"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
Bjorn and Bloodblade trained in a vast, open meadow, unaware that their journey had just become much more dangerous. Now, three factions of the Order, along with assassins and mercenaries, were hunting them.It had been a month since they fled the valley. Bloodblade kept them moving steadily southwest, avoiding any towns or cities. They seized every chance to train, just as they were doing now.In a large clearing, hundreds of meters wide, they sparred intensely. Bjorn realized why Bloodblade had earned his fearsome title. Bloodblade had a rare power called the blood source. He was born for the battlefield, where bloodshed was constant.Bloodblade could control blood. He could manipulate his opponent’s blood flow, immobilizing them or controlling weaker enemies. He could sense the life force of any living being nearby and track someone thousands of miles away with just a drop of blood, making him a perfect tracker and assassin.His blood-sensing abilities also gave him an edge in comb
Bjorn and Bloodblade trudged along a dusty road, unaware of the increasing danger they faced. It had been three days since Bloodblade's breakthrough, and after much deliberation, they decided it was time to interact with civilization again.Bloodblade needed seven rare herbs to create an antidote for the poison used on the patriarch. He already had two of the seven herbs and needed help finding the rest."One more time, I need to hear their names," Bloodblade requested."Moonshade leaf, Starfall sage, Elderbark roots…" Bjorn listed the herbs, describing their appearance and function.Bjorn paid close attention, determined to succeed in their mission despite the tedious task of learning about herbs."Good, good. One of the herbs grows in this region. I hope we can find it in the town ahead or at least get a lead on where to find it," Bloodblade mused aloud.They trekked for three long hours before spotting a town in the distance. With hurried steps, they arrived at the small town, whic
It’s been five days since Bjorn started training his new, unexpected students. He had a little difficulty passing on the absorption technique to the warriors, but once they understood it, their growth and progress were exponential.The quality and quantity of beasts' corpses available made it possible for everyone to train nonstop for days, and Bjorn made sure that the supply of beast meat never ran dry.With his shadows scouting the perimeter, he spotted any beast long before it arrived at the settlement and swiftly dispatched the powerful ones while directing some warriors to deal with the weaker beasts. But lately, the number of beasts coming their way had been gradually increasing, and Bjorn had already noticed that trend.“You need to move your community,” Bjorn said as he stood before a meditating Chief Martel, who had already achieved a body breakthrough to the adept level after absorbing numerous adept-level resources.The chief looked to have aged backward, with the wrinkles
The old mage who introduced himself as Chief Martel led Bjorn towards their camp with a small entourage of warriors, the rest of the warriors stayed back to loot the battlefield and take of their dead.They led Bjorn past a small wall that barely reached his chest and into their settlement made of a sea of tents, the tents are made of thick cloth, flapping gently in the warm breeze. The tents staked into the ground are arranged in a circular way, and they get larger the closer they get to the center.Bjorn noticed the nervous running around of the locals to get things back in order; he also noticed their looks of appreciation and admiration since word has gone around of his help in defeating the beasts that would have definitely killed most of them.As they got closer to the center of the settlement, the environment turned greener and Bjorn caught the sweet scent of water in the air; he saw the large tents in the middle of the camp go round an oasis, a shimmering pool of water surroun
After days of relentless training, Bjorn was finally ready to continue his journey. He felt on the cusp of a physical breakthrough, but his instincts warned him to hold back."I just need to focus on my essence training now," he thought as he donned black garb from his space ring. "But first, I need to get out of here," he mused, hearing the sounds of roaring and fighting in the distance.The region had transformed into a striking scene. The once fiery rivers of molten lava had hardened into dark, jagged rock, sprawling like a frozen wave across the barren land. The surface was cracked and rough, with some areas appearing smooth and glassy, as if the ground had been glazed. The desert sand, once soft and golden, now mingled with the blackened rock, creating a stark contrast. Wisps of steam still rose from small fissures here and there.Due to the still-erupting volcanoes and the region's new appearance, lava beasts had invaded the area, disrupting the ecosystem. This could not be tole
