And with that, Aiden has dozed off, unaware of the presence creeping up behind him.
"What has gone into the crown prince to be training all day until exhaustion. I should notify some guards to carry him to his room."
"Hey, you there! Come here and carry his highness to his quarters."
"Ah- Sir, I'll carry him right away!" his iron boots echoing through the corridor.
"Why does the prince have to be wearing this heavy suit of armor? Ugh…" The young knight grumbled, carrying Aiden on his back.
10 hours later…
Aiden has woken up from his deep sleep.
"Ugh… That was a bad sleep… Wait, wasn't I sleeping on the hard training ground?" Aiden mumbled to himself, unaware of the screams behind his door.
"AHHHHHHH!"
"Run away!"
"They are coming, notify the king!"
"What about the prince?! He is still sleeping!"
"Who cares about him?! He doesn't even deserve to be a prince, let alone a crown prince!"
The murmurs only continue to grow louder.
"Who dares scream outside my room?!" Aiden stands up, heading for the door.
As he twists the knob, inhuman screeches rang outside.
He still opened the door.
What was before him terrified him: people lying on the ground, injured, clutching their wounds.
Rogue monster-like bloodhounds are sprinting towards them.
When they noticed his presence, they started growling.
Suddenly.
A huge tentacle appears in front of him, and it pushes every single bloodhound.
Aiden, horrified by the sight, stood frozen on his doorstep.
In a flash.
A cyan aura flew past him, cutting down the tentacle.
It was his instructor. "Your highness, run away! I'll hold them down!" His instructor shouted, and his face showed a clear wound stretching across his face.
"Huh…? So, it was you…" The instructor froze on his tracks, eyeing down his opponent.
Other knights have come to help their master, but they, too, horrified by their enemy, dropped their weapons in unison.
"Why… Is that creature attacking us?!"
"We can't win against 'THAT'!"
"What are you all doing! We are here to protect the prince at all costs, even our lives! So raise your weapons and charge!" The instructor screamed at the top of his lungs. His sword was glowing cyan.
"We can do this! After all, it is only one person-"
He didn't have the luxury to finish his own words; a tentacle threw him onto the wall.
Leaving a huge crater in his armor.
Eliminating him in the process.
"How dare you! I won't forgive you!" The instructor charged at the anonymous creature, cyan aura following him.
"Follow our leader!" The young knight shouted behind him.
He raised his sword, an aura erupting from his blade, pointing it at the tentacle-wielding creature, and he lunged at it. Risking his life.
Several other tentacles came out of his back.
"Foolish creatures." An inhuman voice came out of the mouth.
The instructor, unshaken by the power of his enemy, hadn't given up.
But he missed, leaving him vulnerable to an attack.
And the creature didn't let that chance go; he attacked him with his tendril.
He shut his eyes, bracing for his death.
But he never felt anything.
Opening his eyes, what was in front of him shocked him.
The young knight has taken his blow, smiling through the pain. "Master, thank you for everything."
"Ugh, humans do not give up, it seems."
Following up with another sharp tentacle coming at him.
But again, he didn't feel anything; another knight had covered him with his body.
"No… Stop it! Stop it!!" The instructor stood up. His aura purging out of control.
His eyes were gleaming.
"HAAAAA." He thrusted at the creature.
Grazing his opponent.
"Oho, so you finally decided to fight back."
"Shut up!"
He followed up with another slash.
Missing entirely. But still quick on his feet, he didn't lose balance.
Cyan aura envelopped him. Raging uncontrollably.
A beam came out of his sword.
Following the opponent.
"Huh? What is this?!" The creature trembled at the incoming attack.
In a last-ditch effort, he covered himself with his tentacles.
The instructor dropped to the ground. Exhausted.
"Did I get him? No… He couldn't have died that fast." His hands twitched, eyes all red.
"Wait… my students!" He started crawling towards his fallen disciples.
"No, this can't be! You can't leave like this! I am the one who was supposed to protect all of you!" His hands recoiled from the knight's face.
"You, I remember the stories you used to tell me, I remember how you fantasized about marrying your fiancé!"
Suddenly.
The fog dissipated, revealing a silhouette within it.
"That was a good one, too bad it wasn't enough to kill me." The inhuman creature came out of the smoke.
His skin was gone. Leaving only bones behind.
He wore a robe covering him. Gripping a massive scythe with his hands. Tentacles twitching behind him.
"Who… Who are you?! You can't be a normal one! That was supposed to end you one for all!" The instructor shouted, his body shook.
"Who am I? Hmm. You could call me Marrowtide, or maybe the death of you. Huhuhu." He laughed maniacally at the hopeless human in front of him.
"The death of me? We'll see about that!" The instructor's aura surrounded him, floating around him like a tornado.
His eyes glowed white.
"Huh? What are you doing?! Stop it!" The creature turned his back and started running away.
Suddenly.
A hand clamped Aiden's shoulder and dragged him outside the window.
"Huh? What is this!" Aiden shouted, snapping back to reality.
"Shh." A manly voice came behind him.
In an instant.
A ring of crimson aura encircled them.
Without warning
A cyan explosion erupted inside the castle.
Leaving nothing but ash.
"Wasn't that the instructor's aura color?!" Aiden muttered under his breath, shaking slightly.
"Yes, it was, in a last-ditch effort, he decided to sacrifice himself. All to protect you, the crown-prince of this crumbling kingdom."
[SYSTEM INTERFACE]
Name: Aiden Cross
Age: 20
Level: 11
Race: Human
Status: Alive
Title(s): [The Broken One] -25% Mental Power | +10% Damage [In Use]
Aura Color: Red
Aura Core: Low-Grade
Aura Color: Golden
Aura Core: Faint
--- SKILLS ---
360° Kick (Lv 2) Mockery (Lv 1) Roundhouse Kick (Lv 2) Counter Flow (Lv 1 – Locked
Fear Resistance (Passive Skill) (Lv 1)
+20% Fear Resistance +10% Mental Power
--- USER STATS ---
STR: 40 | AGI: 29 | INT: 11 | END: 18
PER: 13 | WIL: 13 | CHA: 2
HP: 150/150| Stamina:100/100 | Aura:30/30
EXP:57/100
Currency: 12 Aura Crystals
0 Aura Crystals [Faint]
12 Aura Crystals [Low Grade]
0 Aura Crystals [Standard Grade]
0 Aura Crystals [Bright Grade]
0 Aura Crystals [Radiant Grade]
0 Aura Crystals [Pure Grade]