One's Eden: Hanayuki Travel

Chapter 16: The spirit art user

“Please…don’t leave me here all alone, Snow…”

Two tears trickled down Nimym's cheeks, dripped, and landed on the large feather lying on the ground. The drops sprinkled.

That pale blue feather was the only remaining memento of her family and friends. Snow, the only friend and partner she’d known for many months. Just a few minutes ago, Snow had died, bravely protecting her master. The monster’s weapon had delivered the final blow, and Snow had given a single, lonely cry, then shattered like ice. Just one long feather remained, the feather she so cheerily flapped whenever called.

…

Nimym was a spirit arts user. A class not often seen in this world. Spirit art users specialize in manipulating spirits and spirit energy. They make bonds with the spirit and be friends with them. It sounds easy, but being one is very hard. To be a spirit art user, some requirements need to be met.

The spirit user must have no malice in his/her heart. This first condition alone was almost impossible to solve. Second, the spirit user must pledge a contract to spirit. Once, this promise was broken. It could cost the spirit user's life.

Many have tried to be a spirit user because of the two requirements. The contract could be anything. The spirit is always in the higher-ups, making it unfair. There was a case when the contract was about losing one kidney. Spirits are not fundamentally good in some sense. Just like humans, evil spirits do exist.

But Ninyms' case was extremely lucky.

At the age of two, a small spirit came into her house. Allured with her cute smile. The spirit always comes to visit the little Ninym to play with her. Without noticing or attempting. They made a contract to be friends with each other. The first condition was met. For the reason that Ninym was a pure heart. The second condition was met when the contract was fulfilled.

The small light transformed into its real form. A small white feathery dragon appeared in front of Ninym. Ever since then, the two have been inseparable from each other.

Growing up, Ninym eventually learned the spirit art user abilities. Borrowing the power of lesser spirits around her. Using their power in creating miracles. Such as healing a lethal poison or bringing back life onto barren wasteland.

Her ability grew stronger and stronger and she was respected in her hometown. After being bored in her town, she started her adventure at the age of twelve. Still, together with her family, she's named Snow. They both dreamed of traveling the world.

Because of her rarity as a spirit art user. She is always in demand. Adventuring parties often invite her to join in the quest. She may join an adventuring party for a little while. But after being bored in one place, she will go immediately to the next place. She doesn’t have an actual party or guild. She is more like a solo player that joins a party if it's only needed.

For the reason that she is a solo player. She didn’t want to rely too much on the miracles the spirits and Snow could offer to her. She decided to train herself and learn to use a dagger. A small light dagger is enough to cut monsters' flesh. This type of weapon is perfect for the small and agile Ninym.

Being able to wield a weapon and a familiar family on her back. Snow and Ninym become a duo that support each other on the battlefield. Their adventure further strengthened their bonds as friends.

Whenever she went, Ninym was treated differently. She is treated like someone very special because of her rare class. The praise has gone through her head, making her a bit arrogant at times and bad-mouthed people because they are not special enough. Hence, Ninym saw herself as someone superior to everyone. She won’t see some people as her equal.

As Ninym’s friend, Snow remained at her side. But there was a time Snow was feeling sad seeing Ninym’s current state.

One day, Ninym was recruited by a party constructed by swordsmen. The quest is about hunting a giant monster. The monsters of monsters are tall but the adventurers are strong enough to fight. Ninym was positioned as support for casting healing magic and support magic for the party members.

While she is at work, the other adventurers do their best in fighting. One particular woman was sitting behind everyone yawning. Looking at everyone doing hard work with boring eyes. The woman wore fancy-looking armor and she was equipped with a brandished long thin spear.

The woman noticed Ninym’s stare.

“What are you looking at, midget?!”

Nimym averted her eyes back to the battle. Deciding to just ignore the violent-looking woman.

The fierce battle had ended. Fortunately, no one has died. Everyone was wounded and healed by Ninyms magic immediately.

After defeating the monsters, they raided the nest and saw the treasure they had all been looking for. Before, the injured adventurers were able to touch the treasure. The woman was the one who took the first step, touching the treasure with her hands. Her eyes glimmered and her mouth curved, nearly reaching her ears.

As promised to Ninym. Everything will be split equally for everyone.

The argument started.

It started after the woman saw a chest covered with mystic herbs. The herb has the ability to heal wounds, closing them down instantly without the use of magic. In that sense, the herb is expected to be rare and cost a high price.

“When we get back, we’ll split up the items we found. But since your lizard heals you already, you don’t need any of these healing items, I assume.”

Ninym immediately snapped back, on the defensive.

“And you were just wandering around on the backline not doing anything, so you don’t have any use for crystals, anyway.”

The argument only got worse, and the leader’s attempts to intervene were sadly futile. Ninym finally reached her breaking point and snapped.

“I don’t need your stupid things. I’m not working with you anymore. There are plenty of other parties who want me there!”

And ignoring the leader’s pleas for her to stick with the group until they’d at least left the forest and returned to town, Ninym stomped off down a different path, steaming in anger.

Having mastered about 70 percent of the Dagger skills and bolstered by Snow’s help, Ninym wasn’t particularly troubled with the monsters of the forest, even working alone. It shouldn’t have been hard for her to dispatch any foes on her way back to town…

If she hadn’t gotten lost.

The Lost forest wasn’t named without reason, after all. The dungeon was split into several hundred minor areas like a board game, massive trees towering on all sides. One minute after someone entered a new area, the exits to the adjacent areas—north, south, east, west—would switch to a random.

Therefore, traversing the forest meant zipping through each area in less than a minute or buying an expensive map item in town that showed the proper route.

Only the sword-and-shield-bearing leader of the group had a map, and within the Lost forest, teleport cards were a thing, but they would not take you back to town. It would take you to a random area within the forest.

This meant that Nynim’s only option was to try dashing through the dungeon as quickly as possible. What she didn’t count on was how difficult it actually was to speed down the path as it twisted and curved, tree roots leaning out to trip passersby.

She should have been going straight north. But after a few instances of the clock hitting time just before she left an area, sending her in a totally different direction, Ninym began to grow weary. The sunset was a deeper shade of red, and the more she hurried to escape the growing dusk, the worse her progress.

Eventually, Ninym gave up on running and clung to the hope that her path would take her to the edge of the forest at some point. But Lady Luck was not kind to her.

Monsters closed in on her as she traveled, and although she was well equipped for them in terms of level, the darkening surroundings made her footing unsteady. Even with Snow’s help, it was impossible to escape battle unharmed.

Snow seemed to sense Nynim’s unease and lighted on her shoulder with a trilling “krururu”, rubbing Ninym’s cheek with her tiny head.

As she stroked her partner’s long neck, Ninym regretted the anger and impatience that had put her into this situation.

She began to silently pray to God as she walked.

I’m so sorry. I’ll never think of myself as special again. Please, just let the next warp take me outside of the forest.

She stepped into the wavering teleport zone as she prayed. After a brief bout of dizziness, she saw…the same old forest, deep and foreboding. It was dark beyond the trees, and there was no sign of the meadow that surrounded the forest.

Disappointed, she began to walk again—when Snow suddenly raised her head.

“Kyuru!”

It was a warning. Ninym quickly drew her short sword from its scabbard, readying herself in the direction Snow was looking.

A few seconds later, a deep growl emerged from the shadows of a large, mossy tree. Ninym focused on the spot.

There was more than one. Two…no, three. They were Drunken Panda, some of the strongest monsters to be found in the Lost forest.Ninym bit her lip.

Still… In terms of her level, it shouldn’t have been that difficult.

When B-ranked adventurers like Ninym took to the wilderness, they typically played it cautiously, leaving themselves a wide safety margin. They wanted to be strong enough even if surrounded by five monsters.

The story flipped when it was night for the spirit user like Ninym. At nighttime. Spirits were unable to release their power. Meaning, at night time, Ninym could only rely on her own combat strength.

Ninym lashed her tired mind into alertness and readied her blade. Snow floated off of her shoulder and took a battle position.

The large panda monster emerged from the shadow of the trees, covered in dark red fur. They held crude clubs and jugs that looked like gourds wrapped in rope.

The apes raised their clubs and roared, displaying their canines, but Ninym darted first, determined to seize the initiative. She started with Rapid Bite, a mid-level charging Dagger skill, then led into a rapid combination attack that overwhelmed her target.

The Drunken panda could only use low-level Mace skills, and while they hit hard, the speed and complexity of their combos were trivial.

Ninym struck quickly and precisely, then leaped aside to dodge the return blows.

After several rounds of this hit-and-run tactic, the first panda was looking exhausted. Its walking was slower and blood spilled continuously. Indicating that the panda won’t last any longer.

Snow breathes out bubbles that disorient the foes.

But just before she was about to finish off the first panda with her fourth attack… the combo Fad Edge… a new enemy instantaneously switched on from her target’s right.

