Chapter 22: Lucas and His Intuition

It’s been three months now since an earthquake have hit the city of Florentine although the damages it brought is small and people have immediately forgotten about it. I can’t help but always think about it at the back of my mind. No matter how much time have passed and how many problems I face. I can’t seem to forget it at all.

Every time I tried to do so, some kind of force would immediately remind me of it. My intuition tells me that there was something wrong with that quake and it urges me to take a peek at the northern mountains.

I also know that it sounds crazy, but I felt like something was calling me, but I also know that it was impossible for me to go there, even though the northern mountains are barren and freezing place there are also a lot of powerful Magic beasts who lives there.

But one thing is for sure though, from the day the quake happened, the Enchanted forest have never regained its previous tranquility and peace. Most of the creatures living inside of it are agitated for some reason.

Although it’s not enough to make them attack the city, it still causes distress among the people living here on Florentine. It also causes us to be more vigilant for any possible siege but months have passed and we saw any shadows of it happening at all.

Father have even tried to ventured inside the forest together with the other knights to take a look around the situation with the Magic beasts and they found out that most of them are actually very aggressive with any human intrusion inside or around the forest.

They were attacked several times by lower magic beast but when they got closed to the entrance of the forest the whole surrounding area was filled with loud roars from every magic beast living inside of it.

From those roars alone they can distinguish that several rank 5 magical beasts was mixed among those roars. A powerful magic beast can release a certain aura in his roar that can only be felt by official wizards and knights. All of them felt a dreadful feeling fill their hearts as their body started to quiver as all the warmth in their body evaporated and was replaced by an icy cold feeling.

They felt it starring at them, watching their every move and action. They all know that no matter what they do they don’t have any chances of winning against a rank 5 magical beast, none less several of them. Their mission to investigate the enchanted forest was immediately halted as they retreated back into the city and from that day on this place has become a forbidden zone for us.

But even before they return to the city, the people living inside of it already know about this terrible news. The roar of tens of thousands of magic beasts can be heard loud and clear in the sky of Florentine city. Accompanied by the dreadful roars is the pressure it brought on mortals. Everyone who heard this roar felt like their heart was being squeezed as a terrible feeling rose up from their being.

It is also the day that huge chaos has erupted within the city. A scene that I have never seen in my life. People were clamoring, crying, fighting and some just slumped on the floor staring at nothing without doing anything, others had given up on running away, as it is also not an option either, as it would take us weeks to reach the nearest city.

Even I felt that cold feeling envelop my entire being. Although I already surpass the limits of mortal and have stepped into the rank of junior knight, it’s not enough to resist the effects of a roar from a powerful magic beast.

I actually fell on the floor with my knees as sweat covered my entire body just because of the roar.

“What’s happening?” I said as I tried to get up, but a heavy pressure was pressing on my body that prevented me from moving.

“I can’t breathe,” I said as I gasped for more air.

“Young master are you okay?” Asked by Michael as he suddenly entered the door of my room while releasing the coppery aura, he also covers me with his aura to help me resist the pressure.

That is the first time I have felt the aura of other knights, but Michael’s aura is different from what I know.

Although we are on the same rank with different levels. It would be impossible for anyone to walk normally without feeling the pressure from the aura that a high-rank magic beast has brought except those Supreme and Grand knights.

People who have surpassed the limits of mortal are more affected by the power of the magic beast, since they are more sensitive to the aura of other beings, unlike ordinary humans.

“How could you still walk in this situation?” I said weakly to Michael as he helped me stand up.

But upon looking carefully, I saw that he looked weaker and had difficulty breathing. At the same time, beads of sweat is appearing on his face. That is the first time I have seen him like this. Even during our sparring, he never looked this tired to me before.

“Here let me help you, master Lucas.” He said as he brought my arm to his shoulders to support me while releasing his aura to the surroundings.

The aura serves as a shield to help us absorb some of the pressure that is trying to impose its power on our bodies. Although it helps us alleviate the dreadful feeling, I still wonder how Michael can release his power in this situation, because whenever I tried to use mine. It just failed to manifest on my body. It’s like a flickering candle blown by a gust of wind and like a bubble, it's gone.

All of us know how dangerous a rank 5 magic beast is, but this is the first time in the hundred years of the history of Florentine city that we have encountered something like this.

My ancestors built the Florentine city at the very corner of the continent away from the major human settlement but not closed enough to any powerful creatures.

