The soft hum of the teleportation gate faded as the group reappeared in the academy's main courtyard. The shift from the humid, blood-soaked jungle to the crisp evening air of the academy grounds was almost jarring. A few students from other classes lingered nearby, casting curious glances at the returning group, but Riven barely paid them any attention.
His clothes, still stained with dried mana beast blood, clung to his skin, a stark contrast to the cleaner appearances of Lucenya, Jerrik, and Valis. It only made their earlier reactions to his sheer mana core haul more amusing.
Lucenya exhaled heavily, stretching her arms above her head. "I feel like I could sleep for an entire day after that."
"You could," Jerrik agreed, rolling his shoulders. "But you'd be wasting an opportunity. Selling those cores could get you so solid gear upgrades."
Valis, still quiet from his loss, walked a little ahead of them, his shoulders tense.
Riven's gaze drifted back to Elder Thorne, who stood at the front of the group, golden eyes observing them with quiet amusent. He motioned for them to gather.
"Now that we're back, I expect you all to reflect on today's hunt," Elder Thorne said, his tone asured. "Combat experience isn't just about individual victories. It's about learning. Adjusting. If you want to reach the top, you need to analyze not just your own strengths, but your weaknesses." His gaze flicked montarily to Riven before settling on the group as a whole. "Today was rely a test. The real training starts now."
Lucenya groaned. "Why do I feel like that ans suffering?"
"Because it does," Jerrik muttered.
"Pain is nothing more than a passing whisper on the path to true power." Elder Thorne's golden eyes then shifted, locking onto Riven with pointed intensity. "And as for you-"
Riven straightened slightly.
"Rember, you have until tomorrow morning to decide which mana-dense island you'll be using for your reward. Choose wisely."
"I already know where I'm going," Riven replied without hesitation.
Elder Thorne's eyebrow lifted. "Oh?"
"A fire mana island," Riven said, eting his gaze directly.
For the first ti, Elder Thorne's amusent dimd slightly, replaced by a flicker of sothing more calculating. "Fire, is it?" He studied Riven for a mont before nodding. "That makes sense seeing as you're a Drakar. Report to at dawn, and I'll make the arrangents."
Riven inclined his head.
The fire mana island would serve two purposes - first, it would allow him to absorb and refine his own mana in peace. Second, and perhaps more importantly, he needed it to restore the legendary fire staff still sitting in his inventory. The thought of unlocking its full potential sent a thrill through him.
Lucenya clapped her hands together. "Alright, we done here? Because I desperately need food and sleep."
Elder Thorne waved them off. "Rest up. You'll need it."
Without further prompting, Lucenya and Jerrik turned toward the dorms. Valis hesitated a mont longer, then shot Riven a look - one filled with sothing unreadable - before following them without a word.
Riven lingered.
Elder Thorne caught the pause. "Sothing on your mind?"
Riven debated for a mont before asking, "Mana cores. You ntioned they fetch a high price. What's the best way to… offload them?"
Elder Thorne chuckled, crossing his arms. "Planning to make a fortune?"
"Just curious."
"There are a few ways," Elder Thorne mused. "The academy has its own trade network, mainly dealing with alchemists and enchanters who buy cores in bulk for research. Then there's the underground market - riskier, but you can fetch nearly double the price if you know the right buyers."
Riven humd. He had no need for money himself, but information like this was always useful.
Elder Thorne watched him for a mont before smirking. "But knowing you, I doubt you'll be selling them anyti soon."
Riven smirked back. "Not a chance."
Power was worth far more than money.
With that, Riven turned on his heel and made his way toward the dorms.
—x—
The hallways of the academy were mostly empty, with only a few students milling about. Riven pushed open the door to his room, stepping inside with a sigh. The familiar dark interior greeted him, the faint flicker of enchanted sconces casting dim light across the walls.
He shut the door behind him, feeling the weight of exhaustion on his shoulders as he walked towards the small training room. Then, with a flick of his wrist, he sent out a silent command.
Co out.
The shadows at his feet stirred.
In an instant, Nyx and Krux materialized before him, their figures forming seamlessly from the darkness.
Nyx's sharp eyes assessed him imdiately. "No interferences?"
"None," Riven confird.
Krux, however, was practically vibrating with excitent. "My liege! Your performance today was nothing short of awe-inspiring! The way you crushed the competition-"
"Yes, yes," Riven interrupted, rubbing his temple. "I appreciate the sentint, Krux, but I would appreciate so silence for a mont."
Krux huffed but obediently fell silent.
Riven exhaled, then accessed his inventory, scrolling through the long list of mana cores he had accumulated. The sheer number of them was impressive, but his real focus was on the rare ones.
Fourteen rare mana cores.
It was ti to put them to use.
He reached out, pulling one from his inventory. The large crystal glead faintly in his palm, its energy humming with untapped power.
Nyx tilted her head. "You're planning to absorb them all at once?"
"Yes." Riven rolled the mana core between his fingers. "If I want to reach my Second Circle before stepping onto that fire mana island, I don't have ti to waste."
Nyx considered this, then nodded. "Your mana reserves are strong enough now. The risk should be minimal."
Riven grinned. "Then let's begin."
He sat down cross-legged on the floor, grasping the mana core in his palm. He took a slow breath, centering himself. His mana, though depleted from the day's hunt, still flickered inside him like a low-burning ember.
Then - he activated the absorption process.
The mana core shuddered.
A surge of energy pulsed from the crystal, seeping into his body in a steady flow. His veins burned with the influx of raw power, his mana channels stretching, expanding as they adapted to the sudden increase.
