Chapter 333 – Shadows of the Past Don't Know When to Stop
Aeris floated calmly a few centimeters above the ground, hands behind her head, as if gravity were nothing more than a polite suggestion.
Beside her walked Vareth, Nyra, and Llan, the group moving forward in an almost peaceful silence.
— Honestly, Llan began, thoughtful, those three kids we met earlier… they were strong.
Aeris tilted her head slightly.
— You mean my juniors from school?
— Kaor, Lyane, and Solan?
A faint smile crossed her face.
— Yes… they're really powerful for their age. Far too much, even.
Llan chuckled.
— Same could be said for you.
Aeris rolled her eyes.
— Stop flattering me.
— I was clearly not as skilled as them at their age.
Nyra, arms crossed, added calmly:
— The teachers looked pretty formidable too.
Llan glanced sideways at her.
— Sounds like you're deliberately downplaying it.
— You're sixteen, and already stronger than at least one of the teachers.
— That's not luck, Aeris. You've got talent. A lot.
Aeris looked away, slightly embarrassed.
— …You're exaggerating.
They continued walking.
Then—
Aeris stopped dead.
— Oh no.
— Not them again…
— They're way too annoying.
Vareth tilted his head slightly.
— Who?
Nyra narrowed her eyes.
— The bastards from last time.
Llan slowly clenched his fists.
— Them.
— They're unbearable.
His voice grew darker.
— Last time…
— They trashed my mother's house.
— They traumatized her.
He lowered his head.
— …And I couldn't do anything.
A heavy silence settled.
— Because of my weakness.
Vareth calmly placed a hand on his shoulder.
His smile was gentle.
Far too gentle.
— Do you want me to silence them for you?
Llan lifted his head, his gaze hard.
— No.
— If they're to be silenced…
— Only I have the right to do it.
He gritted his teeth.
— For what they did to my mother.
At that moment—
— YOU!!
A figure charged straight at them.
Brakk burst forth, face twisted with rage, finger pointed at Llan.
— YOU'LL PAY FOR HITTING ME!!
Aeris sighed deeply.
— …They really have no sense of timing.
Brakk stopped in front of Llan, a wicked smile on his lips.
— This time, there's no Valor to defend you.
He puffed out his chest.
— I am Brakk.
— Rank B hunter.
He stepped forward.
— And I'll make you pay for that punch you gave me.
Silence.
Then—
Llan burst out laughing.
— Rank B…?
He looked up, almost amused.
— Funny how you all have the same speech.
Aeris sighed again.
— Brakk…
— I really advise you to leave now.
Brakk turned his head toward her.
— And you, the guy floating, stay out of this.
Vareth smiled.
Nyra crossed her arms.
Llan stepped forward.
— You know what's changed since last time?
— Before… I was weak.
His aura vibrated slightly.
— Now?
— I'm just deciding…
— Whether I let you walk away alive.
Brakk burst out laughing.
— Don't make me laugh!
He stepped closer.
— I remember your pathetic punch perfectly.
— It was so weak I thought a kid had hit me.
He sneered.
— And now you say you're stronger?
— I'd love to see that.
In Llan's mind, doubt struck like a hammer.
…Damn.
Even if I've grown stronger…
He's still above me.
The bluff didn't work.
His heart was pounding too fast.
But before he could step back—
— Brakk.
Aeris's voice fell, calm. Too calm.
— You've already made a huge mistake.
Brakk frowned.
— Huh?
Aeris slowly set her feet on the ground.
Gravity seemed to remember her existence.
— The first was attacking his family.
— The second…
She lifted her eyes toward him, her pupils glowing faintly.
— Was believing Llan is alone.
Vareth stepped forward.
— You see, he said quietly,
— We really try to be kind.
Nyra smiled.
— But you always insist on testing our patience.
Llan drew a deep breath.
His gaze hardened.
— Brakk…
— Whatever happens now…
He clenched his fists.
— You'll regret coming back.
The air grew heavy.
Too heavy.
The shadows of the past had just made a fatal mistake:
they had chosen the wrong time…
and the wrong people.
Chapter 334 – Shadows of the Past Truly Never Know When to Stop
Brakk burst out in loud laughter.
A laugh a little too strong.
A little too long.
A little too forced.
— Don't make me laugh! he sneered, slapping his thigh. — Seriously, do you remember the punch you gave me last time? — It was so weak I thought a mosquito had sneezed on me.
He stepped forward, puffing out his chest.
— And now you say you're stronger? — I'd really like to see that.
Llan didn't answer right away.
His fist clenched.
*Even if I've grown stronger…* he thought.
*He's still above me.*
*The bluff… didn't work.*
Aeris sighed, long. Very long.
— Seriously… he said, rubbing his face, did you all take a special course to be this insufferable? — Because at this point, it's almost an art form.
Brakk turned his head toward him, annoyed.
— Shut up, you floater. — What are you? A failed magic trick?
Nyra tilted her head.
— Oh. — He chose that phrase.
Vareth smiled, slowly.
— Bad choice. Very bad.
Brakk felt a chill run down his spine.
