"Ladies first," Alex said, stepping aside with a gentlemanly sweep of his hand.
Trisha raised an eyebrow. "Really? Awww, such a gentleman," she said in a voice dripping with sarcasm.
Alex responded with a bland smile, the kind that said, I'm not rising to that bait today.
Trisha strolled forward toward the Elven Codex—a crystalline console that pulsed softly in the center of the moss-lined platform, almost like a living thing. The runes carved into its base shimmered faintly as she approached, responding to her presence.
Placing her hand on the glowing crystal, a translucent panel lit up in front of her, displaying her name, class, and a curated list of available skills in elegant, ancient script. Trisha's eyes skimmed through the list, her brow furrowed. She recognized some of them—basic skills, most of which she already had in her sentient's archive or could unlock with a few more battles. She wasn't about to waste a golden opportunity.
"Sentient," she murmured mentally, "which of these skills are not in your database?"
Her sentient answered promptly.
"Two unknown entries detected: Toxin Wave and Fierce Wind."
Trisha studied the descriptions.
Toxin Wave: Unleash a wave of concentrated toxins that poison all enemies within a frontal cone. Lasts 60 seconds.
Fierce Wind: Inflict high wind damage on a single enemy within 10 meters. Also slows or restrains movement temporarily.
She wrinkled her nose. "Ugh. Poison. Gross." Then she said aloud, "I choose Fierce Wind."
The reaction was instant.
A jolt of electricity surged from the crystal into her body. Her muscles seized, her breath caught, and images—dozens of them—flooded her brain in rapid succession. She saw herself summoning violent gusts, channeling blades of wind with nothing but a gesture. The skill etched itself into her memory like a brand burned into stone.
Finally, the surge stopped. She pulled her hand away, exhaling deeply.
"Woah," she muttered, holding her forehead. "That's intense. Way more painful than getting skills from my sentient."
Leyla stepped forward, watching her closely. "Do you want to try it out?" she asked.
Trisha shook her head. "Not now. Not here. It's too destructive. I can't bear the thought of wrecking this beautiful village. I actually like it here."
Callum cracked his knuckles and stepped up to the crystal. "Then I'm next," he said eagerly, placing his palm on the surface. As with Trisha, the codex displayed his name, class, and a set of tailored skills.
He didn't waste time reading everything. "I choose Wind Glide," he said almost immediately.
An arc of electricity jolted through him. He twitched and winced, but kept his hand steady as his vision blurred and the skill locked itself into his consciousness. Images of himself skating a few meters above the ground, gliding over terrain with the wind beneath his feet, filled his head like a high-speed training montage.
When it was over, he exhaled and stepped back, visibly pleased.
"Yes! Now I can finally keep up with you two freaks." He looked at Trisha smugly.
Trisha smirked. "What a baby."
Callum was too delighted to care.
Alex approached next, his expression calm but focused. "Alright. My turn."
He placed both hands on the crystal. As expected, his name and class—Druid—flashed across the codex in ancient script. But unlike the others, his screen shifted twice, displaying two panels. One for skills. One for spells.
Alex blinked.
"Wait, I can pick one from each?" he whispered, half-expecting the Codex to change its mind.
Not wasting the moment, he spoke aloud, "I choose Exotic Weapon Proficiency for my skill… and Lightning Strike for my spell."
Then the pain started.
The codex didn't jolt him—it almost lit him up like a bonfire.
Electricity shot through his entire body, locking his muscles in place. Different weapons danced before his eyes—katanas, chain-blades, curved twin daggers, polearms—each one demonstrating techniques and attack forms faster than he could consciously absorb. His limbs twitched involuntarily, like his body was memorizing the movements in real time.
Just as it ended, another surge hit.
This time, the spell. A tempest of white clouds and searing yellow lightning raced through his mind. He saw himself calling down thunder, blasting enemies with crackling bolts from above. Power. Raw, wild power.
Then… silence.
Alex's knees gave out and he dropped to the floor, panting.
Leyla was by his side in a flash, her hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright? Can you stand?"
"I'm good," Alex wheezed, smiling faintly. "Just… rebooting."
Trisha knelt beside him too, her tone a blend of concern and irritation. "You cheated. Why do you get two?"
Alex chuckled breathlessly. "It's just one skill and one spell. I'm also a magic caster, remember?"
Trisha narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. "Hmph. Cheater." Then she stood and stalked off. "I don't trust men who come with extra favors."
Callum was laughing. "She's just mad because you didn't fall over dramatically."
