Kai woke to the sounds of cheering and screams of joy echoing throughout the Arcanum.

  He groaned, rubbing his eyes.

  “What is it now? God damn it… can’t a man sleep in peace for once?” he muttered, feeling a strange déjà vu, a flicker of memory from his old life on Earth.

  Scry floated through the door, already wide awake and grinning.

  “Haha, aren’t we grumpy today? Come on, you need to see this,” he said, clearly amused.

  Kai sighed and got up, putting on his martial clothes. His shadow armor was still being mended in his inner world; it was close to breaking after the relentless battles of the past few days.

  He stepped out of his chambers and was immediately greeted by the sight of Bjorn’s group cheering and jumping around like children.

  “What’s going on?” Kai asked, blinking at the chaos.

  Bjorn and the others turned to him and knelt in unison.

  “Master, we thank you from the bottom of our souls,” Bjorn said, voice full of emotion.

  Kai stared at them, stunned.

  “What in the world is going on? Did you all lose your minds?

  Scry chuckled beside him. “Why don’t you scan them?”

  Kai sighed. “Alright, let’s see…” as he activated his spirit sense. Normally, it was always on, but inside the Arcanum, he allowed himself to relax.

  His eyes widened. “How is this possible?”

  Bjorn and three others had broken through to the Knight level. The remaining three were close, their cores pulsing with mana, on the verge of transformation.

  Bjorn stood proudly. “Master, it’s all thanks to your mana crystals… but mostly the rich food you’ve been feeding us. We’re in our forties and have trained for years. This was the final push we needed.”

  “Baldie’s right,” Scry added. “The others should break through in the coming days. And now, their lifespans will be prolonged. They should live up to five hundred years, assuming they survive that long naturally.”

  Kai frowned. “So those who don’t reach Knight or Magus levels… they live normal lifespans?”

  “Yes,” Scry nodded. “So, what you’ve given them isn’t just strength, it’s time. A much longer life.”

  Just as they were speaking, another scream echoed from one of the rooms.

  One of the twins burst into the hallway, arms raised.

  “I reached Knight level! Hahaha! Now I can fight too!”

  His brother followed, sighing. He wasn’t close yet. His twin had always been more talented.

  Kran came out as well, disappointment written across his face. He still had a long way to go.

  Kai walked over and placed a hand on Kran’s shoulder.

  “Don’t rush it. You’ll get there. Everyone grows at their own pace.”

  Kran nodded, trying to hide his frustration.

  ***

  The others began to stir throughout the Arcanum, awakened by the noise and excitement.

  Bjorn led his men outside, eager to train. They still had plenty of mana crystals, and now they wanted to test their new bodies, to feel the strength of their breakthrough.

  Kran and the twins followed, equally motivated. Especially Kran. His conversation with Lucius had lit a fire in him, and he was determined to grow strong enough to earn Eira’s trust.

  Meanwhile, Kai and the others gathered in the dining hall to organize and plan.

  “Morning, everyone,” Nerva said as he entered, stretching.

  “Morning. Everyone, sit, let’s talk,” Kai instructed, his tone calm but focused.

  “I heard there were some breakthroughs last night,” Zara said cheerfully. “That’s always a happy occasion.”

  “Indeed,” Kai replied. “The mana-rich food helped push a few over the edge. Hopefully, they’ll be able to take care of themselves better now.”

  “You’re not sticking with them?” Zara asked, surprised.

  “I never planned to,” Kai said firmly. “They need to build their own lives. They can’t follow me around. Gods know what’s waiting for me.”

  Nerva nodded. “It’s for the best. Taking them with us would only put them in danger.

  So, what do you suggest? We can’t leave them here.”

  Kai turned to Hansen. “Could you take them to your village for the time being? They can decide what to do after that, return to their own tribe, or stay with your people.”

  Hansen rubbed his chin. “Hmm… we’ve got enough space. And with what you promised, we should have more than enough to live comfortably through the winter. That’s not the problem. The real issue will be telling them.”

  “They see you as their savior and master,” Harrietta added. “It’ll break their hearts. Poor bastards.”

  “I’ve got an idea,” Thorpe spoke up for the first time in a while. He preferred staying out of the spotlight, but this was worth sharing.

  “We could tell them it’s a training opportunity. Three of us have experience training others. We can help them adjust to their new bodies, and in the future, if you need them, they could prove useful. Having men you can trust is never a bad thing.”

  Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  “That’s a good idea,” Xarion agreed. “Trustworthy warriors are hard to find.”

  “Sounds like a plan, then,” Nerva said.

  “Do we have a way to get everyone to your village? How far is it?” Kai asked.

  “We’ve got our Moa birds hiding nearby,” Hansen replied. “I’m keeping an eye on them with my spirit beast, but it won’t be enough. It should take us half a day to reach the village.”

  “We’ve got gryphons,” Nerva added. “Two per beast, easily.”

  “Umbra, can we take a few more?” Kai asked.

  “Yeah, I’ll allow it,” she said with a smile.

  Kai turned to Eira. “How far is your master’s location from here?”

  “It’s far,” she replied, “but if we fly fast, we should reach it in half a day.”

  “So, if we go to Hansen’s village first, then to the castle, it should take us a day?” Kai asked.

  “Depends on the distance between the village and the castle,” Eira said. “But yes, a day or a bit more should be fine.”

  Kai looked at Nerva. “What do you think?”

  “That sounds reasonable,” Nerva said. “We should waste as little time as possible. But everyone’s safety comes first. Harrietta, could we leave Lisa with you for a while?”

  “I don’t want to leave you or Brother Kai!” Lisa cried.

  Harrietta smiled. “She can stay with me. I’ll teach you some magic, and you can play with my spirit. Look, it’s a kitty.”

  She summoned her fire spirit, which leapt from her inner world and landed in Lisa’s lap, purring and warming the air around it.

  Lisa’s eyes lit up with joy, but then she turned to Kai, frowning.

  Kai knelt beside her. “I need to know you’re safe first. We have to fight the bad man… and maybe find your father, if we can. Please know that I’ll come back for you.”

  Lisa stared into his eyes, searching for the truth. Then she nodded. “Okay, Brother Kai. I understand. Lisa will be a good girl and wait,” she said, continuing to pet the purring spirit.

  “Hansen, what about your group? Are you okay with staying behind?” Nerva asked.

  Hansen nodded. “We’re no good in large-scale battles. We’re better at hunting and stealth. So, we’ll stay behind and protect the village in case something happens.”

  Harrietta sighed; her usual fire dimmed. “Hate to admit it, but my mana reserves aren’t great for prolonged fights. Kill a few of those bastards for me, will you?” She smiled sadly.

  Kai glanced at Lucius, still waiting for an apology. “What about him?”

  “He has a name,” Lucius replied, meeting Kai’s gaze. “And he’s coming.”

  Nerva chuckled. “He’s coming. He needs to show he’s learned from his mistakes. I have high expectations for him.”

  Kai nodded slowly. “Alright. So, it’s your group and mine, with Eira included. Eight total, not counting Scry.”

  “Heey! But yeah,” Scry added, floating nearby. He was still too weak to fight directly, but his support spells and knowledge were invaluable.

  “Miss Eira,” Xarion asked, “what level would you say your strength is?”

  Eira sighed. “It’s complicated. But I’d say mid-Divine Beast level, after all these years.”

  Nerva leaned forward. “Alright then. You and Lucius will be a team. Zara and Umbra will be our stealth units. Kai and I will take the front. Liliya, you’ll support from the rear. Xarion, you’re center, attack and defend as needed. Sound good?”

  Everyone nodded. It was a solid plan, and Nerva’s experience in battlefield coordination was clear.

  Zara slid into the seat next to Umbra. “Hey, girl. We’re partners for this mission. We should get to know each other.”

  Umbra tilted her head. “Best way to get to know someone is to spar.”

  Zara’s eyes lit up. “Oh, I love you already.”

  Xarion chuckled.

  “You can do that later. Calm down,” Nerva grumbled. “But they’re not wrong. Everyone, explain your skills. We need to be ready for anything.”

  Kai stood first. “Fine. I’ll go. You’ve seen most of my abilities. My body’s at Peak Knight level, but my aura’s still far from Master Knight. I use multiple elements and have two magic circles. I can cast water, poison, and Thunderfire spells.”

  Liliya gasped. “Thunderfire? A mutated element? You have to show me your circle later!”

  Scry chuckled. He knew she’d be hooked.

  Kai smirked. “Only if you show me yours first.”

  He immediately blushed as the room erupted in laughter. Well, that sounded weird....

  Nerva cleared his throat. “I use metal mana. Peak Master Knight level. My aura’s nearly complete. I fight using Heraldic Fist style, close combat, and shield-based weapon skills.”

  Kai chuckled. “Yeah, I’ve experienced that already.”

  Xarion kept it brief. “I use fire mana. Dual swords style. My aura has fire properties.”

  Zara leaned back. “I’ll show mine later. I use shadow and poison mana, combined with agility skills. My aura’s getting there.”

  “You’ve seen mine,” Umbra said simply.

  Liliya stood proudly. “Eight-circle Grand Magus. I use all elements except darkness. I can also handle wood, time, and space magic.”

  “She also has an Arcanum full of crazy beasts,” Nerva added.

  “Oh yeah, that too!” she grinned.

  Kai stared at her, stunned. She’s that strong? Seems like we’ve only seen a few spells…

  His gaze lingered a bit too long.

  Nerva kicked him under the table.

  Kai twitched and looked away.

  Liliya shivered. He does look murderous sometimes… better keep my distance.

  Scry floated up. “Not that anyone cares, but I’m a high fire spirit. I can strengthen your fire spells two or threefold if needed. Also, I know a few spirit spells.”

  Eira patted his head. “I use ice magic, and I can transform into a Divine Viper if needed.”

  "And I use light mana to defend and attack, that's all you need to know," Lucius said coldly.

  Nerva smiled. “Alright. We’ve got one hell of a team.”

  Kai stood. “Before we go, finish whatever you’ve planned. We leave at noon.”

  He turned to Scry, Eira, and Liliya. “You three, with me. We need to figure out what to do about Eira’s soul binding.”

  Nerva nodded to Liliya, who stood and followed.

  Harrietta didn’t need an invitation as she went along as well.

  Umbra and Zara headed outside, the rest trailing behind, eager to see the show.

  main page and hit follow and favorite, or leave me a rating! Your reviews and feedback mean the world to me and help spread the word, especially for a small author. Thanks for your support!

  My Patreon

  ko-fi.com/wolfrobert