In the Tower of Light, on the topmost floor, Solren was standing on the balcony, enjoying the bright morning sunlight, leaning against the marble railing. Looking over the vast, floating island before them seeing the many buildings, the ant-like silhouettes of people coming and going, it was such a peaceful scenery he felt himself smiling uncontrollably.
"Glad you are feeling relaxed!" Lauron stepped next to him, bringing two cups of freshly brewed coffee and giving one to his little brother.
"It is peaceful here."
"Why, it isn't back home?"
"It is, but only on the surface. You can feel that something is gathering underground. Not here, though!" He stretched, taking the cup from him and sipping on its content. "I'm starting to get why are you like it here. Besides the young flowers you get to pluck from."
"I'm just enjoying their scent. I never plucked one… not for real." He added with a sly smile.
"Yeah, and I supposed to believe that?" Solren answered, rolling his eyes.
"Heh~ Whatever. So? Are you here for Lia?"
"And Aurora. And Sion." He nodded, "But only after they are done with their examinations."
"Sion already had it." Lauron explained, enjoying his morning coffee, "He did well; I was the one grading him. He managed to create three completely different and unique spells."
"Oh?" Solren raised his eyebrows, already interested, as both of them were primary users of the element of light. "Enlighten me, elder brother!"
"Heh!" Lauron chuckled at the way he spoke, "First was his offensive spell. With his artifacts, the twin pistols he wields, he managed to create a resonance between them. They not just doubled his spell's destructive power, it was quadrupled."
"Hm… It will be truly great if he can do it without artifacts."
"Yes, but he is no Razael." Lauron answered plainly, "He is still only a young one. A talented one at that."
"But not one who graduated with an Honorary."
"Geez…" Lauron elbowed his brother, "You are too strict! He very well is a late bloomer!"
"What were his other two spells?"
"Here is where it gets interesting. After meeting with our Lil' Sis, he started to develop a healing spell."
"That can't be done quickly and easily if you previously only focused on offensive skills," Solren commented while taking another sip, expectantly looking at his brother to continue.
"What if I tell you he developed a spell where he aims not at his enemies but at his companions? His spell, instead of doing damage, recovers wounds. Not deep or serious injuries, but anything that can be fixed with a simple first-aid spell! Plus, it recovers stamina, alleviating bodily exhaustion. Pretty good, I think!"
"Mmmh… yes… that can be useful in a battle. How rapidly can he use it?"
"Depends on the situation, but I would see; he would have no problem playing a support role in a skirmish."
"And the third?"
"If he stays immobile, he can erect a spell around his body that distorts light. As long as he remains unmoving, he is basically invisible."
"And if he moves?" Solren asked, his eyes already shining and interested in Sion's spell.
"Better than expected." Lauron smiled, knowing what his brother was thinking. There were many invisibility spells, but they all broke apart if it was cast on a moving target. "It is not perfect, mind you! It still distorts and produces weird reflections. But if he uses it in a clustered, noisy environment, he can get away with it."
"Good… Now we truly should get our hands on him!" Solren nodded, determined to succeed this summer.
"I agree. The other misfits are also looking promising. In a few hours, I am going to test many of them with the element of light. You can come and observe it if you want!"
"I may do just that."
…
….
……
By the time it was close to noon, most of the Misfits had gone through their examination. It was different than when they were 1st-year students; this time, they were tested by one or two teachers at maximum, focusing on their main element. Luckily, none faced something that they couldn't do or accomplish. Unlike Keily, who was nervously walking up and down since waking up, Lia was happily humming, fired up for this year's final examination. When they were called in, she was facing Lucian in an empty room while Keily was standing before Zorgan and Dayen in a completely different room of the Academy.
"It is time to showcase your Stuff." Lucian smiled, remembering last year's occasion.
"Good! I was hoping for that!" Lia grinned, "What should I do?"
"Survive."
"Excuse me?" Lia asked, her eyes twitching, looking at Lucian as if he had accidentally misspoken.
"Survie. Your test is about No-Space. You showed great talent by interfering with my teleportation technique. You managed to force your mind into my spell. If you are this good, then it is time for you to experience No-Space for real."
