A Journey That Changed The World.

As the last mutant fell, the Wraith turned its attention to Archer, its gaze piercing through the darkness. Without a word, it enveloped him in its shadows, shielding him from the lingering threat of the Demi-God.

Archer's heart pounded as he stood in the Dark Wraith's embrace, unsure what to expect next. Before he could utter a word, the creature spoke, its voice a sinister whisper in the darkness.

"Do not try to flee," it commanded, resonating in his mind. "The Swarm has branded you. Any effort to use transport magic will guide them to our location. I must get you to safety."

Escaping from the shadows, the Mutant Demi-God locked eyes with his savior. With a hiss, the Wraith unleashed a barrage of dark magic blasts, each aimed at the creature. The magic surged forward like a tsunami and slammed into the enemy.

Despite the Demi-God's attempts to block the onslaught, Archer sensed the Wraith's true intention—to create a diversion before disappearing into the night, leaving the creature bewildered in its wake.

As the Dark Wraith protected him in its embrace and fled from the Mutants who started to chase it, Archer sensed the entity moving quickly across the landscape, using the shadows as conduits to accelerate its flight.

'The Mutants stopped chasing us, but this creature keeps moving,' Archer mused.

Before long, the distant expanse of the sea, shimmering under the moonlight, came into view. Suddenly, the darkness surrounding them dispersed, gradually revealing their surrounding's outlines.

With a jolt, Archer felt himself hurtling downward, crashing unceremoniously onto the sandy shore below. He tumbled across the ground, his momentum carrying him until he finally came to a halt, sprawled upon the soft, yielding sand.

The crash left him momentarily disoriented, and the echoes of their escape still rang in his ears as he struggled to regain his bearings. Archer looked around for his savior but heard a soft voice, ''Go to sleep, Arch. I will watch over you.''

As he heard that, he became aware of the injuries all over his body that weren't healing, which worried him. Nevertheless, he succumbed to sleep as the person covered him in shadows.

While sleeping, Archer was whisked away to a distant realm and awoke amid a grassy expanse that looked like it had come straight from a dream. Disoriented, he still managed to scan his surroundings until a faint giggle caught his attention.

Archer turned to see Tiamat seated in a chair, her gaze fixed upon a sprawling battlefield. The white-haired woman smiled and spoke caringly, ''Sit down, Arch. We need to talk.''

He nodded before taking a seat. With a sultry smile, she asked a random question, ''Do you want to live safe or free, my dragon?''

She leaned forward and looked into his eyes, ''Do you want Draconia to rise?''

''Of course. It will be the one place our kind can live free and safe,'' he said, looking over at the armies facing each other. ''What's this about?''

Tiamat sat back as she answered, ''It's a game between the gods, but that isn't important right now.''

Her violet eyes glowed as she surveyed his body, and a sigh escaped her lips. "It seems they've discovered a vulnerability in you," she remarked, taking a cup and sipping from it before continuing, "Us gods call it Mana Poisoning, but its creators have dubbed it the Dragon's Kiss. It was devised by a certain god who harbors hatred towards me and, by extension, towards you."

Now it made sense to him as to why his wounds weren't healing, ''So I'm poisoned? How can I heal from it?'' He questioned with a raised eyebrow.

''Lucrezia Bloodthorne will do it for a price. She lives in the Shadowpeak Mountains, about four days from where you are. Your little friend can take you there, but be warned. The Swarms Demi-Gods are searching for you, and you, my little dragon, are far too weak to fight them now. So don't use transport magic or access your domain, as they will find you,'' Tiamat informed him.

Archer nodded in understanding before asking one last thing as he felt he was being sent back to his body, ''Why are they attacking now? You said they would start their invasion in five years.''

He watched Tiamat frown as she answered, ''That was our best estimate, my dear, but it looks like the Swarm found something to boost their strength, so just be careful as they may attack at any time like they just have.''

The dragon goddess went quiet while drinking tea as the two armies below started fighting. Archer sighed before speaking, ''Okay. It was good to see you, Tiamat,'' he gave her a charming smile as he began to fade. ''We should spend more time together as I've missed you,''

The white-haired goddess smiled before saying, ''We shall meet when you become a Demi-God. Now find the evil witch Lucrezia and get yourself healed.''

