Chapter 7: Harbinger of Death
Terror filled their heart as they were too scared to move forward and save their friend. That moment will forever haunt them till the end of time. If they survive that long that is.
Alex collapsed onto the ground with no signs of life left inside him. Blood trickled down from the wound and soaked into his clothes as the young man responsible for it stepped back with satisfaction.
"Alex!" Screamed out the girl named Emily who ran up to where Alex lay dying. She tried to somehow wake him up but to no avail.
The rest of the group didn't fare any better as they all overclocked their minds, desperately trying to think of something to do. They weren't trained for something like this to occur.
With Emily breaking their formation, they were clueless about what to do next. Recklessly fighting or maybe even retreating? The mana waves strained them heavily and made their decision-making skills slow down dramatically.
Meanwhile, the perpetrator just silently stood there, enjoying the show. He repeatedly muttered something about "emotions" and "art" but the group was too distracted to listen to him.
Eventually, the young man slowly walked up to the sobbing Emily, patting her on her head as he whispered something in her ears.
The group saw a ray of hope that he maybe did not mean harm but that soon faded away after seeing his next actions.
He stabbed Emily right through the chest, killing her instantly. Her body slumped lifelessly on the ground as she gasped for air, having lost all consciousness. She was dead.
The remaining three felt a sense of impending doom as they watched helplessly. Whilst James was still frozen in fear, contemplating his life choices up to now, the other 2's fight-or-flight response kicked in and they chose to fight.
Frantically, both girls charged toward the assailant whilst shouting curses at him. Their fear made them bold, not caring for their own health as they aimlessly swung around their weapons, hoping to inflict some damage.
However, their opponent was far beyond them as he easily dodged their wild swings. After mocking their feeble attempts at combat, he proceeded to stab them each in their stomachs, causing massive internal injuries as well as excruciating pain.
Their bodies were thrown backwards with great force, landing hard on the floor as they cried out in agony. With no one else to turn to, their lives ended without much resistance.
James despaired even more seeing the young man's sudden increase in strength. "Was he holding back all this time?" James wondered. But the answer did not matter as he knew what fate awaited him.
His mind went blank as he stared at death coming towards him. He had nothing to say, no final thoughts to leave behind. His mind simply stopped functioning. Death came for him swiftly and mercilessly...
He wanted to die in honor and as a warrior but it seems these were only empty dreams. Instead, he died like a coward. A pathetic human being whose life was meaningless and insignificant.
Darkness clouded his vision as everything became blurry and unclear. Everything seemed to be moving slower than usual. As his senses dulled, he could feel his heartbeat slowing down and eventually stopping altogether.
"You M..monster!" Were the last things he was able to mutter before passing out completely.
With that, the self proclaimed Azure Devils all died a death full of pain and regret. Their aspirations led them to their demise as they failed to accomplish anything meaningful in their short lives.
The young man casually strolled over to the corpses, looking at the carnage. To him, it was an art piece; beautiful yet horrifying. In his eyes, the blood flowing freely across the floor was like paint, painting pictures on the canvas of reality.
Without wasting any more time, the young man left the Valley and searched for a place to sleep in the village. Finding a place suitable enough, he lay down on the bed and fell asleep immediately after.
In the early dawn of morning, you could spot the very same young man walking through the Eldritch Fissures once more.
Filled with new energy, he tried to fight against the mana waves once more. This time, one could witness a noticeable difference in how far he could get.
As the day progressed, the young man relentlessly spend his time pushing his body to the utmost limit, trying to synchronize himself with the mana and strengthening his body.
It was an arduous task that only the most determined would attempt. Yet despite knowing this fact, he kept going, refusing to give up. It was clear that he was driven by something greater than mere survival instincts. A goal. A vision.
Day turned into night but the young man continued training until he was finally satisfied. Persistent in his endeavors, he drove onwards, till he reached his limits. And even then, he pushed further.
And when the sun rose once more, the cycle repeated itself.
Day turned to night again. Night gave way to another dawn. Again, he spent hours upon days of endless repetition doing the exact same thing, improving himself bit by bit.
Some would call him insane while others might think he is possessed. Maybe he has already lost his mind due to the mana. However, the young man remained oblivious to such trivial matters. All that mattered was his relentless pursuit of perfection.
It did not take long for a whole week to pass. The young man did not once stop practicing during those 7 days.
Every second of every hour counted and he took advantage of it, devoting all his attention to honing himself.
He was already the talk of the town amongst the villagers. Some called him mad, some pitied or envied him.
No matter where he looked, there was someone who admired or despised the young man's dedication.
Rumor has it, that throughout the time the young man was in the valley, alot of people disappeared or were found dead. The Valley became unsafe for newcomers and the news spread through the kingdom.
"The Harbringer of Death" Was the nickname given by the people. A reaper, lurking in the Valley, waiting for prey. Coincidentally, he only killed people in a group whilst lone humans were left unscathed.
Some believed that the young man was responsible for it but there was no evidence left behind at the crime scenes. Authorities tried to investigate further but there were little to none traces to go off.
The real culprit was destined to never be found out since all these murders abruptly stopped exactly one week after they first occurred. Nobody knows why. Maybe he succumbed to the mana or fought someone too strong for him.
Whatever it may be, the Eldritch Fissure soon regained its popularity as the Harbinger of Death vanished like he was never there to begin with.
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"That was something." I muttered, content with myself.
To think that I was able to get so close towards the rift. I'm sure even D-Rank would severely struggle to get so far. With this, I should have atleast caught up somewhat to the real prodigies around my age.
Heading back "home" with my horse, I traveled through the forest without encountering any problems along the way. Trying to pass the time, I looked at my now improved stats.
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Name: Leon (Noah)
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Rank: F+
Mana Synchronisation: D-
Physical Capabilities:
-Agility: F+
-Strength: E-
-Endurance: F+
-Martial Skills: A-
Mind:
-Muscle-Mind Connection: E
-Mental Fortitude: A+
-Sensory Awareness: C+
Unique Abilities:
(F-Rank Unlocked) Embodied Artistry: Feed off the emotions stirred in those watching your performance. Mesmerize your audience and let them fuel your strength.
(E-Rank Locked) ...
(D-Rank Locked) ...
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"Not bad." I'm on the verge of breaking through to E-Rank.
Although a commendable achievement for people my age, the nobles who spend every resource available on their children's development would probably laugh themselves silly if they heard someone bragging about that.
Their children are atleast E-Rank if not even higher. The protagonist's biggest rival and archenemy would be a great example as he should have just broken through D-Rank before entering the academy.
Though he had to pay quite the price to achieve that feat. His sanity and morals to be precise...
I have to work harder.
If I want to become strong enough to fulfill my new goal I need to surpass even him. The only issue is that both he and the protagonist got a few unfair advantages that let them reign supreme over their peers.
To outpace them, I'm forced to steal some of these opportunities lest I can forget about achieving anything significant in this world.
But on the other hand, if I steal too much, the end art will be lame. If they are too weak, the passion and emotions would dwindle.
It should be a balanced fight. Neck on neck as we give it our all and let the world see what beauty really is...
Before I knew it, I arrived back at the Dukedom Hazecrest. The place was bustling with activity, especially near the main entrance gate. The moment I showed up, a girl suddenly ran up to me and hugged me tight.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone