《Alliance of Hunters》 -1 Aura Cultivation @@ "On the Atonia Continent, we practice the power of aura. Aura is a natural energy that surrounds us everywhere, but only few can harness it. Those who can use this power are known as Aura Immortals. Naturally, not every Immortal has the same strength, thus we classify them differently." ~ Captain Alder, chapter 2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Currently known: - Vitalisation: building the aura meridians within one''s body. Though you can''t absorb aura yet, these meridians naturally strengthen your body. - Meridian Opening: opening the aura meridians within one''s body so that they can absorb the natural aura energies surrounding them. - Spiritual Pond: with the aura collected in your meridians, you build a pond in your spirit so that you can store even more aura and manifest higher quantities outside of your body. - Aura Lake:expanding the spiritual pond into a much larger lake. With this, not only can you absorb more aura, but you absorb aura of a higher quality than before. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Unranked but named: - Life Master "That ring is a powerful aura artifact - something that even Life Master warriors would envy..." ~ Female spirit, chapter 4 - Spirit Lord "Give up. Unless you''re a Spirit Lord, it''s impossible for you to break free from the Soul Shackles." ~Crimson-robed man, chapter 5@@ 1 Anselm Dreamsworn Maplemond. An ordinary little village situated in the south of the Kingdom of Ocida, and just east of the famous Whitemark Summit - the tallest mountain in the kingdom. As the sun slowly rose over the horizon and gently caressed the land with its golden rays of light, the pure morning dew glistened and the birds chirped a soothing melody - signalling the dawn of a new day for the residents of Maplemond. Despite the sun only having just risen, some of the residents had already left their homes to begin their daily routine and work. Splashing water could be heard as clothes were washed in the nearby river; loud thuds echoed as axes struck tree logs; and joy could be heard throughout the village as the children who were already awake played with each other. Meanwhile, in an area slightly north of the village there resided a large forest - known to the villagers as the Shadow Woods. This area was off-limits to the villagers due to its danger; however, faint grunting sounds could be heard nearby its entrance. A group of children could be seen there - numbering nearly 20 - standing quietly in front of five stocky and well-built men clad in green, ragged clothing. The leader of the men clasped his hands behind his back as he fiercely gazed at the children in front of him, giving them a cold look. As his eyes swept over them, he stopped on one of the children who looked to be about 14 years old. "Tolgar! Show me what you''ve learned," he shouted. "Yes, sir!" Tolgar replied, his right hand shaking as he picked up his sword. With sword in hand, he adopted an offensive stance and was about to demonstrate his attack when the man interrupted him. "Tolgar! Are you looking to kill beasts or make friends with them?! You''re supposed to attack them with the sharp end, so stop pointing your sword hilt in the wrong direction and grasp it in your hands!" the man bellowed. Tolgar''s face flushed red and the surrounding children burst out laughing as he scrambled to hold his sword correctly. "Did I say something funny? It''s not like any of you would do much better; the demonic beasts could kill any of you five times over already," the man sneered. The children were immediately silenced. Just as the man was about to continue, a faint whispering sound could be heard from the back of the group. He looked over and saw a young child, perhaps 15 years old, looking down at the ground and mumbling to himself. "Anselm!" All of the children turned to look at the child as he nonchalantly raised his head. "Do you have a problem?" "Yes, Instructor Dylin! We''re not as weak as you think we are," Anselm replied in a calm voice. Instructor Dylin stared at Anselm, an interested look surfacing in his eyes. "Oh, is that so? Then why don''t you prove it by sparring with Hunter Blake," Dylin replied, turning to Blake who responded with a nod. The rest of the children looked on in shock; Blake was one of the village''s elite hunters. Despite the fact that he was ranked last in terms of strength, he was still an experienced hunter bathed in the blood of numerous demonic beasts. Tolgar stood there with his sword still shaking in his hands. This time he wasn''t shaking out of embarrassment, but rather out of anger and shame that he was too weak. He looked up at Anselm who gently smiled at him and walked toward Blake. Tolgar gripped his sword tightly before he put it away and returned to the crowd. As he walked past Anselm, he whispered, "Good luck." Anselm kept walking until he was a few metres in front of Blake and slowly unsheathed his sword. Similarly, Blake unsheathed his sword; however, his was black in colour. A sharp glint appeared in Anselm''s eyes, "Hunter''s sword¡­" Dylin glanced over both of them, backed off and said, "The rules of this bout are quite simple: the first person to knock the opponent''s sword out of their hand wins. Begin." Anselm stood there with his fingers flexed around the hilt of his sword, feet light on the ground - ready to move at any moment. Blake was the first to make a move, dashing forward and striking down at Anselm. Prepared for this, he raised his sword to defend against the incoming strike and successfully parried the attack. Wasting no time, Anselm immediately launched a counterattack and dashed towards Blake, lifting his sword to strike down. However, with Blake''s experience, he predicted such an attack as he hastily dodged back before the sword landed on him. "As expected of a hunter. This is going to be a tough fight," Anselm thought to himself. He continued to push forward and repeatedly attacked. Knowing that his opponent was an experienced hunter, there was no way he could win if he fought passively - he''d definitely lose a contest of stamina. As a result, he decided that the only way to win was to rigorously pressure his opponent and launch a surprise attack when Blake was least expecting it. Before Anselm could strike again, Blake disappeared as he leapt into the air and landed behind Anselm. Wasting no time between attacks, Blake pounced forward like a predator having finally caught his prey. Observing the battle, Instructor Dylin shook his head knowing that it would turn out like this. Although he may have thought highly of Anselm, there was no chance that he could defeat one the of village''s hunters; he was still a fledgling who had yet to leave the nest. The surrounding children stared at the battle intently, hoping to gain some sort of insight. It wasn''t every day that they could witness a hunter fight, even if it was a very one-sided match. Tolgar still focused on the battle with his hands tightly curled up into fists. Despite everyone''s thoughts, Anselm still remained calm and composed. Swiftly turning his body, he stepped forward and met Blake''s sword head on with his own. Clang! Both swords collided, yet it seemed that Anselm was on the losing side as he was pushed back. Blake looked at him with a hint of praise and uttered, "Not bad, young one. You managed to fight me for this long, but now it''s over. Train harder and one day you might be able to last longer against me." Blake pushed harder with his sword, forcing Anselm back a few more steps. With the pressure on his sword increasing, Anselm''s grip slowly weakened. It would be over soon. "The real battle starts now," he thought, grinning slightly. Releasing one hand from his sword''s hilt, he used it to grab Blake''s sword whilst pulling his own away - he substituted his sword for his hand in this clash. Surprisingly, Anselm didn''t lose out and instead managed to gain some ground, pushing Blake''s sword up as he reduced the distance between them. Blake saw this and was momentarily shocked before he regained his bearing. Instructor Dylin stared at the battle and shook his head, thinking to himself, "The boy has some guts, but this is a suicidal move. In a real battle against a demonic beast, his arm would have been completely shredded by now. Looks like I''ll have to speak to the Captain about this." Before he could stop the battle, he saw something that he never expected. Anselm gritted his teeth and pushed with even more power, forcing Blake back into a more defensive position. With his sword still in his right hand, he raised it up and slashed at Blake''s hand. "I managed to win against him¡­" Blake saw the incoming slash and with a sudden burst of strength, completely knocked Anselm away, sending him tumbling. Anselm''s sword lay on the ground. Tolgar rushed over to Anselm. Hurriedly, he asked, "Are you alright?" He raised his head to look at the now calm Blake and replied, "I''m fine. Don''t worry about me." Slowly standing up, he muttered under his breath, "What was that last attack of his¡­?" Instructor Dylin swept his gaze past both of them and announced, "The winner of this bout is Hunter Blake! Anselm, you fought well but lost in the end. Reflect on this battle later and learn where you went wrong. Everyone else, that''s enough training for today. Dismissed!" "Wait!" A voice appeared from behind the hunters as a burly man slowly walked over. He was dressed in neat clothing with a bronze badge embroidered on his chest. A scar covered his left eye, exuding an intimidating presence on those who looked at him. "Anselm should be the victor here." The five hunters clasped their fists and simultaneously shouted, "Greetings, Captain Alder!" This man was none other than Maplemond''s Hunter Captain - a powerful Bronze Hunter as indicated by his badge. Instructor Dylin raised his head, respect evident in his eyes, and said, "May I ask why? Anselm clearly lost." Captain Alder turned to look at Blake. "He used his power of Vitalisation against a Fledgling Hunter. According to the customary rules of hunter duelling, that means he loses. You should know this. Maybe he shouldn''t underestimate his opponent next time. Such amateur behaviour will cause your death in a hunt." Captain Alder coldly spoke. "Yes, sir!" Looking over to Anselm, Captain Alder''s gaze turned warmer as he gently smiled. "Young Anselm, you fought well. Come and see me after you''re finished here." With that, Captain Alder turned around and headed back towards the village. The five hunters respectfully followed behind him. When they left, the children burst out talking, "Wow, Anselm. That was so cool." "Yeah, you managed to beat Hunter Blake! He was a real hunter." "Then Captain Alder praised you. We don''t see that often." "How strong is Captain Alder?" "Who knows? Some say he wrestled a demonic beast half-naked with nothing but his fists and killed it." "What?! That can''t be true. Even a Silver ranked Hunter would find that difficult." "It''s true, it''s true." Away from the crowd, Anselm and Tolgar were stood together. Tolgar buzzed around and peered at Anselm, an excited look in his eyes. "You were so cool, Anselm. Especially when you used your hand to stop his sword. Badass!" Anselm looked up. "I was just lucky. If Blake didn''t underestimate me, then there''s no way I could have defeated him. Next time, I''ll win without any petty tricks." ''I need to become stronger to find you. Later, I''ll ask Captain Alder how to become an official Hunter. Wait for me...'' 2 Captain Alder Anselm walked back to the village together with Tolgar. Along the way, he praised Anselm incessantly and worshipped him as if he was his new God. If it were anyone else, then they would have become annoyed and irritated, but for Anselm? He was used to it by now. Since he could remember, he had always been good friends with Tolgar. In the village, other than Instructor Dylin who always tried to look after him, the only other person he considered family was the overly boisterous Tolgar. "Anselm, next time beat up Instructor Dylin to show everyone how strong you are!" "Anselm, will you teach me how to use those cool moves? I don''t have anything to repay you with other than my body¡­ oh please don''t take away my chastity already. I want to be with a girl for the first time. I beg you." "Anselm, you have to protect your little brother from that scary Instructor Dylin in the future." "Anselm¡­" Anselm laughed and shook his head as they continued to the village. After what seemed like hours of listening to Tolgar''s voice, they finally arrived. When they entered the village, several children ran towards them and shouted, "Big Bro Anselm is back! Do you want to play hide and seek with us?" Before Anselm could even reply, Tolgar stepped in and said, "Bro Anselm has important business with the Captain. You know, he just came back from slaying a gigantic Ghostape with three heads and four arms. If you don''t leave him alone, then the spirit of the Ghostape will haunt all of you tonight." The children looked at Tolgar in terror and screamed, "Ahhhhh! Really? We''re sorry Big Bro Anselm, we''ll go now. The spirit should stay away from us." Anselm smacked Tolgar''s head and spoke to the children, "Don''t listen to this fellow; he''s just trying to scare you. Though I do have to see the Captain, so I''ll play with you tomorrow. Got it?" "Yayy! See you tomorrow Big Bro. Don''t bring stinky Bro Tolgar with you," the children left, shouting in joy. Tolgar rubbed the back of his head as he looked at Anselm. "Ouch. You could have killed me with that hit. I was just teasing the kids." Anselm laughed as he replied, "I''ll hit harder next time you make them run frightened back to Auntie. Let''s go see the Captain now." Maplemond was a rather small and ordinary village. Apart from the dozen houses for the residents, it was comprised of the Hunter''s Shack, a large building used by the village''s hunters; the Village Hall where the Elder and others managed the village; and a slightly smaller building situated next to the Hunter''s Shack. This final building was where the village''s most important person resided - Alder, Captain of Maplemond''s Hunters. Without him leading the battle against demonic beasts and defending the village, it would have already been destroyed several times over by now. Anselm approached Alder''s residence whilst Tolgar went back home since he was starting to feel hungry. A violet banner hung over the entrance with a crimson shield emblem embroidered in its center. The two guards in front of the entrance saw Anselm proceeding towards them and nodded, moving away to allow him entry. Anselm entered the building, gently shut the door behind him, and surveyed the room. ''So this is the Captain''s room. I wonder why he asked me here.'' The first thing he saw was the mat situated in the middle of the room and the small table that rested on it. On one side of the table was Captain Alder, putting down his cup as he gestured for Anselm to come over. "Please, sit." Anselm walked towards the mat and sat down in front of the table. He lifted his head, his eyes meeting with Captain Alder''s warm gaze. "That was quite the victory over Hunter Blake today. Looks like I''ll have to make his training more harsh as a punishment." Captain Alder was the first to speak. "That was simply a lucky victory, Captain. If it were a real battle that Hunter Blake took seriously, then I wouldn''t have stood a chance against him," Anselm replied, a tinge of red apparent on his handsome face. Captain Alder suddenly laughed. "I witnessed the entire fight. I may be turning old, but your physical constitution couldn''t escape these eyes. When you grabbed Blake''s sword, you were clearly holding back. If you wanted, then you could have crushed it in your hand. Such incredible physical strength... "Captain Alder sighed. Wariness flashed through Anselm''s eyes and his heartbeat suddenly hastened. At a loss for what to say, he stuttered, "I, I-" ''What should I say? With Captain''s strength, he could easily capture me. Maybe him inviting me here was just a trap. Damnit.'' "Don''t worry. Everybody has their secrets. My reason for inviting you here was to confirm something. Now that I''m finished, is there anything you''d like to ask me? Perhaps you''ve reached a bottleneck in your training? I''ll give you these answers as a reward for defeating Blake." Captain Alder''s kind gaze descended on Anselm once again, but this time he felt something warm flowing throughout his body, calming him down. ''So that must have been one of his hunter abilities,'' Anselm thought as he looked down at the bronze badge on Alder''s chest. Composing himself, he said, "Captain, there is something that I''ve wanted to ask you. How can I become stronger? Every single day I practice with the sword but I''m still so weak. When can I be like you or Instructor Dylin and fight those demonic beasts?" Anselm''s voice slowly grew louder as determination filled his eyes. Captain Alder thought for a moment then replied, "You''re strong enough, so I suppose it''s time I told you. Let''s start simple. Our village, Maplemond, is but a tiny settlement under the control of the nearby City of Blackhall. Blackhall City also lords over dozens of other small villages like ours. This city, however, is under the control of Fairlake City - one of the three major cities in our Ocida Kingdom. Fairlike City also lords over many other small cities like Blackhall. So as you can tell, we are but a tiny part of the entire Kingdom." Anselm sucked in a cold breath; this was his first time hearing anything about the world outside the village. "In this world, only the strong are respected. Where this power comes from is what you want to know, correct?" Anselm nodded. ''If only I could become stronger...'' "The Kingdom of Ocida resides on the Atonia Continent - one of the three known continents along with the Demon Continent and Fallen Continent, where the Demon and Fallen races respectively inhabit. Strength in each continent is gained differently. On the Atonia Continent, we practice the power of aura. Aura is a natural energy that surrounds us everywhere, but only few can harness it. Those who can use this power are known as Aura Immortals. Naturally, not every Immortal has the same strength, thus we classify them differently: Vitalisation: building the aura meridians within one''s body. Though you can''t absorb aura yet, these meridians naturally strengthen your body. Hunter Blake, for example, is in the middle stages of Vitalisation. Meridian Opening: opening the aura meridians within one''s body so that they can absorb the natural aura energies surrounding them. Stored aura can then be used to cast powerful techniques and allows Immortals to use special abilities. The feeling you felt earlier was me controlling my aura to flow through your body." Wide-eyed, Anselm asked, "So you''re in the stage of Meridian Opening?" Captain Alder chuckled and replied, "You could say that." Anselm suspiciously looked at Captain Alder before asking, "Are there stages after Meridian Opening then?" "Of course there are. Spiritual Pond: with the aura collected in your meridians, you build a pond in your spirit so that you can store even more aura and manifest higher quantities outside of your body. Aura Lake: expanding the spiritual pond into a much larger lake. With this, not only can you absorb more aura, but you absorb aura of a higher quality than before. This level is seen by Immortals on the continent as a threshold you have to pass before becoming a truly strong Aura Immortal. It is said that the Blackhall City Lord is at this stage. You need not know of the stages beyond this because it would only be detrimental to your cultivation." Captain Alder stopped to take a sip of his tea whilst Anselm sank into contemplation. ''Vitalisation, Meridian Opening, Spiritual Pond, Aura Lake¡­ there are so many stages. How strong must I be to search for them? I''ll focus on reaching Aura Lake for now if I have to, then I''ll search for them.'' Observing Anselm''s contemplation, Captain Alder asked, "You seem to be thinking about something important to you. Could it be related to your parents?" Anselm looked up at Captain Alder and softly spoke, "Yes¡­ I don''t believe that they would have abandoned me without a reason. After hearing your explanation, I feel like they must have been Aura Immortals." "Don''t let these thoughts weigh heavy on your mind. It is recorded that the previous Immortal Sovereign once told his followers this: do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment. To you, I also offer this advice. For now, focus on your training. Here." Captain Alder pulled out a book from his robes and gave it to Anselm. "This is a Vitalisation manual. Practice hard enough and you will surely reach the peak of Vitalisation. From thereon, it depends on you. If that''s all, then this old man needs his sleep. I''ve started becoming really old lately." Anselm stood up, clasping his hands in respect towards Captain Alder. "Thank you, Captain." ''Finally, I can start training to become an Aura Immortal. Mum, dad, just wait! I''ll find you soon. Your son is going to become the most powerful Aura Immortal.'' Clutching the manual in his chest, Anselm left the room. As Anselm headed out, Captain Alder stared at his departing back. ''Aura Immortals? No, you''re wrong. Child, you have it tough.'' 3 Shadow Woods Upon leaving the Captain''s hut, Anselm returned to his own residence. He was greeted with a sight that he was all too familiar with: a bare room with nothing but a log fire and a lonely bed in the corner, sitting atop a compacted earth floor. Ever since he was young, he had always lived alone in this room with nothing to keep him company but himself and the thoughts of his parents. Instructor Dylin had told Anselm that they found him by the entrance to the Shadow Woods when he was a baby. There was nothing around him or anything left that could give any clues about his identity, other than a black ring he wore on his finger. This ring was the only item he had that connected him to his parents - or whoever had left him there. After discovering him, Dylin decided to bring him back to the village and raise him as one of their own, naming him Anselm - in hopes that he would be protected and guided by Heaven. Behind his house, there was a large sakura tree that he had planted when he was younger. Under the tree''s branches was where he would usually train - to him, the branches were his parents'' spirits reaching out to protect him. Full of anticipation, Anselm began reading the manual that he was gifted by Captain Alder. "So this is a cultivation technique for building the Aura Meridians within the body. Heaven''s Anvil¡­ what an odd name. To use your body as an anvil and forge the Aura Meridians within yourself.'' Anselm slowly became engrossed in the manual and by the time he next looked up, the moon''s soft shimmering glow beamed down on him as his only companion under the blanket of darkness. ''I only understand a small part of it now, but that should be enough for me to enter the early stages.'' He walked over to the sakura tree and sat down beneath its branches, and closing his eyes, he began circulating the Heaven''s Anvil technique. Gradually, he felt a soothing force permeate throughout his body as the pores on his skin opened up, forming a connection with the aura surrounding him. Time slowly passed and after a few hours, he felt something forming in his body. At the center of his brows, a small Aura Meridian started to form. Soon after that, it fully manifested. Opening his eyes, Anselm sensed the changes in his body - he felt as if he was reborn and a new strength flowed through him. ''According to the manual, after I form the Central Meridian, then I know that I''ve entered the early stage of Vitalisation. I''ve finally become an Aura Immortal, albeit the very weakest. If I had to fight Hunter Blake again, then with my powerful physical constitution and newfound enhancement from Vitalisation, I wouldn''t be on the losing side. I''ll have to duel him again tomorrow to test my strength.'' Just as he was rejoicing about his first breakthrough into becoming an Aura Immortal, Anselm heard the faint clanking of metal in the distance. Intrigued, he dashed forward and headed towards the source of the noise, without even realising how he could hear sounds from so far away. Landing behind a