Chapter 11: A New World

The sun cast in early morning light, but it was not met with the usual tranquility. With bows on their backs and blades by their side, four figures moved swiftly through the trees. If one could see their expressions all would come abundantly clear, the four were being hunted. Every so often one of them would look back, they couldn’t see their pursuer, but his present was clear. Not far behind them, not long after they passed a part of the forest, the scenery would turn from a lush and colorful, to that of a dry, water deprived wasteland. Then one of the men let out a horrible scream, looking back, they watch as his body was turned to stone within moments. The leader signals them to keep moving, but one did not heed his warning. He would rather be die then leave his companion.

The last two came across two large stones overlooking a creek. Jumping behind each stone, they could hear the sounds of battle, though it only lasted a moment before another scream and another companions demise. Weapons were drawn, they knew there was no escape, any further and they would run into the inhabitants of the forest, the beast would not give up, their only option was to fight. The area grew silent, slowing their breath, the two waited for the moment to strike.

The air grew dry, an intense heat began to encase the area, the water from the creek begin to quickly dry up. It was there, the creature grew closer, scorching the area around as it moved towards the stones. When the beast was almost directly upon them, the two struck, what was left of the water in the creek, instantly became ice spikes that erupted from below the beast. Though it did nothing to harm it, it did succeed in trapping it. Now anchored, it was unable to dodge the barrage of blue flamed arrows, as they fired arrows continuously at the creature, began to cast a spell that rained frozen pillars down on the creature. This was their final attempt, they had battle the creature long into the night and were nearly exhausted of mana.

The constant attacks rose up a cloud of dust that restricted sight of the creature. Both cease their attacks, the dust began to settle. When it had cleared the beast was nowhere in sight. One man turned to his companion to signal their escape, yet the other did not moved, he could not move. The man looked on in horror to his friend who body now completely turned to stone. The man had no time to grieve as the creature was now upon him as well.

The creature eye now focused completely on him, he could no longer escaped. Its eye began to glow signaling the mans end, with nothing left, the man took blade in hand and swung it. Much to his surprise the creature began to howl in pain. Every attempt at harming it, failed but now it was howling in pain. The man understood instantly, but as he went to strike again the beast closed its eye and spinning rapidly, hurled itself into the man, sending him careening into the stone behind him.

Trying to stand and run he realized his leg shattered from the force of the blow. With the gash in his chest and the blood raining from his head, he wasn’t going anywhere. He needed to let someone know, how to harm the beast. With his finger he drew, as he did the creature hovered overhead, angered from being hurt the creature drop itself down, crushing what was left of the man’s leg. He screamed in pain but continued his work. He turned and look the beast in the eyes and the familiar glow came once again. Then just as his friends before, he was turned to stone. The creature hovered above the body before coming down on the man’s stone body. It bounced on the crushed man several more times, who was now nothing more than a pile of rubble, before deciding to stop. The creature looked at its handy work, then hovered slowly away, leaving the area now a mere shadow of it former lush.

_ _ _ _ _

“Hero, what do you call this?”

“……. That’s a Tree.”

“Amazing so tall, what are these?”

“Leaves.”

“Wondrous, and this?”

“That’s Dirt.”

“Astonishing.”

“Aheheheheh, that’s the first time I heard someone call dirt, astonishing.”

The morning had come much sooner than Nathan had thought. At first light, the two had started walking. Iris was excited to say the least, upon seeing something, she would immediately ask Nathan what it was, much to Nathan amusement. This was a side of Iris he had yet to see, it was extremely funny.

“Hero, what that’s?”

“That’s the sky.”

“So vast, why is it blue?”

“Because, air particles reflect blue light.”

“Air particles?”

“Well it least in my world, that the reason, in a world of magic, it could be anything.”

“Your very knowledgeable, Hero.”

“Not really, it’s just common knowledge.”

“Hero, if answering my question come to bother you- “

“Stop right there, I have absolutely no problem answering anything you ask me, it refreshing watching your child like interest in everything, and some your question are downright funny.

“*Blush**cough* I was wondering, what are those white objects, that obscure the sky.”

“Those are clouds, but you know Iris, trying to sound more mature want change or make me forget, how you were acting all morning.”

Nathan laughed out loud as Iris turned red with frustration. She had not realized how she was acting and that made it all the funnier to Nathan. Iris floated up higher so as to escape Nathan laughter. From her knew height, she could see pretty far off and more importantly a path. Looking back towards the Nathan, she noticed something moving in the bushes just ahead of him. Something long and wiggling back in forth and it look as though it was aiming to strike.

“HERO, LOOK OUT.”

Iris attempts were in vain, for Nathan was already within the creature’s strike zone. The wiggling creature stretch out towards Nathan with an incredible speed, Iris ready her spell to strike the creature once it had grabbed him, but it didn’t have a chance. Nathan who had already knew of the threat grabbed hold Origin on his back and with just as much speed as the creature, if not more, struck. As “Origin” pass through the air, Unbeknownst to Nathan, the sword began to glow. When it struck the creature it released a devastating force that shook the air around them. Iris stared at the blade.”

“……. Whoa.”

“Hero, are you all right?”

“Iris, did you see that, it like shock waved, that was so op’ed, and I’m only on level one.”

“Hero, that was not you’re doing, did you not feel it?”

“Feel it?”

“At the time when you swung Origin, it released an incredible power.

“Seriously?”

“Even now, the power is overwhelming, it more discerning feeling than what I felt while in the study, amazing.”

“Really?”

Nathan sheathe the sword.

“Is it gone?”

“Yes, I can’t even tell it’s in your possession.”

“Hmm, maybe I should stop looking at appearance, and just wait for the results.”

