A New World, an immersive game experience

"Keep your distance!" Solvi barked, causing Jade to yelp and jump back as the dwarf glared at her.

"Why are you so mean?!" Jade cried.

"Because you're a pain!" Solvi growled in reply.

"I really think you should leave. Unless you're able to control your aura, no one is going to welcome your presence..." Eldrian tried to be soft, but having her power constantly trying to invade his mind certainly didn't help.

"But... I don't know how...!" Jade was on the verge of crying.

"Doesn't your family have some sort of secret technique handed down to help them hide their power?"

His question brought him a slow, depressed shake of the head.

"That can't be right. How the hell do you... I guess you don't live a normal life."

It strung how dry Eldrian's tone was, but Jade honestly couldn't argue. "But..."

"Yeah?" Doing his best to sound willing to listen, Eldrian waited patiently for Jade to say what was on her mind.

"No one else has this problem..."

"What do you mean? Does the other's not ooze out of them?"

"I told you not to say ooze!" Jade shouted, finding herself shaking from disgust. Ooze, the word freaked her out. "But, yes.... No one else is incapable of controlling their power."

'Is hers stronger, more in tune, or...? Whatever it is, this is quite important information.' This proved to Eldrian that it was worth the effort it took to be supportive. "Then, what is the norm?"

"Years and years to gain some...powers..." The pause made Eldrian realize that she likely didn't even consider it comparable to hers.

'Shouldn't her situation be even more special then? Why is Miracle not watching her with care? Is her case too special? Wait! Are they dumping this on me?!' The thought gave Eldrian a massive headache, and for some reason, he felt this was likely true.

"What's with that look!?"

"I just realized how much of a handful you are." Eldrian replied, brining back an unpleasant memory for Jade. Sulking, she turned her back on Eldrian.

"Does your power work on your family?"

Shaking her head slowly, Jade kept her back turned to Eldrian. 'She certainly is pretty...' Looking at the patterns of light green and blue playing beneath her dress. Eldrian slowly reached his hand towards his shoulder.

Slapping his cheeks to dispel the haze, Eldrian realized he had lapsed for a second. 'What a power. If I don't keep my guard up, I'll be charmed in an instant.'

The sound of a slap caused Jade to turn around, her eyes flying wide as she looked at the red mark glowing on Eldrian's cheek.

"I can't believe you're still so innocent." Eldrian mumbled, shocked nothing bad had ever happened to her. 'I guess those who are charmed aren't overcome with sexual desires...then? Did only part of her power surface. This is insane!'

"Why?" Tilting her head cutely, Jade blinked her eyes slowly.

'Stay strong, you idiot!' Eldrian admonished himself. "This will not work. Jade, unless you can suppress your aura, we can't be friends."

"Wha?! No, this—" she paused as Eldrian thrust his hand in her face.

"But I get you don't know how. Can you use magic?"

"Of course!" Jade smiled. "Kataigida!"

Her shout caused the wind to stir and water elements to gather. Until Eldrian dispelled everything with a flick of his hand. "I see. You do not know how to cast."

"What!? Didn't you just see—" She faltered, realizing that her spell had already been scattered to the winds before it could form.

"I saw you relying on the system to cast the spell for you. You didn't even infuse a shred of will into the spell. It was completely controlled by the system..." Eldrian sighed. 'How the heck am I supposed to teach her?'

He couldn't even throw her at the others. Ilmadia might be able to withstand the charm, but Eldrian didn't think she would last long against it. Even Solvi and Sofiera were struggling before Eldrian had distanced Jade from them.

Her powers were certainly stronger in ANW than on Earth.

'The only reason I can fight so well is because of how much practice I have with auras and soul related things. But... if there are demons or devils with this same power.' The thought gave Eldrian chills.

He could see a battlefield shifting sides in an instance.

'Two, after finishing the spells, can you start researching for a way to counter this?'

'I don't have the books.'

'I'll get them.'

"Umm... Eldrian, what now?" Jade asked, not wanting to be abandoned by the one she hoped to learn magic from.

"Since you lack the basic understanding of magic..." Eldrian frowned, this would not be something they could resolve quickly. "Please stay out of the way until we finish the walls. We need to prepare to face the undead."

Seeing the depression creeping into her expression, Eldrian added, "I promise, once things have calmed down, I'll help you learn control."

Jade nodded, conflicted, but stepping back as requested. Her sadness quickly disappeared as she watched the trio work. Their team work was smooth and Eldrian had almost perfected handing over his mana to someone else.

'This might be useful in teaching her...' Eldrian was conflicted about the path he was going down. But he felt something kindred in Jade. Something made him want to help her. 'I can only hope it isn't her power corrupting me...'

—

"Elizabeth, why did you cave to Eldrian's insanity?" Nikki asked. The news of them managing a fort had nearly caused her to faint.

"It was a done deal already by the time I talked with him." Elizabeth gave a self-mocking smile.

"Seriously, are you the guild leader or is he!?"

"We did make him the vice leader for a reason." Elizabeth countered.

"Not for him—ack! I guess this is partly our fault. We did give him the authority to negotiate this on our behalf."

"But what do you think?"

"It is easy defendable as long as the enemy can't fly or can't move around the cliffs."

"That's why Eldrian made the first forts at the ends of this cliff range." Elizabeth added, pointing at the locations they had decided on for the walls on a map of the Kynigo region.

"And then this, a stone's throw away from the fort, is the abandoned cavern he wanted?" Nikki asked, tracing the distance with her finger.

"Indeed, if it is as rich as he said, it will be quite the harvest. Close to our main base and we can even station people in the fort."

"Why didn't he extend the walls to include it inside?" This part bothered Nikki.

"Eldrian is afraid it is connected to the subterranean."

"That's...like a second world layer, right? A massive world beneath the surface...truly fantasy."

"Yeah, and if he is right. Then including it inside the walls might bring disaster."

"I get it. What's his plans?"

"For now? Get the walls done and then he needs to train."

"What training does he need to do? Gosh! He's already so strong..."

"Seems that is the reason. He needs to master control or it can be dangerous, or something like that."

"Didn't he say anything about after that?"

Elizabeth paused and tried to recall. "He said some vague things. I think he will turn the mine into a fortress if he has the time."

With this, this branch of the conversation came to a natural end. "By the way, why didn't we enter the tourney?"

"Do you think we have time for that?!" Elizabeth asked.

"Hah, I didn't consider that. Yeah, we don't." Nikki chuckled. They were so busy they certainly couldn't handle all the time joining the tourney demanded.

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