<h4>Chapter 57: Cloudy Skies</h4>


    I didn''t sleep, at all. I watched the moons disappear behind the distant mountains as the sun finally dawned, dyeing the world in crimson and golden once more.


    I knew Asher was still asleep.


    I shook my head to try and get rid of that awareness and descended the stairs. After leaving the building and approaching the shallow river, I sshed some water on my face and, after a short moment of hesitation, summoned my wings.


    I didn''t intend to leave just yet, I still had things I wanted to ask Asher about. But a little bit of training did sound great. There was no better way to distract myself.


    I stretched my wings and leapt up into the air. With a steady rhythm, I rose higher and higher, until the ground trees below looked like small bushes. The freedom of flying through the skies like this was truly unrivalled.


    I started to descend when my muscles started burning with pain. Asher was right, I needed plenty of training if I wanted to use these wings properly. As I approached the ground, I noticed a few avian creatures circling the building. I slowed my descent and summoned my interface. Without a moment of hesitation, I used ''Dark Bolt'' on the creatures.


    As the shadowy bolts hit them, they fell onto the grass fields without even letting out a screech. I felt their souls dissolve into my chest as Inded near the river again. Out of breath, I washed my face again. At the back of mind, I noticed Asher had woken up. With a sigh, I returned to the building.


    "I''m surprised you''re still here." He said as stepped inside.


    "I want you teach me how you cast spells without using your interface." I said as soon as our eyes met.


    He chuckled. "I can try. How about some breakfast first, though?"


    I hesitated; I hadn''t noticed how hungry I was until he reminded me. "Yeah." I mumbled. He took a few fruits and some dried meat out of his inventory. We took our ces at the chairs around the only table in the room and ate in silence, until I finally sighed. "This is annoying." I shouted. "I don''t want to constantly be so... aware of you."


    He chuckled. "It''ll be less the farther away we are. I doubt you''ll stick around me for much longer anyways, so you don''t need to worry about it." I rolled my eyes. That wasn''t exactly the solution I was looking for.


    "Anyways," He said as he ate thest piece of fruit and pushed his chair back. He stood up and headed outside. I followed him and stepped outside, where the newly rising sun blinded me momentarily. He raised his hand and a small, crimson me appeared.


    "I won''t exin how I do this." He nced at me as I stared at him in confusion. Didn''t he just say he''d teach me? Heughed at my expression. "You said you were a martial artist, right?" He asked as the me danced on his fingers. I hesitantly nodded, what did that have to do with my request?


    "Interesting." He mumbled.


    "So, why won''t you exin it?" I asked with an annoyed expression. Why was he making things so much more difficult?


    "You already know how to do it." He said with a grin. I tried to protest, but he stopped me. "Let me finish. You don''t use your interface to summon your wings, do you?"


    I hesitated. "No, but..." I shook my head. "It''s not the same thing."


    "It is. You just need to apply the same principle to your spells." He shrugged. "I figured out how to do it justst week. You''ll figure it out eventually."


    I hesitated. "I''ll try." I said with a sigh. "So, if we''re done here, I''d like to get going."


    He nodded. "We''re almost done." He turned to look at me as his eyes let out a jade glow. "There is one thing I want to make clear. The reason I insisted on forming the bond is clear. We can agree on that, right?"


    I nodded.


    "Good. So, I''m sure you''ll understand why I say this; when I ask you to meet me somewhere, I expect you to be there." His cold tone, serious expression made it clear that he wasn''t joking.


    I nodded. "Yeah." Then, I also red at him. "And I expect some answers, soon." I said as I nced towards the building. He chuckled. "You''ll get them."


    We stood there in silence for a short while before I finally spoke again. "I want to go find the others." I extended my hand. "My weapons." He raised his eyebrows, then understanding dawned on him. "Oh, right." He said as he took my two swords out of his inventory and handed them over to me.


    "Thanks," I said as I summoned my wings. "Oh!" I suddenly stopped as I remembered something else. "Who hired you and that girl?"


    He paused, thenughed as he understood what I was talking about. "Some guy back in the city. The alchemist. I don''t know his name. Technically, he hired Astrid and she asked for my helpter. They just wanted to know who the hell had taken out the Cursed One and the Terror." He grinned. "They thought it was Erik''s group who''d done it. I''m sure their jaw would drop if they learned you soloed the Cursed One."


    "Let''s make sure they don''t learn." I said with a sigh. I didn''t want to draw any more attention on me than I already had.


    Asher chuckled and nodded. "Well, then. Don''t die." He grinned. "I won''t say any farewells since we will talk often." He touched his forehead before heading back inside.


    I sighed, stretched my wings, and leapt into the air. I headed to where the demonic ruins Rina wanted to explore were. As I flew, I focused on the rhythm of the beat of my wings. The strain on my muscles soon turned into pain, but instead ofnding, I used Fallen Grace. As magical strength filled my muscles, each beat of my wings stopped being a challenge. I soared through the cloudy skies with ease.