Aaron's feet shot across the wooden platform as he felt the bridge collapsing behind him, a massive wave of wind slamming into his back.
Pulling Penelope from her sheath, he jumped vertically, scanning the sea for any sign of the beast.
Tapping his temples lightly, he watched the world spin and dance with color as he located the terror in seconds.
Falling in what felt like slow motion, he swung his blade as hard as he could downward, disregarding mana infusion.
The light of the morning sun illuminated the dark maw of the beast as it flew through the air, attempting to grab the blond boy out of the sky.
Unfortunately for this snouted fish, it was no match for the raw power of Ocean's Bane, its entire jaw splitting in half under the pressure of a single swing.
Blood sprayed into the sea, turning the once orange-speckled water into a crimson pool mixed with the terror's acidic fluids.
Yet, even with its snout in pieces, the monster lunged once more, its grotesque mouth only clinging on with shattered bone and rotten flesh.
DAMMIT!
Not able to dodge in time, Aaron's body was flicked away, landing on the very edge of the bridge, his blade digging into its side.
Attempting to pull himself up, he watched the water beneath his feet flicker, the coils of mana showing him a frightening sight.
In an explosion of crimson tide, the massive terror once again tore through the ocean's surface, aiming straight at Aaron's healthy leg.
"NOT THIS TIME!"
Slamming his metallic leg downward into the beast's ruined maw, he felt the remaining cartilage crumble under the weight.
Its dying roar echoed through the sky, screaming through the blond boy's eardrums like an airhorn.
Enduring it with all his strength, he clung to his blade as he dangled over the vast sea that existed beneath him.
SPLASHHH!
The beast fell downward, gravity taking its hold, and its body collided with the sea, creating another burst of water that rained down onto the boy.
His hair, soaked to the roots, was covered in blood and bone that had mixed with the raining seawater.
Staring downward at the floating corpse, he sighed heavily, a single thought running through his mind as he climbed back up to the bridge.
I hate this exam.
…
『This is quite literally the worst experience you've made me encounter.』
Penelope's words, wrought with disgust, entered his mind as he watched her dig through the floating corpse of the beast.
His mana was slowly drained as she rummaged for the terror's core, sapping his strength and leaving only enough energy to respond quietly.
"You get power from this, too, so don't complain…"
Aaron's face was pale as he leaned against a fence post at the edge of the bridge, a wet rag in hand.
After noticing the extreme amount of grime and muck covering his body, he had made the effort to clean himself off in case he couldn't find a bath on the other side of the island.
I should only be an hour or two away now…
Looking into the horizon, he could estimate the time to be around six in the morning, his sleep interrupted by another strange dream.
Ever since that terror invaded my mindscape, I've constantly been wracked with nightmares… I wonder if Penelope could help me if I told her…
Thinking deeply about the question, he decided against it; the worry of making the girl in his blade even more stressed outweighed his own well-being.
『Aaron, brace for absorption.』
Turning his head in confusion, he barely had any time to react before Penelope pushed the terror's core against the small of his back, a wave of nausea overcoming his body.
"Ack!"
Groaning audibly as he leaned over in pain, he quickly regained mobility, stretching out his arms in confusion.
"There's no change?"
Shifting his attention inward, he noticed no changes within him or his core.
『It seems you got a dud…』
Snickering, Penelope taunted the boy on his useless absorption of the terror, his precious time wasted for nothing.
Closing his eyes and breathing heavily, annoyance bubbled to the surface, his foot kicking at pebbles that rested on the wood.
Controlling his visible displeasure with a stern look, he stood up, grabbed the floating sword, and sheathed it quickly.
Then, without looking back, he walked ahead, not a thought in the world running through his mind as he strolled forward.
And this infuriated blond boy did not stop his hurried pace, not even once, as he made his way to the other side of the bridge.
Even as Penelope chided him randomly, he did not budge, his childish tantrum only making the girl chuckle.
As the hours passed, the sight of the desert ahead of him made his eyes widen gently, a smile cascading across his face.
"Finally…"
Grumbling under his breath, he increased his pace, solid ground all he could think about as he hurried to complete his journey.
Arriving at the second gatehouse around thirty minutes later, he walked through the crumbling doors, feeling his feet meet the sand of the other side of the island.
"Here at last!"
He fell backwards and rolled around in the dirt, while Penelope could only scoff at his utterly childish behavior.
『You must've gained the power of insanity.』
Laughing at her words, Aaron stood up while dusting himself off.
"Haven't you ever heard of fun? I've been on that damn bridge for almost a day, and I'm finally back to real land!"
The boy's odd dances of glee lasted for another few minutes until he noticed a stone pathway leading inland, a ruined sign resting on the ground.
"Eh?"
He walked towards it and picked it up between his hands, feeling the hardwood nearly break away from his simple touch.
Turning it around and reading what it said, he shifted his gaze towards where it had been facing, squinting his eyes at the distance.
"It seems the Church of True Earth is that way."
Shrugging his shoulders, he headed down the path without any delay, much to the surprise of the girl inside the sword.
『Are you not going to check if the direction is correct? That sign looked to be as old as I am!』
Not acknowledging the voice for a moment, he pointed eastward between two large plateaus that grew high into the sky.
"Before you woke up, Akari told me that the Church was located between a rock and a hard place… I thought she was messing with me, but after that sign—"
Letting his words fade out, he got a silent grunt of acceptance from the lady inside the blade.
…
Exiting the Thorn Research Center with haste, Akari covered her mouth with her bandana, the thick dust blowing through the air.
This'll be fun… And it'll earn me a lot of merit too!
Practically jumping with joy, she walked towards the port ecstatically, the dust storm letting up as she moved.
How do people live here year-round with this terrible weather? Strava had typhoons from the Sea of Curses hit us, but never anything that a couple of healers couldn't fix…
Shaking her head at the memory, she felt her foot slam against something hard and heavy, nearly sending her toppling over.
"Eh?"
Looking down and squinting through the harsh barrage of dust, she noticed a strange object resembling a doll.
Its black hair was ripped to shreds, the straw body covered in crimson paint that resembled blood.
On the ground below it, an intriguing ritualistic circle was sprawled messily into the gravel, a cold feeling wedging its way into Akari's heart.
W-what the hell is this?
Stepping around the odd sight, she practically bolted away from the scene, a terrible warning sending signals to her mind.
Oh god… please… whatever that was… don't be dangerous…
Praying internally, she felt the storm around her lessen once again, visibility returning to her as she reached the docks.
Feeling the wooden platform under her feet, her stress was reduced; however, as she turned back to look at where the doll had been, nothing remained.
Such an event left a sour taste in the girl's mouth, yet she continued onward, her mission taking priority.
Making her way across the dock, she noticed her vessel floating gently in the waves, its white sails fluttering in the harsh wind that battered the shoreline.
Stepping aboard, her cherry colored hair swayed from the force; however, with a quick movement of her hands, she tied it into a tight bun.
"Perfect…"
Nodding to herself, she placed her hands around the ropes that bound the vessel to the dock, unfurling them hurriedly.
The ocean current caught the ship in a flash, dragging it out of the port without even adjusting the sails.
Slightly startled but mostly excited, she watched as the distance between her and the dock grew wider and wider.
A small smile crept along her face as she felt the salty sea air fill her lungs, the freshness of adventure appearing before her eyes.
Yet, she still felt somewhat unsettled in her heart.
Let's make this quick… I have a bad feeling about this…