Kapitel 132: Paths Taken, Never Denying.
The moment Hamil turned into his Shadow Scale form, Alkali could only grin as if he was sensing the presence of a monster inside the cave. And despite the dark void within it, the master's eyes were not blind to the idea behind what was inside the cave that time.
"Hehehehe…" an evil grin… and evil laugh, one that showed fascination over something new worthwhile.
To Alkali, the sensation of a monster within the cave was something familiar to him. A reminiscent memory came flowing inside his brain and in it, the scene of slaughter could only be played in his mind.
"..." To Rin however, she could only feel danger lurking within the cave. Something that surpassed her very own level of power.
As within the Abyssal cave, the scene of Hamil simply taking each step by his foot, was made…but his mind…his mind was undergoing a war of nightmares produced by the cave. By the spirit that controlled its nature.
Each step was steady…heavy…and filled with the reaction that one could only imagine was hell.
Sweating like a mad dog, Hamil's gaze could barely see straight in front of him. Despite his awakening to a whole new level of a mindset, the spirit within the cave was much more sadistic than one could have imagined.
But Hamil smiled…he smiled at each nightmare passing through his mind like a film…
He didn't enjoy the feeling of such a headache, but he didn't hate it as well…he simply took his leg and moved on forward despite the pain and suffering undergoing within his mind. His smile didn't mean anything…it had no meaning
Despite all he had, he still suffered.
With the Shadow Scale's effect to numb one's emotion, the skill of the summit's will where one's mindset and Will is as hard as a diamond and most of all his awakening mind in a 5000 hour torture of emptiness, it could have been a cake walk…
But that wasn't the case…for this trial.
The abyssal cave gets harder and more terrifying each step you make.
There is no escape to such horror…nothing can be done except for the man to simply walk forward and nothing else.
For each step, it takes longer and longer for a man to move forward…
~~Letting me go….was a mistake.~~ said the cave's spirit into Hamil's ear.
He had accidentally let go of the Spirit's form about at the 200th step, and because of it, the anger held within the spirits grudge turned Hamil's experience in the cave twice as hard.
".…" 18 hours had passed…and Hamil had took 456 steps into the cave…
It wasn't easy…but he knew what he was getting himself into. After all, this was only a small percentage of what the Crow Clan is capable of doing to a person…
Meanwhile on another side of the world, inside the Royal Academy, two students were clashing with the only supervision given by one person…their supervisor and homeroom teacher, Mrs. Averich Kendill.
She was one of the skilled instructors at the Royal Academy and also the individual chosen for a prestigious position at the academy due to her extraordinary beauty, despite being a commoner. Her prowess primarily revolves around harnessing Mana to its mastery, as she was not bestowed with any divine blessings from any elements. Despite lacking a divine patron, her Mana capacity far exceeded the norm, earning her the moniker "Mana Witch" for possessing three times the Mana of an average person.
She with her soft gaze, only ever stared as her two students fought as if their were no limits to their actions in an arena.
With both flames and water colliding against one another, the room was filling up with steam.
*Boom!*
"Are you okay?" asked Licia as she wore her full plated armor.
"I'm…I'm fine." said Martha as she layed injured on the floor.
"Why did you even ask for a fight from me in the first place?"
"...I don't know, its just that we haven't really had the time ot do this since well…since a long time ago.." Said Martha as she then stands up from the ruined floor.
"Martha, is this about what you saw in the gate yesterday? About Arthur and that Boy?" asked Licia.
"What!? no no no no no. Its not about him…" said Martha as she tried to feign ignorance on her words, but to Licia's notice, she was spot on to the idea behind Martha's intentions.
"Are you interested in that boy?" asked Licia.
"I told you already, its not like that." said Martha.
"Then what is it?" asked Licia.
"Its…it has been a while since I saw my brother lose to someone other than Arthur…and for him to lose, it could only mean that that someone must have been incredible. Arthur was a talent unlike any other when they first fought and I understand just how much Liam respected Arthur after that…but it was never to a point that it drove him to want to surpass Arthur in a sense that drove him to change his character… Arthur didn't give that kind of change to Liam."
