Aether Chronicles: Birth Of A Legend

Raegar looked at the meal Mariam served, which was a lump of delicious-looking monster meat covered in something that smelt like BBQ sauce that surprised him. 'Is that stuff in this world? Strange,' he pondered.

The rest of his meal consisted of mashed potatoes and vegetables, which he happily ate. He noticed the Bloodaxe Family was busy talking about their day as he sat there enjoying the food quietly.

As Raegar was busy eating, Hogar suddenly spoke to him. ''Human. There's a Rank F Dungeon nearby. Once you're done with the firewood, I'll take you there to see how well you do and how I'll train you.''

''Thank you,'' he replied.

Following that, they all started eating and Raegar enjoyed the meal which he found delicious, and ate everything. By the time everyone was done, Gruda had left the table while Zorana went to train her magic.

''Thanks for the delicious meal, but I'm heading out to gather a bit before turning in,'' he said with a warm smile.

Mariam glanced up from the sink, her hands still submerged in soapy water. ''Be careful on your way back to the shack, dear. Monsters wander near the homestead, but this big brute keeps most of them at bay.''

''I'll be fine Mariam,'' he replied with a smile while stepping outside, only to hear the chirping of birds.

He began the ten-minute walk back to the shack, the familiar path stretching before him. But as he neared his destination, an eerie silence fell over the surroundings. Raegar swallowed hard, a chill running down his spine as the hairs on his neck stood on end.

Then, from the darkness, came a low, bone-chilling chuckle. 'Nope!' he thought before stepping into the clearing where the shack was.

Moments later, half a dozen eerie figures emerged from the underbrush, their bodies covered in matted fur. They resembled twisted hybrids of wolf and human, and Raegar immediately recognized them.

''Tier One Gibberlings... Bloodfang Forest is their territory,'' he muttered under his breath while summoning his daggers and readied for battle.

The Gibberlings lunged with a ferocious snarl, but he was quicker. With lightning speed, he danced around their strikes, his blade flashing as he drove it into their bodies. Their lifeless forms crumpled to the earth, falling like shadows in the moonlight.

As the battle raged on, Raegar fought like a storm. His every move was deadly. He ducked beneath a sword strike, then drove his blade into one of the monster's eyes with a sickening twist.

Without missing a beat, he hurled the second dagger into another's chest, ending its life. Moments later, he rolled beneath a swipe and rose in a fluid motion, his hand crackling with energy.

With a fierce roar, Raegar unleashed a Lightningfire Blast. The crackling surge of lightning struck the nearest beast, sending it flying through the air and slamming into a tree. But as the monster fell, more Gibberlings emerged from the shadows, quickly surrounding him.

Raegar's breath hitched as they nearly overwhelmed him, but before the creatures could, a hail of Earth Bullets slammed into the monsters at the rear. Zorana appeared from the trees, her blade cutting through the horde.

Without missing a beat, he joined her, and together, they became an unstoppable force. The two of them cleaved through the ambushers with brutal efficiency, their weapons dancing through the air like extensions of their will.

Ten minutes later, the ground was littered with the mangled corpses of the Gibberlings, and the once ferocious horde lay defeated. Raegar staggered, the exhaustion weighing heavily on him.

He was running low on Aether, his body feeling the strain of the battle causing him to think. 'I need to gather once things have calmed down.'

Raegar caught his breath while brushing the dust off himself as Zorana took down the last of the monsters, then strode toward him with a grin that spoke of both triumph and frustration while scanning the surrounding brush.

''Damn, these critters just won't quit,'' she said, wiping blood from her blade. ''They've been attacking the homestead more and more. It feels like a chore to keep killing them.''

Raegar chuckled before summoning his daggers while replying. ''This is the first time encountering them on my end. They appeared out of nowhere. I've been fighting those Forest Widows. I'm surprised they haven't appeared.''

