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7 days ago
The book Iwamoto acquired, detailing the dangerous inhabitants of Erathia, proved to be incredibly useful. When the samurai found Sarnissa to entrust her with items before the qualifying round of the tournament, she also borrowed the encyclopedia to gain detailed information about potential opponents she might face in the future. The assassination contracts for fire salamanders didn't offer significant rewards, while the opponent posed a serious threat to the squad. Hunting crows in the western highlands was practically an impossible adventure without the ability to fly, and the abilities of the Ishnadan sorcerer, for whose head a reward was offered that was almost as high as the reward for Sarnissa herself in Nosferoth, clearly indicated that a battle against him would likely result in casualties.
Turning to the next page, she finally found what she was looking for. "The Aerian Serpent" read the title, casually highlighted in bold on a slightly crumpled sheet of paper. The creature, in size and power, surpassed all possible expectations, inspiring fear with its mere appearance, briefly depicted in the accompanying illustration in the book. Without a doubt, it was a worthy and dangerous opponent. An opponent whose attack tactics needed to be carefully considered. Its incredible speed and high magic resistance made a direct attack with large forces suicidal; a more cunning approach was needed.
While waiting for Iwamoto to return from the qualifying round, Sarnissa wondered if she was right to take such a risk before the crucial moment in their main mission, for which they had come to the city. Moreover, she learned that many members of the squad had already found temporary work in the port, and some were preparing for the tournament, and most likely wanted to attend as spectators and earn money through betting. It would be very foolish to send the entire squad on a search through the desolate wastelands to the south, while the potential benefit in a battle of that scale might be minimal. Gathering her thoughts, Sarnissa made a decision. After returning the samurai's belongings and wishing him luck in the tournament, she soared into the sky and headed towards the southern exit of Ilthan.
3 days ago
The following four days were the only time in recent months when Sarnissa was alone again. For some reason, she remembered fleeing the Nosferoth army in the middle of the colonial wars. She still recalled with some trepidation how the ship's hull gently touched the pier of the city port. The feeling of finally setting foot on solid ground, far from the cursed water, was deeply etched in her memory. It was then, she realized, that she understood two things. First, trouble was inevitable, and the consequences would be severe. Second, her fate would be inextricably linked to Erathia. Even if she had to flee to her native Lapistia, she would still return here, no matter how dangerous it might be. These unforgettable sensations, new emotions, and impressions, which seemed to permeate every day, gave her a certain meaning in life, to avoid the boredom of immortality, to which many of her brethren were prone. "Erathia will surely destroy me," she said to herself many years ago. And yet, she returned here for the second time.
Why? What was it that drew her to these lands, so full of dangers? A desire to influence the history of the local peoples? An attempt to gather as much information as possible to prevent a possible threat from them? Definitely not. And every time, every day she spent here, she pondered how wrong and foolish her decisions were, and whether she should have returned home. But she knew that she simply could not return to the measured life in Nihontensei. This drug called "Erathia" both attracted and repelled her, causing immense disgust and, at the same time, even greater addiction, the inability to live another day without new adventures. New allies come and go, die, undergo various changes, become rich and impoverished, grow old, become crippled or disabled. The life of ordinary mortals is full of bustle, but its end is always serenely peaceful. And only she will remain eternal, until the day the sunlight leaves no trace of her existence in this world.
***
With a disgusting hiss mixed with a wheeze, the head of the repulsive creature fell to the ground, crushing several withered bushes with its massive body and raising columns of impenetrable dust into the air. The ground trembled slightly from the impact and was covered with jagged cracks. Sighing heavily, Sarnissa settled down near the corpse and examined the remains of the creature. Its teeth could make excellent blades, and its scales could be used to create the strongest armor. Undoubtedly, it was a worthy opponent, as she had expected. In Lapistia, of course, there were creatures similar to this, but dealing with them was the task of ordinary mortals who lived in those unsafe areas. Now, for some reason, she felt a little sorry for those who fought for their lives in this way, having no other choice. "Erathia has made you too human," she thought with a slight irony. But at least she finally managed to fully test her own abilities, as well as the items she had acquired in Arinas. And the opportunity to fly for the first time in her life, even with the help of magic sandals, gave her many new and exciting sensations.
current time
The assignment was completed in just a week, and that was not without a bit of luck. The other assignments still seemed not worthwhile enough for Sarnissa to undertake, especially since the first round of the tournament was approaching, which she wanted to attend as a spectator and place bets on the participants. And for now, she could take a well-deserved day off and walk around the city.
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