CHAPTER 63— Cave battle(3)
Rowan finally stepped inside the cave.
And the moment he did—
He froze because the sight that greeted him was nothing like what he had expected.
The cave floor was covered with Chimera corpses.
They were scattered everywhere like discarded scraps of paper after a violent storm.
Some had their limbs ripped completely off.
Others were missing half their bodies.
A few were still twitching weakly on the ground, their mangled forms barely resembling living creatures anymore.
So some had been reduced to nothing but piles of black ash.
The smell of blood, burnt flesh, and scorched stone lingered heavily in the air.
Rowan's eyes widened.
His mind immediately began racing.
'What kind of monster could do this?'
How powerful would something have to be to tear apart this many Chimeras?
The battlefield looked less like the aftermath of a fight and more like the aftermath of a massacre.
While his thoughts spiraled—
Thud!
A figure suddenly dropped from above and landed directly in front of him.
"WAAH!"
Rowan nearly jumped out of his skin.
His entire body jerked backward in surprise.
The person who had landed didn't even spare him a glance.
The moment his feet touched the ground, he immediately twisted his body to jump again and launched another spell somewhere deeper inside the cave.
Wind and thunder exploded forward.
'Did this guy just fall from the sky?' Rowan blinked.
Then he finally got a good look at the person's face.
His eyes widened.
Ashwin.
The words Kaizen had spoken outside instantly resurfaced in his mind.
'Ashwin is fighting there alone. He needs help.'
Rowan quickly looked upward.
Only then did he realize what was happening.
Ashwin wasn't fighting on the ground.
He was moving through the air itself.
Wind and thunder raged around him as he darted across the cavern bolts of lightning flashed.
Silver currents of wind twisted and roared.
For a brief moment, Rowan found himself completely mesmerized by the spectacle.
The battle looked incredible.
The way Ashwin moved.
The way he cast spells.
The sheer confidence in every action.
For a second, Rowan forgot why he had come here.
But then a question slowly crept into his mind.
Who is he even fighting?
His expression immediately went blank.
"...Huh?"
He rubbed his eyes.
From his perspective—
Ashwin appeared to be fighting absolutely nothing.
His spells were flying across the cave.
Thunder exploded.
Wind howled.
Yet there was nobody there.
No enemy.
No monster.
Nothing.
It looked like Ashwin was seriously fighting empty air.
Yet the look on Ashwin's face told a completely different story.
His eyes were focused.
Sharp.
Every spell was aimed with precision and it looked like they were hitting something.
It was obvious that something was there.
Rowan simply couldn't see it.
Then suddenly—
He remembered something.
Kaizen's voice echoed in his mind.
"Don't forget to activate Aether Sight first."
Rowan's eyes widened.
He took a deep breath closed his eyes and then slowly opened them again.
Slowly mana started gathering around his eyes. As he concentrated, another memory surfaced.
Instructor Valeria's voice echoed from one of her lectures.
"Mages have developed methods to perceive what others cannot."
The mana around his eyes slowly condensed.
A luminous blue ring began forming around his pupils.
"And that's what we call Aether Sight."
Rowan opened his eyes and then looked at the direction where Ashwin was fighting.
Suddenly his eyes widened. Rowan's mouth slowly fell open.
Just moments ago Ashwin had looked like a lunatic throwing spells at empty air.
Now Rowan could finally see the battlefield that had been hidden from him all along.
---
The orange bat spirit vanished into a burst of flame.
A second later fire erupted behind Ashwin.
At the same moment the blue tigress spirit lunged from another angle.
Their attacks came from completely different directions.
Like hunters coordinating a kill.
That made Rowan think.
'How is he fighting both of them at once?'
Ashwin firmly aimed his wand, there was no hesitation in him.
Tempest Arts
The wind around him erupted.
Thunder exploded outward.
The violent blast struck the water spirit directly.
The translucent tigress was sent skidding backward through the air.
"Tempest Art."
His silver-gray eyes narrowed.
"Tempest Drive."
Five bolts of thunder shot forward, Three spiraling currents of wind twisted around them.
The attack crossed the cave in an instant.
The bat spirit barely had time to react.
The spell slammed into it head-on.
The spirit was blasted away.
"Wow..."
The word escaped Rowan's mouth before he realized it.
His eyes remained fixed on the battle.
'Does he even need my help?'
Suddenly—
Ashwin dropped from the air and landed directly in front of him.
This time Rowan didn't jump.
Ashwin's back faced him.
From close up, Rowan could finally see details he hadn't noticed before.
Ashwin's breathing wasn't perfectly steady.
His breathing looked controlled.
Measured.
Deliberate.
Like someone actively suppressing exhaustion.
And then Rowan noticed something else.