"I did fall over," Alex said, pushing himself up slowly. "And I almost died. Twice."
"But did you scream?" Callum said with mock seriousness.
"I'm saving my scream for later," Alex replied.
Leyla smiled and helped dust him off. "You took in two of the more advanced forms. I'm impressed."
"Thanks. I feel like my brain's been set on fire," Alex said, still shaking slightly.
Malik's voice echoed from behind. "Well, that's what you get for asking for something ahead of the job."
The three of them turned as the elven chief approached, arms crossed, though a faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
"I will admit," he said, looking at each of them, "you chose well. The Codex has accepted it. That is not something to be taken lightly."
Alex bowed slightly. "We'll make it worth your trust."
"I hope so," Malik replied. "Because the beast you're about to face is not one you can simply wing it against. It has lived for millenia, unseen, untouched—kept at bay by our strongest wards. It doesn't just kill. It devours."
Trisha crossed her arms. "Great. I was hoping for something cuddly this time."
Callum flexed his arms. "Cuddly or not, I've got new gliding powers. Worst case, I glide away and leave you two to deal with it."
Alex grinned. "So brave. So noble."
"Don't worry," Leyla said. "I'll glide after him and drag him back."
"Aw, I knew you liked me," Callum teased.
Leyla rolled her eyes, but didn't deny it.
Malik nodded at the group. "Rest tonight. You move at dawn."
"Wait," Alex said, raising his hand slightly. "Can you tell us more about the beast? What kind of animal or creature is it? How big is it, and what are its abilities?"
Malik turned to him slowly, one brow raised. "Very well. I assumed you were so confident in your powers that you didn't care much for the details."
Alex gave a small shrug. "It doesn't hurt to be ready and well-informed. I want to do it right. Explore all our options."
For a moment, the old elf's stern expression softened, ever so slightly. "A wise decision."
He took a breath and began.
"The beast that you will face tomorrow is not an ordinary creature. Long ago, it was our guardian—a sacred ally of the elves. A protector of the wild and the old ways. During the Age of Kingdoms, many enemies attempted to destroy us. And they would have succeeded... had it not been for the might of the legendary beasts."
Trisha, Callum, and Alex listened intently as Malik's voice turned solemn, like a storyteller recalling something sacred.
"There were many of them once—mighty creatures born from the will of the world itself. Some could bend fire, others commanded oceans. But among them, one remained closest to our kin. This beast fought beside our warriors. It patrolled our borders, hunted invaders in the shadows, and watched our skies. And even when the rest of the great beasts departed during the breaking of the world… it stayed."
"You mean, during the Great War?" Callum asked.
Malik nodded. "Yes. The war that broke the world... and shattered the balance. When the Dome appeared, everything changed. The other beasts vanished—some fled to distant realms, others died. But our protector remained, trapped with us."
"And you said it went mad?" Alex asked.
"Not at first," Malik said. "For thousands of years, it remained watchful. Waiting. Guarding. But no threats came. No armies rose. Slowly, it began to lose itself. It fell into a deep slumber—hibernating for centuries. We assumed it had passed on, or left us."
He paused, his eyes distant. "Then, decades ago, it woke up. But not as it once was."
"It woke up angry," Malik said. "Twisted. Consumed by rage, confusion, and a thirst for battle. It lashed out at our scouts. Every messenger we sent was killed without warning. Every contact attempt ended in blood. It has not marched upon us yet, but any patrol that comes near its territory is torn apart."
There was silence for a moment.
Trisha looked genuinely moved. "So... it's up to us now. To protect your next generation."
Malik's jaw tightened. "We still have warriors and mages among us, but not like the legends of old. Many of our strongest fell in battles long past. Some simply withered with age. Our youth—those born after the Dome—do not possess the gifts of our ancestors."
"Why is that?" Alex asked, curious.
"Our birth rate is slow," Leyla answered quietly, stepping beside her father. "Elves only produce offspring once every hundred years, sometimes longer. It's nature's balance. We live long, so we must repopulate slowly. That used to be enough. But now…"
"Now, we are reduced to one village," he said. "One last stronghold of elvenkind. We cannot afford another massacre. Not again. Not when our future depends on so few."
Callum scratched the back of his head. "Okay, I get the stakes. But what is this beast, really? Was it a giant wolf? A bear? Some kind of chimera?"
Malik turned toward him, eyes solemn.
He drew in a breath as if the word itself carried centuries of weight.
"It's a dragon."
Everything went still.