2025-01-12 10:45:47Miko stood in the middle of the red wasteland, his chest heaving as the monstrous creatures closed in. His legs were trembling, his hands clammy as he gripped the pendant around his neck like a lifeline. His thoughts were a mess, swirling in chaos.
“What do I do? What should I do? Think, Miko, think!” he muttered under his breath, taking shaky steps backward. His eyes darted around, searching for an escape, but the creatures were everywhere. The guttural growls grew louder, closer, each sound cutting into his nerves like a blade. Miko’s pendant grew hotter on his neck, almost burning. “This thing… what are you supposed to do?!” he hissed as he took it off, holding it up and glaring at it like it would answer him. The creatures lunged. “No!” Miko shouted, shutting his eyes. A blinding blue light exploded from the pendant, so intense that it forced his eyes open again. The light shot outward like a wave, slamming into the creatures with a deafening roar. The creatures were obliterated on the spot, their forms disintegrating into ash. Miko’s jaw dropped. “What… just happened?” Before he could catch his breath, the light turned inward, focusing on one remaining wraith that had barely survived the blast. The creature let out a bone-chilling shriek as the light from the pendant pulled something red and glowing from its chest. The orb of red light shot into the pendant, which vibrated in Miko’s hand before going still. He staggered back, his heart racing. “Did it just… take something?” The ground trembled as more creatures emerged from the mist, their numbers multiplying. “No, no, no, this isn’t happening!” Miko muttered, panic rising. He took a step back and nearly tripped over a broken sword buried in the sand. Desperately, he picked it up. “A sword? What am I supposed to do with a broken sword against… that?!” He held the sword firmly, letting out some magic energy as he steadied his grip. His Ash element began to manifest a new form. It slowly covered the broken blade in his grip. “What is this? My ash seems.. different,” he whispered. The ash shimmered faintly, and he felt an odd pull in his chest. Without thinking, he swung the blade. The nearest creature lunged at him, its claws glowing with mana, but the ash-coated sword cut through it like it was paper. The creature’s body fell apart mid-air, its glow extinguished. Miko stared at the sword, stunned. “I… I just cut through mana?” He looked at the ash coating the blade, realization dawning on him. “Is this my ash? Is this my element?” More creatures charged, and Miko gritted his teeth. “Okay, okay, focus. Just swing. Swing like your life depends on—” Before he could finish, “Blurghhh!!!” He vomited blood. “W-what’s happening? Why am I feeling so dizzy?” Miko said as blood gushed out rigorously from his mouth and eyes. “Wa-was it that move with the mana cutting thing just now?” He asked himself. “It seems like I was too optimistic, the price to pay for cutting through magic, is my life?” “Bummer. Seems like that isn’t a skill i can make use of as I wish,” he said as his weak failed him. He crashed to the floor. Suddenly, another creature dived out from nowhere and with his sharp reflex, he tried to block but a fireball formed and exploded the head of the wraith. Miko staggered backwards. “F-f-fire element?” Miko questioned. ”How did I end up with a fire element?” “According to lessons from school, You are stuck with the elements you awaken for life. Then how did I?” “This is insane,” he muttered, staring at the destroyed creatures around him. “Double element and my ash… it’s not just some weak element like everyone says. It can now cut through magic? I need to—” His thoughts were interrupted as the pendant glowed again. This time, the blue light engulfed him completely. “What now?” Miko shouted, stumbling as the world around him twisted and blurred. When the light faded, he found himself in a strange space. It was a void, endless and quiet, with floating orbs of light surrounding him. He looked down and saw the pendant glowing faintly against his chest. “Where am I now?” he asked aloud, his voice echoing. He clutched the pendant. “What are you? What did you do back there?” As if in response, one of the orbs floated closer. It showed an image—a burning creature, its body covered in flames. Miko stared at it, his eyes narrowing. “This… this is the creature from before,” he murmured. “Speaking of creatures, when I look closer, this seems to be an eidolon wraith, part of the millions of wraiths that occupies the abyss,” Miko said as he took a closer look. “I would’ve known more about