CHAPTER 25 - 25: ECHOES OF THE TRIAL PATH

The ruin didn't give them a break.

After the Bristlehide Maulers, they barely caught their breath before the air shifted again. A low hum rippled through the walls, and Arden stopped. His life sense caught movement in the shadows ahead—different this time. Sharper. Faster.

Then came the growls.

System Interface

Name: Emberfang Reavers

Rank: Mid D-Rank

Affinity: Flameburst

Traits and Abilities:

Searing Blitz: Short bursts of fire-enhanced speed that allow sudden dashes.

Flame Laceration: Claws ignite briefly on impact, causing burn damage over time.

Pack Combust: Beasts near death explode in a burst of flame, damaging surroundings.

Crimson Trail Instinct: They mark targets with heat signatures and hunt based on movement.

Arden saw the interface and grinned. "Now this feels like a proper trial."

The Reavers circled ahead, their fur flickering with fire, each step leaving a glow behind.

As they moved, Nyra stepped forward, raising both hands as her wind gathered around the ice within.

A sudden swirl burst out, a controlled storm of frozen currents danced across the floor and messed with the beasts' senses.

Their tight formation staggered as they slipped and tried to recenter.

Arden shot her a glance. "Nice work."

He didn't wait for her reply as Zephyra was already moving, and he followed right after.

One of the Reavers blinked in front of him using a flame dash, but Arden sidestepped, twisted his sword, and slammed it into the beast's ribs, channeling Static Edge Bloom through the blade. Sparks met flames as the Reaver shrieked and collapsed.

Zephyra tore through another from the side, her claws glowing faintly with energy as she pounced mid-air. The ground behind them trembled as one of the injured Reavers flared up in a final burst, catching them off-guard.

"Watch it!" Arden called, shielding his face just in time as heat rolled over him.

More of them came, fast and unpredictable. They didn't wait—they hunted.

One dashed for Nyra, but she split her wind and frost again, forming a sharp gust that slammed it into a wall. Then Arden finished it with a clean cut.

Life Energy Absorbed

Gained Life Signature: Ember Dash Core

Effect: A short-range, fire-infused burst movement. Can chain into melee attacks and builds combustion energy with each use. Great for aggressive repositioning or mid-fight momentum shifts.

But there was no pause. Another wave of Bristlehide Maulers charged from a branching hall, and right after, more Emberfang Reavers poured out from deeper inside.

"They're trying to wear us down," Arden muttered, breathing harder now.

He moved like a blur, using Phantom Vein Drift to weave between them, while Zephyra covered his flanks. Nyra held her position in the rear, combining wind and ice to create barriers that slowed or knocked off balance anything that got through.

And the system kept ringing.

Radiant Pulse Vein Fragments ×24

Ember Dash Core Fragments ×12

Each kill sent another wave of warmth through Arden. The life energy was like an addictive, a rush that lit up his nerves and pushed him to keep going.

But even then, his shoulders were getting heavier, his legs slower. Zephyra looked back once, panting, eyes sharp but tired. Nyra held her own, though her hands trembled between every cast.

Still, they pushed on.

Then the interface chimed again.

Radiant Pulse Vein Fragments ×50

Evolution Available: Evolve Y/N?

Ember Dash Core Fragments ×50

Evolution Available: Evolve Y/N?

Arden didn't hesitate.

Yes.

What came next felt natural, his body moved before he could think. His limbs twitched slightly, adjusting to something new.

Knowledge trickled in like muscle memory that had always been there.

Life Signature Evolved: Radiant Pulse Vein → Lumen Vein Detonation

Effect: Builds up radiant charges with rapid movement. When activated, unleashes a burst of blinding light and chaotic afterimages, scrambling enemy tracking. The longer the build-up, the stronger the effect. Perfect for evasion, misdirection, or initiating.

Life Signature Evolved: Ember Dash Core → Seartrail Ignition

Effect: Dash now leaves behind a trail of burning energy. The trail lingers, dealing damage over time. Can be ignited further with movement or attacks. Stacks with elemental combos for wider damage.

Arden rolled his shoulders, feeling the new effects settle in. His blade pulsed faintly with radiant heat, and a faint glow followed his step.

"Now we're talking."

He didn't say anything else. He didn't need to. Zephyra stepped beside him, low and ready. Nyra steadied herself again behind them.

The ruin wasn't done. But neither were they as they continued exploring the ruin.

The corridor widened into a vast chamber, the air tense with static electricity.

Before anyone could speak, the system buzzed again in Arden's head.

Name: Zephyrmane Strider

Rank: Peak C-Rank

Affinity: Lightning

Abilities:

Arc Dash – A short-range blink of lightning-speed movement.

Static Barrier – A charged aura that shocks anything near.

Charge Pulse – Releases a sudden electric pulse to disrupt and stun enemies.

Thunder Nerve Sync – Enhances reaction time and reflexes while in motion.

The beast stood in the center, sleek and agile, with long limbs pulsing with electric veins.

Its silver mane sparked faintly as it stepped, and its eyes followed them with unsettling precision.

Arden glanced at his team, voice low. "This one's fast. It'll try to split us up with burst moves and keep us off rhythm. Nyra—control the field as much as you can. Zephyra, stick close, we'll bait it."

He stepped forward without hesitation. His calm was real, but behind it sat something sharper, he enjoyed this.

Not just the fight, but the puzzle of it.

The Zephyrmane vanished with a snap.

Arden's body moved on instinct, activating Stonepulse Reflex. His core absorbed the shock from the Arc Dash as the beast reappeared beside him, claws crashing into a hardened shield formed around his side. He caught the tail of its movement, struck low, then rolled out of the way before its claws lit up again.

Nyra summoned a gust that swept across the floor, her ice threading through it in fine spears, but the beast blinked past them again, crackling as it twisted in midair and flung a Charge Pulse across the room. Arden shouted a warning, but Zephyra had already leapt over it, diving through the arc to strike its side.

Sparks erupted, forcing her back.

Arden flicked a hand and activated Gale Vein Flow, letting the air carry him up and sideways as the beast closed the gap again. He twisted around, reading the Zephyrmane's angle, then snapped Dreadcoil Pulse into its chest just as it blinked in.

The shockwave slammed into it.

It staggered only for a moment, but Arden was already moving again. He stepped low, let it dash, then dropped his stance and let Radiant Pulse Vein flare.

A blinding pulse exploded around him, and the beast skidded with a sudden twitch. Its timing slipped.

"That's your opening!" Arden yelled.

Zephyra didn't need to be told twice. Her claws flared with wind and light as she struck high and hard, slashing across its back. Nyra followed with a volley of compressed frost blades, forcing the Zephyrmane into evasive footwork.

But it recovered fast.

The beast blurred again, but this time Arden was ready. He dodged low, counting the rhythm, then let Static Edge Bloom charge along his blade. When he slashed upward, the shock traveled straight into the creature's nerves.

It twitched violently, then growled.

Even now, it wasn't down. But they'd stopped the storm, and that alone was enough.

They stood their ground, bruised but still together.

A/N:

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