《Hero》 Prologue - It Prologue - It On the first day, it was abandoned. Like a statue, it lay still, hidden deep inside a dark cavern. On the second day, it was alone. And it still hadn¡¯t moved an inch. On the end of the first year, it was no longer alone. Wildlife had made their way into the cave and now called it home. On the start of the second year, it watched over the fauna fight over to establish predator and prey. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. On the third year, a group of snakes emerged victorious. They had a beautiful pattern on their bodies; it looked like there were seven eyes along their bodies. On the fourth year, it remained alone. The snakes treated it with respect, giving it large berth. It still remained untouched. On the twentieth year, snakes covered every inch of the cave. But they still gave it space, not daring to go any closer. On the two hundredth year, it truly looked like a statue. Nothing had touched it in years, so dirt and dust covered its every surface. On the eight hundredth year, it hadn¡¯t changed. Centuries had passed, yet it still hadn¡¯t moved once. There was no wind to blow off the dust. There was no rain to wash off the dirt. There was no sun to cast light on the moss growing on it. On the nine hundredth year, it was alone. The cave was teeming with life and movement, yet it had remained still for nine hundred years. On the nine hundredth and ninetieth year, it moved. On the turn of the millennium, it was no longer alone. Chapter 1 - He didnt reply Chapter 1 - He didn''t reply ¡°Aw damn it.¡± Melodi cursed as she stepped in a patch of mud. Her right boot was colored brown with dirt. Melodi was in a bad mood. It was a crap day. Gray clouds covered the sky. A light drizzle was coming down. And here she was trying to sneak through the forest to find some crappy little cave her teacher told her to get to. She clenched her teeth. She had no doubt that her teacher was probably enjoying himself in downtown Quiroso. Despite the gray weather, they were holding a festival for a week to celebrate the twin lords¡¯ birthdays. Her teacher was most likely stuffing his face with treats and desserts, while she was having the time of her life in this shitty forest. She had been trekking for about a couple of hours, and she couldn¡¯t wait for it to be over. She continued walking for a few more minutes, taking a look at her compass every now and then to find her direction. Suddenly, she spotted something red up ahead in the green of the forest. She stopped walking and tried to be as quiet as possible as she walked up ahead. Two men wearing red uniforms stood in front of a small opening in the side of a cliff. Stone steps led up to the opening. Melodi stared longingly at the those steps. Her feet ached from hiking throughout the forest. But she had to sneak her way here, so the steps were not an option. She looked at the opening. That was the cave that she was looking for. But now she had to get past by the two guards standing in front of it. They each held two long spears, and Melodi had no desire to fight the both of them at once. So she only had one choice. Wait. Melodi waited an hour hiding in the forest. Nothing exciting happened at all during that time. The guards didn¡¯t move or talk, so Melodi wasn¡¯t sure they were even alive until one of them coughed. She passed the time thinking about how she would fight one of them with the sword attached to her hip. But she didn¡¯t really have the confidence to fight them. These were trained guards of the royal family. And her teacher still hadn¡¯t taught her anything she could use in real combat. Breathing techniques and mental training wasn¡¯t going to help her in a real fight. After an hour of waiting, Melodi spotted someone walking up the steps to the cave. It was another guard, wearing a red uniform and carrying a spear. As he came up the steps, the other two guards greeted him. ¡°Morning, Cail. Where¡¯s your partner?¡± ¡°Off puking his guts no doubt. He got trashed last night at the bar.¡± The new guard Cail replied. One of the two guards sneered. ¡°It¡¯s his first month after training isn¡¯t it? He¡¯s sure quick to start celebrating while we have to stand here for guard duty.¡± Cail shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Give him shit for it later. I don¡¯t really care about it. I just want to get this over with.¡± ¡°Well, alright then. See you later Cail.¡± The two guards left their post and walked down the steps. Cail stood in front of the cave, watching them go away. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Melodi stayed still until she was sure the old guards were gone. Once she couldn¡¯t see them anymore, she emerged from the forest. Cail glanced at her, apparently unsurprised to see her. ¡°You must be Melodi. Melos told me ¡®bout you. Been waiting long?¡± Melodi glared at him. ¡°For about an hour.¡± Cail shrugged as if it wasn¡¯t his problem. ¡°Well go on in. And try to be quick about it yeah? My partner will be coming up here soon to take up his post.¡± Melodi walked past Cail without another word. Her boots clicked against the stone ground as she did. There was no light in the cave. So as she walked in, it quickly became dark. She took out a lantern from her bag and lit it up. A dim light filled up the cavern. She held the lantern in her right hand as she continued on, the darkness seemingly endless up ahead. She walked for a few minutes, but then she suddenly heard a soft noise. She stopped moving as she tried to listen closely. And then she heard it again. A soft hiss. Her face paled a little. She moved her lantern to her left hand and then unsheathed her sword in her right hand. Her teacher warned her about that she would have to watch for cave snakes. They weren¡¯t poisonous, but that didn¡¯t stop Melodi from feeling a little nervous. She took a few breaths to get a little calmer and then continued walking forward. And then she saw them. Long, black, scaly bodies slithering across the floor. They were jet-black snakes with no pattern on them. Their green eyes stared at Melodi as she glared back at them. Once she was sure that the snakes weren¡¯t moving towards her, she sheathed her sword. She placed her lantern on the ground and then began to move quickly. She pulled a bottle of alcohol and uncorked it. She took it a cloth rag and wet it with alcohol. She stuffed the rag in the bottle, leaving a little peeking out. And there she had it, her own little makeshift bomb. She took a deep breath and then lit a match. She lit the rag and then flung it towards the snakes. A huge fireball lit up the cave. Melodi realized that the cave was a lot smaller than she thought it was. Her eyes widened as the flames rushed towards her. She quickly scurried backwards. She felt the sudden heat hit her face. She raised her hands to her face. If her hair had been burned up, she was not going to be very happy. After confirming that her hair was intact, she looked back at the flames. The fire was still burning, so she picked up her lantern and waited for the flames to die down a little. When she felt it was safe, she walked forward. Dead snakes littered the floor. She wrinkled her nose as the smell of burnt snake flesh invaded her senses. It was a strangely fishy smell. As she walked ahead, she suddenly smelled something new. It smelled like burnt hair. Her hands instantly went to her head again. Once she was sure nothing happened to her hair, she realized that something wasn¡¯t quite right. She got a sinking feeling in her stomach as she smelled something else in the air. Burnt fat. A bit acrid. It smelled good but also it made her feel a little sick. She walked a little faster and then she confirmed her fears. A burnt body was lying on the ground ahead. It was big enough to be a human boy. She stared at the body in horror. Suddenly, it moved. She jumped up with a start, and then she moved in closer. And then something launched itself at her. She screamed and fell backwards. A giant snake fell onto the ground. She took a quick glance at it, and her eyes were instantly drawn to the beautiful patterns on its body. It looked like seven snake eyes were drawn on its body. Melodi instantly knew what she was looking at. A Nine-Eyed Viper. One of most venomous snakes, one thought was to be just a myth to scare children. Its venom could instantly kill a grown man. It could kill a lion in less than a second. All these thoughts passed in a second. The Nine-Eyed Viper coiled itself and then sprung at Melodi once more. She shut her eyes and screamed once more. She waited for everything to end. But nothing happened. There was no excruciating pain. No sudden death. She opened her eyes. There was no snake. It was gone. She looked around, but the Viper had disappeared. And then she noticed something else had changed. The burnt body was¡­ no longer a burnt body. It was a human body, intact and unburnt. Melodi looked closer and realized it was a naked boy. He had black hair and a young face. He looked to be around 12 or 13. His eyes were shut closed. He wasn¡¯t moving, nor did he appear to be breathing. His chest was still and he wasn¡¯t making a sound. Melodi was confused. Had she been hallucinating? What had happened? She really didn¡¯t have a clue as to what she had just experienced. Before she could think longer about it, the boy stirred. Melodi watched as the boy picked himself up and then looked at Melodi. Green eyes stared wordlessly at Melodi. Melodi weakly smiled. She felt rather tired, but she had done what her teacher had asked of her. To find and retrieve the boy inside the cave behind the city of Quiroso. Now she just had to sneak him out. She extended a hand out to the boy. ¡°Hey there.