8 The First Meeting Between Fate
[Starfall City, Capital of the Avalon Empire]
In the serene gardens of the Avalonian imperial palace, a cat woman with luscious purple hair sat, her eyes fixed on the sky where a storm loomed.
The wind got faster. She saw a bright white flash light up the sky, remembering the story her father had told her when she was a little girl.
Mumbling something as she rushed out of the room. ''It can't be!''
She went to the massive palace library, went to the back room, and grabbed a valuable book sitting alone on a shelf.
Seated at a table, she opens a book and begins delving into the history of the Avalon Empire.
"The realm of Thrylos shall be consumed in the fury of an unrelenting storm, and the once serene rivers shall flow crimson with the blood of fallen empires and crumbling kingdoms, all in a desperate struggle for survival.
In this chaos, only the boy can unite the races. Only then will the world have a chance to fight against the impending doom.
This extraordinary youth, the firstborn in five millennia, shall be heralded by a blinding white flash amidst the raging storm, marking the commencement of his perilous journey.
Descendants of mine, it is imperative that you locate this boy.
Dismiss not this warning, for I, Cynrad Avalon, the third Emperor of the Avalon Empire, have beheld the divine power of the heavens and found solace in their revelations.''
''So it's begun, the time of bloodshed and violence, war will wash over the continent, dying the land in blood.'' The woman said to herself.
She left the library and went to find her husband. After running down a long hallway, she approached her husband's study and slammed the door open.
As a result, the man sitting at the desk jumped. He was in his early thirties, with blonde hair and emerald-green eyes.
A handsome, clean-shaven face. This is Osoric Avalon, the Emperor of the Avalon Empire. ''Chloe, what are you doing? You made me jump!''
''Sorry, Darling, but the old Avalonian prophecy has begun!'' She replied.
This sent him into deep thought before summoning his butler. After a few minutes, an older man with red hair walked into the room before bowing. ''Yes, your Majesty, what can I do for you?''
Osoric replied quickly. ''Tell my generals to increase security across the empire as soon as possible.''
[Back to the Forsaken Forest]
Talila's gaze was captivated by the mysterious boy before her. He was thirteen or fourteen years old and possessed a mop of messy, snow-white hair that added a touch of rebelliousness to his appearance.
His beautiful violet eyes shimmered with an undeniable allure while a charming smile played upon his face, leaving Talila intrigued and wanting to know more.
Dismissing such thoughts, she shook her head and addressed Archer, "So, Archer, what is your plan now?"
Archer met her gaze, taking a moment to scrutinize her more closely now that they were close.
In her late teens or early twenties, a pair of striking red eyes locked onto his while her silver hair shimmered in the sunlight.
Tied into a ponytail cascading down to her voluptuous figure, her beautiful brown skin appeared flawless and smooth.
Her pointed elf ears twitched and mirrored her emotions, much like Archer's. A pair of ample mountains rested gracefully on her slender yet toned frame, swaying with every motion.
As Archer gazed at the rhythmic movement of her form, he couldn't help but think, 'So beautiful.'
However, the atmosphere shifted when she caught on to where his attention lingered.
Bop!~
''Ouch.'' Archer rubbed his head where she bopped him
''Boy, don't be a pervert and stare at a woman's chest. It's rude!'' She scolded him.
''Okay, okay, I'm sorry.'' He backed away to avoid getting hit on the head while explaining what he was doing. "I'll finish the wild dog quest. Want to meet up after we're done with our quests?"
Talila glanced at the mischievous boy and nodded with a small smile as she walked away. "Sure, let's meet at the forest entrance; if you're not there, little dragon, we'll leave. See you soon."
Archer observed her departing, her hips swaying deliberately. "She did that on purpose."
He quickly spun around and dashed into the forest, approaching the old man's farm.
After running for about thirty minutes, he reached the rear of the farm and paused, scanning the area for any signs of wild dogs.
That's when he got an idea and took out a wild dog's corpse and smelt it. He took in the smell and let his nose get used to it.
