Forest Guardian (3)

Just behind the Tree library, six hollow trees that are used as workshops surround a clearing about a hundred meters in diameter, two stones; Black and White, with approximately one-meter diameter, are positioned twenty meters in front of each tree, alternating, surrounding a brook of about twenty meters radius. At the very center was a stone-like platform, five-meter diameter, with six edges and a flat surface. There stood a solitary figure.

"Hey!... When are you going to start?" Shouted the Miko.

"I'm about to! So stay put!" SayaShin responded in annoyance.

These people were the ones in the library a few moments ago. They were searching for a place to perform the transformation when someone asked around where they could find a secluded and wide-open space, they were pointed to this place. A perfectly symmetrical stage like it was a ceremonial ground or something.

Six ginormous trees with partially hollowed base, sheltering six different colored flames. Twelve stones poking out of the ground, alternating black and white. A hexagonal platform with water streaming out of its base. And a pool of crystal clear water over a silvery-gold-like bottom without a hint of mud or gunk. It was an out of the world sight, so beautiful that whoever desecrates this scenery would be hunted by any and all that values its purity.

[Strange Transformation] Shouted SayaShin, invoking the spell that everyone was looking forward to seeing.

A blinding light flashed from the center of the clearing, after a few moments the figure at the center started to levitate above the pedestal, light streaming out of his body and into the stone slab he once stood atop.

When SayaShin invoked the spell, something within him burst out like an explosion, sending out a number of shockwaves, palpable, and almost tangible to those who are near. This was the same feeling that he had felt when he was receiving the spirit with the help of the Guardians. It felt comfortable and at the same time dangerous. A feeling when you see a cute puppy, and a bulldog the size of a motorcycle drooling and snarling while staring straight at you, all mixed together.

The spectators were boggled by this transformation, when the druids did the same before, on the same pedestal, none of this actually happened.

While everyone was questioning this event, the flames underneath the elven trees flickered and sparks flew to the platform, the stones that each of them stood atop started to exude high energy. A storm of energy steaming from the flames and the stones converged atop the pedestal, water from the stream started to evaporate, with the symphony of the elements, a miniature storm covered the entire clearing, obscuring the sight of anyone outside of the clearing.

"What is happening?" The paladin asked through the team chat while staring at the Druid's.

"Who knows, just record it, let's watch later, everyone's perspective." Ashanti Suggested. He was recording since the first Druid transformed at the platform.

"Hey! Mana! Mana!" Someone from the group shouted while everyone was setting up their recording.

The knight and the shaman apparently had taken the Alchemist sub-class, before they went to finish the BlackSmith quests.

Everyone started mixing and compressing the ambient mana with their latent mana, just like what they did when they were at the library.

"Hey! Look at the stone you compressed." one of the Priests stated.

"What's up with this!" GurinBare exclaimed.

"Don't waste your breath, concentrate on compressing. Let's investigate later." AleyaNala informed.

What their compressions had brought them was a seven-colored stone, in truth it was eight colors, but no one would ever call a transparent thing colored. Thus its called seven-colored stone which faintly emanates an ambivalent aura. Surreal to any who are exposed to the energy.

10 minutes... the energy still spiraled overhead.

15 minutes... the cloud converged to the levitating body of light

20 minutes a cocoon formed around the light

"What do you guys think his transformation will be?"

"I say its a genus of Dragon."

"I say an Avian."

"Humanoid Beast."

"A Cute panda."

"A Fairy"

The group started throwing any name they could think of from the mythological to an actual and make-believe creature.

While the spectators were having a guessing contest, the cocoon of the cloud surrounding their subject solidified. A few minutes later the cocoon shattered, melting back into the fluid that once covered the pool of crystal clear water.

At the center of the ceremonial ground, a creature stood, as tall as the man that once was standing there, now replaced by a beast of fiery elegance, standing on a regal posture and guided with a feral aura.

