The Elemental Relics

By his fortieth lap, Ali had to pause to catch his breath. He took the moment to look around, seeing many who had already given up on finishing their runs. Those people sat in groups by the side of the track and were quietly discussing among themselves. Except for him and Belen, the teenagers who remained on the track had collapsed where they stood.

Can’t believe she is still running.

Ali didn’t see Belen as a runner. He didn’t even expect her to be athletic given her scrawny build. While it was true that he was also scrawny, Belen was his definition of nothing but skin and bones. He wouldn’t be surprised if a gentle breeze could knock her over. If he hadn’t met her and heard her talk, Ali knew he would mistake her for a boy, especially with her short hair and boyish appearance. At the moment, she had slowed down her pace but she was still moving.

I won’t let her beat me.

To continue making progress, Ali started walking, allowing him to catch his breath. Once his body somewhat recovered, he went into a slow jog. The pace suited him for the remainder of the run. When he reached the finish line, Master Nabil gestured for him to come over. The teenager obliged.

“You have more guts than I give you credit for.” The man unsummoned Ali’s wristband. “Take a break before supper. You’ve earned it!”

Ali smiled at the compliment and found an empty spot in the room to sit down. As he sat down and noticed Belen stopping before Master Nabil, he cursed silently.

I can’t believe I forgot all about my skill selection. I should obtain my second skill while I’m on break.

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Reuploading ability information…

Information on the air serpent uploaded:

[

Ability: Air Serpent

Level: 1 ( 0 / 26 XP to Level Up)

Level Up Requirements: Inflict damage or kill foes of equal or higher level using the air serpent.

Type: Support (Summoning)

Description:

Summon an air serpent to do battle with the enemy. Creature’s level matches the ability level. Only one creature can be summoned at one time. The air serpent stays around until it is unsummoned or the summoner can no longer pay the cost.

{

Creature: Air Serpent

Level: 1

HP: 4/4

MP: 0/0

Strength: 1

Constitution: 1

Intelligence: 1

Survival: 3

Wisdom: 1

Attack Type: Blade (Melee)

Damage: 1

Defense Type: Arcane

Defense: 1

}

Cost: 2 MP per use and 1 MP/min while the air serpent is summoned.

Cooldown: None

]

Uploading information on the air blade….

Information on the air blade uploaded:

[

Ability: Air Blade

Level: 1 ( 0 / 26 XP to Level Up)

Level Up Requirements: Inflict damage or kill foes of equal or higher level

Type: Attacking (Blade)

Description:

A blade made from air forms in a hand and can be wielded like a dagger. Has a duration of 1 min but the weapon can shatter in combat. Up to two air blades can be wielded at one time.

Cost: 1 MP per use

Cooldown: 1 minute

Damage: 1 (+1)

]

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Arcane defense type?

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There are five types of defense: light, medium, heavy, arcane and element.

Arcane defense is strong against all attacking types except for elemental.

>

It’s a shame I don’t have any defensive abilities. I feel so vulnerable when I face foes like the ant.

<

For those lacking defensive abilities, alternatives are armor and accessories. At times, these are desirable as they generally have no MP cost, allowing the user to focus all of their MP in attacking abilities.

>

“I can never understand how you can zone out all the time,” interrupted Belen.

“Why are you here? Is there somewhere we need to go?”

“We do as a matter of fact.” The girl turned around. “Keep up if you can.”

The gall to say that when I was faster than you…

Ali got up to follow Belen out of the room. They took a flight of stairs upstairs where the cheers could be heard in the hallway. The crowd seemed to be chanting two names, piquing Ali’s interest. The two of them then entered a room of similar size as the one they were in. Instead of a race track, this room had seats along the outer perimeter surrounding the square ring in the middle. Two combatants faced one another in the ring, both with a defensive ability casted.

“Welcome to the Duel Ring!” said Belen excitedly. “Here, you can challenge others to hone your skills and move up in ranking. Or you can simply watch amazing battles!”

Not giving Ali a chance to ask questions, Belen ran to one of the upper stands to get a better view of the duel. Ali quickly followed her and, as he stood among the crowd, he found himself caught up in the excitement too. The cheering brought an energy unlike any he had ever felt before. Meanwhile, the combatants in the ring transitioned between multiple abilities as they tried to outdo one another. Soon, the teenager found himself cheering with the other fans. When the combatant he cheered for won the duel, he jumped up and down with everyone else. With the conclusion of the duel, the spectators made their way out. Eventually, only Ali and Belen remained in the room.

“I want to become stronger,” said Belen.

“Me too….and thank you!”

Ali was actually grateful to Belen. In the airship where he met Dhad, he didn’t get a chance to appreciate the skills exhibited by the man. He was too busy trying to stay alive. In the duel ring where he watched as a spectator, the teenager realized how little he knew. Both combatants not only possessed dozens of abilities but they were also very adept in combat. Ali recalled his fight against the ant which became a lopsided affair.

Until I become stronger, I will die as soon as I encounter a strong foe.

Ali turned to Belen to ask a question but, to his surprise, she was no longer there. He looked around and noticed her in the ring when she called out to him.

“Let’s have a friendly bout, shall we?”