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In this world, every arcanist followed something known as a path. There were as many paths as there were people. No two were completely alike.
Every path was categorized by its purpose.
There were support paths such as Healing, battle paths such as Fire or Wind, and utility paths such as Illusion or Summoning. Each had its own method of advancement. Some were simple to follow but grew weaker at higher levels, while others were complex and dangerous yet promised incredible potential for growth.
Among the many paths Aldric inherited from the Heart Engraving Artifact, there was one particularly difficult path—Spellcraft.
Spellcraft was an ancient discipline that allowed an arcanist to imbue objects with unique effects. Runes, symbols, incantations, and formations were its foundation. Its complexity was unmatched, and so was its versatility.
But Aldric's version of Spellcraft was still in its infancy.
He couldn't perform large-scale enchantments or inscribe intricate formations yet. What he could do, however, was enough for what he needed right now.
Throughout the past few weeks, Aldric had been quietly practicing—experimenting, failing, adjusting, and improving.
He had been imbuing objects with a single effect.
Explosion.
Simple, destructive, and effective.
Of course, Spellcraft wasn't omnipotent. Its power depended on compatibility between the effect and the object. A skilled spellcrafter could make even a wooden stick explode, but the result would be weak. Sticks weren't made to explode. The more suitable the material, the stronger the effect.
That was the essence of Spellcraft—understanding what could and couldn't hold a certain kind of energy.
Aldric had chosen his materials carefully—crystals, ores, and minerals found around the Blood Fang Mountains. Things that naturally stored energy or were sensitive to mana.
He had been planting these "seeds" all around the mountain during the journey, one by one, pretending it was mere exploration.
Now, three weeks later, his setup was complete.
All that was left was the right moment to trigger them.
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The rain poured harder. Thunder echoed through the dark sky.
Aldric stopped running and turned around, his new katana gleaming faintly under the storm's light.
Adrian was closing in—his platinum hair plastered against his face, his sword glowing with faint blue light.
The two men faced each other atop the broken mountain peak.
No words. Just the sound of the wind and rain.
Then, they charged.
Steel clashed against steel. Sparks scattered. The ground cracked under the force of their movements.
Adrian's strength was overwhelming. His strikes were fast, clean, and filled with precision. Each swing forced Aldric backward, his boots scraping against the slippery stone.
Aldric countered where he could, using his agility and terrain, but he was already covered in wounds. His armor was cracked, his breathing uneven. Adrian, though bloodied, still stood firm.
Soon, Aldric was forced to one knee. His katana trembled in his hands, its edge chipped.
Adrian approached with steady steps, his sword lowered slightly. Behind him, the massive moth landed, its broken wings spreading like a shadow that swallowed the ground. The storm intensified, lightning flickering across the sky, illuminating its monstrous form.
Adrian looked down at Aldric, his tone calm and almost sorrowful.
"It is as I said… your death could have been painless."
Aldric let out a weak chuckle. Then another.
Slowly, his laughter grew louder—mad, defiant, echoing through the storm. Despite his broken body, there was a strange sharpness in his eyes. His grin widened as he looked up at Adrian.
"Yours won't."
Adrian frowned.
Before he could react, Aldric released his mana.
The air trembled.
From every direction, faint pulses of light began to blink—small, scattered points hidden beneath rocks, within crevices, under the soil.
Then—
Boom!
The first explosion erupted several meters away, followed by another, and another.
The ground shook violently as hundreds of small blasts tore through the mountain. None of them were powerful alone, but together, they formed a chain reaction that turned the landscape into chaos.
Smoke and dust filled the air.
The giant moth shrieked, its black wings shredded by the continuous bursts. Its body convulsed as the runes Aldric had planted across the terrain activated one after another.
The sound of wailing filled the sky as the corrupted creature lost its balance.
It plummeted down the side of the mountain, crashing violently into the valley below. Huge boulders loosened by the shockwaves tumbled after it, burying parts of its massive frame.
Aldric didn't hesitate.
He lunged forward, ignoring his pain, and rammed into Adrian's chest with all his strength. The two struggled for balance on the slippery edge.
Adrian was caught off guard and stumbled back.
"You—"
Aldric gritted his teeth, forcing himself to move despite the searing pain across his body. "You said my death could have been painless, right? Then let's test that theory."
With a roar, Aldric pushed.
Adrian's footing slipped, and his body tipped over the edge of the cliff.
But even as he fell, his eyes remained cold and unshaken. He twisted mid-air, gripping his sword tightly, his voice echoing up through the wind and rain.
"Even if you push me into the depths of hell…" he shouted, "…I'll make sure you accompany me!"
Mana surged into his blade as he prepared to throw it toward Aldric.
But then—something metallic glinted in the corner of his vision.
A small orb hovered in the air near him, faintly pulsing with light.
Adrian's pupils widened. He recognized the energy. Spellcraft.
Aldric's voice came from above, calm and cold.
"No… you'll be going alone."
The orb detonated.
A deafening blast erupted mid-air. The shockwave engulfed Adrian completely, flinging him like a broken doll into the darkness below.
For a brief moment, time slowed.
As he fell, memories flashed before his eyes—fragments of the past, pieces of who he once was.
And then, his body disappeared into the open maw of the corrupted moth, swallowed whole by darkness and fire.
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