Nerva and the crew landed in the ruined valley. The air was thick with the stench of blood and chemicals. Mangled monster corpses littered the ground.

  The land was devastated, unrecognizable.

  "This is horrible," Lucius murmured.

  "What are these creatures? Look at that massive bat’s head… and over there, that looks like a giant scorpion’s stinger." Lucius was stunned. He had never seen or heard of such beasts.

  Nerva walked ahead, scanning the ground, trying to piece together what had happened.

  "Liliya… these are Chimaeras, aren’t they? This is impossible," Xarion said, shocked.

  "Indeed," Liliya replied, her expression dark, unlike her usual self.

  "What are Chimaeras?" Zara asked, confused.

  "They’re creatures created by merging humanoid races with beasts, body and soul. This kind of dark magic had long been forbidden throughout Eastsun. It’s too dangerous. Every attempt to control such beings has ended in disaster," Xarion explained.

  "But why do that? Aren’t Beastmen already a thing?" Zara asked, still puzzled.

  Lucius stepped closer, also curious.

  Liliya sighed. "The goal is to create a stronger species by merging two beings. But it’s not just body parts; they also merge souls. Those souls are doomed, never to be reborn."

  She continued, "Beastmen are a natural blend of two species. This… this is something darker. Something forced, but also stronger."

  For someone who loved magic as deeply as she did, there were few forms she disapproved of, but this was a crime against the laws of the realm, against mana itself.

  "Liliya, you can use time magic, right?" Nerva asked.

  "Just barely. You want to see the echoes, don’t you?" she replied.

  Nerva nodded.

  "Fine. I need to know who did this, too. The Towers will want a face to hunt." Her voice was sharp with anger.

  "River of time, let your flow recover what was lost… Timeless Echo," she whispered.

  A shimmering scene unfolded, rewinding to the moment Kai had slain the bat-snake.

  So that’s what the bat monster looked like… damn, it was ugly, Lucius thought.

  "That was the spell we saw from Fallhaven. Looks powerful," Xarion said, impressed.

  The scene shifted, Kai wielding his purple aura against a massive grey skull. He looked majestic.

  Then a Tigerhawk appeared, binding a sinister-looking mage. The man slashed with a white blade that shimmered with gentle yet deadly light.

  They watched as the light struck the mage, and then, with a painful scream, the mage escaped through a portal.

  The echo collapsed.

  Liliya dropped to her knees.

  Zara rushed to her side. "Are you alright?"

  "Yeah… just drained. That spell takes everything out of me. Time magic is for Arch Magi. I can barely hold it for a moment," she sighed.

  Zara twitched. She can cast time magic as a Grand Magus…

  Nerva stood silently, trying to process what he had seen.

  Xarion stepped beside him. "Did you see that? That last move was powerful. And that purple energy, it felt like an aura, but that boy doesn’t look older than Lucius."

  "I don’t know… but the look in his eyes. That boy is dangerous. His bloodlust was… savage."

  Liliya finally stood. "That mage must be the Soul Forger. He wielded souls as weapons. That skull was made of countless souls. We need to find that boy and make him lead us to the Soul Forger."

  "What’s a Soul Forger?" Lucius asked Nerva.

  Xarion answered instead. "That’s what mages who created Chimaeras were called. After the First Age, some kingdoms sought to create stronger warriors. One nation mastered soul magic and began crafting these monstrosities. But their entire civilization fell to a rogue creation. History repeated itself until the Seven Towers banned the practice entirely."

  Lucius nodded, finally understanding.

  Zara vanished for a few minutes and reappeared in a flash.

  "I found a trail of battle heading south. There used to be a dense forest there," she chuckled. "Well… not anymore."

  She led the group through the ruined woods.

  They passed the corpse of an eight-meter bear-like monstrosity. Nearby were remnants of massive wings and boar tusks the size of trees.

  The deeper they went, the more dead monsters they found.

  "Stop. I sense ancient magic ahead," Liliya warned.

  "Prepare for battle. We don’t know what’s waiting for us," Nerva commanded.

  ***

  In front of the now-revealed Arcanum, Bjorn and his men sat in a circle around a small pile of mana crystals.

  They absorbed greedily, pulling in as much energy as their bodies could handle. This was their chance, the push they needed to finally break into the Knight realm.

  Kran stepped out of the Arcanum, smirking at the sight of his comrades bathing in mana.

  From above, Thorpe leapt down from the half-burnt tower, his voice sharp with alarm.

  "Enemies incoming! Armed, and they look ready to fight!"

  The men scrambled to their feet, weapons drawn.

  Bjorn gripped his axe, knuckles white, and strode past the wooden fence.

  "Who goes there?" he roared.

  On the other side, Nerva and his crew halted. A ragged band of apprentices stood before them.

  Zara chuckled.

  "These are the enemies? Really, Liliya?"

  "Don’t lower your guard," Liliya warned, her tone cold. "I still sense strong magic beyond that fence."

  Nerva raised his voice. "We’re from Fallhaven. We’re here to investigate what happened."

  Bjorn spat on the ground. "Why should we trust you? Since when did that bastard Sorgaz care about what happens here?"

  He wasn’t wrong. Fallhaven rarely lifted a finger for the southern tribes. Beyond one nearby city under the Kingdom’s protection, they were left to fend for themselves.

  Thorpe stepped forward, trying to defuse the tension. "Calm down, men. These four could kill all of you as easily as snapping a twig."

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

  But Bjorn didn’t care. He wanted to prove himself, prove he was worth Master Kai’s attention.

  Nerva and his crew advanced, scanning the area. Something was off. Their senses couldn’t pierce beyond the fence.

  "Something’s wrong here," Nerva muttered. "Stay sharp. Anything could come out of that barrier."

  Lucius raised his shield and mace, mana condensing around him.

  Bjorn’s eyes widened. "See? That bastard’s preparing to strike!"

  Thorpe cursed under his breath. "Kran! Call Master Kai, NOW! The rest of you, prepare to…”

  He didn’t have time to finish. Bjorn was already charging.

  "Everyone stand down," Nerva ordered, voice like steel. "The boy started this; he’ll finish it."

  Lucius had made a rookie mistake. Raising his weapon in a tense standoff was enough to shatter fragile diplomacy. He needed to learn that actions had consequences.

  Bjorn thundered toward him, a mountain of muscles and rage. Lucius smirked. He could sense the man’s level, just an Apprentice.

  This will be easy.

  "Come then, peasant. Let me teach you a lesson," Lucius mocked.

  Nerva’s jaw tightened. Zara sighed. Stupid boy.

  Lucius charged, shield first, aiming to block. But Bjorn jumped using the shield as a springboard, vaulting high and bringing his axe down in a brutal arc.

  Lucius grinned, flooding his mace with mana until it blazed with blinding light. Bjorn flinched, but too late. His axe skill had already triggered.

  The weapon doubled in size, cleaving through Lucius’s shoulder and ribs. Blood sprayed as Lucius screamed.

  Nerva roared as he dashed, his fist slamming into Bjorn’s chest with bone-crushing force, hurling him through the fence and into the facility's wall.

  "Liliya! Now!"

  She sighed as she dashed and fell to her knees beside Lucius. A soft glow enveloped him as her healing spell sealed torn flesh and stopped the bleeding.

  He was barely conscious when Nerva’s hand cracked across his face.

  "Really, Lucius? Underestimating an enemy on the battlefield? So what if he were an Apprentice? You’re barely a Knight yourself, and you even mock him for being a peasant?"

  Nerva’s fist slammed into the dirt. "Damn fool. So much talent, for what?"

  Zara appeared behind him, resting a hand on his shoulder. "Calm down, father, please."

  Xarion knelt beside Lucius, voice calm. "He’s harsh because he cares. You know that, right?"

  Through the haze of pain, Lucius understood. He didn’t blame Nerva. He had earned this.

  Thorpe stood frozen, words failing him. Behind him, Bjorn’s men scrambled to tend to their broken leader.

  ***

  Kran burst through the Arcanum halls, voice cracking with panic.

  "Kai! Enemies are attacking! Hurry!"

  Kai froze mid-step, a chill running down his spine.

  Enemies? Already? Could it be Florian?

  Eira’s calm voice cut through his thoughts. "It’s not the master. I’d feel his presence."

  Kai exhaled sharply. "Then… monsters again?"

  "Possibly," Eira replied.

  Kai turned to Umbra and Scry. "Umbra, Scry, come with me. Eira, keep Lisa safe."

  "No! I want to come too!" Lisa protested, eyes wide.

  "Absolutely not. Stay here where it’s safe," Kai snapped, leaving no room for argument.

  He sprinted out with Umbra at his side, Scry slipping into his inner world, ready to assist.

  They met Kran halfway down the corridor.

  "Who is it? Monsters?" Kai demanded.

  Kran shook his head, breathless.

  "No, four humans and… a lizard-man, I think. They’re about to fight Bjorn and the others."

  Kai’s expression darkened, his jaw tightening. "Why is it always someone trying to kill someone in this damned place?" He was sick of the bloodshed, sick of the chaos.

  Without another word, he and Umbra dashed toward the Arcanum’s entrance, the air crackling with restrained fury.

  ***

  The first thing Kai saw was Bjorn, clutching his beloved axe, barely breathing, slumped against the facility wall.

  Kai sprinted to him, pulling out a vial of healing water. He forced it past Bjorn’s lips. The liquid surged through his body, knitting torn flesh and dragging him back from the brink.

  The weaker the warrior, the stronger the water’s effect.

  Bjorn coughed, color returning to his face as Kai made him drink again and again until his breathing steadied.

  "What happened?" Kai’s voice was low, but rage simmered beneath every word.

  Bjorn swallowed hard. "Five of them… said they were from Fallhaven. Then they drew weapons. I tried to hold them off, but… some blond bastard crushed me."

  Kai’s jaw tightened. "Stay here. The rest of you, guard him." He knew they wouldn’t stand a chance against what was coming.

  He and Umbra strode through the shattered gates. Ahead, four figures stood, with a fifth being treated on the ground. Bjorn had managed to hurt one. Good.

  Kai hated this world’s obsession with bloodshed. But if you had to fight, you fought to win, and if you couldn’t win, you made damn sure the enemy remembered you.

  Nerva turned as Kai approached, a beast at his side. The boy radiated fury and mana so dense it warped the air. The beast was no different, raw power and primal rage.

  "It’s him!" Zara’s voice cracked with excitement.

  Liliya’s eyes lit up, her earlier gloom forgotten. "Look at that beast… a mutated Abyssal Tigerhawk. Tier 9, at least. But its mana… gods, it’s beyond anything I’ve seen. I need to capture it."

  “Zara, Xarion, prepare to assist if things go south. I’ll handle the boy. Liliya… the beast is yours.”

  Nerva didn’t even bother trying to stop her. Nothing could.

  Sensing Kai’s mana, Nerva summoned his dark-silver armor. Two massive shields materialized on his arms, their dagger-like tips gleaming with condensed mana.

  His silver aura surged, wrapping his body and weapons in an unbreakable shell.

  He advanced slowly, every step radiating the weight of an immovable fortress.

  "We can still talk this out, boy," he said, voice calm but strong.

  Kai’s glare burned hotter than the air around him. Fire mana rippled outward, warping the ground.

  "After what you did to my man? Not a chance."

  Behind them, Liliya floated toward Umbra, a mischievous smile curling her lips.

  "Here, kitty-kitty… want a treat?"

  Umbra’s eyes glowed like the night sky. "Human child… You dare talk like that to this one??"

  "Oooh, feisty. I love it. Want to be my pet?" Liliya teased, voice dripping with genuine excitement.

  Umbra chuckled darkly. "Pet this."

  A torrent of darkfire beams erupted from her maw, devouring life from the very air as they tore toward Liliya.

  "Interesting," Liliya whispered, summoning eight spinning magic circles.

  "Sun’s Prism!"

  Blinding beams of pure light lanced forward, colliding with Umbra’s darkfire in a cataclysmic explosion. The ground quaked, a few remaining trees withered, and shards of mana ripped through the battlefield.

  A few beams pierced Umbra’s defenses, forcing her to dodge.

  "She’s strong… and insane," Umbra growled, sending a mental link to Kai and Scry.

  "Scry, assist Umbra. I’ll handle this one," Kai commanded.

  "That mage is an Eight-Circle Grand Magus. We might not win this time," Scry warned.

  "And the blond man? Peak Master Knight. Kai, are you sure?"

  "If it goes bad, we run to the Arcanum and hide. No shame in that. But we’re not running without a fight."

  "Damn right!" Umbra roared.

  "Fine," Scry sighed. "I’ll analyze her spell formulas and counter them, but it’ll take everything I’ve got. Hold on, Kai."

  "No problem." Kai’s grip tightened. He was ready to break this man.?

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