Ninym was forced to change tactics, and she began work on this second panda. Her original target backed away and seemed to be drinking something from the gourd it held.

While drinking, its body was covered with a familiar green light. It is the same light when a healing magic was chanted. Apparently, whatever the liquid contained within its gourd was, it had healing properties.

She gritted her teeth and reapplied herself to the second panda, determined to finish this one before it could escape.

But after a fierce rush, it sent the monster into a critical state. She stepped back in preparation for her finishing blow, and the third panda stepped into the gap. At this point, the first ape was practically back to full recovery.

“This wasn’t going well…”

The taste of impatience flooded her mouth. Ninym actually had very little experience fighting monsters solo.

Ninym’s impatience slowly began to transform into panic. Her attacks missed more and more, opening the door for enemy counters.

When she had beaten the third panda down to half health, Ninym overreached, trying to string too many combos together. The panda did not miss her brief period of paralysis and was connected with a critical blow.

The club was a crude tool of carved wood, but its weight and the Drunken panda’s strength drunk augmented the damage done.

A chill ran down her back.

The fact that she couldn’t ask the spirits if they could help or heal made Ninym panic worse. Snow could heal her at a slower pace because it can’t access its full power at nighttime. But the healing Snow was doing wasn’t enough. In three or four more blows. It would kill her for sure.

Death. Once that specter loomed over her mind, Ninym couldn’t help but falter.

She couldn’t raise her arms. She couldn’t move her legs.

Until this point, battle had been a thrilling experience, something far removed from any real danger. It had never truly occurred to her that actual death could result from it.

As she helplessly watched the drunk panda tower over her, roaring with its club brandished high, Ninym finally came to understand the battle against the monsters of this world.

With a low growl, the panda dropped its club onto Ninym, who was standing stock-still. She fell to the ground, unable to withstand the shock.

She couldn’t summon a single thought. Get up and run away. Use a teleport card. Ninym had a number of options, but she couldn’t bring herself to do anything but watch as the club approached for the third time.

The clumsy weapon glowed red, and just as she was about to reflexively close her eyes…

A small shadow leaped in front of the club in midair. There was a heavy, percussive thud. Visual effects and blue feathers flew outward.

Snow was crushed on the ground. She raised her head, looking up at Ninym with round blue eyes. She let out a small “kyuru…” and exploded in light particles on the ground.

Something within Ninym audibly snapped. The invisible threads that held her captive were gone. Before the sadness, she felt rage. Rage at herself for letting a single blow drive her to panic and paralysis. But more importantly, rage at herself for throwing a fit over a silly fight, and being arrogant enough to think she could escape the forest on her own.

Ninym nimbly leaped backward, evaded the monster’s next swipe, then tore into the beast with a roar of her own. Her dagger flashed again and again, tearing into the ape-man.

Upon seeing its fellow doing critical damage, the first Drunken panda tries to butt in again. Ninym stopped his club with her left hand, not bothering to evade. Her HP did drop, but not as much as if it had hit her directly.

Ninym ignored the panda. She only had eyes for the third, the one who’d killed Snow. She used her small size to slip inside the enemy’s defense, driving her dagger into the panda’s chest with all of her strength.

The attack hits critical point. The blade of the dagger reaches the heart of the panda. Immediately killing it as a result. The killed panda drops on the ground.

Ninym turned and silently charged her new target. Ignoring her wounded state. Only the enemy she needed to kill filled her narrowing vision.

Just as she was engaging in a reckless charge.

A horizontal white light lashed out and struck the remaining monsters behind. Next to it was the appearance of zapping lightning on the single girls hand.

Instantly, their bodies were split into upper and lower halves.

Ninym stood in disbelief, then saw that a single girl was standing behind the evaporating pieces of monster. Her hair was light brown. She wasn’t all that tall, but her entire body seemed to emit a predatory intensity. Ninym stumbled backward in instinctive fear.

Their eyes met.

“…Sorry I couldn’t save your friend…”

She spoke.

At the tremor of her voice, the last strength from Ninym slipped away. The tears flooded out one after the other, unstoppable. Her dagger fell out of her hand, clattering on the ground. But Ninym worried only about the unmoving blue feather and fell to her knees before it.

As the white-hot rage that had gripped her faded away, sadness and loss filled its place deep in her chest. That in turn led to tears, which spilled down her cheeks without end.

“Don’t leave me Snow… Please don’t leave me…”