Chapter 139: After The Rain
"<Total Art: Realmcraft>"
Theodore whispered other words after it. His fingers lightly tapped the floor.
Light from the window behind him illuminated his position, giving spotlight to the droplets of water rising from his surroundings.
<After The Rain>
The space around Theodore expanded, consuming the space in the empty room along with Killian standing in front of him.
Killian lost his vision before a light pierced into his eyes, granting them to him once again.
The light pitter patter of rain droplets and the rushing of rivers around a drainage came to his eyes. Yet he couldn’t see them.
Only a light blue space spanned for as far as Killian eyes could see. But he knew it wasn’t neverending.
He stepped forward, and paused, feeling the wet surface of water under him. He looked down, and saw his reflection. Nothing changed.
"Um..." he noted that he could speak and hear himself within the domain. "Theodore, If you need the feedback, I can’t find you. I am just within the realm you have crafted."
There was no response until a soft chuckle.
"I guess I did it wrong then." Theodore’s voice ran out from everywhere and far into the distance at the same time. "It’s no use if I didn’t come in with you."
"Yeah..."
Killian looked around the realm, taking more steps forward. He never wanted to admit it before, but it was impressive that Theodore already worked on his Realmcraft.
They were the last form of defense and offense and had the highest kill chance.
If he could already send someone inside, that more or less trapped them there.
If he perfected the art, and came in with his victim, then the realm would be his to control.
After walking for a minute, Killian confirmed that the realm missed depth as moving further away from his starting point drained his focus and balance.
"Or Theodore made it that way so his victim can’t run around for long?"
’Likely.’
"I will be breaking out now!"
"Try!" Theodore yelled back.
Killian curled his lips. "Try? Or are you disintegrating it from the outside? Can’t you do that?"
"But I wanted to check its durability, that’s why I asked you." Theodore’s voice climbed an octave, as he started begging. "Ugh. If I wanted to just set it on then take it down back, I could’ve asked anyone. Please, just break it from the inside. I will—"
"Okay, okay, fine." Killian sighed. "I’ll do it myself."
He felt for the wall of the realm, and a soft rubbery surface came to his reach.
It wasn’t permeable because he could see the water on the ground not seeping through the wall.
"Alright, thanks!" Theodore’s tone became cheerful again. "I’ll be out here waiting for you!"
Killian checked for the orbs of flames above him, and they were slightly hotter than before, when they were within the dark room.
’It really was that glacier.’
He clasped his fists, forming a small space between his palms. He narrowed his eyes at a given point within the walls and he released.
Flames shot out from his palms, tearing through the walls. He turned around, dragging the flames across the walls, cutting through and melting the surface.
Blue gooey substances streamed down the walls, and fell into the water.
He lowered his arms, panting rhythmically. That output was almost the hottest he could muster within the chilly realm.
Even before the flames reached the walls, its heat was lost to the droplets floating in the air. It wasn’t an ideal environment at all.
"That is what makes it better."
"Huh?" Theodore asked from the outside.
"Nothing." Killian clicked his tongue.
’I can’t even talk in peace.’ He watched the gory substance harden after falling into the water. He raised his head to the walls.
Instead of crumbling to happen, most solidified while away from the walls.
He clasped his palms again, and sprayed fire through the exact route he did the first time.
The melting was faster, and the cooling down didn’t happen but the walls were not broken out of either.
’What to do now. Fire isn’t even my strong suit.’
He pulled the dagger from his inventory. He clasped his hands again, keeping the dagger in the space between his palms.
He shot flames outward and the dagger charges out first. It lodged itself inside the walls.
Killian heard a soft gasp from Theodore and a small smile crept to his lips. He must’ve broken out of it.
With Ablaze, his entire being burned with flames, sizzling the water underneath him.
He folded each hand, leaving a hollow warm space between his fingers and his palm.
The orbs of flames grew wider and hotter with the temperature in the realm shifting.
He pointed his left hand an inch besides the dagger, and the right at the other end of the cut he made through the walls.
He had to force them through at the same time.
Flames burst through each hand. The left burnt through the space between the dagger and the walls, and with the dagger growing hotter, the walls beside it were chipped away.
The right hand scorched through the walls, slowly and steadily gaping a hole through as he moved to meet the position of the dagger.
Behind him, a rumbling of waves crashing on each other to meet Killian. A deep hum of a sea creature alerted him that the waves weren’t alone.
He had heard of self-awakening skills within realms. The very last form of defense within a realm of the Warden.
It was in the case that a Warden brought a powerful victim into the realm who sought to break free.
’This Theodore guy. He didn’t tell me he’s gotten this far with his Realmcraft. This isn’t just amateur level!’
Killian marked it in his mental books of trickery caused by Theodore. It was as if the big sought out to test him.
’And he had seen me use a Piercing Scorch so he knows how hot it goes.’ He lowered his hands, biting his lower lips.
The flames didn’t burn the walls enough and while there was a respectable crack, it wouldn’t break free in time for the sea creature’s arrival.
The walls were already solidifying.
’Fine.’ The flames burning around Killian’s body extinguished and he reached for the orbs of flames.
’I’ll just blow it up.’
