A Journey That Changed The World.

Archer gazed at the black-haired girl and was met with the hopeful gleam in her glowing red eyes. "Yes," he smiled gently, his voice calm yet resolute, "I hold no concern for one's race. It holds no weight with me."

Aeris smiled when she heard his answer, her expression softening with relief as she nodded in understanding. However, her joy was short-lived. Archer groaned in discomfort, the pain flaring up as he tried to get comfortable.

With a weary sigh, Archer slumped onto the makeshift mattress Aeris had prepared. Despite his attempts to hide it, the relentless pain coursing through his body couldn't be ignored.

His regenerative abilities seemed futile in the face of the intense pain that continued to gnaw at him. Sensing his distress, Aeris's concern deepened, but he waved her away reassuringly before closing his eyes.

As the minutes passed, the pain gradually subsided, allowing Archer to drift into an uneasy slumber. However, his respite was short-lived as a sudden stirring jolted him awake.

Blinking groggily, he found Aeris hovering over him, her gaze filled with worry and care. "What are you doing?" he questioned, a faint smirk tugging at the corners of his lips despite his fatigue.

She remained silent, leaning in to kiss him unexpectedly, catching Archer off guard. He instinctively cupped her face as they shared a passionate moment as he felt her body against his.

Nevertheless, Aeris persisted, mounting him, deepening their bond. Taken aback, "What's got into you?'' Archer mustered. ''Werent you all shy before."

Blushing brightly, Aeris smiled at him, "I'm just seizing the moment, Arch.'' She continued, ''With danger approaching and chaos looming, I found courage when you spoke of indifference towards race."

As she was straddling him, they continued to kiss, which ignited a spark of warmth between them. Archer's hands instinctively began to explore her curves, his touch gentle yet filled with longing.

But before he could explore further, Aeris pulled back slightly, her breath coming in soft, uncertain gasps. "Archer," she whispered, barely above a murmur, "I'm not ready for that yet. I like you, but it's not love yet."

Archer's gaze softened as he understood. With a gentle smile, he nodded, respecting her boundaries without hesitation as he removed his hands, "It's okay," he murmured, his voice a soothing whisper against her lips. "We'll take things at your pace."

The two continued kissing until Aeris broke away when it was too much for her, and she lay down beside him while taking a blanket out of her storage ring. She covered both of them while being careful of his injuries.

Aeris sent some of her mana into his body, causing the pain to subside and allowing him to relax as he did. Soon, the two fell asleep within a few minutes as a storm started outside.

Rain and wind battered the old fort, which hid the two, and swarms of creatures roamed the land between the Avalon and Oakheart realms. The following morning, a flying beast's loud screech awakened him.

Archer opened his eyes and activated his Mana Detector. He stretched out for a few miles, and when he felt nothing, he was relieved. After checking out their surroundings, Archer climbed out of bed while groaning.

He felt the wounds growing in size and leaking a foul-smelling stench, prompting him to cast Aurora Healing on himself in a vain attempt to heal, but all it achieved was dulling the pain and irritating him further.

After that, Archer cast Cleanse on himself, erasing the stench. Then, he pulled a meat wrap from his Item Box and started eating before gazing at Aeris. Despite their situation, she appeared to be soundly sleeping, which perplexed him as he observed her curled into a ball under the blanket.

While doing so, Archer scanned the office and sensed the dark magic barrier hiding them. He smiled, but that's when his Mana Detector picked up a large group passing the fort.

Sensing this, he made his way out of the office and approached one of the windows. Looking out, Archer saw a column of mercenaries heading in the direction the mutants were going.

Later, he returned to the office, only to discover Aeris stretching as she roused from sleep. Upon spotting him, the Dark Wraith girl smiled kindly before she said, "Good morning, Arch. Where did you wander off to?"

''To check something out. I sensed a large group of people,'' Archer said as he sat down. ''It seems the Frostwyn Duke sent mercenaries after the mutants, which should make our journey easier.''

Aeris nodded and rose, allowing him to see her slender figure and wide hips reminiscent of a slender pear. After that, the two got ready to leave the fort behind after eating some breakfast.

The two were back on the road, but Archer felt something was off with the landscape as they walked. He looked at Aeris and questioned, ''Do you feel that strange atmosphere?''

''Yes. I can feel it,'' she said, scanning their surroundings. ''It's like something has poisoned the land.''

