After Velgor's defeat, the team remained in Corinth for a short period, observing the city from atop the high walls and through destroyed streets, where dust still swirled among the rubble and the air was thick with the scent of burning and smoke. Every shattered window and broken pillar sent signals of the power and destruction that had occurred previously, as if every stone carried memories of the battle and every street groaned under the weight of a silence tinged with danger. No new threat appeared, but the tension was evident on everyone's faces, as if the city itself had not yet settled from the echoes of the violent battle, waiting for the moment when fire might return to ignite its streets once more.
Gang spies watched them from afar, slipping between shadows like invisible ghosts, hiding behind remnants of demolished walls and piles of debris, vanishing and appearing with a lithe grace that exceeded the expectations of any ordinary observer. Every small movement of the team was subjected to careful analysis—every whisper, every blink, and every gesture from Novarion or Zayn carried the possibility of revealing their future plans. They exchanged subtle signals, their fingers tracing secret patterns, their eyes oscillating between alertness and suspicion, vanishing quickly whenever they felt the presence of a watching eye. The feeling of danger was carried in the air, as if the dust itself whispered warnings.
One day, while a spy was hiding behind a ruined wall watching Zayn, he felt the ground itself move slightly beneath his feet, and then the latter suddenly disappeared from before him, as if the earth had swallowed him for a moment, leaving a strange void in the place. Then he appeared behind him with terrifying agility, his dagger touching the spy's neck with lethal precision. When the spy looked back, he saw nothing but Zayn's cold eyes, which pierced the silence of the place, his voice cold and sharp as a sword:
"Who sent you?"
The spy trembled, sweat pouring down his forehead as if every drop carried tales of his long fear. He tried to speak but could not, then he choked and swallowed the poison he carried, falling dead to the ground without any sound other than the thud of his body against the dust. The scene was an explicit warning to any eye that dared to approach, as if the shadows themselves had become a weapon in the team's hands, moving, breathing, and waiting for the right moment to strike mercilessly.
Zayn returned to his place calmly, as if nothing had happened, but he felt the pulse of anger and control coursing through his veins, while Novarion and Ray watched from afar, each ready to move at any moment. The city, despite its old blood and ruins, seemed to have become a stage for mystery, as if every alley and every shadow carried secrets that should not be revealed except to those who deserve it.
The air itself became heavy with threat, and whispers in the shadows filled the place; everything was watching, and everything was afraid. The destroyed streets, despite their silence, pulsed with power and awe, reflecting the scale of the battle that had occurred, and telling anyone who dared to approach that Corinth was no longer just a city, but a testing ground for those who dare to challenge the power of shadows.
A week after their adventures in Corinth, the team returned to Eldraon, their city that had embraced them since childhood, which always combined safety and mystery at once. The calm that greeted them was no ordinary calm; it was a calm tinged with hidden tension, as if the city itself knew that the stillness was only a temporary phase, and as if every corner was waiting for something that had not yet arrived. The streets were partially clean, but the traces of previous battles still peeked out from among the rubble piled on sidewalks and demolished walls, and every shattered surface told a story about the power and destruction that had swept through the city a few days ago.
The next day, the Guild Leader summoned them to the large meeting hall, where the walls were decorated with ancient guild symbols carefully carved, and the air was thick with the scent of burnt paper and strange spices, as if every corner in the room whispered a secret of the city, reminding everyone who entered of the guild's greatness and hidden power. The seating was a formal arrangement, the heavy chairs creaking with every member's movement, while the Leader, a man with an indisputable presence, sat on the central seat, as if he were the center of the whole world at that moment.
The Leader said in a deep and steady voice, carrying significant weight in every word:
"A mysterious gate has appeared in the northern suburbs. Its energy is immeasurable, and what it hides cannot be predicted. Your mission: discover its source, investigate its nature, and prevent any threat from spreading."
The members exchanged glances, a mixture of caution and excitement filling the place, each of them feeling the immense weight of responsibility placed on their shoulders. The faint sunlight that filtered through the high windows of the hallway illuminated their faces, as if the shadows themselves were watching them, whispering to them that this mission would not be easy.
Novarion said confidently, his voice calm but sharp, as if cutting the air with its hidden edge:
"I will go alone. Any potential threat will not touch the city while I am away."
