Bab 471: Heretic Domain
Jarvis dusted off his hands. The dark room looked a little less menacing now. Having just finished cleaning the prison of the Moon he sat down for a moment of rest. Leaning against the wall he heard the faint click of a beak closing.
"Why do you remain here?"
"I'm of no strength to help. So I tried to make myself useful here."
"Of no strength?"
"Surely someone of your caliber requires no explanation?"
"Tell me, to you what is 'strength'?"
"I'm already aware there's different forms of 'strength', I just mean it in a more literal sense. I cannot compete against the Chimeras."
"Hmm. . . you are stronger than you think."
"Aha, I appreciate it."
Flipping his book open he went back to studying the various pictures. Some time passed before Jarvis asked, almost to himself, "So you know about this book?"
"Whatever you intend to ask I cannot answer."
"It's always that case. I'm told about prophecies and legends. How I am somehow following them, yet I'm not given a single clue on how to move forward."
"Would you like to hear it? I must omit some details, but that I think you can understand."
"You're willing to tell it to me?"
"If you are willing to hear."
"Of course!"
"Hmm. . . Once everything was united. A world of wonder, but not without conflict. During a great war this realm shattered into several pieces. These realms are the ones you know now. The prophecy states that one person may stand between the realms and become one with origin. Uniting the realms once again into the place it once was, and will be."
". . . That's it?"
"As I said I must omit details."
"Why must you keep stuff hidden?"
"To not alter the prophecy. When man knows their fate their actions will only hasten it. The realms are not yet ready to unite again, by accelerating your progress it can cause more harm than good."
"Surely I'm not the one from the prophecy. I mean I'm just a random person."
"You speak truth, but so far you're the only I've seen who's come close to fulfilling it. There very well may be someone else out there."
Jarvis sighed, left with more questions than answers he instead changed the subject, "Right so, the Moon. You're the Moon, or rather an envoy of it?"
"I am both, without me there would be no Moon."
"Okay, so a Mirror of the Sun. What exactly is the purpose of the Moon? If Heresy can exist in the dark despite the Moon reflecting the Sun, why bother with a Moon?"
"Heresy is not the only thing that exists in the dark. We serve as scouts more than warriors. When Heresy reveals itself when the Sun continues its work we are to find it."
The Minokawa looked upwards despite there only being a stone ceiling, "Moreover there are also creatures that fear the Sun. Such a powerful weapon is not enjoyed by all. The Moon serves as a method to ease those into the Suns warmth. So they may step out during the day and no longer feel fear."
A tinge of sadness swam through the Minokawa's eyes. Looking back down to Jarvis it finished, "The World loves all but Heresy. Therefor it leaves options for all that roam it."
"Heresy can be broad however."
"You would have to go through extreme measures to even practice Heresy. It is not something that is stumbled across."
"Is that so."
". . . I grow tired, allow me some rest."
"Of course, I'll be here."
~ ~ ~
"We're here."
Yielya slid off Extreok's back, "We shouldn't linger too long, the sun is already heading down."
Igneel landed behind her, "This is the third location? There's nothing here."
"It may seem that way. However none of us can really sense Heresy besides Extreok."
The massive wolf's nose twitched, "And there's too much here for me to pinpoint it."
"Okay well then none of us can. . ."
Yielya frowned, "Then why are we here?"
"This area has the most activity. Meaning this is probably a gathering point.", Tilia was the first to answer.
"So we're here while daylight is still out searching for their gathering point?"
"Supposedly."
"Well, let's get to searching I suppose-"
Psshhhh~
A dark black fog sprouted from the ground and surrounded them almost instantly. Extreok's fur rose as she warned, "This fog is Heresy! Do not let it invade your body!"
Igneel was the first to fall, the fog seeped through his nose and into his lungs. Violently coughing he fell to the ground and was rendered immobile. Tilia was quick to react, covering herself in her War Sight. The black fog whisked about, as if flinching away from her Bronze energy. Yielya responded with a simple Prayer, protecting herself from status ailments. As for Extreok, despite the thick Heresy she managed to create a wind barrier in time before inhaling any of the fog.
The ground rumbled and split, more fog that was far denser spat forth like a flame. It became nigh impossible to see even their own arms. Extreok leaned closer to the ground, the wind protecting her growing weaker by the moment.
From the ground rose a large beast. Covered in long and thick hair it shook about causing more fog to sputter from its body. A rumble rose from its body as if it was growling. Suddenly it released a high pitched cry.
Skreeee~!
