Arden's battle with the Irontusk Mauler continued increasing swiftly in intensity.

The Mauler burrowed, diving under the earth. The ground trembled, then it erupted behind Arden. BOOM! It lunged upward, tusks glinting.

But the attempt of the Mauler to ambush Arden was futile.

As Arden spun, crimson flames curling into a spear. And then he hurled it.

SHHOOOM!

The fire lance pierced straight into the Mauler's chest, exploding into a wave of molten fire. Smoke and embers filled the air.

The Mauler staggered, trying to regenerate, but the flames clung to its wounds like living chains.

Arden's voice cut through the blaze. "Burn. And stay down."

The ground lit under his feet as he invoked the Release Invocation.

A sweeping wave of fire burst outward in a semi circle, catching the beast mid step.

WHOOOOSH— CRASH!

The Irontusk shrieked, its ironhide cracking apart, until finally it collapsed with a thundering fall, smoke pouring from its mouth and tusks.

Silence followed, broken only by crackling fire and the hiss of cooling stone.

Nyra whistled. "Well… you didn't just burn it. You turned it into scrap."

Rael shook his head, though his grin gave him away. "Remind me never to spar with you again."

Arden exhaled slowly, lowering his hand. His lips curved into a quiet smile. "Not bad… but it can be better."

Zephyra padded close, nudging her head against his arm with a rumbling sound. Her flames flickered, faintly answering his. Arden patted her lightly, pride and calm resting in his eyes.

The beast's body crumbled into ashes under the lingering fire. And with it, the system whispered its rewards.

A system interface shimmered before Arden's eyes.

[Life Energy Absorbed.

New Life Signature Gained:

Ironhide Resonance

Affinity: Earth

Effect: Channels life energy into the body's surface, forming hardened plating like stone. It grants enhanced resistance against blunt strikes, slashing, and elemental burns.

Additional Effects:

Seismic Channeling: Attacks infused with life energy ripple with earthen force, releasing shockwave-like impacts.

Stoneblood Recovery: Wounds reinforce themselves, slowing the spread of damage as if layered with stone scar tissue].

Arden exhaled, his hand brushing the air as if he could still feel the Mauler's armor pressed against him. "Not bad," he murmured. "Defense never loses value."

Rael leaned in, curious. "Defense, huh? Doesn't sound like your style."

Arden smirked. "This defense has an attack in disguise. Imagine planting a shockwave straight into someone's core every time they touch you. Or breaking ground beneath their feet when they think you're only blocking."

Rael whistled, already picturing it. Nyra rolled her eyes but didn't hide the faint grin tugging her lips.

"Always scheming," she muttered.

"Always alive," Arden shot back with a shrug, and their hunt carried on.

The Irontusk's fall only sharpened the others. Nyra threw herself into refining her casting speed. Each battle left her weaving spells faster, sliding into Cryowind Shift with steadier footing.

She no longer stumbled when the frost wind bent her body mid cast. And when she flared the Boreal Tempest Ward, her timing grew cleaner, the barrier bursting with a bite that reminded foes her defense had fangs.

Rael matched her step for step. His shifts between ice and lightning sharpened, no longer raw bursts but smoother transitions that made his style unpredictable. His reinforcement tightened, his strikes heavier, but what drew Arden's notice was how Rael built fallback skills. A defensive brace here, a grounded counter there, instincts tempered into craft. Arden had seen the spark the first time Rael fought. Now he was watching it flare.

Evenings bled into cultivation, the two of them drawing in aether, straining to climb a higher realm. Sometimes they sparred, Zephyra circling them like a fiery drillmaster. Her growls and snapping flame pointed out flaws better than words ever could. And though she played the part of harsh instructor, her rumbling purrs at the height of battle betrayed the truth, she enjoyed it.

On rare occasions Arden joined, but more often he sat cross- legged, lost in his own storm, refining life energy, sketching techniques in his mind. Rael and Nyra bantered him endlessly when he refused. And Arden's replies came short, sharp, but always with a grin that undercut the sting.

The bond between them thickened with each day in the Outlands. But beyond the reach of their campfires, shadows moved.

The chamber was dim, lit only by the glow of emberstone lanterns. Men and women cloaked in silks and shadow leaned over a long table. No insignias marked them, only the weight of presence.

One voice broke the hush. "The experiment?"

Another replied, calm but sharp. "Nearing its conclusion. Our lowly hands scattered across supply lines and Outland camps have funneled enough herbs and reagents. They won't even know what they carried or it's use. But the constant supply has aided the experiment."

A man at the far end snorted. "And yet… disruptions. A few dual-affinity pests, running about where they shouldn't, the Outbounds or whatever they call themselves."

"That," another cut in smoothly, "is nothing. Even the great clans are sniffing, but our roots run deeper. We have hands inside their halls. Even here among us." He gestured lazily, as though the walls themselves bowed to his will. "They can't touch us."

A heavy silence settled before one turned to the man at his side. His face caught a glimmer of the lantern light, one Arden's party would recognize if they were here.

"And you? Still in control?"

The man leaned back, lips curling faintly. "Everything runs as planned. Greyhold is mine to play with. And as for those children in the Outlands… Nyra, Rael, Arden…" He let their names hang like bait before chuckling low. "They think they're growing strong. But strength without roots is only a tree waiting for the axe."

The others murmured their approval, shadows heavy with amusement. Their laughter carried no warmth, only the assurance of men and women who believed they could not be touched.

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