Sora's body moved before her mind could catch up. She lunged between Sorelia and the mythic, her dual axes materializing in a flash of steel. The creature's claw slammed against the blade with a teeth-rattling clang—but though the force sent tremors up her arms, as she barely held the weapons in her hand.
No cut. Not even a scratch. Her stomach dropped. The axe had cleaved through hardened flesh with ten times more density, before, being equivalent to atleast a hundred armor plates—yet against this thing? It barely left a dent.
The mythic recoiled, its grotesque head tilting as it examined the little slash across its wrist. Then those hellish red eyes that spelled danger locked onto Sora, glowing immensely.
Sora's body shook slightly as she witnessed the monster's deadly, attack, 'It was fast and strong too, what in the world is it?,' she muttered in her thoughts.
"Be careful, Sora," Sorelia warned, "That is a quadruple tier mythic, they can be very fast"
Sora's expression changed slightly as the information of what this beast could be reached her, 'A quadruple tier mythic?,' she thought. Blatantly remembering the time a guard stepped in to give Sorelia news, Sora remembered the mention of a mythic.
But what was more confusing was the use of tiers. Though, she couldn't dwell on it for that long before the mythic launched at her again with terrifying speed—Sora swung her axe downward, aiming to split its skull—
Only for the creature to sidestep effortlessly, avoiding the attack before it's fist connected with Sora's face. The impact of the attack rang out hard—enough to cause a gust of wind so strong it paved ways towards the bushes.
Sora felt herself airborne, the crunch of bushes beneath her, the system's cold alerts flashing behind her eyelids:
[CRITICAL HEALTH STRIKE!]
[Health Points: 150/200]
The guards attacked as they saw that Sora was rendered useless, but they were immediately thrown away like ragdolls, knocked by the relentless force of the mythic's blows. The mysterious mythic now faced Sorelia who stood completely still.
It's red eyes sparked as it roared in a mechanical manner, its screeching echoing through out the area. It raised its fist, bringing it down on Sorelia.
Hours had passed after that sudden attack, with no sign of what had happened, witnessed by Sora as she had just woken up from her slumber, her eyes opening slowly as she could see the system:
[Health Points Restored]
The system then dissappeared leaving her to glance up at the sky which was still blurred. She could feel a warm presence beside her and that seemed to jolt her awake, "Mythic!," she shouted, her hand reaching out only to find herself back in the middle of the road where their chariot remained.
Sora turned to her right, as the warm presence seemed to be to her tight hand side. Crouched there was Sorelia who glanced at her with a look that made her look confused.
The confusion soon turned into joy, "Welcome back, Sora," said Sorelia with a humorous tone.
Sora glanced at the chariot that was been put together by the guards before looking back at Sorelia who was clearly unharmed, "Where's the mythic?," she asked, placing her hand on her head as she groaned in pain.
"Oh, the mythic," Sora replied, standing from her crouched position before facing the bushes at the right side of the narrow path where a way had been paved open, Gone." Sorelia gestured to the trampled bushes where something massive had fled. "It won't return today. Not with the injuries my guards had inflicted on it."
Sora rose to her feet, dusting herself off, "This injury, is it possible enough that the mythic will die from it?," she asked.
Sorelia nodded, "I'm afraid not, Mythics don't necessarily die from battle scars enough to kill a human. They evolve." Sorelia's gaze darkened. "The next time we run across this particular one, it'll be faster. Stronger. Hungrier."
Sora on the other hand, couldn't shake the feeling that she was close to a near death experience. As the guards continued with fixing the chariot, retrieving all the steeds that had ran away and he long Sorelia to sit on a patch of grass, Sora stood, her mind occupied.
The words slithered down Sora's spine. She stared at her hands—the same hands that had survived the Dream World's horrors—and felt the ghost of that monstrous fist again.
This wasn't a nightmare. This was real. And the next fight?
It wouldn't end with a warning.
But another thought that crossed her mind was the fact that the mythic had specifically gone for Sorelia first. Was it the fact that it found the woman far more threatening than the rest of them? This innate feeling woke Sora up and she had to keep her guard up.
