Valdor reached the edge of a dense forest. The sun was sinking toward the west, painting the sky in shades of orange and purple. In the distance, among the trees, smoke rose from the chimneys of a small village.
The village of Tribe was hidden deep in the forest, surrounded by old, mighty trees that seemed to guard it from the outside world.
The houses were built of wood and stone, and their roofs were covered with thick moss.
He approached the first house and knocked.
After a moment, the door opened, and a woman stood in the doorway.
She was about thirty years old, with long, red hair and gray eyes that seemed to see right through him.
"I haven't seen any strangers here in a long time." she said. Her voice was calm but firm.
"I'm Valdor Kanami. Luna sent me here."
A hint of interest flashed across the woman's face.
"Luna… Come in."
Valdor stepped inside. The house was simple but clean and cozy. A fire crackled in the hearth, and the scent of herbs lingered in the air.
"I'm Freya Suzu. Have a seat."
Valdor sat down at the table.
"So why did Luna send you to me?" Freya asked, handing him a cup of tea.
Valdor nodded.
"I want you to teach me how to fight."
Freya looked into his eyes.
"We'll see if you're worth it."
***
That same day, at Luna's palace, Noah stood on the training grounds.
Balls of fire flew around him, forming intricate patterns in the air.
He focused on controlling the flames, trying to keep them in check.
Sylwia, Luna's senior priestess, watched him from the sidelines.
"Focus, Noah. Fire isn't just destruction — it's also life."
"Close your eyes and feel it as a part of yourself."
Noah closed his eyes.
He sensed the warmth of the fire, its energy, its fiery temperament.
He felt a connection between himself and the flames.
In an instant, all the fireballs merged into a single, enormous ball that hovered before him.
"All your power focused in a single point." said Sylwia.
Noah opened his eyes and looked at the fireball.
"Now control its size."
He began to slowly shrink the ball until it was barely larger than his hand.
"Good."
Suddenly, the fireball flashed with a bright light and exploded, injuring Noah.
Noah screamed in pain and fell to his knees.
"You lost control. Remember, fire is your servant, not your master."
Meanwhile, Kael was training with Faisa.
They were both standing on the training ground with wooden swords in their hands.
"You're too predictable, Kael." said Faisa, parrying his attack.
"Focus on my movements, not on your own attack."
Kael stepped back and attacked again, trying to find a gap in her defense
Faisa easily dodged his blows.
"You're fighting with your head, not your heart."
"Your sword is an extension of your will, not just a piece of metal."
Kael stopped and took a deep breath.
"I understand."
He closed his eyes and focused on Faisa.
He sensed her energy, her intentions.
He opened his eyes and moved forward.
This time, his movements were smoother, more precise.
Faisa smiled slightly.
"That's the idea…"
***
Arwen was training with one of the paladins in the courtyard.
They both held daggers in their hands, and their movements were fast and precise.
The blades clashed every few moments, making metallic sounds.
Arwen dodged one attack after another, learning to control her movements and speed.
The paladin watched her closely.
"You're getting better. Your technique is becoming more precise." — he said.
***
The next morning, Valdor stood before Freya once again.
"I'm ready, but why do you want me to fight without the demon arc's help…"
Freya nodded and pulled out two wooden swords.
"Show me what you can do without using your powers."
Valdor grabbed one of the swords and charged forward.
His movements were fast and precise, but too stiff.
Freya parried his blows with ease.
"Too much strength, not enough technique." she said, deflecting his attack.
"You fight like a young bear — with strength, not agility."
Valdor crossed swords with Freya.
"Show me how you fight…" he said.
Freya smiled.
"Then watch closely." she said, and moved
In the blink of an eye, she stepped back.
With every step and every strike, she seemed to dance with the air, moving with extraordinary lightness and grace.
There was a confidence and lightness about her that Valdor lacked.
"You're fighting as if you want to break your sword." she said, stopping in front of him. Valdor hadn't had time to parry her blow.
Valdor was pushed backward and fell onto his back. He got back up.
"The sword is a part of you. You have to feel it in your hand, in your heart, in your soul."
"All right. Let's start over."
They trained all day long.
Freya showed him how to move with lightness, how to use his opponent's strength against him.
Valdor, though skeptical at first, was slowly beginning to understand her fighting philosophy
"You're on the right track, Valdor." Freya said as the sun began to set
"But you still have a long way to go."
