Leon stood frozen, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white as he watched the Earth Dragon advance—each heavy step shaking the ground, each exhale like a furnace wind. The monster moved slowly, almost deliberately, as though savoring the fear it could smell. It knew she couldn't stand anymore.
Eleice's internal spirit energy was in disarray, her meridians burning with chaotic flow. Though she was a Grandmaster herself, the gap of three small realms was like heaven and earth. She tried to rise, but her legs gave way beneath her. Blood trickled down her thigh, her limbs trembling from backlash. Her spirit energy, once elegant and refined, now raged wildly inside her body, making even breathing difficult.
The Earth Dragon's golden eyes locked onto her fallen form. A guttural growl rumbled from its throat before it lunged—massive claws tearing through the ground, the shadow of death closing in.
Eleice looked up at the charging beast, her face pale yet calm. A bitter smile touched her lips. So this was how it ended.
There were still things she wished to do, paths she hadn't yet walked. She was a newly appointed elder of Astralis Academy—this mission, her first real task from the Headmaster, was supposed to be simple. A mere observation. Not her grave.
As the beast's colossal form filled her vision, she exhaled softly and closed her eyes.
The Earth Dragon roared, and the ground split beneath its charge.
And then—
"...Fuck it."
Leon's voice was low, but it carried through the storm like thunder.
Before he realized it, his body was already moving. Spirit energy surged violently through his veins as he activated Phantom Veil Steps—pushing it to its absolute limit, even beyond what his body could safely endure.
His figure blurred into a streak of shadow and light, cutting through the air at the highest velocity the first stage could unleash.
For several long seconds, Eleice waited for the crushing blow — the end she was certain would come. But nothing happened.
No pain.
No impact.
Only wind rushing past her face.
Her brows furrowed faintly. She opened her eyes — and froze.
The world blurred around her. She was moving, fast — the forest whipping by in streaks of green and brown. And she wasn't on the ground.
She was being carried.
Her gaze shifted upward… and her violet eyes widened in disbelief.
It was him.
The same boy she'd seen at the coliseum — the one she had personally recruited into Astralis Academy.
Leon.
Her body was pressed tightly against his chest, his arms wrapped firmly around her. She could feel his heartbeat pounding steadily beneath his robes, his warmth seeping into her through every breath. Her chest was pressed against his, their closeness both shocking and… oddly grounding.
Why? her thoughts raced. Why is he here? He's just a child who hasn't even begun cultivation… how could he possibly have saved me from that?!
But Leon didn't notice her confusion. His obsidian eyes were sharp, focused ahead, his spirit energy flaring around him as Phantom shadow Steps carried them through the forest at blinding speed.
Minutes passed before he slowed down, finally halting near a rocky cave hidden deep within the trees — far from the beast's path and opposite the direction of the village.
He lowered her carefully against the cool stone wall. "Don't worry," he said softly, his voice calm despite his rapid breathing. "You're still alive."
Eleice blinked, still dazed. For a few moments, she simply stared at him as if trying to make sense of what she was seeing. He shouldn't have been capable of this — not by any logic she knew.
"How…" Her voice came out hoarse, barely above a whisper, yet still melodic. "How did you save me? And why are you here? You haven't even started cultivation yet — are you insane? You could've died! Leave me here and go, before that beast comes again!"
Leon raised his hands in mock surrender, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Whoa, whoa, slow down, lady. How could I possibly leave you like this? You're hurt."
She glared weakly, breath uneven, but before she could speak again, Leon's tone turned steady — quietly confident. "And don't worry about cultivation… I'm not as weak as you think."
He raised his hand and slid the silver ring from his finger.
The moment he did —
BOOOOM!
A pulse of raw spirit energy burst outward, shaking the air around them. The cave walls trembled faintly as the aura of an Eighth-Stage Warrior Realm cultivator flooded the space.
Veile's voice immediately rang in his head, sharp and annoyed.
"Stupid master, you—!"
"It's fine, Veile," Leon interrupted calmly in his mind. "I can tell she's not a bad person."
A soft hmph was all she gave in response, but Leon could sense her disapproval lingering.
Eleice's eyes widened in disbelief. Her lips parted slightly, her voice breaking the stunned silence.
"You? How… how is this possible?"
Leon simply smiled faintly. "Don't worry about that right now. Focus on your spirit flow — your internal energy is in chaos. Stabilize it, or it'll damage your meridians. Here…"
He reached into his storage ring, retrieving a small jade vial. "These are healing pills. They'll help suppress the backlash and mend your wounds faster."
For once, Eleice didn't argue. The pain in her body was too much, and the situation too dire. She took the pills silently, swallowing them before closing her eyes to guide her spirit energy inward.
