Before Baro Ferrer ever set foot in the camp, he spent his days in his father's shop, helping him sell fish. He sat behind the worn wooden counter, watching customers with a shadow of worry on his face. His father glanced at him with his usual playful tone:
"What's wrong, you rascal? What's eating at you this time?"
Baro lowered his head, speaking with a trace of sadness.
"You know, Father… the academy entrance exams are coming soon. But I can barely swing a sword. What's worse is that I actually have a gift, yet there's no one to guide me."
The old man stayed silent for a moment, then raised his brows as an idea struck.
"Do you know Sol? She's in the academy—maybe she could help you."
Baro shook his head reluctantly.
"But she's a mage… and I'm a swordsman. I don't think she can help me."
His father's grin widened as he tapped the counter.
"Perhaps she knows someone who can. The next time Sol comes here, I'll ask her."
Days passed slowly until a stranger appeared in town—a boy named Shion Lan. Rumor had it he was a noble cast into exile. Baro imagined arrogance and pride clinging to such a figure, but when the boy entered the shop one hot afternoon, sweat dripping from his training, all he said was:
"I'd like some fish… five coins' worth."
As Baro wrapped the fish, he asked curiously:
"I haven't seen you around before. Who are you, sir?"
The boy smiled faintly.
"I'm your new neighbor… Shion Lan."
Baro froze, staring at him. He wasn't the haughty, bitter exile Baro had pictured. No—this youth carried himself with calm dignity, as though he had left the nobility by choice, not disgrace.
Soon after, Sol brought news: the one who would train Baro in swordsmanship was none other than Shion Lan. Baro was stunned, yet relieved to already know him. When he arrived at the training grounds, a crowd had gathered. At the center stood Shion, holding the testing device, which glowed with many lights. Five elements answered his call—proof of his immense talent.
Baro's heart sank.
"Didn't Sol say he would teach me swordsmanship? He's no swordsman… he's a mage of frightening skill."
But then the impossible happened. Dust swirled within the device—a sign of a duelist. Shion wasn't merely a mage… he could wield a blade as well. When the five elements lit up again, the crowd gasped.
Shion opened his eyes, meeting Baro's gaze with a gentle smile.
"Welcome, Baro."
Baro stepped forward, bowing low like a student before his master.
"From this day on, I'll be in your care."
"Good," Shion replied simply. "Then let's go."
They walked to the riverbank where Shion usually trained. He asked,
"I heard you're a swordsman. Tell me… which element do you resonate with?"
Baro's voice held pride.
"Light."
Shion fell silent, deep in thought.
"If it were any other element, I could manage. But a swordsman of light… how can I guide him?"
At last, he sighed.
"I don't possess techniques of light. But still, I can teach you the fundamentals of the blade."
He demonstrated the basic stances, watching Baro carefully. It wasn't that Baro lacked effort—no, it was something else. The sword simply did not suit him. His body, his stance, his strength… all cried out for the spear.
Shion stopped him abruptly.
"Baro! Put down the sword. It isn't your weapon."
Baro blinked in surprise, but listened as Shion explained. The only problem was that they had no spear. Shion thought for a while, then said:
"Instead, I'll teach you a body technique… the Night Body. It's not of light, but it will not conflict with you. In fact, it might make you stronger—strong enough to match a three-star duelist."
Then, Shion explained Night Body to Baro:
A dark corporeal technique woven from threads of shadow, drawing its strength from the night.
Its wielder possesses a unique gift: the devouring of Light.
Instead of being weakened by it, light becomes fuel — consumed within the body, reforging muscles and veins with the essence of night.
The brighter the light around him, the more his body devours it, slowly converting it into raw energy that sharpens his senses and doubles his reflexes.
Yet with the fall of dusk and the rise of true darkness, his real power awakens; his body grows as light as shadow, as unyielding as steel, and his movements silent as death.
Between light and darkness lies his paradox: light feeds him, but the abyss magnifies him.
In short: the Body of Night devours radiance only to become a stronger darkness, and the longer the night lasts, the more unbreakable its bearer becomes.
Baro's eyes widened, stunned. Why would Shion share something so precious? Shion noticed his confusion and answered calmly:
"As you've seen… I resonate with nearly every element, but I haven't chosen one yet. Until then, I can spare this."
Baro threw himself into training, while Shion sat nearby, his gaze distant. A hollow ache stirred in his chest—loneliness, emptiness, the shadow of death. Images bled into his mind: a boy of thirteen, veins of darkness crawling across the ground, a sword in his hand, and lifeless eyes staring.
It was Shi Yun Lan, his other self, speaking in a voice colder than the grave:
"Did you come to learn my technique… or to face me?"
Shion's breath caught. He stared back, mind racing.
"Why am I even thinking of her? Of him? They belonged to Shi Yun Lan's world, not mine. I'm here, in a different world entirely. I must act as myself… not as his shadow."
