Shun POV:

Vibrations travelled through the air. The rustling of leaves, the shift in the atmosphere, and the sudden ascent of several birds: my eyes flashed open at their arrival.

‘...’

I recalled every facet of information related to The Creed. Separate categories appeared in my mind, with hundreds of tables accompanied with detailed notes. Everything that was said, their movements, demeanour and mannerisms, all provided the basis for dozens of explanations. Through them, I concluded that The Creed let me escape.

Despite my treatment toward Chloe Ravendawn, they were willing to turn a blind eye to it as long as I rejected the marriage proposal. The Creed had also watched the entire interaction between the two of us, and that meant they could have killed me whenever they wanted to.

In other words, the likelihood of my party members being alive was almost certain. The Creed used them as an excuse to slow down their pursuit and give me 15 days to prepare.

Chloe’s actions supported this hypothesis. She encouraged me to rest and offered to keep watch instead; she knew I had time before I would be forced to fight.

‘…’

I made my way back inside the cave. Chloe stood guard in front of my daughter; her gaze focused on the tunnel entrance, determined to not let any harm come to the innocent.

“I’m going.”

Once I saw my daughter smiling, I walked off. Chloe grabbed my arm and looked up at me with worried eyes that began to water, but I couldn’t care less about how she felt.

“Don’t touch m...”

Two large eyes observed the interaction. They made my mouth shut right away. They made my hand rest against Chloe’s cheek and forced a soft smile to spread across a distant face.

“Wait here for me, please.”

Blood wrapped around the bridge of her nose. Chloe’s eyes bulged; their piercing colour glowed before her head rose and fell in a soft motion.

‘Damn it.’

The darkness of the tunnel covered me whole; it hid a trembling hand, wiping against soft fabric at a frantic pace. I dashed out of the cave and bolted through the dense forest. The Creed’s movements changed. They honed in on me with no hesitation.

‘...’

I already knew I could only sense them because they were revealing their positions on purpose, but so what? I directed them out of the forest and landed in the middle of rocky plains. A second later, dozens of Creed members surrounded me.

Based on the way the fibres rippled back to reveal their faces, it was likely that the material used could self-regenerate to a degree. At the very least, it verified an earlier hypothesis: some strong people in the world of Ayadell wore clothes made out of special materials like Senfex.

“He’s quite good at running.”

“...Covering his tracks, setting up several traps and diversions along the way here... Demonstrating resourcefulness that extends to his surroundings…”

“Not bad. Really not bad so far.”

“Shinobi.”

Dark Ki peeled away to reveal a black attire with streaks of red.

“Retsu.”

Red and white banners cut off the area between me and The Creed members. I spun a kunai around my fingers before pointing it toward a blonde-haired woman in front.

“If any of you step inside this circle, you die.”

“Pfffttt!! Hahahaha! Isn’t this the same kid that ran when he saw us?!”

The woman doubled over. She held her stomach and wiped her eyes while the others chuckled. Theatrics were theatrics; it wouldn’t change the outcome of this mission. I released all of my Monzen Ki and parted my lips.

“Come.”

Her eyes popped with the rise of her cheeks. The space between us vanished but not before a kunai tore through it.

‘Spy.’

Two pistols materialised, followed by a sharp dash to the side. The woman’s fist ruptured the air, but a spray of bullets flew toward every angle once The Creed flickered into range. Strikes came. I weaved. I slipped through them until a fist slid past my cheek. The spinning pistol found its home, firing a shot before it reached a man’s ear.

The Ki Bullet curved right into the chest of another Creed member, providing support from outside the Domain. My foot smashed the man’s abdomen back; the motion transitioned into a hip throw that brought me to the ground in time to see a flying kick whistle past.

A Ki Rope coiled around the woman’s ankle before flicking it into the jaw of another Creed member rushing in. I bypassed several blows, then flipped the blonde-haired woman over my shoulder and pressed a pistol against her forehead.

‘!’

Her fist forced me to raise my guard; the sheer power behind it blasted me halfway across the plains. I slid back along the ground, parrying and blocking the fierce assault from a different woman with a dark tan.

The pistols angled. Each block aided the trajectory of the bullets, keeping the other members at bay. My shin crashed into her calve once I grasped the patterns she utilised. The back of my gun cracked her chin before spinning the muzzle toward her forehead.

‘!!’

She blurred side to side, dodging the stream of bullets with ease. I aimed low with my instep that turned into a heel, targeting her midsection. It sank into her stomach, launching her away when a gun faced the sky.

*Bang*

*Bang*

A detailed wind bird crashed to the ground. The cause of its descent? Two holes through its frontal lobe. It dispersed once my head cocked to the side.

“Well, damnnn. Take a look at this guy! Lynil, turn it up.”

“Penny... He analyses the situation faster than expected...”

The blonde-haired woman whistled when a man with narrow eyes appeared in front of me. His movement cratered the ground behind. His intentions were different; the back of his fist slapped away the pistols, converging on his location.

‘Tch.’

