(The Following Roleplay takes place in the wilds of the Grand Duchy of Roran, in The Isekai Hell World. If you're interested in joining the world, message me, or Novama!)





The air pressed warm and damp against the skin, thick with the scent of wet earth and crushed greenery. Dew clung to every broad leaf, dripping steadily into the loam below, while far above the canopy only offered faint, distant cries of birds. For all the riot of life expected in such a place, the rainforest felt muted—eerily quiet, save for the dripping water and the muffled clink of glass vials at Aedrianna’s side.

Only a few hours had passed since they had left Aslan behind, following the narrowing trail into the deep wilds near the Continental Lake. Earlier, while riding pillion on his horse, Aedrianna had spoken with earnest detail despite the fatigue in her voice. She told him of Tomas, her young cousin, stricken with the same affliction she herself had once endured—Hypomanatrophy, the inability to process mana without sickness. The herbs they sought would not cure him, but they had eased her own suffering once, and she clung to that hope for his sake.

Now she walked ahead, violet-blue eyes flicking restlessly between the greenery pressing close and the open book in her hands. Her attire balanced refinement with practicality: a fitted white coat traced with faint blue runes, black gloves that left her fingertips bare, and pale trousers cut for movement yet flattering in form. The satchel at her hip sagged with glass and parchment, its enchanted lining swallowing each sample she eagerly collected.

Her steps were quick, her voice lively, and yet the shadows beneath her eyes betrayed her. Nightmares—by her own weary admission, constant and cruel—had carved a lingering exhaustion into her features. Even so, excitement shone through the fatigue, every discovery spoken of as if it were a victory.

“This—” she murmured, halting before a tree whose bark flaked in mottled patches of gray and green. She braced the book under one arm, pressed her gloved fingers into a seam, and with effort pried free a chunk. “This can be broken down, and the oil used to treat sicknesses of the skin.” She tucked it swiftly into her satchel before glancing back at him, a smile breaking through her tiredness.

She pointed out a spray of herbs sprouting from moss just off the path. “Those are great for fevers.”

The jungle around them seemed to lean closer. Thick trunks and dangling vines narrowed the trail until it felt almost like a corridor of green. Aside from her voice and the steady rhythm of his horse’s hooves, there was silence—too much silence for so wild a place. It pressed in at the edges, the kind of quiet that made the senses linger, as though the forest itself were holding its breath.

“Aunt Sabine said they had no luck finding the Skythorne Blossom, or the Lumentide Kelp,” Aedrianna said after a time, slowing her steps as she glanced back toward him. “She told me there was some monstrous beast, and their protection abandoned them.” Her tone softened. “So… thank you for coming to keep me safe, Edwin.”

Her lips curved faintly as he drew closer, warmth flickering across her weary face. “You know, I met my friend Noelle the last time I went looking for Skythorne Blossom. Her and Rios, and Kota, and Sorieielle.” A wistful sigh slipped from her as she thumbed through the pages of her book once more.

“We’ll need to go closer to the water for the Lumentide Kelp. But the Blossom will be somewhere high. Aunt Sabine’s notes don’t say where, but I remember something in my Gran’s journals…” Her words trailed, eyes lifting toward him as they pressed deeper beneath the canopy together.

The trail wound on beneath the heavy canopy, the air thick with the scent of moss and wet bark. Soon, the narrow hunters’ path forked. To Edwin’s eyes, the split was clear.

The left-hand track looked unremarkable at first glance—still close and overgrown, but in a way that felt natural. A faint rustle of movement drifted from somewhere ahead: the sound of small creatures disturbed by their passing. Shafts of light pierced through breaks in the canopy, striking the ferns and brush with mottled gold.

The right-hand trail was different. The vines hung lower here, weaving a kind of curtain across the way forward. The undergrowth pressed tighter, shadows crowding more heavily between the trees. Even the air felt different—still and heavy, as if the very sound of the jungle had thinned. Not even the distant cries of birds seemed to reach this stretch.

Aedrianna, nose still half-buried in her book and with a new glint of excitement in her eyes, did not seem to notice the difference. Her steps carried her without hesitation toward the quieter, denser path, her voice lifting again with enthusiasm as she marked down another note.

“Look here, Edwin—These flowers all cluster together in certain areas.” She brought her finger down towards the side of the path she was already starting, sweeping it along the path to point out some vibrant colored blooms all clustered together in a few bunches here and there. "Those aren't very receptive of mana. So they tend to avoid the area where its stronger in the ambient sense."

She smiled faintly over her shoulder, oblivious to the way the forest seemed to lean heavier over the trail she had chosen.

​



Titles
[Human - Mundane], [Noble Ryke Baron] B, [Apprentice Lancer], [Power Potential], [Get Looped], [Dark Knight], [Knight in Black], [Dark Horseman] - #0E0101
Noteworthy Skills: [Resilient Surprised], Regeneration F
Asset Goal: Northern Ryke Village [Name Pending] F

The scent of the forest clung to Edwin’s nostrils, a rich smell of vegetation, leaves and bark of trees. It wasn’t too different from the nature’s perfume he was used at his March, at least, not for now. However, its intensity was many times higher, a telling tale that they might be away from civilization and, certainly, they were.

As it was usual for the dark horseman, he wore his pitch-black, plated armor. The steel would absorb what little light peered directly through the canopy up above, gleaming ominously under it.

At some point, he had dismounted his warhorse and the animal followed its owner without even needing its rein to be held. Both rider and ride walked in abnormal synchronicity, boots and hooves crushing pebbles, leaves and twigs that happened to be on their path with heavy steps.

Edwin’s gaze momentarily focusing on the sinuous movements of Aedrianna just up ahead, the right corner of his lips tugging slightly. However, that was just momentarily, as his gaze would begin sweeping their surroundings, attuned to whatever might end up crossing their paths [Resilient Surprised].

“It seems that these forests are bountiful in giving what is necessary to those needing them… as long as they have a discerning eye.” He said when she explained about the gifts of nature she was finding along the way. And then, he shook his head. “They should have hired mercenaries from Ryke to accompany them.” There was a scoff afterward, clearly displeased with fleeing cowards.

“No need to thank me, Aedrianna. Is it not only natural for one to protect what is theirs?” He leaned towards hers, icy-blue eyes peering into her violet ones, before straightening his back once more. And, to the mention of her friends, there was a low sounding hum that came from him, nothing more than that.

When the trio reached the forked path, Edwin’s eyebrows furrowed. The difference between both of them was striking: one clearly nature made, the other abhorrent. Aedrianna’s voice had, momentarily, faded into the background, drowned by the quietness of the path she began treading upon.

And, as soon as she looked over her shoulder, she could feel the metallic coolness of gauntlet touching the back of her neck, fingers wrapping around her pulse. It wasn’t unkind, nor violent, but a deliberate motion to prompt her to stop immediately. His eyes didn’t meet hers, or her, but rather the path ahead, golden eyebrows still furrowed.

“Something abnormal clings to this path. Eyes off the book and onto the surroundings. I take point.” His gaze slid towards hers, handing unwrapping from around her neck. He then began leading the trio, walking first.

Aedrianna’s steps slowed at his claim of her. Her lips pressed together, violet-blue eyes flashing up at him with a half-hearted glare. The look was meant to be reproachful, yet the pout did not quite match the gleam in her gaze. For all her indignation at his words, she did not deny the warmth she felt at the claim.

