(Arc: Revenge) Bad news

As time passed, my proficiency with the darkness element increased and the effects of my attacks became more destructive. Ian had generated hundreds of stone golems to test my skills; fire blast only left a deep slit on their bodies while darkness slash cut straight through like a hot knife through butter. The speed at which I was progressing appeared to impress him to the nth degree.

"Even amongst the talents of the other continents, you do not fall short. Truly remarkable!"

The days passed and three years flashed by. With a sweep, all the sweat fell off my forehead; a putrid smell was exuded by my body, after all, I had done nothing but train. Gripping the hilt with my right hand, I stood face-to-face with my teacher, Ian Keller. His stern gaze did not falter for even a moment and a grin popped up on his face.

"I'm proud of you boy or should I say young man, you're nearly twenty after all. Reaching first advanced stage in swordsmanship and tenth initial stage in magic is nothing to scoff at."

Learning under such an outstanding mage combined with my nigh bottomless energy reserve and talent allowed me to make lightning fast progress. My magic had almost caught up to my swordsmanship and I had become a far more balanced entity. The repulsive face of Von Ellis suddenly appeared in my mind and a sadistic smile formed on my face.

"Thank you for everything you've done, if only I could ever repay your kindness," I replied.

"If I'm still part of the living, our paths will surely cross once again."

"Grab this," he added.

He flung a few items that I promptly took hold of. My eyebrows were raised in astonishment when I examined what he had thrown: a storage ring and a few enchanted pieces of clothing. The things that he had passed onto me were worth a king's ransom. I donned the clothes that I had been gifted and truth be told, I did look badass.

The black dress shirt with rolled sleeves was tucked in my black trousers. The shirt exposed enough cleavage to see my scars; additionally, I threw on a pair of black leather gloves that granted me a ten percent increase in speed. Ian also offered me an eyepatch to hide the hole that used to be my left eye. I politely declined; the wound was a constant reminder of the humiliation that I had suffered.

"As the three years are coming to an end, I will automatically disappear."

I was already aware that this moment would come but even then this was a hard pill to swallow; Ian Keller was the person with whom I've spent the most time during my life.

His body began to disintegrate into blue energy particles in front of my eyes.

"If I meet the real you, will he remember me?" I asked.

"Yes of course, my dear student," he replied with a grin.

And just like that, he was gone without leaving a single speck of his being behind. My body remained stationary for a couple of minutes to gather my emotions and thoughts before heading towards the exit.

My focus was now entirely on Von Ellis; my frown was filled with killing intent and rage. As I marched forward, the end of the tunnel came into sight. The powerful rays of light seeped through the wooden trapdoor panels and bounced off the ground casting shadows around the bricks. The door led to the outside word; with a gentle push, a squeaking noise caused by the hinges was produced and the door was swung open. The blinding sunshine beamed down on my face forcing me to squint.

Taking a deep breath of crisp air, I let out a sigh of relief. Now only one question remained, where the hell was I?

My auditory perception had become more acute therefore, I could faintly discern voices a couple of kilometers away. Using shadow steps, I teleported around the forest and waited behind a tree that bordered a clearing. A group of ten hunters were sat around a fire and were feasting on roasted meat; the aroma circulated around and bombarded my nostrils. Despite me not needing food, my mouth was still watering and craving. Initially, I wanted to ask for directions but I overheard a disturbing piece of news.

"Did you guys hear about the village that was destroyed? I think it was Bliss village or something along those lines," one of the hunters said.

My face nearly dropped in anger and my fists were tightly clenched. I came out of hiding and revealed my presence.

"Who are you--"

Feeling my strength, they were all frozen in place and were unable to lift a finger. Their brains told them to escape but their bodies couldn't.

"Where are you guys from?" I asked calmly.

"V-Vainum."

"Answer my questions truthfully and nothing bad will happen; however, if you lie, I will shred you like pieces of paper. Is that understood?"

Their heads all nodded in agreement.

"When was Bliss village attacked?"

"Five days ago."

"How many people died?"

His reluctance to answer fueled my wrath and I instinctively grabbed his neck and lifted him off the ground. His hands desperately gripped my wrist as his legs seesawed. His eyes were being drained of life therefore I released my hold; his body thumped on the ground and he started choking.

"I won't be so lenient from now on so you better answer me quickly."

"F-Fr-From what I've heard, half of the people there p-perished."

My heart sank after he uttered those words. Even though I didn't have a lot of fond memories from that hellhole, some people there meant a lot to me.

"Where's the way to Vainum?"

His hands rummaged through his bag to find a map which he swiftly handed over. As I was about to depart, a woman began speaking. The others tried to stop her but their efforts were in vain.

"Do you know who I am? My dad works as an accountant for the Anderson family. I'll have you executed."

Her threat made me burst into an uncontrollable fit of laughter.

"What are you laughing at? Are you scared? If you bow down and beg, maybe I'll let you off."

"A mere accountant, ooh I'm shaking in my boots. The next time you threaten someone, know the identity of the person. The name's Rohan Anderson."

She attempted to string together a sentence but only uttered two words.

"The B-Bloodhound--"