Clairvoyance

"Well, for starters. Layla, you limited your attacks too much and prioritized defense. You locked yourself in a shield that didn't allow you to attack. I think you only cast 2 spells on me the whole time... ...

You, Seth, did not try to support Layla when I attacked her and coordinate your attack with hers. Your skills are excellent in both ranged and melee, but if you knew you had such melee skills, why did you walk away from Layla? You could have stayed close to her and limited my attacks," I said all this while looking at them seriously.

"Guys, we are all as weak as a twig right now, so what we need to do is clear. Train until our bones break, our hands bleed, and our legs can't support our weight. You will register with the guild as part of our group, Elias will help you with that. The rest of the time we will work on our coordination and damage and do the mandatory guild missions".

"Any questions?" I ask as I look around the group, "Apparently not.

Good, now it's time to get to work.

____________________________

1 year and a half later.

The last year has been productive.

I improved my weapon creation technique, reducing its time to 1.2 seconds and its consumption by a lot.

Before, I could make 10 complete weapons and 30 needles. Now I can make twice as many. Also I now can make more complicated weapons, like crossbows or light siege weapon. But its damn hard and consume practically all my essence.

I also upgraded my core to light blue. I can safely say that I can fight 2 rank 2 enemies, maybe 3 if I'm lucky.

My companions have also improved, as Ingrid has a light blue core as well as Layla. Seth still has a blue core.

My relationship with them is still distant, I am their boss and they are my subordinates. Except with Ingrid. We have become close enough to call each other friends.

She's a good woman, she doesn't say much, but she always says the right thing.

Also, I have moved up in the guild and am now rank 2, just like my group. Our missions are a bit more complicated, but they haven't changed, basically we attack more populated areas with more warriors.

Elijah took me on as a personal disciple, even though I don't really need his tutelage, but he says it's always good to keep learning.

I tried to join the White Snake mercenary group with my core now, but my father told me to wait to ascend again because I carry the identity of the founder's son.

And I have developed a new skill. Not so much a skill per se, but an upgrade to something I used a lot.

My fire became a black fire by constantly adding my soul energy, which is also black.

Now my fire burns much more and also burns mana directly. It has become a kind of anti-magic, but it is not very effective against beings more powerful than myself.

I have also learned that I seem to be the only one with the ability to use his soul. The soul is essence itself, and the mastery Decrea gave me allows me to occupy its energy as well.

I still can't use mana.

Now I am meditating, calming my mind after another fight with Seth.

The man is crazy about fighting. But he still can't defeat me.

While I'm calm, I feel something pulling me, pulling my soul out of my body as time freezes.

Transporting me, I see a sight I haven't seen in a long time. The endless emptiness of Decrea.

Appearing here, I know something must have happened, Decrea doesn't contact me at all.

Looking ahead, there I see her. She has changed form again. Her body and hands are still the same, but her face no longer shows those tears of blood and the dark emptiness in her pupils.

Now she looks like a normal woman with a slightly emaciated face.

I don't kneel this time and just lower my head.

"Goddess Decrea, what happened, why did you call me?" I ask with real curiosity.

"You don't seem to kneel anymore, could it be that you have lost respect for me, the goddess?.... It doesn't matter anyway. I called you here to inform you of something and to give you something." She said in her cold voice.

"What is it, my goddess?" I said monotonously.

"Well, first let me inform you. A new hero has been born in the human world, but he has been hidden by the Church, your widow Mikela is training him to kill elves. He is an arrogant bastard, but very powerful. He must be kept in check in his works."

What the hell? A new hero. Also trained by Mikela.

Are they spitting in my face? We haven't even gone to war yet, it's still a long way off.

I'm going to kill that piece of shit. I'll rip out his eyes and cut off every limb. Maybe I can get Mikela to kill him, I'm sure he's not expecting it.

I don't have that kind of manipulative ability anyway, and Mikela isn't that stupid.

Still, he has to die.

"How do I find him, my goddess?" I asked with some urgency in my voice.

"Calm down, child, this is part of what I will give you. A gift, you might say. It will help you to know where the hero is at all times and you will be able to read some of his thoughts, your job is to find him and kill him if you really want to accomplish your mission, The skill is called Clairvoyance, say the word and you find yourself looking through the hero's eyes".

"It will be done," I replied with conviction.

I have to kill him, there is no doubt about it.

Decrea nodded his head as he moved his hand, bringing me back to my body.

I opened my eyes and they filled with bloodlust as I stood up.

(Clairvoyance) I whisper to myself to see what the idiot is doing.

My vision changes and suddenly I'm standing in a meadow, advancing on horseback.

(How boring, when do I get to kill elves? These scum will give me the fame I deserve).

Hearing thoughts, I'm used to that by now. I don't control the body, but I can see everything and hear what it's thinking.

(Mikela tells me I need help with my quests.... I'm the fucking hero, I don't need help. But I admit, I can't complain about the view).

The hero's eyes move to the side, where a woman with a completely covered face is moving along with him.

She has a tight black suit and a voluptuous figure.

(I will make you mine, someday. I can't wait to taste that body. I'm the hero, so maybe you'll listen to me when I ask for your services. She's a church assassin, though, so I'd better not.)

Decrea was right when she said that this boy is an arrogant bastard. He's used his brain 2 times in 5 minutes and still thinks he's the hero. That and lustful thoughts about the woman next to him.

(I shouldn't be unfocused, though. My job is to defend the defenseless, to protect them from evil. When I'm doing that, I can do other things, right now it's saving them and killing the elves. Especially that demon elf that was born).

Demon elf? I certainly don't know him. Maybe it's a secret of the Elven Empire.

(I will save her. Unfortunately, Mikela told me that I'm still weak and that the previous hero would tear me apart with a wave of his hand. Who cares about that traitor? Now I have to go to the Black Forest and destroy an elven military camp. I will prove Mikela wrong).

Well, that's where you're going and that's where you're going to die.