The crisp air, thick with the scent of damp earth, rich loam, and distant woodsmoke from unseen clearings, filled Eryndor's lungs as he ventured deeper into the whisper-laden shadows of the Whisperwood Forest. His small, translucent blue slime companion, Gloop, but growing steadily more accustomed to its existence, jiggled contentedly on his shoulder. Its liquid eye observed their surroundings with a curious, unblinking blink, reflecting the dancing leaves and shifting light.
"Alright, little guy," Eryndor murmured, his voice a low rumble. "This might be it. A real chance to see what we can do. To actually test out this... magic stuff." He glanced down at his hands, flexing his fingers, imagining the arcane energy flowing through them. The recent system notification about Mana Sense lingered in his mind, an intriguing promise of a new way to perceive the very fabric of the world around him, a sense beyond his ordinary sight and hearing.
He had only just breached the initial, tangled edge of the forest, where the trees grew denser and the sunlight struggled to pierce the thick clouds, scattering in fractured, ethereal beams. The air grew cooler, carrying a deeper, wilder scent. Suddenly, a series of deafening crashes and splintering roars echoed through the ancient woods, sending birds scattering from their nests in panicked squawks. Trees groaned and buckled, their leafy branches shaking violently as if in the grip of an unseen, colossal hand. Whatever the Gloomfang Strider was, it wasn't being subtle.
"Sounds like our friend is making a grand entrance," Eryndor muttered, his hand instinctively moving towards the empty space where his new dagger had been. A flicker of frustration crossed his face. With a certainty born of his burgeoning magical affinity, that he wouldn't rely on that if he could help it. He needed his magic now, more than ever.
He crept forward cautiously, the slime wobbling with an almost palpable anticipation on his shoulder, vibrating slightly with the tremors of the approaching monster.
"The monster might be strong, you think you can kill it?" gloop asked.
"That's why am here slime, I need to test my new arcane mana, since I don't have any experience in fighting I won't rely on my dagger but my magic," he explained to Gloop who looked at the direction of where the monster would appear from.
Suddenly, the source of the destruction burst into a small clearing directly ahead. It was a monstrous creature, vaguely insectoid but grotesquely twisted and overgrown, easily the size of a small hut. Its multiple, segmented limbs ended in razor-sharp, chitinous claws that tore through the underbrush and saplings with alarming ease. Its carapace was a sickly, almost putrid green-black, and its multiple, bulging eyes glowed with a malevolent, pulsating yellow light. The Gloomfang Strider lumbered closer, its massive form radiating an oppressive aura of decay and raw, untamed magic, seemingly intent on heading directly towards the Academy grounds.
"It's okay Eryndor to feel nervous for the first time, it's your first monster," Eryndor braced himself, taking a quick, shaky breath. He focused, channeling what little he knew of the Arcane Bolt spell, picturing the energy gathering at his fingertips. He felt the familiar hum of magic within him. But before he could even think about casting the spell, before the monster could take another destructive, earth-shaking step in his direction, a brilliant flash of vibrant red light erupted from the dense trees to his left.
"Ignis!" a clear, authoritative voice shouted, the word ringing out, sharp and commanding. A torrent of blazing, superheated fire materialized in mid-air, hurtling towards the Gloomfang Strider like a vengeful dragon's breath. The monster shrieked, a high-pitched, chitinous sound that scraped against Eryndor's ears, and recoiled violently from the sudden inferno. Its thick carapace steamed and smoked, visibly weakened but far from defeated, its movements becoming sluggish as it stumbled back.
Eryndor, caught completely off guard by the sudden intervention, stumbled backward over an exposed root and landed hard on the leaf-strewn forest floor, the impact driving the wind from his lungs. He lay there, slightly winded, utterly surprised, and definitely annoyed that his chance to prove himself had been snatched away.
Through the dissipating flames and smoke, a group of four figures emerged, their movements fluid and confident. They were clad in the distinctive, blue wizard robes of advanced Arcanum Academy students, the emblem of the Arcanum Guild – a swirling vortex of energy – embroidered prominently on their chests. At the forefront was a young man with striking, almost unnaturally blonde hair, his hand still outstretched, the air around him shimmering with residual heat from his powerful spell. He looked every bit the confident, self-assured, and powerful mage, radiating an aura of casual superiority.
His eyes, sharp and dismissive, scanned the scene, taking in the groaning, smoldering trees and the now weakened, snarling monster, before landing with an almost disdainful thump on Eryndor, sprawled on the ground. His brow furrowed in annoyance, quickly shifting to condescending surprise.
"What the hell are you doing here man you would have been killed?" the blonde-haired guy demanded, his tone dripping with superiority. "This is a level three threat at least! You would have been killed! You're just..." He didn't see any mana aura coming from him, "ordinary." His gaze then dropped to Eryndor's shoulder, his eyes widening in a mixture of disbelief and a hint of disgust. "And what in the Abyss is that... that slime on your shoulder?"
Eryndor's blood ran cold. A wave of icy dread washed over him, a colder shock than his fall. He hadn't even consciously thought about the slime in his moment of surprise. He'd gotten so used to its constant, silent presence on his shoulder, assuming it was a unique aspect of his system, visible only to him. But the Arcanum student could see it? "Fuck!" Eryndor thought frantically, a single, expletive-laden realization shattering his composure. This complicated things immensely. 'he can see it, how powerful is this guy, I thought I was the only one who could see it and now he didn't even give me the chance to take that fuckin monster by mys
elf," Eryndor thought in annoyance.