bush, Anselm arrived at the noise source. To his surprise, it was actually the entrance to the forbidden Shadow Woods - an area that even experienced hunters could fall in, not to mention ordinary villagers. Shifting his gaze to survey the area, he noticed five men clad in green, ragged clothing. Leading them was a face he recognised all but too well. ''Instructor Dylin¡­ so the rest of them must be hunters from the village as well. But what are they doing here?'' Ensuring that he couldn''t be seen, Anselm ducked even lower behind the bush and continued to observe. He saw what seemed to be Dylin giving a speech to the others. ''It looks like they''re going to hunt in the Shadow Woods¡­'' As he thought to that point, an idea surfaced in Anselm''s mind. ''Maybe I should follow them. I might be able to learn something if they battle, and I could test my strength against a demonic beast. '' "Follow me!" Anselm heard Dylin''s voice as the hunters entered the Shadow Woods. Immediately after, Anselm sprinted after them. With his breakthrough into early Vitalisation, he felt that his body was much lighter than before, allowing him to move considerably faster. However, the moment he entered the Shadow Woods, his vision was overwhelmed by darkness. Squinting through his eyes, he struggled to see where he was going. ''Why is it so dark in here? As Anselm trudged through the Shadow Woods, he had to slow down, lest he tripped or encountered a demonic beast. He could feel the wind howling and blowing a bitter chill. The floor was damp and assaulted his senses with the stagnant odour of something decomposing, though he couldn''t tell what. ''This was a bad idea; I''ve already lost track of Dylin and the other hunters. I need to find a way out.'' Anselm slowly continued through the forest, yet it seemed to never end. Looking over his back, he felt as if there was someone - or something - watching him. After what seemed like hours, Anselm finally spotted a light up ahead, illuminating a path out of this inky darkness. ''Looks like the exit is over there.'' He increased his speed and dashed towards the exit ahead of him. Upon reaching it, he managed to walk out of the forest; however, what greeted his eyes was not the entrance to the Shadow Woods, but rather a large cave. Looking around, he was still surrounded by the army of trees, with the exception of the cave ahead. ''This isn''t an exit out of the forest; the only thing here is a cave. For now, I''ll rest in it and recover my strength before heading out. Maybe I can try to call out to Dylin and the other hunters.'' Anselm approached the cave whilst inspecting his body for any changes. ''I don''t seem to have any injuries on my body. What was that eerie feeling when I entered the forest then? I wonder if Dylin''s group is okay.'' Before he could move any nearer to the cave, a loud growl echoed from within, followed by the sound of heavy footsteps. Hastily retreating, Anselm unsheathed his sword and tightly gripped its hilt. ''A cave in the Shadow Woods¡­'' Realisation dawned on him. ''Could this be the dwelling of a demonic beast?'' A mix of emotions, from worry to excitement flashed through his eyes. The sound of footsteps grew increasingly louder and heavier. It was clear that they belonged to a large figure - a demonic beast. Drawing nearer, Anselm could make out the silhouette of an ape-like figure. Composing himself, he flexed his fingers around the hilt of his sword and adopted an offensive stance - preparing to fight against whatever emerged from the cave. As the footsteps stopped, the demonic beast''s figure was completely revealed. ''An ape-like figure, a white coat of fur, and a twisted face¡­ This fits the description of a Ghost Ape. Such a powerful beast is my first opponent. Even if I can''t defeat it, then I''ll try to retreat back into the forest.'' Ghost Ape. It was said that this demonic beast could fight evenly with Bronze Hunters - Meridian Opening warriors. Its physical strength could match even the strongest Meridian Opening warriors. ''For a Ghost Ape to appear here¡­ that must mean I''m no longer in the periphery of the Shadow Woods. I''ve unknowingly travelled to the middle section then. Only Meridian Opening beasts and higher would appear here. If any more are attracted over, then I''ll be in serious trouble - especially if a Spiritual Pond beast appeared. I need to end this quickly.'' Anselm dashed forward, and harnessing the strength of early Vitalisation, he lifted his sword and attacked the Ghost Ape with full force. 4 The Ring With the wind in his stride, Anselm charged directly at the Ghost Ape with a smile across his face. ''I can''t fight the Ghost Ape head on. With a beast like this, its weakness lies in disrupting its balance and catching it off guard.'' As Anselm approached the ape, a white fist came crashing down from above him. The ape''s fist was so powerful that it separated the wind in its path. ''Too slow.'' In that instant, he swiftly sidestepped and dodged the attack. The ape''s fist made contact with the ground, shockwaves sending the dirt and dust that covered the surface flying into the air. In the instant that the ape had yet to retract its fist, Anselm sprinted faster than he ever had before and on one foot leapt forward. Putting his entire body weight and momentum from the jump into the attack, he slashed at the ape''s right heel. The moment he landed, he twisted his body and leapt in the same direction he came from, slashing again at the back of the ape''s heel with perfect precision. Turning to look at the heel he attacked, the only thing Anselm could see was a light wound that seemed to do nothing more than shave the fur from that region. There was no blood nor deep cut. ''Damn it. The Ghost Ape''s body is tougher than I expected. I''m still too weak to be able to cut deep enough and wound it heavily.'' As though it was staring at an annoying fly, the Ghost Ape coldly looked down on Anselm with its twisted face. Bringing its arms up, it started to alternately beat its chest with open hands like it were a war drum. In a rhythmic pattern, its speed gradually accelerated until with each strike, tremors travelled through the ground. Facing its gaze, Anselm pondered over the best way to defeat the ape. ''This must be one of its aura techniques. Now that I''ve entered Vitalisation, I can faintly detect a power rising inside the Ghost Ape. I need to finish this quickly before it reaches its peak state. Maybe I can interrupt its ability...'' Anselm darted towards the ape in an attempt to flank it and slash at a weak spot that he could injure with his current strength. After travelling a dozen metres, before he could charge any further, a powerful force sudden suddenly erupted from the Ghost Ape as it stopped pounding its chest. Moments later, another white fist abruptly appeared in front of Anselm - the speed of it vastly exceeding that of when it attacked before. Although he could see the fist, his body was too slow to react. The fist fiercely connected, completely overpowering him despite his futile attempt to dodge. He was sent flying and knocked dozens of meters backwards before colliding with a tree; the impact of his body on the tree injuring him even further. ''Such strength¡­'' After laying paralysed on the ground for a moment, Anselm struggled to rise to his feet as he coughed blood. ''I can''t move well like this.'' Struggling to barely stand on two feet, he thought of how to deal with the current situation. ''I''m in no state to fight anymore. My organs have been damaged, a few of my bones broken, and¡­'' He looked down at his sword, or rather now part a sword. ''My sword broke from that last blow. I couldn''t attack the Ghost Ape even if I were feeling suicidal right now.'' With blood leaking from his mouth, he looked at the ape ahead of him, a hint of confusion evident in his eyes. Walking towards the cave, its back faced him, leaving it vulnerable. ''So it thinks its attack has already killed me. Ha. It looks like I''m nothing to the ape. How stupid of me to think that I could fight a demonic beast with the measly new strength I gained. Time to leave.'' Anselm turned around and limped back into the forest. Although he wouldn''t be able to navigate well, he really would die if he continued staying here. The moment the ape realised he was still alive would be the end of him. Faltering through the forest, his injuries showed no signs of improving; they only seemed to worsen. With a pale face, blood still trickled from his mouth, staining the plants around him crimson red. His eyes began to close as his vision turned blurry. Mustering any strength in his body, he faltered forward. ''No¡­ I can''t die here like this'' Taking a few more steps forward, his legs eventually gave way - his body crashing to the ground. On the forest floor, he was surrounded by an army of crimson-dyed vegetation. The forest was deathly quiet. Anybody who arrived here would be oblivious to the deadly battle that took place. Gently, his eyelids covered his eyes - like curtains drawing shut at the end of a play. In the moment before his eyes completely shut, a flash of blue suddenly engulfed his vision, disappearing nearly instantly. After that, everything went black. ---------------------------------------------------- Opening his eyes unhurriedly, Anselm was greeted by the sight of nothing but darkness above him. ''Where am I?'' With little effort, he managed to pull his body up from the ground and stand on his two feet. Inspecting his body, he shockingly found that there were no signs of any injuries. ''I''ve been completely healed?'' Confused, Anselm lifted his head and studied his surroundings. Everywhere he looked, there was nothing but darkness. Even as he turned his eyes to stare at his feet, he saw that there was nothing beneath him, yet he was standing perfectly fine. ''What is this place? Have I been sent to purgatory?'' He continued to inspect the void that he was sent to. After what seemed like hours, Anselm caught sight of a light in the distance. Focusing his gaze, he could make out the silhouette of a person; however, as the figure approached, he noticed that it was more of a spirit. It floated instead of walked and it was pale azure in colour. "Hello?" Anselm called out to it. The spirit didn''t respond. He warily walked towards the spirit until they were separated by only a few meters As he walked closer, he was shocked by what he saw: the ethereal figure was none other than a beautiful young woman. Her youth seemed to be everlasting as she looked at Anselm softly, a hint of love radiating from her gaze. ''Such a beautiful spirit, but what is she doing here?'' With a smile on her face, she gently spoke to Anselm, "You''ve had it tough, dear child." Stammering, he replied, "I-I¡­ Who are you? And where am I?" The spirit let out a long sigh. "Child, who I am is of no relevance. More importantly, for you to appear here means that you''ve died." ''I knew it¡­'' Anselm clenched his fists and tightly shut his eyes. "No! I can''t die here! I still need to live on and find my parents. I refuse to die without knowing why they left me!" As Anselm said this, a mix of sadness and worry flashed through the spirit''s gaze. She slowly approached him. "You must be feeling terrible, child. Don''t fret; you haven''t died yet. Do you recall the ring on your finger?" ''I.. haven''t died?'' Anselm looked down at his right hand and focused on the ebony ring, a smile forming on his face. Of course, he remembered it. This was the only item he had left to remember his parents - the only possession on him when he was abandoned in the village as a baby. With special exceptions, he rarely ever removed the ring from his finger. "That ring is a powerful aura artifact - something that even Life Master warriors would envy. Within the ring, there exists a spatial dimension." Shock surfaced on Anselm''s countenance as he hastily looked up at the spirit, a warm smile still stretched across her youthful face. "So, you mean to say¡­?" "Yes. We are currently inside the ring; however, this is only one small part of it. The rest of the ring has been sealed off." "So how do I unseal it? Or even leave this ring? I can''t be stuck here forever." "You have to become the true owner of the ring and make it acknowledge you. That is the first trial. The ring has brought your spirit into this place, but your physical body outside is still heavily injured. When your spirit leaves the ring without its protection, you will truly die. My time here is drawing to an end. You will soon face a tough trial, but don''t give up. The path to becoming a powerful warrior is not an easy one. Good luck and goodbye, child. You''ve grown so much¡­" Slowly fading away, the final part of the spirit''s words were muttered quietly so Anselm couldn''t hear them. "Wait! I still have more questions." Anselm shouted as the spirit of the young woman faded away completely. ''I still don''t understand what''s really happening here. The spirit said that I have to face a trial before I could leave this place. Does that mean I''ll die if I fail? Thinking about the spirit, she was always smiling at me. Why was she in this ring anyway?'' Standing alone in the darkness, Anselm awaited the trial. 5 Trial in the Ring Moments after the female spirit disappeared, Anselm suddenly found himself transported to a different location. Looking around, he could see the Shadow Woods in the distance, but he found it odd that he could see much higher than usual. Directing his gaze below, he was shocked to realise that he was floating in the air. ''W-what is happening? The ring seems to have teleported me to an area in the sky outside of the Shadow Woods. And¡­ I think I can see the village off in the distance.'' His body shifted again as he noticed Maplemond Village below him. The villagers were going about their daily routines with no care about anything else in the world. Splashing water could be heard as clothes were washed in the nearby river; loud thuds echoed as axes struck tree logs; and joy could be heard throughout the village as the children played with each other. If anybody else looked on from outside, they wouldn''t be able to hold themselves back from smiling at the beautiful sight in the village. Such joy was rare in this world, where ordinary people were defenseless against the terrifying power of demonic beasts. Across the continent, villages were often mercilessly attacked, with nobody spared - not even the women, children, or elderly. Although hunters tried to protect everyone, there was simply not enough of them to cover such a large area of the continent. ''The village¡­ why am I being shown this? Is this supposed to be the t-'' Anselm pondered over the purpose of him being transported here, but before he could finish his train of thought, he saw something that shocked him. In the distance beyond the village, where the entrance to the Shadow Woods lay, a Ghost Ape appeared. However, there was not just one; a large number of them quickly emerged. ''Demonic beasts don''t usually leave the Shadow Woods, and when they do, only one or two emerge at a time. So many Ghost Apes shouldn''t be appearing like this. Why?'' Whilst Anselm felt shocked at the sudden emergence of the Ghost Apes, Captain Alder was meditating in his room next to the Hunter''s Shack. In the instant that the third Ghost Ape left the Shadow Woods, his previously closed eyes suddenly shot open. A powerful force suddenly erupted from his body before he shot straight through the roof of the building and into the sky. Hovering in the air, he looked off into the distance and saw exactly what Anselm noticed earlier. "Dylin! Gather the hunters, head north, and intercept the incoming beasts. Everyone else is to evacuate and retreat to Blackhall City. NOW!" Captain Alder''s voice, enhanced by the power of his cultivation base, boomed throughout the entire village. Every villager, no matter what they were doing, heard his voice. Dylin was the first to react as he darted out of the Hunter''s Shack, followed by a dozen more men clad in ragged, green clothing. Without questioning Captain Alder''s orders, he and the team of hunters bolted out of the village and headed north. Before he left, Dylin''s voice could be heard in the ears of those who were at the training ground earlier. "Young Hunters! Listen up! This is the time for you to prove yourselves. Me and the other hunters are heading north to take out these petty beasts. All of you are hereby ordered to help the ordinary villagers evacuate to Blackhall City. Don''t worry. This is only a precautionary measure. Your Uncle Dylin will be sure to come back victorious. Don''t disappoint me, otherwise, I''ll triple all of your training regimes when I return!" Despite it being an emergency, a smirk was evident in Dylin''s voice as he uttered those final words. Across the village, the young hunters organised the villagers and helped them evacuate, reassuring them that this was only being done in the event that a beast manages to get through. Meanwhile, Anselm still hovered in the air above the village. He saw everything that happened, from Captain Alder''s orders and the Hunters heading north, to the villagers being evacuated. ''Why? Why is this happening? I have to go and help them.'' Anselm tried to move forward but felt his body being restricted by an invisible force. Refusing to give in, he pushed forward with all of his might; however, no matter how hard he pushed, he couldn''t move. "Give up. Unless you''re a Spirit Lord, it''s impossible for you to break free from the Soul Shackles." A deep, cold voice sounded from beside Anselm. Turning his head, he saw a man standing there with his hands crossed behind his back. The first thing he noticed was the man''s devilish crimson eyes and black hair that flowed down behind his head like a waterfall. He was draped from head to toe in a robe the same colour as his eyes. Anselm was startled motionless for a moment as he observed the man who appeared to be the devil incarnate. Gathering the courage to speak up, he asked, "Who are you?" The man continued to focus his gaze ahead of him and replied, "Don''t take your eyes off of the scene ahead of you. It could be the last time you see this village." Suppressing the questions in his heart, he turned his head to look back at the village. "Everybody, keep moving and don''t stop. There''s nothing to worry about. Maplemond''s Hunters are kicking the ass out of those demonic beasts!" Watching the villagers evacuate Maplemond, Anselm heard a familiar voice. He saw his friend, Tolgar, helping the villagers along. At that moment, he was talking to the group of children who approached him earlier, tears in their eyes. "Bro Tolgar, we''re sorry for calling you stinky earlier." "We only wanted to play with you and Big Bro Anselm." "Now he''s gone and we have to leave the village behind." Tolgar puffed out his chest and reassured the children, "Bro Anselm will be back one day. He''d never leave me behind without saying goodbye. Also, do you think he''d be happy seeing you all cry like this? Come on, wipe those tears away and help your Auntie out. None of those demonic beasts will make it here anyway. Don''t forget, we have Captain Alder and the other hunters to protect us. With them defending the village, those demonic beasts can forget about coming here. Captain Alder once fought the Immortal Sovereign and beat him with only a feather, remember? These beasts can''t do anything to him!" Adopting a heroic and manly pose, Tolgar spoke about the hunters with pride. After that, he and the children moved on to help the other villagers. In the sky above the village, Anselm watched the scene unfold with his eyes open wide. Disbelief was written all over his face. ''They think I''m dead? No, no, that can''t be. How do I leave this ring?'' "You never returned from the forest. What else are they supposed to think?" The crimson-robed man coldly spoke again, his eyes not moving from the spot ahead of him. "Keep watching." To the north of Maplemond, the hunters arrived and prepared to fight the incoming horde of Ghost Apes. Dylin stood at the front, facing the hunters with his determined gaze. "Hunters, hear me! Today will be the toughest fight you''ve ever experienced in your entire lives. Behind you, stands your village, your home, and everybody you love. The fate of everyone in the village now lies on your shoulders. Some of you may not make it out of this battle alive, so fight for those who live on. Fight for your families, and fight for yourself. Hunters, do you remember your oath?! You are the shields that guard the kingdom. You are the swords bathed in the blood of your enemies. You are the people''s protectors. To guarantee peace for those in the future, we must sacrifice ourselves in the present!" The blood of every hunter listening boiled. Even Anselm, who was only observing from afar, felt his soul quake after Dylin''s rousing speech. The hunters on the battlefield exuded an indescribable pressure and ferocious feeling, as though they were bloodthirsty wild animals ready to tear their prey apart. After he finished his speech, Dylin pulled a bronze badge out from his scruffy pocket and squeezed it in his hands. ''This arrow is no longer as sharp as it used to be. My usefulness has come to an end, my dear. We can finally be together.'' Dylin placed the badge back into his pocket and looked up at the incoming Ghost Apes, who were now closing in on them. Raising his sword, he shouted, "Hunters, charge!" Above the village, Anselm looked on at the hunters, his gaze filled with respect - there was even a hint of reverence. "So, this is what a true warrior looks like. Courageous and unyielding in the face of adversity and utmost despair. Without hesitation, they risked their lives for the villagers who can''t defend themselves¡­" Before he could continue, the crimson-robed man interrupted him. "Don''t you think it''s stupid? These men, though not the strongest of warriors, could retreat from this battle and safely escape to a nearby city. Especially that man in the lead; he''s in the middle stages of Meridian Opening. With that strength, he could leave here unharmed. Instead, they chose to risk their lives fighting for mortals." "You''re wrong." Anger surfaced in Anselm''s eyes. "They''re not risking their lives fighting for mortals." "Oh? Are they not?" For the first time, the crimson-robed man turned to look at Anselm. "They''re risking their lives to fight for their family, friends, and the people they grew up with. What would it make them if they abandoned the people they cared about most in their time of need? Scum - less than that, even." Anselm clenched his fists as he spoke. The crimson-robed man briefly stared at him before a smile appeared on his face. "Good." He waved his arms and the scene before them disappeared. They were no longer floating in the sky above Maplemond, but rather in a completely white room. It looked as if they were in Heaven. Seeing that they were no longer at the village, Anselm let out a sigh of relief. "I thought they were going to die for a moment there." "Even if they did die, it would have been a noble death. This is the first and final lesson I will teach you: to never abandon your loved ones, your friends, or those in need." Anselm turned around to see the crimson-robed man standing behind him. "The trial is over and you successfully passed. Congratulations. You''ve now gained the recognition of the ring and become its master. I''ll be sending you out of this space now. When your spirit returns to your body, you''ll wake up alive. It''s time for you to leave here." The crimson-robed man waved his hand again, causing Anselm''s spirit to be expelled from the ring. When his spirit left the ring, the crimson-robed man''s appearance gradually changed into that of a white-bearded old man. Lightly stroking his beard, a hint of melancholy appeared in his eyes, "That boy did well. He truly takes after someone¡­" 6 Spirit of the Dreamweaver Ring 1 Back in Maplemond Village, the hunters who left for the Shadow Woods had already returned. In the Hunter''s Shack, Captain Alder was speaking with Dylin, a dejected atmosphere filling the room. Gently tapping the arm of his chair, Captain Alder said, "How did it go?" Sitting opposite him was Dylin. A pensive feeling weighed down on him as he replied, "I''m afraid it''s as you predicted, Captain. Following your orders during the investigation, we never travelled deeper than the outer region. However, not long after we entered, the team encountered a panther with a golden coat. According to the Beast Manual, it was the Silver-ranked beast, Lightning Panther. With our strongest warrior only being in the middle stages of Meridian Opening, we were no match for a beast that could rival those at half-step Spirit Pond, so we swiftly retreated." Captain Alder let out a long sigh. A few days ago, he detected an unusually powerful presence appear in the depths of the Shadow Woods. Following that, he wrote a letter directly to the Blackhall City Lord to notify him of the situation. Time passed and with no sign of a response from the City Lord, he ordered Dylin to form a team of hunters and head towards the Shadow Woods. "I feared this would happen. A powerful demon has appeared within the beasts of the Shadow Woods and subdued even the strongest beast there: the Stormhawk Emperor." Dylin was momentarily stunned and hesitantly asked, "How strong would the demon have to be then?" Captain Alder pondered a moment before responding, "For a demon to appear in the depths of the Shadow Woods already places its strength at the early Aura Lake realm. However, the Stormhawk Emperor is a peak Aura Lake beast, so it would seem impossible for something weaker that has only recently broken through to subdue it, even if it was a true demon." Worry clouded Dylin''s mind. "What about the village then?" "I''ll write another letter to the Blackhall City Lord. This time, however, I''ll stamp it with the Hunter Alliance''s official seal, then he has no choice but to respond. If not, then it would be equivalent to declaring himself an enemy of the alliance. Both of us don''t want that to happen." Captain Alder tilted his head down as he finished those words. A moment of silence ensued, then, worry evident in his voice, he asked, "How is he?" Dylin knew right away who he was talking about. The fight with the Ghost Ape created a lot of sound throughout the Shadow Woods. Since Dylin''s team wasn''t too far away, they heard the commotion and headed towards its source. Not long after Anselm collapsed on the forest floor, the hunters arrived and, following the trail of blood he left, discovered his body. Dylin was shocked to see the state that Anselm was in. His internal body had suffered severe damage and, in addition to a few broken bones, his life was hanging on by a thread. As soon as he saw Anselm''s body, Dylin immediately placed both hands on the boy''s chest, sending his aura into him. The aura spread throughout his body and healed most of the minor injuries. Knowing that it was a dire situation, Dylin carried Anselm on his shoulders and darted back to the village as fast as he could, trying not to accidentally worsen Anselm''s condition. When they returned to the village, Dylin fetched the Captain, who proceeded to feed Anselm his precious Eternal Vitality medicine. For the past week, he recovered in a medical room in the Hunter''s Shack. "In his week of recovery, his body has proven to be extraordinary. Just within the first few days, his bones and internal organs fully healed. Considering that he was also not too far from a Ghost Ape cave, he must have fought it and sustained these injuries in battle. After inspecting his body, I can tell that had only broken through to Vitalisation recently. So, for a nascent Vitalisation warrior to fight a Ghost Ape head on and live... In my years as a hunter, I''ve never seen anything quite like this." Awe clear in his voice, Dylin told Captain Alder of what happened to Anselm. Captain Alder carefully listened. If somebody looked closely at the Captain, they would see a flash of rage briefly appear in his eyes whenever Dylin mentioned the Ghost Ape that attacked Anselm. Shaking his head, he said, "Anselm is too reckless. Hopefully, this teaches him a lesson about not overestimating your own strength. It is impressive, though, for him to break into Vitalisation not long after I gifted him that manual. If he can completely master it¡­" Captain Alder''s voice drifted off. Standing up, he walked over to the window and stared up at the night sky, the myriad stars dotting the canvas of darkness. Speaking gently, he asked. "Dylin. Do you remember the promise we made years ago?" Dylin lifted his head and looked at Captain Alder''s back with a mix of nostalgia and confusion in his eyes. "I''m afraid I might have to break it soon." -------------------------------------------------------- In Anselm''s room. After he was brought back to the village, Anselm was visited by two groups who wanted to make sure he fine, but they were stopped by Dylin. It was only after the third day that Dylin allowed the visitors in to see him. The first group to visit him was the group of children that always wanted to play with him. Accompanied by an old lady they called ''Auntie'', tears wouldn''t stop flowing down from their eyes. Eventually, the old lady took them out of the room, lest they continued to feel more depressed looking at the unconscious Anselm. After the children left, Tolgar and a few of the other young hunters that trained with him arrived to check up on Anselm. In front of the young hunters, Tolgar didn''t seem worried at all as he bragged about how powerful his ''Big Bro'' was and that the injuries were merely a scratch to him. The other hunters only watched in stupefaction. Following their leave, nobody else disturbed Anselm''s peaceful rest. While the bustle of the village continued, Anselm lay in the bed quietly. Next to the bed was a small wooden table with only one item resting on it: his ebony ring. Unbeknownst to the sleeping Anselm, a ray of light shot out of the ring and flashed, lighting up the entire room. Fortunately, the room that Dylin had Anselm placed in was devoid of any windows, so nobody witnessed the odd phenomenon occurring. The ring on the table trembled violently as the brightness of the light continued to increase. A few moments later, the light in the room coalesced into a single point at the end of the bed and started to transform into the shape of a human figure. The light finished transforming, leaving a white-bearded old man dressed in a violet robe floating above the end of the bed, his body seemingly translucent. When the old man was completely formed, the ring on the bedside table stopped trembling. Looking around the room, the old man''s gaze stopped on the unconscious Anselm. Sighing, he said, "This reckless kid still hasn''t recovered." With that, he pointed his finger toward Anselm and released a floating wisp of aura that travelled into his chest. When the wisp made contact with Anselm''s chest, its power spread throughout his body and his eyes suddenly shot open. The first thing he saw when he opened his eyes an unfamiliar ceiling above him. Sitting his body up on the bed, he raised his head to look around the room. His gaze soon descended on the old man floating at the end of his bed. Shocked, he shouted, "Who are you?" A smile crept onto the old man''s face. "You don''t remember me, kid? We met in the ring not too long ago. Oh, right. My appearance has changed slightly. Maybe you''ll recognise me now." The old man transformed into the crimson-robed man Anselm saw during the trial. "It''s you!? The man from the trial?" Reverting back to the appearance of an old man, he replied, "Yes, I''m the one from the trial. The old man pointed at Anselm and chuckled, "You should have seen your face when I appeared just now!" 7 Spirit of the Dreamweaver Ring 2 Anselm ignored the old man''s final comment as he looked over at the ring on the bedside table. "Huh?" As his gaze fell on the ring, he noticed that it was no longer the same plain ebony colour as before. A silver ouroboros pattern appeared surrounding the ring like it emerged from within.The snake was so lifelike that it seemed as if it was slithering around the ring. "The ring transformed after the old man appeared. Has this got something to do with passing the trial and gaining the ring''s approval?" The old man stroked his white beard and followed Anselm''s gaze to the ring. "That is the Dreamweaver Ring - an ancient aura artifact that appeared millions of years ago. On its outside, the ouroboros represents the perpetuity of the cycle of life and death. Preceding you, the ring had another owner, and a different person owned it before them. For it to end up in your hands can be considered both a blessing and a curse¡­" Anselm focused on the ring, a hint of longing in his eyes. ''Just what did they leave me?'' Peering up at the old man, he said, "So it''s called the Dreamweaver Ring. How and why did you appear from it then? Could you be the ring''s spirit?" The old man let out a sigh and replied, "When you cleared the trial, I could sense the restrictions on my soul weakening. The moment I felt this, I tried to exit the ring and my body appeared outside in the physical world at this location. For now, I can enter and exit the ring whenever I want to, but the time I can stay outside of the ring is limited, since it places too much of a burden on my injured soul." "So that means you''ve been in the ring this entire time then? If that''s so, then doesn''t that mean you''ve been watching me ever since I had the ring?" Anselm looked questioningly and full of hope at the old man. ''I was wearing this ring when Dylin and the others found me, so maybe if the old man has seen everything he can recall the time I was left at the village¡­" The old man shook his head and said, "It''s not like that. I don''t remember exactly how long I''ve been in the ring, but it seems like a powerful being sealed me in there. My soul has been slumbering for a long time and only awakened when you entered the ring following your near-death experience. My memory is very hazy as well, so I don''t remember anything from before I entered my slumber." ''So that''s how it is.'' Anselm started to feel slight pity for this old man; his soul had been sealed in the ring for an unknown amount of time, and when he woke up for the first time in a while, he had no recollection of anything that happened prior to his awakening. "Gramps, do you remember your name at least?" The old man snorted, "Gramps? I''m not that old yet, kid." Anselm immediately replied, "But look at your white hair, gramps. You''re the oldest person I''ve seen!" "Hmph. I''m still in my prime youth. Since I''m slightly older than you, I''ll let you call me uncle instead." Winking, Anselm said, "Okay, Uncle." "As for my name," The old man began murmuring before he spoke up, "Beirand! That''s it. Beirand is my name. Since I''ve told you my name, what''s yours?" With a bright smile, Anselm puffed out his chest. "Anselm. Anselm Dreamsworn! Nice meeting you, Uncle Beirand." Beirand''s eyes glistened. "Anselm Dreamsworn, a fine name indeed." "Uncle, with your soul existing in the ring, is there any way for it to be released completely? Not only allowing you to leave temporarily, but to separate soul and ring?" Anselm felt closer to Uncle Beirand, and so was worried that he''d be trapped and have to suffer in the ring forever. Stroking his beard, Beirand thought for a moment before replying, "Anselm, I told you before that my soul was sealed in the ring. The being that sealed me here was incredibly powerful - he had strength incomprehensible to the people of this world. For me to leave here, there are two options. Firstly, the one that cast the seal has to be killed. With his strength, however, that is almost impossible. Secondly, if I fully heal my soul and recover my strength, then I have confidence in being able to break the seal set on me. It''s comfortable in the ring anyway and I can leave whenever I want to - just as long as I don''t stay outside too long." Anselm remembered those methods deep in his heart. In the future, he would help his Uncle Beirand to escape the confines of the ring. After listening to what he said, concern flashed through Anselm''s eyes, "But what if somebody notices you when you''re outside of the ring?" Beirand simply chuckled in response. "In my current feeble state, only those with aura mastery at the Spirit Lord stage and above can faintly detect my existence. As my strength recovers, even those at the Life Master stage won''t be able to discover