Chapter 8: An Abandoned Dream
But it was useless.
The Mishanter tore through the crystal that surrounded it.
As soon as the crystal shattered, the Mishanter's body came into view.
The number of its limbs was disturbing. It had five arms and four legs, combined with the same skinny body like Aeronis had fought earlier but this one has pale white skin covered in wounds. This creature had no clothing or covering at all. Unlike the previous one, This Mishanter bore no crystals on its body, just bare, exposed flesh.
I think this was solid proof that Mishanter wasn't a civilized creature.
Though smaller and weaker-looking, it was still frighteningly strong for us to face.
Grak'Mar and I froze, stunned by the Mishanter's terrifying form.
I locked eyes with the creature.
It glared back then unleashed a chilling scream.
"WARGHHHH!" the ground trembles from the Mishanter scream.
And without hesitation, it bent its body toward us and
SWOOSSH!
With its four legs, it launched forward like a starving predator. Its body shot straight at us, moving with terrifying speed.
Its five arms, each hand gripped a jagged sharp shard made of black and red crystal, all aimed directly to my neck.
Insane speed!… but I've got this!
Thanks to all the sword training with Aeronis, I was prepared. This Mishanter was fast but Aeronis had trained us against his sword skill even faster than this!
KTANGGG!
I managed to block its attack!
Steel clashed. Sparks flew.
I caught all its sharp shards with my sword but that was the easy part. Maintaining the hold was the hardest. Its terrifying face was only inches from mine. My sword is the only thing that separates us and this Mishanter stench hit my nose… it was like a corpse rotting under the sun.
I wanted to gag, but if I slipped even for a single breath I'd be carved open. I'd die!
We locked eyes. My grip tightened around the sword as if my life depended on it. His five shards pressed against my white blade, sparks hissing in the air where they met.
Then, suddenly—
SWOOSH!
Grak'Mar's blue axe came swinging from behind the Mishanter.
KTANG!
The creature reacted instantly. One of the mouths on the back of its head snapped open, its fanged jaws clamping down on the axe. Sparks scattered as the Mishanter bit into Grak'Mar's weapon.
Cih! I hissed.
I couldn't believe it, The Mishanter flexibility and reflexes were insane.
If that's the case… then I only have one choice left.
"Grak'Mar!" I shouted, teeth gritted. "Make me some space!"
Yahh! the ogre roared, wrenching the axe free from the Mishanter's jaws with sheer force. "Harrgh!" The axe tore loose from the Mishanter's mouth, and Grak'Mar leapt back.
Then it was my turn.
Now!
I summoned my wind Might, forcing the air current to swirl around my sword, forming a violent pull that dragged the Mishanter's bladed arms closer.
Its limbs twisted and wrapped tighter and tighter around my sword under the pull of the wind. The Mishanter flesh split open, blood dripping down its warped arms.
Some of that blood splattered across my face. My arm ached, but I had to keep going.
"WRAAACCHHH!!" it howled, blood spurting from its torn flesh.
My plan was simple: let its neck meet the sharp edge of my sword.
I had to cut this creature's head from its shoulders.
I poured more strength into my wind Might, pulling its neck closer to the blade. The air swirling around my sword grew fiercer than before.
It resisted. It thrashed, trying to wrench itself free.
But I wouldn't let it.
"HARRRGHH!!!" I poured all my energy into one final push.
SWOOOOSH! The sound of my wind Might roar around the sword, currents spinning violently.
Its neck bent toward the blade closer, closer dragged helplessly toward the edge of my sword.
But I couldn't keep this up forever. Holding my wind Might for so long was draining everything out of me.
Then the exhaustion began to kick in.
My vision blurred. My hands trembled. Blood gushed from my nose like a broken fountain.
Wild thoughts hammered through my mind. Am I going to die?
…Sigh. It doesn't matter anymore. At least before I fall, I'll take this monster with me!
I hardened my stance. I forced my body to hold. All of my wind Might surge at once.
Even if it kills me.
Even if no miracle comes.
Even if the world itself stays silent
I must win.
For the Etherians this Mishanter had slaughtered, I will drag this creature to hell… even if I'm the one who goes with it!
"WARGHHHH!"
I screamed, pouring out the very last of my strength.
And in that instant, I saw a blinding white just for a moment, as if my eyes had been struck by a flash of pure light.
Then the brightness began to fade.
I looked down and saw my hand still gripping the sword… but now, a radiant light was flooding through my body.
