Page 136 of I Ran Away to Evil 3
Fighting Before Breakfast Was the Worst
Gerda
True to my word, I abandoned Julian at the Northern Fortress after crossing his drawbridge.
As it was well after dark, there were promises of a celebratory welcome tomorrow before everyone disbanded for the evening. Julian slipped me a note before I portaled back home, and I wondered when he’d had the time to write it.
It simply read,I hope you sleep well. Goodnight, beautiful.
Ididsleep well, and woke up early enough to enjoy a solid three-hour salt bath, which washed away the stress on my body.
We weren’t scheduled to go into the Ice Fields today. Instead, I was set to explore the fortress and meet the members of the border patrol. As such, I dressed in leather pants and a long-sleeved blouse; light enough to survive the summer sun, yet sturdy enough to cut the icy northern wind.
Usually, at this point, I would wander into my kitchen, make breakfast and a cup of tea, then enjoy checking in on my notifications for the day. But my notifications went off just before I tried to connect my door to the living area, and the connection failed. [Sense Danger] was practically screaming at me, and my [Domain] skill tab was overwhelmed with updates.
One glance at the log revealed all.
[YourDomainhas taken 130 points of Void damage …]
[YourDomainhas taken 97 points of Void damage …]
[YourDomainhas fallen to an enemy skill …]
I didn’t bother reading the full reports but got straight to work while considering my options. I was safe in this subspace, since my attacker had already destroyed the only door in.
[You have activatedBridge Repair. Cost to repair adjusted forPocket Dimensionstatus, 410 Mana. Time until completion 00:27:85]
I popped a potion to recover my mana, then activated [Oracle]. Sure enough, a certain Keeper of Fate was an available option, and I was immediately treated to a future view of the two of us doing battle in my kitchen. I winced as she launched a Void spell that shattered some of my favorite teacups.
Rude.
When I came out of it, I quickened my recovery by climbing off the bathroom floor and sticking my head under the bathtub faucet, running cold water on my face to help me center myself.
It was strange and unnerving, watching our battle from her perspective.
I hated being a part of Fate’s plan. Hypocritical, but seeing Fate include me in her oracles made me feel like I was being watched, and it was an unpleasant twist in my gut.
I rubbed the shoulder I’d seen take a Void attack, thankful it was still there.
For a second, I thought about going and grabbing Julian to help me deal with the problem … but the oracle predicted my successful escape for a simple cost. And it was high time I had a cup of tea with my new archenemy.
I prepared a few items then appeared beside my kitchen table.
“You could’ve just knocked,” I said nonchalantly, dodging a ball of pitch-black Void energy that sailed past my shoulder. I heard it hit my kitchen window and rip a hole into the Void. That was going to cost more mana to repair.
I summoned two teacups and placed them on the table before bringing out a teapot full of hot tea. Personally, I preferred fresh tea in the morning; something about the time-stop placebo taste that was all in my mind but also very real.
“Would you like a cup of tea?”
Guild Mistress Alice readied another spell; pink magic threads dangled from her fingers, and her aura covered her entire body, playing with her shoulder-length blonde hair and reflecting in her eyes.
She looked ready to kill.
My front door had been blown off its hinges; it lay crumpled at the celestial’s feet, a portion of my dining room table voided from existence as well. I was impressed it was still standing in its currentUshape.
“I would like you dead,” she snapped. “By the Will of the Eternal Rest, [Void Arrow].”
“[World Bridge],” I said at the same time, portaling to my tea cabinet and storing the entire area in my storage ring. My cast was shorter than hers, and so made it easier to dodge.