Archer agreed before they continued traversing the rugged terrain between the Avalon Empire and Oakheart Kingdom. They found themselves amidst a lonely landscape dotted with snow-covered grasslands and forests.

The sky above them was an ominous shade of gray, heavy with the promise of an impending storm. As they pressed on, a town emerged on the horizon, its towering walls standing as a barrier against the harsh wilderness.

Dozens of town guards patrolled the ramparts, their vigilant eyes scanning the horizon for any signs of trouble. Approaching the town, Archer's steps faltered, and he doubled over, coughing violently.

Blood trickled from his lips, staining the ground beneath him. Aeris's eyes widened in concern, and she rushed to his side, ''Are you okay! Your injuries are getting worse. We need to find that witch.''

''Let's pass by the town, as they will question us,'' he said, looking at the guards, who were already staring at them. Then he asked, ''Can you travel in your Wraith form if I supply you with mana?''

Aeris nodded before she started transforming into her real form and embraced him in her shadows while speaking, ''Why do you not fear me?'' He sensed her nervousness as she continued. ''People hate Wratihs, especially my race.''

''Why would I fear you?'' he chuckled. ''You intrigue me, Aeris. I want to get to know you even better, even if you're a Wraith.''

Upon hearing that, a surge of happiness flooded through her, propelling her across the landscape as she swiftly moved through the shadows. It took them a few days to reach their destination.

At the foot of the Shadowpeak Mountains, they stood before a looming, ominous forest. As Archer peered into the dense canopy, an unsettling sensation washed over him as if unseen eyes were fixed upon him from within the trees.

But his injuries drove him forward to find the witch Tiamat had guided him to. As they entered the dark forest, Aeris grabbed his arm and asked, ''Do you know this witch's name?''

''Lucrezia Bloodthorne,'' he answered. ''She knows about the poison and will be able to heal me.''

Aeris nodded, tightening her grip on Archer's arm as she scanned the trees warily. Sensing her apprehension, Archer reassured her, "I sense nothing, but they might be able to hide from me."

As Archer and Aeris ventured deeper into the dense forest at the base of the Shadowpeak Mountains, a sense of unease hung heavy in the air. The towering trees seemed to loom over them, their gnarled branches reaching out like skeletal fingers.

A thick fog rolled in as they pressed on, obscuring their path and enveloping them in an eerie gray mist. Archer squinted through the fog, trying to make out their surroundings, but the dense mist seemed to swallow everything in its grasp.

Suddenly, eerie moans and guttural growls echoed through the mist, sending a shiver down their spines. Before they could react, shadows began to stir among the trees, and figures emerged from the fog.

Zombies and ghouls, their rotting flesh barely clinging to their bones, lurched toward them with menacing intent. Aeris instinctively summoned dark energy to her fingertips, ready to defend herself and Archer.

With nowhere to run and the creatures closing in, Archer and Aeris stood back-to-back, their hearts pounding with fear. They started casting spells to whittle down the creatures.

Archer took a deep breath and fired a stream of violet dragon fire that wiped out dozens of them. Aeris let out a deafening scream, causing some ghouls to sneak up on them and fly.

The creatures crashed into a cluster of trees, their eerie moans echoing through the forest. After her attack, Aeris quickly moved ahead, her red eyes fixating on Archer.

Aeris saw his complexion growing paler with each spell he cast, even as more ghouls and zombies surged toward them. Despite her efforts to thin their numbers, the horde seemed endless.

She realized Archer was faltering in his movements, his strength waning with each magical incantation. With urgency in her voice, she cried out, "Stop casting spells, Arch! The poison is consuming you from within every time you do!"

When hearing Aeris's warning, Archer halted his spellcasting, but it was too late. With a heavy thud, he collapsed to the forest floor, sending a jolt of panic through her.

Ignoring the encroaching horde of creatures, she dashed toward him, her heart pounding with fear as the situation grew increasingly dire. But as the undead drew closer, a powerful pulse washed over the forest, causing Aeris to yelp in fright.

However, the danger wasn't over. A woman's laughter echoed around them, sending chills down Aeris's spine. Despite the eerie laughter, she pushed aside her fear and rushed over to Archer, who lay unconscious on the forest floor.

[Please let me know if you spot any mistakes, and I will edit them. Thank you]