Zorana shook her head with a smile. ''They are to the west Rae. The insect monsters don't travel this far because of the Nightwalkers.''

''What are they?'' he asked as his curiosity surged forth.

The orc woman ruffled around in a bag she had and took out a book before speaking. ''This is a monster guide to the eastern part of Bloodfang Forest that one of the original townspeople created.''

Raegar was shocked, but with a smile, he spoke. ''Thank you. I didn't realize there were two sections.''

''Well yes, it's split in two. The western part is full of giant insects and other horrifying monsters while the Nightwalkers and other creatures wander this place,'' Zorana informed him with a glint in her blue eyes.

''Interesting,'' he muttered. ''I have to return there before next winter. I'm joining Drakenwood Academy, but before I get admitted, I'll have to take a test.''

The orc woman nodded. ''I've never understood the interest in going to those places. It's all competition and who uses magic better. Adventuring is where you grow stronger, always fighting powerful monsters that could kill you at any moment.''

Raegar chuckled before retorting. ''Yes, you're right but the schools have quests to hunt down monsters or dungeons that students can enter as long as they're in the right tier.''

When Zorana heard this, her eyes widened as she questioned with a big smile. ''So you're interested in dungeons? Dangerous places they are, but worth it for the loot you can.''

''Exactly,'' he replied with a knowing expression. ''I won't be taking any pointless subjects. I'll challenge myself to get stronger by conquering the dungeons.''

Raegar approached the firepit after speaking and started a blazing fire as he continued. ''Then there are the Gateways that I want to explore, but I have to be a Tier Two Fog Mage before becoming a Gatewalker.''

Zorana's eyebrow rose in fascination. ''Looks like you have big plans, Rae. I hope you achieve it all.''

She stood up and stretched as she finished. ''But being a Spellblade Mage will help you in more ways than one.''

Raegar's eyebrow rose when hearing this, causing him to ask. ''Why would that help?''

The orc woman chuckled before explaining, ''Guilds that explore the gates are always looking for Spellblades. Their ability to wield both weapons and magic makes them incredibly versatile. Not many choose that path, most stick to one.''

Following that, Zorana said her goodbyes and made her way home while Raegar sat in front of the fire while gathering. He could fill up the enormous pool until one quarter was full before the Aether poured into the other eight.

A few hours later, Raegar opened his eyes and made his way to the shack to get some sleep. The following morning, he woke up as thunder boomed overhead, causing him to sigh before climbing out of bed.

''Let's cut some wood,'' he muttered while letting out a yawn.

Afterward, he put on his clothes and stepped outside, only to shiver when the cold air brushed against his skin as he noticed the monster bodies were now gone and guessed it was Hogar collecting them.

Raeger approached the pile and started chopping the wood into smaller bits like the day before. By the time the afternoon sun appeared in the sky, he was tired, but Hogar appeared while holding a massive Warhammer.

He jumped up as the orc man spoke in a cheerful tone. ''Come on, human. We can head to that dungeon. Zorana told me about your fight, but I want to see it for myself.''

Following that, Raeger and Hoger traveled toward the dungeon and, after half an hour, they reached a village deep inside Bloodfang Forest. When passing through, he noticed there were vampires, orcs, demi humans and other races, but no humans.

While he glanced around, the orc man noticed and explained. ''We escaped from the Korrveth Kingdom as they treat any other race except demons like second-class citizens, despite being descended from devils.''

Raegar's face twitched when hearing that and his aura changed, which caught Hogar's attention. ''I've seen you've encountered those foul creatures. We have a Devil Hunter stationed in the village, so no need to worry.''

He noticed the people staring at him with a mix of fear and concern, but Hogar waved them away before reassuring them. ''He's a worker on the homestead who I'm training for a few days.''

When they heard the orc, they looked relieved. Moments later, they stepped through the gates and followed a path until reaching a small fortress that was guarded by Nytherian soldiers, which surprised him.

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