Chapter 33: A Half-Ice Elf, Perhaps

Raegar continued traveling through the dungeon and only ran into goblins, which were driving him crazy. After an hour of walking, he saw daylight, only to realize he had fallen into ancient ruins. 'Thank god for that, I'm not sure if I can fight a boss,' he mused. When stepping out of the cave, the sun blinded him, but the sound of rushing water reached his ears. Raegar smiled before approaching it while muttering. ''At least I can wash myself now. I feel grimy.'' Five minutes later, Atlas reached the river, the sound of rushing water filling the air. He scanned the surroundings, ensuring everything was secure before he removed his armor, piece by piece. The weight of the battle and the day's chaos seemed to lift with each motion. He stepped into the cool water, feeling the refreshing chill wash over him. Slowly, he scrubbed away the dirt and grime of battle, letting the river cleanse both his body and his mind. Raegar could feel the tension in his muscles melt away as the water ran clear, and by the time he finished, he felt lighter, invigorated, and fully refreshed, his body renewed. Ten minutes later, he climbed out and started getting ready. While doing that, a noise reached his ears, prompting him to spin around, and he noticed it was deeper in the forest. 'It sounds like a battle going on,' he thought. Seconds later, Raegar activated Enhancement magic and started running toward it so he could hunt more monsters. When arriving at the scene, he noticed it was a group of Forest Fire Ants and Forest Widows. 'Spiders again! When will I get a break from these things?' he internally exclaimed while lining his blades with lightning Aether. The daggers trembled in anticipation, humming with lethal energy as they prepared to strike. With a primal roar, Raegar lunged forward, explosive and swift, slashing through the air with brutal precision. He danced across the battlefield like a Bramblehare, cutting down the monstrous spiders that dared approach him. As the creatures sensed the rising storm of fury, they converged on him with predatory intent, but Raegar was ready. With a roar, he leveled his blade toward the horde. ''Lightningfire Blast!'' he bellowed, and in that instant, arcs of crackling lightning streaked from his blade, followed by a ferocious wave of flame. The explosion and searing fire obliterated the monsters in a violent storm of destruction, leaving nothing but ash and smoldering remnants in their wake. Raegar began collecting the monster cores. But then, a sudden shift in the air made his senses flare with warning. His instincts screamed at him to brace, but before he could react, a chilling aura washed over him, heavy with malice, sinking into his chest. His heart clenched, fear gnawing at his very core. Spinning around, his eyes locked onto a sight ripped from the darkest nightmares. A spider, towering and grotesque, loomed before him, but this one was different. ''What is this thing?'' he muttered while readying his blades to attack. Its body, twisted and monstrous, was humanoid, its eyes glowing with intelligence. Panic surged through him as he instinctively tried to flee, but the creature was faster. It closed the distance in a heartbeat, its fist crashing into his side. Raegar was flung through the air like a rag doll, the impact sending a shockwave of pain through his body. He tumbled across the ground, his vision spinning, struggling to stay conscious as the horrors of the creature's relentless pursuit loomed closer. Just as he came to, he quickly rolled to the side as the spider punched the ground where he was. Raegar yelped before casting Lightningfire Blast at the creature, causing an explosion to ring out. He got to his feet and started using Flash Step to get away from the powerful monster, but was running low on Aether. Raegar gritted his teeth just before hearing running water once again. While heading toward his only escape, the humanoid spider rushed after him, he thought to himself. 'Must be Tier Three or a Low Four. I've not gotten to Vapour, so how can I fight this thing?' Raegar staggered back, his breath ragged as he reached the banks of the river, the cold water lapping at his boots. He dared not hesitate for a second. The monstrous creature had caught up. He raised his daggers to intercept the swipe of its claws. Steel met claws with a shower of sparks, but the force was overwhelming. Raegar gritted his teeth before moving into the creature's guard and striking. The blades struck true, grazing their target, but the spider reacted instantly, driving a knee into his face. The impact sent him reeling, his head spinning. Before he could recover, the enemy began slashing at his body, forcing him down to one knee with a pained yelp. Raegar tried to regain his footing, but the blow sent him crashing into the river with a violent splash. The icy waters only added to his disorientation. His head slammed hard against a jagged rock, and a blinding pain shot through him, followed by darkness. The last thing he heard was the furious screech of the spider, its rage filling the air. He slipped into unconsciousness, the world around him fading into oblivion as he was dragged down the river and got caught up in some branches. Thanks to it being night, Raegar started growing cold as hypothermia threatened to take hold of him. *** ''Mariam! I'm going down to the river to do some fishing,'' an older orc warrior left his house and started walking down to the local spot. ''Hogar, don't spend all morning down there! Zorana still remembers your promise,'' his wife replied from the kitchen window with a big smile. He waved her away and continued his walk down the secluded trail he created when they first moved to this village. By the time Hogar reached the banks of the river, something felt awkward. 'What's going on here?' he thought while scanning his surroundings, only to notice something white floating in the water. The massive orc, Hogan, leaped into the scene and waded through the water, only to freeze in shock at what he saw. A human was entrapped in branches, his arm draped lifelessly over a tree trunk as his body floated in the water. Without hesitation, Hogan rushed forward, grabbing the boy by the scruff of his neck and lifting him out of the water. He carried him to the bank, dropping him unceremoniously on the ground. As he took in the stranger's appearance, he noticed the unnatural blue tint to his skin, causing him to think. 'Why is this human blue? A half-ice elf, perhaps?' Standing over the unconscious boy, Hogan muttered to himself, ''Should I just toss him back in? It'll be trouble if the village finds a human here.'' ''No, you will not, father!'' a voice rang out from behind him. Hogan turned around to see his youngest daughter Zorana walking down the path, only to go wide-eyed when seeing the boy. ''His going to die from the ice sickness, we need to get him to Mother now!'' she exclaimed. Following that, the two orcs rushed back to their home, where they were met by an older orc woman who ushered them inside. Once there, they wrapped the boy in monster skins and threw him in front of the fire. When they knew he would be fine, Mariam turned to her husband. ''Where did this human come from? They usually avoid this part of the forest thanks to the monsters.'' Hogan shrugged, ''He was floating in the water and I pulled him out,'' he replied. Once everyone had finished speaking, Zorana stood up, her expression hardening as she spoke. ''I believe he was going to throw the human back into the water.'' Without waiting for a response, she turned and walked out of the room, her mind already on other matters. She had studied to finish preparations for her departure to the Frosthaven Magic Academy in a few months. The journey north would be long, but the village was proud of her, and she couldn't help but feel a surge of determination as she left the room behind. In the meantime, Zorana would watch over the young man her father saved. While watching him, she could sense Aether radiating off his body but it seems like he was out of it, causing her to think, 'Was he in a fight?' Zorana pulled back the monster skins, only to freeze in horror. The boy's body was drenched in blood, and her heart raced as she screamed, ''Mother! The human is bleeding out!'' The older orc woman rushed over, shoving her daughter aside with urgency. She began tearing at the boy's clothes, but recoiled in shock when she saw the gaping lacerations covering his body. [Drop some powerstones, comments, and gifts to help the novel grow; I appreciate all the support you can give]