"..." Lia was about to say something, opening her mouth, but then her eyes flashed, and she just stood straight before speaking. "Bring it on!"
"Good." Lucian smiled and snapped his fingers, changing everything around Lia.
Before she could react, she was no longer in the classroom but amidst the swirling, volatile clouds of No-Space. She immediately knew this was real and not an illusion because she felt a strong tug on her insides. Not on her organs but directly on her soul, which was almost ripped out of its place. She immediately surrounded herself with blue fire, like wearing a burning yet freezing armor, trying to stop whatever it was that was tugging at her soul. It was utterly useless for the first time since she managed to fuse fire and water.
The feeling of being held down by invisible hands, rummaging around inside her body, wasn't letting off. Instead, it was getting stronger and stronger. As Lia was looking around, trying to think of a solution, she realized in horror that she was looking at her body with empty eyes, standing there. Glancing down, she saw her spiritual form, already halfway out, slowly being dragged from her body.
"Concentrate." A foreign yet familiar female voice echoed in her mind, "Remember what you learned about it. Use it."
She didn't question who or what it was but surrounded her spirit with her mana and looked on nervously as it slowed down until it somewhat stopped. Now she looked as if she was a conjoined twin, stuck together at their navels. The horrible feeling of being separated from her body was still there, and she knew she would be doomed as soon as she ran out of mana.
"Create your own space… right…." She murmured, remembering the lessons on how to create cordoned-off sections in No-Space. She was hurriedly trying to erect a wall around her body to stave off the effects of this weird reality with little to no success.
"Smaller." The voice told her again, "That is too much. Focus only on yourself. An outline will do."
"..." She wasn't about to ask questions, just canceled her previous efforts, redoing it in an instant, forming a thin layer of blue fire around her spiritual body. Doing that, the tugging she was feeling on it lessened considerably, and she managed to slowly start pushing herself back into her body. She didn't know how long it took, but she felt incredibly exhausted when she was back inside and looking around, searching for the source of the foreign voice.
"Good…" The voice whispered and she felt a push on her chest and then she was back in the classroom as if nothing had happened. Yet before the scenery could switch, she felt like she saw multiple green eyes looking at her from far away. "Ugh!" Lia groaned, falling to her knees, gasping for air, sweating, and almost throwing up.
"Very good!" Lucian stepped next to her, putting his hand on her back and massaging it until she could look up.
"That was…"
"Horrible." Lucian nodded, "I know. This is why it is forbidden to put living beings into holding bags."
"Yeah… I get that now..." She groaned, thinking about it, and she almost brought up the weird voice and the green eyes, but she was unsure if those were indeed there; if she genuinely heard a voice; or if it was just her mind getting split like her body and soul and was playing tricks on her senses.
"You passed with excellent marks, Lia," Lucian said smilingly, giving her a rejuvenating potion. "Even as an Amarin, not many of your family could do this! And those who could, are all in the Three Ri realm!"
"Hehehe…" Lia smiled weakly, showing a V-sign with trembling fingers, "I know I am awesome!"
"I will let it fly, but only this time," Lucian said, imitating a knock on her head.
While they were talking, back in No-Space, Somia's spirit was facing the multiple pair of green eyes, watching her from afar, hidden inside the swirling orange, purple, and red clouds.
"You are always so quick to come when you smell a body worthy of possession." She said calmly, her arms behind her back, unafraid of their presence. "If you want, we can fight. I can end you for good, and you won't have time to return to your little hidey-hole…." She stepped forward, her aura changing instantly, glowing brightly like a lighthouse in a wild storm. As soon as she made a move, the eyes blinked and disappeared as if they were never there. Seeing them flee, she couldn't help but smirk, knowing they would never have a chance to report back.
…
….
……
It was the strange, otherworldly border between No-Space and the Unknown. It was like a slightly transparent veil, obstructing anything that would come from the real world, anything that was physical. Three ghost-like figures appeared from the clouds of No-Space, passing through it and leaving behind a slight ripple on it as they did so. Their transparent bodies became much more coagulated and firm when they appeared on the other side. They were now discernable enough to realize it was two men and a woman wearing white robes. All three of them had clear, white, long hairs and shining, emerald-colored eyes.
