Ingrid was being held "prisoner" in a small house at the heart of the garden.
Well, "prisoner" was a bit of an exaggeration.
She stared out the window with a dejected expression, elbows propped on the sill, chin in her hands.
I never should've fallen for Cassian's cuteness.
And now here she was, playing the distressed princess Cassian had to save from the Terrible Ancient Serpent.
Cassian had even changed her clothes for the role. She now wore a pale pink dress with golden embroidery, utterly unsuitable for a maid. She even had a cardboard crown on her head.
A cardboard crown. My dignity is dead.
The idea had come to Cassian after being inspired by the dream box tale Marcel had given him.
Outside, the Ancient Serpent circled the small house.
It was a massive creature, thirty meters long, with emerald-green scales that gleamed in the sunlight. Its yellow eyes were intelligent and vigilant. It slithered through the trees with an almost hypnotic grace, keeping the maid under constant watch.
The serpent had been ordered by Cassian to act exactly as it did in the tale.
Which meant: keep the princess captive and fight the hero.
On the other side of the garden, in a less wooded area, Cassian was preparing.
He wore a full set of equipment called the Oath of Thunder.
A suit of black-and-silver plate armor, etched with faintly pulsing electric runes. A sleek helmet with a T-shaped visor that revealed his glowing turquoise eyes. Reinforced gauntlets. Articulated greaves.
The ensemble crackled softly with static electricity.
The Shoreless Sea finished producing the final piece: the sword.
It was a long, straight blade forged from blue-white metal that seemed to vibrate constantly. Electric arcs danced along its edge.
As soon as Cassian gripped it, information flooded his mind.
Stormblade. Increases strike speed by 40%. Each hit generates electric discharges. Synchronized with the Oath of Thunder armor for amplified effects.
Cassian swung the sword up and down, testing its handling.
It was light. Incredibly light.
The entire suit suddenly crackled with more intense electricity. Simply channeling mana into the equipment activated it.
Above him, the sky began to change.
Gray clouds formed rapidly, gathering over the garden. A fine rain began to fall.
Cassian looked toward where the serpent and maid were supposed to be, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
I can't wait to start!
He pulled a small gray orb from his pocket and crushed it in his hand.
Instantly, something shifted within him.
Knowledge flooded in. A fighting style. Movements. Combos. Techniques.
It was as if he'd always trained in this style. His body adapted instantly, new neural connections forming.
He now knew how to stand. How to move. How to strike.
Preparations complete, he sprinted toward the house in the forest.
Hidden in the surrounding trees, the Silent Circle members watched in silence.
Nathan shook his head, incredulous.
"This is absolutely ridiculous," he muttered.
He looked at his wet hair with dismay.
"I spent all day styling it, and now the rain's messing it up…"
His colleague, a bald man in his forties, snickered.
"As if anyone cares about your hair anyway."
"Go to hell, Léon."
"Just stating the truth."
The Ancient Serpent sensed something approaching fast.
Its yellow eyes narrowed. Its forked tongue flicked out, tasting the air.
Danger. Fast. Powerful.
It immediately went on high alert, its massive body coiling defensively around the house.
Then Cassian burst from the trees.
He ran at an incredible speed, far faster than any normal child should. Electricity crackled around him, leaving glowing trails in the air.
The Ancient Serpent attacked from a blind spot.
Its tail whipped like a tree trunk launched at full speed, striking Cassian in the side.
BOOM.
Cassian was hurled violently into a tree several meters away.
CRACK.
The tree splintered under the impact.
Cassian collapsed to the ground, dazed.
Ouch. Okay. I'm not used to these abilities yet.
The equipment boosted his power and reflexes, granting unique abilities. It was as if he instinctively knew which move produced which effect. How to be as efficient as possible.
But knowing and doing were two different things.
He got up quickly, shook his head, and resumed his charge.
The Ancient Serpent gave him no respite.
It lunged forward at blinding speed, its jaws snapping with enough force to shatter steel.
