Yuki spent the rest of the night listening to wisp’s guides and tutorials through Aloodia. He learned of mythical beings that inhabit this world like dragons, unicorns, hydras, pegasi and others, some friendly, others not so much. Wisp taught him about many different races that inhabit this world, their characteristics and stereotypes. He then learned about three biggest kingdoms of this world. The kingdom of Lutheia, which trains female knights and selects female rulers only. Then there was Eliphia, where elves and fairies worship the Idol of Nature. The last was the kingdom of Aris, a place where all races are welcome, at least on paper.

The wisp wasn’t from any of these kingdoms, but from a smaller one which she deftly avoided talking about.

“You promised that you would talk about everything from the beginning.” protested Yuki “Doesn’t your promise somehow magically bind you to say everything I want now?”

“God forbid, no. What kind of world would this be if a plain spoken promise would bind people into complete submission. The only thing binding me is my honor. I don’t find it necessary to talk about myself or my past just yet. You will learn what you need as we progress. Nothing more, nothing less.”

“Can you at least tell me your name then? Do you find that necessary or should I keep calling you Miss Floating Light?”

The wisp would frown if it could, but instead it sent a flicker of bluish lightning at the boy’s nose. “My name is Aria.” The name had a nice ring to it.

Yuki also learned that the place he woke up at was called a checkpoint. They could be found all across the world and they are imbued with monster repelling magic. Much of what he learned was indeed familiar. He was appalled at how many stories he knew actually came from this world. Famous books, movies, video games, a lot of them had their roots in the world of Aloodia.

The stories went on for quite a while and when Aria finished it was already dawning. With the first warm rays of sunlight the forest began to transform. Trees grew beautiful golden leaves and grotesque, dried up trunks were filled with life and color. Grass and flowers started growing from what was before dead, naked ground. Everything was bustling with life.

Yuki watched this event with great interest and curiosity. He thought nothing could surprise him anymore, but seeing the forest’s magical transformation was truly breathtaking.

“Well, there goes our chance for fast level upping.” Aria sighed. “This enchanted forest transforms only for one night during the full moon.”

“I wasn’t very keen on going into the forest either way.” Yuki muttered sourly “You wanted to send me against level 40 monsters. You know you only have one soulmate. What’s the point if I die within the first night?”

“Perhaps you are right. I was hoping I would wish upon someone… a bit more physically representative than you. Levels, after all, only determine your affinity to magic.”

“What does physical strength have to do with anything then? If I am still level one, does it even matter whether I am a muscle machine or an ordinary eighteen year old boy?”

“There are some spells that fuse better with a strong body. This is primitive and unrefined magic, but very effective and easily taught. And with my enhancements, fights would be a stroll in the park.”

“So basically, you were hoping to wish upon a lumbering oaf.”

“Yes, but instead I wished upon a wimpy loggerhead.”

“Why you…” Yuki jumped at the wisp flapping his hands all over the air. Aria was skillfully evading his uncoordinated attacks returning fire in the form of her already famous flickers of bluish lightning. The fight was rather short and ended with Yuki sulking on the floor, smelling of burned skin.

“I am sorry for calling you a wimpy loggerhead. Can you now please stop making a fuss out of it? Here, let me heal your burns as a sign of apology.” the wisp dispersed into a cloud of beaming golden dust preparing a healing spell.

“No.” Yuki got up. His face was overly serious. “Let’s just get going. I want to leave this cursed plane as soon as possible. And let me get this straight one more time. You actually don't need me to rescue you from this forest. You need me to undo the spell that turned you into a wisp. How do I do that? Do I need to defeat the one who cast the spell?”

“Hah! You couldn’t possibly dream of!” was something that Aria wanted to say, but decided to keep the comment to herself. “No.” she said instead. “You don’t have to do something that dire. Just try to protect me on our travels and I will do the rest.”

Yuki nodded his head.

