Kapitel 7: The First Battle and Interaction

<Talon's P.O.V.>

// Outside of Spirit Forest, West of Lufiya Continent //

'Agh… so much snow to pass through.'

Currently at the south of the forest, about an hour of walking towards the south through the snow and trees, I finally reach a dirt road covered in snow but there are some carriage wheels trails and a couple of horse trails toward the West.

'Finally, I reach the road and I didn't expect that the forest I been living in is far from civilization.'

'Now, I think about it, they are the majority of spirits, to begin with, so probably it is the best for them that they are separated from this world's conflict, I guess.'

'I should pick a direction first before I began to daze aga-.'

I felt something through my <Passive Detection> when I learn from my survival test as a safety precaution, about a group of four ice goblins and two goblins charging from my behind. I immediately unsheathe [Mystica] sword from my back, I waited for them to attack me from behind while preparing my <Wind Blade> channeling through [Mystica] to release.

The first ice goblin jump attacks me from behind since it though that I afraid to move, I immediately step backward then turn around slash through its body. When I look at the farthest of the group, it shoots me with a bow and arrow made me promptly take a small sidestep to the left just to dodge its arrow minimally. The other goblins surround me and it seems to attack in groups this time.

'Wind Blade.'

I immediately slash [Mystica] towards the archer goblin while releasing <Wind Blade>. Then my instinct alerted me and promptly move from my position and attack against the three goblins tried to form a team attack against me with <Cleave>. After finishing those three goblins, I look at the last goblin as it tried to run away from me, I immediately <Dash Slash> it to end this battle.

'Augh, so annoying, why did I add that annoying feature when I first time creates it.'

During the battle, an annoying flashing word 'In-Battle' at the corner of my eyes causing me to distract me at every moment it blinking.

'I'm going to remove it when I reach an inn in a village close-by from here.'

"*Sigh*."

Sheathe [Mystica] at my back and brought out a piece of paper from the inner pocket of my coat. A map of the western part of the Lufiya Continent shows many marks where the village, towns, or the capital of each kingdom/empire. Currently close to the spirit forest known as 'Lost Forest' was known whenever people enter to this place, they became lost due to the spirit barrier placed there as long the intruder doesn't have permission to enter can only leave after a week to month depends on the intention of said people.

'Currently, I'm at the south road of the Lost forest there are two villages nearby, one at the east known as 'Carza Village' and the west known as 'Vergasta Village' where I plan to go first also it is closest to a town in the vicinity called 'Litwing Town'.'

I started to walk to the west while staying on the road and hide the map on my inner pocket of the coat. During the whole trip, I tried to savor the nature itself but not as well during when I trained at home. But I immediately stop when I heard of a sound of fighting in the distance, I immediately run towards the fight. When I saw the fight itself, there has a carriage surrounded by a small group of human knights by protecting it as they are fighting against a group of monsters with their lives, it looks losing fight but still fights with valor.

There are an ogre, ice hobgoblins, hobgoblins, ice goblins, and goblins in the group and the closes monster to my location is a mage hobgoblin. I immediately close-in the mage hobgoblin and attack it from behind with <Dash Slash> through its neck. It didn't go smoothly enough through its neck since my level and strength isn't high enough. When I look at my surrounding, many of the hobgoblins and goblins started to charge against me hence I was immediately surrounded.

The knights against those monsters against me tried to help the other knight to defend the carriage. At the corner of my sight, a scarlet red female knight with other three male knights struggles to fight against an ogre that was attacking the carriage.

'I need to slay them immediately before that knight loses against that ogre.'

I immediately decided to use my sword art, I faced four hobgoblins and twenty goblins. Promptly charge at the closest ice hobgoblin near from my position with <Enchanted Blade Dance> to start the combo.

Jump slash the neck of the hobgoblin, then downward chop the goblin behind it, then cleave about six attacking goblins from my side, parry the attack of hobgoblin charge against me with a hammer from my blindside then promptly counter-attack, as for the rest of the battle between me against the group of monster is offense and defense of <Enchanted Blade Dance> with the wind element.

