《Fate of the Forsaken》


 Chapter - 1: 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?!"


    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?"


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    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.

 Chapter - 2: 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.

 Chapter - 3: 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.¡±

 Chapter -4: The perfect Kill

    "Oi, brother¡­ what''s your MME class?" Grimwald asked, his eyes glinting with curiosity as he turned to Valerius.


    "MME class?" Valerius repeated, tilting his head slightly. "The Ministry of Mana Evaluation one? I wouldn¡¯t know. Never registered for a test."


    A stunned silence followed.


    "You¡¯ve got to be joking," Grimwald scoffed. "With your strength? You¡¯ve got to be at least a top-tier Master¡­ maybe even a Grandmaster."


    Valerius let out a small chuckle, shaking his head. "Flattering, but that¡¯s a bit of an exaggeration, don¡¯t you think?"


    Draven, who had been quietly observing, narrowed his eyes. "How old are you, anyway? You don¡¯t look that old."


    "Twenty." Valerius responded nonchalantly.


    "Twenty?!" The trio exclaimed in unison, their voices echoing through the forest.


    Grimwald exhaled sharply, rubbing his hands on his temple. "Damn¡­ We¡¯re all in the twenty-five, twenty-six range. To think someone younger than us could be that strong¡­ makes you wonder what we¡¯ve been doing all this time."


    Before the conversation could continue, a voice cut in.


    "Uh, aren¡¯t we forgetting something?" Serephina interjected, crossing her arms.


    Draven turned to her, raising an eyebrow. "What now?"


    She pointed a finger toward the massive, unmoving body beside them and said in a tone filled with sarcasm ¡°I mean¡­ is it just me, or is there a giant Lycan corpse lying here?"


    Grimwald let out a nervous chuckle. "Ahh¡­ Right. Kinda forgot about that."


    "So, what do we do with it?"


    Draven rubbed his chin, considering their options. "Vihadi is a huge town also known as the best business hub between the kingdoms of Caelumir and Aldoria. There should be lots of merchants willing to pay for it. Those guys sink a lot of money into acquiring rare monster parts, and a calamity-class Lycan? That¡¯s bound to fetch a high price."


    "Not to mention," Grimwald added, snapping his fingers, "we can claim compensation from the city head. If that thing had gone on a rampage, Vihadi would¡¯ve been wiped out in a day."


    Valerius nodded. "Sounds like a plan. I could use the extra coin."


    "Then it¡¯s settled." Draven clapped his hands together. "Let¡¯s get moving before the corpse starts rotting."


    As the others prepared to leave, Valerius turned and began walking in the opposite direction.


    "Uh¡­ where are you going? The town¡¯s this way," Draven called out.


    Valerius barely glanced over his shoulder. "Getting my horse."


    Draven blinked. "You have a horse?"


    "I do."


    "Well, we don¡¯t," Grimwald muttered. "Guess we¡¯ll have to meet you in Vihadi, then. Where should we¡­"


    "That won¡¯t be necessary," Valerius interrupted as he untied the reins of a sturdy black steed. "I¡¯ll walk with you."


    Draven looked surprised. "That¡¯s¡­ considerate of you."


    Before they could continue, Serephina hesitated before speaking up. "Um¡­ would it be okay if I ask for something a little selfish?"


    Draven shot her a tired look. "What now, Serephina?"


    She gave him a sheepish smile. "I hurt my leg earlier not that it was a difficult fight or anything, but still¡­ Since you¡¯re walking the horse anyway, would it be alright if I rode it?"


    Valerius glanced at his horse, sighed and then looked back at Serephina. "Well, I don¡¯t think a little stroll would hurt him. And I think he¡¯ll be fine with it too."


    Draven raised an eyebrow. "He? You mean the horse? It¡¯s that smart?"


    Valerius smirked, patting the steed¡¯s mane. "Smart enough. He was stolen once but found his way back."


    Serephina¡¯s eyes widened in amazement as she swung herself onto the saddle with Valerius¡¯s help. "Wow¡­ I¡¯ve never seen a horse this sturdy before. Usually, they shift a little under my weight, but this one? It¡¯s like I¡¯m not even here."


    Valerius folded his arms, his smirk deepening. "Well, I have taken care of him for years. Fed him high-quality mana-rich food. Unlike us, animals and monsters get stronger depending on what they eat."


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    The group resumed their journey, walking through the dense forest as the last traces of daylight faded behind the treetops. By the time they reached the outskirts of Vihadi, the town¡¯s lanterns were already flickering to life, as it they are welcoming them back from their hunt.


    As they stepped onto the bustling streets of Vihadi, Grimwald let out a low whistle. "Damn¡­ this place is massive. And look at all these people!"


    "You¡¯re not wrong," Draven muttered, taking in the market district, where merchants shouted over each other to attract customers. "Business is booming. We should find someone who deals in monster parts before it gets dark."


    "Good idea," Grimwald nodded. "Let¡¯s split up and ask around." Without another word, he dashed off to the left.


    "I¡¯ll check the right," Draven added before heading in the opposite direction.


    Valerius turned to Serephina, who was still seated on his horse. "I guess I should uh¡­" He hesitated. "Wait¡­ what was your name again?"


    Serephina gasped, clutching her chest dramatically. "Huh?? How rude can a person be? We just introduced ourselves!" She huffed, crossing her arms. ¡°Serephina Thorne. And that¡¯s Ms. Serephina to you. Have some respect on my name." she said with a smug look on her face.


    Valerius raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, that¡¯s not happening."


    "Tch. No fun."


    "Just stay put on the horse. We¡¯ll be back soon." Without waiting for her response, Valerius walked off into the crowd.


    Minutes later, Draven returned, this time with an older man beside him. His silver hair was neatly combed, and his posture was straight, exuding the air of someone who had seen it all. Two guards flanked him, keeping a wary eye on the surroundings.


    Draven glanced around. "Grim and Valerius aren¡¯t back yet?"


    "Nope," Serephina replied, idly swinging her legs. "But they should be soon. By now, they¡¯ve probably found someone who can point us in the right direction."


    As if on cue, Grimwald came jogging back, slightly out of breath. "Alright¡­ found out the best guy for this kind of trade. Name¡¯s Bart Vance biggest monster merchant in town. Let¡¯s look for him."


    A deep chuckle came from beside Draven. "That would be me."


    The older man stepped forward, adjusting his coat. His voice was steady, the kind of calm confidence that came with experience.


    "I am Bart Vance. I deal in monster-related goods," he said, offering a nod. "And while I don¡¯t like to brag, I¡¯d wager I¡¯m the biggest monster related trader in this city."


    Valerius, who had just returned, gave him a respectful nod. "Mr. Bart, then. I am Valerius. Good to meet you."


    Bart raised an eyebrow. "Well-mannered one, aren¡¯t you? That¡¯s rare these days."


    Valerius simply nodded. "Draven found you, then. That makes things easier."


    "Indeed," Bart said with a chuckle. "Now, about this monster of yours I¡¯ll need to inspect the body before we talk numbers. I can¡¯t make an offer without knowing its condition. Generally I wouldn¡¯t be the one appraising the monsters, but this time something that your friend said interested me. So I came to check it out personally."


    "Fair enough." Valerius turned to Serephina. "Hop down. I¡¯ll take Mr. Bart to the site on horseback."


    Serephina sighed as she slid off the saddle. "Fine, fine. Thanks for letting me ride it, by the way."


    "It was nothing," Valerius replied simply. "Mr. Bart, let¡¯s go."


    Bart nodded in approval before mounting the horse. "Let¡¯s see what you¡¯ve got, then."


    With a light kick, Valerius urged the horse forward, and the two rode off, leaving the others behind.


    When they arrived at the rocky Cliffside overseeing Vihadi, Bart¡¯s sharp eyes locked onto the massive Lycan corpse lying still beneath the fading sunlight.


    "¡­So this is it." He swung his leg over and dismounted, stepping closer. There was no rush in his movements just the patience of someone who had done this a hundred times before. "Been a while since I last saw one of these up close."


    He ran a hand over the fur, pressed lightly against the limbs, and checked the claws. His eyes were sharp, taking in every detail.


    "Did you kill it yourself?" he asked finally.


    "Yeah," Valerius answered. "Is there a problem?"


    Bart let out a low chuckle, shaking his head. "No. Quite the opposite." He straightened, brushing dust off his coat. "This is the finest condition I¡¯ve ever seen a monster in after a hunt."


    Valerius asked with a slight curiosity. "What does that mean exactly Mr. Bart?"


    Bart exhaled through his nose, his gaze lingering on the corpse like it was a rare treasure.


    "When I hire mercenaries to take down a monster, their priority is survival, not preservation. They hack, burn, or blast their way through whatever it takes to get the job done. By the time the body reaches me, it¡¯s so mutilated that the cost of processing it barely makes the trade worthwhile. And when I ask them about it, they don¡¯t hold back, either. ¡®What, you want us to die just to keep the body pretty?¡¯ that¡¯s the kind of response I get."


    Bart let out a small chuckle, shaking his head. "And I can¡¯t exactly blame them. We merchants aren¡¯t the ones out there risking our lives. In the end, we have no choice but to rely on those strong enough to do the hunting for us. As they say beggars can¡¯t be choosers."


    He gestured toward the Lycan. "But this? This is pristine. You crushed the head, but the body is untouched. Do you have any idea how rare that is? In my forty years of this business and 60 years of life, I¡¯ve never seen a cleaner kill."


    Valerius let out a small breath. "Well¡­ good to know it¡¯s worth something."


    Bart chuckled. "Worth something? Kid, this exceeds expectations. You could start your own hunting business if you keep this up."


    Valerius just shrugged. "So, what now? Do we take it back?"


    Bart rubbed his chin. "Yeah, but not like this. We¡¯ll head back to Vihadi first. I¡¯ll pay you what you¡¯re owed, then I¡¯ll send my men to retrieve it properly."


    "Sounds fine." Valerius motioned to the horse. "Get on."


    Bart gave him an amused look but climbed up. "Not much for chit-chat, huh?"


    "Not really," Valerius admitted, gripping the reins. "Let¡¯s go."


    "Well, for someone as strong as you, you''re surprisingly polite. I like that," Bart said with a grin.


    Valerius let out a small chuckle. "Appreciate it," he replied, offering a nod.


    With that, the two galloped back toward the city, the deal all but sealed before the price was even named.

 Chapter - 5: Hunger knows no Pride

    As soon as they reached the town gates, Grimwald, Draven, and Serephina who had been waiting for their return waved them down. Valerius guided his horse toward them before slowing to a stop. The city guards stepped forward, carefully helping Bart Vance down from the saddle.


    Draven was the first to speak. "So? How¡¯d it go?" He looked between Valerius and Bart expectantly.


    Bart dusted off his coat before turning to Valerius. "Now then, young man, let¡¯s talk about your compensation for the Lycan."


    Valerius folded his arms, rubbing his chin. "I¡¯ve never sold a monster corpse before. I have no idea what the right price for this would be."


    Before Bart could respond, a smug voice cut in. "Well, that¡¯s where I come in!" Grimwald grinned, jabbing a thumb toward himself. "This is my area of expertise."


    Bart raised an eyebrow, amused. "Oh? And how experienced are you, young man?"


    Draven chuckled, answering for him. "Grimwald, worked at a monster trading center back in our hometown for a few years. That¡¯s where he picked up his weird obsession with monsters."


    Grimwald cleared his throat, ignoring the remark. "Right then. Let¡¯s see¡­" He put on a thoughtful expression, eyes narrowing as if he were solving an advanced equation. "I¡¯ve never seen a calamity-class monster sold before, but the highest price I ever witnessed for a predator-class beast was 85 gold coins. So, if I had to guess¡­ maybe two or three platinum coins?"


    Bart let out a deep chuckle. "Huhu¡­ Not bad, Grimwald. You have a good eye for estimates." He paused, then smirked. "But you just severely undersold your friend."


    "What?!" Grimwald¡¯s jaw practically dropped. "You¡¯re joking, right?!"


    Bart shook his head. "To be fair, you were both right and wrong. If this were an ordinary Lycan corpse, hunted by a unit from the mercenary guild, it might have sold for that price. But this," he gestured toward Valerius, "was a perfect hunt. The body is in pristine condition, which means I can salvage nearly all of the materials. That alone increases its value significantly."


    Draven crossed his arms. "So what¡¯s your final offer, then?"


    Bart stroked his beard for a moment before glancing back at them. "Let¡¯s say¡­ ten platinum coins."


    The group went silent.


    Grimwald¡¯s brain practically short-circuited. "T-TEN?! Did you just say ten platinum coins?!" His hands flew to his head, processing the numbers out loud. "That¡¯s a hundred gold coins! And one gold coin is a hundred silver coins¡­ which means ten thousand silver¡­ and one silver is ten bronze coins¡­ which means a hundred thousand bronze coins!"


    Serephina sighed, shaking her head. "Oh, so you do remember math. Is this the first time you''ve actually used that useless brain of yours in years?"


    Grimwald shot her a glare, but she just shrugged.


    Valerius, meanwhile, remained composed. "That¡¯s a lot of money," he admitted, turning back to Bart. "Are you sure that¡¯s reasonable?"


    Bart nodded without hesitation. "Absolutely. Your friend¡¯s estimate wasn¡¯t wrong he just didn¡¯t account for the difference in value between a predator-class monster and a calamity-class one. The gap is immense. And considering I can utilize ninety percent of this Lycan¡¯s body, it¡¯s well worth the price. Trust me, you¡¯re not getting swindled here. If anything, this is a win for both of us."


    Valerius thought for a moment, then nodded. "Alright then. I¡¯ll take you up on your offer." He extended his hand. "It¡¯s been a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Bart."


    Bart clasped his hand firmly, grinning. "Likewise, young man."


    Then, his expression turned slightly more serious. "Actually¡­ there¡¯s something else."


    Valerius raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"


    Bart chuckled. "Ever considered working for me? I¡¯ll pay you a top salary. With your skill in hunting, my business would thrive." He paused, then added, "I don¡¯t have any children to inherit my trade. If you¡¯re interested, I might even pass the business down to you one day."


    Draven, Grimwald, and Serephina all turned to Valerius in surprise.


    But Valerius only smiled slightly and shook his head. "I appreciate the offer, Mr. Bart, but I¡¯ll have to decline. I¡¯ve got my own path to follow."


    Bart let out a slow breath before nodding. "I figured as much. A shame, really." Then, he pulled out a pouch and tossed it to Valerius. The clink of metal inside confirmed its weight. "Here. That¡¯s your ten platinum coins. Don¡¯t worry about the corpse my men are already on their way to retrieve it."


    Valerius caught the pouch with ease, giving Bart a small nod. "Thanks."


    Bart grinned. "I hope our paths cross again, Valerius." With that, he turned and disappeared into the crowd.


    Grimwald exhaled, still trying to wrap his head around the situation. "What a considerate old man¡­ I thought all those big-time merchants were crooks, but he seemed pretty decent."


    Draven shrugged. "Yeah, he seems fair, but who knows? He could¡¯ve still undersold the monster¡¯s price."


    "Oh, come on, Draven," Serephina groaned. "Ten platinum coins is already a fortune. You could live comfortably for years on that!"


    Draven sighed. "Yeah, yeah, I get it." He turned to Valerius. "So? What do you plan on doing with all that money?"


    Valerius hummed in thought. "For now¡­ nothing. I don¡¯t have any major expenses, and I¡¯d rather not waste it. Guess I¡¯ll just find a decent inn and take things one step at a time."


    Grimwald groaned. "Boring."


    Valerius smirked. "I prefer to call it practical."


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Practical for now, at least. He wasn¡¯t about to tell them the real reason he''d need that money.


    "You¡¯re right. Let us find an inn the best one in town!" Serephina declared excitedly, practically bouncing on her feet.


    Valerius narrowed his eyes. "Wait¡­ us?"


    "Eh?" Serephina blinked innocently.


    "What do you mean ¡®eh¡¯?! You just said us. What¡¯s that supposed to mean?" Valerius asked, suspicion creeping into his voice.


    "Like I said, we¡¯re finding the best inn. You do have the money, right?" Serephina grinned.


    "Serephina, that¡¯s enough," Draven interrupted, rubbing his temples. "You can¡¯t expect him to pay for us when we didn¡¯t even help him earn that money." He turned to Valerius apologetically. "Sorry about that. She has a habit of chasing after comfort. She overstepped a bit."


    Valerius sighed, scratching his head. "Well¡­ it¡¯s true that you guys didn¡¯t help me hunt the monster, but you did suggest selling the corpse and even found me a buyer. That¡¯s worth something, right?" He crossed his arms. "I¡¯ll cover your stay and food while we¡¯re in Vihadi. What do you think?"


    Serephina¡¯s eyes lit up like a child who had just been handed a bag of sweets. "Seriously?! You¡¯re not joking, right?" she beamed, grabbing Valerius¡¯s hands.


    "Yeah, it¡¯s fine, so let go of my hands." He pulled away, shaking his head. "Let¡¯s find the best inn we can. Make sure it has a restaurant too."


    "Hell yeah! Leave it to me!" Serephina pumped her fist in the air. "This is my area of expertise finding the most comfortable places to stay!" She turned on her heel, hopping with excitement.


    The three men exchanged a look.


    Wasn''t she limping just a moment ago?


    "You guys wait here," Serephina called over her shoulder. "I¡¯ll come get you once I find it!" Then, she disappeared into the crowd.


    "Alright, while she¡¯s doing that, let¡¯s split up and see if there¡¯s anything useful to pick up in town."


    "Got it," Grimwald and Draven said before walking off.


    Valerius waited a moment, watching them disappear into the busy streets. Once he was sure they weren¡¯t looking, he quietly reached into his horse¡¯s saddlebag, pulled out a cloak, and draped it over himself, pulling the hood low over his face. He tied the horse to a nearby wooden post, then slipped away unnoticed.


    Moving through the streets like a shadow, Valerius stopped in front of a small shop, eyeing it from a distance like a predator stalking its prey. His stomach growled in anticipation. After a quick scan of his surroundings, he stepped inside.


    The scent hit him like a tidal wave.


    Meat. Bread. Stew. Spices.


    His mouth watered as he marched straight up to the counter, dug into his pocket, and slammed a gold coin down on the counter.


    "Bring me everything you have. Right now." His voice was serious, almost commanding.


    The shopkeeper nearly jumped out of his skin. "Y-Yes, sir! Right away!" He scrambled toward the kitchen, leaving Valerius to tap his fingers impatiently on the counter.


    Minutes later, a parade of steaming dishes arrived. Bowls of thick, aromatic stew. Plates of roasted meat glistening with juices. Loaves of fresh bread, still warm from the oven.


    "Haaah¡­" Valerius exhaled, inhaling the heavenly scent. "This is bliss." His stomach practically sang in anticipation. "Bring it all to me!"


    The shopkeeper stepped back cautiously. "Here you go, sir. We appreciate your patronage¡­"


    But Valerius wasn¡¯t listening anymore. He grabbed the first piece of meat, sank his teeth into it, and his eyes practically sparkled. The tender flesh melted in his mouth, the rich flavors bursting across his tongue.


    "Thank you for existing, Mr. Owner," he mumbled through a mouthful of food, tossing another gold coin onto the counter.


    The shopkeeper''s eyes widened. "S-Sir! One gold coin is already more than enough! But¡­ we¡¯ll gladly accept it. The staff will be going home with very full pockets tonight."


    Still, Valerius paid no attention. He was lost in pure satisfaction, devouring everything in front of him like a starving beast.


    And then


    A hand touched his shoulder.


    "Valerius?"


    His body stiffened. That voice¡­


    Slowly, he turned his head.


    Draven.


    Damn it. These guys took way too long to bring my food.


    Draven squinted at the hooded figure. "Is that you?"


    Valerius swallowed his food, cleared his throat, and tried to speak in a higher pitch. "No, you¡¯ve got the wrong person."


    Draven crossed his arms. "¡­Really?"


    "Yeah. Totally." Valerius kept his back turned.


    Draven sighed. "Look, you might have covered your head, but you didn¡¯t shrink overnight. You¡¯re not exactly small, Valerius." He reached forward and pulled the hood back.


    There he was.


    Mouth stuffed with food, cheeks puffed like a squirrel hoarding nuts, eyes darting between Draven and his plate.


    For a long moment, neither of them spoke.


    Draven blinked. "Oh¡­ Ohhh¡­ so¡­ I see¡­ right¡­"


    He took a slow step back.


    Valerius swallowed the huge bite with difficulty, still looking at Draven with wide, guilty eyes.


    Draven let out an awkward cough. "W-Well¡­ um¡­ it looks like I made a mistake. You are definitely not Valerius."


    He turned to leave.


    "Stop right there."


    Draven flinched as Valerius grabbed his wrist.


    "You saw it, didn¡¯t you?" Valerius said in a low voice.


    "Saw what? I don¡¯t know who you are," Draven stammered. "And that food looks really good, so I won¡¯t interrupt your meal. We¡¯ll, uh¡­ find our friend elsewhere."


    "Can you forget this happened?" Valerius asked, his expression filled with pure desperation.


    Draven hesitated. Then, he sighed. "O-Okay, fine. I won¡¯t say a word. I won¡¯t even tell the others. Just¡­ finish your meal. I¡¯ll wait outside."


    Valerius finally let go of his wrist. "Thanks." His expression softened.


    After finishing his feast, Valerius walked out, adjusting his cloak and wiping his mouth. His usual composed demeanor was back in place as he approached the others.


    "I found the inn!" Serephina announced excitedly. "You¡¯re going to love it!"


    Valerius nodded, then asked casually, "What about the food?"


    Draven stiffened.


    Didn¡¯t he just eat enough for ten people?! Draven screamed internally.


    Valerius, of course, was fully aware of what Draven was thinking but made sure to avoid his gaze.