Recoiling at the repulsive odor of the body, Archer took a step back. Once the grim task was complete, he inhaled deeply, attempting to cleanse his senses.
After a few minutes, a distinct scent reached him, and without hesitation, he sprinted after it.
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[Talila's POV]
Talila walked back to the guys as she thought about the little pervert who kept staring at her chest and mumbled to herself. ''Little pervert.''
She started thinking. 'He was a very handsome boy who will grow into a gorgeous young man.'
As she approached the others, a subtle flush tinged her cheeks, prompting her to shake her head and eliminate such thoughts.
'He's young. What are you thinking, Talila? Yes, he's handsome, but that look in his eyes was unsettling, almost wild!' she internally admonished herself.
She stopped in front of the others with red cheeks but failed to calm down. 'Damn boy!'
Cecelia, the group's healer, was tending to Darius, a lion Demi-human lying on the floor, who got knocked out at the beginning of the fight.
Talila walked over and kicked the man. ''Darius, wake up, you idiot, we have a goblin camp to find!''
The human knights, Radyn and Feyra, stood guard, and Novius meditated to recover his mana.
Cecelia asked what had happened to Archer. ''Where did the boy disappear to now? I thought he would have followed you. He seemed to be really into you, Hehe.''
Talila looked at the healer with a blank look. ''He is a little boy. I turned twenty a few months ago.''
She walked towards a tree to sit down while Cecelia watched her while mumbling. ''If he's a little boy, why are your cheeks red? We shall see Talila Ashmoon.''
Her wild imagination kicked into overdrive as she watched her friend walking away.
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[Back to Archer]
He tracked the wild dog's scent like a bloodhound while running through the forest. He was getting closer to the targets.
After running for a while, he arrived at a clearing where he spotted a group of ten dogs circling something.
He quickly climbed the tree, and that's when Archer saw what they were terrorizing. It was a black feline cub of some sort.
It looked like a baby jaguar. Perched on the branch, he thought about his choices.
Suddenly, he pulled out a spellbook from the Ashguard library and read the spell's name and description.
[Blink: allows user to teleport to spots he can see with his eyes, 10-meter range, 100 mana per jump]
He quickly read the book and learned the spell quicker than any spell before.
[Blink learned]
''Well, this will come in handy. After killing these dogs, I'll check my new status.' Jumping off the branch while silently casting the spell Cosmic Sword twice.
[Silent Casting Learned]
Archer cast Blink and appeared between the dogs and a jaguar-like creature, pointing his hands at them.
That's when he cast Void Blast. Four powerful blasts surged forward, finding their mark with precision.
When the spells hit the dogs, they flew through the air before landing on the ground with a resounding thud.
The rest growled at him, but he smiled and started to rhyme as he got excited over all the killing and blood.
Lunging forward and slashing a dog as he spun to search for another, he continued to rhyme.
''Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall!''
Stabbing, slashing, and chopping were all that could be heard.
''Humpty Dumpty had a great fall!''
''HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!''
''All the king's horses and all the king's men!''
Archer laughed as he butchered the last wild dog.
''Couldn't put Humpty Dumpty back together again!''
Completing his rhyme, he stood there, his breaths heavy and his body drenched in sweat.
Suddenly, a menacing growl echoed behind him. Swiftly, he spun around to face the threat as a dog lunged at him, sinking its teeth into his left arm.
A searing pain tore through his body as the dog's jaws clamped down, producing a sickening crack in his arm and eliciting a guttural scream. ''Ahhhhh!''
Violently shaking its head, it splattered blood all around, drenching him once again. His sword slipped from his grasp when he got bit. Desperate to free himself from the relentless bite, he summoned another weapon.
When the blade materialized in his right hand, he thrust it into the dog's ribs. With a wrenching yelp, the dog released its grip, allowing him to cast Void Blast.
The spell hit the dog, and it was sent flying. The dog landed far away while Archer collapsed to the ground, his mangled arm slowly regenerating before his eyes.