me. The ring itself has aura masking properties as well, so there isn''t even the slightest presence of aura emanating from it." Anselm looked on in wonder, "You sound so strong, Uncle! With your strength, surely you can train and teach me. You''ve got nothing better to do, right? I''m only at the early stage of Vitalisation." An enigmatic smile appeared on Beirand''s face, "Only early stage of Vitalisation? Check again." Confused, Anselm began to inspect his body. Circulating Heaven''s Anil technique, he was shocked to discover that several new aura meridians had been forged in his body. From the manual that Captain Alder gave him, his current strength was equivalent to the middle stage of Vitalisation - a level that the village''s weaker hunters were at. "I was only at the early stage before I ventured into the Shadow Woods, so when did I break through?" With a smug look on his face, Beirand answered his question. "A man with a scar covering one of his eyes entered the room a few days ago and fed you an Eternal Vitality pill. When I exited the ring earlier, I also sent some of my remaining aura into your body to finish the recovery and wake up. With such a large volume of aura from me and the strong medicinal properties of the pill in your body, your body unconsciously circulated your Vitalisation technique and used the excess aura to create new aura meridians." ''A man with a scar on his eye? That must be Captain Alder. I''m sure he''d be shocked to see that I''ve already advanced to the middle stage of Vitalisation.'' Anselm underestimated the speed at which he broke through two cultivation levels. It usually takes new aura immortals several weeks or even months to advance even a single level, yet he''s already advanced twice. It would be safe to say that Captain Alder would be completely stunned. Anselm looked up at Beirand and respectfully clasped his fists. "Thank you for the help, Uncle Beirand!" Beirand waved his hand. "No need for such formalities, Anselm. We''re good friends now." He turned his head towards the door. "I can hear footsteps coming this way. Looks like you have a visitor. I''ll head back into the ring to rest a little then. It was fun meeting you, young Anselm." Beirand''s body disappeared as he was transported back into the ring. Gently touching the ring, a smile appeared on Anselm''s face and a tear gently ran down his cheek. "Uncle Beirand¡­" A voice appeared in his head. "Hey, I haven''t gone forever. My body has just entered the ring. I''m still here!" 8 Update Sorry, content is lost, You ¡¯re reading Novel on Novelhall.COM, we will fix it as soon as possible, thank you 4 Fighting the Ghost Ape With the wind in his stride, Anselm charged directly at the Ghost Ape with a smile across his face. ''I can''t fight the Ghost Ape head-on. With a beast like this, its weakness lies in disrupting its balance and catching it off guard.'' As Anselm approached the ape, a white fist came crashing down from above him. The ape''s fist was so powerful that it separated the wind in its path. ''Too slow.'' In that instant, he swiftly sidestepped and dodged the attack. The ape''s fist made contact with the ground, shockwaves sending the dirt and dust that covered the surface flying into the air. In the instant that the ape had yet to retract its fist, Anselm sprinted faster than he ever had before and on one foot leapt forward. Putting his entire body weight and momentum from the jump into the attack, he slashed at the ape''s right heel. The moment he landed, he twisted his body and leapt in the same direction he came from, slashing again at the back of the ape''s heel with perfect precision. Turning to look at the heel he attacked, the only thing Anselm could see was a light wound that seemed to do nothing more than shaving the fur from that region. There was no blood nor deep cut. ''Damn it. The Ghost Ape''s body is tougher than I expected. I''m still too weak to be able to cut deep enough and wound it heavily.'' As though it was staring at an annoying fly, the Ghost Ape coldly looked down on Anselm with its twisted face. Bringing its arms up, it started to alternately beat its chest with open hands like it were a war drum. In a rhythmic pattern, its speed gradually accelerated until with each strike, tremors travelled through the ground. Facing its gaze, Anselm pondered over the best way to defeat the ape. ''This must be one of its aura techniques. Now that I''ve entered Vitalisation, I can faintly detect a power rising inside the Ghost Ape. I need to finish this quickly before it reaches its peak state. Maybe I can interrupt its ability...'' Anselm darted towards the ape in an attempt to flank it and slash at a weak spot that he could injure with his current strength. After travelling a dozen metres, before he could charge any further, a powerful force sudden suddenly erupted from the Ghost Ape as it stopped pounding its chest. Moments later, another white fist abruptly appeared in front of Anselm - the speed of it vastly exceeding that of when it attacked before. Although he could see the fist, his body was too slow to react. The fist fiercely connected, completely overpowering him despite his futile attempt to dodge. He was sent flying and knocked dozens of meters backwards before colliding with a tree; the impact of his body on the tree injuring him even further. ''Such strength¡­'' After laying paralysed on the ground for a moment, Anselm struggled to rise to his feet as he coughed blood. ''I can''t move well like this.'' Struggling to barely stand on two feet, he thought of how to deal with the current situation. ''I''m in no state to fight anymore. My organs have been damaged, a few of my bones broken, and¡­'' He looked down at his sword, or rather now part a sword. ''My sword broke from that last blow. I couldn''t attack the Ghost Ape even if I were feeling suicidal right now.'' With blood leaking from his mouth, he looked at the ape ahead of him, a hint of confusion evident in his eyes. Walking towards the cave, its back faced him, leaving it vulnerable. ''So it thinks its attack has already killed me. Ha. It looks like I''m nothing to the ape. How stupid of me to think that I could fight a demonic beast with the measly new strength I gained. Time to leave.'' Anselm turned around and limped back into the forest. Although he wouldn''t be able to navigate well, he really would die if he continued staying here. The moment the ape realised he was still alive would be the end of him. Faltering through the forest, his injuries showed no signs of improvement; they only seemed to worsen. With a pale face, blood still trickled from his mouth, staining the plants around him crimson red. His eyes began to close as his vision turned blurry. Mustering any strength in his body, he faltered forward. ''No¡­ I can''t die here like this'' Taking a few more steps forward, his legs eventually gave way - his body crashing to the ground. On the forest floor, he was surrounded by an army of crimson-dyed vegetation. The forest was deathly quiet. Anybody who arrived here would be oblivious to the deadly battle that took place. Gently, his eyelids covered his eyes - like curtains drawing shut at the end of a play. In the moment before his eyes completely shut, a flash of blue suddenly engulfed his vision, disappearing nearly instantly. After that, everything went black. ---------------------------------------------------- Opening his eyes unhurriedly, Anselm was greeted by the sight of nothing but darkness above him. ''Where am I?'' With little effort, he managed to pull his body up from the ground and stand on his two feet. Inspecting his body, he shockingly found that there were no signs of any injuries. ''I''ve been completely healed?'' Confused, Anselm lifted his head and studied his surroundings. Everywhere he looked, there was nothing but darkness. Even as he turned his eyes to stare at his feet, he saw that there was nothing beneath him, yet he was standing perfectly fine. ''What is this place? Have I been sent to purgatory?'' He continued to inspect the void that he was sent to. After what seemed like hours, Anselm caught sight of a light in the distance. Focusing his gaze, he could make out the silhouette of a person; however, as the figure approached, he noticed that it was more of a spirit. It floated instead of walked and it was pale azure in colour. "Hello?" Anselm called out to it. The spirit didn''t respond. He warily walked towards the spirit until they were separated by only a few meters As he walked closer, he was shocked by what he saw: the ethereal figure was none other than a beautiful young woman. Her youth seemed to be everlasting as she looked at Anselm softly, a hint of love radiating from her gaze. ''Such a beautiful spirit, but what is she doing here?'' With a smile on her face, she gently spoke to Anselm, "You''ve had it tough, dear child." Stammering, he replied, "I-I¡­ Who are you? And where am I?" The spirit let out a long sigh. "Child, who I am is of no relevance. More importantly, for you to appear here means that you''ve died." ''I knew it¡­'' Anselm clenched his fists and tightly shut his eyes. "No! I can''t die here! I still need to live on and find my parents. I refuse to die without knowing why they left me!" As Anselm said this, a mix of sadness and worry flashed through the spirit''s gaze. She slowly approached him. "You must be feeling terrible, child. Don''t fret; you haven''t died yet. Do you recall the ring on your finger?" ''I.. haven''t died?'' Anselm looked down at his right hand and focused on the ebony ring, a smile forming on his face. Of course, he remembered it. This was the only item he had left to remember his parents - the only possession on him when he was abandoned in the village as a baby. With special exceptions, he rarely ever removed the ring from his finger. "That ring is a powerful aura artifact - something that even Life Master warriors would envy. Within the ring, there exists a spatial dimension." Shock surfaced on Anselm''s countenance as he hastily looked up at the spirit, a warm smile still stretched across her youthful face. "So, you mean to say¡­?" "Yes. We are currently inside the ring; however, this is only one small part of it. The rest of the ring has been sealed off." "So how do I unseal it? Or even leave this ring? I can''t be stuck here forever." "You have to become the true owner of the ring and make it acknowledge you. That is the first trial. The ring has brought your spirit into this place, but your physical body outside is still heavily injured. When your spirit leaves the ring without its protection, you will truly die. My time here is drawing to an end. You will soon face a tough trial, but don''t give up. The path to becoming a powerful warrior is not an easy one. Good luck and goodbye, child. You''ve grown so much¡­" Slowly fading away, the final part of the spirit''s words were muttered quietly so Anselm couldn''t hear them. "Wait! I still have more questions." Anselm shouted as the spirit of the young woman faded away completely. ''I still don''t understand what''s really happening here. The spirit said that I have to face a trial before I could leave this place. Does that mean I''ll die if I fail? Thinking about the spirit, she was always smiling at me. Why was she in this ring anyway?'' Standing alone in the darkness, Anselm awaited the trial. 6 The Rings Spirit 1 Back in Maplemond Village, the hunters who left for the Shadow Woods had already returned. In the Hunter''s Shack, Captain Alder was speaking with Dylin, a dejected atmosphere filling the room. Gently tapping the arm of his chair, Captain Alder said, "How did it go?" Sitting opposite him was Dylin. A pensive feeling weighed down on him as he replied, "I''m afraid it''s as you predicted, Captain. Following your orders during the investigation, we never travelled deeper than the outer region. However, not long after we entered, the team encountered a panther with a golden coat. According to the Beast Manual, it was the Silver-ranked beast, Lightning Panther. With our strongest warrior only being in the middle stages of Meridian Opening, we were no match for a beast that could rival those at half-step Spirit Pond, so we swiftly retreated." Captain Alder let out a long sigh. A few days ago, he detected an unusually powerful presence appear in the depths of the Shadow Woods. Following that, he wrote a letter directly to the Blackhall City Lord to notify him of the situation. Time passed and with no sign of a response from the City Lord, he ordered Dylin to form a team of hunters and head towards the Shadow Woods. "I feared this would happen. A powerful demon has appeared within the beasts of the Shadow Woods and subdued even the strongest beast there: the Stormhawk Emperor." Dylin was momentarily stunned and hesitantly asked, "How strong would the demon have to be then?" Captain Alder pondered a moment before responding, "For a demon to appear in the depths of the Shadow Woods already places its strength at the early Aura Lake realm. However, the Stormhawk Emperor is a peak Aura Lake beast, so it would seem impossible for something weaker that has only recently broken through to subdue it, even if it was a true demon." Worry clouded Dylin''s mind. "What about the village then?" "I''ll write another letter to the Blackhall City Lord. This time, however, I''ll stamp it with the Hunter Alliance''s official seal, then he has no choice but to respond. If not, then it would be equivalent to declaring himself an enemy of the alliance. Both of us don''t want that to happen." Captain Alder tilted his head down as he finished those words. A moment of silence ensued, then, worry evident in his voice, he asked, "How is he?" Dylin knew right away who he was talking about. The fight with the Ghost Ape created a lot of sound throughout the Shadow Woods. Since Dylin''s team wasn''t too far away, they heard the commotion and headed towards its source. Not long after Anselm collapsed on the forest floor, the hunters arrived and, following the trail of blood he left, discovered his body. Dylin was shocked to see the state that Anselm was in. His internal body had suffered severe damage and, in addition to a few broken bones, his life was hanging on by a thread. As soon as he saw Anselm''s body, Dylin immediately placed both hands on the boy''s chest, sending his aura into him. The aura spread throughout his body and healed most of the minor injuries. Knowing that it was a dire situation, Dylin carried Anselm on his shoulders and darted back to the village as fast as he could, trying not to accidentally worsen Anselm''s condition. When they returned to the village, Dylin fetched the Captain, who proceeded to feed Anselm his precious Eternal Vitality medicine. For the past week, he recovered in a medical room in the Hunter''s Shack. "In his week of recovery, his body has proven to be extraordinary. Just within the first few days, his bones and internal organs fully healed. Considering that he was also not too far from a Ghost Ape cave, he must have fought it and sustained these injuries in battle. After inspecting his body, I can tell that had only broken through to Vitalisation recently. So, for a nascent Vitalisation warrior to fight a Ghost Ape head on and live... In my years as a hunter, I''ve never seen anything quite like this." Awe clear in his voice, Dylin told Captain Alder of what happened to Anselm. Captain Alder carefully listened. If somebody looked closely at the Captain, they would see a flash of rage briefly appear in his eyes whenever Dylin mentioned the Ghost Ape that attacked Anselm. Shaking his head, he said, "Anselm is too reckless. Hopefully, this teaches him a lesson about not overestimating your own strength. It is impressive, though, for him to break into Vitalisation not long after I gifted him that manual. If he can completely master it¡­" Captain Alder''s voice drifted off. Standing up, he walked over to the window and stared up at the night sky, the myriad stars dotting the canvas of darkness. Speaking gently, he asked. "Dylin. Do you remember the promise we made years ago?" Dylin lifted his head and looked at Captain Alder''s back with a mix of nostalgia and confusion in his eyes. "I''m afraid I might have to break it soon." -------------------------------------------------------- In Anselm''s room. After he was brought back to the village, Anselm was visited by two groups who wanted to make sure he fine, but they were stopped by Dylin. It was only after the third day that Dylin allowed the visitors in to see him. The first group to visit him was the group of children that always wanted to play with him. Accompanied by an old lady they called ''Auntie'', tears wouldn''t stop flowing down from their eyes. Eventually, the old lady took them out of the room, lest they continued to feel more depressed looking at the unconscious Anselm. After the children left, Tolgar and a few of the other young hunters that trained with him arrived to check up on Anselm. In front of the young hunters, Tolgar didn''t seem worried at all as he bragged about how powerful his ''Big Bro'' was and that the injuries were merely a scratch to him. The other hunters only watched in stupefaction. Following their leave, nobody else disturbed Anselm''s peaceful rest. While the bustle of the village continued, Anselm lay in the bed quietly. Next to the bed was a small wooden table with only one item resting on it: his ebony ring. Unbeknownst to the sleeping Anselm, a ray of light shot out of the ring and flashed, lighting up the entire room. Fortunately, the room that Dylin had Anselm placed in was devoid of any windows, so nobody witnessed the odd phenomenon occurring. The ring on the table trembled violently as the brightness of the light continued to increase. A few moments later, the light in the room coalesced into a single point at the end of the bed and started to transform into the shape of a human figure. The light finished transforming, leaving a white-bearded old man dressed in a violet robe floating above the end of the bed, his body seemingly translucent. When the old man was completely formed, the ring on the bedside table stopped trembling. Looking around the room, the old man''s gaze stopped on the unconscious Anselm. Sighing, he said, "This reckless kid still hasn''t recovered." With that, he pointed his finger toward Anselm and released a floating wisp of aura that travelled into his chest. When the wisp made contact with Anselm''s chest, its power spread throughout his body and his eyes suddenly shot open. The first thing he saw when he opened his eyes an unfamiliar ceiling above him. Sitting his body up on the bed, he raised his head to look around the room. His gaze soon descended on the old man floating at the end of his bed. Shocked, he shouted, "Who are you?" A smile crept onto the old man''s face. "You don''t remember me, kid? We met in the ring not too long ago. Oh, right. My appearance has changed slightly. Maybe you''ll recognise me now." The old man transformed into the crimson-robed man Anselm saw during the trial. "It''s you!? The man from the trial?" Reverting back to the appearance of an old man, he replied, "Yes, I''m the one from the trial. The old man pointed at Anselm and chuckled, "You should have seen your face when I appeared just now!" 7 The Rings Spirit 2 Anselm ignored the old man''s final comment as he looked over at the ring on the bedside table. "Huh?" As his gaze fell on the ring, he noticed that it was no longer the same plain ebony colour as before. A silver ouroboros pattern appeared surrounding the ring like it emerged from within. The snake was so lifelike that it seemed as if it was slithering around the ring. "The ring transformed after the old man appeared. Has this got something to do with passing the trial and gaining the ring''s approval?" The old man stroked his white beard and followed Anselm''s gaze to the ring. "That is the Dreamweaver Ring - an ancient aura artifact that appeared millions of years ago. On its outside, the ouroboros represents the perpetuity of the cycle of life and death. Preceding you, the ring had another owner, and a different person owned it before them. For it to end up in your hands can be considered both a blessing and a curse¡­" Anselm focused on the ring, a hint of longing in his eyes. ''Just what did they leave me?'' Peering up at the old man, he said, "So it''s called the Dreamweaver Ring. How and why did you appear from it then? Could you be the ring''s spirit?" The old man let out a sigh and replied, "When you cleared the trial, I could sense the restrictions on my soul weakening. The moment I felt this, I tried to exit the ring and my body appeared outside in the physical world at this location. For now, I can enter and exit the ring whenever I want to, but the time I can stay outside of the ring is limited, since it places too much of a burden on my injured soul." "So that means you''ve been in the ring this entire time then? If that''s so, then doesn''t that mean you''ve been watching me ever since I had the ring?" Anselm looked questioningly and full of hope at the old man. ''I was wearing this ring when Dylin and the others found me, so maybe if the old man has seen everything he can recall the time I was left at the village¡­" The old man shook his head and said, "It''s not like that. I don''t remember exactly how long I''ve been in the ring, but it seems like a powerful being sealed me in there. My soul has been slumbering for a long time and only awakened when you entered the ring following your near-death experience. My memory is very hazy as well, so I don''t remember anything from before I entered my slumber." ''So that''s how it is.'' Anselm started to feel slight pity for this old man; his soul had been sealed in the ring for an unknown amount of time, and when he woke up for the first time in a while, he had no recollection of anything that happened prior to his awakening. "Gramps, do you remember your name at least?" The old man snorted, "Gramps? I''m not that old yet, kid." Anselm immediately replied, "But look at your white hair, gramps. You''re the oldest person I''ve seen!" "Hmph. I''m still in my prime youth. Since I''m slightly older than you, I''ll let you call me uncle instead." Winking, Anselm said, "Okay, Uncle." "As for my name," The old man began murmuring before he spoke up, "Beirand! That''s it. Beirand is my name. Since I''ve told you my name, what''s yours?" With a bright smile, Anselm puffed out his chest. "Anselm. Anselm Dreamsworn! Nice meeting you, Uncle Beirand." Beirand''s eyes glistened. "Anselm Dreamsworn, a fine name indeed." "Uncle, with your soul existing in the ring, is there any way for it to be released completely? Not only allowing you to leave temporarily, but to separate soul and ring?" Anselm felt closer to Uncle Beirand, and so was worried that he''d be trapped and have to suffer in the ring forever. Stroking his beard, Beirand thought for a moment before replying, "Anselm, I told you before that my soul was sealed in the ring. The being that sealed me here was incredibly powerful - he had strength incomprehensible to the people of this world. For me to leave here, there are two options. Firstly, the one that cast the seal has to be killed. With his strength, however, that is almost impossible. Secondly, if I fully heal my soul and recover my strength, then I have confidence in being able to break the seal set on me. It''s comfortable in the ring anyway and I can leave whenever I want to - just as long as I don''t stay outside too long." Anselm remembered those methods deep in his heart. In the future, he would help his Uncle Beirand to escape the confines of the ring. After listening to what he said, concern flashed through Anselm''s eyes, "But what if somebody notices you when you''re outside of the ring?" Beirand simply chuckled in response. "In my current feeble state, only those with aura mastery at the Spirit Lord stage and above can faintly detect my existence. As my strength recovers, even those at the Life Master stage won''t be able to discover me. The ring itself has aura masking properties as well, so there isn''t even the slightest presence of aura emanating from it." Anselm looked on in wonder, "You sound so strong, Uncle! With your strength, surely you can train and teach me. You''ve got nothing better to do, right? I''m only at the early stage of Vitalisation." An enigmatic smile appeared on Beirand''s face, "Only early stage of Vitalisation? Check again." Confused, Anselm began to inspect his body. Circulating Heaven''s Anil technique, he was shocked to discover that several new aura meridians had been forged in his body. From the manual that Captain Alder gave him, his current strength was equivalent to the middle stage of Vitalisation - a level that the village''s weaker hunters were at. "I was only at the early stage before I ventured into the Shadow Woods, so when did I break through?" With a smug look on his face, Beirand answered his question. "A man with a scar covering one of his eyes entered the room a few days ago and fed you an Eternal Vitality pill. When I exited the ring earlier, I also sent some of my remaining aura into your body to finish the recovery and wake up. With such a large volume of aura from me and the strong medicinal properties of the pill in your body, your body unconsciously circulated your Vitalisation technique and used the excess aura to create new aura meridians." ''A man with a scar on his eye? That must be Captain Alder. I''m sure he''d be shocked to see that I''ve already advanced to the middle stage of Vitalisation.'' Anselm underestimated the speed at which he broke through two cultivation levels. It usually takes new aura immortals several weeks or even months to advance even a single level, yet he''s already advanced twice. It would be safe to say that Captain Alder would be completely stunned. Anselm looked up at Beirand and respectfully clasped his fists. "Thank you for the help, Uncle Beirand!" Beirand waved his hand. "No need for such formalities, Anselm. We''re good friends now." He turned his head towards the door. "I can hear footsteps coming this way. It looks like you have a visitor. I''ll head back into the ring to rest a little then. It was fun meeting you, young Anselm." Beirand''s body disappeared as he was transported back into the ring. Gently touching the ring, a smile appeared on Anselm''s face and a tear gently ran down his cheek. "Uncle Beirand¡­" A voice appeared in his head. "Hey, I haven''t gone forever. My body has just entered the ring. I''m still here!" 1 Maplemond Village Maplemond. An ordinary little village situated in the south of the Kingdom of Ocida, and just east of the famous Whitemark Summit - the tallest mountain in the kingdom. As the sun slowly rose over the horizon and gently caressed the land with its golden rays of light, the pure morning dew glistened and the birds chirped a soothing melody - signalling the dawn of a new day for the residents of Maplemond. Despite the sun only having just risen, some of the residents had already left their homes to begin their daily routine and work. Splashing water could be heard as clothes were washed in the nearby river; loud thuds echoed as axes struck tree logs; and joy could be heard throughout the village as the children who were already awake played with each other. Meanwhile, in an area slightly north of the village there resided a large forest - known to the villagers as the Shadow Woods. This area was off-limits to the villagers due to its danger; however, faint grunting sounds could be heard nearby its entrance. A group of children could be seen there - numbering nearly 20 - standing quietly in front of five stocky and well-built men clad in green, ragged clothing. The leader of the men clasped his hands behind his back as he fiercely gazed at the children in front of him, giving them a cold look. As his eyes swept over them, he stopped on one of the children who looked to be about 14 years old. "Tolgar! Show me what you''ve learned," he shouted. "Yes, sir!" Tolgar replied, his right hand shaking as he picked up his sword. With sword in hand, he adopted an offensive stance and was about to demonstrate his attack when the man interrupted him. "Tolgar! Are you looking to kill beasts or make friends with them?! You''re supposed to attack them with the sharp end, so stop pointing your sword hilt in the wrong direction and grasp it in your hands!" the man bellowed. Tolgar''s face flushed red and the surrounding children burst out laughing as he scrambled to hold his sword correctly. "Did I say something funny? It''s not like any of you would do much better; the demonic beasts could kill any of you five times over already," the man sneered. The children were immediately silenced. Just as the man was about to continue, a faint whispering sound could be heard from the back of the group. He looked over and saw a young child, perhaps 15 years old, looking down at the ground and mumbling to himself. "Anselm!" All of the children turned to look at the child as he nonchalantly raised his head. "Do you have a problem?" "Yes, Instructor Dylin! We''re not as weak as you think we are," Anselm replied in a calm voice. Instructor Dylin stared at Anselm, an interested look surfacing in his eyes. "Oh, is that so? Then why don''t you prove it by sparring with Hunter Blake," Dylin replied, turning to Blake who responded with a nod. The rest of the children looked on in shock; Blake was one of the village''s elite hunters. Despite the fact that he was ranked last in terms of strength, he was still an experienced hunter bathed in the blood of numerous demonic beasts. Tolgar stood there with his sword still shaking in his hands. This time he wasn''t shaking out of embarrassment, but rather out of anger and shame that he was too weak. He looked up at Anselm who gently smiled at him and walked toward Blake. Tolgar gripped his sword tightly before he put it away and returned to the crowd. As he walked past Anselm, he whispered, "Good luck." Anselm kept walking until he was a few metres in front of Blake and slowly unsheathed his sword. Similarly, Blake unsheathed his sword; however, his was black in colour. A sharp glint appeared in Anselm''s eyes, "Hunter''s sword¡­" Dylin glanced over both of them, backed off and said, "The rules of this bout are quite simple: the first person to knock the opponent''s sword out of their hand wins. Begin." Anselm stood there with his fingers flexed around the hilt of his sword, feet light on the ground - ready to move at any moment. Blake was the first to make a move, dashing forward and striking down at Anselm. Prepared for this, he raised his sword to defend against the incoming strike and successfully parried the attack. Wasting no time, Anselm immediately launched a counterattack and dashed towards Blake, lifting his sword to strike down. However, with Blake''s experience, he predicted such an attack as he hastily dodged back before the sword landed on him. "As expected of a hunter. This is going to be a tough fight," Anselm thought to himself. He continued to push forward and repeatedly attacked. Knowing that his opponent was an experienced hunter, there was no way he could win if he fought passively - he''d definitely lose a contest of stamina. As a result, he decided that the only way to win was to rigorously pressure his opponent and launch a surprise attack when Blake was least expecting it. Before Anselm could strike again, Blake disappeared as he leapt into the air and landed behind Anselm. Wasting no time between attacks, Blake pounced forward like a predator having finally caught his prey. Observing the battle, Instructor Dylin shook his head knowing that it would turn out like this. Although he may have thought highly of Anselm, there was no chance that he could defeat one the of village''s hunters; he was still a fledgling who had yet to leave the nest. The surrounding children stared at the battle intently, hoping to gain some sort of insight. It wasn''t every day that they could witness a hunter fight, even if it was a very one-sided match. Tolgar still focused on the battle with his hands tightly curled up into fists. Despite everyone''s thoughts, Anselm still remained calm and composed. Swiftly turning his body, he stepped forward and met Blake''s sword head on with his own. Clang! Both swords collided, yet it seemed that Anselm was on the losing side as he was pushed back. Blake looked at him with a hint of praise and uttered, "Not bad, young one. You managed to fight me for this long, but now it''s over. Train harder and one day you might be able to last longer against me." Blake pushed harder with his sword, forcing Anselm back a few more steps. With the pressure on his sword increasing, Anselm''s grip slowly weakened. It would be over soon. "The real battle starts now," he thought, grinning slightly. Releasing one hand from his sword''s hilt, he used it to grab Blake''s sword whilst pulling his own away - he substituted his sword for his hand in this clash. Surprisingly, Anselm didn''t lose out and instead managed to gain some ground, pushing Blake''s sword up as he reduced the distance between them. Blake saw this and was momentarily shocked before he regained his bearing. Instructor Dylin stared at the battle and shook his head, thinking to himself, "The boy has some guts, but this is a suicidal move. In a real battle against a demonic beast, his arm would have been completely shredded by now. Looks like I''ll have to speak to the Captain about this." Before he could stop the battle, he saw something that he never expected. Anselm gritted his teeth and pushed with even more power, forcing Blake back into a more defensive position. With his sword still in his right hand, he raised it up and slashed at Blake''s hand. "I managed to win against him¡­" Blake saw the incoming slash and with a sudden burst of strength, completely knocked Anselm away, sending him tumbling. Anselm''s sword lay on the ground. Tolgar rushed over to Anselm. Hurriedly, he asked, "Are you alright?" He raised his head to look at the now calm Blake and replied, "I''m fine. Don''t worry about me." Slowly standing up, he muttered under his breath, "What was that last attack of his¡­?" Instructor Dylin swept his gaze past both of them and announced, "The winner of this bout is Hunter Blake! Anselm, you fought well but lost in the end. Reflect on this battle later and learn where you went wrong. Everyone else, that''s enough training for today. Dismissed!" "Wait!" A voice appeared from behind the hunters as a burly man slowly walked over. He was dressed in neat clothing with a bronze badge embroidered on his chest. A scar covered his left eye, exuding an intimidating presence on those who looked at him. "Anselm should be the victor here." The five hunters clasped their fists and simultaneously shouted, "Greetings, Captain Alder!" This man was none other than Maplemond''s Hunter Captain - a powerful Bronze Hunter as indicated by his badge. Instructor Dylin raised his head, respect evident in his eyes, and said, "May I ask why? Anselm clearly lost." Captain Alder turned to look at Blake. "He used his power of Vitalisation against a Fledgling Hunter. According to the customary rules of hunter duelling, that means he loses. You should know this. Maybe he shouldn''t underestimate his opponent next time. Such amateur behaviour will cause your death in a hunt." Captain Alder coldly spoke. "Yes, sir!" Looking over to Anselm, Captain Alder''s gaze turned warmer as he gently smiled. "Young Anselm, you fought well. Come and see me after you''re finished here." With that, Captain Alder turned around and headed back towards the village. The five hunters respectfully followed behind him. When they left, the children burst out talking, "Wow, Anselm. That was so cool." "Yeah, you managed to beat Hunter Blake! He was a real hunter." "Then Captain Alder praised you. We don''t see that often." "How strong is Captain Alder?" "Who knows? Some say he wrestled a demonic beast half-naked with nothing but his fists and killed it." "What?! That can''t be true. Even a Silver ranked Hunter would find that difficult." "It''s true, it''s true." Away from the crowd, Anselm and Tolgar were stood together. Tolgar buzzed around and peered at Anselm, an excited look in his eyes. "You were so cool, Anselm. Especially when you used your hand to stop his sword. Badass!" Anselm looked up. "I was just lucky. If Blake didn''t underestimate me, then there''s no way I could have defeated him. Next time, I''ll win without any petty tricks." ''I need to become stronger to find you. Later, I''ll ask Captain Alder how to become an official Hunter. Wait for me...''