Scroll 64: Testing Grounds
The party's wagon pulled to a stop on the dirt road, kicking up a cloud of dust that instantly caught everyone's attention.
Remis stared blankly at the scene. Berona did the same.
"Al... what did you do?" Remis asked, letting out a long, heavy sigh.
The elf burst into laughter. "Does no one care about me? Someone should ask if I'm okay, if I'm hurt... But no."
Deinderatrix’s measured voice drifted toward him as the mage hopped down from the carriage. Holding her grand staff, she wore a deep crimson dress that exuded pure sensuality.
She showed less skin than Alaster remembered, looking far more demure than usual. Yet the high slit up her leg, her snakeskin boots, and the rich color made it clear she was still very much herself. It was modest, with a discreet neckline, but the snug fit left little to the imagination. Showing less had somehow made her even more alluring.
"Handsome Al, did someone attack you?" Detrix knitted her delicate brows into a furious scowl. "Who was the fool? I'll reduce them to ashes for touching my boy."
Alaster smiled, feeling a strange warmth bloom in his chest. A little odd, but genuine.
Norde approached with heavy, deliberate steps. "Harm the elf? Lord Alaster is anything but helpless."
Norde gestured toward the ground surrounding the poor shack: shattered ice everywhere, water mixed with traces of blood being covered up with dirt by his men and Elise's brother.
The archer girl rushed over, her eyes shining with admiration. "Dex! If you had seen him!" Elise pulled on Deinderatrix’s arm, nearly throwing the mage off balance with her excitement. "Al showed up and went whoosh! He sent them all flying with that broken pillar over there! And then, bam! A shield popped up, and those guys' skills couldn't even scratch it!"
The girl made wide arcs with her arms as if swinging an invisible broadsword.
Deinderatrix raised a single eyebrow as Elise rattled on. "He slammed them all to the ground! And when they grabbed me and my brother, Al distracted those idiots while Syrus went thwack! right on their heads, and then..."
The enthusiastic archer froze right at the mention of the "exchange"—quotation marks intended, given it was blatant extortion—catching sight of Alaster subtly placing a finger over his lips.
Detrix turned toward him. Alaster rested his hand against his chin.
"Actually, I ran out of mana in the ring," he lied with a serious tone. "I would have had to fight with a sword if those two warriors had lunged at me."
«Let’s see,» he calculated in his head. «150 MP for the Mana Shield, 200 MP for the two ice pillars—technically two combined from the alternate use of Wave Spikes—plus all those Ice Spears, and another 150 MP to repair the shield... Getting close to Nomec was just an excuse to siphon mana into the ring while keeping his bodyguards busy. Good thing Syrus acted, or I would’ve been in trouble.»
«Now that I have more spells, it’s clear this ring falls short. Sure, I can cast basic spells without it, so it’s not a huge deal. But I had to pump extra energy into those basics: instead of spending 20 MP on an Ice Spear, I had to dump 40 MP just to pierce those high-level guys.»
Alaster mulled over his stats while looking at the captives. Now fully healed, they were flanked by Norde’s men.
Norde and his crew were the first to take their leave, snapping the elf out of his thoughts. "I need to discuss another matter with you later, Lord Al..."
The elf smiled. "Sure. You know where to find me."
Norde departed with his men, though it didn't look like he was arresting the captives.
Suddenly, Alaster felt a warm pair of arms wrap around him. Elise, now clad in her leather armor, hugged him tightly from behind his arms. Startled by the sudden contact, he softened and wrapped his arms around the slender, sweet girl.
More pressure pressed against him as Deinderatrix joined in.
"Oh, handsome Al, you need to be more careful..." The mage cast a disapproving glance at the archer before continuing. "What would have happened if you ran out of mana mid-combat?"
Alaster was officially an elf sandwich between a blonde and a brunette.
To top it off, Pina stepped up from a respectful distance. Blushing furiously and staring at her boots, she stammered, "Th-thank you for the money... I'll pay you back when..."
Alaster cut her off. "Don't pay back a copper. It's yours. Now, ladies, aren't you supposed to leave before it gets late?"