It is also the first time I experienced firsthand what it felt like to be under the power of a high-rank magic beast.

That’s why the presence of a powerful magic beast is a calamity for everyone living in the Florentine city.

“This is not good. The people in the city should also feel this aura. We should go out and help them.” I anxiously said to Michael as I tried to get up from the sofa.

“Let’s wait for a moment, master Lucas, it will be gone soon, but for now you can’t do anything at all. Were also affected by it you would just expose yourself to danger.” Michael said worriedly as he weakly tried to maintain the output of his aura.

“It looks like you’re having a hard time resisting it alone. I should also use my power. We can resist it together. That would be much easier.” I said anxiously. This time I didn’t hear any reply from him as he looked too weak to do anything at all.

With the help of Michael’s cover, I successfully managed to launch my own spirit, but at the same time that it happened, it's also the time that Michael's spirit went down.

A/N: I replaced aura with spirit. They are just the same thing.

I immediately felt how powerful the spirit of that magic beast is. The pressure it brought on me is no joke at all. I felt like it would break my spirit barrier at any moment if I didn’t give my entire focus on maintaining it.

In the short amount of time that I had released my own spirit, I felt like it immediately drained all of my powers. Maintaining the spirit around us consumed too much of my strength. I wouldn’t be able to maintain it for too long and when I was about to empty my power, the roars suddenly stopped.

I immediately felt relief as I also stopped releasing my spirit. Although I only open it for a very short amount of time, it manages to consume all my powers in just a minute. Normally, I can use my spirit within an hour before I feel drained from using it.

“Michael are you awake, hey Michael,” I said as I shook his shoulders.

He opens his eyes weakly before trying to stand up

.

I felt grateful that Michael had helped me to resist the spirit of those magic beasts. If not, I would be knocked out by now.

I now understand how difficult it is to maintain and release my spirit against a powerful attack. Without his help, I'd be gasping for air now. I'm still too weak in this world. I might have surpassed the limit of mortals, but my journey only starts here.

"Young Master, that roar is not a good sign. It came from the enchanted forest your father had just gone there earlier." Michael, worriedly, said as he walked towards the exit.

"I know that I'm also worried, but knowing my father, he will definitely make it back to us," I said firmly.

"Wait, where are you going?" I ask Michael.

"I need to go and check the city. Your father has left me in charge of it." He said seriously, although he was still weak from the overuse of his power.

"Then I'm coming with you. I'm sure people will look for my father and it would help them calm down once they see us." People have a lot of trust in our family, so I’m sure that they will look for us because they know that as long as we are here, Florentine city would be defended by us.

“No, I can't risk it. It’s too dangerous for you to go out now, Master Lucas. It’s safer if you stay here in the mansion. If something happens, go to the basement. That’s the safest place we have here in the city."

"But I can't just stay here. I could do something to help out."

"And I also have my own orders from the lord, please master Lucas, just wait here. I'll be quick and give you an update.” He said as he got another potion from his waist and chugged it all down.

“Another terrible potion?”

“It would greatly help me in recovering my strength. It is also the most expensive potion that Master Hubert has provided for us and I only use it for emergencies.”

“I also have that same potion here. I don’t really need it now. You could take it or use it to another person who needs that thing. The smell emanating from that bottle alone is enough to keep me awake for the whole night.” I said as I handed him the same bottle of potion that my father had given to me when I advanced through the official knight.

At the same time, even though I felt drained after using all my spirit to shield us both from harm. I can feel that my body is now rapidly recovering strength much faster than before.

“Thank you Master Lucas, but you also need to keep yourself safe so I don’t need all of this, just this bottle is enough.” Michael said as he handed me back the belt of potion and only took one bottle that contained golden liquid.

“That bottle I remember that. It is used for over-drafting your power. Why would you need something like that?” I asked in alarm.

Once that potion was used, it would temporarily boost someone’s power upon consuming it but it also has a huge side effect were in that the person will lose all his power for a month before he can slowly recover.

The name of this potion is also quite grand as it was called “The Last War Cry”. I don’t know who came up with this naming sense, but this potion sounds terrible because it feels like by consuming this potion you are sacrificing yourself in the hopes that others can make it back alive.

And also because of its capability to boost someone’s power to another level. It is widely popular and highly sought after by people. It is also one of the most expensive potions I have ever seen in my life. Just a small bottle causes as much as hundreds of gold coins.