The Garden of Eden

During the first years of Ocaleveth, God had created a paradise for the elves that would be their home for generations: the Garden of Eden. It is said to be the most beautiful and bountiful forest in the entire world harvesting millions of flowers that could snuff away anxiety with one sniff of its scent and harbor trees with delicious fruit that you could no longer find in today’s age.

Eden was also the place where the elves first started to learn magic. After understanding the nature of mana, which they learned from God, they would create spells and magic circles and record everything they made into grimoires.

Centuries later, the Paradise of the Beginning of the Ocaleveth would be turned into ash by Ira and his army of savage demons.

However, in the middle of my battle with Ojorr and Gnavu, I was placed in the very center of Eden. Despite it being a sort of imitation it was mindboggling being there. I felt like I was inside a completely different dimension than the normal world and my body surprisingly felt less heavy and achy. Even the pain from the wounds of my battle had vanished.

“What is this forest doing to me?”

Instead of answering my question, Ojorr who was flying in the air while laughing aloud screamed out to me.

“Be ready to feel the pressure of the stars, my friend Baxter!! Gravity Magic: Queen Cassiopeia’s Judgement Second Rule!”

Appearing out of the male gargoyle’s hands were giant glowing purple orbs with the dark symbol of a star at the center. As Ojorr let the orbs go they began to slowly float in the air like balloons.

“Activate!”

After saying those words, the two orbs became brighter to the point I had to look away. Once I was sure the blinding light was gone I looked back to see the two orbs were inside of a giant violet see-through pillar.

“What is the—“

The walls of the pillars began to slowly expand out. Everything that was inside the pillar would then start to get crushed under whatever sheer pressure of gravity it was letting off. The ground would be cracked open showcasing the dirt under the earth and the roots of dead plants. The trees would fold like paper under the weight of the force and the wildlife would run away not wanting to share the same fate.

Knowing very well that my normal human body would not survive such intense gravity I hit the dash. Thanks to my body being free from all burdens I felt as light as a feather and ran so fast I thought I broke the sound barrier. I jumped off the trees and launched myself into the deeper parts of the Garden of Eden keeping the White Needle and observing every single corner to be ready if Gnavu would attack me from the shadows.

After about ten minutes of non-stop running fatigue had finally caught up to me and I decided to stop. As I turned back I saw that the violet pillars of gravity were miles behind which caused me to release a breath of relief.

“Damn Ojorr,” I grumbled. “Trying to turn me into a pancake in the first second of the fight?”

“I apologize about him. The last thing Ojorr has is self-control.”

“It’s no—HUH?!”

I put my hand to the helm of my blade. I scanned the area to search for the silhouette of Gnavu but she was nowhere to be found.

“Where the hell are you Gnavu!?”

“I’m not like Ojorr,” Gnavu’s voice rang throughout the forest like a sweet melody. “I have no intention of just jumping into the fray.”

“You didn’t seem to have a problem before! After all, you dug a bunch of THORNS INTO MY ARMS AND CHEST!”

I could hear Gnavu grimace.

“I apologize about that too. Understand that we are simply following our Master’s orders.”

“Don’t worry, once I’m done with the two of you that bastard of a priest is going to get the cleanest uppercut in history!”

Gnavu giggled at my enraged comment.

“You shouldn’t underestimate Master Aeron. Despite sacrificing his eyes he is one the very few in the world who can see everything.”

“And what exactly does that mean?”

“It means he has knowledge that the Council of Chronos despises.”

“The Council of Chronos? What do they have to do with—“

“Eh! I’m sorry! I wasn’t supposed to mention that to anyone! I’m so sorry Baxter! Please forget that!”

As Gnavu was begging me I was busy finally pinpointing where her voice was coming from. I smiled once I was able to see the edge of her bat wing behind a tree not so far from me. In one instance I jumped all the way to the tree and sliced it with one quick slash.

Gnavu screamed as she fell to the ground but quickly rolled out of the way as the top of the tree nearly fell on her.

“Oh! That was—“

“Close?”

“Huh?”

I got close to the female gargoyle and slammed the end of the White Needle into her stomach as hard as I could. As she gasped out in pain I grabbed I put my entire right arm around her throat and captured her in a chokehold.

“B-Baxter! W-what are you—“

“Take this! Spinning Style: Baxter Top!”

“Spinning whaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAA—“

As I hopped in the air with Gnavu in my arms I began to spin at an incredible speed. Before my feet landed on the ground again, I threw the female gargoyle off of me and the force of my spin was able to launch her to the far side of the field. Her back slammed against a tree and fell forward while grumbling in agony.

“That was for those thorns!”

“Impressive my friend!”

I anticipated it. I knew the second I would dispatch Gnavu that Ojorr would already be one, waiting like a wolf hunting its prey. I blocked each attack he had with the White Needle but the gargoyle didn’t let up.

“Impressive! Impressive!”

