Nobles in their opulent attire flowed out of the castle gates like a stream of decadence, each face painted with a myriad of masked expressions, equal parts intrigue and disdain.


    They shuffled into their awaiting carriages, eager to escape the cold, their jeweled garments shimmering under the sparse crystal light. The final trial of David De Gor hade to an end, and whispers of what they had witnessed lingered in the air like a bitter aftertaste. Elder Maison stood among the nobles, his eyes narrowing as he watched the haughty figure of his son, Shuan, stride toward the carriages with a smirk curling on his lips.


    Maison moved forward, his voice low and stern as he addressed his son. "A foolish disy the day before, Shuan. Challenging David during the second trial was reckless. The Earl may have taken no offence, but your actions were both unwise and unbing of our bloodline."


    Shuan waved a dismissive hand, opening the carriage door for his father. "Father, I was simply… entertaining myself. The boy needs to be put in his ce. Besides, where''s the harm in a little sport?"


    Maison''s face darkened, his voice dropping even lower. "There are limits, Shuan. And you crossed them. If you want to lead one day, you''ll need more than brute arrogance and childish games."


    With a faint sigh of annoyance, Maison climbed into his carriage. "Are you travelling back with me, then?"


    Shuan shook his head, straightening his cor with a feigned, dismissive air. "I have matters to attend to tonight, Father. I''ll return tomorrow."


    Maison''s eyes narrowed, but he gave a resigned nod. "Then don''t keep yourself long." He withdrew into his carriage, and the coachman snapped the reins, driving the elder''s carriage away.


    As Shuan turned to his own carriage, he caught a glimmer in the dark—a quick sh of something unknown. But he shook it off, attributing it to the nerves left from his father''s lecture. He climbed inside, shutting the door behind him, as his coachman gave the horses a crack of the whip.


    Inside, Shuan leaned back, a wicked glint in his eyes. His mind wandered, imagining what depths David had been transported to after the ritual. "Wherever he is, he should stay there," he muttered to himself. "Better to make certain I''m ready… just in case he returns."


    He rapped the side of the carriage, signaling the coachman. "The usual ce," he ordered. They travelled in silence through the winding roads, the quiet only asionally interrupted by the rhythmic clopping of hooves. The dense woods and narrow paths soon gave way to an open in near the outskirts of Aethelwarin County. There, the air grew colder, the silence almost unbearable as they approached an abandoned cabin that stood like a forgotten relic amid the barren fields.


    Shuan alighted from the carriage and turned to his coachman. "Is everything ready?" he inquired, his voice low and expectant.


    Without a word, the coachman stepped to the back of the carriage, pulling open a concealedpartment. Insidey an unconscious woman, her wrists bound, her breath shallow. Shuan''s grin widened as he inspected her.


    "Perfect. A fitting sacrifice tomunicate with our master," he said, his voiceced with satisfaction. "Excellent work."


    As Shuan''s coachman stepped back, his figure began to shift and contort, his human form grotesquely unraveling into something monstrous. Thick, sinewy limbs grew where his arms had been, and his skin darkened into a leathery hide. Sharp ws extended from its fingers, and two yellow, predatory eyes gleamed in the dark. The creature held the woman in one wed hand, lifting her with terrifying ease as it prepared to drag her into the decrepit cabin.


    The silence shattered as a de struck the creature''s raised arm. Sparks flew as the monstrous arm deflected the weapon, metal against w ringing out in the night. Shuan snapped his head to the side, watching with narrowed eyes as a dark, slender figure emerged from the shadows, dressed in a sleek bodysuit of pitch-ck darkness that seemed to absorb the moonlight. In the intruder''s hand gleamed a sabre, its edge polished to a deadly glint.


    The figure''s silence was unnerving, their stance poised and unwavering. Shuan sneered, crossing his arms as he watched the neer. "You''ve got some nerve, meddling in private affairs," he called, his voice filled with disdain. "Tell me, who are you, and why should I tolerate such… insolence?"


