On a frigid morning in Kryo, a thick blanket of fog and mist enveloped the atmosphere, resembling ethereal tendrils of smoke. Yet, despite the bone-chilling cold, the industrious townsfolk went about their daily routines with unwavering determination. For them, such weather was a customary occurrence—a perpetual companion since birth. Clad in layers of warm garments, they valiantly braved the elements. Even the young ones frolicked, their laughter piercing through the icy air.Remarkably, this peculiar town boasted an anomaly: an absence of snow and ice. Instead, an extreme, biting coldness permeated the very air they breathed. Along a bustling market street, nestled in a corner near an alley, lay a young man named Archon, sound asleep. The relentless cold tortured him, as he clung to a meager scrap of warmth—a small scarf draped around his shivering frame.Curiosity piqued the children's interest, drawing them inquisitively towards this unfamiliar figure. Never before had they encoun
Lady Zina and Archon found respite within the walls of a restaurant in the heart of Kryo. The unsettling events that transpired earlier had left an air of caution around their table, and the patrons dared not disturb them. As they savored their meals, Archon indulged in the simple pleasure of satiating his hunger. It had been days since he had enjoyed a decent meal, far removed from the lavish feasts of his former life at the Blades Mansion. Though not comparable to his previous fare, this sustenance surpassed the scraps he had scavenged to survive.While Archon relished his meal, Lady Zina watched him intently, a smile gracing her lips. You couldn't help but wonder how different his perspective might be if he could perceive her beauty, but alas, his blindness shrouded him in obliviousness. Envious glances from young men around the restaurant betrayed their longing for the enchanting presence of Lady Zina by their side.Archon's voracious appetite was both astounding and concerning. L
After their swift departure from Kryo, news quickly spread throughout the city that the City Lord had been murdered. Panic ensued, and the town was placed under tight security with a thorough investigation initiated. Suspicions fell upon Lady Zina and Archon, as they were the last known individuals to leave the city before the incident.A group of four soldiers gave chase, but Lady Zina and Archon had already distanced themselves. Their pursuit was hindered by the lurking threats of wild beasts, forcing them to abandon the chase and return empty-handed to Kryo.On the southern edge of the Beast Forest, Archon found himself panting heavily. He had been running tirelessly for hours, driven by Lady Zina's unexpected trouble that had attracted the attention of city guards. Though uncertain if it was related to the inn incident, he was grateful to have escaped unscathed.While Archon caught his breath, Lady Zina seemed to find amusement in their situation, laughing and speaking animatedly.
This world was divided into three regions: the Blades Territory, the Mages Territory, and the Beast Forest. Archon and Lady Zina were passing through the dense forest, an area few people dared to venture deep into due to the fear of encountering powerful beasts. However, Lady Zina seemed to be familiar with the territory, and they had yet to come across any adversaries they couldn't handle.Legends spoke of beasts in the forest that could rival and even surpass the heads of the Blades and Mages, but whether these tales were true or not remained a mystery. Nevertheless, Archon saw this journey as an opportunity to train and hone his ki abilities by engaging in combat against the weak opponents.As they pressed on, Lady Zina warned Archon about the upcoming challenge. "We are nearing the border of my village, but first, we have to pass through the hunting grounds of the Direwolves. Although they are rank 2 beasts, on a few occasions, rank 3 Direwolves might appear among them. I can hand
As Archon engaged in a heated battle with one of the Direwolves, Lady Zina took on the rest of the pack, ensuring that no other wolf would interrupt their fight. When faced with a life-or-death situation, one's growth tends to accelerate, and Lady Zina observed this phenomenon as she entrusted Archon to hold his ground. However, Archon surpassed her expectations, growing even stronger than she had anticipated.Spotting the assumed pack leader positioned at the rear of the attacking Direwolves, Lady Zina swiftly moved in to confront it. She understood that eliminating the leader would create disarray among the rest of the pack. Though the wolves rushed to defend their alpha, they posed little trouble to Lady Zina. Nevertheless, their sheer numbers presented a challenge.With two daggers firmly in hand, Lady Zina spun amidst the wolves, swiftly dispatching many of them. Though some of the Direwolves managed to evade her attack and back away, Lady Zina locked eyes with the alpha, sensing
The stench of Direwolf blood had attracted more creatures to the area, and Lady Zina knew she had to conclude the battle swiftly. Engaged in a fierce clash with the Alpha Direwolf, she found herself evenly matched for the time being. Meanwhile, Archon had finished his own battle and observed Lady Zina's struggle with a mix of tension and concern. He contemplated stepping in to assist her but realized the sheer intensity of the fight and the wild auras clashing warned him of the peril involved. Recognizing that the fight surpassed his abilities, Archon chose to meditate and replenish his depleted ki, fully aware of the approaching Direwolves and the need to gather his strength for survival. He trusted Lady Zina to handle the Alpha.During their exchanges, Lady Zina miraculously remained unscathed except for a slight scratch on her neck from a surprise attack. On the other hand, the Alpha Direwolf bled profusely, its shallow wounds accumulating and staining its grey fur crimson. While t
