"There are quite a few of them..."

Luka leaned back, rubbing his chin, taking a moment to think. Though he could easily deal with them using his powers, peeking at the rookie archers and warriors behind Vaun in the distance, he shook his head.

’That’s not good, they’ll never grow at this rate.’

"I’ll act as the bait and bring them here."

"W-What!? Shouldn’t it be me? I’m clearly the most suited for the task!" Brea complained.

He couldn’t deny it.

A Templar could inflict massive damage to any corrupted creature or monster.

However, he still shook his head.

He placed a hand on her shoulder and looked into her eyes.

After mutating into a different race, his height grew enough to surpass Brea, who was much taller than he was at first. Her body quivered slightly the moment he touched her, giving him the chance to speak.

"I need you to protect the weaker men, the rookies and Vaun."

"V-Vaun Weak...!?"

Brea glanced back at the grey-haired male, her mouth agape.

"Master, what do you need us to do?" Vaun interrupted while ignoring Brea’s reaction.

The Templar gave her a strange look.

"I need you and your men to set up an ambush. I’ll be dragging the wild goblins back here using myself as bait." He then pointed to the large clearing a few dozen metres away, where they’d cut the vines earlier. "Can you arrange yourselves in a half circle, prepared to shoot the moment I appear?"

Her silver eyes shimmered.

He watched with wonder as she activated her elven sight skill with ease.

A subtle breeze blew across his skin, the sensation a little ticklish and gentle, something he couldn’t sense the previous time Vaun used it.

"Master, the enemy numbers might be difficult to cut down in a single volley."

"Yeah, I know. Zack, Brea, Luvia, and I will act as your vanguard."

’I really wish Galatea was here.’

Though the Wild Goblins hadn’t matured to Tier 1 yet, neither had the hunters, who were the same on paper. However, Luka knew humans were more susceptible to fear and broken morale.

If he doesn’t slowly temper them through encounters like these, in the future, fighting giant beasts would lead to their swift deaths.

"Are you sure, I..." Vaun paused, maybe she realised her current form wasn’t the black-haired, dainty elf but the rugged old male hunter and pulled back. "Understood, Master."

She finally agreed, turning quickly without another word.

"Come with me!"

Vaun then took the hunters and rookie warriors and arranged them in the position he asked for. Though Brea appeared to have something to say, she snorted and dragged away from his hand, following her.

"My Lord, I will also help them!"

Zack glanced between the two and Luka before nodding at him and quickly escaping.

That’s when a snarky voice came from behind him.

"What are you going to do with me?" She asked, slowly leaving stealth and revealing her alluring figure wrapped in tight leather. It barely covered her chest, leaving her stomach and pelvis slightly exposed.

"Will you come with me for some fun?"

"Heh, what kind of fun are we going to have with wild goblins?"

"Just come with me!" He grumbled.

Black mist slowly wrapped his limbs beneath his Gambeson and tight-fitting pants, creating black gauntlets, greaves and pauldrons. A weaker version of Wrath that covered most of his weak spots.

The two slipped through the bushes, coming to a large opening where the wild goblins were searching, collecting flowers, small fruits and other things.

"What a poor life," Luka whispered.

"Yeah, but isn’t it a little envious, to just roam naked picking berries?"

"True, I guess... but the size is tragic."

Luvia drew one of her blades and placed it against his thigh. She then giggled, whispering into his ear. "Hahaha, stop bragging, or I’ll cut you down to their size!"

"Don’t be crazy, that’d only cut you!"

Her eyes widened as if remembering.

"Tsk!"

She clicked her tongue as she retracted her blade.

’Well, these goblins are quite docile unless you enter their territory, damage it or attack them.’ He’d heard how wild monsters reacted a little like beasts when you entered their territory, causing countless deaths.

A single goblin wasn’t strong.

A dozen goblins weren’t too dangerous.

A hundred could kill a small squad of knights.

He paused.

There was a strange undulation of Miasma in his abdomen, the tattoo faintly burning with a comfortable heat from the moment he entered this forest.

His Miasma constantly refilled, no matter how much he used, it might not be enough to drain him inside this forest.

"Luvia, can you give me a moment?"

"W-What for?" She tilted her head while hidden in stealth—her voice wouldn’t transfer to anyone she didn’t want it to.

"Wait!" He hissed at her.

Luka stepped forward, trying to grasp the movement of his Miasma, the slight churning and twist that lingered inside. He held oblivion tighter after he realised how he had the chance to gain something he’d always admired.

While facing the wild goblins, an image formed in his mind.

A simple spell, different from divine arts.

To focus to the limit, he closed his eyes.

He raised his black gauntlet in a claw shape and focused, drawing the Miasma from his abdomen through his veins towards his palm. The feeling was a mixture of a ticklish jolt and a dense throbbing.

’This is it... remember her face, her body, the way she appeared on that isolated tower!’

A vivid image formed in his mind.

The scent of smoke and burning flesh, flickering embers in the air, dancing around her beautiful scarlet hair, which came to her ankles. A woman different from Iris, her eyes sharp, with wisdom, her body soft and mature.

A woman with a willowy, sensual figure.

Someone he met by chance, maybe it was fate that he saved her on this day, during his second battle for humanity.

Two curved horns grew from her forehead, a sharp tail swaying behind her.

Not human, but a Dragonoid.

A sorceress who loved flames and destruction.

The Scarlet Flame.

His first meeting couldn’t have been worse.

The Fallen launched a sudden attack, destroying the walls protecting the border city of Ironhold, a short journey East of Babylon and the last remaining fortress between the kingdom and the Fallen after the Amol Gap.

Her vibrant image, standing atop a broken tower, as she hurled a chain of six flaming missiles that cirled, chased and lanced through her targets.

’I don’t need her level... but that magic, I have always admired it.’

An Angel with a divine aura and Prana couldn’t use magic... not because of anything other than their Father’s rules.

The Laws of the Creator forbade it.

Prana was the most immaculate source of energy.

Mana, which humanity used to create Magic, was seen as dirty and inferior.

Miasma was even more despised, the corporeal form of Sin Energy. This unstable force could mimic Mana, Aura and even Prana without needing anything but intense emotions and a vivid imagination.

...

A crackle of energy formed at the tips of his fingers.

The gathered Miasma formed a dark red flaming sphere.

Within the sphere, three small bolts of dark Magenta spiralled faster and faster.

[You have gained an understanding of the Arcane!]

[Miasma can now be used to create Magic!]

[Learned Spell: Arcane Missiles]

[The influence of your memories has warped the spell!]

[Arcane Missiles --> Hellfire Missiles (Level 1)]

A sense of loss seeped through his fingers as he felt his Sin Energy shrink; the amount was not enough to cause worry.

Yet, oblivious to this, Luka’s heart thumped faster and faster.

The longer he held the spell, the more of his Miasma drained, but he held the sphere in the air, marvelling at the colour and shape.

’It’s similar to hers, but with my Magenta hue...’

His eyes slowly shifted to the goblins, with three bolts vibrating at his fingertips, he could feel a strange sense of connection between himself and the spell.

He pointed towards a goblin.

A sudden twang jolted through his mind like being struck by lightning.

Then a pink sphere manifested above the goblin when he pointed again, and another formed.

"What is this?"

He pointed to another.

A third magenta sphere appeared above the second goblin.

"Huh—!?"

Suddenly, the three bolts of Magenta flame burst into the sky, swirling for a moment before lancing towards the two goblins.

Two at the first, one towards the second.

The first goblin flew several feet before smashing into a tree, the fiery bolts crushing its orbital lobe and searing its flesh.

The last bolt lanced through the goblin’s eyes.

It dropped to the ground like a sack of tofu.

[You Absorbed Two Wild Goblin Souls]

[EXP: +2]

[Desire: +20]

The goblins dropped to the floor after being hit by the fiery bolts, which smashed into them with enough force to shatter their orbital lobe as flames seared their flesh.

[Miasma -30]

A deeper sense of emptiness left his hand feeling heavy as the small minus thirty popped up in the corner of his eye, a small blue bar depleting by a tenth.

He glanced at the two corpses still burning from his Hellfire Missiles.

Then, to the twenty-eight goblins glaring at him.

"Luvia, get ready to run!" He shouted, aiming his fingertips at the goblins, this time instantly forming three magenta orbs with a single motion.

Able to instinctively understand how to "Target" and "Release" the spell more with each usage of the skill.

"Run!"

With a loud shout, his lips curved in a terrifying grin.

[Miasma -30]

He rained Hellfire upon the wild goblins, stirring their hatred even further.

Da-Da-Dan!

[You Absorbed Three Wild Goblin Souls]

[EXP: +3]

[Desire: +30]