The atmosphere had changed ever since the caravan had entered the oasis. Zeke had felt the shift as well. The surrounding flora, beautiful as it may be, seemed to be full of dangers.
"Attention!" Rahul yelled. He was one of the three Grand Mages and the leader of the guards. "For the next hour, I want all of you to focus — no distractions, no playing around. This might only be a silver-level zone, but I am not taking any risks."
"Yes, sir!" the men replied in unison. From their quick and coordinated response, it became clear that the guards were well-trained. Each of the two other Grand Mages led half of the 20 True Mages, with Rahul functioning as the overall commander.
Zeke and Leo, for their part, were not integrated into this command structure. The two of them had the freedom to act on their own, but this also meant that they couldn't expect somebody to rush in and save them, were they to get into trouble. But Zeke wasn't worried.
Luckily, the carriages made quick progress, as they didn't have to cut their way through the vegetation. The well-maintained path led right through the heart of the oasis. Their destination was a fortified post on the far side, close to the water. They would need an hour to reach it, and this was the last leg of their journey for the day.
Zeke and Leo walked along their carriage, flanking it on either side. For now, everything was calm, and Zeke used this time to study the greenery. The emerald leaves of the palm-like trees glistened in the dappled sunlight, their fronds swaying with a gentle, almost hypnotic rhythm.
The ground beneath his boots was a soft carpet of lush, velvety moss that seemed to pulse with a faint glow. Vibrant blue and purple flowers adorned the moss, their sweet scent filling the air with a heady, intoxicating fragrance.
It was such a stark difference to the wasteland from moments ago. From a barren prairie into a tropical paradise with nothing but a few steps, it was unlike anything Zeke had experienced before. He couldn't help but let out a sigh of admiration. Reading about desert oases and experiencing their miracles for himself were worlds apart. This was a sight he wouldn't soon forget.
Zeke reached out to touch a nearby tree, marveling at the smooth, silver bark that seemed to shimmer like liquid metal. As his fingers made contact, a delicate cascade of tiny, glowing lights trickled down from the leaves above, like stardust.
"Breath-taking," he murmured to himself, his voice barely above a whisper.
The carriage rolled on, the wheels creaking softly as they navigated the winding path through the enchanting oasis. Zeke noticed that the vines hanging from the trees were alive with movement, their tendrils gracefully weaving together in intricate patterns as if they were engaged in a secret dance.
A soft, melodic hum filled the air, and Zeke realized it was coming from the luminous butterflies that flitted among the blossoms. Their wings shimmered with a rainbow of colors, and they left trails of glowing powder in their wake.
[Warning] Those are Shimmerwing Butterflies. Their spores contain a strong paralytic poison that can even affect Grand Mages in high enough doses.
Zeke nodded, his eyes now filled with caution as he eyed the deceptively peaceful butterflies. He had been naïve. To survive in this highly competitive environment, the creatures living here needed to be able to defend themselves. It was foolish to assume that any life form here was harmless.
For the next while, Zeke kept his eyes on the bushes and trees along the path. However, neither he nor Akasha spotted anything. As time ticked by without anything happening, Zeke grew convinced they would make it through without any incidents.
As if to spite him, distant shouts rang out from the back of the caravan. Zeke immediately exchanged a glance with Leo. His brother had an eager glint in his eyes, leaving Zeke helpless. With a nod, he agreed to Leo's silent plea and the two ran towards the commotion.
They arrived just in time to witness the start of the battle. Three enormous scorpions had appeared behind the last carriage, attacking from both sides. Their pincers were the length of an arm, and Zeke had no doubt they could bisect a human with ease. Furthermore, their eight, spiderlike legs made the creatures deceptively agile.
"Akasha, what are those?"
Name: Sun Scorpion. Category: Monster. Height: 9 feet (including stinger). Weight: 400 pounds.
Description: Sun Scorpions are desert predators. They are coordinated hunters who are suited to roam arid landscapes and oases with their eight arachnid limbs, and venomous stinger. Their hard carapace works like armor, protecting them from physical and magical attacks.
Value: Sun Scorpions are prized for their hard carapace and potent venom.