When the cold touch of steel had met the bare skin at her neck, she had stiffened—surprised, breath catching in her throat. But she had obeyed without a word, lowering the book and falling in just behind him, her hands folded briefly at her chest before drifting toward his horse. Her fingers brushed across the black velvet of its coat, stroking absently as though sharing a secret with the beast itself.

“You know...” she said softly, almost conspiratorial in tone, as if Edwin’s horse were in on the plan. “Once we get to the water, I'll have to get in to find the kelp. It will be under the water near rocks. It'll be a nice spot to rest.” She hummed, taking her eyes away from the beast for a moment to glance at Edwins back, her lips curled in a small smile.

The forest only grew stranger the deeper they pressed into the denser trail. The foliage thickened until the path seemed to choke itself with vines and shadow. Even the wind, which had once stirred the branches above, now stilled. No birds took flight, no insects whirred by. It was silence not of peace, but of absence—an emptiness that set itself against every footfall.

Aedrianna seemed to feel it too. Taking his warning to heart, her book remained shut at her side, her violet gaze now darting from here to there. As they walked, Edwins constant surveillance would earn him a few curious details. Such as the old but very human foot prints that seemed to walk off the trail. Or the Very large claw marks in a couple of the tree trunks. But aside from that, and the eerie quiet of the jungle; nothing else seemed amiss.



Before long the close trail broke into sudden openness. The ground sloped up toward a cliff edge, the canopy pulling back to reveal a breathtaking expanse. The Continental Lake stretched out vast and shimmering below them, its surface flecked with shifting bands of blue and green where the sunlight caught.

Aedrianna hurried forward, her fatigue momentarily forgotten,as well as Edwins warning to let him take point. She dropped to her knees at the cliff’s edge, her book set on the ground beside her. One gloved hand steadying herself against the stone as she leaned out over the drop. Her breath caught, not in fear but anticipation, eyes sweeping the sheer walls for some glimmer of petals clinging to the heights.

“I'm sure there's bound to be some here.” She pointed behind her as she spoke. Where her finger was pointing, there was a wide span of the vibrant colored blooms she'd indicated earlier. They all seemed to be lining the area, and moving no further than a certain point. "This area is completely barren of the Nexblooms." she said, her voice bright with excitement. She fell silent, focusing as she leaned precariously over the edge to reach down, seeming to have found something to grab at.

It was then in that silence, that he might catch it—just faintly, like sound bleeding from a dream. A murmur, low and rhythmic. Chanting. It threaded through the air for no more than a heartbeat before vanishing, leaving only the heavy quiet of the cliffside.

From here the lake stretched beautiful and serene, yet the stillness of the jungle clung to it all the same, like a veil.

​



Titles
[Human - Mundane], [Noble Ryke Baron] B, [Apprentice Lancer], [Power Potential], [Get Looped], [Dark Knight], [Knight in Black], [Dark Horseman] - #0E0101
Noteworthy Skills: [Resilient Surprised], Regeneration F
Asset Goal: Northern Ryke Village [Name Pending] F

“You might want to prepare properly before darting in to get the plants. Walking around in drenched clothes is bound to give you a cold.” His tone lowered, amusement palpable on it. Whatever crossed his mind was certainly something terrifyingly wonderful.

The beast of burden responded to its coat being brushed, letting out a loud snort, while its big, crimson orbs looked around, almost as if scanning the place just like its owner.

While the two moved even deeper into the forest, those small hints that could point to something amiss began to surface. His icy-blue gaze spend only a singular moment on the footprints, instead zeroing fully on one of the claw marks that adorned a slashed bark.

“It seems that whatever crossed through here is either beast or half-beast.” Stopping in front of the tree, he extended his hand, one clawed finger tapping the mark. “What pitiful of a hunter ending up becoming the hunted instead.” Clicking his tongue in displeasure, he turned once more to the path and marched forward.

And then his eyes narrowed into slits, seeing how Aedrianna darted forward without a singular care in the world and placed herself at the edge of the peril. For a second, he just looked at her, his mind reeling on how she looked just like a mischievous kid, caring little about the possible consequences of their actions.

“Quite the dangerous place to find them, is it not? But I expected as such.” Without silencing or forgoing the bells of warning that rang in his mind, thanks to the deafening quietness of that whole place, the dark horseman strutted forward, one hand reaching down to size Aedrianna’s leg just under her knee. After all, you never know…

Aedrianna gasped softly when his hand closed firmly just beneath her knee. The surprise widened her violet eyes, but she did not pull away. Instead, her lips parted in a faint, breathless laugh, and she leaned further out over the precipice as if testing how far she could go under his hold.

Her gaze caught on something below—shadows moving against the cliff face. For a moment she thought they were people. She blinked, leaning just a little further.

“Funny… you wouldn’t think you’d see many people out here,” she murmured, squinting to make sense of the shapes. But just as quickly they were gone, if they had been there at all.

Then her voice lifted, sharp with sudden excitement.

“Edwin! Look—there, I found one!”

Her fingers brushed against a fragile stem, and with care she pulled back from the edge. In her hand gleamed a single Skythorne Blossom, its petals glowing with a faint, mana-rich blue.

She held it up to him with triumph in her expression, then sighed as her shoulders slumped. “Only one.” The flower disappeared into her satchel, tucked carefully away. Her violet eyes flicked back to him with curiosity. “What did you mean earlier, about a beast?”

She straightened, wobbling briefly from exhaustion before steadying herself again. Her hand rose to point toward a winding path that climbed higher into the jungle, the canopy thickening to shadow overhead.

“Maybe if we follow that trail, we’ll find more.”

But this time she did not dart off ahead. Instead she came to his side, curling her fingers into his gauntleted hand. Her grip was light but deliberate, her smile tired yet fond as the two pressed on together.

The higher they climbed, the more unnatural the silence grew. The claw marks deepened, gouging cruelly into trunks. Bushes lay flattened, trampled under something heavy. Here and there, dark stains marked the ground and leaves—blood, long dried, yet enough to remind that the place had known violence.

At last, the trail spilled into a clearing where massive stones rose from the earth, gathered like an altar. Their faces were carved with glyphs, crooked and jagged, glowing faintly with a sickly light.

Around their bases, the Skythorne Blossoms grew in clusters—far more than Aedrianna could have hoped for. Their luminous blue petals glistened, but the soil that nourished them was dark and sticky, their stems tangled in it.

The truth revealed itself at the altar’s crown.

A beast lay sprawled across the stones, long-limbed and dark pawed, a mane like a lion framing its narrow muzzle and long triangular ears; its body stretched in unnatural stillness. Its white hide shimmered faintly with fading traces of mana. Its fur was matted dark with blood, wounds stabbed deep and many. The life had long been drained from it.

The blossoms, plentiful and radiant, pushed through the gore at its feet and around its ribs, their roots tangled in the blood-soaked stone.

Aedrianna stopped in her tracks, breath catching. Her fingers tightened around Edwin’s hand, her eyes fixed on the sight with mingled awe and dread.

“Edwin…” Her voice was softer this time, and hesitant. The excitement was gone, replaced with unease as she stared at the unnatural altar and its offering.

What was perhaps a bit more concerning. Was the soft whining of something that was very much alive. The body of the clearly dead beast moved ever so slightly. As if something were moving beneath it. And after a moment, it became clear that the creature that was laying dead stop the rocks had been a mother. It's cub crying as it tried to nuzzle the corpse that had been it's care taker.