Reluctantly, they untangled themselves from him. The elf patted himself down: his coin purse, his sword, everything was in place—except for a few shirt buttons where one of the girls had lingered a bit too long.
«Why do I get the feeling they turn friendly contact into an excuse to feel me up?» he wondered, though he dismissed the thought as improbable.
They all boarded the carriage, including Pina, who took a seat as far away from Alaster as possible.
Detrix sat right beside him, acting every bit like a devoted girlfriend. She angled herself toward him on the bench and immediately began running her fingers through his hair.
"You have a few strands out of place..."
He could see her smile, her dark eyes focusing intently on his hairline. Her gaze drifted down to his eyes, lingered on his lips for a fraction of a second, and then she grabbed the collar of his coat.
She pulled him closer and closed her eyes.
Alaster stared at her soft pink-tinted lips and the lighter makeup she was wearing today. He kissed her—a soft, brief kiss, given they were in public.
Detrix wasn't satisfied with brief. She refused to let go. When he opened his eyes, her gaze was bright, burning with unspoken meaning.
The elf swallowed hard, feeling her hands still clutching his collar. Deinderatrix let out a soft sigh and released him, though her eyes never left his.
The wagon bounced violently, jarring everyone’s spine. It was nothing new—carriages were a far cry from modern cars. Every single bump in the road transmitted its full force straight into their rear ends. Zero suspension.
«Damn, riding in a carriage is terrible for the back,» the elf grumbled internally. «Adding carriage rides to my list of least favorite things about this world...»
Alaster glanced to his side. Detrix's eyes remained fixed on him, a small smile playing on her lips every time he looked back.
Sitting in the very back of the wagon gave him a clear view of everyone to his right. Pina was casting discreet glances his way.
"Pina..." Alaster called out. "Why did you sit all the way back there? Are you going to Sibar too?"
She flinched for no reason. "N-no, I just... I was the first one to get on," she said with her usual bashfulness.
"Ah, I see. Are you heading to the house? Going to keep me company while I study magic? Because I don't think an elf mage obsessed with spells makes for great entertainment."
He smiled, his mind already drifting: «I need spatial magic. Though I can't exactly practice Disruption inside the village. I'll have to save that for the road to the outpost.»
Pina looked up at him, a soft smile gracing her face as her voice wavered. "I-I also have to study healing."
Alaster blinked twice. "You're a mage too?"
She glanced at him for a second before averting her eyes. "N-no, I'm a paladin."
Alaster mentally reviewed what he knew about classes: Paladin—the basic hybrid class for healing and combat. A class that heals wounds and swings a mace.
"I left my books behind," the girl added softly.
"Fair enough," Alaster replied. "But if you want to stay, I might be away for a while..."
The girl flushed beet red for no apparent reason. "I-I understand."
«Shit,» Alaster thought. «She's supposed to say, 'No, I have things to do at home.' Why isn't she telling me I'm boring and leaving to... I don't know, buy milk tea and break hearts with that innocent face? I need to level up my neglected magic.»
They arrived at the house shortly after.
Alaster hopped down with agile grace. Elise climbed down right behind him and sprinted inside to gather her things. Pina stepped off as well, following her inside.
"Handsome Al... I miss you already..."
Alaster looked up at the mage, who was watching him from inside the carriage.
"Distance makes the heart grow fonder," Alaster said with a grin.
She offered a smirk in return.
Syrus chimed in from the front, "And will anyone miss me?"
Alaster almost said, "Who’s going to miss a snitch like you?" But seeing Deinderatrix looking down at him with a slightly sad expression, he caught himself.
«Better not bring up complicated topics in front of Detrix.»
"Miss you? Please, man. You better have enough food for the barbecue when I get back to Sibar."
Elise emerged from the house with a bright smile, carrying her bag. She trotted down the porch steps toward him.
"Al, thank you so much for helping me, truly. If you hadn't shown up, my family would be out on the street." The archer stopped right in front of him. "I don't know how to repay you..."