Lying naked on the hot ground, Bjorn heaved a sigh of relief. It had been a crazy week— from the assassination attempt and robbing master-ranked beasts to surviving the chase of one and ending up in his current situation. He was tired and needed some rest, but he couldn’t afford to yet.Bjorn lay with smooth, flawless skin, untouched by any burn marks despite his fiery ordeal. The fire had scorched away every hair on his body, leaving him completely hairless. His smooth skin gleamed in the light, unblemished and soft, with no eyebrows or eyelashes remaining. He looked strikingly different, with his bare, smooth skin.With a groan, Bjorn sat up and took in his surroundings. The lava had carried him a long distance into an unknown region. Looking around, he found himself in a desert, but it looked nothing like a desert anymore. A large river of lava flowed through the sands, with smaller streams diverging from the main river. The hot, glowing lava lit up the surroundings, making the san
Pain, pure unrestrained pain, was the only thing Bjorn could feel as he sank to the bottom of the lava. He felt as though he was being swallowed by an ocean of fire. His skin sizzled and burned, and the pain was beyond anything he had ever felt.Every nerve in his body screamed in agony. His bones were already shattered from the impact of the molten rock. It was as if his entire body was being crushed and melted at the same time. He couldn’t move. His limbs refused to obey him. His vision blurred. He tried to scream but only managed to swallow more lava and gurgled up blood that burned immediately. It was as if the world had been reduced to an endless sea of pain and fire.“Damn it, everything hurts!” That was the first thought that entered his mind. His mind was a storm of suffering, flickering between consciousness and darkness as the lava continued its merciless assault. Time seemed to stretch on forever, each second an eternity of suffering and pain. Bjorn could have easily given
The ground shook violently beneath Bjorn and Bloodblade's feet as they raced across the volcanic land. Just as they thought they had gained some distance from the monstrous snake, the earth rumbled again, more fiercely than before. Another fissure cracked open in front of them, spewing bright orange lava and flames into the air.They skidded to a stop, barely avoiding the molten rock that bubbled up from the new fissure. The ground beneath them trembled continuously, making it difficult to maintain their balance. It was as if the entire landscape was alive, groaning and shifting with the immense power beneath its surface.Around them, they could hear the terrified cries of different beasts. Not only that, but they could also see some of the beasts running towards their direction, heading towards the grove they had just run out from.Various species that would never tolerate each other's presence on a normal day were now running side by side, their fear of the volcanic eruption suppres
Bjorn and Bloodblade stood before the massive tree, its trunk so large it needed fifteen arms to go around it. The tree was so large and tall that they appeared like ants standing before it. Standing this close to the tree, they could feel the welcoming, soothing warmth emitted from the fruits hanging from the branches.Bjorn could feel his devouring core stir, showing just how wonderful and valuable the fruits of the golden sage tree were.“Let's hurry up and get out of here before we are discovered,” Bjorn urged Bloodblade.With a powerful jump, they leapt onto the lower branches of the tree and moved in different directions. Bjorn jumped higher and to the left, while Bloodblade jumped towards the right side. They moved this way because the fruits were located far apart, and moving like this was the most optimal way to get all the fruits.It took about three minutes of jumping and climbing before Bjorn arrived in front of one of the fruits. The fruit seemed to carry the sun as it re
"You really do want to get us killed," Bjorn said with a sigh. He could see the crazy look in Bloodblade's eyes and knew nothing he said would stop Bloodblade from going after that fruit."I don’t see any way to get to that tree without going through the battlefield; that will be extremely dangerous." Bjorn massaged his temple."We have to get it, Wildheart. It will also be beneficial to us since we can use it to stabilize our cores if we force a breakthrough with those essence pills," Bloodblade urged him."This is madness. You are lucky that I am mad," Bjorn said as he grinned madly. "Let’s steal from some masters."Bloodblade returned the grin, and they got down to plotting their move. They studied the chaotic battlefield. After an hour of observation and planning, they were finally ready and set off to rob the beasts of their treasure.Bjorn and Bloodblade silently crept towards the battlefield of the adept and novice-ranked beasts. The battlefield was chaotic, the wolves clawing
"I can sense two snakes a hundred meters to our right," Bloodblade whispered to Bjorn beside him."One is coming up quickly behind us, and my shadow spots an adept-ranked one in the distance ahead," Bjorn replied as they hid on top of a huge tree with their invisible robe activated, hiding from the snake directly beneath them.The boys had come to discover that it's not so easy to get out of the Hollow Gloom Grove, as it is infested with thousands of snake-type beasts. The only reason Bjorn managed to survive the previous night was because it was a stormy night and most of the snakes had burrowed under the earth with their ability to manipulate the earth."Let's move," Bjorn said as he hurriedly followed the most optimistic path that his shadow mapped out for him.They moved steadily and stealthily, climbing the colossal trees sometimes and hiding under the roots at other times. On some occasions, they also encountered smaller, weaker snakes hiding from the stronger ones.Bjorn and Bl