"We need to go back and make a report. What we felt…" The woman looked at them as they nodded back, confirming her thoughts. "That Amarin descendant managed fusion… at such a young age. She can't be let live long enough to grow!"
"Too bad." Came a laugh, and all three of them were frozen in space, looking horrified. They knew that voice… and they feared it.
Erias was already next to them, and before they could do anything, a blue water bubble trapped them with a snap of his fingers. Very quickly, they were separated into three sections, and the two men's bodies started to boil and sizzle, burnt away by an invisible fire inside the watery prison cell. They screamed and howled in pain while steam rose from their bodies. In reality, nobody had a body in here. Not really. Everything was made out of their souls and the projection of their sheer will and concentration. It was simply their consciousness that existed here. What Erias was burning away was their souls, and the smoke that rose from them were particles of their most precious essence. It was their life, in a literal sense. No matter how they cried or begged, asking for mercy, Erias just smiled, watching them turn into nothing but soul vapor. When he was done, he "opened" his prison, letting the steam flow out, which he breathed in, swallowing it all like a whale while the remaining soul of the woman watched on with horror. Even as a ghostly being, she was deathly white and terrified beyond reason.
“Monster… you… you are consuming… raw essence… you are eating souls! You…. You! You evil abomination!"
"No, no, oh no!" Erias chuckled, after breathing out with a refreshed face, his blue eyes glinting in a savage, sadistic light. "They were not raw. I cooked them well! Didn't you see? I do not want to catch the illness of your Sect~! Mmmhm, their skills, their thoughts, memories… all was very delicious; thank you for the meal!" He laughed, closing his fist and shrinking the water prison into the size of a snow globe, along with her soul, still trapped inside. "I'll snack on you later. I will need to digest these two first~! But don't worry… we will have fun! A lot of fun! Ahahaha… Calling me a monster… Your kind is the last I want to hear that from!"
Corty And that is a wrap of our Volume II, and tomorrow marks the start of Volume III! Hope you all are having fun~!
In the Tower of Light, on the topmost floor, Solren was standing on the balcony, enjoying the bright morning sunlight, leaning against the marble railing. Looking over the vast, floating island before them seeing the many buildings, the ant-like silhouettes of people coming and going, it was such a peaceful scenery he felt himself smiling uncontrollably.
"Glad you are feeling relaxed!" Lauron stepped next to him, bringing two cups of freshly brewed coffee and giving one to his little brother.
"It is peaceful here."
"Why, it isn't back home?"
"It is, but only on the surface. You can feel that something is gathering underground. Not here, though!" He stretched, taking the cup from him and sipping on its content. "I'm starting to get why are you like it here. Besides the young flowers you get to pluck from."
"I'm just enjoying their scent. I never plucked one… not for real." He added with a sly smile.
"Yeah, and I supposed to believe that?" Solren answered, rolling his eyes.
"Heh~ Whatever. So? Are you here for Lia?"
"And Aurora. And Sion." He nodded, "But only after they are done with their examinations."
"Sion already had it." Lauron explained, enjoying his morning coffee, "He did well; I was the one grading him. He managed to create three completely different and unique spells."
"Oh?" Solren raised his eyebrows, already interested, as both of them were primary users of the element of light. "Enlighten me, elder brother!"
"Heh!" Lauron chuckled at the way he spoke, "First was his offensive spell. With his artifacts, the twin pistols he wields, he managed to create a resonance between them. They not just doubled his spell's destructive power, it was quadrupled."
"Hm… It will be truly great if he can do it without artifacts."
"Yes, but he is no Razael." Lauron answered plainly, "He is still only a young one. A talented one at that."
"But not one who graduated with an Honorary."
"Geez…" Lauron elbowed his brother, "You are too strict! He very well is a late bloomer!"
"What were his other two spells?"
"Here is where it gets interesting. After meeting with our Lil' Sis, he started to develop a healing spell."
"That can't be done quickly and easily if you previously only focused on offensive skills," Solren commented while taking another sip, expectantly looking at his brother to continue.
