《Emperor of Eryndor》


 A Future Stolen

    A suffocating darkness engulfed the forest, the towering trees blotting out what little moonlight dared to pierce through the thick canopy. The usual chorus of chirping crickets and croaking frogs was drowned beneath the rhythmic drumming of raindrops against the leaves.


    But that night, the forest was anything but tranquil.


    A lone horse thundered through the undergrowth, its hooves striking the damp earth in a desperate flight. Moments later, the sound multiplied another set, then another. A unit of pursuers trailed behind, their movements frantic as they struggled to catch up.


    "Where the hell did he go?!" the temporary captain of the unit bellowed, his frustration cutting through the rain.


    "I''m sorry, Captain! We lost him!" a soldier called back, his breath ragged.


    The captain cursed under his breath. "Damn it! Spread out and find Veldar! Now! If you see anything anything alert me immediately!"


    Without hesitation, the soldiers scattered, their torches flickering as they vanished into the maze of trees. Silence followed in their wake.


    A shadow moved.


    High above, nestled within the thick branches, an old man exhaled softly, his grip tightening around the bundle in his arms a baby, swaddled and sleeping, blissfully unaware of the peril surrounding them.


    Veldar listened for a few moments, ensuring no patrols remained close. Then, like a wraith slipping through the night, he dropped soundlessly to the ground.


    "Alright, those bastards are gone," he muttered, scanning the forest floor. His sharp eyes searched for the horse he had sent away as a decoy, his pulse steady despite the urgency of the moment.


    A low whistle, barely audible over the rain. He waited. Another whistle.


    Minutes passed before the familiar sound of hooves approached softer this time, cautious. A dark silhouette emerged from between the trees, the horse returning to its master''s call.


    "Good," Veldar murmured, shifting the child in his arms. Even in the dim light, the baby¡¯s features stood out golden hair damp from the mist, a face untouched by the cruelty of the world. The face of a future emperor.


    A future stolen before it had even begun.


    "Up you go," Veldar whispered, gently placing the child into the saddlebags, wrapping him securely. The baby stirred but did not wake.


    With practiced ease, the old man mounted the horse, gripping the reins. Then, without hesitation, he spurred the beast forward, disappearing into the depths of the forest chasing the fragile hope that they would live to see another dawn.


    ****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************


    Several Years Later


    The forest stretched endlessly, thick with towering trees and tangled undergrowth. The occasional beam of golden sunlight filtered through the dense canopy, casting shifting patterns across the dirt path. Crickets chirped in the distance, their rhythmic song blending with the occasional croak of a frog. The scent of damp earth filled the air, mingling with the faint rustle of unseen creatures moving in the underbrush.


    Three figures moved cautiously down the narrow trail, weapons in hand, eyes sharp for any sign of danger. Despite their high alert, the tension was shattered unsurprisingly by an all-too-familiar voice.


    "OUCH! Watch it, Grim, you pig!" Serephina shrieked, her voice sharp enough to pierce through the tranquil forest like a damn war horn.


    Grimwald barely flinched. "Goddamn, can you be any louder? Maybe set off some fireworks while you¡¯re at it?" He snorted, rolling his eyes. "Quit whining. I barely stepped on your foot by accident, mind you."


    Serephina¡¯s eyes narrowed. "Oh? Then let¡¯s see how you like it!"


    Before Grimwald could react, she lifted her boot and slammed it down on his foot with all the force of a charging beast.


    "AAGHHH! You crazy bitch!" Grimwald howled, stumbling back. "What the hell was that for?!"


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    Serephina smirked. "Oops. Accident."


    "You damn psycho that actually hurt!"


    "Oh, now you care about fairness? Suck it up, you overgrown gorilla."


    Draven, who had been walking ahead in blissful ignorance, came to a slow stop. His fingers twitched at his side before he turned toward them, an unreadable expression on his face. He took a deep breath, visibly restraining himself.


    "You two¡­" His voice was unnervingly calm. "Why don¡¯t we stop acting like dumbasses in the middle of a monster-infested forest? You can do that, right? Right?"


    Serephina and Grimwald froze. They recognized that tone. The, I swear to the god I will strangle you tone.


    "Oh yeah, of course! We weren¡¯t fighting, just¡­talking," Serephina said, clearing her throat.


    "Yeah, just having a friendly discussion," Grimwald added, nodding far too quickly.


    Draven¡¯s eye twitched.


