Chapter 12: Flag War (1)

It was the day before the Flag War. Days prior, Chiron had gathered our team to inform us about the rules and objectives of this camp tradition. The concept was simple: the first team to capture the opposite team's flag and bring it back to their base would win.

However, during the Flag War, the main cast would get into trouble, as expected.

'I at least need an ability if I want to survive the flag war.'

Right now, I was on the outskirts of the camp, seeking solitude amidst the dense woodland, which was still inside the barrier. So it was still safe to wander here. The reason I had ventured into the forest, I could focus without distraction or prying eyes.

I had come here to try to awaken my first bloodline ability. Unfortunately, I had limited knowledge about the specifics of Hades' lineage since it was an obscured topic in the novel. There was little to no exposure or screentime for the children of Hades in the novel. Though I still knew some of the bloodline abilities of the children of Hades, first of all being the authority over the earth.

'Status Window'

---

Name: Blake Norman

Bloodline: Son of Hades

Strength: F-

Agility: F

Stamina: F-

Intelligence: F

Divine Energy: F+

Charm: S

Daggermanship ==> G+

Ability ==> N/A

---

For the past week, I had immersed myself in improving my divine energy, diligently training to reach a higher rank. It was a necessary step to unlock the latent abilities bound within my bloodline. To expand the amount of divine energy your body could store, you had to deplete your divine energy reserves over and over again, which exacted both physical and mental tolls on me.

Yet, amidst the exhaustion, I could feel a profound sense of satisfaction, for I could perceive the tangible progress I had achieved. I was able to increase my divine energy stat by a sub-rank. With this, my chances of awakening the ability were much higher.

Seated upon a weathered boulder, I closed my eyes, concentrating on the way my divine energy interacted with the earth below me. I kind of knew what to expect. In the stillness, I sought communion with the earth beneath me, and the earth below me quickly interacted with my divine energy as if it were compatible. In this moment of connection, I could feel the earth obeying my sovereign divine energy as I was the master, and the earth was nothing but a mere servant created to serve me.

'Was this meant to be this simple?'

As I observed the surprisingly smooth progress, a veil of skepticism draped over my thoughts. I had anticipated a more formidable challenge in forging a connection with the earth. After gathering my resolve, I finally opened my eyes and extended my hands forward. Fixing my gaze upon a seemingly insignificant stone, I summoned forth my inner command, willing it to ascend under the sway of my mind's orders.

The stone trembled as it defied the laws of gravity, ascending a mere few centimeters before succumbing to its earthly shackles once more, plummeting back to the ground.

*Thud...*

The flow of my divine energy was disturbed, and I was left drenched in sweat.

'I knew this shit wasn't going to be that easy...'

After resting for a while, I got back to trying. The sun had just shown itself on the horizon. I had a full day to master this ability as much as I could before the flag war.

...

I held my breath as I struggled to keep the rock afloat. I occasionally moved it through the air in different directions, but it lacked speed, which was crucial if I wanted to use it in a real fight.

"Haaa..."

The rock fell slowly to the ground. It had already become evening before I knew it. Although I had trained pretty much the whole day, I still couldn't achieve the results I wanted.

'This is bad. With this level of control, there is no way I can use practically this ability during the flag war.'

*Sigh...*

'Such a disappointment...'

I stood up with an aching back and a hurting butt. Sitting on a rock for a long time wasn't a wise choice. I stretched to get rid of the fatigue on my body, but I failed as a long yawn escaped my mouth.

'I gotta go sleep. I feel extremely tired from all that training.'

I dragged myself to my cabin. As I walked, I couldn't help but slouch. The people who saw me gave me weird looks but I was too tired to care about that.

Fortunately, I soon arrived at my cabin and threw myself into the king-sized bed.

Before I dozed off, I set an alarm for midnight.

'My plan A to awaken a skill went downhill. So I guess I will have to opt for plan B...'

***

*Creak...*

As I eased open the door to my cabin, its hinges emitted a creaking sound that seemed to reverberate throughout the tranquil expanse of the cabin area. Beyond the threshold, the symphony of the night could be heard.

In the distance, the erratic chirps of crickets mingled with the plaintive rattles of nocturnal birds, their melodies interwoven with the distant roar of rivers and cascading waterfalls. The rustle of leaves, carried on the gentle night breeze, added yet another layer to the harmonious ensemble. Above, the celestial canvas was adorned with the luminous presence of the full moon, its ethereal glow casting an otherworldly luminescence upon the darkened sky.