"Okay…I can see that." said Licia.
"But…that Boy who they fought yesterday…after his defeat, it somewhat changed him." said Martha.
"A good kind of change?" asked Licia.
"Hmm, maybe?…since that time he lost, he drove himself back to our home immediately after and spoke to our father. Since then, I never saw him again."
"but it was just yesterday…you might see him today after this bout." said Licia.
"I don't know…its just…I have a bad feeling that I might never see him again until school starts again and he might come out different." said Martha as a worried expression was made on her face.
"Hmm, well I don't think I can do anything about your situation. But know that I am always here to comfort you."
"Thanks Licia…So what about Arthur? Did you guys hang out today?" asked Martha
"Yeah we did. We went on a date and after that, he took me home. I didn't really see anything troubling him by then, so I was relieved." said Licia.
"I heard that he went to a gate today." said Martha.
"By himself?" asked Licia.
"Yeah, it was a B-ranked gate…" said Martha
"!?" in that moment, Martha quickly paced herself out of the arena, looking ever so worried.
"Licia? Where are you going?" asked Martha as she tried to follow her out.
"Out…I'm going after him." said Licia as she then puts away her equipment back to her storage item.
"What's going on? Are you finished already?" asked Mrs. Averich as she approached the two women.
"Mrs. Kindell, if its alright with you, may you assist me in going after Arthur?" asked Licia.
"Arthur? Why? Whats wrong?" asked Averich Kindell.
"He went inside a B-ranked gate by himself today and I want to make sure that he's okay." said Licia.
"Really? Arthur went by himself? I'd thought that he knew better to not go inside a gate that has the same rank as he does."
"Please Mrs. Kindell. I beg you."
"Miss Roseivolt, I can see that you are concerned about Arthur, but please know that you yourself cannot enter the gate with your own rank being much lower than he is." said Averich.
"That may not be allowed, but with you by my side as an S-rank to guide me in the gate, it can secure my position to enter despite my rank." said Licia.
"...okay, I understand."
With an agreement made, Mrs. Averich Kindell went along with Licia to go to a B-ranked gate.
***Inside a B-ranked gate***
Here, for Arthur, it isn't rare for him to hunt inside a gate by himself. Usually he keeps this kind of work a secret from his friends since it worries some of them.
With his hand holding on to White Scale, he looked far beyond the red plains of the gate and saw a pack of wild screeching monsters feasting on another beast dead on the floor.
"..." to his silent watch, he dashed his way forward and in under sixty seconds, he slaughtered them with no sense of doubt to his power.
If a hunter were to see him hunt, one could say that he was a born natural with the prowess capable of being one of the strongest one day. A talent only those born with a purpose were made into.
But as he stood on the toppled corpses of his hunt, his eye was left staring into the fields. Looking for something to hunt even more so.
"...What do I do?" he asked himself…
As in his mind, a conflicting thought emerged from within and it cultivated the fruits of doubt in his beliefs.
After his lost against Hamil, he somewhat felt affected by it…
He wasn't the kind of person to care for a win, nor was he the kind to be competitive in the sort of lifestyle where he was the strongest, no…he was a dryad…a person made with the emotion to be satisfied with what was given and what he can care for.
He fought for his friends in the action that he could protect them.
He saved those who needed saving…
He had the characteristics of simply being a hero…
But to it, on his lost against Hamil, words of conflict came to be.
He was worried…
"...Emurteus, What should I do?" he asked into the winds that flew pass by him across the fields.
As he sat there, contemplating on his thoughts, the mark on his hand…the Holy Wind Mark, glowed past what light there was on that field and with it, a calm voice echoed to his mind.
~I have brought you power. A Blessing capable of toppling the sturdiest challenges, the mightiest foes…and even the gods themselves...~
"!?" he had heard the voice of Emurteus after so much time had passed.
~The Holy Kingdom of the Wind Awaits you…~
"...What?"
