Magic Bestowal Activate!

The battlefield unfolded like a wild, untamed tapestry of teeth, fur, and flashing claws. Argider had never seen anything like it—let alone imagined she'd ever witness such a sight.

Ferocious animals of every kind were pouring in from every direction, each one seeming to revel in the chaos, each with eyes gleaming with an eerie, animalistic intelligence that suggested they were here for more than just a scuffle.

Dire wolves prowled forward, fangs bared, each one sporting teeth so long they could double as ceremonial daggers. Tigers moved with a sleek, lethal grace, their muscles flexing under striped coats as they coiled and pounced.

Foxes darted and weaved with quick, nimble attacks, slipping in and out of sight like living shadows. And the lions—oh, the lions—they stalked in with an air of disdainful regality, like they'd come to settle some deeply personal score against anyone who dared look unimpressed.

The soldiers barely had time to gather themselves before the first of the beasts lunged. A particularly massive fox leapt toward an unlucky guard, who let out a shriek that likely would have alerted the next kingdom over if only they'd had the time to listen.

— [MAJOR TRIAL TASK ALERT!]

— [Use Magical Bestowal For The 1st Time]

— [Choose A Random Individual To Bless Your Magic With]

— [Time Remaining: 30 seconds]

— [Punishment: Every Second Wasted Will Result In The Decrease Of Your Built-Up Points In Everything]

"?!"

Argider's heart pounded, her mind racing faster than her feet as she bolted through the chaos, dodging snapping jaws and swiping claws with a series of half-stumbles and wild flails.

"Nope! Nope! Nope!" she muttered under her breath, kicking up dust and trying to avoid becoming someone's main course. Around her, soldiers struggled, meeting the animal assault with varying degrees of bravery and abject terror.

A massive dire wolf was the first to lunge, landing on a nearby soldier with an almost comically vicious chomp. Armor crunched, and a little geyser of blood splattered out, making Argider's stomach lurch.

"Oh, gods above, that's not a good look," she whispered, clapping a hand to her mouth to stifle the growing urge to scream and sprint all at once.

"FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!" The word was practically her war cry as she backpedaled, bumping into another soldier who looked equally horrified.

This poor soul had barely enough time to gasp before a pair of foxes darted toward him, one leaping straight at his face like a furry orange missile. Down he went with a muted thud, vanishing beneath the wild frenzy of fangs and fur.

Blood splattered like red paint in a particularly edgy art exhibit, painting the ground and giving it a sticky, slippery quality that made it way too easy to stumble.

Snarls and shrieks blended together like a terrible symphony, and to make matters worse, over it all rang the bearded man's laughter—a deep, villainous cackle that suggested he was probably having way more fun than he should.

The Imperial knights, watching her unexpected sprint, could only stare after her, their faces a mix of bafflement and something that looked suspiciously like admiration. Their Emperor was sprinting for her life, and no one knew quite what to make of it.

— [Time Remaining: 13 Seconds Left]

"Uzak! Uzak!" she called, weaving wildly through the chaos like a squirrel in heavy armor, searching for the one familiar face in the sea of frantically swinging swords and flailing creatures. But of course, in her haste, Uzak was nowhere to be found. Classic.

She came to a skidding halt, looked left and right, and then, with no better plan, decided to latch onto the nearest person like a lifeline.

"Uzak, don't let go of me!" she shouted, eyes squeezed shut as she clutched what she hoped was her reliable companion's arm. A rather soft arm, actually. And quite... curvaceous?

A startled gasp interrupted her internal confusion. Argider's eyes flew open, and standing before her was not Uzak, but a very surprised Imperial knight—a strikingly beautiful woman with long, indigo hair cascading over polished armor and golden eyes widening in shock.

"Your Majesty?" she asked, looking rather flustered herself. Argider felt her cheeks flush as she realized exactly where her hand had landed: right in the middle of this knight's...well, let's call it her "honor-bound bosom."

"Magic Bestowal, Activate!" Argider shouted, attempting to salvage the moment with some semblance of dignity. She placed her hand against the knight, accidentally pressing it a bit firmer against her chest.

Oh, perfect.

Argider's reputation was crumbling faster than a wet piece of parchment, but there was no time for formal apologies now. "It's not what it looks like!" she muttered through gritted teeth, though the frowns on the surrounding soldiers suggested they weren't so sure.

— [MAJOR TASK SUCCESSFUL!]

— [You Have Unlocked The Natural Talent Of The User!]

Then, suddenly, the knight gasped, her body enveloped in a brilliant, blinding light. Argider blinked, almost dizzy from the display, as a warm, crackling energy surged through the woman's form.

She began to glow, her eyes brightening to an electric gold as arcs of lightning sparked from her fingertips, crackling up her arms like she was transforming into the storm itself.

The fearsome beasts that had been closing in on the party froze, claws halting mid-air, their eyes blinking in alarm. Even the most ferocious among them seemed to take a cautious step back, looking as though they were mentally rethinking their life choices.

The soldiers, too, were frozen, their jaws slack as they watched the transformation unfold. This wasn't just some ordinary magic boost—this was a full-blown lightning-fueled glow-up. The light around the knight faded, leaving in its place an aura of pure, electrifying power.

With a confused smile that could have made the sun feel underdressed, the female knight raised her sword, now crackling with raw energy, and gave it a testing swing.

Bolts of lightning surged through the air with a sound like thunder, and in a single slash, a storm of pure electricity tore through the beasts, electrifying them.

Argider, standing somewhat awkwardly beside her empowered female knight, cleared her throat. "Ah...well," she stammered, "good job…team?"