Krad stepped forward, the weight of anticipation pressing on his chest. Mist walked calmly beside him, while Hanan, Miss Vice, and Drugo followed closely.
"So," Drugo grumbled, his arms crossed. "Off to get your face smashed again?"
"Not if I can help it," Krad shot back. "This time, I'm ready."
"That's the spirit," Mist chuckled. "Though I wouldn't get too confident. You're still slow."
Krad clenched his fists but held his tongue. He knew Mist wasn't just mocking him. It was a reminder that the Rage was closing in, and failure wasn't an option.
Miss Vice gave Krad a measured glance. "Your resolve is admirable. But strength isn't the only thing you need, Krad. Control, discipline those will keep the Moon Eater's mark from devouring you."
Krad stepped closer to her, his voice low. "When I come back strong, Hanan… after I defeat Liyab in the Rage, I promise." His eyes burned with determination. "I'm going after the Goblin Lord. Damos will pay for what he did to your kingdom."
Hanan's silver eyes widened, tears threatening to form, but she quickly blinked them away. "Thank you, Master Krad."
"No need for thanks." He tried to smile. "Besides, I've got a score to settle with that ugly bastards."
Drugo snorted, though a faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Just don't get yourself killed, idiot."
Miss Vice turned her gaze toward the town gate, her voice commanding. "Enough talk. You all know what needs to be done."
Mist's eyes narrowed as he traced the route to their destination. "The Narda Stone," he murmured. "It's nearby. Perfect."
"The Narda what now?" Krad asked, peering over Mist's shoulder.
"A teleportation stone," Mist explained briskly, his voice steady as he zoomed in on the map. "It's a safe zone and a gateway to other key locations. We'll use it to get to the Kingdom. Let's move."
He followed Mist in silence, the faint glow of the map's residual light lingering in his mind. Behind him, the Kubo village grew smaller, he stopped abruptly, glancing over his shoulder one last time.
The path ahead cleared as Mist picked up the pace, his movements smooth and precise, like someone who'd walked these trails a hundred times.
"So," Krad said, trying to lighten the mood, "this Narda Stone thing... is it, like, a magical teleportation rock? Or some sci-fi alien tech?"
Mist glanced at him, his face unreadable.
"It's a Crescent Stone. A point where energy converges. To us human, it may seem like advance technology. To someone else, it might look like magic. What it truly is... depends on how you perceive it."
Krad groaned, throwing his hands up. "Do you always talk like the wise old mentor in a fantasy movie, or is today just special?"
Mist smirked faintly, not answering as they arrived at the clearing.
"Whoa," Krad whispered, his voice tinged with awe. Each step he took toward the huge crescent shaped stone seemed to deepen the weight of its presence, a palpable aura that was both intimidating and irresistible. "This thing is… crazy. Like it's alive or something."
Mist didn't bother to look back as he approached the obelisk with practiced confidence. "This Stone is more than just a waypoint. Use it wisely, and it will take you far. Use it carelessly, and it will rip you apart."
Krad blinked, his awe quickly replaced by nervous skepticism. "Rip me apart? Great. That's exactly what I wanted to hear before stepping into the glow-y murder rock's personal space."
Mist cast a sidelong glance at him, "You survived the Moon eater's mark without damage. If anything, the Stone might be afraid of you."
Krad scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, well."
Mist didn't respond. Instead, he placed a hand on the obelisk's smooth surface. The blue runes flared to life, shifting like liquid script as they rearranged themselves into a new pattern. A pulse of energy radiated outward, rippling through the ground in waves that stopped just short of Krad's feet.
The air grew heavier, charged with a power that made his hair stand on end. His eyes darted to the glowing circle that had formed around the base of the Stone, a ring of light that seemed to hum with anticipation.
"Step into the circle," Mist said, his voice steady and commanding.
As soon as Krad stepped into the glowing circle, the atmosphere around him seemed to shift, like the moment before a storm breaks.
The hum of energy deepened, resonating in his chest, and the ground beneath him vibrated faintly. The runes on the obelisk flared with light, their flowing patterns spinning faster, almost as if they were alive.
Mist's expression remained calm, though his eyes were sharp, he knew that if the vessel accidentally used the power of the Moon eater, the narda stone would surely react and they would be cut in pieces. "Brace yourself," he said, his hand steady against the obelisk's surface.
Krad shot him a wary look. "For what?"
He didn't reply. Instead, the circle under them burst with light. A force burst up suddenly, wrapping around them like a current.
Krad's stomach growled as he was pulled upward, weightless, into the air. The world melted into a radiant colors that swirled and curled, as if he'd been flung into the center of a kaleidoscope.
His feet slammed onto solid ground, the impact jolting him. The blinding light receded, leaving him disoriented but unharmed. He blinked rapidly, trying to make sense of his surroundings, and his breath caught in his throat.
They stood in the middle of a vast plaza, its stone tiles cracked with age but still radiating an aura of majesty.
Towering marble columns surrounded the space, their surfaces wrapped in glowing green vines that pulsed faintly, as if alive. The air was cool and damp, carrying the earthy scent of moss mixed with something metallic and faintly sweet.
In the distance, the remains of a grand castle loomed, its jagged spires piercing through a layer of thin, drifting mist. Massive, ancient trees framed the horizon, their trunks impossibly wide and their golden leaves shimmering as though lit from within.