First Sprouts
After his talk with Guko, Edmus headed to Fira to tell her about the new addition to their group. Naturally, he wasn't alone — Guko was with him. Edmus looked around, trying to spot the silhouette of the girl he loved.
After nearly an hour of walking, the two of them ended up at the café where he had first met Fira. Strangely enough, she was sitting there, sipping tea as if she'd been expecting them the whole time. The moment she sensed them, she shouted:
— What took you so long? I've been waiting for an hour! Is it really that hard to guess I'd be at the café? And you call yourself a Grolph…
— Sorry, it's just… we didn't set a meeting place. And if you sensed us, you could've said something — Edmus raised an eyebrow, confused.
— Fine, sit down, Edmus. You too, Guko.
— How do you know my— — Guko started, but Fira interrupted:
— I'm just a genius. Don't worry about little things like that. But if you must know, I couldn't exactly dig into Edmus's background without stumbling across yours — that would've been impressive.
— You're smarter than you look… By the way, you said you sensed us? Are you a medic or something?
— I am. Among other things. Now if that's the full team, I'll explain the plan — she gave a small smile.
— Looking forward to it — Edmus said.
— Alright, listen up. Thanks to my advanced sensory magic, I can locate the weakest point in Yusia's border defenses — where they have the least soldiers. The problem is the wall. It's twenty meters tall. Sure, we could fly over it, but archers would shoot us down in seconds. That's where Edmus comes in — with his Slice magic. Since he literally creates a hole, we'll just walk straight through.
— Past the wall, we'll run into an Eltvian military camp, and we'll have to fight our way out. I'll make sure to pick the smallest one I can find, so it won't be too crazy. Guko, what magic do you use?
— I'm a swordsman. I use two elemental magics — gold and silver. Silver lets me create a shield, while gold allows me to curse my enemy with a touch of my blade — turning their bones to gold so they can never walk again. They're forbidden techniques, but… what can you do — Guko looked down modestly.
— Guko's actually not much weaker than me, so it's a solid boost — Edmus said.
— With powers like that, and he's still weaker than you? — Fira smirked, clearly trying to provoke Edmus.
— Yeah. I'm way faster, and I've got range with my bow. While he's trying to hit me, I've already fired off a few shots — Edmus spoke with clear pride.
— Alright, little Grolph.
— Don't call me that! — Edmus raised his voice at Fira for the first time.
They sat and sorted out who'd do what during the mission. Eventually, Edmus and Guko left the café and parted ways, heading to their homes in opposite directions. On the way back, Edmus noticed something strange — the atmosphere felt dark and blurry. When he reached his home, he saw Veikh waiting.
Veikh walked up to him with a grin and said:
— So, Edmus, ready for magic without a weapon?
— I'm not sure… People say it's tough, but with my background, it shouldn't be that bad.
— That kind of thinking will bite you. Even I took a whole week to learn it.
— A week? That's a long time?
— For me — yeah.
That left Edmus a little stunned.
— Alright, let's begin. Grab your bow and take your stance.
Edmus naturally drew his bow and readied it.
— When you pull back your bow and say "Slice," what do you feel?
— Like something flows through my whole body and into the bow.
— That "something" is energy. It can be positive, negative, or neutral. Your regular attacks use neutral — that's the standard for warriors. Positive is used for healing and sensory magic. But negative — that's the toughest. That's what I'm going to teach you. It enhances neutral energy. Same goes for positive. But since you're no medic, you're going to use the negative kind.
— I see… So how do you use negative or positive energy? Also, Fira's pretty skilled at sensing and healing. Does that mean she's more talented than me?
— I don't know who this Fira of yours is. Anyway, let's get started. To use negative energy, you have to draw from your heart — the main source of emotions.
— I'll give it a try.
Edmus focused. His legs were tense, arms in perfect form, gaze sharp and locked — but nothing happened.
— Not working, huh? Alright, let's see what's wrong.
Veikh stepped up and thrust his hand right through Edmus, ejecting his spirit from his body. Edmus, now in his spirit form, protested, but Veikh examined his soul.
— Your heart, Edmus… there's a lock. And it's not like the others I've seen in Grolphs…
Veikh reached out and began unlocking it. After five minutes, the lock came off, and he examined it closely. Returning Edmus to his body, he said:
— This isn't a limiter for unlimited use… it's a seal. It was holding your power back. Strange… Why would you get a different kind of lock?
— Because I'm special. That's always how it is. Don't overthink it — let's try again. By the way, what was that technique? You literally pulled my soul out.
— Eh… it's not as flashy as you think. It's a healing spell — lets you pull a soul from a body for twenty minutes. It's called "Double Borders."
— You know healing techniques? Who are you?
— Your… teacher?
