Chapter 14 — The Awakening
Morry stood in front of Varen with both swords in his hands.
His breathing had become heavy, and his body was covered with small wounds from the battle.
Varen wasn’t in perfect condition either.
His armor was damaged, and several cuts could be seen across his body.
But the difference between them was still clear.
Varen was an Elite.
Morry was only a Secondary Knight.
Varen looked at him.
"You’ve fought well."
Morry smiled.
"That sounds like you’re about to say something annoying."
Varen ignored the comment.
"But this is where you lose."
Morry tightened his grip around both swords.
"We’ll see."
Varen rushed forward.
His ice weapon came toward Morry’s chest.
Morry blocked it with his right sword.
At the same time, he used his left sword to attack Varen’s side.
Varen moved backward and avoided the strike.
Morry followed him.
His two swords moved continuously.
One sword attacked.
The other defended.
Varen blocked several attacks before creating ice beneath Morry’s feet.
Morry jumped away.
Sharp ice spikes rose from the ground where he had been standing.
He landed several meters away.
Varen immediately attacked again.
Morry crossed both swords.
The impact pushed him backward.
His feet dragged across the ground.
He stopped himself and took a deep breath.
His arms were beginning to hurt.
Varen noticed.
"You’re slowing down."
Morry looked at him.
"You’re talking too much."
He rushed forward again.
The two clashed.
Their weapons collided again and again.
Morry’s two-sword technique allowed him to survive against Varen, but he was struggling to find an opening.
Varen’s Ice Power made every mistake dangerous.
One wrong movement could leave Morry frozen.
Varen suddenly changed his attack.
Morry blocked with one sword.
Varen’s other hand released a burst of ice.
Morry couldn’t avoid it completely.
The ice struck his side.
He was thrown several meters away.
"Morry!"
Rin shouted.
Morry rolled across the ground and stopped.
He slowly stood up.
"I’m okay."
Lena looked worried.
"You should rest."
Morry shook his head.
"I can’t."
He looked toward Varen.
"Not yet."
Varen raised his hand.
Ice began gathering around his body.
Morry raised both swords.
Then he felt something.
A strange energy was moving through his body.
His breathing became calm.
The energy moved into both swords.
The blades began glowing.
Morry looked at them.
"What..."
The energy continued increasing.
His two swords started responding to his movements in a completely different way.
He could feel them.
Not just as weapons.
But almost like they were connected to him.
Varen noticed the change.
"What did you awaken?"
Morry didn’t answer.
He didn’t know himself.
But he understood one thing.
His Blade Master ability had changed.
His new awakening was called:
Twin Soul Blades.
The two swords were now directly connected to his energy.
Morry could control each sword independently.
He took his stance.
Varen attacked.
Morry moved.
His right sword blocked.
His left sword immediately attacked.
Varen barely defended.
Morry changed the direction of his right sword without changing his stance.
The blade came from an unexpected angle.
Varen stepped backward.
Morry continued attacking.
For the first time, Varen was forced onto the defensive.
But Morry’s body was still exhausted.
The new power gave him more control.
It didn’t remove his physical limits.
Varen eventually found an opening.
He struck Morry with a powerful attack.
Morry was thrown backward.
He fell to the ground.
Varen looked at him.
"Your awakening isn’t enough."
Morry struggled to stand.
He knew Varen was right.
He was reaching his absolute limit.
But the battle between Kil Ful and Darian was still continuing nearby.
Kil Ful was surrounded by ice.
Darian had covered the battlefield with frozen ground and several ice barriers.
Kil Ful moved quickly between them.
Darian attacked.
Kil Ful dodged.
Another ice blade came from behind.
Kil Ful’s reflexes reacted immediately.
He turned and avoided it.
Darian attacked again.
Kil Ful moved to the side.
But this time, another attack came from the opposite direction.
Kil Ful barely avoided it.
He landed several meters away.
Darian smiled.
"Your speed is your biggest advantage."
Kil Ful looked at him.
"You’re finally understanding."
"But I can predict you."
Darian raised his hand.
Ice appeared around Kil Ful from several directions.
Kil Ful looked around.
He couldn’t find an easy way out.
Darian attacked.
Kil Ful prepared to move.
Then something changed.
His vision suddenly became sharper.
The energy inside Darian’s body became clear.
Kil Ful could see the energy gathering in Darian’s arm.
He could see its movement before the attack was released.
Kil Ful’s eyes widened.
"I can see it."
Darian frowned.
"See what?"
"Your energy."
Darian released his attack.
Kil Ful moved before the ice blade was completely formed.
The attack missed.
Darian looked surprised.
Kil Ful looked at his own hands.
His Energy Manipulation was changing.
Before, he could use his energy to strengthen his body, increase his speed, improve his reflexes, and reinforce his attacks.
But now he could control it with much greater precision.
He could move energy to a specific part of his body instantly.
