this shop. Then they got some porridge and beer to relax. In his hands were two rolls of scrolls, magic arts. The brown, dry paper was inscribed with a complicated swirl of runes that he would have to slowly memorise before each fight. Then by controlling the mana from his channelling, he could invoke the runes. The runes were earth-type magic because he told Windy he had an earth-channelling technique. The runes would synergise with his formless earth mana to create the spell. "She’s insane, don’t waste your time," Liam said between his chewing. "We got two minor arts from her, you can sell them and find a good channelling technique. I know a couple folks—" "You aren’t spooked by how she can see the freaking future?" Lucen asked, "How are you sure I can escape what’s coming?" Liam set down his spoon. "I mean, for one, we don’t know how she sees the future. She could be some demon worshipper, receiving instructions to take you to your death. Besides, you’re a Lightcloak; you can handle whatever happens if you tell your elders." "What if they arrest her and me?" Lucen said, "Trading high-rank spells is illegal, and Duran is looking for anything he could use to destroy me. His name is coming up in a prophecy, not from Kal—well, why not just imprison him?" Liam sighed. "So what? You’re going to help her catch this ’thief’? Where do we even start? Hundreds of people come into town every day!" "First, I’ll hunt the Lurker hounds. Train with the new magic arts, and then tomorrow I’ll go to the Garrison and try to find who keeps records of what comes into town. You’ll help me keep an eye on Windy." "That sounds incredibly exhausting," Liam sighed. "I have to get back soon—my mom’s shift in the castle starts soon. Will you be alright without me?" Liam’s smile annoyed him. Lucen brushed his hair back and looked out to the plains outside the valley. "Everything can only get worse from here, but at least I don’t have to hear your voice." ■——■ Lucen borrowed a spear and a map from the local barracks using his status and was off to start his hunt. It was high grasses as far as the eye could see on the plains, green threads dancing in the wind and light. The Halo was at its maximum brightness at this point, and yet the town looked darker and harder to see the farther he got. The clouds from the passing storm made it even harder to see. The low light, strong winds, and high grasses made for a harder hunt. He couldn’t see anything in the dark, but the Lurker hounds could see him, according to what he had learnt. Therefore, the two spells Windy gave him now felt like they were specially chosen for this type of work. He lied to her that he had been given a low-level channelling technique for Earth elemental mana. So she gave him two Earth spells. [Traveller’s aid] gave him decent footing no matter the ground he was walking on, and [Sinking sand] softened the ground to create traps. So the uneven, muddy quagmire of the grasslands could not affect him, and he could set deep traps in the earth for his enemies. But finding those foes proved to be a challenge on its own. He had come alone, trudging through damp, cold grass that itched and brushed against his skin, and had hoped the Lurker hounds would see him as easy prey. "Where the hell are they?" he murmured. Despite the moist and dangerous environment, he felt strangely more peaceful than when he was with Liam or Windy. He rarely got moments of isolation like this where he could relax and just be. In the Keep, he was always with Selene or in a class, worried about revealing his secrets or even just acting strange or being off-putting. Things had gone to shit with Windy, but now he may be able to get more accurate information about the danger coming in three months. He stopped, glancing at a sudden bark. His breath slowed and melted into the surroundings as he used [Breath of Veil]. He walked slowly but found that even the sounds of his steps and the grass moving were suppressed. The heat in the air was rising, and a distortion rose into the air ahead of him. Soon he reached a portion of lower grass where three people were fighting multiple hounds in a tight formation on the brink of collapse. It was two young men in heavy, silver armour and a girl in lighter robes. The Knights maintained a perimeter around the girl, glowing with red light, while she cast miniature firebolts at the hounds. The hounds were grey and mangy; they snapped and growled at the three humans. Their eyes were the colour of sapphires, radiant and impressive. Slowly growing fires surrounded them, stinging Lucen’s skin. Lucen considered it for a moment, if the pack killed them, he would be one versus almost fifteen. But a small part of him felt anxious at the thought of fighting alongside them. Why? he wondered. Was it a fear of betrayal? He was definitely far stronger than the Knight—[Breath of Rage] was a minor spell of the enhancement type. Before his apprehension could continue, he jumped out of the grass and attacked. Spears were rather easy for him to wield; he struck twice in one fluid movement to take advantage of the surprise attack. Slicing open the sides of two hounds before they knew what was happening. Two more sharp breaths brought him to his second targets, his movements were explosive and quick. He blinded the one hound, stabbed through the throat of another, and cracked the skull of the last with the butt of his spear. Something flowed from the hounds as usual. Purplish-dark mana that Lucen suspected was the magic of the Devourer system that allowed him to consume skills and abilities. The tides turned quickly, the hound’s attention split between Lucen and the three humans. They barked, charging at him, and out of the corner of his eyes, he watched the three. What would they do? If they ran, he would follow and outpace them with the hounds on his heels. He had already completed the system’s mission. They were shocked to see him but stayed behind. The knights fought more freely, and the mage retreated to try and hit the fast hounds with her fire spells. The hounds were crafty and very sensitive to mana, dodging spells without even looking. Their low, relentless attacks put Lucen on the defensive, but he wasn’t down. He used [Sinking sand] to create traps that only he could walk on and retreated. The rabid dogs followed quickly and fell into the traps. Without wasting a single second, Lucen’s spear shot forward three times, piercing skulls, then he spun and swung hard—batting a leaping hound aside with bone-shattering force. The girl had stopped casting her quick, low-mana firebolts and gathering mana for a new spell. A little dot of red light dropped onto one of the fires caused by her spells and immediately drew all the burning flames to it. The heat and light of the burning grasses suddenly faded, darkening the space, and cold air washed over Lucen’s skin disorientingly. The little red dot turned a blinding white She raised her hands and targeted seven hounds. Seven white-hot flames surged from the dot towards the hounds. Slower than her previous spells, but more eerie. The hounds easily dodged this, but soon found that these flames did not stop chasing and were forced to give up on attacking to stay alive. Soon all the hounds were slain, and they were left surrounded by blackened grass and dead bodies. Lucen whipped his spear back to remove the blood and sighed, releasing the tension that [Breath of Rage] always filled him with. The two knights and the girl were staring at him strangely, though... and they had not lowered their weapons.