— Alright then…
Edmus readied his stance again, but Veikh smacked him on the back of the head and gave him a cold glare:
— Idiot. I meant without your bow! Why are you in a stance? Fire the energy directly! I even brought a target!
Veikh pulled a creature from a magic bag — common in Yusia — capable of storing massive items. It was a Ruh, a huge forest beast, three times the size of a man, with a single bite capable of killing instantly. It was bound, thankfully, making things a bit safer.
Edmus stared in horror, swallowed hard, and decided to try. He waved his hand toward the creature, and a massive green energy blast shot from his palm, faster than even Veikh expected.
— Slice! Negative level! — Edmus yelled.
The Ruh took a direct hit, and a gaping hole was left in its body, which started dissolving into nothing.
— Acid element… dangerous power you've got there, Edmus.
— Acid element? So that's my ability?
— Yeah. It's rare. And deadly. I didn't master negative energy until I was twenty. You just did it on your first try. Incredible. You're really something, Edmus.
Edmus stood there, unable to grasp what he'd just unlocked. He had no idea how to use this power — but one thing was clear: he needed to be careful.
That night, after mastering weaponless magic and awakening his acid element, Edmus felt invincible. But lying in bed, he noticed his palms were red and burning. The pain was setting in — a side effect of negative energy. He plunged his hands into water, and the pain vanished. The burns began healing at an incredible speed.
— So this is the power of a Grolph? Fast regeneration like this… I learned negative magic in one shot, while even my teacher needed a week. What the hell am I? A monster…
Edmus fell asleep thinking about the escape. But mostly, he thought of Fira — not Guko, not his parents — just Fira. He felt there was something about her… something tied to his origins.
Late that night, a sound broke the silence. Edmus stood up and looked around. The room was a mess, covered in dust — nothing there. The sound came from outside. It was a woman crying. Edmus stepped out and tried to use sensory magic, just like they taught him.
— Damn. I suck at using positive energy… Guess I'll have to use this. Hope I don't pass out.
He stood tall, eyes up at the night sky, and whispered:
— Raven Eye.
This technique let him create a raven from neutral energy and see through its eyes. He spotted a woman, two officers — and one familiar face.
— That fat bastard who visits sometimes… and a child behind the woman. I've heard about this… swapping strong kids between Yusia and Eltvia.
— A child? Are they really trading children? Am I one of them? No way. But with my new magic, I can handle two officers easily. I just can't kill anyone yet. I need that fat guy alive… for now.
Edmus entered the area. The atmosphere was strange — dark, tense… yet somehow crowded. Was the police Everything looked strangely off — such a dark and mysterious atmosphere, yet such a crowded place… Does the police really fear nothing?
— Hey, Zerux, fatass, let the woman and the kid go, or nothing's gonna save your partner.
— Edmus? Hah, even if you're a Grolf, don't overestimate yourself. You're just a kid, and we're officers. Go to bed, you piece of trash.
— At least you'll live. Enjoy it… while it lasts, you f***ing scum.
The fat man tried to say something, maybe argue, but Edmus — moving at incredible speed — had already started releasing an arrow, without using negative energy, aimed at the officer next to Zerux.
— Take this, bastard… Sound Arrow.
Edmus fired. The arrow hit the officer but didn't do any visible damage for about two seconds — then the officer dropped to his knees and started screaming, begging for mercy.
— Sound Arrow is made from neutral energy. Its downside is, it's got the speed of a regular arrow, like all the rest. But the trick is, it sends sound directly into your brain — it breaks through the neurons and wipes memory. The mental shock alone'll put your buddy in the hospital for a week.
— You little punk… Screw the kid, I'll teach you some manners, Grolf brat.
Zerux pulled out a spear and started spinning it with mastery. It was a magic weapon — yet another reminder of how Edmus was already beyond others: wielding barehanded magic while seasoned officers were still stuck on standard weapons.
Zerux slammed the spear into the ground. A wave of cold shot out from it. Ice started spreading — and froze Edmus' legs in place.
— Barehanded magic's useless if you've got no brains, dumbass!
— Just like your dick!
— I'll savor this win real slow. And I think I'll start with your heart… Hope it tastes nice.
Edmus was in the worst situation yet — legs frozen, movement restricted. But after a moment of thought, he found a way out. He concentrated the last of his energy into his legs just as the fat man approached. The ice melted — acid element.
Using neutral energy, Edmus created a bowstring — much thinner and tougher than the normal kind. Lunging at Zerux, he sliced through the spear and looped the thread around Zerux's neck, then used the most basic skill:
— Absorb.Through a magical weapon, you can drain an enemy's energy — if their power's way weaker than yours. Simple, but effective. And now we talk about my family… and why Elthvia is my true home, you bastard.