A greenish-blue outline crackled across my skin identical to Aeronis himself.
My hair streamed longer.
My vision sharpened clearer than ever before.
My Wind Might… I had entered Might Dominance!
Aeronis once told me about this state, but he never explained the details, never said what it could truly do. But what I know is that once I enter Might Dominance of a specific Affinity, like Wind, I will become one with it.
I will become… a Wind Elf!
But right now, it doesn't matter.
I only need one thing
I need to win this!
The wind currents then roared even stronger, dragging the Mishanter's neck helplessly closer.
"WARRRCHHH!" I screamed, full of confidence, I was the winner of this battle.
SWIRLLL SWOOOOSHHHH!
The air current swirls around my sword like a tornado.
"HAARGHHHHH!" The Mishanter howled, a desperate cry for help, but there was nothing it could do.
At last, its neck slammed against the edge of my blade.
In an instant
The sword severed its throat clean. Its head launched skyward, blood hissing as it sprayed through the air.
My hand burned as the Mishanter's corrupted blood ate into my flesh.
My body screamed in pain
But I stood.
I bled.
I hurt.
And above all….
I WIN.
I looked at my sword, dripping with the Mishanter's blood, and I smiled. I never thought I could win. I laugh with relief.
Suddenly…
Urk!
The aftereffects hit me all at once. The glow around my body vanished.
Pant… pant… My breathing grew heavier. The sword slipped from my hand and
Then…
I collapsed to the ground, my vision blurring as consciousness slipped away.
Ugh… it hurts. Everything in my body hurts so much.
I wanted to die right now….
The moment I am about to collapse.
My eyes suddenly opened wide. I gasped in shock.
My nose caught something awful, a smell. Familiar. The same stench as the Mishanter Aeronis had fought earlier.
Could it still be alive?
No. Impossible. I saw it burn to dust with my own eyes.
Remembering how strong that Mishanter was, fear crept into me. What if it was nearby?
And Grak'Mar… Yeah, Grak'Mar. Where is he? I need to find him.
Dizzy and weak, I forced myself to stand using my sword. Not because I wanted to, but because I had to.
My chest tightened with fear as I walked. My thoughts are running wild again…
What if that same Mishanter—
No… Don't think like that.
My friend. Grak'Mar. I had to reach him first.
I turned my head left and right, scanning the ruined castle to search for him.
The Mishanter's stench still lingered in the air. I wanted to scream Grak'Mar's name but if the Mishanter was nearby, that would only draw it to me.
I staggered through the ruins, leaning on my sword for support.
Beside the shattered wall of the castle, I caught sight of a familiar green foot. Grak'Mar.
But the stench of Mishanter was even stronger here.
I limped closer, confusion gnawing at me. Why was he on the ground?
No it didn't matter. I needed to call out to him first.
"Grak'Ma—"
The word caught in my throat. I gasped, stumbling back a step.
The thing I dreaded most had already happened.
While I was locked in my own battle, I had ignored Grak'Mar completely, believing he could defend himself.
I was wrong.
Peering past the ruined wall, I saw more than just his foot.
His massive body was sprawled across the rubble, flung aside like a broken doll hurled by another Mishanter.
Gritting my teeth, I steadied myself. No matter the cost, I had to help him.
"Grak… Mar…" I rasped
The good thing is the Mishanter wasn't moving; It didn't even notice my presence.
it just stood there, staring down at Grak'Mar's body. Its eyes were locked on him, as if fixated… Then my brain thought of something crazy.
What if I could strike now and stab the Mishanter, I could save him.
Step by step, I moved closer. My grip tightened on the hilt. Just a few more steps… and I could drive my blade straight into its back.
At least that's what I was thinking…
WHAM!
A crushing kick slammed into my stomach. Air exploded from my lungs as blood burst from my nose and mouth. The Mishanter's brutal strike landed squarely in my gut.
SWOOSH!
My body was sent flying across the ruined castle.
BOOM!
I crashed into the broken wall, not far from where Grak'Mar lay. Pain ripped through me, the impact knocking the breath from my chest. My vision spun, everything turning blurry.
ARGHHHH! COUGH! COUGH!
Impossible! I saw him right in front of me not moving! yet he still managed to kick me instantly!
Then, as my body ached and I slumped against the wall not far away,
I saw Grak'Mar lying flat on the ground while the Mishanter slowly walked toward him.
I couldn't move. My body refused to obey.
What will the Mishanter do to him? Will Grak'Mar be killed?
My thoughts spun wildly, Help me now anyone!