— …What? You going to cry?
Aeris finally let himself drop to the ground, his feet touching earth without a sound. He locked eyes with Brakk.
— You see, the problem with you… — Is that you think danger always screams before it strikes.
He gestured toward Llan with his chin.
— And you deliberately ignore the fact that the one you're harassing is literally holding back.
Brakk sneered, but his voice lacked a bit of confidence.
— Holding back from what? — Having a panic attack?
Llan's aura pulsed.
Not an explosion.
Not a shockwave.
Just… pressure.
As if the air itself had decided to turn hostile.
Brakk frowned.
— …What is this?
Llan slowly lifted his head.
— You know what I've learned since last time? — True weakness… isn't being unable to strike.
He stepped forward.
— It's having the power…
— and choosing not to use it.
Nyra clapped softly.
— Oh, I like that. — Much classier than "stop or I'll cry."
Brakk swallowed hard.
— You're bluffing.
— Maybe, Llan replied calmly. — Or maybe this time… — I really strike.
Vareth tilted his head slightly.
— Brakk, right? — Friendly advice. — Step back.
Brakk gritted his teeth.
— You're all trying to scare me? — I'm Rank B!
Aeris rolled his eyes.
— Why do they always say that like it's a legendary spell? — Rank B! — Poof. Applause.
— RANK B! Brakk shouted, exploding his mana.
Llan closed his eyes for a second.
Then reopened them.
His aura changed.
Not violent.
Not chaotic.
Stable. Dense. Cold.
Brakk froze.
His legs refused to move forward.
— Huh…?
Llan looked at him without anger. Without hate.
— Now… — It's you who decides.
He cracked his fingers.
— You leave.
— Or you find out what it feels like…
— when someone "weak" stops being weak.
A heavy silence settled.
Brakk stepped back once.
Then twice.
— …This isn't over, he spat. — I'll be back!
Nyra smiled.
— Of course. — They all say that. — It's almost endearing.
Brakk turned on his heel and disappeared.
Llan finally released the pressure. His legs trembled slightly.
— …I thought I was going to faint, he murmured. — But in that moment… — I almost believed it myself.
Aeris placed a hand on his shoulder.
— That's progress. — Scaring even yourself.
Vareth chuckled softly.
— The best bluff is the one you start to believe.
Nyra nodded.
— And next time… — You won't even need to bluff.
Aeris looked toward the direction Brakk had vanished, his gaze more serious.
— Shadows of the past are a nuisance. — But they have one huge flaw.
He smiled.
— They never know when it's already too late.
Chapter 335 – The Strategic Escape of the Hunter "Not Afraid at All"
Brakk slammed his hand against a wall, far from where Llan stood.
He breathed heavily.
— …That runt really tried to intimidate me.
He clicked his tongue, annoyed.
— Seriously. — Me. — Intimidated.
He straightened, crossing his arms with disdain.
— He just got lucky. — Lucky that I had no desire to face those who were with him.
His gaze hardened.
— Their aura…
He clenched his teeth.
— It was far too powerful. — All three of them. — Even that guy floating as if he'd forgotten how to walk.
He chuckled, nervously.
— I did well to leave. — A strategic retreat. — Perfectly calculated.
He stared at the ground.
— But next time… — Next time we meet, Llan, you'd better not hide behind your comrades.
He smiled, a wicked smile.
— Me, afraid of that runt? — Hm. — Never.
He turned away.
— He'll remain the one I intimidate. — Always.
Silence fell.
Then, somewhere, a bird suddenly took flight.
— …Damn bird.
Meanwhile.
Aeris walked calmly beside Llan, a wide smile on his face.
— Honestly, he said. — You really pulled it off.
He looked him up and down.
— How did you do that?
Llan blinked.
— …Do what?
— Your aura, Aeris replied immediately. — Full pressure. — Full presence. — The combo "I'm calm therefore I'm dangerous."
He gave a thumbs‑up.
— Incredible. — I almost believed you were really stronger than him.
— Almost, Llan murmured.
Nyra burst out laughing.
— Did you see his face when he backed off? — He looked like he'd just realized his shoes were optional.
She clapped her hands.
— Just for that, you really nailed it.
She leaned toward him, more serious.
— But be careful. — Guys like that never let it go. — Their ego is too fragile to survive public humiliation.
Llan sighed.
— Great… — So I'm officially on his blacklist?
— Oh no, Aeris replied. — You were already on it. — Now you've just earned a red highlight.
Vareth, who had been watching silently from the start, finally spoke.
— There are two possibilities, he said calmly.
He raised two fingers.
— Either he becomes more cautious… — and tries to intimidate you less directly.
— Or he comes back with something to prove. — And then, it'll be more dangerous.
He looked Llan straight in the eyes.
— Whatever happens… — You'll be safe for now.
Llan finally let the tension out of his shoulders.
— …Thankfully. — Because honestly… — I thought my legs were going to give out.
Aeris burst out laughing.
— Classic. — The body panics, the aura lies, and the enemy buys the whole package.
Nyra smiled.
— The funniest part? — Brakk is probably convinced he won something.
Vareth nodded.
— People like him often confuse "not striking" with "being superior."
Llan lowered his eyes, thoughtful.
— Next time… — I might not need to bluff.
Aeris gave him a light pat on the shoulder.
— One step at a time. — Today, you survived. — And honestly? — That's already a victory.
They resumed their path.
Far behind them, Brakk sneezed.
— …
— Still not fear.
Chapter 336 – Theories, Flames, and Oversized Egos
Valor and Valen walked calmly toward the guild.
Well… "calmly" was a big word, especially when Valor advanced with the confidence of an exiled emperor, drawing attention even from the cobblestones.
Valen, meanwhile, still carried Arelis in his arms, hood carefully lowered to avoid anyone noticing that the child he carried was, technically, a walking cosmic problem.
After a few seconds of silence, Valor suddenly furrowed his brows.
— Agniryos proclaimed himself the incarnation of the Primordial Flames…
He crossed his arms, looking grave. Too grave.
— But according to what I saw in his memories, he was born from the empty shell of the First Link.
— An entity of the Void.
Valen looked him up and down.
— Since when do you make metaphysical analyses?
— That's not very… Grand Valor.
Valor turned to him, shocked.
— Nonsense!
— The Grand Valor has ALWAYS been intelligent, handsome, splendid, charismatic…
He thought for a moment.
— …and occasionally brilliant.
Arelis raised an eyebrow.
— So according to you, Agniryos isn't really the Primordial Being of Flames?
— I'm not saying that, Valor replied.
— He clearly uses the Primordial Flames.
— He's immortal, he even resurrected thanks to them.
He narrowed his eyes.
— But a true Primordial…
— should exist before creation.
Valen nodded.
— And Agniryos didn't exist before creation.
Arelis slipped down from Valen's arms and walked beside them.
— Exactly.
— A true Primordial Fire would exist as long as destruction, transformation, or energy exist.
— So, Valen added,
— it would exist in every fire.
— Stars, magma, explosions… Arelis confirmed.
— All would be passive extensions of him.
He paused.
— But that's not what we saw in Agniryos.
Valor proudly ran his hands through his hair.
— I knew the Grand Valor was right.
— Calm down, Valen sighed.
Arelis continued, more serious:
— He masters the Primordial Flames.
— But mastering is not embodying.
Valor grimaced.
— Still…
— He did try to erase the Grand Valor from the narrative with those flames.
— Pathetic attempt, Valen replied flatly.
— Obviously.
Arelis stopped suddenly.
— I have a theory.
— Me too! Valor immediately shouted.
— Nobody asked, Valen retorted.
Arelis continued calmly:
— Agniryos was probably born from the will of the Primordial Being of Flames.
— An attempt to rebirth the First Link through the flames.
He closed his eyes for a moment.
— But that entity had already given its essence to Nova.
— It couldn't resurrect him fully.
Valen thought.
— Even without that…
— the First Link was already lost.
— Either plunged into the World Oblivion.
— Erased forever.
— Or sealed in the Abyssal World.
— An eternal prison.
Valor frowned.
— Wait.
— If that's true…
— then everything the incarnations of Vael erase should end up there, right?
Arelis shook his head.
— No.
— The avatars and incarnations of Vael choose.
He raised a finger.
— Definitive erasure.
— Or conservation in the Endless Abyss.
— In Agniryos's flashback, he added,
— Death erased the First Link…
— but deliberately left its shell intact.
Valen stopped dead.
— …How do you know all this?
— Even I didn't know.
Arelis smiled softly.
— I'm not the Absolute Being for nothing.
— It comes from Vael, Valen murmured.
— In the end… I'm not even surprised.
Valor put a hand on his face.
— My head hurts.
Arelis continued:
— And to be clear…
— Yzareth, the Primordial Dragon of the Void, is much stronger than Agniryos.
— Not by a little.
Valen shrugged.
— The lizard?
— I defeated him easily.
Arelis looked at him.
— Because he fought you with a limited version of himself.
— His arrogance doomed him.
Valen smiled.
— It wouldn't have changed anything.
— I would have smoked him.
Arelis stared.
— …If you say so.
A silence passed.
Then Valor sighed.
— Honestly, I don't know why you complicate everything.
— Not everything needs to be logical to make sense.
Valen looked at him.
— Bold words coming from the one who started the discussion.
Valor shrugged.
— The Grand Valor just wanted to pose a simple theory:
— Agniryos and the Primordial Being of Flames are two distinct entities.
He threw a glance at Arelis.
— But an old man playing at being a kid complicated everything.
— I'm not an old man playing at being a kid, Arelis replied.
— Then what are you? Valor asked.
— An Absolute Being.
— Yeah… sure.
— It's true! Arelis protested.
— Valen, tell him to stop bothering me!
Valen sighed.
— Mister Grand Valor, please stop bothering Mister Absolute Being.
Valor raised his hands.
— Fine, fine.
— I'll stop.
He muttered as he turned away:
— Still… old or not…
— weird anyway.
Curtain. 😌🔥