The man riddled in holes slowly collapsed to the ground, blood flowing out of every hole, creating a pool.
I couldn't believe my eyes, in a mere instant, the battle between the soldier and Stäreschnaiz had been decided. Nonetheless, the spirit didn't stop cautiously analyzing the corpse until it was evident that the person had died.
For obvious reasons, my entire body was shaking from exhaustion, as close to my entire Mana Capacity had depleted, leaving me with only 1 percentage. Hence, I needed to use the rubble surrounding me to get up.
I was covered in dust from the mans first attack which had slightly mixed with the residue blood of the other soldier, leaving my white uniform sullied.
However in this very moment, it wasn't important.
I survived.
Not only that, I had somehow created a spirit that used Pure mana just like me.
'Wow...'
With shaking legs I looked around and saw how the landscape was devastated. Only by looking at it, I knew I couldn't stay for long. The remaining soldiers had most likely already heard the tumult that ravaged the area and were on their way.
"I can't let the scene look like this."
If they arrived and saw the current situation, it was clear that reinforcements or some stronger group would be called. I had to make this look like something different from a confrontation with me.
Consequently, an idea flashed through my mind as I realised a distinct fact.
If one thing was common in hierarchal structures, then it was the fact that sometimes rebellions or resistance would occur. I just had to make this look like the subordinates rebelled against the leader.
Weakly, I looked back towards Stäreschnaiz and signaled him to go search the bodies of all soldiers that were scattered in the stone labyrinth.
On cue, chains extended out of the sphere behind the spirit floating into the labyrinth and only a few seconds after, the body of the large man came flying towards us, landing next to the bowman.
From what I knew, the girl had disappeared in some way, and in the back of my mind, it seemed better not to know what happened to her.
"Hmmmmm...."
Looking at the 2 corpses, their wounds still seemed to similar to the ones the captain had.
I didn't like it, but I knew how Amel had most likely taken care of my original body. I was most likely dumped below some bridge so that when I was found, it would seem like I had been robbed and killed.
Using this knowledge, I glanced at Stäreschnaiz.
"Can you make this body look a bit more torn apart and the others like he was cut by hundreds of blades? Also throw some arrows around the area..."
It turned only for a short moment and nodded. By simply extending it's hand, the golden chains that floated in the air quickly started moving.
In a way, they seemed to act like tentacles of some sort, as they wrapped around the headless body and started tearing his arms off and throwing his body into the rubble. The bowman's body was then chopped up meticulously by magical circles that shot out a sabers made out of golden energy.
Stäreschnaiz himself took a few arrows and proceeded to throw them in several directions with the tree before which the leaders body rested having 10 or so so inside of it.
'Perfect...'
It now looked like there had been a proper fight between both the leader and his soldiers. With him having been penetrated by the arrows and his arm torn off by the chain-blades of the soldier. While the soldier was torn apart by a wind blast into the rubble and the bowman sliced apart.
The girl soldier would most likely be assumed to have fled the scene after the fight was over.
"The only thing left is for me t-!"
Collapsing onto my knees, I started fighting for air as I felt my muscles giving up.
'So this is what happens when I don't entirely deplete my Mana...'
When I first used Pure Mana, I collapsed from exhaustion as I had completely depleted my Pure Mana. However this time, I felt dizzy and near vomiting instead of only tired. If it weren't for the current urgency of my situation, then I would have been alright with just lying down.
But I had no chance to bite my teeth and stand back up.
To make things worse, I slowly also realised, that the spirits body had become slightly more translucent and dimmer since his first appearance. It seemed that there was some time limit to how long he could stay in his physical form. Especially when knowing the fact that they were given Mana by myself, a Thaumus III ranked mage.
Overall, it was only due to Stäreschnaiz already being so strong from before the Mana infusion, that he had the ability to contest the already weakened captain.
"Stäreschnaiz, get us away from here... to a secure spot in which Damascus can find us....."
With a raspy voice, I gave my orders to the spirit as the world started slowly spinning.
Instantly, the spirit ran to me, picking me up in a far gentler manner than before, as he started running towards a place that I hadn't seen in quite a while.
The ruins of the cult temple.
-----
Spica, also known as the capital of the Trade Federation Lorna, was one of the biggest hotpots in the continent of Rydeon. With the country bordering, like the Luxrion Empire, at the south of the Camar Forest, they had gained many ressources and connections throughout the world.
As a country that relied on trade—governed by a council of powerful merchant families—it proudly showed a huge population. Especially in the capital, members of nearly every race gathered to sell their possessions or buy them. The scent of spices, smoke, and perfume lingered in the air, mingling with the constant hum of chatter and bartering voices.
On the streets, lizardmen walked with humans, talking about the weather as well as the most recent news. Some people were also standing before booths, looking at different things such as jewelry or food. Ornate lanterns swung in every street, casting colorful light on polished stone walls carved with both ancient symbols and recent graffiti—a visual blend of the old world and the ever-changing present.
Although there was one difference today, a man in brilliant armor walked down the main street of the capital. Ignoring the traffic around him, as carriages drove past him, their drivers ignoring the man as they didn't dare to speak to him.
After some minutes, he stood in front of a huge gate. Behind it was a castle that took over nearly an eighth of the entire city. It was dazzling, with towers reaching high up and gardens that had nearly every flower in existence in them.
"Sir!"
Saluting to the knight in silver armor, the guards instantly opened the gate as they knew from only one look who they were. The captain of one of the most well known mercenary groups as well as a powerhouse who could go against an army by himself.
In the public, he had been given the name of 'White Comet' or as he never revealed his name to others and simply did his work.
But to only to a certain organisation, he was known as Ojer Damascus, Seat of Space.
