Arika had never seen anything like it. She’d heard of such things only in old tales, buried in stories passed down through tribes and half-remembered travelers. Her breath caught for a second.

  What is this... some kind of portal magic?

  She tried sensing it, the flow of mana. It had traces of magic yes, but it wasn’t just that. Something layered. Refined. Engineered. It was beyond her current grasp.

  Is this part alchemy? Maybe some high-tier spatial binding? Either way… it’s amazing.

  Lucien stepped through first, giving her a glance that meant: follow.

  And she did.

  The portal shut behind them without a sound.

  They were standing now on a wide stone platform high up on the Stellar Mountain’s summit. The air was sharp and cold, thin but crisp.

  The view was unlike anything Arika had ever seen. Peaks like jagged blades stretched to the horizon. Forests below were distant shadows. Clouds drifted at eye level.

  She looked around in awe.

  Then her eyes landed on the massive black structure ahead of them, built straight into the mountain rock.

  It didn’t even look like a building. It looked like a sealed fortress. Smooth black stone reinforced with steel veins. No windows. No torches. Just a single giant gate wide enough to admit something inhuman.

  She felt small.

  So this is the kind of world people like him live in…

  Lucien stepped forward, pulled out the same key, and placed it into a hidden slot along the wall. With a soft click, the gate opened.

  No rumbling. No magic hum. It just moved.

  He walked in. Didn’t say a word.

  Arika followed.

  Inside, the contrast shocked her. It was clean. White light from hidden fixtures. Rows of prepared chambers.

  Training equipment, Sparring rooms, Storage, Medical units, living quarters. It was a place designed for efficiency and survival.

  Lucien led her down the hall to a room with a white board and multiple chairs. He took off his coat and hung it, then gestured toward one of the chairs.

  Lucien: “Sit. Do you want any refreshments?”

  Arika sat stiffly. “No.” She wasn’t sure if she was nervous or just alert. Maybe both.

  He turned fully to face her now.

  Lucien: “This is the place you’ll be training in for the next two months. It’s far from your village, far from anyone who might interfere. The only way in or out is with this key. It only responds to registered holders. You’ll receive one after this session, along with access authorization.”

  Arika nodded firmly, eyes steady.

  Arika: “I understand. I won’t waste this chance.”

  Lucien picked up a marker and walked to the white board.

  Lucien: “We’ll focus on five key areas over the next two months. First is physical combat. Second is mana control, aura, and ability usage. Third is analytics, warfare, and academic skill. Fourth—art, history, geology, etiquette, and other disciplines. You’ll receive a document listing them all. And fifth, the final one is resistance training. Mental, magical, and physiological resistance to pain, poison, and influence. Understood?”

  She nodded again, but questions stirred in her.

  That’s… a lot for just two months. Especially that fourth one. What use is etiquette or geology? But no. This isn’t the time to question. This is my path. I asked for it.

  Arika: “I’ll follow it with everything I have, Master.”

  Lucien: “To improve success rate, I’ll be using a special method. It’s one of the most painful training methods available. But it works. If you survive, you’ll at least reach the level of a seasoned fighter.”

  He placed four vials on the desk in front of her. One green. One pink. One orange. One blue.

  Lucien: “These are critical. We’ll be using them often.”

  Arika blinked. “Will… drinking them give me power?”

  Lucien: “Not exactly. Drinking them outright would likely disable you permanently. Each one has a function. Green breaks down muscle fibers and rebuilds them on loop—painful, but efficient. Pink induces insomnia. Orange overloads your nerves. Enhances reaction and sensitivity. Blue mutes pain and fatigue temporarily, but heightens your senses to dangerous levels. All of them hurt.”

  Arika swallowed hard.

  Arika: “What’s the purpose of all this?”

  Lucien: “To make you stronger. To condition your body to respond like a weapon. Muscles only grow when they’re torn and rebuilt. The green vial speeds this process. The orange burns your nervous system to improve aura and mana conduction. Pink keeps you active. Blue keeps you functional. You’ll train while under their effects. I’ll monitor you closely. The pain will be real, but the growth will be too. There are other methods and tools I’ll use. Some of them scarier than these.”

  Her body tensed. She shook. Not from fear, but from the weight of resolve.

  I don’t fear pain. I don’t fear death. I asked for this. For my family. For my tribe. I will endure.

  Lucien: “From now on, believe that you’re in hell. If you think you can’t handle it, now’s your last chance to say so.”

  She looked him in the eye. Her voice was steady.

  Arika: “I won’t refuse. If I must be forged in hell, so be it. As long as I am under your guidance, I won’t falter.”

  She bowed fully.

  Lucien said nothing at first.

  Impressive. I laid it out clearly. The pain. The toll. And she still accepts. Her conviction is solid. Would she be able to endure? Or will she break, becoming a lifeless doll?… But since she is my first student I’ll make sure she doesn’t become a corpse in the process at the very least, but would she be the same person as now, that would totally depend on her.

  Training had begun.

  [THE SKULL KNIGHT BRANCH STATIONED IN LITTLE VALLEY TOWN]

  "Why do you think you’ve been summoned, Kael?" asked Jennifer, her voice serious and her face grim.

  Kael leaned back, a half-smile on his lips. "To get grilled, I suppose."

  Jennifer slapped the table, the sound echoing through the room. "You lost an entire legion. We don't even know if they’re alive. We don’t know anything."

  Kael shrugged. "Come on, Jennifer. It’s nothing serious. They’re probably fine. Could be a communication issue. I’ve already deployed search and recon teams. If they don’t find anything, I’ll go myself."

  Jennifer’s voice trembled slightly, her mask of composure cracking. "Do you even understand what you’ve done? Those soldiers belong to the guild. They are guild’s property. There’s only so much I can do to protect you from the higher-ups’ wrath. You didn’t follow a single protocol. You tried crossing the Stellar Mountain without informing anyone."

  Kael stood, brushing invisible dust from his coat. "I’m a commander. It won’t be an issue. It was a paid request. A very generous one. Everyone, including you, was happy when that money came in."

  "Admit your fault. At least when you meet the High Commander" Jennifer pleaded.

  Kael chuckled. "Why would I apologize? For some lost men? If it’s for your sake, I wouldn’t hesitate to challenge the High Commander himself."

  "You fool," Jennifer hissed.

  "I’m taking my leave now. I signed the declaration, didn’t I? That’s all send this piece of paper to their ass. Let them know I’ll handle this personally. They don’t need to interfere."

  "Kael, please don’t provoke them. If they get serious this time, you won’t survive."

  Kael said nothing more. He simply walked out.

  Fourteenth Commander Kael Harrington. Red-haired, handsome, born a prodigy into a respected noble house. No one had ever dared look down on him. He despised those who believed they were his equals.

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  To him, most people were disposable tools. Once, he sacrificed three hundred men just to catch a glimpse of a girl he fancied.

  A self-centered narcissist who believed he was special. He was right, to a degree. He was valuable enough that the higher-ups viewed him as an asset too precious to lose. That belief gave him confidence to ignore rules and act on his own.

  Kael returned to his office, threw himself on the couch, and activated the communication orb.

  He tried reaching the team he had sent. No response.

  "Unbelievable," he muttered. "They should’ve reached by now. Are they slacking off? Can't you just keep a man beside orb all the time, what a bunch of fools?"

  He called another squad. Still nothing.

  "Report from the second and third legions," he barked into the orb.

  A moment passed before two voices responded.

  "Third legion here. We've lost contact with the search and recon teams."

  "Second legion here. Same situation."

  Kael narrowed his eyes. "Any other intel?"

  Third legion spoke again. "A massacre occurred recently. A mining camp and a facility which seems to have underworld connection have been wiped clean. No survivors. No info on who did it"

  Kael's jaw tightened. "Third legion, investigate further. Stick together. Second legion, find out what happened to the teams. Be on high alert. Kill or capture anyone suspicious. Stay in formation. Keep the heavy artillery ready."

  "Affirmative," both responded.

  Kael leaned back. "Second legion is one of my strongest. No way they’d fall that easily. Third isn’t weak, either."

  Five hours passed. Kael tried contacting the second legion again.

  No response.

  Again. No response.

  Kael wiped sweat from his brow, rage building.

  "Third legion?"

  There was a brief connection. Then Screams, shouting, Sound of explosion followed by silence.

  Kael stared into the orb. "What the hell is happening in that cursed place? I might’ve just lost three legions."

  He stood and snapped his fingers. Six figures appeared in dark cloaks. Two men, three women, one young boy. Their faces emotionless, posture perfect.

  "I want you to go near the Stellar Mountain. Retrieve every piece of intel you can. Take whoever or whatever you need with you. Inform me regularly."

  Three days later, a report came in.

  "Rumors are everywhere. A monster summoned in the mountains, feeding on humans. Multiple massacre sites. Anyone who enters the forest dies. Beams of fire have been seen launching from the peaks, we have witnessed them as well. Some say mercenaries tried to kidnap tribal villagers and use them for black magic. Others claim it was a sacrifice to awaken something, but it failed, as a result, Monsters have begun to appear in places they never used to."

  Kael clenched his fist. "Try to enter the mountain."

  "Understood."

  Three hours later, Jennifer’s slammed the door, making her entrance.

  "You lost three legions and didn’t even tell me? Are you insane, Kael? Do you even understand what you've done? We broke protocol, and now we’ve taken catastrophic losses. If word spreads, we're finished."

  Kael’s voice was cold. "Shut up, Jennifer."

  He tried again. No response.

  Again. No response.

  Kael stared at the orb. "I knew it. It’s that mountain. Everything started there. What kind of monster lives in that place?"

  Jennifer stepped forward. "Whatever it is, we need to inform the High Council. This is beyond us now."

  "I’ll go myself. I’ll take my entire legions and my house’s private guard."

  "Are you out of your mind?" she shouted and slapped him.

  "Don’t you dare think I will lose," Kael snapped. "Do you know who I am?"

  As he walked out, he turned once. "Don’t tell anyone. Not a word."

  He departed swiftly, securing an entire cargo train for himself and his army to ensure the fastest possible travel. He took every precaution to keep the operation anonymous, making sure neither the public—nor more importantly, the guild, caught wind of the movement.

  One day passed. Then three. Then seven. Then twelve.

  No response.

  Jennifer, desperate, searched his office and found the glowing orb with a live message still unopened.

  She activated it.

  Kael appeared. Beaten, bloodied. One arm missing. His legs twisted. The right side of his face burned beyond recognition. He clutched the orb with one hand, tears in his eyes.

  "Save me. This monster is insane. Nothing works on him. I don’t know what it is. That dark mage... Shalkas... he is the one behind it..."

  Before he could finish, a blade flashed behind him. His head dropped. Rolled. The orb went black.

  Jennifer dropped to her knees. Sobbing. Screaming. Pounding the ground as the grief took over.

  [SKULL KNIGHT MAIN HEADQUARTERS IN TOURMALINE CITY]

  Towering above the sprawl of the city like a monument to war itself, the Cathedral of Iron Bones is a gargantuan, cathedral-like fortress that looms over the skyline like a black crown. Forged of obsidian stone and reinforced steel.

  Its architecture fuses religious grandeur with military intimidation — spires like spear points, buttresses shaped like ribcages, and gates carved with scenes of war, conquest, and sacrifice.

  This is the Home of the Skull Knight, the largest and most feared mercenary guild in the known in the empire.

  Having outposts in every major city, some official, others hidden. The guild held seventeen commanders. Each oversaw seven legions.

  Each legion carried between seven hundred and a thousand trained personnel—swordsmen, mages, healers, and assassins alike.

  The room at the top of the Cathedral of Iron Bones was silent. Not because it was empty, but because no one dared to speak.

  Twelve commanders sat in place. Four seat were empty. The fourteenth commander, Kael's, was removed entirely. In the corner was Jennifer, still sobbing but trying not to make a sound.

  The High Commander stood by the window, looking down at the city, like he was judging whether it was worth keeping. His armor was black and gold. His presence was suffocating. Even the room seemed colder with him inside it.

  His name was Jason Giacometti. The oldest, one of the strongest, and the second person after the guild master to hold absolute authority in Skull Knight.

  He hadn't spoken a word in the last ten minutes as Jennifer explained everything.

  He held the communication orb in his hand, replaying Kael’s final message again.

  Again.

  And again.

  None of the commanders said a word.

  Jason finally turned.

  His voice was quiet. Too quiet.

  "So this is what happens when I look away for a moment."

  No one moved.

  He crushed the orb in his hand like it was glass.

  "You all saw it. A commander died like a dog. His entire legion erased without leaving a single report. Multiple legions. Wiped."

  A younger commander opened his mouth.

  "Sir, permission to—"

  "You will speak when I ask you to speak."

  He took a step forward.

  "He took a private quest on our name without informing anything to us. Used our soldiers like they were his toys. Then failed miserably. And now it is us who take all the toll and shame."

  "Kael Harrington. Arrogant. Reckless. Disobedient. A fool, yes. But not weak. What could have killed him so thoroughly that he could not even scream for help properly? What killed his best men?"

  He looked to Jennifer.

  "Jennifer. What was the quest and who gave it to him?"

  She replied, "It was to cross Stellar Mountain and hunt something. I don't know the exact detail about the mission or who the employer was."

  "Wow. She doesn't know any detail. Can you believe it?" He threw a chair at her. "For what did I hire you? To watch over the detail and tell us, inform us, or to play your disgusting game of house."

  She flinched. "I am sorry, sir. I am sorry."

  Jason stepped toward the long table at the room’s center and slammed a sealed folder on the table.

  "This is the new mission."

  He threw down three more folders.

  " We are going to uncover what has awakened in that cursed mountain. By it, I mean only information regarding what happened, who did it, who is behind it, who is this goddamn Shalkas. Get the full story. Who hired that fool, and most importantly, how to save our face. Do you know what would happen if world finds out what happened here we can lose our business which is no good, do any and everything to hide this whole thing anyhow"

  Then with a very serious face he said, "I don't know how, but I want all information. And the information about what had happened or that we were involved should not reach noble society. I don't care how. Remember, from now on, this is what is true. Kael was removed from this guild months before. He just used our name. We got nothing to do with him. We will have to make sure we don't get in any of this conflict"

  Rachel, the 6th commander: "What? We're already in conflict? According to the intel from that region, there was a massacre at both a mining site and an underworld hub. On top of that, he sent an entire legion during his first move. That kind of action is bound to raise questions from both sides—questions about whether we were involved."

  Jason: “I will deal with it”

  One of the commanders shifted uncomfortably.

  "Will we not avenge our fallen comrade?"

  Jason didn’t answer immediately. "We have lost around thousands of our good-quality soldiers for nothing. And I don't want to lose anymore. Especially until we don't know what we are dealing with. First, we will do everything to get information. Then decide our next move. But we will definitely not use any more of our forces, especially when we have many important missions coming up. We can't afford to lose face in front of royalty and nobility."

  Another commander spoke, her voice calm.

  " Even if we want revenge, I don't think underestimating it is a good idea. If anything, I would suggest we stay away from the matter altogether. We are not getting any money, so why waste effort? Sure, Kael and the legions were important, but they died because of their stupidity. Just why are we even bothering with it? Monster, devil, or whatever. It doesn't concern us."

  Jason looked at each of them one by one.

  "This thing made a mockery of us. We do not let such things live. But you are right. We do not specifically need to act now. But there is no harm in having information."

  "Who knows. Maybe not yet, but in the future, we may need to face it."

  Jennifer stood trembling, voice cracking. “How can you be this cruel? He was your comrade. Your teammate. You toasted with him, smiled with him, and now you're rewriting his existence like he was filth.”

  Jason didn’t answer.

  He walked up to her, slowly, calmly, like he was walking through a dream.

  “That's enough, for now, get over it for your own well-being. It's not like he actually loved you, you were just a toy for him like everyone else was. Just do what I said, and I will find a new one for you, The empire is filled with many handsome good for nothing” he said with as serious expression.

  “What do you know about him” still crying

  Jennifer screamed, “You cowards! He was one of us!”

  Jason didn’t speak. But looked disappointed

  He grabbed her hair, and slammed her head into the iron table. Once. Twice. Bone cracked. Teeth scattered.

  She tried to crawl. He stomped her spine.

  She shrieked, blood spraying from her mouth.

  “Stop—please—!”

  He knelt beside her, grabbed her jaw, and ripped it open with both hands until the tendons snapped and her face split with a wet, choking sound.

  “Speak now, what happened?” he whispered.

  He turned his back to others, facing the cathedral window.

  "Dismissed."