    "We¡¯ll shut up now," they muttered in unison.


    Satisfied, Draven turned and continued walking, savoring the silence. That peace, however, lasted an impressively grand total of ten seconds.


    "Look, all I¡¯m saying is¡­"


    "You¡¯ve got to be kidding me, it hasn¡¯t even been a freaking 10 seconds" Draven groaned, dragging a hand down his face. Without another word, he spun around and smacked them both lightly on the head.


    "You two can¡¯t go five minutes without bickering. Are you toddlers?"


    Serephina and Grimwald clutched their heads, eyes brimming with tears from exaggerated betrayal.


    Draven sighed. "Let¡¯s go. We need to find a place to set up camp before dark."


    Muttering under their breath, the two followed behind, their silhouettes stretching long against the dimming horizon as the sun dipped below the trees.


    The trio trudged along the winding forest path, the dirt beneath their boots damp from last night¡¯s rain. Shafts of sunlight pierced through the dense canopy, offering fleeting warmth in an otherwise cool, humid air. The rhythmic rustling of leaves and distant chirping of unseen birds filled the silence until Serephina, as usual, broke it.


    ¡°Ugh¡­ I¡¯m so hungry,¡± she groaned, dragging her feet. ¡°It¡¯s been three damn days since we¡¯ve eaten anything but fruits and mushrooms. I swear, I can feel myself wasting away.¡±


    Grimwald scoffed. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry, Your Highness. But maybe just maybe if someone hadn¡¯t eaten half your food rations before we even got through the first week, we wouldn¡¯t be starving right now.¡±


    Serephina glared. ¡°Excuse me?! I wasn¡¯t that bad.¡±


    Grimwald crossed his arms. ¡°You ate three days¡¯ worth of your jerky. IN ONE DAMN NIGHT.¡±


    ¡°¡­I was stressed.¡± Serephina muttered.


    Draven let out a slow breath, rubbing his temples. ¡°Both of you, get it together. We¡¯ll reach Vihadi by nightfall, or worst case, tomorrow morning. There¡¯ll be food there, so let¡¯s keep moving.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, if we don¡¯t get eaten by monsters first,¡± Serephina muttered under her breath.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡± Grimwald smirked, tapping his nose. ¡°My instincts are top-tier, you know. I can sense monsters from a few hundred meters away, ¡­ though, uh, pinpointing the exact direction is a bit tricky.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Draven admitted. ¡°Thanks to you, we¡¯ve managed to avoid trouble so far. Just make sure your senses aren¡¯t dulled from hunger, Grimwald.¡±


    ¡°Hah! Please. Nothing dulls my instincts.¡± Grimwald puffed out his chest. ¡°Not hunger, not exhaustion, not¡­¡±


    Serephina cringed. ¡°Goddamn it, stop. You¡¯re embarrassing yourself.¡±


    The group continued forward, the banter keeping their minds off their empty stomachs until Grimwald suddenly froze.


    His entire body tensed, his nostrils flaring as his head snapped from side to side, scanning the trees with wide, alert eyes.


    Draven slowed to a stop, watching him carefully. ¡°What is it?¡±


    Grimwald didn¡¯t answer. His muscles were coiled tight, his hands hovering over his weapon. His usual smugness was gone replaced by a cold, focused intensity.


    ¡°Something¡¯s coming¡± he said.


    Serephina sighed. ¡°Look, if this is another one of your dumb pranks, I swear¡­¡±


    ¡°IT¡¯S NOT A PRANK!¡±


    Grimwald¡¯s voice boomed through the forest, his usual smug demeanor replaced with raw urgency. Draven and Serephina froze, their bodies tensing Grimwald wasn¡¯t the type to lose his cool over nothing.


    Without hesitation, they drew their weapons, falling into a defensive stance.


    ¡°What do we do? Should we run?¡± Serephina asked, gripping her staff tightly.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s our best option,¡± Draven said quickly. His mind raced, calculating their chances. ¡°Grim, can you pinpoint the direction? We need to run the other way.¡±


    Grimwald inhaled sharply, his nostrils flaring. His face paled. ¡°It¡¯s coming from behind us. The density is so overwhelming I can pinpoint it exactly.¡±


    ¡°Then we keep moving forward,¡± Draven ordered.


    Without another word, the trio bolted, their footsteps pounding against the dirt path. The wind howled past them as they sprinted like their lives depended on it because they did.


    Then, a thud shook the ground.


