Ch. 107 Team Quest

It wasn't till I thought about Kris' argument on how she became transparent and sentient that I realized... I'm going about this all wrong.

Magic is based in manipulating the reality around you yes but that doesn't mean that's all it is based on it's also in large part based in will or intentions. Grasping how to manipulate space isn't about grasping the vague notion of space or any of that nonesense it's not even based in the physics but the will or intentions. Otherwise the notion of stretching space to make more space seems nonesensical. So rather then debating the concept itself and trying to make a force to manipulate based on how space works I decided to focus more on my own imagination and intentions. Throwing out the whole whirl nonesense all together I decide to attempt a bubble. The size of a grain of sand on the bottom of my tongue. Crafting that bubble I then attempt to keep the bubble in place before I forcibly push mist into that mist bubble.

It's ok at first as I get a little in before it becomes extremely strenuous as I feel like I'm trying to poop out half my own body and it takes immense effort to keep the little bubble from popping or growing in size while also putting more into it. The more mist the harder it becomes until it is seemingly impossible and my entire body is trembling and I can barely think as I'm trying so hard before finally a loud popping sound that sounds similar to a drop of water falling into the ocean sounds. Feeling as I had failed my whole body tumbles over depressed and I lay there for a while. Eventually getting up only to see Alex is floating in front of me huh. What's up?

*Repeat, Congratulations on making a new skill [MistBubble] Level: ~ - The progress of this skill is difficult to measure in concept as it lacks any fundamental levels. Just increase in space. The more mist stored the more space contained. Space: 0.1cm³*

Fuck yeah!!! I win, you loose space!!! Sadly it's still an immensely small amount of space... I did start from the space of a grain of sand after all. I've already gotten a major increase. Based on the concept I now need to push a ton of mist into it to increase it's capacity. Sadly I need to focus more on the scales for now. It's become easier to form the scales with the skill however I need immense amounts of mist to do it properly. Not to mention even a single more scale but all of the 108000 scales will need a extremely vast quantity of mist. To the level of it likely having to take me years to complete the full set... So... Not an option. Working my way through my options I figure I am gonna need to do something to increase mist production with my next evolution to have any chance of creating a quality defense. Alex-

*Unnamed Race- MCloudWymling - Tyrant

Level: 16/75 Status: Bound

Exp: 34%

Evolution: 4

Hp: 7345/7456

No: 5678/6790

Skills: [Mist Art] [Soul Art] [Draconic] [Light-1/10] [Healthy-5/10] [Sight-4/10] [Detect-5/10][Regeneration-5/10] [Weakest-10/10] [Binding- 5/10]*

Nevermind, thanks. Hmm so I can probably catch up with my max level pretty easily at this rate within a day or two. So gonna be another quick evolution... I'ma have to do something about this size thing. Otherwise Ellie may not even recognize me. I mean we are bound so she could probably get over that but still. With my increase in size I'd be about the size of a horse when I reach a hundred so I'ma need some sort of transformation skill. Not to mention it'll be easier to hide if I'm smaller.

Focusing back on the sneaky snakes again whilst I meditate I begin to study the ability to change shape on the living ones letting them scurry and attempt to hide from my mist over and over.

Poor little guys... Welp not my fault I need to torture them.

--- 7 days later --- Ellie's perspective

Looking out over the training grounds and the lack of dummies Ellie sighs then looks to Scarlett who is getting into a stance with her fake daggers. I've been studying under Scarlett for two weeks now and I can't help but be a little frightened by this "final test" after getting my dagger and archery skills down and getting the "proper form" Scarlett insisted we fight. Being much higher level then me her general stats are way out classing me. So I'm very nervous. However her darkness version of attacks is very much different to my cloud version.

Looking Scarlett in the eye I take a deep breath before blowing out mist that quickly obscures myself from both the women present. [Cloudshadow] is what I call it, blending into the mist with shade ignoring the intial shadow qualities it no longer has any affinity with that just still strives to be hidden. It was only named with the word shadow in honor of its origins. Sadly...

