NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter-144 Pathfinder
“Exchange,” Rain said, wielding the throwing knives he used back in the war, flipping them between his fingers. “Your name for the information.”
Orange blasted off into the sky from Ewan’s Ryvia platform, facing off against the falcon with a salvo of explosive punches. The sky rumbled with them, the crowns of the trees submitted, and the clouds scattered away. While Frost assisted Ewan against Rain with his spells. Ice blades, icicles, ice spikes, his slew of ice spells further trapped Rain, the aftermath chilling the earth and freezing the greens. Some spells grazed him, and some belted him and shattered his lightning Varos again and again. Even with his speed, he couldn’t dodge it all—the lacerations, the wounds, and his bloodied clothes proved his predicament. Yet, the light within his eyes blazed brighter than ever. The man was enjoying the edge, he reveled in the rush of the battle. Perhaps death had lost its meaning for him.
“Fine,” Ewan said, absorbing Anima from the Novas coin between his teeth, its ceramic surface velvety to his tongue, and cast <Fireflies> as he predicted Rain’s path. Though he jumped around like a money in the woods, he still followed a loose pattern, especially when the dense forest restricted him so. “Slate Falvey, nice to meet you.”
“I…see,” Rain said, panting, and hurling the lightning daubed throwing knives at Frost before bolting away from the path of icicles. He leveraged a thick branch of a tree and summersaulted across an armed <Fireflies>, groaning yet chuckling as he strained himself—blood spurted from the gash on his stomach. “Pathfinders are the guides….who help the lost adventurers back on their initial path.”
Sindra—Ice Favored!
Ice Wall!
Ewan eased his own defenses and blocked the knives for Frost with a part of his mind in the sky, creating platforms for Orange to maneuver. The knives stabbed the ice wall, chipped its surface, then exploded into lightning clouds, shattering the wall into shards.
Frost sprung back and retreated but the cloud spread faster than the last time, it billowed and surged. The lack of information caused Ewan’s miscalculation. He removed all his defenses and grabbed Frost with Ryvia, yanking him back before the expanding lavender lightning cloud touched him. But at the same time, he stood almost defenseless—only his Varos protected him like an honest guardian. And a crackling lightning whip flogged him at just the right moment. It tore his Varos, shredded his shirt, and gashed his chest across, deep into his sternum and ribcage. The stench of burnt skin and blood hit his nose before the gut-wrenching pain took over. He grunted a deep growl.
“Do you think I’m a three-year-old? You lied and killed me last time; do you think I won't gather any information on you?” Rain said, his chest heaving and his hand trembling, his face and hair drenched in sweat and blood. “Who is Slate Falvey anyway, did you just pick any name at random? Am I nothing in your eyes?”
Ewan took a deep and sharp breath amidst the man’s whining, but the agony from the movement chopped it into a hiccup. “Fine,” he said with a hoarse throat, trying to breathe gradually as the sharp pain stung him, the remnant lightning arcs singeing his skin. “Ewan Ayres, nice to meet you.”
Why bother asking if you already know me…
Rain smiled, his eyelids drooping, and his steps halted. “Pathfinders, those who create their own paths of Asheva instead of walking the established and tested roads,” he said.
His Lightning Falcon squawked and nosedived, its wings folded as it did, and zoomed back into the Dekoth, leaving Orange alone and frustrated in the sky, and he roared.
“Some other types have popped up recently. They’re still Severynths, but because they opted for a different combat style, they also call themselves ‘Pathfinders’,” Rain said. “If you continue to meddle in Drarith’s business, you’ll meet them soon enough. Now, I should take my leave.”
He bowed with his hand at his heart. “We shall meet again,” he said and collapsed back with a smile, thudding on the ground behind him, where the armed <Fireflies> was.
Ewan watched him fall, and his raised hand ready to cast another spell also dropped. His gushing adrenaline settled down, his trembles rested, and the Anima he employed returned home to their runes. It was futile to try and keep Rain here in his condition, especially when he didn’t know how to—he could only let go. And so, as his tensed shoulders eased and the pain from the gash intensified, the swarm of milky fireflies engulfed Rain. A second later, with a surge of Anima around him, he exploded into gore and bloodied pieces.
At the same time, the last ping from the man inside the cave announced his status—no heartbeat, temperature dropping, and zero movements.
…..
Ewan trudged over to the small crater with Frost and Orange in tow and glanced at the pieces Rain left behind. His body parts were a gory mess with bits splattered all over the ground—they gave Ewan no clue. But the intact patches of clothes, though still smoldered, reported the actual situation. These leftovers were of the darkened-rose color and not the algae-green Rain wore, not to mention they looked to be ladies’ garments.
His secret was already out, so he didn’t even bother hiding it this time. He summoned a woman here and had her take the full brunt of <Fireflies> in his stead. No, the woman was here but Rain wasn’t. So, he swapped places with her most likely. There were no fluctuations of Anima or spirit from her body parts either—she was a Kyron.
Ewan inspected the aftermath while Iris worked on his gash. The stubborn Lightning-Anima glued to the wound resisted her spell, but her consistent effort chipped at its remnant strength. Kidd also dashed to him, standing by his side without uttering even a whisper, though sweating profusely.
His battle with Rain was far from over. Ewan craved the cave, coveted whatever was inside. Hence the conflict was inevitable. He could fake the information and show him that Ensils already knew about this cave, and he was here guarding it for them. But it was flimsy at best, he dared not underestimate Rain and fool him with this trick.
He had to find a counter to this swapping method….
For that, the dead woman could be crucial. Thus, after he finished examining the crater, he collected the woman’s body parts and the blood-soaked soil. Fortunate misfortunes, luckily Kiev sidelined him and removed him from the vanguards. He now had all the time of the day to him to figure out how to kill Rain.
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