A few days later, while walking through the Profundia market, I sensed a familiar presence again. I turned and saw the young warrior, watching me from a distance. This time, I decided not to look away. Instead, I approached her with determination, feeling it was time to face the unknown.
“Hello,” I said, once I was close enough. “I’m Kaion. I saw you the other day in the square.”
The young woman looked at me with her intense eyes and nodded.
“Hello, Kaion. I’m Isolte from the Clan of the Ashes of Honor,” she replied in a firm, assured voice.
We stood in silence for a moment, sizing each other up. I felt a strange connection, but I figured it was just some hormonal change in my body since, as in my past life, I was growing, and women could sometimes stir feelings like this.
“I’ve heard a lot about your clan and your skill with a sword,” I said, trying to break the ice.
Isolte nodded, her gaze never leaving mine.
“And I’ve heard about you, Kaion. A very clever young mage. What brings you to the market?”
“I’m looking for ingredients for my alchemy studies,” I replied, showing the bag I was carrying.
Isolte nodded, seeming a bit more relaxed.
“Interesting. Perhaps one day we could share knowledge. Alchemy and magic are valuable skills, but it’s always useful to understand each other’s strengths.”
I smiled, feeling I’d made a small breakthrough.
“I’d like that. Learning from each other can only make us stronger.”
We said goodbye with a nod, and as Isolte walked away, I knew this wouldn’t be our last encounter. There was a strange feeling between us, an understanding that our paths were destined to cross again and again.
After a long day of alchemy lessons with Halvor, I decided it was time to stretch my legs and look for additional ingredients on Triumph Hill. Halvor needed certain rare plants, and I was willing to find them. Without Lysa by my side, I had the chance to reflect silently as I made my way up the hill.
Triumph Hill was legendary, known for epic battles and as a meeting place for powerful warriors. Its slopes were covered in medicinal herbs and rare plants, making it perfect for gathering ingredients. When I arrived, I found Nara and Po Dong there. Nara, with her Earth Qi abilities, and Po Dong, in his imposing black bear form and battle aura, were good companions on these excursions.
“Kaion!” Nara said cheerfully when she saw me. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m looking for some ingredients for Master Halvor,” I replied, pointing to my gathering bag. “What about you?”
“Just exploring a bit,” Po Dong answered, his deep voice resonating in the air. “But look who else is here.”
I turned and saw Marek and Jarek approaching with determined expressions. Marek, with his control of Water Qi, and Jarek, with his battle aura—now wielding an axe—were known for their competitiveness. Like me, they had also gone through their metamorphosis and now appeared to be between ten and twelve years old due to their training.
“Kaion!” Marek called out. “We want a rematch! We’re taking back our title as Kings of the Hill!”
I couldn’t help but laugh, vaguely remembering the title the children had invented on the hill months ago after we beat him and his group. To me, those childish games were behind me, but it seemed they still meant something to them.
“Kings of the Hill?” I repeated, feeling a mix of incredulity and amusement since I still struggled to see myself as a child and often viewed others my age as noisy kids. “You’re still hung up on that?”
“Of course!” Jarek said, crossing his arms. “We want a rematch, and this time we’ll win.”
Nara and Po Dong exchanged determined looks. They were ready to defend the title, even if I considered it a silly game.
“If you want a rematch, you’ll get one,” Nara said, stepping forward. “But it won’t be easy.”
Before I could intervene, a familiar figure appeared behind Marek and Jarek. Isolte, the young warrior from the Clan of the Ashes of Honor, approached with a stern expression.
“If there’s going to be a battle, count me in,” Isolte said, crossing her arms over her chest. “I want to see for myself the strength of these so-called Kings of the Hill that the Great Elder Eldric keeps talking about.”
Isolte’s presence changed the atmosphere. Her bravery and determination were palpable. I felt a spark of excitement. Although I thought the challenge was childish, the chance to fight against Isolte was tempting.
“Alright,” I said, sighing. “But let’s make it quick. I have work to do.”
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We positioned ourselves, moving up the hill in a way that each of us would face one opponent one-on-one, even though it was a team battle. I wanted to get this over with quickly. The fight began with an explosion of energy. Po Dong was the first to launch an attack toward Jarek, roaring as he activated his battle aura. His figure grew larger, and his dark fur gleamed with a bright light.
“This time will be different, Fat Bear!” Jarek yelled, activating his own battle aura and brandishing his axe. “I’m going to take down your precious white-haired friend for the humiliation he put me through in our last fight—and I’ll use your hide to make some good armor.”
Jarek’s words enraged Po Dong, who responded with a roar that echoed across the hill. The two charged at each other, exchanging powerful blows. Po Dong’s claws clashed against Jarek’s axe in a clash that made the ground shake. Each impact was a display of raw strength and determination.
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“I won’t let you get near them!” Po Dong roared, blocking one of Jarek’s attacks with a powerful paw.
“You’re just a fat, crybaby bear who only knows how to eat and sleep!” Jarek responded, swinging his axe downward in a blow that Po Dong barely dodged.
Their battle was fierce and evenly matched, with both fighters showing off their skill and power. Po Dong used his imposing strength and claws to attack, while Jarek countered with his axe, each strike resonating with force that made the ground around them tremble. Po Dong’s battle aura glowed with a blue light, while Jarek’s axe sparkled with a destructive energy.
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Meanwhile, Nara faced off against Isolte. The young warrior from the Clan of the Ashes of Honor activated her combined battle aura with fire-attribute mana, her body surrounded by glowing embers.
“It’s been a while since we last met at the clan gathering in Pyros,” Isolte said with a cold smile. “How have you been, Nara?”
“I’d rather not remember that event,” Nara replied with a clearly hateful tone. “But here we are again.”
The tension between them was palpable. Isolte raised her long sword, engulfed in flames, ready for combat.
“Nara, you shouldn’t be fighting alongside Kaion,” Isolte said, her voice laced with disdain. “Your brother only wanted to eliminate the competition, something unacceptable in our society. The Ancients are an ancient race, and there are so few of us left.”
Nara frowned, trying to keep her composure.
“I don’t think like my brother,” Nara replied curtly. “And you don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Isolte felt a twinge of jealousy seeing the camaraderie and closeness between Nara and Kaion. Her gaze hardened.
“You don’t feel the ‘connection,’” she said with a hint of anger. “I know what I’m talking about. Do you know your brother’s actions against Kaion were influenced by information given by you?”
Nara remained silent, offering no answer, which raised suspicions. Isolte took it as confirmation of her suspicions.
“Then you’re not seeking the good of him or our people,” Isolte concluded, her voice dripping with contempt. “I suppose it’s useless to keep talking to you.”
The two warriors launched into combat. Isolte’s sword, wreathed in an aura of flames, clashed against Nara’s Earth Qi powers. Isolte unleashed a series of attacks with her fiery sword, creating waves of heat and fire that shook the ground. Nara, for her part, used her control of Earth Qi to raise barriers and counter with waves of earthen energy.
“I won’t let you stand in our way,” Nara said, sending a barrage of rocks imbued with Earth Qi at Isolte.
Isolte dodged nimbly, her movements swift and precise.
“Your arrogance will be your downfall!” Isolte yelled, sending a burst of flames toward Nara.
Their fight was a spectacle of skill and power, with each opponent showcasing their prowess and resolve. Isolte’s ashes and fire blended with Nara’s earth and stones, creating a chaotic and devastated landscape around them.
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My own battle started off boring. Marek tried to provoke me with common insults, but I didn’t react. Instead, I started laughing, making an ironic joke about his immaturity.
“Is that the best you’ve got?” I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “I thought clowns performed in circuses.”
At that moment, everyone fighting started laughing, breaking the tension. Marek, red with embarrassment, grew furious.
“Shut up!” Marek shouted, launching a wave of Water Qi at me.