As she began to heal, her breathing steadied — but her mind was anything but calm.
Who exactly are you, Leon Sears?
After fifteen minutes, the color began to return to Eleice's cheeks. Her breathing steadied, and the wild storm of spirit energy within her meridians finally calmed. The deep gashes across her skin had already begun to close, leaving behind only faint traces of blood.
Cultivators could mend their wounds through spirit energy circulation — and the higher the realm, the faster and cleaner the healing. Some even mastered spiritual medical arts, using specialized techniques to heal others. But for Eleice, this was pure willpower and experience.
Leon sat quietly nearby, his back resting against the cave wall as he watched her. The faint glow of his spirit energy flickered along the stone, illuminating her form in soft light.
When her breathing evened out, he finally spoke.
"Why did you decide to fight it?" he asked, his tone calm but edged with curiosity. "You knew it was stronger than you."
Eleice's violet eyes flicked toward him, sharp for a moment — then softened. She turned her gaze away, speaking faintly.
"I only wanted to stall it… long enough for the villagers to retreat."
Leon tilted his head slightly, his voice quiet but probing. "Even though they're all strangers to you?"
Her lips parted, her tone low but resolute. "It doesn't matter. They're mortals — people who can't cultivate, who have no way to protect themselves. As cultivators, it's our responsibility to guard them. That is the duty that comes with power."
Leon was silent for a few seconds, his obsidian eyes reflecting the dim light of the cave. Then, a small smile curved his lips.
"You really are a kind woman, aren't you?"
Eleice blinked — surprised by the warmth in his voice. When her gaze flicked toward him again, her heart skipped a beat. His calm expression, the faint smile, the soft confidence in his eyes… it made him look older — mature, composed, strikingly handsome.
A faint blush crept across her pale cheeks before she quickly turned her head away.
"Hmph… don't flatter me," she muttered under her breath, her tone curt but her heartbeat uneven.
Leon chuckled softly, leaning his head back against the wall. "It's not flattery if it's true."
Her lips twitched. "Tch… shameless boy," she murmured, but her tone was far gentler than before.
A ROOOOOOAR ripped through the trees — closer this time, almost on top of them.
"Fuck — it followed us!" Leon hissed, eyes snapping to the cavern mouth. He saw the churned earth, the broken brush — and then, disturbingly, a dark smear of blood along the trail leading from where Eleice had come.
"It's tracking my blood," Eleice said quietly, already rising to her feet. Her voice was calm, but there was a coiled fury beneath it that had nothing to do with fear.
"What do we do?" Leon asked, tension sharpening his tone. "We can't kill that thing. If we run, it'll follow us straight to the village."
Eleice's face hardened. For a moment she was silent, thinking through options too costly to speak. At last she spoke, each word measured.
"I have a weapon that can kill it," she said. "But it's a one–time use attack — emergency use only. My father entrusted it to me for my safety." She looked at Leon, eyes steady. "To use it, I must concentrate for two full minutes. After I release it, it will drain half my spirit energy. You must hold it for those two minutes. Stall the beast. Keep it focused on you. I don't know if you can manage it, but there's no other choice."
Leon's jaw set. He felt the weight of the task land on his shoulders — two minutes against a Spirit Beast three small realms above Eleice. It was madness. Perfect, reckless, necessary madness.
"Don't worry," he said, voice low and steady. "Prepare the weapon."
Eleice didn't hesitate. She closed her eyes, palms rising as she gathered what remained of her ordered spirit flow. Around her, the cave seemed to hum as she reached inward for the tiny, precious reserve she would burn to fuel the device.
Leon's figure blurred.
He stepped out of the cave and into the clearing without hesitation, Phantom Veil Steps pushed to their limit. The midday light sliced through him like a blade as he planted himself between Eleice and the approaching thunder of the Earth Dragon.
The beast reared, golden eyes wild with hunger and rage. It charged, muscles rippling, earth cracking beneath each bound. Its roar shook the air — and then fell into a focused, murderous snarl as it locked onto Leon.
Everything narrowed. Leon's breath slowed; his spirit energy flared, not to attack, but to paint himself as a target — loud, tempting, alive. He would have two minutes to draw the dragon's full fury. Two minutes for Eleice to channel death into a single point.
The first clash was coming. The sun bore down on them. The village hung somewhere behind a thin veil of trees, unaware of the countdown that now began.
A faint hum filled the cave as Eleice clasped her hands together, her spirit energy swirling like a violet storm.
Then — a sharp golden arrow floated in front of her forehead, its tip radiating a light so intense that the air itself trembled.
Leon turned his head slightly, eyes narrowing as he saw it. The energy it released… was terrifying.
Thanks for reading....