Kaelus awoke before dawn, energized despite the late night. He quickly gathered his few possessions and strapped the newly refined Viridian Sword to his back. The scaly green hilt felt perfectly weighted, a comforting presence that radiated an immense, controlled power.
When he arrived in the main hall, the full contingent of The Obsidian Phalanx was ready. The sight of the S-rank party members, each a master of advanced elemental magic, made Kaelus realize the magnitude of the adventure he'd agreed to.
Zane Bladeheart, a mid-rank 7-star deviant of the Petrify element and a master longsword user, now back in his combat armor, approached Kaelus. "Ready, kid? You'll be positioned near the center with the ranged attackers. Your job is area denial."
"Understood," Kaelus replied.
"Good. One more thing. You have two weeks. If you can't integrate and learn to control that weapon by the time we hit the core Eastern Territory, we leave you at the neutral zone. This is non-negotiable." Zane's eyes were serious, his role as leader now overriding his role as mentor.
The Obsidian Phalanx moved out of the city as the first rays of sunlight hit the watchtowers. They adopted a standard, efficient formation.
Kaelus took the opportunity to observe the masters he was now traveling with:
Kaelan Bulkhead, the towering Human Tanker, and Grund Stonebreaker, the broad Dwarf with his twin axes, formed the initial defensive wall. Both were initial 7-star deviants of the Wood element, granting them immense resilience and the ability to absorb vast amounts of damage.
Jian Stormheart, the stoic Kijin warrior, carrying his iron staff, was an initial 7-star deviant of the Lava element, capable of both devastating physical strikes and intense heat-based attacks.
Zathis the Swift, the Lizardman scout, moved with an almost liquid grace. He wielded twin swords and was an initial 7-star deviant of the Geyser element, allowing him to use pressurized water and steam in combat.
Vara Shadowstep, the petite figure armed with a dagger and crossbow, moved like a whisper. She was a peak 6-star semi-deviant of the Wind and Water elements, utilizing silent, swift attacks.
Sylva Moonshadow, the Elven Mage, carried a staff and was a mid-rank 7-star deviant of the Plasma element, specializing in powerful area-of-effect damage.
For the first week of traveling, Zane implemented a strict training regimen. Every night after they set up camp, Zane would take Kaelus a short distance away. Zane did not allow Kaelus to use mana. Instead, he forced Kaelus to polish his sword skill using a simple wooden sword.
"You're fast, Kaelus, too fast for your own footwork," Zane repeated constantly, easily deflecting Kaelus's clumsy attempts at offense. "Your feet chase your speed, rather than directing it." The other party members left them alone, but they were keenly interested in the results of Zane's personal instruction.
In the second week, Zane finally allowed Kaelus to incorporate his wind magic. Kaelus was only permitted to use his mana to augment his wooden sword, making his wielding faster and his dodges more instantaneous. The control required was immense, forcing Kaelus to blend the magic with the precise footwork Zane had enforced. By the end of the second week, Kaelus's movements were smoother, faster, and more efficient, having finally learned to direct his speed rather than be consumed by it.
On the fifth day of the second week, they entered a heavily forested area that marked the true edge of the Eastern Territory. An oppressive, subtle mana signature hung in the air, confirming the reports of an unhealthy power surge.
Zathis signaled a large patrol of monsters approaching their path.
"Three Forest Trolls (A-rank) and several dozen assorted B-rank Hobgoblins," Zathis hissed.
"Go," Zane ordered. "Area denial."
Kaelus gripped the Viridian Sword. He channeled his wind-infused mana, pulling the raw power of his core through the newly refined artifact.
He swung the sword in a wide, clean arc.
A massive, sweeping wave of concentrated Wind Blade erupted from the Viridian Sword. It tore through the forest, cleaving through the thick underbrush and slamming into the Hobgoblin horde.
The effect was instantaneous. The dozens of B-rank Hobgoblins were instantly pulverized and dispersed into pure mana. The wave shredded the forest floor, clearing all threats save the three tough, enraged Forest Trolls.
Kaelus stood, slightly winded but exhilarated. The Viridian Sword was still glowing with a soft, residual green light.
Behind him, the S-rank party was silent.
The hulking Kaelan Bulkhead was the first to speak, his massive frame shuddering slightly. "What is that attack? And what movement skill was that?" he demanded, still stunned by the scope of the devastation.
Zathis, the perpetually skeptical Lizardman, simply stared at the carnage, his eyes wide. Kaelus had passed his first true combat trial with the S-rank party.
