It took Bjorn another full day of travel before he arrived at Nassau, one of the cities in the Order's territory.Nassau sprawled endlessly, with no clear boundaries or gates. Perpetual darkness enveloped the city, as the mountains behind cast a vast, embracing shadow. This gloom was chased away by countless magical lanterns glowing throughout the city.Despite its immense size, Nassau was orderly, with buildings lined along clean, well-paved roads, clearly constructed by mages. Each sector catered to its residents' needs: bustling markets, serene residential areas, and industrious workshops. The city’s layout, with the perpetual twilight from the mountains and the glowing lights, gave it an eerie yet harmonious ambiance, where every part fit perfectly into the grand design.Bjorn passed by many mages dressed in dark trousers and deep blue tops that shimmered like the night sky, adorned with unique lightning patterns that seemed to crackle with energy. Their uniforms were both practic
The following morning, Bjorn woke up with a hangover. He wasn't used to drinking, and Grizzly's brew was strong. Still nursing his headache, Bjorn grudgingly freshened up. He dressed in snug black attire and left his room to meet Avery in the common room as they had agreed the night before. Bjorn ordered a bowl of soup as he waited. "I have a strong body and feel this bad. I wonder how Avery feels," he thought as he scooped the soup into his mouth. An hour later, Avery finally showed up. He looked worse than Bjorn, his cheeks flushed and his eyes drooping from the hangover. Bjorn ordered another bowl of steaming soup for him. Bjorn waited in silence as Avery devoured the soup. After eating and feeling better, they got down to business."We have to go to the arena. You need to show your skills. Important people will be there looking for strong recruits, and I think you'll impress them," Avery said thoughtfully.Bjorn was hesitant. "That will put me in the spotlight. I have powerful
Bjorn and the redheaded mage faced each other in the arena. The crowd fell silent, anticipation thick in the air.Even though Bjorn was furious, he kept a cool head and limited his strength to that of a novice. Revealing his real power to potential enemies would be foolish.Bjorn moved first, lightning crackling around him as he lunged forward with incredible speed. His sword slashed through the air, aiming for the mage's chest. The mage, quick and cunning, dodged to the side and countered with a burst of lightning from his hands.Bjorn spun away, barely avoiding the attack. He struck again, faster and fiercer, his sword a blur. The mage blocked with a shimmering barrier of wind magic, then slid around Bjorn, aiming a kick at his side.Bjorn absorbed the hit and retaliated with a lightning-charged punch. The mage ducked under it and swept Bjorn's legs out from under him. Bjorn hit the ground but rolled away, springing back to his feet with a savage snarl.Bjorn couldn’t get any real a
Why are you called Ghost?” Bjorn asked Avery as they walked toward the governor's mansion.Instead of answering him, Avery thought it would be better to demonstrate his powers to Bjorn. With a focused expression, he began to manipulate the light around him. The air shimmered as the light bent and twisted under his control. Slowly, his figure started to blur and fade.The bright rays of sunlight seemed to wrap around Avery, creating a halo effect that made it difficult to distinguish his outline. As he continued, his body blended more with the surroundings. Soon, he was almost invisible, just a faint ripple in the air.Bjorn watched in awe as Avery nearly disappeared. His presence was only betrayed by the slightest distortion in the light, like heat waves on a summer day.Bjorn was stunned, even Savage was impressed by Avery’s display. He had to admit that the kid possessed an insidious power, perfect for assassination.It took some time for Bjorn to collect himself. “I have to always
**Clang! Clang!! Clang!!!**The sound of clashing weapons rang out as Bjorn and Avery trained on a hill some distance away from the farm.Bjorn lunged forward with a quick strike. Avery blocked with his spear, the metal clanging loudly. Bjorn stepped back, then swung his sword in a wide arc, trying to catch Avery off guard. Avery danced away, his movements smooth and fast.They continued to clash, their weapons meeting with powerful strikes. Bjorn’s attacks were strong and precise, each blow aimed to overpower. Avery, however, was quick and agile, dodging and parrying with ease.Bjorn stepped back, a slight smile on his face. "You're fast, but let’s see how you handle this," he said. He incorporated the first stage of the lightning demon arts. The air crackled with energy as blue sparks danced around his body and blade. Bjorn’s speed increased, his attacks becoming a blur of lightning and steel.Avery matched him using his light magic, showing his speedster ability as he left behind a
"Where is everyone?" Bjorn asked as they strolled through the streets of Nassau.He'd returned to the city with Avery after the strange encounter with the Bloodsoaked Queen the previous day."Today is the monthly tournament. Everyone in the city usually heads to the coliseum to watch the games," Avery said, leading Bjorn toward the coliseum in the distance."Everyone?" Bjorn asked, surprised. Even though the coliseum was enormous, with a capacity of about forty thousand people, Bjorn knew it couldn't hold the entire population of Nassau, which had over a hundred thousand residents."Not literally everyone," Avery explained. "There's a device that shows the events happening in the arena. Some inn owners have these vision crystals in their establishments, where people can relax and watch the games."After about thirty minutes of walking through the nearly empty streets, they arrived at the coliseum. Avery led Bjorn to a more opulent entrance, different from the one Bjorn had used during
The butler led them through a series of corridors. As they walked, the surroundings became more elegant and grand until they arrived at the governor's lounge."Your guests are here, sir," the butler announced as he let Bjorn and Avery into the room."Bjorn, Avery, come sit with me," the governor said excitedly, rising to welcome them and pointing towards the empty sofas.As Bjorn and Avery stepped into the room, they saw the governor was not alone. A mage of the Stormveil Order was sitting beside him."Thank you for the invitation," Avery said, shaking the governor's hand."Bloodblade!" Avery exclaimed in surprise, recognizing the other mage as he took his seat.Bloodblade, an eighteen-year-old mage, had smooth, alabaster skin. His eyes were deep black with a red ring around the pupils. His pitch-black hair, streaked with red, was tied back in a ponytail. He sat calmly on the couch, sipping wine, exuding intense focus and quiet confidence."Ghost," Bloodblade nodded in acknowledgment.
Before Bjorn, a vast green landscape stretched out, perhaps a mile below. Rolling green lands spread as far as the eye could see. Snow fell gently, making the scene even more beautiful. Although he should have seen the silhouettes of distant mountains, what he saw instead were endless green lands with rivers flowing through them. In the distance, the outline of a huge city stood tall in the middle of the valley. Despite the distance, Bjorn knew this was the biggest city he had ever seen. "Come on, let's go," Bloodblade said, leading them toward the city. It took them about two hours to arrive. Standing on a hill overlooking the city, Bjorn saw an old, grand city. The city was so large that he had trouble comprehending its size, maybe calling it a small kingdom might do it justice. Nassau was the largest city Bjorn had ever seen, a city so large it didn’t have walls. Yet, the one before him seemed to surpass Nassau by far. But that was not all; a large wall circled the grander b