Outside The Cave

Kael walked deeper into the forest, his hands instinctively reaching for the hilt of his blades, sensing the presence of seven individuals surrounding him.

A lone figure stood out from the group—an imposing man with sapphire hair, a tail, and fluffy ears, clearly a beastkin. His eyes glinted with a predatory gleam as he addressed Kael in a deep voice.

"Identify yourself! State your name and origin."

Kael quickly scanned him for any clues. Observing the man's well-trained physique and the engraved gloves on his hands, he appears to be a close-quarters combat fighter.

Mana can be used in two ways in the world of magic. People who are born with the ability to use magic use special materials, such as specific woods or crystals, to increase their mana output and cast stronger spells. Others inscribe symbols on objects such as gloves for specific spells that can be activated when infused with mana. The man's engraved gloves indicated that he used the latter method.

Kael recognized the emblem on the man's clothes as belonging to Emberia's Starlight Academy, which is known for producing talented individuals.

Kael's tense muscles relaxed as he realized the people surrounding him were just students, not real threats. Kael's face revealed a faint, unsettling smile, causing the fighter to flinch.

"Who do you think you are, making such demands?" Kael replied mischievously.

After all, he had to play the villain. He would never do anything that would endanger their lives. His actions would be measured—only enough to convey a sense of seriousness and threat.

"I'm Raylan," the fighter introduced himself,

"I'm a student of Lightbearers Academy; I have been assigned the task of detecting any intruders or potential dangers in this area," He adjusted his gloves, bracing himself for a fight, and warned,

"If you do not comply, understand that I may have to take a more assertive approach."

As the fighter's speech came to an end, Kael noticed a shift in the atmosphere. Multiple magical spells were cast, filling the air with energy. There are three spells in total:

First, the fighter cast an earth-armor spell, which fortified his body like a solid rock.

Second, a spell that enhanced the fighter's damage capabilities, infusing his fists with an empowering aura.

Finally, a distant-ranged spell is cast from the depths of the surrounding woods, aimed directly at him and ready to unleash if he makes any sudden moves.

Kael's unique eyes allow him to 'read' the spells that are being cast, even if they are only active for a brief moment. They also allow him to predict physical attacks by visualizing their path and target ahead of time, as if he were watching them in slow motion and taking the form of lines.

That's why, as long as his opponents were not Grandmasters, he had a chance to win, even against High-Masters.

Kael wrapped his hand around the hilt of the giant sword strapped to his back and created a strategy, with his primary target being the marksman, whom he needed to force out of hiding.

The enchanter is his secondary target; he can't let them buff and boost their abilities because it will put him at a disadvantage in a long fight.

Before Kael could even move, the marksman cast a spell, launching a barrage of arrows at him.

Kael reacted quickly, placing the giant sword at his side and using it as a shield to deflect the incoming projectiles.

At that moment, the fighter closed in on Kael, and he braced himself for the blow, countering the fighter's punch with his own. Despite the fighter's buffs and the protective earth-armor spell he had cast, Kael's impact sent the fighter staggering and struggling to regain his balance. The pills he took proved to be quite effective.

Kael took advantage of the opportunity and charged towards him, not giving him a chance to rest, leaving his giant-sword behind.

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A barrage of arrows continued to rain down on Kael as he advanced, each one narrowly missing him due to his eyes and the leather armor he's wearing.

Kael and the fighter traded blows, but when Kael stood on a specific side, the strengthen buffs shifted to defense and the fired arrows decreased. Kael deduced the case to be because the marksman was afraid of hitting their ally; this cautious move revealed the marksman's location.

The fighter pushed Kael down a specific path, focusing on offense rather than defense.

When Kael arrived at a specific spot, he sensed the presence of two figures approaching from behind. Anticipating their attack, he positioned himself and delivered a powerful kick with all he had, sending the fighter further away and causing him to struggle to stand.

Quickly unsheathing his twin-blades, he clashed with a pair of petite beast-kin twins, their brown hair flowing as they clashed their daggers against his blades.

