B4 - Chapter 9: Sylvaren

'I changed my mind,' Nightmare said through Link as the dark elf cheerfully knelt beside the charred corpses to harvest their Endless Pouches. 'Stay with the crimson-haired woman. I refuse to let your offspring inherit this insanity.'

'I don't think she's crazy,' Colossus argued. 'She just seems to be... two completely different people sharing the same body.'

'And how does that keep her from being crazy?' Nightmare retorted.

Seth watched the eccentric young woman in silence.

He was still trying to make sense of it all.

The same girl who had spent the last half hour peppering him with utterly meaningless questions was the fifth-strongest Iron-tier climber to ever challenge Shenlong's Tower.

Yet, after witnessing her effortlessly slaughter four Silver Wielders, he had no trouble believing it.

Sylvaren skipped back toward Seth, her boots crunching against the loose stones. Halfway there to him, she stopped suddenly, and her violet eyes widened.

"Oh." She spun around and hurried back to the woman she had impaled at the very beginning of the ambush. "I almost forgot."

Without the slightest hesitation, she yanked the small bloodstained pouch from the corpse's belt, tossed it into the air, caught it with a grin, and resumed walking toward Seth.

"How do you know my name?" Seth asked, watching the dark elf secure the loot.

Sylvaren looked up, brushing a loose strand of white hair behind one pointed ear. "Everyone knows your name. You're even more famous than I am. I should be jealous." She paused. "...actually, not really. I'd prefer not to be famous. I don't like the attention it brings. And it attracts people who don't know when they should stop bothering you."

Look who's talking, Seth thought, though he maintained a neutral expression.

"Anyway!" Sylvaren exclaimed. "Let's keep going!"

She marched forward with absolute confidence, then three steps later she halted again. After a few seconds, she slowly turned back toward Seth, wearing an embarrassed grimace. "Hmmm... which direction were we heading again?"

Seth let out a weary sigh and turned toward the distant mountain range.

As the dark elf hurried to catch up, Seth stole a glance in her direction.

His eyes moved from her leather boots to the pointed tips of her ears.

Extending his senses, he felt dense currents of both Dark and Fire affinity swirling around her slender frame. The mix perfectly explained the black flames.

Yet that affinity alone couldn't explain how powerful her spells had been.

She was ranked at the top of one of Shenlong's Legacy rankings, so she definitely possessed a Legacy, and likely had Seeds that amplified her Arcane Power even more.

Even so, Seth couldn't help but feel that there was more to it.

She had fought with such efficiency; every move and every attack had been perfectly timed.

Seth considered himself a great fighter. Years of hunting, countless Rift expeditions, and the war had made him quite skilled even without his high attributes.

But was his combat technique really as good as hers?

While he relied heavily on instinct, aggression, and overwhelming force, Sylvaren fought with cold, meticulous calculation.

Should I learn to fight more like that?

As if sensing his scrutiny, Sylvaren glanced away, and a faint blush spread across her pale purplish cheeks. "I don't think you should stare at me like that."

Seth shifted his gaze back to the rocky trail. "Sorry," he said. "I was just thinking about how you handled those bandits."

The dark elf lit up. "You liked it?" she asked, turning toward him with unconcealed excitement. "Did you think I was strong?"

"You are," Seth answered. "Anyone who saw you fight would agree."

Sylvaren's smile turned into a pout. "My mentor wouldn't. She constantly says I am too weak."

Before Seth could say anything, Sylvaren lengthened her stride, spun around, and walked backward so she could stay directly in front of him.

She then planted one hand on her hip and furrowed her brows into an exaggerated scowl. " 'Syl, you need to become stronger!' " she proclaimed, mimicking an elder's stern voice. " 'Changes are coming, and you must be ready when the time arrives!' " She dropped the act with an exasperated sigh. "She's always saying things like that."

Changes are coming? The words echoed in Seth's mind. It didn't sound like some regular advices.

"My mentor is actually the reason I followed you from the tower plaza," Sylvaren added while walking back over to his side.