Zayn and Ray nodded, each feeling the heavy responsibility on their shoulders, their eyes scanning Novarion carefully, as if he were leaving for an unknown confrontation between reality and darkness. Zayn said, his voice full of resolve:
"We guarantee the protection of the city; nothing passes under our eyes. Even if darkness itself tries to enter."
Ray smiled slightly, trying to ease the tension, but he could not hide a feeling of anxiety:
"Clear plan. We watch, move quickly, and stay in constant contact. Nothing goes out of our control."
As Ray's words faded into the echoes of the hall, every member felt that the upcoming mission would not be just a trip to verify, but a test of their abilities—of every step, every decision, and every illusion of the shadows that might hide behind every ruined stone or every tree in the northern suburbs. The city itself was waiting, silent, as if testing them to know who deserves to remain standing while everything collapses around him.
Novarion went out toward the gate, and the air around him began to vibrate intensely, as if the city itself were anticipating his steps. Every step cutting the path toward the unknown issued a faint echo that mixed with the sound of the wind, until after a while he reached the gate. There, a very strong aura lit up around it, radiating unfamiliar energy, vibrating in the air as if it were a living entity. Suddenly, a notification from the System appeared in his mind:
"The gate emits an unknown power, it cannot be measured."
He stopped for a moment, feeling energy threatening even the air around him, but he took a deep breath and pushed away any hesitation before entering the gate cautiously.
He entered the first floor, where he faced weak goblins and ogres. They moved quickly, their arms and claws gleaming in the dark, attacking mercilessly, but Novarion did not delay; his blue sword shone like a star in the darkness, moving with incredible control, every strike cutting the enemy or pushing them away. Some goblins tried to flank him, but he used Ghost Step to disappear suddenly and appear behind one of them, a single strike from him finishing others, leaving behind a terrifying silence and the echo of his movement piercing the darkness.
On the second floor, the difficulty of the battle increased; more aggressive ogres and faster goblins appeared, attacking from above, jumping from walls and disappearing among the shadows, trying to surround him. But he was faster, jumping, twisting, and cutting them with his sword with lethal precision. His movements were consistent and coordinated—every strike was calculated, every step was calculated—even group attacks could not catch him. He looked like a dance of death in the darkness, his sword gleaming like a flash of lightning, and the shadow around him moving with him like a living creature.
The third floor became even more difficult, with a swarm of very fast small drakes, almost invisible, slipping between air currents. Novarion felt the currents change, and the movements of the air revealed their maneuvers. He attacked cautiously, twisting, jumping, striking, escaping, and attacking again, every movement carrying both power and accuracy. One by one, the small drakes fell before his strength, while he advanced further toward the heart of the cavern.
The floors continued to rise in difficulty, with more powerful and faster enemies, but Novarion advanced without stopping, following every step, analyzing every attack, and avoiding every trap, until he reached the eleventh floor.
Here he stopped suddenly, as if the ground itself sensed the danger of the moment, and a very strong aura appeared before him, vibrating in the air and burning everything around it with a dark green light. On his throne sat a massive being, half-human and half-dragon, his eyes glowing with immense power, emitting a force that made the atmosphere around him charged with danger.
Novarion stood firmly, his sword gleaming, his voice calm but sharp:
"So you are the boss of the cavern..."
His senses were strained toward every movement, every breath of the dragon, every hint of the strange energy emitting from it. The whole place seemed to suffocate between darkness and light, and every rising floor left its trace on his body and soul, until he became ready to face the real power behind this mysterious gate.
Novarion stood contemplating the massive being on his throne, half-human and half-dragon, his glowing eyes measuring him accurately, the depth of his power filling the eleventh floor with an aura threatening the air itself. Suddenly, the place vibrated with a booming voice:
"Who are you? And how did you enter here? He who enters here... does not leave alive!"
Novarion stopped for a moment, surprised by the dragon's ability to speak, his voice echoing between floors, carrying incomparable power and presence. His heart trembled slightly, but he composed himself, his blue sword burning in preparation for the fight.
Without hesitation, he rushed toward the dragon, his blue sword gleaming like a flash of lightning, trying to cut the path between him and his opponent.
The dragon raised his massive claws, waves of energy flowing with every movement, colliding with Novarion's sword and repelling him several meters back.
Novarion: "I will not retreat... I will not let you stop me!"
Dragon: "Beware, little one... the power before you is not for play!"
Novarion returned to the attack, striking with his sword quickly, waves of energy flying, but he noticed that every strike was parried by the dragon's strong aura—fire disintegrated upon contact, and the air shook from the sheer force of the collision.
