Blood still dripped from my fingertips, staining the earth a dark crimson. The Renowned Assassin, a title that felt hollow now. Before me lay only a lifeless corpse, eyes wide and empty, staring at the sky. No meaningful resistance. Too easy.
"That mercenary business is done," I muttered, wiping blood from my cheek. "Now, time to realize a bigger plan. Building a secret guild." A sly smile crept onto my lips.
I snapped my wings open, feeling the wind buffet my face as I soared into the sky. My speed increased, slicing through the clouds towards home. A home filled with memories of Mom and Dad... memories that felt so distant. Suddenly, my eyes caught something below. A point of light shimmering in the middle of the forest.
"What's that? Why is the light so blinding?" My brow furrowed, curiosity overcoming caution. My instincts screamed to stay away, but my feet felt rooted in place.
I braked sharply, hovering in the air. My eyes locked onto the source of the light, becoming clearer as I drew closer. The light shone like a newly discovered gem, beckoning me with promises of mystery and danger. Without thinking, I lowered myself, welcoming the glittering destiny.
---
On the Ground
My feet touched the ground lightly. Before me stood an unexpected figure. A dragon.
"Damn it! So it's you. That damn light... it's coming from your scales? An Earth Dragon?" I growled, surprise mixed with anger. I hate surprises.
The dragon stood tall, its muscles tensing like a drawn bowstring. Its narrow eyes watched me warily. Without warning, it launched a powerful stone spell. Chunks of rock the size of houses hurtled towards me, leaving trails of dust and cracks in the ground. Clearly, it had only one goal: to kill me.
SWOOSH!!
BOOM!!
The earth trembled. Dust and rock fragments flew like a sandstorm, stinging my skin. The heat of the explosion scorched my hair. "Close one," I whispered, feeling death lurking behind me. "How dare you play with me, lizard!" I hissed, my eyes blazing. My aura radiated wildly, pressing the air around me until it felt heavy and thick.
Anger burned within me. The earth dragon dared to disturb my peace, to disrupt my plans. "Since you dared to bother me, now die, lizard! Light Magic: Sword of Light!"
I chanted my light spell, feeling sacred energy flow through my veins. Golden light radiated from my body, illuminating the forest with a deadly beauty. The earth dragon seemed a little daunted, its eyes widening in horror. Not just because of my aura, but also because of the swords of light that were appearing. Hundreds, maybe thousands of light swords filled the forest canopy, covering every inch of space. Each sword pulsed with a power ready to destroy.
"Now die, lizard," I said coldly, without the slightest bit of mercy.
SWOOSH!
All the light swords plunged down simultaneously, like a meteor shower from the sky. Their power was so great, it was as if stars were falling from the universe. Each sword carried with it hope and despair, life and death.
Villagers passing near the forest were shocked to see the dazzling light emanating from within. The forest, usually dark and full of monsters, now shone brightly, like a gateway to heaven.
"Why... is the forest so bright?" a villager muttered in confusion, squinting against the glare.
Giant trees fell like matchsticks, annihilated by the light sword attacks. Not a single tree remained, only a smoky clearing.
The earth dragon was not given a chance to strike back. It could only roar and writhe under the relentless rain of light swords, its scales shattering into pieces. Seeing the dragon's resilience, I grinned slyly.
"Looks like you can hold on too, huh? Congratulations, Earth Dragon," I said with a smile that held a threat. A smile that made anyone's hairs stand on end.
The earth dragon swallowed hard, shuddering at the sight of that terrifying smile. Fear was clearly visible in its eyes.
"Please, forgive me!" The dragon wailed, tears wetting its scaly cheeks. "If you spare me... the Dragon King will be furious. Do you really want to cause trouble with him?" Its tone tried to threaten, but a tremor of fear was clearly audible.
I snorted. "Dragon King, Outer God, or whoever... I don't care." I raised my hand higher, feeling energy gather in my palm. A small black ball began to form, emitting a dense aura of destruction. "But honestly, this is boring. Let's just end it, lizard."
The earth dragon narrowed its eyes, then laughed mockingly. "There's no way you can defeat me with that little ball? Foolish human! Hahahahah!"
"Do you know... what this is, Earth Dragon?" I asked in a calm tone, hiding a grin behind my lips.
"I don't know, what kind of ball is it?"
I just smiled mysteriously, then threw the black ball to the ground. The earth dragon grinned, preparing to block an attack it considered trivial.
"Come on, little ball! Hahahahah!" it mocked arrogantly, its eyes dismissive.
As the black ball touched the ground, something strange happened. The ball began to suck in the surrounding earth, like a hungry black hole. Small trees and rocks flew towards the ball, disappearing without a trace. The earth dragon's eyes widened in shock.
"Why... is this little black ball suddenly getting bigger?" it muttered in confusion, its voice trembling.
Over time, the black ball grew larger and larger, expanding rapidly. Finally, the earth dragon was sucked into the black ball, its body pulled in mercilessly. It writhed and roared, but nothing could stop it.
"NOOO! Don't suck me in! Please, human, I'll surrender!" it screamed while crying and begging, tears wetting the ground around it.
"Alright, I'll spare you," I said in a mocking tone, my eyes flashing coldly. "But yeah... because you disturbed my peaceful life... now die!"
With a quick movement, I shaped my hand as if I wanted to split something. I pointed my hand at the black ball, feeling energy gather at my fingertips.