Alaster caught Deinderatrix's raised eyebrow—she clearly didn't have all the details. Then he looked at the blonde archer's pretty face, framed by her tight leather armor.
"We're best friends. I know you would’ve done the same for me."
Alaster flashed her a radiant smile. Elise returned it warmly. "We're like siblings, Al. If the roles were reversed, I would’ve put an arrow through every single one of their necks."
Alaster swallowed hard, noting the absolute stone-cold seriousness in her eyes. She wasn't exaggerating.
«This girl is packing a whole lot of rage.»
Elise moved past him, leaning on his shoulder as she climbed into the wagon.
After a minute of farewells, Alaster raised a hand to shoulder height, waving goodbye as the wagon rolled away. He caught the mage's final words echoing from afar:
"Don't activate the Mastery, handsome!"
He let out a dry chuckle. «What an insistent woman.»
Turning around, Alaster spotted Pina standing there, clutching a grimoire tightly against her chest. The title read: Intermediate Healing Arts.
"Are you going to study then?" he asked.
The young girl nodded, her eyes wandering toward the grass. "May I stay and study here?"
«Fine by me. I’ll have to leave the village anyway if I want to test my spells...»
"Sure, stay as long as you like. Actually..." Alaster paused. "I wanted to ask if you'd be interested in a job."
Pina looked up, startled. "W-what kind of job?" she asked, her voice laced with anxiety.
Alaster motioned for her to follow him inside.
A few minutes later, he was pouring tea into two cups, stirring a small metal spoon with sugar. They settled onto the couches—Alaster on one side, Pina on the other, separated by a rustic wooden coffee table.
Taking a sip, Alaster spoke. "The job is simple: I need someone to watch the house while I'm away."
«Norde mentioned her to me,» he recalled. «She's an orphan. Her father died a year ago when the goblins attacked, and her mother passed away from illness when she was just a little girl... She's only about seventeen. She’s suffered way too much for her age. She only survives because of her healing skills—no wonder the villagers are so protective of her.»
Pina’s face brightened as she tasted the mint tea. She closed her eyes, savoring the sweetness of the three spoonfuls of sugar she had poured in.
"It warms up the body..." she whispered happily. Opening her eyes, she asked, "So... you want me to guard the house while you go adventuring?"
Alaster nodded. "Exactly. I'll leave plenty of food and pay you two silver coins a week. You can live here, and whenever I get back, I'll pay whatever I owe you. What do you say?"
Pina choked on her tea mid-sip.
"Ehh?! Two silvers?!"
«Is that a normal Sibar salary just for living in his house?!» Thoughts exploded inside her head. «Um, Your Excellency Alaster, that's way too much for a job like this!»
Before she could speak it aloud, Alaster added, "It's standard pay in Sibar. I don't want to shortchange you, Pina. Besides, I might be gone for long stretches."
Pina set her teacup down and glanced at her magic book. «If I want to buy more medical books beyond the ones Mom left me, I need money... And I'll get to be near Lord Al...»
Out of the corner of her eye, she peeked at the elf quietly sipping his tea. She swallowed hard. Her mind instantly conjured images of the two of them alone together, and her face flushed bright red.
Alaster flinched as the girl suddenly slapped both of her own cheeks with her palms. Determination burned in her eyes.
"Alright, Your Excellency! I'll guard your house! I accept!"
Alaster smiled at her heavily blushing face, which contrasted hilariously with her sudden burst of resolve. He extended his hand.
"Great," he said. "First rule: just call me Al or Alaster. Drop 'Your Excellency' and all that formal stuff."
She took his hand timidly. "Y-yes, sir..." She froze, correcting herself in a sweet, tiny voice. "I mean... yes, Alaster."
An hour later, Alaster stood outside the village, staring at the distant stone walls. The next three days would be dedicated to mastering the rest of his spells.
He walked deeper into the forest. Before long, he spotted a small group of goblins thirty meters ahead. Only five of them.
«Dropping a 400 MP Fireball on five weaklings is a complete waste,» he thought. «I guess if I were a normal mage, wandering out here alone would be dangerous.»
He channeled mana into his ring: 450 MP.