this if my bullies allowed me to attend classes.” “All I can remember is that Eidolon wraiths are the incarnation of evil but I never heard anything about an Eidolon wraith that could use elements. Wasn’t it on fire?” The orb dissolved, and the pendant grew warm. “Wait, are you telling me you… absorbed its element? Fire?” His mind raced as he pieced it together. “The wraith was using a fire element, but I thought wraiths didn’t have elements. They’re just mindless monsters, right?” “That’s because it wasn’t a normal wraith,” a deep voice said behind him, pulling him back to reality. Miko froze. Slowly, he turned to see a figure sitting casually on a jagged rock formation. The man—or creature—had the body of a human but dark, leathery skin and piercing red eyes. Wisps of wind curled around him, and his aura was overwhelming, and suffocating. “You… you’re a wraith?” Miko stammered, gripping the sword tightly. The humanoid wraith chuckled, the sound low and unsettling. “Close enough. You just killed my brother, by the way. Took you less than a second.” Miko blinked, shocked. “Your… brother?” The wraith nodded. “Yeah. He wasn’t much, but he was family. And you killed him..” he paused, taking a look around. “No, you’re too weak to kill him,” the humanoid wraith said. Miko bristled. “I’m not weak!” The wraith smirked. “Oh? Then why can’t I sense any real strength from you?” And suddenly, he burst into laughter. ”I get it, you must be one of those spoiled brats the academy sends into the Abyss for special training. Let me guess—your master is hiding somewhere, waiting to step in and save you again?” Miko’s mouth opened, then closed. He didn’t know how to respond. The wraith’s gaze swept the area. “Your master must be strong. If he could kill my brother in an instant then he could easily handle someone like me.” “What master is he talking about?” Miko screamed in his thoughts. “That means I’m wasting my time with you,” the wraith continued. “There’s no master! The pendant killed your brother, but it’s best not to tell you that,” Miko swallowed as he fought to stand upright under the immense pressure that the wraith’s presence exuded.” The wraith stood, the pressure from his presence making Miko’s knees buckle. “Today’s your lucky day, kid. You get to live.” The wraith turned and leapt into the air, disappearing into the red mist. Miko collapsed to the ground, his body shaking. The sheer weight of the wraith’s aura had been overwhelming. “That… that was insane,” he muttered, clutching the pendant. “What even was that? How did I survive?” He stared at the pendant, its glow faint but steady. His mind raced with questions, but one thing was clear. “I’m inside the Abyss,” he whispered. The realization hit him like a punch to the gut. “I’m actually inside the Abyss.” The desolate landscape around him suddenly felt even more dangerous. But as he looked at the ash-covered sword in his hand, a small flicker of hope sparked within him. “I have this new equipped Ash elemental skill.. and I have this pendant,” he said, gripping it tightly. “I don’t know how, but I’m going to survive. I hav—“
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More creatures emerged from the red mist, their forms twisted and grotesque. Miko gripped his ash-covered sword tighter, but exhaustion was already setting in. "Well," he muttered, "at least I lasted longer than expected—" Suddenly, a crack of thunder split the air. Lightning arced across the wasteland, striking the creatures with surgical precision. Each bolt found its mark, reducing the wraiths to ash in seconds. "My, my," a weathered voice called out. "Quite the predicament you've found yourself in, young man." Through the settling dust walked an elderly man, his white hair tied back in a loose ponytail. Despite his age, he moved with fluid grace, a sword hanging casually at his hip. Lightning still crackled around his fingers. "Who...?" Miko managed, still catching his breath but suddenly was lifted off the ground. "You? Want to know who I am? Sadly you are not on that level," the old man said, offering a slight bow. His eyes, though kind, held a sharp alertness that be
