12 The First Challenge
In the eerie atmosphere of the peach-covered landscape, a deep mist shrouded everything, obscuring the ocean and casting an unsettling veil over the surroundings.
On one side, barely visible through the thick mist, ominous signs marked the entrance to a mysterious, dense forest. Above, the misty sky held three colossal moons emitting an otherworldly glow in varying shades, creating an unsettling ambiance.
Suddenly, a dimensional fracture tore through the sky, unleashing four figures in dark armors with enormous black wings. Fray, Casper, Elisa, and Adam landed in the mist-covered ground, their expressions concealed beneath their armor.
"Are we now in the Old continent? I can't see anything," Casper inquired, his uncertainty echoing in the obscure surroundings.
"Wow, I feel like I'm forty years younger. I can't feel the pain anymore. You were right, kid," Adam remarked, a deceptive smile hidden behind his armor.
Elisa, however, felt a sense of loss and powerlessness, realizing . (Yes, he was right. I can feel that I lost my power. He was right about even the details, so there's no doubt that what he said was right,) she thought, attempting to gauge her dwindling energy.
"Stay alert. We are not alone here," Fray warned, his voice resonating in the creepy stillness.
[Welcome to the inaugural trial of the Old Continent. Your objective: navigate through the Misty Forest and reach the opposite side. Your score will be determined by the quantity of monsters vanquished and the time taken to accomplish the mission.]
"Casper, use the spiritual sense," Fray ordered, his gaze fixed on the edge of the misty forest.
"Alright," Casper replied, closing his eyes. Like a sonar in his mind, he sensed shining white points around him. As he expanded his spiritual sense, hundreds of red points suddenly appeared in front of him. "There are hundreds of monsters ahead. They're not moving; it seems they are waiting for us."
Elisa, intrigued by the newfound skill, inquired, (So, this is the skill Fray talked about. It seems useful. It's really strange; I never knew about a servant this powerful in the family.)
"They can't leave the forest. As soon as we enter, we will face them," Fray announced.
"Alright, so let's come up with a plan before entering," Adam suggested.
"Alright, in this mission, we have two goals. First, become stronger. A day here equals an hour outside. With more than a week here, we'll use it to gather experience points and raise our level. The second goal is to obtain the highest score possible," Fray declared. "Now, you should know, although the monsters inside are the weakest in the entire Old Continent, they are still very dangerous for us as we've lost our power. So, we have to work as a team and stay always alert."
As Fray spoke, the group listened intently, fully understanding the weight and importance of every word from him.
After several minutes of discussing the plan, the group cautiously approached the edge of the forest.
"Shield," Fray mumbled, and the smoky armor, as if coming to life, moved and twitched. It formed a huge body-length shield adorned with golden patterns, attached with Fray's arm.
"Long sword," Elisa followed suit, summoning lengthy dark blade with intricate blue patterns.
Adam, too, summoned a tall spear, finalizing the formation of the group. Fray took the role of the defender at the front, with Elisa positioned just behind him as an attacker. Casper stood in the middle, his eyes closed, focusing on discovering invisible enemies within the mist. Adam, a mage with limited close combat experience, guarded the rear.
As the group entered the misty forest, Casper suddenly screamed, "There are two coming from the front!" The tension escalated as they faced the lurking dangers concealed within the enigmatic mist.
As Fray raised his armor, a swarm of ghostly, white insect-like monsters materialized from the mist, emitting eerie, high-pitched noises.
Their translucent bodies twisted and contorted as they attacked with a relentless ferocity. Fray swiftly intercepted their assault, his shield absorbing the brunt of the onslaught. The monstrous creatures collided with the shield, producing a cacophony of dissonant sounds.
Elisa, positioned just behind Fray, seized the opportunity. With a swift and precise slice of her long sword, she cleaved through one of the spectral creatures.
"Kgh-Kgh.." The white creature left a Sharp voice before it dropped down dead
[ You have killed two white Crullers, your clan has gain 2 exp points]
[ The progress of the mission from E to A : E ( 8%) ]
Then after killing the two monsters two digital window appeared in front of the group faces. However, the respite was short-lived as Casper's urgent scream shattered the brief calm. "There are three more coming from the left!" he exclaimed.
After hours of relentless fighting, the group found themselves surrounded by the lifeless bodies of tens of monsters. Casper, with a sense of relief, informed the group, "There are no monsters left in this area."
Breathing heavily, the group let out sighs of exhaustion. Fray, however, murmured, "Cemetery army." Thousands of dark insects emerged around him, swarming towards the fallen monster bodies. They began a mysterious process of extracting energy, with their bodies pulsating as they absorbed the residual power.
"So, this is your Spirit!? How can you summon it without energy?" Adam asked, surprised by the unconventional summoning method.
"They can absorb energy from fallen bodies, using it they can answer my summon. However, they are affected by the laws of the continent, so they don't have any stored energy right now," Fray explained.
"Oh, I see," Adam mumbled, trying to grasp the unique mechanics at play.
On the other side, Elisa and Casper were puzzled, as they knew that Fray has a spirit that strengthen his body, but now his summoning of a Cemetery army, a spirit they hadn't seen before, raised questions about the secrets he kept.
(Did he always hide these many secrets?) Elisa thought, her face reflecting shock.
"Anyways, let's use this opportunity to raise our level," Fray suggested, gathering the group.
"Mission window," Fray commanded, and a digital window appeared before them.
[The progress of the mission from E to A: D (31%)
Exp points: 123 points]
"System distribute the exp points equally," Fray ordered among the calm members.
[The distribution in process]
As the distribution completed, each member of the group summoned their status window.
[Name: Fray Dalma
Age: 17
Level: 1 (exp points needed to upgrade is 100 exp)
Title: ????
Class: Spirit warrior
Stats: (exp points needed to upgrade is 10 exp)
- Strength: 2
- Speed: 2
- Energy: 0
- Defense: 2
Exp points: 30]
(My physical stats are double that of a normal human, but as expected, my energy is 0. Now, I should upgrade my stats; strength is the most important for me now,) Fray thought as he mumbled, "Raise strength by two levels and defense by one."
Similar to the energy requirement for summoning-type spirits like those of Elisa and Casper, fusion-type spirits also demand robust bodies to sustain the fusion. For Fray to summon Narod, his body must reach a certain level of strength.
On the other hand, Elisa, Casper, and Adam, whose fighting styles heavily rely on energy manipulation, need to prioritize increasing their energy levels.
.....
After a week had passed, the group found themselves surrounded by hundreds of eerie, white monsters.
As several of these creatures dashed towards the ground, a swarm of black bees materialized and descended upon them. Each bee exploded in a powerful burst of energy, annihilating the monsters in an instant.
Boom!! Boom !! Boom!!
[ You have killed fifteen monsters , you received 15 exp points]
Simultaneously, another group of monsters approached Fray. With his shield raised, he skillfully stopped almost ten of them at once. In a synchronized effort, Elisa wielded her dark sword, enveloped in energy, and sliced through the air. The ten monsters were obliterated simultaneously.
Casper, using his spiritual sense, announced, "There are no other monsters in this area."
[ You have killed ten monsters, you received ten exp points]
[ The mission score from E to A : A ( 100%)]
Fray, with a stoic expression, declared, "it's time to get the highest Score."