The continuation of their journey had finally began, the four-wheeled carriage was finally fixed with the help of the tools the guards had stored with them.
"Lady Sorelia, the carriage has been fixed," one of the guards announced, "We may continue our journey now"
Sorelia sighed as she rose to her feet with the support of the guard who lent a helping hand. "What a shame. I did enjoy the silent breeze," she murmured, her tone tinged with melancholy before she turned to Sora with a faint smile.
"Shall we,"she gestured before walking into the carriage.
Sora, still wary of the woman, followed behind. As the journey to the citadel resumed, an uneasy silence settled between them. Yet, despite the quiet, Sora couldn't shake the sensation of something lurking in their wake—something watching them with unseen eyes.
This feeling was new. It hadn't manifested during the mythic's attack. Why now? Had the system been inactive all along?
——
Another set of hours had passed by since they continued their journey, atleast they hadn't ran into any difficulties. They finally arrived at the citadel, belonging to the Bureau of Knights.
The area was grey and quite with cold winds passing through, but that wasn't the only detail which took Sora by surprise. She glanced at the stone building, her mouth wide open as she took in the image of the structure.
Most citadels she got to see wasn't as huge as rhe one she was seeing now, talk less of its mass being wide enough to cover an entire island. Its peak was quite close to the clouds and anyone who stood above it could touch the sky with a great jump.
Below it was a city that expanded, wider than Titan Forge. She had heard of many great cities that were better than titan forge, though she got the chance to see some, this one went beyond.
Sorelia noticed the look on Sora's face and she couldn't hold in her amusement, smiling brightly, her cheeks began to fluster, "Welcome to Eldermere," she muttered to the young lady, who glanced at her before looking at the structure.
'Eldermere,' Sora repeated the word in her mind. Not only was the structure unique, the name had its own touch of uniqueness.
The massive metal gates, set within towering stone walls, groaned open as if moved by an unseen force. A sudden, immense gust of wind rushed out—so powerful it shoved the chariot back slightly, as though the city itself had been holding its breath.
As they rolled inside, Sora's eyes widened at the sight before her. A bustling society filled the streets—commoners, blacksmiths, crop sellers, and townsfolk who paused their daily routines to turn toward the arriving chariot. Murmurs spread through the crowd, then swelled into applause. Smiles bloomed on their faces as they cheered.
Sorelia waved gracefully, basking in their admiration, while Sora watched in quiet awe. Then, a small boy broke from the crowd, clutching a single flower. He stretched it toward her with hopeful eyes. Sora hesitated—such kindness was foreign in Titan Forge—but she accepted it gently. The boy beamed before darting back to a woman, likely his mother.
"I informed the people about you," Sorelia whispered, noticing Sora's glassy gaze. "They were overjoyed when they heard you'd come."
Sora's chest tightened. For a fleeting moment, she imagined a life here, embraced by warmth instead of scorn. But speculation was pointless—she had only just arrived.
The chariot crossed a broad bridge leading to the citadel's heart before finally halting.
"This is where we stop," Sorelia announced.
"Oh," Sora murmured, stepping onto the cobbled path.
The entrance loomed before them—a heavy door that groaned when Sorelia pushed it open. Its hinges echoed through a vast, empty hallway, leading to yet another door. The silence was unnerving.
Then Sora froze.
The interior—it was identical to the castle from her dream. The same arched windows spilling light, the same grand staircases winding upward. Only the details differed—the open layout, the absence of eerie mist.
No. It's just a coincidence, she told herself. That cursed castle was nothing but a memory now.
Sorelia frowned, scanning the deserted hall. "Strange. The knights should be here to greet us." She tapped her chin, then motioned for Sora to follow.
They advanced toward the next door. This time, it revealed a cavernous dining hall—long benches and tables stretched out, untouched. More doorways lined the walls, leading deeper into the citadel's hollow belly.
"How irresponsible," Sorelia muttered, her voice sharp with irritation. "Where is everyone?"
"They've all gone on patrol."
A man's voice echoed behind them. Sora spun, muscles tensed for a fight—only to relax at the sight of an elderly figure draped in pristine white robes. A priest? His calm demeanor did little to ease the growing unease in the air.