Volume 1: Path – [Mist Forest Arc]
Chapter 42: Reverse Flow Waters
Skill, Technique, and Ability, three words that represent distinct concepts. A skill is something learned from another person or source. A technique is something a being creates on their own. An ability is something they possess passively from birth or from the moment of awakening.
Caelus had created his own technique, building it upon a skill that everyone would eventually learn in the academy's future classes.
This footwork skill, which all students would later be taught, had only been explained in theory by Aiv. But due to the harsh circumstances, Caelus mastered it by pushing his mental strength to the limit for five straight hours.
He combined it with his own creation, which he called Elemental Infusion.
Elemental Infusion allows the user's energy to absorb any type of element for a limited period of time, the duration depending on how much mental strain they can withstand, since foreign elements resist absorption if they are not naturally attuned to the user. The skill can be applied to any part of the body, but at this moment, Caelus used it on his feet, naming it 'Elemental Infusion – Feet Technique.'
'A good name,' Caelus thought as he fixed his gaze forward.
He also channeled some Leym energy into his right eye, infusing it with the mist element from the air. It didn't harm his vision, but it intensified the mental battle, forcing him to split his focus between two points.
'I can only last about a minute from now,' Caelus thought. Without hesitation, he kicked off the ground and soared into the sky. Now he could see everything ahead of him. For example, the massive serpent and Aiv, struggling against it.
'I need to hurry.' Caelus thought when he saw Aiv struggling to fight.
This foot technique requires the user to release Leym energy mixed with their own element. If they are fortunate enough to be in a place where their element matches the surrounding elements, they can use that affinity to step on the very air and run through the sky. That was exactly what Caelus was doing now.
He dashed downward, stepping on the air itself, heading straight for the glowing tree he had spotted. The glow did not come from the trunk, but from solid crystal leaves that shone brightly, making the entire tree appear illuminated in the dark night.
In two seconds, he landed lightly on the ground, and his mist-formed legs absorbed the impact entirely.
Without delay, his eyes scanned the tree. Over a hundred crystal leaves adorned its branches. He needed the Pure Dew, which was contained within some of those leaves.
The leaves were transparent and radiant, easy to spot under calm circumstances. But right now, with time pressing, searching through all the hundred was nearly impossible.
'What should I do… Yes, I could try that.'
Within ten seconds, Caelus had a plan. He had about forty seconds left.
He spread his senses.
Dew and mist are both forms of condensation, but they differ in formation. Dew settles on surfaces like grass or leaves when water vapor condenses as temperatures drop. Mist, however, is a suspension of fine water droplets in the air, often forming over water or in high humidity.
What mattered was that both held the water element, and mist, being made of water element, was within his control. Extending his senses ten meters to encompass the tree, he infused the mist element stored in his eyes into the scan, sweeping the branches in five seconds.
He found six targets. Without hesitation, he leapt up and began plucking the crystal leaves, quickly placing each into the special mission box before the Pure Dew could escape. The box preserved the dew once removed from the tree.
He secured the first, then the next two. He ignored the remaining three as the time was short, and also he had only three boxes.
Then, shifting his Leym energy from his eyes, which were used for scanning, to his right hand, which was in a fist, he struck the tree with all his strength. Though he couldn't break it outright with his physical strength, the infused energy blast struck true, causing the trunk to crack and fall. Aiv noticed instantly.
It was their signal to inform Aiv when Caelus was done, and it was time to escape.
Since Aiv had helped Caelus create the technique, this signal was known to Aiv.
Aiv understood the signal; he used a technique as if thousands of raindrops condensed in the air. Aiv ordered those raindrops to fall with his hand, and as they turned into sharp needles, they fell on the Serpent one by one.
The lightning on the Serpent's skin dismissed all the needles one by one; the needles didn't do any damage to the serpent at all.
The serpent began to rage, roaring as its tail whipped backward before it lunged toward where Aiv had been standing moments earlier.
Caelus, who was running away, felt his energy rapidly depleting. 'I knew this was coming… I don't have much left, but the mental strain has increased to a level I can't handle. I need to release these elements outside.'