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“But why was one here?” Miko asked, his voice filled with frustration. “Why was there no guard? Why didn’t anyone help me?” The principal let out a long sigh, then sat down. “That’s a question we don’t have an easy answer to. The Abyss—well, the wraiths—first appeared seventy years ago. Back then, the world was normal, peaceful. But one day, portals started opening. Mirrors, windows, random reflective surfaces. And with them, came the Eidolon wraiths.” Miko frowned, his brow furrowing in confusion. “The wraiths?” “Yes,” the principal continued, nodding. “They’re not just monsters—they’re the result of a strange occurrence. The moment the Abyss started to leak mana into our world, it birthed elemental powers. Fire, water, air, earth, all of it became possible, but at a cost. The wraiths, these creatures you saw, are the products of that very leak. They are elemental beings, born from the Abyss’s influence.” “So... the wraiths are made from elemental magic?” Miko asked, pieci
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The cafeteria buzzed with the usual energy, filled with the clatter of trays and the chatter of students. Miko stepped inside, his return after weeks of being missing met with curious glances and murmurs. He ignored the whispers, keeping his head high as he scanned the room. His gaze landed on a table near the corner, where three students sat—Akiya Ren, Liam Draven, and Anna Elsin. He took a deep breath and walked toward them.As he approached, Akiya leaned back in her chair, her fiery red hair as vibrant as her sharp glare. "Look who finally decided to show up," she said, her tone cutting but not entirely hostile. “Thought you were gone for good, Miko.”Miko paused, unsure of how to respond. "I had... things to take care of," he said carefully, setting his tray down and taking a seat at the edge of the table.Liam, slouched in his chair with his arms crossed, smirked. "Yeah, 'things to take care of.’ Sounds like code for hiding from the clan games," he teased, his lazy demeanor faili
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“Whit whee whoe whoe whoe whit whee,” Miko whistled as he washed in the shower.“Hahh,” he exhaled softly as he washed his face, finally turning off the shower.He sat down on a bench, looking around at lockers before fixing his gaze on the large mirror before him.“After the encounter with the abyss,” he shivered. “Think I might have mirror-phobia,” he said as he giggled.**Soon after, he stepped out of the school bathroom.“Well, now that I’ve officially got no place to return to, I guess the school is now home,” he said as he looked around.“Hiyahh!““Hiyuh!”“Wind spike!!!”“Fire ball!”“Looks like the school is busy today, not everyone went back home,” Miko wandered through the quiet halls of the training arena late at night. As he approached the large doors of the practice room, faint sounds of combat echoed from within—fire crackling, wind slicing, and bright light beaming. He hesitated before pushing the door open slightly, peering inside. Akiya stood in the center of the
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Luna stepped forward, her Wind magic spiraling around her as if she were a tempest in human form. Her eyes were filled with disdain, but there was an edge of curiosity too. “So, the so-called weakling has more up his sleeve than we thought,” she said, her voice smooth, almost mocking.Miko’s gaze remained steady. “You think this is surprising? You haven’t seen anything yet.”Jace, standing beside Luna, clenched his fists. He stared at Miko with disbelief. “How did you… how could you…” His words faltered. He was so sure Miko was just some Ash mage, barely able to do anything. But now?“You can’t just have fire,” Jace continued, his voice rising. “It doesn’t make sense. You’re supposed to be an Ash mage! This isn’t possible.”Miko smirked. “That’s your problem, Jace. You think things should make sense. But I never cared about what you thought. I just do what I want.”Luna stepped forward, raising an eyebrow. “So you think you can just show up and take us down with your tricks?”Miko’s f
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Suddenly, A collective gasp rippled through the crowd as a group of figures in pristine white garments and suits entered the stadium's VIP section. "The Church," someone whispered, the words spreading through the crowd like wildfire. "Oh, you don't know who they are?" A female student spoke up excitedly from the stands, addressing the confused faces around her. "Those people are from the church." "What makes them so special?" another student asked, eyes fixed on the white-clad figures. "The Church controls everything about healing magic and swordsmen," she explained hurriedly. "They regulate dungeons, monitor mage activities, even decide who gets to be trained as a knight. Those white garments? They're worn by people who have direct authority under the priest." "I thought the church were just religious figures?" "No, no," she shook her head vigorously. "They control everything that should be public knowledge. Especially about dungeons. Nobody really knows how dungeons work