Aedrianna made a sound, something between a strangled cry and shock. She almost moved towards the creature. Though she hesitated and glanced up at Edwin.

​



Titles
[Human - Mundane], [Noble Ryke Baron] B, [Apprentice Lancer], [Power Potential], [Get Looped], [Dark Knight], [Knight in Black], [Dark Horseman] - #0E0101
Noteworthy Skills: [Resilient Surprised], Regeneration F
Asset Goal: Northern Ryke Village [Name Pending] F

“People…?” His voice was a murmur, wondering who, or more accurately what, Aedrianna might be referring to. His azure gaze scanned their surroundings, the hand not relaxing even the slightest of the hold on her leg. Downward was clearly a path that wouldn’t be allowed.

And then she found it. Seeing her short-lived commemoration of having found her bounty, a small smile appeared on his lips. “It might be only one, yes, but it is miles better than zero. It takes a series of small victories, until full conquest. Don’t you forget that: one step at the time.”

Reaching one gauntleted hand over her head, he rubbed the very top of it, messing up her hair slightly, on purpose. “Mmm? Oh, there were claw marks on the trees in the path we came from. Either an animal or an animal-person must have done it… well, can’t discount a monster as well.”

Retracting his hand, he looked back at the path with narrowing eyes. “We will certainly find something, you can count on that.” With his head tilted upward slightly, he felt prepared for whatever could be waiting for them.

The baron intertwined fingers with her, protectively and possessively all the same. And, as they ascended, every once in a while his orbs flicked towards her, being drawn by her smile. And each time, his expression softened, only to harden once more as he focused on their surroundings.

Then, there was the altar.

At the sacrificial sight atop it, beast mangled and its vitae being used by whatever nefarious ends, Edwin showed little reaction, other than arching a single golden eyebrow. “Hoh… did we just stumble upon a cult?” Those words danced out of his lips, nose scrunching slightly. “And not only any cult, one that performs sacrifices to overcome their own… inadequacies.”

The dark horseman stepped forward, unafraid, uncaring and unmoved. Reaching one particular cluster of the Skythorne Blossoms, he swooped his armored hand at it and yanked off the ground, claiming dominion even upon the corrupted soil. [Action 1]

“Do you think these can be used?” Looking over his shoulder, he asked Aedrianna, attention snapping back upon hearing the whining that came from the creature’s cadaver upon the sacrificial slab. “Mmmm?”

Approaching the sacrilegious epicenter fully, and without ceremony, until his eyes pinpointed the source: a cub. “What do we have here…” He murmured, free-hand reaching into the body and retrieving the pup by the scruff of its neck [Action 2]. “... aren’t you a lucky one?” He lifted the insignificant little being in front of his face to have a good look at it.

Actions:
1 - Ripped the Skythorne Blossoms off the ground with - Superstrength E + Energized E - 0 Posts Cooldown
2 - Retrieved the pup

The Jungle around them seemed to lean in on them. The weight of the air alone was palpable. And the silence prevailed, save the whimpering of the cub and the anxious chuffing of the war horse, sensing something amiss. As Edwin held the small white-and-blue creature up to his face, it licked his nose with a helpless whimper.

As it did, coincidentally, the runes on the stones began to light up even brighter. Aedrianna cried out as she realized too late. Her hand outstretched toward him as his body was swallowed in brilliance, transported away.

In the next few seconds, the dark knight found himself somewhere else entirely.

The humid press of the jungle air was gone, replaced by the cool weight of stone and the scent of earth long undisturbed. He stood inside a ruined chamber, vaulted and broken, where thin veins of sunlight slipped through cracks in the ceiling. Moss clung to the walls, and faded glyphs etched into the stone gave off a faint, sickly glow.

Before him lay the same mana beast’s body that had sprawled across the altar in the jungle clearing—but here it rested upon a cracked dais of stone. The blood that stained its fur was long dried, caked into its mane and hide, the altar beneath it dark and brittle with age. The body should have been bereft of life.



Yet it twitched.

The cub writhed in Edwin’s grasp, hissing and growling low in its throat, ears flattened and fur bristled. Its gaze never left the sight of its mother. Every sound it made directed at the corpse with instinctive revulsion.

From the far edge of the chamber, a figure shifted. They were too plain to name: neither boy nor girl, their skin, clothes, and hair washed into mediocrity so thoroughly they seemed designed to be overlooked. They leaned lazily in the shadows, watching.

Their voice carried through the ruin, toneless but cutting.
“I can feel your greed… it emanates off you. Like some dragon sitting on its hoard.”

The beast’s carcass twitched again, harder this time, bones cracking audibly in the silence. The cub snarled in Edwin’s hand, twisting with furious disapproval, its tiny body trembling as it faced the grotesque stirring of its kin.

The figure did not move. They only watched, words delivered in a drawl of disinterest.
“Do you know what lies before you? A Mana Beast. Generations warped by Leylines, their very flesh adapting to mana’s chaos. Where others break, they learned to bend. To warp. To endure.”

As they spoke, the runes in the stone flared brighter, and the carcass heaved. Its limbs jerked against the altar, dragging its broken body upright in unnatural convulsions. The dried blood cracked and flaked from its hide as though new life pushed against a brittle shell.

“It's almost sad, what magic has made it do.”

The cub shrieked in his gauntlet, eyes wide, yowling its furious defiance as the beast began to rise.

---

There's a very large Lion/Wolf like beast and it's undead. And it's about to attack Edwin. Edwin gets first strike. In order to do damage, the battle effectiveness must meet 10. (I know what I'm talking about totally.)

​



Titles
[Human - Mundane], [Noble Ryke Baron] B, [Apprentice Lancer], [Power Potential], [Get Looped], [Dark Knight], [Knight in Black], [Dark Horseman] - #0E0101
Noteworthy Skills: [Resilient Surprised], Regeneration F
Asset Goal: Northern Ryke Village [Name Pending] F

CLINK.

The heels of his sabatons pinged against the stony floors which had replaced the earthy ground from the altar surroundings. His azure orbs began scanning the new scenery he found himself in, noticing the moss that clang to those ancient walls, the cool breeze that blowed against his face and billowed his crimson cape. “Hmph, a magical trap. Typical of weaklings.” He said in derision, annoyed instead of worried.

His eyes eventually landed upon the corpse upon the cracked dais, tilting his head slightly as he noticed the changes in the carcass. And, staring at it for a moment longer, the spasm of what should be dead, what should be still, was caught.

SHINK.

What followed was the soft thud of the flowers hitting the floor and Edwin’s lance scrapping against the ground softly, before having its blunt ending slammed against the ground, breaking one of the ancient tiles. “Can I really be greedy for what is mine already? If I can conquer, crush, have it under my heel, is it not my domain already?”

Looking at the figure from over his shoulder, the corners of dark knight lips curled upwards slightly. “After all, if no one can stand before me, who can deny me of my claims?” With a narrowing glance, his attention returned to the creature before him, sizing it like a hunter does with its prey.

“A magical creature that was sacrificed by the hands of whom? Cultist? Fanatics?” Scoffing, the beast looked nothing more than another obstacle in his path. And, finally paying attention to the trashing little pup which he held by the scruff, his voice lowered. “May this be a lesson to you, little thing, of what I’m capable of.”

Without another word, the crackling of electricity began filling the air. Pitch-black shadows, as dark as Edwin’s armor, danced at his feet, stirring ominously. And, lifting the lance from the hole in the ground created earlier, an umbral pulse was released once. “This is [My Domain]!” His words were punctuated by the slamming of his lance on the ground once more.