    Serephina, oblivious to the entire situation, grinned. "Oh, don¡¯t worry. The inn has the best food in town!"


    Valerius let out a small hum of approval. "Alright then. Let¡¯s go."


    As they started walking toward the inn, Draven stayed silent.


    Meanwhile, Valerius smirked to himself.


    A victory, barely secured.

 Chapter -6: Coin, Comfort and Consequences

    As they made their way toward the inn, Valerius took in the sights of Vihadi. The streets glowed under the warm light of colorful lanterns, casting a lively atmosphere over the bustling town. Children ran past them, their laughter ringing through the air, while merchants enthusiastically called out their wares to eager customers. Even at this hour, business thrived. Among the sea of civilians, armored knights stood tall, their polished plate shining under the flickering lights.


    The city certainly has its charm, Valerius mused.


    "So, what did you guys do while I was gone?" Serephina asked, snapping him from his thoughts.


    Grimwald was the first to answer. "Me? I was looking around for monster-related artifacts and souvenirs. Thought I could pick up something interesting but, turns out, I¡¯m not rich enough to even look at them," he grumbled, crossing his arms.


    Serephina chuckled. "I could¡¯ve told you that."


    "What about you, Draven?"


    Draven straightened slightly, his expression unnaturally stiff. "Oh, me? Uh¡­ well, I checked out a few blacksmiths, talked to some knights to get a sense of the current affairs. Nothing much happening in town, really. Yep, that¡¯s it." He nodded to himself, looking way too guilty.


    Valerius, who had been watching him anxiously, finally exhaled in relief. At least he didn¡¯t spill the secret.


    "How about you, Valerius?" Grimwald turned to him.


    Valerius blinked, caught off guard. "Oh¡­ me? Ah¡­ nothing interesting." He rubbed the back of his neck. "You know, just the usual."


    Draven narrowed his eyes slightly.


    Valerius cleared his throat. "I did grab a piece of meat from a nearby shop. Pretty tasty, I have to say."


    Draven sighed internally. Yeah, right. A piece.


    After walking for a while, they arrived at their destination a grand inn with elegant wooden beams and warm lanterns glowing at the entrance.


    "Welcome!" The receptionist greeted them with a cheerful smile as they approached the counter.


    Serephina leaned in, whispering, "Let me do the talking."


    The men exchanged glances but ultimately let her handle it.


    "Hello!" Serephina said brightly. "We¡¯d like two rooms the best ones you have available."


    Valerius frowned. He quickly counted in his head. Two rooms?


    "Hey, Serephina," he whispered. "There are four of us. Why only two?"


    "Don¡¯t worry about it," she replied casually. "I and those idiots will share a room, and you¡¯ll get the other one."


    Valerius was stunned.


    What does she mean, ¡®those idiots¡¯ will share a room? She¡¯s a girl! With two guys?!


    His face grew hot from secondhand embarrassment just thinking about it.


    Draven noticed. "You okay, Valerius? You¡¯re turning red."


    "What do you mean, am I okay?! Of course I¡¯m not okay!" he hissed. "You¡¯re telling me you three are just going to share a room? Aren¡¯t you even a little ashamed?!"


    Draven blinked, then let out a small laugh. "Oh, that. Don¡¯t worry about it. We all grew up in the same orphanage we¡¯ve been sharing rooms since we were kids. It¡¯s normal for us." He clapped Valerius on the back.


    "I¡­ see." Valerius coughed, regaining his composure. "Well, if that¡¯s what you prefer, I don¡¯t mind. I could pay for four rooms if needed."


    Grimwald waved him off. "Nah, we can¡¯t impose on you more than we already have."


    "Alright then." Valerius let the matter go and turned back to the receptionist.


    Serephina returned from her negotiations. "All set! Two rooms 20 silver per night for each. That makes it 40 silver per night total," she said, looking at Valerius expectantly.


    "Alright, let me get the money." Valerius reached into his pocket and pulled out a single platinum coin, handing it to the receptionist.


    She froze.


    For several seconds, she just stared at the coin, her brain seemingly struggling to process what had just been placed in her hands.


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    "S¡­ Si¡­ Sir¡­ We cannot accept this," she stuttered.


    Valerius frowned. "What do you mean? This is a platinum coin."


    "That¡¯s exactly the problem, sir!" the receptionist said, suddenly looking very nervous. "There isn¡¯t a single inn in this town that would accept that kind of coin! It¡¯s too valuable for something as simple as room fees. And if word got out that we were holding even one of these, we¡¯d be a prime target for thieves! A single platinum coin is enough to fund this inn for six months! Please understand!"


    Valerius blinked. "Oh¡­ I didn¡¯t think about that." He scratched his head. "The thing is, all I have are platinum coins. I have ten of them."


    The receptionist¡¯s eyes widened in horror. "T-Ten platinum coins?!"


    Her voice echoed through the entire inn.


    The room went silent.


    Everyone in the restaurant turned to look at them.


    Murmurs broke out among the guests.


    "Did I hear that right? Ten platinum coins?!""That¡¯s insane! Who even carries that much?!""He must be a noble¡­ or something else."


    Even the trio was stunned, staring at the receptionist.


    "Hey! What do you think you¡¯re doing?!" Serephina snapped, lowering her voice. "What if someone follows us now to steal it?!"


    The receptionist immediately clamped her hands over her mouth, looking horrified. "I-I¡¯m so sorry! I didn¡¯t mean to shout! It just slipped out!"


    Valerius sighed. "It was an honest mistake. Forget it." He folded his arms. "So what now? Is there a place I can exchange these for gold?"


    The receptionist, still flustered, quickly nodded. "Y-Yes! You can go to the local bank and request a conversion. It might take them a day or two to process, but they¡¯re trustworthy. They¡¯ve been operating for over a hundred years."


    "I see. Thanks for letting me know."


    Draven rubbed his chin. "In that case, we don¡¯t have a way to pay right now. How about we cover the cost when we check out?"


    The receptionist hesitated. "Well¡­ that¡¯s a bit "


    "Oh, come on!" Serephina groaned. "After what you just did, don¡¯t you think we deserve at least that much? We¡¯re not even asking for a discount!"


    The receptionist immediately folded. "I-I understand! I¡¯ll allow it! Please enjoy your stay. Your rooms are numbers 2 and 3, on the first floor. Just take the stairs to your left."


    With that settled, they grabbed their keys and headed toward their rooms.


    Valerius took room 2, while the trio took room 3.


    Draven stretched as he turned to Valerius. "Alright, it¡¯s almost dinner time. Let¡¯s freshen up and meet at the restaurant in two hours."


    Valerius gave him a thumbs-up. "Got it."


    As Draven closed the door behind him, Valerius finally exhaled.


    Between secret feasts, shouting receptionists, and outrageous room arrangements, it had been a long day.


    Valerius stepped into his room and let himself fall back onto the bed with a sigh.


    "Oh¡­ that hits the spot," he muttered, stretching his arms out. "Sleeping on hard forest floors with nothing but a thin mattress has been hell lately."


    His body sank into the comfort of the sheets, exhaustion washing over him. I¡¯ll just catch some sleep and wake up in time for dinner, he thought before closing his eyes.


    A loud banging on his door woke him up.


    "Hey, Valerius! You there? It¡¯s dinner time."


    Valerius groggily opened his eyes, still half-asleep. Oh, is it time already? His stomach let out a loud growl, answering the question for him. Yeah¡­ definitely dinner time.


    Then, another realization hit him. How am I supposed to eat my usual amount in front of them?


    He had managed to keep his appetite hidden for most of the day, but now? Now he was in trouble. If he waited for them to finish and leave, the restaurant would close, and he¡¯d be left starving all night. He had no choice he¡¯d have to eat, and they¡¯d definitely notice.


    Sighing in defeat, he sat up, wiped his face, ran a hand through his long, messy hair, and made himself look somewhat presentable before heading to the door.


    As he opened it, Draven raised an eyebrow. "Oh, you were asleep? Sorry about that, but the receptionist said food won¡¯t be served after dinner hours, so I had to wake you up."


    Valerius shook his head. "Don¡¯t worry about it. I was just about to wake up anyway. Let¡¯s go."


    They made their way downstairs to the inn¡¯s restaurant. Most of the tables were empty now, the dinner rush long gone, leaving only a few lingering customers finishing their meals. They found an open table and sat down, settling in as Draven flagged down a server.


    "Good evening, sirs and madam," the server greeted them politely. "What would you like to order tonight?"


    Grimwald leaned forward. "What¡¯s the best dish you¡¯ve got?"


    "I¡¯d say the boar and beef meats are the highlights tonight," the server replied. "We did have some predator-class monster meat earlier, but it sold out an hour ago. Apologies for that it¡¯s quite rare, after all."


    As the others deliberated on their choices, Valerius was locked in his own internal struggle.


    Alright. No way around it. I just have to accept it I¡¯m going to look like a glutton tonight.


    His stomach growled again, the rich aromas around him making it unbearable to resist. He sighed, accepting his fate.


    "Hey, server," Valerius said, motioning the man to come closer.


    "Yes, sir?" The server bent down slightly to hear him better.


    Valerius leaned in and whispered, "Bring them whatever they order¡­ but for me? I need everything you have."


    The server blinked. "Excuse me?"


    "Shh! Keep it down!" Valerius quickly pulled him back and whispered again. "Just bring me everything, but not all at once, bring it out gradually."


    The server hesitated but eventually nodded. "U-Understood, sir," he said before walking off toward the kitchen.

 Chapter -7: The Queen鈥檚 Executioner

    A few minutes later, the food arrived. Plates of steaming meat, thick stews, and freshly baked bread were set before them, and the trio wasted no time digging in.


    "Now that¡¯s what I call a meal!" Grimwald grinned, leaning back in his chair as he rubbed his full stomach. "That first round was great. The stew¡¯s not half bad either." He let out a satisfied burp.


    "This is the best food I¡¯ve had in weeks," Serephina said, flashing a smile at Valerius before casually pulling him into a side embrace. "Thanks for this, Valerius!"


    "You¡¯re right," Draven agreed, cutting into his steak. "The meat is well-cooked. I¡¯m impressed."


    Meanwhile, Valerius who had the habit of inhaling his food was forcing himself to eat modestly, chewing slowly and keeping his movements controlled.


    Then round two arrived.


    By this point, the trio was nearly full. Maybe they had just enough room for dessert, but that was it.


    Valerius, on the other hand, showed no signs of slowing down.


    Then came round three.


    Grimwald and Serephina exchanged glances, now watching him with mild curiosity.


    Serephina leaned forward, resting her chin on her palm while looking at Valerius. He must¡¯ve been starving before we met, she thought. Makes sense. He fought a Lycan today, after all if we can call it a fight


    Then came round four. Round five. Round six.


    Serephina¡¯s curiosity turned into genuine concern.


    Wait¡­ hold on. Why is he still eating?


    How long was he starving?


    Even if he hadn¡¯t eaten for a week, there¡¯s no way a human being can eat this much.


    Grimwald finally spoke up. "Oi¡­ brother, how are you able to eat so much?"


    Valerius who had been blissfully lost in his meal suddenly froze.


    He turned his head toward the trio, cheeks puffed full of food like a guilty child caught stealing sweets. Slowly, he chewed and swallowed before meekly answering, "Uh¡­ three more rounds, I guess?"


    "THREE MORE?!" Serephina leaned forward, looking at him in shock. "How is that even possible?! You don¡¯t look like someone who eats like this. You¡¯re in shape! What are you?!"


    Draven, who had known the truth all along, could only smirk to himself. For the first time since they met, Valerius actually looked his age like a younger brother embarrassed by his quirks.


    Meanwhile, Valerius¡¯s face was rapidly turning red. He gripped his fork a little tighter, clearly uncomfortable.


    "W-Well¡­" he stammered. ¡°I don¡¯t have a choice. I have to eat this much just to function. I can¡¯t do it all the time, so I just eat what I can, when I can."


    Grimwald, oblivious to the tension, tilted his head. "Why do you need to eat so much anyway?"


    "Grimwald, drop it," Draven interrupted, sensing Valerius¡¯s growing embarrassment. "Serephina, you too. Let him eat in peace."


    "No, it¡¯s fine," Valerius sighed, "Now that it¡¯s out, I guess there¡¯s no way around it." He exhaled, regaining his composure.


    "I¡¯m¡­ different from you guys."


    Serephina leaned in, eyes narrowing with curiosity. "What do you mean by that?"


    Valerius met her gaze, while wiping the stew off his mouth.


    "You see I have insane mana reserves for a human, and I need a lot of food to sustain that. Even when I¡¯m doing nothing, my body constantly burns energy just to accommodate the amount of mana I have," Valerius said, still chewing, his mouth stuffed with food.


    Is he bragging right now? Serephina wondered, narrowing her eyes. But then again¡­ he might be telling the truth. He did say he could use all five elemental attributes. Even among prodigies, that was unheard of. But just how high were his mana reserves for him to need this much food? Her thoughts spiraled, unable to settle on an answer.


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    Several minutes passed, and Valerius finally leaned back, satisfied. He had been completely oblivious to the way the trio had been watching him throughout the meal, too focused on eating to notice their lingering stares.


    "Are you finally done?" Serephina asked, resting her chin on her palm. "If you are, then let¡¯s talk. I have a lot of questions for you."


    "Yeah, I¡¯m done," Valerius sighed, wiping his mouth. His stomach was full at last. Then, his brows furrowed. "Wait¡­ questions?"


    "It¡¯s nothing serious," Serephina said with a shrug. "Just a conversation to get to know each other. After all, aside from names, we barely know anything about one another."


    "I see." Valerius crossed his arms. "Well, I don¡¯t mind telling you a bit about myself."


    They stood up from the table, and Valerius washed his hands before heading toward the meeting area where the trio was already seated.


    "So? What is it you wanted to ask me?" Valerius said as he sat down, looking directly at Serephina.


    Her expression changed. Her usual playfulness was gone, replaced with something sharper. "First and foremost," she said, her tone firm and direct, "who are you?"


    Valerius blinked. "Hmm¡­. How should I answer that¡­?" He tapped his chin. "Let¡¯s see¡­ I¡¯m no one in particular. Just a normal twenty-year-old you happened to find on your way?" He gave a cheeky smile.


    "Now¡¯s not the time for jokes, Valerius," Serephina cut in, her tone unwavering. "You have insane mana reserves like you said. You can use all elemental attributes something that has never been recorded in human history. You killed a Lycan with your bare hands. You¡¯re practically the pinnacle of what a human can be. And¡­" She narrowed her eyes. "You look like nobility. Your posture, the way you carry yourself it¡¯s not something you pick up in a small village.


    "And yet, despite all that, we find you sleeping in forests, traveling alone on horseback, and casually dining with commoners while paying for them. If you were me, wouldn¡¯t you be curious about you?"


    Valerius held her gaze for a moment before exhaling. "Let¡¯s see¡­ who am I?" He repeated her question, this time to himself. His eyes softened slightly. "That¡¯s hard to answer. As far as I know, I was raised in a small village called Meran, on the outskirts of the Caelumir Kingdom. My parents were commoners. Not royalty, not nobility just ordinary people."


    Serephina watched him closely, searching his face for any sign of dishonesty. But there was nothing.


    "I see," she said, her voice a little less rigid than before. "Then how did you get this strong? You have to know that you¡¯re beyond human at this point."


    Valerius leaned back, his expression unreadable. "I trained for a while," he said simply. "And I got lucky during my mana ritual." His tone was casual, but the way he said lucky carried weight. "That¡¯s all there is to it."


    "That¡¯s all?" Serephina frowned, sensing he wasn¡¯t telling the full truth. But before she could press further, Valerius suddenly shifted the conversation.


    "What about you guys?" he asked. "What¡¯s your story? Why were you in the forest?"


    Serephina exchanged glances with Draven and Grimwald before shrugging. "Nothing special. We¡¯re just ordinary people you could find a hundred others like us in any city," she said. "We grew up in the same orphanage, so we¡¯ve always stuck together."


    "I see," Valerius mused. "So, you¡¯re from Caelumir, I assume? What are you doing all the way out here?"


    "Yeah, we¡¯re from Caelumir," Draven confirmed, stepping in to answer. "We¡¯re on our way to Aldoria to the capital, actually. We¡¯re looking for jobs. Either in a mercenary company or the military."


    "I heard Aldoria is recruiting wielders," Serephina added. "So we figured we¡¯d try our luck there. That¡¯s when we ran into you."


    Valerius nodded. "I see¡­ but we¡¯re still far from the capital. If you don¡¯t have money, how do you plan on making it there?"


    Grimwald scratched his head. "That¡¯s why we were gonna work as temporary hires here in Vihadi. Do some small jobs, make enough money, and then set out again. But fortunately¡­" He grinned. "We met you."


    Valerius smirked slightly. "I see. That makes sense."


    Draven tilted his head. "What about you? You said you¡¯re from Meran, so what are you doing out here? Where are you headed?"


    "Same as you," Valerius replied. "I¡¯m going to the capital."


    Draven¡¯s eyebrows lifted. "Really? What for?" His expression shifted into a knowing smirk. "Let me guess you want to become a military commander? A royal guard, maybe? With your strength, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the capital treasures you."


    Valerius¡¯s gaze lowered slightly. "You¡¯re wrong about that."


    Draven blinked. "Huh?"


    "I¡¯m not going to the capital for something noble like that."


    Something about the way he said it sent a small chill down Draven¡¯s spine. His instincts told him this was bad.


    "Then why are you going?"


    Valerius lifted his gaze, his expression blank but there was something unsettling about the way the corners of his lips curved into a faint smile.


    "I¡¯m going to kill the Queen."


    Silence.


    Serephina, Grimwald, and Draven froze in place.


    Valerius¡¯s voice was calm, almost too calm. "Selene Drakaris," he said, her name rolling off his tongue as if he had rehearsed it a thousand times.


    Draven¡¯s fists clenched. His gut feeling had been right.


    Serephina leaned forward slightly, searching his face. "You¡¯re joking, right?"


    Valerius¡¯s smirk remained, but his eyes told a different story.

 Chapter - 8: A Strangers Offer

    Silence crept across the room. The trio stared at Valerius, their eyes wide in shock. They exchanged glances before looking back at him, as if waiting for him to laugh and tell them it was all a joke.


    But Valerius only kept smirking, watching their tense expressions with amusement.


    ¡°Y-You¡¯re kidding, r-right?¡± Serephina stammered, her earlier confidence stripped away, leaving only uncertainty and fear in her voice.


    ¡°Tell me you¡¯re joking,¡± Grimwald added, his face pale.


    Valerius sighed and slowly let the smirk fade.


    ¡°Well¡­ isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± He leaned back and chuckled. ¡°Ha ha ha! What kind of idiot would announce he¡¯s going to kill the queen if he actually meant it?¡±


    Grimwald let out a loud, nervous laugh. ¡°Ha ha! Damn it, brother! Don¡¯t joke around like that I almost pissed myself for a second!¡±


    Draven, however, wasn¡¯t laughing. His instincts screamed at him that something was wrong. His gut told him that Valerius hadn¡¯t been joking at least, not entirely.


    What if it¡¯s true? Draven thought. What if he really does plan to kill the queen?


    A man who could kill a Lycan with his bare hands, a man who has insane mana reserves, a man who is blessed with all the elemental attributes, wouldn¡¯t have much trouble tearing through the capital¡¯s defenses if he wanted to. If Valerius chose to, he could absolutely try it. The best challenge he could face is the captain commander of the Royal Guard Tiberius, who is said to be the strongest knight in the continent.


    But why?


    ¡°Well, sorry, sorry. I was joking,¡± Valerius continued casually. ¡°I¡¯m actually going to meet a friend in the capital city, Velmora.¡±


    Serephina relaxed slightly. ¡°I see. Well then, since we¡¯re all heading to the same destination, how about we accompany you? Traveling with people is more fun than going alone, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Draven¡¯s body tensed. Oh, Serephina, what have you done? He wanted to stop her, but the words were already out. This guy is bad news. He swallowed hard, hoping praying Valerius would decline.


    Valerius, of course, noticed Draven¡¯s tension.


    He chuckled. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t see why not! It was pretty boring traveling alone. Should be fun. Besides¡­ you don¡¯t even have money.¡±


    Draven clenched his jaw. Damn it.


    ¡°So it¡¯s decided, then?¡± Grimwald grinned. ¡°When do we leave?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡± Valerius rubbed his chin. ¡°I still need to visit the bank and exchange my coins. The pretty receptionist lady said it would take two or three days, so we¡¯ll leave after that.¡±


    Draven inhaled slowly, trying to think of a way out of this. ¡°Is that really okay? It¡¯s your money, after all. I¡¯d feel bad if you had to support three freeloaders.¡±


    Valerius waved him off. ¡°Nah, it¡¯s fine. Like I said, I don¡¯t mind.¡±


    Draven exhaled through his nose. I hope we don¡¯t get caught up in anything dangerous.


    As far as he could tell, Valerius had no ill intentions toward them. If he had, they wouldn¡¯t be here. He saved them, paid for their stay, and had shown no hostility. But¡­


    If what he said earlier was true¡­ we might be walking straight into a storm.


    ¡°Haa¡­ it¡¯s getting late,¡± Valerius said, stretching. ¡°How about we get some rest?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯ll ask the receptionist for some extra mattresses,¡± Serephina said, standing up. ¡°The bed isn¡¯t big enough for the three of us.¡±


    Valerius raised an eyebrow. So if it was big enough, you three would have just slept together?


    ¡°Well, do as you please. I¡¯m calling it a night. See you all at breakfast.¡± Valerius waved and started climbing the stairs.


    The trio waved back, and Serephina walked over to the counter.


