Ethan's Fantasy-Drift

On the way back to Camp Rogue, Ethan found himself torn between relief and discomfort.

He was thrilled to have finally gained some basic combat training from Xul, the so-called Rathma priest, whose skills in close combat were unexpectedly sharp.

But the discomfort? That came from Xul's teaching methods, which were blunt, brutal, and unrelenting. Beyond an initial explanation of basic movements and how to apply force effectively, Xul's "training" sessions primarily consisted of sparring—or, more accurately, Ethan being thoroughly beaten down.

"In your current state, you shouldn't focus on trying to defeat enemies," Xul had told him after yet another round of bruising lessons. "What you need to master first is survival. Learn how to endure attacks, protect yourself, and wait for the perfect moment to strike."

Ethan couldn't argue with the logic. Improving physical strength and combat skills wasn't something that could be done overnight. For now, focusing on how to stay alive in the face of overwhelming danger made sense.

By the time they reached Camp Rogue, Ethan was aching all over.

The Rogues stationed at the gates recognized him immediately and didn't raise any objections to the necromancer he brought along. When Xul explained that he had come at Isendra's request to investigate the surge in dark energy, the Rogues even greeted him with respect and relief.

"Interesting," Xul muttered, surveying the guards. "The Rogues, a branch of the mighty Amazons… Even warriors as formidable as these are now pinned down by the corruption spreading across this land."

Ethan could see what he meant. Though the Rogues tried to maintain an appearance of strength and confidence, it was clear that their situation was deteriorating. The ever-thickening dark energy weighed heavily on them, forcing them to hunker down in their camp. The boldness they once displayed when facing demons seemed to have dimmed into cautious desperation.

"It's clear that Andariel needs to be dealt with as soon as possible," Xul said, his tone grim. "I don't know if killing her will completely purge the growing corruption, but it should at least give us some breathing room. With the pressure eased, these Rogues might regain their morale and begin clearing the area of lesser dark creatures."

True to his pragmatic nature, Xul immediately asked where Isendra was. Wasting no time, he was eager to meet up with her and organize their next move.

Isendra, as it turned out, had been waiting for him at the camp. The two powerful mages quickly found one another and launched into a discussion about the strategy for combating the dark creatures.

Xul, ever the direct action-taker, proposed heading straight for Andariel to confront her in her lair. However, Isendra had a more cautious approach in mind.

"We can't ignore the dark creatures surrounding us," she argued. "Especially the ones gathering in the Den of Evil. They might not be individually powerful, but their sheer numbers pose a significant threat. If we leave them unchecked, they could easily overrun this camp."

She gestured around the camp. "This is one of the last human strongholds in the region with any real combat capability. Even if we kill Andariel, we'll still need the Rogues to mop up the remaining dark creatures in the area. Securing the Den of Evil is critical to ensuring the camp's survival."

After a moment of thought, Xul nodded in agreement. "You're right. Clearing the surrounding areas first will make our ultimate goal much more achievable. It won't take long with the three of us working together."

"Three?" Isendra raised an eyebrow, confused. Her gaze shifted to Ethan, who had been standing silently nearby. "Wait… You mean him?"

Xul looked genuinely puzzled. "Isn't he part of the team?"

At this, Isendra couldn't help but chuckle. "Not quite. Ethan has potential, but he's far from ready for this kind of battle. He hasn't even mastered the basics of magic yet. Putting him on the frontlines would be a mistake."

"Ah," Xul said, a note of disappointment in his voice. "I see. Then it's just the two of us for now."

"Don't worry," Isendra said reassuringly. "The growing dark energy will draw the attention of other factions and groups. I'm sure reinforcements will arrive soon. We won't be fighting this battle alone for long."

Ethan, standing off to the side, listened to their exchange in silence. Her words reminded him of the other heroes from the world of Diablo: the Paladins, Barbarians, Amazons, Druids, and Assassins who would eventually join the fight. Together, they had stood against the forces of evil, confronting the Demon Lords Diablo and Baal in their ultimate battles.

But Ethan knew he wouldn't be around to see those events unfold. He'd already calculated that his time in this world was running out. More than twenty days had passed since he first arrived, and the residual energy from the magic circle would soon send him back to his own strange ocean world.

Still, he couldn't deny how much he had gained from this unexpected journey.

He'd learned how to construct magic circles and had acquired a book detailing the basic principles of magic, including how to use teleportation spells. He now understood the fundamentals of potion-making, as well as how to use spiritual power to identify the properties of herbs. And thanks to Xul, he'd even picked up some basic hand-to-hand combat skills.

These skills and knowledge were securely locked in his enhanced memory, and the books he'd obtained would allow him to continue studying after his return.

"All in all," Ethan thought to himself, "this trip has been more rewarding than I could've imagined."

But before he left, there was one last piece of business to attend to.

"Next up is picking up the equipment I ordered," Ethan muttered to himself.

Before leaving Camp Rogue in search of Xul, he had used the rewards he'd earned to commission a small piece of equipment from Charsi, the camp's skilled blacksmith.

On the second day after Ethan left Camp Rogge, Charsi had already completed the small piece of equipment he had requested. To be fair, it wasn't a complex design, just a pair of lightweight bracers with a built-in mechanism capable of firing three short, ten-centimeter-long arrows from each bracer.

Before commissioning the design, Ethan had consulted Kashya to learn the Rogues' methods for attaching magic to arrows and launching them. With her advice, he finalized the plans and handed them to Charsi for crafting.

What Charsi delivered was still a half-finished product: ordinary bracers capable of firing six short arrows in total. Ethan still needed to carefully inscribe the magic circles onto the bracers in the designated areas, a painstaking and delicate process. With only this single pair of bracers, failure wasn't an option. A single mistake could ruin them entirely, leaving him without the protective gear he had planned so carefully.

Understanding the high stakes, Ethan took every precaution. He meticulously prepared, adjusted his mental state, and even hung a large sign outside his tent that read: Do Not Disturb.

Once everything was in place, he began the precise task of engraving the magic circles, following the design he had drafted beforehand.

The concept behind this equipment was simple: split the components of spellcasting into separate steps, leaving only the triggering of the magic to Ethan's mental power.

The magic power needed to fuel the device would come from a few small magic stones he had in his possession. To streamline the process, Ethan added a magic power storage function to the magic circles. This allowed him to pre-load magic power from the stones into the bracers, removing the need to install the stones directly into the equipment. This design not only eliminated the need for additional hardware but also shaved off precious seconds from the activation time.

The magic circles would handle the shaping and casting of the spells automatically. While this approach lacked the flexibility and power of manually cast spells, it compensated by offering simplicity and consistency. To make up for the limitations of the rough magic circles, Ethan added the short arrows as a physical carrier to increase the lethality of the attack. Following Kashya's advice, he incorporated a method to imbue the arrows with magic as they were launched.

When fully completed, the bracers would become magical weapons capable of firing six flaming arrows imbued with fire magic.

The bracers had no manual trigger mechanism; instead, Ethan had designed them to be activated entirely through mental power. This meant the equipment was effectively custom-built for him—those skilled enough to wield it wouldn't need it, and those who might need it wouldn't be able to wield it.

"This thing feels oddly... delicate," Ethan muttered to himself after a long, sleepless night of work. The bracers were finally completed, and while he was thrilled with his accomplishment, he couldn't help but note that they seemed more suited for a certain aesthetic than the rough practicality he had envisioned.

Ignoring the stray thought, he slipped on the bracers to test their fit and weight. They felt light enough not to hinder his movements, and the mechanism functioned smoothly. Satisfied, he began sorting through his supplies.

He took out several bottles of potions he had brewed earlier, tucking them into a small pouch on his back. He strapped the short sword to his waist, positioned his shield within easy reach, and made sure everything was secured.

Ethan stepped out of his tent, his preparations complete. Despite working through the night, his stamina and energy had recovered after a short rest. His recent physical and mental training had significantly improved his overall condition, making him more resilient than ever.

He reflected briefly on his progress and made a decision: he would accompany Isendra and Xul to the Evil Cave to help clear out the dark creatures infesting the area.

"There's no better opportunity than now," Ethan thought, gripping the hilt of his short sword. "With two powerful teammates like Isendra and Xul, this is probably the safest chance I'll ever have to face a real threat. If I can't even stand against a few of the weakest dark creatures, how can I hope to handle the challenges ahead?"

His mind wandered to the uncertain future. He didn't know what kind of world he would find himself in after the next teleportation, nor what kinds of monsters or dangers he might face. Was it realistic to believe he could always hide and rely on safe opportunities to gather resources? And what of the ocean world he'd left behind? Who could say what awaited him there?

"Sometimes, you just have to take the risk," Ethan muttered, his resolve hardening. "It's time to stop hesitating. I've prepared as much as I can. This is my chance to prove I can handle it."