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Chapter 59
Liam had claimed a corner table—the one with the slightly wobbly leg that he insisted gave the space "character." A half-eaten slice of cheesecake sat before him, more decoration than actual dessert. A spoon balanced precariously on the bridge of his nose, defying gravity with the same casual ease that he seemed to approach most of life."I'm telling you," he announced to his teammates, the spoon wobbling with each word, "this is a legitimate stress-management technique."Akiya rolled her eyes, flames dancing between her fingers—a nervous habit she'd never quite managed to control. "Balancing cutlery is your idea of stress management?""Some people meditate," Liam replied, not breaking his concentration. "I balance spoons."Across the table, Anna hunched over a stack of research papers, her dark hair falling forward to create a curtain between her and the world. Mumbled calculations escaped her lips—something about artifact resonance and magical frequency patterns."Did you say someth
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A group of four approached quickly, their expressions filled with irritation. Their leader, a tall, broad-shouldered man with sharp features, was the first to speak.“What the hell happened to you lot?” His tone was demanding, accusatory. “We were supposed to stick together, but your team disappeared. You abandoned the plan.”Anna, still nursing a bruise on her temple, raised a hand as if to calm him. “We didn’t—”“Don’t.” The man cut her off, his voice low but firm. “We found a clue. A direct lead to the relic. And instead of following procedure, your team vanished into thin air. We spent hours trying to figure out where you went.”“We had a lead of our own,” Anna tried again, her voice even. “We had no choice but to follow—”A sharp whistle cut through the tension.Hayes,The senior officer stood near the entrance of the makeshift command post, arms crossed, his face unreadable. But there was an unmistakable weight behind his stare as he looked directly at Miko and Keisha.“Is that
Chapter 57
Time seemed to slow as Miko faced his impossible choice. The wraith loomed over him, obsidian face mere inches away, reflecting his own distorted image back at him."Your decision time has expired," the wraith said, its voice laced with cruel amusement. "The relic. Now."Miko didn't move."Very well," the wraith's form seemed to expand, darkening the tunnel further. "Then you leave me no choice but to demonstrate the consequences of defiance." It gestured toward Akiya who was still struggling to her feet. "Perhaps I'll start with the fire girl. Her flames were... delicious.""No!" Anna tried to throw up another barrier, but her magic fizzled weakly, her reserves nearly depleted."How touching," the wraith mocked. "Such loyalty. Such devotion. Completely wasted, of course." It turned back to Miko. "Final opportunity, boy. Surrender the relic, or watch your friends suffer before they die."The tension in the tunnel was suffocating. Keisha clutched the relic container to her chest, her k
Chapter 56
"Wise advice from the Stormweaver," the wraith conceded. "But unnecessary. I don't need to create division when the truth will do it for me." It drifted closer. "Why do you think you were assigned to this mission, ash-wielder? Why you specifically?""Enough talking," Miko's fire burned brighter. "We're leaving.""Are you?" Another artifact in the wraith's shoulder began glowing, and suddenly the tunnel behind them collapsed, cutting off their retreat. "I think not.""Anna!" Miko called.She understood immediately, throwing up her strongest barrier between them and the wraith. But instead of attacking, the creature simply placed one elongated hand against the magical shield. The barrier didn't break—it dissolved, the magic seemingly absorbed into one of the artifacts embedded in the wraith's palm."Magic nullification," Anna gasped, stumbling backward. "That's not possible.""All things are possible with the right tools," the wraith replied. "Your human magic is just crude manipulation
Chapter 55