¡± She gave the boy a smile. ¡°I¡¯m Melodi. What¡¯s your name?¡± The boy stared at her. He didn¡¯t reply nor did he move. Melodi felt a little awkward just standing there, so she took back her hand. Then she realized she really didn¡¯t want to waste anymore time, so she grabbed the boy¡¯s hand and then led him back to the entrance. She cursed her teacher under her breath, swearing that she would never do something like this again for him. Chapter 2 - Her Story Chapter 2 - Her Story Melodi hurried as she left the cave. She felt a little strange leading a naked boy around, so she took out a spare change of clothes and gave them to him. He didn¡¯t react when she did, so she had to dress him herself. She gave the guard Cail a few words of thanks as she passed him. He raised his eyebrows as he saw the boy behind her, but he didn¡¯t say anything about it. Melodi decided to take the stone steps down instead of sneaking through the forest again. This frail, young boy didn¡¯t look like he could handle the trek. Besides, there shouldn¡¯t be any other guards coming up the stairs any time soon. So she quickly hurried down the steps, holding the boy¡¯s hand as she did so. Her stomach growled as she made her way back to the city of Quiroso. Despite the sickly odor, the smell of burnt flesh and fat in the cave had made her a little hungry. She licked her lips as she thought about the delicious festival foods that were awaiting her. Her teacher could wait. Food came first. * * * Melos was perusing the food stands where they sold delicious treats and snacks. Meat skewers and candied fruits. Baked pies and fried goods. He was chewing on a meat skewer as he held an umbrella to shield himself from the light rain. He wore light clothing, made for travel and moving around. A long sword hung at his hip. He was wearing a hood that hid most of his facial features. If one peeked underneath that hood, one would see a grizzled face that looked around 40 or so. As Melos walked around with skewer in hand, he scanned the crowd. He had a look of indifference as he looked around. Not a single person in the crowd managed to gather a scrap of interest in him. He returned to munching on his skewer. He wandered the stands a little more, trying to waste some time. And then he spotted something finally interesting. A girl around 16 was by one of the food stands selling candied fruits. She was stuffing those tasty treats into her mouth, chewing so fast that it looked like she was starving. A young boy stood right next to her, wearing clothes that were much too big for him. He stared at the girl with a blank look on his face. The girl would turn around and look at the boy as if she was making sure he hadn¡¯t run off. To most people, these two kids weren¡¯t very special at all. One might think that they were brother and sister enjoying the Quirosan festival. The only thing that stood out was the sword that the girl wore on her belt. It was a little strange to see such a girl armed on a festival day, but otherwise they were quite normal. But Melos didn¡¯t really care about all those pointless details. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. His eyes had been instantly drawn to the girl. Her name was Melodi, and she was his disciple. With glossy black hair and a cute youthful face, she seemed like a normal teen. But Melos knew there was more to her. The bruises around her neck, wrists, and ankles were almost faded away, but they were still slightly visible. Her fingernails were not clean and pretty as one might expect of a young girl. Rather, they were dirty and she was even missing a few nails. Her hands were calloused and there were small scars on them. Melos knew about her tragic past. She had been abandoned as a child by her parents who couldn¡¯t afford to raise her. She had been picked up by an orphanage that was working with an illegal slave ring. She had suffered years of abuse as a slave. So when Melos first met her, he expected to see the dead eyes of a slave looking back at him. But what he saw was something else. When he made eye contact with her, her blue eyes stared back at him with an inexplicable fire. He was instantly drawn to that unknown something burning inside her. Melos was a swordmaster. But he had never taken on a student. And he felt Melodi was the one. He offered her an opportunity that she wouldn¡¯t reject. The opportunity to become his student. The opportunity to become learn the sword. The opportunity to take revenge against the slave traders that chained her up for most of her life. The opportunity to face the orphanage that sold her away. The opportunity to find the parents that had abandoned her. * * * Melodi couldn¡¯t stop eating. The candies in front of her were just too delicious. ¡°Hey there, little miss. Slow down and breathe a little.¡± The shopkeeper chuckled. Melodi opened her mouth to reply, but then she started to choke on her food. It took a minute before she could finally swallow down her food and take a deep breath. She looked up at the man in front of her with tears in her eyes. He broke eye contact, a little taken aback. ¡°You okay miss?¡± Melodi wiped away her tears with a free hand. She tried to speak but had to cough a few times. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ve never had anything so good before.¡± She smiled, bits of food stuck in her teeth. ¡°I think it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve ever eaten anything so sweet before.¡± The shopkeeper smiled back. ¡°Well eat as much as you like.¡± His eyes flickered towards the boy standing next to Melodi. He was staring blankly at her with dull eyes. Before the shopkeeper could say anything to him, a cloaked man emerged from the crowd. ¡°Hey what do you think you¡¯re doing, Melodi?¡± Melodi looked up, her mouth full and her eyes wide open with shock. Melos looked down on her angrily. "Is that him? Is that the boy?" Melodi struggled to swallow and then quickly nodded. Melos scowled. "I thought I told you to immediately find me after getting him. And yet here I find you pigging out." Melos grabbed Melodi''s arm and then walked away from the food stand. He walked a few steps before realizing he had forgot something. He walked back and grabbed the boy''s arm too. And he quickly walked back into the crowd, with Melodi and the boy in hand. As the three disappeared, a large figure emerged from a nearby alley. The shopkeeper''s eyes widened as he saw the massive size of the man. He wore a giant sword on his back. And he wore a serious expression on his face. Both made it clear that he was not here to enjoy the festival. There was a long scar on his face along his right eye. He glanced coldly at the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper felt cold sweat dripping down his back. He didn¡¯t know why, but the shopkeeper felt as if he was in a extremely dangerous situation. He stared wordlessly as the man with the scar bent down and picked up a handful of candied fruit. He dropped a pile of copper coins as he did so. The man didn''t say a single word to shopkeeper as he popped a candy into his mouth and left. The shopkeeper gasped with relief as he watched the man disappear into the crowd. For some reason, he felt like closing down the stand a little early today. Chapter 3 - Storm A-brewing Chapter 3 - Storm A-brewing Melodi watched as the city of Quiroso faded in the distance. She couldn¡¯t help but feel a little gloomy. Instead of enjoying the festival a little more, she had been forced by her teacher into the back of a wagon on a rocky road. ¡°We still had a few days of the festival left. Why¡¯d we have to leave so soon?¡± She glanced at her teacher sitting next to her in the wagon. Melos glared at her. ¡°Because I said so. And if we stayed any longer, the guards would''ve eventually found out. And someone here decided to fool around instead of coming back straight to me." "Just who is that boy?" Melodi avoided his glare and glumly looked at the boy sitting in the middle of the wagon. "Don''t know." Melos shrugged. "I was just hired to retrieve him. Now I need to get him to Antiqua. Quick, easy job. No need for questions." "Antiqua? Where¡¯s that? And if this is supposed to your job, then why did you make me do it?" Melodi grumbled. "Well... I''m not very welcome in Quiroso. Hell, I¡¯m not welcome anywhere in Sentulus." "Sentulus?" "Stop asking so many questions at once and let me answer them.¡± Melos grumbled. ¡°First off, Sentulus is a country. Antiqua is one too.¡± Melos took out a dagger and stabbed it into the wooden floor of the wagon. He began to carve out a crescent moon. The points of the crescent pointed left. ¡°This right here is the continent of Alurca. Its name means the moon in some language, hence the shape.¡± ¡°In what language?¡± Melos clicked his tongue. ¡°Didn¡¯t I just say to give the questions a break?¡± He sighed and continued. ¡°In some language that I don¡¯t know. Anyways, right here is Sentulus.¡± He pointed at the southern part of the crescent moon. ¡°It¡¯s fertile land, well suited for farming and the such. There are many hills in this country, and Sentulus¡¯ most well-known seven cities are built upon the most prominent hills. And one of those cities is Quiroso, the one we just left. They¡¯re holding a festival right now to celebrate the birthdays of their twin lords.¡± Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Melos then pointed at the northern part of the moon. ¡°And this is Antiqua. It¡¯s a desert country that doesn¡¯t associate itself with Sentulus that much. They send trade ships to each other, but that¡¯s about all. And we¡¯re going to board one of those trade ships and sail to Antiqua where my client is waiting before we get into any more trouble.