Emerald, p.51
Emerald, page 51
His body had been flooded with magic, washing away his fatigue, and removing any lingering soreness. He knew it was just an illusion and wouldn’t replace an actual night’s rest. The Tier rank up acted more like a shot of adrenaline than anything else and would wear off in just a few minutes. That was why he was now setting off to hunt some constructs, to make sure he stayed awake and ready.
He breathed in deeply of the night air, looking up at the deep, emerald moon. Spring was officially here, and for the next four months, this beautiful moon would be the one hanging in the night sky.
Spring was the season that brought life back into the dead world, and what better moon to shine on the world than the one hanging in the sky above. Arbor grinned, stretching mightily as he prepared to set out. He’d dropped once again and was now in 6th place, though that didn’t matter to him.
Victoria was still leading, with 181 points. The fact that she wasn’t even further ahead highlighted the fact that she was too tired to keep going indefinitely. If he guessed correctly, the scores wouldn’t move much from where they were until the last hour, when people started getting desperate. There couldn’t be more than fifty people left out of the original hundred by now, and he had a feeling that more would be coming to challenge the leopard before the night was over.
Enjoying the cool night air for once, Arbor began moving around the dome, spreading out his search and walking further away with each rotation. He wanted to battle a few of the constructs but not stray too far from the dome, just in case someone decided to challenge the leopard just as it was his turn. Knowing his luck, that was what would happen.
He didn’t know what was up with Silver and all his conditions tied to the number three, but if it got him answers, he would do what needed to be done.
It didn’t take him long to come upon the first construct, the middle-sized one worth two points. Spinning his glaive, Arbor prepared to attack. There would be no magic use from now until the fight, so he would be relying purely on skill and his awesome weapons. Either way, it was going to be fun!
He darted in, causing the creature to become aggressive, and swung his glaive in a wide arc. The construct was surprisingly nimble and dodged to one side, then retaliated with its elongated claws. Arbor twisted his upper body, feeling his muscles straining to keep him upright at the awkward angle. Then, he thrust forward, burying the blade deep into the construct’s flank, right where the heart should be.
The construct exploded, and Arbor saw two points added to his overall score. That was good, just a few more encounters like this, and fourth place would be his once again. He knew he shouldn’t overextend himself, though, as the real battle was still ahead.
Arbor spent the next forty minutes hunting and attacking constructs, so by the time he started to head back, he held the third-place spot. Judging by the fact that no one’s score had budged in that time, Arbor had to assume they were asleep. Otherwise, they’d have begun desperately hunting to boost their rankings.
The surrounding landscape was utterly silent as he approached the dome, though his Mage sight told him that the beast within was awake and moving about. It could clearly smell him approaching, even through the thick metal. He didn’t need to look up at the clock as he approached the gate.
He’d checked on it only a minute ago and knew it was almost time. He couldn’t sense anyone around, so it seemed no one else would be going after the leopard right now, contrary to his earlier belief.
His heart began pounding as he reached for the handle and slowly tugged it open. A low tunnel lit from above by a glowing stone greeted him as it opened, and a heavy grate was visible on the other side. Entering the tunnel, Arbor pulled the door closed behind him. As soon as he did, an audible click sounded as the door locked itself.
Only one way out now, he thought, walking slowly to the opposite side of the tunnel.
Reaching the other side, Arbor closed his fingers around the bars and took one last deep breath. Then, he shoved the gate open and entered the dome.
The Azure-Leopard was already waiting for him, crouched on a slab of stone on the opposite side of the dome. The area within was roughly a hundred and fifty yards across and littered with small bits of stone and debris. Not a single tree remained, though the burned and blackened bits and pieces littering the area told Arbor what he should be expecting from this legendary monster.
It appeared exactly how it was shown in the projection earlier that night. However, what the projection had failed to capture was the aura of terror that washed outward in waves. The leopard’s coat gleamed, reflecting green in the moonlight. Arbor was a bit surprised the area was so well lit. But when he looked up, he saw that the dome hadn’t been completely closed off as he’d first thought.
