For Val, wizardry came naturally. His Emotional Impairment and Unfeeling Traits shielded his mind from the usual cacophony of fear and other overwhelming emotions that a typical novice would experience in the heat of a battle. His mind was like a tranquil lake, undisturbed and clear, providing him an advantageous mental state in utilizing wizardry.
Oliver took a deep breath to calm himself, marveling at the spectacle he had witnessed. His eyes studied Val with a newfound respect. “Normally, it takes months of fighting for a novice to get used to using wizardry in battles, but you did it in your first fight,” he observed. His voice was laden with astonishment and a hint of awe as he continued, “I have never seen someone like you. You’re a wizardry prodigy.”
Val shrugged, meeting Oliver’s gaze with an air of nonchalance. “I think so too,” he agreed casually, unfazed by the high praise. His demeanor was not one of arrogance but rather a simple acknowledgment of facts as they were.
Suddenly, Val felt a throbbing sensation in his shoulder. Immediately, a hint of grimness shadowed his normally tranquil expression, painting a somber look on his face. It was a subtle change, but in the silent tension of the forest, it seemed to echo loudly, making the gravity of their situation even more apparent.
Oliver, who had been observing Val, noticed the change in his demeanor. His eyes widened slightly, sensing something was wrong from Val’s serious expression. “What’s wrong?” he asked Val in a concerned voice.
“I am being targeted,” Val replied to him, his voice void of fear and dread, matching his unflinching gaze. It was as if he wasn’t the one under threat of losing his life.
Upon hearing this, Oliver’s brow furrowed, a hint of concern flashing in his eyes. Since something had managed to escape his detection-type wizardry, it must be one hell of a crafty bastard on top of being well-versed in eluding detection.
Not to mention, he couldn’t pinpoint the source of the danger, which only heightened his anxiety. The only one he could depend on in this situation was Val, his pupil.
“By what?” Oliver asked, already mentally preparing for a possible combat situation.
Val was silent for a moment. He also couldn’t figure out what was targeting him and where he was being targeted from. However, the throbbing sensation was intensifying, signifying that the Grim Reaper’s scythe was about to drop on him any second now.
“That is what I intend to find out.”
As he spoke, his eyes keenly scrutinized their surroundings as he stood in the clearing with Oliver. The peace of the forest seemed to shroud a subtle danger that had triggered his sixth sense. However, he wasn’t able to find its source.
Unable to detect the threat, he had no choice but to tap into the Heavenly Eye Trait. He willed, and his arcane heart pumped out soul power that rushed into his eyes.
[The Heavenly Eye trait is in effect!]
His perception shifted in the blink of an eye.
The world as he saw it changed.
The trees and other obstacles surrounding the clearing became semi-transparent, like ethereal ghosts in a living world.
He was now able to see through them!
Then, among the dense foliage created by the trees of the forest, he spotted the culprit that had triggered his sixth sense. It was a goblin as tall as a teenager.
The green-skinned creature was hugging the trunk of a nearby tree tightly with one hand, the muscles of its lean arm straining with exertion. It was well-hidden, blending seamlessly with the shadows of the forest. If not for his Heavenly Eye, he wouldn’t have noticed it.
Sweat glistened on its green skin, showcasing that it had exerted a lot of strength to get there.
Val swiftly deduced how it had managed to bypass Oliver’s detection-type wizardry; by leaping from tree to tree, the goblin had avoided setting off the thread-like Soul Power Oliver had spread across the forest floor. It was a cunning approach, and Val mentally gave the creature points for its craftiness. However, that wasn’t going to save him from death. Val had no mercy for those who aimed for his life!
The goblin’s other hand was busy as well. It was holding a blow dart, its mouth pressed tightly against one end. The sharp, deadly projectile was aimed straight at him.
In the next instant, the goblin exhaled forcefully. The dart, having been powered by the goblin’s breath, shot through the air.
Whoosh!
The dart sliced through the air and charged towards Val with a speed that seemed impossible for such a tiny, lightweight projectile.
Reacting instinctively to the incoming threat, Val instantly visualised a shield in his mind. His arcane heart began pumping soul power that rose from his body like tendrils, each stream of energy rushing towards a specific point in front of him. They swirled and twirled, condensing into an invisible but solid, palm-sized circular shield.
The dart came crashing against this barrier.
Bam!
Val saw that the barrier stopped the dart’s deadly flight mid-air. However, the dart was able to leave hairline fractures across the shield. The dart fell to the ground as the cracks spread across the shield, causing it to shatter into pieces.
Just as the shield dissipated, a notification popped up in front of Val.
[Alert! You’ve depleted your Soul power excessively in a short span. A debuff is now active.]
Without the sensation of pain to alert him, the sudden onset of extreme dizziness was a shock to Val. His world swirled and twisted, his vision whiting out, and his body betraying him as it slumped to the ground. He was unconscious, without a clear understanding of how he ended up in this state! 𝑜𝑣𝓛xt.𝑐𝑶𝑚
This was one of those rare times when his Unfeeling Trait ended up being more of a liability, a disadvantage than an advantage. Although it was a really good trait, there were times when it becomes the only reason to his downfall!