VOID CHAIN AND DARK INFUSION

The moon hung high, its pale light brushing over the Mythic training grounds. Most of the city slept, unaware of what stirred in the shadows. Only one section of the grounds glowed faintly — the center platform where Arslan stood, breathing evenly, his body still aching from the day's drills.

Kar'Thæl emerged from the dark edge like a drifting mist, eyes burning low with crimson hue.

> "Ready for a new gift, Arslan?" he said with a low smirk.

Arslan nodded, already cracking his neck. "What are we working on tonight?"

Kar'Thæl extended his arm, and in his palm, a ripple in space formed — a swirling vortex of dark matter coiled into a metallic structure. Slowly, it extended into black ethereal chains, alive and humming, vibrating with power.

> "These are Void Chains," he said. "Not forged by metal, but from layered shadow essence and time-delay runes. Their purpose isn't just binding... but draining."

"Draining what?" Arslan asked, stepping closer.

> "Energy. Stamina. Magic. Thought. Everything."

Kar'Thael floated one of the chains toward Arslan, allowing him to take hold. As soon as Arslan gripped it, the chain pulsed — like a living serpent in his hand.

> "These chains can hold up to five enemies at once if cast well. Once bound, the enemies remain trapped for up to one full minute, and in that time... their vitality leaks into the void."

Arslan's eyes widened. "That's... broken."

Kar'Thæl grinned. "It's survival."

They began. First, Kar'Thæl created several shadow figures in the shape of goblins, imps, and even a mock Hellhound. Arslan dashed toward them, releasing the Void Chains with a forward spiral motion.

The chains danced, slithering in the air — then struck like lightning, wrapping around three shadow enemies instantly. They twitched and thrashed, but the glowing runes activated on each link.

Kar'Thæl watched with pride.

> "Perfect bind. Now watch..."

From each enemy, dark mist began to rise — their life force seeping into the runes of the chains. Arslan could feel it — as if strength was feeding back into him slowly. A grin formed on his face.

> "They're mine."

The shadow enemies eventually vanished. Kar'Thael clapped once. "That's your weapon now. Master it. Soon we'll chain real demons."

Kar'Thæl raised a hand, and the chains dissolved into dark dust.

> "Now for something different. Tonight, we go beyond just you."

Arslan looked confused. "What do you mean?"

Kar'Thæl paced slowly across the ground, eyes narrowed in thought.

> "Our battles are changing. You won't always be alone. There will be times you'll need to enhance your allies. Give them the edge only we possess."

He paused, then snapped his fingers.

From the darkness, a replica of Nirela's staff appeared — purely forged from memory. Kar'Thæl placed it on the ground.

> "This technique is called Dark Infusion. It allows you to channel a precise layer of dark energy into any ally's weapon. The result? Enhanced damage, durability, and for some... even new effects."

"Why only Nirela? " Arslan whispered

Arslan raised an eyebrow. "Dark energy on someone else's weapon? Won't it corrupt them?"

> "Only if the intent is impure. You'll need precision. Discipline. And... control over the darkness in you."

Kar'Thæl stepped back. "Begin."

Arslan took a deep breath, his right hand trembling slightly as he focused. He extended both palms toward the staff and closed his eyes. Slowly, his core surged — shadow gathering like mist around his fingertips.

A deep purple energy laced with violet veins reached toward the staff.

The energy coiled once... but failed — exploding into sparks before it could bind.

> "Too aggressive," Kar'Thæl said. "You're not attacking. You're offering. Think of it like sharing part of your fire without burning the other."

Arslan nodded, steadied his hands, and tried again.

This time, the dark energy reached softly, more controlled, as if asking permission. When it touched the staff, it glowed with a black aura, but didn't burn. Instead, it coated the surface like enchanted oil.

> "Now strike."

Arslan grabbed the infused staff and launched a downward blow at the training dummy. The weapon shattered the construct in one hit, the energy bursting out like a shockwave.

He stood, stunned. "That wasn't even full force."

Kar'Thæl stepped forward with a proud look.

> "Now imagine when you give this to Nirela, Ravik, or Yuna in real battle."

Arslan smiled, sweat dripping from his chin. "Dark Infusion… I like this one."

> "Good. Because the demons won't."

While the city slept, Arslan remained a flame of motion beneath the training ground's low-lit lanterns. His breaths came sharp and even, muscles aching, sweat dotting his brow. Yet he pressed on — not because he was ordered to, but because he had to.

> "Again," Kar'Thæl ordered, arms folded, his demonic form leaning against a spectral pillar.

Arslan gritted his teeth, unleashing Void Chains for the twelfth time. The black serpentine links cracked through the air and bound four animated shadow mannequins. But something had changed now. Where earlier the chains wavered or tangled, now they struck with precision, forming an exact radius and binding each target at their pressure points. Arslan had learned to "read" their movements before launch — predicting position and distance mid-motion.

> "Chains hold longer now," Kar'Thæl remarked with a pleased nod. "Good. Your precision is increasing. You're siphoning energy without exhausting your core."

After a minute, Arslan deactivated the weapon and dropped to one knee, gasping.

> "Not done yet," Kar'Thæl added. "Time to polish your gift-giving."

They transitioned to Dark Infusion — a more delicate art. Arslan summoned the memory-formed weapons of other Mythic members — Ravik's hammer, Nirela's staff, Elyra's crystal daggers — and one by one, he imbued each with calibrated amounts of dark energy.

This time, he wasn't just amplifying damage. Kar'Thæl taught him to alter the frequency of dark energy so it blended with the target's elemental nature. When he infused Ravik's hammer, the dark energy became magnetized to rock; with Elyra's daggers, it echoed her frost aura, amplifying freezing impact.

> "It's not raw power anymore," Arslan muttered. "It's… tailored."

Kar'Thæl smiled faintly. "You're learning what most never grasp — darkness is not chaos. It is formless potential. You give it purpose."

Once finished with the new techniques, Arslan cycled through his entire arsenal:

Shadow Merge to phase between dummies

Black Halo spiraling around him for defense

Phantom Rift teleporting between attack waves

ECLIPSION PULSE casting a clone to flank his enemy

Recoil Spiral to deflect ranged attacks

Shadow Vein Channeling for stamina control

Noir Tempest for sweeping execution

Each move became sharper, leaner, more efficient. The motions no longer looked like techniques, but instinct.

As dawn neared, Kar'Thæl placed a hand on Arslan's shoulder.

> "You're not just mastering darkness… You're shaping it into legacy."