She didn't respond to Alator and kept walking forward with a deliberate step, and her eyes locked on to the beast.
Slowly, she raised her hand, and a red crystal appeared in her palm. Just as the beast was closing in, she tossed the crystal toward it and began to trace quick symbols in the air with her fingers and casting a spell as her lips moved in a low chant.
In that instant, the mana around them plunged into chaos and rushed towards the crystal in the air. The air grew heavy as a dense wave of energy filled the surroundings. Even Alator, who was standing a few meters away from her, began to feel a heaviness on his shoulder despite the fact that the attack wasn't directed at him. It was an invisible force, pushing him towards the ground.
Alator began to sweat. His body trembled violently, his feet digging into the ground as his knees began to inch towards the ground. It was as if a mountain had come crashing down on him. Within a few seconds, Alator lost control of his body; his upper body tilted towards the ground forcefully and he was slammed face-first onto the ground.
The mana crystal was actually infused with the power of a Master-tier mage, and of course, Alator couldn't even stand before a Mana Condensing-tier mage, not to talk of a Master-tier. That would surely be overkill.
Meanwhile, the girl was struggling to maintain the spell, her hands trembling and sweat rolling down her face as her hands moved in unison.
The Stone-Wing Beetle hissed and lunged at her, baring its antlers, and planning to impale her. But before it could get any closer, the girl slammed her palm on the ground with all her might.
"Descend!"
Immediately as those words left her mouth, the crystal in the air exploded with a burst of mana and came crashing down on the beast with an intense force.
"KABOOM!"
A blinding white light shone, momentarily blinding everyone and sending a powerful wave of energy shooting around. She was hit by the shockwave and she staggered backward, but before she could hit the ground, a pair of arms quickly caught her before she could fall.
The moment she saw who was holding her, her face turned dark. "Don't touch me!" she said in annoyance. Alator quickly let go of her, and she landed on the rocky ground with a heavy thud!
"Ahhh… yo-you, why did you do that?" she said, with her eyes widening in disbelief.
"Uhh… seriously?" Alator asked with a questioning look on his face.
Meanwhile, the beast had been smashed into smithereens. The ground where it fell was scorched black and badly charred, leaving behind a massive crater, and thick black smoke rising into the air.
The girl just glared at him and got up from the ground, dusting off her clothes. She turned and left the place, heading towards south without saying a word. Alator too followed behind her.
"Hey, since you had something like that, why didn't you use it earlier?" Alator trailed after her.
The girl suddenly stopped and stretched her hand to the side. Her rapier appeared in her hand. She turned and pointed it at Alator and he froze on the spot. Just one more step. The blade would have pierced his throat.
"That's none of your business. And do you think I'm letting you off after what you did?" she said with a hint of anger in her voice.
"Fine, I'm sorry about that… okay? It wasn't intentional," Alator apologized. He didn't want to get into trouble now. Moreover, the girl was a mage, and Alator knew he stood no chance against her. It was better not to provoke her again.
After Alator apologized, the girl seemed to have calmed down a bit. Her rapier vanished with a burst of milky aura, and she turned to continue walking ahead. Of course, Alator followed behind.
..... ...
Darkness had begun to descend, and the two were still moving south. Demonic beastes growled and screeched all over the wild, accompanied by the furiously howling wind. Alator trembled slightly as a shiver ran down his spine － they continued to thread careful through the narrow path.
The girl suddenly stopped and turned to stare at Alator. "Why are you still following me?" Her eyes narrowed suspiciously.
A tired sigh escaped his lips. "Miss… honestly, I'm lost. So please, can you help?"
Her brows eased a bit, but she still wasn't entirely convinced. She stared at Alator for a while, then turned and continued walking. After a while, Alator couldn't help it but ask.
"Hey, where are we heading to?"
"To find a place to spend the night. Or do you want to travel in the dark? Then go ahead," she replied without even looking at him.
But after a few steps, she suddenly stopped and glared at him. "I'm not hey, I have a name."
Alator forced a smile on his face. "Sorry, miss. What's your name?" He asked but she didn't answer and continued to walk. Alator shook his head and followed after her. After all, he had no other choice.
"There should be a temple nearby. We should be getting close," she said after a while.
"How do you know?" Alator asked, genuinely curious.
"Huh! Do you think I'm dumb like you?" she sneered at him.
"You are right," Alator replied. She looked at him from the corner of her eyes. Her lips slowly curled up into a smile. Just as she made eye contact with Alator, she quickly looked away as she continued to grin from ear to ear.
Darkness has finally descended, and two figures could be seen threading down the narrowed path in the wild, under the moonlight.
..Immortal Temple...
"We are here," the girl finally said. Alator raised his head to see a temple in the distance. Soon, they finally arrived in front of the haggard-looking temple that seemed to be threatening to collapse at any moment.
The temple looks ancient and massive, built entirely from dark, weathered stone. The structure is supported by huge pillars that are cracked and worn, showing signs of age and erosion. Some carvings can still be seen on the columns, though most of them have faded. The roof is partly covered with moss and vines, showing that it has been abandoned for a very long time.
The entrance has no door, wide, tall, and large, enough for several people to walk through at once. The ground around the temple is rough and littered with rocks, and thin mist hangs low near the base. Behind it, mountains rise in the distance under the dark purple sky.
The temple looks mysterious and intimidating, the kind of place that was once great and sacred but has now become silent and forgotten.
"Is it not better to die in the wild than to get crushed under this crumbling shack?" Alator said while staring at the structure.
"Suit yourself," the girl glared at him and walked into the temple.
Alator stood there for a moment, staring at the shaky structure, still unsure whether to go in or not.
"Fine," he muttered and followed her inside.
A few minutes later, Alator had made a fire in the temple. The girl was sitting at a corner while he sat at the opposite end. The fire burned vigorously, illuminating the dark temple. The girl was actually sitting close to the flames, and the light reflected on her beautiful silver hair.
She has a long silver hair that cascaded down her back like a waterfall. Her black eyebrows were sharp and catchy. Her facial features were indeed pleasing, the kind that no guy would see without giving it a second look. In fact, she was beautiful. She was wearing a long blue robe and a black light armor, with long black boots that hugged her legs perfectly.
The odd silence between the two lingered for a while before Alator finally spoke.
"Hey… you haven't told me your name yet."
She broke the stick she was holding and tossed it into the fire.
"My name is Keylan," she paused, and looked at Alator before adding,
"Keylan Tempest."
Alator chuckled. "Alator," he simply said.
Keylan narrowed her eyes as she stared at him. That wasn't the kind of reaction she usually got when she tell people her name. People would often be scared, trembling, or at least be respectful toward her. But the guy sitting in front of her didn't seem to care at all.
Actually, it wasn't her first name that made people afraid, it was her last name, Tempest. Which is one of the ruling powers in the Wastelands, the Tempest noble house.
"Either he is a crazy person who isn't scared of death… or he is just not well informed," she thought to herself.
Honestly, Alator actually knew nothing about these ruling powerhouses. The only thing he knew was that there were eight different domains in the Wastelands. He had spent just two years in the outside world since he got out of the refugee camp, and that was only at the outskirts of the Raven's Peak Domain. So, he still lacked a lot of crucial information about the wastelands.
"Your brother," Alator suddenly said.
"You-you have seen my brother?" Keylan asked as her eyes went wide. She abruptly stood up from the log of wood she was sitting on.