"The First Order mode is not easy to master. It will require practice and patience," Graham said, his body exploding with energy.

His eyes were deep like the universe. Amarok felt like he could fall inside and get lost in this vast space.

White dust particles covered his body, and the familiar First Order rune was drawn on his front left palm.

"In this mode, your speed, strength, reaction—everything is doubled. The most important thing is you can draw runes much faster," Graham spoke, displaying fluid and fast movements. He looked like a leaf in the wind. Amarok could barely see him moving. He touched the void with his finger, and a Rune was drawn out instantly. Frightening gusts of winds exploded, and Amarok covered his face as he stepped back.

"The Swords of Orders," he murmured. His eyes flickered, and a light whistled out, then another, and another. Each one stronger than the other, a total of twelve sword strokes.

"How much of it you can understand is entirely dependent on you," he said before his body slowly returned to normal. Amarok was still in shock as he stared at the figure. "Let's get down to business. Have you ever tried controlling rune magic?" Graham asked as he returned to normal.

"No. Rune warriors can barely use rune magic without a Rune weapon," he shook his head.

"You are right. Rune warriors are at a natural disadvantage against Rune Sorcerers for this particular reason. That was one of the reasons Elara and I created the First Order mode. We were trying to bridge that gap. But be careful, the energy it allows in your body is pure rune magic. That means it will corrode and erode your body with time. It's not energy we should use, but First Order mode is derived from dominance, which goes against the normal laws of the universe. The longer you use it, the greater the toll and consequences," Graham said with a very serious expression.

Amarok listened seriously. Bridge the gap? It was a given that rune warriors could not draw runes because they could not use enough rune magic to connect both the physical world and the magic of the Rune world.

Many extremely talented geniuses had tried over the centuries, but no one had ever succeeded. But here he was saying they had managed to create something this impressive. Graham and Elara had to be monsters to accomplish such a feat. For Elara, he wasn't very shaken; after all, she was the best that ever existed. He had even more of a headache—how come he didn't know about Graham?

"Okay, I'm ready, senior," Amarok said with a polite bow. Graham smiled. "Impressed, right?" Amarok was speechless.

"I told you I'm famous. Now let's start first," Graham was grinning. The earlier tension had vanished, and he returned to his normal bragging state.

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Amarok spent the rest of the week practicing his sword with the First Order mode. It was extremely hard and difficult.

Time trickled by, and barely a few hours were left. The time hourglass was almost full. In these past days, Graham had been more active than ever, bragging about how he roamed the world with Elara, killing legendary beasts and conquering nations.

"But why First Order, master?" Amarok asked as he sat facing Graham.

Graham tilted his head with a smile. "I thought of the name. Cool, right?" he asked with a proud smile. "First Order because that mode defies the normal laws of the universe. It is the new order we wanted to create for the universe. Although it's very incomplete and immature, I am very proud of it. No one will be able to create something better," he added.

"Isn't that underestimating all the following generations, master?" Amarok wanted to punch him in the face. "There will be no one as talented as Elara in the next million generations. Her existence itself should not have been possible. That stubborn girl was born to be extraordinary," he said with a defeated smile.

Amarok nodded; there was nothing he could say. "Master, the hourglass," Amarok suddenly stood up.

"Sight. It's time, I guess," Graham stood up with a nostalgic smile. His lower body started breaking; fissures broke through his entire body. It looked like the universe was collecting back its due.

Amarok's heart skipped a beat. Although he had anticipated something like that, he still felt extremely sad. He had spent more than a week with Graham, learning many things about the world and its history, about rune warriors and sorcerers, even many sword skills. For him, Graham was already as important as all his friends.

"What the hell is that? I am going with my head held high. I don't have any regrets... maybe a few, though," he said with a laugh. His lower body was slowly turning into celestial particles in a beautiful array of light in the darkness.

Amarok tightened his fist; the old man was really dying with class. "I understand you're sad. Anyone who knows me will never want me to leave."

Amarok felt like spitting blood; he was laughing now. This old man was one of a kind. "I died long ago, kid. Don't worry... One last thing... If you are looking for a cure, find Nowelt... tell him Graham Freud greets him." As his voice faded, so did his body vanish into nothingness.

"Bye, Master Graham," he murmured as he stared into the void. Suddenly, the darkness retreated, and the cave interior became clear. The purple stones had died down; their vibrant luster had disappeared, leaving only normal stones now.

"Little brat, why aren't you resting?" Neo's frustrated voice came from afar. "You will never guess what happened to me here," he said with a smile. "Really? What was that?" Neo asked, turning to return to the entrance. "I met Graham Freud. I guess you don't know; he was a friend to Elara Wizeldof," Amarok didn't hide anything. After all, it was Neo; there was no secret between them, at least on his side. "Stop spouting nonsense," Neo waved without turning back.

"What about the stones? Look at their color," Amarok said, pointing at the now dim stones. "Did you fall on your head or something? We will definitely need to find a doctor at Alden," Neo shook his head.

Elara Wizeldof's friend!! For who did this brat take him? He had never heard of many of her companions in legend but never any Graham something. If such a figure existed, not mentioning him would have been absurd. He too had noticed when the purple stones died down; at that time, he saw a light disappear before he could see Amarok. For an unknown reason, he felt they were related but was unsure and didn't pursue it further.