Damascus without responding to the greetings of the soldiers, entered the palace grounds. Not even his armor could be heard as he kept stepping forward without any resistance, his coat not moving even though the wind blew against it.
'I know.... I will go back to the kid after this is finished...'
"..."
'Oh don't say this is my fault, I still have a public image, I can't just disappear without any valid reason... And my plan isn't too bad...'
"..."
"Tsk"
Again conversing with a mysterious unknown source, he clicked his tongue as he saw an old man standing at the entrance to the insides of the palace.
"White Comet, I as told you had arrived."
"Deputy Ornos..."
Both men greeted each other, as Damascus looked at the man with frail stature and shaking bones.
Short grey hair and a long beard were distinct feature of the man called Ornos. He was 87 years old and one of the longest serving members of the council of the Trade Federation.
He was also in charge of the military in the nation and a long acquaintance of Damascus. He had offered many jobs to the shining knight and his group, making them a frequent participant of their military operations.
"Come in, we can talking while walking."
The door in front of them opened as the old man started walking with Damascus closely following.
"What is it that you grace this old man with your appearance?"
"I need some work. The longer it takes the better it is and few people should be needed."
Stroking his beard, the old man squinted his eyes, trying to read the knight but nothing helped, even though he had been a merchant for the majority of his life. When it came to knowing what Damascus thought, even he was helpless.
"I may have something for a person of your rank but.... I am curious... why the sudden interest? Most times you want jobs which involve fighting large groups."
Midtrack, Damascus stopped moving. Like a statue, light shone down on his armor, being reflected. If one would see him from afar, he would look like an angel.
"It would be better for both of us if this information stayed away from you."
"Ohohohohoho, alrighty... No need for the stern message. I know that you like to keep things strictly under business..."
Shaking the stern message of Damascus off, the elder waved with his hand.
Cough Cough
Coughing a few times, several men appeared before the elder as they bowed.
"Bring me the contract from the 'Kromba Group' where they ask for guards for the Rydeon expedition..."
In an instant, the men ran down the corridor in a hurry.
"It is a fairly simple task... Protect the merchant group from bandits as well as hostile groups that may try to sabotage Lorna's plans of expanding their business..."
"Good."
As Damascus was a man of few words, he simply nodded shortly with crossed arms as he looked at the man.
He really had a kind exterior but as always, Damascus knew that the kind personality was only part of a facade. Ornos was more cunning than anybody else, that was also the reason why he had been a member of Lorna's council since several decades.
After a few minutes of awkward silence, the men that had gone to get the contract came back. Without a word, Damascus took it from their hands.
"Until next time."
"Ehm...eh yes, farewell 'White Comet'."
Without waiting a moment longer, Damascus turned around and walked down the hallway. Ornos simply kept looking at the man's back curiously until he also turned and went the opposite way, as he himself also had many different things to do.
As Damascus had finally made his way outside Spica, he suddenly had an ominous feeling. Reaching into a pocket, he took out a black crystal. Inside of it was a purple light which kept pulsing at an alarming rate.
"...Shit..."
The moment the knight realised what was happening, he disappeared from the spot he stood at, only leaving a small crater.
-----
Stäreschnaiz put me down by the broken down entrance of the temple, his body already far more translucent than before and the shining golden disk at his back already dimmer than earlier.
I myself had caught a bit of breath as some of my energy had returned and as I knew that we wouldn't be found anymore by the remaining soldiers. They would have to enter far deeper into the inner regions which would mean confronting monsters of a rank higher than theirs without their leader.
The translucent then suddenly approached me while lying down against the rubble. It put it's arm forward and before I could even say something, it had it's hand over my left eye.
Swoosh
Shortly after, Stäreschnaiz slowly began being sucked into my eye, as if it were a black hole.
"Rest..."
Now with a far clearer voice than at the beginning, the spirit informed of it's intentions and disappeared.
As he entered my body, I felt a sense of rejuvenation, becoming far more energetic than before. Hence, I opened the golden window again.
}————{ Arcane }————{
Name: Wendel E. Maelstrom
Age: 12
Mage: Thaumus III
[Progression]: 98%
Physical: Gladiator II
[Progression]: 8%
Core Capacity: 17%
Blessing: Purity
Gift: Absorption, Inner Circulation, Pure Body, God's Language: Arcanum, Arcane Creation, Formula Drawing, Transference
Companion: Stäreschnaiz (Pure Spirit)
..
.
}————{ End }————{
New information was in it, as I saw that I was close to gaining the Thaumus II rank as well as seeing how I had gained a 'companion'. Not only that, it seemed that he had become a 'Pure Spirit', indicating most likely what Spirit it was and what it's source had been.
My Pure Mana had also risen a bit as the spirit had transferred it's own energy back into me.
The only thing I couldn't see however was how my eye looked. For an outsider, it had changed from before because instead of only being a bright golden color. It now had inside of it also several arcane runic rings that kept turning slowly and changing.
It was like a spell was in my eyeball itself.
'I can also get stronger without you, trash can...'
Smiling at the though of me telling Damascus that I didn't need him to become stronger.
In the back of my mind however, I kept thinking of the soldiers that I had met earlier. I had killed a person, coldblooded at that. If one looked at it, it would be even appropriate to say that I had murdered 4 human beings...
Although, a slight guilt formed itself, it didn't really seem to worry myself that much. It was like I had adjusted to the idea of death. After dying myself, it didn't really seem as bad as before.
Everybody dies, I just accelerated the process.
'I sound like a robot when thinking about it... not that it worries me too much...'
I had already adjusted to the way Wendel functioned, as well as how my thought process and mannerisms had changed. In this world, I had no attachments, nobody, I was alone. It was kill or be killed. Additionally, emotions didn't seem to work anyway for me, so closing them off wasn't bad.
It could maybe help me even in the future.