I raised a barrier with the Bastion spell and used the Pacification rune. Marek’s attacks weakened as they struck my barrier, which looked dense and spiritual, made of ghostly white mana since I had now become a first-circle mage.
“So, I imagine all that water is for watering the plants on the hill?” I said, my tone calm and mocking.
My mana, with its ghostly white color, changed the power and form of my spells. My mana shots resembled bullets shrouded in thick mist, glowing like shooting stars with a spectral tinge. Each shot was precise, breaking Marek’s attacks effortlessly.
My opponent’s frustration was evident. He started throwing more water attacks, but I shattered them with improved mana shots. Thanks to my Infinite Eyes, I didn’t miss a single shot, suppressing his abilities with precision.
“That filthy spell again!” Marek shouted furiously. “You never play fair!”
“I always play fair,” I replied with malice, launching a final shot that deflected a water attack he’d prepared to hit me.
I felt a rush of excitement coursing through my veins. I’d grown stronger thanks to my first circle, daily training, and breathing technique. It made me more resilient and gave me more intense power reserves to keep fighting without tiring quickly. I didn’t know why, but I was enjoying the battle—something I’d never experienced with such intensity before.
“Marek, have you ever felt that adrenaline in battle?” I asked, my voice resonating with contained excitement. “That need to fight so strong that it takes your breath away?”
“You too?” Marek replied, surprised. “We Ancients are a race that loves battle. Fighting is as essential as eating or breathing; Profundia has made us this way.”
I nodded, for the first time understanding a part of my own nature. Marek, inspired by our words, launched a more powerful attack, but I was ready.
I decided to use the mud created by the mixture of Marek’s water attacks and the earth on the hill. With a clever strategy, I conjured a simple mana barrier around Marek, Jarek, and Isolte.
“Nara, use the mud,” I ordered.
Nara, understanding my plan, manipulated the mud beneath them to fill the sphere. The ones trapped inside began to complain, while Isolte looked at me in astonishment and immediately started releasing flames from her body to avoid getting stuck in the mud.
“This can’t be happening!” Jarek shouted, hitting the barrier with his axe while getting caught in the mud.
The mud started solidifying into a giant sphere from Isolte’s intense flames and the shape of my barrier, so I decided to release the spell, but I broke into a cold sweat as I saw the sphere roll down the hill, crossing the village streets, splattering people and buildings and causing a commotion. We ran after them, watching as the sphere rolled into the village square, knocking over a valuable dragon statue with a crash that echoed throughout Draconia.
The scene was almost comical, and I couldn’t help but laugh a little. However, my laughter stopped when the three emerged from the huge mud puddle covering the remains of the broken statue, feeling relieved when Jarek, Marek, and Isolte staggered up, dazed but unharmed…
“Sorry!” I said, running toward them. “I didn’t expect that to happen!”
Marek, still dizzy, looked at me with an ironic smile.
“Well, Kaion, that was… interesting,” he said, shaking off the mud. “But I admit, it was a good strategy.”
“That was… dangerous,” Nara said, looking at me intently through her bone mask.
“So, what now?” I said, worried. “We knocked over the dragon statue. What’s going to happen now?”
Po Dong let out a deep, contagious laugh.
“Well, at least they’re alive and in one piece,” Po Dong said, smiling. “And you have to admit, that was fun.”
Isolte, still dizzy, looked at me with a mixture of respect and frustration.
“You have impressive skills; it would never have occurred to me to use the mud that way. You win this time,” she said, smiling as she tried to keep her composure. “But this might get us into trouble. I think that statue was important.”
Jarek, still rubbing his head, let out a bitter laugh.
“I can’t believe we broke the statue; we’re definitely going to get scolded for this,” he said, shaking the mud from his armor.
The lesson of the day was clear: I needed to practice more, especially my ability to plan and execute complex strategies. Even in the heat of battle, I could end up hurting my allies or those I was supposed to protect.