Both our hands shot forward. Lynil’s patterns isolated the variety of my attacks, encouraging me to de-materialise the guns. I obliged but on my own terms.

‘Hawkeye.’

A clearer lens highlighted the next exchange. I stepped inside to break his rhythm, only to exit the pocket and throw a low kick. Lynil twisted his shin outward to check the strike before his own instep swept my weighted leg. Hands palmed the earth, spinning until the force pushed a toned chest backwards.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

I flipped to my feet and moved in a systematic manner. I targeted the ribs, the peroneal nerve, and the solar plexus, but his defence kept the status quo stable. Another flurry ended with his knuckles cracking my Ki Armour. I didn’t fight the outcome, letting it widen the distance between us. Two guns fired toward Lynil in that compact time frame. However, he knew this was what I wanted, so he dashed ahead to close the space I let him create.

My thumb slid behind the trigger guard and pressed down on a concealed button.

Empty magazines hit the earth.

They faded once Codex Knowledge formed two more.

The downward swipe of my hands denied gravity’s role; it slotted the Enhanced Magazines into open compartments until a click locked them in place. These bullets had double the firepower but double the Ki Cost and recoil.

That was why the ejection from the muzzle forced the air to split. That was why the distance tripled in an instant. Its loud noise drew unnecessary attention, but did that matter in this situation?

My feet splintered the earth before The Creed could get close. I shot high into the sky to take advantage of this opening.

‘Wizard.’

A lifelike dragon head made from fire broke through the clouds. Its roar shook the rocky plains.

“His... Elementalist form.”

“He’s clearly not just some random peasant, given the flexibility of his ability.”

“Kihahaha! Looks like you can still improve, kid.”

I peered down at Yoke’s yellow eyes, curving upwards. Improvement... That word structured most of my worldview once I escaped Chloe Ravendawn. It consumed me to the point I put those unrelated to the spectres of the past in danger.

“Improve? All I care about is protecting my family.”

I pushed down on the black brim: its resistance unable to withstand the force that flipped it through the air. The wizard hat fell into a light grip before being swiped to the left. It was a motion that caused the crossing of arms to form an ‘X’ shape, yet when the lines were separated—when the action was reversed—what was once one now became two.

I flicked my fingers outward. The pair of hats should have fell; gravity should have verified its status. Instead, black fingerless gloves covered my hands, and they rose to lift the white inside of a hood forward.

A shadow fell.

But this time, two dark eyes shimmered through it.

Massive golems broke through the sky. Wind Orcs rode on their shoulders, and water Imminence Reavers stood in their open palms. Fire Sentri, Bloodied Deadmin, water Ultimate Fishnin, LizardFish: every single monster I had encountered arrived in the hundreds.

Units upon units stood behind the levitated Wizard. The Wizard that removed his hat, doubling the power of his Elemental Ki through this new evolution.

“I will crush you all here.”

This was no magic trick.

The dragon head gave its own confirmation: a sea of fire descending from the sky. I shot to the ground, and my fist cracked into the earth, forcing the crater to ripple outward like rolling waves. Their very structure redefined by the Wizard that rose.

Boulders revolved around me. The army assembled into proper formation, and I peered down at the Creed, who dared threaten the life of my daughter.

“Come.”

***

The boulders shot forward before morphing into giant tigers that sprinted toward their targets. Every flick of my hand, every swipe and splay, commanded the four elements to respond to my call.

A black canvas replaced the banners. Dancing flames, flowing water, rocky earth, and gathered wind rotated in a circle in its centre.

Within the Domain, the power of Elemental Ki was doubled. Within the Domain, reaction time and movement speed were tripled.

Close range.

Several Creed members closed the gap. It was a known weakness of most Elementalists, but this Wizard wasn’t most. The strikes came; their trajectories revealed by the movement of air. Their force nullified by the gathering of water, and their limbs sealed by the formation of earth.

“This kid...”

“Let’s increase the difficulty. Clearly, we’re underestimating him.”

“I agree.”

The aerial assault changed nothing. Blasts of fire shot The Creed back. Embers coalesced into chains that bound them together. Gravity was dictated by a torrent of air, silencing their annoying need to commentate. The earth opened its mouth, grateful for another meal.

I spun through the sky until a massive golem swung its club. Once it hit the soles of my feet, I arrived in front of another target. The silent trail left behind. The lack of sound from the force that brought me here. They were both signs for why this fist was different.

“He’s frighteningly capable.”

The Creed member vanished into the abyss; a result of magnified shockwaves, contained and empowered by the air. Its release snapped the atmosphere before gusts of wind swept over the plains.

Long range.

I grabbed hold of a sword so lifelike it was hard to distinguish its inherent fire structure to the untrained eye. Lacerations hit nothing, but the flame arcs spiralled into Sentri Guardians that roared. Every swing brought forth new creations until a final downward slash summoned powerful firestorms.

They crashed into a wall of water. Wind blades charged forward with the intent of eradicating the obstacle, but a single swipe stifled their pursuit. My eyes narrowed at the water dispersing from a raised finger.

Green highlights attached to dark blonde hair.