Proud Blue set of wings spread out, extending about two arm's length. At first glance, it looks like a harpy with blue burning wings, but at closer inspection, it was just a normal human with a set of wings sprouting from its back. Wearing a headdress of feathers and gemstones, a G-string that covers the privates, leather boots with leafy design, a leaf-like feather gloves extending to the forearm, and a bare body that is studded with tattoos of magic circles.

[Magimil (Blue Phoenix)

-A Blue Phoenix born at the enclave of Druid's, the embodiment of Death, Change, and Revival.

-Elemental Affinity's: Time, Space, Light, Dark.]

The original affinity of the spirit was just Time and Space, and the spirit would have been called the Traveler; a spirit beast for Oracles, but because they decided to perform the transformation in a sacred ground the spirit was forced to receive the ability of Light and Darkness, a symbol for death and revival, thus receiving the name Phoenix.

"Wah... It's an Avian Humanoid Transformation." AleyaNala shouted.

"Give us a twirl!" Mizarin sent on the party chat. To which SayaShin entertained.

Slowly flopping his wings, he flew about 10 meters above the ground and hovered for about five seconds before turning midair.

"Wohoooo!"

"Wheet whew!"

Sound of catcalling reverberated in the enclave.

SayaShin coolly landed back on to the stage and undone the transformation. After three minutes waiting for the cool-down, he once again transformed into the avian form. But this time the transformation was done within ten seconds and no more flashy light-shows other than an energy blast that drains his mana to half.

"Is that it? You just sprout wings and wore the Spirit Guides Costume?" Mizarin exclaimed disappointed.

"Yeah... The wolves are a lot cooler, either the silver with strength, the brown that grows trees, or the black that hides in the shadow is way cooler than those wings." Enumerated Leyardi while admiring the pretty wings.

"What are you talking about, we still need to see what that thing is hiding... What do you say, SayaShin, up for a boss fight?" Countered AleyaNala

To the others who did not see the dead marvelous golden wolf, would think that the humanoid is understated. But for them who saw, would consider this as a greater reward.

The humanoid form of the wolf could only be obtained when the players reached level fifty and challenge their advancement quest. While every other Druid is playing around in their puppy form, this guy could actually walk around town and flash his magnificent body, not to mention the blue flame-like wings.

"Let us go challenge Lycan" SayaShin encouraged.

The group including the knight and the shaman went into the Wolf Garden, advising the two to take the quest from the herbalist and selling them some collection and aura detection spell.

Given the party's teamwork against the wolves, they cleared the minions in less than an hour, spare the collection and compression that was done by the half of the team that cleared the field while the others were hunting.

SayaShin transformed into his Magimil form, flying here and there luring a hoard of wolves which allowed the team to the massacre in the most time-efficient manner.

SayaShin discovered that the humanoid form actually has an entirely different equipment socket. Scanning his inventory, he was wearing nothing but system generated items, equipment that does not have any stats and is more like costumes than equipment. Even the tattoos that were engraved on his skin were nowhere to be seen.

VerBoss lent a bow, the shaman sold a set of shaman clothes that looks almost exactly like what the spirit guardian had worn.

With SayaShin's original pieces of equipment that he stored into the inventory before transforming was retrieved and re-equipped, this boosted his passive mana regeneration, he looked like an archangel, not with golden armor, but a book and a quill, sending arrow after arrow without rest accompanied by spells of Strengthening and other buffs to the arrows.

When all the minions have perished the Boss awoke from its slumber. Sending tremors and shockwave of ominous aura.

Collecting the items dropped by the minions, the group waited for the arrival of the Boss: Lycan.

"Everyone to your's positions," AleyaNala commanded the group, seeing that the looting was done.

A Knight, two Avath's, and a Paladin were positioned in front of the team. Two Druid wolves were positioned to flank the Boss, a priest rode atop. A Vates, a Jiagu, a Bishop, and a Shaman stood behind the vanguards, three dedicated boosters, and one for controlling the boss.

"The Boss is coming, prepare your [Taunt] paladin." The leader posted on the team chat.

"Ready!" Sanki confirmed.