A wave of electricity and darkness would shoot from his position as its epicenter. Only the flowers and the cub were spared from it, as it tried to engulf everything, and everyone, in its 50ft radius. [Action 1/2]

Actions:
1/2 - My Domain - Fighting Style [Lance] C + Blight [Lightning] F + Continuing [Lightning] F + Aura D (1) [Darkness (Necrotic)] + Area D (50ft) + Selective D (Sparing the cub and the Skythorn Blossoms only) + Incapacitating D (1) - Grade C 3 Posts Cooldown - Strength A (6) + Lance B (5) + Fighting Style C (4) = 15 Base Effectiveness + 1 damage from Blight [Lightning] F if hits + 1 damage from Continuing [Lightning] F if hits + 3 damage from Aura D (1) [Darkness (Necrotic)] upon contact (automatic) + possibility of knocking the targets into kneeling position from Incapacitating D. Damage potential total 20

The pulse tore outward like the cracking of thunder bottled in stone. Shadows raced across the chamber floor in jagged streaks, lightning coiling within them, black as tar and sharp as glass. The glyphs etched into the walls hissed and flared against the surge, their glow warping as if recoiling from Edwin’s claim.

The undead Mana Beast shrieked, its cry warped and guttural, a sound like two voices layered atop one another. The necrotic wave ate into its flesh, stripping an entire leg to bare bone in a matter of seconds, meat sloughing away in chunks that hit the stones wetly. Half its face blackened and peeled, one eye socket left hollow, yet the other burned brighter green, glaring at him with unnatural hunger.

The cub in Edwin’s grip went still. Its small claws curled tight against his gauntlet, body trembling—but not in fear. Its wide eyes fixed on him, ears flattened, breath caught as though it were awed by the force he unleashed.

The figure in the corner collapsed to their knees as the wave struck. Their plain features twisted, necrosis crawling up one leg, eating into skin and cloth alike. For a heartbeat, they trembled as if the damage might end them.

Then they laughed.

The sound rang through the chamber, sharp and jagged, cracking in and out of sanity. They bent low, coughing blood, their body already cracking where the necrotic spread, but still they laughed.

“A sacrifice… hah—yes, you’ll make just as good a sacrifice as the beast.” Their voice grew ragged, teeth bared in something between a grin and a snarl. “You think dominion makes you master? Fool. One’s claim cannot rise against the natural laws of the world.”

They forced themselves upright, staggering. A massive maul had appeared in their grip, its head spiked and cruel, edges catching faint glimmers of mana. Though their legs buckled under necrosis, they lurched forward, step after step, laughing through the ruin of their own flesh.

The Mana Beast shuddered on its ruined limbs, and still it came. Its skeletal leg scraped uselessly but it dragged itself forward with the others, jaws yawning wide to snap shut around him.

From either side they closed—the lunatic advancing with the maul, the half-dead beast lunging with unnatural hunger.

The cub curled itself into a trembling ball in his grasp.The only spark of innocence in a chamber now drowned in menace.

The situation was clear: two threats, closing fast, their bodies breaking under his power yet still rising, driven not by life but by something fouler. The weight of the cult’s obsession pressed in with the silence, broken only by laughter and the wet drag of the beast’s stride.




Meanwhile...

Aedrianna watched as the man she'd all but given her heart to disappeared before her eyes. She stood for a half second, staring in disbelief at the scene before her. The blood, the gore; her love. Gone. Just stones, faintly glowing in the dim light of the eerily quiet jungle. And perhaps it was only now, that his presence was gone; she realized just how strange and ominous this jungle was. Her eyes slowly swiveled over to the large war horse, who was pawing at the ground and snorting irritatedly. His head thrashing off to the side, as if looking into the distance. Like it knew where its master was. Finally the shock began to seep away, and an angry focus drilled itself into her. She'd dragged him out here to have some time to get to know him better. To learn their capabilities together as a team. But this, this was unacceptable.

Her blue and violet eyes scanned the stones for a second before she thrust her hand into the satchel her aunt had given her. Pulling out what looked to be plain chalk. She muttered unintelligibly to herself as she stepped up to the stones. Pausing and looking around as if expecting to be swept away like Edwin.

However when that didn't happen she shook her head and knelt down, looking at the glyphs that had been etched on the stones. With the chalk in her hand,Aedrianna set to work. Their surfaces were uneven, gouged deep with etched glyphs that pulsed faintly in the gloom. Blood — old, dry, and flaked black — streaked across the lines, giving the altar a grotesque texture that snagged her glove as she brushed her fingers over it.

Her book aside, she pressed the chalk to the stone. The first stroke crumbled beneath her touch, forcing her to press harder. She muttered darkly under her breath as she traced runes into the gaps between ancient carvings, layering her own equations atop sacrificial scrawl.

“Damn it… this was supposed to be a date, not another nightmare.” Her voice cracked as she smeared out a crooked ratio with the heel of her palm, leaving a white streak across her glove.

Lines turned jagged where the stone edges rose, but she pressed on, dragging her chalk across them in sharp arcs. Sweat collected along her brow as she tried to remember the numbers her uncle drilled into her.

“Four to one… no, no—stop shaking, focus. Damn it, Aedri, you already know this, you took two years of algebra and studied for weeks under uncle!”

The jungle’s silence pressed in heavier, the only sounds the war horse pacing and snorting at her back, and the brittle squeal of chalk grinding into rock. The beast tossed its head, crimson eyes flashing, ears pinned forward like it too sensed the pull.

Aedrianna clenched her jaw, teeth grit hard, as she scrawled the last line and thrust her palm down into the center of her messy circle.

For a long, aching second—nothing. Just her ragged breathing and the tremor of her tired arms. Then the runes flared.

The chalk lines lit up in cascading sparks, searing white-blue, crawling like veins across the stones until they bled into the ancient glyphs. Her circle tangled with the altar’s script, and for a moment the two pulsed together, like a single beating heart.

The pull came next: a thread of mana that wrapped tight around her chest, tugging in a direction the average eye couldn’t see. She gasped and pulled her hand back, the chalk clattering onto the stone.

Behind her, the war horse reared slightly, pawing at the earth as though answering the same call. She blinked a few times, and watched as a line began to shine in her eye sight. A trail of blue light, leading into the depths of the forest. She pushed herself up and ran to the war steed, stroking its muzzle and whispering quietly.

"Come on, I'll show you where he's at." She grabbed at the reigns, and with some maneuvering, she pulled herself into the destriers saddle. Leaning down so her chest was hugged to the warsteeds neck ,she whispered and pointed, nudging gently with her thighs to lead the war steed to where his master was.

​



Titles
[Human - Mundane], [Noble Ryke Baron] B, [Apprentice Lancer], [Power Potential], [Get Looped], [Dark Knight], [Knight in Black], [Dark Horseman] - #0E0101
Noteworthy Skills: [Resilient Surprised], Regeneration F
Asset Goal: Northern Ryke Village [Name Pending] F

A scoff left Edwin’s lips as he watched the umbral wave consume parts of both the undead beast and the plain individual. “Just as expected.” He murmured, thinking that would be the end of this folly. But, to his ‘surprise’ it wasn’t.

The laughter reached his ears, sounding like nothing more than the death throes of a madman. It made him shift his posture, the three-pronged lance being held higher, slightly above his own head, just like a trident. “Ah, but that is where you are mistaken, weakling. For those who bear true strength, the natural laws only exist to be bent and shaped however they wish.”

His azure eyes narrowed into dangerous slits during the next beat, the cultist, that plain figure who once only observed, began to charge him, going for his legs. In tandem, the undead beast in front of him prepared its own lunge to try and snap at him. And, even with the risk of a pincer attack, the dark horseman looked as composed as always.

“Not that you need to worry about your own inadequacies for too long. Pretty soon, you will cease to exist.” Declaring to be so with utmost confidence, the hand which held the pup was raised higher.

Bearing his center, Edwin prepared to withstand the impact of the biting beast, instead focusing his efforts to finish off the cultist. Receiving the bite against his plated armor while in defensive form [Action 1], he bid his time until the cultist lowered to try and reach for his own leg.

When such a moment arrived, in a harpooning motion, the dark knight stabbed at the cultist, aiming at the top of his head, his lance fully crackling with energy as it travelled throughout its length and a smaller, dark pulse, like a heartbeat, pinged from his feet outward. [Action 2]

Actions:
1 - Block - Athletics F + Energized F - Grade F 0 Post cooldown - Vitality B (5) + Heavy Armor C (4) + Ability F (1) = 10 Base Effectiveness (-1 health from event, blocking ignores most debuffs)
2 - Fighting Style [Lance] F + Blight [Lightning] F + Continuing [Lightning] F + Aura F (1) [Darkness (Necrotic)] + Area F (5ft) + Selective F (Sparing the cub and the Skythorn Blossoms only) + Energized F - Grade F 0 Posts Cooldown - Strength A (6) + Lance B (5) + Fighting Style F (1) = 12 Base Effectiveness + 1 damage from Blight [Lightning] F if hits + 1 damage from Continuing [Lightning] F if hits + 1 damage from Aura F (1) [Darkness (Necrotic)] upon contact (automatic)

HP: 4/5
Cooldowns: C 1/3

The chamber groaned with the sound of breaking stone as Edwin’s aura pulsed again, jagged shadows crackling outward like a living storm. The cultist seized forward in their advance, their plain face twisting in an eerily pleased expression a split second before the three-pronged lance drove cleanly down.

SCHLIK.

The strike landed true. Bone and flesh parted under the crackling prongs, lightning arcing in sizzling veins down through their skull. For the briefest moment their expression froze — slack-jawed, laughter cut off mid-breath — before their head toppled from their shoulders and rolled across the floor with a hollow, echoing knock. Their body crumpled a heartbeat later, spasms still twitching as necrotic shadows ate into the remains.

But the chamber was not quiet.

The Mana Beasts hollow eye burned brighter, green fire glaring with defiance as it scraped its skeletal teeth from the dents and punctures left in Edwin’s armor. Chunks of rotted flesh sloughed away under the bite, dripping uselessly onto the stones. The knight’s armor held, but the sound — wet grinding bone on steel — clawed at the silence.

It drew its head back, jaws stretching wide for another savage chomp—

Hiss!

The cub.

Hardly larger than Edwin’s gauntlet, the tiny creature spat and swiped with a feeble paw, claws flashing once against the looming monster’s nose. The gesture was pitifully small, almost laughable, but the effect was startling. The undead beast jerked back a fraction, its jaw snapping shut with a sharp clack, recoiling from the cub’s hiss like a predator stung.

That recoil revealed something rather troubling. Beneath them, the blood was pooling from the decapitated cultist, spreading fast across the cracked stones, spidering toward a dip in the room that looked almost like a drain.

The skeletal claw of the undead mana beast rose and came down to strike at Edwins side. An unnatural cry emitting from its rotting throat.







Elsewhere,...

Aedrianna kept her body pressed low against the war steed’s neck, violet-blue eyes flicking sharply through the dense curtain of foliage. The beast’s hooves churned against damp earth and twisted roots, powerful but slowed by the uneven terrain. She urged him on with a firm nudge of her heel, whispering soft encouragements into the flick of his ear.

“Steady now… steady. Just a little further.”

Her voice quavered, not from fear but from the anger and dread knotting in her chest. The soothing words were as much for herself as they were for the beast beneath her.

The faint, invisible tug of her mana-trace pulled her down the slope they had been climbing, toward thinner trees and looser undergrowth. The humid air shifted with each step, the musk of rot and wet greenery giving way to a sharper, cleaner scent. Water. The lake was near.

And then she saw it.

Through the gaps of jungle, a pile of stones jutted against the horizon—collapsed walls, broken columns, and half-sunken arches overtaken by moss and vine. It might once have been a temple, but now it was nothing more than a ruin, jagged edges thrust skyward like the bones of some ancient corpse.

But it was not empty.

Figures lingered at the ruin’s base.

Her breath hitched as she reined the steed to a slower gait, ducking low into the saddle. They looked so… plain. Utterly unremarkable in their faces, their clothes, their bearing. They almost blended together.

All save one.

At the heart of the group stood a woman—striking, vivid, as though she had been painted with a different brush. Long pink hair fell like silk down her shoulders, framing eyes the color of polished amethyst. In her hands, she turned over an amulet that hung around her neck, its surface faintly glowing.

The war steed pawed at the ground beneath them, restless, ears pinning back as his crimson gaze fixed on the gathered strangers. Aedrianna’s grip on the reins tightened, her pulse hammering in her ears. Edwin was inside those ruins—her tracing spell had made that much certain—but there were seven of those strange, indistinct men blocking the way… and that woman with the pink hair and violet eyes, her amulet pulsing faintly with power.

Aedrianna bit her lip, mind racing, the wheels turning as she searched for a way through.

“Maybe…” she muttered under her breath. Sliding from the saddle, her boots hit the damp earth softly. She moved quickly to the horse’s side, turning her body so the ruins were at her back, and pointed her fingers toward the opposite treeline.

Her voice dropped to a whisper, syllables catching on the breath as she shaped mana into form. The illusion began to shimmer faintly in the foliage beyond—a trick of sound and light, the suggestion of movement, something large crashing through undergrowth.

But before she could focus the spell, the war steed beside her gave a shrill whinnie.

His head snapped back violently, hooves striking the air as he reared onto his hind legs. The ground shook beneath her boots as his massive form thrashed at something behind her. And then,...

​



Titles
[Human - Mundane], [Noble Ryke Baron] B, [Apprentice Lancer], [Power Potential], [Get Looped], [Dark Knight], [Knight in Black], [Dark Horseman] - #0E0101
Noteworthy Skills: [Resilient Surprised], Regeneration F
Asset Goal: Northern Ryke Village [Name Pending] F

The faint smile on Edwin’s lips bloomed into a full, vicious grin that stretched from ear-to-ear with the wet and sizzling sound that reached his ears, heralding the foolish cultist’s demise. However, things soon changed as teeth made contact with steel, a silent exhale leaving his lips to the rotten creature’s attempted bite.

“Hmph…” His icy-blue orbs zeroed on the undead beast, scorn etched across the baron’s features. “... useless resistance. See? This one might very well be the one who delivers you back to ash.” His hand moved, bringing the hissing and groaning pup to the forefront.

“Now that the other cur is dead, it is high-time you take your rightful position: on the ground, slumped like the carcass you are.” He didn’t know if the being could even understand him, nor did he care. It was time to put the abhorrent being down.

The sudden sound of metal slamming against stone echoed in the chamber, the dark knight charged the Mana Beast with his three-pronged spear pointing towards it, couching without a mount.

And when reaching close enough to it, once more there was the crackling of thunder, sizzling of electricity that appeared to run from tip to shaft. He thrusted the lance against the creature, a quick stab aimed right at its decaying face. [Action 1]

Still, not content with it, Edwin would pull the lance back, before raising it, above his own head, then bringing it down, like a hammer, to slam on right on top of the undead being’s head. [Action 2]

Actions:
1 - Fighting Style [Lance] F + Blight [Lightning] F + Continuing [Lightning] F + Energized F - Grade F 0 Posts Cooldown - Strength A (6) + Lance B (5) + Fighting Style F (1) = 12 Base Effectiveness + 1 damage from Blight [Lightning] F if hits + 1 damage from Continuing [Lightning] F if hits
2 - Basic attack + 1. Total Base Effectiveness 13

HP: 4/5 - Regeneration F 1/6
Cooldowns: C 2/3

The beast’s body convulsed under the blows. Lightning sizzled, shadows coiled, and the crack of steel against rotted bone rang sharp through the sacrificial chamber. What was once a predator of mana collapsed into ruin, its screams tearing into silence before its form gave way entirely. Flesh sloughed, bone crumbled, until the corpse split apart into dust and shards of brittle black.

The fallen cultist’s body followed. Their blood, which had seeped into the etched glyphs, flared once before the corpse shimmered unnaturally and vanished, leaving behind only cracked stone and a faint, fading glow.

For the first time since Edwin’s arrival, the chamber was empty. Silent. The cub was still in his gauntlet. Its trembling slowed now, the tiny creature curling itself into a tighter ball, peeking only once at the ruin around them before burying its muzzle against cold armor.

The cracked archway beyond opened back into the midday light.

The last echoes of the fight still hung in the air—the hiss of necrotic energy fading from the stones, the brittle collapse of the beast’s body into dust and fragments. The chamber settling into silence, only the faint glow of glyphs pulsing along the cracked dais bearing witness to the violence that had just unfolded.

And then—

The sound of hurried footsteps.

From the far end of the ruin’s corridor, a figure came running. Sunlight spilled through gaps in the broken ceiling above, glinting against pale yet colorful hair streaked with sweat and dirt. Blood ran in a thin line from her forehead, tracing down across her cheek.

When her amethyst eyes landed on him, they widened in sudden, desperate relief. Her voice cracked with raw emotion as she stumbled forward, breathless.

“You’re okay?!”

Her arms lifted as though she meant to throw herself into his embrace, the faint shimmer of the pendant around her neck brightening with every step she closed between them.

​



Titles
[Human - Mundane], [Noble Ryke Baron] B, [Apprentice Lancer], [Power Potential], [Get Looped], [Dark Knight], [Knight in Black], [Dark Horseman] - #0E0101
Noteworthy Skills: [Resilient Surprised], Regeneration F
Asset Goal: Northern Ryke Village [Name Pending] F

When the death of the mana beast was confirmed, Edwin didn’t spare a second glance at the creature. With his grip around the small cub shifting, the cold armored fingers now enveloping the little runt in its cold embrace, the dark knight turned towards the exit of the chamber.

For a moment, he didn’t move. His eyes shuttered close, chin tilted upwards glancing to the starts, even in their absence. An act of communion to powers beyond mortal ken, made both possible and perfect by the deafening silence.

And there he stood, for a few moments more, until his eyes slowly opened. His attention to the arch that led outside the chamber. Turning on his heels, the sound of metal hitting the stone floor with each step fought over dominance with the serpentine hiss of the lingering necrotic powers.

That was, until the sound of approaching footsteps reached his ears, reverberating in front of him. For a moment, when a darkness that darted towards him was caught, the rasping of his lance could be heard. “Another fool to the slaughter? Very well, I shall do you this favor.” His grave, cold voice echoed, his intent clear.

The armament was hold in battle stance for a few moments more, until a stray ray of sunshine, that laboriously managed to make its way through the cracks of the ruins, allowed him a glimpse.
The colorful hair was unmistakable.

“Aedrianna?” His question was followed by the clinking of his lance against the floor, the weapon let aside as the arm that wielded it wrapped around her back, holding her close to him. “What happened to you?” He posed the question, as his hand, the one cradling the small pup, sneaked its way into placing the little run into her herb pouch.

HP: 4/5 - Regeneration F 2/6
Cooldowns: C 3/3

When Edwin’s arm slipped around the woman’s waist, the closeness revealed a telling detail—her skin carried no warmth, no flush at all. Nothing of the embarrassed heat that might have risen to Aedrianna’s cheeks.

And when he tried to lower the cub into her satchel, the little creature’s reaction was immediate. It snarled and lashed out with tiny claws, swiping furiously before twisting back into his grip. In a heartbeat, it clambered up the length of his arm and pressed itself tight against his shoulder, hackles raised and a low growl rumbling at its throat.

“Aedrianna” grimaced.

“You didn’t kill it?!”

Her voice was sharp, frustrated—wrong. For a flicker, the illusion faltered. Hair that should have been pale shimmered into a cascade of pink, and eyes that should have been violet-blue burned instead with cold amethyst fire. The shimmer snapped back into place, her form settling into its borrowed face, but the crack in her disguise lingered.

Before Edwin could press her, noise surged from beyond the ruin.

It was not a single sound, but a rising cacophony—the thundering whinny of a warhorse, the guttural snarl of a beast, voices shouting over one another in alarm. The jungle outside was no longer silent; it boiled with commotion.

The woman shifted subtly, as though to block his path.

Then, sudden and jarring, two men stumbled into the chamber. Their movements were frantic, eyes wide with the wild edge of prey that knew it was being hunted. They froze for only a heartbeat, staring between Edwin and the woman wearing Aedrianna’s face—then their hands shot to their belts.

Steel glinted in the gloom as both drew daggers, exchanging one quick, silent look before charging forward.

The echo of their boots on stone rang loud in the chamber, blades raised high as they rushed in to drive the points home.

​



Titles
[Human - Mundane], [Noble Ryke Baron] B, [Apprentice Lancer], [Power Potential], [Get Looped], [Dark Knight], [Knight in Black], [Dark Horseman] - #0E0101
Noteworthy Skills: [Resilient Surprised], Regeneration F
Asset Goal: Northern Ryke Village [Name Pending] F

Who was that? Who was this figure, which one of his arms wrapped around it? It felt weird. It felt strange. Like the deathly silence in the forest.

Wrong.

Her eyes are violet, not amethyst.

Wrong.

She was wearing no pendant.

Wrong.

Her hair wasn’t that pale.

Wrong.

The little runt, so new and fresh to life, had reached that conclusion first. And, as Edwin pulled away from her, it was the very first moment that his face had been twisted. His eyebrows were fully furrowed, his lips reversed, while his nostrils flared.

Even with the sudden thunderous sound from outside, his hawkish gaze never left the pretender. Not even when more joined them. “I will rip out your face.” The declaration was done without any mirth, much different from his usual toying self. It was a promise of the uncensored violence about to come.

His left foot was the first to move, hitting the shaft of his fallen lance, making it ping against the ground and propel into the air. With a swift movement of his right hand, the dark knight caught it in mid-air.

Reaching into his back, there was a sound of steel rasping against steel. His shield, that was left securely at his back, was now wielded by his left right. The eyes of the skull embossed on it gleamed ominously against the little light in that place.

