Arion entered the village. The silence swallowed him whole. Not a single voice. Not a single sound. Just the faint hiss of something unseen. It was there. And it was watching.
Houses leaned like weary old men. Their windows stared out, dark and empty. Doors dangled from broken hinges, creaking softly in the still air. The ground was scattered with debris. An overturned cart lay to one side. Its wheels were shattered, its wood warped and melted as if burned by acid.
Arion stopped. He crouched low, running his hand over the blackened earth. The marks were fresh. He could feel it. Something had been here. Something monstrous.
He rose, his eyes scanning the ruins. The air felt heavy. The quiet hummed with danger. "Another immortal monster child was here," he said. He was sure of it.
Arion froze. The air around him trembled faintly, an invisible ripple brushing against his skin. His senses sharpened, his instincts screaming danger. He closed his eyes and took a slow breath.
"[Mana Sight]," he whispered.
His vision shifted. The world turned into a swirl of glowing mana threads, each pulse revealing the village’s hidden scars. Broken homes hummed faintly, their damage saturated with traces of acid. Tracks stretched across the earth, leading deeper into the ruins.
He followed the trail. Step by step, he moved cautiously, his hand resting on his staff. The marks led him to an old granary, its roof partially collapsed and walls coated in thick slime. Arion stopped just outside. He scanned the area, his [Mana Sight] pulsing in rhythmic waves.
A shadow stirred within. It was long and slithering.
The serpent struck.
It erupted from the granary like a bolt of lightning, scales glistening with toxic green slime. Its body was massive, far larger than the wolf he had fought before.
Arion leapt back as acid sprayed from the monster’s mouth. The liquid struck the ground, carving jagged craters into the earth and eating away at the nearby walls. Arion barely avoided another spray, rolling just as a chunk of wood dissolved beside him.
"Fast," he muttered, gripping his staff tighter.
The serpent lunged again, its fangs dripping with venom. Arion darted to the side, raising his staff.
"[Mana Pulse]!"
A shockwave burst from his staff, striking the creature. The serpent recoiled, hissing in fury, but it wasn’t enough. The monster twisted and lashed its tail, forcing Arion to retreat once more.
Arion’s mind spun as he darted to the side, narrowly avoiding the serpent’s snapping jaws. Each strike came faster than the last. Arion raised his staff to deflect a strike, but the serpent twisted mid-lunge. The tail whipped around, slamming into his side and sending him skidding across the ground.
He pushed himself up, gasping, his hands trembling. "Strong! It must be above level 21. I can't drag this on. I have to defeat it quickly or I will lose my stamina first."
The serpent coiled. Its head swayed side to side, unblinking eyes locked on Arion. It lunged again, acid spraying from its mouth in an arc. Arion dove to the ground, feeling the heat of the venom as it seared past his shoulder and struck a nearby cart. The cart’s wood melted instantly, collapsing into a bubbling heap of ruin.
Gritting his teeth, Arion rolled to his feet and steadied his breathing. His heart pounded like a drum, but he forced himself to focus. His eyes flicked to the serpent’s coiled body, searching for an opening. The monster lashed out once more, fangs bared and tail sweeping low, aiming to knock him off balance.
Arion sidestepped, planting his foot firmly as he raised his staff. A surge of mana erupted from his staff.
"[Mana Pulse]!"
The shockwave hit the serpent, sending ripples through its body. It hissed in fury, rearing back with venom dripping from its jaws, but the attack only forced it to retreat a step. Its movements didn’t slow. If anything, it became more agile in its berserk state.
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Arion clenched his fists, sweat dripping down his brow. He had to think ahead. He needed a plan to defeat it.
Arion’s eyes followed the serpent’s every movement. He couldn't find its weak points, his Mana Sight revealed nothing. The serpent’s level surpassed his own, making its vulnerabilities impossible to detect through his usual means. He clenched his jaw. He wasn't giving up yet; he had a different strategy in mind.
Even now, his [Sealing Aura] would slowly chip away at its strength, dulling its movements. He just needed time.
Time.
Arion spun on his heels and bolted. His footsteps were swift, but he dared not look back. He needed to ensure the aura was taking hold. The serpent hissed and lunged after him. It was too fast, but Arion was already thinking three steps ahead. He grabbed anything in his path—stones, broken planks, anything—and hurled them behind him. The objects slowed the serpent’s pursuit just enough to buy him more time.