Having savored the spectacle of the night through the doorframe, I embarked off, running toward the forest shrouded in secrecy beneath the veil of night. With most of the demigods surrendered to the embrace of sleep, I navigated the shadowed paths undetected. I had cloaked myself in a long, black coat adorned with a concealing hood.

Drifting through the dense foliage, the chill air kissed my skin. But soon I found the place I was searching for. Amidst the towering forest, before me was a singular tree, its essence pulsating with an ethereal vibrancy that set it apart from the rest of the trees. Unlike other trees, this one had a vibrant aura, as if it were experiencing life beyond a vegetative life.

'Here she is...'

As my outstretched hand neared the mystifying tree, a sudden commotion shattered the calm night. With a startled cry, a young girl, seemingly the same age as me, materialized out of the very heart of the tree.

"Kyaaa! Where do you think you're laying your hands, you lecherous intruder? You pervert! There is a pervert here! Somebody, please come to my rescue!~"

With ethereal grace, she circled the tree, her body bathed in the soft luminescence of the moonlight. Her semi-transparent skin glowed with a verdant green hue, reminiscent of emerald twilight. Almond-shaped eyes of vibrant green shimmered, accompanied by elegantly pointed elf-like ears.

Her verdant hair, resembling a congregation of overgrown leaves, cascaded down to the ground. Her graceful figure decorated with a flowing white garment reminiscent of ancient Grecian attire, exuded an aura of timeless beauty and untamed wilderness.

She was a dryad, a tree nymph. Nymphs were spirits of nature. There were many different nymphs that represented each aspect of nature, such as trees, rivers, or flowers. They resided in the object they represented. They were mostly peaceful or harmless, and some lived within the borders of the camp in the forest.

This female dryad in front of me resided in this tree. Adriel was supposed to find her later in the story when he was exploring the forest.

'Even though she looks 16 years old, she is probably a few million years old...'

Nymphs were minor nature goddesses, meaning they had a very long life span.

She was still throwing a tantrum for absolutely no reason. I didn't have enough patience for this. I needed to be done with this as soon as possible and she wasn't helping me in any way. She was extremely annoying to watch.

"Shut up."

I respectfully spoke under my breath to get her attention back to me. She halted in her steps as she heard my rather rude request.

"What did you say?"

"I said, 'Please be quiet, will you?'"

After glancing at me with a sore and displeased expression, she snapped her head to the side to avoid eye contact.

"Hmph!"

'Really? How old are you? 5? How come you are supposed to be as old as Earth?'

"Ilex, was it? I have a request from you."

Her pointy ears twitched as she heard her own name. Though she still didn't turn her face back to me, I knew the fact that I knew her name piqued her curiosity.

"Hmm... have I met you before?"

"No... But I was searching for you."

"What do you mean you were searching for me? You can't possibly know whi-"

"Which tree you inhabit, right? You see... I am quite lucky when it comes to hide and seek."

She was now facing me and had a confused expression on her face. Coming across the tree she was residing in was almost impossible, considering there were countless trees in the surrounding area. Only someone who knew the location of her tree would be able to deliberately come here and find her.

She dropped the act and turned serious, her face showed signs of discomfort. Her disregardful attitude was replaced by a cautious and attentive one. I could see her pupils quivering out of fear. That was something to be expected since knowing the resided object and name of a nymph meant you could potentially seal her.

Although they were minor goddesses, nymphs didn't have the power to protect themselves from spirit hunters. They were peaceful in nature, and most of them did not know how to fight. This made them an easy target. Though you could only seal them as they were still goddesses, killing them was nearly impossible.

However, for a nymph, being sealed away was worse than getting killed. They were spirits who were fond of their freedom.

To seal a nymph, two conditions must be fulfilled. First, destroy the objects they inhabited. Second, imprint her name on an item and seal her on the item using your divine energy. Since they became very vulnerable just after their object was destroyed, it wasn't difficult to confine them in that state.

Though I wasn't here to seal Ilex, I was here to make an alliance.

"Calm down. I don't have any intentions of sealing you. I am just here to request a helping hand."

Her cherry-pink lips trembled as she struggled to trust my words. She was still afraid of the possibility of me coming here to hunt her down.

"How come you were able to find my tree as well as know my name beforehand then? Don't you think you are too suspicious for me to believe your words?"

Despite her attempt to mask her fear with a facade of confidence, I could still sense the terror that lingered beneath the surface of her confident tone.

"Haa... If I really wanted to seal you, I could have easily done it by now."

I pulled out a blade on which "Ilex" was carved and threw it on the floor before her. As she caught a glimpse of the blade, her eyes widened in horror, and she subconsciously stepped back.

"Hic..!"