    Inside his room, Valerius threw himself onto the bed with a groan. ¡°Why did I say that?¡± he muttered to himself. ¡°Now Draven¡¯s suspicious of me. But¡­ the other two aren¡¯t exactly bright, so I guess it¡¯s fine?¡±


    He sighed and rolled onto his side. ¡°Well, we¡¯ll see what happens.¡±


    Reaching toward the table lamp, he removed the mana crystal, dimming the room to darkness.


    The next morning, Valerius was greeted by another round of loud banging on his door.


    "Valerius! Wake up! It¡¯s already morning time for breakfast." Draven¡¯s voice was firm.


    Valerius groaned and sat up, rubbing his eyes. These guys are always up early. Do they not need rest?


    ¡°I¡¯ll be out in a minute,¡± he called back.


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll be in the restaurant. Don¡¯t take too long.¡±


    As their footsteps faded, Valerius yawned, stretched, and went to freshen up for the day.


    By the time he made his way downstairs, the rich scent of food filled the air. His long yellow hair was neatly tied back, and a subtle fragrance of rose and vanilla clung to him. As he entered the restaurant, heads turned his presence drawing quiet attention.


    Serephina was the first to speak. ¡°Oh, you finally came down? You took so long I think we aged waiting for you.¡±


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    ¡°Ah¡­ sorry. I was just freshening up a bit,¡± Valerius said, sitting down.


    Draven smirked.


    ¡°Welcome, sir. What would you like to have today? The usual?¡± the server asked.


    ¡°Yes, please,¡± Valerius said confidently, now that his secret was already out.


    ¡°So, when are you heading to the bank?¡± Draven asked.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Valerius thought for a moment. ¡°Probably after breakfast. Might look around town for a bit first, though.¡±


    ¡°I see. So, how long do you think it¡¯ll take to reach the capital?¡±


    ¡°Well, we¡¯re not exactly in a rush,¡± Valerius said, tearing into his meat. ¡°I¡¯d say a month, maybe. Let¡¯s take our time, enjoy the scenery. We¡¯ve got plenty of money, so there¡¯s no need to hurry.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Draven said, leaning back. ¡°And who knows? We might even pick up some jobs along the way. That way, you can finally get rid of us.¡±


    Valerius smirked at the hidden message in his words but didn¡¯t respond.


    "Hello!"


    A soft, melodic voice interrupted their conversation. It was a woman¡¯s voice gentle, almost angelic.


    Valerius turned, his gaze landing on the source of the voice.


    A woman stood before them, her presence almost ethereal. She had soft, cascading hair that framed a delicate face, and her bright green eyes shimmered like polished gems. Her beauty was breathtaking enough to make Draven and Grimwald momentarily forget how to breathe.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t help but overhear,¡± she said with a polite smile. ¡°You¡¯re heading to the capital, correct?¡±


    Valerius narrowed his eyes slightly. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. What of it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Coleen. Coleen Kanner,¡± she introduced herself, pulling out a chair and sitting down without waiting for an invitation. ¡°I have business in the capital as well. I¡¯m traveling alone, so I was wondering would it be alright if I accompanied you?¡±


    Draven and Grimwald were still too entranced to answer.


    Serephina, on the other hand, rolled her eyes before pinching both of their thighs.


    The two men yelped in unison, snapping out of their daze.


    Valerius, unfazed, kept his gaze on Coleen.


    ¡°You don¡¯t even know us,¡± he pointed out. ¡°And yet, you¡¯re asking if you can join us? Doesn¡¯t that sound a bit suspicious to you?¡±


    "It is true that I may seem a bit suspicious approaching you like this, but I do have a good reason," Coleen said, looking directly at Valerius. "I want to get to Velmora safely, and I originally planned on hiring mercenaries. But¡­ as a young, beautiful woman traveling alone, I can¡¯t exactly trust random sellswords, can I?"


    Valerius cringed internally. It¡¯s true she¡¯s pretty, but calling herself a damsel in distress is a bit¡­


    "Well, I don¡¯t mind, as long as you can pull your weight," he said nonchalantly.


    "Yay! Thank you so much for your consideration, Mr¡­?" Coleen tilted her head.


    "Oh, I¡¯m Valerius. Valerius Darkridge." He motioned toward the others. "And these guys are Draven, Grimwald, and Serephina."


    The trio gave small waves in the order of their names, still processing how quickly Coleen had inserted herself into their group.


    "It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you all. I hope we can get along on our journey," Coleen said politely.


    Before anyone else could speak, she continued, "I actually have a proposal. Yesterday, I overheard you talking to the receptionist about exchanging your platinum coins at the bank since you don¡¯t have enough gold on hand. How about this? I¡¯ll cover all your food and lodging while we¡¯re here as a token of thanks for letting me travel with you."


    Valerius chewed slowly, his expression unreadable. That¡¯s a lie. She wasn¡¯t here yesterday. More importantly, her mana was dense easily that of a Master-level wielder. But for some reason, he didn¡¯t recognize it. Normally, he had a sharp memory for the mana signatures of powerful people he had encountered, but hers was completely unfamiliar.


    Still, he didn¡¯t let any of his thoughts show. "I don¡¯t mind," he said casually, swallowing his bite. He glanced at the others. "What about you guys?"


    "What about us? It¡¯s your money you should decide," Serephina said.


    "Alright. Then I¡¯ll accept. Thanks it saves us a lot of time. Since we don¡¯t need to wait for the conversion, we can leave as soon as we¡¯re ready," Valerius said, licking the last of the stew from his fingers.


    Can you be less disgusting? the trio thought in unison.


    "Guys, I think we¡¯re overlooking something," Grimwald said, raising his hand.


    "What is it, Grim?" Draven asked.


    "How exactly are we getting to the capital?" Grimwald said, his face blank.


    "Isn¡¯t it obvious? We¡¯ll go by hor " Serephina started, then stopped herself mid-sentence.


    "Exactly." Grimwald sighed. "We don¡¯t have horses. We were supposed to buy them after working in Vihadi, but¡­ well, that plan¡¯s gone now."


    Draven let out a deep breath. "So what do we do? Should we part ways here?"


    "That won¡¯t be necessary," Coleen interjected. "I have enough money. A decent horse costs around two gold, so three would cost six. I¡¯ll cover the cost, and you can pay me back when we reach the capital."


    The trio stared at her.


    What¡¯s with all the charity lately? They thought in unison.


    "If you¡¯re fine with it, I don¡¯t mind," Valerius said, leaning back. "It¡¯d be faster if we all had our own horses."


    "Ms. Coleen, you really saved us today," Draven said, his voice unusually sincere. "I won¡¯t forget this favor. I¡¯ll make sure to pay you back every coin and more."


    Meanwhile, Valerius finished his breakfast, which, while not as excessive as last night¡¯s feast, was still far heavier than a normal person¡¯s meal.


    "Server," Valerius called out.


    A staff member hurried over. "Yes, sir. How may I help you?"


    "Can you pack enough food for ten portions by this afternoon?"


    The server blinked. "T-Ten portions?"


    "Yes. Is that possible?"


    "Y-Yes, sir! I¡¯ll let you know once it¡¯s ready. Thank you," the server said before rushing off to the kitchen.


    Valerius turned back to the others. "You guys should order what you want, too."


    Serephina tilted her head slightly, watching him. Was that entire order just for him? It wasn¡¯t surprising at this point, but it was still funny.


    The group ordered two or three portions each, but as the server left, Valerius turned to Coleen. "I feel bad putting everything on your tab. Do you have a hundred gold coins?"


    "Yes, I do, but why? I told you I¡¯d pay for everything," Coleen insisted.


    "You can cover for them, but let me pay for myself," Valerius said, his tone firm.


    Coleen smiled. "No, let me pay for you. You can get your coins exchanged in the next town, and if it really bothers you, you can pay me back then."


    "It¡¯s not that it bothers me, but I do feel a little guilty¡­" Valerius sighed, then gave a small shrug. "Alright, fine. Have it your way."


    "Great," Draven said, standing up. "Let¡¯s split up for now. Valerius, you and Serephina wait here for the food. Grim and I will go with Ms. Coleen to buy the horses."


    "Sounds good," Valerius said, getting up. "I¡¯ll be in my room. Knock if you need anything," he added, looking at Serephina as he climbed the stairs.


    She waved lazily. "Got it."


    Draven, Grimwald, and Coleen left the inn and made their way toward the horse stables.

 Chapter - 9: The Road to Vulan

    After asking around, Draven found the location of the stable and led the others there.


    "I was told it''s around here somewhere," Draven said, scanning the area.


    "Oh, is that it?" Grimwald pointed toward a wooden stable with several horses roaming freely in the front.


    "Looks like it. Let''s go."


    The trio approached the stable, and as they neared the entrance, Draven signaled for the others to wait outside while he went to the counter.


    "Good morning," Draven greeted the receptionist, a young woman who was sorting through a stack of papers.


    She looked up at him with a polite smile. "Good morning, sir. What brings you here today?"


    "We''re looking to buy some horses. Are they available?" Draven asked.


    "Of course, sir. What will you be using them for?"


    Draven blinked. "Sorry?"


    The receptionist clarified, "I mean, are they for travel? Work? Hunting?"


    "Oh! Just for travel, nothing else," Draven quickly answered.


    "Understood. We have a selection that might suit your needs. Please follow me."


    Draven turned and gestured for Grimwald and Coleen to join him inside.


    The receptionist led them to an open stable area, where two neat rows of horses stood. Some pawed at the dirt restlessly, while others stood calmly, watching the newcomers with mild curiosity.


    "As you can see, this first row consists of horses bred specifically for long-distance travel. They can carry a rider and their belongings with ease," she explained, gesturing toward the animals. "The second row is for workhorses, capable of pulling carts and carrying heavier loads. Since you¡¯re looking for three horses for three people, I assume you''re interested in the first type?"


    "That¡¯s right," Draven nodded. "How much do they cost?"


    "Two gold per horse, so three would come to six gold in total," the receptionist replied.


    Draven frowned slightly. "Come on, can''t we lower that a bit? How about five gold for all three?"


    "I''m sorry, sir, but I don¡¯t have the authority to reduce the price by that much. The best I can do is five gold and seventy-five silver."


    Draven clicked his tongue, pretending to consider the offer. "How about five gold and twenty-five silver? One of these horses is a bit smaller than the others, after all."


    The receptionist hesitated, then nodded. "Alright, sir. Let¡¯s settle on five gold and fifty silver."


    Draven turned to Coleen. "That sound good?"


    "Yeah, that works," she replied, pulling out a small pouch of coins. She handed it to the receptionist, who carefully counted each piece before nodding in satisfaction.


    "That¡¯s everything. Please follow me to pick your horses."


    They walked along the first row, selecting their preferred mounts. Grimwald went for a chestnut-colored horse with a sturdy build, Draven chose a dark brown one with a sleek frame, and Coleen picked a gray mare with sharp eyes.


    "As a special gift for our first-time customers, we¡¯re including saddles free of charge," the receptionist added with a smile.


    "Oh wow, that¡¯s really generous. Thank you, Miss Receptionist!" Grimwald said, genuinely impressed.


    "It¡¯s nothing, sir. Thank you for your business. Please visit again!"


    The trio waved as they led their horses out of the stable.


    "What a cool lady," Grimwald said as they walked back toward the inn.


    "Yeah, she was professional. Not bad at negotiating either," Draven admitted.


    "Would you like to try riding them now or wait until we set off?"


    "I say we wait," Grimwald replied, keeping a steady grip on his horse''s leash.


    After a short walk, they reached the inn, tied their horses outside, and stepped inside. As they entered the common area, they spotted Serephina and Valerius sitting at a table, chatting. The two waved as soon as they saw them.


    "Did you get the horses?" Serephina asked excitedly.


    "Yep," Draven nodded. "The lady was generous and even threw in saddles for us."


    "That¡¯s great. The food¡¯s been packed, and we¡¯re all set to leave," Valerius said. "When do we head out?"


    "How about we meet here in an hour?" Serephina suggested.


    Everyone nodded in agreement before heading to their rooms to pack.


    An hour later, they gathered in the lobby.


    "So, everyone¡¯s ready?" Valerius asked, glancing over them. "Let¡¯s check out, settle the bill, and get moving. We should find a good spot to camp before nightfall."


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯ll handle it,¡± Serephina said before turning to Coleen. ¡°Ms. Coleen, come with me.¡±


    Coleen followed her to the counter.


    ¡°Hello, we¡¯d like to check out.¡±


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    The receptionist, upon looking up, recognized them instantly. ¡°Oh, hello, madam. Wait you¡¯re the ones who checked in yesterday evening, right? Did you manage to convert your platinum coins?¡± she asked curiously.


    Serephina scoffed. ¡°Oh, that? No need. We found someone willing to cover for us. Just check us out.¡±


    The receptionist¡¯s smile twitched slightly. ¡°I see¡­ Well, even though you didn¡¯t stay a full 24 hours, our policy states that you¡¯ll need to pay for the entire day.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine, just get on with it,¡± Serephina said, waving her hand dismissively.


    ¡°Alright, madam.¡± The receptionist shuffled through the ledger before listing the charges. ¡°The total comes to 40 silver for both rooms for one night. As for the meals including yesterday¡¯s dinner, today¡¯s breakfast, and the packaged order it amounts to 95 silver.¡±


    ¡°What?! Ninety-five silver? Are you kidding me?¡± Serephina¡¯s voice shot up.


    Draven quickly stepped in before she could explode further. ¡°Serephina, calm down. We did eat a lot. It¡¯s reasonable. Please don¡¯t mind her, miss. Ms. Coleen, if you would¡­¡±


    Coleen nodded and handed over the coins without complaint.


    ¡°Thank you for your patronage, madam and sirs,¡± the receptionist said, bowing slightly.


    As the group left with their packed supplies, the receptionist watched them go, her polite smile slowly fading into exhaustion.


    Finally, they¡¯re gone. She exhaled, rubbing her forehead. What was that woman¡¯s problem, anyway? Acting all high and mighty while living off someone else¡¯s coin¡­


    Outside the inn, the group secured their packages onto their horses before mounting up. They rode through the streets of Vihadi until they reached the outskirts of town.


    Just as they were about to fully leave, Grimwald abruptly pulled his reins. ¡°Wait! We forgot something!¡±


    The others slowed to a stop.


    ¡°What now, Grim?¡± Serephina groaned. She had only just gotten used to riding, and stopping so suddenly threw her off balance.


    ¡°The Lycan! We killed it, but we never went to the city head to claim a reward for saving the town,¡± Grimwald reminded them.


    Draven sighed. ¡°Grim, you idiot. How exactly are we supposed to prove we killed it? We already sold the corpse to the merchant. We don¡¯t have the rights to that corpse anymore. Even if we tried, those misers would pay us next to nothing now that it¡¯s done.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s just move on and leave Vihadi behind,¡± Valerius said, urging his horse forward.


    They continued riding for a while before Coleen pulled out a map. ¡°Everyone, may I have your attention for a moment?¡±


    ¡°What is it, Ms. Coleen?¡± Draven asked.


    She pointed at a section on the map. ¡°The next town on our route is called Vulan. It¡¯s not as big as Vihadi, but it¡¯s a good place to stop for a day or two if needed.¡± She traced her finger along the road. ¡°To reach it, we¡¯ll need to take a left at the next fork in the path.¡±


    Valerius nodded. ¡°Good to know. Thanks for letting us know.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a godsend, Ms. Coleen,¡± Grimwald said excitedly.


    Coleen smiled. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Also, please just call me Coleen. No need for honorifics. If you all call each other by name and I¡¯m the only one being addressed formally, it feels a little alienating.¡±


    Draven and Grimwald visibly reacted, their hearts skipping a beat at her charming tone.


    Serephina rolled her eyes. These guys are practically drooling at the sight of a pretty woman.


    She sighed. Why can¡¯t they be like Valerius? The only thing that can get his mouth watering is food.


    They rode for several more hours until the sun began to set. Coleen studied the map again, searching for a suitable campsite. ¡°There should be one nearby,¡± she said.


    A few minutes later, they arrived at a small clearing surrounded by trees. A nearby stream provided fresh water, and the location was both concealed enough for safety and open enough to set up camp comfortably.


    ¡°This should do,¡± Coleen said.


    ¡°It¡¯s perfect,¡± Valerius agreed, scanning the area. ¡°Not too cramped, not too open. Doesn¡¯t seem to be many monsters around either. And to top it off there¡¯s a river nearby¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s set up camp and get ready for dinner,¡± Grimwald suggested.


    They began unpacking and pitching their tents. Draven, who finished first, started a fire to fight off the evening chill.


    ¡°It got cold fast,¡± Serephina muttered, pulling a thick cloth tightly around herself. ¡°Should¡¯ve bought fur clothing back in Vihadi.¡±


    Draven chuckled and patted the spot beside him. ¡°Come sit by the fire.¡±


    Without hesitation, Serephina sat beside him so close that she pulled him inside her blanket.


    Valerius watched them, his brow twitching slightly. And they¡¯re supposed to be childhood friends? Is that how they act?


    Gradually, everyone gathered around the fire.


    Grimwald stretched his arms. ¡°How about we share stories? It¡¯ll make for some interesting conversation. We¡¯ve got nothing else to do, and it¡¯s too early to sleep or eat.¡±


    ¡°That sounds fun,¡± Coleen agreed. ¡°Since I haven¡¯t properly introduced myself yet, I¡¯ll go first.¡±


    Draven nodded. ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°For the second time,¡± Coleen said with a playful smile, ¡°I¡¯m Coleen Kanner. I¡¯m 22 years old. I¡¯m traveling to the capital to meet a merchant for a trade deal involving my family¡¯s blacksmith business. I specialize in archery, and my attribute is wind, as you can probably tell from my green eyes.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Grimwald perked up. ¡°Your family runs a blacksmithing business?¡±


    Coleen nodded. ¡°Yes, but unfortunately, I wasn¡¯t skilled enough to follow in their footsteps. However, I did have talent in combat, so I took on the role of handling trade negotiations on behalf of my parents. I travel every now and then to secure deals and ensure our business thrives.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s actually really admirable,¡± Draven said, genuinely impressed.


    "Well, that was a nice introduction," Grimwald said. "Now, let¡¯s move on to Valerius!"


    Valerius raised an eyebrow. ¡°Wait, what? I already introduced myself earlier.¡±


    ¡°You did,¡± Draven admitted, ¡°but this is different. We want to hear a story from your experience.¡±


    Valerius crossed his arms. ¡°Hmm¡­ What should I talk about?¡±


    Grimwald suddenly grinned. ¡°How about this you¡¯re ridiculously strong, right? But have you ever lost a fight? You¡¯re only twenty, and at this level, I doubt anyone in your hometown could¡¯ve even come close to matching you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true, I lost a lot of fights while training,¡± Valerius said, shaking his head.


    ¡°Oh, come on. I mean training spars don¡¯t count. Serious fights,¡± Serephina clarified.


    Valerius hesitated for a moment before speaking. His fingers twitched slightly. He hadn¡¯t thought of that fight in a long time. ¡°Alright, in that case¡­ yeah. I lost a serious fight once. About two years ago.¡±


    The mood around the campfire shifted slightly.


    ¡°I was beaten badly and left to die,¡± Valerius continued, his voice quieter. ¡°The guy who attacked me didn¡¯t even think I was worth finishing off.¡±


    Serephina, Grimwald, and Draven were stunned into silence.


    For the first time, Valerius wasn¡¯t speaking with his usual confidence. His expression wasn¡¯t one of annoyance or amusement it was unreadable. The wounds left on his body from that fight were healed, but the ones left on his heart remained.

 Chapter - 10: Stories by the Fire

    ¡°If it was two years ago, you couldn¡¯t have been that weak either, right? Was he a knight of the Royal Guard?¡± Draven asked, his voice serious.


    ¡°No, he wasn¡¯t,¡± Valerius said, shaking his head. He hesitated for a moment before continuing, ¡°I don¡¯t know how to explain it, but his mana¡­ it was different from a human¡¯s.¡±


    The group remained silent, only the occasional crackling of the flames breaking the stillness.


    ¡°That night,¡± Valerius began, his gaze distant, ¡°I was coming back from a training session. I was tired, my body sore, but as I approached my home, I sensed something dense, ominous mana. Mana that didn¡¯t belong to a human.¡± His fingers curled slightly, as if recalling the unease of that moment.


    ¡°The only way I can describe it¡­ it was the mana of a monster. Easily cataclysm-class in sheer intensity. But it wasn¡¯t rampant like a monster¡¯s mana. It was controlled refined, like a human¡¯s.¡± Valerius exhaled. ¡°I couldn¡¯t believe what I was sensing. It was neither human nor monster. So what the hell was it?¡±


    Grimwald, sitting cross-legged, scratched his chin. ¡°Neither a human nor a monster, huh? That does sound tricky. But I¡¯m assuming you went to check it out, right? Since you said you lost.¡±


    Valerius nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. Curiosity got the best of me.¡± His voice darkened. ¡°I found him in no time. But¡­ he was waiting for me.¡±


    The air around the campfire grew heavier.


    ¡°He was human,¡± Valerius continued. ¡°At least, he looked human. But the moment I got close, the feeling of his mana became overwhelming. It was nauseating. My instincts were screaming at me to run. To get as far away as possible.¡± His fingers tightened around his knee. ¡°But I couldn¡¯t. I wouldn¡¯t. He was too close to my home. If I ran, what if he came back? What if he attacked when I wasn¡¯t there to stop him?¡±


    Draven leaned forward slightly. ¡°So? What do you think he was? A monster that can transform into a human?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know for sure,¡± Valerius admitted. ¡°But he was human. At least, in form. But he felt¡­ wrong. As if he wasn¡¯t from this world.¡±


    Serephina furrowed her brows. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°His movements, his weapon everything about his combat style was unlike anything I had ever seen.¡± Valerius glanced down at his hands. ¡°His weapon could transform. It turned into chains chains that stretched endlessly, striking from every angle. There was no way to fight him in close combat. The moment I entered his range, I was already caught.¡±


    The others listened in tense silence.


    ¡°I did everything I could to counter him, but in the end, it didn¡¯t matter. His chains wrapped around my leg, and before I could even react, I was thrown tossed around like a ragdoll.¡± Valerius scoffed at himself. ¡°I barely had time to register the pain. My ribs shattered. My head cracked open. My body my entire being was completely overwhelmed.¡±


    He took a slow breath. ¡°I was on the brink of death. The last thing I remember was him standing over me¡­ laughing.¡±


    Grimwald¡¯s jaw tightened. ¡°Brother¡­ what kind of inhuman bastard does that to someone?¡±


    Serephina crossed her arms. ¡°And you¡¯re sure he was human?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m positive.¡±


    Draven, arms folded, was still trying to process everything. ¡°If your injuries were that bad¡­ how did you survive? Did someone find you? Did someone use Vitalis on you?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Valerius said flatly. ¡°I didn¡¯t need Vitalis.¡±


    Draven and Grimwald exchanged glances.


    ¡°My body heals quickly. Very quickly. It¡¯s like having a high-grade Vitalis supplement permanently working inside me,¡± Valerius explained. ¡°I was unconscious for a day, but after that, my wounds had already started closing. By the second day, I was back on my feet.¡±


    Serephina¡¯s eyes widened slightly. ¡°That level of regeneration¡­ The injuries you described should¡¯ve killed you. At best, you¡¯d need a high-grade Vitalis just to survive.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just how I am,¡± Valerius shrugged. ¡°Ever since my mana ritual, my body has been like this. No matter how much I push myself, no matter how much damage I take, I recover fast.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s insane,¡± Serephina muttered. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of anything like it. It¡¯s unfair.¡±


    ¡°I thought the same thing,¡± Valerius admitted. ¡°But after that fight, I realized it wasn¡¯t enough.¡±


    The weight behind his words silenced the group.


    Draven finally spoke up. ¡°What did you do afterward?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t go home.¡± Valerius exhaled through his nose. ¡°For a week, I trained. I trained harder than ever before. Every second I was awake, I fought against that humiliation, that helplessness.¡± His grip on his knee tightened. ¡°I refused to be that weak again.¡±


    Serephina studied him carefully. There was something different about the way Valerius spoke of this. This wasn¡¯t just another fight he had lost this was something that had changed him.


    ¡°¡­You still want revenge, don¡¯t you?¡± she asked.


    Valerius looked into the fire. ¡°More than anything.¡±


    Grimwald let out a long breath. ¡°Well¡­ damn.¡±


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    The fire crackled between them, the silence heavy.


    After a moment, Draven cleared his throat. ¡°You know, I¡¯ve always wondered¡­ how does Vitalis even work? I¡¯ve never actually seen one.¡±


    ¡°Me neither,¡± Grimwald admitted. ¡°Draven and I never had a reason to use it, but Serephina, didn¡¯t you see one when you were training under that mage?¡±


    Serephina blinked, caught off guard by the sudden topic shift. ¡°Oh? Uh¡­ yeah, I did.¡±


    Grimwald leaned forward. ¡°So? Explain it to us, Miss Mage.¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know for sure either,¡± Serephina admitted, scratching her head. ¡°My master just said you inject it into your body, and bam you heal.¡±


    Grimwald frowned. ¡°That makes no sense. How does Vitalis even know what to heal?¡±


    ¡°Valerius, do you know anything about how it works?¡± Draven asked.


    Valerius shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ve only seen it a few times, but I never needed it myself, so I never really paid attention.¡± He leaned back slightly. ¡°Now that I think about it, I am curious. Maybe we can find someone in Vulan who can explain it.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary,¡± Coleen interjected.


    The group turned toward her.


    ¡°My father is friends with someone from the organization that produces Vitalis. I asked him once how it works,¡± she explained.


    Grimwald¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Ooh, now this sounds interesting. Go on.¡±


    Coleen nodded. ¡°The fundamental material of Vitalis is the sap of the World Tree, Yggdrasill the same tree whose fruit we eat to awaken our mana and attributes. It¡¯s called the Mother of Mana. The sap that flows through it is extracted using specialized techniques, then processed and stored inside Vitalis containers.¡±


    Grimwald whistled. ¡°That¡¯s insane.¡±


    Serephina leaned in slightly. ¡°Keep going.¡±


    ¡°When someone wants to use Vitalis,¡± Coleen continued, ¡°they press their hand or any part of their body onto a tiny needle at the base of the container. This needle extracts a drop or two of their blood, which then mixes with the processed sap. That sap adapts to the user¡¯s mana signature, effectively turning into their liquid mana. Once injected, the adapted mana spreads through the body and restores it to the exact state it was in 24 hours ago.¡±


    Serephina blinked. ¡°Wait, wait time out. What does that even mean?¡±


    Coleen smirked slightly. ¡°I¡¯ll explain.¡± She raised three fingers. ¡°There are three grades of Vitalis low-tier, mid-tier, and high-tier.


    ¡°Low-tier can heal minor wounds scratches, small cuts, injuries that bleed but aren¡¯t life-threatening.


    ¡°Mid-tier is stronger it¡¯s used for deep wounds, like sword slashes or arrow injuries, that could leave permanent scars or long-term damage.


    ¡°And then there¡¯s high-tier the strongest type. It can regenerate lost limbs, repair internal organs, and even bring someone back from the brink of death.¡±


    The group listened in awe.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Coleen added, ¡°high-tier Vitalis is extremely rare and expensive. It can regenerate arms, legs even an entire lung if necessary.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s crazy,¡± Draven muttered.


    ¡°But there¡¯s a catch,¡± Coleen said, lowering her voice slightly. ¡°Vitalis can only heal injuries that occurred within 24 hours.¡±


    Grimwald furrowed his brows. ¡°What does that mean, exactly?¡±


    Coleen took a deep breath. ¡°According to ancient texts, the human body remembers its state from exactly one day prior. When injected, the liquid mana inside the Vitalis triggers this memory and restores the body to that previous state.


    ¡°But there¡¯s a limit. If someone loses multiple limbs or suffers from severe internal damage, they might need more than one high-grade Vitalis to fully recover.


    ¡°And because of the 24-hour restriction, Vitalis can¡¯t cure illnesses or diseases.¡±


    Serephina tilted her head. ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Because by the time a disease is noticed, it¡¯s already too late to reverse it within the 24-hour window.¡±


    The group absorbed the information in silence.


    Coleen continued, ¡°Technically, someone could extend their lifespan by using one high-grade Vitalis every day to reset their body to a previous, healthier state. But¡­¡± She sighed. ¡°High-tier Vitalis is heavily controlled by the Ministry of Mana. Only the richest nobles and those with powerful connections have the luxury of using it frequently.¡±


    As she finished, the campfire flickered, casting long shadows across the ground.


    The group just stared at her.


    ¡°Wow¡­¡± Draven exhaled. ¡°Isn¡¯t the human body amazing? And Vitalis just what kind of genius figured this all out? How did they even discover that our bodies ¡®remember¡¯ their state from 24 hours ago?¡±


    ¡°This world is full of mysteries, huh?¡± Grimwald muttered.


    A comfortable silence settled over them.


    After a few minutes, Grimwald stretched his arms. ¡°Well, it¡¯s gotten pretty dark. How about we eat, then get some rest?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m starving,¡± Serephina groaned.


    The group gathered their packed meals from earlier and started eating. Most of them only needed a portion or two.


    But Valerius? He finished three of his ten portions.


    Serephina smirked. ¡°What¡¯s this? You¡¯re holding back?¡± She nudged his shoulder playfully.


    Valerius scoffed. ¡°Like I said I don¡¯t eat like that all the time. I just eat what I can, when I can.¡± He gestured to the remaining food. ¡°I have to ration these, or I¡¯ll starve tomorrow.¡±


    He sighed. ¡°If I run out, I¡¯ll have to cook monster meat and trust me, that stuff¡¯s not as tasty.¡±


    Serephina chuckled. ¡°Well, we should reach Vulan in a week. Hold out until then, and we¡¯ll feast once we get there.¡± She slapped his back lightly before leaning back.


    One by one, they finished their meals.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep watch,¡± Draven offered, standing up. ¡°You guys get some sleep. Someone can take over in four hours.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary,¡± Valerius said.


    Draven frowned. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Valerius leaned back against his saddle. ¡°I¡¯ll know if a monster comes near. My senses are sharp. Even if I¡¯m asleep, I promise I¡¯ll wake up before you do.¡±


    Draven studied him for a moment, then sighed. ¡°Fine. You haven¡¯t been wrong so far, so I¡¯ll trust you on this.¡± He lay down, stretching his arms behind his head.


    The group started telling jokes and lighthearted stories, the tension from earlier fading away. Eventually, exhaustion took over, and one by one, they drifted into sleep.


    Valerius remained still, eyes half-lidded, listening to the steady breathing of his new companions.


    This was their first time sharing a campsite together.


    They had no idea that this was only the beginning that their journey ahead would be far longer, far harder, and far more dangerous than any of them could have imagined.

 Chapter - 11: Magic, Mischief and a Morning Soak

    The next morning, Valerius was greeted by the sound of birds chirping and the soft glow of sunlight slipping through the thick canopy, striking his face. He blinked, groaning slightly before sitting up and stretching with a yawn.


    ¡°Oh, you finally woke up. Good morning,¡± Draven greeted from where he was crouched beside the fire, stirring a pot. ¡°You¡¯re the third one up.¡±


    Valerius rubbed his eyes. ¡°Good morning.¡± He glanced around, noticing Coleen was missing. ¡°So, Coleen¡¯s awake too, huh?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. She went to the marked river to freshen up before we set out,¡± Draven replied, still tending to the stew they had brought from the inn.


    ¡°I see.¡± Valerius stood up, rolling his shoulders. ¡°I¡¯ll go find her and wash up myself.¡±


    Draven looked up at him and frowned. ¡°Comb your hair it¡¯s a mess. And honestly, why don¡¯t you cut it? Isn¡¯t it getting too long?¡±


    Valerius absentmindedly ran a hand through his dark, unkempt locks. ¡°Well, yeah, it¡¯s a little annoying sometimes¡­ but I¡¯ve been growing it for years. At this point, it¡¯d feel weird cutting it off.¡±


    Draven sighed. ¡°Suit yourself. Just don¡¯t take too long. Heat up your stew when you get back.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± Valerius replied before heading toward the river, following the faint sound of running water.


    After a few minutes of walking, he pushed past the trees and found the river. The water shimmered under the morning sun, reflecting the sky above. As he stepped closer, something caught his eye.


    Coleen.


    She was partially submerged in the water, her long, damp hair slicked back, her head tilted slightly as she rubbed her arms. The sight made Valerius freeze. His eyes flicked to the riverbank, where her neatly folded clothes and undergarments rested on a rock.


    Oh.


    His body reacted instantly. Without making a sound, he turned on his heel and walked away immediately, his movements swift and silent.


    Back at the campsite, Draven raised an eyebrow as Valerius reappeared.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re back already? You got lost or something?¡±


    Valerius nodded without hesitation. ¡°Yes. I thought I¡¯d just wait for Coleen to come back and have her lead me instead.¡±


    Draven gave him a suspicious look but didn¡¯t question it further.


    A few minutes later, Coleen returned to the campsite, her hair damp but neatly tied back, looking refreshed. By now, the rest of the group was awake, rubbing sleep from their eyes.


    ¡°Good morning, everyone,¡± she greeted with a smile. ¡°I found a river nearby, but I have to warn you the water¡¯s cold.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Then I¡¯ll pass on washing up,¡± Serephina groaned, hugging her blanket.


    Coleen chuckled before turning to Valerius. ¡°Do you still want me to show you the way?¡±


    ¡°Yes, please,¡± Valerius replied.


    ¡°What about you two?¡± Coleen asked, looking at Grimwald and Draven.


    ¡°We¡¯ll come,¡± Draven said. ¡°It¡¯s too uncomfortable to travel without washing up. Cold water isn¡¯t a big deal.¡±


    ¡°Unlike someone who prefers comfort,¡± he added, smirking at Serephina.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, leave already,¡± she grumbled before flinging a small rock at Draven.


    With that, the group set off toward the river.


    Upon arriving, Coleen gestured toward the water. ¡°This is it. Take your time and freshen up. We have a long journey ahead.¡±


    ¡°Got it. Thanks,¡± Grimwald said, waving as Coleen turned back toward camp.


    The three men stood at the riverbank.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Draven sighed, already pulling his shirt off. ¡°Time to see how cold this water really is.¡±


    He kicked off his boots and stripped down to his underwear, visibly shivering before even stepping in.


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary,¡± Valerius said, stopping him.


    Draven paused mid-step. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Stand back and watch,¡± Valerius said simply.


    With a flick of his wrist, he placed his hand on the ground, channeling earth magic. The soil shifted, rising into a circular stone basin with a deep, wide center.


    Then, with another wave of his hand, fire mana erupted beneath the basin, heating the bottom. A thin layer of earth covered the flame, allowing controlled heat to seep into the stone. Finally, Valerius stretched out his palm, and water mana flowed from his fingertips, filling the basin to the brim.


    Within moments, the water began to sizzle.


    ¡°Ah, damn¡­ that¡¯s too hot,¡± Valerius muttered. He adjusted the earth layer, creating a buffer that reduced the heat¡¯s intensity.


    Draven and Grimwald stood there, mouths agape, their half-undressed bodies completely forgotten.


    ¡°¡­Are you serious?¡± Draven finally managed to say.


    They had mentally prepared themselves for a freezing morning dip, only for Valerius to casually create a hot bath big enough to fit ten people.


    ¡°It¡¯s ready,¡± Valerius said, stripping off his shirt. ¡°You can hop in.¡±


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    Draven let out a breath of disbelief. ¡°You really are full of surprises.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t he?!¡± Grimwald grinned. ¡°Brother, you¡¯re amazing. Thank you for this!¡±


    One by one, they got into the steaming water.


    ¡°Haa¡­ ohhh¡­ hmmph¡­¡± Both Draven and Grimwald groaned in unison, sinking into the warmth.


    Valerius smirked. ¡°Good?¡±


    ¡°This is perfect,¡± Grimwald practically melted into the bath. ¡°I¡¯ve never had a hot soak like this in my life. I feel like I could sleep here.¡±


    Draven let out a relaxed sigh. ¡°I take back every complaint I had about you. You can grow your damn hair out as much as you want. Ah¡­ This must be what heaven feels like. All the aches from sleeping on the forest floor with that flimsy mattress are just melting away¡±


    They stayed there for several minutes, completely absorbed in the comfort.


    Valerius, however, was growing restless. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we head back already?¡±


    ¡°Just a few more minutes,¡± Draven murmured, eyes still closed.


    ¡°They¡¯re going to be mad if we take too long,¡± Valerius warned.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. They¡¯ll get over it.¡± Draven waved him off.


    Meanwhile, back at the camp, Serephina and Coleen had finished packing up their things and were waiting for the men to return so they could eat.


    Serephina frowned, tapping her fingers against her thigh. ¡°What are they doing? Is the river really that enjoyable?¡±


    Coleen, who had been adjusting her boots, glanced up. ¡°It is odd. They should¡¯ve been back by now.¡±


    Serephina let out an exasperated sigh and lay back on her arms, looking up at the sky only to spot something unusual in the distance.


    ¡°¡­Hey, Coleen.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Is it just me, or is there white smoke coming from the direction of the river?¡±


    Coleen immediately stood up and followed Serephina¡¯s gaze. Sure enough, wisps of faint white smoke rose above the treetops.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Coleen said, narrowing her eyes. ¡°What are they doing? Did they light a fire to warm themselves after getting out of the river?¡±


    Serephina smirked. ¡°Let¡¯s check it out.¡±


    Coleen¡¯s expression stiffened. ¡°No, we shouldn¡¯t, Serephina. That¡¯s not right.¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be so uptight,¡± Serephina said, waving off her concerns. ¡°Draven and Grimwald won¡¯t care. And I¡¯m sure Valerius won¡¯t either.¡±


    Coleen frowned as Serephina grabbed her hand. ¡°It¡¯s still not right Serephina, wait ¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to come, I¡¯ll go myself,¡± Serephina declared.


    Coleen groaned. ¡°Ah, damn it¡­ Fine, let¡¯s go together.¡±


    ¡°See? That¡¯s the spirit.¡± Serephina grinned mischievously. ¡°Now shh, don¡¯t make any noise. Valerius is way too perceptive.¡±


    The two carefully made their way toward the river, sneaking through the trees with hushed footsteps.


    When they reached the tree line, they crouched down and peered through the leaves.


    They expected to see the guys shivering on the riverbank, struggling to warm themselves after bathing in the freezing water.


    What they actually saw stunned them beyond belief.


    The men weren¡¯t just warming up.


    They were soaking relaxing in a steaming hot bath.


    Draven and Grimwald looked like they were melting, their bodies half-submerged in the luxurious warmth.


    Serephina¡¯s mouth slowly fell open.


    ¡°¡­Those bastards are enjoying a hot water bath,¡± she muttered, her voice hollow, her expression devoid of life.


    Coleen, who had been watching Serephina¡¯s reaction, turned her attention to the scene and her face immediately mirrored Serephina¡¯s.


    ¡°¡­They are, aren¡¯t they?¡± Coleen whispered, stunned.


    They both rose from their crouch and stepped out of the trees, no longer bothering with secrecy.


    Back in the bath, Valerius who had been too comfortable to maintain full awareness suddenly sensed them.


    His head snapped up, and he saw them standing at the edge of the clearing, their deadpan expressions staring straight at him.


    ¡°¡­Um. Guys,¡± Valerius whispered.


    No response.


    He glanced at Draven and Grimwald, still blissfully unaware.


    ¡°Guys, wake up,¡± he hissed. ¡°We¡¯ve been caught.¡±


    Draven and Grimwald cracked their eyes open, only to be met with the sight of Serephina and Coleen staring at them like ghosts.


    ¡°¡­Ah. Damn it,¡± Grimwald muttered. ¡°Did we take too long?¡±


    ¡°We did,¡± Valerius sighed. ¡°That¡¯s why I said we should leave.¡±


    As Serephina and Coleen approached, Draven leaned toward the others and whispered, ¡°Let me handle this.¡±


    He straightened up, putting on a casual smile. ¡°Oh, Serephina! Perfect timing. We were actually waiting for you.¡±


    Serephina¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    ¡°You see,¡± Draven continued, ¡°Valerius just made this hot bath, and we were about to come back to call you both ¡±


    Before he could finish, Serephina dipped her hand into the water. She took a deep breath.


    And then


    ¡°YOU SELFISH BASTARDS!¡±


    Her scream was so loud that the birds in the trees flew away.


    Valerius winced, his enhanced senses taking the full force of the sound.


    ¡°How dare you keep this a secret from me?!¡± Serephina fumed. ¡°Do you know how much I was shivering last night?!¡±


    Valerius sighed, rubbing his temple. ¡°I can make another one if you want.¡±


    ¡°How long will it take?¡±


    ¡°Maybe ten minutes?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s too long I¡¯m joining this one.¡±


    Before Valerius could react, Serephina stripped down to her underwear and jumped in.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Valerius splashed water in her direction. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?! This is a men¡¯s bath!¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on,¡± Serephina said, rolling her eyes. ¡°We¡¯re all adults here, and we¡¯re in underwear. What¡¯s the problem?¡±


    Coleen, still standing at the edge, visibly hesitated.


    Serephina leaned back against the stone edge, sighing in pure satisfaction. ¡°Ohhh, this is perfect.¡± Then, with a teasing look, she turned to Coleen. ¡°What about you? You took a cold bath earlier wouldn¡¯t you love to warm up in here?¡±


    Coleen bit her lip. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know. It still feels embarrassing.¡±


    ¡°Too bad!¡± Serephina sang, stretching her arms lazily. ¡°You¡¯ll be missing out~.¡±


    Coleen hesitated for another moment. But as she watched them sink into the heavenly warmth, her resolve crumbled.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll join.¡±


    She quickly stripped down to her underwear and slid into the bath.


    Valerius, who had seen her almost naked earlier, turned his head instantly, feeling an unfamiliar heat rise to his face.


    An hour passed before the group finally got out of the bath.


    Valerius used his earth magic to bury the basin, covering any trace of their secret luxury. After drying off and getting dressed, they returned to camp, where they enjoyed a hot meal while chatting.


    Before they knew it, the sun had risen high, its golden rays shining brightly.


    Packing up their campsite, they mounted their horses.


    With fresh energy and full stomachs, they set off riding toward Vulan, unaware of what awaited them ahead.

 Chapter - 12: The Reaper Hunt

    The group had been traveling for five days, stopping here and there to rest, eat, and most importantly bathe. With each night, their once-harsh journey had turned into something to look forward to. They had become so accustomed to Valerius¡¯ hot baths that they expected one every time they camped.


    Now, just a day away from Vulan, they stopped before nightfall to rest their horses.


    Finding a shaded spot with a cool breeze, everyone settled in.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to find the next campsite and get a nice, steamy bath,¡± Serephina sighed, stretching her arms.


    ¡°Right?¡± Draven leaned back against a tree. ¡°Now I have something to look forward to every day.¡±


    Grimwald, who had been staring at Valerius for a while, suddenly spoke up.


    ¡°Brother, I have a question.¡±


    Valerius, half-lying on the grass, cracked one eye open. ¡°What?¡±


    Grimwald kept a straight face. ¡°If you¡¯re thirsty, can¡¯t you just¡­ generate water with your mana and drink it?¡±


    Silence.


    A deep, unsettling silence.