He could strengthen one movement without wasting energy.
And with his new ability, Eyesight, he could read the flow of an opponent’s energy.
He could recognize when an attack was about to happen.
He could understand its direction.
He could even notice changes in an opponent’s energy before the attack was released.
Kil Ful smiled.
"So that’s Eyesight."
Darian attacked again.
Kil Ful saw it.
He moved before the attack was complete.
Another attack.
He avoided it.
Darian changed his movement.
Kil Ful followed.
Darian created ice from the ground.
Kil Ful already knew where it would appear.
He jumped.
Darian looked frustrated.
"You’re reading everything."
Kil Ful smiled.
"Not everything."
He lowered his stance.
"Just enough."
Kil Ful rushed forward.
His energy moved into his legs.
His speed increased.
Then it shifted toward his fist.
He concentrated the energy into one point.
Darian created an ice shield.
Kil Ful struck.
The shield cracked.
Darian was pushed backward.
Kil Ful continued.
Darian attacked.
Kil Ful read it.
He dodged.
Darian attacked again.
Kil Ful dodged again.
Finally, Kil Ful appeared directly in front of him.
Darian raised his shield.
Kil Ful struck with all the energy he could control.
The shield shattered.
Darian was thrown backward.
He landed heavily on the ground.
He tried to stand.
His body refused.
Kil Ful had defeated him.
But Kil Ful was exhausted as well.
His breathing was heavy, and his Eyesight was putting enormous pressure on his mind.
He looked toward Morry’s fight.
"He’s still fighting..."
Kil Ful immediately moved toward him.
Back with Morry, the battle had reached its final stage.
Varen attacked with everything he had left.
Morry raised both swords.
Twin Soul Blades activated.
He blocked the first attack.
Then the second.
But the third broke through his defense.
Morry was struck and thrown backward.
His swords fell from his hands.
He tried to stand.
His body refused.
Varen was also barely standing.
His armor was almost completely destroyed.
Blood covered his body.
But he had won.
Morry had lost.
Varen slowly walked toward him.
Then Kil Ful arrived.
He stood between Varen and Morry.
Varen looked at him.
"You defeated Darian."
Kil Ful nodded.
"Yeah."
Varen raised his weapon.
"I can still fight."
Kil Ful looked at his condition.
"You can barely stand."
Varen attacked.
Kil Ful’s Eyesight activated.
He saw the flow of Varen’s energy.
He knew where the attack would come from.
Kil Ful moved.
The ice blade missed.
Varen attacked again.
Kil Ful avoided it.
Again.
Another dodge.
Kil Ful’s Eyesight allowed him to read every movement.
Varen finally realized he couldn’t hit him.
Kil Ful gathered his energy.
His Energy Manipulation had reached a completely different level.
He concentrated the energy into his fist.
Varen tried one final attack.
Kil Ful moved before it was released.
He appeared in front of Varen.
His fist struck.
Varen was sent flying.
He crashed into the ground and couldn’t stand again.
Kil Ful had defeated him.
But the moment the battle ended, Kil Ful’s body became weak.
His knees almost gave out.
Morry looked at him.
"Kil Ful..."
Kil Ful sat down.
"I’m fine."
Ravian suddenly approached.
His own battle with Kaizen had also reached its end.
Kaizen was heavily injured.
He gathered the last of his Ice Power and launched one final attack.
Ravian raised his hand.
His Force Manipulation activated.
Instead of destroying the attack, he changed the direction and force behind it.
The ice attack moved past him.
Ravian then concentrated force into his own attack.
He released it directly toward Kaizen.
Kaizen was thrown backward.
He fell to the ground.
Ravian lowered his hand.
"Done."
Kaizen couldn’t continue.
Ravian had won.
The forest finally became silent.
All three Frostveil Elites had been defeated.
But the three fighters from the mission were also exhausted and injured.
Morry was unable to stand.
Kil Ful was exhausted from using Eyesight.
Ravian was injured from his battle with Kaizen.
Rin immediately ran toward them.
"Don’t move."
Lena joined him.
"We’ll heal you."
Rin and Lena were the healers of the group.
They began treating the three fighters one by one.
Lena first focused on Morry.
His injuries were the most serious.
A gentle healing energy surrounded his body.
Rin treated Kil Ful, carefully restoring the injuries caused by the battle and reducing the strain from Eyesight.
After that, both healers worked together on Ravian.
Slowly, the injuries began to disappear.
The three fighters finally relaxed.
Morry looked toward his two swords.
He had lost the battle.
But he had awakened something new.
Kil Ful closed his eyes.
He had awakened Eyesight and taken his Energy Manipulation to another level.
Ravian had defeated an Elite using his Force Manipulation.
Their first mission had already changed them.
But the mission was still not complete.
The treaty document was still with them.
And the neighboring kingdom was still waiting ahead.