"Sword Technique: Black Ball Splitter!"
SWOOSH!
With one slash, I split the black ball in two. The earth dragon smiled in relief, its face beaming with happiness. It thought it had survived.
"Hahahahah! Human, you're so stupid! Now I'm free! Hahahahah!" it exclaimed arrogantly, forgetting its fear.
"Hey, Earth Dragon. Do you know? Why did I use a sword technique?" I asked, my smile widening. "Because I can kill without being touched."
The earth dragon fell silent, then turned to the split black ball. It saw strange cracks appearing on the surface of the ball, growing larger and larger. Its eyes widened in fear, realizing its mistake.
"NOOO...!" it screamed in a deafening voice, desperate.
BOOM!
The black ball exploded violently, emitting a dazzling light. The explosion shook the entire forest, sending out shockwaves that were felt as far as the nearest village. Thick smoke billowed high into the sky, even reaching my house, covering the sun.
The forest was now flattened, leaving only a large, smoky crater. A terrible, but satisfying sight.
"Hah... finally finished," I muttered, sighing in relief. "Alright, let's go home, before anyone sees."
I immediately disappeared, leaving the smoky crater behind. But I didn't realize... there was a pair of eyes watching me from the beginning of the fight.
"You are strong, Alden," a mysterious voice whispered from behind the trees. "But all your enemies... will hunt you again."
---
In the Village
I arrived in the village, greeted by a strange sight. All the villagers were gathered on the edge of the forest, staring at the thick smoke that was still billowing high into the sky.
"Who exactly did this in the forest? The smoke hasn't disappeared yet?" said a villager in a worried tone.
"I don't know either, but whoever did it... must be a very strong person," another villager chimed in.
I grinned hearing their conversation. My power is indeed above average. I hurried towards my house, avoiding the villagers' suspicious glances.
---
At Alden's House
I arrived at the house, my breath ragged from running. I hate crowds.
"Hah... alright, I have to think about how to build a secret guild," I muttered, throwing myself on the sofa. "Like I read in modern novels... it has to be in a very secret place."
My mind was filled with ideas about the guild. What it would look like, who its members would be, what its purpose would be.
"Hahahahah, what if I used... a dimension creation spell?" A sly smile crept onto my face. A brilliant idea.
"Dimension Creator Spell!"
My hand rose, emitting a dazzling light. The room of my house was filled with golden yellow light, feeling warm and comfortable.
"Alright, let's go into my dimension. Hahahah," I said, my eyes twinkling with excitement.
---
Inside the Dimension
I closed my eyes, letting my mind delve into the silent and empty dimension. There, a velvet-black mist hung endlessly, swallowing light and sound. Slowly, from the midst of that nothingness, a giant round table emerged majestically. Its surface shimmered like polished obsidian, reflecting the invisible light. Around the table, eight tall chairs loomed, each engraved with mysterious symbols that pulsed with faint energy.
"Nice, now my seats," I whispered, my voice echoing strangely in the empty space.
In front of the row of member chairs, a magnificent throne rose from the mist. Its size far surpassed the other chairs, made of material that looked like hardened dragon bones and decorated with gems that emitted a cold light. This was my throne, the leader of the secret guild. A place where I would plan and execute world-shaking plans.
After the chairs materialized, I shifted my focus to the dimension's ceiling. Initially, there was only a blank blue expanse stretching above. However, with a touch of my imagination, the sky exploded in a scattering of countless stars. Each star shone with a different color and intensity, creating a stunning miniature galaxy. The stars danced and swirled, emitting a soft and soothing light, transforming the once-gloomy dimension into a place full of wonder and beauty. It was as if I had stolen a piece of the night sky and brought it into my personal dimension.
"Nice, this is how my guild meeting place should be," I muttered, admiring my creation. "Now let's determine the name of this guild..."
I was still thinking of a good name for my guild. A name that was strong, mysterious, and memorable. But as I thought about the guild name, I suddenly remembered something.
"Oh, yeah tomorrow is the full moon," I muttered. "And since tomorrow is school... I'll name this guild now."
I continued to think about the name of my guild, while sitting on my throne. Closing my eyes and letting my mind wander. Suddenly, an idea flashed into my mind.
"Hahahah, now the name of this guild is... I'll take it from the 8 stars... the name of the guild is Astra Octavius," a triumphant smile was etched on my face. The perfect name.
As I came out of my dimension, I suddenly felt an aura watching me. From a distance. A strong and threatening aura.
"Who are you? Why have you been watching me since I entered the dimension?" I muttered, my eyes narrowed.
I ignored it, not wanting to waste time on unimportant things. I came out of the dimension, with a very happy face.
"Alright, the guild meeting place is already there," I muttered. "Now find guild members... I will look for members who... were abandoned by their families." I smiled at the bright sky, imagining a future full of adventure and chaos.
"Tomorrow is my first day of school," I said, chuckling. "Even though I go to school in a place I built myself... but now I'm a student. Hahahah," I laughed imagining my friends' expressions when they found out my true identity. They would definitely be shocked. But that's later. For now, I will remain the ordinary Alden, a simple high school student. Hiding my power, enjoying a peaceful life without disturbance. Because that's what I want.
I looked at the night sky, the stars twinkling as if welcoming me. I, Alden, will chill this world.