Akito turned and saw a tall man in a brown cloak with a hood covering his face.
He was about to speak when Targus, without hesitation, launched a crushing double-fist strike.
The stranger dodged easily, moving with a grace unfit for any normal human.
"Fast…" Akito muttered, stepping forward.
"Wait, Targus! Who are you?"
"Youthful master, I am your third Guardian," the stranger replied calmly, lowering his hood.
Underneath was the face of an elf — pale, almost white skin, silver-white hair flowing down his shoulders, and piercing green eyes.
"So, you're my third Guardian…"
Akito opened his system interface, scrolled to the Guardian tab, and clicked on the line that read:
[Guardian #3]
Name: ??? [Add]
Level: 150
Rank: B
Role: Support
Height: 187 cm
Weight: 70 kg
Age: 5000+
Skills: "Phantom Veil" (Max) | "Forest Crossbow" (Lv.1) | "Ancient Justice" (Max)
"You'll be… Elian," he said with a slight smile.
"Sounds… noble," the elf nodded briefly.
"So now we're four: fighter, tank, support. Strong lineup," Akito said with enthusiasm.
"Excellent!" Targus bellowed, clapping his hands.
"Alright, pointy ears, I'm Targus, and this is our Jarl! Together we'll be the strongest!"
Elian slowly closed his eyes, a flicker of annoyance crossing his face.
"Master, if I may… may I silence this loud gorilla?"
"Hey, calm down," Akito stepped in. "No conflict. Let's head home."
A portal opened before them. One by one, they stepped into it — and at that moment, Akito caught himself thinking:
I wonder who's stronger — Elian or Targus?
They found themselves back in Akito's apartment. Arden was nowhere to be seen — as usual, he was training in his own dimension.
"Where's the first Guardian?" Elian asked.
"He…" Akito began, but Targus cut him off:
"The little fox lost to me and now trains day and night. Simple as that."
"I see," the elf replied curtly, sitting on the floor in a meditation pose. He faced the window, crossed his legs, and closed his eyes.
Meanwhile, Akito opened his system interface and pulled up the full profile.
Name: Akito Kurosawa
Level: 152
Rank: B
Role: Guardian Master
Attack: 360
HP: 400
Mana: 4420 / 7500
Age: 18
Height: 182 cm
Weight: 78 kg
Skills: "Steel Will" (Lv.3) | "Victor" (Lv.2) | "Eye of Truth" (Lv.2) | "Ruthless" (Lv.2)
Stats:
• Strength: 15 / ♾️ [+]
• Speed: 30 / ♾️ [+]
• Endurance: 11 / ♾️ [+]
• Health: 15 / ♾️ [+]
• Energy: 15 / ♾️ [+]
• Bonus points: 50
"Alright, now that I have three Guardians, my mana definitely won't be enough…"
He distributed the points:
[+10 Strength] → Attack: 360 → 560
[+10 Endurance]
[+10 Health] → HP: 400 → 600
[+20 Energy] → Mana: 7500 → 17500
"Done," he said with satisfaction, switching to his inventory. There, a gift from the system was waiting: a new sword — Cryoz.
Sword: Cryoz
• Attack: 450
• Durability: 150
• Bonus: slows enemy by 1% on hit and freezes for 2 seconds (up to 3 times per battle)
"This is way better than my old one…" Akito whispered.
At that moment, Arden appeared in the room. His gaze immediately locked onto the meditating Elian.
Elian opened one eye and returned the stare.
"So, you're the third Guardian?"
"Correct," Elian nodded, closing his eye again.
"You've been training again, Arden?" Akito asked.
"Akito… I'm sorry… I'm still not on your level," the fox said quietly.
"But I'll try to be useful in the next battle."
So the young master's name is Akito… interesting name.
"Fox, do you truly wish to grow stronger? I can help," Elian said, standing.
"I noticed you can create your own dimension. Take us there."
There was no need to convince Arden — he nodded silently.
Even Targus got up, clearly intrigued.
Arden's dimension greeted them with absolute emptiness.
No trees, no ground — just a grayish-white surface stretching endlessly, and the echo of footsteps in the dead silence.
The space felt frozen, perfect for training, free from any distractions.
Arden stood in the middle of the void, arms crossed.
"And how exactly do you plan to help me?" he asked, frowning slightly.
"I possess a third skill. It can only be used once," Elian said calmly, stepping forward.
"If Master Akito permits it, I'll help you grow stronger. But you'll lose one skill."
He turned to Akito, waiting for a response. Akito didn't hesitate.
"Use it. I believe that's the best way to unlock your potential."
Elian slowly closed his eyes and crossed his arms in front of him, joining his palms in the shape of yin and yang.
[Skill activated: Ancient Justice]
A dark green energy swirled behind him, forming massive scales inscribed with ancient runes.
Once complete, Elian opened his eyes — now glowing with cold light.
"Which skill do you want to replace?" he asked.
Arden didn't hesitate.
"Essence Drain."
One of the scale pans ignited, revealing a black sphere of energy.
The other filled with a radiant white light — a new skill slowly taking shape.
"Ready?" Elian asked.
"Yes," Arden nodded firmly.
A blinding flash of white light filled the dimension.
For a moment, they all lost sight.
As the glow faded, the scales vanished.
Elian took a step back.
"It's done. You've received a new skill: Lapet's Impulse (Lv.1)."
"So, Little Fox," came Targus' voice as he summoned his giant axe,
"Ready for a rematch?"
Akito and Elian stepped aside.
"Same as last time. I'll be the judge again," Akito said, raising his hand.
"Begin!"
Meanwhile…
Far away, deep within the shadows, two figures stood in the darkness.
Their faces hidden by the thick gloom.
But one of the voices was cold as steel.
"There's only two of us left. That brat wiped out the rest."
"Xarg, Hazgur, Graknar… they were all weaklings," growled the second.
"It's time to end this. He's overstepped his bounds."
[Noxveil]
Hey there, reader!
If you've made it this far, thank you so much. I'm writing this story in Russian and translating it into English — so I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Even one small comment gives me huge motivation 💬💙
Let me know who your favorite character is so far!