VEIL OF REALM

The moon was high above the Mythic Base, cloaking the world in a blanket of silver and silence. The stars flickered like watchful eyes over Lumisgrave, and a soft night breeze rolled over the stone courtyards, swaying the banners of honor that had been raised after the victory against ZARELLE.

Within the shadowed training grounds—now dimly lit by magical lanterns—Arslan stood alone, shirt off, muscles tensed, his breath steaming under the night chill. Sweat glistened on his skin as he completed a final set of movements, mimicking his newly sharpened dark energy formations.

Suddenly, a flicker of dark flame shimmered in the air.

> Kar'Thæl whispered into his mind, his voice smooth, deep, and strangely amused:

"Still hungry, even after all the bloodshed, hmm?"

Arslan smiled faintly, catching his breath.

> Arslan: "I said I'll train with my teammates during the day… and with you at night. I meant it."

> Kar'Thæl: "Good. Because tonight—I'll teach you something that only a few vessels in history ever had the capacity to learn."

A gust of darkness swirled to Arslan's left, and Kar'Thæl emerged in partial manifestation—his glowing red eyes watching Arslan like a judge. Horns curled over his head, and fire-like aura licked around his shoulders. His presence turned the air electric.

> Kar'Thæl: "What I'm going to teach you tonight is a Defensive Compression Technique. One that uses your own aura not just as a barrier—but a living shield that responds to your instincts."

> Arslan: "A reactive defense?"

> Kar'Thæl: "Exactly. It's called Dreadspike Guard. You compress your dark energy into needle-like threads within your aura shell. When any strike pierces your field—these threads impale the attacker automatically. No manual action needed. Your body becomes a trap."

Arslan widened his eyes. That kind of defense… sounded like it could turn a desperate situation into a kill zone.

> Arslan: "Let's begin."

---

Scene: The Dreadspike Training

Kar'Thæl hovered around him, shifting the gravity around Arslan's frame using demonic force, pressing his vessel to exert energy under pressure. With every movement, Arslan concentrated his aura—dark, smoky tendrils coiling around his arms and chest like serpent tattoos.

> Kar'Thæl: "Focus. Picture your aura as threads. Thousands of them. Invisible. But sharp."

Arslan gritted his teeth, focusing deeply. His eyes flickered red momentarily as the energy compressed tighter and tighter around his form. A sharp pain crept into his shoulders—burning from within—as if dozens of hot needles were pushing through his skin.

He dropped to one knee.

> Kar'Thæl: "Don't fight the pain. Embrace it. It's your power molding itself into something lethal."

Arslan growled low, digging his fingers into the earth. Grit. Focus. Control.

Then—a wave of invisible spikes burst outward, invisible to sight but humming with a deadly vibration that even Kar'Thæl nodded in approval of.

> Kar'Thæl (grinning): "There it is. The beginning of Dreadspike Guard. You're shaping it."

Arslan stood, breathing heavily but composed.

> Arslan: "I'll perfect it. Soon, I won't even need to think about defense. My power will think for me."

> Kar'Thæl: "Good. But don't grow arrogant. This is merely the seed of something far greater."

They sat now at the edge of the training ground. Kar'Thæl leaned back against a large stone, his form flickering like firelight.

Arslan wiped sweat from his brow, looked to the sky, then suddenly asked:

> Arslan: "ZARELLE was powerful. But why only one? Why not send two mid-level demons… or three?"

Kar'Thæl grew silent.

Then, he spoke—voice heavier, with a trace of warning.

> Kar'Thæl: "Because they can't. Not yet."

> Arslan: "What do you mean?"

Kar'Thæl stood now, pacing slowly, fire in his eyes.

> Kar'Thæl: "There's something you must understand, Arslan. The Vault of Sundusk—you've heard the name, but you don't yet grasp its truth."

Arslan frowned.

> Arslan: "You've only mentioned it during the interrogation with ZARELLE. I assumed it was just a portal."

> Kar'Thæl: "No. It's far more than that. The Vault of Sundusk is a cosmic gate… a dimensional breach anchored between the Demon World and the realm of mortals. But it's incomplete."

He raised a hand and formed a glowing illusion—a vast circular structure pulsing with dark chains and shimmering seals. It floated like a bleeding moon.

> Kar'Thæl: "As you know The vault is locked by six magical stones. Each time a stone is placed back into the vault, the breach widens.It means as the stones are placed , the more and higher level Demons can enter.."

Arslan said "So , that's why only a single mid demon can enter at a time

Kar'Thael replied "Exactly"

After training, Arslan went to Base.