After killing the final hobgoblin, the other knights protecting the carriage are mostly badly wounded and they managed to weaken the ogre. I immediately <Thunder Thrust> from its blindside but didn't do much, then immediately step backward when I sense an attack from above causing the ground to have a crater. If this is a video game, this is probably a mini-boss even a weak state since my level and stats are lower than it.

It looks at me then roar at me tried to instill my fear but ineffective, I duck then sidestep to his blindside based on the driving technique from a certain basketball anime which I don't remember except for techniques that I trained based on those shows. Promptly slash the neck, but it did only left a shallow wound, what I didn't prepare is that it counter attack me.

I immediately parried it and use it to create a gap between us, when I look at the ogre, it already lost interest in me and attacking the female knight. The female knight already collapses from her previous fight against it. I immediately charge once more and use <Six-fold Slash> at the same shallow wound that I made earlier. It getting larger every slash I made on it.

'Shit!'

When I sense the attack once again, it was already too late and already hit me on the body.

"Augh!"

I was been thrown towards the carriage, I immediately recover from that attack before hitting the carriage by using the wind element as a platform. Looking at the ogre once again that already charging against me with a ferocity and rage from its steps.

'OH COME ON! I can't dodge from my position without letting it attacking the carriage.'

I immediately infuse [Mystica] with Fire, Wind, and Lightning elements through <Spirit Energy Manipulation> while creating an <Earth Wall> in front of me. When the ogre broke through the <Earth Wall>, I already ready to attack it one last time with <Enchanted Sword Draw>. Using about three slashes to its neck and through its legs, I manage to kill it before its body reach the carriage with the amount of force gathered from his charge.

I look back at the battlefield, every monster has been slain but still there are some casualties and wounded among the knights while the carriage is still safe. My instinct tells me to help the female knight for now or I probably regret it in the future. The male knight that is nearby the collapsed female knight notice me and became defensive even though I help them previously against the group of monsters earlier.

'Augh, being protective even though I help them against those monsters, but still, this is probably acceptable since this is the first time meeting me in the beginning.'

'Though I don't want to talk first so that may leak my identity in the beginning.'

'Let's do this immediately and safely without fighting against them.'

<Flash> immediately to beside her then forcefully made her drink the mid-potion brought with me which it can heal her completely for her injuries but something bug me that it won't completely heal her due to her aura slowly diminishing. So, I used <Healing Hands> on her head while sneakily insert spirit holy purification energy to her body without anyone noticing it.

Male Knight #1: "WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO HER HIGHNESS?!!"

Hearing a shout from behind me, when I turn around, seeing the male knight whom I bypass a moment ago already drawn his sword and pointed at me.

'This female knight is royalty but why my instinct told me something else… something important very soon.'

'…Let's leave it for the future rather solve it right now.'

<Flash> once again to the outside of encirclement of knight surrounding the carriage, before leaving the scene, a child-like voice can be heard calling out to someone.

Noble? : "Sister!?"

What happens next? I didn't stick around or didn't look back anymore since anytime those knights might become hostile towards me. Just moving towards my goal for now and looking at my status.

'Status'

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Talon Ashley (Elysium)

Race: Human

Age: 7 years old

Soul Tier: 1st Soul Tier

Bloodline: Primordial ??? Bloodline [Primordial Dragon God Bloodline, Celestial Fox Bloodline, Celestial Seraph Bloodline, and Demonic Demon King Bloodline] (45% Unlocked)

Stats:

Strength: 40 (+45) (13/20)

Constitution: 36 (+36) (12/30)

Agility: 39 (+55) (1/20)

Dexterity: 38 (+40) (18/25)

Intelligence: 40 (+40) (13/20)

Abilities:

Skills:

Passive:

Active:

Magic:

Resistance:

Developmental Skills:

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'Mm… It looks like I can level up, but I want to know what is the limits on my main stats.'

'It so tempting to increase it more based on how hard to battle against higher-ranked enemies.'

