Chapter 23: FANGS OF THE NORTHWIND!1.1

He pushed his mana reserves, channelling the wind with a desperate intensity he'd never known before. A powerful gust erupted, sending the bandit flying like a ragdoll.Landing gracefully in front of Mary and Ana, Aether took a protective stance, his eyes blazing with fury. "Mom, I'm here," he declared, his voice tight with barely controlled anger. He stood as a shield between his loved ones and the approaching bandits.

Mary's face contorted in agony with every passing second. The defensive barrier she'd erected to protect them ripped at her mana vessels, inflicting excruciating pain. Yet, she endured, her gaze unwavering, when a blessed sound pierced the chaos – Aether's voice. At the sound of her son, a wave of relief washed over Mary, momentarily pushing back the searing pain. Relief quickly morphed into worry as Ana, realizing the severity of Mary's condition, gently lowered her to the ground.

Hope, fragile but determined, flickered in Ana's eyes as she looked towards Aether. He stood tall, a fierce protector facing down the approaching bandits. The distance between them closed with agonizing slowness, each bandit's step echoing a grim countdown.Aether stood frozen, his mind a whirlwind of frantic calculations. Fighting these bandits head-on was suicide. His training had focused solely on strengthening his mana vessels, leaving him woefully unprepared for hand-to-hand combat. That lucky disarm against the large man earlier wouldn't work again.Desperate, he called out to Lumi, "Activate Authority! Just like with Nightscale, get us out of here!"A cold wave of dread washed over him as Lumi's response echoed in his mind. "[Authority function inaccessible. Insufficient level. Host's class is below the required parameter]."'Nothing?' Aether's heart hammered against his ribs. With each menacing step, the bandits took, a chilling premonition of death and worse gnawed at him. Images of Mary and Ana flashed before his eyes, a kaleidoscope of memories leaving him raw with despair.Just as despair threatened to consume him, a flicker of hope sparked within. "Bio-mana integration: Risk Assessment - High. Alternative solution processing...complete," Lumi announced.Aether's eyes widened as he heard Lumi working furiously. Below the roar of the fire and the approaching bandits, a new determination hardened his gaze."Now you've donitt!" The hulking brute, having recovered from Aether's wind blast, charged with vengeance. His veins bulged, threatening to burst, as he gripped his axe, his movements cautious this time. He may not know Aether's class, but one thing was clear – the boy wielded magic.Aether's mind raced. Escape seemed impossible. "[Analysis of current situation indicates escape feasibility via waypoint system at 78.2%]," Lumi announced, a glimmer of hope in her synthetic voice.But a critical detail sent a jolt of despair through him. "[ Waypoint activation: Sunstone Key required. Completion time: 60 seconds.]." One whole minute? It was an eternity in this life-or-death situation. The bandits, still wary but growing impatient, could attack any second.Even now, Aether was grateful for their hesitation. His earlier display of magic had instilled a sliver of caution.The tension shattered as the hulking brute roared, "Enough of this!" He hefted his axe, aiming to hurl it at them in a deadly arc.Aether, spotting the movement, knew he had to act. He visualized the Sun Stone key, following Lumi's instructions, and activated the waypoint. Panic gnawed at him. 'I need a distraction,' he thought frantically, time ticking away like a bomb's fuse.Sensing his son's struggle, Mary, despite the agonizing pain, recognized his plan – he needed time. With a herculean effort, she mustered the remnants of her strength and cast a new shield. "Mama!" Aether cried out, his voice laced with horror as she coughed up blood."I don't have long," Mary rasped, her voice weak but resolute.Fueled by his mother's sacrifice, Aether clenched his fists. As he parted his hands, crackling strings of mana erupted, forming a visible mana circle. The hulking bandit, sensing the shift in energy, roared, "Don't let him finish that spell!" His comrades, spurred on by his urgency, joined the charge.Aether stood resolute, channeling every ounce of his power into the spell. Would it be enough to buy them time, or would it all be in vain? The air crackled with anticipation as the bandits closed in, and the circle pulsed with desperate energy.****"hmmm!"A tremor ran through the chaotic scene, a ripple in the very fabric of magic. Cedric, commander of the Fangs of the Northwind, felt it first. With a dismissive flick of his wrist, he reined in his warhorse, its powerful descent echoing like a thunderclap. The ground trembled under its weight, drawing the startled attention of a nearby scout."Captain? Is something amiss?" the scout inquired, surprised to see the usually stoic leader dismount.Cedric, ever shrouded in an aura of mystery, remained silent. The scout's concerns were beneath his notice. His face, obscured by a dark silver helm, remained impassive.The scout, sensing his dismissal, nervously stepped aside. Cedric strode forward, an unseen force drawing him towards the source of the magical disturbance. After a few paces, he halted, his emerald eyes flashing with recognition.An incantation, whispered beneath his breath, triggered a sudden surge of energy. A swirling green mist materialized around him, tendrils of power clinging to his dark armor, rendering it even more imposing. With a crouch, barely noticeable to the untrained eye, he unleashed his power."Third Form, Sword God Style – Epic Skill: Sky Bane of All Evil!"The air crackled with raw power as Cedric launched himself skyward, leaving behind a crackling echo and awestruck men. His ascent was so swift, so impossible, that the scout and his companions could only gape upwards, their mouths agape in speechless wonder. Here was their commander, a master, wielding arcane arts with unparalleled might.