“If you say impressive one more time I swear I will—“

Ojorr then kicked up his left foot in an attempt to hit me across the head. While I did manage to duck at the last second the pointy black nails of the gargoyle's toes scrapped against my forehead making a small cut that drew blood.

In retaliation, I tried to trip Ojorr with a spin kick to his feet, but the gargoyle reacted fast and jumped in the air to avoid it.

“Haha!”

He then launched himself at me with both his feet forward. The two-foot kick was successful as he landed his dirty and nasty-smelling toes right into my face. He pinned me to the ground and immediately tried to stab me with his greatsword.

“S-screw you!”

I bit Ojorr’s foot, breaking his green skin and spilling clear water from the wound. The male gargoyle shrieked in pain and I quickly managed to get away and get back up to my feet.

“Gonna put your nasty feet in my face!? Well, take this sword to the chest!!”

Launching the White Needle right at Ojorr hoping to pierce his heart and end the battle I let out a loud war cry as my energy was at its highest. My blade made contact and the flow of clear water spilled from Ojorr’s wound but it was not a wound in his chest. The gargoyle was quick enough to block the sword with his own in the split second of reacting to my attack. I drove the blade deeper, the male gargoyle grunted but his insane smile never faded.

“Good move, my friend!”

Ojorr lifted his greatsword and swung it down to try and cut my half, but I easily moved my body to the side and threw my entire self at the gargoyle pushing him against a tree while driving the holy blade deeper into his arm.

“This is a great move my—BAH!”

I elbowed Ojorr’s face.

“SHUT UP!!”

I then grabbed his hand with the greatsword and slammed it against the side of the tree over and over until I was certain I snapped the bone of his wrist. Being unable to hold his weapon the greater sword dropped from his hands and I quickly picked it up myself.

“Your stupid sword is mine now!”

“G-Gravity Magic: The Otherside of the World!”

But before the weapon could hit the atmosphere flipped again and I began to float up into the air.

“N-not this time you one-eyed—“

I quickly grabbed the branches of the tree and began to climb back down.

Ojorr looked up at me and smiled crazily.

“Gravity Magic: The Fist of God!”

Purple aura emitted from Ojorr’s left fist as he then flew up towards me. Not having enough time to block I let go of the branch and started to fly towards the sky. My move was successful as Ojorr’s attack didn’t hit me but the gravitational push from the fist was enough to blow me back launching me further into the air.

“SSSSHHHHHIIIITTTTT!!!”

As I was shrieking in horror from my body getting further and further from the ground I could hear the obnoxiously loud voice of Ojorr screaming after me.

“Undo!”

Instantly after Ojorr said that word, the gravity stopped and I started to fall to the ground. Luckily my body landed in a lake of cold fresh water. I swam back up coughing out the galloons of water that got in my lungs.

“Lord have mercy…”

“Look alive Baxter!”

The shots of Ojorr were getting closer.

“The Judgement of the Beginning is not over yet~!”

Before I could ask what Ojorr meant I could hear the booming sound of destruction behind me. Looking back I saw the very same violet pillars that harbored the gravity orbs that pressed intense weight into anything that touched it being much closer to me than before.

“Oh come on!”

I tried to get out of the water, but Ojorr was already on me. The male gargoyle grabbed me by the throat and pinned me down against the fresh water.

“L-let me go! The gravity will crush you too!”

“My affinity is high my friend! I will be safe! As for you…may God have mercy on your soul!”

“O-Ojorr!”

Me and the gargoyle started to wrestle as the pillar's borders inched closer and closer.

The tips of my hair could feel the heavy weight of the pillar pressed against them. Even though it wasn’t over us yet, I could just imagine the crushing sensation from the gravity magic and knew that I would not survive.

What happened next was not an instant idea or master plan but simply my body reacting in a manner to try and survive. I put my arms around Ojorr’s neck and my feet around his waist, trapping the gargoyle on me.

“W-what are you—“

I then headbutted the gargoyle as hard as I could, breaking the skin of my forehead and causing it to bleed. As Ojorr was in disarray I forcefully dragged him and myself to the deeper parts of the lake. The water was cold and pretty deep and I made sure to take as much air as possible before going in.

Thanks to this random movement my body was able to avoid being crushed by the gravity pillars. The water itself took the brunt of the gravity first spreading out as the pillar touched it.

“THERE!”

That moment. That moment was enough as I was under the pillar and acted immediately. I threw the White Needle to the very top and it smashed against the orb of gravity. The orb evaporated like a cloud and the pillar faded away from existence.

I was saved from the fate of being turned into Baxter Ale: The Flat Null, sadly my troubles were far from over.

“Ouch!”

I yelped in pain as Ojorr grabbed the back of my neck with his hand his long black nails digging into my flesh. Picking me up like a stuffed toy the male gargoyle flew up to the sky and then spun around at intense speed. He then threw me to the other side of Eden where I ricocheted off of multiple trees and bounced off of the ground.