About an hour, I decided not to level up for now since I wanted to see what the limit of my stats for every level is ever since I awakened. Anyway, I finally reach my destination 'Vergasta Village' then I used <Transformation>'s illusion rather than true <Transformation> just to become older from the outside since it will be easier to communicate to anyone and, also change my current clothes and my mask's design.

'<Transformation>.'

// Vergasta Village //

The village is surrounded by stone walls and wooden fences, it has three gates towards a different destination with one wooden watchtower on each gate. No one guarding the gates and the watchtower is unmanned probably due to few young males in the village.

I just enter the village to get through to the west gate which is the only way to pass through from the south gate toward 'Litwing Town' where is one of the guilds I need to go. Looking at the sky to check what time it is based on the sun position.

'It looks like it about to be sundown for an hour or so… It is better to find some shelter in this village first before going straight to Litwing town.'

Just about to try to find an inn in this village, a brunette girl shows up in front of me looking at me with shy expression and her foot tapping to the ground. I just smile at her then crouch down to the same level and asking her.

"What is it?"

Brunette Girl: "Um… mister, are you… staying here?"

'Well, I didn't expect this since this kid is quite shy but she dares to talk to someone.'

"How did you know?"

Brunette Girl: "Umm… Ah…"

This child looking away from my eyes after looking at my once and now, she is shyer than she asks me.

'It is possible this girl has an ability or a skill to let her know what is the intention of the target.'

Waiting for her to gather her courage once more but a couple of children from this village gather around us while the girl is looking down. A brunette boy came forward as he tried to help the brunette girl when he saw me in front of a brunette girl.

Brunette Boy: "Kristal! Is this mister troubling you?"

The Girl called Kristal shook her head sideway indicating that I'm not troubling her. The boy look at me then back to Kristal and asked her again.

Brunette Boy: "Mister, what did she asked you?"

"Well, she asked me if I going to stay here for a while."

Brunette Boy: "Oh… then mister will be going to stay here?"

"Yes, but I asked her how did she know it."

Brunette Boy: "Well, that how Kristal is."

"Ok, I won't ask her about it anymore."

I give up asking the question but still looking at Kristal with <Spirit Eyes> as I tried to unravel the secret behind her as her aura is a female and a demi-human then Kristal looks directly at my eyes again, she became memorized about my eyes.

'How did she learn my intention? It was possibly an innate ability from her family bloodline.'

Brunette Boy: "Kristal, wake up!"

Kristal: "Ah! Mou… Alicia, don't do that."

'Eh? Alicia, that a rather feminine name for a bo-'

Kristal manage to snap out of it when Alicia wake her up from her state but became angry due to scaring her while I thinking about something until I look at Alicia with <Spirit Eyes> since I didn't turn it off, then I saw the aura coming out from Alicia that she is a female and have a small amount of aura is quite matching.

'Alicia is a girl who looks like a tomboy rather than a feminine boy.'

Alicia looks at me while questioning expression.

Alicia: "Mister, are you thinking something rude?"

"No, not at all."

'Wow, I didn't expect that she has already that instinct.'

Alicia looks at me for a few seconds before pulling Kristal toward a direction.

Alicia: "Come on, Kristal. We need to show our home to mister."

Kristal: "I know! Don't pull me."

I turn off my <Spirit Eyes> also my <Transformation>'s illusion almost wears off and is getting quite harder to maintain it any longer. I had a small smile while looking at the Alicia pulling Kristal towards their home but stop by Kristal then she looks at me.

'Well, she is quite shy to a stranger but she is quite different when she is with someone she knows.'

Kristal: "Mister… umm… please follow us."

Alicia: "YEA! Please follow us."

"Sure."

I stand up from my position then started to follow Kristal and Alicia to their home which is an Inn close to the chieftain house. Kristal and Alicia stop in front of the door of the inn with a sign of bed and named 'Vestal' Inn.

Kristal and Alicia: "Welcome Mister to Vestal Inn!"

After that we entered the inn.