The wind howled across the ruined clearing.
Golden Chi still flickered around Arthur like flames caught in a storm, but now it danced with something new, threads of crackling electricity skittered up his arms, across his chest, and sparked from his fingertips into the torn ground below.
Arthur took a breath, and the lightning surged around him.
His feet lifted slowly off the ground as he activated [Telekinesis], and gusts wind surrounded him. He rose higher and higher until he hovered several meters above the clearing, his hair billowing, sparks arcing across it. His bloodied form flickered with Chi, lightning, and sheer power.
Selene hovered overhead, blinking. Her eyes narrowed, pupils slitting.
"That aura… Wait… Is that from a dragon core?" she whispered to herself.
She recognized the faint aura within his lightning. A draconic spark laced into his mana, he must have absorbed a Dragon Core to obtain that power. She thought he was quite brave as Dragon core if not absorbed with precaution could lead to death. Her gaze grew more intense.
'He really is crazy.'
Steve, standing on the ruined ground below, merely raised his hand to shield his eyes from the swirling debris. "Alright, now you're just showing off."
Arthur smirked. "Gotta give the audience something to remember."
He threw out both palms.
A volley of [Mana Bullets] fired again, this time not in straight lines, but twisted around Steve like sneaking snakes. At the same moment, Arthur hurled a large chunk of shattered boulder, easily over a hundred tons, with his [Telekinesis], launching it from behind the barrage.
Steve exhaled and stepped forward once.
Boom.
He punched the boulder midair. It exploded like glass hit by a sledgehammer.
Arthur used that distraction. In a burst of lightning, he dashed from the sky down at Steve with a crackling spear of pure Chi and plasma in his hands, combining the might of both Chi and lightning.
Steve turned at the last moment and blocked, but this time, his feet dug small trenches into the ground.
Arthur spun in the air, landing and flipping backward. He didn't stop, using [Telekinesis], he pushed off the air like a step and launched himself back at Steve.
Their fists met in midair. Thunder roared.
Boom!
A Chi-augmented lightning jab from Arthur met Steve's palm.
Crack!
Steve retaliated with a knee to Arthur's chest that sent him flying up, but Arthur stopped himself mid-air using telekinesis, hovering.
He extended both arms out.
From around the field, every loose boulder, shattered rock, broken tree stump, everything heavy, rose into the air, caught in a flickering blue aura.
Selene's eyes widened. "He's… lifting the entire field?"
More than a dozen chunks of rock, some weighing over 50,000 tons each, rotated around Arthur like a planetary ring. He threw his arms forward, and they launched at Steve in waves.
Steve watched them fall like meteors. One after another.
He finally moved.
He dodged the first. Punched through the second. Let the third crash beside him, then vaulted off it and rocketed toward Arthur in the sky.
Arthur met him halfway.
The air exploded between them as their bodies clashed midair. Arthur's [Telekinesis] let him change vectors on a dime, zig-zagging in the air as he clashed with Steve again and again, punches, elbows, kicks, all laced with lightning and Chi.
Boom!
A punch landed square in Arthur's gut.
He flipped backwards midair, grunting, but countered by launching a compressed Lightning Chi Orb from his palm. It detonated on contact, creating a shockwave that Steve blocked with a single arm raised.
But Arthur didn't stop.
He moved in close, arm wreathed in lightning, and landed a left hook across Steve's jaw, golden lightning trailing in the air.
Steve blinked in amusement. "Not bad."
Arthur was a bit distracted at his words.
That's when Steve's fist came forward like a blur of motion.
Crack!
Arthur didn't see it. He only felt a fist to the temple. Then everything flashed white before his eyes, and the world went silent.
…
Arthur woke to silk sheets and soft lighting.
The scent of lavender hung in the air. He blinked, staring at the gilded ceiling of a ridiculously luxurious bedroom.
His body didn't ache. There was no pain or any no injury. He flexed a hand, feeling his increased strength.
'What the hell hit me? A f**ing meteor?'
He then sat up.
The ornate bed creaked slightly as he shifted. The walls were painted with dragons and phoenix, the floors polished to a mirror finish. Mana lanterns floated lazily in the corners.
Arthur slid off the bed and padded barefoot to the double doors. They were slightly ajar.
Outside, he heard voices.
"…But he is very reckless," Selene grumbled while saying, a cup of tea in her hand.
Steve chuckled. "He'll be a monster in a few years."
Then Arthur stepped out, barefoot and slightly dazed.
Selene turned toward him. "Oh… you're already awake?"
Steve glanced up too, blinking. "I thought you'd sleep longer. It hasn't even been an hour."
Arthur rubbed the back of his neck. "Did I pass out?"
"You got knocked out," Selene corrected with a hint of playfulness in her voice.
Arthur grimaced. "I noticed."
Steve smirked. "You put up a hell of a fight. But next time, try not to let your guard drop while fighting."
Arthur gave a lazy salute. "Noted. Next time, I'll aim for your head instead."
Selene rolled her eyes. "Boys."
After spending another hour chatting with Selene and Steve, mostly about combat theory, and the dragons of this continent.
There are various kinds of dragons in this continent, who can control various elements of nature. But the most powerful were the ones who control concepts like gravity, space, time and the likes.
Most dragons can take the form of a humanoid being for easy maneuver and lifestyle, but there were feral dragons who cannot do so, and they were considered mutants among dragons who cannot control their energy and have lower intelligence, they are generally considered outcasts in their society.
There were also various subspecies of dragons born from the feral dragons, they were drakes, wyrm, wyvern and various other creatures and are pretty common in this continent. These creatures also possess low intelligence and are generally considered as monsters.
Arthur eventually stood up and stretched, mulling over what he learned.
"Well, I better get back," he said, adjusting the new coat Steve had handed him.
Steve nodded, leaning against the balcony rail. "Come back when you want to have a good fight. You've got potential, kid."
Arthur nodded with a serious face. "Well… I will try not to be knocked out so easily next time."
Selene rolled her eyes and walked over. She touched his shoulder, magic flaring briefly, and the air surged around them.
In a flash of azure light, Arthur vanished from the mountain estate.
…
The streets of Brightwater welcomed him with familiar scents, roasted meat, fried dumplings, etc. The sun was beginning to dip, casting golden-orange hues across the cobbled streets. Students rushed toward dorms as the academy curfew approached, but there was still some time left.
'There is still some time till curfew' he wondered, walking aimlessly before deciding to head toward the open market. 'Might as well check for some herbs.'
He strolled through the merchant stalls, scanning piles of herbs, roots, and dried petals, most of them contained mana in them. A few looked promising for his research on potions. One vendor was loudly praising the miraculous effects of "Azure Flameroot" which, if Arthur remembered correctly, has properties to boost strength for a while after consumption.
He crouched by a display, brushing his fingers over a bundle of blue-sage grass when…
{"Hello, Mr. Arthur. Please don't panic."}
Arthur straightened abruptly, eyes narrowing as a voice echoed directly in his head.
{"My name is Alistair Vayne. A 9th Circle mage. I just wanted to have a few words with you. In private."}
[A/N: If want to learn about him, revisit Chapter 87 "The Hunters and the Hunted"]
'Telepathy,' Arthur realized. His eyes scanned the crowd automatically, but there was no sign of anyone paying attention to him. He knew of the method, but had never got his hands on the spell.
He responded with a cold, measured thought directed towards the voice. {"If you wanted to meet me, you could've just approached me. Why the secrecy?"}
{"It's... complicated,"} the voice said with a sigh. {"We'll explain when we meet. Please, Mr. Arthur… we mean you no harm. In fact, we have a proposal for you."}
Arthur's brow furrowed.
'First it was "I"... now it's "we"? So it's not just this Alistair guy. There are probably more people behind him.'
He debated brushing it off. But something about the encounter tugged at his curiosity. And it wasn't like he hadn't faced worse risks in the past twenty-four hours.
{"Alright,"} he said. {"Where do you want to meet?"}
Alistair, hearing Arthur agree, didn't waste a second and eagerly said, {"Please follow my directions. I'll guide you to the meeting location."}
…
After walking ten whole minutes in circles, Arthur stood in front of what looked like a dilapidated warehouse on the southern edge of Brightwater. The paint peeled off the cracked walls, windows were boarded shut, and the air around it had the faint smell of mildew and dust.
'Of course it's a creepy old warehouse,' Arthur thought dryly, with a mock exasperation. 'Nothing suspicious about that at all.'
The large rusted doors creaked open, revealing a figure wrapped in a deep, hooded cloak.
"Please follow me," the person, a woman to be exact, judging by her voice, said without looking at him.
Arthur didn't respond, he just stepped in behind the woman.
Inside, the air was cold and stale. The only illumination came from faint mana lanterns embedded in the ceiling, casting long shadows across crates and discarded debris, creating a dimly lit environment. But Arthur's eyes quickly adjusted, his enhanced eyesight enabling him to see clearly. Footsteps echoed as they moved across the warehouse floor until the woman knelt beside a rusted panel.
With a soft pulse of mana, the ground rumbled slightly as a hidden stairwell revealed itself.
She then led him underground.
The passage grew darker, tighter, but Arthur remained unfazed. His Chi pulsed softly beneath his skin, ready to take action, if this was a trap, they were going to regret springing it.
Finally, they reached a thick iron door. The woman turned around, offering a tight nod. "You can enter now," she said, and left without another word.
Arthur pushed the door open, as it creaked ominously.
The room beyond was surprisingly... clean and modest. A round table sat in the middle, surrounded by a few plush couches. Paintings of abstract magical constellations adorned the stone walls. A soft golden lamp glowed at the center of the table.
And waiting for him was a man in deep blue robes, sitting comfortably with one leg crossed over the other.
Behind him, another hooded figure stood in silence.
The seated man looked up as Arthur entered and smiled.
"Mr. Arthur," he greeted warmly, rising slightly. "It's truly a pleasure to finally meet you. I was the one who contacted you earlier."
Arthur stepped in, eyes flicking from the man to the shadowed figure behind him.
"Please," the man gestured. "Have a seat."
Arthur sat down across from him, his body appeared relaxed, but his mind anything but. "So," he began evenly, "why did you want to meet me?"
Alistair Vayne leaned forward slightly, fingers steepled. His smile never faltered.
"Because, Mr. Arthur... the world is changing," he said, voice smooth. "And we believe you might be one of the few capable who might be able to help us."
***
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