"As expected, I could trust you," the smile on Raiziquer's lips was confident; somehow he already knew the swordsman would intercept the creature. Dragomir didn't like that expression, nor the certainty the archer carried, but he wasn't going to say anything; he had other concerns on his mind now.
"I'll advance…" His face was tense with seriousness, his knuckles tightening a powerful grip. "I don't need cover! Just protect the bridge, and I'll advance alone."
That young man had great confidence in his words. Anyone who saw Dragomir and his determined posture formed a very idealized image of him.
It was easy to trust what he said; his striking appearance was practically a personification of pure nobility, everything about him screamed it.
His face, the way he ate, spoke, moved, even in simple and basic things. Everything was so remarkable; his actions could always be called elegant and refined.
People often felt like filthy pigs next to him. It wasn't his imposing presence or beauty, it was something more specific, something that altered the image of those who saw him.
He seemed too folkloric, like a character from legends who had come to life, and this affected the image created about him.
Everyone who saw him for the first time couldn't imagine what lay beneath his appearance, a truth very different from what appearances suggested, because…
Dragomir was someone limited.
His birth condition made the use of magic difficult, so he usually chose not to use it.
A potentially deadly decision.
In this society, the use of magic is indispensable, especially for battles. Even the most melee fighters and wild beasts used magic to enhance their prowess or to defend themselves.
No matter the method, everyone uses magic in their own particular way. But using magic was difficult for Dragomir, not impossible, but still an effort that could have serious consequences.
Consequences that could be even worse than being hit directly by enemies.
Using magic was dangerous for him, but not using it would put him at a disadvantage. No matter what he decided to do, it would be equally useless and suicidal.
Therefore, Dragomir was limited; he had no alternatives to evolve. Even if he completely forgot about using magic and focused on a magic-free style, he wouldn't be able to do anything against his enemies.
So there was no answer, no path he could follow. The frustration was so great that he even wondered if he could really do anything.
Dragomir went through this doubt every day of his life, wondering endlessly, without an answer, without letting the frustration discourage his spirit.
Mornings passed, nights went by, and no answer came to him, and the doubt opened a deep hole in his chest, a hole that nothing seemed to fill.
And once again he wondered…
So, how could someone in these conditions manage to equal the others?
People without his limitation could expand their capabilities almost infinitely.
They could enhance each attribute individually or collectively.
They could achieve powers beyond what was possible without this mystical energy, which blended with nature as if it had belonged to it from the beginning.
Magic was versatile in every sense. The only limitation it had was the determination of its users to improve themselves.
The use of magic caused a drastic change in battle; it was enough to decide the outcome and completely change the scenario.
How could someone limited stand up to someone limitless?
How would he survive an aggressive confrontation with someone with such an advantage?
This doubt haunted his mind for years; each new day brought new frustrations. Without understanding the answer to this question.
How can I become equal?
And the answer came later in his life, when he thought he had nothing left, he achieved the answer he sought.
With skill!
Dragomir leaped through the smoke in a powerful jump. He had to wait until the lights within it dimmed before crossing the curtain. The smoke still contained harmful magical residue that could come into direct contact with skin.
Therefore, he needed to be careful not to take unnecessary damage. Waiting for the right moment was essential!
And now that he had seized the window of opportunity he needed, he would attack with everything he had.
He passed through the black mist that gradually disappeared behind him. The curtain, now extinguished, showed no sign of residual mana to affect Dragomir.
In mid-air, his body almost floated with the momentum of his jump. In a few seconds, the swordsman was propelled by inertia until he was just a few meters above his enemies.
The reptilian who had cast the spell moments before was in his sights, and he wouldn't let him escape.
But reaching their target wouldn't be easy; other reptiles were poised for a counterattack, and they weren't going to let Dragomir invade their dominated field so easily.
The reptilians hadn't expected Dragomir's invasion; they hadn't even noticed him moving until the swordsman crossed the black mist.
His mana sensors identified the energy signature of all three targets, and according to his senses, none of them had left the bridge.
And if that wasn't confusing enough, the gray-haired man in front of him barely showed any sign of his own energy signature.
"How did you know this would work?" Raiziquer questioned the mage as she pulled the string of her bow, a new energy arrow forming in perfect position on the weapon.
Tia, for her part, merely shrugged at the archer, her concentration focused on a reptilian armed with a powerful club, who was getting closer and closer to the redhead, his attack coming from above, ready to strike his target's head.
But just like his companion on the other side, he failed. The spheres that Tia had summoned moments before were transforming; little by little, the round and massive shapes were taking on the appearance of the small and slightly slender body of a bat.