Danger Rating: High.
Zeke frowned when he saw the danger rating. He had learned that the value Akasha assigned was tailored to him, so the scorpions posed a significant threat. He slowed his steps as he watched the battle ensue.
The rear guard, consisting of five True Mages and one Grand Mage, had been quick to act. Even so, their barrage of spells, consisting of multiple elements, was effortlessly deflected by the foremost scorpion. Zeke could only shake his head when he saw them fight.
This was the most pathetic display of Magic he had ever seen.
Not only did they need incantations to unleash even the most basic spells, but the spells were also extremely weak. This stemmed from a lack of control, as the Spellforms were unstable. Even the Grand Mage, who stood atop the roof of the carriage, was silently muttering some sort of incantation.
Zeke took a look at the man's Core and immediately recognized the spell he was trying to cast. It was [Salamander's Breath], the same spell Felix Feuerkranz had used in his battle against Leo. But despite the latter only being a True Mage, he had only needed a fraction of the time to cast the same spell.
Eventually, he finished his incantation and Zeke saw the expected torrent of flames emerge. Despite his lackluster control and slow casting speed, the spell looked imposing. The strong Core of a Grand Mage made up for a lot of his flaws. Still, compared to Gretchen, whom Zeke had often sparred with, this was inferior by far.
The monster immediately released a sickening, high-pitched squeal as it was completely engulfed in the continuous stream of flames. However, the anguished cry only brought a pleased smile to the Fire Mage's face as he redoubled his efforts.
The other two scorpions backed off upon seeing their companion's fate. They warily eyed the inferno in front of them, clicking their pincers in agitation. Zeke could see the uncertainty in their beady eyes. They were considering retreat but hadn't quite made up their minds yet.
Moments later, the flames died down, revealing the charred husk of the first scorpion. The fire had found its way through the cracks and knicks in the carapace, roasting the monster from the inside. It was most definitely dead. However, Zeke wasn't impressed.
A quick scan revealed that the Grand Mage had depleted his Core, as slight cracks ran across its surface. What was this? What kind of a Mage was done after a single spell? Zeke could hardly believe his eyes.
It was then that he noticed the many gray strands of hair peaking out from under the man's turban and immediately understood. The man appeared to be middle-aged, which meant he was likely far older still. This meant that his climb to the Grand Mage level had taken him all his life. He most likely had a very low Fire affinity. On top of that, his lacking Mana control only brought down the efficiency of his spells even further.
Zeke could only sigh. Competing against the young geniuses of the empire had distorted his view. The Elementium was the foremost academy for combat Mages in the empire. There was no way they would give Zeke a balanced view of what regular combat Mages were capable of.
His thoughts were interrupted as the two scorpions made their move. They seemed to also have realized that the Grand Mage was a spent force. Their hesitant approach grew bolder as they noticed him not doing anything. Zeke saw the despair in the eyes of the guards as their spells helplessly pinged off the armored backs of the scorpions. He couldn't wait any longer.
"Akasha, did you find any weaknesses?"
[Notice] Two exploitable weaknesses found.
First, the carapace of the Sun Scorpion is much thinner on their underside. Second, the Sun Scorpion is likely to be unable to get back up in the short term when lying on its back.
Upon hearing those words, Zeke immediately came up with a plan. He tightened the grip on his spear while turning to Leo, who had come to a halt next to him. His brother seemed to have been waiting for this as he was watching him intently. With a grin, he explained his plan.
Meanwhile, the guards grew ever more desperate as the scorpions were now rushing towards them without abandon. The monsters seemed to have finally concluded that nobody here posed any danger to them as there was no more caution in their movements. Even the Grand Mage on top of the carriage paled at the sight. He could only hope that his comrades would make it here in time.
"Now!" Zeke yelled.
Leo immediately acted. Two [Earth Pillars] erupted from the ground. This attack wasn't meant to pierce the monster's soft belly, as the spell most likely didn't have the power to do much damage.
No, Zeke had a different goal in mind. The blunt pillars rose at an angle and struck the left side of the first scorpion. As expected, the monster was more confused than hurt. However, the confusion soon turned to panic as the pillars grew, lifting its left side off the ground until it finally flipped over.
