Chapter 58: Suffering From Success (III)
Dawn's eyes fluttered open as she noticed someone tripping over the cantrip spells she had laid around her temporary lair. A moment later, a terrible kinetic force surged from the wall, setting upon whoever had triggered the spell. A painful cry rang out as shards of stone flew in all directions.
Jumping to her feet, Dawn bolted out of the crevice. Despite the tremor running through her mana apertures, she drew out as much mana as she was capable of, preparing to attack, only to find a figure, a shade smaller than her, lying there and groaning in pain.
"What the fuck?" the boy said through clenched teeth. "Why are you attacking me without any grievance between us?"
She narrowed her eyes, scanning him while still not releasing her hold on the mana, the staff practically urging her to release the spell. After what she had experienced, she would be a fool to let her guard down just because the boy before her seemed harmless.
Wait, isn't it the fellow she saw on the very first day she came into the bog? The boy who was training his movement skill, pitting himself against that giant frog?
Still, she didn't lower her guard. "I haven't cast anything," she said. "It is you who tripped over my ward, disturbing my rest."
The boy snorted, which gave rise to a fit of coughing as blood spilled from his lips. Without warning, he thrust one hand into his belongings.
Her mana flared at the sudden movement. A gust of wind rose, with stone splinters flying out in response. The boy's face turned ghastly pale, incapable of even protecting himself from the pressure.
Well, Dawn hadn't held back much.