"Are you prepared over there?" AleyaNala asked the detached group for affirmation.

"At your command!" Playfully mentioned VerBoss, sending giggles to the chicky brats.

Lycan appeared behind the tall trees, enraged and feral.

"Awoo~~~" Lycans war cry reverberated.

"Aghhh~~~" The Paladins mocking cry over berated the angered wolf.

When the beasts head emerged from the falling trees, the paladin cast an amplified version of the skill [Taunt] with the help fo the Oracle partners. The beast charged at the robust man standing at the center of the formation.

[Root Forest] invoked VerBoss in his wolf form.

Just before the monstrosity reached the large shiny metal, a forest of roots emerged from underneath the boss, exactly in front of the shield-bearer shield. Then a rain of arrows, de-buffs, and curses fell on the rooted Giant.

The Magimil flying overhead drew arrows after arrows sending a rain of quick arrows.

The wolves and knight started hacking, clawing, biting, and torturing the immobile beast, constantly rooting it whenever it was about to get itself untangled.

"This is way easier with the addition of shaman ranger and knight," MowRen said while flying above the shadow wolf, casting healing and de-buffing spells.

"Is this the first Boss you guys killed?" Blissful asked while chanting sending curses to the beast.

"For us Druid's?... Yes!" Shapeless answered.

"For us Priests?... No!" Leyardi seconded.

"We just happened to have been farming something from this place." Informed GurinBare.

"What is that?... Is there something else here that is more valuable than the purple vial?" Asked Mizarin.

"You know... That precious round thing." Stated VerBoss.

"Is that an exclusive drop here?" SayaShin questioned.

"No! But I heard that if we manage to break the clearing time even for just one second more, the item might drop." GurinBare informed.

"But it should not be the time we ourselves have cleared." AleyaNala supplemented. While clawing at the now weakened Boss.

"By any chance did it drop?" Asked Mizarin pressed.

"As far as we know. There are no droppings yet." Ashanti quipped.

"Are you going to try other dungeons?" SayaShin piqued. While sending arrows to the Bosses behind.

"We were about to when we came across your group," Mizarin asked. Casting her last spell before the boss released a mournful bellow.

In less than ten minutes the boss fell, covered in flames, poison, and bloody wounds. It was a grotesque sight to behold. Fortunately, Lycan faded from the spectator's visions or it would have been vomit-inducing scenery.

"Where to then?" SayaShin said.

"The Holy Lands Graveyard!" Stated MowRen.

"But, don't you need Holy weapons for that dungeon?" Asked Blissful

"Yeah! GurinBare just happened to play some experiments with the silver from the wolves den, and crafted a weapon with lesser Holy blessings." Shapeless spilled.

"Collect the drops, Let's collect some minerals at the cave," AleyaNala informed the team.

Half of the team went to harvest sun-kissed flowers and the other half went to mine some minerals at the wolves den. The group spent the time limit doing mining and harvesting work, before being forcefully ejected by the portal.

"So are you guys heading to the Holy land Now?" Mizarin asked.

"Yeah, are coming with?" AleyaNala asked.

"Umm... Excuse my interruption... but... can we... perhaps join you... in your graveyard run?" Serendipity asked consciously.

"A high... You don't have to walk on eggshells around us. Besides you already know a lot of our secrets why not show us some of yours?" Commented VerBoss.

"He's right! A friend of our friend is our friend." Supplemented GurinBare.

"Anyways we can't have you walking around... Right, everyone?" Shapeless said hinting the others.

"Take these Vials and finish the quest of the herbalists." AleyaNala finally spoke reassuring the two of the other's sincerities.

The group then instructed the two what to do and what to take from the shelves of the Herbalist. Following which they ported to the Holy Lands.

"AleyaNala, Mizarin, and I have some errands to finish first. We will meet you at the Demons Gate later... You are going to hunt for items there right?" SayaShin asked.

"Just for crafting materials... See you there then." AleyaNala waved.

"Okay see you later guys." SayaShin and Mizarin waved their permissions to depart.