    The figure remained wordless, moving slightly to position themselves between Shuan and the creature, their gaze never faltering. Unfazed by the intruder''sck of response, Shuan waved a hand dismissively toward his monstrouspanion. "Fine. Deal with them, but leave them breathing. I have a few… questions for our guest." His lips twisted into a cruel smile. "Break a few bones if you''d like, but no fatal wounds, understood?"


    The monster let out a guttural growl, its yellow eyes glinting as it sized up its opponent. With a low, primal snarl, it lunged forward, its ws swiping toward the dark figure in a violent arc.


    In a sh, the figure sidestepped, their movements eerily calm and calcted. They ducked under the creature''s swing and countered with a swift strike to its ribcage. The creature stumbled back, momentarily caught off guard by the skill and precision of its opponent. The figure was relentless, darting around the monster with an agility that seemed almost otherworldly, their sabre cutting through the air with deadly purpose.


    Shuan watched, irritation flickering across his face as he realized the fight was not going as nned. Each of the creature''s attacks was deftly parried or dodged, the dark-cloaked figure''s movements fluid and precise, their expression concealed but unmistakably focused.


    The creature roared in frustration, throwing itself at the figure with increased ferocity. But as it reached out to strike again, a glint of steel caught the moonlight—its opponent had already anticipated the move. With a swift, calcted maneuver, the figure thrust their sabre forward, embedding it deep into the creature''s side. The monster howled in pain, its body convulsing as it stumbled back, clutching its wound.


    Shuan felt a prickle of unease, a sudden realization creeping into his mind. This intruder was not just any opponent—they were formidable, an elite with skills that far surpassed the usual nuisances he encountered.


    "Who are you?" he demanded, his voice dropping to a cold growl, his gaze steeling with suspicion.


    The figure''s gaze remained fixed on Shuan, silent and unreadable as a shadow. Then, without a word, they took a step forward, their sabre glinting ominously in the moonlight. In that instant, Shuan felt a chill race down his spine, the faintest inkling of fear tightening in his chest.


    The night echoed with Shuan''sughter, mocking and triumphant, as his monsterpanion rose again, regenerating swiftly from the seemingly fatal wound it had sustained. The creature''s leathery skin re-knit itself, and its hulking form loomed behind the dark figure who had assumed it defeated.


    In a vicious ambush, the creature''s wed hand mmed down on the figure''s back, sending them staggering forward. The cloak of darkness surrounding them absorbed the brunt of the blow, shielding them from the full force of the impact, but the figure''s stance wavered as they struggled to regain their bnce.


    "Well, well," Shuan purred, his mocking voice cutting through the stillness. He flicked his blond hair back, smirking. "You didn''t think it would be that easy, did you? This monster''s strength isn''t so easily extinguished." His eyes gleamed with twisted amusement. "And you, you must be quite skilled—a King-ranked swordsman, from what I can see. But skill alone won''t save you."


    The figure straightened, sabre still in hand, and readied for another attack, a silent determination burning within their hidden gaze. Just as the monster braced itself for another charge, however, a new presence stepped from the shadows, her aura radiating calm confidence that nketed the area in an icy intensity.


    Silver hair spilled over her shoulders like a waterfall of starlight, and her golden eyes were fixed on the creature with a predatory gleam. She stepped forward with grace, her gaze steady as she assessed the monster''s powerful build and regenerative prowess, her lips curling ever so slightly in disdain. Find your next adventure on m_v l|e-NovelBin


    Shuan''sughter halted for a split second as he nced at the neer, quickly masking his surprise. He crossed his arms, regarding her with an arrogant smirk. "Another one?" he taunted, feigning boredom but his gaze sharpening with keen interest. "Doesn''t matter. This creature has enough strength to handle a dozen of you."


    He gestured grandly to the monster, who let out a low, guttural growl, its eyes locked onto the silver-haired woman with newfound rage. Shuan''s voice held a cruel edge as hemanded, "Now—attack! And don''t hold back this time."


    The monsterunched itself forward, ws slicing through the air with lethal speed, intent on tearing its opponents to shreds. But the silver-haired woman merely smiled, a sh of fierce amusement lighting up her eyes. With fluid, graceful motion, she drew her ws that seemed to hum withtent energy.