    A deafening impact, like a mountain slamming into the earth. A shockwave of force nearly knocked them off their feet. The sheer pressure of the landing sent a tremor through their bones.


    Dust exploded into the air, obscuring their vision. And then


    A roar.


    Deep, guttural, and overwhelming, the monstrous bellow reverberated through the forest, shaking the very air around them. Birds and beasts alike scattered, fleeing into the night.


    Draven¡¯s heart hammered in his chest as the dust settled. A towering shadow loomed before them. The creature¡¯s form became visible, its golden reptilian eyes piercing through the haze.


    A Lycan.


    "You¡¯re kidding me¡­" Serephina¡¯s voice trembled. "Is that¡­ really a Lycan??"


    The creature¡¯s obsidian-black fur shimmered ominously under the dimming sunlight. Twelve feet tall at the shoulder, its massive wings were half-unfurled, dust still rolling off its frame from the impact.


    ¡°What the hell is a Calamity-class monster doing here?! This route was supposed to be the safest one!¡± Grimwald exclaimed, panic creeping into his voice.


    ¡°Ahh¡­ we¡¯re dead,¡± Serephina whispered, her voice barely audible. ¡°Even at full strength, we wouldn¡¯t last ten seconds¡­ and right now, we¡¯re barely holding on.¡±


    Yet, despite the despair clawing at them, they tried to stand their ground, weapons raised.

 The Sleeping Stranger

    Draven exhaled sharply, forcing his body to stay still despite the overwhelming urge to collapse. ¡°Calm down, both of you. Don¡¯t panic. We will use our routine method¡± His voice was steady, but inside, he felt the weight of exhaustion press against his muscles.


    Damn it. His legs were sluggish. Three days without proper food his body was betraying him at the worst possible moment.


    Serephina swallowed hard. ¡°Draven¡­ are you sure about this? That ¡®routine¡¯ was for hunting predator-class monsters, not¡­¡± She gestured at the towering beast before them, ¡°¡­this calamity-class¡±


    Draven¡¯s grip on his sword tightened. ¡°We don¡¯t have a choice. We either fight and maybe survive or we die without even trying.¡±


    Grimwald let out a slow breath, then unsheathed his twin axes, twirling them in his hands. ¡°Then I¡¯d rather go down swinging.¡±


    Draven nodded, his mind racing. ¡°Serephina, how many spells can you manage?¡±


    She hesitated. ¡°Three low-level spells¡­ or one high-level spell if I pour everything into it.¡± She bit her lip. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. If we¡¯d had proper meals, I could do more.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. We¡¯ll work with what we have.¡±


    Draven¡¯s mind worked furiously. There¡¯s no winning this fight. Our only chance is to escape.


    ¡°Alright, here¡¯s the plan.¡± He spoke quickly, his voice sharp with urgency. ¡°Serephina, hit its left eye with a fire spell which won¡¯t hurt it, but it does create a smoke cloud. That¡¯ll block its vision for a few seconds.¡±


    She nodded, gripping her staff tighter.


    ¡°I¡¯ll move to the right. If its left eye is blocked, it¡¯ll focus on me.¡±


    Grimwald¡¯s grip tightened around his axes. ¡°And I attack from the left while its attention is elsewhere.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Draven confirmed. ¡°The moment it turns toward you, we run. Split up, different directions. Serephina, fire another spell from a distance to draw its focus away from Grimwald.¡±


    ¡°And then?¡± Serephina asked.


    ¡°We keep running and hide. We regroup at Vihadi.¡± Draven inhaled sharply. ¡°This probably won¡¯t work¡­ but it¡¯s the best shot we have.¡±


    He clenched his jaw, glancing at the beast before them.


    Damn it. Please work.


    At least one of us needs to make it out alive.


    "All right, that¡¯s a solid plan," Serephina said, steadying her breath as she raised her staff, her hands trembling despite her best efforts.


    "Got it. Let¡¯s do this," Grimwald muttered, gripping his twin axes tighter. His voice was firm, but the slight tremor in his stance betrayed his nerves.


    Draven exhaled sharply. "Alright, people. On the count of three. Three¡­ two¡­ one "


    He never finished.


    Without warning, the Lycan did something none of them expected.


    It turned its head away.


    "Huh?" Serephina¡¯s pulse spiked. "Wait what¡¯s happening? Why isn¡¯t it looking at us?" Panic laced her voice. This wasn¡¯t part of the plan.


