Ch. 5: The Foreseer [1]

The darkened sky crackled with glints of lightning, illuminating the surroundings in a blinding white light. Rumbling thunders echoed through the air, filling the space with an ominous energy.

Adrian's cerulean eyes stared at them nonchalantly. As there was no way to escape, it seemed he had no choice but to fight them. But still, thanks to staying in the bulb of air under the water, he had time to recover a bit of his stamina.

Nevertheless, he just hoped the reinforcement would come as soon as possible because if not, he would surely be dead. With that in mind, Adrian tightened the grip on his dagger and assumed a defensive stance whilst covertly preparing his magic circle.

"Eliminate him." The moment the leader's words fell, the four of them rushed at Adrian and swung their dagger, but—

—Splat!

"!"

The assassins' eyes widened in surprise when their weapons sank into thick mud instead of the boy's flesh; a wall of mud encircled Adrian just a split second before their attack could strike him.

As they attempted to retrieve their blades, the mud surrounding Adrian began to spin at incredible speed, forcing them to release their weapons and jump backward. Regrettably, one of them failed to do so, resulting in the mud splattering directly onto his face.

—Splat!

"Unf! Unf!" He stumbled backward and landed on his buttocks. 

His hands frantically tried to wipe the mud off his face, but to no avail, as Adrian had complete control over it. Soon after, his entire body started convulsing violently due to oxygen deprivation.

—Slash!

Realizing that his mud barrier had been cut open, Adrian swiftly spun around, only to come face to face with an assassin's dagger lunging towards him. However, to his surprise, the assassin's blade came to an abrupt halt just a few centimeters away from Adrian's face, eliciting a triumphant grin from the boy.

Unable to move his legs, the assassin's gaze dropped, his eyes widening in horror as he realized the mud had enveloped half his body. He desperately attempted to free himself, but his efforts were in vain. 

As he frantically fought against the encroaching mud, Adrian seized the opportunity, snatching the assassin's weapon and swiftly plunging it into his eyes.

"Aarrgghh!!" The assassin let out a roar of agony, clutching his bleeding eyes.

Sensing something rapidly approaching from behind, Adrian swiftly dismissed his mud wall and instinctively ducked down.

—Splat! —Splat!

Blood spurted from the assassin's neck as the daggers pierced his throat instead of his. As other blades came in, Adrian swiftly flicked his hand, prompting the mud wall to rise once again.

—Splat! —Splat! —Splat!

Several blades struck the wall, and the moment they disappeared into its malleable surface, Adrian hurtled them back toward the assassins. However, they effortlessly parried them.

—Bang! —Bang! —Bang! 

Turning around, Adrian swept the surroundings and there were three men left standing; two assassins and their leader. 

The tension in the air was palpable, and the atmosphere grew even more intense as the rumble of thunder reverberated through the space, adding an ominous backdrop to the unfolding battle.

Adrian shifted his gaze upward, drawn to the darkened sky and a flicker of inspiration sparked within him. When the surroundings turned blindingly white, Adrian hastily chanted an incantation.

=====

—Rumble!

A tremendous roar of lightning erupted, accompanied by a series of deafening explosions

—Boom! —Boom! —Boom!

The ground trembled beneath Adrian's feet, and the acrid scent of burning filled his nostrils. 

When the blinding light gradually subsided, three small craters marred the ground, their edges still smoldering with residual heat. As the smoke cleared, the lifeless bodies of two assassins came into view, their charred forms billowing smoke. 

'…two?'

—Stab!

A sharp, searing pain suddenly pierced through his chest, stealing his breath away. 

His cerulean eyes widened in disbelief as he lowered his gaze, only to be met with the sight of blood dripping from a blade that had impaled his heart.

'Ah, I—'

=====

A deafening cry of thunder reverberated through the expanse, and as the blinding flash subsided, a burnt smell tickled Adrian's nose.

'Huh? How—'

When reality struck him, Adrian conjured a block of earth behind him and swiftly rolled forward.

