ZARETH MALIUS

It was an odd experience. It was akin to the experience of stepping out of a dark room after being inside for days. The damp and gloomy presence enveloped me as I opened my eyes to the whiteness of my new surroundings. It wasn’t so bright that I’d get blind but enough for my eyes to sting slightly.

I could smell the forest around me. It’s warmth outreaching and ever-extending.

It was different, very much so. I would feel the forest closer to me, its melody tuning with my heart, and with each breath that I took, I could feel my body pulsing with vitality. The sounds of rustles were clear and distinct like a symphony.

I could easily tell how much my hearing and overall senses had improved. It was the difference between being a cripple with one arm and having both. Certainly, there is a massive difference between a sprout and a full-fledged mystic. Although in my case, it was half-mystic.

As the layer of ice shattered, I felt my body being freed from the chains that were shackling the bondor inside me. My feet touched the cold grass beneath me, and along with it came a weighty metallic ringing resonated inside my head making, causing me to wince.

When it was over I understood what had happened. Well, it was supposed to happen before but was intercepted by Basak.

It was clear that I’d awakened. But what could my rank name be?

Just as I was about to flex in my rejuvenated body, which felt infinitely more natural than before, an overwhelming pressure loomed over me. It wasn’t directed toward me but its sharp fangs poked me. It was way more clear than before, how the corrupted bondor clashed against the pure ambient ones, driving them away.

I flared my soul vision open.

Oh? Isn’t that smooth?

It felt very natural like my vision was just an extension of my mind. My body also felt more like mine. As if it was completely mine now.

Before the hydra stood two of my companions, or at least one of them was on his feet. Octus held onto Sirius, aiding him to stand. I could discern the exhaustion etched on Sirius's face as he drew in deep breaths, the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest indicative of his weariness.

The last time I’d seen Sirius, he was unconscious and injured. But it seems Darren had managed to heal him.

I will ask him about it later. But isn’t this the perfect opportunity to try out my new powers?

I raised one of my arms in the air and pushed the bondor into it. Strength bulged through my arms as veins popped. As they coursed, I felt them but it was way more clear than I felt when I was a half-mystic. I’d more control over my inner bondors. The sensation was thrilling but I didn’t let my mind linger on it for long.

I imagined one of the hydra’s heads being pulled down by gravity as it crushed into the earth. Mustering as much of my intention as possible, I clasped my fist tightly. As if commanding the world to obey, I pulled my hand down.

"Handicap," the words flowed from my mouth, and in response, the world seemed to comply, causing the hydra's head to be crushed into the dust.

The earth shook but a weird sensation hit me as I realized that my bondor disappeared from within my body. It was different from how I felt after using my other powers. They left my body but this time I didn’t feel them leaving my body. Instead, it was like they were dispirited into thin air.

But along with it came a weird sensation as my bondor disappeared from my body. It was pulled out but more like dissipated.

A voice broke my reverie, “Welcome back Mystery Weaver.”

I turned my head to my right, finding an injured Darren with his back against a tree. His face was rough with patches of red blood and I noticed bondor slowly tending to his broken ribs.

Huh?

I looked at him with a frown not understanding what he was doing. I walked toward him and reached my hand out. He looked at it with confusion.

“Why is my mentor in such a sorry condition?” I said playfully.

“The hydra-” Cutting him off I grabbed hold of his arm and raised him to his feet as he winched in pain.

I found it rather stupid that there was a healing mystic art that could easily heal others but it failed to heal its owner. But then again it seems every power has its own set of limitations. That included my powers as well. I could tell my ‘handicap’ ability didn’t allow me to handicap everything. There seemed to be a loose limit on what I could do with it. But it required experimentation on my part.

“Did you manage to find the core?” I asked.

“No,” Darren shook his head in disappointment.

But I didn’t feel like it was directed toward the current situation but more toward himself. It was like he was disappointed in himself for failing to find it. I could understand his feelings but it wasn’t the right time for feeling down. We needed his ability.

“Can you locate the core?” I asked.

“I-” I cut him off for the second time.

“Can you?” I said forcefully looking directly into his eyes, leaving no room for debate.

He frowned and then looked past my shoulder at the ice crystals that had trapped me. He looked back at me as a hint of realization struck him as his eyes glowed brightly.

With a look of determination he took a step forward and said, “Yes, I can. Just give me some time.”

“That’s more like it,” I smiled at him. “How long?”

“Five minutes should suffice,” he replied thoughtfully.

Five minutes huh?

“Alright,” I said, looking toward the hydra.

It now had half its head turned toward us and the other two were focused on Octus and Sirius. I looked closer and saw the head that I’d crushed turning into dust slowly. It was still a bizarre scene.

Maybe I would get used to it in the future, I mused.

Octus and Sirius also noticed me but they didn’t appear any surprised. Perhaps they didn’t know I was almost about to die a while ago?

The hydra hissed wildly. Immense pressure leaked out of it and this time it was directed toward me. From the corner of my eyes, I saw Darren grit his teeth. It didn’t affect me very much unlike before.

It must have been because of another of my ability called ‘Spirit Defiance’. From the little that I could understand, it allowed me to defy the spirit of others. It wasn’t very clear what that entailed but for now, that was all I needed. Perhaps the pressure exuded my monsters and people were the ‘spirit’? It wasn’t very clear what that entailed but for now, that was all I needed. Either way, it was a passive ability.