    Draven''s fingers twitched around his sword hilt. "Uhh¡­. Grimwald, what¡¯s going on?!"


    Grimwald¡¯s eyes narrowed, his nostrils flaring as he tried to make sense of the sudden shift. "There¡¯s¡­ another mana source nearby." His brows furrowed. "A dense one. It just appeared out of nowhere¡­ and now it¡¯s ¨C gone? How the hell¡­?"


    Before any of them could react, the Lycan spread its massive wings, launching itself into the air. The force of its takeoff sent shockwaves through the ground, nearly knocking them off their feet.


    They watched in stunned silence as the beast veered toward the unknown mana source completely ignoring them.


    Serephina collapsed to her knees, gasping. "Did it just¡­ leave us alone?" A nervous laugh bubbled from her throat. "Does that mean we¡¯re saved?!"


    "Ahhh¡­ I almost peed myself," she groaned, running a shaky hand through her hair. "What a terrifying experience. I never want to go through that again."


    Draven, still tense, scanned the sky where the Lycan had disappeared. "I don¡¯t know why it left, but I don¡¯t care. We need to get the hell out of here before it changes its mind."


    Grimwald, however, was still staring in the direction the Lycan had flown, deep in thought. "What the hell was that?" he muttered. "That mana felt almost like a monster, but¡­ I¡¯ve never heard of a beast that can hide its mana, release it, and then suppress it again."


    Without another word, Grimwald bolted toward the unknown energy¡¯s source.


    "HEY! You idiot! Where the hell do you think you¡¯re going?!" Draven barked, eyes blazing with frustration.


    "Sorry, Draven, but I have to check this out!" Grimwald called over his shoulder, his voice tinged with reckless excitement. "You guys go on ahead! I¡¯ll catch up in a second!"


    Draven let out a string of curses, his grip tightening around his sword. "You fucking dumbass!" His jaw clenched. "Come on, Serephina before that dumbass gets himself killed!"


    But Serephina didn¡¯t move.


    "I¡­ I can¡¯t." Her voice came out weak, barely above a whisper. "I don¡¯t have the energy. My legs¡­ they won¡¯t move."


    Draven turned to her, irritation flashing across his face but when he saw the exhaustion in her expression, it faded.


    He exhaled through his nose. "Damn it. Both of you are seriously getting on my nerves."


    Without another word, he crouched down and hoisted her onto his back.


    "Hang on," he muttered, adjusting his grip. "We¡¯re leaving."


    ¡°Hey!! Wait, what are you doing?! Put me down!¡± Serephina yelled, squirming against Draven¡¯s grip.


    ¡°Sorry, no can do.¡± Draven kept running, his breath steady despite the weight on his back. ¡°We¡¯re regrouping with that idiot and getting the hell out of here. HEY! Get back here, you muscle-brained moron!¡±


    Grimwald ignored him, pushing forward. He ran through the thick underbrush, barely registering the sting of branches scraping against his arms. His legs burned, but he didn¡¯t stop not until he reached a clearing near the edge of a cliff.


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    And then he saw it.


    The Lycan hovered in the air, its red eyes scanning the ground below. It was searching, its massive wings stirring up dust and leaves with every slow, deliberate beat.


    But Grimwald had already found the source.


    Several feet away, at the edge of the cliff overlooking Vihadi, stood a single tree. Beneath its shade, a man lay asleep, a cloth draped over his face as if completely unaware of the chaos around him.


    ¡°¡­It has to be him.¡± Grimwald¡¯s voice was barely a whisper, not wanting to draw the Lycan¡¯s attention.


    Draven caught up moments later, Serephina still clinging to his back. ¡°You idiot!¡± he hissed. ¡°What were you thinking?! You want to go through that again?¡±


    ¡°Shh¡­ don¡¯t talk too loud,¡± Grimwald murmured, eyes locked onto the figure under the tree.


    Serephina, finally able to stand on her own, followed his gaze. ¡°Wait¡­ who¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°I think¡­¡± Grimwald exhaled, his mind racing. ¡°I think he¡¯s the reason the Lycan left us alone.¡±


    Draven frowned. ¡°Why the hell would anyone do that? That¡¯s basically calling death straight to your doorstep.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Grimwald¡¯s eyes gleamed. ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡±


    Above them, the Lycan let out a low growl, its wings shifting. It had found what it was looking for.


    Without hesitation, it dived.


