The Enigma of Kael's Power

Aryan stopped in his tracks, panting heavily. Selena and Kai had kept running ahead, but he couldn't shake the questions in his mind. "Why did we stop?" Selena called back, her voice carrying the urgency of their situation. "We need to get moving. It's literally two days from here to the gate!"

Aryan's brow furrowed as he struggled to catch his breath. "That person… what was his name again? Aki?" Selena nodded. "Kael," Aryan corrected himself, his voice tinged with disbelief. "How could he do it? How did he defeat that warlord? The strongest one on this layer? And he did it alone, without any demon heart power."

Selena's eyes flashed with concern. "You're not thinking of going back, are you?" she asked, trying to pull him forward again.

Aryan hesitated, then shook his head. "No, but I need to know. How did he do it?" His voice was low, a mixture of curiosity and frustration.

Suddenly, he turned to the host who was watching them from a distance. "Can you show me the footage? The fight between Kael and the warlord?" The host's eyes flickered, and after a moment of hesitation, he nodded. "Very well," he said. "I'll show it to you."

The monitor flickered to life, and the screen displayed the encounter. It started with a brief conversation between the warlord, named Vexor, and Kael. Vexor's voice rumbled, filled with authority and anger. "Who are you to challenge me, little man?" His large frame loomed over Kael, but the younger swordsman remained calm and composed.

Kael's voice was smooth and cold. "I don't need a title to take you down. Your strength doesn't intimidate me."

Vexor grinned, his sharp teeth bared. "Then you'll die just like the rest."

The fight erupted without further words. Kael moved with a fluid grace that belied the intensity of the battle. His strikes were sharp, precise, and delivered with deadly efficiency. Vexor fought back with brute strength, swinging his massive sword in wide arcs. But Kael was always one step ahead, dodging, weaving, and countering with calculated precision.

The choreography of the battle was breathtaking. Kael moved like a shadow, his strikes quick and lethal, while Vexor's power was a storm of steel and fury. The two clashed in a series of dazzling exchanges, the ground shaking with each impact. The screen displayed their every move—Kael's shadowy veil swirling around him, concealing his every step, while Vexor's power radiated a deadly aura of raw strength.

As the fight reached its climax, Kael made his final move. With a swift, calculated strike, he disarmed Vexor and delivered a finishing blow that sent the warlord sprawling to the ground. Vexor's eyes widened in disbelief as he gasped for breath, his body succumbing to exhaustion.

The screen went blank as the host cut the footage. Aryan turned back to the others, his mind racing. "How did he do it? How was he so strong without any demon heart power?"

Selena's voice was tinged with uncertainty. "Maybe he's not playing by the same rules as the rest of us. Maybe he's found a way to tap into a different source of power."

Kai nodded, his eyes fixed on the screen. "Whatever it is, it's dangerous. And we need to know how to protect ourselves from it."

As they discussed the mystery of Kael's strength, the host's voice interrupted them. "Players, the gate will closed in twelve hours. Start moving now." The urgency in the host's tone was clear—time was running out, and they needed to make a decision quickly.