The various summoned spheres took the form of bats, their eyes deep and bright, their mouths armed with sharp, pointed fangs, their purple bodies made of mana began to generate lightning discharges.
Even before the reptilian approached the redhead, the bats attacked. They didn't even touch her skin, only swooped down near her body, releasing a storm of purple lightning that fried the humanoid lizard before it landed.
"I remembered their name, they're Koboldts!" Tia declared excitedly, her bats electrocuting some magical spheres launched towards the bridge, which, unlike Raiziquer's arrow, didn't generate an explosion; instead, the spheres were reduced to a mist of energy.
"I've studied these creatures a bit," with fluid movements of her arms, she made the bats return to her side.
Their numbers were limited, so she had to manage all five bats on the field carefully, not pushing them too far away, otherwise she would be defenseless.
"Koboldts have a very evolved magical perception; we would never be able to get close if they were watching us all the time." Her hands moved rhythmically from side to side, controlling each bat as if conducting an orchestra.
The mimic spell followed the instructions given by the redhead; each one floated like balloons, being carried from one side to the other. "Therefore, our best option was to take advantage of Dragomir's lack of magic to deceive them."
"The plan was good, I just think it hurt him a little," her gaze turned to a small bubble; it transmitted a bit of magical aura, but not just any aura, this was Dragomir's aura.
Moments before the swordsman's advance, Tia instructed and assisted Dragomir in creating a magical bubble containing a concentrated amount of his magical aura, while he suppressed what little remained in his body.
The bubble then contained more of Dragomir's energy signature than his own body. This confused the Koboldts' senses, who failed to notice the swordsman's true presence. Dragomir used the smoke that Raiziquer had purposefully created to conceal himself, using his gaseous form to cover his body. This function of the two spells concealed the small amount of aura present in his body.
"If we didn't do this, we'd all eventually be knocked off the bridge, which would hurt him much more than a simple spell. Even if he struggles a little more to perform magic, he's still capable of doing it!"
Raizicher felt he couldn't disagree. Tia acted very quickly, and that helped Dragomir reach the asteroid.
But they wouldn't be so lucky.
Some of the reptilians were guarding both sides of the bridge; if he or Tia tried to cross, they would be attacked.
The Koboldts aren't very strong, but they are always numerous. Their weakness ceased to matter the moment their sheer numbers overwhelmed the strongest enemy.
That's why the archer and the mage couldn't leave the bridge; both are ranged fighters, not the best in close combat.
Only Dragomir was a frontline fighter.
Therefore, they needed to trust the swordsman; even without much magical assistance, he was not defenseless.
Dragomir was surrounded by humanoid reptiles, each with their weapons drawn, ready to strike him without mercy.
But Dragomir wasn't showing them any mercy either.
One of the Koboldts approached with a spear, while another behind him prepared a crossbow shot.
The spearman channeled energy into his weapon; the flow was aggressive, lacking any lightness. The mana patterns were thick and square. Their strong lines contrasted with the weapon as they filled it with power.
Gradually, the spear gained a mystical glow, the flow pattern disappearing as the mana covered the polearm. Its glow transformed completely, soon the entire weapon was enveloped in mana.
Dragomir saw the pattern with his sharp and precise gaze. The light from the spear was reflected in the irises of his eyes, their details becoming highlighted; the spell had a presence greater than the weapon itself.
Just by its density, it was possible to see the formation of the spell; its structure increased both the speed and lethality of the weapon. In perfect balance, that spear had a terrifying speed; it was a critical hit.
The Kolbodt with the crossbow prepared a different spell.
His arrow gained a yellowish glow as a constant flow ran through the weapon.
It wasn't a normal spell like the ones his companions used. The constant flow was continuously initiated by the reptilian before losing potency.
Normally, a spell is a flow of mana that follows a specific pattern; this pattern is like DNA, a line of code that defines how something will be.
After the pattern is formed, the caster stops inserting mana into the flow and isolates it completely, preventing the mana from leaving the pattern.
But that spell didn't stop receiving charge. At every moment, the Kolbodt deposited more mana, which meant a charged and powerful blow.
The spearman advanced with murderous intentions towards Dragomir.
The tip of his weapon flew dangerously close to the gray-haired man's body, who could only flinch before the blows connected.
The archer waited anxiously to unleash his powerful arrow, something that would take down the swordsman without any problem.
Dragomir waited for the right moment to react. He should take down the lancer before being further pressured, but one wrong move and the archer gets a perfect shot.
And as if he wasn't cornered enough, more Koboldts appear.