The immediate aftermath of Kaelus's attack was a stunned silence, quickly broken by the furious roars of the surviving A-rank monsters. Three colossal Forest Trolls, covered in thick, mossy hides, lumbered toward the party, their heavy clubs dragging on the ground.
"Form up! Don't let their numbers distract you!" Zane Bladeheart barked, instantly drawing his longsword. His aura of Earth magic immediately settled, preparing to shift the very density of the ground.
"Kaelan! Grund! Front and center!"
The two tanks surged forward. Kaelan Bulkhead, the human tanker, set his massive tower shield, the resilience of the Wood element thickening the shield's surface. Grund Stonebreaker, the dwarf with his twin axes, didn't just meet the charge; he slammed his axes into the ground, summoning minor Earth barriers to trip the oncoming Trolls. They were channeling the resilience of their shared Wood elemental path to create an immovable fortress.
"Jian! Support the right flank!" Zane ordered. The Kijin warrior grunted, his iron staff igniting with the searing red light of Fire. He imbued the staff not only with raw heat but with the heavy, crushing pressure of Gravity magic
"Sylva! Zathis! Focused fire on the center Troll!"
The Lizardman, Zathis, moved in a serpentine blur. Twin jets of high-pressure liquid—harnessed from the Water element and intensified by the Geyser deviation—shot from his palms, aimed precisely at the center Troll's joints to exploit weak points in its armor. Simultaneously, Sylva, the Elven Mage, raised her staff. She was an Plasma deviant, and a blinding, focused beam of pure, violet energy erupted from the tip, striking the same Troll in the chest.
Zane turned to Kaelus. "Kaelus, Vara! Flank left! Target the legs of the leftmost Troll, make it fall!"
Kaelus immediately understood his task. He surged forward, applying Zane's lessons, using his Wind mana sparingly to augment his polished footwork.
He closed the distance, the Viridian Sword humming. Kaelus brought his katana in a low, blurring cut aimed at the Troll's knee. The refined blade, now channeled with highly concentrated Wind mana, cut through the mossy hide and bit deep into the muscle.
At the exact same moment, Vara Shadowstep appeared like a phantom, utilizing her secondary Wind element for near-silent movement. Her dagger—coated in a debilitating paralytic poison—flashed and slid into the Troll's Achilles tendon, aided by a thin coating of chilling Ice magic to numb the area.
The leftmost Troll roared, its massive leg buckling as the combined kinetic force and poison took hold.
"Now, Jian!" Zane shouted.
The Kijin warrior, Jian, took advantage of the fallen Troll, thrusting his iron staff into the monster's exposed ribcage. The Troll's hide sizzled and blackened instantly as the raw Fire and oppressive Lava elements burned deep into its core, killing it.
The fight was over in less than a minute.
As the mana dispersed, Zathis lowered his hands, breathing heavily. He looked at Kaelus, a flicker of grudging respect in his eyes. "The kid's good with that sword. That cut was clean."
Kaelus sheathed the Viridian Sword, feeling a heady mix of exhaustion and satisfaction.
Zane approached, sheathing his longsword. "That's how you fight, Kaelus. Focused, swift, and lethal. The Viridian Sword is powerful, but your disciplined Wind element is what made that flanking maneuver work." He paused, then added: "We still have a few days of travel before we reach the mutated Armored Scorpion, an S-rank threat. Don't get complacent."
"Alright, everyone take some mana restoration pills," Zane instructed. "We are still in the periphery of the Eastern Territory. We need to conserve our reserves."
Vara Shadowstep silently handed Kaelus a small, clear vial.
"No, I'm good," Kaelus replied, genuinely surprised he wasn't more depleted. The Viridian Sword seemed to handle the channeling with startling efficiency.
It was then that Jian Stormheart, who rarely spoke, suddenly addressed Kaelus. The unexpected sound of his voice made even the others look up, surprised by the Kijin's curiosity. "Is your sword attack truly that mana efficient? It didn't look like you drew much."
"I'm curious, too," Zathis chimed in, stepping closer.
Zane, however, was preoccupied. He began pacing. "I think we should name that attack. The power and speed of that cleave... 'The Ultimate Flying Radiant Sword Slash Attack!' Oh, wait, that's too short. Let's add 'super'—"
Jian ignored Zane, keeping his focus on Kaelus. "What do you call that attack?"
Kaelus paused, thinking back to his simple swing in the training field. "Wind Slash, I think."
"Hey, are you guys listening?" Zane complained.
Sylva sighed, shaking her head with a faint smile. "Just let them have their fun, Zane."