Shion spoke calmly despite the tension between them:
"I know you're angry… but that was never my intention. Now, tell me about the choices."
Shi Yun Lan raised his eyes, a glint of cold fury flashing within. The insolence of this man would normally have been enough for him to sever his head, just as before. Yet strangely, his voice remained steady, as though this were no more than an ordinary discussion.
"As for learning," he said, "I will teach you how to control the first part of the inheritance—nine levels within the first vein. As for combat, the terms are the same as last time: you must defeat me. If you either master the technique or defeat me, you will advance to the next vein."
Shion thought deeply.
Before, I could reach him whenever I wished. But now… the only way forward is either battle or learning.
He asked hesitantly:
"What about the other techniques? I want to ask you about them."
A bitter smile touched Shi Yun Lan's lips.
"Would you ask about something you already know?"
Shion fell silent. He had indeed lived Shi Yun Lan's life until the age of thirteen, but one secret still eluded him: the Death Aura. To master it, one had to kill oneself in spirit, erase every emotion from the heart, and become no more than a breathing corpse. The memory of that suffocating emptiness in the first vein sent cold sweat dripping down his spine. In the end, only one path remained.
"Very well… I'll face you. Let us begin."
The words had barely left his lips when the vision shattered—his body stood before him, headless. It took a heartbeat to realize that his head had been severed. Returning to reality, he clutched at his neck, agony burning through him.
The more I die… the worse the pain becomes each time!
He lifted his gaze to the heavens. The night had already fallen, and the stars glimmered above. He watched them in silence, while Baro continued his training with the Night Body technique.
When darkness fully enveloped the land, Baro muttered to himself:
"Where is Master Lan?"
Following the trail, he reached the riverbank, where Shion sat unmoving, his eyes fixed upon the starry sky, his presence wrapped in a stillness too deep to disturb. Baro sat quietly beside him, hoping to learn something from the silence.
Time passed. Men from the camp arrived to check on them. They found Baro still practicing, but Shion remained locked in his trance. One man approached, but Baro motioned for silence, whispering:
"I don't know what's happening… but his power is rising. I don't want him interrupted. I'll keep watch in case anything happens."
And so Shion remained that way the entire night, the stars wheeling silently above him. When dawn came, the heavens grew pale, and Baro, exhausted, drifted into sleep beside him.
But what woke him was not the sun—it was a surge of light energy. His eyes snapped open, and he turned toward its source. It was Shion.
Within his body, power was churning: magic shifting into aura, fire flowing into water, wind into stone, darkness into light… and back again, reversing in endless cycles. Moment after moment, the flows of power switched, as though he were forging a world inside his own veins.
Baro stepped closer, stunned. Shion's features had transformed—more handsome, more radiant than ever. His silver eyes glimmered like the stars themselves, his white hair danced in the morning breeze, and the way he sat radiated the presence of a sovereign, not a mere man.
Gradually, the storm of energy subsided, and Shion returned to himself. The silver glow faded from his eyes, though his aura and bearing remained changed forever. He turned to Baro with a faint smile.
"Once you have a spear… I'll teach you a technique I just remembered."
Baro froze, forgetting reality itself, overwhelmed by the majesty before him. In his eyes, Shion no longer appeared as just a teacher, but as a ruler who bore responsibility over him. Overcome, he bowed deeply.
"Thank you, my lord!"
Shion blinked in surprise.
"My lord? We're friends! I don't think Sol brought you to me so that I could enslave you. I'm here to teach you, nothing more. Don't exaggerate!"
Baro scratched his head sheepishly.
"Ah… right, Master!"
Shion sighed, resigning himself. Together, they set out once more—determined to find a spear for Baro.
Meanwhile, far away in the royal capital, within the palace itself, a man sat behind his desk, attending to his duties. Suddenly, a familiar voice requested an audience.
"Allow him in," he said.
An old man entered, his eyes scanning the chamber carefully, ensuring no ears lingered to overhear. In an instant, his form shifted, revealing a young man in place of the elder.
"I've come to bring urgent news, my lord."
This was the very same elder who had been with Shion before. And the man behind the desk—the royal official who had once accompanied him. The official leaned back with weary impatience.
"What is it this time?"
He had already learned that Shion possessed strange, unheard-of methods in both magic and swordplay. What he truly sought was news of the Star King Art that Shion had once mentioned. Though he doubted much of Shion's tale, the boy's techniques, his calm demeanor, his peculiar training—none of it fit what was known. Against his will, the official had begun watching closely.
Until now, nothing had confirmed the legend. But then the young man's face paled, filled with dread.
"Shion used a new technique of water—astonishingly strong. It seems he has the potential to be both mage and duelist of six elements. He even accepted a disciple today and taught him a body technique… strange and powerful. But more than this—he meditated the entire night. And when he opened his eyes… they were silver, glowing with the light of the stars, and—"
"The light of the stars?!"
The royal official leapt from his chair as though the very truth he sought had been placed before him.