The wind whispered across their feathers, but no one spoke until Zara broke the silence.
“That’s the third village we’ve had to defend,” she said, her voice low and bitter. “Something is truly wrong.”
Xarion’s gaze swept the horizon. “This is worse than we feared.”
Nerva nodded grimly. “If we hadn’t arrived in time, they’d all be dead.”
In the south, beast attacks were expected, feared, but common. Villages could vanish overnight, swallowed by claws and fangs. But this… this was different.
The beasts weren’t just attacking. They were fleeing. Something had driven them north, and whatever it was, it was powerful enough to terrify monsters.
They flew deeper into the wilds, where the air grew heavier and the sky dimmed unnaturally. Then, shimmering in the distance like a mirage, a barrier appeared, pulsing faintly with ancient magic.
Liliya gasped, her voice sharp. “There! Do you see that?” She pointed, eyes wide with dread.
“That’s a world barrier,” she whispered, then screamed, “Oh my gods, how is that even possible?”
Nerva frowned. “A what?”
Xarion smiled, eyes gleaming. “It’s a boundary between realms. Dragons have their own realm, gods theirs, and so on. This is the same kind of magic.”
He stared at the barrier, admiring the ancient power of his ancestors.
“The dragon actually split the Beastworld from this realm and created a new one within,” Liliya explained, breathless. “Nobody should be able to break that!”
“So he left and made sure his region was sealed off. Ha! That’s a dragon for you, over the top and mighty,” Nerva laughed, clearly impressed.
Xarion beamed with pride. Their creators truly were Mana’s favored children.
“So that means the dragon had nothing to do with the beasts,” Nerva concluded. “They didn’t escape from the Beastworld Jungle either then.”
“I told you,” Xarion said. “Lord Arthraxius isn’t behind this, but that makes things more complicated.”
Nerva nodded. “Indeed. Something else is driving this. Let’s fly around and scan the south, maybe we’ll find a clue.”
He turned to Liliya. “Stop staring at it and come on. Once the mission’s done, you can sniff it, lick it, do whatever you want.” He wasn’t joking; she had a habit of licking magical barriers.
Lucius stared at the glowing wall, mesmerized. He barely registered the banter.
Zara flew beside him and slapped his back. “Amazing, isn’t it? Once you finish your training, you’ll get to travel and see even more wonders. Train hard, junior.” She smiled warmly; she had a soft spot for anyone enduring her father’s training.
Liliya finally tore her gaze from the barrier, smiling to herself. “Fine, let’s go. But let’s make it quick.”
She raised her hands and chanted, “All-seeing eyes of the gods, guide my senses toward chaos, Mindseye!”
Her pupils turned pure white as she scanned the region.
Xarion gasped. “That’s eighth-circle ancient magic. It lets you see mana flow across the entire area. If there are any strong fluctuations, she’ll find them.”
Lucius watched, amazed. She might be eccentric, but she was powerful.
Nerva flew closer, guarding Liliya as she focused.
After fifteen minutes, she screamed, and the spell shattered.
“What is it?” Nerva shouted.
“A hundred kilometers from here…there’s a battlefield. I don’t know what fought there, but the mana of the land is so damaged it won’t recover for at least a decade.”
Nerva’s expression hardened. “Let’s go investigate. Liliya, lead the way.”
She sighed and flew ahead, toward the battlefield.
***
?
Outside the Arcanum, Kai and Bjorn sparred. Bjorn had insisted on testing his new weapon.
A few of the men and Umbra watched with interest, while inside, Scry was once again explaining to Harrietta how to use the scroll. Today, she would attempt to summon a spirit.
Bjorn swung his axe at Kai, who dodged with ease.
Each of Bjorn’s strikes was explosive, but none found their mark.
With a roar, Bjorn activated the axe’s enchantment. Mid-swing, the weapon doubled in size, finally putting some pressure on Kai.
Kai smiled and summoned his Noxblade. The blade shimmered with deep blue energy as it deflected the empowered strike.
His arm bulged as he fed the blade a sliver of draconic mana. The weapon gleamed, then surged forward, pushing back the axe and sending Bjorn sprawling.
Kai sheathed his sword and offered Bjorn a hand.
“Good job, Bjorn. That’s a strong weapon, but you’ll need to train your body more to wield it properly.”
Kai liked Bjorn. The man truly put in effort to grow stronger, even if that effort sometimes meant begging.
Kai thought of his storage rings.
Hmm… I’ve got two rings full of mana crystals, but they’re smaller than the ones Umbra and I mined.
He summoned a pile of about twenty crystals.
“Hansen, what level are these?” he asked the hunter.
Hansen stared at the pile, wide-eyed.
“These are mostly Top-level, with a few Mid mixed in. All of them are ridiculously expensive down here in the south.”
“Good enough,” Kai said. “Everyone, take one and go train. This is my gift to you for surviving this long.
But it’s the last thing I’ll give freely. From now on, you’ll have to fight and earn everything yourselves. This world doesn’t hand out rewards without a price.”
He knew that truth all too well.
The men knew it too, which made Kai’s generosity all the more impactful.
Bjorn and his crew worshipped him.
Hansen and his hunters admired him, especially Hansen, who could tell the boy had endured much to become this serious, this mature.
Wait… how old was he, anyway? Hansen wondered.
“Hey Kai, how old are you actually?” he asked, curiosity getting the better of him.
The others turned, ears perked.
“Oh… I turned eighteen a few weeks ago,” Kai said, a little embarrassed. He hadn’t even told Umbra or Scry it was his birthday.
“Holy shit!” Hansen cursed for the second time since meeting Kai.
“You’re that strong at eighteen? You must’ve gone through hell to reach that level.”
“Somewhat,” Kai replied. “There were many risky situations… but somehow, I survived.”
Kran stared at him in awe. He’d hoped Kai was older, maybe an immortal master in disguise. But no… he was almost his age.
Thorpe nudged Kran from behind. “Don’t compare yourself to him. You’re strong enough for your age.” He meant it.
Kai was an exception, not the rule.
“Well then,” Kai said with a chuckle, “I’m off to witness Harrietta beat up a spirit. Who’s coming?”
Kran and Hansen smirked and followed him into the Arcanum.
The rest stayed behind, absorbing the abundant mana from the crystals, while Umbra lay under the sun, guarding them.
Bjorn sat closest to the pile, nearly falling into it, eager to train.
***
Inside the Arcanum, in one of the rooms where Harrietta was staying, Lisa, Eira, and Scry had gathered.
"Yes, now write your full name in there and push your mana through it," Scry instructed.
As Harrietta began writing her name, Kai walked in with a smile. Behind him followed Hansen and Kran.
She finished the inscription, and the scroll shimmered with mystical light as her blood was absorbed.
"Keep pushing your mana into it, channel the elemental mana you're most attuned to," Scry continued.
He didn’t mind helping, but he had another motive. He wanted to test the scroll. He knew the theory but had never seen it used in practice.
He loved testing magic.
Kai noticed the wild gleam in Scry’s eyes and immediately understood what the spirit was thinking.
Another test subject, huh, Scry? Kai chuckled, sending him a message.
Psst, don’t disturb me. This is all precious info, Scry shushed him.
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At that moment, the scroll floated into the air, glowing brightly as a small tear in space opened.
Harrietta beamed with excitement and pushed even more fire mana into the scroll, everything she could manage.
Scry’s eyes sparkled. He waited for this moment.
"Now use the chant I taught you!" he shouted.
"Lord of the spirit realm, I beseech you, send one of your children to guide my way toward mana!" Harrietta chanted as the breech widened.
Suddenly, it began to vibrate, and a fist-sized ball of light emerged. It floated slowly, then faster and faster around the room, until it stopped in front of her.
Lisa and Eira watched, eyes wide with awe.
Then the ball of light cracked open, revealing a red-furred kitten, no larger than a palm.
"Success! It’s a lesser fire spirit. Now make the contract, quickly!" Scry exclaimed, nearly bouncing with joy.
"Oh, noble spirit, I beseech you, lend me your strength, and I will treat you well," Harrietta said, dropping another bead of blood onto the spirit’s body.
The spirit observed her curiously, then absorbed the blood, accepting the contract.
It glowed brightly and entered Harrietta’s body, settling into her inner world and falling asleep.
Suddenly, a searing pain flared in her right shoulder, and a small tattoo of the red kitten appeared, marking the completed contract.
"Congratulations. You now have a spirit guardian. Treat it well," Scry nodded.
Then he sighed. "It actually worked. Damn. Lucky!"
Harrietta turned to him. "What do you mean, you tiger bastard?"
"Well, it was my first time guiding someone through using a spirit summoning scroll. But hey, it turned out well, didn’t it?" He grinned.
"Crazy bastard... Whatever, I’m still grateful. This has been my wish for years. Now I can research spirit magic, and my fire magic will grow stronger." Her eyes gleamed with excitement.
Hansen stepped forward. "I’m happy for you. Could we maybe talk about something… alone?" he asked gently.
"Oho, I’d love to hear what you have to say. Fine, let’s go. I’m in a good mood," she replied with a smile.
"Before you go, I have a request. It won’t take long," Kai cut in.
"Naturally. Go on," Harrietta smiled.
Kai pulled out the black, cracked orb that Florian had dropped.
"Scry, Miss Harrietta, what do you think this is? It feels like a beast core, but… It’s different," Kai explained.
Scry joyfully flew over and began levitating the core, examining it with gleaming eyes. "More wonderful test subjects!"
"Test subjects?" Harrietta raised an eyebrow.
Kai chuckled.
Eira stepped forward, holding Lisa’s hand. "That’s the core of the Shadow Slime. Master did something to it and created Shadow, but I don’t know much more."
"Hmm, yes, it’s a core… but why do I sense soul magic inside?" Harrietta murmured.
"Exactly. Someone merged two human souls into it. One is destroyed, and the other is barely hanging on. There’s nothing left but fragments, some knowledge, maybe a few memories."
"The Shadow absorbed the soul of a Master Knight. Could this be a remnant of his soul?" Kai asked.
"If it is, there’s barely anything left. But there’s still a lot of pure shadow mana, strong mana," Harrietta noted.
Scry’s eyes gleamed mischievously. "How about we let Umbra absorb it?"
"Are you crazy? We don’t know what the spirit remnants could do to her!" Kai snapped.
"Kai-boy, I agree with the tiger. This could be good for her. The core holds insane amounts of mana, but it’s cracked and leaking. The souls are nearly broken down. She might even gain some of their skills," Harrietta said, her researcher instincts kicking in.
But she was also a mother.
"If you fear it would harm her, we won’t push it," she added.
"We won’t?" Scry asked, confused.
"Stop it. We can ask her, but if anything happens to her, Scry, you’re dead."
"Wait, what? Why me?" Scry blinked.
Kai called Umbra through their link.
Moments later, she strode in, majestic and powerful.
"Umbra, Scry has an opportunity for you, but you don’t have to do it. It could be dangerous," Kai warned.
Scry explained the idea to her.
Umbra’s eyes deepened as she considered it.
"Okay. I’ll do it," she said after a moment.
"Are you sure? You don’t have to, you know," Kai tried again.
"I sense no malice in the mana inside. It would be a shame to let it waste away. Whatever remains in there would probably be glad to help us fight that monster," she said, sensing something deep within the core.
"And I have you to watch over me. So, I have no fear." She smirked, melting Kai’s worries.
"Sigh… fine. I’ll be ready to stop anything if it goes wrong." He was prepared to destroy any remnants of the souls inside if needed.
***
Umbra swallowed the cracked core and began grinding it down with her own mana.
Her energy slowly digested the orb until the physical shell dissolved completely. Then, the mana inside erupted, flooding her body with raw, shadowy power.
She growled in pain. Her limbs spasmed, her heartbeat slowed.
Then everything went dark.
She awoke in a void. No light. No sound. Not even her own body was visible.
Where is this? she wondered.
The darkness vibrated. A shimmer of light cast a faint shadow, revealing a small, black slime.
It wiggled and morphed into the silhouette of a knight, far less real than the one she had seen on the battlefield.
"Hello, beast," the knight spoke.
"Why do you seek our power?" The voice echoed strangely, as if two beings were speaking in unison.
"I need power to fight your old master. To stop him from hunting the weak, but I won’t lie, I also need power for my own selfish reasons," Umbra replied honestly.
"Hmm... and what are those?" the echo asked.
"I want to be strong. Stronger than anyone. To live freely. To defend what is mine. To never bring grief again to those I care about." Her voice trembled.
The shadowy figure was silent.
Then it spoke again.
"We approve. Take our mana, make it your own. Kill our old enemy. Be free, be what we could not." The voice cracked with pain at the final words.
The figure collapsed into a small blob, which leaped into Umbra’s ethereal form and merged with her willingly.
Its mana flowed into her core. Its knowledge and skills fused with her soul.
Her power surged, past the peak of Tier 8, into the middle of Tier 9. Oddly, the process was painless.
So close to Divine level, she thought.
Outside, Kai and the others watched as Umbra’s mana flared stronger and stronger.
Then, with a burst of pressure, she opened her eyes. For a moment, they were pure void, black as the abyss, until the whiteness returned.
"How do you feel?" Kai asked. He could sense her power had risen, but her presence remained familiar.
"I feel great, but I now carry the hopes of those two," she said solemnly.
Kai nodded.
"Hey, what did you gain? You broke into Tier 9, but there must be more. Right? Right? Right?" Scry buzzed with curiosity.
Umbra smiled. "See for yourself."
Her shadow rippled. Dark matter rose from it, encasing her body in slick, metallic armor.
Even a helmet formed around her hawk-like head, leaving space for her beak.
She looked like a living weapon, an armored version of herself.
"Wooow! I’ve never seen anything like it!" Scry jumped around her, scanning and making mental notes.
Harrietta crept closer, touching the armor and scribbling into a notebook she had pulled from her coat.
Umbra smiled. She didn’t mind their admiration. "But there’s more," she added proudly.
A dark aura enveloped her armored form. Her claws and beak sharpened, deadlier than ever. Even her darkfire changed, deeper, darker, more potent.
"That’s the Knight’s Aura!" Kai exclaimed.
"A beast with an aura?" Harrietta gasped.
Scry collapsed to the floor. "Thank you, gods! You keep giving me more than I deserve!"
He sprang up and resumed scanning her.
"Wow! Big sister looks so strong now! I wanna ride her!" Lisa ran toward Umbra.
Eira pulled her back. "Not now. You’ll get hurt."
Lisa pouted.
"Yes, child. This darkness around me is dangerous," Umbra said gently. Then she pulled in her aura. "Now come."
Lisa cheered and climbed onto her metallic back.
"Wow! It’s so slick and cool, just like Father’s armor..." Her voice trailed off, and tears welled in her eyes.
Kai gently pulled her into his arms. "It’ll be okay. In time, remembering him will become easier. You’ll cherish the good memories, I promise."
Eira watched kindly, then turned to Umbra. "It’s not that strange for a beast to gain human powers," she said.
"What are you talking about? Of course it’s weird!" Scry barked.
"No, no. Master used to do that to us all the time. We absorbed cores with trapped souls. Most of us went crazy, though," she added with a cold smile.
Kran watched from the side. His heart ached at the pain on her face.
Hansen nudged him forward.
Kran stumbled, nearly falling into her, but instead, he hugged her.
His heart pounded. Anxiety surged. He expected rejection.
But she hugged him back, resting her face against his chest.
"Thank you, Kran. I needed that," she sighed as they separated.
"Uhm… no problem. I’ll be here if you need more," he stammered, pale. I said something stupid again.
She chuckled. She saw right through him.
Hansen and Harrietta burst into laughter.
Kran blushed and slipped outside.
"He likes you, you know. He’s never liked anyone before," Harrietta said, breaking the silence.
"I figured, but I’ve never had that. I don’t know how to go about it, I don’t even know if I’ll live long enough. My soul is still bound to my Master," Eira sighed. It was complicated.
Harrietta understood. She didn’t push.
She and Hansen left to talk, while the others continued inspecting Umbra’s transformation.?
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- Deep, well defined characters and setting.
- Cheesy superhero shenanigans with a serious story.
- A wide universe with planned expansions to other heroes.
- Progression through popularity and skill.
- Power scaling stats as characters are met.
- Light romance, but nothing explicit.
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