Focusing on the goblins, Alaster vanished. His vision blurred as he moved through the trees at blistering speed, rematerializing right on a high branch just eighteen meters from the monsters.
He crouched on the branch. The goblins hadn't the faintest clue they were being hunted on this quiet morning.
From nine meters up, the elf observed them, holding back his attack.
«Time to commit to a Mastery path: Power, Speed, or Area & Balance. The choice is obvious—I already have heavy-hitting spells for power. What I need are swift strikes that let me hit and run... Flurry is the logical choice.»
Concentrating, he brought up his mental interface to select the path: Flurry.
He focused on the mastery of rapid, precise slashes. But right before confirming, he paused. «Combine this with Blink, and I could become a true phantom—appearing, shredding the target, and vanishing before they can react...»
He sighed at his own hesitation, set his jaw, and selected Flurry.
A new window materialized in his mind, displaying five skills. The first was unlocked, and a wave of replenished energy washed over him as his level updated.
Level 17.
«Technically, I should be level 18 by now, but the rumors are true—Mastery eats up half your EXP.»
The first skill in the Flurry tree was unlocked and automatically set to level 3/10: Cleaving Slash. The second skill was at level 1/10: Multi-Cut. The rest were still hidden.
«Time for a test run. Five of these things aren't a threat at all.»
The goblins ambled beneath a nearby tree. The elf locked his eyes on their rear guard and vanished.
He reappeared directly behind them.
The green creatures shrieked in alarm as they turned. One of them grinned hideously, waving a rusty copper sword as it charged.
Alaster remained dead calm. As the first goblin lunged, weapon raised, he triggered the skill.
His mind instinctively knew what to do.
He executed a cross-slash at terrifying speed, stepping forward too fast for the creature to react. He glided right past the goblin.
The monster didn't even realize it was dead. It simply fell apart, cleanly severed from shoulder to hip.
That was Alaster's first experience with Cleaving Slash: lightning-fast and utterly lethal. However, he felt a sharp wave of fatigue hit him, his chest heaving slightly.
The remaining goblins closed in. Alaster activated his second skill.
"Hihihi!" one goblin cackled, lunging forward. The one behind it caught sight of its bisected comrade and skidded to a halt, but the rest surged past.
Alaster sprinted toward them, triggering Multi-Cut.
Accelerating in an instant, he wove through their ranks. His blade glowed with a vibrant blue hue, leaving arcs of light in its wake—three blinding slashes followed by a rain of green blood.
The goblins weren't instantly dead, but they writhed on the dirt, screaming and clutching deep, fatal wounds. Within seconds, they went silent.
The last goblin was already sprinting in the opposite direction.
Alaster grinned. «This is awesome! Beyond awesome. Magic is great, but wielding a sword like this has its own charm.»
He stood there, his heart pounding from stamina drain—and pure adrenaline.
The surviving goblin ran like a soul fleeing the devil.
«Man, these things run fast when they're scared... But I'll stick to the plan: tail it and see where its nest is.»
Maintaining a safe distance, the elf trailed the creature, using Blink whenever necessary.
An hour later, they reached a massive, grass-covered hill. The goblin rounded the slope and met up with a group of eight others stationed near a cave entrance.
The breathless scout began screeching at its comrades.
"Danger! Strong! Kill everyone!" the monster rasped out.
The others sneered. "Hihihi, weakling! You ran! If he comes, we kill!"
«A nest...» Alaster murmured from behind a thick patch of bushes. «Guess I'll do some public service.»
His thought was shattered by a sharp scream—a woman's voice.
He shifted behind the foliage, scanning the area, but saw nothing initially. Then he heard the goblins squawking near the cave mouth.
"Look! New females!"
A few seconds later, several goblins dragged out three women and a young girl. Caked in dirt, the captives had clearly been dragged across the rough terrain for miles.
"Help! Someone, please!" two of the women sobbed.
The goblins found it hilarious.
One of the screaming women wore a long peasant dress, ripped so badly she was half-exposed. Another wore metallic armor and had dark hair. The third was a blonde woman who appeared unconscious, carried over a monster's shoulder like a sack of grain.
