Chapter 38: To Protect The School
While the rest of the students went into their dormitory, some in retreat, others to get their weapons. I wasted no time and dashed forward, my boots skidding across the wet stone as the nearest Shadow creature lunged. Its claws sliced through the air where I had been a second ago.
"Too slow, brat." I whispered.
Ding!
~You have activated Space Manipulation skill~
~You have activated Divine Thread skill~
"Space Manipulation Technique..."
"Attract..."
Space folded at the tip of my index finger for a brief moment and then I swiftly directed the spacial mass the creatures way. The creature’s arm twisted in on itself, bones or whatever passed for them crunching into a singular point before vanishing entirely into shadowy dust and the Anti-arcane stone dribbled on the floor.
"Inventory..."
The system’s interface materialized a much more larger screen and I scrolled through the items I had stored away in the spacial rift till I found what I was looking for.
Shiioom!
The spacial rift opened beside me, a small shattered-glass-like aperture in space to which I deeped my hand inside and pulled out the Bone-white daggers.
Another Shadow creature came at me from the flank. I bent low, sliding under its swipe. The air cracked as I sliced upward, the dagger flashing as the light from the moon and dull street lamp hit its sharp point.
"On your left, Levi!" Zed shouted, then a burst of violent lightning tore through two Shadow creatures trying to circle me. They screeched as the electricity crackled them into smoldering ruins, leaving behind only a flicker of shadow dust and their cheap Anti-arcane stone.
"Thanks but I had it though," I grunted, pivoting to the left to where Zed stood, or should I say was standing. Because for me to look at that direction, I saw nothing but students from the dormitory looking at my direction with eyes wide in shock and not Zed.
"Yeah you did..." Zed smug voice came from behind me, I spun quickly to see his short figure standing proudly with the Anti-arcane stones at his feet and his hand on his sword strapped to his waist.
That was when I realised that that violent burst of lightning was actually Zed moving through the air and slicing the creatures neck at lightning speed. This was Zeddack Quickman awakened ability, although he is wildly termed as a Pyromancer, he has the ability to control a more advanced form of the element —Fire. This type of pyromancers were not common, but Zed was somehow one of them.
"You have advanced elemental control?" I said to him with tilt of my head with question clearly written all over my face.
"Not exactly..." Zed looked down, starring at his small palm. "I wouldn’t call it advanced because I could already do it immediately I awakened..."
"Most pyromancers start by perfecting the control of the fire element before they unlock the ability to use lightning, but me I unlocked the ability right after my awakening and I cannot use, manifest or control fire..." he finished, while turning his back to me and scanning the area for any Shadow creature in sight.
"Are you serious? I have never seen that before, how are you a B-Rank if you have such powerful abilities right from the get go..." I asked while also turning my head every which way, looking for those dreadful creatures.
"Well, I might be able to use lightning but for some reason I cannot develop the ability. What you just saw me pull off is actually the one and only thing I can do with my power, even though I have some level of swordsmanship, I added it with some foreign sword art to create the technique you just saw..."
Zed said.
"That is the only thing you can do, nothing else..." I repeat after him.
"Yes, however, I have honed the skill to its finest flexibility that even the strongest Shadow creatures will have a hard time evading it... I shall demonstrate."
Zed intoned as he spotted a Shadow creature dribble out of a dark alley way between two buildings that were not less than a few hundred meters away.
"What? Its too far, how are you going to get there in time before it reaches that dormitory..." I said with concern as I watched the creature sheepishly walts its way towards the dorm closest to it.
Just then, a flicker of yellow light rippled across the ground, followed by the faint hum of electricity. A single spark leapt off Zed’s blade, casting his sturdy figure in flash of gold. His breath was uneven and his eyes wide with focus.
"Skill..."
"Godstep Severance."
In that instant, the air screamed and lightning split the ground beneath his feet as Zed vanished. For a heartbeat, everything turned blinding white as the sound of the thunder following half a second behind.
BOOM!
A yellow streak of lighting tore through the space like divine retribution, leaving charred marks on the stone below. In less than the amount of time it takes to let out a single breath of exhale, Zed covered the space between us and the Shadow creature. The bastard’s head barely had time to turn before Zed appeared behind it, with his blade drawn and electricity still dancing off the edge like restless serpents.
A moment later, the demon’s body slid apart as Zed drew a clean, diagonal cut glowing with electric after light and then a burst electric overcharge erupted from the impact, passing current through nearby conductive materials.
Zed stood there, his eyes closed and the faint hum of lightning fading from his blade. His hair swayed gently as sparks flickered out around him like fireflies dying in the wind.
I was beyond flabbergasted. This is what he could do with just one skill mastered to its absolute honed form, imagine how formidable he would be if he could use and master more ways on how to use his advanced elemental techniques.
By this time, Valeria and Jet had gathered some other students and weapon, ready to join us in our fight to defend the school.
"Is that all of them?" Jet stumbled forward, wiping sweat from his brow.
I scanned the courtyard which was quiet now, except for the faint hum of Arcane energy rippling through the air. "I think here is clear... we will move on to other sections of the school"
I tightened my grip on my daggers, its pale surface pulsing faintly and reflecting the dark night sky. "This was an intentional attack on the school to disrupt the process of the tournament... I would appreciate it if there’s any Mage class student who can help us locate more of these creatures."
As par my suggestion, a few Mage class students stepped forward and banded together, proceeding to performing a spell that could be used to locate more Shadow creatures. They used one of the Anti-arcane stone extracted from one of the bastards I killed and started chantting in an unknown language.
It took them a little over a few minutes to finish with their spell and then all four of them created several balls of Arcane energy in the air, upto twenty or more..
"Each of these Arcane energy balls represent one Shadow Creature within a one mile radius in all direction from our current position..." one of the Mages started. "The balls will shoot forward, leading you to where all the Shadow creatures are located."
Wonderful, just what we needed. Who knows if someone might be so absent minded doing random things not knowing that a Shadow creature is about sneak up on him or her.
Fiom!
The balls shot forward, leaving a tail of Arcane dust for us to follow. Each and every student followed one ball that will eventually lead them to where a Shadow creature lurked.
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