After the sudden disappearance of Archon and Lady Zina, an ethereal blur materialized in their wake, revealing a towering figure. This colossal being stood with an imposing presence, covered from head to toe in a dark brown fur that resembled that of a wolf. His countenance exuded a raw intensity, his muscular frame resembling that of a human while unmistakably displaying lupine attributes. Wolf-like ears adorned his head, a long tail swayed behind him, and his fingers were tipped with razor-sharp claws. This formidable creature was Lupus, one of the legendary Beast Generals of the Lycan Beast Clan.The dissatisfaction emanated from Lupus in the form of a guttural growl, akin to the primal snarl of a beast. His crimson eyes scanned the aftermath, the lifeless bodies of the fallen Direwolves strewn across the battleground. Lupus was displeased that his intended prey had managed to escape his clutches. However, his discerning gaze honed in on a particular carcass—a shriveled wolf corpse
Upon reaching the grandmaster's manor, Archon stood before the large, imposing gates. Olivia, after giving him instructions on where to go, took her leave, but not before leaving him with a curious question."Sir Archon, are you fond of my sister?" Olivia asked, her words catching Archon off guard. He blushed and stammered, struggling to find a coherent response."Why do you ask that all of a sudden?" Archon's confusion was evident in his voice. Olivia reassured him, explaining that Lady Zina seemed happier since Archon's arrival. Archon brushed off the notion, choosing to focus on his own plans for the time being.With Olivia's departure, Archon proceeded to open the doors of the grandmaster's manor. He knocked and received permission to enter, finding himself in the presence of a revered figure.The doors swung open, revealing an awe-inspiring sight—a venerable figure seated at the heart of the grandmaster's chamber. Adorned in traditional robes, his aura exuded wisdom and power,
Archon found himself hidden within the confines of a massive, dilapidated building in an abandoned town on the way to the Blade Kingdom. The place had probably been ravaged by beasts about a year ago, leaving behind no trace of life, not even a single corpse was left at this point, they were either eating by beast or had long since decayed. only the evident of destruction remained.Two weeks and two days had passed since Archon bid farewell to Lady Zina at Tikara village, as they parted ways each going on his own journey to their goals.Archon embarking on his journey to Blade Kingdom. Traveling on foot and evading the roaming beasts, he had experienced countless life-threatening situations, forcing him to grow stronger, particularly in harnessing his cursed energy, which had finally been able to grow and had even seen significant improvement.Experiencing the reality of the beasts' dominion firsthand had left a profound impact on Archon. As he lay low behind a fallen wall, concealing
Archon remained cautious, not lowering his guard. "Hunters? What business do you have with us?"Ging, the little girl with orange-colored hair, smiled playfully. "Oh, don't worry. We're not here to harm you. We were merely curious about the commotion and wanted to see who was causing it."Archon's expression softened slightly, but he remained vigilant. "Staying in this forest is dangerous. What kingdom are you both from?"Zina, who had been observing Gon and Ging, took a step forward and also asked a question. "You mentioned you're Hunters. What are you hunting?"Gon's smile faded, and he adopted a more serious tone. "We are not from around here; we come from the Ogromno Continent and got lost here in the Vegrandis Continent. You ask what we hunt young lady, we hunt various things, from dangerous creatures to valuable artifacts and treasures. We sense a demon kin from somewhere around here."Archon exchanged a knowing look with Zina. "So, you're after a Demon Kin?"Ging nodded. "Yes,
Lady Zina motioned for Archon to pay attention as she began to tell him a tale."A long time ago, there was a tribe of people called Demons. They possessed extraordinary strength, speed, and power like no other humans, but they had a flaw—an unquenchable thirst for blood and war. The demons killed without mercy and roamed the land to satisfy their violent desires. However, amidst their ruthless nature, they also harbored a longing to overcome their curse and live normal lives. Their salvation came when the chief of the demon tribe had a child with a human, and that child proved to be the solution. The child was able to overcome the curse while retaining the traits of a demon.""Realizing the path to redemption, the demons understood that the old generation had to be gone for the new generation to thrive. So, when the other human nations united to wipe them out, the demons didn't fight back. Instead, they surrendered themselves to be slain, offering their half-breed children—the new ge