A faint tremor in Ashwin's right hand.
But Rowan noticed the tremor in his right hand.
The sleeve around his wrist was torn.
Sweat dripped from the side of his jawline.
His expression remained calm..
Yet Rowan suddenly realized something.
Ashwin wasn't unharmed.
He was simply refusing to show it.
Ashwin was staring ahead.
Rowan followed his gaze.
At the opposite end of the cave stood the two remaining spirits.
The bat spirit and the water spirit.
Even through their translucent forms, their exhaustion was visible.
Their chests rose and fell unevenly.
They looked just as drained as Ashwin.
A brief silence stretched between both sides.
Then Ashwin spoke.
"Who are you?"
"Hm?"
"Hm?"
Rowan blinked.
Ashwin pointed toward him without taking his eyes off the spirits.
"I'm Rowan.Forgot me?"
He pointed at himself.
Ashwin finally spared a glanced over his shoulder to at him.
His gaze lingered on Rowan for a moment.
Then recognition appeared.
"Ah... The axe guy. You name was Rowan right."
"That's what I just told you."
Rowan stared as he wishpered under his breath.
Ashwin had already turned his attention back toward the spirits.
The tension immediately returned.
The cave fell silent once more.
Only the distant sounds of battle outside echoed through the stone walls.
Then Ashwin asked,
"How did you get in?"
"My friends helped."
Rowan answered.
"And that guy outside the cave said you needed help."
Ashwin's eyes flickered slightly.
"Kaizen."
The name escaped his mouth in a low mutter.
Rowan remembered the exhausted boy leaning against the cave wall outside.
Ashwin raised his wand toward the two spirits.
The silver-gray of his eyes sharpened.
"Tempest Arts."
Wind gathered.
Thunder crackled.
The mana around his wand twisted violently, creating a shrill whistling sound that echoed throughout the cavern.
"Tempest Fangs."
Six bolts of blue thunder erupted forward.
Four compressed waves of spiraling wind wrapped around them like the jaws of a predator.
The attack roared across the cave.
It looked less like a spell and more like a pack of hunting beasts charging toward their prey.
The two spirits reacted instantly.
The orange bat spirit disappeared into a burst of flame.
The blue tigress spirit leaped sideways.
Both split apart in opposite directions.
The Tempest Fangs tore through the space they had occupied only a moment earlier.
For an instant, it seemed they had successfully dodged.
Then—
The spell changed direction.
Rowan's eyes widened.
"...What?"
The six bolts split themselves perfectly in half.
Like living creatures, they curved through the air.
The thunder and wind began chasing the spirits.
The orange bat spirit attempted to flee.
The blue tigress twisted desperately through the air.
But it was too late.
BOOM!
BOOM!
The divided attacks slammed into them.
Thunder exploded.
Wind burst outward.
The two spirits were hurled through the cave before crashing heavily against the rocky ground.
Their translucent bodies flickered.
Their forms looked unstable and exhausted.
It looked like they were barely standing.
Fwoosh...
Ashwin slowly exhaled.
The cave briefly fell silent.
Rowan stared at the scene with sparkling eyes.
His jaw had almost dropped.
'Wow amazing. This guy is something else.'
For a few moments, he simply stood there.
Watching.
Unable to look away.
Then—
"Hey listen."
Ashwin's voice snapped him out of his daze.
"Huh?"
Rowan quickly looked toward him.
Ashwin pointed deeper into the cave.
"You see that over there."
Rowan followed his finger.
Only then did he notice it.
A massive wall of Chimeras.
Dozens of twisted creatures stood shoulder-to-shoulder, packed tightly together.
Like soldiers protecting something important.
Or perhaps someone.
"what's that?"
"That dark mage is over there." Ashwin said pointing his wand. "Right behind that hoard.
"Umm..."
"You create an opening." Ashwin looked at Rowan.
He spoke as if giving the most obvious order imaginable.
"I will go and land a finishing blow."
Ashwin looked at his hand it was aching because of the constant use of high level spells.
He took a deep breath and looked ahead.
'Looks like I can use Skybreaker Lance only one more time now. I have already used it twice.'
Despite all that A carefree smirk formed on his face.
'Hah... I only need one spell to finish things off anyway. After the opening i will blast that dark mage off.'
Ashwin glanced at Rowan.
But... Rowan rubbed the back of his head as he looked at Ashwin's serious face.
"I'm sorry but... I don't know how to create an opening."
"....?"
Ashwin turned his head and looked at Rowan.
The expression on his face was priceless.
For a full second he looked genuinely stunned.
As if Rowan had just confessed he didn't know how to walk.
His face practically screamed:
How can someone not know how to create an opening?
Ashwin stared at Rowan.
