The Hunt on Skyfire Mountain
"Kai, enikū?
The voice of Amaya Green lingered in the courtyard with a soft intensity, imbued with a hint of curiosity. Her black hair seemed to glimmer in the light of a new day, and her bright green eyes had a distant glint of worry etched in them.
Kai Dawnsworn turned his head, and his gold eyes were serene but impassive. "What do you mean by plan, Ms. Amaya?" he inquired in a voice that was light, almost playful.
She drew a step closer, her arms crossed. "It's a fantastic chance, especially for you. You can go with Boomer. Everything will be safe, and you might just attain a new plane during hunting."
Kai shook his head lazily. "Nah, not this time," he said. His lips twisted into a half-smile. "I just got back from the mountain. I'd rather not go through all that again,"
Amaya's eyebrows furrowed slightly, and a small scowl appeared on her face. "You're still very young," she said softly. "Life isn't all about relationships. Don't lose faith in yourself over one rejection."
She had a softer tone towards the end, a worry in her eyes. She thought she was doing good, trying to draw him out of this supposed broken heart over Feya.
Kai blinked in realization of her complete misinterpretation of the situation. His eyes wandered over her full figure before he smiled slightly. "You know," he muttered under his breath, "I'm not that young."
Amaya stood frozen for a moment, her eyes widening before she narrowed them. She blushed crimson with embarrassment. "You're hopeless," she muttered before turning to leave.
Kai just couldn't help but laugh. "Thank you, Ms. Amaya," he shouted after her.
She stopped in her tracks, flashed him a quick glare, and turned to walk quickly away.
Boomer, who had been leaning against a nearby wall with a constant look of calm, chimed in when Kai's laughter stopped. "She's a good one. You ought to think about her."
Kai blinks at him in confusion. "Consider what?"
"She could be a wife candidate," Boomer concluded with completely serious black eyes.
Kai rubbed his temple in frustration. "You've been spending way too much time with the elders, haven't you?"
"Boomer just shrugged,"
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The halls of the academy were buzzing with a tumult of activity. Students flowed in a never-ending tide through the broad stone gates towards Skyfire Mountain, a monolithic giant shrouded in mist, which stood sentinel over the horizon.
Each year, this cycle was repeating. The excitement first, the confidence second—and in a matter of days, exhaustion and regret, as the defeated trudged home down the slopes.
The "Hunting Season" was supposed to be a test, but for most people, it seemed more like a kind of purgatory.
Although the academy had always secured the area before entering, making sure that the demonic beasts inside were safe to interact with, not all of them were bound by the limits of human control. Some level seven, eight, and even level nine beasts were known to exist deep in the woods—that would quickly transform a cocky student's arrogance into fear.
Groups were stationed at the foot of each mountain, some adjusting armor straps, with others murmuring incantations or warming up their mana flows.
Then came the murmurs.
"Look, Feya,"
Beside her stood another girl, Mary, and a tall, refined young man with a manner of easy pride.
"And look at whom she's with now," a voice whispered. "Who
"That's Gary Vellore, Mary's cousin," another answered. "He's the pride of the Vellore family—already attained the highest level in the Nullforge Plane. No wonder Feya's with him. Of course it does,"
A murmur of sympathy ran through the crowd. "So that means that poor guy who confessed to her. what was his name again?"
Kai Dawnsworn
"Yeah. Well, I guess he learned a hard lesson."
"Most likely going to leave Fall Exam after this."
As the rumor swirled, Kai heard muffled whispers from other students passing by. He stood there in shock for a moment with his eyes blinking in disbelief. What did I just hear? When did I become the leading man in their romantic tragedy?
He sighed and rubbed the nape of his neck. He didn't especially care anymore about Feya, but the gossip was annoying. Not because of a broken heart—simply because of how ridiculous it all was.
However, he pushed the idea aside. His thoughts weren't on gossip, but rather on his own cultivation.
His objective was to achieve a breakthrough to a higher level before the Fall Quarter Examination.
_______________________________________
Then, in his secluded dormitory room, the sounds of the outside world melted away into silence.
Kai sat cross-legged in the middle of his room, golden light rippling over his bare skin like sunshine flowing. With each breath, he drew in magic, and with each exhalation, he forged it into power.
The strength of War Soul in him, the fiery soul of the Sun, grew fiercer with every breath: refining bone, knuckling muscle, steeling will.
He had attuned to other energies in the past—the wood-element essence of ancient trees, the water-element essence of waterfalls tumbling across Skyfire Mountain; but never had he encountered a power to rival his own Sun War Soul Energy. Yet a voice in him questioned if perhaps he did not reach too far, took in too much.
Then a familiar, heavy presence drew near.
Kai opened his eyes. "Boomer?"
His friend's pace was brisk, and he had a serious face. He only showed up when something important—and potentially dangerous—was taking place.
"The people are evacuating the mountain," stated Boomer matter-of-factly. "And among them have come frightening reports," added Batman.
Kai stood up straight. "What happened
"They said. They saw a dragon in the clearing,"
For an instant, quietness reigned in the room. Then both youngsters' eyes flashed with the same spark.
"A dragon?" Kai repeated, in a low, unbelieving voice.
Although in the Divine Era, where wonders were infinite, "dragon" was a word with significance. Dragons were not a word people used casually.
"The mere presence of a dragon would bring all of Greenhold into disarray," he stated quietly. "They shouldn't exist anywhere outside of a restricted area."
Kai stood up. His golden eyes sparkled. "Well, shall we go and see for ourselves?"
The two left the dorm and headed towards the foot of Skyfire Mountain. As they delved deeper, they found the air becoming thick with an almost palpable sense of tension and a whiff of burned ozone.
Students were pouring down the mountainsides in groups, faces pale, eyes wide.
"What's happening?" a voice called out.
"Something got out of the restricted area! The masters called for evacuation!" a panicked student shouted back.
"Escaped? What is it?"
"What did they just say? They claim it's a Thunder Serpent, and it's thousands of years old! The demonic energy it gives off is choking this whole mountain. Even the masters can't control this one,"
Gasps were heard from the crowd.
A dragon. a serpent.The line between truth and a combination of both had become blurred. One thing which remained evident was this: whatever had escaped from inside Skyfire Mountain wasn't a challenge to be undertaken casually.
Kai and Boomer shared a look, their hearts racing.
Was this a serpent. or something much more?
And in the depths of the mountain, thunder growled with a beat from the gods.