Archer was transported back, feeling himself descend through a tunnel of swirling energy resembling a wormhole. With a gentle descent, he settled back into his body, feeling the weight of exhaustion wash over him.

Drifting into a peaceful slumber, he welcomed sleep's soothing embrace. The following morning, he awoke to the brilliant sun casting its golden rays across the sky, accompanied by the soothing sound of water splashing nearby.

As Archer opened his eyes, he was greeted by a breathtaking sight. Above him stretched a clear blue sky. That's when he saw a flock of flying creatures soaring overhead. Suddenly, a distant roar shattered the peace.

Archer jolted him upright, which ignited a throbbing headache that elicited a pained yelp as it hit him. Once the pain subsided, his gaze shifted towards the source of the splashing, where he spotted Aeris standing just out of reach of the seawater.

He watched the friend he respected shed the battered armor he was wearing, revealing a feminine hourglass figure and flawless complexion. Speechless at the sight of Aeris's top half, realization dawned upon him with widening eyes.

'He's a girl!' he thought incredulously.

Mesmerized, Archer could not tear his eyes away as Aeris entered the water. Her slender waist and curvaceous hips swayed with each step, and her perky bum's subtle sway held him in a trance, captivated by her irresistible charm.

His gaze remained fixed on Aeris as she began to remove her tattered shirt, revealing a pair of modestly sized breasts that moved gently with her motions. However, they weren't as large as most of his girls, which didn't bother him.

Just as he thought that, the pain radiated from the wounds all over his body. 'How could I not know she was a girl? Am I dense?' he wondered inwardly. 'No, she just concealed it well.' Despite his surprise, Archer couldn't deny that she was beautiful.

Archer found himself perplexed; he had always believed Aeris to be a boy, dismissing any mentions of her being a girl as a joke. Their friendship had been built on this assumption, but now, faced with the truth, everything seemed to shift.

As he watched her delicate features, noticing the perky cherry-

red lips and perfect button nose, Archer couldn't help but value her feminine allure. Her short black hair beautifully complemented her appearance.

The returning headache elicited a groan from him, catching Aeris's attention. Startled, she spun around, revealing her topless form. The black-haired girl blushed bright red as he opened his eyes, embarrassed by his unexpected gaze.

Archer quickly noticed her perky light brown nipples at the same moment she realized she was naked, but before either could react, she swiftly dove under the water, prompting laughter from him as he called out, ''You hid it well, Aeris. But why didn't you tell me? Scared I'd come after you?''

As he spoke, the water exploded, and the Dark Wraith emerged. Standing about seven feet tall, it was composed of swirling, gaseous darkness. Rage-filled red eyes locked onto him, piercing through the shadows.

The creature's arms materialized before it surged forward, seizing Archer by the neck and lifting him. In a menacing tone, she demanded, "Why are you gazing at me in such a lewd manner?"

Coughing slightly, Archer replied, "I couldn't resist, Aeris. You know my weakness for beautiful women, and you happen to be stunning."

When he said that, Aeris transformed into her human form while still holding him by the throat but covering her chest. She was still red but warned with a hiss, ''Don't think I'd let you try anything. We may be friends, but that's it, Arch.''

Archer smiled before nodding, causing her to pull away as he slumped to the ground, and his injuries took their toll on him. Aeris panicked, but he waved her away before casting Cleanse on himself as he spoke, ''Do you know where the Shadowpeak Mountains are?''

''Yes, it's a few days north of here. Why?'' Aeris replied, putting on some clothes and closely watching him.

He chuckled at her reaction while pulling out some fresh clothes and putting them on before answering, ''Tiamat told me a witch lives there that can help me. The Dragon's Kiss has poisoned me.''

A confused expression appeared on Aeris's face as she asked, ''What is that?''

''It's a weapon created by the Swarm to fight me. Since I'm composed of mana, it disrupts everything in my body, rendering my Regeneration or healing spells ineffective as they directly attack me,'' Archer explained after getting changed.

Once the two were ready, they made their way to the closest road that Aeris had spotted while she was fleeing. While they were walking, Archer sent a message to the girls, letting them know he was okay but couldn't teleport as the Demi-Gods would find him.

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