Miko didn't answer, but he had a feeling Keisha Stormweaver wasn't someone who gave up easily once her curiosity was aroused.The relic pulsed in its container, its blue light seemingly synchronized with Miko's heartbeat for just a moment before returning to its own rhythm. Whatever connection existed between them, Miko knew instinctively that it was only beginning.Someone had brought this team together specifically to find this relic. And he was increasingly certain that someone was playing a much longer game than any of them realized.Then suddenly,"That's the third time we've passed that support beam," Liam said, coming to a stop. His usual lazy demeanor had given way to sharp alertness, eyes darting between familiar markings on the tunnel wall. "The one with the red mining symbol, this is the third time we’ve passed it.""That's the third time we've passed that support beam," Liam said, coming to a stop. His usual lazy demeanor had given way to sharp alertness, eyes darting bet
Chapter 54
The guardian was now moving agitatedly around the clearing's perimeter, its wooden body creaking with tension. The forest itself seemed to respond to its distress—the not-sunlight dimming, the plants curling inward, the glowing insects scattering.Keisha made a quick decision, pulling a specially lined container from her pack. "This should contain it temporarily." She lifted the relic carefully, and as it left the pedestal, several things happened simultaneously.The forest darkened completely, plunging them into momentary blackness before Akiya's fire provided light. The guardian let out a sound like splintering wood and collapsed to the ground, its body suddenly lifeless. And from the direction they had entered, came a chittering noise that raised the hair on the back of their necks."Move!" Miko ordered as fire erupted around his hands. "Back to the entrance, now!"They ran, Keisha clutching the containment box, Akiya lighting their way with controlled flames. The forest that had s
Chapter 53
The branches parted slowly, deliberately. Squad Seven formed a defensive line instinctively—Miko and Keisha at the center, Akiya and Liam flanking, Anna providing barrier support from behind, with Trent and Devra protected in the rear, their detection equipment humming with activity.First came the sound—a clicking unlike any natural creature. Then movement—smooth, yet somehow mechanical. Finally, the figure emerged fully into the dappled not-quite-sunlight.It stood roughly the height of a tall human, but the resemblance ended there. Its body appeared to be made of interlocking wooden segments, like armor crafted from living trees. Where a face should have been, there was only a smooth wooden mask with intricate carvings instead of features. Tiny plants grew from crevices in its form, and glowing insects similar to those in the forest drifted lazily around it."Holy shit," Akiya whispered, flames dancing nervously between her fingers.The creature tilted its empty and featureless hea
Chapter 52
“They said we should all gather suddenly,” “Yeah let’s go,”Voices could be heard along the hall.The hall hummed but Coordinator Hayes stood at the center platform, his weathered face impassive as he surveyed the assembled teams. The morning's confrontation in the cafeteria seemed distant now as the reality of tomorrow's mission settled over everyone."Attention," Hayes called, his voice cutting through the chatter without needing to shout. "Final briefing for tomorrow's dungeon operation."The lights dimmed as a three-dimensional projection materialized, showing a complex network of tunnels and chambers carved into a mountainside."The Redstone Mining Complex," Hayes explained, "abandoned fifty-three years ago following an Abyssal breach. While the breach itself was contained, residual corruption remains throughout the facility."The projection highlighted different sections in color-coded threat levels – red for severe, yellow for moderate, green for minimal."As previously announ
Chapter 51
Suddenly, someone stepped up. With a plate on his shirt written, coordinator Hayes. Coordinator Hayes stood at the center, his weathered face betraying nothing of his thoughts as teams filed in."Punctuality," he noted as the last recruits took their places. "A promising start."The lights dimmed, and a three-dimensional projection of the mining complex materialized before them, rotating slowly to reveal its multiple levels."This facility," Hayes began, "was once the Redstone Mining Operation, abandoned fifty-three years ago following an Abyssal breach. The breach itself was contained and sealed by AAU response teams, but not before corruption spread throughout the complex."The projection highlighted sections in different colors – red for high corruption, yellow for moderate, green for minimal."As previously stated, Class A will investigate the deepest level." The lowest section glowed bright red. "Class B the middle chambers." The central area pulsed yellow with patches of red. "
