Chapter 4: The Sect of the Crimson Fang
Kael moved silently through the mountains, the shadows wrapping around him like a second skin. The encounter with the young cultivator had shaken him not out of fear, but from a realization: raw power alone wouldn't be enough. He needed techniques, cultivation methods, and experience beyond the forest.
The Crimson Fang Sect was a small but notorious organization hidden deep within these peaks. Rumors spoke of warriors who could control beasts, manipulate elements, and crush mountains with a single strike. And Kael intended to learn from them by any means necessary.
The sect's gates were massive, carved from black stone and etched with crimson runes. Kael crouched in the shadows, observing. Cultivators patrolled the walls, their auras strong, disciplined. Most would have been impossible to defeat head-on. But Kael's shadow whispered strategies, possibilities, weaknesses.
He waited until nightfall, then merged fully with the darkness. Tendrils snaked across the stone walls, slipping past guards, dissolving into shadows to avoid detection. Kael entered the inner courtyard silently, unseen and unheard.
Inside, a young disciple was sparring with a wooden dummy, his movements precise, yet fluid. Kael studied him, every strike, every stance. This was his chance.
A shadow extended from Kael, flicking toward the disciple. The boy stiffened, sensing something wrong, but Kael's tendril struck first, binding him gently but firmly. Kael leaned close. "Teach me," he said simply.
The boy's eyes widened. "What…?"
Kael's shadow shifted around him like living armor. "I don't have time for politeness. Show me your technique, now."
The boy hesitated, then, perhaps sensing the unnatural power before him, began demonstrating. Every strike, every footwork, Kael's shadow absorbed, memorized, and mimicked. By the end of the night, Kael had replicated the disciple's techniques, even enhancing them with his shadow.
But the sect would not remain oblivious for long. At dawn, Kael had already disappeared, leaving behind only a faint ripple of darkness where he had been.
Over the next weeks, Kael returned again and again, each time learning, stealing, and mastering. His shadows grew stronger, more independent, extending farther, striking faster. He began to fight the sect's disciples openly sometimes stealing techniques mid-battle, sometimes defeating entire squads without leaving a trace.
And the shadow inside him hungry, cunning, sentient thrived on every new ability.
Kael's rise was beginning to draw attention. Whispers spread: "A shadow moves through the peaks. None see him, none strike him. But he is learning… and growing."
Kael smiled into the night, shadows curling around his form like a cloak. The world had taught him pain, loss, and fear. But now, the world would learn the meaning of shadow.
I am Kael Veyra. I will rise. And no one no sect, no clan, no rival will stand in my way.