And it began glowing, a glow that appeared to suck the light towards it. Soon enough, a shadowy smog oozed from its mouth, enveloping Edwin. The baron could feel the umbral energies being absorbed by his muscles, empowering him. [Action 1]

Next, he thrusted his lance against the doppelgänger, the three-pronged tips searching the underside of her jaw. In tandem, the shadows began forming at his feet: they expanded and expanded, unmistakable sizzling followed them. [Action 2/3]

Actions:
1 - The Patron’s Boon on self (Enchanted Shield) - Magic D + Magic Duration E + Bolster B [STR] - Increase STR effectiveness by 5, duration 3 turns.
2/3 - My Domain - Fighting Style [Lance] C + Blight [Lightning] F + Continuing [Lightning] F + Aura D (1) [Darkness (Necrotic)] + Area D (50ft) + Selective D (Sparing the cub and the Skythorn Blossoms only) + Incapacitating D (1) - Grade C 3 Posts Cooldown - Strength A (6) + Lance B (5) + Fighting Style C (4) + The Patron’s Boon (5) = 20 Base Effectiveness + 1 damage from Blight [Lightning] F if hits + 1 damage from Continuing [Lightning] F if hits + 3 damage from Aura D (1) [Darkness (Necrotic)] upon contact (automatic) + possibility of knocking the targets into kneeling position from Incapacitating D. Damage potential total 25

Cooldowns: Enchanted Shield - Grade B 0/4 (Locked 0/3 during Magic Duration)
Edwin - C 0/3

HP: 4/5 - Regeneration F 3/6

The instant his shield rasped free, the chamber seemed to recoil. The skull’s eyes burned in the dim light, and shadow poured from its mouth like smoke spilling from a furnace. It wrapped around him in coils, whispering with each curl as it sank into muscle and bone, amplifying every motion with dreadful power.

The air thickened as the glow of the glyphs fought against his encroaching aura, but the darkness spread, dragging across the stones in a widening circle. Sparks sizzled along the floor, bolts of black lightning snapping like serpents as the shadows expanded outward.

The drab-faced men who had rushed into the chamber staggered. Their knees buckled as the necrotic weight slammed into them, legs shaking against the crushing pull that threatened to grind them into the ground. Daggers slipped in clammy hands as they fought to stay upright, their faces still bland, unremarkable, and somehow infuriatingly empty.

The doppelgänger—“Aedrianna”—had no time to flee.

The lance came up under her chin, the three-pronged head lit with crackling arcs of lightning. The shadows clung to her skin as the points pierced upward, searching for bone. Her amethyst eyes widened, flickering again to pink hair, the illusion faltering with every surge of his power.

Then steel met flesh.

The scent of ozone and scorched meat filled the chamber as the blow landed, the sound echoing off the ruined stone. She convulsed against the strike, blood spilling hot down her throat as the shadows gnawed at the wound. Yet even as her body gave way, she began to laugh.

A wet, gurgling sound, equal parts mirth and death rattle, spilling out in fits as her legs gave beneath her. The laugh did not stop as she fell, her blood gushing across the stone, drawn unnaturally toward the room’s center. The glyphs drank it eagerly, their faint glow brightening into a steady, hungry pulse.

The amulet at her throat flared, burning bright, as though another sacrifice had been claimed.

The two drab men buckled against his aura, still fighting to rise, reaching feebly for their dropped weapons. One snarled, straining against the shadows, while the other was already on his knees, eyes locked blankly on the ground.

The chamber hissed with power, the air alive with energy not entirely his own. The glyphs glowed brighter, and her gurgling laughter echoed even after her body had fallen silent. The glyphs on the amulet around her neck lighting up weakly.

The hush of Edwin’s domain lasted only a heartbeat longer before the sound of frantic steps broke it. Another drab-robed figure stumbled into the chamber, his plain face twisted in panic. Behind him came the heavy thunder of claws.

A Mana Beast — larger than the one Edwin had already slain — lurched into view. Its white-blue fur was matted crimson, a deep gash tearing across its chest, blood spilling freely with every step. Foam flecked its jaws, eyes glowing feral green as it barreled after its prey.

But they did not make it far.

The shadows of Edwin’s domain surged outward again, oppressive and crushing. The drab man collapsed mid-stride, knees buckling as the aura forced him down. His dagger clattered uselessly from his hands as he hit the floor, unable to rise.

The beast crashed down on him in an instant.

Teeth split flesh with a wet crunch as the creature tore him apart, shaking his body like a rag doll. The other two men — already half-broken under the weight of the aura — could do nothing. Their legs folded, bodies collapsing as the beast wheeled on them. Jaws closed again, claws raked, and in moments the chamber was a blur of blood and shredded limbs.

The violence burned itself out as quickly as it had begun. The beast staggered, its massive frame heaving. It turned at last toward Edwin, its ruined chest glowing faintly as if fire burned within. Its eyes locked on him in a final glare—feral, unblinking—before its legs gave way.

The body collapsed, the sound echoing through the ruin. Blood streamed outward, finding the carved lines in the stone.

The glyphs drank deep.

Light surged across the chamber, flaring too bright, the glyphs pulsing with a ravenous energy that felt almost alive. The bodies of the dead began to deteriorate, as if being devoured by the temple. Leaving only the pendant the pink haired woman had been wearing. For an instant, the entire ruin seemed to draw breath, as if the stone itself were inhaling in preparation for something dreadful.

And then—nothing.

The glow lingered, but no revelation came. The silence that followed was heavy, oppressive, almost mocking in its anticlimax. But now that all of that had come to an end, The quiet of the jungle made itself known again. The cub that had pressed itself against Edwins neck whined as it stared at the center of the room. No trace of its kin left. Everything had happened so suddenly, There'd hardly been a moment to react. But perhaps what would be more concerning, would be that the noise he'd heard earlier from outside, seemed to have died down.



Aedrianna gasped as the war steed reared high, its scream splitting the air. Hooves lashed out in a frenzy, forcing her to duck and roll just in time to avoid being crushed between its fury and the looming figure behind her—a broad-shouldered man with black hair and cold grey eyes.

The noise shattered the uneasy stillness outside the temple. Every head snapped toward her—the drab-faced men, the pink-haired woman with the glowing amulet.

Damn it.

The black-haired man pulled back a step, wary of the stallion’s thrashing hooves as they hammered against the earth. Dust and broken roots flew with each strike, the beast’s crimson eyes fixed on him with savage defiance. Then he spoke, voice sharp and carrying, directed not at her but at the pink-haired woman.

“The bait didn’t take. This one—” his gaze flicked to Aedrianna, sneering, “—and some man in armor tripped the switch before the male could find it. He’s in there with it. Go make sure he dies. I’ll bring this o—”

He never finished.

A blur of white and blue burst from the underbrush with a bone-jarring impact. The great beast slammed into him, driving him into the dirt. They rolled across the ground in a violent tangle of claws and limbs, the man’s shout lost beneath the beast’s roar.

The world erupted into chaos.

The drab men who had stood listless moments before suddenly charged, sprinting straight for Aedrianna. Mana swelled at her call, shadows pooling beneath her in five perfect points, forming the shape of a star. From that darkness rose five snarling wolves, their eyes glowing as they bounded forward, intercepting the oncoming men with snapping jaws.

Aedrianna didn’t wait to watch. She bolted toward the temple entrance, heart hammering with a single thought: Edwin.