The little girl had reddish curls and simple clothes. Her hands and feet were bound, her eyes filled with tears, but she was too terrified to utter a sound.
«Damn it. These bastards are still at it.» Alaster sighed. «They probably ambushed a merchant caravan and brought these girls back as loot. Why does everything have to get complicated?»
The goblins dumped the captives near the cave mouth.
The dark-haired warrior, her armor covered in leaves and dirt, tried to scramble up to fight back. Instantly, a rusty blade pressed against her throat, freezing her in place.
The goblin holding the sword stared at her, licking its lips. "Hehehe, me try first," it grunted, letting its loincloth drop.
The woman felt the cold steel against her neck. Bound tightly, she couldn't resist. Two tears of sheer panic welled up in her brown eyes.
Another goblin strutted over, shoving the first. "Boss goes first! Boss punish you!"
The attacker scoffed. "Hehehe, boss no see, boss no punish, hehehe."
The second monster laughed, dropping its own loincloth and lunging toward the peasant woman.
The brown-haired peasant girl recoiled, scrambling backward through the dirt as the goblin pursued her, cackling. "Hihihi, don't run! You like it, hihihi!"
The other goblins gathered around, stripping off their garments with filthy laughter. "Me next! Me next!"
The dark-haired warrior watched in horror as the monster began tearing at the peasant girl's dress. «No... no, no, no...»
Before she could process it, the goblin holding her hostage yanked her up by her bound wrists, dropping her to her knees and thrusting its grotesque green member toward her face. "Hehehe, you like?"
She thrashed, earning a violent shake. The monster raised its sword, threatening to kill her.
She flinched, shrinking back. «No! Gods, Lumine, help me! Please, no...» she prayed frantically to the goddess of mercy.
Suddenly, a blood-curdling shriek echoed nearby. The unconscious woman had woken up.
"W-what? Where is my...? My daughter! Oh gods, what are you doing to her?! She's only eight years old! NOOOOO!"
Out of the corner of her eye, the warrior followed the peasant's gaze. Five meters away sat the little girl with green eyes and reddish curls. A goblin was grabbing her legs, laughing. The child stared blankly, completely shell-shocked.
"Hahaha! Young! Delicious!" the monster cackled, yanking at the child's undergarments.
Suddenly, the monster's hand let go—because the rest of its body went flying.
The warrior watched in absolute slow motion as a gleaming white sword shot through the air, impaling the goblin targeting the child straight through the head and pinning it to a tree behind it.
Simultaneously, the goblin towering over the warrior collapsed dead on top of her.
Gagging in disgust as the filthy corpse hit her armor, she scrambled out from under it—only to realize the creature’s head had been completely severed.
She looked up.
A tall man dressed in black was carving through five naked goblins with blinding speed. As more rushed him, a translucent, shimmering barrier materialized around him, deflecting their rusty blades effortlessly. He hurled several glowing white projectiles, wiping out the rest.
The warrior sat frozen in the dirt, watching the slaughter unfold.
From Alaster's perspective, the female warrior was simply staring at him in shock.
Spotting several goblins trying to flee into the cave, he manifested two Ice Spears. They shot through the air, leaving trails of frost, and impaled the fleeing monsters straight through the spine.
«Swords aren't great for fleeing targets.»
"Gods! Oh gods! Thank you!" the peasant woman cried out, trying to stand while holding her torn dress together.
Alaster ignored her. Fourteen dead goblins lay scattered around the clearing. Near the entrance, the mother was frantically hugging her trembling daughter. "Yila! My Yila!"
The peasant woman stumbled toward the elf. Alaster glanced at her, quickly looking away as he noticed her exposed chest.
"An elf! Thank you, my lord! Thank you!"
Alaster sliced through the ropes binding her wrists. Drawing a small, razor-sharp dagger from his belt, he handed it to her.
"Free the others," he ordered calmly. "I need to watch the cave."
The woman stared at the dagger in her hands, her eyes wide as saucers, before turning toward the female warrior.