¡± ¡°We¡¯re going on a ship? Isn¡¯t Antiqua just north of Sentulus? Why are we sailing-¡± Before Melodi could finish her barrage of questions, Melos smacked her on the head. ¡°Firstly, once we get on a ship, we won¡¯t have to worry about anyone pursuing us. Secondly, we can¡¯t just directly move north.¡± Melos began to carve little triangles in the middle of the crescent moon. ¡°This right here is the country of Monsigna. They¡¯ve built their cities upon the mountain range, so the path is blocked.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t-¡± Melos instantly shut Melodi up with a glare. ¡°We can¡¯t go through Monsigna because Sentulus just happened to get out of a 10 year long war with them. There were many factors involved in the reasons for that war. But to put it simply, Sentulus had a controversial King rise to the throne, and Monsigna saw this as a chance to attack. Sentulus managed to emerge victorious, not through pure strength, but through atrophy really. Monsigna¡¯s land isn¡¯t suited very well for agriculture, so Sentulus just prolonged the war until they couldn¡¯t use any more resources. Now that the war is over, the fighting¡¯s stopped but the bad relations have worsened. So there¡¯s little chance that we could cross Monsigna without being stopped.¡± ¡°Which is why we are sailing?¡± ¡°Yep. We¡¯re headed to Viminello, the city on the coasts of Alurca.¡± Melos pointed at the very southern point of the crescent. ¡°It¡¯s the biggest port city, so there¡¯s likely a trade ship that we can board there. It¡¯s about three days worth of traveling from Quiroso to Viminello, so we¡¯ve got some time.¡± Melos let out a sigh. ¡°There. I answered your questions, so just shut up and let me sleep.¡± Melos closed his eyes and leaned back against the wagon. Melodi looked at Melos; it was obvious that she had more questions to ask. The wagon continued onwards for a few minutes before Melodi gave up. ¡°When are you going to teach me?¡± Melodi blurted out suddenly. Melos opened up one eye and looked at her. And he smirked. ¡°Well let¡¯s start your training right now.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Melodi straightened up with excitement. ¡°Yep.¡± Melos stood up and grabbed Melodi¡¯s arm. Before she could react, Melos picked her up and threw her off the wagon. She fell and landed on the ground very unceremoniously. ¡°What the hell!¡± Melodi cursed as she quickly got up. She ran back towards the wagon as it sped away. As she reached out her hand to grab on, a dagger came from above and stabbed at her. She quickly drew her hand back with a yelp. ¡°Hey! What are you doing?¡± She yelled. Melos sat on the wagon, looking at her with a lazy grin on his face. He twirled a long dagger in his right hand. ¡°This is your training. You¡¯re not going to get any stronger sitting on this wagon. So you¡¯re going to run instead.¡± Melodi looked at him with wide eyes. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious¡­¡± ¡°Oh but I am.¡± Melos span the dagger on his fingertip. ¡°Unless you¡¯re no longer fond of your fingers anymore.¡± Melodi clenched her teeth and ran after the wagon, tears in her eyes. As Melos and Melodi began their training session, neither of them noticed the dark storm brewing behind them. A giant of a man sat in a wagon of his own, following the path right behind Melos and Melodi. He had a long scar on his face that seemed to pulse with a life of its own. Normally, it was pale and dull, showing its age. But today, it was red and angry. As the scarred man sat, he rubbed the hilt of his sword. Like the storm above him, he seemed like he was about to burst with thunder and lightning. The driver of the wagon glanced back at the man in the back, but the man completely ignored him. Which was good for the driver, because the driver was very afraid of the man and the large blade he carried. He already regretted agreeing to take the man as a passenger. He whipped the reins of the horses to goad them a little faster. He just wanted this journey to be over as quickly as possible. Chapter 4 - Phantom in the Night Chapter 4 - Phantom in the Night As Melos and Melodi made their way to the port city of Viminello, a certain someone was watching them closely. The boy that they had taken with them had been silent the entire time. He didn¡¯t blink. He didn¡¯t move. He didn¡¯t make a sound. At one point, Melodi realized that she had completely forgotten about him. ¡°Hey there. Are you alright? Are you hungry? It¡¯s been almost an entire day since we left Quiroso.¡± But he did not reply. When Melodi looked over to Melos for help, he just shrugged his shoulders. Seeing that the boy was not complaining, Melodi decided that it was fine to leave him alone for now. And then she started to get a little curious about the boy. She asked Melos some questions about him, but he didn¡¯t know a thing about him. Nor did he care. She asked what the boy¡¯s name was, but Melos didn¡¯t even know that. Exasperated, she didn¡¯t want to keep calling him the boy. But neither Melos nor the boy would give her a name. So she decided to give a name of her own. ¡°Let¡¯s call him¡­ Melos Jr!¡± Melodi grinned. But only for a second before Melos smacked her on top of the head. ¡°Ok, ok¡­ how about¡­ Melon?¡± ¡°You¡¯re naming him after a fruit?¡± Melos arched an eyebrow, a little amused. ¡°Well I thought it¡¯d go nicely with our names¡­¡± ¡°Alright that¡¯s enough. Let¡¯s just call him Juvenkus.¡± ¡°Juvenkus? What type of name is that?¡± Melodi had a disgusted expression on her face. ¡°It means boy.¡± ¡°In what language?¡± ¡°The same one as Alurca.¡± ¡°The language that you said that you didn¡¯t know¡­¡± Melodi looked at Melos a little distrustfully. ¡°I guess I know a little. Just a few words that¡¯s all. I don¡¯t know the grammar structure or anything like that at all. It¡¯s called the Ancient Tongue. Or the Ancestor¡¯s Tongue. Something like that.¡± ¡°Well, we¡¯re not naming him Juvenkus. The whole point was to find something else other than ¡®boy¡¯ to call him.¡± ¡°Well, stop coming up with stupid names. You should be training right now, not wasting your time.¡± Melos frowned at her. Melos¡¯ legs still ached from running, so she decided to come up with more names. ¡°Say¡­ what¡¯s ¡®snake¡¯ in that language you were talking about?¡± ¡°Snake? In that language, it¡¯d be¡­ serpes.¡± ¡°Serpes, huh. Let¡¯s call him Jerpes.¡± Melos suddenly laughed out loud. ¡°Jerpes? Jerpes? That¡¯s a terrible name!¡± Melodi glared at him.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°Alright, alright! How about Jeven? Or Juven? Or perhaps Kuven? Maybe Kuren?¡± ¡°Kuren.¡± Melos suddenly blurted out. ¡°Kuren. I like that.¡± Melos¡¯ tone had changed. He had a serious expression on his face. ¡°Kuren? I guess it¡¯s kind of nice.¡± ¡°A mix of juvenkus and serpes?¡± Melos looked at Melodi. ¡°Yeah, there were so many snakes in the cavern that I found him in. So I chose that.¡± Melodi shrugged. Melos smiled. ¡°Well, I like that name. Let¡¯s call the boy Kuren.¡± Melodi nodded and looked back at the newly named boy. ¡°How about that? You like your name, Kuren?¡± Melodi smiled at him. And just as she expected, he didn¡¯t reply. * * * Along the way, the wagon made a stop, and the group took a break from the journey. The three of them stood around a campfire as the wagon driver took care of the horses. The fire crackled as Melodi stared into the flames. Every now and then she would sneak a glance at Melos. He noticed it, but he was trying his best to ignore it. But after a while, he started to get more than a little annoyed. ¡°What is it, Melodi? Got something on your tongue?¡± Melos finally broke the silence. Melodi jumped up with a start. ¡°Well¡­ actually yeah. I just wondering about my training that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°... What about your training?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been training with you for a month now, but I still haven¡¯t actually learned how to use this sword.¡± Melodi tugged at the blade in her hands. ¡°I¡¯ve been carrying it around with me everywhere, but you haven¡¯t told me to take it out once.¡± ¡°You think you¡¯re ready.¡± Melos looked at Melodi coolly. He wasn¡¯t asking a question, merely expressing an observation. But Melodi answered it like it was a question. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m ready.¡± She eagerly nodded. ¡°Alright.¡± Melos suddenly stood up. He drew his sword with one quick movement. It was a long blade, with one edge. It had a slight curve to it. ¡°Draw your sword.¡± Melodi scrambled to her feet and drew her sword as well. But she took a moment as she clumsily worked it out of its sheath. Her sword was similar to Melos¡¯. The difference being that her¡¯s was smaller and shorter. As she faced Melos, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a chill run down her back. Melos¡¯ eyes stared at her with a cold look. She gulped. The hilt in her hands felt slippery from sweat. ¡°I¡¯m going to show you one technique. If you can learn this, then you are truly ready.¡± Melodi nodded. ¡°Then, keep your eyes open. You¡¯ll miss it if you blink.