Cassian dodged narrowly, rolling to the side.
He countered with a swift strike.
A lightning-fast draw: the blade flashed in a burst of light.
SWISH.
The sword sliced the serpent's scales, leaving a shallow red line.
The serpent hissed in pain and rage.
It whipped its tail again, this time multiple times in succession, maintaining relentless pressure.
Cassian blocked the first blow with his sword. The second hit his shoulder. The third struck his leg.
Each impact rang like thunder.
But the armor absorbed about 80% of the blows. Cassian felt the pain, but it was bearable.
They moved swiftly through the trees, a deadly dance of claws, fangs, blade, and lightning.
Cassian unleashed a series of quick, shallow slashes in multiple directions.
Each hit released a shower of sparks.
The serpent dodged most, but a few struck, scorching its scales.
It retaliated with a direct, rapid strike, its head lunging to target Cassian's sword hand.
Cassian sidestepped with a lateral dodge, followed by an oblique slash.
So fast it felt like an instantaneous bolt.
CRACK.
The electricity struck the serpent's head.
It recoiled, shaking its head violently, then counterattacked immediately.
The serpent coiled its body in a blinding circular motion, aiming to pin Cassian's arms.
Cassian responded with a forward leap and a horizontal slash.
Like a lightning bolt striking its prey.
He narrowly escaped the coil, but the serpent's tail struck from below at an unexpected angle.
BOOM.
Cassian was thrown again, crashing into the muddy ground.
The rain intensified now. The ground grew slippery. Visibility waned.
Cassian slipped while trying to stand, falling to his knees.
Damn. Too fast. I can't keep up completely.
The serpent reared and coiled upward, aiming to trap Cassian's torso.
Cassian rolled aside and countered with a powerful vertical strike.
The air split, and a sonic shock rattled the surroundings.
BOOM.
The serpent was pushed back but didn't relent.
It used its body's force to whip Cassian's legs like a lash.
Cassian jumped, avoiding the blow, and unleashed a flurry of rapid vertical strikes.
Striking like a cascade of successive lightning bolts.
The serpent twisted, dodging most, but several hit its flank.
It retaliated with a rapid circular motion around Cassian, feinting left before striking right.
Cassian took the bait, parrying left.
The bite came from the right, hitting his arm.
CRACK.
The fangs struck the armor but didn't penetrate. The impact, however, numbed Cassian's arm.
He countered instinctively with a downward slash.
With an electric vibration so strong it charred the scales it touched.
The serpent released, hissing in pain.
They continued fighting through the trees, moving at a frantic pace.
Cassian missed several attacks due to the overwhelming speed he wasn't used to. He slipped again on the wet ground, losing balance multiple times.
Then, in a critical moment, Cassian launched a massive attack.
A precise thrust: the sword's tip became a concentrated lightning bolt.
The strike was aimed directly at the serpent's head.
But behind the serpent was the small house.
If the attack missed or pierced through, it would destroy the house.
And Ingrid with it.
The Ancient Serpent made a split-second decision.
It threw itself into the attack's path, taking the hit head-on rather than dodging.
CRACK.
The lightning pierced its scales, burning deep into its flesh.
The serpent roared in pain, its body writhing violently.
Cassian, meanwhile, was thrilled.
I did it! I landed a hit!
He hadn't even noticed the serpent deliberately took the blow to protect the house.
The rain intensified further. The Silent Circle members, soaked to the bone, were forced to retreat farther.
"We can't see anything!" one shouted.
"It's too dangerous to stay this close!" another added.
Nathan wiped water from his face.
"My hair's ruined anyway…"
Inside the house, Ingrid watched the fight through the window.
Then she sighed, turned away, and flopped onto the bed.
She closed the curtains.
If Cassian wanted to recreate the tale perfectly, he should've worn the same gear as the hero in the story. Not this armor he's wearing just because it looks cool.
She reflected on her life choices.
How did I end up here?
Outside, the battle raged on, growing fiercer by the moment.