Hundreds of ice projectiles manifested in the air on both sides of the hydra, the beast intending to attack all three of us together.

Fine by me!

Just as I’d expected my other mystic arts had also gotten stronger and better.

I channeled bondor into my legs and with a snap skybursted forward. In an instant, my body propelled itself into the air as I crossed ten meters. I landed on my feet, having better control than before, and ran forward to close some more distance. But ice projectiles started raining down upon me and I was forced to skyburst again to create some distance between the projectiles and me.

“What the hell are you doing?!” Octus shouted as he used his blue flame to shield Sirius and his own body.

I looked at him in confusion not understanding his point.

He snapped his head toward me in frustration and explained, “Why are you wasting your bondor like that? You are going to run out very quickly and become dead weight for us to carry!”

What?

Did he not know that I’d awakened? or did another rank 1 mystic lack bondor reserve?

The latter might be true for support-based mystics like Darren but in both Sirius and Octus’s case that wasn’t true. In the time I’d spent with them, I’d seen them use their ability continuously for a long period. That meant it was the former.

“I awakened,” I answered.

“Huh?” He mindlessly muttered. “Wait…What?!” Octus shouted and he frantically looked between Sirius and me to confirm any hint of lies within my words.

It was a laughable sight having Octus who was one of the most eccentric people I have seen behave like that…

“It seems the case,” Sirius replied. “Although I have never heard of someone awakening in the middle of a fight even more when it took him a few minutes. It usually takes hours and the sprout remains unconscious throughout the process.”

Was Basak responsible for it? He did say time passed differently in his domain or was it just me?

Octus was still looking at me weirdly but Sirius didn’t mind it and picked up his spear with his hand.

“Alright. What is Darren doing there?” He asked, staring forward.

“He is trying to find the core. He said it would take him five minutes to locate it,” I answered.

“Did he now?” Sirius mused.

“Although it seems like he was blaming himself for failing to locate the core,” I said.

Octus tsked, “That’s just like him.”

Although Octus sounded annoyed I could tell that he did care about Darren. But Basak’s words were still looming at the corner of my mind. What was it that Octus was hiding? Even from his companions? I could understand hiding something from me—who was an outsider, but the others?

But it might be something personal or worse yet Basak had outright lied to me. Either way, it was something that I could only think of later.

“Since we have to hold back the hydra for five minutes that’s what we are going to do. Our task is to distract it while saving as much of our strength as possible. Is that clear?” Sirius said.

“Yes!” Both Octus and I replied in unison.

“Let’s go!” Sirius barked, rushing forward and I followed behind.

The hydra had all its head turned toward us, glaring with viciousness. The dozen of its eyes watched us approach it without doing anything. I was expecting it to launch a bunch more of its ice projectiles at us but it didn’t do anything.

Did it run out of strength?

Sirius didn’t acknowledge the odd behavior and continued rushing forward. Incorporeal blades manifested around him as he sprinted forward. With a snap of his fingers, the spectral blades surged toward the hydra. Yet the beast didn’t move an inch. Instead, its gaze was fixed on us—on me. Just as the blades were on the verge of striking, a white barrier materialized before the creature, shielding it from the impending onslaught.

The blades collided against the barrier with a deafening, booming noise, accompanied by a swirl of white mist that engulfed my vision. Yet, through my spirit vision, I discerned that the wall had effortlessly thwarted the blades.

“Zareth, go left,” Sirius commanded, turning right himself.

Understanding his plan, I circled the wall, revealing the hydra's body in my line of sight. Simultaneously, I observed Sirius approaching it from the opposite side.

Before I could attack, Octus, with a resounding grunt, leaped up from behind the wall, his wild grin directed at the hydra's exposed head.

"Surprise, motherfucker!" he exclaimed, forcefully thrusting his sword into the hydra's head.

The blade pierced the tough exterior, igniting blue majestic flames. With a twist in his grip, Octus pushed more of his bondor into the blade, and the flame roared, devouring the head down to its neck.

Seizing the opportunity, both Sirius and I leaped forward.

I soared into the air with a skyburst, meeting the hydra's towering head. Channeling my bondor into the blade, I condensed it for a strike. However, my focus was disrupted as ice projectiles materialized before me, hurtling in my direction.

Handicap!

I commanded, and the projectiles vanished, only to be replaced by new ones. Swiftly adjusting my aim, I swung my sword at the incoming threat, successfully parrying the assault. As my feet touched the ground, I witnessed Sirius ensnared in an ice wall emerging from all sides, trapping him completely. The ice manifested from the ground, sealing him within its frozen confines.

My eyes darted around and fell where Octus was.

But he was looking at me?

Calm your breathing.

Right. I should do that.

Wait…what?! I looked around frantically to search for whose voice I just heard and looked back at Octus who was still staring at me, but his mouth was closed.

It’s me, Octus.

I heard his voice once more. It was peculiar, almost as if his words resonated within my mind, like a telepathic connection.

How?!

My internalized voice seemed to reach him as he responded

The how is not as crucial as it the now. Darren has located the core. Listen attentively to what I’m about to say, for it determines our survival.