His heart raced. He had to maintain this pace. The further he ran, the more the serpent’s movements would slow. But then, just as he glanced over his shoulder, the creature vanished from his line of sight.
Arion’s eyes snapped wide. He immediately activated his [Mana Sight], scanning the area. A faint glow pulsed ahead of him, near a drainage hole in the ground. He followed the trail, his mind already piecing the puzzle together. The serpent had been moving through the drainage system, and now it was circling back from behind.
Before he could react, the serpent shot from the hole, its jaws snapping. But its movements were slower now, sluggish even. The [Sealing Aura] was having its effect.
Arion didn’t hesitate. He raised his staff, summoning all the mana he could muster.
"[Mana Pulse]!"
The wave of energy struck the serpent, forcing it back. But Arion was ready for the next step. He didn’t let the opportunity slip. With a deep breath, he activated the rune he had carefully placed on the creature earlier at the first attack. The glowing rune flared to life on the serpent’s scales, binding it in an invisible net.
A moment of resistance. A final hiss. Then, the serpent’s body began to disintegrate. The monster’s form shattered, crumbling away like dust in the wind, and a glowing card materialized in its place.
Arion reached down, studying the card for a brief moment. His fingers brushed against its smooth surface, and then, with a flick of his wrist, he slipped it into his pouch. The fight was over. The monster sealed.
Arion looked around the empty village, shame weighing on him. The villagers were either dead or had fled.
So many villages were like this, abandoned and broken.
But the problem wouldn’t end. The mana anomaly would keep creating lesser immortal monsters unless he sealed the greater ones.
---
From a shadowed ridge overlooking the ruined village, a kingdom soldier crouched low. His sharp eyes followed Arion’s every movement, from the fierce battle with the serpent to the moment it dissolved into a glowing card. It was finally over. The soldier’s breath hitched.
He pulled out a magical scroll. Mana flowed from his fingers, tracing glowing letters onto its surface. Each stroke burned bright before fading. A message to Master Lorien. A report of what he’d seen.
"Subject located in the eastern. Sealed a serpentine lesser immortal monster. Displays exceptional combat skills and mastery of sealing techniques. Moving southward."
The scroll disintegrated, its ashes carried on the wind. The soldier sat back, his heart heavy.
The monster sealer was a responsible person. He was loyal to his class profession. That much was clear. Immortal monsters couldn’t die. They regenerated. Again and again. Only a rare few could stop them—elite kingdom soldiers armed with forbidden magic. And now this boy.
He admired this monster sealer. The strength. The resolve. It wasn’t something you saw every day. And yet, pity settled deep in his chest. The boy didn’t know. He didn’t understand what was coming.
Orders were orders. The kingdom had made its decision. The monster sealer was a threat. A target.
The soldier stood, blending into the shadows. His boots moved silently over the rocky ground. He was just doing his job. That’s what he told himself. But the memory of Arion’s lone figure, standing amidst the ruin of the village, lingered like an unwelcome guest.
---
In the Eryndral kingdom’s palace, a hall bathed in cold, silver light, Master Lorien knelt before the throne. his emerald eyes scanned the message that had materialized before him.
“Subject located in the eastern. Sealed a serpentine lesser immortal monster. Displays exceptional combat skills and mastery of sealing techniques. Moving southward.”
His lips pressed into a thin line. He looked at the king who sat atop a golden throne.
“Your Majesty. The Monster Sealer has been located. He continues to grow stronger.”
The king leaned forward, his expression darkening. Lines of tension carved deep into his face as he gripped the armrests of his throne. “This cannot continue. The Monster Sealer threatens everything we’ve worked for. If he seals the greater immortals, the mana anomaly will stabilize. Our works will crumble.”
Master Lorien nodded, awaiting his orders. He could feel the king's decision even before he spoke.
“Capture him,” the king commanded, his voice like thunder in the hall. “Dead or alive. Do not let him escape.”
“As you wish, Your Majesty,” Master Lorien replied. He turned on his feet as he strode out of the hall.
His mind raced as he descended the palace steps. Arion would be an easy target, but his growth speed was tremendous. They couldn't underestimate him. Failure was not an option.