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
It's been four days since Bloodblade's departure. Bjorn was walking through the streets of the First Valley. As the name suggests, this is one of the seven valleys of the Storm Veil Order. To cover the entire border, the Order's forces were spread out, with the valleys as their homes. Each valley was controlled by the Order, led by a Patriarch or Matriarch and a council of Elders. "Are all the valleys this large and ancient?" Bjorn thought as he navigated the streets. He arrived at an alchemy store in the open plaza. The pleasant smell of plants drifted from the chimney, making him feel calm. He pushed the door open and walked in. Inside, the store was elegant, with green decor and soft, high-quality carpets. Glass shelves lined the walls, each holding different pills, potions, poisons, and wild herbs. Some small display cases with higher-quality potions or pills were placed around the room for customers to see. Bjorn was surprised that he could recognize some of the herbs and ev
Bloodblade hurried them out of the inn and into the bustling streets. He moved swiftly, expertly weaving through alleys, taking shortcuts, and avoiding as many mages as he could. In three hours, they were beyond the city walls.“How long can you keep running?” Bloodblade asked suddenly.“As long as I need to,” Bjorn replied confidently.“Good. Follow me.” Bloodblade took off running, pushing Bjorn to his limits, or at least as much as Bjorn allowed him to see, as they left the city far behind.“Why are we in such a rush?” Bjorn asked.It was obvious something had scared Bloodblade, and whatever it was, it posed a danger to Bjorn too.“I’ll tell you when—” Bloodblade started.“No!” Bjorn interrupted. “I’m tired of running headfirst into danger without knowing why,” he said, struggling to keep his anger in check. “Tell me now, or I’m going back to the city to find another novice.” He meant every word.Seeing the determination in Bjorn's eyes, Bloodblade decided to reveal the truth. His
Bjorn woke up early, feeling the cool morning air in the cave. The sun hadn’t risen yet, and the sky outside was a soft gray. He stretched quietly, careful not to wake Bloodblade, who was still fast asleep nearby.Bjorn decided to make breakfast. He gathered some dry wood and started a small fire just outside the cave. The flames crackled softly, casting a warm light. He pulled out some beast meat from his spatial ring and sliced it into pieces. The rich, savory smell of cooking meat soon filled the air.As the sun began to rise, it cast a golden glow over the landscape. The jagged rocks and tall trees looked almost beautiful in the morning light. Bjorn took a deep breath, enjoying the quiet moment.The meat was ready. Bjorn walked over to Bloodblade and gently shook his shoulder. “Wake up. Breakfast is ready.”Bloodblade stirred, opening his eyes slowly. He looked exhausted but managed a small smile at the smell of the food. “Thanks, Wildheart,” he said, sitting up.They ate together