Sacrifice are inevitable

Fear, anger, grief, relief, pain, sadness, happiness – these are all emotions, each with its own distinct flavor.

-Probably me

Hey everyone, it's Kaira. Currently, I find myself surrounded by borcs, and to make matters more challenging, a new, more powerful borc has joined the scene.

It appears to be a variant or possibly a mutant species. Regardless, one thing is clear—it's not a good news for us.

This formidable borc has already singled out its target, which happens to be Lily. Raising its giant sword, it swings downward, but a large fireball intercepts the attack, sending the borc flying, obliterating numerous trees in its path before landing on the ground.

While the impact was impressive, it barely seemed to faze the borc.

"What? It survived that intense heat."

"The orc might possess heat resistance to survive," Lily regains her composure, warning me while still shaking on the ground, her legs giving way.

"That could be problematic."

Increasing the heat further poses a risk of setting the surrounding trees ablaze, even without direct contact.

Using fire is not an option; I need to devise a plan that won't endanger the forest. Something more destructive, yet without the risk of spreading fire.

Considering lightning; it's highly destructive but carries the potential to burn trees. Still, it's a preferable alternative to escalating the heat and risking a forest fire.

Before dealing with the borcs, especially the shaman to remove the debuff and improve our chances, I must address the imminent threat.

As the other borcs charge towards me, I quickly approach Lily and her teammates, contemplating the use of lightning.

What exactly is lightning? It's a sudden and visually impressive natural phenomenon that occurs during thunderstorms. Essentially, it's the visible release of electrical energy between charged areas in the atmosphere, typically occurring between a cloud and the ground or between two clouds.

How exactly does lightning form? Lightning takes shape as a consequence of the accumulation and release of electrical energy in the atmosphere during a thunderstorm.

And as far as my understanding goes, there are a total of seven steps in the formation of lightning. I've to envisioned each detail:

1.Formation of Storm Clouds: Thunderstorms emerge with the ascent and cooling of warm, moist air, leading to the condensation of water vapor into clouds. This process results in the development of large cumulonimbus clouds commonly associated with thunderstorms.

2.Charge Separation: Within these towering clouds, positive and negative charges segregate due to the movement of ice particles and water droplets. Updrafts carry smaller ice particles upward, concentrating heavier, negatively charged particles in the lower part of the cloud.

3.Formation of Charge Regions: The cloud's top becomes positively charged, while the lower part becomes negatively charged, establishing an electric field within the cloud.

4.Stepped Leader: As the electric field strengthens, a stepped leader—a channel of ionized air—descends from the cloud toward the ground in rapid steps.

5.Streamers from the Ground: Concurrently, positive charges are induced on the ground. As the stepped leader approaches the ground, positively charged streamers rise from objects on the ground.

6.Lightning Strike: The meeting of the stepped leader and the upward streamers forms a completed conductive path, leading to a potent lightning discharge. This results in a current flowing between the cloud and the ground, producing the visible flash of lightning.

7.Thunder: The swift heating and expansion of air along the lightning bolt generate the distinctive thunder sound heard after witnessing the lightning

As i envisioned everything.

A cluster of dense black clouds began to form in the sky, instilling fear and despair in anyone who laid eyes on it. The borcs, upon witnessing this ominous sight, came to a standstill, trembling in fear. It became apparent that they harbored some serious trauma associated with lightning.

As I envisioned controlling the impending lightning, I recognized the difficulty but deemed it not impossible for me. A resounding thunder echoed as numerous lightning bolts struck downward. While my aim wasn't flawless, it had a considerable impact on the borcs, particularly my primary target—the shaman and its group.

All that remained in their wake were charred pieces of flesh on the ground, the shaman borc obliterated into fragments. The fate was similar for every borc struck by lightning, their demise abrupt and without a chance to scream.

Their dwindling numbers prompted the remaining borcs to retreat in fear, inadvertently facilitating my separation from the adventurers and allowing me to maintain control. Meanwhile, some adventurers had already knelt to the ground, praying to the sky.

Observing this, I couldn't help but think, "Why worship the clouds? It's me who's orchestrating this. You should be worshipping me, not the clouds."

However, my focus shifted as I remembered the need to eliminate the mutant borc to conclude this situation. Spotting the mutant borc in a frantic escape, I directed a striking bolt of lightning toward it. The thunderous scream reverberated, revealing the mutant borc intact but in a pitiable state once the lightning subsided.

Undeterred, I continued to unleash more lightning upon the tenacious mutant borc. Despite its resilience, after five to six strikes, it succumbed to its demise.

As I survey my surroundings, I notice that all the trees and even the ground lie in ruins, with some of the fallen trees catching fire. Despite my attempts to control my power, some level of destruction occurred; alas, a hero can't always save everyone, and sacrifices are inevitable.

"Sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Trees, your sacrifice didn't go in vain," I express my lament for the trees, glancing at Lily, whose expression reflects a mix of shock and admiration.

"Miss Kaira, what kind of magic was that? I've never seen anything like it!" Lily shouts with excitement, her words reaching everyone around.

Observing a starry-eyed look in her eyes, Lily becomes even more animated. She grabs both of my hands, bringing our faces close, and her enthusiasm intensifies.

"Did you really perform that magic, missy?"

"How is that possible? She's so young; it's unbelievable!"

"It's a good thing we hired her as our escort; otherwise, I shudder to think what would have happened."

I overhear their hushed conversations and redirect my attention to Lily, coughing twice to snap her out of her trance.

She releases my hands and takes a couple of steps back, nervously looking at the ground.

"I'm sorry; I always get carried away when it comes to magic."

"It's okay; I understand. But first, we need to deal with the fires in the scattered trees before they spread to the forest," I said to her, maintaining my emotionless voice and poker face.

Glancing at the trees ablaze, I sigh. "It will take some time. Let's finish quickly and then continue our journey."