"...What do you mean you don't know how to create an opening?"
Rowan scratched his cheek awkwardly.
"I mean... I don't."
A long silence stretched between them.
Ashwin blinked once.
Then twice.
"You don't know how to break an enemy formation?"
Rowan shook his head.
"No."
"...Force a gap?"
"No."
"...Create a distraction?"
"No."
"...Separate targets?"
"No."
"...Bait attacks?"
"No."
Ashwin's face slowly became blank.
"What do you actually know then?"
Rowan immediately looked offended.
"I know things!"
"Like?"
Rowan opened his mouth.
Then paused.
Then opened it again.
"...Fire Chop."
Ashwin stared at him.
Rowan continued proudly.
"Water Chop too."
Silence.
He stared at Rowan,
Rowan slowly looked away awkwardly.
Pretending the cave wall had suddenly become fascinating.
Ashwin slowly turned his head toward the ceiling.
For the first time since entering Rune Island, he looked genuinely exhausted.
"Skyren save me."
"What?"
"Nothing."
Ashwin rubbed the bridge of his nose
"Fineee."
A long silence followed.
Eventually Ashwin sighed.
"Okay then."
Then quickly regained his composure.
"Atleast you know how to fight. Right?"
Rowan's face brighten the embarassment and awkwardness leaving his face immediately.
"Oh yeah! I know that well."
"Good."
He pointed toward the wall of Chimeras.
"I will create the opening and you will go."
Rowan blinked.
Ashwin stepped closer and patted his shoulder.
"Don't worry."
His voice remained calm.
"He must be exhausted too."
Ashwin glanced toward the Chimera wall.
"To draw out this much power, he must be burning through his internal core."
Rowan didn't understand half of what Ashwin meant.
But Ashwin sounded confident.
Very confident.
So Rowan nodded.
"Okay."
"Good."
Ashwin nodded back.
The two of them stared at each other for a second before Ashwin slowly aimed his wand.
"Go and kill that bastard."
Ashwin said causally As if he were asking Rowan to fetch water.
Rowan froze.
Rowan looked at him for a second at the last word.
"What do you mean... Kill?"
Ashwin ignored the question completely.
Instead he suddenly shouted—
"Go quickly!"
Before Rowan could ask more Ashwin shouted.
"What are you staring at? Go!"
Rowan opened his mouth.
Closed it.
Opened it again.
Then realized arguing with this guy was probably pointless.
Rowan had no choice but to run towards the horde of Chimera wall.
So he simply turned and started running.
The Chimera wall grew closer.
Ashwin raised his wand, His eyes sharpened. But there was still a small tremor running through his hand.
The ache was spreading through his arm.
The constant use of high-level spells was beginning to take its toll.
His muscles screamed.
And Yet Ashwin only smiled.
He tried to maintain a carefree grin spread across his face.
He glanced toward Rowan's retreating figure.
Then lifted his wand.
"Skybreaker Lance."
A single line of blue thunder erupted forward.
Violent silver winds spiraled around it like dragons coiling around a spear.
The spell shot across the cave.
It flew past Rowan.
Then struck the Chimera wall head-on.
TTTRRRAAAAAANNNGGG!!
The explosion shook the entire cavern.
The wall of Chimeras burst apart.
Bodies flew in every direction.
Some were vaporized instantly.
Others were thrown violently against the cave walls.
A massive opening appeared.
"Now!"
Rowan immediately sprinted through it.
Without hesitation.
Without slowing down.
He rushed through the cleared path.
Straight toward the hidden dark mage.
Behind him, the surviving Chimeras quickly regrouped.
Like a living tide.
The gap closed almost instantly.
The wall reformed.
Fwoosh...
Ashwin released another breath.
His shoulders felt heavier now.
He watched Rowan disappear beyond the Chimera wall.
Then he slowly lowered his gaze.
His hand was trembling.
The pain had worsened.
'Hah...'
A quiet chuckle escaped him.
'I should really focus on completing that spell.'
His eyes shifted.
The two spirits he had defeated earlier were standing again.
Even though barely but... they were still standing.
Their forms flickered.
Their movements were sluggish.
Even from this distance, their exhaustion was obvious.
Yet they still stood.
Still ready to fight.
Still refusing to back down.
Ashwin smirked.
A look of genuine respect crossed his face.
'Though they look exhausted.... but their fighting spirit is commendable.'
He casually shook his aching hand.
Almost dismissively.
As if it didn't matter.
As if the pain wasn't there.
Then he raised his wand again.
Thunder crackled.
Wind began gathering.
A confident grin spread across his face.
"Okay..."
His silver-gray eyes locked onto the two spirits.
"Bring it on."
---
CHAPTER ENDS