If miracles truly exist, then this is the moment to prove it.
The Mishanter crept closer and closer to Grak'Mar.
I refused to believe my eyes. Was Grak'Mar really about to be slain by that monster?
The creature raised its claws high, ready to tear apart Grak'Mar defenseless body.
But then it froze, halted by a sudden flash of orange light descending from above.
FWOOOSH!
A massive fireball burst through the ruined castle's open roof, engulfing the Mishanter in a wall of searing flame. The heat slammed against my skin, forcing my eyes shut.
Luckily…
It was Volgran. He stormed into the shattered castle from the front, his giant frame shaking the ground with every step, his Flame Might blazing like a living inferno. His voice thundered above the chaos:
"Volgran help Ogre!"
The Mishanter howled as the fireball swallowed its body, the ground trembling from the blast. No matter how strong it was, nothing could walk through that kind of fire unscathed.
Relief surged through me. I smiled despite the pain. We're going to win this fight…
When it came to Might Abilities, Volgran was the best among the three of us.
My spirit surged back. We had a chance!
If Volgran can hit the Mishanter with another attack, he can probably kill it like Aeronis did!
"Nice one, Volgran! Hit it with more—"
But the hope didn't last.
I gasped, my eyes betraying me once again, as if they were lying about what I saw.
I froze, unable to believe my own eyes. The massive fireball that had seemed to consume the Mishanter was shrinking smaller and smaller.
The Mishanter was devouring it.
Its gaping, jagged mouth opened wide and swallowed the flames whole.
SWOOSH!
Impossible…
The fire vanished without a trace.
I lost all hope, if that can't, what could possibly kill this creature?
Then came the part that twisted my mind, the part that didn't make sense at all.
As the flames died away, the Mishanter's face and body came back into view. This time I saw it clearly.
It was the same as the one Aeronis had fought earlier.
The same single eye.
The same gaping maw.
Like a perfect copy.
But that doesn't really bother me anymore.
More importantly, How could it swallow Volgran's massive, blazing fireball in a single gulp?!
Then….
After swallowing the fireball, the Mishanter turned its head left and right, searching for the one who had dared strike it with that massive fire ball.
Then its gaze lifted
Locking directly onto Volgran's face.
WARRHHHHGGG!
The Mishanter let out a horrifying scream the moment its single eye locked onto Volgran.
Then it crouched low, its body folding like a grotesque frog.
KRECK!
KRACK!
Bones snapped as its legs twisted into an unnatural shape. The ground beneath it cracked under the pressure.
SWOOSH!
It launched forward too fast.
Too fast for Volgran to react.
In the blink of an eye, it crashed down onto Volgran's chest.
THUD!
The Mishanter landed on Volgran's chest. Then, the Mishanter used Volgran's chest like a springboard, launching itself even higher with its feet.
SHOSSHH!
Then came the sickening snap of breaking bones
KRECK!
Volgran's ribs shattered from the impact.
THUD!
He collapsed, roaring in agony.
"ARGHHHH!"
But that evil creature didn't stop there.
While still hovering in the air, it spread its jaws wide, ready to unleash the very fireball it had stolen from Volgran earlier!
Slowly the fire began to emerge from its mouth. The flame grows bigger and bigger as the Mishanter opens its mouth wider.
But the flame he is about to unleash… it wasn't orange anymore.
It was bloody red.
The colour of bloody red flame glow painted the ruined castle wall in crimson red, the heat searing my face even from this distance.
The Mishanter's mouth gaped wider, swelling until the fireball grew larger than that Mishanter body itself.
With a guttural roar, it hurled the bloody inferno downward directly to Volgran's lying body.
SWOOSHH!
VOOOOMMM!
The air rippled as the colossal bloody red flame ball descended.
Volgran, broken and writhing on the ground, had nowhere to run.
If that fire struck him, he wouldn't just be injured
he'd be reduced to ashes.
"VOLGRAN!!!"
ZWOSSHHH!
The bloody red fireball burned hotter than anything I had ever felt. The Mishanter was too strong.
I was afraid.
I shut my eyes.
Only then did I realize just how vast the gap was between my strength and the Mishanter's.
I had already lost my friends.
I was weak
Not because I couldn't defeat the Mishanter.
But because I couldn't even protect them.
I was weak… because I let them die.
I close my eyes hopelessly in despair.
No one will save us.
I wanted to die.
My body trembles, I'm hopeless
But the air around me feels so cold…sigh.
