A faint layer of clouds drifted across the morning sky.
The forest was quiet except for the soft rustling of leaves stirred by a gentle breeze. A small tent stood between the trees, its fabric slightly damp from the night's lingering chill.
The flap opened.
Vyvian stepped out first, stretching his arms as the cool morning air brushed against his face. Behind him, Faye and Rem followed.
The three of them gathered near a small stone where a loaf of bread rested.
Breakfast was simple.
Just bread and silence.
After everything that had happened over the past months, quiet mornings like this had become strangely comforting.
Vyvian tore a piece of bread and looked at the two of them.
"So," he said between bites, "where should we head to next?"
Faye thought for a moment before answering.
"Should we go straight to the major towns?" she suggested. "We might gather more information there."
Rem shook his head almost immediately.
"That would be risky."
He leaned against a nearby tree.
"We still don't know who we're really dealing with… or how strong they are."
Faye slowly nodded.
"You're right."
Vyvian looked between them.
"Then where?"
Rem pulled out the folded map his grandfather had given them and spread it across the flat stone.
He pointed to two locations.
"Luxen is to the left."
His finger then slid across the map.
"And Valenor is to the right."
Vyvian leaned closer.
"We already went to Luxen once," Rem continued. "So we should head to Valenor first."
"Why Valenor?" Faye asked.
Rem smiled slightly.
"My grandpa once mentioned that Valenor is famous for its artifacts."
Vyvian tilted his head.
"…Artifacts?"
"What are those supposed to be?"
Rem folded his arms and began explaining.
"Artifacts are ancient tools and weapons left behind by people from long ago."
"When someone is transformed, they can channel their Qi into the artifact. The artifact then takes that Qi and guides it in a specific way depending on its design."
"It creates special effects that normal Qi techniques can't easily replicate."
Faye's eyes widened with curiosity.
"Woah."
Vyvian scratched the back of his head.
"…That sounds confusing."
He took another bite of bread.
"But alright."
He stood up and stretched again.
"Let's go."
The three of them packed their things, folded the tent, and prepared to continue their journey.
The three of them began walking along the left path that led toward Valenor.
The forest slowly opened up as they moved forward. After a while, the sound of water reached their ears.
To their right was a quiet lake. Its surface reflected the faint clouds drifting across the morning sky.
Near the shore stood a man.
But something about him immediately caught their attention.
He wasn't using a fishing rod.
Instead, he was catching fish with his bare hands.
Each time a fish swam near him, his arm moved like a flash, pulling the fish out of the water effortlessly.
Vyvian slowed down.
"…Woah."
Curious, the three of them walked toward the lake.
Just as the man grabbed another fish, Vyvian spoke.
"Woah, you're fast."
The man turned around.
He appeared to be a grown adult, probably over twenty-five years old. Long pinkish hair rested across his shoulders the left side straight while the right side was braided neatly. A pair of glasses rested on his face, and diamond-shaped earrings hung from both ears. A small piercing rested on his lower lip.
He wore a compressed shirt and loose long pants.
Despite his unusual appearance, his expression was calm and gentle.
"You think so?" he said with a smile.
"Thanks."
Faye tilted her head.
"Why are you catching fish with your hands?"
"It's just practice," the man replied casually.
"What kind of practice is that?" she asked again.
The man shrugged slightly.
"I don't have a soul creature," he said. "So I train my physical strength instead."
Vyvian blinked in shock.
"…You don't?"
"But you seem strong."
Faye looked equally surprised.
The man chuckled.
"I'm not that strong."
Then he looked at the three of them.
"Want to have a friendly spar?" he asked. "You guys have awakened soul creatures, right?"
Rem nodded.
"Yeah. All of us do."
He stepped forward.
"I can spar with you if you want."
"Sure," the man replied.
Rem crossed his arms.
"What's your name though?"
"Oh, right." The man smiled again.
"I'm Dan. What about you guys?"
"I'm Vyvian."
"I'm Faye."
"And I'm Rem."
"Nice names."
Dan stepped away from the water and onto the grassy ground.
"Alright then," he said. "Rem, let's spar here. Vyvian, Faye you two stand back a little."
They moved away to give them space.
Rem and Dan faced each other.
Rem moved first.
His body transformed as his element fused with his form.
Thick scales formed across his body. His size increased as his teeth extended into sharper fangs. The spikes along his back and tail grew longer and more dangerous.
His presence alone felt heavier.
Dan looked impressed.
"Cool transformation."
He lowered into a fighting stance, planting his feet firmly into the ground and raising his fists.
Nearby, Vyvian leaned closer to Faye.
"Do you think he can keep up with Rem without a soul creature or element?" he whispered.
Faye shook her head.
"No idea."
Suddenly
Rem dashed forward.
His speed was incredible. With his element fused into his transformation, his control over his power had grown much stronger.
His fist shot toward Dan.
But Dan calmly raised his arms and blocked the strike.
Rem's eyes widened.
Immediately, he released a burst of energy.
A powerful shockwave exploded outward.
Faye and Vyvian covered their ears as the air trembled violently.
Dan simply leapt upward.
The shockwave passed beneath him.
He landed lightly on the ground without a scratch.
Then casually, he flicked one of his earrings.
In the next instant
He moved.
Before Rem could react, Dan appeared in front of him and threw a brutal punch.
Rem was launched backward into a tree.
The tree snapped in half instantly.
Vyvian and Faye stood stunned.
A human without any abilities shouldn't possess that kind of strength.
"Get up, Rem," Dan said casually.
"It's just getting started."
Rem slowly stood up, now completely serious.
This man was clearly no ordinary human.
"Corruption Wave."
Rem unleashed his Chaos Qi ability.
A distorted wave of energy surged forward and struck Dan directly.
Dan staggered slightly.
For a brief moment, his muscles visibly shrank, as if the strength inside them had been drained.
But only for a moment.
They quickly returned to normal.
Rem narrowed his eyes.
"…So my Chaos Qi can weaken physical strength too," he muttered.
Faye looked amazed.
"Woah… that's a strong attack."
Vyvian simply nodded as he watched carefully.
Dan stood up again, stretching his shoulders.
"Woah, you got me there, Rem."
Rem charged forward again.
But Dan moved aside effortlessly.
His fist slammed into the ground beside Rem.
The earth shattered, leaving a small crater.
Rem stared at the impact before slowly de-transforming.
"…You win this one."
He extended his hand.
Dan laughed and shook it.
"You're generous."
Vyvian stepped forward.
"Can I spar too?"
Dan smiled.
"Sure."
The two took their positions.
Vyvian inhaled slowly.
Cold energy began gathering around him.
His body transformed as his element fused with his form.
Sharp frosty spikes formed along his shoulders, glimmering faintly.
The air around him grew colder.
Then his eyes changed.
His pupils narrowed into the shape of a serpent's.
But unlike a normal serpent's gaze, faint crystalline flakes shimmered within them like tiny snow fragments drifting inside his eyes.
Dan raised his fighting stance again.
Vyvian attacked first.
An icy beam shot toward Dan.
Dan barely dodged it.
But his right arm froze instantly.
He shattered the ice with his left hand and dashed forward.
His kick struck Vyvian square in the chest.
Vyvian was knocked backward but he grabbed Dan's leg mid-motion.
Using the momentum, he spun and threw him.
Dan twisted in midair and landed perfectly.
Then he flicked his earrings again and leapt forward with an aerial kick.
Vyvian dodged.
"Divine Frost."
Iridescent ice surged forward, carried by a freezing wind.
Dan was struck directly.
The divine frost spread across his body, glowing as it hardened.
The ice grew thicker every second.
Dan tried to break it, but every piece he shattered regenerated instantly.
"I think Vyvian got him," Rem said.
Faye nodded.
But suddenly
A violent shockwave exploded outward.
Dan shattered the divine frost with pure brute force.
Ice fragments scattered everywhere.
The three stared in disbelief.
Before Vyvian could react—
Dan stepped forward.
A precise hand chop struck Vyvian's neck.
Vyvian collapsed.
After a moment he stood back up and de-transformed.
"…I'm no match for you."
"You win."
Dan scratched his head and laughed.
"Come on… I'm not that strong."
"You guys surrendered too early."
Then he looked at Faye.
"What about you? Your name was Faye, right?"
"Want to spar?"
Faye shook her head.
"No. I'm not really interested in fighting."
She glanced at the others.
"Besides… don't we have somewhere important to go?"
Vyvian nodded.
"Yeah."
Rem agreed.
"Well then," Dan said.
"See you guys later. I've got some work to do too."
Before leaving, he reached into his pocket and pulled something out.
"But before that… take this."
He handed it to them.
"It's an artifact. A Gauntlet Cannon."
"You can use it. I don't need it. Think of it as a gift."
Rem's eyes widened.
"Dang… thanks, man."
"Oh wait where are you from?"
Dan adjusted his glasses.
"I'm from Avaron."
"What about you guys?"
"Vyvian and Faye are from Rivera," Rem replied.
"A small village."
"And I'm from Sereneth."
Dan smiled.
"That's cool."
"Well then… see you guys later."
He waved and walked away.
The three watched him disappear into the forest.
Then they continued their journey toward Valenor.
Now they had something new with them.
An artifact.
As they walked along the forest path, Vyvian and Faye examined the Gauntlet Cannon curiously, wondering how exactly it would work.
Their journey was becoming more mysterious with every step.
Thus, their journey toward Valenor continued beneath the drifting morning clouds.
What began as a simple search for information had already led them to a strange encounter and their first artifact.
Unbeknownst to them, the path ahead would hold far more than ancient tools and forgotten towns.