    Valerius sat up, staring at Grimwald as if he had just asked if sky was made of cheese.


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    ¡°I mean, think about it,¡± Grimwald continued, oblivious to everyone¡¯s horrified expressions. ¡°It makes sense, doesn¡¯t it? You use water magic, you create water. So why not ¡±


    Valerius immediately held up a hand. ¡°I understand the question. My question is why did you even think of this?¡±


    Grimwald shrugged. ¡°I was just thinking.¡±


    Valerius sighed.


    ¡°What?¡± Grimwald frowned. ¡°I thought it was a great idea.¡±


    Serephina turned to him, her face twisted in absolute disgust.


    ¡°You moron,¡± she said. ¡°If you were dying of thirst, would you drink your own pee?¡±


    Grimwald recoiled. ¡°Ew! No! Why the hell would I do that?!¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Serephina crossed her arms. ¡°Then why are you expecting him to drink water that he produced from his own mana?¡±


    Grimwald¡¯s expression shifted to pure horror. ¡°¡­Wait. Wait. Does that mean ¡± His eyes widened. ¡°Does that mean we¡¯ve been bathing in his pee this whole time?!¡±


    Serephina slapped her forehead. ¡°Oh, for god sakes of course not! That¡¯s just what it would feel like for the person who created it.¡±


    She sighed, shaking her head. ¡°Do you think you¡¯re the first idiot to have this thought? Trust me, so many morons before you have asked the exact same question.¡±


    She paused.


    ¡°¡­Of course, I was one of those morons,¡± she added meekly.


    Grimwald looked down, ashamed. ¡°Ah¡­ sorry, sorry. Didn¡¯t mean to make things weird.¡±


    The group let out an exasperated sigh before relaxing again.


    Coleen stood and stretched, pacing around to shake off the stiffness in her legs. Valerius lay back on a small earth platform he had shaped beneath him, enjoying the cool breeze. Draven and Grimwald sat on a large rock, and Serephina leaned against a tree, eyes half-closed.


    For a moment, everything was peaceful.


    Then


    Valerius froze.


    His body tensed, his instincts flaring like a wildfire.


    Danger.


    He sat up, eyes narrowing.


    ¡°Guys.¡±


    His tone was sharp immediate. The others snapped to attention.


    ¡°I sense monsters nearby. Predator-class. Multiple of them.¡±


    Draven immediately unsheathed his sword. ¡°Which direction?¡±


    ¡°East. About a hundred meters away.¡±


    Draven and Grimwald exchanged glances.


    ¡°Oh, along with the direction, you can also tell the distance?¡± Grimwald muttered. ¡°You really are something else. Unlike me, who can barely ¡±


    ¡°Now is not the time for flattery,¡± Valerius cut him off, already moving toward his horse. He reached for his saddle and pulled out a dagger.


    The moment he did, Grimwald whistled. ¡°Ohhh, that¡¯s a beautiful blade. Masterful craftsmanship. Don¡¯t tell me you made that yourself?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Valerius said simply, flipping the dagger between his fingers. ¡°Now let¡¯s go.¡±


    The group fell into formation, following his lead.


    The moment they started moving


    A bloodcurdling scream pierced the air.


    It wasn¡¯t just any scream. It was a scream of pure, primal terror.


    The type that only came from someone who had just seen death itself.


    Serephina¡¯s breath hitched. ¡°That¡­ didn¡¯t sound like a monster.¡±


    "Ahh¡­ Help me¡­ Get away, you filthy beasts! I don¡¯t want to die!"


    A man''s voice rang out, desperate and panicked.


    The group, already moving cautiously, froze for a split second before exchanging glances.


    Then they sprinted.


    By the time they arrived, the scene was already grim.


    A lone man had been backed into a tree, dragging himself backward on the dirt as a pack of monsters closed in on him. The creatures moved in a coordinated formation, cutting off every possible escape route. Their sleek black bodies blended into the dimming forest light, their glowing green eyes locked onto their prey.


    "Shit," Draven cursed, tightening his grip on his sword. "They¡¯re smart. They practically locked him in place. What are those things?"


    "They¡¯re called Reapers," Grimwald answered, his voice steady but serious. "They have a wind attribute, and their compressed wind attacks are deadly. They don¡¯t usually use them unless they feel threatened but if they do, we¡¯re in trouble. Oh, and their skins are completely fire-resistant."


    Draven clicked his tongue. "So I can¡¯t use fire. Great."


    Before they could move, Draven turned to Valerius.


    "Valerius, stand down this time. These are predator-class monsters. Let us handle them. It¡¯s been too long since we¡¯ve fought anything serious. We don¡¯t want our skills getting rusty."


    Valerius raised an eyebrow but smirked, flipping his dagger in his fingers before sliding it back into its sheath. "If that¡¯s what you want, I won¡¯t stop you." He leaned against a tree, crossing his arms. "But do put on a show for me."


    Draven nodded, then barked out orders.


    "Grimwald, Serephina you¡¯re with me. Coleen, you said you could use a bow, right?"


    "Yes," Coleen replied, already nocking an arrow.


    "Good. Cover us from behind. If those bastards try to flank us, take them out."


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    Coleen gave a sharp nod.


    The man under the tree saw them. "Oh thank god there¡¯s people! Please, save me!"


    "Don¡¯t move!" Draven called back before turning to Serephina. "Hit their feet with a fire spell! Kick up enough dust to blind them for a few seconds. That¡¯ll give us an opening to rush in before they pounce."


    Serephina grinned. "Now that I can do."


    She raised her hands, a burst of fire striking the ground near the Reapers.


    FWOOM!


    The impact sent dirt and dust flying everywhere, momentarily shrouding the monsters in a thick, swirling cloud.


    "Move!"


    Draven and Grimwald launched forward.


    Both of them activated their mana, boosting their speed.


    Grimwald¡¯s wind attribute made him light on his feet, while Draven, unable to use his fire, relied on raw mana reinforcement instead. They split up Draven took the left, Grimwald took the right.


    The Reapers had no time to react.


    STAB!


    SLASH!


    Two fell instantly one from Grimwald¡¯s sword, the other from Draven¡¯s clean cut across the throat.


    They turned and struck again two more down.


    But the remaining three had already regained their senses.


    They were fast.


    The moment Draven and Grimwald landed from their attacks, the remaining Reapers leaped behind them, cutting off their escape.


    "Damn it," Draven muttered, spinning on his heel.


    "Their stance watch out!" Grimwald shouted. "They¡¯re about to use Compressed Wind! If that hits, we¡¯re losing a limb! And we don¡¯t even have high-grade Vitalis!"


    The Reapers¡¯ bodies tensed.


    Then


    THWACK!


    An arrow whistled through the air, embedding itself directly into one of the Reapers¡¯ skulls.


    The monster collapsed instantly.


    "Nice cover, Coleen!" Draven called out.


    "Don¡¯t mention it," Coleen replied, already nocking another arrow.


    Draven turned back to Serephina. "Another fire spell now! The last two are grouped together!"


    "On it!"


    Serephina fired, but the Reapers were smarter now.


    They dodged narrowly avoiding the blast.


    "Uselessly smart bastards," Grimwald groaned, gripping his axes tightly as the Reapers changed tactics.


    Now realizing that their compressed wind attacks left them vulnerable to Coleen¡¯s arrows, the remaining two Reapers abandoned magic entirely. Instead, they used wind-enhanced leap attacks, their bodies launching forward at speeds faster than before.


    ¡°Shit, I can¡¯t dodge this,¡± Draven gritted his teeth. Without his fire attribute rendered useless against these monsters he had to rely on raw mana reinforcement, which wasn¡¯t nearly as effective for agility.


    One of the Reapers closed in, claws outstretched, inches away


    SHING!


    A flash of black metal.


    A dagger cut through the air, slicing the Reaper clean in half before it reached Draven.


    The two halves of the monster thudded to the ground, its lifeless body twitching.


    Draven hit the dirt, gasping. "Hah hah  I was saved. Again. Damn it "


    Valerius stood several feet away, lowering his hand after throwing the dagger. His face was calm, almost bored.


    Meanwhile, Grimwald had managed to dodge his own attacker, using his wind attribute to enhance his movements. While the Reaper was still midair, he twisted around and buried his axe deep into the monster¡¯s neck.


    With a wet crunch, the beast collapsed.


    ¡°Hah¡­ hah¡­ I did it!¡± Grimwald shouted in triumph.


    With that, all seven Reapers lay dead bleeding and covered in dust from Serephina¡¯s earlier attack.


    A slow clapping sound echoed.


    Valerius.


    He stood up, watching the group with a smirk. ¡°Not bad. Not bad at all.¡± He stopped clapping and crossed his arms. ¡°You messed up at the end, though.¡±


    Draven groaned, pushing himself to his feet. ¡°Yeah, yeah, I get it.¡±


    ¡°But overall,¡± Valerius continued, ¡°I¡¯m actually surprised. You guys have some great teamwork. And Coleen? You fit in faster than I expected.¡±


    Coleen lowered her bow, raising an eyebrow. ¡°You think so?¡±


    Valerius nodded. ¡°Sure, you¡¯re rough around the edges, but that¡¯s just a lack of experience. The way Draven devised a strategy on the spot by quickly analyzing the monsters was impressive.¡± He gestured at Draven. ¡°You just need to learn how to use your resources more effectively. That¡¯ll come with time.¡±


    Draven exhaled, rubbing the back of his head. ¡°Tch¡­ imagine getting complimented by a younger guy and actually feeling happy about it.¡± He sighed, then smirked. ¡°Well, thanks for the feedback. You are the senior when it comes to monster hunting, after all.¡±


    He turned to Coleen. ¡°And thank you for covering us at the end. I thought we were done for.¡±


    Coleen gave a small smile. ¡°It was nothing. Your fight was impressive.¡±


    Grimwald let out a huff, grinning. ¡°Brother, I won¡¯t lie that meant a lot coming from you.¡±


    ¡°And Serephina,¡± Valerius added, ¡°your accuracy in hitting their legs while they were moving? That¡¯s not easy.¡± He looked around at all of them. ¡°You all have potential.¡±


    Serephina pouted, crossing her arms. ¡°Hmph. Stop acting like you¡¯re our master.¡±


    Grimwald chuckled, then blinked. ¡°Wait aren¡¯t we forgetting something?¡±


    He turned and pointed to the shaking man still huddled beneath the tree.


    ¡°¡­Oh. Right.¡±


    Valerius stepped forward, crouching slightly. ¡°Hey, mister. You alright?¡±


    The man snapped out of his terrified daze. ¡°Huh? Oh. Y-Yeah, I¡¯m fine. Totally fine.¡± His voice trembled.


    Valerius frowned. ¡°You don¡¯t seem fine.¡±


    He extended a hand to help him up.


    The man hesitated before grabbing Valerius¡¯ arm, standing on wobbly legs. ¡°Thank you for saving me,¡± he said, finally composing himself. ¡°I thought I was dead.¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± Valerius replied. ¡°Are you hurt anywhere?¡±


    The man checked himself over. ¡°Just a few scratches from running. Nothing serious.¡±


    Valerius nodded. ¡°Good. Be careful from now on, alright?¡±


    The man sighed in relief. But then


    His eyes widened.


    He had noticed something.


    ¡°Wait!!¡± he suddenly yelled.


    Valerius tensed. ¡°What is it?¡±


    The man pointed. ¡°That dagger where did you get it?¡±


    Valerius glanced at the weapon in his hand. ¡°This?¡± He held it up. ¡°It was given to me by my master a few years ago. Why?¡±


    The man stepped forward, staring at it intently. ¡°Can I¡­ see it?¡±


    Valerius hesitated before handing it over. ¡°Uh, sure.¡±


    The moment the man held the dagger, his eyes lit up. The fear and anxiety from earlier vanished, replaced by genuine excitement.


    ¡°I knew it!¡± he exclaimed. ¡°This is definitely the work of my grandfather!¡±


    Valerius blinked. ¡°What?¡±


    The man quickly pulled out his own dagger and held it next to Valerius¡¯. ¡°See? Even though they look different, the craftsmanship is the same.¡±


    Valerius studied them side by side. ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ they do have the same fundamental design.¡± His eyes flicked up. ¡°You said your grandfather made this?¡±


    The man nodded. ¡°Yes. This was the last weapon we made together, three years ago before he passed away.¡± His expression darkened.


    ¡°¡­I see,¡± Valerius said quietly. ¡°I¡¯ve had this dagger for about five years. It¡¯s one of my favorites I take good care of it.¡±


    The man took a deep breath, looking down at the blade. ¡°¡­My name¡¯s Hakon. Hakon Bloodaxe. I¡¯m an aspiring blacksmith and inventor.¡±


    Valerius paused.


    Bloodaxe.


    Suddenly, he remembered.


    His master¡¯s voice, long ago


    "This dagger is made by the Bloodaxe family. Treasure it carefully."


    Valerius looked at Hakon. ¡°¡­Bloodaxe. Yeah, I remember now. My master told me this dagger was made by your family.¡±


    Hakon¡¯s eyes softened. ¡°That¡¯s right. The Bloodaxe family is well-known in Caelumir for our craftsmanship. I¡¯m glad to see my grandfather¡¯s work still being used.¡±


    Valerius smirked. ¡°Not just this dagger. I have another one, and a longsword. The longsword is my favorite.¡±


    Hakon perked up. ¡°Oh? Is it okay if I see it?¡±


    Valerius shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t see why not. But our horses are tied up a bit far from here. You¡¯ll have to follow us.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do that, then.¡±


    Valerius turned to the others. ¡°Almost forgot this is Draven, swordsman. Over there¡¯s Grimwald, twin axes. That¡¯s Serephina, a mage. And Coleen she¡¯s an archer and from a blacksmith family too. You might know them.¡±


    Hakon¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Oh? Coleen, what¡¯s your family name? I might¡¯ve heard of you.¡±


    Coleen stiffened. ¡°W-Well, uh¡­¡± She hesitated, then forced a smile. ¡°We¡¯re the Kanners. But we mostly operate in Vornheim, so you probably haven¡¯t heard of us.¡±


    Valerius narrowed his eyes slightly.


    Another lie.


    What are you hiding, Coleen?


    Hakon furrowed his brows, thinking. ¡°Kanners¡­ Hmm. Nope, don¡¯t think I¡¯ve heard of you. Sorry about that.¡±


    Coleen¡¯s forced smile relaxed into a real one. ¡°Please, don¡¯t worry about it. The world¡¯s huge it¡¯d be selfish to expect everyone to know us.¡±


    Hakon froze.


    Her smile so warm, so genuine


    His heart skipped a beat.


    He quickly turned away, rubbing the back of his neck. ¡°W-Well¡­ that¡¯s true¡­¡±


    Serephina sighed.


    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s go already.¡± Hakon said hiding his blush.


    The group laughed and led Hakon back to their horses. While heading back, Valerius asked each member to carry a Reaper corpse so they could cook it for dinner.

 Chapter - 13 : An Inventors Journey

    After a few minutes of walking and chatting, the group finally reached their campsite. Valerius headed straight for his horse, untying his saddlebag and pulling out his weapons.


    For the first time, the others got a good look at them.


    Hakon¡¯s eyes lit up the moment he saw the longsword. ¡°Oh¡­ so this is the one? This is beautiful. As expected of my grandfather¡¯s craftsmanship.¡±


    Draven, who had been watching from the side, let out a huff. ¡°Damn, even your weapons are top-notch. Just who the hell are you, really?¡±


    Valerius smirked, spinning his dagger between his fingers. ¡°Like I said, I¡¯m nobody just a guy with some powers and cool weapons.¡± He winked.


    ¡°Yeah, right.¡± Draven rolled his eyes.


    Grimwald, still carrying his share of the Reaper corpses, turned to Hakon. ¡°So, Mr. Hakon, where were you headed before we found you?¡±


    Hakon adjusted his grip on the dagger Valerius had lent him. ¡°Me? I was on my way to a town in the kingdom of Aldoria it¡¯s called Redcliffe. My grandfather had a friend there, and before he passed away, he told me to seek him out. Supposedly, he¡¯d help me become a proper blacksmith.¡±


    Grimwald¡¯s expression softened. ¡°I see¡­ Sorry to hear about your grandfather.¡±


    Hakon gave a small nod, his expression briefly shadowed before he shook it off. ¡°It¡¯s alright. It¡¯s why I¡¯m on this journey in the first place.¡±


    ¡°So what about you guys?¡± he asked. ¡°Where are you headed?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re on our way to Velmora the capital of Aldoria,¡± Valerius replied casually.


    Hakon¡¯s eyes widened slightly. ¡°Is that so? Redcliffe is on the way to Velmora. Would it be alright if I accompanied you?¡±


    Valerius glanced around, then frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t see your horse, though. That might be a problem.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s not an issue.¡± Hakon reached into his pouch, pulling out a small metal device. ¡°I¡¯ll call him right now.¡±


    Serephina¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°Wait call him? What do you mean?¡±


    Hakon grinned. ¡°Watch.¡±


    He pressed a button on the device.


    A faint hum resonated from it, but otherwise, nothing happened.


    Draven crossed his arms. ¡°¡­What is that thing?¡±


    Hakon smirked. ¡°It¡¯s a gadget I invented. It has a mana crystal inside. Every time I press the button, it condenses a bit of solidified mana and sends out a wave traveling as fast as the sound. The receiver on my horse¡¯s neck picks up the wave and sends a mana pulse through his body, guiding him toward me.¡±


    Serephina blinked. ¡°¡­You lost me at condensed mana.¡±


    ¡°I press the button, my horse knows where I am, and he comes running,¡± Hakon simplified. ¡°I have to press it at regular intervals, though, in case he gets lost along the way.¡±


    Valerius¡¯ brain paused for a moment.


    Did I just hear that correctly?


    How is this even humanly possible to think of?


    Grimwald tilted his head. ¡°Brother Hakon¡­ Are you sure that works? That sounds impossible.¡±


    Hakon grinned confidently. ¡°It definitely works. That¡¯s how I trained him.¡± He pressed the button again, sending another mana pulse.


    A few minutes later


    The sound of galloping hooves echoed from the distance.


    A beautiful, well-groomed stallion rushed toward them, stopping just a few feet away from Hakon.


    ¡°See? Told you.¡± Hakon smirked, patting his horse¡¯s side.


    Everyone else just stared.


    "¡­I don''t believe this," Draven muttered.


    Valerius let out a low whistle. ¡°Damn. You¡¯re really something else, Hakon.¡± He folded his arms. ¡°As expected of the grandson of the best blacksmith I know.¡±


    Hakon flushed slightly at the praise, rubbing the back of his head. ¡°Ha ha¡­ Thanks.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Draven cut in, ¡°since your transportation issue is handled, I don¡¯t see why not. You¡¯re welcome to ride with us until Redcliffe.¡±


    Hakon¡¯s face lit up. ¡°Really? That means a lot. I won¡¯t forget this.¡±


    Then, he suddenly bowed his head slightly. ¡°And once again, thank you for saving my life back there. I owe you all.¡±


    Draven waved him off. ¡°You¡¯re making it sound too dramatic. Let¡¯s just ride.¡±


    Valerius stretched, cracking his neck. ¡°It¡¯s already getting dark. We should find a campsite before nightfall.¡± He turned to Coleen. ¡°Coleen, if you please?¡±


    Coleen nodded, pulling out her map.


    ¡°Hm¡­ Found one. There¡¯s a river about three miles ahead. We need to divert from the main road at the next fork, ride for another mile, and we should hit a nice clearing along the riverbank. Should be a good spot, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Valerius nodded. ¡°Sounds perfect. Everyone let¡¯s go.¡±


    With that, the group mounted their horses and set off.


    After several minutes of silent riding, they arrived at their destination.


    The full moon hung brightly in the sky, its silver light reflecting off the still surface of the river. Stars scattered across the heavens, clear and vivid against the night sky. The air was cool, carrying the faint scent of damp earth and grass.


    ¡°¡­Beautiful,¡± Coleen murmured, looking up.


    Serephina chuckled. ¡°Yeah, yeah, it¡¯s pretty. But let¡¯s set up camp first. The sky isn¡¯t going anywhere.¡±


    Coleen pouted slightly. ¡°I was enjoying the moment¡­¡±


    ¡°You know where Valerius is,¡± Serephina suddenly said, smirking.


    Coleen blinked. ¡°Huh?¡±


    Serephina grinned. ¡°Hot. Water. Bath.¡±


    Coleen paused then burst out laughing. ¡°Ohhh, right.¡±


    Serephina laughed with her. ¡°Just kidding. He went to tie the horses nearby.¡±


    Coleen, with her smile fading away. ¡°Oh¡­ right¡±


    Meanwhile, Draven turned to Hakon. ¡°Need help setting up your tent?¡±


    Hakon shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not needed. I can manage.¡± He then glanced at Draven. ¡°Also please drop the honorifics. I¡¯m probably younger than you.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Draven raised an eyebrow. ¡°How old are you?¡±


    ¡°Twenty Two.¡±


    Draven smirked. ¡°Yep, that¡¯s younger.¡± He clapped Hakon on the shoulder. ¡°Alright then just Hakon.¡±


    As they finished unpacking, Hakon looked around.


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    ¡°Where¡¯s Mr. Valerius?¡± he asked.


    Draven scoffed. ¡°That¡¯s Valerius to you. He¡¯s younger than you, you know.¡±


    Hakon blinked. ¡°Wait, really? He looks¡­¡±


    ¡°Older? Yeah, we all thought that.¡± Draven smirked. ¡°Anyway, like Serephina said he¡¯s just tying the horses.¡±


    As the campfire crackled and the scent of roasted Reaper meat filled the air, the group settled in for another night beneath the stars.


    ¡°I see. Valerius seems pretty capable, doesn¡¯t he?¡± Hakon said to Draven, glancing toward where Valerius had gone to tie the horses.