Seth glanced at her. "So you admit you were following me."

"Oh... no, no, I..." The dark elf's confident posture crumbled. She lowered her head and stared at her boots, now looking exactly like a guilty child who had just been caught stealing.

She then turned her head toward her shoulder and mumbled, "Stop it. This isn't funny."

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Seth's lips tugged to the side. Pretending not to notice her bizarre conversations with herself was becoming difficult.

After letting out a defeated sigh, Sylvaren finally looked back up. "Okay, fine." She scratched the back of her head. "I was following you. I was interested in you..."

Seth raised an eyebrow. "Interested in me?"

"Yes—" The words finally registered. Sylvaren's pale violet-gray skin turned a brilliant shade of crimson. "No! Not like that!" she blurted out while waving both hands frantically in front of herself. "I meant I was interested in who you are! My mentor was talking about your exploits with... someone. She said you shattered the bindings of a god. So, I wanted to meet someone capable of doing such an impossible feat!"

Her embarrassment seemed to vanish in an instant. She puffed out her chest and planted both hands once again on her hips, this time to strike an exaggerated heroic pose while still walking.

"I wanted to meet a real hero straight out of a bedtime story!" she stated. "There may not be many tales about you yet, but my instincts tell me there will be hundreds one day. So I knew I had to meet this future legend!"

She paused. "I was certain he'd be incredibly kind and... well..." She searched for a better word. "...nice!" Another pause. "Yes, nice."

Seth dragged a hand across his face, trying to hide his own embarrassment. "I'm no hero."

Sylvaren skipped a few steps ahead before spinning around to walk backward once again. "You'll definitely become one," she said with absolute conviction. "I know you will."

A bright smile spread across her face. "And when you finally do become one, I hope you'll help me."

Seth frowned. "Help you do what?"

"Become a hero too!" she declared, throwing her arms wide.

Seth blinked. The sincerity that had just flashed in her eyes left no room for doubt.

She truly meant it.

Then, her smile faltered, and she turned toward her shoulder. "No," she muttered defensively. "You're the ridiculous one."

Once again, Seth pretended not to hear her. His gaze moved to the horizon instead.

At last, the silhouette of a towering mountain had emerged against the sky. The entrance to the Voiceless Vale wouldn't be much farther.

His thoughts drifted back to the first time he had entered a Rift from within another Rift. That had been in the forest with Elena, when they had materialized into the frozen caverns where he'd eventually found Lumi.

Sub-Rift posed an issue in his case.

Using a normal Escape Scroll inside the Voiceless Vale would expel him from Asethka's entire dimensional space altogether, sending him to one of the portals inside Kastal.

Fortunately, Marcus had anticipated that issue.

Before Seth had left, the old Alchemist had handed him several Recall scrolls. Unlike Escape ones, they would return him directly to Asethka's Recall Altar, providing a reliable retreat should his expeditions go badly.

Seth pointed at the distant horizon. "My destination is at the base of this mountain."

Sylvaren clasped her hands together. "Great!"

"Which means this is where we part ways," Seth added, coming to a stop on the rocky plain.

The dark elf halted as well. Her bright smile faded. "Why?"

"I'm heading into the Voiceless Vale Rift," Seth explained.

"Ohhh..." Sylvaren drew out the word thoughtfully and tilted her head. "I've never heard of it."

Seth blinked. "Really?"

She nodded. "Yes, I only arrived at Asethka a few months ago."

"Where were you before that?"

"Traveling the world with my mentor!" The dark elf spread her arms wide as if embracing the entire horizon. "I trained under all sorts of masters across dozens of countries and environments!"

A brief pang surged inside Seth. The chance to travel the world, learn from different experts, and refine his combat style sounded incredible. But then he imagined himself having to meet new people every single day and the envy disappeared.

That would be exhausting.

"Anyway, the Voiceless Vale is considered extremely dangerous," Seth continued, steering the conversation back on course. "It's overrun with Undead beasts, and the entire Rift is regularly swept by Null Ripples."

