Noelle and the Poison Mage – A Life‑Threatening Encounter
Night at Wolf Lodge – Something Slips Inside
The inn had already quieted.
The guests slept, the lanterns flickered faintly, and only the sound of water echoed in the kitchen.
Noelle stood before the herb shelf when suddenly…
she felt it.
Not cold.
Not heat.
But distortion.
The water element around her trembled.
Tiny black dust motes floated in the air.
Noelle's eyes narrowed.
"You're here."
The darkness in the corner of the kitchen shifted.
The Poison Mage Appears – For the First Time in the Flesh
A figure stepped out of the shadows.
Black cloak.
Mask.
Behind the mask, green light flickered, as if snakes writhed beneath it.
His voice was soft, like a hiss.
"Wolfwood girl. Finally, just the two of us."
Noelle stepped forward, water gathering in her palm.
"What do you want? Why are you attacking the city? Why target me?"
The poison mage slowly circled her.
"Because you are purity. Healing. Order. And I… hate all of it."
Noelle's eyes flashed.
"Water does not fear poison."
The poison mage smiled.
"But poison… infects water."
The Attack – Fast, Deadly, Unexpected
With a single motion, the poison mage lunged forward.
From his cloak, tiny black needles shot out — so fast they were almost invisible.
Noelle reflexively raised her hand.
Water crashed together around her like a shield.
The needles struck the water…
and instantly turned it black.
Noelle paled.
"This… isn't simple poison. This… is alive."
The poison mage stepped closer.
"Yes. The poison… breathes. And now… it lives in your water."
Noelle backed away, the water around her trembling.
The poison spread through the shield like a dark stain.
"If you don't purify it… it will destroy you."
Noelle clenched her teeth.
"Water… always purifies."
Water and Poison Collide – Between Life and Death
Noelle closed her eyes.
The water around her glowed.
The poison began to hiss.
The two forces clashed.
Hissing.
Steam.
Light.
Sound.
The poison mage stepped back.
"Interesting. Very interesting. The water… fights."
Noelle panted, but did not yield.
"You won't kill me. Not here. Not now."
The poison suddenly exploded inside the water, sending black steam into the air.
Noelle thrust her hand forward, and the water cleared.
The poison vanished.
The poison mage fell silent.
Then spoke slowly:
"You are strong. Too strong."
Noelle stepped forward.
"Then why run?"
Green light flickered behind the mask.
"Because you are not ready yet. And I… do not kill those who are still evolving."
In the next moment, he vanished.
As if he had never been there.
Noelle Collapses – And the Girls Rush to Her
The kitchen door burst open.
Ersi was the first to run in.
"Noelle! What happened?!"
Kagura drew her sword.
Selene stepped out of the shadows.
Tessa turned pale.
Noelle fell to her knees.
Her hand trembled.
The water around her still vibrated.
"The poison… is alive. And… it left a mark… inside me."
Ersi knelt beside her.
"He poisoned you?!"
Noelle shook her head.
"No… but it was close. Too close."
Selene looked around with narrowed eyes.
"This is no longer a game. The poison mage tried to kill you for the first time."
Kagura clenched her fist.
"Then we find him. And end this."
Noelle slowly stood.
Her eyes darkened.
"No. This is my fight. The fight of water and poison. And now… it has begun."
Noelle Knows Their Next Encounter Will Be Fatal
Wolf Lodge was silent.
The girls stood around her.
The air was tight.
Noelle took a deep breath.
"The poison mage is close. And next time… I won't defend. I'll attack."
The water around her flared.
War had begun.
Ersi and the Water Mage – Their Next, Far More Intense Clash
The poison mage had already tried to kill Noelle.
Valerius had begun his assault.
The noose around Wolf Lodge was tightening.
And in this tension, the water mage also moved:
for the first time, he didn't just provoke Ersi — he tested her limits.
This was the true clash of fire and water.
Wolf Lodge Courtyard – The Sign of the Coming Storm
The sun had set, the city lights flickered in the distance.
The air was heavy, as if a storm hid behind the clouds.
Ersi stood in the courtyard, flame burning in her palm.
She wasn't training.
She wasn't practicing.
She was… raging.
Since the poison mage's attack, she hadn't found her place.
The fire inside her burned too fast, too fiercely.
"If one more person calls me weak…" she growled.
The air suddenly cooled.
Ersi froze.
"Oh no… not again."
Frost‑flowers appeared on the walls.
The lanterns dimmed.
Moisture settled in the air.
The water mage was here.
The Water Appears – But Different This Time
The water in the well stirred.
But this time not slowly, not elegantly.
It boiled.
It surged.
It burst.
In a single instant, the water took shape — far clearer, far more human than ever before.
The water mage stood before her.
His mask was blue with silver waves.
His voice was cold, clear, razor‑sharp.
"Ersebeth. Fire witch. I thought you were ready. I was mistaken."
Ersi stepped forward, flame igniting in her palm.
"Don't start this again. If you want to fight, say it. If you want to talk, talk. But don't play with me."
The water mage slowly circled her.
"Fire always rushes. Water… never. But now… I make an exception."
Ersi snorted.
"Finally."
The Attack – Water Strikes Back for the First Time
The water mage raised his hand.
Tiny droplets appeared in the air.
Then, in a single instant, they formed into icicles.
Ersi's eyes widened.
"Oh, for—"
The icicles shot forward.
Ersi reflexively raised a wall of fire.
The ice hissed and melted in the flames.
The water mage's voice rang cold.
"You are fast. But still… predictable."
Ersi stepped forward.
"Fire is not predictable! Fire… lives!"
Flame burst from her palm.
The water mage summoned a wave with a single motion.
The two elements collided.
Hissing.
Steam.
Light.
Sound.
Steam wrapped around them, as if they stood in another world.
The Water Mage Acknowledges Ersi – But Does Not Yield
The water mage stepped back.
For the first time.
"You have grown stronger. Too fast. Too fiercely."
Ersi panted, but her eyes burned.
"Then why won't you fight properly? Why hide behind water? Show me your face! The real one!"
The water mage fell silent.
The water around him slowly calmed.
"My true face… is not for you. Not yet."
Ersi stepped forward.
"Come back! Don't run!"
The water mage slowly retreated.
"I do not run. I wait. Fire… always consumes itself. And I… simply wait."
In the next moment, he vanished.
As if he had never been there.
Ersi Collapses – And Noelle Runs to Her
The steam slowly dispersed.
Ersi fell to her knees.
Her hand trembled.
The fire around her vibrated.
Noelle was the first to reach her.
"Ersi! What happened?!"
Ersi panted.
"The water… grew stronger. Much stronger. And… something is wrong with it. It's not just water. There's… something else in it."
Noelle paled.
"The water mage… is corrupted. Or… bound."
Selene stepped out of the shadows.
"Valerius. I'm certain. He's behind this."
Kagura placed her hand on her sword.
"Then we find him. And end this."
Ersi slowly stood.
Her eyes burned.
"No. This is my fight. The fight of water and fire. And now… it has begun."
The Fire Ignites
Ersi stood beside the well, still feeling the cold touch of water in her palm.
"Weak, huh? We'll see."
Fire flared between her fingers.
War had begun.
And Ersi was ready.