A man emerged from the tunnel, wearing armor much the same as the Acolytes, except far more intricately detailed. Gold inlay formed a large sunburst on his breastplate and large sword was belted at his hip. His helmet, if he had one, was off and he appeared to be a man in his late thirties with dark eyebrows and white-blonde hair. Eyes like chips of flint stared directly at Felix and he smiled.
"Is my Acolyte correct, boy? Am I looking at the Blue-Eyed Fiend?" He didn't stop walking as he spoke, though the four combatants felt frozen. Something about that pressure, the aura, felt like it was pinning them to the ground, Acolyte included. "Or are you a waste of my time?"
Voracious Eye.
Name: ???, Initiate
Race: Human
Level: ??
HP: ???/???
SP: ???/???
MP: ???/???
Lore: Humans are multitudinous on the Continent. They are statistically weaker than most Races, especially at lower levels.
Strength: Hidden
Weakness: Hidden
The pressure redoubled, blocking Felix's Skill more effectively than a stone wall. However, Felix was able to confirm one thing.
This man had completed his Journeyman Formation.
Noctis' tits.
Evie must have caught a look in his eye, because she turned from Felix and launched a wordless assault on Aenda. A whirling chain swept the Acolyte's feet from under her, throwing the fire mage to the ground. Vess was a half-beat behind her, but her spear made short work of the damaged armor conjuration.
"Sir!" Aenda cried out as she hit the ground, splinters of golden Mana bursting outward. "He Shines in Darkness!"
"Back!" Vess shouted, at the same time leaping backwards with all her strength. Evie tried to do the same, but caught the edge of the detonation as Aenda's Skill ignited the air around her.
*KRAKAKOOOOOM!*
Felix was hit by a giant pillow of air, pushed up and into the watery darkness beyond the bridge. He threw a hand out and conjured a Shadow Whip, intending to imitate the Acolyte's maneuver. But the tacky substance of shadow found no purchase on the bridge's pillars, the stone coated in Ages-old slime and moisture.
Stone Shaping!
Desperate, Felix cast out the Mana pattern for his Tempered Skill, pulling the substance of the pillar with all of his might. There was a grinding groan from the stone all around him, and then his Skill caught. A six foot wide block of stone lifted from the pillar as Felix fell, like a Jenga piece, and Felix immediately oriented on it.
Reign of Vellu--!
A brilliant light interrupted his casting as an arrow of blinding radiance stabbed straight through his gut.
Felix hit the pillar hard, cracking it in half before plunging the rest of the way into the cold, cold water below.