    The ground trembled as the beast landed in front of the sleeping man, sending chunks of grass and soil flying. The force alone was enough to make the trio instinctively take a step back.


    ¡°Damn it¡­ he¡¯s in danger! We have to wake him up!¡± Serephina whispered urgently.


    But Grimwald didn¡¯t move. Instead, he grinned. ¡°Wait. Just watch.¡±


    Draven shot him a look. ¡°What do you mean, watch?! He¡¯s about to get killed!¡±


    But the man under the tree didn¡¯t even flinch.


    The Lycan roared, a deafening sound that made the trio¡¯s ears ring painfully. Then, without hesitation, it lunged, its jaws wide open, aiming to tear through the man in a single bite.


    CLANG!


    The impact sent a shockwave through the clearing, but


    The Lycan stopped.


    Its entire head had slammed into something, something invisible, something unmovable. A solid force held it back, repelling its attack like an iron wall.


    ¡°What the fuck just happened?¡± Draven¡¯s voice cracked, his eyes wide in disbelief.


    ¡°Did that guy just repel a Lycan¡¯s attack¡­ with a mana shield?¡± Serephina, who had spent her life studying magic, could barely process what she had just seen.


    But Grimwald¡¯s shock ran deeper. His breath hitched as he stared at the scene, realization sinking in. ¡°No¡­ you guys don¡¯t get it.¡± He turned to them, his face a mixture of awe and sheer disbelief. ¡°That guy¡­ he only put up his barrier after the Lycan attacked.¡±


    Draven blinked. ¡°Wait ¡±


    ¡°He put up his defense after the Lycan had already begun moving.¡± Grimwald¡¯s hands clenched into fists, his excitement nearly spilling over. ¡°That means he only needed less than a second to form a barrier that strong.¡±


    Serephina¡¯s breath hitched.


    That¡­ shouldn¡¯t be possible.


    The Lycan staggered back, shaking its massive head as if dazed. Slamming into something so unyielding had rattled it.


    And at last, the man stirred.


    He slowly reached up, removing the cloth from his face.


    The sunlight hit him perfectly, illuminating the sharp contours of his face. His golden long hair reaching below his shoulders gleamed, strands catching the light like molten gold. His features his jawline, his expression and his muscled and toned body standing at 6 foot 4 inches tall, looked as if they had been sculpted by the gods themselves.


    Every movement he made, from brushing the grass off his shoulder to standing up, felt effortlessly commanding and charismatic


    Draven, Grimwald, and Serephina could only watch in stunned silence.


    He exhaled, tilting his head slightly as he gazed at the Lycan before him.


    ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you a mischievous one,¡± he mused, his voice smooth, almost amused. ¡°What do you think you were doing¡­ interrupting my nap?¡±


    The Lycan roared, fire surging in its throat.


    A split second later, it unleashed its flames, engulfing the man entirely.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Draven cursed. ¡°Grim, did he¡­?¡± He turned, only to see Grimwald grinning like a lunatic.


    Draven¡¯s stomach twisted. ¡°Hey¡­ Grimwald?¡±


    ¡°That guy¡­¡± Grimwald¡¯s voice was breathless, almost in awe. ¡°That guy is nuts.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? Did he block it?¡±


    Grimwald turned to face them, his expression almost manic. ¡°He didn¡¯t put up a barrier immediately.¡±


    Draven¡¯s blood ran cold. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°He waited,¡± Grimwald said, his grin widening. ¡°He only formed his barrier right before the flames touched him.¡±


    Draven and Serephina exchanged stunned glances.


    Draven swallowed. ¡°Is¡­ is that really impressive?¡±


    Serephina, still staring at the flames, answered without hesitation. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Mana control required deliberate timing most mages cast their defences in advance. But to deploy a shield at the exact moment of impact, with flawless execution and zero hesitation?


    That required absolute confidence.


    Absolute control.


    Absolute power.


    The flames finally died down and the smoke dissipated.


    And there he stood unscathed.

 The Name is Valerius

    "Well, that was certainly impressive," the man under the tree mused, his voice calm as he continued walking toward the Lycan.


    The beast, despite its injuries, refused to back down. Its instincts dictated only one thing kill its prey. It reared its head back, flames crackling in its throat, preparing to unleash another blast.


    But before it could


    THWACK!


    A blur of motion. A force like a boulder crashing down.


    The man leaped forward, his leg snapping out in a brutal roundhouse kick that slammed into the Lycan¡¯s head.