Rather, it curved inward as it rose, but a section was left open to the sky above. He could see spots near there where the leopard’s claws had dug in, but it seemed the design was sound, and it couldn’t escape.
The beast rose off its perch, its muzzle pulled back to reveal its gleaming, silvery teeth. An aura of red and blue blazed forward, almost palpable, and its eyes shone with malevolence and hatred as it padded toward him on silent paws.
It was roughly the same size as the Roc-Jaguar, being nearly eighteen feet from nose to tail, and standing almost seven feet at the shoulder. If he hadn’t believed Silver that the jaguar had been a juvenile, he most certainly did now. Because while the large cats were similar in appearance, the leopard was a good deal smaller in both size and mass.
The fact that this beast was an adult also meant that its magic may very well be more developed, and its reflexes and power heightened. He’d been wondering why the Sunburst bear had been more difficult to take down than the jaguar, and now, he had his answer.
Arbor worked to calm his racing heart as the leopard let out a roar, then leaped toward him. Its speed was incredible, but Arbor had been prepared. Though it was fast, the way its muscles had bunched gave away its intent long before it actually moved. Magic coursed through his body as he enhanced himself as much as he dared, avoiding the attack, and rolling back over one shoulder before regaining his feet.
The beast was fast, belying its size and weight, and whirled midair, using the single paw that had touched the ground to complete the motion. Its mouth opened wide, and a cascade of blue fire burst forth, blasting the area where Arbor had been mere moments before.
Having fought two Mythic beasts by now, Arbor knew not to underestimate the power of their magic or physical prowess. So, when he’d avoided the initial pounce, he hadn’t stopped moving, and that was what saved him from ending up as one of the crispy bits littering the inside of the arena.
It also helped that he was way faster than any of the others had been, and he took full advantage of that speed. Lunging in, Arbor thrust his glaive at the leopard’s side. Then, his Perception Field flared in a warning and he threw himself to the side. A fountain of flames erupted from the ground, scorching the side of his armor but doing little actual damage.
The heat singed his eyebrows, and Arbor found himself stepping back to reevaluate the creature he was facing. It had paused, seeming surprised that someone had lasted this long. Normally, the ones who came in were all dead within seconds.
His eyes flicked upward, noting the time on the clock, 2:59. He’d come in a couple of minutes early to get an evaluation of the creature before his three-minute window. Silver had told him to only fight at three, but he hadn’t technically landed an attack yet, so in his mind, he was still good.
The leopard got over its surprise quickly, though, and lunged at him once more. Arbor pumped more magic to his legs and shot to the opposite end of the dome. He’d had another feeling of something bad happening, and it seemed that he’d once again been right. The leopard slammed into the ground and another explosion of blue fire shot into the sky.
He’d made it far enough away this time that it didn’t affect him, but judging by the way the ground was glowing red, that fire would have been hot enough to cook him in his armor. The leopard didn’t give him a second to breathe, and a ball of fire flashed across the dome, slamming into the opposite wall and bursting apart.
Arbor’s glaive flashed up, slicing the second fireball which had followed the first, only a little to the left.
The creature is clever, he noted, skidding to a halt and dashing the other way.
It had used the first fireball as a decoy, aiming another right behind it so he’d run right into its path. This beast definitely had a better understanding of his magic than the Roc-Jaguar had. It was on a whole other level.
Arbor dove into a roll, then sprang forward, aiming a swing at the beast’s head. The leopard shied away, swiping out with its claws in kind, and as their weapons collided, the clock struck three.
66
Origin magic flowed out of Arbor’s core, exploding outward in a shower of destructive energy, and blowing the beast back. The leopard yowled as blood sprayed from its paw where his magic had cut and tried to retreat, but Arbor didn’t allow it to recover.