***
That same day in the desert
Mayuri woke up in an unfamiliar place
She was lying on a simple bed in a room dug into the sand
Light filtered through a small window, casting a warm glow on the walls
She saw her scythe leaning against the wall
The room contained only a small table and two chairs
"You're finally awake."
Mayuri turned around
Lya was standing in the doorway
"How are you feeling?"
Mayuri sat up, feeling pain throughout her body
"Who are you? Where am I?"
Lya stepped closer
"I'm Lya, and this is Zahim." she said, pointing to the man standing behind her
"We found you in the desert after your battle with that demon."
"We brought you to Taperis, our palace."
"Zahim and I are the guardians of this place. You should know us — we're from the Burning Sands team."
Mayuri looked at them in disbelief
"The Burning Sands team... I thought you'd stayed in the capital to repair the damage from the invasion." she said.
"Unfortunately, the emperor ordered us to return to our base. Kiyoshi tried to talk to the emperor, but to no avail." she whispered.
Lya placed her hand on her shoulder.
"What about the capital?" Mayuri asked.
"We don't know. We've been cut off. The portal in Taperis was destroyed by the court mages." Zahim replied.
Mayuri looked out the window at the desert.
"I have to go back." she said.
Lya shook her head.
"You're too weak. You need to rest."
"I'll be fine."
Mayuri stood up and grabbed her scythe.
"Valdor, Noah, and the rest… they're in danger." Mayuri added.
Mayuri collapsed onto the bed.
"I don't have time…"
Lya took her scythe. "Rest. You're not fully recovered yet."
***
A week had passed.
Life in the Tribe village went on peacefully, and during that time, Valdor trained relentlessly under the guidance of a former master chosen by Luna.
Every day made him stronger, and his skills improved with each training session.
Valdor and Freya stood in a clearing.
They both held wooden swords in their hands.
"Remember, Valdor. The movement must come from your hips, not just your arms." said Freya.
Valdor nodded and attacked.
His movement was smoother than before.
Freya easily parried his attack.
"Better. But you're still fighting with the zeal of a warrior, not the calm of a master."
"Close your eyes."
Valdor obeyed
"Focus on your breath. Don't fight with force. Let your mind guide the blade."
Valdor closed his eyes and focused on his breathing.
Then he felt something extraordinary.
The piece of dragon marrow he had obtained earlier began to pulsate with energy.
Its power slowly spread throughout Valdor's body, filling him with a new, mighty strength.
He felt the energy flowing through his veins, strengthening his body and senses.
Freya opened her eyes slightly, noticing the change. "I see, so you really are a dragon…" she whispered.
When Valdor opened his eyes, he was no longer in the clearing.
He was standing in a huge, gloomy castle. Stone walls towered high above him, and an unnatural silence reigned all around.
In the center of the vast hall stood a solitary figure.
It was himself.
His alter ego.
Valdor's alter ego smiled slightly.
"Yoo… we meet again, Valdor." — it said.
Valdor looked around the castle's vast hall.
"Where have you taken me…?" — he asked suspiciously.
The Alter Ego laughed softly.
"Nowhere. We're in your world… the one you created yourself in your mind."
Valdor looked at him in disbelief.
"In my mind…?"
"Exactly. This place is a reflection of you — your memories, your fears… and the power you're trying to understand." — Alter Ego replied.
"Why am I here…?" — Valdor asked, looking at his alter ego.
Alter Ego smiled slightly.
"You must have sensed the power of the dragon's core." — it replied.
It took a step toward him.
"It was the core itself that summoned you here."
Valdor looked at his hands, still feeling the energy coursing through his body.
"The Dragon Core… so this is its power?" Alter Ego smiled slightly and pointed to the old throne standing at the far end of the hall.
Alter Ego smiled slightly and pointed to the old throne standing at the far end of the hall.
A red sphere of energy hovered above it.
Inside it was only one red crystal, pulsing with a faint light.
The other three slots were empty.
Valdor looked at the sphere with curiosity.
"What is this…?"
Alter Ego stepped closer.
"It's part of your true power."
It pointed to the empty slots in the sphere.
"You already have one crystal… but three more are missing."
The red crystal glowed brighter, as if reacting to Valdor's presence.
"When you obtain all four… you'll discover the full power of the Dragon Core." — said Alter Ego.
