Sofia slowly opened her eyes to a weird feeling, the arcane magic tingling in her ears. It was different from that cast at her by the succubus, this was easy for her to pick up. It felt similar but quite alien to what she knew, like how a mandarin is similar to an orange but they are different.

‘Witchcraft?’ She thought as she stood up, ‘No this is different from how Cain taught me.’ The traces of magic carries much information, like the amount of Mana used, what spell, and which language was used to create it. Her [Burning hands] despite looking the same as what mages cast. Her spell was written with a different formula that Cain called witchcraft. That language was the reason she could make the spell launch from her feet, it also allowed her to use her nails as a direct catalyst.

She quickly looked through the window, focusing on the aura created by the magic. ‘Multiple small sources are spread out around the house. Is this a witch doing, no it’s different’ She hurried toward the door putting her mantle on.

“I have to tell Cain!”

The hallway was dark, only the faint moon glow seeping through the closed curtains. She could swear something was walking behind her as she treaded the darkness, slowly the fear crept up on her.historical

‘It’s moving. Something is getting closer.’ She could feel the magic aura changing around her. Her eyes emitted a faint red glow as she concentrated on her own Mana to understand the changes around her.

Slowing her steps, she could hear a tip tap behind her. Someone was walking behind her. She was too scared to turn around but she kept feeling the magic around her, they got even closer and suddenly accelerated. She was alarmed and jumped to the side, a maid came rushing through with a knife.

“What are you doing, that was dangerous!” She yelled before realizing that the magic coating the maid wasn’t her own, she was in a similar situation to her when she fell to the succubus’s [Command]

Even to her, the maid’s movements seemed too slow and rugged, they resembled those of a drunkard. Sofia took the chance and tried to restrain the maid, grabbing her from the back and dropping her to the ground.

“Don’t struggle, did you have a bad drink or something?” Sofia could only link what she saw with what she felt. GROWL! The maid growled, unable to speak human words, her strength started to overwhelm Sofia.

“AGH!” Sofia cried as the maid managed to get hold of her hair, pulling her away from her back. As Sofia fell to the ground, the maid grabbed her knife and tried to stab her.

Sofia dodged to the side at the last moment, finally realizing that the maids can’t be reasoned with she grabbed a chair that was nearby and started poking at her with its legs.

“Come here, try stabbing me.” As the maid charged Sofia swung the chair down her head, knocking her out.

Sofia rushed toward the window and pulled the curtain to let some light in. [Bonfire] the candles all lit up with a single flick of her fingers. Feeling her Mana around her, she tried to feel the magic in the air to determine its source.

After the small sources outside, they all link to a single body in the distance. ‘Is that the caster? I bet Cain would already heading there.’ She jumped from the window and looked in its direction, [Burning feet] She flew in its direction as fast as she could.

While using [Invisibility] and [Soundless]. Cain sneaked through the garden, carefully avoiding all the cicadas. The night seemed normal enough to fool any non-mage. The gentle moonlight seeped through the branches as the gentle breeze whistled.

Druids usually live in secluded parts of the wilderness. They are mostly nomads that prefer to stay outside the conflicts of the world. Hiring one like this is surprising on many levels.

Druids do not care about money. With what did they pay him?

The druid circle, their tribe, should voice against interfering in outsiders’ matters. With what did they convince them?

This one can bring insects outside their season. He must be skilled enough to be one of the elders.

How did they even manage to find druids? Those people avoid the rest of humans like the plague.

Cain started sweating as he thought about everything. The situation is almost making no sense at all.

‘The density of magic is increasing, I’m getting closer to him.’ Cain thought as he scanned his surrounding.

“I wish you stayed asleep, it would have ended peacefully if that was the case.” A surprise voice called him from a tree, two glowing green eyes were shining on the branch.

Cain quickly turned toward the voice with his appraisal on. He caught nothing as the thing have already moved. “Won’t you stay in one place for a moment?” Cain yelled, they were in the middle of the city, a fight would draw a lot of attention.

“So I would get caught in your magic? I was told to never let my guard against you GRWAAAA!” As Cain hear the bestial scream above him he lifted his face, a grizzly bear was falling from the sky swinging its massive claw.

Cain instinctively jumped backward evading the heavy strike, ‘Animal shapeshift?’ Cain tried to appraise him but the druid didn’t give him a chance, quickly transforming into a dog and running away from Cain’s field of view.

“Stay still!” [Command] If he won’t listen by words, Magic should be effective.

“Ha! First-tier magic, what was she worried about?” Cain could hear his mocking laugh coming from behind. The magic seemed to be ineffective.

Cain turned around in a flash and pointed his sword at what looked like a bird sitting on a barrel [Firebolt] He has to limit the power of his magic to not damage the city. People were living in those houses so a spell life [Fireball] would kill someone.

That bird deformed into a snake and slithered into the sewers, Cain’s spell left the barrel on fire.

CRACK! Thorny veins broke through the Stoney ground and entangled Cain’s arms and legs, “Your reaction is slow, it was true that you were sick!” The voice started mocking him again. “To think that she was interested in a weakling like you, you’re as slow as your look [Poison veins]” A green goo dripped from the thorns.

[Blink] As his body turned translucent for a moment, escaped the veins. [Firelance] Cain conjured the lance but didn’t throw it, he instead spun it around burning the veins, “Say what? Who is she, rat!” [Fly] Cain flew to the sky trying to force an aerial fight.

“This is interesting, you could use flight magic!” The voice screamed and Cain sensed its tone changing. QUACK! Something clawed at Cain’s back, as he turned he did see the eagle as it turned to cow mid-air, TWACK! He was kicked to the ground.

As Cain reached the ground he regained his stance and lifted a hand to the sky [Lightning..] He stopped mid spell. ZOOOOOOOOOOOO! An elephant was falling at him from the sky.

Cain had to run, even if his spell killed the druid, the falling corpse would crush him.

BAAM! The elephant landed standing and quickly morphed into a tiger, running directing toward Cain. “Take this!” Cain threw the flame lance at the tiger. It was easily dodged. BANG! The lance exploded just as it was passing by the tiger.

“Such fine control over magic, I can see now why she said to be careful!” The tiger growled as its body dissipated into a swarm of mice.

[Fireball] It was in the middle of the street so Cain didn’t mind using AOE magic, Some of the mice survived and they combined to turn into a small bird and fly to the sky.

‘Shit, I lost sight of him!’ Cain cursed as she tried to expand his Mana and sense the druid’s location.

It was right behind him.

As he turned he only saw a grizzly bear swinging its massive claw, it was too close Cain don’t have enough time to activate his magic, is this the end?

SWOSH! A red flash flew at incredible speed crushing into the bear’s face BANG, and the explosion of flame engulfed the wild beast. [Burning feet] Sofia spun in place and delivered a second kick to the other side of the bear’s head sending him rolling.

“This magic..” Before he could finish his words, the druid was faced with three rays of flame.

Sofia was there.