That went… kind of well.

I never thought I could orchestrate a divine fraud but then again, this goes right into my alley of so-called ‘expertises’.

The performance was believable since I made extensive research about their ritual accounts like hearing voices and vague air permeating during the rituals. I also conducted observations on this particular Haluk the shaman right after I arrived here.

The, modulation of the voice, the lighting and the visual were done superbly thanks to our teamwork, a convincing performance for a higher existence. It was only made possible by our special abilities and my copious amount of Kashra papers.

It pays to be a member of the Enchanter Association.

“You are the definition of ‘thinking outside the box’ aren’t you? I thought the report of using Eomancy to disperse salts across the battlefield was exaggerated but this plan was truly outlandish.”

While walking back on a barely discernible road back to our outpost, Ghiscra voiced her thought with a slightly amused expression was keeping a pace, walking beside me with a bag sling behind her and under her cloak.

“If I have to be honest, it was a ridiculous plan but the thought of it succeeding was amusing and it did, so I was thoroughly amused. Then again, it barely passes as he was visibly hesitating. Thank ye gods, he threw caution to the wind. Also it only work because-”

I stopped because I wanted to refrain from using the word ‘backward’.

“-they were the most ‘superstitious’ of all the tribes. Thankfully records of their rituals existed so I was able to simulate a situation that had enough characteristics to support its validity but the crystalized bowl was an original motif. If it were the Eomancers of Athryshiayl, they would try to use Light Orange or Light White to check the fluctuation of the Eomancy energy unlike those shamans, who had limited understanding in Eomancy.”

Initially, since this plan was made on whim and it was one of those rare ‘high reward, low risk’ plan so whether it succeeded or not, it wouldn’t affect the operation much and at worst, they think they were tricked. But I had gained unexpected information from the trickery- the origin of the rumour.

Well, I guess I could make a plan to visit that particular tribe for a meeting with that mysterious woman. There are so many questions begging to be answered.

……

“Eh, why did you stopped?”

Ghiscra who was ahead of me, was looking at me with a puzzled face.

I have to thank Vefal later on for teaching me how to detect with my awareness in my surrounding.

Movement-let me rephrase-sloppy movement were coming from both sides of the thickets.

(‘Eo, Ravus, Corpori, Armi’)

I put on the basic ‘Armour’ spell on myself and seeing me do this, Ghiscra did the same but she also used her special abilities which called [Pinnacle].

That special ability enables her to achieve the peak of whatever action she consciously takes. For example, she can achieve a certain standard definition of perfection in running as the special ability recalibrate her running posture, slow down the production of lactic acids in her muscles, reducing the intake of air needed and so on or whatever she’s stuck on inspiration during her research, she can use [Pinnacle] and maximized the speed of her thought process, recalling memories with an eidetic perfection, achieving ramification of parallel thinking and so on.

She can only maintain the optimum peak of the process for eight seconds, there’s a time interval for the usage too and she can’t repeatedly use it on the same activity about two hours with exception of spells for some reason. There were some other limitations like but I’m not quite clear about those.

So using it for long term activities like running or researching is more like a short burst but the most effective use for them are short term actions especially Eomancy.

When she use [Pinnacle] on Eomancy, her casting efficiency was at it the possible highest, the energy collected on the Origin Circle reached the maximum in an instant and the Sub-Circles would looked crystal clear with power.

Because of that, her basic spell is technically on the level of advance spell.

That was why when she had casted ‘Armour’ on herself, she was basically radiating grey light all over her being.

Clang~!

I managed to dodge an attack from behind me as I instinctively crouch slightly. The attack was aiming at my neck.

Even if I had casted ‘Armour’ making my skin tougher like a rock, I might get a cut and getting a cut on a neck is kind of hap hazardous. Who knows if it cuts on something vital and I die slowly, not to mention my anaemia is still acting up.

As for Ghiscra, she actually took the attack head on with her right hand and the clanging sound was a clash between her palm and the bladeshard. After she grabbed it, she then gripped her hand and shattered the bladeshard.

After shattering it, she then kneed her assailant at the stomach area with her left knee which caused the assailant to lurch forward and as it did, Ghiscra shot out her left elbow towards its face.

There was a crunching sound the elbow connected and it fell onto the ground.

……

I thought I wanted to spar with her in the future just so I can be proud of my martial prowess but clearly she’s as skilled as Vefal or Rino. Where the hell is a normal woman that couldn’t beat my ass in this world?

I crouched to dodge again as the same assailant swings its bladeshard horizontally; slashing across me. I leapt back and started casting Eomancy.

(Eo, Iridis, Piritus, Oactus’)

A green-like wave struck out against the assailant, flinging it away from me.

And then, I realized. As I was too preoccupied with dodging, I failed to realize earlier that we were surrounded. There were about dozen or more?

“Ruigne…”

We were forced back to back, our faces showing panicked looking at the increasing number.

After what seems to be minutes, the number stopped increasing. There were like twenty-plus of these mysterious assailants, all surrounding us, like wolves waiting to pounce.

I sighed. There’s only way out of this.

“Ghiscra, can you use [Pinnacle] and cast a spell?”

“Yeah but I don’t have a spell to decimate all of them or escape spells for both of us… I’m sorry.”

“No worries, thankfully they haven’t attack first so I’ll make this quick. Cast ‘Wind Friend’ on yourself and run as fast as you can, away from here.”

Ghiscra let out an exasperated ‘huh!!’ and instinctively turned behind towards me.

We nearly made eye-contact but she always managed to avoid it.

“Look, every crazy scheme I made so far had succeeded so just trust me on this. I’m not telling you to leave me here like I’m making some noble sacrifice but what I’m about to do might kill you.”

“And what would kill me?”

I sighed as her worried mixed with a smatter of angry voice, lets out her concern.

“… My Soul Weapon…”

She made a conflicted face. I don’t know whether she knows about my Soul Weapon but for the summoned, their Soul Weapon is their Trump Card. I’m not sure about her Soul Weapon though.

“… Okay but be safe alright, I don’t know how to explain to Vefal if you don’t make it.”

“Stop being so melodramatic, I’m not gonna die yet. Also, don’t stop running until you think that it’s safe.”

After I said that, I took out a Kashra Paper on my right hand and activated [Synikorvus].

As I did that, Ghiscra then casted ‘Wind Friend’ on herself, dispelling ‘Armour’. The assailants twitched and readied their weapons. It seems that they were waiting for our ‘Armour’ spells to end.

But Ghiscra ran past them like a blur as I used [Synikorvus] on the Kashra Paper in my hand. As the spell was casted, I summoned [Pandora].

Before the assailants that was the nearest to the running Ghiscra could make a move to chase her, they were immobilized. The entire assailant about twenty metre in radius around me was immobilized.

The spell of the Kashra Paper was an advance Orange Spell of ‘Mass Binding’, stopping them for a few seconds but that was all I needed. I always kept this one with me for an emergency.

“Open, [Pandora].”

With my command, the treasure chest opened and chaos spreads.

--

As she ran, she could felt an upward sudden surge in the winds of Eomancy. It felt like a hurricane had appeared out of nowhere.

She briefly looked back while running and saw a colourful dome expanding fast.

She’d quickly pick-up her pace, sensing the danger coming from the dome.

What kind of a Soul Weapon that can induce such destructive and overwhelming effect? Even her Soul Weapon or any of the summoned that she knew was nothing like this.

After a few seconds of running, she stopped as she looked behind again and saw that the dome had stopped expanding.

Using [Planar Eyes] from the Light White, she could see the inside of the dome.

What she saw was akin to a battlefield between frenzied Eomancers. The amount of spells triggering inside were of the many colours of Eomancy and those were casted indiscriminately.

She shuddered as thinking what would happen if she was caught inside. She might survive for a few seconds and even if she luckily gets out, she would still be in a world of pain.

After a while, it suddenly stopped expanding and went shrinking slowly. Little by little it shrinks and shrinks until what felt like three or more minutes had passed and it disappeared.

What appeared in the aftermath of the area enveloped by the dome was a hellish landscape. Where there had been sights of lush rainforest trees and plants was now gone, like an illusion had been dispersed.

Amidst the disaster zone, Ghiscra could spot a single figure sitting in what had been the centre of the dome. Heart filled with relief, she ran back towards the figure.

--

[Pandora]

It held unimaginable power but the downsides outweighed the pros.

First of all, it doesn’t distinguish allies or enemies. Secondly, it’s not suited for any situation that requires discretion as it is too flashy. Thirdly, even though I would be unharmed inside the storm… anything that I wear had the possibility of being destroyed.

The first time I activated it, I was lucky that I only got out with only a torn clothes but this time…

Everything was gone. In the midst of obliterating the assailants, there was a sudden huge Deep Red of a firestorm and it burned almost everything to crisp…

Farewell my standard issued leather armour and even the servant cloth…

Sigh~

That’s why I sat here in resignation.

It’s like the whole universe is conspiring for me to embrace nudism.