"What is this? I can't free myself," Archon panicked, struggling against Lady Zina's unyielding grip."No matter how hard I try, I can't break free. Has she lost control?" Archon wondered, feeling a sense of desperation.The harder he attempted to escape the tighter lady Zina would grip him. Her untamed energy started seeping into his body, draining his strength and leaving him weaker with each passing moment.Archon couldn't take it anymore, the little spar has somehow suddenly gone wrong. "If this is the power the grandmaster spoke of, I understand why she doesn't want to fully accept it. It's painful!" Archon thought, realizing the intensity of Lady Zina's struggle."You are scaring me, Lady Zina," Archon blurted out quietly, no longer resisting her hold, at this point resisting was just pointless."I am sorry, A-rchon," Lady Zina released him, stumbling back and clutching her head as she screamed, "STOP!"Even while unable to see her, Archon could feel lady Zina's powerful emotio
Archon bent his knees and shot at lady Zina, his body moved with the precision of a bullet as he closed in on her, his blade poised to strike. The carefree expression on her face immediately transformed into a serious one, realizing that this attack wouldn't be as easily blocked as the previous ones.'Flaming Sword Dance, Continuous Strike'Archon executed his Flaming Sword Dance, Continuous Strike technique. His strike descended from above in a projected arc, and just as he reached Lady Zina, he swiftly pushed his sword behind him, initiating a circular motion as he brought it down. Lady Zina managed to intercept the strike with both her daggers, but the impact sent shockwaves of power around, her feets sank into the ground, creating a small crater in its wake.In the midst of their blades colliding, Archon vanished once again, leaping slightly above Lady Zina and twisting clockwise to generate momentum for another strike. He targeted her left side, swiftly retracting and moving ar
"Those daggers you wield, Lady Zina, are quite impressive," Archon remarked, approaching her as she flexed her weapons."Indeed, they are called the Black Vipers Fang," Lady Zina proudly proclaimed. "Have you found anything that catches your eye yet?"Archon let out a sigh of sadness. "I have never actually had to choose a weapon by myself before. Perhaps you could lend me a hand?""Of course, Um here take this. I found it for you," Lady Zina said, tossing a black ring to Archon.He caught the ring and opened his eyes, sensing a peculiar disturbance within it. As he examined it more closely, he realized that it seemed like a deep spacious pit. No matter how deep he looked, it appeared to be almost endless."Is this a space ring?" Archon exclaimed, excitement bubbling within him."Yes, it is a fourth-rank A-grade space ring. Pretty cool, right?" Lady Zina responded, her words filled with excitement. "I also have a ring like this, but I thought you should have this one."Archon bowed h
Archon found himself in a bewildering place, surrounded by an intense aura of cursed energy. Confusion and concern flooded his thoughts as he tried to comprehend his current predicament. "Where am I, and what is with this intense cursed energy?" Archon voiced in confusion, his tone filled with bewilderment and concern.The lingering presence of the mysterious corpse in the vault hinted at its involvement in his sudden displacement. Determined to find an escape, Archon began to cautiously explore his surroundings, he was making pretty good use of his eyes scanning every corner of the eerie place, only to discover a lack of any discernible exit or change to the scenery no matter how he looked at it, how long he walked the scene was exactly the same. After some time frustration mounted as he attempted to employ his unique eye ability, hoping to unveil a hidden path, but to Archon's suprise he wasn't able to, or even use any of his abilities in this place."The gods must have a twiste
"What's our next move, Grandmaster?" Lady Zina's voice echoed with a mixture of excitement and curiosity, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.The grandmaster's gaze shifted between Archon and Lady Zina, his expression serious and contemplative. He understood the weight of his decision and the impact it would have on their lives."After careful consideration, I have come to a decision," the grandmaster spoke with gravitas. "In light of recent events and the impending threats we face, I believe it is crucial for both of you to attend the academies established by the seven kingdoms, a year ago after the beast attacks the seven kingdoms opened academies to train their people preparing them for the possibility of war.""Zina you'll be going to the Umbra Academy in the Umbra Kingdom, while Archon you will be going to the Blade Academy in the Blade Kingdom"Archon and Lady Zina stood in stunned silence, their countenances reflecting a mixture of surprise and reluctance. The idea of going
"What exactly is this cursed energy?" Archon inquired, his curiosity piqued to know more about the mysterious force within him, a power that seemed unnatural for a human to possess.The grandmaster took a deep breath, preparing to shed some light on the enigma. "Cursed energy is a primal force that exists within all beasts to some extent. It is a volatile blend of raw emotions, instincts, and spiritual essence. Unlike ki, which requires discipline and focus, cursed energy is untamed and chaotic, embodying both immense power and chaos."Archon listened intently, his eyes fixed on the grandmaster as he absorbed every word. "Why is it referred to as cursed energy? And what is the origin of the beasts themselves?""Cursed energy is not inherently malevolent, but it is called as such due to its unpredictable nature. If misused it can unleash calamity and tap into your deepest desires and fears, becoming a double-edged sword." The grandmaster elaborated. "For a human to master this energy,