The twins attacked in coordination, taking turns attacking while the enchanter alternated buffs to boost the attacking sibling.

Kael saw the fighter approaching him, and the arrows continued to rain down on him.

He knew he had to act quickly, and with a powerful horizontal slash, he forced the twins to back away for a moment, allowing Kael to advance towards the marksman's location.

Kael dashed in the direction of the marksman. In a panic, the marksman fired several shots in quick succession, hoping to hinder Kael's approach and give their allies enough time to reach Kael.

Kael closed the distance after locating his primary target, an elf with flowing silver hair.

A long sword, however, swung suddenly toward Kael, aiming for his neck.

Kael arched his back, narrowly avoiding the attack and backing away. Recognizing that the swordsman was hiding himself in order to protect the marksman.

The swordsman exuded an aura that resembled a blazing fire completely enveloping him; this fiery aura perfectly complemented his intense, fiery-red eyes and reddish-brown hair. Additionally, his aura extended to coat his sword, indicating that he had attained at least the Mid-Master level.

Taking a deep breath, Kael felt overwhelmed by the number of opponents he was up against.

A hand-to-hand fighter, an enchanter supporting, a marksman attacking from afar, two dual-wielding warriors, and a Mid-Master stage swordsman. And one more presence is still hiding.

Kael considered his next move; he's now facing the fighter and twins on the left, the swordsman on the right, and the marksman in the middle.

Kael sheathed his swords and took the 'Dual Blades of a Mountain' stance. He firmly planted his foot on the ground and gripped the handles of each blade with opposing hands, forming an 'X' with his arms. This stance extended his range and increased his damage potential.

With a duty to protect the marksman, the swordsman hurried towards his ally, his face twisting at the sight of Kael assuming the stance.

Kael exhaled sharply and swung both blades downward in a sweeping motion, generating a dense cloud of dust and debris that quickly covered the area.

The swordsman recognized that Kael had no intention of charging at the marksman.

Kael charged with all his might towards the enchanters' location, seizing the opportunity while they were dazed.

He had known the enchanter's location from the beginning, but he needed to make an opening.

When Kael saw the enchantress, a girl with flowing dark purple hair, he accelerated his pace towards her.

However, just as Kael was about to reach her, a teleportation spell was cast, and she escaped to a different location. revealing the location of the final hidden individual, who possesses the ability to cast teleportation magic.

Kael exhaled sharply and turned around quickly, readying his blade to intercept the twins' daggers as they were the first to catch him. Their daggers are imbued with their mana and engraved with symbols, granting them a burst of speed as they cast a haste spell, leaving their companions struggling to keep up.

As Kael parried their attack, he realized that the twins were weaker than he had anticipated without the enchantress's buffs.

Kael assumed the 'Ogre's Rage' stance, his feet firmly planted on the ground, blades parallel, and focused on a fearsome swing to strike with overwhelming impact.

He swung with a powerful horizontal motion.

The twins attempted to block Kael's attack, but the strength gap was too great, sending them unconsciously crushing into a nearby tree.

When Kael turned around, he saw the swordsman pointing his sword at him, his blade surrounded by a blazing aura. The fiery particles infused with mana hinted at the activation of a spell unknown to Kael.

Kael's once calm and collected demeanor shifted as he sensed the danger emanating from the sword and knew that any contact would be dangerous.

The swordsman took a vertical stance with his sword, as if preparing for a downward strike. However, the distance between the swordsman and Kael is too great for him to reach.

Kael's confusion vanished in an instant when he noticed the swordsman engulfed in a familiar spell: teleportation. The spell's destination was directly in front of Kael.

Kael quickly formed a crossguard with his twin-blades to deflect the incoming attack. Kael's blades and the swordsman's sword collided in the blink of an eye.

However, the enchantress' buffs and the swordsman spell made it difficult for Kael to hold his ground.

The warrior closed in on Kael and delivered a devastating punch, channeling all of his strength into the blow, buffed with the enchantress buff. Kael was thrown to the side and collided with a tree.