“There are still some monsters around so be prepared. You might want to bring that weapon over there.”

“You mean that rusty old sword lying on the floor? Amazing.”

He took the sword from the ground. It felt heavy in his hand. The grip was wrapped with black worn out leather and smelled weird, but the pommel showed some rather refined craftsmanship. A decorative dragon’s head of some sort. It was tarnished, not rusty, so Yuki gathered it was made from silver. The blade however, was almost completely covered in orange-brown rust. Above the cross-guard, along the ricasso there was an inscription in a strange language.

“What’s this?”

“That is chromatic elvish. Beautiful writing might I add. It’s a shame the language is dead. Only the Elves still insist on learning it.”

“It’s a rusty piece of crap. If it was any good no one would leave it here.” For a moment, Yuki felt as if the sword got heavier. But that would mean it was a magical sword. People don’t leave magical swords lying around in checkpoints. He brushed the feeling off.

“Let’s get going. We’ll head north. The town of Orfurt is in that direction. We will find a decent weaponsmith there and get that sword fixed.”

The two took one of the few beaten paths that lead away from the checkpoint and into the forest. Yuki was still huffing and puffing over their last quarrel which the wisp found slightly cute and she couldn’t hold in an adorable little chuckle. Yuki was straining his neck trying to look as far away from the wisp as possible.

“Oh, cmon, stop brooding over everything!”

“Stop insulting me over everything. You are the one that called me here. I had no say in that. And also, you need my help!”

“Okay, okay! I will stop insulting you. I promise.”

“Fine.” Yuki’s stern face loosened up a bit.

“Great!” the little wisp circled playfully around Yuki rising above his head releasing shiny golden dust all over his head and shoulders. A feeling of excitement caught her off guard. Having company, someone to travel with and talk to, someone to quarrel with - Aria almost forgot how that felt. She didn’t want to admit she was craving this.

“Sometimes you really are too stubborn for your own good.”

The sun was high up in the sky. Forest path was speckled with many of its rays which broke through an intricate network of golden-green canopies. Clouds of purplish fog permeated the air, giving it a sweet scent. Low shrubs full of berries reverberated with sounds of thousands of insects. Weird flowers flourished in numerous colors, further filling the air with enchanting fragrance. Little animals curiously watched the duo pass by, only to run away if the curiosity became mutual. Yuki still couldn’t stop admiring the environment surrounding him.

“Help me! Somebody please, help!” Yuki heard the cry for help from somewhere in the forest. They both stopped and looked around trying to figure out the direction the voice was coming from.

“Help me!” it was close, but off the beaten path.

“Perfect.” Aria thought to herself. "Just the thing we needed."

“Should we go help?” Yuki was gripping his sword but his hand was visibly shaking. His first encounter with a monster is nearing. Fear and excitement were mixing and a rush of adrenaline hit his head.

“Your call, my prince. I can’t save anyone alone.”

Yuki was somehow doubting that, but didn’t say anything. He felt a bit exposed as he was wearing only a black tracksuit with no protective gear. If he knew this would happen, he would at least wear his bicycle helmet.

“You said you can help me fight, right?”

“Yes, I will enhance your sword to be lighter and place a fortification spell on you if needed.”

Yuki jumped off the beaten path and ran deep into the forest in the direction the voice was coming from. Aria went after Yuki but got tangled in a spider's web along the way. It caught her off guard, but she regained composure quickly, dispersed into dust and flew through, cussing the spider and his web.

“Help!”

Following the sound of the voice, Yuki arrived into a small forest clearing. In the middle he could see a pond and a little being with wings helplessly squirming in it.

“Help me, I can’t swim!”

Yuki breathed a sigh of relief for not being welcomed by a ferocious monster, and jumped to the rescue of the winged being, dropping the sword and letting his guard down. Aria, arriving just a moment too late, courtesy of the spider’s web, turned pale at the sight of Yuki heroically jumping into the pond.

“Stop you idiot!” she yelled, but it was too late. While Yuki was still in the air, the pond congregated into a round, blobby shape from which a tentacle protruded. Atop the tentacle, what was before a helpless little being drowning in the pond, was now a monstrous head with sharp long teeth. The blob jumped off the ground at the still airborne Yuki and swallowed him whole with its translucent body.

"Well, this went south rather quickly." Aria rushed in their direction murmuring a spell.

“Weapon! Fly!” she yelled at the sword that was laying on the ground. Nothing happened. Now she was properly panicking. She cussed and kept cussing while flying towards the now drowning Yuki. His face was taking on the color of plum as he was powerlessly flailing his arms all over the slimes body. Aria was left with only one option. She didn't like it, but she had no choice.

“Mending!” she screamed as loud as her little voice allowed and flew into the slime.

Inside the slime, Yuki was getting drowsy. At first he tried swimming to the blob’s surface, but to no avail. He was losing oxygen and he knew his life was in danger, but the blob's body was warm and cozy. His eyes were closing and he was ready to fall asleep when he heard a familiar voice screaming nearby. “Mending!”

Suddenly a fire ignited inside him, forcing him awake. He felt his whole body burning with fiery energy although he didn’t feel any pain. The blob however jumped away dropping its slimy victim to the ground. The monstrous head let out a piercing shriek.

Yuki quickly regained his footing expecting an attack. His senses were razor sharp making him confident in his ability to dodge. As expected the blob charged forward, monstrous head first. Its jaw was wide open revealing behind a gaping black hole, and two rows of long, sharp teeth were ready to rip apart anything they came in contact with. Yuki swiftly evaded the head's attack to the side and tried punching the blob’s body. His fist just went through, seemingly doing no damage. The monstrous head turned towards its slippery prey and with an elongated screech attacked again, this time grazing Yuki across the shoulder.

Yuki grunted in pain as he jumped away from the monster. “His head. I should try to cut it off.” The idea seemed logical, but he felt as if it was placed in his head artificially. The monster was preparing another attack but this time, instead of waiting to evade, Yuki jumped into a clumsy roll towards the sword. The pain in his shoulder was still bearable but he felt the power inside him subsiding.

"Let's end this."

He picked up the sword and turned, facing the monster that was already charging, again head first. This time, Yuki didn’t bother dodging. When the blob came close enough, the monstrous head shrieked and stormed towards the boy, aiming for his neck. Yuki ducked down and with a wide overhead sweep, he cut off the tentacle that carried the head.

Yuki then collided with the blob’s body, finding himself inside it once again. This time, not for long. As its head fell lifelessly to the ground, the blob started disintegrating, and soon only a few slimy ponds were left of it. The boy sat down panting and in pain, looking at the gaping jaws of the monstrous head.

Just as he realized he can’t see Aria anywhere, golden dust started pouring from his body. It gathered into a little round shape, dim of light.

“You are so reckless.” said the wisp with a weak voice. “You should be saving me, not the other way around.” Yuki couldn’t help but smile at the poignant wisp. He raised his hand, palm up, giving her a place to rest her small body. She accepted.

“Your magic affinity is so low I had to use almost all my magic power to get you out of that thing.” Yuki forgot about the pain in his shoulder and the fact that he almost died just moments ago. Defeating his first monster made him feel good, despite the fact he was aided by Aria’s weird magic.

“You should rest now. There will be plenty of time to berate me later.”

The day was still young, but Aria was struggling to speak. While laying on his palm, she took a deeper look at the boy. He had dark brown messy hair and deep blue eyes with dark bags under. Expected for someone who spent the night awake. With no facial hair she could see his nicely shaped boyish face. Also, he had slime everywhere. Aria chuckled.

“You know, you might not be the strongest one, but you are cute.”

Yuki blushed a bit, then frowned. “Stop talking nonsense and rest now.” Getting compliments from a wisp was nothing to get excited about.