Dawn of Pokémon

(eleven)

In the end, the swordsman became the magician's temporary partner on the grounds that "anyway, I'm just a traveler in the wilderness, using the sky as my bed and the earth as my seat. It doesn't matter where I go."

Even the most demanding old scholar in the royal capital must admit that the swordsman is a good traveling companion.

He has long been accustomed to walking in the wilderness and knows where there is water, where to find wild fruits, where are the lairs of monsters, and where there are often demons that should be avoided.The magic attribute of the swordsman is "wind" - the most suitable magic among all attributes for large-scale detection.This allows them to often capture a lone monster and turn it into a delicacy for the night.

With rich experience and excellent skills, there is also a magician who can be responsible for remote output, making the two people's journey through the wilderness easier and more leisurely than imagined.

After the relationship changed from "benefactor" to "traveling companion", the magician no longer deliberately used unfamiliar communication methods, and the two people spoke and behaved much more casually.

Like now.

"Oh, this is so convenient." The swordsman leaned towards the person next to him and exclaimed as he looked at the invisible protective shield above his head - cloudy and rainy days are the norm in the wilderness, but the rain seemed to have a spiritual power to avoid it before it hit the two of them. Come on, even the corners of your clothes are not wet, "As expected of Mr. Magician!"

"It's just a simple water-avoiding technique." The half-elf said, "You can use wind magic to control the rotation of the airflow, and you should be able to achieve the same effect."

"Uh." The swordsman's eyes began to wander around, "Actually, I tried, but failed."

"fail?"

Swordsman: "Yeah. I accidentally created a tornado, punching a hole in the dark clouds, and because the noise was too loud, it attracted a group of demons, and I was hunted for three days and three nights."

Magician: "..."

We may not be talking about the same kind of magic.

(twelve)

Occasionally, they encounter big, tough guys.

"Sorry, after all, the only place that wind magic cannot detect is underground."

The swordsman apologized, but did not waste any time on his work.The sword light attached with wind magic is like snow, woven into a fine network.The monster, which had nowhere to hide, was hit hard several times and suddenly began to cry.

The enemy - judging from their appearance, they should be the "trembling moles" mentioned in the Kingdom's Warcraft Manual, but they are a bit too big - are Warcraft that are very good at burrowing in the ground and like to ambush underground to attack passers-by. .It was originally difficult to catch its flaw, but when the magician waved his hand and turned the land into a solid rock, the battle turned into a one-sided killing.

The silver-haired half-elf continued to cast magic, looking at the other person with a hint of wonder in his eyes.

No matter how many times he watched it, he still felt that his partner's sword skills were as beautiful as works of art.

The flying sword light is like a fleeting firework, like the everlasting skylight; like the bright moonlight, and like the Milky Way under the nine heavens.The swordsman's steps were incredibly fast, almost impossible to catch with the naked eye.He rode the wind of the wilderness, moving around freely, and the long sword in his hand danced in the air, creating a screen of bright light.

That light once pierced the demon's body when he fell into despair, and now it still helped him cut off the incoming enemies.

The battle ended quickly.The swordsman wiped off the blood on his weapon, turned around and said with a smile, "It seems we have another extra meal tonight - thanks, Mr. Magician."

The young man smiled and said, "Thank you too, swordsman."

They had been together for several days, and the magician certainly knew his partner's name.As early as the day he woke up from the thatched hut, the swordsman introduced himself as "Ye" without a surname.

It's just that the swordsman once said that he had been traveling in the wilderness for too long and no one had ever called him by his name. When he heard his real name, he might react slowly.The magician just followed his preference and just called him "Swordsman".

As for the swordsman who insists on calling him "Mr. Magician" instead of the nickname "Xiaotian" commonly used by his friends in order to keep the sentence structure consistent, the young man can only helplessly accept the status quo.

After confirming the death of the mole beast, the silver-haired half-elf stepped forward and used wind magic to cut off the part with better flesh—this strange information also came from his partner—and store it properly.

It's not that the swordsman is lazy as a genuine magic user - compared with the enchanted sword skills, he has no talent in the use of pure magic. If he is really allowed to do it, I am afraid that what is in front of him is not mole meat, but mole meat. It's mole mud.

(thirteen)

"Awesome - how did you achieve such accurate aim? Have you practiced for a long time?"

Watching the magician holding a crudely made wooden bow and shooting down the birds and monsters in the sky with one arrow, the swordsman opened his eyes wide in surprise. It was rare that he looked like a teenage kid instead of a mysterious one. The traveler.

The magician who played a cameo role as an archer shook his head, "It's not that long. It's just that the elves are naturally good at using bows and arrows, or using other weapons to aim at distant targets - just like humans are better at inventing new magic than other races. .”

The person next to him nodded thoughtfully, and then suddenly pulled out his weapon, "I have something to ask you."

"You said."