~Follow the wind of my voice…and it will lead you to your growth.~
With that voice heard, the glowing mark on his hand disappeared and the wind that blew harder than ever before, turned to its original sensation.
"Arthur!" and with it, the call of his loved one, came flowing to his ear.
Licia, with her worried expression ran to him and embraced him ever so much.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
"I'm fine." with that answer, a soft smile was placed on his face and he was seemingly back to normal.
"Lets go back, please. I'm worried about you."
"I'm okay now…I really am." said Arthur as he assured Licia with a faithful and honest smile.
And to it, Licia only ever embraced him even tighter than before.
Although Arthur was uncertain of what was to come his way, it seem as though his Master, Emurteus as given him guidance in his lost way. All he had to do now was follow his instructions by the wind.
***Dark Forest: Owned by the Beast King***
In the heart of an enchanted realm, shrouded in an ethereal mist and veiled in perpetual twilight, lies the foreboding expanse known as the Dark Forest, ruled with an iron paw by the enigmatic Beast King. The ancient trees, their gnarled branches entwined like the fingers of the shadowy specters, create a canopy so dense that even the bravest sunlight struggles to pierce through. As if guarded by sentient shadows, the forest exudes an aura of mystique and foreboding that both attracts and repels those who dare to venture within.
The denizens of the Dark Forest are an amalgamation of mythical creatures, from mischievous sprites that flit between the branches to colossal, silent guardians whose eyes glow like orbs of emerald fire. The air is thick with enchantment, and the very ground seems to pulse with an otherworldly energy, as if the forest itself is a living, breathing entity.
At the heart of this enigmatic realm, atop a looming throne of twisted roots and moss-covered stones, sits the Beast King—a majestic creature, part feline and part mythical beast, adorned with a mane of shadows that seems to dance with a life of its own. His eyes, gleaming orbs of piercing amber, hold the wisdom of centuries and the weight of a realm's destiny.
The Beast King's realm is full of surprises. There are bright, moonlit areas with sparkling pools that mirror the starry night sky, and these are quite different from dark, shadowy spots where it feels like the darkness can swallow up all sound. You'll find old ruins poking out from the bushes, reminders of a time when people tried to control the magical power of the forest but got captivated by its enchanting charm instead.
The Dark Forest, owned by the enigmatic Beast King, remains a fearful but challenging domain. And in that domain were two men currently sitting in front of each other.
One was Liam whose eyes were closed shut from the sight of the world and the other was a Blind man who sat with a cane on his hand.
"You are not fully using your eyes…you are a fool to no end." said the blind man.
"My Father said that you thought him to grow from his limits…from his weakness…please, teach me the same way as you did to him. I am Weak." said Liam as he slams his head straight to the ground.
*Thud*
"It seems that you are not far from what your father was in his time of youth. Arrogant in the voice of his strength…but cowardly and foolish when it comes to his own sense of truth." said the blind man.
"But I am weak." said Liam as he pushes his head deeper into the ground, causing it to break.
"You are not weak…you are simply blind by all account…blinder than I am. Hehehe" the blind man laughed and he laughed showing his yellow teeth to Liam.
"..." to Liam's silence, it meant that his mind was not changed.
"But…very well…training you will make for a good past time." said the blind man.
"Thank you!"
"Hmph, Don't be so arrogant to your thanks, you will be spending your days in this forest with me. So to it, you might last a year by my side or even more…but if you show promise, you might do well to last 9 months." said the blind man.
"...I…I'll do my best." said Liam.
"When you say you'll do your best, does that imply that you'll do anything I say?"
"Yes! Anything! At any price!"
"Price?? No payment needed. The only thing I want from you is your undying loyalty. Hehehehehe"
".…eh?" in that moment of question, the old man then picks up his cane and started walking in to the deeper parts of the forest.
"follow me but only follow me using your sense of hearing…" said the old blind man.
In that moment, Liam felt the pressure of a dangerous old man.
***
In this moment, all three of the young men were undergoing a challenge that will forge their path into newer and greater heights.
a path filled with the selfish change that will forever compasses the definition of growth.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein