From “The book of mandates”

  Mandate 2 - Magical Talent

  Yiho’s high priests may be chosen only from mages of the highest quality and rank. There is no truer evidence of Yiho’s guarding spirit than the magic he bestows upon mortals. Thus, those with exceptional magical talent are likewise those approved by Yiho himself. Those without such talent are they whom he condemns.

  A man stood atop a rocky boulder as he gazed into the open space beneath the mountain. The clanks of steel and wood came from behind him, but his eagle-like eyes remained narrowed at a single point in the distance. A mass of swirling purple energy. It hung like a cloud over the green pastures far into the distance below him.

  That was their quarry. Demons, or rather, demonified monsters.

  The man was tall, far taller than the average human. Nearing 7 ft in height. His muscles bulged through his blue dragonhide armour, stretching the very fabric of a dead dragon with their sheer strength. The 6ft claymore strapped to his back looked small in comparison. The right shoulder of his armour featured an embroidered emblem of a sword piercing the sky.

  “Victor,” Groll’s voice came from behind him. “If you stare so hard, you’ll scare the Demons off!”

  Victor twisted his neck to look behind him. Their camp was small, comprising three tents pitched on the mountain outcrop. The skies of the northern hemisphere swirled with clouds, centering on a reddish orange vortex floating up in the atmosphere. The distant cries of Avian beasts filled the skies, and little movements of what appeared to be magic beasts piercing the clouds locked in aerial combat could be made out.

  I’d like to hunt those creatures one day. Victor thought. Though he shook his head. Avian beasts are no good for forging equipment,

  Little stars crept out amidst the skyspace, but the grandeur of the northern mountain sky felt miniscule compared to the looming purple mist near the ground below. Like an ancient horrific Wyrm, it twisted and swirled as if it wanted to devour the mountain from the ground up. Something about that haze seemed to reach upwards, like a drowning man’s fingers desperate to claw onto a piece of wood. Victor shuddered, turning away from the sight of the purple haze.

  We’re going to be down there, he thought.

  Victor walked over towards Groll; a spindly man with daggers strapped to his belt, who was currently prodding the fire in the centre of their camp with his bare hand. He had the same emblazon of a sword embroidered on the back of his cloak. The fire crackled, and little embers rose as he flicked one coal with his finger. Only Victor’s keen eyes could see that every part of the campfire his hand touched, the coals extinguished.

  “I don’t agree with the fire,” Victor said to Groll while frowning. “We might get attacked.”

  Groll chuckled.

  “I pray for the soul of anyone who dares attack us.” He reached out, picking up a flaming coal in his hand. Groll’s eyes glinted as he brought it closer to his face, before slowly closing his hand. When he opened it, the coal had gone out completely. Groll grunted as he reached into his belt strap and pulled out a fraying, blackish grey notebook. He muttered to himself whilst scribbling something down with the extinguished piece of coal in his hand.

  To this, Victor nodded. They were a team of 3, smaller than most adventurer bands. They were once five, like most others, but both Harry and Kim had each met their own unfortunate ends on missions.

  Being an adventurer was never straightforward.

  That had been before Victor had reached the heights of Rank 2. He had spent years honing his body, attuning it to two different magical energies. His cultivation had been much slower than others, admittedly, because of this.

  But what he got in exchange was power, and the times of slowness were now at an end. They were ready to become Mythril Adventurers.

  Victor flexed his muscles and stretched, something he always did before any vigorous activity. He was a master in the physical arts, his Djinn Nomad lineage making him especially resistant to magical attacks. Combined with his dual cultivation in the Rat King’s techniques giving him incredibly fast regeneration, Victor felt confident this next battle was one they could win.

  Failure is never an option. After all, failing a hunt means you’re the one who got hunted.

  Failure meant death.

  Groll and Delsie were both mages. Groll was once a merchant in the Northern Archipelagos, cultivating the Water Goddesses techniques. Despite appearances, the man could hold his own as much as Victor. Water was strongest when the moon was up, and when it came up, they would strike.

  Delsie was their third member, a mage of light.

  And she was a monster.

  It took Victor the better part of his life to reach the peak of Rank 2. He had long since formed his magical cores, and though his progress was slower, he was still ahead of his peers. It took an average person fifty years to even reach Rank 2. Victor had surpassed it by the time he was thirty.

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  If one in every 100,000 people reached Rank 2, only one in every Million reached Victor’s level.

  “It’s nearly night time,” a sweet, feminine voice spoke behind him. As Delsie emerged from her campsite, golden light bathed the entire campsite. Her golden armour and golden hair reflected the pure light emanating off every inch of her skin. Staring at her was like staring at the sun.

  Victor gulped, and his heart pounded in his chest.

  Yes, he loved her. She was the most incredible woman he had ever met. The tightness in his chest was always present when she was, and yet, he couldn’t stop loving her. She certainly didn’t reciprocate the way he felt, but why would she? Delsie was practically a god, and he was just a mortal. A mortal who had challenged her in many duels for her heart, losing each one.

  If only one in every million people were as strong as Victor.

  You could count the people as strong as Delsie on your two hands.

  Victor and Groll strolled up towards a clearing on the mountain pass. Delsie was behind them, though she didn’t stroll as much as she floated. A purplish haze filled their surroundings like fog, though it kept its distance, and recoiled like a frightened beast at the golden light emanating from Delsie’s body.