It was intense.
But it wasn't enough.
Not yet.
He reached for another.
And another.
[[ Absorbing Mana: ( 40%) ]]
[[ 43%… ]]
[[ 44%… ]]
One by one, the rare mana cores dissolved into pure energy, flowing into his body like molten fire. His mana percentage jumped up with each core. His vision blurred, his senses heightened as his mana surged beyond its previous limits. His core - his First Circle - trembled, spinning wildly as it struggled to contain the mana.
[[ 72%… ]]
[[ 73%… ]]
It was close.
He kept absorbing the cores, moving seamlessly from the rare ones to the uncommon, and finally to the common. If anyone had witnessed the sheer number of mana cores he was consuming like re snacks, they would have been sick with envy.
[[ 98%… ]]
[[ 99%… ]]
So close.
Then-
A system notification flashed across his vision.
[[ Mana Heart Expansion Ready. Initiate second circle formation? ]]
[[ Upgrade will take 8 hours ]]
[[ Would you like to proceed? ]]
[[ Yes / No ]]
"Guard while I upgrade my mana heart." Riven's gaze flickered to the two warriors standing at attention. "It'll take until morning - make sure no one disturbs ."
Nyx and Krux bowed their heads in unison. "As you command, my king."
Riven exhaled slowly, steadying himself. Then, with a final glance at his devoted sentinels, he selected 'Yes'.
Darkness consud him.
—x—
The void stretched endlessly around Riven. A sensation both familiar and foreign settled over him - weightless yet heavy, empty yet filled with sothing vast and incomprehensible.
Then, the darkness shifted.
A cold wind swept past him, carrying the faint echoes of whispers - distant, ancient voices murmuring in a language he couldn't quite understand. The sensation tugged at sothing deep inside him, stirring his mana heart as if responding to a call it had always known existed.
Light blood in the distance.
A massive structure took shape before him, its form erging from the void like a mory pulled from the depths of ti. A towering temple, carved from blackened stone, lood in the endless dark. Its surface shimred faintly, as though it existed between realms, untouched by ti. Ethereal runes lined its pillars, glowing softly with an eerie violet light.
Riven took a step forward, his boots clicking against smooth obsidian floors. The temple doors lood ahead - monolithic gates, adorned with carvings of intertwining shadows and skeletal hands reaching toward the heavens.
The statue at the temple's peak caught his attention.
The statue was so unnervingly lifelike that Riven hesitated, his breath hitching as he tried to determine whether it was truly stone or sothing else entirely. Its piercing violet eyes seed to burn into him, gleaming with an intensity that defied the stillness of its form. A chill crawled down his spine, and before he could stop himself, he took an involuntary step back.
He knew who it was.
Velmorian. The previous King of the Shadow Kingdom.
Taking a deep breath, he pushed forward.
The doors creaked open without his touch.
A long, dimly lit hall stretched beyond, lined with massive stone statues - warriors clad in armor, their hands gripping jagged weapons.
No - not statues.
People.
The realization struck as the air around him pulsed with mana.
The figures moved.
And Riven's breath caught.
Because he recognized them.
Nyx.
Krux.
And three more warriors he had never seen before - but knew instinctively.
The five generals of the Shadow Kingdom.
His generals.
Except… they didn't know him.
They stood tall, their expressions impassive, their forms younger, sharper, untouched by ti or undeath. They wore the insignia of the Shadow Kingdom on their armor, a crown of bones, and the weight of their presence was undeniable.
A presence that was not welcoming.
A voice echoed through the chamber - deep, resonant, filled with unyielding authority.
"You are unworthy."
Riven's pulse spiked.
The voice ca from the far end of the hall.
A figure sat atop an elevated throne, his face obscured by the shadows that pooled around him. His presence alone felt suffocating - the sheer weight of his mana pressing against the very fabric of the space.
The previous King of Shadows.
Velmorian.
Riven clenched his fists, stepping forward despite the crushing pressure. "You are but a fignt of the system," he said evenly. "Just begin whatever trial you've set for , I'll pass it no matter what."
Silence.
Then, Velmorian chuckled - a deep, cold sound that sent shivers through the air.
"Then prove it."
The five warriors shifted into a battle stance.
Riven barely had ti to react before Nyx vanished.
His instincts scread.
He twisted just in ti to dodge a slash aid at his throat. Nyx's blade shimred in the dim light as she reappeared behind him, her obsidian eyes void of recognition.
A sharp pain exploded across Riven's ribs as Krux's gauntleted fist struck him, sending him skidding across the polished floor. His body barely had ti to register the impact before another attack followed - one of the other generals, a towering brute with molten-red eyes, swung a massive greatsword downward.
Riven's shadows flared.
He barely had ti to summon a fireball before another sword ca crashing down from above, its sheer force splitting the air and sending jagged cracks spiderwebbing across the floor.
Shit.
He rolled, dodging as Nyx flickered back into the fray, her movents blurring like a phantom. A second general - a pale, silver-haired woman with twin daggers - launched forward, her weapons coated in seething darkness.
Riven's mind raced.
This wasn't just a fight.
This was a test.
But a test of what?
Endurance? Strength? Or sothing deeper?
He had to think. Fast.
His gaze flicked to Velmorian, still watching from the throne, his unreadable eyes gleaming in the shadows.
He's not interfering.
Which ant-
Riven grinned, wiping the blood from his lip.
They wouldn't stop attacking until he made them stop.
Fine.
He'd make them kneel.
His mana flared.
His shadows surged.
And the battle truly began.
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