¡± Melos stepped forward. It was but a single step. Yet it felt like he had instantly appeared in front of Melodi. He raised his blade in the air. Slowly, giving Melodi enough time to react. She raised her sword in defense. And then he swung. A downwards cut. There was no shaking. No instability. It was a straight line. Coming right at Melodi. Keep your eyes open. She remembered his words and heeded them. And she tuned out everything. She didn¡¯t hear the crackling of the flames. She didn¡¯t hear the wind howling around her. She didn¡¯t hear the horses neighing and shifting around. She didn¡¯t hear the creatures of the night buzzing. She only heard the air moving as Melos¡¯ sword cut a line right to her. She didn¡¯t blink. She focused her sight. She didn¡¯t see the moon above her. She didn¡¯t see the stormy clouds above. She didn¡¯t see the boy watching them closely, with unblinking eyes. She only saw the blade coming down at her. It was thin, so thin it could be barely seen. Yet she felt such enormous pressure coming down at her. Like the entire sky was falling on her. So it made sense that she could only see this sword above her. She could only see the sky. So she didn¡¯t see what came from below. Melodi braced for a clash of blows. But it never happened. As Melos¡¯ blade touched hers, it began to blur. Melos¡¯ right arm blurred as well, and suddenly they both disappeared. Her eyes widened. His sword had disappeared from the sky. There was only one place it could be next. She quickly looked down and sure enough, it was there waiting for her. His blade poking straight into her stomach. Melodi fell backwards, right onto her butt. ¡°Wha¡­ what did you just do?¡± Melodi was shook. ¡°I kept my eyes open the entire time!¡± She shouted. ¡°I didn¡¯t blink! I didn¡¯t see anything else! How did-¡± Melos raised his hand and Melodi stopped talking. ¡°This technique is called the Phantom Slash. You fool your opponent with a fake swing. As they defend the blow, you strike with your real blade. Learn this technique, and then you can say you are ready. Until then, don¡¯t complain. And just follow your training.¡± Melos walked back to the campfire and sat down. Melodi watched his back, with a wide-eyed expression. What had happened? How did he do it? Can I even hope to do the same? Could I ever learn this technique? These thoughts ran through her mind as she began to doubt herself. And Melos smiled to himself as Melodi was in mental distress. He was surprised. He hadn¡¯t expected Melodi to taken on his slash like that. He could tell in that moment, her mind was completely empty except for the sword in front of her. ¡°Not bad.¡± Melos sat by the fire and Melodi slowly got up to sit next to him. And the whole time, the boy named Kuren had been watching unnoticed. His eyes had been dull and cold whenever Melodi looked at him, but now they were sharp and alive. He stared at the blade at Melos¡¯ hip. And when Melos and Melodi went to sleep, he stayed up. He kept on watching, until the sharp look in his eyes slowly faded away before anyone noticed in the morning. Chapter 5 - Pounding Prayer Chapter 5 - Pounding Prayer They arrived at Viminello. Melos had already told Melodi that Viminello was a port city, so she was expecting to see ships and harbors. But she wasn¡¯t prepared for the sight of the sea. ¡°Wha- what is that¡­¡± Melodi pointed in awe. Past the city, past the harbor, and past the ships, was a great wall of fog and mist. It floated on top of the sea and completely surrounded the land for as long as the eye could see. She couldn¡¯t even see through because the mist was too thick. ¡°That is the Mist. It surrounds the continent of Alurca, and it is why the people of this land cannot explore the sea beyond. Not a single sailor who has set sailed into the Mist has ever returned.¡± ¡°Wow.¡± Melodi stared at the Mist in front of her. It stretched up towards the sky, almost blocking out the sun. ¡°Wait a minute! You want us to sail through there!¡± Melos grinned. ¡°Calm down. Every month, the winds blow in a specific pattern. The Mist parts for a single day, and Viminello sends her ships through on that day. After the ships pass through, the Mist closes. Then the ships follow the wind as they make their way north to Antiqua. It¡¯s a four day trip through the Mist, so we¡¯ll have more time to train along the way.¡± ¡°I need to go get us on one of this ships, so you stay here and take care of the boy.¡± Melos gestured towards their silent companion. Melodi looked at him and said, ¡°His name¡¯s Kuren.¡± ¡°Yeah, whatever. Just make sure you don¡¯t wander too far away.¡± Melos left Melodi as he walked towards the harbor. And so Melodi was alone. Well, she wasn¡¯t alone; she had someone with her. Melodi glanced at Kuren. He stared back blankly. She let out a long sigh. Kuren may look like a normal boy, but he sure didn¡¯t act like one. He still hadn¡¯t said a single word. He hadn¡¯t even made a sound yet. Melodi had offered Kuren food and drink multiple times, but he never responded. Nothing seemed to affect the boy, and Melodi didn¡¯t know how to act around him. ¡°Come on now.¡± Melodi grabbed Kuren¡¯s hand. The two went off to explore the city of Viminello by themselves. They wandered the city, looking at the sights. Every now and then, Melodi would find herself staring at the great Mist surrounding the city. And Kuren would just stare at Melodi, as if she was his entire world. The two came upon an ornate building when bells suddenly began to ring. The two watched as many of the city folk began to enter the building. ¡°You two going to pray?¡± A burly man stopped and asked Melodi and Kuren. He held the door open and waved at them. Melodi was a little curious, so she nodded and led Kuren inside. When they entered, Melodi was surprised by how many people were inside. There was so much noise and commotion that Melodi couldn¡¯t help but feel a little frightened. ¡°QUIET DOWN!¡± A man at the very back of the building stood upon a podium and shouted. Almost instantly, the crowd became silent. ¡°At dawn, we wake and pray alone. At noon, we gather and pray together. At dusk, we eat and pray with family. Today is just like any other. We gather here to pray. But today is special. Because today, the Mist parts. Today, our ships set sail. Today, we pray to Divaelum, God of Storms. We pray to strong winds. To fast currents. To a quick voyage.¡± The man raised his hands. Everyone in the crowd followed his example. ¡°Precaro Divaelum.¡± The man chanted, and the crowd repeated it after him. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Melodi felt as if she was being swept away by the momentum of the crowd. The man¡¯s voice was so strong and confident. The crowd echoed his every sentence and it made Melodi¡¯s ears ring. ¡°We pray to Divaelum. Savior of the Sea, Conquerer of the Coast, Omnipotence of the Ocean. Bless us as we set sail today.¡± The crowd burst into cheer and applauded. Melodi felt as if the crowd of people were crushing her slowly, so she grabbed Kuren¡¯s hand and made her way outside. As she made it through the front doors, she took a deep breath. She didn¡¯t realize it before, but her heart was beating rapidly. All those people shouting with so much energy¡­ it made her remember some bad memories. Her head began to ache and drops of sweat fell onto the ground from her head. She shut her eyes as she tried to drown out the noise. And then she felt a tight squeeze on her hand. She opened her eyes and looked at Kuren. He looked back right into her eyes. She gave a weak smile. ¡°Thank you.¡± She said softly as she patted his head. After waiting for a response in vain from Kuren, Melodi gave up and decided to go back and look for Melos. * * * Melodi walked back to the place where Melos had left them, and sure enough he was waiting for them there. ¡°I thought I told you not to wander off.¡± Melos scowled. ¡°I found us a ship, but it leaves in less than a hour. So let¡¯s hurry now.¡± Melodi nodded and they made their way towards the harbor. When they came upon their ship, Melodi was shocked by just how large it was. ¡°This thing is huge!¡± Melodi¡¯s mouth was wide open in awe. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s carrying a lot of cargo.¡± Melos glanced at Melodi and frowned. ¡°Stop gawking! Let¡¯s get on board now.¡± The three of them boarded the ship and found their room quickly. As Melodi began setting down her belongings, Melos sat down on the bed. ¡°Alright. Now it¡¯s time for some training.¡± Melodi groaned. ¡°We haven¡¯t even left the harbor yet, and we¡¯re training¡­¡± Melos smiled. ¡°No need to be so upset. We¡¯re doing something a little different today.¡± Melodi became a little curious after hearing those words. She put down her bags and faced Melos. ¡°These past few months, you¡¯ve been going through physical training. Now it¡¯s time for a little change up.¡± Melos suddenly stood up from the bed. Before Melodi could react, Melos gave a swift chop to the top of Melodi¡¯s head. Melodi opened her mouth to yell at Melos, but she let out a groan instead. She suddenly felt sick to her stomach. She fell to her knees, clutching her stomach as she did so. ¡°What thehell is going on?¡± She moaned as the room spun around her. Melos smiled down at her. His face seemed to be bending and twisting. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll feel better in a few seconds. Your body just has to get used to this new sensation.¡± And right on cue, the feeling of sickness disappeared. Melodi suddenly felt much lighter. She climbed back up on her feet, and then she fell backwards right back onto her butt. ¡°What the¡­¡± The room seemed much more vibrant now. The colors around her flashed at her and she had to blink rapidly to stop it from burning her eyes. Her own words made her ears ring and echo. ¡°Alright, stop fooling around.¡± Melos grabbed her arm and pulled her up. When his fingers touched her arm, they felt hot, almost burning. Melodi shut her eyes tightly and then opened them after waiting a little bit. ¡°What¡­ was that?¡± Melodi asked nervously. She looked around the room. Everything seemed¡­ clearer. She felt like she could notice the tiniest detail in the wooden walls around her. She could make out the dust particles floating in the air. She could spot a little bug making its way down from the ceiling. ¡°A taste of real power.¡± Melos spoke. ¡°What you just felt is the sensation of Jing.¡± ¡°Jing?¡± ¡°Yes. All living things have a life force or energy inside them. That energy is called Jing. You¡¯ve had it inside you this whole time, but you just never noticed. Most people never realize their entire lives.¡± Melos raised his hand in the air. ¡°Jing is the true power of humanity. By using it, we can become stronger and faster. And we can use many techniques to harness its power.¡± A blue sphere suddenly appeared in Melos¡¯ hand. It floated in the air, and the room seemed to dim when it appeared. Melodi gasped as she saw it. ¡°Most people cannot see Jing, and you were no different a few seconds ago. But I forcibly blasted Jing inside of you to give you¡­ a little kickstart. Your body has now become much more sensitive to the presence of Jing, and now you can see this ball of Jing in my hand. Before you can learn my sword techniques, you must first learn the basic fundamentals of Jing. There are three main core techniques. The first is Zhang. By using Zhang, you can gather Jing inside your Jing Vessel. The Jing Vessel is what stores Jing inside your body. The second technique is Shao. It is the act of burning up the Jing inside your Vessel to use other Jing techniques. And the third technique is Tai. Tai is the unique characteristic of your Jing.¡± ¡°For now, I¡¯ll have you practice Zhang. Your Jing Vessel hasn¡¯t grown yet, so you can¡¯t use any real techniques. Once you¡¯ve practiced enough, we can move on to Shao.¡± Melodi nodded at Melos¡¯ words. ¡°Sit down.¡± Melos pointed at the ground. ¡°Let me show you how to use Zhang. First, clear your mind.¡± Melodi closed her eyes and began to clear her head of any stray thoughts. ¡°Now, envision a seed. Deep within your chest. Buried within your body.¡± ¡°Imagine it growing. Imagine the sun beaming down. Imagine it absorbing nutrients from its surroundings. Imagine it beginning to sprout.¡± As Melos instructed Melodi, the ship began to move. As Melodi was introduced to the world of Jing, she began her very first trip on the sea. And as Melodi was training, Melos watched over her. And Kuren watched them. Chapter 6 - Mountain on the Sea Chapter 6 - Mountain on the Sea Melodi was sitting down on the floor in her room. She kept her eyes closed as she imagined a seed sprouting in her mind. Perhaps it was her imagination, but she felt like she was becoming stronger with every passing second. Melos watched her, staying silent. Melodi would have continued, except the ship started to move. Melodi instantly opened her eyes. ¡°Are we setting sail?¡± She asked excitedly. She rushed outside of the room, leaving Melos and Kuren behind. Melos scowled as he got up and walked after her. He looked behind him at Kuren. ¡°You coming?¡± Melos said. Kuren glanced at him and then followed after him. * * * Melodi was standing on the main deck. She was leaning against the railings along the side of the ship. She looked towards the wall of fog ahead. Melos walked up next to her. ¡°Is the fog going to clear soon?¡± Melodi asked. Melos nodded. ¡°Any moment now.¡± As Melos answered, Melodi felt a sudden breeze. The wind was picking up. The sailors on board began to shout at each other in preparation. Kuren slowly walked up and joined them. The three of them watched the Mist begin to twist and turn. The wind began to howl and scream. And then, the Mist split in two. ¡°Set sail!¡± The sails were unfurled. The anchor was reeled back in. And the ship began to move forward. Aided by the shrieking gale, it made its way toward the Mist. Melodi watched with wide eyes as the ship sailed through the hole in the Mist. And a few moments after they made it through, the Mist began to close. The wind still hadn¡¯t died down; if anything, it was even stronger than before. ¡°As long as this ship keeps following the wind, we¡¯ll make it to Antiqua safely.¡± Melos spoke reassuringly. He looked at Melodi. She was still looking at the Mist around her, surrounding the ship on all sides. ¡°We¡¯ve got four days of sailing, so you¡¯ll have plenty of time to look at the sea.¡± He grabbed Melodi¡¯s arm. ¡°Now it¡¯s time for more training.¡± He dragged her back to their room as she weakly protested. * * * ¡°Practice Zhang. If you can¡¯t get this, then there¡¯s no point in continuing this apprenticeship anymore.¡± ¡°Alright, alright.¡± Melodi grumbled. ¡°It¡¯s not my fault that you¡¯re giving me these stupid instructions. I¡¯m supposed to imagine a growing seed? What type of technique is this?¡± Melos smacked her on the head swiftly, and Melodi stopped complaining. She cursed him under her breath, but then she began her training after a little bit. She began to close her eyes and clear her mind once more. And she imagined a seed inside her chest. She imagined it sprouting and growing. And Melos let out a sigh. ¡°Hey! How do you expect me to get this down instantly? It¡¯s kind of hard when you¡¯re breathing down my neck!¡± Melodi angrily shouted. Melos shrugged. ¡°Can you just hurry up with this? I don¡¯t want to spend these four days just teaching you Zhang.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me that most people don¡¯t even learn this whole Jing stuff? And yet you expect me to learn it in less than a day.¡± This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. Melos shook his head. ¡°Whatever. I don¡¯t really feel like watching over you right now. Come find me when you learn Zhang.¡± Melos walked out of the room, leaving just Kuren and Melodi by themselves. Melodi looked at Kuren and sighed. ¡°I guess it¡¯s just you and me now.¡± Seeing that Kuren didn¡¯t have a response as per usual, Melodi went back to training. * * * Melos didn¡¯t return for hours. Once he did, he found Melodi sitting down with her eyes closed. He nudged her with his foot. ¡°How long have you been training?¡± Melodi jumped up with a start. ¡°Oh hell you scared me!¡± Melodi¡¯s stomach suddenly growled. ¡°Huh, I guess I¡¯ve been here ever since you left. I didn¡¯t even realize how hungry I was.¡± ¡°You were training so hard that you forgot to eat? Now that doesn¡¯t sound like the Melodi I know.¡± Melos grinned. Melodi glared at him. ¡°Whatever, I¡¯m going to go get some food now.¡± Melodi got up and left the room. Melos watched her back as he thought to himself. An entire day had almost gone by, and she still hadn¡¯t managed to use Zhang. Most people would never learn Zhang, but Melos had given her specific instructions. He had even forcibly inserted Jing into her body. She should have managed to use some form of Zhang by now. But her body still hadn¡¯t absorbed any more Jing since then. Melos raised his hand and a blue orb appeared in his hand. ¡°Nothing seems to be wrong with the Jing around here.¡± But then he noticed something off. He observed the orb in his hand a little closer. It seemed to be wavering ever so slightly. As if his control was a little off right now. He frowned. He began to release the Jing in his hand. He watched closely as blue particles began to move in the air. They flowed slowly but surely towards one point in the room. Towards the boy that stared at Melos with blank eyes. Melos began to release more Jing into the room. And sure enough, all the Jing flowed towards Kuren. Melos raised an eyebrow. ¡°Interesting.¡± He moved closer towards Kuren. ¡°Tell me, boy. What are you thinking of right now?¡± He stared into Kuren¡¯s eyes. ¡°Your mind¡­ it must be clear right now. Empty of all thoughts. A blank canvas.¡± He raised a finger and pointed at Kuren¡¯s forehead. ¡°You were listening to me before, weren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I told Melodi to imagine a seed. To imagine it growing and sprouting. I didn¡¯t think that you would be listening too.¡± Melos smiled. ¡°Do me a favor, will you? Stop it. Let the girl have her turn.¡± Kuren stared back into Melos¡¯ eyes. They both stayed silent. After a long pause, Kuren slowly nodded. ¡°Good.¡± Melos released more Jing into the room. And it no longer flowed towards Kuren. Blue Jing particles stayed floating in the air. Melos smiled as he looked at Kuren. ¡°Not bad.¡± The Jing flowed back towards Melos and he stopped looking at Kuren. Without another word, Melos plopped down on the bed and ignored Kuren. Kuren stopped looking at Melos and looked towards the door. Kuren got up and left, leaving Melos alone. * * * Melodi stuffed herself at the ship¡¯s dining room. The food wasn¡¯t that great, but Melodi had never cared about the taste. She just never wanted to go hungry again. Once she finished her meal, she walked back towards the room. She made sure to walk back onto the main deck before returning. The wind howled in her ears as she watched the Mist twist around her. It was a surreal sight, and it was one that she had never seen before. She felt that place was perfect. Perfect for training. She sat down on the deck. She closed her eyes. She let the wind drown out all the other noise. She let it drown out all the thoughts in her mind. There was nothing left in her head but the howling wind. And then she began to imagine a seed. A seed buried deep within her body. Her blood flowed around it and her heart surrounded it. With every heartbeat, the seed grew. Every passing second, it grew. And it began to sprout. She felt her breath become lighter. The wind howling around her began to quiet down. She heard her own soft breathes. She could feel the wind blowing against her skin. And then she began to see. Her eyes were closed, but she could see glowing, blue particles though her eyelids. And she could see them moving towards her. She could feel herself becoming filled with energy. She could feel Jing. ¡°Not shabby, little girl.¡± Melodi¡¯s eyes opened with a start. She looked around and saw a man in front of her. And she felt a chill go down her spine. A face with a long scar across its right eye looked down on her. The man carried a huge sword on his back. The sword was almost taller than Melodi. And the man himself was gigantic. The wind whipped the cloak around the man, making him look even more menacing. The scar on his face was a furious red, pulsing like mad. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡± The man smiled. It wasn¡¯t much of a smile. It was as if he was a wolf baring its teeth at its soon-to-be prey. ¡°I¡¯m excited to see what the apprentice of Melos has in store for me.¡± The man chuckled. Melodi didn¡¯t feel like laughing with him. ¡°W-who are you?¡± She asked weakly. The scarred man scratched his chin. ¡°Is there much point in telling you my name?¡± He was talking to himself. ¡°Hmmm. I guess it would be rather rude not to.¡± He looked at Melodi. ¡°The name¡¯s Dashan. I¡¯ve been looking for your master for quite a few years now. And now that I¡¯ve found him, I¡¯m going to have some fun with his disciple.¡± He chuckled again. Melodi felt weak. She was all too familiar with that laugh. With that look in his eyes. With that filthy grin. ¡°N-n-no¡­ stay away¡­¡± She began to feel a sense of panic creeping in. Why was it happening again so soon? Why was this happening to her again? She thought that it had ended. ¡°N-not again. Not ever again!¡± She shouted. She drew her sword and gripped it with sweaty, shaking hands. Dashan smiled and drew his sword. It was incredibly long; it was a claymore. It was incredibly sharp; it was deadly. He let it fall onto the deck. The wood splintered and broke as the sword fell down. ¡°Hehehe, let¡¯s have some fun, girl. How ¡®bout you tell me your name, sweetie? I¡¯d like to know before I break you.¡± Dashan laughed wickedly. ¡°Shut up, you filth!¡± Melodi bared her teeth. She charged at Dashan, sword held in both hands. The wind howled around them and the ship rocked wildly in the waters. A girl raged against the mountain of man on the sea. Chapter 7 - Phantom on the Sea Chapter 7 - Phantom on the Sea Melodi swung down wildly. And Dashan sidestepped her sword with ease. She kept on chasing him, swinging blow after blow, but none of them connected. And the grin on Dashan¡¯s face slowly began to disappear. As the two fought, rain began to fall down. Lightning began to strike. The floorboards became slippery, and Melodi lost her balance during the assault. She fell onto the deck and lay there. She was heavily breathing, partly from fatigue and partly from panic. Dashan looked down on her with a cold look on his face. The look of enjoyment on his face from the beginning of the fight had completely disappeared. ¡°Tch.¡± He clicked his tongue. ¡°What a waste of time.¡± He glared at Melodi. ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re no disciple of Melos.¡± When Melodi heard those words, she clenched her teeth. ¡°Shut up!¡± She yelled as she rose to her feet. But before she could swing her sword, Dashan moved. He raised his claymore into the air, towering over her. And then, everything began to fall down. Dashan swung his sword. The ship was flooded with a flash of lightning. Melodi threw herself out of the way. She heard a crunch from the floor breaking apart from Dashan¡¯s blow. And then she heard a deafening roar of thunder. And then Dashan moved again. He moved towards Melodi, dragging his sword through the floor. Her legs began to shake. She raised her sword to defend herself, but it was a pitiful sight. It looked as if she was to fight with a toothpick compared to Dashan¡¯s sword. Dashan slapped Melodi¡¯s sword away with a free hand. Melodi¡¯s shaky grip couldn¡¯t hold on and her sword went flying. She didn¡¯t even notice. She was looking up at the face of her own death. ¡°I can¡¯t believe that Melos is wasting his time with trash like you.¡± Dashan shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re not worthy of my blade.¡± And then he turned his back on Melodi, walking back towards the cabins. But suddenly, he felt something hit him from below. He looked and saw a foot in between his legs. ¡°You little wench!¡± Dashan roared. He spun around and smacked Melodi. She went flying and slid across the deck. When she came to a stop, she struggled but slowly came up to her feet. ¡°... don¡¯t call me trash.¡± She raised her head and looked Dashan in the eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t know anything about me!¡± Dashan didn¡¯t register her words. His mood was incomparably bad. This fight was already a waste of his time. And the girl had the gall to kick him between the legs. He was pissed. Wordlessly, he marched towards Melodi. He raised his sword into the air once more. Melodi¡¯s eyes flashed white as lightning struck once more. And then she waited for Dashan to strike. But it never came. After the thunder came and her eyes recovered from the flash, she looked up at Dashan. He had turned around, his back facing her. She didn¡¯t really care about why he had turned around. Her attention was focused on the blade piercing through his back. * * * Dashan was a swordsman. And he had a teacher. One day, his teacher met another swordsman. His teacher lost and died. Dashan, in rage, took his sword to fight. The swordsman easily beat Dashan, but he left him alive. The swordsman also left Dashan a gift, a slash across his right eye. Dashan never forgot that swordsman. His name was Melos. And Dashan had been tracking him down for more than ten years. For the first time ever since his teacher had been killed, Dashan spotted Melos. He found him in the city of Quiroso, playing around with a girl. Dashan came to the realization that this girl was Melos¡¯ apprentice. Dashan was very happy on that day. Not only had he found his nemesis, he had found a way to take revenge. He would kill Melos¡¯ apprentice. But today had soured Dashan¡¯s mood. The girl in front of him was not Melos¡¯ apprentice. Just some ordinary girl who didn¡¯t know how to use a sword. So he didn¡¯t want to waste anymore time with her. He just wanted to find Melos and kill him. So he made haste. He raised his sword and prepared to crush Melodi. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. But he had erred. In his haste, he dropped his guard. He forgot to check his surroundings. To be fair, even if he had been on alert, he still probably wouldn¡¯t have noticed. During the entire fight, Melodi and Dashan had a spectator. A boy watching from the shadows. He didn¡¯t breathe. He didn¡¯t move. He didn¡¯t think. It was as if he wasn¡¯t there. Melodi and Dashan both didn¡¯t notice him. When Dashan smacked Melodi¡¯s sword out of her hand, the boy made his first movement. He walked towards the sword and picked it up. Despite him standing out in the open, he was still unnoticed. And when Dashan raised his sword to end Melodi¡¯s life, the boy walked up to Dashan, standing right behind him. A warrior like Dashan should have noticed an attacker behind him like that. But the boy was devoid of emotion and thought. There was no killing intent. There was no presence. There was no anything. Lightning struck. And so did Kuren. Kuren stabbed the sword towards Dashan. Dashan heard the wind move behind him, and for the first time, he realized that Kuren was behind him. He turned his body and saw the sword rushing towards him. Dashan didn¡¯t have much time left. His sword was raised high in the air, and he couldn¡¯t move it fast enough to defend himself. So he made an instinctual move. With his free hand, he swung and batted away the incoming sword. And when the sword was away, Dashan would swing down and crush the boy. But when his hand met Kuren¡¯s sword, his plan fell apart. Dashan¡¯s eyes widened as his hand passed straight through Kuren¡¯s sword. His heart dropped as Kuren¡¯s sword began to fade and disappear. He suddenly coughed up blood. With a grim look on his face, he looked down at his stomach. And sure enough, Kuren had stabbed his sword straight through Dashan¡¯s body. Dashan kicked Kuren away. He fell down to his knee and gripped his stomach. He looked towards Kuren. ¡°What¡¯s your name, boy?¡± Dashan spoke calmly. The anger that taken him before had disappeared. The boy looked back towards Dashan. A sneer crept onto Melodi¡¯s face. As if the boy would answer. Melodi opened her mouth to answer for him. But then she heard something unexpected. ¡°Kuren.¡± It was a childish, boyish voice. Dashan nodded. ¡°That technique you used¡­ that was Phantom Slash. You must be Melos¡¯ student.¡± Dashan shook his head. ¡°To think that I¡¯ve ignored you this whole time, I have truly lost today.¡± Melodi looked at Dashan and Kuren. She began to feel an uncomfortable sensation in her chest. Dashan lowered his sword. And then he lowered his head. He grabbed the sword in his stomach and slid it out quickly. Before the blood could start flowing, Dashan wrapped his stomach in cloth. ¡°There¡¯s no way I can fight Melos like this. I will return another day.¡± Dashan turned and walked away. Kuren watched his back. And Melodi watched too, with a strange look on her face. ¡°What makes you think you can walk away?¡± A soft voice suddenly spoke out. Dashan¡¯s face instantly paled when he heard it. He turned around and looked for the owner of that voice. It was Melos. He had a grin on his face as he looked at Dashan. And he was walking straight towards Dashan. ¡°Melos. We meet again.¡± Dashan had a grim look on his face. Melos scratched his chin. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± He squinted at Dashan. ¡°But do I know you?¡± ¡°You bastard!¡± Dashan roared. ¡°Have you forgotten how you killed my master Jiushan?¡± ¡°Jiushan?