SILVERWARE
Rumble
Rumble…
The citizens of Silverware panicked as the ground shook at different intervals and intensities. Some had seen the purple beam shoot skyward, filling them with terror and dread.
“What’s happening? Are we under attack from a neighboring tribe?” a brown stickman asked, trembling.
“Tribe?! What century are you living in?” a turquoise stickman replied.
“I don’t know, I’m scared!”
“Me too!”
...
At the Rodriguez residence
“Honey, what’s happening?!” a red female stickman asked, worry written all over her face.
“First our daughter goes missing, now something formidable is happening in the forest. What’s going on?”
“Sweetheart, I don’t know myself,” Counselor Rodriguez said, clearly in turmoil. He was restless; sweat dripped profusely down his face.
“I’ve sent the city guards to check it out, and I’ve requested backup from the Adventurer’s Guild and the Colonial Capital. I just hope those three adventurers who went there can stall until help arrives.”
...
In the woods
A humongous golem made of clustered earth and rock—piloted by Gerald, took a heavy step forward and punched Rhodes, the enraged monster, in the face. She roared, stumbling back.
“Rhodes!!!” Tiana cried. She tried to run toward her, but a strong gust of wind blew her back.
“It’s dangerous! Why are you running toward them? Stay put!” Helga scolded.
“They’re hurting her!” Tiana barked back.
“Enough! Air Sphere!”
Helga cast the spell, and wind began swirling around Tiana until it formed a visible sphere, lifting her off the ground.
“That should stop you…” Helga muttered, turning to watch the ongoing battle for a few seconds before hissing in frustration.
The last spell she cast had consumed a large portion of her mana. Though she still had enough to join the fight, the memory of Rhodes’ earlier attack clawed at her mind.
Raven had descended into his shadow and reappeared near Rhodes’ torso. He sprinted upward, defying gravity by imbuing his feet with mana to adhere to her massive body.
Currently, I’m at the Novice Aura Stage. Though weak, I can now use sword techniques I couldn’t at the Mana Stage, he thought.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
His sword flared with red flames, viscous, liquid-like light swirling around the blade. He breathed in and out, eyes closed.
When he reached a certain height, his eyes snapped open.
“Seventh Stance: Punitive Chop!”
Wind swirled beneath his feet as he slashed. Multiple cross-shaped arcs of energy raced toward Rhodes’ chest.
She roared in pain, though no visible wounds formed, she felt the crushing force behind it. But she wasn’t given time to think; Gerald’s golem swung another massive punch.
Wolfton and Gad also leapt into action at the same time. Wolfton’s sword blazed with fire and lightning as he shouted:
“Stormfire Slash!”
A projection of flames and electricity raced toward Rhodes’ chest.
“Morning Rise!”
A slash of burning fire shot from Gad’s longsword.
The two men glanced at each other, noticing the similarities between their powers. Wolfton glared; Gad clicked his tongue.
Raven landed back on the ground just as Jake slammed his fist into Rhodes’ forehead. Something about the rhythm of her movements made Raven frown.
“Something isn’t right,” he muttered.
Then he noticed Lii-Chen gesturing.
“Huh? What’s this weird elf trying to say?” he asked, deadpan.
She made quick motions, hands mimicking impacts, her body tensing and expanding as if depicting an explosion.
“Wait… I think I get it. Rhodes is absorbing the kinetic energy of our attacks, storing it to release something powerful. Oh no.”
As if responding to his realization, Rhodes’ tattoos began to glow. Instead of charging energy in her mouth, her entire body started to hum.
Moments later, she released a massive EMP shockwave from within.
To everyone, it appeared as a blinding flash of violet light that swallowed the forest in an instant.
A purple sphere enveloped a fifty-meter radius, unleashing a violent wind that uprooted trees and tore the land apart.
Even in the city of Silverware, the citizens felt the tremor beneath their feet and the hurricane that followed. Many stalls and makeshift buildings collapsed as people screamed and wailed.
...
In a carriage, a gray-colored stickman with a vertical scar running across his right eye sat with two others before him. He felt a powerful gust of wind rush past. His eyes opened sharply.
“Seems our presence is more urgently needed than I thought,” he said.
He opened the carriage door while it was still moving.
“Sir, where are you going?” a metallic-colored stickman asked.
“Meet me at the location, and don’t be late.”
His aura flared, forming radiant, feather-like wings on his back. He leapt out of the carriage, flapping his aura wings as he soared toward the forest.
...
The forest was devastated. A massive crater marked the epicenter of the blast, with Rhodes standing in its center, snarling.
“Khuek… khuek…” Raven coughed. He had been lucky, when Rhodes unleashed her shockwave, he had dived into his shadows, reappearing far from the explosion’s heart.
He scanned the wreckage, gritting his teeth. Even though he escaped the center, his insides were battered and bleeding.
He spat blood onto the ground and steadied himself. The trees were shattered, the soil upheaved, and Rhodes loomed in the crater like a living storm.
He didn’t know if the others had survived, but he refused to give up. Not yet. Not while the Archmage was still out there.
He stabbed his sword into the ground, using it to push himself upright, when suddenly, a dark-cloaked figure appeared before him.
The man’s face was hidden, his energy perfectly concealed, his back turned.
“It seems I overestimated you,” the stranger said flatly. “You’re just a beginner. You can’t take on a Mystic Beast yet.”
Raven’s senses screamed. He hadn’t noticed the man’s arrival at all, and even now, he couldn’t sense his presence. Whoever this was, he was beyond dangerous, a master of concealment.
“Who are you?” Raven asked cautiously. He knew that if the man wanted him dead, he would already be gone.
The cloaked man ignored the question.
“Your friends are still alive. You need not worry. I won’t help you defeat that monster, but this much I’ll do.”
Raven blinked as warmth spread through him, his wounds closed, his energy replenished.
He’s healing me... without touching me or casting a spell? Who is this man?
“Consider it training,” the man said, smirking. “You wouldn’t want to fail your quest, would you?”
He turned slightly, his gaze shifting toward the horizon. A stickman was flying rapidly in their direction.
“Next time, try attacking visible holes… if you can reach them that is.”
Then, in the blink of an eye, his form blurred and vanished, leaving Raven standing there, bewildered and full of questions.