After tasting a family-size pie of dirt I got up to see I was far from Ojorr and near the edge of a cliff where there was a long river and a loud waterfall.

“Damn…how big is this place?”

“BAXTER!”

Hearing the booming voice of Ojorr I immediately got into battle position…but then screamed when I realized I no longer had the White Needle in my hands.

“SHIT!”

“TAKE THIS!”

The energetic face of Ojorr spawned right in front of me, his left hand holding his greatsword and his right hand holding a glowing orb that swirled with the colors of purple and blue.

“Gravity Magic: Atelia’s Wall!”

Ojorr then threw the ball to the ground which then immediately sprouted up into a see-through purple wall. I was unlucky enough to catch a devastating uppercut to the chin as the wall was coming up from the ground. While I was in the air for that split second, the gargoyle flew up to me again and then slashed me across the stomach with his sword which I could not block or avoid.

Blood flew from the wound where I was hit and then I fell to the river below. Ignoring the searing pain of my wounded chest I swam up to the surface and made contact with the land from the right side.

“This is some bullshit!” I cursed as I started to run. “I need to get the White Needle back!”

“Nowhere to run my friend!”

The maddened gargoyle warrior descended upon me, his sword emitting a dark force of aura.

“Gravity Magic: Nyx’s Cradle!”

With a downward slash, pitch-black energy was fired right at me. I managed to move out of the way but Ojorr would not let up as he continued to launch continuous magical slash attacks in my path.

“O-Ojorr! Time out! Time out!”

I yelled as I was running for my life.

“I don’t have my weapon! Let me get it first!”

“You are the one who threw it away my friend!” Ojorr shouted. “Do not be a sore loser and fight back!”

“I can’t fight back without a weapon you dumbass!”

I then grabbed a rock from the ground and threw it directly at Ojorr’s eye with great precision. The gargoyle grabbed his one eyeball and screamed in agony. Thanks to him doing that his attack had stopped and I took the chance to climb up the cliff and run back to where I was before.

However, I found it hard to pinpoint where me and Ojorr were fighting previously due to the Garden of Eden being far bigger than anticipated.

“Oh come on! Why is it so big in here!?”

As I was passing through multiple trees I could see something running alongside. At first, I grumbled in annoyance believing it was Ojorr but to my surprise, it wasn’t him nor Gnavu.

It was a third individual that I did not expect. A naked woman with pale green skin and long green hair that was made of grass and vines that bloomed multiple beautiful flowers. Her gorgeous ruby eyes made me stop in my tracks.

“W-who the hell are you!?”

Instead of responding with words, the naked woman let out an ugly inhuman roar while jumping right towards me like a lion attacking its prey. I easily managed to dodge but the wound from Ojorr’s attack burned as I moved recklessly.

“Hey! Is that how you do first impressions!?”

The naked woman paid me no mind and repeated the same motion of trying to jump on me. Each time I moved out of the way with little effort the woman would fall to the ground hurting herself while rolling in the dirt. A part of me felt bad but in the end, the lady was doing it to herself.

“Look, I don’t know what you want but—“

Out of nowhere, a giant orange flower sprouted on the top of my head.

“…Huh?”

My body felt like sand that was ready to crumble and I fell straight to my knees while moaning in tiredness.

“W-what’s going on…my body is…”

The naked woman then roared again as jumped towards me and spin-kicked me right across the face. I did not feel pain as the attack landed but my body was easily flown to the right side where I smashed against a tree.

Standing over and letting out what I believed was a roar of victory, I could see the naked woman staring down at me with intense hatred.

“W-who…what are…”

“This is the Dryad of the Forest…or I guess the technical term is Dryads?”

Slowly tilting my head back I could see Gnavu walking up to me and the Dryad with folded arms and blank expressions.

“Their seeds were embedded within the whip and using my time magic I was able to revert them back to the point and time when they were alive.”

“H-how did you…your time magic is that powerful?”

Gnavu shook her head.

“Do not misunderstand Baxter, my time magic is not strong enough to revert the time of beings with free wills but the Dryads of Eden were simply beings who were born from Yggdrasil and used as guinea pigs for the elves' magical experiments. In the end, they are no different from soulless toys.”

“Yggdrasil…what the hell is that?”

“…I see…you know nothing. After all, it is information that the elves themselves never relayed to any of the other races.”

I could hear the rustling noise of the leaves all over. And then coming into view were almost a hundred Dryads in different sizes and forms but they were all naked and stunning women with red eyes.

I could hear the rustling noise of the leaves all over. And then coming into view were almost a hundred Dryads in different sizes and forms but they were all naked and stunning women with red eyes.

“It is time you learned about the World Tree. The First Magic, Baxter. Maybe with this knowledge, you will reveal the truth to you…the truth that you stand no chance…”