—Stab!

Just as he landed, a sound of rasping metal pierced the air, indicating that something had narrowly missed him. Adrian turned his gaze towards the earthen wall he had just created, only to find a blade protruding from it.

"Haa… haa…" Breathing heavily from the rush of adrenaline, his heart racing uncontrollably.

Adrian had no idea what was going on, but he would have been lanced to death if he was a millisecond too late.

'Was it… the Gift?'

With a multitude of thoughts swirling in his mind, Adrian made a conscious decision to set aside all distractions and direct his full attention to the bat—huh?

His world suddenly spun and a searing pain shot through his body, causing him to lose his balance and lurch forward. Falling on his knees, Adrian's hands instinctively shot out to support his body, preventing him from crashing into the mud below.

"Cough, cough!"

He coughed violently and a metallic taste filled his mouth as he expelled a handful of blood. 

Intense dizziness engulfed and something wet slid down from his nostrils. He touched it and felt the red liquid staining his fingers; he was experiencing a nosebleed and Adrian instinctively pinched his nose as the blood continued to leak out.

Manipulating natural lighting was indeed costly, he lost a significant amount of his Mana, resulting in symptoms of Mana Exhaustion. Mana Exhaustion occurs when there is an insufficient amount of Mana present in the Mana Pool.

"How surprising."

—Slash!

An oblique blue light was observed, causing Adrian's earth barrier to be cleaved in two. A resounding thud echoed as the upper wall collapsed, revealing a black-robed man standing behind the severed barrier.

Despite the searing pain coursing through his body, Adrian summoned every ounce of his strength to stand tall, causing the assassin to sneer.

"Even after manipulating raw lightning on such a grand scale, you still manage to remain standing, huh? That's truly amazing. I must give you credit for that."

Stabbing his sword into the ground, he then applauded and continued.

"Well done, kid! I'm impressed! Even an adult Elementalist would end up damaging their Mana Pool controlling such immense power."

Utilizing excessively powerful spells could result in damage to the Mana Pool, a matter not to be taken lightly as it may lead to Mana Poisoning.

Due to the rupture of the Mana container, the compartment now undergoes continuous Mana absorption, leading to an overwhelming influx of Mana into one's body, resulting in intense and excruciating pain.

While Mana Poisoning remains incurable, individuals who have sustained damage to their Mana Pool still have the opportunity to survive, albeit without the ability to utilize Mana any longer.

Thanks to the Tower, a remarkable invention has been created—an item capable of absorbing the surplus Mana within the body, thereby alleviating the associated pain. However, it was crucial to maintain continuous monitoring of the patient, as this condition posed a significant risk of instant death.

"So, it seems that the rumors about you having a high affinity for each elemental are true after all."

Although Adrian appeared to be staring and listening to the man, in reality, he paid no attention to him at all. Adrian was actually discreetly glancing at the assassin's [Status Window] at that moment.

=====

[ ??? ]

« Overview »

Title: --

Race: Human

Age: 24 years old

Gender: Male

Occupation: Assassin - Lv.5

« Character Statistic »

»Physical:

STR: B

PDF: B-

TLT: C+

AGI: B+

»Magical:

MAG: D

MDF: D

»Ability:

INT: C+

MP: C

« Elemental Affinity »

Water: E

Fire: D

Lightning: C

Earth: C

Wind: E

« Skills »

[ Throw ]

Description: Raises the accuracy of the Throw Weapons.

Rank: A

[ Swift Movement ]

Description: Raises Evasion and Speed

Rank: B+

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Upon observing his statistics, it became evident that he was a highly skilled and accomplished assassin. It was pretty clear that the sender harbored a strong desire for this young boy's demise.

With his Mana on the verge of depletion, he couldn't afford to use it and was left with no choice but to engage in physical combat. Adrian tightened the grip on the dagger and stood on guard. Even though he only had a slim chance to survive, at least he tried his best.