    Draven chuckled. ¡°Capable is an understatement. He¡¯s more skilled than all of us combined.¡± He crossed his arms, then added, ¡°Well¡­ except maybe for you.¡±


    Hakon raised an eyebrow. ¡°Oh? Is he that impressive?¡±


    Draven smirked. ¡°You¡¯ll see soon enough.¡± His voice carried a hint of pride, as if Valerius were his student instead of some mysterious traveler they met days ago.


    Hakon laughed. ¡°Well, now I¡¯m curious.¡±


    A few minutes later, Valerius returned from tying up the horses.


    ¡°Thanks for setting up my campsite, Serephina,¡± Valerius said as he approached.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do it for free,¡± she replied, cracking her knuckles. ¡°Now get to it. Fast.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, hold on¡­¡± Valerius muttered, stretching his arms before searching for a suitable spot.


    After a few seconds, he placed his palm on the ground.


    The dirt beneath his hand began to tremble then, in an instant, a cylindrical container of earth rose up from the ground.


    Everyone turned toward him.


    Hakon, who had no idea what was happening, frowned at the sudden commotion. He jogged over. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Just watch,¡± Draven told him.


    Hakon turned back toward Valerius, watching closely.


    Valerius created a controlled fire beneath the container, then added two layers of compact earth to regulate the temperature.


    Finally, with a smooth motion of his hand, he filled the structure to the brim with water.


    Hakon froze.


    His mind completely blown.


    ¡°¡­D-Did he just¡­ use three attributes back-to-back?¡± His voice wavered as he stared at Valerius in disbelief. ¡°Wait I thought his eyes were blue? What color are his eyes?¡±


    Draven smirked. ¡°That¡¯s the thing. His eyes are purple.¡±


    Hakon¡¯s mouth went dry. ¡°You¡¯re kidding.¡±


    Draven shook his head. ¡°And, yeah. He can use all five attributes.¡±


    Hakon staggered. ¡°Wait five? All five?¡± He stared at Draven as if he had gone insane.


    Draven nodded.


    Hakon stammered, his thoughts running a hundred miles an hour. ¡°But that¡¯s impossible. No human has ever wielded all five elements. Ever. The highest recorded was four, and that guy was literally called Humanity¡¯s Strongest Knight.¡± He turned back toward Valerius, who was casually finishing up his second hot water bath.


    ¡°Then¡­ what the hell does that make him?¡±


    Draven let out a dry chuckle. ¡°That¡¯s the million-gold question, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Hakon wasn¡¯t done processing, but Draven added another shocker.


    ¡°Not just that,¡± he said, lowering his voice. ¡°He also heals insanely fast.¡±


    Hakon blinked. ¡°What?¡±


    Draven leaned slightly closer. ¡°Apparently, even if he breaks all his ribs or has his skull split open, he regenerates at an unnatural rate.¡±


    Hakon¡¯s thoughts were spiraling. Such a man exists? How had he never heard of him before?


    While Hakon¡¯s mind was still spinning, Valerius straightened up, brushing his hands together. ¡°All done, guys. One¡¯s for the men, the other¡¯s for the women. Don¡¯t worry there¡¯s plenty of space for everyone.¡±


    ¡°Finally!¡± Serephina cheered. Without hesitation, she stripped to her underwear right in front of everyone, tossing her outerwear onto a nearby rock.


    Hakon choked. ¡°H-Hey hey what is she doing!?¡± He frantically covered his eyes with one hand while peeking through his fingers.


    ¡°Oh, that?¡± Grimwald laughed, patting Hakon¡¯s back. ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t worry about it. You¡¯ll get used to it.¡±


    Hakon slowly turned his head, still in shock. ¡°Used to it?¡±


    Grimwald shrugged. ¡°We all did.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± Hakon hesitated before sighing. ¡°Well¡­ doesn¡¯t hurt to try, I guess¡­¡±


    Still flustered, he walked behind the men¡¯s hot water bath and used it as a shield while quickly stripping.


    Once he was ready, he carefully stepped into the water


    And the moment his body submerged in the perfectly heated bath


    His soul ascended.


    And then returned.


    ¡°Oh¡­ God¡­¡± Hakon whispered, completely melting into the water.


    Hakon leaned back into the hot water, his body completely melting into the warmth.


    "Hah¡­ hah¡­ Now I get it," he sighed in pure bliss. "I finally understand why you guys don¡¯t even hesitate to do something as embarrassing as this in front of each other. Nothing and I mean nothing is worth overthinking when this exists."


    Draven and Grimwald chuckled knowingly, while Valerius simply closed his eyes, arms resting on the edge of the bath.


    "You really are amazing, Valerius," Hakon added, still sinking deeper into relaxation. "How does it feel being able to use all the attributes?"


    Valerius hummed, thinking. "Hmm¡­ let¡¯s see¡­" He tapped his fingers against the water surface.


    Then, with the most serious expression, he said, "Very hungry, I guess."


    Hakon blinked. "¡­Hungry?"


    "Yeah," Valerius sighed. "I get hungry fast. Maintaining this much mana burns through energy like crazy, so I have to eat a lot just to keep up." He shut his eyes again. "It¡¯s honestly the worst part."


    "I see¡­" Hakon nodded, deep in thought. "So even you have a drawback, huh? But then¡­ how do you even fund your appetite? Do you just hunt monsters?"


    Valerius lazily nodded. "Yeah¡­ Recently, I made about ten platinum coins after hunting a Lycan, so I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll need to worry about money for a while."


    The bathwater rippled slightly from Hakon¡¯s sudden movement. "You hunted a Lycan?" His voice shot up in excitement. "Your group is amazing!"


    Grimwald and Draven exchanged a glance before shaking their heads.


    "Brother Hakon¡­" Grimwald sighed dramatically. "That¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong."


    Hakon frowned. "Huh? What do you mean?"


    "There is no group," Draven smirked. "Valerius killed the Lycan alone with his bare hands."


    Hakon froze. "¡­What?"


    "Yeah," Grimwald chimed in with a smug grin. "We watched it happen. He brutalized that monster knocked its teeth out with his fists."


    "B-But¡­ a Lycan is a catastrophe-level monster," Hakon stuttered. "How is that even possible?"


    Draven chuckled. "That¡¯s what we¡¯ve been asking ourselves." He turned his head toward Valerius, but


    "¡­I think he dozed off."


    The group turned to look at Valerius.


    Sure enough, he was leaning back against the edge of the bath, arms spread out, head tilted slightly to the side. His breathing was slow and steady.


    "Tch," Draven sighed. "Well, whatever. Let¡¯s start cooking. Once it¡¯s done, we¡¯ll wake him up."


    About an hour later, everyone had left the water and dried off.


    Draven got the fire going, Grimwald skinned the Reapers and hung them over the flames, and Serephina and Coleen leaned back, gazing at the starry night sky.


    Hakon sat nearby, tinkering with one of his devices, occasionally glancing toward the sizzling meat as its rich aroma filled the air.


    Then


    A sudden shift.


    Valerius stirred. His nose twitched.


    His eyes fluttered open.


    A moment later, he stepped out of the bath, lazily stretched, then effortlessly placed his hand on the ground collapsing both stone tubs in an instant, as if they had never existed.


    "Oh," he muttered, glancing at the fire. "You started cooking without me?"


    Draven smirked. "You looked way too comfortable. We figured we¡¯d let you sleep and just wake you when it was done." He tapped his temple. "Guess nothing escapes those impeccable senses of yours, huh?"


    Valerius chuckled as he dried himself with a controlled gust of wind before putting his clothes back on.


    As he adjusted his cloak, he caught Serephina staring at him arms crossed, an amused glint in her eyes.


    "Hey, Draven," she suddenly called out, turning toward him.


    "Hm?"


    "Why don¡¯t you get in shape like Valerius?" she asked teasingly. "I mean, you¡¯re not out of shape, but look at him his body tone is perfect for a man, don¡¯t you think?"


    Draven snorted. "Oh, yeah?" He cracked his knuckles. "Then why don¡¯t you work out and get your waist as thin as Coleen¡¯s over there?"


    Serephina froze.


    Draven smirked, sensing victory. "I mean, not saying you¡¯re fat or anything, but a thin waist is fitting for a woman, don¡¯t you think?"


    Both Valerius and Coleen snapped their heads up.


    "Hey! Why am I part of this conversation?!" they both said in unison.


    The group burst into laughter


    Except for three people.


    Coleen and Valerius were both mildly annoyed at being ogled.


    Serephina, on the other hand, sat there arms crossed, pouting.


    Hakon, who had been watching from the side, simply smiled.


    What a happy bunch of people, he thought to himself looking forward to his travel with his new companions.

 Chapter - 14: The Untouched city of Vulan

    The next morning, everyone woke up, freshened up, and had a quick meal before setting out toward Vulan. It was a day¡¯s journey away, and the group was eager to reach the town before nightfall.


    ¡°Did you know?¡± Hakon said as they rode along the dirt road. ¡°Vulan is one of the few towns that are independent from the Empire¡¯s laws.¡±


    ¡°Is that true?¡± Draven asked, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Does that mean things will be cheaper there since the queen¡¯s tyranny doesn¡¯t apply in that town?¡±


    ¡°Probably,¡± Hakon replied with a shrug. ¡°I¡¯ve never been there myself, but I¡¯ve heard about it. The weird part is that, while the rest of the Empire is suffering under her rule, Vulan is untouched. No one really knows why.¡±


    Valerius listened silently, his expression unreadable.


    ¡°Hey, Coleen, how far are we from Vulan?¡± Serephina asked.


    Coleen pulled out the map and scanned it. ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯d say about half a day¡¯s journey. We shouldn¡¯t need to set up camp tonight.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Valerius said. ¡°A proper night¡¯s rest and some real food will do us good.¡±


    ¡°Food, right Valerius?¡± Serephina repeated, eyes gleaming.


    Valerius quickly turned his face away, already knowing where this was going.


    The group continued riding, taking short breaks to let the horses rest. As the sun dipped lower in the sky, Vulan finally came into view.


    ¡°Oh, so this is the independent town,¡± Grimwald said, taking in the sight before them. ¡°It¡¯s smaller than Vihadi, but damn, it¡¯s prettier. The buildings, the culture everything feels so¡­ alive. Maybe the queen left it alone because of its beauty.¡±


    ¡°I doubt that,¡± Draven muttered. ¡°There¡¯s got to be another reason. But honestly, I don¡¯t care. If it means we get to enjoy cheap food in such a nice place, I¡¯m all for it.¡±


    Serephina stretched in her saddle. ¡°I¡¯ll handle finding us an inn. Coleen, come with me.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Coleen said, following her without hesitation.


    ¡°What about us?¡± Valerius asked. ¡°Do we just wait, or do we check things out?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be heading to a blacksmith,¡± Hakon said. ¡°I want to see the quality of the craft in this town.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll just browse the market,¡± Grimwald added. ¡°See if there¡¯s anything interesting though I probably can¡¯t afford it.¡±


    Draven crossed his arms in thought. ¡°I¡¯ll ask around and see if the local knights know anything useful about this place.¡±


    Valerius said nothing, secretly waiting for them to leave so he could slip away and hunt for food.


    Everyone split up, and after some time, they regrouped at their meeting spot.


    Serephina arrived with a smug grin. ¡°Hey, I found an inn with a restaurant. You won¡¯t believe it it¡¯s bigger and better than the one in Vihadi, and it¡¯s cheaper too.¡±


    ¡°Well, that tracks,¡± Draven said.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, then,¡± Valerius said, leading the way.


    As they walked through the town, leading their horses, they took in the scenery. Unlike Vihadi, Vulan had fewer people, but the streets felt more vibrant. The people wore beautiful, colorful clothing, their expressions full of joy and life something that had become rare under the queen¡¯s rule.


    ¡°So this is what a place untouched by her tyranny looks like,¡± Grimwald murmured.


    Everyone silently took in his words and nodded.


    A few minutes later, they arrived at the inn.


    ¡°I handled everything,¡± Serephina announced. ¡°Paid in advance, got six rooms one for each of us. Coleen covered the cost.¡±


    ¡°Really? Coleen, you have my gratitude,¡± Grimwald said.


    ¡°Thanks, Coleen,¡± Draven added.


    Valerius walked up to the front desk, leaning on the counter. The receptionist, a young woman, glanced up and her breath hitched.


    Damn, he¡¯s handsome. And he smells amazing¡­ She quickly composed herself and put on a professional smile.


    ¡°Hello, sir. How may I assist you?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Good evening,¡± Valerius said. ¡°Is there a bank in town where I can exchange currency?¡±


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    ¡°There is, sir,¡± she replied. ¡°Once you leave the inn, take a left and keep going until you reach the second junction. Then take a right, walk a few more meters, and you¡¯ll see the bank on your right.¡±


    ¡°Got it. Thanks. One more thing,¡± Valerius lowered his voice. ¡°How long does it take to exchange a platinum coin?¡±


    The receptionist¡¯s brows lifted slightly, but she quickly adjusted her tone to match his.


    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t take more than half a day, sir,¡± she whispered back.


    Valerius gave a small nod. ¡°Understood. Thanks again.¡± He turned to his group. ¡°I¡¯m heading to the bank. Someone take my things to my room.¡± Without waiting for a response, he walked out.


    Following the receptionist¡¯s directions, Valerius soon found the bank. The building was well-maintained, with polished wood doors and a brass sign above the entrance. He stepped inside, where a soft chime rang as he approached the counter. A well-dressed, beautiful middle-aged woman greeted him with a warm smile.


    ¡°Welcome to the Bank of Vulan,¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t believe I¡¯ve seen you here before, Mr¡­?¡±


    ¡°Valerius,¡± he introduced himself. ¡°I¡¯m just passing through on my way to Velmora.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well then, Mr. Valerius, how can I assist you today?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to exchange a platinum coin.¡±


    ¡°Of course, sir,¡± she said smoothly. ¡°May I see the coin?¡±


    Valerius reached into his pocket and placed the platinum coin on the counter. It made a soft clink against the polished wood. The clerk carefully picked it up, examining it under the light to confirm its authenticity.


    ¡°However, we¡¯ll need about half a day. Not because we lack the gold, but because we have to ensure that such a large withdrawal doesn¡¯t disrupt our operations or affect our other customers.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± Valerius nodded. ¡°In that case, how long would it take to convert ten platinum coins?¡±


    The clerk¡¯s hand froze mid-page flip. Her eyes widened slightly, and she cleared her throat before speaking.


    ¡°T-Ten¡­ platinum coins, you said?¡± she stuttered, before composing herself. ¡°That¡¯s a significant amount. A conversion of that size would heavily impact our reserves and temporarily halt several operations. I¡¯d estimate it would take anywhere from a week to ten days.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Valerius mused. ¡°I don¡¯t actually need to convert them I was just curious.¡±


    The clerk let out a breath she hadn¡¯t realized she was holding. ¡°I appreciate that,¡± she admitted. ¡°I was worried we might have to turn away such a wealthy customer.¡± She checked her logbook and glanced at the clock. ¡°It¡¯s nearly afternoon. Please return before closing this evening, and I¡¯ll have your gold coins ready. You don¡¯t need to hand over your platinum coin now you can give it when you collect your exchange.¡±


    ¡°That works for me,¡± Valerius said. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll be back later.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your business, Mr. Valerius,¡± the clerk said as he exited the bank.


    Valerius made his way back to the inn. Upon entering his room, he noticed his belongings had already been placed neatly inside. He also found Draven lounging on the floor.


    ¡°Draven,¡± Valerius called. ¡°Wake me up before it gets dark. I need to head back to the bank.¡±


    Draven stretched his arms behind his head. ¡°Got it.¡±


    Satisfied, Valerius collapsed onto the bed, groaning as he sank into the mattress. Bless the people who invented these, he thought before drifting off into sleep.


    Several hours later, a knock on the door woke him. He got up, rubbed his face, cleaned himself and stretched before stepping out.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± he told Draven, giving him a light fist bump.


    ¡°No problem,¡± Draven replied before heading back to his room.


    Valerius made his way back to the bank. The same clerk greeted him with a friendly smile as he stepped up to the counter.


    ¡°Ah, Mr. Valerius, welcome back,¡± she said, reaching below the desk. ¡°Your exchange is ready.¡± She placed a weighty pouch on the counter.


    Valerius handed over the platinum coin in exchange.


    ¡°If you¡¯d like,¡± the clerk offered, ¡°you may weigh the pouch to confirm the amount. It should be the equivalent of one hundred gold coins.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary,¡± Valerius replied, waving a hand. He had already memorized the weight of a hundred gold coins from the pouch Coleen had shown him earlier. Without further ado, he picked up the bag and walked out.


    ¡°Pleasure doing business with you,¡± the clerk called after him.


    Back at the inn, the group gathered at the restaurant, ready for dinner. They ordered their meals and talked over their plans for the next few days while eating.


    Valerius made sure to place an order for packaged food the next morning before they left. After the meal, just as they were about to head to their rooms, he approached Coleen.


    ¡°Hey, Coleen,¡± he said. ¡°About the money I owe you I¡¯ll pay you back in full, including what you covered for Draven, Grimwald, and Serephina.¡± He pulled a few gold coins from his pouch.


    Coleen hesitated, shaking her head. ¡°It¡¯s really fine. I¡¯m having fun traveling with you all, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    ¡°Still,¡± Valerius insisted, pressing three gold coins into her hand. ¡°At least let me cover my own expenses. I¡¯d rather not carry the guilt.¡±


    She sighed, accepting the coins with a small smile. ¡°I guess I won¡¯t be able to talk you out of it. Alright, I¡¯ll take it.¡± She tucked the coins into her pouch. ¡°But you really didn¡¯t have to.¡±


    With that settled, they both headed to their rooms for a well-earned rest.


    The next morning, they ate breakfast, collected the food they had ordered the previous night, and saddled their horses.


    Coleen unrolled her map, studying it as they prepared to leave. ¡°The next town is Vikran,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s about two weeks from here at our usual pace. After that, it¡¯ll take another two weeks to reach Aldoria. Apart from a few villages along the way, there won¡¯t be any major towns like Vulan where we can rest properly.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Valerius said, gripping the reins. ¡°Time to strap in for a long ride.¡±


    His horse neighed as if agreeing.


    The group exchanged grins, and with a shared, enthusiastic ¡°Yeah!¡± they set off, leaving Vulan behind and riding toward their next adventure, not knowing that they are going to face an adversity entirely different from what they have been facing until now.

 Chapter - 15: Tension in the Dark

    They had been traveling for three days, following their usual pattern ride until sundown, set up camp, keep watch, and repeat. On the fourth day, as the road to Vikran stretched endlessly ahead, Coleen spotted a suitable clearing off the main path.


    ¡°This should be good enough, don¡¯t you think?¡± she remarked, looking at the map.


    Valerius glanced around, assessing the site. "Yes, this will do."


    ¡°Hey, Draven, set up my camp too. I need to take a pee,¡± Serephina announced, already walking off into the trees.


    Draven sighed but waved a hand. ¡°Alright. Be careful.¡±


    Minutes passed. The camp was set, the fire crackled steadily, and the group sat around it, letting the warmth sink into their bones. Shadows stretched long against the trees as night deepened.


    Coleen shifted, glancing around. "Wait¡­ where¡¯s Serephina?"


    Draven, stirring the fire with a stick, frowned. "She said she had to take a pee, but¡­ hasn¡¯t it been a while?" His voice grew uneasy. "It¡¯s dark now. Did she get lost?"


    "That might or might not be the case," Grimwald muttered, cracking his knuckles. "Maybe she found a scenic spot and got distracted. Let¡¯s wait a little longer."


    The minutes stretched. Then an hour passed. Still, nothing.


    Draven shot to his feet, his unease turning into something sharper. "Alright, something¡¯s wrong. This isn¡¯t like her."


    ¡°You might be right,¡± Valerius said, standing up as well. "Which direction did she go?"


    Draven pointed toward the dense forest.


    Valerius exhaled and closed his eyes, focusing. The world around him dulled, his senses stretching outward like an invisible net. He searched, scanning for any trace of her mana signature within a five-hundred-meter radius.


    Nothing.


    His eyes snapped open. "She¡¯s not in that direction. Not within five hundred meters, at least."


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Hakon asked, his brow furrowing.


    ¡°If I focus, I can sense up to five hundred meters any living thing, be it a person or a monster. If I don¡¯t focus, my passive range is around a hundred to one hundred fifty meters." Valerius explained.


    A heavy silence settled over the group.


    "What do we do?" Coleen asked, gripping her bow.


    "I and Draven will go after her. With my senses, we can track her down faster."


    Coleen nodded. ¡°Got it. We¡¯ll leave it to you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll come too,¡± Grimwald said, grabbing his axes.


    ¡°No. Stay here." Valerius shook his head. "Coleen¡¯s a ranged fighter, and if there¡¯s an attack, the campsite will need a close-combat fighter. You stay back and defend."


    Grimwald hesitated, then clenched his jaw. ¡°Fine. But be quick.¡±


    ¡°Here, take this.¡± Hakon handed over a small lantern. "It runs on a mana crystal it¡¯s way brighter than normal lamps. Should help."


    Valerius nodded, took the lamp, and turned toward the forest. "Let¡¯s go."


    They moved quickly, their footsteps light as they navigated through the thick underbrush. The mana lamp cast sharp beams of white light, illuminating their path.


    ¡°I can see the plants and grass trampled this way,¡± Valerius muttered.


    Draven crouched, running a hand over the disturbed leaves. "Yeah. These tracks are definitely hers." His grip on his sword tightened. ¡°She was here.¡±


    They followed the trail deeper into the forest until the tracks suddenly ended. Valerius lifted the lamp higher, scanning the ground.


    Something glinted.