"What if I tell you he developed a spell where he aims not at his enemies but at his companions? His spell, instead of doing damage, recovers wounds. Not deep or serious injuries, but anything that can be fixed with a simple first-aid spell! Plus, it recovers stamina, alleviating bodily exhaustion. Pretty good, I think!"
"Mmmh… yes… that can be useful in a battle. How rapidly can he use it?"
"Depends on the situation, but I would see; he would have no problem playing a support role in a skirmish."
"And the third?"
"If he stays immobile, he can erect a spell around his body that distorts light. As long as he remains unmoving, he is basically invisible."
"And if he moves?" Solren asked, his eyes already shining and interested in Sion's spell.
"Better than expected." Lauron smiled, knowing what his brother was thinking. There were many invisibility spells, but they all broke apart if it was cast on a moving target. "It is not perfect, mind you! It still distorts and produces weird reflections. But if he uses it in a clustered, noisy environment, he can get away with it."
"Good… Now we truly should get our hands on him!" Solren nodded, determined to succeed this summer.
"I agree. The other misfits are also looking promising. In a few hours, I am going to test many of them with the element of light. You can come and observe it if you want!"
"I may do just that."
…
….
……
By the time it was close to noon, most of the Misfits had gone through their examination. It was different than when they were 1st-year students; this time, they were tested by one or two teachers at maximum, focusing on their main element. Luckily, none faced something that they couldn't do or accomplish. Unlike Keily, who was nervously walking up and down since waking up, Lia was happily humming, fired up for this year's final examination. When they were called in, she was facing Lucian in an empty room while Keily was standing before Zorgan and Dayen in a completely different room of the Academy.
"It is time to showcase your Stuff." Lucian smiled, remembering last year's occasion.
"Good! I was hoping for that!" Lia grinned, "What should I do?"
"Survive."
"Excuse me?" Lia asked, her eyes twitching, looking at Lucian as if he had accidentally misspoken.
"Survie. Your test is about No-Space. You showed great talent by interfering with my teleportation technique. You managed to force your mind into my spell. If you are this good, then it is time for you to experience No-Space for real."
"..." Lia was about to say something, opening her mouth, but then her eyes flashed, and she just stood straight before speaking. "Bring it on!"
"Good." Lucian smiled and snapped his fingers, changing everything around Lia.
Before she could react, she was no longer in the classroom but amidst the swirling, volatile clouds of No-Space. She immediately knew this was real and not an illusion because she felt a strong tug on her insides. Not on her organs but directly on her soul, which was almost ripped out of its place. She immediately surrounded herself with blue fire, like wearing a burning yet freezing armor, trying to stop whatever it was that was tugging at her soul. It was utterly useless for the first time since she managed to fuse fire and water.
The feeling of being held down by invisible hands, rummaging around inside her body, wasn't letting off. Instead, it was getting stronger and stronger. As Lia was looking around, trying to think of a solution, she realized in horror that she was looking at her body with empty eyes, standing there. Glancing down, she saw her spiritual form, already halfway out, slowly being dragged from her body.
"Concentrate." A foreign yet familiar female voice echoed in her mind, "Remember what you learned about it. Use it."
She didn't question who or what it was but surrounded her spirit with her mana and looked on nervously as it slowed down until it somewhat stopped. Now she looked as if she was a conjoined twin, stuck together at their navels. The horrible feeling of being separated from her body was still there, and she knew she would be doomed as soon as she ran out of mana.
"Create your own space… right…." She murmured, remembering the lessons on how to create cordoned-off sections in No-Space. She was hurriedly trying to erect a wall around her body to stave off the effects of this weird reality with little to no success.
"Smaller." The voice told her again, "That is too much. Focus only on yourself. An outline will do."
"..." She wasn't about to ask questions, just canceled her previous efforts, redoing it in an instant, forming a thin layer of blue fire around her spiritual body. Doing that, the tugging she was feeling on it lessened considerably, and she managed to slowly start pushing herself back into her body. She didn't know how long it took, but she felt incredibly exhausted when she was back inside and looking around, searching for the source of the foreign voice.