¡± Melos shrugged his shoulders. ¡°You think I remember the name of every single person I¡¯ve killed?¡± Dashan clenched his teeth in anger. ¡°My name is Dashan. You killed my master and I¡¯ve come to take revenge.¡± Melos looked at him coolly. ¡°You plan on fighting with that wound?¡± Dashan clicked his tongue. ¡°Tch. Not today. I¡¯ve already said I¡¯ll come back another day.¡± He turned his back and began to walk away. But before he could move any further, Melos spoke. ¡°Didn¡¯t I say this already? What makes you think you can walk away?¡± Dashan paled. He whipped around and raised his sword. It was the right move. Melos¡¯ sword clanged against Dashan¡¯s. Dashan¡¯s sword was easily twice the size of Melos¡¯ blade, yet Dashan still was forced back. ¡°M-Melos! Stop this! I let your disciple live, didn¡¯t I?¡± Dashan pointed at Kuren. Melodi glanced towards Kuren, her heart growing a little heavier. Melos smiled. ¡°You think I care? I¡¯ve been in hiding for ten years, and now that you¡¯ve found me, I can¡¯t leave you alive.¡± And then he swung again. Dashan raised his sword to block and he was forced back again. With a roar, he raised his sword and swung it at Melos. But his sword didn¡¯t come down the way he expected it to. It fell down onto the floor with a clatter. He looked at it and he saw his severed hand still gripping onto the hilt. And then he looked at his right arm, missing a hand. And then he turned his head to look at Melos, but it was too late. Melos¡¯ sword had already struck. Dashan¡¯s head fell to the floor, rolling away on the slick ground. Without missing a beat, Melos kicked the head off the ship into the sea. ¡°And there he goes!¡± Melos yelled, smiling to himself. He looked back towards Dashan¡¯s headless body. He grabbed Dashan¡¯s clothes and began to drag him towards the railings. And then he dumped the body overboard. An unceremonious end to the warrior named Dashan. There were no tears and there was no one close to him to witness his end. Melos turned back towards the ship. ¡°Well, that takes care of that!¡± And then he looked at Kuren. ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you just a surprise?¡± He smiled, but his eyes didn¡¯t reflect it. ¡°How the hell did you manage to learn my Phantom Slash...¡± He turned towards Melodi. ¡°Maybe he could be my student instead of you, Melodi!¡± Melos started laughing. But Melodi wasn¡¯t laughing. ¡°Come on now.¡± Melos grabbed Kuren¡¯s arm. ¡°Let¡¯s head back to our room.¡± And as he walked away, Melodi stared at his back. She felt a strange feeling as she watched Kuren being led away. Chapter 8 - An Unexpected Attack Chapter 8 - An Unexpected Attack Melodi was sitting on the deck of the ship. She watched as the mist parted ways before the ship. She felt the wind blow across her face. And she was frustrated. She was trying to practice Zhang. But she had sat here for the entire morning, and she hadn¡¯t accomplished anything. Yesterday night before she fought Dashan, he had managed to experience Zhang. She had felt the Jing rushing inside her. But she couldn¡¯t replicate that feeling anymore. She took in a deep breath for what was maybe the hundredth time. And then she tried to clear her mind. She stopped thinking. She wiped her thoughts. And she began to focus. The wind howled around her. It helped her focus. She felt like she could her own heartbeat. She could feel it¡­ She could hear it¡­ She could hear something near her¡­ She opened her eyes and turned around. ¡°How long have you been standing there?¡± She glared. Kuren looked back at her. ¡°Oh? You¡¯re not going to talk to me? Tch.¡± Melodi clicked her tongue. ¡°I know you can talk. I heard you talk before to Dashan.¡± Melodi waited for a response, but none came. She sighed. ¡°Why am I even wasting my time with you?¡± She turned back around. She closed her eyes and tried to resume her training. ¡°How long was I in there?¡± Melodi whipped back around. And Kuren was still standing there alone. ¡°How long in where?¡± She asked, a little on guard. ¡°The cave. How long was I in there?¡± Kuren repeated. Melodi watched Kuren¡¯s mouth as he spoke. It was a strange sight. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Melodi shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about you. My teacher just told me to go inside that cave and get you. And I doubt my teacher knows much about you either. I asked him and he told me that he was hired to transport you to Antiqua.¡± Melodi finished her answer and then looked at Kuren. She took a good look at him. His short, black hair. His green eyes. His expressionless face. Melodi supposed that she would find him cute if he ever showed an expression on his face. But his face was a motionless mask. ¡°How did you learn Phantom Slash?¡± Melodi suddenly blurted out. ¡°I mean, it had only been a day since Teacher had shown it to me. So how did you learn it so quickly?¡± Kuren stared at her. ¡°I just did what he showed.¡± It was a simple answer. And Melodi could tell it was a truthful one. Kuren was completely serious. He had watched Melos use Phantom Slash. And then Kuren copied him. It was a simple answer. And Melodi could not accept it. ¡°What the hell does that even mean?¡± She angrily asked. But before she went on, she let out a deep sigh. There wasn¡¯t much point in continuing this conversation. She doubted Kuren would give a meaningful answer. ¡°I just thought of it.¡± Kuren answered. And as she thought, it was a useless answer. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. He just thought of it? If only it were so easy. Melodi glumly went back to training. Step one, clear her thoughts. Wipe her mind. Blank head. ¡­ Why did he have to say those things? Why did her teacher have to act like that? ¡°Maybe he could my student instead of you, Melodi!¡± Of course, he wasn¡¯t being serious. Was he? Kuren managed to learn his technique within a single day. Meanwhile, she couldn¡¯t even use Zhang reliably. The idea of her using Phantom Slash was a joke right now. What was the point of her even trying? What was the point of her training? What was the point? ¡°Stop thinking.¡± Kuren suddenly spoke. Melodi opened her eyes with a start. She looked at Kuren sheepishly. ¡°I can¡¯t even keep my mind clear, can I?¡± She shook her head and got up. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Kuren. I think I¡¯m done training for now. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be getting much more done here.¡± Melodi began walking back towards the cabin. And Kuren followed after her. Suddenly, the ship shook. And then, the sea exploded. The ship swayed rapidly and Melodi lost her balance. She fell onto the deck, and Kuren fell as well. Melodi looked up just in time for a rush of water hit her in the face. ¡°Gah!¡± She spluttered, water in her mouth. She wiped the water out of her eyes and looked around. It didn¡¯t take her long to find out what made that huge splash of water. Right alongside the boat, coming out of the Mist, was a great monster. It¡¯s body was incredibly long, incredible huge; it was larger than the ship. Dark blue scales shimmered along its body. Great, long fangs protruded from its maw. ¡°Sea Lion!¡± A sailor¡¯s voice shouted and broke Melodi from her trance. ¡°It¡¯s a Sea Lion!¡± Melodi felt a chill run down her spine. She had no idea what a Sea Lion was, but she felt fearful of it anyways. The Sea Lion¡¯s long arms reached out towards the boat. Its long claws looked like they would tear through the ship¡¯s wood easily. But before they could reach, the ship suddenly lurched to the side. ¡°Don¡¯t let her catch us!¡± The captain yelled, wildly turning the wheel. And the ship began to sail right alongside the Mist, only a few feet away. And the Sea Lion swam right after it. Waves began to splash on the ship, sweeping over Melodi and the rest of the passengers on board. Melodi grabbed Kuren¡¯s hand. ¡°Come on! Let¡¯s get inside before we get swept overboard!¡± Melodi and Kuren ran back inside the ship, away from the terror of the sea. Once they made it inside, Melodi took a look at Kuren. She noticed the blood flowing from his knees. ¡°Oh! Did you hurt yourself when you fell?¡± Melodi bent down. ¡°Are you okay? Let¡¯s get you inside before anything else happens.¡± Melodi stretched out a hand to Kuren. And as Kuren reached out, they heard a familiar voice. ¡°Oh, you two shouldn¡¯t leave just yet. The fun¡¯s just getting started.¡± Melos walked up beside them. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to watch that magnificent beast a little longer, Melodi?¡± Melodi¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°You¡¯ve got be kidding me. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m staying here any longer!¡± But before Melodi could turn and leave, Melos grabbed her hand. ¡°Come on now, watch your master take down that nasty little Sea Lion.¡± And Melos began to stride briskly towards the monster swimming alongside the ship. ¡°Oi! You there! Get away from there! It¡¯s not safe up here!¡± The captain saw Melos on the deck and started yelling at him. But Melos just ignored him and walked towards the edge of the ship. Melos drew his sword and held it in front of him. Almost instantly, the Sea Lion noticed his presence. It was almost as if it could tell that Melos was extremely dangerous. It let out a roar and dove back into the sea. Melos raised his sword and prepared to strike. Melodi felt a strange sensation in the air. As if everything was being drawn towards Melos right now. She could see the Jing gather around Melos. And then the Sea Lion suddenly jumped out of the water. ¡°Watch closely, Melodi!