NOVEL NEXT Chapter 35: An Accident
[ Ethereal Strike
Cost: 4,000MP
// April's weapon will harness the power of the Heavens and create a slash that can take down the strongest beasts. ]
'! Attack will depend on the enemy's power level. The higher the level, the higher the MP requirement.'
'! If APRIL fails to provide the MP, the HP will be deducted.'
Elliot was grinning from ear to ear. His pearly white teeth were shining.
"What's up?" Lance asked.
Elliot walked away and brandished his sword. He was bouncing up and down in excitement.
"Ethereal Strike!"
'You do not have enough mana to cast Ethereal Strike.'
The grin on Elliot's face fell. "You've got to be kidding me!"
Connor ran up to him in worry, "Are you okay?"
'Ally detected. Continue the attack?'
"No! God, no."
'Ethereal Strike canceled.'
Elliot shivered. "Imagine if I said 'yes'.
"What?" Connor ask. Elliot was about to reply when Frederick clapped his hands once to get everyone's attention.
"Well," Frederick said. "Let's pack up and go home. The Conquest had been conquered. We couldn't let you deal with the boss, I'm sorry. There has been a mistake in the report to the alliance of guilds, Oneness, and… well, let's just leave it as it is."
On their way back, a question was lingering inside everyone's heads.
Why would they leave it
They took a rest in a small forest. The question everyone has was bothering them. There was only silence. That was until someone broke the deafening lack of voice.
"Was it really just a mistake in the report?" one Adventurer asked.
"Yes," Frederick said. "It happens all the time."
"The report said the beasts were at Least Level 60 and the boss was 80," another argued. "There were barely any Level 60 in there. And the boss was almost at 95."
Frederick sighed, "Mistaken reports can happen."
"It's not like this was the first time," George sighed.
"What do you mean?" Frost asked.
The man beside George replied, "A few weeks ago, the Comet quest that a Level 40 orc was terrorizing a village. When our Level 30 Adventurers got there, the orc was actually Level 70."
"It's like they're trying to mess with you," Ripple said. "This also happens to our guild often."
"Who gives us the quests anyway?" one asked.
Frederick cleared his throat, "Quests are from random sponsors."
"But it's checked by the Royal Officers beforehand, right?" George couldn't help but wonder. "What's wrong with them?"
Perhaps it was because of the mixed opinion, but there was an uneasiness building up inside Elliot. As if there was something that's purposely messing with their guilds.
That was just one question. The other question was why? What could they benefit from messing with guilds?
No one spoke after George. The way home was silent and filled with a suffocating tension.
The members knew that the pioneers knew what the problem was, and vice versa. But both parties were hesitating to ask the other what it was.
Elliot looked at Lance who was beside him. The latter seemed to be in deep thought.
"Are you okay?" he asked. Lance didn't answer. "Lance?"
It seemed like Lance was awoken from his sleep, "Oh. What is it?"
"Are you okay?" Elliot repeated.
"Yeah," Lance gave him a smile. "I'm fine. Maybe I'm just tired too."
"You were only at the back though," Elliot retorted.
"I was watching over all of you though," Lance narrowed his eyes playfully.
Not long after, Frost and Ripple took another path. Their mission was done after all.
Frederick gave them the stamp they needed to claim their reward from their guild.
"I'll miss you," Elliot said. "Contact me sometime, okay?"
Frost smiled, "Of course we will."
"See you soon, twerp," Ripple said. "And you too."
She ruffled Elliot and Connor's hair before walking away with her sister.
"Do you think we'll see them again?" Connor asked.
"I think we will," Elliot said and ran back to their team.
A black circle appeared on Frost's Console. A name was under it that made her shudder.
"It's him," she said to her sister, answering the call. "Hello, sir?"
"I have another mission for you two," the man said. His voice was deep and rich.
Frost looked at Ripple in fear. "What is it sir?"
"A couple from a certain Conquest a couple of years ago had been sighted once more," the man said. "They previously resided in Yusta but now a source tells me that they have been found in another country."
The ranger held her sister's hand, gripping it like she was holding on for dear life. "What's our mission, sir?"
