Chapter 11 – Mana Stone
The forest surrounding Division 4's Base Camp was shrouded in a thin mist. Zero moved cautiously, his senses alert, while Kyren led the way, his presence almost subtle.
"Use your skills to get into my shadow," Kyren whispered, his voice barely audible. "No one should detect you while we move."
Zero nodded and let his form merge with the darkness cast by Kyren. His every movement became a whisper in the shadows, perfectly concealed from any prying eyes.
Kyen try to sneak a basecamp using a back entrance.
From a basecamp division 3, Voltraz had moved towards the zero movement...he feel the zero movement stopped at the 4th division basecamp..."i will find you".
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Captain Division 4 Serena (Wind & Dark) Vampire Race - Vyrinth Clan
From the mist ahead, a tall figure emerged, her aura dark yet flowing with wind. Her sharp vampire eyes seemed to scan the forest with alarming precision.
"Who dares to enter Division 4 territory without permission?" Captain Serena's voice echoed, commanding and cold. Dark elements swirled delicately around her, mixing with the gusts of wind that ruffled the leaves around her.
Kyren stepped forward slightly. "We were just passing through. I wanted to ask... about the Commander of Division 4. Is he still there?"
Serena's eyes softened, though her presence remained formidable. "Our commander has been missing for several months. Perhaps engaged in private practice or meditation. Until he returns, I, Serena, will oversee this division."
Zero remained hidden in her shadow, analyzing every subtle change in Serena's aura. She understood the delicate balance—they couldn't provoke him, but information was important.
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The atmosphere outside Division 4's basecamp tightened as heavy, confident footsteps approached the entrance. The guards of the Vyrinth Clan shifted uneasily when they realized who was walking toward them.
Captain Valric — the newly appointed Captain of Division 1.
A man wrapped in a fiery-red aura crossed with faint crackles of lightning. His presence alone felt like a storm contained inside human form.
The two guards crossed their spears in front of him.
"Halt. State your business—"
Valric didn't even slow down.
"I'm here for internal military matters. Move."
The guards held their stance.
Division 4 followed strict protocol — even a Captain Division 4 needed permission to enter. Let alone someone from Division 1.
One guard hardened his tone.
"No entry without Captain Serena's approval."
A poor choice of words.
Valric's eyes burned, and a pressure erupted outward.
The ground cracked under his footstep, flames swirling around his arm as lightning webbed across his knuckles.
"You dare block Division 1's Captain?" he growled.
In a blink, Valric's hand rose — fire compressed into a blade-like arc, poised to strike. One guard's breath hitched; the other nearly dropped to his knees.
But then—
A cold, slicing aura cut through the heat.
"Valric."
A woman's voice. Calm, lethal.
Captain Serena of Division 4 stepped out from the shadows behind the gate, her dark-element aura flowing like black mist. In a single motion, she dissolved the fiery blade forming in Valric's hand.
The pressure vanished.
"Your temper hasn't changed," Serena said.
"But you will not kill my men at my doorstep."
Valric clicked his tongue, irritated but not reckless enough to challenge her authority on her own territory.
"They questioned me," he replied sharply.
"And I'm giving you permission now," Serena countered.
"Enter. But if you lift your hand against Division 4 again, even by accident… I will cut it off myself."
A tense moment passed.
Then Valric stepped forward, brushing past the guards without another look, his aura simmering but controlled.
Valric spoke calmly & authoritatively.
"I bring orders from Commander Ignarion," Valric announced, voice cutting through the mist. "While Division 4's Commander remains absent, Division 4 will operate under the temporary supervision of Division 1. This is the First Commander's directive."
Serena's dark eyes narrowed. "Temporary supervision? My troops answer to me, not you. Until the commander returns, this division is under my watch."
Tension rippled through the air. In an instant, both captains manifested their elemental powers. Serena's Dark and Wind energy coiled around her, while Valric's Fire and Lightning crackled in response. A brief but explosive elemental clash erupted—gusts tore leaves from trees, lightning scorched the forest floor, and shadows twisted violently around them.
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A deep roar split the air, and Voltraz, Commander of Division 3, appeared, his presence commanding and absolute. "Enough," he said, and the storm of elements subsided immediately.
Valric took a step back. "Commander Voltraz, I was delivering orders from Ignarion…"
Voltraz cut him off with a wave of his hand. "I'll handle First Commander matters myself. Division 4 will remain under Captain Serena's supervision until their commander returns. They do not answer to Division 1."
Zero remained concealed in Kyren's shadow. Voltraz's eyes swept the area, pausing briefly as he sensed a familiar aura—Kyren's—but it was entangled with another presence, something hidden.
"Don't hide too well," Voltraz said, his tone measured but piercing. "I know you're there. When the time comes… we will meet again."
Because Ignarion made a rash decision by suggesting that division 4 would be ruled by division 1...Voltraz wanted to rush to meet with Ignarion & wanted to get an explanation from Ignarion.
Kyren stiffened but remained still, protecting Zero's identity.
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Then, as night fell over the forest, Kyren spoke quietly to Serena. "There is something I must find—the Mana Stone hidden in this valley. It is part of our work as servants."
Serena raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "The stones… they were left by the people (Netherborne) who survived the old battles. That thing are used to cultivate elemental power."
Kyren nodded, recalling the hidden survivors she had once known. "Many of them are still here, though I didn't know them all. They using Mana Stones to strengthen their elemental abilities."
Serena shared what she knew: after three legendary warriors defeated a demon general, some surviving demons fled the island. The displaced warriors later returned to reclaim territory, while the original inhabitants of the island were forced into hiding.
From this conversation, Zero realized for the first time: there are still islanders alive, quietly surviving and cultivating their powers. Protecting them now became an urgent mission.
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Even as they prepared to move to Division 2's Base Camp, unease gripped Zero's chest. Voltraz had sensed Kyren's familiar aura intertwined with something else—and perhaps suspected a hidden truth
Every step forward carried risk. Every shadow could conceal a watcher. Zero's instincts screamed that the next leg of their journey would test not only their skills but their ability to remain unseen.