The clearing descended into chaos.
The wolves charged from every direction.
Their claws tore through the undergrowth as they surged forward.
Ethan immediately focused on the retreat.
Fighting was pointless.
The objective was simple.
Get everyone home.
The enlarged portal shimmered behind the sprites.
One after another, Elementless Sprites rushed through.
The lead wolf was fast.
Much faster than the horned beast had been.
It crossed the distance in seconds.
The Fire Sprite unleashed another stream of sparks.
This time the attack struck the wolf's eyes.
The beast yelped and stumbled.
Not injured.
Just blinded for a moment.
A moment was enough.
Several more sprites escaped through the gate.
The Air Sprite jumped into the sky.
A powerful gust slammed into the charging wolves.
Leaves and dust filled the air.
The pack's formation faltered.
The Water Sprite immediately followed.
Several spheres of water struck the ground.
Mud exploded beneath the wolves' feet.
Two slipped.
Another crashed into a tree.
Again, only seconds were gained.
But those seconds mattered.
More sprites escaped.
The Earth Sprite remained closest to the portal.
Whenever a wolf approached, jagged stones erupted from the ground.
The attacks weren't strong enough to stop the beasts.
But they forced them to slow down.
Ethan couldn't help feeling impressed.
Without discussing it, the four elemental sprites had naturally taken on different roles.
Fire distracted.
Air disrupted.
Water controlled movement.
Earth defended.
The pack finally broke through.
A wolf leapt toward an Elementless Sprite.
Its jaws snapped shut.
The sprite vanished into particles of light.
Another casualty.
The surviving sprites panicked.
Their retreat accelerated.
Ethan clenched his fists.
There was nothing he could do.
Not directly.
Creators couldn't interfere physically.
Only their units could fight.
The final group of Elementless Sprites crossed the portal.
Only the four elemental sprites remained.
The wolves charged.
The Fire Sprite hesitated.
For the first time since Ethan had created it, fear appeared in its eyes.
Then it turned and ran.
The Water Sprite followed.
The Air Sprite leapt through.
The Earth Sprite remained behind for one final second.
A stone wall erupted from the ground.
The barrier wasn't large.
It wasn't strong.
But it blocked the wolves' path long enough.
The Earth Sprite dashed through the gate.
Ethan immediately closed it.
Space twisted.
The portal vanished.
Silence returned.
Planet 042 disappeared from view.
Ethan found himself back inside his Origin Sphere.
The sprites were scattered around the spring.
Many looked exhausted.
Some were injured.
A few trembled from fear.
The Fire Sprite collapsed beside the water.
The Air Sprite landed awkwardly and rolled across the grass.
The Earth Sprite sat down heavily.
The Water Sprite immediately began checking the injured sprites.
Ethan opened his status panel.
[ Origin System ] [ Synthesis ]
Name: Ethan Reed
Stage: 1 — Novice Creator
World Type: Elemental
Origin Energy: 1,000
Origin Credits: 600 CR
System Points: 60 SP
Units: 96
Elementless Sprite ×92
Water Sprite ×1
Fire Sprite ×1
Earth Sprite ×1
Air Sprite ×1
XP: 11 / 1,000
Three dead.
The number wasn't large.
But Ethan still felt the loss.
Those sprites had been with him since Awakening Day.
He had watched them grow.
Watched them explore.
Watched them fight.
And now they were gone.
The realization made the path of a Creator feel much heavier.
Below, the collected materials from the horned beast had already been piled near the spring.
The giant horn stood upright among the stones.
Several Elementless Sprites were examining it curiously.
At least the expedition hadn't been a complete failure.
They had gained XP.
Gathered resources.
And most importantly, survived.
Ethan looked toward the four elemental sprites.
The battle had revealed something important.
They were the core of his civilization.
Far more valuable than ordinary sprites.
Yet they were still weak.
Much too weak.
His gaze shifted toward the Synthesis tab.
System Points: 60.
Not enough.
He needed 100 SP to attempt a second element on a sprite.
Which meant only one path remained.
Planetary campaigns.
Sooner or later, he would need to clear a wild planet.
Only then could he obtain more SP.
As Ethan considered his next move, a faint glow suddenly appeared near the spring.
The Water Sprite froze.
The Fire Sprite looked up.
Even the Air Sprite stopped moving.
The glow was coming from the pile of materials taken from the horned beast.
A moment later, the giant horn began absorbing traces of elemental energy from the surrounding environment.
Ethan narrowed his eyes.
Something was happening.
And whatever it was...
it definitely wasn't normal.