He grinned as his body exploded with power, white light outlining his body and wisping off him in waves. His glaive whirled through the air, blasting away a huge chunk of stone as the leopard dodged to one side. Arbor spun in place, thrusting outward and allowing a lance of white power to blast outward.
The leopard screamed as the light pierced its shoulder, sending a spray of blood fountaining to the ground below. Arbor whooped, feeling more alive than he had in weeks and dashed after the beast to deliver the finishing blow. His Perception Field screamed at him, and Arbor dove forward as a blast of fire shot from the ground.
Though he made it through without taking any serious injury, Arbor could feel that his arms had been scorched. He berated himself for being careless. Just because he had access to his Origin magic now, didn’t mean he could forget that the beast he was facing was extremely dangerous.
It could control fire not only in its own body but form it in the environment as well. As far as power went, this Mythic beast had to be on the level of a mid-Tier Shatterer Mage. It was no wonder the others had died as quickly as they had. The king had ordered this beast placed here, knowing that none of the contestants stood even a ghost of a chance of defeating this monster. Had he not already had a deep dislike of the man, this would have done it for him.
Arbor leaped at the creature, swinging his glowing white glaive at its head, but the beast did something unexpected. Instead of moving to dodge, it went for another block. It knew what the white power could do, so it must have had some plan, and though Arbor wanted to pull back, he was committed to the attack.
His glaive collided with the leopard’s claws, and bright, bluish-white flames erupted from its claws. The heat was so intense that it disrupted his focus, and the magic flowing across his weapon sputtered out instead of exploding as he’d intended. The leopard roared as he landed, its other paw flashing forward.
Arbor tried to block with the shaft of his weapon, bracing himself to take the hit, but his aim was a bit off. The leopard’s claws screeched across his breastplate, leaving a line of scratches across the embossed jaguar head. The power behind the attack sent Arbor flying back, though when the area around the beast exploded with blue fire once again, he was glad to have taken the hit.
Stumbling to his feet, Arbor looked down at his breastplate. Nothing had been able to leave so much as a scratch on his armor until now. But, seeing as he was facing a Mythic beast of such power, he shouldn’t be surprised. He was annoyed that it had ruined the shining green metal, but at the same time, he was grateful to even have this armor.
Had he taken that attack with ordinary steel armor, he wouldn’t even be alive right now to be annoyed.
A beam of concentrated red and blue fire flashed from across the dome, and Arbor was off running once again. However, the leopard moved its head, blasting the ground and chasing him. Seeing that it was to no avail, Arbor gathered power in his glaive, then whirled, blasting Origin magic from the blade and blowing the beam to shreds.
The attack must have had a drawback, because, through the smoke, Arbor saw the beast stumble. His arms were growing leaden by this point, and his muscles twinged with discomfort. Sure, he could pull out more power at Tier 7, but he was still tired. The body needed time to recover after a big fight, and though he had rested, he hadn’t given it enough time.
His eyes flicked up to the clock just as it changed to 3:02. He had a minute left, so he was faced with a choice. He could either let his magic slow down and preserve himself, or he could push until he couldn’t push anymore.
Was that even a question?!
Arbor grinned as he upped the flow of magic to dangerous levels. Steam began pouring from his skin as his body vented excess heat, and his speed and perception increased immensely. He rocketed forward, closing the distance between himself and the leopard before it could fully recover.
His glaive flashed through the air, aiming to take the beast’s head from its shoulders. It turned, fire erupting from its fur and throwing the blow off course. The blade bit deep into its shoulder, slamming into the toughened bones. Then, Arbor channeled his Origin magic into the biggest explosion he could manage.
White light lit up the night sky, temporarily blinding him. A massive boom echoed through the dome, the force of which threw Arbor clear of the leopard once more. His fingers were torn from his glaive as he was thrown back, and he lost the weapon as he was sent tumbling end over end until he slammed into the opposite wall.