Sylvaren tapped a finger against her chin. "Undead beasts are fine. I don't mind facing those." She nodded thoughtfully before making a face. "Null Ripples, though... those are annoying."

"Exactly," Seth said, seizing the opportunity right away. "Which is why we'll—"

"It's fine, I'm coming with you!" She smiled as though she had just solved the world's greatest mystery. "It'll be a wonderful experience!"

Seth closed his eyes and resisted the overwhelming urge to bury his face in his palm.

'She really doesn't understand hints,' Nightmare said, unable to hide his amusement.

'No, she really doesn't,' Seth admitted with an inward sigh.

'On the bright side, you'll get to see more of how she fights,' Colossus said, chiming in.

'I guess so.'

Seth opened his eyes. Without another word, he resumed his walk toward the mountain.

A moment later, Sylvaren happily skipped after him.

The Rift portal dropped Seth and Sylvaren onto a barren, dark plain that stretched in all directions around them.

A gray mist clung to the area while dead trees stretched toward the dark sky, their branches casting shadows across the desolate landscape.

Seth extended his senses. He could feel the Undead affinity saturating the place. The cold energy seeped through every chunk of the ground and every breath of the stagnant and putrid air.

Yet despite all that, he sensed no immediate threat within the fog.

He glanced at Sylvaren.

His contract required him to collect Hollow Shards, and she had readily agreed to let him keep all those they found. Which was to be expected, since she was only there because Seth had been incapable of turning her away.

Sylvaren inhaled loudly beside him, and a delighted smile spread to split her face in half. "This place looks wonderful."

Seth blinked, then frowned at her. Wonderful? What in the Nine Hells is wonderful about this place?

Shadows pooled around him, and Nightmare emerged from the teardrop necklace before stretching and sniffing the air.

"Ohh, a Duskbound direwolf! So cool!" Sylvaren exclaimed. Her purple eyes sparkled, and her smile then broadened even more. "Oh! I have a contracted beast to show you too!"

She raised her hand and pale aether materialized above her palm. A moth the size of a head and fluttered out of her own pendant. The insect's translucent wings beat with a slow, almost hypnotic pace while scattering a trail of glowing dust across the dead soil.

Seth cast Intermediate Identify on the creature.

Luna Moth

Potential: Platinum Tier Rank: 60 (Peak-Iron)

Affinity: Undead

Strength: 72 Arcane Power: 162

Toughness: 96 Well Capacity: 129

Agility: 135 Regeneration: 106

Platinum Potential?! Seth's jaw almost dropped to the ground.

The ghostly moth turned its multifaceted eyes toward him and lowered its antennae in what appeared to be a nod.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Seth Elrod." Its aetheric voice drifted through the air like a breeze.

Seth stiffened. "...likewise."

A brief unease almost made him grimace. The Platinum-tier beast had likely felt Identify probing its Well. Just as the thought crossed his mind, he then realized something.

Maybe she was talking to that beast earlier, rather than a split personality.

With a thud, Colossus materialized beside Seth. His large stone-plated body rattled loudly, the sound echoing across the silent wasteland.

Sylvaren gasped. "Ohhh! A giant scorpion too?"

Without the slightest hesitation, she hurried over and began circling Colossus to examine each of his legs and tails.

"You're so lucky! Your subclass lets you bind more than one familiar?"

"It does," Seth replied, not sharing anything else.

"That's amazing!" she beamed. "I absolutely love beasts!" She abruptly stopped mid-step. Turning toward her shoulder once again, she muttered in an irritated whisper, "Why would I look immature?"

Seth watched the dark elf for a moment before shifting his gaze to the Luna Moth that was hovering a few paces away.

Well... there went his previous thought. She had definitely not been talking to the contracted beast.

'Told you she was crazy,' Nightmare said with a chuckle through Link.

Only after finishing her inspection of Colossus did Sylveran finally step back. She spun toward Seth, flashing another broad smile as she clasped her hands behind her back once again.

"So where to now?"