The Next Day
Morning draped the estate in pale gold.
Outside the gates, a sleek black car rolled down the gravel path.
David Strix sat upright in the back seat, composed as ever. Elena’s gloved hand rested lightly over his.
Lohan glanced once through the rear window before the vehicle disappeared beyond the iron gates.
Left behind in the quiet estate was Elowyn.
She stood still, her expression as unreadable as polished marble.
Beside her, Cael yawned.
Hearing his yawn, Elowyn shifted her gaze toward him.
"Didn’t get enough sleep?"
Cael gave a lazy nod.
Inwardly, however,
’Sleep?Impossible.’
’With her words replaying like a cursed mantra?’
Last night had been a battlefield of thoughts.
Her calm voice. Her steady eyes.
That faint curve of her lips when she said she would stay in the estate until the engagent ceremony.
’It was dangerous.’
Especially for his single heart.
"So," Cael asked, stretching slightly,
"What’s your plan today?"
Elowyn’s answer was simple,
"I was going to the guild to train."
Then she added, almost casually,
"Do you want to co?"
Cael paused for a fraction of a second before nodding.
"Yes. Sure. I’ll co with you."
They discussed the departure ti briefly.
Then Cael turned and walked back inside.
...
Inside Cael’s room.
His expression sharpened.
Cael closed the door and leaned against it for a mont before exhaling slowly.
’Focus.’
He moved toward the window, gaze distant.
’I need to copy two more shadow elental skills.’
His fingers tapped lightly against his arm.
’Once that’s done, I can unlock the Shadow elent properly.’
Shadow itself was not particularly useful to him.
At least not in raw form.
He preferred elents that controlled space, perception, temperature, and motion.
Shadow by itself was concealnt. But,
’If I rge it with another elent...’
Now that had potential.
’I can’t rge it with wind.’
People already believed wind was his only elent. That misconception was valuable. He had no intention of ruining it.
So that left with ’Lightning.’
His eyes narrowed slightly.
Shadow and lightning.
If lightning represented speed and power... shadow represents concealnt and
’Interesting.’
’Each major clone can only wield one special elent.’
’Moonlight. Frostfla. And a lightning-shadow hybrid.’
’Three slots occupied.’
’That leaves two.’
’One clone will attend the academy publicly with the wind elent.’
’The other would dedicate itself entirely to sword mastery.’
Weapon mastery fed into overall combat efficiency more than most realized.
If his clones continuously refined their technique while elental mastery rose passively through usage, his growth curve would beco asymtrical.
’All I need to do is increase my rank within the next six months.’
[Silver] rank was not enough.
Too many monsters were gathering behind the curtain.
He briefly considered Space, which was currently locked.
Space was powerful, rare, and extrely versatile.
But that rarity was the problem.
Finding a space-elent user to copy from would take ti. Tracking one down might alert the wrong eyes.
Ti was sothing he did not have the luxury to waste.
’Better to perfect what I already possess.’
Still...
If he ever encountered a genuine space-elent user?
He would not hesitate.
Opportunity was not sothing he allowed to pass.
Cael grinned as he formulated his plan.
Clones master elents and the sword, and maintains public identity.
And as for him, advancing his rank as fast as possible.
Six months. That was the Mark.
And beyond that mark...
Damnation.
...
Black Owl Guild
The Black Owl Guild was ranked among the top ten in the global ranking and first in information gathering.
Its current Guild Master was David Strix.
Rank: [Mythril 2]
World Strongest Ranking: 19th.
That number alone ensured caution.
But reputation was not built on rank alone.
Several guilds had attempted to sar Black Owl’s credibility. Whisper campaigns. Fabricated scandals. Anonymous accusations.
Every single instigator ended up dead.
Information was a dagger you never saw until it was already behind your neck.
Sches.
Operations in the dark.
Intelligence supremacy.
In these three domains, Black Owl was untouchable.
Even top guilds maintained a polite distance.
After all, who wanted an owl watching them from the shadows?
Outside the headquarters.
Elowyn and Cael stepped out of the car. The building stood tall and guarded.
With Elowyn’s ID, Cael entered without issue.
"So... what are you going to do?"
Elowyn asked calmly as they walked through the marble corridor. She handed him a sleek black card etched with a silver owl insignia.
A VVIP access card.
"I’ll look around a bit and co find you,"
Cael replied as he accepted the VVIP card smoothly.
She inford him of her assigned training hall and added a few logistical details before they parted.
Cael headed directly to the shadow training grounds.
After asking for directions, he arrived at a balcony overlooking the arena.
He did not have permission to enter the floor, but observation was allowed.
That was sufficient.
Several shadow users trained below, forming constructs, blades, and bindings from darkness.
Among them, one stood out.
Lohan Strix.
The successor of Black Owl. A shadow elental user with a secondary ice elent.
Lohan’s movents were controlled. Shadows extended from his feet and solidified under layers of ice, forming sharp weapons and barriers.
Cael observed for ten minutes.
During that ti, he copied three shadow-based skills within his limit.
Once finished, he left the balcony and headed toward Elowyn’s training hall.
A small smile ford on Cael’s lips.
’It’s done.’
Three shadow skills secured. The structure was complete. He can now unlock the shadow elent and prepare the fusion.
But he was not in a hurry to unlock his new elent.
Following the directions Elowyn had given him, he arrived at her personal training hall.
He placed the VVIP card against the scanner. The system verified his access, and the door slid open.
He stepped inside.
The hall was spacious, reinforced, and isolated from outside interference. Mana-resistant walls. Shock-absorbing flooring.
His violet eyes settled on Elowyn.
She was dressed in a fitted training suit, her long black hair tied back.
A practice sword rested in her hand as she moved through a sequence of controlled strikes.
Fire flickered faintly along the blade’s edge, lightning tracing thin lines across the steel before fading.
Her movents were precise.
She sensed his gaze.
Without breaking posture, she turned slightly and looked at him.
"You ca? Already?"
"Yes..." Cael replied. He paused briefly, studying her stance.
Then he calmly asked,
"Wanna spar with ?"
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