Clash of Thunder and Ruin
The air between them buzzed with tension, charged with the remnants of Cal's electricity and the ominous, suffocating pressure radiating from his opponent. The man, now standing tall amidst the unconscious bodies of his comrades, finally spoke his name.
"I am Malrik Vaedren," his voice was deep and rasped like stone grinding against stone. "Remember that name,
Dark tendrils of energy coiled around Malrik like living serpents, the very ground beneath his feet fracturing under his presence. From his fingertips, the air thickened with a dense, earthen pressure as if the weight of an entire mountain bore down upon the battlefield.
Cal exhaled, shaking out his shoulders. "I was hoping for a bit more of a challenge," he mused, rolling his neck until it cracked. "Guess I got my wish."
With a sudden crack, the battle erupted.
Malrik was fast—deceptively so for someone who wielded Earth Mana. His hand slammed into the ground, and immediately, the earth beneath Cal's feet collapsed into a sinkhole. Cal reacted instinctively, propelling himself into the air with a burst of lightning.
But Malrik was already in motion.
From the ground, jagged spikes of obsidian shot up like spears, cutting through the night. Cal twisted mid-air, narrowly dodging the deadly barrage. One shard grazed his side, slicing through his coat and drawing blood, but he ignored it.
"Not bad," he admitted.
Then he retaliated.
Lightning arced from his fingertips, bolts of raw energy splitting the sky apart as they crashed toward Malrik. The Nihilum warrior braced himself, crossing his arms as the electric onslaught struck. But instead of faltering, Malrik absorbed the force, his aura flickering with blackened energy.
"What the hell…?" Cal muttered.
Malrik smirked, his eyes glowing with a sinister hue. "The earth is a natural conduit. What flows through it can be controlled, redirected—twisted." He raised his hand, and from the ground, a colossal arm of black stone surged upward, aiming to crush Cal beneath its weight.
Cal barely managed to dodge, flipping backward just as the massive structure slammed into the earth, sending shockwaves rippling through the area.
Malrik didn't let up.
With a sharp motion, the fallen obsidian shards around him levitated, spinning like a cyclone of jagged daggers before launching toward Cal with lethal precision.
Cal gritted his teeth. "Fine. Let's see how you handle this."
He extended both hands, electricity exploding outward in a blinding white-blue wave. The energy formed a protective barrier around him, shattering the incoming projectiles into dust. Then, in an instant, he vanished—a flash of lightning striking the battlefield as he reappeared behind Malrik.
Before Malrik could react, Cal drove his fist into his opponent's side, discharging a thunderous surge of voltage directly into his body.
Malrik screamed.
The raw power coursing through him sent violent spasms through his limbs, his dark aura flickering chaotically. He staggered forward, coughing as steam rose from his seared skin.
But even then, he wasn't finished.
With sheer force of will, Malrik slammed his hands together, and the entire ground beneath them detonated in a shockwave of raw earth mana. Cal was caught in the explosion, sent flying backward, skidding across the ruined ground.
Blood dripped from his shoulder where a sharp fragment had torn through flesh. His abdomen burned from the impact, but despite the pain, he grinned.
"You're tough," Cal admitted, wiping the blood from his mouth. "But you're not fast enough."
Malrik barely had time to register the words before Cal disappeared again.
A split-second later, lightning erupted from all directions, illuminating the battlefield in brilliant arcs of destruction. Malrik tried to react, but Cal's speed was relentless—he reappeared beside him, then above, then behind, each strike hitting faster and harder.
Malrik swung wildly, summoning another massive earthen fist, but Cal countered with a final, devastating bolt straight to his chest.
The impact tore through his defenses, sending him crashing into the remains of a crumbling wall. Smoke and static filled the air, and as the dust settled, Malrik lay unmoving, his aura flickering before fading completely.
It was over.
Cal let out a sharp breath, rolling his shoulder as the pain from his injuries caught up to him. "Damn, that was fun," he muttered, pressing a hand against his wounded side.
Selwyn and Raven, who had watched the battle unfold in stunned silence, finally rushed toward him.
"Are you okay?" Selwyn asked, his face full of worry.
Cal scoffed, waving him off. "Takes more than that to kill me, kid." His gaze then turned serious as he fixed both of them with an intense stare. "But this… this was just a taste of what's to come."
Selwyn swallowed hard. Raven's hands clenched into fists.
Cal took a deep breath. "Listen. There will always be people after Raven. After both of you. You've been dragged into this world whether you like it or not." He crossed his arms, his voice turning grim. "And if you don't get stronger, you won't survive the next time they come."
A heavy silence fell between them.
Then, Cal said the words that would change their lives forever.
"Join the Whispering Moon."
Selwyn stiffened. Raven's eyes widened.
Cal continued, "I can train you. Both of you. You won't just be running anymore—you'll be fighting back. And trust me, you'll need to."
Selwyn glanced at Raven, uncertainty flashing in his eyes. He didn't know if he was ready for this. To throw himself into something so much bigger, so much dangerous.
But then he thought about what had just happened. The monster. The Nihilum Legion. Malrik.
And he knew.
If he didn't fight back, he'd only be a target.
Raven, meanwhile, already had her answer. "I'm in."
Selwyn took a deep breath, then nodded.
"Alright," he said, determination settling in his chest. "I'm in too."
Cal grinned. "Good."
As the moon shone down on them, illuminating the battlefield of their first real war, one thing was certain —
This was just the beginning of the end.
End of Volume 1