Gentle bangs shaped a small face that drew attention to mint green eyes.

The woman snapped her fingers, and the sun disappeared. Two blue lights took its place; they glowed beneath a lifelike helmet. Blue armour of different shades completed the look of an annoying monster to deal with, but what cemented its status was the sword it brandished.

The colossal Death Knight’s hand flickered.

The upper bodies of the surrounding golems crashed to the ground. A cut so clean, few irregularities could be noticed upon closer inspection. This woman was a true Elementalist.

“Kihahaha! Feza, don’t get annoyed already.”

Her cheeks darkened, and the Death Knight took a few steps back.

“...Yes, Yoke. I’ll do well.”

“!!”

Earth arms guarded me from a blow that shook the surrounding area. The Death Knight retracted its fist before it blurred in quick succession. Unnatural speed aside, the force behind each strike increased with every successful block.

Dozens of shields projected themselves, but they were crushed seconds later. I manipulated the airflow to create a tunnel of wind. The additional resistance slowed the Death Knight’s momentum until a massive hand caught its fist.

‘...She knows I’m utilising a separate resource to control certain Ki Natures. Her Death Knight forced me to use earth to counter, which led to a significant CK cost.’

Bias.

It was the inclination or preconceived opinion to favour or be against a person, group, or thing in a way that was considered unfair. Whether this unfairness was close-minded depended on the subject matter, but biases could be learned. For example, my mistake in assuming receptionists had to be weak was a bias learned from the many novels I read. That assumption led to a simple oversight regarding Juri’s strength.

In other words, Feza’s actions revealed my bias toward the four elements. I used the Earth Ki Nature to defend based on instinct. The Wind and Water Ki Nature to support. The Fire Ki Nature to attack also showed my general limitation as an Elementalist.

‘…’

Feza shifted her gaze to Yoke, chuckling away. He didn’t look in her direction, nor did he acknowledge what everyone had no doubt noticed. It was enough to make her cheeks fall but not enough to be of any use to me.

I flicked my fingers and crafted lifelike armour for a golem that lowered its centre of gravity. It grabbed hold of a shield before shooting toward the Death Knight.

Explosions rang out. The elemental army changed formation the moment I ascended into the stratosphere. I stood above the clouds when an earth wand formed in my hand. It danced. Its delicate movements crafted symbols within three separate rings until the Ki Array was complete.

“Save.”

It was the only technique in Wizard and allowed me to save Profession Progress without having to utilise CK or Ki again when switching between them. This meant the next time I used Hawkeye, I wouldn’t need to reactivate the technique if I switched to Shinobi, then back to Spy. The same applied to any CK weaponry made. However, ‘Save’ only lasted for 12 hours and had a 6-hour cooldown.

I stepped on the middle of the light blue Array. It flashed before fading into particles that danced between the layers of clouds. My hands splayed forward, commanding the air to gather them. They spiralled around me, increasing in thickness within a matter of seconds.

Hurricanes descended upon the battlefield. A blast of fire bolted down from the sky, quaking the plains. Strikes from all directions forced me to slide along the ground.

‘Spy.’

I caught a shin and transitioned into Shinobi before dashing the man to the side; there were no cooldowns when switching between Professions. With Save active, once I utilised Wizard again, I already had my hood on.

I sank underground, where tunnel pathways expanded to make room for the earth serpent shooting forward. Earth spears broke through the surface in an attempt to impale the Creed Members above. A water warhog crashed into the underground passage, forcing me to block its advance with thousands of walls.

‘Damn it.’

The ground opened when I flickered into view with a fire javelin. It floated above my head. It dwarfed the plains and extended a shadow far beyond. Gusts of wind wrapped around its form, enhancing a speed that severed the air before imploding the entire area.

‘Shinobi.’

Tiger Rin.

It was a combination technique formed by the quick succession of Rin, Pyō, and Tō. Despite its uses, there were three main shortcomings.

The first shortcoming limited the distance to 30 metres. If Tiger Rin travelled past that point, it would burn out of existence. This also meant that the trajectory couldn’t be changed; the technique had to move in a straight line.

The second shortcoming limited the target to one. If Tiger Rin hit anything else before reaching its destination, the technique would attack the new target instead.

The third shortcoming was the Fire Ki Nature usage. If Tiger Rin hit the target but failed to cause any wounds, then Tō wouldn’t activate.

In other words, the stronger the opponent, the less effective Tiger Rin became. Ki Armour couldn’t be pierced through, so the target’s defence couldn’t be temporarily lowered proportionate to the damage dealt.

Dust clouds banded together to increase their density. Two hands blurred within the shadow, weaving hand seals into the next with seamless precision.

‘Rin. Retsu. Zai. Pyō. Tō.’

Rin took on the form of a white tiger head while Retsu limited its expansion to my right arm. Zai created a proper route for attachment, allowing Pyō to channel the power back and forth through it. Another route was made underneath to conceal the hidden flames empowered by Tō before the head blended into a fingerless gauntlet to complete the technique.

My right arm became the tiger.

This was Tiger Retsu.