The swordsman swung his accustomed rapier.Wind attribute magic is attached to the sword body, and with the swinging movement, it turns into a wind blade and strikes into the distance - this is a sword skill called "Air Split" commonly used by human demon swordsmen.

The light cyan wind blade whirled rapidly in the air and hit the dead tree on the right, cutting the trunk cleanly.Before the magician could admire this sharp and precise blow, the swordsman sheathed his sword, pointed directly ahead - a rock a hundred meters away from the severed tree trunk, and asked, "Why can't I hit it?"

Magician: "..."

Wait, please say again, where are you aiming?

(fourteen)

"Okay, I figured it out."

After an arduous attempt, before driving his partner crazy, the swordsman finally solemnly declared: "I will never think about learning long-range sword skills again."

"Wise decision." The magician boy who always treated others with courtesy couldn't help but say an unfriendly line.

The magic was out of shape, the sword skills were out of shape - if it weren't for the fact that the opponent's melee combat ability was so strong that there was no upper limit, he would have really doubted how this person survived in the wilderness.

The silver-haired half-elf sighed, his eyes falling on the weapon in the swordsman's hand.

It was a dark gray thin sword.Its sword body is neither bright nor gorgeous, and even looks a bit gray, but the blade is sharp enough and can break mountains and rocks in the hands of a swordsman.

Sensing his partner's gaze, the swordsman smiled and handed over the sword in his hand, "It's called 'Fire Dragon', and it's my only comrade-in-arms."

The somewhat childish statement made the magician laugh, and then he took the weapon and looked at it carefully.

"Why is it called 'Fire Dragon'?"

"Because it's very strong." The purple-haired swordsman said honestly. "No matter if I use it to pry off the rocks on the stone giant's back, smash the hardest scales on the head of the colorful python, or get it stuck in the mouth of the Thunder Tyrannosaurus, it is not damaged at all. The signs are very similar to the characteristics of the Fire Dragon Clan, aren’t they?”

Magician: "..."

Fire attribute dragons are indeed generally rough-skinned and thick-flesh.But what have you done to your "only comrade"...

After finishing speaking, the young man glanced at the swordsman's waist from the corner of his eye.

Although it was always covered by clothing, although it was wrapped in layers of cloth, and although the swordsman himself had been concealing its existence... he did accidentally see it from a distance. The swordsman also carried another weapon that he had never used before. .

It was a pitch-black sword surrounded by the unique ominous aura of hell.

(fifteen)

The sun rises and sets, the moon shines and goes out.

Finally, one day in late spring, the swordsman and the magician crossed the gray plains and came to the foot of the lush vegetation they had seen before.

The swordsman has climbed this mountain more than once, and as always, he gave a detailed introduction to his partner before setting off - he said that there are few powerful monsters in the mountain, and he has never seen a demon, so he can move forward with confidence.

However, not long after stepping into the green mountains, the magician noticed something was wrong.

"Wait a mininute."

The silver-haired half-elf walked into the grass and carefully looked at the clusters of small mushrooms growing among the green leaves.

They have a good enough appearance.The caps of the mushrooms emit a faint blue light in the dim jungle, making them crystal clear—and extremely dangerous.

"What's wrong?" The swordsman poked his head in confusion.

The magician cautiously pulled his friend back two steps, "Are you okay?"

"...Very good?" the swordsman said inexplicably, "Why do you suddenly ask, is there something wrong with the mushroom? It does look like a poisonous mushroom..."

"It's definitely a poisonous mushroom."

The half-elf frowned.Looking carefully, his face seemed a little pale, and fine cold sweat seeped from his forehead and streaked down his cheeks.

"It's just that its toxicity is different from most poisons. It is a poison that targets the soul of living things." The magician said, "The poison made from it can make a powerful magician mentally exhausted and unable to use it anymore." Magic. Even if you don't come into contact with it, in places where blue ring mushrooms grow in large numbers, living creatures with souls will feel the sting of the sea of ​​spirit. The weaker the spiritual power, the more severe the pain - I think, this is The reason why few monsters survive on this mountain."

The swordsman was startled and subconsciously blurted out: "You said this is a blue ring mushroom? But the book doesn't say it can glow."

The magician was stunned, and the speaker also realized that his speech was inappropriate, and immediately said: "Sorry, I don't know... let's change the road, I know how to get around this mountain!"

The silver-haired half-elf stared at his friend intently.

Half-elves know that the gap in mental strength between magicians and other professions is huge.No matter how talented a swordsman is, it is impossible for him to have the same mental power as a magician, just like the strongest magician cannot defeat an orc in a wrestling match.If, as a magician, he felt the unbearable pain from the sea of ​​spirit, what the swordsman suffered would only be more severe - it would not be surprising to even faint on the spot.

At this time, the purple-haired young man looked a little guilty and anxious, as if he wanted to immediately drag his partner and fly down the mountain.Other than that, he really didn't show any signs of enduring pain.

As a rare genius in the capital, Shen Yutian himself knows best where the limits of so-called "talent" lie.Even if a magician at the level of the Seven Sages is invited here, it is absolutely impossible for him to be "mental enough to not notice the mental impact caused by the blue ring mushroom".

unless……

The magician was silent for a while and slowly shook his head.

"No, your choice is correct. It takes too much time to take a detour. Blue ring mushrooms are probably only found around here. Just walk forward for a while."

The swordsman nodded repeatedly and immediately took the lead and rushed towards the mountain. In order to speed up, he even started to blow the wind behind him.It wasn't until he was completely away from the blue ring mushroom group that the swordsman realized something.

"I didn't expect there to be blue ring mushrooms here - I didn't see them at all when I came here before. Is it because it was winter and it was relatively dry?" The young swordsman looked forward, with a smile in his words, as if he was just talking. Complain casually.

The half-elf looked at his friend's profile, then lowered his eyes.

"Perhaps so."

(sixteen)

When the two reached the top of the mountain, it was dark.

The narrow and dense tree trunks retreated little by little, and the messy branches and leaves also disappeared.The moment I walked out of the jungle, my eyes suddenly opened up.

They saw that the endless forest was under their feet, woven into a huge green palace dome; and the night sky was clear and clear, with stars stretching into pieces, and the twinkling light was almost dazzling.

Tonight is a rare sunny day in the wilderness.

The travelers who were shocked by the breathtaking scenery stopped temporarily.They set up a simple tent on the top of the mountain and decided to spend the night here.

"It was always cloudy when I came here before." The swordsman looked at his friend with a smile, "I must have borrowed your luck, Mr. Magician, to be able to see such a starry sky."

Perhaps he was attracted by the rare scenery.There were rustling sounds in the jungle.

The magician clenched his bow and arrow warily, while the swordsman patted his shoulder easily, "Don't worry - it's an old friend."

The coming person - or rather the coming beast, was a cloud cat not much bigger than a palm.

According to the swordsman, there are two adult cloud cats living near the top of the mountain.They don't like conflicts and rarely show their presence in the forest, allowing their cubs to run all over the mountains.

"mum."

The little cloud cat opened its big round eyes and looked at the swordsman whom he had met several times before, and the magician whom he had met for the first time - then decisively walked to the magician's feet and rubbed his soft body against the other's. ankle.

"..."

The half-elf froze, seemingly at a loss.

The swordsman couldn't help laughing when he saw this, "It is said that cloud cats like beautiful people - speaking of which, before Mr. Magician woke up and spoke, I thought you were a girl like me. ."

When friends lamented the elf's "racial talent", the elf himself was completely stunned.

Magician: "..."

Magician: "..."

Magician: "...!?"

"You are..." He looked at his friend again and again with extremely disbelieving eyes, until the swordsman, who was so focused on touching the cat that his hands were full of hair, noticed it, raised his head in confusion, and asked him what was wrong.

"...No, it's nothing. I mean, the moonlight is beautiful tonight."

This stiff change of subject confused the swordsman.He - no, she looked up and looked at the bright stars in the sky and the pitiful crescent moon on the horizon, which was almost invisible, and a lot of question marks popped up in her head.

Maybe...this is the aesthetics of elves?

([-])

Before falling into a deep sleep under the star-shrouded dome, the magician thought: During the long journey, he had learned enough about his companions.

...Well, it doesn’t refer to the understanding of gender.

There is no doubt that his fellow swordsman is a good man with a sense of justice.She has a strong sense of responsibility, and even the death of a Demon Slayer soldier she has never met will be blamed on her, and she feels guilty for it; she also has a clear sense of belonging to the United Kingdom, and knows all the famous warriors in the kingdom. Firmly believe that the devil will be defeated one day, and victory will eventually belong to the kingdom.

This is not what someone who has been wandering in the wilderness would think.She was more like... she had learned about the history of the kingdom, the names of the soldiers, and the experiences summarized by the explorers through various books, but she had never lived in it personally, so that all her knowledge remained in books. the scope of the mention.

such as--

Books will say "Mushrooms like humid environments", but they rarely specifically state "Blue ring mushrooms have a long growth period and are not dependent on humidity."

(Eighteen)

"Ding dong."

The slight sound made the half-elf's pointed ears twitch slightly.

He quickly looked towards the source of the sound, and sighed helplessly after seeing the scene in the darkness.

The naughty Cloud Cat dug out some metal product from the pocket of the swordsman's cloak.After noticing the magician's gaze, the little cloud cat realized that it was causing trouble and immediately ran away with its tail between its legs.

The silver-haired boy shook his head, reached out to pick up the metal object, and wanted to put it back into his partner's pocket.But the next second, his hand froze in the air.

The elves' extraordinary eyesight allowed him to clearly see the words engraved on the small metal plate in the dark night.

"Star Rain".