    Draven stepped forward and picked it up.


    ¡°Serephina¡¯s earring¡­¡± His voice was barely a whisper. He turned it over in his palm, his heart pounding. ¡°I got this for her when she turned fifteen. It was after her mana ritual.¡±


    His fingers curled around it, knuckles turning white. ¡°Why the hell did she come this far? Was she looking for a better spot? There were plenty on the way. What was she thinking?¡±


    Valerius crouched again, eyes sharp as he examined the tracks. "Look at this," he murmured.


    Draven leaned in. Two sets of footprints. And then a third trail, this one different.


    Dragged footprints.


    A chill ran down Draven¡¯s spine. ¡°Valerius¡­¡± His voice was low, dark. "She was taken."


    Valerius met his gaze, then stood, scanning the area. "I think so too. Let¡¯s break it down."


    He pointed to the ground. "She struggled at first, but then she stopped resisting. No blood, which means they didn¡¯t injure her. That means they used something probably a drug." He exhaled, stepping closer. "They covered their tracks well, but they made one mistake. A hint of mana still lingers whoever took her reinforced themselves to overpower her resistance. And if there¡¯s mana " His eyes darkened. "They can¡¯t escape me."


    Draven swallowed his anger and nodded. "Then let¡¯s go."


    They moved fast, tracking the faint mana residue until it disappeared.


    "Right here." Valerius stopped. "This is where they stopped using mana. She must have lost consciousness by this point."


    Draven cursed under his breath.


    Valerius scanned the ground again, then gestured ahead. "They went that way."


    They pushed forward until they reached a clearing. Near a tree, fresh horse tracks were pressed deep into the damp earth.


    "They put her on a horse," Valerius muttered. "See how the prints are deeper on the right? That¡¯s where she was saddled. The soil¡¯s still wet from rain makes it easy to read the depth of the tracks."


    Draven¡¯s clenched his fists.


    "And the horse that carried her used mana to reinforce itself it had to, since it was carrying two people." Valerius continued. "Which means we have a trail."


    He turned to Draven. "We got them."


    Draven exhaled sharply, trying to steady his rage. "Then let¡¯s go. We need horses. Now."


    They turned back and bolted toward camp, mana reinforcing their legs as they sped through the trees. Valerius, naturally faster, reached the campsite first. Without wasting a second, he untied his horse, swung himself into the saddle, and kicked off at full speed his eyes blazing with purpose.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    ¡°Arthur, hyahh!¡± Valerius urged, gripping the reins tightly.


    The black stallion responded instantly, surging forward with powerful strides. The horse reinforced himself with mana sensing the urgency. The wind howled past him as he tore through the darkened landscape, his eyes locked on the faint tracks ahead.


    As he rode, he spotted a lone figure running toward him in the distance. Draven.


    ¡°Follow me, quickly!¡± Valerius called out as he sped past.


    He didn¡¯t slow down. The tracks wouldn¡¯t last forever, and every second wasted was another second Serephina spent in enemy hands. To ensure Draven could follow, Valerius flicked his fingers at passing trees, sending small bursts of flame against the bark. The flames weren¡¯t large enough to burn the forest, but they left scorched marks breadcrumbs for Draven to follow.


    Minutes turned into half an hour. The horse¡¯s breathing was steady, trained for endurance, he was doing well.


    Then he sensed it.


    Multiple mana signatures ahead.


    Valerius pulled hard on the reins, bringing Arthur to an abrupt stop. He dismounted swiftly, tying the horse to a tree before unsheathing his daggers and long sword. His body lowered instinctively as he slipped into the shadows.


    If they saw him first, they might use Serephina as a hostage. He couldn¡¯t allow that.


    Moving with practiced silence, he approached the camp. Three large tents stood in the clearing, torches flickering at their entrances.


    Who the hell are these people?


    Creeping closer, he positioned himself near a pair of guards chatting by a campfire.


    ¡°¡­So, did the boss like the red-haired woman that Vance and Tobi brought?¡± one of them asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± the other replied, shrugging. ¡°She¡¯s still in the third tent, so I can¡¯t tell for sure.¡±


    Valerius¡¯ eyes narrowed. Red-haired woman. Taken by two men. That had to be Serephina.


    ¡°What¡¯s with the tent numbering again?¡± the first guard asked.


    ¡°New, huh?¡± His friend smirked. ¡°First tent¡¯s the boss¡¯s. Second one¡¯s where the ¡®elite¡¯ property is kept. Third tent is where the boss checks the new ones before deciding if they¡¯re worth selling or keeping.¡±


    ¡°Ho ho¡­ boss sure is organized.¡±


    Valerius clenched his jaw. He had no idea which tent was the third, but he didn¡¯t have time to figure it out. He needed to move.


    Then hoof beats.


    Draven had arrived.


    But instead of stopping, he was charging straight toward the camp.


    ¡°That idiot,¡± Valerius cursed, standing abruptly. He dashed forward, his feet barely making a sound as he intercepted Draven just before he reached the entrance.


    ¡°Draven, stop ¡±


    Too late.


    The guards had noticed.


    "Who''s there?! Answer me!" One of them shouted, squinting into the darkness.


    Silhouettes. That¡¯s all they could see. But soon enough, torches would be raised, weapons drawn.


    Draven turned his blazing eyes onto Valerius. "Move." His voice was low, flat, simmering with barely restrained fury.


    Valerius met his gaze, his own expression calm despite the storm between them. "Draven, you¡¯re supposed to be the level-headed one. I thought Grimwald was the hothead. Why didn¡¯t you wait? Why didn¡¯t you observe first?"


    Draven¡¯s jaw tensed. "Sorry, Valerius. But I¡¯m going in. This is not the time to be sensible."


    Valerius studied him for a brief moment. Then, with a resigned sigh, he nodded. "Alright. But if you¡¯re going in, I¡¯m not letting you go alone." He glanced toward the camp. "There are people inside stronger than you."


    Draven exhaled sharply. "Got it. Thanks."


    The guards were on full alert now. One unsheathed his sword, the other gripped his spear tightly.


    "I said, who''s there?! Do you want to die?!" one of them barked, stepping forward.


    Valerius raised his hands slightly in a show of peace. "Gentlemen, we¡¯re not here for trouble. We just want our friend back. That¡¯s all."


    Draven shot him a glance. "What are you doing?" he whispered.


    "Stand back and let me handle this," Valerius murmured. "You¡¯re not thinking straight. If we push too hard, they might use Serephina against us."


    Draven hesitated, then nodded.


    "There¡¯s no friend of yours here!" the guard snapped. "Turn around and leave!"


    Valerius kept walking. Slow, measured steps. "Is that so? That¡¯s odd," he mused. "Because I¡¯m one hundred percent certain our friend is in there." He tilted his head. "How about this? Let us check. If she¡¯s not here, we leave. Win-win, don¡¯t you think?"


    "Don¡¯t make me repeat myself. Stop coming closer. Leave if you don¡¯t want to die, I don¡¯t want to kill innocent people" the guard warned.


    Valerius sighed. "You know, that¡¯s a bit hypocritical. You people kidnapped our friend, and now you''re lecturing us about not wanting unnecessary bloodshed?"


    "That¡¯s it," the guard growled. "You don¡¯t listen to words. They say that beasts don¡¯t listen to words but to beatings."


    He lunged.


    BHAM


    Valerius moved faster than the eye could follow.


    Before the guard even realized what had happened, his head was already slamming into the ground with bone-crushing force.


    Dust billowed. The second guard froze, his grip on his spear tightening, his breath coming out in short, panicked gasps.


    Valerius straightened, shaking the dust from his hands. "I didn¡¯t want this," he said calmly. "We just want our friend. Call your boss, or whoever¡¯s in charge. We¡¯ll talk."


    The remaining guard took one last look at his unconscious comrade, then bolted toward the tents.


    Draven¡¯s fists clenched. "Valerius¡­ don¡¯t be a coward. You could kill every single person here in seconds if you wanted to. Why are you acting weak? Why are you negotiating?"


    Valerius¡¯ eyes darkened. His voice was barely a whisper.


    "I understand what you¡¯re saying. And trust me, I want to tear these bastards apart limb from limb." He turned slightly, his gaze burning like embers. "But we can¡¯t make a single move until Serephina is safe."


    Draven¡¯s breath hitched at the sheer coldness in his tone.


    Valerius continued, "I promise you, Draven." His lips curled into something dark. "Not one of these bastards will leave this place alive tonight."


    The air between them crackled with restrained violence.


    And somewhere in the camp, deep within the third tent, Serephina stirred.


    A few minutes later, the guard returned this time, with a woman at his side.


    She was tall. Not quite as tall as Valerius, but close, her frame thick with muscle, built for brute force. A massive greatsword rested on her back, the hilt worn from years of use. Scars littered her exposed arms. Those scars showed her battle prowess and the hardships she faced in her warrior journey.


    Her expression? Bored and irritated. As if dealing with two intruders in the middle of the night was nothing more than a mild inconvenience.


    Valerius took a step forward, offering a polite nod. "Good evening to you, Ms.¡­?"


    The woman crossed her arms, her deep, husky voice cutting straight to the point. "What do you want?"


    "We¡¯re here for our friend, Ms. Whatdoyouwant" Valerius said smoothly. "Red hair, about this tall " He raised his hand to gesture Serephina¡¯s height for comparison.


    The woman barely glanced at him before turning on her heel. "No one like that here. Go home. I¡¯ll forget what you did to my men. And I am not Whatdoyouwant. I am Elena."


    Draven clenched his fists, stepping forward, but Valerius stopped him with a subtle hand movement.


    "Come on now, Elena," Valerius said, tilting his head with an easy smile. "We¡¯re reasonable people. We don¡¯t want trouble. We just want our friend. What do we have to do to get her back?" He placed a hand over his chest and gave a slight bow, his voice rich with mock politeness. "I am willing to negotiate. But if there¡¯s no other option¡­"


    The polite smile faded. His voice dropped to something lower, colder.


    "¡­then I¡¯ll have to use force."


    The woman halted mid-step. Then, slowly, she turned back toward him, her lips curling into something between amusement and irritation.


    "Ho¡­ Force, huh?" she mused, rolling her shoulders. "It¡¯s been a long time since someone talked to me like that." Her fingers flexed, itching for a fight. "Just so you know, the last man who did, didn¡¯t live to tell the tale."


    Draven¡¯s entire body tensed. He could already feel where this was going.


    Still, Valerius remained composed. If anything, he seemed¡­ amused.


    "You seem rather eager, Ms. Whatdoyouwant or rather Ms. Elena," he mused, slipping a dagger from his belt. The blade glinted under the torchlight as he twirled it effortlessly in his fingers.


    His voice lowered to something dangerous.


    "You¡¯re going to regret not letting us take her back."


    The woman grinned, eyes glinting with savage delight.


    "Cocky words from a brat who doesn¡¯t even have a speck of hair on his face," she sneered, gripping the hilt of her greatsword.


    She pulled it free in a single smooth motion, the sheer weight of the blade kicking up dust as it crashed against the ground.


    "Let¡¯s see if you can back up your words with your actions."


    Valerius¡¯ smile widened. "Gladly." He said before pulling out his dagger.

 Chapter - 16: No Mercy for the Wicked

    Elena strode forward, her greatsword resting against her shoulder, eyes locked onto Valerius. He never moved. He was waiting. Watching.


    Her fingers twitched around the hilt of her weapon. What¡¯s with this brat¡¯s confidence? She thought, irritation creeping into her chest. Does he seriously think he can beat me? No¡­ I don¡¯t think he can, but  her gut twisted. A familiar instinct clawed at her thoughts.


    I¡¯ve fought arrogant fools before. They always lose because they underestimate me. But this one¡­ something¡¯s wrong. Something¡¯s different. And I don¡¯t like it.


    Her steps slowed. She stopped entirely. Instead of drawing her weapon, she sheathed it across her back.


    ¡°Brat, what¡¯s your name?¡± she called out, her voice sharp.


    ¡°Valerius.¡± His lips curled into a smirk. ¡°What¡¯s this? You interested in me or something?¡±


    ¡°Hah¡­ Don¡¯t make me laugh,¡± Elena scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re ten years too young for me.¡± She crossed her arms, assessing him again. I don¡¯t know what it is, but this one¡­ I need to be careful. She exhaled. ¡°You don¡¯t seem worthy enough to fight me. How about you prove yourself by taking on my men first? If you survive, then maybe you¡¯ll have earned the right to fight me.¡±


    Valerius chuckled. ¡°That so? Well, I was planning on taking them down anyway. Guess you can have it your way.¡±


    Without another word, he strolled deeper into the camp¡¯s interior, his confidence unwavering.


    Elena¡¯s voice cut through the murmurs of the gathered mercenaries. ¡°Men, get ready! If you lose, I¡¯ll break your damn limbs myself!¡±


    A wave of agreement surged through the camp.


    ¡°Got it, boss!¡± they yelled, their weapons drawn. A dozen fighters surged forward, moving as a single unit.


    Elena frowned. Idiots.


    ¡°What the hell do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± she snapped. ¡°He¡¯s not a damn monster you can¡¯t all hit him at once! You¡¯ll just get in each other¡¯s way! Didn¡¯t I drill this into your thick skulls already?¡±


    Valerius sighed. ¡°Finally, someone with a bit of sense. I swear, every time I fight groups like yours, they all charge in like I¡¯m a damn dragon. I¡¯m not big enough for everyone to take a swing at me at once.¡±


    Elena pointed at the group. ¡°Three at a time.¡±


    Valerius grinned. ¡°Why not four? You¡¯ve got twelve guys three waves, four each.¡±


    She narrowed her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t get cocky. You haven¡¯t even laid a hand on my men yet. Don¡¯t tell me all that talk is just to cover up your fear?¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Valerius arched an eyebrow. ¡°Says the one hiding behind her goons to gauge my strength before stepping in herself.¡±


    Elena¡¯s jaw clenched, but before she could retort, Valerius bent forward, rolling his shoulders. His hand slipped down to his second dagger.


    ¡°Alright,¡± he muttered. ¡°I¡¯ve said what I needed to say. Let¡¯s get started.¡±


    A subtle shift in the air. Then boom.


    He disappeared.


    A blur. A gust of wind. And in the next heartbeat


    Screams. Blood sprayed across the dirt as four bodies crumpled to the ground, limbs severed, and fatal wounds spilling blood onto the earth. They never even had a chance to react.


    Elena¡¯s breath hitched. What just happened?!


    Her eyes darted to Valerius, now standing amidst the carnage. Did he disappear? No that speed¡­


    Wind affinity. He¡¯s a wind elemental wielder.


    She sucked in a sharp breath, gripping her greatsword. I¡¯ve fought plenty of speedsters before. They always think they can win just by being faster. But this brat¡¯s speed  Her fingers twitched. It¡¯s unreal.


    And yet, she smiled.


    Speed alone won¡¯t win him this fight.


    Valerius caught the look on her face and smirked. Oh? You think I¡¯m just fast? Is that what that smile means?


    Without hesitation, he leaped into the next group five men this time.


    The moment he landed among them, his entire body shifted.


    Mana crackled around his limbs. This time, it was different. He converted it Earth.


    His muscles tensed, his skin toughening like reinforced stone. He clenched his fists.


    And then¡­BAM.


    The ground shattered.


    A crater exploded outward from the force of his punch, the impact sending all five mercenaries flying. Bones snapped. Blood spilled. Their bodies hit the dirt like ragdolls.


    Silence.


    Elena¡¯s smirk vanished. Her grip tightened around her sword. Strength too?


    Her mind reeled. Two elements? That¡¯s not unheard of, but¡­ Her jaw locked. His control is perfect. No delay. No weakness.


    She forced herself to swallow her unease. I can still win. Strength and speed aren¡¯t everything. He¡¯s young. He lacks experience. That¡¯s my edge.


    But Valerius wasn¡¯t finished.


    Three men remained. He didn¡¯t rush them. Instead, he stopped.


    His mana shifted again.


    Elena barely had time to process before fireballs erupted in the air, splitting into three.


    They shot down like falling stars.


    The thugs didn¡¯t even have time to scream.


    By the time the dust settled, all twelve were gone.


    Elena stared at him, her blood running cold.


    Three elements. Not just using them  she clenched her teeth. Mastering them.


    Her fingers twitched. A memory surfaced.


    The last Grandmaster I fought¡­ Tiberius.


    She exhaled shakily. That brat is nearly on that level.


    She forced herself to remain still, to think. He used three elements in succession. He has to be running on fumes now. That¡¯s my chance.


    Valerius flicked his daggers, sending droplets of blood splattering onto the ground. His purple eyes locked onto hers.


    ¡°Well, Ms. Elena,¡± he said, voice laced with amusement. ¡°Looks like you have no one left to hide behind. You finally ready to fight? Or do you have more excuses?¡±


    Elena inhaled sharply, steadying herself. I can¡¯t back down now. I¡¯m this close. If I run now, I lose everything.


    ¡°That was impressive.¡± She rolled her shoulders. ¡°But you seem tired.¡± She unsheathed her greatsword, the steel gleaming under the torchlight. ¡°I¡¯m not like those small fry you just took out. I¡¯m a mid-level master. Don¡¯t underestimate me just because I¡¯m a woman.¡±


    Valerius grinned. ¡°Oh, I wouldn¡¯t dream of it. I respect strength, not the gender.¡±


    She took her stance. ¡°I hope you¡¯ll go all out, because if you don¡¯t...¡± Her grip tightened. ¡°You won¡¯t live to regret it.¡±


    Valerius¡¯s smile widened.


    ¡°Let me be the judge of that.¡±


    Wind howled.


    He vanished.


    Elena¡¯s eyes widened. Shit, he¡¯s fast!


    Before she could blink  he was in front of her.


    Her sword was too long. Too slow. He was already inside her range.


    Desperation flared. She swung wildly, trying to catch him.


    CLANG!


    Steel met steel. Sparks flew.


    Valerius stood firm, one dagger raised.


    Her greatsword stopped dead in its path.


    Elena¡¯s breath hitched.


    He blocked it? One-handed?!


    Valerius smirked, his eyes gleaming.


    ¡°Is that all?¡±


    What?


    Elena''s breath hitched. She had been watching him carefully, searching for any telltale flicker of mana reinforcement or Earth-elemental conversion. But there was nothing.


    Yet he had blocked her greatsword with just his physical strength alone?


    Her? Outmatched in raw power?


    Me?


    Her fingers clenched around the hilt. She forced herself to breathe, her mind racing.


    No. She wouldn''t accept it.


    With a sharp inhale, she regained her composure. This time, her movements shifted no longer the reckless, desperate swings of before. She wielded her sword masterfully, each strike flowing into the next with the precision of a veteran warrior.


    But¡­


    She still couldn''t land a hit.


    Why?


    Her attacks were unpredictable, her movements refined. Yet Valerius simply dodged, weaving through her slashes with an almost lazy grace. The few times he parried, it was with minimal effort his dagger meeting her massive blade and sending harmless sparks into the air.


    The ease with which he moved infuriated her.


    Elena gritted her teeth. Is he¡­ mocking me?!


    Her patience snapped.


    "Do not screw with me, you immature brat!" she roared, unleashing a massive surge of mana.


    A shockwave erupted from her body, the sheer force cracking the ground beneath her.


    Valerius casually backstepped, evading the blast before it could reach him.


    ¡°Oooh¡­¡± He tilted his head, smirking. ¡°That¡¯s an impressive amount of mana.¡± He adjusted his stance, rolling his shoulders. ¡°So? What¡¯s your elemental?¡±


    Elena¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°You think you can beat me? What are you, barely twenty? I¡¯ve been fighting longer than you¡¯ve been alive. Do not expect me to go easy on you!¡±


    She surged her mana into her body, preparing for her trump card.


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    I can still win.


    Her element was lightning.


    Even though she couldn''t move at his speed consistently, she had something better a burst technique that granted her a moment of absolute acceleration.


    It was a technique strong enough to catch even Grandmasters off guard.


    She dropped into a stance, gathering mana into her legs. Sparks crackled along her skin, energy coiling through her body.


    I¡¯ll finish this in one strike.


    It¡¯s risky¡­ but I have no choice.


    Her muscles tensed.


    Lightning exploded from beneath her feet.


    She vanished.


    A flash of blinding speed far faster than Valerius had moved before.


    She closed the distance instantly, her sword already mid-swing


    CLANG!


    The impact rattled her bones.


    Her blade stopped cold.


    Valerius stood firm, his dagger raised in one hand.


    Her brain froze.


    No¡­


    He had reacted.


    Her fastest attack.


    Her strongest burst.


    He blocked it.


    Elena¡¯s stomach twisted.


    This move¡­ it should have been fast enough to make even Grandmasters lose sight of me. But he¡­ he saw it? He reacted?


    Her breath hitched.


    He wasn¡¯t just talk. He was never just talk.


    A horrifying realization clawed into her gut.


    I made a mistake.


    I can¡¯t win.


    What do I do?


    Her mind spiraled.


    Run?


    There was no one here to witness her loss. She could escape live to fight another day.


    But¡­


    My pride. My reputation. I built everything on my strength.


    Her fingers trembled around the hilt.


    Her throat tightened.


    Damn it. How did it come to this?!


    A distant memory surfaced a moment from hours ago.


    The bastards who ran back to camp, telling stories of a beautiful girl they¡¯d found in the wilderness.


    She had sent them out without thinking.


    She clenched her jaw. That¡¯s where it started. That¡¯s where I messed up.


    Her grip weakened.


    And then


    Valerius exhaled.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± he asked, voice calm, almost disappointed. ¡°Is that the best speed your mana reinforcement can give you?¡±


    He still had her sword blocked with one hand.