He made his decision, releasing the elements into the outside world. The Leym energy surrounding his legs shifted from a greyish-white hue to completely colorless.
Relief washed over his mind, but it was quickly followed by blood dripping from his nose and mouth. His eyes reddened, not just the pupils but the sclera as well, streaked with ruptured veins.
'Damn, the mental strain is worse than I thought.'
His consciousness began to blur. Ahead, something massive loomed, dark stone in color, arcs of lightning dancing across its surface. His thoughts were sluggish and incoherent.
'What is that… a lightning rod?'
In reality, it was the serpent's tail. Aiv vanished from where he had been standing the moment he saw it about to strike Caelus.
The tail slammed into Aiv's back with brutal force. In that same motion, he caught Caelus, the impact sending both of them hurtling through the air for several kilometers.
-
There are three layers in the Mist Forest. The first is the Outer Layer, where the station and other humans settle if they choose. The second is the Middle Layer, where Caelus and Aiv had been earlier, home to countless beasts. The third is the Inner Layer, also known as the Abyss Layer.
It is called the Abyss Layer because of its terrifying nature, and now Caelus and Aiv were being flung through the sky toward it.
The serpent's strike had been devastating. Even though Aiv had used his water shield to protect himself and Caelus, the impact still injured his back, and he could feel bones breaking.
Caelus, unconscious, was unaware of any of this. Aiv's eyes widened as he recognized the direction they were heading: straight into the Inner Layer. His pupils trembled with fear.
Below, a colossal phenomenon appeared, at first resembling waterfalls, but reversed. Instead of water cascading from above, it surged upward in massive torrents. The name flashed in Aiv's mind: Reverse Flow Waters.
At the center of this inverted cascade yawned a dark abyss, as black as the night sky. Aiv's superior night vision, paired with his Middle Stage Rank 1 abilities, let him see it clearly. He still had ample Leym energy left, having spent most of the earlier battle merely distracting the serpent rather than engaging directly.
A thick shroud of mist poured from the abyss's center, drifting into the surrounding air. In that moment, Aiv realized the truth: they were both going to fall straight into it.
Without hesitation, he attempted his movement technique: basic footwork infused with the water element. It activated almost instantly, water being his primary element, allowing him to step upon the mist itself in an effort to maneuver away. But pain from his broken bones flared sharply, disrupting his balance. Caelus began slipping from his grasp.
"Damn, if it goes like this, we'll both fall into the abyss. Even the shields given by the academy were gone when we tried to get crystal leaves from other places."
When they went to other places to find the crystal leaves, they fought battles there too. During that process, both lost the shields given by the academy, and mainly Aiv himself lost his shield when he fought against the Mist Deer.
With the little energy he had left, Aiv resolved to hold on and wait. Just before they reached the ground within the abyss, he would use the movement technique with every last ounce of strength to stop their descent.
They began plummeting deeper into the abyss, the wind roaring louder with every second. The water shield Aiv had formed around them trembled violently, the vibrations worsening as they dropped. The sliver of night sky above faded from view, swallowed by a thick, encroaching mist that soon enveloped their entire world.
The shield held for only a few more seconds before shattering under the relentless wind. The exposed skin on their bodies began to burn from the sheer force of the air, and thin streams of blood seeped from their ears and noses.
"Need to hang on… just a little longer," Aiv muttered through gritted teeth.
A full minute passed, yet no sign of the ground appeared. Both Aiv and Caelus were now slick with blood, their skin raw from the wind's fury.
Another minute later, Aiv's vision blurred as he fought to stay conscious. Suddenly, his instincts screamed danger. Forcing his body to obey, he activated his movement skill in an instant, stepping on the air itself to slow their fall. The strain caused the already broken bones in his back to worsen, the shock fracturing parts of his legs and hips.
The sickening cracks could have been heard if not for the deafening wind.
"Fuck… finally reached the ground," Aiv gasped, lowering Caelus gently before collapsing onto his own back, wincing from the agony.
"I'm… gonna sleep."
[End Of Chapter 42]