"So, in short… you'll become the Dragon God!" — said Alter Ego.
Its laughter echoed throughout the castle hall.
It smiled broadly, looking at Valdor.
"Can you imagine? Power surpassing that of ordinary warriors… a force that no one will be able to stop. Not even the Demon Arc can give you that kind of power!"
Valdor looked at the red crystal sphere, saying nothing.
"God of Dragons…" — he repeated quietly.
Alter Ego laughed once more.
"Exactly. But first, you have to find the other three crystals. Only then will your true power awaken."
"Do you remember what I told you in the capital about where to find the next shard?" — asked Alter Ego.
"Yes." — Valdor replied.
He closed his eyes for a moment, recalling those words.
"Where the sun dies and the waves sing a song of the end, there lies the Heart of Ice, waiting to be warmed." — he said.
Alter Ego smiled with satisfaction.
"Good. I see you haven't forgotten."
That is where the next shard of the dragon's core is located. If you obtain it, you'll be one step closer to awakening the power of the Dragon God.
Valdor noticed that the world around him was beginning to crumble.
The castle walls were cracking and turning into specks of light, and everything was slowly disappearing.
"It's time for you to go. See you next time." — said Alter Ego with a smile.
A moment later, it, too, dissolved into nothingness.
Valdor closed his eyes.
When he opened them again, he was back in the clearing.
He was lying with his head resting on Freya's lap.
The woman looked at him with a slight smile.
"Welcome back, Valdor. It took longer than I expected."
"What happened…?" — Valdor whispered.
"You fell and lost consciousness." — Freya replied.
"I see…"
Valdor slowly got up from the ground, then reached out his hand toward Freya.
Freya took his hand and stood up.
"That's it for today's training." — she said calmly.
Valdor and Freya walked at a leisurely pace toward Freya's house.
The sun was slowly setting, and the village of Tribe was enveloped in silence.
Meanwhile, in the training hall of Nathan's palace,
Leo stood calmly facing Arthur, who was holding his spear. One fought with his bare fists; the other had the advantage thanks to his weapon.
Arthur made the first move.
He jumped high and attacked from above, but Leo easily blocked the blow with one hand.
"What…?" — Arthur asked in surprise.
He immediately jumped back, trying to create some distance.
Leo just looked at him and vanished.
The next moment, he appeared right behind Arthur.
The warrior didn't have time to react as Leo's fist stopped just a few centimeters from his face.
Arthur lost his balance and fell to the ground, breathing heavily.
Leo looked at him calmly.
Nathan entered the training hall.
"You certainly didn't go easy on him, Leo." Nathan said.
"I need this if I want to get stronger." Leo replied. "By the way, what are you doing here, my Lord?" he added, turning to face him.
"I want you to destroy the Tribe." —Nathan said.
Leo looked at him calmly.
"Valdor is there." — Nathan added.
"The Tribe has many strong warriors. They've been guarding the green Demon Ark for years… until it found its user." replied Nathan.
"But beware of their sealing power; they're known for being able to seal away powerful entities." — said Nathan. "You must proceed with caution." — he added.
"Don't worry… with my Demon Arc, they won't stand a chance." — replied Leo.
Arthur slowly rose from the ground, clenching his fists.
He glanced once more at Leo and Nathan, feeling his anger rise.
He had hoped he would be the one entrusted with this mission.
But Nathan had chosen Leo.
"Tch…" — he hissed under his breath.
He turned and walked out of the training hall, hiding his disappointment.
Jealousy and anger flashed in his eyes as the door closed behind him.
Meanwhile, night had fallen in Tribe.
The warm light of the fireplace illuminated the interior of Freya's house.
Valdor sat silently before the fire, lost in thought. He kept returning to the words of his Alter Ego and the mystery of the dragon's core.
On the other side, Freya was preparing dinner, calmly chopping ingredients and stirring the dish in a pot.
In the middle of the night, not far from the village of Tribe,
a red magical circle flared up in an empty clearing.
Energy began to swirl, and a solitary figure slowly emerged from within it.
It was Leo.
He looked around the quiet surroundings, then gazed toward the sleeping village.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"So this is the place… I can feel him…" — he whispered.
Leo smiled broadly and, with a calm stride, set off toward the gate leading to Tribe.
The night was quiet, and the only sound was his slow footsteps.
With every meter, he drew closer to the sleeping village, and the sinister smile never left his face.