Novarion suddenly used Ghost Step, disappearing and appearing behind the dragon; a strike from the Flame Sword exploded, but the dragon turned quickly, raised his arm, and parried the attack. A shockwave hit Novarion powerfully, pushing him to the wall, and he jumped forward again.
Dragon: "I think you think your trick will achieve something!"
Novarion: "This is not a trick... this is my power!"
He attacked again, his blue sword soaring in the air, every strike making a flash in the dark, trying to penetrate the dragon's defense. But every time, the massive dragon parried the strikes; even the wave of energy he tried to ignite with the Flame Sword disintegrated upon touching the dragon's aura.
Novarion tried with all his might, creating the Chrono Seal, a massive wave trying to hit the dragon, but the aura glowed more strongly, as if time itself refused to be broken. The dragon laughed a deep laugh and directed his next strike: a massive shockwave hit Novarion and threw him to the ground, dust and energy flying around him.
Novarion rose with difficulty, feeling every pain in his body, but he focused; his sword glowed again, fire rising, moving quickly, attacking the dragon with successive strikes. Every strike made a small wave of energy, but the dragon parried them with his claws, blocking them through rapid movement; every parry created a sound of impact resembling thunder.
Novarion: "I will not withdraw... I will not allow you to stop me!"
Dragon: "Fool... the power here is greater than you imagine!"
The two exchanged strikes, the light from Novarion's sword colliding with the dragon's aura. Every movement made the floor shake, parts of the walls collapsed, and sparks of energy flew in the place. Light intertwined with darkness; every strike showed that the battle was not just a physical struggle, but a struggle of willpower and determination.
Novarion gathered his strength and used the Chrono Seal. The dragon penetrated the technique and directed a massive energy from his claw, knocking Novarion down.
The dragon pressed Novarion with a strong blow from his claws, hitting the ground, pushing him several meters back. He rose with difficulty, but felt new energy flowing into his body. The System appeared in his mind:
"The power level in the gate is very high. 12 SSS-level techniques have been acquired."
Novarion stood contemplating the list of techniques before him, his eyes widening in astonishment at the strength of each technique:
Sovereign of Reality
Prime Origin Core
Absolute Negation
Conscious Void
Eternal Singularity Blade
Temporal Dominion
Genesis Will
Reverse Resurrection
Total Denial
Eye of Eternal Chaos
Creator's Mirror
Eternal Cosmic Blades
Novarion smiled slowly, then raised his hand and activated Eternal Cosmic Blades. Energy exploded around him, and the air shook from the flowing cosmic power, appearing before him the Ascension Blade, radiating incomparable energy.
Novarion grabbed the sword, immediately feeling power return to his body, as if every part of him had been asleep and was waking up now. His energy doubled with every moment, and every strike would become more powerful.
He rushed toward the dragon, waves of energy rising with every step, and the blue light from the sword gleaming in the darkness. His first strikes were fast and focused; every strike made a shock on the ground. The wave of energy collided with the dragon's massive aura, but he parried it with increasing difficulty.
Novarion: "The time of your superiority is over!"
The dragon roared, returning the strikes with massive claws creating shockwaves that shook the earth, but Novarion twisted and attacked again. Every strike from the Ascension Blade increased his strength gradually; this is the secret of the sword—increasing power with every attack.
Novarion shouted: "Azure Flame Sword! Ghost Step!"
He disappeared suddenly, appearing behind the dragon; a surprise strike caused very strong injuries. A wave of energy exploded in the place, and the dragon tried to return the attack but found difficulty in parrying Novarion's new strength.
The dragon roared: "You will not be able to overcome me so easily!"
Novarion with a sharp smile: "My power now is limitless!"
Novarion gathered all his strength, his blue sword surrounded by fire, then released a decisive strike with all the power of the Azure Flame Sword. A massive wave collided with the dragon's huge aura, shaking the entire earth, and the dragon crashed into the destructive force, unable to withstand Novarion's full power.
With the last wave of energy, the temperature of the place rose, blue light exploded in the air, and everything around them shook, then the aura suddenly fell silent, and the dragon fell to the ground, defeated, his eyes glowing with surprise and power he did not expect.
Novarion stood firmly, his sword still glowing, his heart filled with a sense of victory, while knowing that this power, this moment, is the beginning of greater adventures.
To be continued...