<Warning!!>
<Player has stepped into a Heretic Domain!>
<Unless otherwise Equipped, it is recommended to flee!>
<The Guardian of the Heretic Domain Awakens!>
<<<Advanced Chimera: B-12 (LVL ???)>>>
Yielya frowned, "Ah well, guess we don't have to search after all."
Advanced Chimera, a level of Chimera yet to be witnessed among the Party. If it had to be directly scaled, it was above that of the Evolved species. A regular Chimera was a good center ground for strength, with the letter ranking for more precise calculations. An Evolved Chimera was a normal Chimera that surpassed the ranking, thus it got its own ranking. However an Advanced Chimera stood above even that, for it was this great from creation.
Moreover, this one was guarding a Heretic Domain.
Thunder crackled around Extreok's fur. While the fog dampened her control over the wind, it only slightly affected her command of lightning. A ball of lightning rose from her and hovered above. With a thunderous snap it shot forward and slammed into the beast. Thick fog arose from the impact and it made a howl of displeasure.
Yielya placed her staff down and leaned against it. Despite her quick Prayer to help herself, it proved to be a mere bandaid to the situation. The fog was slowly seeping into her and made her feel weak. If it wasn't for the fog hindering her sight she would have moved everyone to safety already.
Tilia hesitated towards charging towards the Chimera. If any impact made onto its body only hastened the progress of the fog then harming it was detrimental. Which left her with very little choice. Moreover the ground was rumbling, sign of either something else arising or several things approaching. First, she needed to make space.
Her War Sight warped and began to expand outward in the shape of a mountain. It grew whilst pushing against the fog. It passed through her teammates without any harm and only served to protect them. Yielya sat on the ground with a sigh, "What's distracting you?"
"Things are approaching, I couldn't grasp what in time however."
"Likely the Chimera calling reinforcements. This fog should serve as protection enough.", growled Extreok.
"The sun can't burn it away?"
"The forest provides too much shade. We also lack time to get rid of that shade."
"A shame, how's Igneel holding up?"
"Out for the count, I should've acted faster.", Tilia shook her head with a bit of disappointment.
Igneel's arm suddenly raised. Using his thumb he suddenly poked several points across his body. With a violent cough he spewed out the black fog. Then his face twisted into a displeased look, "Ridiculous. He didn't last even a moment this time."
Tilia eyed the fog falling to the ground, "How'd you do that?"
"Purging impurities buried deep within one's body is the basics among cultivation. Something like this is taught among even the outer disciples. You cannot perform such a simple task?"
Yielya sarcastically replied, "Forgive me, I never was taught."
"Ah, a rogue cultivator is it? Intriguing. Very well, consider this a repayment for your healing capabilities."
Umin walked towards Yielya and pressed several points quickly. Yielya coughed out the fog and quickly began to feel better. As Umin slicked his hair back he commented, "A troubling fog, I can get by just fine using the {Arctic Freezing Breath} technique, but you all cannot."
"I can defend against it.", Tilia added.
"So it seems. How annoying."
Umin crossed his arms, an intrigued expression on his face. After thinking for just three seconds he spoke, "I promised answers, but I'm afraid this isn't a opportune time. For now can you leave the one responsible for the fog to me?"
"You seem less arrogant this time around.", Yielya chose to say over answering.
"Arrogant? Nonsense, I'm merely confident. I never had a doubt that I couldn't escape this situation. What matters is if you would hold any grudge if I were to take your target."
"Oh? Never thought someone like you would consider such things."
Umin's expression turned unreadable, "Even a genius like me is alone in a foreign world."
Extreok's tail trashed about, "I regained some command over the wind, I can release a blast powerful enough to remove some of the fog. However after that I cannot maintain its distance. How quickly can you handle that Chimera?"
"It's a Chimera hm? To think a man made creation is this troubling.", Umin flicked his wrist and made a snapping sound with his clothes, "One minute! That is all I will need."
"Very well, I shall prepare."
Resting his hands behind his back any sign of Umin's confidence was replaced with focus. It wasn't a sign of the situation being serious. Or a sign of his confidence being faked. Rather it was merely focus, a show that Umin was not fooling about.
A ball of wind formed in front of Extreok and Tilia nodded. In just a second her War Sight vanished and the fog swept in, but the ball of wind exploded and blasted it apart far enough to reveal the Advanced Chimera. Umin's clothes fluttered and he closed his eyes.
A foreign world indeed. It almost seemed like the majority of what he spent his life working towards proved to be worthless. How utterly displeasing.
"However I will not let my eons of experience prove to be pointless."
The wind settled, and with it Umin also settled his turmoil of uncertainty. He will work with what he has, no matter how long it might take him.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone