CHAPTER 35: CHAPTER 35: EYES IN THE DARK

Arden finally turned his focus to the glowing interface only he could see.

He had almost forgotten to check the reward from the assassin. Every life signature mattered. And every one added something to his evolving arsenal.

Life Energy Absorbed.

New Life Signature Gained:

Name: Veilstep Fang

Effect: Briefly phases into shadow to mute presence, then reappears with a precision strike that disrupts the target’s energy flow.

He blinked, a little surprised. "Huh... not bad," he muttered to himself.

The idea of slipping into shadows, then reappearing with a strike that directly disrupted energy flow, that was clean, efficient, and deadly. Definitely assassin stuff. Probably the result of years of silent training and hard-earned skill... which Arden just got for free.

"Feels good," he said with a slight grin.

Then something sparked in his mind. Why not fuse it?

He recalled Infernic Drift, his evasive-type signature that left afterimages and boosted agility. It made him harder to track in fast-paced combat, especially against stronger foes. Combining the two might not be a bad idea. Actually, it sounded brilliant.

He thought about it, letting the system catch on. And right on cue, it responded with a soft buzz in his head.

Nearby, Rael watched him staring into space with a weird grin on his face.

"...Is he okay?" Rael asked, frowning.

Nyra didn’t even glance back. "He’s never been."

Zephyra gave a low, almost snorting growl that sounded like agreement.

Rael looked between them, confused and slightly worried, but Arden was still caught in his little world.

The system blinked again.

Fusion Successful.

Fused Life Signature: Shadowfang Mirage

Effect: Phases briefly into shadow to mute presence, then reappears with a precision strike that disrupts the target’s energy flow. While in phase, creates faint afterimages to obscure the user’s true position, making counterattacks highly unlikely.

"Exactly what I need," Arden murmured, grinning wider. "That’s going to be fun."

He flexed his fingers, feeling the new imprint settle into his body like a new instinct. He couldn’t wait to test it in real combat. But that would have to wait.

He’s got more important things to deal with, and they made their way back to the shelter.

He straightened, finally noticing Rael’s eyes on him.

"We moving or what?" Arden asked casually, already turning away.

Rael blinked. "You were just... never mind."

Nyra followed without a word, her pace steady.

Zephyra loped quietly beside them, tail flicking once.

As they moved through the winding trail, Arden stayed quiet, but his mind wasn’t.

Something wasn’t adding up.

The Creed kept showing up too easily. It wasn’t random or lucky tracking. No, it was precise. Too precise.

He considered the usual methods, an elemental scout perhaps— but he would’ve sensed something like that. Since gaining the system, he’d been unusually aware of other lives nearby. Yet there’d been nothing, no flickers of elemental presence or life signals out of place. Unless the scout was masking their energy, which would mean they were strong. And if they were that strong, they wouldn’t waste time watching. They’d just strike, take what they wanted, and vanish.

Unless...

"They find me interesting," Arden muttered under his breath, eyes scanning the path ahead.

Nyra looked at him but didn’t ask. She’d stopped questioning him a while ago.

Still, he couldn’t rule out other options. Maybe a relic. Or some old detection instrument from forgotten times. Whatever it was, he didn’t like it. The feeling of being watched was becoming constant, like a shadow that wouldn’t go away.

When they finally reached the shelter, Arden turned to the group, but his eyes settled on Rael.

"We’re not staying," he said plainly.

Rael blinked. "We’re not?"

"We’re heading back to my ruin. It’s safer there. Fewer eyes, and also suitable for growth."

He stepped closer, folding his arms. "You coming with us?"

Rael hesitated. He glanced at Nyra, who didn’t even flinch, then at Zephyra, who huffed low but didn’t look aggressive.

They weren’t bad people, or whatever they were. They’d helped him, protected him. Arden had even shown him a way to stabilize his affinities. That alone was enough to make him want to follow.

"...Yeah," Rael said. "I’ll go."

Arden gave a nod. "Good choice."

Rael didn’t know if it was approval or just acceptance, but it was something.

"We’ll start your training on the way," Arden added.

Rael raised a brow. "Now?"

"There’s no perfect time," Arden said. "You’ve got talent, but you’ll need more than that. They’re watching us. Probably already know something’s changed with Nyra, and they’ll know when you’re stabilized too."

That made Rael shift uneasily.

Arden glanced at him. "Which means we start preparing. You can worry about the eyes in the dark later. For now, just focus on getting stronger."

Rael gave a small nod.

"Good. Get ready. The real tests haven’t even started."

With that, the group packed up once more. Zephyra led the way, tail flicking lazily. Nyra walked beside Arden in her usual quiet confidence, and Rael followed behind, still unsure of what exactly he’d gotten into, but more certain than ever that he wanted to be part of it.

They headed deeper into the Outlands, charting paths with no maps, towards a forgotten ruin, and whatever lay beyond it.

The journey back to the ruin had barely begun when their path crossed with a magic beast.

It was large, easily two heads taller than Rael, its body covered in coarse stone-like scales that shimmered faintly under the light. Its claws left deep grooves in the earth with every step, and thick fumes curled from its nostrils like smoke off smoldering coals. A Moltenhide Graver, Arden noted silently. Stronger than what Rael should be facing, but perfect for what he needed.

Arden turned to him. "This one’s yours."

Rael froze. "That—? I’m not ready for that thing."

"You don’t have to be," Arden said calmly. "You just have to trust me. Let go of control for once. That’s how we fix this."

Nyra gave a slight nod from behind. Not a word, just quiet support.

Rael looked back at the beast. Its deep growl filled the air as its heavy limbs dragged across the dirt. He swallowed hard, hesitated a moment longer, then stepped forward.

"Alright," he muttered, trying to steady his breath. "Let’s do this."

At the sight of movement, the beast roared and charged, heavy feet pounding the ground.

And Rael... let go.

Flashes of blue and sparks of ice lit the path as his energy burst outward, wild and untamed, clashing with the molten charge of the beast—and the fight began.

A/N:

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