After Zora vanished like she had never existed in the first place, Emily let out a long, tired sigh and turned around without another word. There was no point standing there questioning the wind. With Zora, explanations were rarer than peaceful naps in this cursed forest. She adjusted her grip on her whip and started walking again, heading toward the direction she believed was the end of the forest.Behind her, the girl hesitated only for a heartbeat before hurrying after her.In a place where the sky held two suns and beasts stronger than nightmares roamed freely, sticking close to the only familiar face seemed like the smartest decision she could make.Vivienne kept glancing back once or twice, as though expecting Zora to reappear out of thin air and throw another problem at them. But nothing happened. The forest swallowed the silence.She exhaled slowly. Good, she thought. Let that terrifying woman stay gone for a while.As they walked, leaves crunched softly beneath their feet an

Seeing they were completely besieged, Emily let out a slow breath, her shoulders rising and falling once before her expression hardened. Panic wasn’t going to save them. Running wasn’t an option anymore either. That only left one thing.She reached behind her waist and pulled out a long blade.It wasn’t exactly a sword but it wasn’t a dagger either.The weapon was narrow and sleek, longer than any dagger but shorter than a true sword, its dark metal reflecting the glow of the twin suns faintly. The edge shimmered with a thin line of crimson energy, proof that it had been forged for killing rather than decoration.Without hesitation, she thrust it into Vivienne’s trembling hands.“Hold it tight,” Emily said, voice low and sharp. “This isn’t a toy. It’s the difference between breathing and being meat.”Vivienne swallowed, fingers tightening around the unfamiliar weapon.Emily stepped forward, eyes cold as she scanned the circle of beasts closing in around them.“Defend yourself and foll

After a while, a figure in white robes appeared quietly by Abigail’s side as though he had always been there, his presence so calm that even the falling snow seemed to slow around him.His long sleeves brushed the ground and his eyes carried an ancient weight, not cold, not warm, simply watching the world as it unfolded.He cast a brief glance toward Emily, Vivienne and Trouble who had just appeared, their bodies still heavy from exhaustion, then his gaze returned to Abigail, lingering on the sword in her hand as though measuring the depth of her resolve rather than the sharpness of her blade.“Now… the next phase is the phase where you must protect those dear to you,” the old man said, his voice low yet impossibly clear, echoing softly through the snowfield as if the world itself was listening.“A sword cultivator who cannot guard what lies behind her cannot call herself a sword. Power is not only for cutting enemies down, it is for standing still when retreat would be easier… for ho

Kai stood alone in the middle of what looked like a slaughter ground, breathing heavily as the thick scent of blood filled the swampy air.The ground beneath his feet was soaked crimson, bodies of crocodiles and massive alligators piled everywhere. He lifted his head slowly, eyes dull with exhaustion, and let out a long, bitter sigh.“If I had known this was what she meant by worthy opponent,” he muttered under his breath, “I would’ve just asked for a pillow and a blanket instead.”The creatures themselves were not the problem. None of them could truly injure him.Their teeth snapped against his skin again and again, leaving nothing but faint white marks that vanished seconds later. It wasn’t pain that troubled him, it was the endless numbers. Every time he cut down ten, twenty more crawled from the swamp, eyes glowing, and jaws snapping.He rolled his shoulders, ignoring the weight pulling at his limbs. Blood covered him from head to toe, thick and sticky, though none of it belonged

The Gaultong Sweep was not a technique meant for elegance.It was meant for domination.Kai stood with the halberd planted before him, eyes half-closed as he replayed Zora’s scribbles in his mind. Unlike the mountain-splitting strike that focused everything into a single devastating thrust, this technique demanded continuous motion. The halberd had to move in a circular path, thrusting outward while rotating, ensuring that nothing within range could escape its reach. It wasn’t just a swing, it was a storm centered on the wielder.More like a Gaulting Gun, he thought silently.Once it started, it didn’t stop.He inhaled slowly and shifted his stance.The halberd moved.A forward thrust followed by a sweeping arc, then another thrust layered into the same motion. The blade traced a perfect circle around him, energy building along its edge like a spiraling current.Each rotation cut through the air with a sharp, heavy hum, and the ground beneath his feet began to crack faintly from the