It was then that Zeke acted. Like a coiled spring, he launched himself into the air. After his jump had reached its zenith, he discretely used his [Air Step] to give himself some extra momentum as he dove spear-first toward the unprotected belly of the defenseless monster. He felt the tip being stalled for an instant as it struck the carapace. However, the spear, made from the tusks of a Steeltusk Boar, won out after a moment.
An incomparably miserable scream rang out as the scorpion felt the foreign object enter its body. It wildly flailed its eight scythe-like legs, but by then, Zeke had already retreated. He had left the spear stuck in the belly of the monster, so it wouldn't be able to get back up without impaling itself.
Satisfied with the result, he turned his attention to the other scorpion. Leo, clad in his [Earthen Armor], was stalling it. Zeke was in no hurry to intervene, as his brother finally got to enjoy himself. Crossing his arms, he watched how Leo danced and weaved around the monster. Leo kept out of range of its pincers and stinger as he shot small rock bullets at the monster's eyes.
Zeke nodded in approval. Leo knew that his Earth Magic wasn't strong enough to win with a single decisive hit, and the same strategy would most likely not work for a second time anyway. So, it was definitely the right decision to play the long game. Their reinforcements were on the way, after all.
Soon after, the sound of approaching footsteps could be heard. Zeke looked over his shoulder to see Rahul, alongside five more True Mages, had made it to the scene. However, instead of acting, they watched the ongoing fight, entranced by the display. Zeke felt pride rising in his chest as he saw the expressions of awe on the guard's faces.
It was no wonder. Even though Zeke had seen his brother fight many times, he was still impressed. Leo's graceful movements and battle instincts were in a class of its own. They had been good enough to allow Leo to enter the finals of the empire's prestigious tournament with nothing but the three most basic spells under his belt.
Leo was born to fight.
Even so, it was time to end this. Zeke turned, facing Rahul fully. "I think it is time for your men to step in, captain."
Upon hearing his words, Rahul's eyes regained their clarity. He acknowledged Zeke's words with a sharp nod and immediately began to cast a spell. The captain was a Light Mage, and Zeke was interested to see what he could do.
"Searing Light!" he yelled as he pointed two fingers toward the head of the scorpion. Too fast to even react, a beam shot out and hit the scorpion. Its eyes were immediately destroyed, eliciting another scream. A second beam seared the top of its stinger.
Now, without sight and poison, the monster wasn't much of a threat anymore. So much so that Leo had lost all interest in the fight and was now leisurely walking away with a smile on his face. Evidently, he had enjoyed himself.
After instructing his men, and getting an account of what had transpired, Rahul approached. "Thank you for your assistance, young friends. My men tell me that they would have been in trouble without your aid."
Zeke nodded amicably. "We only did our part, captain."
Rahul chuckled. "Only did your part, huh? Very well. Even so, you have my thanks. I will see to it that you are rewarded appropriately."
Zeke smiled, acting like he was eager for the coin. It would be too strange if he showed no interest. After all, they were posing as a pair of young adventurers seeking their fortune. "Many thanks, guard captain. You are truly generous."
"Nonsense! That's the least I should do. How about we have a chat once we get to the camp?"
Zeke agreed animatedly. However, internally he wasn't too pleased with this development. He hadn't wanted to attract any attention from the higher-ups. However, the alternative would have been to let those men die, and he wasn't quite willing to go that far.
As the caravan continued on its way, Zeke pondered in silence. He needed a strategy to deal with the captain's inevitable questions. After all, Zeke had only just found out how weak regular Mages were, so their cover wouldn't hold up under close scrutiny.
***
Thankfully, they arrived at the fortified camp without any further incidents. And just as Zeke had expected, one of the guards came to find him as soon as they had settled in. He followed the man to one of the more lavish huts at the center of the camp.
Stepping inside, he found all three of the Grand Mages present, alongside the caravan chief. What was going on? The chief revealed a mysterious smile when his eyes met Zeke's.
"Pete! How good of you to come."