Scarlett's foot found it's way to my gut irregardless of the mist and my skill. Luckily, I kinda expected that so I was already guarding with my [CloudEdge] that strives to obscure the blade with mist and stab out with it. Increasing the sharpness of the blade, speed of attack and even the range of the blade if I so intended. Scarlett somehow spotting my counter did a mid air flip and managed to land on the ground behind me and was already charging towards me before I could turn around so I was forced to use the mist to push myself forward at the last second before shrouding myself completely in mist before bolting away and taking out my bow. It was a pain to fuse the mist with my bow skills, way harder then [CloudEdge] actually it was near impossible to do much more then make the string lighter and arrow fly faster and further. However, after some debate with Mallory I discovered an interesting concept of fusing moisture into wood and using the mist to promote the growth of the wood like how Mallory does her archery infinite wood arrows kinda thing but allowing me to control the arrows pressure of the bow and everything else about it regardless of what I do. I can shoot the bow without any effort with an inch back and still hit a target behind me 20 feet away given that it's within my mist cover.

Lowering myself I start launching arrows out at the target that I can feel moving towards me through the mist. The moment the arrows get close to Scarlett she dodges them with ease because the only reason I managed to get away from her or fire the shots at all is cause she's going easy on me to see my abilities. Despite her dodging I manage to curve the arrows around to almost hit her from behind the moment she spots me but she still managed to dodge and I had to panick as I curved the arrows away from my body last second whilst dodging to barely save myself from my own attack. It was at this point that I felt the cold steel on the back of my neck.

"Pretty nice for a classless little girl." Looking at Scarlett whose always like this when she isn't teasing Sea or near "Mother" I smile and gather up the mist and follow the duo back to the house only to meet a surprising situation... Everyone of the team members including "mother" who to this day I've never seen clothed and not in the bathroom... Is standing in front of the house waiting for us... I must mention that "mother's" clothing appears to be entirely pure white and covering every inch of her body a strange hood and veil on her head and beautiful white robes with golden highlights going down her body. Seeing us I can see her head visibly nod to us before Sea walks over and begins to explain.

"Mother took a quest from the guild. They want someone to investigate the old dungeon as any explorers have been panicking and fleeing immediately because the entire dungeon seems to be filled with a green mist." With the last two words many eyes focus on Ellie who is hiding her head in her hood out of embarrassment but it's still obvious how excited she is based on the trembling and the fact both her hands are on her face covering a humongous smile. A few girls giggle at her before "mother" begins to walk off towards a building in the distance. Known by all the empire as the royal spire. It's a tower at the exact center of the city that is within the palace grounds however it has been managed by the adventurers guild ever since the last emperor died. "Mother" had to show her pass to the guards before she was let in along with the team however for whatever reason a bunch of fully armored guards showed up and seemingly began to follow us...

The moment the guards came too close "mother" seemed to halt her step for a moment before she kept moving leading her team to the royal spire. Going into the spire the officer in charge of the door places a keystone in the door and it creaks open before the team walks down the stairs before reaching the dungeon entrance. A large clear wall of mana swirling before their eyes appears before them. Behind it obviously seems to be more obscured then normal as it's clearly apparent a green mist is present. "Mother" leads the way to the door and the order of the team gets suddenly mixed up as a certain excited person seems to have passed everyone but still managed to stay behind "mother"... Ok it was me. Stepping into the entrance I can see a strange swirl of mist enter "mother" immediately as she seems to sigh contendly before she begins to walk forward.

At the back of the team at some point Jay, Sea and Scarlett became the very rear and somehow the team quickly started being led by the ranged and support members as "Mother" has somehow gotten to the middle of the group. It was at this point that I noticed that something was off... With the number of people present. Looking back I saw the same entire regiment of guards walking behind the team weapons at the ready with super stiff and rigid motions. As the mist got thicker suddenly a cloud formed surrounding the whole team and "Mother's" voice was heard for the first time by Ellie when she shouted.

"Now!" And with a series of sudden bangs and a clash of steel on steel the area behind Ellie seemed to become chaotic but she can't see a thing she tried to rush forward but a familiar claw got in her way patting her on the shoulder. She was about to ask what was going on afraid that her companions were being attacked by him but feeling a gentle pat on her head she seemed to have all her anxiety and tension wash off like it was a strand of string bound together and it was suddenly unfurled completely with one tug. Looking forward I saw "Mother" glowing in white light her veil had at some point been removed and she winked at me. As the mist cleared the ripped apart remains of the guards is apparent and the rotting stench of flesh fills the air before "mother" waves her hand and a bright flash glows and all that remains is smoking armor.