"Good…" The voice whispered and she felt a push on her chest and then she was back in the classroom as if nothing had happened. Yet before the scenery could switch, she felt like she saw multiple green eyes looking at her from far away. "Ugh!" Lia groaned, falling to her knees, gasping for air, sweating, and almost throwing up.
"Very good!" Lucian stepped next to her, putting his hand on her back and massaging it until she could look up.
"That was…"
"Horrible." Lucian nodded, "I know. This is why it is forbidden to put living beings into holding bags."
"Yeah… I get that now..." She groaned, thinking about it, and she almost brought up the weird voice and the green eyes, but she was unsure if those were indeed there; if she genuinely heard a voice; or if it was just her mind getting split like her body and soul and was playing tricks on her senses.
"You passed with excellent marks, Lia," Lucian said smilingly, giving her a rejuvenating potion. "Even as an Amarin, not many of your family could do this! And those who could, are all in the Three Ri realm!"
"Hehehe…" Lia smiled weakly, showing a V-sign with trembling fingers, "I know I am awesome!"
"I will let it fly, but only this time," Lucian said, imitating a knock on her head.
While they were talking, back in No-Space, Somia's spirit was facing the multiple pair of green eyes, watching her from afar, hidden inside the swirling orange, purple, and red clouds.
"You are always so quick to come when you smell a body worthy of possession." She said calmly, her arms behind her back, unafraid of their presence. "If you want, we can fight. I can end you for good, and you won't have time to return to your little hidey-hole…." She stepped forward, her aura changing instantly, glowing brightly like a lighthouse in a wild storm. As soon as she made a move, the eyes blinked and disappeared as if they were never there. Seeing them flee, she couldn't help but smirk, knowing they would never have a chance to report back.
…
….
……
It was the strange, otherworldly border between No-Space and the Unknown. It was like a slightly transparent veil, obstructing anything that would come from the real world, anything that was physical. Three ghost-like figures appeared from the clouds of No-Space, passing through it and leaving behind a slight ripple on it as they did so. Their transparent bodies became much more coagulated and firm when they appeared on the other side. They were now discernable enough to realize it was two men and a woman wearing white robes. All three of them had clear, white, long hairs and shining, emerald-colored eyes.
"We need to go back and make a report. What we felt…" The woman looked at them as they nodded back, confirming her thoughts. "That Amarin descendant managed fusion… at such a young age. She can't be let live long enough to grow!"
"Too bad." Came a laugh, and all three of them were frozen in space, looking horrified. They knew that voice… and they feared it.
Erias was already next to them, and before they could do anything, a blue water bubble trapped them with a snap of his fingers. Very quickly, they were separated into three sections, and the two men's bodies started to boil and sizzle, burnt away by an invisible fire inside the watery prison cell. They screamed and howled in pain while steam rose from their bodies. In reality, nobody had a body in here. Not really. Everything was made out of their souls and the projection of their sheer will and concentration. It was simply their consciousness that existed here. What Erias was burning away was their souls, and the smoke that rose from them were particles of their most precious essence. It was their life, in a literal sense. No matter how they cried or begged, asking for mercy, Erias just smiled, watching them turn into nothing but soul vapor. When he was done, he "opened" his prison, letting the steam flow out, which he breathed in, swallowing it all like a whale while the remaining soul of the woman watched on with horror. Even as a ghostly being, she was deathly white and terrified beyond reason.
“Monster… you… you are consuming… raw essence… you are eating souls! You…. You! You evil abomination!"
"No, no, oh no!" Erias chuckled, after breathing out with a refreshed face, his blue eyes glinting in a savage, sadistic light. "They were not raw. I cooked them well! Didn't you see? I do not want to catch the illness of your Sect~! Mmmhm, their skills, their thoughts, memories… all was very delicious; thank you for the meal!" He laughed, closing his fist and shrinking the water prison into the size of a snow globe, along with her soul, still trapped inside. "I'll snack on you later. I will need to digest these two first~! But don't worry… we will have fun! A lot of fun! Ahahaha… Calling me a monster… Your kind is the last I want to hear that from!"
Corty And that is a wrap of our Volume II, and tomorrow marks the start of Volume III! Hope you all are having fun~!