Alaster turned his attention to the cavern entrance. «Shit, I hope a horde of these things doesn't start pouring out.»
"Quick! Free them! We have to leave!" the peasant woman stammered, rushing over to the warrior.
With trembling hands, she sawed at the ropes around the warrior's wrists. The dark-haired woman frowned at her clumsy movements. The moment her hands came free, she snatched the dagger. "Give me that!"
She lunged toward the mother, slicing her bonds in one fluid motion, then freed the little girl.
Alaster watched from the corner of his eye as the survivors grouped behind him. Extending his hand toward the dark tunnel, he cast a spell.
[Ice Wall: -40 MP]
A massive wave of frost expanded across the cave mouth. The temperature plummeted instantly. The half-naked peasant woman shivered, covering herself as best she could while everyone watched a thick wall of solid ice seal the entrance completely.
"He's a mage..." the warrior muttered.
"Lumine saved us..." the peasant woman whispered.
Alaster turned around. "I'm Alaster."
«Sorry lady, but I'm not giving the gods credit for my work.»
"Are there more of those monsters inside?" he asked.
The mother, cradling her weeping child, answered, "There are many more. There were at least thirty when they ambushed our merchant caravan."
Alaster studied her: young, around twenty-five, with light brown hair and striking green eyes.
The warrior spoke up. "Do you have another sword? I lost mine."
Alaster shook his head. "Only this one."
«I thought she’d say something like: 'Oh, forgive me, I haven't introduced myself! I'm Histar, a Level 15 Warrior!' But hey, she's really pretty—pale skin, flawless figure under that metal armor.»
"I only have daggers, Histar," he said aloud. «And I'm definitely not giving you my only sword.» "Was your group wiped out?"
Histar shook her head. "No, that's impossible. We had over twenty-two wagons and thirty guards. They dragged us away during the initial chaos. The rest of those monsters are probably fleeing this way right now."
Alaster caught the sound of rushing footsteps in the distance. "Sounds like they're coming. Let's move."
They set off toward the southwest, heading back the way Alaster had come.
It was midday. Sunbeams filtered through the lush canopy, casting an idyllic light over the forest trail.
"Mommy, I'm hungry..." a small voice whimpered from behind.
"Hold on, my sweet girl. We'll reach..."
"Toel," Alaster finished, turning around and reaching into his coat.
The women flinched nervously until they saw his calm expression. Smiling reassuringly, Alaster pulled out a leather pouch larger than his fist and handed it to the mother.
Surprised, the woman took it, looking up into his eyes. She opened it to find a stack of fresh biscuits.
Her gaze shifted from the food back to the elf's face, suddenly taking in features she hadn't noticed before: «He's... insanely handsome.»
"Th-thank you, Lord Alaster."
He nodded. "It's still a long walk to Toel. Over forty minutes."
Alaster stepped closer, using a clean handkerchief to wipe the dirt from the little girl's cheek. The girl startled for a second, but settled as she looked into his gentle eyes. She was pale and skinny, with long reddish curls—a cute child, though clearly malnourished.
"Let's rest for a few minutes," the elf suggested.
Histar immediately protested. "No! If we rest, they'll catch up to us!"
Alaster chuckled softly. "If they catch up, it'll be their funeral."
Histar raised an eyebrow but kept quiet, mentally deciding the mage was a bit full of himself—though she was undeniably grateful he had arrived in time.
Before she could argue further, Alaster raised a hand to silence her. He unbuttoned his heavy coat and held it out to the half-naked peasant woman.
She took it gratefully, wrapping it around her shoulders and pulling it shut. It swallowed her frame completely, but it was far better than being exposed.
They sat on a fallen log. Alaster watched the little girl devour the biscuits eagerly. Beside him, the woman wearing his coat gently took his arm.
"Lord Alaster... thank you for saving my life," she said, her voice trembling.
Alaster placed a warm hand over her frail fingers. "It's over now. We'll be in Toel soon."
A short while later, Alaster stood up, leading the group back onto the path. Nearly an hour later, the wooden gates of Toel finally appeared on the horizon.