Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

I had about an hour left until I could pick up my clothes from the [Tailor]. Which was rather fast honestly, considering the designs I had given came from Earth. But the [Tailor] was supposedly Level 30— the highest-leveled currently in all of Windrip. Garron was the one who recommended the shop to me, and I trusted the burly man enough to not be scammed.

For now, I waited, relaxed. I lay atop the roof of my inn, watching as the clouds passed overhead. I thought one of those floating cotton balls looked like a dog, for a second. A big fluffy dog. But I knew that it was just pareidolia— my imagination running wild and seeing images in mundane objects. I was probably just reminiscing about Rover. My first ever pet. I did miss him quite a bit.

“Maybe I should get a dog,” I said as the idea crossed my mind. But no— it didn’t feel right to just replace Rover like that. “A cat, then?”

I wasn’t even sure if getting a pet was a good idea. These were simply idle thoughts. Nothing substantive. For now, I was supposed to be mentoring Noele.

I looked up towards the sun’s position in the sky. It trickled down the blue dome like a single drop of water snaking across a burning saucepan. So slowly. But it was reaching the very fringes of the horizon.

“It’s going to be evening soon.” I closed my eyes. “That means I have to check up on Noele.”

I let out a heavy sigh. I really just wanted to lie down for another hour. Why did time have to pass by so quickly? It felt like I had barely even gotten anything done. I got up and shook my head.

“First, I’ll pick up my clothes. There’s probably still an hour till sundown, and Noele can wait a few extra minutes, right?”

—--

“Shit—” Noel cursed as she leapt back, raising her free hand and pointing.

The titan centipede hissed. Its undulating figure moved quickly, despite its size. It had to be a hundred feet in length and half a dozen feet wide. But it was fast— barely anything Noele threw its way hit. And the attacks that did barely did any damage. Case in point—

“[Scintillating Arrowfell]!” she yelled, and a volley of glowing arrows shot out.

It was a rain of magical projectiles. Ones that could even pierce through rock. The attack filled the entire cavern. There was nowhere for the titan centipede to escape. But the monster just reeled back, coiling into itself as the arrows bounced off its chitin.

Noele gritted her teeth. This was her chance. Right now, when the monster was distracted, she could strike with a stronger attack.

[Flash Step]. She vanished with a golden light. The entire world blurred around her as she crossed the distance between herself and the titan centipede in a split-second. The monster couldn’t react in time. It had just unfurled itself from its defensive position, and she appeared right before it with her sword raised.

“[Noble Slash]!” Noele swung down with her blade.

The entire cavern lit up as the attack clashed with the titan centipede’s shell. The monster shrieked in pain, and she heard a crack. The chitin shattered as green blood splattered out. In that single motion, she tore through to the other side of the creature.

It reeled back, its lower half dismembered. The Noble Spellsword stumbled forward, watching as the titan centipede split into two halves. But she wasn’t done. She already knew the monster was preparing for a counterattack.

The titan centipede whipped down at her, even with nearly half its body gone. It still moved with the same nimbleness as before. She managed to move out of the way with a second [Flash Step], but it rapidly skittered after her.

Noele blinked as its mandibles clicked open, pouring out a spray of yellow acid. She raised a hand, whispering.

“[Ice Wall]. And—” The acid landed on the barrier, quickly melting the ice as she pointed at the titan centipede with her sword. “[Fireflower]!”

Three petal-like bolts of flame shot out in succession, heading straight for the titan centipede. It wove around the attack, but another blast of fire came. It took the shape of a giant flower. Crimson, like a rose. And it engulfed the titan centipede, knocking it back.

Noele panted as she lowered her weapon. She watched as the monster crashed into the cave wall, writhing in pain and burning from the crimson flames. The Noble Spellsword was completely exhausted.

It struggled, thrashing and trying to break free, but it would take a moment. And Noele capitalized on this. She spun around, glancing up at the upper body of the titan centipede. At its twitching antennae.

The Noble Spellsword sprinted forward, even as her wounds ached. She refused to falter. She leapt to the side as the titan centipede spat out a ball of acid her way. The acid exploded, splattering all around her, sizzling and eating away at her armor.

She grimaced, but she didn’t let up. Noele vanished with a [Flash Step], appearing mid-air right next to the titan centipede’s head. The monster snapped its gaze her way— too slowly.

The Noble Spellsword crashed into its face, avoiding the snapping mandibles. She struggled. Noele fought back as it tried to bite her hands off. She landed a few good hits before gripping its antennae tightly. With all of her strength, she ripped them off.

Back at the rock wall, the lower half of the monster stopped moving.

Noele raised the sharp antennae and began to stab down with them. The titan centipede hissed, and her eyes narrowed. She saw droplets of a glowing yellow liquid spill from its mandibles as she gritted her teeth.

Acid. She had to keep it off her. Noele reached within herself, burning the last of the magic left within her. Quite literally. Her entire body was lit ablaze. An aura of golden flames wisped off her, burning her armor as the liquid evaporated before it could even get to her. She was quite literally burning herself to avoid the acid spray.

Noele continued stabbing as the titan centipede struggled. But it couldn’t get her off it. It crashed into the ground, violently flailing and smashing her against the earth. She refused to let go. The Noble Spellsword wrestled with the monster as she continued to impale it with its own antennae. Until, eventually—

It stopped moving. Its body went limp. Noele peeled herself off the monster, collapsing in the dirt as her golden flames slowly flickered out. She panted as she lay there, raising a burned hand.

“I-I survived...”

And a flurry of notifications flashed before her eyes.

[You have defeated a titan centipede!]

[You have cleared a colossal centipede nest!]

[You have leveled up! You are now Level 49!]

[You have leveled up! You are now Level 50!]

[Skill Evolved: A Warrior’s Power -> The Titan’s Strength!]

[Skill Gained: Nobleflame Armor!]

[Class Advancement Now Available!]

“I am finally A-ranked...” Noele managed to muster. “I—”

She tried to speak, but her lips ached. Her entire body was overcome with a numb pain. The world began to grow dark. The Noble Spellsword watched as her vision began to fade.

But right before the darkness could take hold of her, a cloaked figure descended from the sky. Noele raised a hand, whispering.

“I did it, sister.”

The cloaked figure cocked her head. And everything went dark for the blonde girl.

MelasD Just so you know, you can read up to chapter 27 on my patreon here now!