Faithless_reader

The Stone Mask is an action-packed dark fantasy set in a world where strength rules and the weak are crushed.

Katsu Blazewood, a rising Ranker with fire-based abilities, dreams of climbing the ranks and proving his worth. Under the guidance of the ruthless Simon Shepard, he faces deadly trials, powerful adversaries, and the harsh truth of what it means to be a Ranker. But when the government launches a brutal invasion in search of a legendary artifact—the Stone Mask—Katsu is thrust into a war far greater than himself.

The Stone Mask is said to hold unimaginable power, a relic from a forgotten era that could reshape the balance of the world. But as Katsu uncovers the dark secrets behind it, he begins to question everything: Who truly controls the Rankers? What does it mean to wield power? And most of all—what will he become if he survives?

The Stone Mask

A raging fire crackled in the heart of the Whispering Woods, its embers flickering like restless spirits. The forest, once lush and green, was now painted in shades of orange and crimson, consumed by an inferno that should not have existed in this rain-soaked land. Among the blazing ruins of trees and shattered stone, a lone figure stood, his breath heavy, his body scarred, but his eyes burning with something even fiercer than the flames around him.

The name was once meaningless—just another boy lost in a world ruled by the strong. But tonight, it meant something more.

Katsu clenched his fists, flames dancing between his fingers as he gazed at the masked corpses surrounding him. He didn't know who they were, only that they had tried to kill him. Only that they had called themselves Rankers. Only that, in the end, his fire had answered.

His legs trembled. His breath was shallow. The heat of his own flames licked at his skin, but he did not let them die out. He couldn't.

In this world, power was everything. If you had none, you were dust beneath the boots of the strong.

Katsu had no family, no home, no legacy to uphold. But he had fire.

And tonight, that fire had earned him a chance. A chance to carve his name into history. A chance to become a Ranker—one who stands at the top, one who never bows, one who fights without fear.

But as Katsu took his first step toward that path, a shadow loomed behind him.

A blade gleamed under the firelight. A presence—calm, composed, yet suffocating—stood at his back.

"You're still weak," the voice muttered, unimpressed. "If you don't fix that, you won't live long."

Katsu turned, his body screaming in protest. The man before him had silver-streaked hair, sharp golden eyes, and a presence so heavy that it made the air itself feel like stone. He had no mask. No title. No need for them.

This man—Simon Shepard—had no use for words when strength spoke louder.

And just like that, the real journey began.

Do this faithless reader a favour and read this amazing light novel. I'm unemployed and so on. The first few chapters might be basic but hear me out and let me cook.

This is my first and only Lightnovel although I do have another one in a contest but we don't talk about that.

Anyway spare my your power stones and let's show the world and where lonely person out there what...…. I got off track, anyway BYE ✌️

Prologue – The Stone Mask