Julian continued his journey eastward toward the Stormspire Range. Days had passed, yet he was still far from reaching the eastern-western border. Every step brought him closer, but the path was grueling, testing both his endurance and resolve.
Meanwhile, back in Siest, Gamble had arranged safe passage for Noel and Kabel to the Slink region. Their guide was a man named Froud, a water-mana user. His abilities made him the perfect choice for ocean travel—he could sense vibrations in the water, detecting any lurking predators or nearby threats, ensuring their journey would be safe.
At the same time, Harris moved north, burning through any beast that crossed his path. His anger was relentless, fueled by vengeance and an unexplainable hatred for Kabel. Despite Mondric's orders, he refused to allow his sister to travel with someone as cunning as Kabel. The fire in his heart was dangerous, even unpredictable.
Back in the deep forest, Julian faced a sudden ambush. A lightning wolf, its speed nearly incomprehensible, leapt from the shadows. Lightning claws crackled in the air, each strike carrying the potential to maim. Yet Julian stood ready, eager to test his new one-bladed sword and sharpen his reflexes.
The wolf struck. Metal met electricity with a deafening impact, forcing both combatants backward. Julian's eyes narrowed. He drew a deep breath and invoked his signature technique, wrapping wind-mana around his sword. The mana twisted into a miniature whirlwind, encasing the blade, then shot forward like a living storm. The lightning wolf, despite its incredible speed, could not escape. The whirlwind struck with such force that the beast split in two, its form vanishing in a flash of sparks. Julian stood still, astonished. The attack had never been so strong—far beyond anything he had attempted before. Absorbing the lightning core left behind, he felt his power solidifying, just the beginning of what he knew would be his rise.
Three days passed in a blur. Julian pushed onward, deeper into the forest, until finally the landscape opened up, revealing the vast expanse of Central City. It dwarfed both Siest and Newsouth, sprawling across the border where all four regions converged. Behind its massive walls, the Stormspire Range loomed like a jagged crown, the peaks stabbing into the clouds. Flags of every alliance fluttered from towers and parapets, a testament to the city's complexity.
The streets were crowded and alive with the clamor of merchants, travelers, and guards. Julian had no intention of lingering. He rented a modest room in a hotel—not for luxury, but to wash the grime and stench of his journey from his body. After a long, hot shower, the smell of sweat and forest grime was gone, replaced with the faint freshness of clean air. He decided to keep the room for a month, a small sanctuary for when exhaustion from hunting mana cores threatened to overwhelm him.
Rested, Julian set out again. He could not afford to waste time. His eyes turned toward the towering peaks of the Stormspire Range, known far and wide as the domain of the fiercest wind beasts. The mountains stretched impossibly high, their tips lost in clouds and mist, and a chill ran down his spine at the sheer verticality of the cliffs.
At the base, surprisingly, no beasts stirred. All the danger awaited at the summits, where creatures lurked in narrow ledges and rocky crags. One misstep, one slip, could shatter a body into countless pieces. Julian's heart raced at the thought, the wind whipping around him as if testing his resolve.
He paused, taking in the enormity of what lay ahead. Every instinct screamed caution. The Stormspire Range was a place where only the skilled, the brave, and the relentless could survive. And Julian… Julian wanted to rise to the challenge.
With a deep breath, he began the climb, each step upward testing his strength, balance, and focus. He knew that reaching the top would not only confront him with beasts of unimaginable speed and power but also with the unforgiving force of the mountains themselves. The higher he went, the thinner the air, the sharper the winds. And yet, he pressed on, the faint glow of mana at his fingertips reminding him that this was only the beginning.
Above, the peaks seemed to pierce the sky itself, jagged and endless. Julian's eyes narrowed as he considered the task ahead: survive the climb, face the apex predators of wind, and emerge stronger than he had ever been. Every heartbeat thudded like a drum, echoing through the mountains, each one a reminder that danger was near, and hesitation could be fatal.
For Julian, the Stormspire Range was not just a destination—it was the ultimate test of his power, skill, and resolve. And as the wind howled around him, carrying whispers of unseen threats, he knew one truth: there was no turning back.