Blood and Moonlight
Deep within Aden Forest, near a tranquil lake that shimmered under the moonlight, four figures stood encircling a monstrous entity—a giant black-scaled serpent, its armored hide gleaming like tempered steel. The creature stretched over 30 meters long, its coiled body towering nearly 10 meters high. Each of the four figures wore flowing robes emblazoned with the insignia of Emberwing Academy.
The serpent hissed, but it was no ordinary hiss—it was a deafening, thunderous roar, like the howling of a jet engine. The sheer force of the sound ripped through the night, rattling leaves and sending shockwaves through the ground. The four awakeners were forced to scatter, clamping their hands over their ears as they leaped away to avoid the crushing pressure of the soundwave.
Aurelle, a woman with golden-blonde hair that shimmered under the moonlight, raised both hands, her fingers tracing intricate patterns in the air as she began chanting. The atmosphere around her trembled, an unseen force distorting reality itself. Then, in an instant, a colossal rune flared into existence below the serpent's body, pulsing with arcane power.
"Gravitational Rune!"
The moment the rune activated, an overwhelming gravitational force crashed down on the beast. The serpent's immense body shuddered before being slammed into the earth with bone-cracking force, its massive jaws forcibly clamped shut as if chained by an invisible weight.
"Now!" Aurelle's voice rang through the clearing like a whip crack.
Erwin, a red-haired young man smirked, his eyes gleaming with exhilaration. "Nice work, Aurelle!"
He dashed forward, his grip tightening around the hilt of his sword. The instant he got within range, he propelled himself high into the air, twisting mid-flight as he hurled his weapon downward.
FWOOSH!
Midair, the sword underwent a breathtaking transformation, its length expanding exponentially until it became a massive blade nearly 15 meters long. The blade's tip cut through the air like a meteor, descending toward the serpent's skull.
DUAGH!
The impact sent tremors rippling through the earth. Though the blade only managed to pierce partway through the serpent's steel-like scales, the force was enough to carve a deep wound, causing thick, inky blood to spill onto the ground. The serpent let out an agonized, guttural screech, its massive body convulsing.
From below, a burly man let out a booming laugh, his voice resonating through the battlefield. "Not bad, Erwin! Now, let me finish the job!"
Nafie, the muscular guy, launched himself onto the serpent's massive body, his boots digging into the creature's scales as he climbed with brutal efficiency. He reached the embedded sword and ascended its hilt as if scaling a siege tower.
Once atop, he rolled his shoulders, the muscles in his arms pulsing like coiled steel cables. The air around him grew thick with raw energy, his clenched fists trembling with barely contained power.
"Crush!"
BANG!
His fist struck the hilt of the oversized blade, driving it deeper into the serpent's skull. A sickening crunch echoed through the clearing.
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
With each successive blow, the blade burrowed deeper, fracturing the once-impenetrable scales. The serpent's convulsions became more erratic, its tail thrashing wildly, uprooting trees with every spasm. Viscous black blood poured freely, pooling beneath its massive form.
Then—
CRACK!
With a final, devastating punch, the sword shattered through the serpent's skull, piercing all the way to the brain. A violent tremor coursed through the beast's body as its roars of agony turned into a deathly gurgle.
The serpent writhed in its final moments, its massive coils convulsing before its energy faded. The once-dazzling sheen of its scales dulled, its muscles sagging as the life drained from its colossal form.
And then… the beast fell still.
At that precise moment, the last member of the group made his move.
Andy, his katana humming with energy, sprinted forward with his eyes closed. His steps were unnervingly steady, his breathing calm—unnatural, even. Though his vision was obscured, his awareness was sharper than ever. Every ripple of the wind, every tremor in the ground, every pulse of the dying beast's lifeblood—he sensed it all.
The instant he reached striking distance…
"Azure Crescent."
In a blur, Andy lunged forward, his form almost vanishing into the shadows. His katana gleamed with ethereal blue light, a crescent arc forming along its edge.
SLASH!
A razor-thin wave of energy erupted from the blade, slicing through the night like a ghostly specter.
SPLASH!
The serpent's massive eye exploded in a shower of thick, red-black fluid, the remnants spraying across the battlefield. The sound was sickening, like a water balloon bursting under immense pressure.
A final, ragged scream tore from the serpent's throat, its body seizing up in one last, desperate struggle. Then, with a final shudder, its frame collapsed under its own weight.
The battlefield fell into a deafening silence.
The serpent was dead.
---
Erwin and Nafie leaped down from the now-lifeless serpent, its massive form sprawled across the blood-soaked earth. Their breaths were ragged, but a victorious gleam shone in their eyes.
They gazed at the enormous sword still embedded in the creature's skull, its crimson glow gradually fading.
"Heh, guess this artifact sword finally proved useful," Erwin said with a satisfied smirk.
Nafie clapped him on the back, his hearty laugh echoing through the forest. "Of course! Without me, your sword would've just gotten stuck forever! Ha ha ha!"
Erwin just chuckled and shaking his head.
Meanwhile, Aurelle exhaled slowly, her expression composed despite the relief in her heart. "Good. Now we can focus on finding the treasure."
Andy, who had remained silent, wiped the blood from his katana before sheathing it. His face unreadable, he turned to the group.
"What about Adam?" he asked, his tone indifferent.
The three exchanged glances before—
They chuckled.
"He's probably dead by now," Nafie remarked casually, devoid of sympathy, as if Adam was nothing more than a fleeting thought.
"Yeah, even if he survived, it's pointless," Erwin said dismissively. "He was always the weakest among us. If he were here, he wouldn't have helped much against that thing anyway."
Aurelle merely shrugged, indifferent. "If he died, that's his own fault."
To them, Adam was nothing more than a disposable pawn.
"Alright, let's carve up this beast," Nafie declared eagerly, his eyes gleaming at the thought of valuable loot.
Erwin and the others smirked, fully aware that the serpent's crystal core would fetch a fortune.
---
Thirty minutes later.
The serpent's head had been severed, its flesh neatly dissected. The sickly scent of blood permeated the air, mingling with the damp earth.
In their hands were eight mid-tier crystal cores, gleaming faintly under the moonlight. Alongside them were several valuable parts—razor-sharp fangs, reinforced scales, and glowing crimson eyes.
They sat on a large rock, catching their breath.
"Now we can finally focus on the treasure. What do you think, Erwin?" Nafie asked, his excitement barely contained.
Erwin unfolded the worn map he had been carrying, carefully scanning the faded lines. His eyes traced their current location.
"It should be around here..." he muttered, realizing they had reached the marked point.
Aurelle narrowed her eyes, surveying their surroundings. "But all we see is that cliff."
They turned their attention to the towering rock face ahead, its surface rough and overgrown with moss and thick vines. No visible entrances.
"Don't tell me we have to climb," Nafie grumbled, scowling.
Andy stepped forward, pressing his palm against the rock. His fingers traced its contours, feeling for anything unusual.
Then…
"Wait… this is strange," he murmured, his expression turning serious.
His fingertips brushed against a smoother surface beneath the vines.
Aurelle immediately stepped up, raising her hand. With a simple spell, she conjured a small flame.
The fire spread quickly, burning away the vines and revealing what lay hidden beneath.
A formation of black stones, arranged in the shape of a natural gate.
Their eyes widened.
"This is it!" Erwin exclaimed.
"But… how do we open it?" Andy knelt, running his hands over the stone surface. He tried pushing, pressing, even tapping, but it wouldn't budge.
Nafie cracked his knuckles. "Easy. I'll just break it down!"
Before he could, Aurelle swiftly yanked him back.
"Wait! Don't be reckless. This could be a trap."
Nafie frowned but nodded. "Fair point."
Erwin studied the map again, searching for hidden clues. The parchment was faded and difficult to read. He furrowed his brows.
Andy, peering over his shoulder, suddenly noticed something.
"Wait, I see something," he said.
Taking out a water flask, he gently poured some onto the map, rubbing the surface carefully.
And sure enough—
A hidden symbol appeared.
Near their current location, a small full moon symbol had been etched into the parchment.
They exchanged glances.
"Could the treasure be connected to the moon?" Nafie speculated.
"Or maybe we need the power of the moon to open this door?" Aurelle asked, frowning.
"Moonlight!" Andy, who had been deep in thought, suddenly spoke with certainty.
His words brought silence to the group.
"We need to illuminate this cliff with moonlight," he added.
They looked up, their gazes tracing the towering, dense trees that blocked the moon's glow from reaching the cliffside.
"Alright, then let's make an opening."
Without hesitation, they worked together, cutting down several of the obstructing trees.
But unbeknownst to them…
Someone was watching from a distance.
Perched on a shadowy tree branch, a lone figure observed them in silence.
Eryon.
He had been there since the group fought the giant serpent, drawn by the echoes of battle that had carried far through the forest.
His sharp eyes studied them, analyzing their strengths and weaknesses. Now, after observing for long enough, he had formed a clear picture of his opponents.
----
In this moment, Erwin's group had successfully cleared the way. They had cut down hundreds of trees, leaving behind a wide open area.
The moonlight finally touched the cliffside.
In an instant, the black stone on the cliff began to glow with a bluish light, forming a massive gate that slowly creaked open.
A passage into the earth revealed itself—a stone staircase descending into the pitch-black depths below.
"Fuck! This is insane! What are we waiting for? Let's go!" Nafie shouted, his excitement palpable as he bolted forward without hesitation.
Erwin, Andy, and Aurelle shared a brief glance before following him into the unknown.
Silence settled over the woods once more as they crossed the threshold.
Five minutes later, Eryon stood before the open gate, a sinister grin stretching across his face.
"The hunt begins!"
With a devilish smirk, he stepped forward, vanishing into the shadows.
Another five minutes passed. Clouds began to blanket the night sky over Aden Forest, shrouding the moon in darkness and blocking its light from illuminating the world.
With the moonlight gone, the stone gate slowly closed once more.