    The beast¡¯s eyes rolled back for a moment as its massive form staggered, struggling to maintain balance. But just as it steadied itself,


    BOOM!


    A devastating uppercut cracked against its chin, the sheer force flipping the Lycan upside down.


    Draven, Serephina, and Grimwald stood frozen behind the trees, their breath caught in their throats.


    They weren¡¯t watching a fight.


    They were witnessing a slaughter.


    The man landed gracefully atop the beast¡¯s struggling form and rained down blows, his fists striking harder than steel. Each impact sent tremors through the surroundings.


    The Lycan, a creature known for its legendary defenses with its tough hide, but right now it feels like those defenses might as well have been made of paper. Its obsidian-black furred hide shattered under the relentless barrage.


    THWACK¡­. THWACK¡­.. THWACK¡­¡­


    He kept hitting it.


    He could have ended it in a single strike. With his strength, one sword slash would have been enough.


    But he didn¡¯t.


    He chose to beat it to death with his bare hands.


    A shiver ran down Draven¡¯s spine. This wasn¡¯t just power. It was cruelty.


    Finally, after one last sickening crack, the Lycan stopped moving.


    Silence.


    The man exhaled, stepping off the lifeless beast and wiping the blood from his face with a slow, unbothered motion. The cloth he had been wearing fell to the ground, forgotten.


    Then without turning around he spoke.


    "Alright, the cowardly trio hiding behind the tree aren¡¯t you going to come out? It feels weird to be watched, you know."


    The words sent ice through their veins.


    Draven¡¯s heart pounded in his chest. What do we do? Do we run?


    No. It¡¯s no use.


    They had already been caught.


    This was a man who had just brutalized a Lycan with his fists.


    The Lycan a calamity-class creature that should have required a fully equipped Twenty-member Expert-ranked squad, or at the very least, 10 Low Master-ranked warriors to take down.


    And he did it alone.


    Draven clenched his jaw. We¡¯re completely out of our depth.


    Draven barely had time to react before Grimwald bolted from their hiding spot.


    That moron. How many times a day is he going to put us through death¡¯s door? Draven thought, gritting his teeth.


    Grimwald skidded to a stop in front of the man, eyes practically glowing with excitement. ¡°That was freaking amazing! How strong are you exactly? What are your attributes? How dense is your mana shield? What is your wielder class? How tough are your fists¡­?¡±


    The barrage of questions poured out of him like a flood.


    Draven and Serephina sprinted after him, desperate to stop him from saying something that might piss off the man who just beat a Lycan to death.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t mind him,¡± Draven said smoothly, stepping in front of Grimwald. ¡°He¡¯s just excited to see your strength.¡±


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    ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± The man¡¯s voice was calm, unaffected.


    Draven let out a quiet breath of relief. ¡°Uh¡­ thank you for saving us earlier. That idiot over here claims you were the one who distracted the Lycan. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s true, but¡­ allow us to thank you.¡±


    The man shrugged. ¡°Oh, yeah. That was me.¡± He crossed his arms. ¡°After all, you lot seemed weak. You were lucky I was around.¡±


    Draven¡¯s eyebrow twitched.


    Serephina cleared her throat, attempting to mask an awkward cough.


    Meanwhile, Grimwald remained completely unfazed. ¡°Oi, oi, brother what are your attributes? Let me see those eyes. The sun¡¯s blocking my view.¡± He leaned in closer.


    ¡°What are they blue? So your elemental attribute is water?¡± Grimwald said after a closer inspection.


    The man blinked, then answered nonchalantly, ¡°No. They are purple.¡±


    Silence.


    Serephina¡¯s curiosity snapped into overdrive. ¡°Wait¡­ what?¡± Her head jerked up, eyes narrowing. ¡°Purple? I¡¯ve never heard of anyone having purple before.¡±


    She crossed her arms, thinking aloud. ¡°Red means Fire like me and Draven. Green is for Wind like Grimwald over there, blue for Water, and brown for Earth.¡± Her gaze sharpened as she studied him.


    ¡°So¡­ what attributes do you actually have?¡±


    Oh great, Draven groaned internally. Now another idiot joins the bunch.