So this… is what they call dying?
So be it…
But…but I don't want to die yet
I can't die yet!
I need to do what I can. There's still hope.
There are still people who can save us.
The Realm Protectors! Yes, the Realm Protector are still out there!
I have to call them.
I have to get up.
With the last scraps of energy left in me, I slowly opened my eyes.
I tried to stand, but my body refused.
I tried to call for the Realm Protectors, but no sound left my throat.
How pathetic I am…
But I noticed something was off.
Where was the bloody red fireball that was about to hit Volgran?
Hadn't it been hanging in the sky just moments ago?
And the air
It should have been scorching from the flames, yet it was growing colder.
Then I looked up.
The Mishanter was still suspended in the air, but the massive fireball was gone.
Vanished without a trace.
The Mishanter hovered above, its face twisted in confusion. It tried to unleash the technique again, jaws opening wide, but nothing came out from its mouth. The Mishanter confusion grew.
"ARRRGH!"
The Mishanter roared, attempting the same move once more but again, nothing happened.
I noticed my surroundings grew colder and colder, until even my breath turned to mist.
Through half-lidded eyes, I caught sight of tiny ice particles forming around the Mishanter.
The air itself froze.
A glowing circle of frost spread beneath his feet, climbing upward to entrap him.
But with a violent slash of his claws
CRACKKK!
The ice shattered apart.
"WARRGGHHH!"
The Mishanter roared, twisting his monstrous body, eyes darting wildly as he searched for the source of the cold.
Then
SWOOSH!
From the mist ahead, an ice spear shot forward, tearing through the fog in a blinding flash of frost.
KTANGGG! SCREEECCTT!
The Mishanter caught the ice spear mid-flight with its claws, the clash scattering shards of ice that rained toward the ground far below.
The Mishanter gripped the spear with its claw, monstrous strength, cracks splintering along the weapon's surface as the frost strained against him.
Then the mist began to thin.
Slowly… a figure stepped forth, the true wielder of the Ice Spear finally emerging
An Ice Elemental.
An Elemental Realm Protector.
From within the fading mist, she emerged,
Her blue cape trailing behind, edged with silver trim. Her elegant, bluish figure was encased in a purple amethyst crystal armor streaked with pure white, a breathtaking blend of colors that seemed almost unreal. In her hand, a spear of dark-blue frost glowed with lethal intent, Its edge still gripped by the Mishanter claws.
Her eyes, frozen and unyielding, blazed with the will to strike down the Mishanter.
Even from a distance, her presence stunned me. The cold air around her bit into my skin; I could feel the chilling force of her Ice Might.
Then the fight continue
The Mishanter knocked her spear aside with its claw, then drifted backward, still floating in the air as it created distance between them.
The Ice elemental steadied herself and raised her black frost spear, leveling it at the creature as if daring it to come closer.
Enraged, the Mishanter let out a scream
"WARGHHH!!!"
In an instant, it dashed straight toward her.
And then they clashed while floating in the air.
KTANGG!
SWOOOSHH!
SCREEEET!
Their battle erupted midair, movements so fast I could barely follow. Sparks of frost and shadow scattered with every strike, tearing the battlefield apart.
I couldn't see a thing from their clash, only blinding streaks tearing through the mist.
Then, through the haze down below the fight, I spotted Volgran lying on the ground. His chest was shattered, his body crumpled yet… he was still breathing. Relief washed over me, but it didn't last.
My consciousness wavered. Strength slipped from my body, and darkness crept in at the edges of my vision.
My ears rang. The world fell silent.
And then everything shut down.
But just before I collapsed, I felt it—
a warm hand lifting me, steady and firm.
It was Aeronis.
He carried me in his arms, holding me as if I weighed nothing
While being carried away, my fading vision caught a glimpse of Grak'Mar, borne on the broad back of a towering Elephant Beastfolk Realm Protector.
That fleeting sight became the final image etched into my memory
and the last I would ever know of Commander Aeronis.
After that incident, Volgran, Grak'Mar, and I were taken for treatment. It took three long weeks before our bodies finally healed. By then, the ceremony had long passed us by.
And Aeronis… was never seen again
We moved on to Kallidorra to continue our lives.
And with that, we left behind not only our childhood—
but also our fragile, broken dream.
End Of Chapter 8
Tragic story for Liraen,Grak'Mar and Volgran
Is Kael still want to become a realm protector knowing the danger he will face
Despite being the only human left in this Vast world full of threats or should I say 'The Mishanter'