"To send me, of all people, on a retrieval mission is blasphemous!"
Standing at the helm of a vessel adorned with gold and silver armaments, Raphael von Steinfeste overlooked a silhouette in the distance.
He had been sailing for nearly a week and a half through foggy nothingness, awaiting the time when his compass would notify him of arrival.
Those commoners have already completed or failed their hunts at the Oceanic Edge. I only have one week left to finish this and report back, or it will be counted as an automatic failure.
His thoughts were calm yet oozed with narcissism and confidence as he stared ahead with a smile making its way across his lips.
Thick layers of fog receded slowly, revealing the yellow-sand coastline covered in finely worn seashells and rocks.
With a basic assessment of the island, he evaluated that there were no Dormyrrs within at least a kilometer of the shoreline.
It was a puzzling conclusion, as the report had stated it was located inside a Dream Patch, which usually allowed the magenta wisps to locate all prey immediately.
As soon as he crossed into the waters, they all should have been notified of his arrival, yet there was not even one in sight.
No matter.
With a light smirk, he extended his arm outward as if cupping an imaginary object.
「Staphreus」
His words were dull with boredom as golden particles of light were pulled out of the air itself into a cylindrical shape.
Each second that passed brought more and more bursts of gold into the world, solidifying into a large staff used in magecraft.
The handle was thick, plated with expensive earth metals like diamond, platinum, and, of course, gold.
It was a luxury that only the wealthy could afford, but Raphael saw it as merely a tool in his domination of the island.
Atop the long pole was a pulsating blue sphere that the blacksmiths had owned for generations.
He was a product of nobility, and as such, oozed with such a snobby presence that others found repulsive.
With the slow rising and sinking of the tides, his vessel ever so gracefully weighed anchor on the shore of the coastline.
"S-sir, we've arrived."
Behind him, the boatswain he had hired in Corvassa spoke softly, afraid of the white-haired boy's response.
To his relief, Raphael didn't so much as look at the middle-aged man whose clothing was as ragged as his beard.
Hunters were allowed to rent or hire temporary crewmates for missions and even exams; however, they were required to be marked.
It was a painless process in which a small stamp was applied to their forearm, dripping ink into their blood.
The base of the chemical was harmless and even boosted vitality in the person it was used on, making it a worthwhile addition.
The only drawback to such an item was the continuous tracking done using magic that would alert the Guild if they assisted in any way.
Such a system was normal throughout the trading world, with shipments even able to be marked, allowing seamless transit across the seas.
The white-haired boy had once had the mark applied to his body during a routine medical examination, so he knew of its existence and limitations.
Without the ability to track the helpers, nothing was preventing them from completing the mission instead of the actual challenger.
Raphael scoffed at the idea, for why shouldn't financial assets be permitted during a test?
In all regards, he was a spoiled rich kid who couldn't care less about the struggles of the common people.
So as he walked ahead towards the plank, he didn't even bother to look at the man lurking behind him, instead opening his mouth, chanting quietly.
「Sanctis」
A flash of golden light burst out from his staff, enveloping the boy's white head in a veil of shimmering mist.
His movement didn't halt as the spell sealed his mind away from any mental threats the Dormyrrs might assault him with.
Inside his head, a flicker of a memory stirred with the smiling face of a boy slightly older than himself.
The appearance was almost identical to his own; however, his features were more rigid, stiff, and pointed.
A true noble.
Ugh… Why must I be reminded of his face right now…
He groaned as his feet reached the wooden board linking the ship with the sandy beach.
With each step, it bent ever so slightly, making the boy nearly lose his balance, causing him to correct it with another spell.
「Poisea」
It was another trivial piece of magecraft he had learned in an old textbook written by the Multimage.
Above everything else, Raphael prided himself on his vast assortment of magical armament.
Throughout his family, he was a prodigy in regular forms of magic, even surpassing his elder brother, who stood at the pinnacle of the holy arts.
And as his feet touched the damp sandy ground that caved in under his slim weight, he murmured under his breath.
"Ten clergymen from that idiotic cult… How disgraceful…"
Wrinkling his nose in disgust, he continued forward, making his way quickly from the shoreline to the green grass that covered the island.