“Ah yes, Hero, speaking of appearances, briefly, when you wielded Origin, your hair change color.”

“Really, I don’t remember screaming really loud, yellow or blue?”

“No, neither, it became green.”

Nathan grabbed his hair, if was green before, it was black now, he really wanted to see, but he couldn’t risk it. Looking over to Iris to make she was okay, she looked back at him puzzled.

“Well, I guess I won’t be using Origin.”

“Huh, why not, such power would be a great asset, would it not?”

“I guess you didn’t notice it.”

“Notice what?”

“Iris, whenever I draw the blade you go all gaga, you freeze up and become transfix on the blade. You forget your surroundings and just stare at “Origin”.

This was a shock to Iris, she was aware that she was acting strange.

“If were fighting and I use “Origin”, there is a chance you’d get hurt, so for now I’ll leave it alone and opt for another Sword.

Iris didn’t how to feel about this, she didn’t want to be the reason that the Hero was unable to use the weapon that was made specifically for him. She silently promised herself to overcome this inhibiting reaction. Nathan walked up to the tentacle that attack him.

“What is this, is it a monster?”

Nathan walked over to the shrub from which the tentacle struck from.

“Huh, it just a plant, then that means, *Examine*!”

Snyare Species: Plant

Description: It stretches and ensnares anything foolish enough to approach. Wants coiled around its prey, it secretes a highly poisonous, highly digestive enzyme to slowly dissolve whatever it traps.

"A poisonous plant that would eat me, given the chance, I’m glad I got first, dissolving sound painful."

“Hero, we should be careful, if that plant was poisonous, it would be better if you don’t touch it, there could be more of them around here, we should leave the area.”

“*Munch* hmm, not bad.”

“Dabfffffffffft!?”

“Iris, what language was that?”

“H-HERO, WHAT ARE YOU DOING, T-THE P-POISON!?”

“What about it?”

“Quickly, spit it out before you get sick.”

“Before I get sick…………unh-hunh, you weren’t listening to me this morning at all were you, such a lengthy conversation we had.”

“What does that have to do with your consuming poison, please spit it out?”

“Everything, like I said last night, I can’t get poisoned or sick for that matter.”

“What!?”

“How could it be possible that you didn’t hear me tell you all this, this morning?”

“I’m truly sorry Hero, I was not myself these past few hours.”

“Iris, I’m not angry, I’m glad that you excited about being outside, but I don’t feel like saying all that again so for now, just bullet points.”

Both of them headed towards the trail Iris pointed out earlier. Along the way Nathan gave Iris the short version of his talk prior. While she spent the few hours watching the night, Nathan was exploring his status screen, he wondered why certain abilities like his “Examine” ability didn’t show up on his screen. He did a thorough inspection and found that his magic, titles, along with his magic abilities all have their own sub screens.

The Titles give him an in depth look at which each individual “Title’s” effects are when they are equipped. Like if he were to equip his “Hero?” title he would receive an additional 5 points to his strength and defense stats. It also gives a small description of how the title was acquired.

The “Magic Ability” screen did the same as if he were to look up each ability individually. Instead it has all abilities in one easy to access screen.

The “Nature Blessing” screen showed a list of passive abilities that were unique to his specific magic. This is where he found his passive ability “Remedy”, with this ability he cannot be poisoned or infected with any type of disease or toxin. He was actually worried before he knew of this ability, seeing as how he needed to consume a plant or it’s seed in order to utilize them and at times they could be poisonous or the fact that this world would be home to diseases he never heard. Nathan had a lot more to say, but since Iris didn’t seem worried anymore, he’d tell her the rest at another time.

*Ding**Ding*

Snyare plant: 15 min

“Yup, figures.”

“Something wrong?”

“There’s a time limit until I can make a seed; I was thinking something like this would happen.”

“How long must you wait?”

“Not long, at least it wasn’t one of those, I had to wait until I’ve reached a certain level restriction.

Nathan took a quick look around.

“Didn’t you say there was a path up ahead?”

“Ah yes, we’ve walking the path for a while now.”

“What?”

Nathan took another look, path wasn’t right. The branches were sliced, the bushes were trampled and shredded, it looked as though a group of something sliced their way through here. There were no footprints, it looks like something slithered across the ground.

“Hero, are you okay, you seemed distress?

“Iris do you sense anything around us, anything alive?”

“Uhm, everything around here has a mana flow.”

“Then what about any mana flow that has irregular movement, anything.”

“I-I’ll try…………. Ah, yes there are at least six, they seemed to be moving in this direction.

Nathan was getting worried, why was something moving toward them from behind, when the trail suggested they were up ahead.

“We need to go, get off th trail.”

Nathan was about to plow through the bushes, when something inside him yelled stop.

“Hero, why did you stop?”

“…………. we’re being watched.”

Nathan looked around, nothing. Iris said there was nothing moving around them, they must more than six, they were waiting for them to get on the path. The moment he stepped back into the bushes, whatever was watching them would end them, but staying on the path was bad, since the six whatever was heading this way. He couldn’t make it out anything except trees and bushes, he had to find a way to smoke them out.

“Hey Iris, I need you to throw a fireball in the direction we just came from and then fly up, just out of reach of the trees.”

“What, I will not abandon you, I refuse.”

“I’ll be fine, but only if you do this, once you get up higher you’ll be in a better position, trust me.”

Iris did not like or understand this plan of Nathan’s, but she reluctantly begins to chant. She had successfully created a fairly large fireball and with confirmation from the Nathan she hurled the fireball in the exact location from wince they came. Immediately upon firing Iris begin to rise as quickly as she can, at the same time Nathan took off, in pursuit of the fireball.