The breath was knocked from his lungs, and he blacked out for just a second, finding himself on the ground and coughing up crimson spittle when he came back to himself. His entire body ached, and by the grinding sensation in his back, Arbor was sure he’d broken a couple of ribs. Though the armor he wore offered protection against blades, it did little to stop concussive force.
The area around the leopard was on fire, gouts of blue and red flames shooting up into the sky. The beast was still alive, though he couldn’t get a clear view of it through all the smoke and flames. Grimacing, Arbor looked up at the clock, realizing that he was out of time. He and the leopard were both injured, but he was now stuck with a severe handicap.
In addition to his injuries, he’d be unable to call upon his Origin magic. Silver was no longer blocking them from seeing the fight, and if he wanted his true power to remain a secret, he would need to restrain himself. Of course, if he thought he might die, he would use his full might. But if it was between collecting a few more injuries and revealing himself, well, injuries could always be healed.
The smoke finally cleared away, and Arbor saw what his attack had wrought. Sure, he’d managed to injure himself in the process, but what had been done to the leopard was far worse. The entire front left shoulder had been completely blown off, leaving the beast with only three legs. Its entire flank was bloody and torn, and the left side of its face was charred and burned.
It seemed that even this beast could have attacks backfire, though it was a marvel that it was still alive. Arbor did a quick scan of the area and found his glaive protruding from the severed leg, lying several feet away from the enraged cat.
The leopard growled deep in its chest, the sound reverberating through the ground and reaching him nearly a hundred yards away. Its eyes blazed as the growl grew to a full-throated roar, but if Arbor expected it to stop there, he’d been very wrong. The roar intensified, building in volume until he was clutching his ears in pain.
Fire began to flow from the leopard’s mouth, roiling over its body and coating it completely in flames. The blue fire didn’t just cover it, but extended down from the shoulder, forming into a false leg. The area around it began to smolder, and Arbor reached for his cleaver. It seemed that the beast had finally had enough of him and was preparing for a final assault.
He didn’t have much left in him, but Arbor began flooding his body with what little magic he could muster. It wouldn’t be nearly enough to outclass this monster, but if he was smart, he might just be able to pull out a win. This time, instead of allowing the beast to charge, Arbor dashed forward.
The leopard reacted immediately, fireballs blasting from its open mouth in rapid succession. Arbor focused, pushing his Perception Field as far as it would go. His cleaver whirled into action, slicing through the oncoming fire and destroying the fireballs before they could explode.
Ordinary fire wasn’t tangible, so cutting that would be like cutting at the air. This fire was fueled by the Mythic cat’s magic, so there was a good deal of substance involved. Fire flashed, lighting up the night as founts of flames erupted from the ground. Arbor spun around one, blocking a fireball that the beast had aimed in his path, then ducked, sliding forward as a wave of flames raced over him.
The beast was standing still, which meant the new leg was likely for show. It was injured, and badly so. All he needed to do was reach it.
The leopard’s roars grew ever more furious as he closed the distance, ducking, spinning, and dodging through the field of fiery projectiles. He didn’t manage to block all of them, and Arbor sustained several painful burns along his arms and upper chest. Still, he fought on, forcing his way closer to the monster with every passing second.
The heat intensified the closer he came, and soon, he was sweating heavily, as it felt like he was being baked alive. The leopard roared when he was just twenty yards away, and suddenly, a massive blast of blue fire exploded into the sky. At first, Arbor thought it had attacked preemptively, but when the wall of fire began to expand outward in all directions, he understood what was happening.
There was no way to escape a blast like this. Nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. He couldn’t climb the walls, as the fire towered to the ceiling of the dome, and he couldn’t leave because he was locked in. He only had seconds to think and did the only thing that came to mind. The edge of his cleaver glowed a bright orange, and Arbor slashed downward, cutting a deep gouge in the stone below.