The climate was warm, humid even, with the water vapor liquidifying around him in the blink of an eye.
Raphael's hair frizzed and warped, causing him to twitch his lip in disapproval as he looked around the dreary place.
There was no sign of any structure nor of any Dormyrrs who wished to do him harm, leaving him confused.
Could this be the wrong island? I was certain the coordinates were accurate and that old fool who tended to the sails wouldn't risk his payment for a prank of this magnitude…
His eyes scanned the horizon again, making sure not to miss even a blade of grass being moved by the wind.
Fwooshhhhh!
A breeze immediately struck the boy as he turned his gaze northward, forcing him backwards in two distinct steps.
His vision blurred; however, he stood firm, raising his staff above his head, then slamming it against the soil beneath.
「Aetheris」
Wind whirred, and the grass beneath his feet wilted, forcing gusts of magical light in every direction, illuminating anything within a one-hundred-meter radius.
"I seem to have been misled. How unfortunate…"
His calm words echoed out through the plain as eight magenta wisps circled him in a playful dance, gleeful for the arrival of their fresh prey.
Terrors who could not even reach the top of their own species couldn't even hope to achieve communication with humans, yet whispers resembling rain were burned into Raphael's ears.
Each of the Dormyrrs pulsated and glowed as they closed in on the boy, forcing him into a tighter formation.
Two in each direction. Normal magic won't work on such high numbers, and my holy magic isn't refined enough to handle them.
Holding his breath, he readied his staff, staring at the creatures without a sliver of fear glistening in his golden eyes.
The first of the dream eaters dove in from his rear, forming a sharp, precision blade that could cut through flesh.
Its arm stretched far, ripping and tearing at its own illusory figure to strike the boy; however, as it struck downward, the target was gone.
Above its head, the sound of cannon fire exploded, followed by a destructive rain that nearly vaporized its body.
Raphael's body twisted and turned midair, altering his posture, allowing him to dodge the flurry of stabs that came at him from all sides.
Two more of the wisps had appeared in their physical form, joining the brawl with various types of weapons.
On his left, one brandished a slingshot, utilizing human teeth. It jumped upward, floating weightlessly above the soil and aiming.
The white-haired boy ducked, spinning his arm around his head and clutching his staff with both hands.
「Explosis」
His silent chant produced a burst of fiery smoke that bellowed out like the roar of a lion, deafening the targeted Dormyrr, who struggled to move.
Its arms were a mess of melted and seared flesh that dripped off to reveal grotesque, spiky bones that resembled an arachnid.
Thick, magenta-infused horns extended from another creature's face as it raised its leg for a kick to Raphael's chest.
KRKKKK!
A powerful rush of force slammed against the white-haired boy's side as the attempted kick was blocked, only to allow another strike to connect.
Finally, as if tasting blood in the water, the rest of the Dormyrrs engaged in the fray, taking flight at the same level as the boy.
The first revealed iron-like claws that were barely deflected by his staff, sending sparks into the darkened terrain.
Another rush of attacks aimed at his head emerged behind him as three of the creatures warped their forms into various beasts.
Whether it be a snake, boar, or even a chicken, they unleashed a furious assault on the golden-eyed noble that any normal person would be ripped to shreds from.
Breathing deeply, Raphael opened his mouth, grasping his staff while ever-so-slightly moving his neck to the right, dodging the fangs of the snake.
His face whipped around, slamming his staff into the chicken's beak, shattering it to pieces in a second, sending shards of bone into the air.
The boar's charge was an explosive rush that sent the boy reeling as he felt its tusks dig into his chest.
Raising his staff above his head yet again, he slammed it down with enough force to crack its skull without even a reinforcement spell.
Two corpses fell at once, with pastel pink blood oozing from their deceased bodies.
Thud.
His feet touched the ground softly as he looked up, facing the remaining six dream terrors who watched him from above.
Their distorted forms were a mess of anger and fear as they looked at their slain comrades; however, not a single one dared to run.
The white-haired boy only cracked a smile, opening his mouth to spit out a minuscule amount of blood.
"Is that all?"