Meanwhile...
Sol finally forged his double-edged blade using the orb he had taken from the Darklord. It was the Orb of Corrupted Souls—a powerful but dangerous artifact, for the stronger the power within it, the more chaotic and corrupting it became.
After finishing the forge, Sol tentatively touched the blade. Immediately, the souls trapped within the orb began whispering in his ears, their voices eerie and unsettling. Hundreds of voices overlapped—pleading, screaming, laughing in madness. The sound crawled into his mind like cold fingers.
Fearful, he tried to throw the sword away.
But the blade instantly flew back into his hand, almost violently, as if rejecting his attempt to abandon it. The weapon hummed with dark life, declaring silently that he was the only one worthy of wielding the double-edged Lunar Blade.
The blade carried deep personal meaning. One blade had been a gift from his mother, the other from his father. The original blades had once been simple and weak, symbolic rather than powerful.
But now, fused with the Orb of Corrupted Souls, they had become something entirely different.
A single weapon of immense and dangerous power.
A weapon made for war.
A weapon made for vengeance.
Mourvine Sol was ready to face the greatest Elf in the land, Arrarvon, but his nephew tried to stop him, warning that the duel would only lead to death.
Sol ignored him.
He challenged Arrarvon to a duel of honor, determined to restore the respect his family had lost.
The duel carried deep wounds from the past.
Sol's mother had taken her own life after learning that Sol's father had died fighting Arrarvon. The duel between them had been meant to be honorable—but Arrarvon had broken the code, striking dishonorably and killing Sol's father unfairly.
That betrayal destroyed Sol's family.
Now Sol would reclaim their honor.
During the fight, Sol allowed the corrupted power of the Orb of Souls to guide his emotions. The whispers fueled his rage, amplifying his aura and strength. Dark energy surged along the Lunar Blades as he fought with terrifying intensity.
Each strike was faster than the last.
Each swing carried both skill and rage.
He mocked Arrarvon relentlessly, accusing him of cowardice and dishonor.
Under the pressure of Sol's corrupted aura, Arrarvon began to falter.
In the end, Sol defeated him decisively.
The final strike cut through Arrarvon's defenses and ended his life instantly.
The surrounding Elves could only watch.
The corrupted aura surrounding Sol was overwhelming, radiating power that none of them dared approach.
But after the duel ended, the power began to feel unstable.
The chaotic energy surged through Sol's body, threatening to consume his mind.
Seeking clarity and peace, he left the village and wandered into the forest, hoping the silence of nature would calm the storm inside him.
But the forest offered something else entirely.
The air trembled.
A dark and oppressive aura spread across the land like a creeping shadow.
Sol stopped walking.
His eyes narrowed.
He sensed something monstrous ahead.
The Chainbound Lord.
Sol's fingers tightened around the hilt of the Lunar Blades.
For the first time, a thought entered his mind.
I can beat him.
Without hesitation, Sol charged forward.
The Lunar Blades flashed as he swung them in a blur of light. The Orb of Corrupted Souls within the weapon shimmered violently, feeding chaotic energy into every strike.
The forest shook from the force of his attack.
But Kharous Raine did not move.
The Chainbound Lord simply stood there, watching calmly.
His purple-black aura radiated outward like a storm, bending the air itself.
Then the first clash happened.
BOOM.
The impact rang through the forest like thunder.
Sol's blades struck Kharous's armor with explosive force. Sparks erupted, shadows twisting around the collision.
Yet Kharous barely flinched.
He raised one arm and blocked the next strike effortlessly.
Sol attacked again.
And again.
And again.
His blades moved faster and faster, glowing with corrupted energy.
But Kharous remained composed.
Every movement he made was smooth, precise, and terrifyingly controlled.
Sol lunged forward with a flurry of strikes, slashing in every direction. The Lunar Blades tore through the air with violent speed, carving deep scars into nearby trees.
Kharous stepped aside.
One step.
Two steps.
Three.
Each dodge was effortless.
Then suddenly—
Kharous counterattacked.
His chains shot forward like lightning.
Sol barely avoided them, rolling across the forest floor before launching another attack.
The battle intensified.
For nearly an hour, the forest became a warzone.
Trees shattered.
The ground cracked.
Winds howled from the sheer speed of their movements.
Sol pushed himself beyond his limits, unleashing every technique he had. The corrupted energy of the Orb of Souls flooded his body, strengthening his attacks.
He mocked Kharous relentlessly.
"You're slower than I expected!"
But Kharous remained silent.
His calm expression never changed.
Eventually, Sol managed to land a few strikes.
Shallow cuts appeared on Kharous's armor.
But they barely slowed him.
In truth—
Kharous had not been fighting seriously.
Gradually, Sol's stamina began to fade.
His breathing grew heavy.
His movements slowed.
The corrupted energy inside him began draining his strength.
Kharous noticed immediately.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
Then—
In a single motion—
Kharous struck.
The speed was overwhelming.
Sol barely saw the attack coming.
CRASH.
The force knocked the Lunar Blades from Sol's hands.
They spun across the forest floor, embedding themselves into the dirt.
Without Sol holding them, the power of the blades went dormant.
Before Sol could react—
Kharous moved again.
A blur of shadow.
A devastating strike.
Sol was sent crashing to the ground.
Darkness consumed his vision.
He lost consciousness instantly.
Silence returned to the forest.
Kharous calmly walked over to him.
Without any effort, he lifted Sol and draped the unconscious warrior across his shoulders.
As he began walking, his aura flared again.
Nearby creatures collapsed silently as their souls were pulled toward him.
Each soul strengthened him further.
The forest grew eerily quiet.
The Lunar Blades lay abandoned on the ground, their power dormant without their wielder.
Sol remained unconscious.
Helpless.
Yet not completely broken.
Kharous picked up the blades and carry it in his back alongside Sol.
Meanwhile, Kharous walked calmly through the forest, carrying his defeated opponent like a trophy.
The predator had claimed his prize.
And he was already planning his next move.
Kharous Raine had reached the peak of his strength and power, his body and aura pulsating with the energy of countless souls he had devoured. Every vein of his being thrummed with the raw, unstoppable force of the Phantom Curse.
For the first time in centuries, he believed he could do what no one else could.
Destroy the City of Lucindor.
And the City of Perona.
Single-handedly.
The forests and plains before him seemed insignificant.
Mere obstacles in the path of his wrath.