    The man smirked slightly. ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a wild guess?¡±


    Serephina crossed her arms, deep in thought. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of people possessing multiple attributes. I saw fairly moderate amount of people who can use two attributes. 1 in a 1000 people can use them. But three attributes, they¡¯re rare. Like¡­ one in a million rare. And their eyes are a combination of those attributes and based on their dominant elemental attribute their eye colour changes as well, so accurately determining the attributes of the people who can use multiple ones is not possible just basing on their eye color.¡± Then, she hesitated. ¡°Wait¡­ don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± Her eyes widened. ¡°Are you one of them, who can use 3 attributes?¡±


    The man chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re half right.¡± He let the words settle for a moment before flashing a smug grin.


    ¡°I can use all five.¡±


    . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


    Dead silence.


    The trio stood frozen, reeling from what they just heard.


    Did he really just say he can use all five attributes?


    The strongest wielders ever recorded barely reached four attributes, and even that was a miracle.


    He must be joking.


    Grimwald scratched his head. ¡°Oi¡­ brother¡­ listen. I know you¡¯re strong, but you don¡¯t have to lie, you know?¡± He gave him a pitying look. ¡°You¡¯d still be amazing even if you only had three.¡±


    The man sighed. ¡°Ah¡­ looks like I have no choice but to show you.¡± His eyes flickered with amusement. ¡°How about this if I prove it, you treat me to dinner in Vihadi. Sound good?¡±


    Serephina scoffed. ¡°Yeah, alright. First, let¡¯s see you do it.¡±


    Valerius grinned.


    ¡°Alright, here I go.¡±


    ¡°First Attribute ¨C Fire.¡±


    FWOOSH! A burst of flames shot forward, striking a nearby tree.


    ¡°Okay! That¡¯s fire done. Now do water.¡± Grimwald urged, eyes gleaming.


    Draven, standing at the side, watched the man carefully. His instincts whispered warnings in the back of his mind.


    Something¡¯s off.


    Valerius fired a jet of water, cleanly piercing an egg-sized hole through the trunk.


    Serephina shifted slightly. ¡°Alright, so that¡¯s fire and water. Next, try wind.¡±


    A sharp blade of compressed air sliced clean through the tree¡¯s base, splitting it in half.


    Draven exhaled slowly. Shit.


    Grimwald, on the other hand, was having the time of his life. ¡°Goddamn, brother! That¡¯s three out of five done! You really are one in a million. What¡¯s next?¡±


    Valerius tilted his head. ¡°Hmm¡­ since the tree is down, let¡¯s just burn it and bury it. It''ll work as fertilizer.¡±


    Serephina¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Nuh-uh. That won¡¯t work. You already used fire. You can¡¯t use it again.¡±


    Valerius smirked. ¡°Who said anything about fire?¡±


    A lightning bolt erupted from his palm, incinerating the fallen trunk to ash in an instant.


    The trio¡¯s jaws hit the ground.


    Before they could recover an earth gobbling spell appeared absorbing all the ash in an instant and pushed into the ground as if nothing ever existed over where the tree was there.


    Draven felt his stomach drop.


    No¡­


    My instincts were right.


    Grimwald¡¯s expression lit up like a child in a candy store. ¡°Brother¡­ you really are amazing! I can¡¯t believe my eyes!¡±


    Serephina, meanwhile, was staring at the spot where the tree used to be, still processing what just happened.


    ¡°This¡­ this shouldn¡¯t be possible.¡± She murmured, her mind racing. ¡°History mentions a few individuals capable of four attributes. But five?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°If word of this gets out, every kingdom would go to war just to claim you.¡±


    Draven took a slow, deep breath, regaining his composure.


    ¡°¡­Wow. My instincts were right.¡± He stepped forward, his expression more serious now. ¡°I¡¯m Draven. Draven Wolfsbane. Expert-level swordsman.¡±


    He gestured behind him. ¡°This is Serephina Thorne, our mage. She is an Expert-level too. She deals with mana-based attacks.¡±


    Then, he sighed and pointed to Grimwald. ¡°And this idiot drooling over you is Grimwald Ashenfort. He¡¯s a warrior that fights with twin axes. Also an Expert-level. We are a humble group of expert-level wielders.¡±


    Grimwald grinned like a fool, nodding rapidly.


    The man finally introduced himself, that ever-present smirk still lingering on his lips.


    ¡°I¡¯m Valerius.¡± He turned slightly, glancing at each of them.


    ¡°Valerius Darkridge.¡±


    His gaze settled on them, and for the first time, a glint of amusement flashed in his purple eyes.


    ¡°Pleasure to meet you all.¡±