    ¡°You really thought you¡¯d land a hit at this speed?¡±


    He tilted his head, his expression amused.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you one more try.¡± His voice was almost bored. ¡°Though I doubt anything¡¯s going to change.¡±


    Elena¡¯s chest tightened.


    Her fingers slipped from the hilt.


    Thud.


    Her greatsword dropped, hitting the ground with a thunderous bang.


    Her knees buckled.


    She collapsed, staring at the dirt, her breathing ragged.


    This¡­ this isn¡¯t happening.


    This isn¡¯t happening.


    She had been completely overwhelmed.


    Not even a proper fight.


    No tricks. No strategies. Just raw, merciless dominance.


    Valerius stared down at her. His expression didn¡¯t change.


    "You said I should go all out,¡± he muttered, his voice calm. ¡°Or I¡¯d regret it.¡±


    His purple eyes darkened.


    ¡°But if this is all it takes for you to give up¡­¡± He shrugged. ¡°Then you were never even close to pushing me that far.¡±


    Elena¡¯s fingernails dug into the dirt.


    No. I can¡¯t die here. I can¡¯t.


    She clenched her teeth.


    I have something to live for. Someone waiting for me.


    Her daughter.


    Waiting for her to come home.


    Her breath shuddered.


    ¡°P-Please¡­¡± Her voice cracked, barely above a whisper.


    Valerius frowned slightly. ¡°Huh?¡±


    Her eyes lifted, locking onto his.


    ¡°Please¡­ spare me.¡±


    Silence.


    Valerius arched an eyebrow. ¡°Sorry? What was that?¡±


    His voice was genuine... he hadn''t heard her.


    She swallowed her pride.


    She looked up at him, her lips trembling.


    ¡°I asked you to spare me.¡±


    Valerius exhaled sharply, his patience wearing thin as he gazed down at the defeated woman before him.


    ¡°You sure have guts, huh. Don¡¯t give me that ¡®spare me¡¯ crap.¡± His voice was filled with disgust. His purple eyes, usually amused or indifferent, now burned with cold fury.


    His fingers twitched around the hilt of his dagger.


    ¡°Would you have spared me?¡± he asked, his tone sharp as a blade. ¡°You¡¯re a slaver, aren¡¯t you? How many women did you sell across the continent? How many of them begged you with the same words you just used?¡±


    Elena flinched, but before she could answer, tears welled in her eyes.


    ¡°I¡­ I have a daughter,¡± she whispered, her voice breaking. ¡°She¡¯s sick. Everything I¡¯ve done¡­ it was for her.¡±


    Valerius stilled.


    ¡°I was a warrior once. A real one. But the money I made wasn¡¯t enough. No matter how many battles I won, how many contracts I took, it was never enough.¡±


    Tears streaked down her dirt-stained cheeks. Her body trembled, exhaustion and despair gripping her like a vice.


    Valerius studied her for a long moment, then sighed.


    ¡°Slavery is illegal in the empire,¡± he muttered. ¡°Didn¡¯t the emperor outlaw it years ago?¡±


    Elena hesitated, then a bitter chuckle escaped her lips.


    ¡°I pay a bribe,¡± she admitted. ¡°To the Empress¡¯ people. That¡¯s how I get away with it.¡±


    Valerius went completely still.


    For a brief moment, the world around him blurred, his focus narrowing onto that single, damning truth.


    The Empress¡­?


    Valerius face went cold as soon as he heard that name. Something stirred inside him. Something that ran deeper than anything in existence. But he collected himself.


    He sat down beside her, stretching his arms behind his head in a deliberately vulnerable position. He even set his dagger down beside him, his posture relaxed as if exhaustion had finally caught up to him.


    Elena¡¯s gaze flickered to the weapon.


    Her breathing quickened.


    He¡¯s tired.


    He has to be. He fought an entire camp alone. That¡¯s why he let his guard down.


    Desperation got the best of her in the situation. She, who assessed every situation with a level head, couldn¡¯t predict this was a trap.


    She eyed the dagger, then his open stance.


    Her heart pounded.


    This fool¡­ He thought I was just another damsel in distress. That was his mistake.


    Slowly, her fingers crept toward the dagger.


    She reinforced her arms with mana, pouring everything into one last burst of acceleration.


    This is for underestimating me.


    With everything she had left, she lunged


    A blur.


    A flash of light.


    Elena¡¯s blade stabbed into empty air, followed through and hit the stone.


    Her eyes widened in horror.


    Valerius was gone.


    Before she could even process what had happened


    A whisper brushed against her ear.


    "As expected."


    Her blood ran cold.


    He was behind her.


    Lightning crackled around him, residual sparks still dancing across his skin from the acceleration that had left her completely outmatched.


    Her body locked up.


    He had known.


    He had always known.


    "You don¡¯t feel remorse," Valerius said simply. ¡°That was your last chance.¡±


    His dagger gleamed in the dim firelight.


    Elena barely had time to gasp before


    Schlkt.


    A swift, clean cut.


    A sharp, wet gasp escaped her throat.


    Her hands shot up to her neck, desperately pressing against the wound.


    But the blood


    The blood wouldn¡¯t stop.


    ¡°Gluhh¡­ Glugh¡­¡±


    She fell to her knees, fingers trembling, vision darkening as her strength drained from her body.


    She knew.


    She was dying.


    Her thoughts were a whirlwind racing between regret and disbelief.


    I lost. I really lost.


    Her body slumped forward, collapsing into the dirt.


    The last thing she saw before everything went black


    Was Valerius, looking down at her with nothing but cold indifference.


    Silence crept across the slaver¡¯s camp.


    Draven, who had been watching from the sidelines, exhaled sharply.


    His heart was still racing.


    He had known Valerius was strong.


    But this¡­


    This was on another level.


    He had never seen anyone fight like that moving as if in a trance, switching elements with flawless ease, toying with his opponent like a seasoned predator.


    And that final moment¡­


    He didn¡¯t even see what happened.


    To his untrained eyes, it was as if Elena had teleported only for Valerius to appear behind her instantly, ending it before she could even react.


    Draven finally forced himself to move, walking toward Valerius, who had just let out a tired groan.


    ¡°Hahhh¡­¡± Valerius stretched his arms before falling onto his back, staring up at the night sky. ¡°As expected, my mana efficiency is shitty. The stress is too tiring to handle.¡±


    Draven chuckled, shaking his head. ¡°Woah¡­ You were amazing back there, Valerius.¡±


    He extended a hand, helping him to his feet.


    ¡°I knew you were impressive, but seeing it with my own eyes? It¡¯s like you were possessed.¡± Draven exhaled. ¡°The way you fought switching elements like it was nothing it was unreal.¡±


    Valerius groaned. ¡°Alright, enough with the flattery.¡± He dusted himself off. ¡°Check on Serephina. She should be in that tent.¡±


    Draven followed his gaze.


    ¡°What about you? Where are you going?¡±


    Valerius cracked his neck.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he admitted. ¡°But there¡¯s someone in that tent ¡± he pointed toward another one on the opposite side of camp.


    ¡°Their mana¡­ it¡¯s dense. Maybe even denser than Elena¡¯s.¡±


    Draven frowned. ¡°Be careful. We¡¯ve been gone too long. People back at camp are probably panicking.¡±


    Valerius gave a lazy wave before heading toward the tent.


    The moment he stepped inside, the stench hit him like a brick wall.


    ¡°Ah, damn it.¡± Valerius gagged, covering his nose. ¡°What a pungent smell.¡±


    The air was stagnant filled with rot, sweat, and something far worse.


    Then he heard it.


    A muffled cry.


    He turned toward the darkest corner, his torchlight illuminating a small cage.


    Inside¡­


    A girl, could be 13 or 14 years old.


    She was curled into herself, clad in rags, her tiny body covered in dirt and filth.


    Her face was swollen, bruises littering her skin.


    The sight made something inside Valerius snap.


    ¡°Hey.¡± His voice softened. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    The girl flinched.


    Her breath hitched, and her fragile body curled even tighter.


    ¡°P-Please¡­¡± Her voice was barely a whisper.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t hit me. I won¡¯t talk back.¡±


    Valerius froze.


    A heavy weight settled in his chest.


    What the hell did they do to her? Is this the daughter Elena mentioned before dying? That''s not possible. This is not the kind of situation someone would leave their daughter in.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that,¡± he said gently. ¡°That woman isn¡¯t going to bother you anymore.¡±


    The girl didn¡¯t react.


    She was too lost in fear, too broken to even comprehend his words.


    Valerius sighed.


    He reached forward gripping the iron bars


    And bent them apart with his bare hands.


    The cage groaned, metal twisting beneath his grip.


    The girl flinched again.


    She slowly turned her face toward him


    And Valerius stilled.


    His breath hitched.


    His eyes widened.


    His mind froze.


    ¡°¡­Lisa?¡±


    The name tumbled from his lips before he could stop it.


    The girl¡¯s tear-stained eyes locked onto his.


    Valerius¡¯s heart pounded.


    His throat went dry. All the blood in his face stopped flowing.


    ¡°How¡­ are you alive?¡±

 Chapter - 17: Ghosts of the Past

    ¡°Lisa¡­ How are you alive?¡±


    The words slipped from Valerius¡¯s lips before he could stop them. His body felt frozen, his grip tightening around the torch as he stared at the girl inside the cage. The feeble light flickered over her fragile frame, revealing bruises and filth clinging to her skin. Her frail shoulders trembled as she looked up at him with wide, fearful eyes.


    ¡°¡­I¡­ am¡­ not¡­ Lisa,¡± she whispered, her voice barely above a breath.


    Reality crashed down on him.


    Lisa had died eight years ago. He had buried her with his own hands. She had been nine at the time, which meant even if she had somehow survived, there was no way she would still be a child.


    Then why¡­ Why did this girl look exactly like her?


    His mind reeled, questions colliding with one another in a relentless storm. His breathing was steady, but beneath the surface, his thoughts churned with chaos.


    The girl shifted slightly. ¡°Mister¡­?¡±


    Her voice was soft, uncertain, as she peered at him through the metal bars. He blinked, forcibly pulling himself out of his thoughts.


    ¡°Oh¡­ Uh, are you alright? You can come out. Elena is dead. She won¡¯t hurt you anymore.¡±


    She hesitated. ¡°Really? You¡¯re not lying?¡±


    Valerius softened his tone. ¡°Yes. I promise.¡± He extended his hand.


    Even then, she didn¡¯t take it immediately. Her fingers hovered near his for a moment, as if afraid he would suddenly snatch his hand away.


    ¡°I¡¯m safe, right?¡± Her voice wavered. ¡°You won¡¯t¡­ abandon me?¡±


    His brows furrowed. There was something about her words, something that made his chest tighten slightly. But he didn¡¯t dwell on it. Not now.


    ¡°No. I won¡¯t.¡±


    Finally, her small, dirt-streaked hand grasped his. Valerius gently pulled her out of the cage, but as soon as she took a few steps, her body gave out.


    He caught her just before she hit the ground. Her weight in his arms was almost nonexistent. She was so light, too light, as if she hadn¡¯t eaten properly in weeks.


    Meanwhile, in the third tent, Draven entered to find four girls huddled together. The moment he stepped inside, three of them instinctively shrank back, fear written across their expressions.


    Serephina, however, remained composed, her gaze cool as she looked at him. ¡°What took you so long?¡±


    Draven frowned. ¡°We were dealing with the boss, Elena. The woman was stronger than we expected. Valerius made sure to handle things carefully, so you wouldn¡¯t get hurt.¡±


    One of the girls beside Serephina hesitated before speaking. ¡°Is¡­ Is this the person you said would save us?¡±


    Serephina tilted her head slightly. ¡°Not him, exactly. But I knew someone would come.¡± She flexed her fingers, wiggling them free from the rope binding her wrists.


    Draven sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. ¡°You could at least pretend to be relieved.¡±


    She smirked. ¡°Why? You were always going to show up.¡±


    Draven turned his attention to the other girls. ¡°What about them?¡±


    Serephina¡¯s gaze softened. ¡°I promised I¡¯d free them.¡±


    One of the girls slowly stepped forward, bowing slightly. ¡°Thank you. We don¡¯t have much to offer, but we are grateful.¡±


    Draven cleared his throat, flustered. ¡°Uh¡ªNo, no, don¡¯t worry about it. We didn¡¯t save you for a reward. If you can return home safely, that¡¯s enough.¡±


    When they stepped outside, they were met with the sight of Valerius holding the unconscious girl in his arms. But something was off. His usual presence¡ªconfident, sharp¡ªfelt subdued. His gaze was distant, his expression unreadable.


    Draven¡¯s brows drew together. ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know,¡± Valerius murmured. His tone lacked its usual bite. ¡°But she needs help.¡±


    Draven and Serephina exchanged glances.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Serephina asked, her voice quieter than before.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Valerius said, though there was an edge of hesitation. He looked down at the girl in his arms, and his grip around her tightened ever so slightly.


    Draven sighed, running a hand through his hair. ¡°What do we do about the bodies? We can¡¯t leave them like this.¡±


    Valerius finally looked up, his expression cold once more. ¡°They don¡¯t deserve a burial. Pile them up.¡±


    Draven didn¡¯t question him, nodding before moving to gather the corpses. The rescued girls, surprisingly, stepped in to help.


    Once the bodies were stacked together, Valerius took a step forward, raising his hand. Lightning crackled, illuminating his sharp features in a brief flash of blue and white.


    The air was thick with the scent of burning flesh as the bodies disintegrated, leaving nothing but ash. The freed women recoiled, instinctively taking a step back.


    Draven clapped his hands together, breaking the silence. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s check the tents for supplies and then get out of here.¡±


    One of the girls quickly shook her head. ¡°We don¡¯t need anything. Our lives are enough. Thank you.¡±


    Valerius barely acknowledged them. His gaze was locked onto the girl in his arms, his thoughts heavy with something none of them could grasp.


    Was it really just a resemblance? Or was there something more?


    He didn¡¯t want to think about it.


    ¡°We¡¯re done,¡± Draven called. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Valerius said nothing. Without waiting for anyone else, he moved toward his horse, placing the girl gently on the saddle before mounting.


    The ride back was silent. No one spoke.


    The only sounds were the rhythmic clopping of hooves against dirt and the distant hum of insects in the night.


    Serephina and Draven stole occasional glances at Valerius, exchanging silent questions. They both knew something was wrong.


    When they arrived at camp, the atmosphere was anything but calm.


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    Grimwald and Coleen were mid-argument, Grimwald insisting on searching for them while Coleen argued that running off without knowing their whereabouts would be reckless. Hakon stood between them, trying to mediate.


    The moment they heard approaching hooves, the entire camp turned.


    ¡°I think they¡¯re back,¡± Coleen said, releasing a relieved breath.


    Grimwald exhaled sharply. ¡°Thank god¡­¡±


    Then, as they got a closer look, Hakon¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Who¡¯s that? What the hell happened to you?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ this,¡± Valerius muttered, still sounding distant. ¡°She was in one of the slavers¡¯ tents.¡±


    Draven straightened, glancing at Grimwald and Coleen, who looked like they were about to ask more questions. He subtly shook his head.


    Now wasn¡¯t the time.


    Valerius continued forward without another word, heading straight to his tent. He carefully laid the girl down on his mattress before turning to Serephina.


    ¡°¡­Can you take care of her?¡± His voice was quiet. ¡°Clean her up. Dress her.¡±


    Serephina hesitated. She had never heard him sound like this before.


    ¡°¡­Got it.¡±


    She watched as Valerius slowly turned away, his expression unreadable, his thoughts still lost somewhere in the past.


    ¡°Thanks¡­ I¡¯ll go out for a while¡­¡± Valerius said, standing up from where he had been sitting. His voice was low, almost distracted.


    His fingers briefly curled, as if he wanted to say something more, but instead, he exhaled and started walking in the direction of the river they had found earlier.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me¡­ I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    The group watched him leave.


    No one spoke for a few moments, but the silence carried a weight heavier than words.


    Serephina, who had been tending to the unconscious girl, glanced at the others before quietly returning to her task. She worked carefully, using a damp cloth to wipe the dirt from the girl¡¯s face, revealing her delicate features beneath the grime.


    Coleen watched for a moment before stepping forward. ¡°Is she alright?¡±


    Serephina wrung out the cloth, her expression unreadable. ¡°She¡¯s alive. But she¡¯s extremely weak.¡±


    Grimwald stirred the fire, the faint embers crackling in the night. ¡°We should heat up some food. She¡¯ll need something in her stomach when she wakes up.¡±


    The group slowly nodded, and though they busied themselves with simple tasks, it was clear that everyone¡¯s thoughts were still on Valerius.


    Hakon, after a long pause, turned to Draven and Serephina. ¡°Alright¡­ Would you mind telling us what exactly happened?¡±


    Draven sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. ¡°From the start?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Serephina and Draven took their time, explaining everything they had seen from their perspectives. The fight with Elena, Valerius¡¯s overwhelming strength, and the way he had been after finding the girl in the tent. The more they explained, the heavier the mood became.


    By the time they finished, Coleen shook her head in quiet disbelief. ¡°That¡¯s awful.¡±


    Grimwald clenched his fists. ¡°I¡¯m glad they got what they deserved. I would¡¯ve done the same.¡±


    Draven raised an eyebrow. ¡°Come on now, there¡¯s no way you could¡¯ve beaten them. Not to mention their boss. She was a unit. Huge¡ªalmost as big as Valerius. The way they moved¡­ it wasn¡¯t normal. People like us wouldn¡¯t even be able to see what was happening. It was like they teleported right in front of you.¡±


    Hakon hummed. ¡°Teleportation isn¡¯t possible. It¡¯s more likely that they were moving so fast that your eyes couldn¡¯t track them.¡±


    Draven scoffed. ¡°I doubt I¡¯d ever be able to see movements like that, no matter how much I trained.¡±


    Hakon shook his head. ¡°You¡¯d be surprised what training can do.¡±


    The fire crackled between them, filling the space between words.


    After a while, Grimwald glanced toward the girl. ¡°So¡­ what¡¯s the deal with her?¡±


    Draven crossed his arms. ¡°We¡¯re not sure. Valerius has been acting like this since he found her. It¡¯s obvious she¡¯s connected to his past somehow.¡±


    Serephina nodded. ¡°We thought about asking, but¡­ maybe it¡¯s better to let him be for now. We¡¯ll ask when the time is right.¡±


    Hakon only sighed, folding his arms. ¡°I see.¡±


    The group fell into a quiet stillness, the night air carrying the occasional rustle of leaves and the distant chirping of insects.


    Minutes passed.


    Valerius still hadn¡¯t returned.


    Then, the girl stirred.


    Serephina immediately leaned forward. ¡°Oh¡­ you¡¯re awake.¡±


    The girl¡¯s eyes fluttered open, her pupils darting around in confusion. It took only a few seconds for her expression to shift.


    Fear.


    Her small frame tensed, her breathing quickening as she scrambled backward, away from the unfamiliar faces surrounding her.


    ¡°Please¡­ don¡¯t hurt me¡­ I promise¡­ I won¡¯t tell anyone,¡± she sobbed, her hands trembling as she tried to shield herself.


    Serephina¡¯s heart dropped.


    ¡°No, no, you¡¯re safe. We don¡¯t want to hurt you,¡± she said gently, keeping her movements slow. ¡°We saved you. We just want to help.¡±


    The girl shook her head, tears spilling over her dirt-streaked cheeks. ¡°I don¡¯t know you! You didn¡¯t save me! It was Mister¡­ he saved me!¡±


    Serephina turned toward Draven. ¡°Go get Valerius.¡±


    Draven, already moving, nodded. ¡°Got it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll come too,¡± Grimwald said, standing up. ¡°It¡¯ll be faster if we split up.¡±


    Draven didn¡¯t argue. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Both of them took off toward the river, their boots crunching against the damp earth as they ran.


    Once they reached the banks, they quickly scanned the area before separating in different directions.


    Draven found him first.


    Valerius stood near the edge of the river, his posture loose but his shoulders slightly tense. He was holding a handful of smooth stones, tossing them into the water one by one. Each rock skipped effortlessly across the surface before disappearing beneath the current.


    Draven slowed his pace, observing him for a moment.


    Valerius didn¡¯t even look up.


    ¡°¡­Please leave me alone for tonight,¡± he murmured.


    Draven hesitated before stepping closer. ¡°I would love to. But the girl woke up. And she¡¯s crying. She¡¯s asking for you.¡±


    The moment the words left Draven¡¯s mouth, Valerius stilled.


    He dropped the remaining stones from his hands.


    Then¡ª


    He ran.


    Draven barely had time to react before Valerius blurred past him, outpacing him instantly as he sprinted back toward the camp.


    By the time Draven made it back, Valerius was already there.


    The girl was still curled up, her small body shaking as she refused to let anyone get close.


    But the moment she saw him, her entire demeanor changed.


    She ran to him.


    And hugged him tightly.


    ¡°You said you wouldn¡¯t abandon me¡­ why did you leave me alone?¡± she asked, her voice breaking as she held onto him.


    Valerius let out a breath, resting a hand on her head, brushing her hair back gently.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    The girl didn¡¯t respond.


    Her breathing slowed.


    Her small frame, already fragile, slumped against him.


    She had exhausted herself.


    All the crying, the panic¡ªit had taken a toll on her already weak body.


    She fell unconscious again, but this time, she was in Valerius¡¯s arms.


    And this time¡ª


    He didn¡¯t let go.


    Without a word, he moved toward his tent, lying beside her with her small hand still in his.


    He didn¡¯t eat.


    He didn¡¯t speak.


    The others watched in silence, sensing the weight in his presence, the way he seemed to withdraw deeper into himself.


    So, none of them ate either, the food they heated for the girl to eat. They packed it back again for tomorrow.


    One by one, they turned in for the night, their thoughts heavy with the same unspoken question.


    Who was that girl?


    And what was she to Valerius?