But the pink-haired woman was faster. She lunged out of the shadows, colliding with Aedrianna in a tangle of limbs. They hit the ground, rolling violently, hands tangling in hair, nails raking at flesh. Aedrianna hissed, yanking hard until she finally shoved the woman off with a desperate heave. The stranger’s head cracked against the edge of a moss-slick stone, the sound sharp, and she crumpled to the side.

Aedrianna scrambled upright, breath heaving, a spell half-formed on her lips. But before she could cast, rough hands seized her arms. Two drab-faced men wrenched her back, dragging her away with mechanical strength. She kicked, thrashed, fury spitting from her lips—

A wolf struck.

One of her conjured beasts slammed into the men, its shadowy form burning their flesh where it touched. Their grip collapsed, skin sloughing away in smoking streaks. Aedrianna stumbled free, falling to her knees as they howled.

Her eyes snapped up just in time to see the white-blue beast roar in pain. The black-haired man—bloodied, mauled, but alive—drove a dagger deep into its chest, ripping downward with brutal strength. Blood gushed from the wound, splattering the ground as the beast staggered back. Its eyes flared brighter, wild and glowing, foam thick at its jaws.

It locked onto movement—one of the drab men, fleeing in terror from the last of her wolves. The beast shrieked and lunged, chasing him into the temple’s dark maw.

And then silence fell.

The cries of the dying men ceased. The roars of the beast vanished into the ruins. Even the stallion had gone still, its ears pinned back, nostrils flaring.

Aedrianna staggered to her feet, chest rising and falling in sharp breaths. The pink-haired woman was gone.

Her gaze lifted—and her blood ran cold.

The black-haired man was walking toward her. His movements were steady, unhurried, as though the gaping claw marks across his chest were of no consequence. Her wolves stepped forward in unison, a wall of snarling shadow between them, but her hand still rose, a single finger leveled. At its tip, mana curled, coalescing into a trembling wisp of starlight.

“Don’t come any closer.”

Her voice was steel, and for an instant, he froze. His hands lifted, palms open in mock surrender.

Then the amulet at his throat flared.

The twisted grin that spread across his lips was sharp, terrible, made worse by the blood already drying on his face.

“Go ahead,” he sneered, eyes gleaming with sick delight. “Shoot me down.”


Present

When Edwin would eventually step out from the shadow of the temple, the ruin behind him still whispering with echoes of violence, he would find no reprieve waiting outside.

The clearing bore the look of carnage. Blood streaked the moss, smeared across broken stones and trampled earth, spattered in arcs that spoke of desperate struggle. Yet there were no bodies

Only two figures remained.

His war steed, sides heaving, crimson eyes still bright with adrenaline. And Aedrianna.

She stood just beyond the beast, her hair disheveled, streaked with dirt and damp from the jungle. Blood stained her lip and brow, though none of it seemed grave—marks of being thrown, struck, dragged. Her clothes were torn at the shoulder, dust and moss clinging to her travel coat. She looked as though she’d been through the thick of a brawl but had endured.

Her arm was raised, finger leveled toward the treeline. At its tip glimmered a pale orb of starlight, mana coalescing into form. She looked rigid, locked into the spell, her posture tense as if bracing for release.

But her eyes were wrong.

They were unfocused, distant. Not tracking, not seeing. Though her body remained ready, her gaze was cast somewhere far away, as if fixed on something that wasn’t there.

And indeed, there was nothing.

The jungle lay quiet before her finger. No enemy, Only shadows, foliage, and the oppressive stillness after violence.

Yet Aedrianna did not lower her hand. The starlight at her fingertip pulsed

​

Titles
[Human - Mundane], [Noble Ryke Baron] B, [Apprentice Lancer], [Power Potential], [Get Looped], [Dark Knight], [Knight in Black], [Dark Horseman] - #0E0101
Noteworthy Skills: [Resilient Surprised], Regeneration F
Asset Goal: Northern Ryke Village [Name Pending] F

Edwin’s icy blue-eyes scanned the chamber, which he now stood as the only victor and perhaps survivor. “Hmph, as if the results were ever in question.” With his confidence not giving a single inch, the dark knight looked as confident as ever.

Still, there were some lingering doubts in his mind.

Not quite fully grasping what had transpired in that room during that short instant, his gaze would eventually scan enough of the dark, stony floor to reach the dropped pendant. “I wonder…”

Approaching the piece of jewelry, his armored hand swooped at it, easily scooping it off the ground. Holding it between the clawed fingers, he verified both cord and stone, feeling its weight and trying to look through it against the little light that reached the chamber. “... we shall see if this bauble has any value.”

During this examination, he felt the furred little runt press itself against his cool neck. He gave the pup a sideway, a show that, at least for the moment, the baron tolerated its existence. “And that is what happens to fools that down bow properly when meeting real power.” He declared, pointing at the very center of the room.

In the next moment, he turned around and began stepping towards the exit. His strut was heavy as always, not putting even the bare minimum of effort to disguise his presence. If more came? They would just add to the already growing pile of bodies.

However, nothing of the sort was found while he marched through those labyrinthine walls and, eventually, he found the exit of that blasted ruin. Daylight bathed his features.

And, at the distance, he saw her. Was it her? Or perhaps another trick to be played? That he couldn’t say for certain, at least not at that very instant.

He would let out a sharp whistle, the same he used before to call his warhorse and see what happened.

Cooldowns: Enchanted Shield - Grade B 0/4 (Locked 1/3 during Magic Duration)
Edwin - C 1/3

HP: 4/5 - Regeneration F 4/6

The pendant was cold in his grasp, almost unnaturally so. Its cord was frayed with age, the stone dull and cracked, yet a faint vibration lingered in it as if some hidden pulse ran through its core. Nothing stirred from it, no voice or flash of power, only that steady hum like a breath held.

The pup pressed closer against his neck, ears twitching as though it too felt the vibration. But it made no sound, no whimper or growl—just silence.

Edwin’s heavy steps echoed as he made his way through the broken passages, until at last daylight poured over steel. Outside, the ruin’s clearing was still, the humid air thick with the tang of blood.

At his shrill whistle, the war steed didn't hesitate to trot towards him. And it was then that the young woman seemed to realize she wasn't alone anymore. She turned her gaze slowly towards him.

Her arm dropped, the spell dissipating from her fingertip. The tension bled out of her posture, but what replaced it was not relief—it was guilt.

She stumbled forward, words tumbling from her lips in a rush.
“I’m sorry—I’m so sorry, Edwin—I dragged you into this—”

Her voice broke, repeating herself over and over, as if she could somehow smother the violence of the past hour under sheer apology. Her eyes, however, locked not on the pendant in his hand, nor the cub perched silent on his shoulder, but on the dark punctures that marred his armor.

Her breath caught. Panic surged in her tone as she reached for him.
“You’re hurt—oh Edwin!, you’re hurt—take it off, let me see, I can heal it, just—please, Edwin, take it off—”

Her hands hovered over his breastplate, trembling, desperate to find the wound beneath. Despite her seeming to have no serious wounds for the most part, her entire body shook violently. Likely from the adrenaline rush after everything had happened. But she looked up into his icy gaze, fear and concern flooding the violet blue orbs he'd come to know.

The pup remained nestled against him, its eyes unblinking, watching her quietly as she fussed over the damage. It made no move, no sound—just a silent weight, perched like a second set of eyes measuring the scene.