He had just stormed like a true warrior past the great rift, where mana and vitality are sucked out of any living creature.
His jade armor, made from the core of Emerald tier Jade Jaguar was heavily marred with dried, black blood of multiple beasts he had slayed on the way.
The words of Sol Milank, his adoptive father and teacher, still echoed in his head...
"Remember, the past doesn't determine your present. The past is an experience we learn from, not live by. No matter what happens out there, you're still my son, Gad." The words hammered in his head as he had fought past numerous obstacles, pushing his limits to reach the destination.
And there, he stood valiantly, his blonde hair flowing in the dusty wind. The Gate of Order stood gigantically before him, numerous archaic symbols etched on the metallic gate like warnings.
He pulled Voltex out from its scabbard. A name he gave to the lightning saber he got from the core of Emerald tier Sabertooth Panther. A beast with thunder affinity.
"It's you and I again, Voltex. Let's see what lies beyond this gate," Gad muttered to his blade, his finger briefly tapping the storage ring on his left hand.
Out, materialized a round object with five archaic symbols etched boldly on it. Each symbol, radiant with six different colors; black, white, green, purple, blue, and red.
He moved cautiously to the gate, searching for the space the round object, the key would fit.
He noticed the circular gap with identical symbols etched on the key.
Immediately, he inserted the key and surreptitiously walked backwards, expecting a grand opening.
Nothing?
The key fit, but had no tangible reaction.
Gad wanted to lament, curse himself for all the trouble he faced on his journey, until he noticed a subtle reaction.
The key rolled slowly, the colorful symbols glowing brighter every second. It rolled and glowed till the light became blinding.
Gad instinctively rose his arm above his face, blocking the blinding light from penetrating his eyes. Then, the gate creaked... it opened slowly and paved way to a dark, void space.
Gad peeked through the little gap and felt an instant wash of mana. Mana poured out immensely, threatening to flood his meridians.
Gad endured, gnashing his teeth like a crazed being, and watching his body slowly saturating with excessive mana.
Gad cursed the Summoning Crystal for refusing to grant him a beast... he knew fusion with beasts grants greater access to mana, and being rejected, he had access to the little his body could withstand.
Still, his wielded beast armory did a great job of taking substantial amounts of mana. But he knew his downfall was inevitable.
He also knew he couldn't turn back. That wasn't how he earned his reputable name whispered throughout the seven kingdoms.
Besides, the mana flow would eventually flood his body system. He couldn't fly and he couldn't teleport... he didn't have beast to do so, and could only rely on the boost of his wielded weapons.
It was only a matter of time till his body got fully saturated and exploded from excess mana.
His jade armor and lightning saber also glowed beautifully with overflowing mana, reaching their peak potential.
The gate had fully opened, its internal space still void and dark to the core.
Gad knelt in the throes of excess mana, his body glistening dangerously from the excessive mana, threatening to explode him from within.
However, the gate wasn't done. It had more stalled.
Gad's heavy gaze still rested on the entrance, his nose and ears bleeding slightly.
Then, he sighted them.
Red, fierce, glowing eyes... they peeked from the void, threatening to obliterate the fear of excess mana.
Gad slowly stood up with the support of Voltex, his body holes profusely oozing blood.
'Luck is not on my side today,' Gad thought to himself, his fingers trembling from the grasp of his blade.
Slowly, they emerged, revealing themselves as grotesque beast mutations, abominations never meant to exist.
The first was something bordering the lines of a Chimera, a grotesque fusion of a lion, wild goat, and snake tail. Its eyes glowed ferocious crimson, threatening to devour anything that crossed its path.
Gad exerted all efforts to raise his blade and send a homing lightning bolt that found the lion head of the Chimera, instantly severing it off the body.
However, the Chimera wasn't done. The snake tail coiled grotesquely to spit jets of venom, its head raised high above the goat body—abnormally fused with the lion's.
Gad responded by simply dodging the jets, his body moving exhaustively at the last, impossible second.
He sent a more powerful zap from Voltex, instantly blasting the goat and snake heads off, the massive body falling with a loud thud.
Gad crouched to dodge a fire ball projectile from a... something you can call eagle-salamander. His face was a messy map of blood... his own blood.
"I can't... " Gad allowed himself a moment of breath, his knees falling heavily on the ground. "So, this is how the story of the Null Swordsman ends?" He grinned to himself, his own life flashing before his eyes.
He remembered how he had been raised by old Sol, how the Summoning Crystal rejected him, the bullies of his mates, the first beast he slayed...
His eyes welled with tears.
What hurt the Null Swordsman the most?
He didn't get to say a proper goodbye to his father, Sol.
He closed his eyes whilst several beasts and abominations poured out. Demons and beasts poured on him, slowly tearing his life from him.
With that, the Null Swordsman was gone.
Gad had an historic death, one that nobody was there to witness.
He thought it was over, (which literally, it was) but fate had other plans.
◇◇◇◇
Thirty years later from the demise of Gad, the Null Swordsman—a remote village in the kingdom of Valyria welcomed a newborn.
One that was conceived with numerous signs and wonders.
One destined to restore balance in the corrupted earth.
One destined to rule beasts and magical creatures.
One destined to slay demons and corrupt flesh.
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Thus is my debut, guys, and I'll appreciate it if you comment your thoughts and ideas for my books here.
Are y'all ready to journey with my MC?