  Three groups of five were barely identifiable in the clearing. Delsie opened her eyes, and the fog retreated from the area entirely. Several heads turned in their direction, and Victor felt an immense pressure as eyes locked onto them.

  These were all individuals taking the same mission as them. They were all just as powerful.

  “The band of the Shining Sword makes their appearance!” A large man, though not as tall, even broader than Victor, came up to them with a smiling face. His shirtless figure revealed a muscular torso adorned with green tattoos resembling waves and trees. His skin was tan, and he had thick black hair and striking sideburns.

  “Domestos…” Victor said, eyeing the child clinging to the man’s waist. He didn’t care to know the names of the names of these other adventurers. This was his moment of splendour. This was the day he would rise to the Rank of Mythril. But this man, Domestos, the leader of Green Haven, was powerful.

  “What’s with the kid?” Groll asked. “I didn’t know this was bring your daughter to work day.”

  Domestos laughed aloud, an incredibly loud, obnoxious, and hearty laugh.

  “This isn’t a joke.” Victor stared daggers at Domestos. “That kid will be a liability.”

  Just at that moment, Victor felt a chill go up his spine. He looked down at the child, who was looking back at him. However, the child’s eyes were red, with pupils like slits.

  “I think you will find it,” Domestos said, looking at the three of them. “Your band of only three will be more of a liability.”

  “Peh,” Groll spat. “We’ll see about that, leader of the green cabbage.”

  Domestos smiled before shielding the child’s gaze and walking away.

  Victor watched his figure walk away. That strange little child made him feel fear?

  Victor felt his cheeks turn hot from the humiliating thought. Him? Scared of a child?

  He must be imagining things.

  They made their way around the camp, greeting each adventurer band, exchanging pleasantries and insults. They were all taking the mission together, but on the battlefield, it was every man for himself. This whole time, Delsie remained impassive, almost looking bored with the entire ordeal.

  Altogether, they were four bands of adventurers:

  Victor’s party of three, the band of the shining sword.

  Domestos’ five man band of life art users.

  A military band, a four-man group of close quarters experts with red sashes.

  And a mixed band of mid to long range attackers. Victor didn’t bother to learn their names.

  Each of them were experts in their own right. Reaching the peak of Rank 2 just like Victor. None of them, however, were as powerful as Delsie. Indeed, only Domestos was shameless enough to ignore her presence altogether. The rest of them remained distracted whilst making small talk, constantly glancing at her and trying to get a read of her magical energy.

  Victor would feel jealous, but none of these cannon fodder stood a chance with her.

  Neither did he.

  “Leader strategy meeting!” someone called out.

  The trio made their way to the other leaders. Traditionally, only leaders would strategise, but Delsie didn’t care to interfere in such affairs, leaving the job to Victor.

  Victor, Domestos, a man with red hair and a red sash, and a wizened old man with a glint in his eyes, all stood around a table with a map.

  “Let’s begin,” the red-haired militaristic leader said.

  “Our quarry isn’t far from here,” Victor said. “We'll divide into two groups. Us and Green Haven, and your two teams. The goal of this mission is to wipe out this new type of demon completely. Leave no survivors. We’ll pincer them from both sides, mages in the back, physical users in the front. Close combat will engage, while long range will launch destructive magic and wipe them out.”

  “As expected from Victor Azelheart, the tactician.” The old man said, stroking his beard.

  Victor nodded. “My band of the shining sword will attack from above the mountain, this will give our mages the best range for their attack. Your group will distract them from the south, taking pressure off our smaller numbered group. We won't intersect, we merely need to keep them busy until the magic is ready.”

  “A child could think of a strategy like this,” the red-haired man said. “This is too simple, isn’t it?”

  Victor sized up the military leader. His skin was covered in scars. This wasn’t someone who started as a commander, it was someone who had to raise himself up from the bottom.

  “Why bother with Tactics?” Victor said. “When you have overwhelming firepower?”

  Gazes from the group turned towards Delsie, radiating light as she stood behind Victor.

  “You’re all peak Rank 2, aren’t you?” Victor said. “What are you so damn afraid of? This is nothing for Mythril adventurers.”

  The red-haired man clenched his fist and glared at Victor. The old man chuckled dryly.

  “The plan is fine,” Domestos said. “My Green Haven will act as a vanguard against the demons.”

  “Fear not.” Victor said, his eyes glinting in the torchlight. “This is a crusade for glory. Our enemies are merely an end to a means. They are unfortunate enough to cross paths with The Victor Azelheart. I will pray for their souls once they are vanquished.”

  “Are you sure about this plan?” Groll said, walking beside Victor.

  Victor bristled as soon as the words reached his ears.

  “Shut up Groll. What do you know about tactics?” Victor said.

  Groll winced, which gave Victor a sense of satisfaction. That'll teach him to second guess his tactics.

  Groll’s wide eyes turned to a glare as he stared at Victor.

  “You’re an arrogant bastard,” he said.

  “I’m aware,” Victor responded indifferently.

  “Peh!” Groll spat on the ground, before putting his hands on his belt and walking away.

  Victor let out an exasperated sigh.

  Honestly, what were they so afraid of?

  This wasn’t even going to be a fight. Not with Delsie here…