"We found out that they have a son."
–
"Cheers!"
The team celebrate their victory. Of course, Midnight deducted 25 gold coins from their reward and they split the rest.
"Midnight is so mean," Luck slurred, completely drunk from taking several gallons of beer. "Always deducting money to celebrations even before we could celebrate."
"And you're drunk," Midnight said. "Stop the beer."
"Who's drunk?" Luck asked. "I know I'm not!"
Elliot shook his head and went outside. He was going to test his new skill.
Finding a good spot to test it, he found himself in the large fields outside the city. It was already night and there were low-level beasts roaming the dark.
But Elliot wasn't scared. These kinds of beasts feared humans.
Besides, there was also a night patrol of Royal Officers around major cities like Alorde.
[[ APRIL ]]
Level 41
Class: Creator
Subclass: Lord of Creation
Occupation: None
He already returned his borrowed weapon. He only had an hour for the borrow feature which was reasonable for him.
Elliot was about to wield his sword when someone approached him.
"Hey kid," Francoise called.
"Gramps," Elliot cheered. It had been a while since he saw the old man. Francoise was wearing a tight tank top and a black apron. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm just here to give you this," Francoise handed Elliot a sword inside a scabbard.
[[ Dragon's Valor ]]
"I-Is this…" Elliot trailed off.
"It's the valorium," Francoise said, handing Elliot a bag. "I ran out of patience so I forged it with a Ruby Weapon Gem, a Rare Weapon Gem that's enough for your level. The ones in the bag are a Sacred Sapphire Weapon Gem and a Legendary Lapis Lazuli Weapon Gem and your Godly Diamond Weapon Gem."
"What if I level up?" Elliot asked.
"I have found a way to upgrade the weapon," Francoise grinned. "I have been researching for a way to fuse weapons but I was wrong. I shouldn't be fusing them, well not all of them. Fusing the Weapon Gems are enough for an upgrade."
"Like how an Ember Heart 1 needs another Ember Heart 1 to upgrade?" Elliot stated.
"Bingo," Francoise said. "You can really keep up, huh?"
"Wait, that seems to be easy to discover," Elliot said. "Have you never thought of it before, like ever?"
Francoise shrugged, "It's the first time I'm interested in upgrading a weapon."
"You did it for me?"
Once again, Francoise shrugged. "When you reach Level 50, fuse it with the Sapphire and so on."
Elliot hugged Francoise, "Thank you, Gramps."
Francoise was surprised at first but he returned the hug. "You're always welcome, kid."
After a while of silence, Francoise spoke. "Try it."
Elliot removed the belt his old scabbard was on. He buckled his new one and brandished his new sword.
[[ Dragon's Valor ]]
Attack: 4
Rate: 3
Charisma: 4.5
Buffer: 3
Weapon Potential: 5
"Ethereal Strike!"
'No enemy detected. Ethereal Strike unavailable.'
Elliot could only scream and stomp his feet. "This is hopeless."
He walked towards Francoise who was amused, "Are you okay?"
'Ally detected. Continue the attack?'
"Yes, I'm okay. Wait, no!"
His sword lit up and moved on its own. It thrusted back and gained momentum.
Francoise quirked his brow, "What are you doing?"
"Gramps, dodge!"
The sword swung on its own, coated with a thick glittering white aura.
Lance appeared in front of Francoise, "Shadow Fortress."
A tall shadow brick wall erected around Lance and Francoise, protecting them from the incoming attack.
The Ethereal Strike made Elliot slash his sword. It created a crescent-shaped beam that's so bright, the town's people thought that the dawn had come. It hit Lance's fortress but wasn't strong enough to destroy it.
After the attack, Lance deactivated his shield. He looked behind them and saw that a quarter of the forest had been destroyed.
He was about to scold Elliot when the Guide spoke.
'Warning! Guildmate in CRITICAL condition.'
[[ APRIL ]]
Level 41
HP: 1/40,000
MP: 0/4,000
Lance's eyes widened when Elliot's sword fell to the ground, making a light clank. He followed, falling to his knees before succumbing to the price of the attack.