¡± Melos yelled as he swung down at the monster jumping right at him. All the Jing in his body had gathered into his sword. It was flashing blue as it fell down at the Sea Lion. And then something unexpected happened. Someone leapt out of the shadows and struck at Melos with a dagger. Melos had already swung his sword, so he couldn¡¯t redirect his blade. The new enemy rushed at Melos, dagger aimed right at his back. He was an assassin. Melos had almost made it out of Quiroso without anybody important noticing, but in the end he was still caught. The twin lords had noticed that there had been an intruder. And so they had sent their assassin to take care of business and retrieve the missing boy. The lords didn¡¯t know that the infamous Melos had been the intruder, otherwise they would have sent more after him. But they had thought that this one assassin was enough. His name was Kuai Si. He had been an assassin of the Quiros family for his entire life of 22 years. His entire family had always served under the Quiros family. They were trained assassins that would do the biddings of the Quiros. The twin lords of the Quiros family had made full use of this family of killers. Kuai Si had been following Melos ever since he had left Quiroso. But he had never struck until now. The reason was that Kuai Si instantly recognized Melos. Nobody had seen Melos in ten years, but Kuai Si still knew who he was. An assassin like him never forgets a face. Since his target was Melos, Kuai Si had to bide his time. Kuai Si had no doubt that Melos could easily best him in a fight. But Kuai Si was no planning on fighting. He was ordered to kill Melos, so that¡¯s what he would do. He was patient. He followed Melos as he rode to Viminello. He followed Melos as he boarded the ship. And he watched as Melos fought and killed the warrior Dashan. And not once did he reveal himself. Because not once did Melos reveal an opening. Until now. The Sea Lion had captured Melos¡¯ full attention. His guard had been dropped. He already attacked. He was defenseless. And so that¡¯s when Kuai Si finally attacked. He drew his dagger and then jumped at Melos the instant he swung his sword. Chapter 9 - The Boys Dead Now Chapter 9 - The Boy¡¯s Dead Now It was a perfect opportunity. Kuai Si had been extremely patient while waiting for Melos to slip up. And now that his chance had appeared, Kuai Si took advantage without hesitation. Which is why he was so surprised when Melos whipped around with a grin on his face. ¡°You finally showed up.¡± Kuai Si jumped backwards, completely abandoning his attack. And just as he did, Melos¡¯ sword cut right through where Kuai Si just was. Kuai Si looked at his enemy with surprise. And then he looked at the Sea Lion behind him. The Sea Lion was unharmed and it had retreated back into the sea. With a low roar, it dove into the waters and disappeared into the Mist. Kuai Si glumly turned back to Melos. ¡°Well if it isn¡¯t the Quiros family¡¯s personal assassin.¡± Melos looked at Kuai Si. ¡°How do you know who I am?¡± Kuai Si asked. ¡°An assassin like me never forgets a face.¡± Melos¡¯ grin grew wider. And Kuai Si felt a chill run down his spine. Kuai Si realized that he had made a mistake. Despite all his preparations, despite his patience, despite his caution, he had still underestimated Melos. ¡°You knew this entire time?¡± Kuai Si dryly asked. Melos nodded. ¡°You faked that attack to draw me out?¡± Melos nodded again. Kuai Si chuckled. ¡°You¡¯ve been missing for ten years. I guess I had forgotten just how strong you are.¡± Kuai Si felt very troubled. Because not only had he made a mistake, he had nowhere left to retreat. He was trapped on this boat. Melos readied his sword. Kuai Si only had a few seconds left to react. So he made one last final effort. He dashed towards Kuren and Melodi. He pushed away Melodi and grabbed Kuren. Before Melos could do anything, Kuai Si raised his dagger to Kuren¡¯s throat. ¡°Don¡¯t come any closer, Melos. After all, I know that this boy holds some importance to you.¡± Melos raised an eyebrow. ¡°That¡¯s true. But that boy also means something to the Quiros family. Why else would they keep him locked up in that cave? If you kill that boy, I¡¯m sure your masters would be quite displeased.¡± Kuai Si nodded. ¡°That¡¯d be true. But they¡¯d also be quite unhappy if I went ahead and just died here without completing my mission.¡± ¡°It¡¯s plain to see that neither of us want this boy to die. You¡¯d fail your mission and I¡¯d fail mine.¡± Kuai Si smiled. ¡°So why don¡¯t we make a simple agreement here? You let me live, and I¡¯ll let the boy live too.¡± Kuai Si poked his dagger into Kuren¡¯s throat a little harder. Blood began to drip down the blade. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Melos let out a deep sigh. ¡°Fine.¡± ¡°There. That wasn¡¯t so hard.¡± Kuai Si relaxed. And that¡¯s when Melos moved. Melos instantly vanished from where he stood. Kuai Si¡¯s eyes widened as he shouted, ¡°You idiot! You want this boy dead?¡± And then Melos reappeared in front of Kuai Si. And then Melos thrusted his dagger towards Kuai Si. Kuren had blankly stared as the blade pierced straight through his body. Kuai Si was too surprised to react as the blade continued its path and stabbed into his own body. Kuai Si spat up blood. And with a growl, he plunged his dagger into Kuren¡¯s throat. ¡°I warned you!¡± And then he ripped the dagger out. Blood gushed out of Kuren¡¯s torn throat. A red, frothy mixture of blood and saliva began to gurgle in his mouth. He looked at Melos, tears of blood running down his face. And then Melos slid his sword out of their bodies in one smooth motion. And Kuren dropped to the ground, a bloody mess. Kuai Si looked at Melos grimly. ¡°The boy¡¯s dead now, you dumbass.¡± Melos twirled his blade. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that anymore.¡± And he cut Kuai Si apart. As Kuai Si¡¯s body lay in pieces, Melos turned back towards Melodi. ¡°You alright, Melodi?¡± Melodi turned towards Melos with wide eyes. She was shocked from what just had occurred. And she also felt a confliction of emotions inside her. She had been ignored this entire fight. Kuai Si had pushed her aside and went straight for Kuren. Kuai Si thought that Kuren was more important to Melos than she was. That made her feel sick inside. But now¡­ Melodi glanced at the mess that Melos had created. At Kuren¡¯s lifeless body. ¡°You killed him. Kuren¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Oh don¡¯t worry about that.¡± Melos laughed. He walked over to Kuren¡¯s body and picked it up. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re up already, aren¡¯t you?¡± Melodi watched in horror as Kuren¡¯s eyes moved to look at Melos. And then he spoke. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°See?¡± Melos threw Kuren onto his feet. Melodi¡¯s mouth was wide open as she stared at Kuren. The first place she looked at was his throat. Aside from the bloodstains, there was no wound. Blood was smeared around his mouth, nose, and eyes as well. She looked at his chest. There was a tear in his shirt. But there was no wound left. She looked at his knees. She remembered how he had scraped his knees before Kuai Si attacked. But other than the bloody legs, his knees were perfectly fine. ¡°W-what?¡± Melodi gasped. ¡°How are you fine? How are you still alive?¡± ¡°A little disappointed, Melodi?¡± Melos chuckled. ¡°I guess I forgot to tell you what was so special about him.¡± ¡°I thought you said you didn¡¯t know anything about him!¡± Melodi shouted. ¡°Well I just didn¡¯t feel like telling you, alright?¡± Melos shrugged. He slapped Kuren¡¯s chest. And then the area where Melos slapped began to glow. Melodi stared as an intricate pattern formed on Kuren¡¯s chest. It was a circular pattern that glowed blue. ¡°Didn¡¯t you ever wonder why this boy was kept locked up in that cave? Didn¡¯t you ever think about just how long he¡¯s been in there?¡± Melos looked at the pattern on Kuren¡¯s chest. ¡°Do you know how long you¡¯ve been in there?¡± Melos looked at Kuren. Kuren stared blankly, not giving an answer. ¡°I¡¯d say, hmmm¡­ about a few hundred years.¡± Melos mused. ¡°W-what? But he¡¯s just a child! How could he have spent that long in that cave?¡± Melos pointed at the pattern. ¡°It¡¯s because of this. This right here is a Seal. It¡¯s a four-layered Seal to be exact. His consciousness, his emotions, his time, and his memories have all been sealed away. Though it seems that the Seal seems to be weakening. A little bit of the kid¡¯s personality is starting to peek through.¡± ¡°What does that have anything to do with the fact that he was just killed? Yet he¡¯s still alive?¡± ¡°His time¡¯s been sealed away. Time doesn¡¯t pass for him anymore. His body is frozen in time.¡± ¡°What does that even mean¡­¡± ¡°It means that his body will never change. No matter what you do, his body will always stay the same. Which is why years have passed, yet he¡¯s still just a boy. And he¡¯s suffered fatal wounds, yet he looks none the worse. He¡¯ll always look like this, no matter how much time passes.¡± Melodi looked at Kuren, a shocked look on her face. And Kuren still had a blank look on his face, seemingly unaware of the conversation about him. ¡°So the Seal¡­ that¡¯s why he¡¯s like this? Why he¡¯s so¡­ dull?¡± ¡°Yeah, his consciousness has been sealed away. But as you can see now, he¡¯s beginning to regain some of his mind back. It¡¯s only a matter of time before he truly awakens from that trance of his.¡± Melodi looked at Kuren glumly. And what happens after he awakens? He becomes even more amazing than he already is? And what about me? Will you abandon me like the others? ¡°Come on now. Help me get rid of this body.¡± Melos bent down and threw Kuai Si¡¯s sliced off arm into the sea. But Melodi just stared at Kuren with a strange expression on her face.