Chapter 10: Whispered Bonds and Growing Shadows
The northern forest loomed like a fortress of emerald flame, its towering trees wrapped in vines that shimmered with latent mana. This part of Allitia was untamed, a realm where beasts born of magic roamed freely and ancient ruins whispered secrets to those brave—or foolish—enough to listen. Ethan stood at the edge of this wilderness, his golden eyes narrowed as he analyzed the dense canopy.
"Why here?" he murmured.
Lilith stood beside him, her dark violet eyes sharp. She was clad in a tightly-fitted black battle dress woven from reinforced silksteel, the material hugging her voluptuous figure. Her curves moved with an intoxicating grace, each step drawing Ethan's eye despite his efforts to remain focused.
"This is where the creature was last seen. A beast infused with unstable mana—an anomaly," Lilith replied. "And anomalies interest you, don't they?"
Ethan nodded. Since unlocking more of his body's energy, he'd begun sensing things others couldn't—distortions in mana, breaks in the natural order of cultivation. His body hungered for conflict, for evolution, for knowledge.
They stepped into the forest, mana pulsating around them. With every breath, Ethan felt his cells adjusting, tasting the new environment. His mysterious energy welcomed it.
"You should keep your guard up," Lilith warned. "There's something wrong with this place."
He glanced at her. "I thought that's why you're here. To guard me."
Lilith smirked. "Don't mistake my protection for affection."
But her gaze lingered on him longer than necessary.
Hours passed. They traversed broken trails, disturbed by claw marks and the crushed bones of smaller creatures. The beast was no ordinary magical entity. It had the strength to warp mana itself—Ethan needed to see it. Needed to fight it.
They made camp in a clearing near a half-buried stone archway. Ethan studied it. Ancient runes pulsed with faint light, seemingly reacting to his presence.
"This place is older than Allitia," Lilith murmured. "It predates the first kings."
"It feels... familiar," Ethan said softly, placing his hand on the arch.
Something deep in his core trembled. His energy stirred—not in alarm, but recognition. This structure had once absorbed Aether.
"Do you feel that?" Ethan whispered.
Lilith stepped closer, her chest brushing against his shoulder as she reached to touch the stone. Her mana flared in response—then recoiled.
"This site reacts only to you."
He didn't respond. The whispers—inaudible to her—were growing louder.
Welcome, Child of the Null.
He staggered slightly.
"Ethan?" Lilith caught him, her arms wrapping around his torso, pressing her full body against him. Her touch was unexpectedly warm, grounding.
"I'm fine," he lied, though his eyes were glowing faintly. "Let's rest. We move at dawn."
That night, under the cold light of twin moons, Ethan sat beside the fire while Lilith rested nearby. Her long legs were stretched out, her cloak undone to reveal the slope of her generous breasts beneath a low-cut tunic.
He tried not to stare. He failed.
She opened one eye, catching his gaze.
"Enjoying the view?"
"You're the one flaunting it."
She chuckled. "A warrior's body is a weapon. Distraction is part of the arsenal."
"Then consider me disarmed."
Lilith tilted her head. "You're bolder than most boys your age."
"I'm not a boy."
He moved closer. The tension thickened, electric. His arrogance, usually a shield, now became a sword—cutting through hesitation.
"You're playing a dangerous game, Ethan."
"I always do."
She didn't stop him as he leaned in, their lips brushing. It was a kiss not of innocence, but of challenge. Dominance.
She responded in kind, their mouths colliding with fire.
Then she pulled back, breathless.
"If you want more, survive tomorrow. Prove you're worthy of the danger I represent."
Ethan's grin was wicked. "I'm more than worthy."
The beast attacked at dawn.
It burst from the treeline in a blur of fangs and corrupted mana, its form a nightmare of shifting limbs and crystalline growths. Its eyes burned with madness.
Ethan didn't wait.
He dashed forward, his cultivation at the peak of Foundation Realm, his body strengthened by every battle he'd endured.
The creature roared, slashing with a tendril of energy. Ethan ducked under it, sliding across the mossy ground, then leapt into the air and struck with a blast of golden mana.
The beast howled—but it wasn't defeated.
It adapted.
Its body mutated, absorbing the mana and redirecting it. It lunged, too fast. Claws slashed across Ethan's chest. Blood sprayed.
Lilith moved like a shadow, intercepting with a flaming blade of condensed magic. She cleaved through the beast's limb, dragging Ethan back.
"You can't fight it head-on!" she shouted.
"I have to!" he gasped, wiping blood from his mouth. "I need to see what it's made of."
"You're insane."
"I'm evolving."
He stepped forward again, his wounds already sealing. His energy was surging. Reacting. Learning.
The next exchange was brutal. Ethan fought like a demon, each blow feeding his mysterious energy. His strength grew mid-battle, his attacks more refined. The beast screamed, breaking under the weight of his growth.
In a final burst of power, Ethan plunged his hand into the creature's core, unleashing a pulse of his energy.
The core shattered.
The beast collapsed.
Ethan stood panting, his shirt torn, bloodied and steaming. His golden eyes gleamed.
Lilith approached, watching him.
"That was suicidal."
He turned to her, smirking. "But effective."
Then he stumbled.
She caught him again. Their faces were close. Too close.
This time, she didn't stop the kiss.
Later, in the ruins beneath the archway, Ethan found the remains of something old—a tablet etched with language even he couldn't decipher.
But his energy reacted to it.
Deeper truths lie beneath.
The first hints of his connection to the Supreme Universe's greatest secret were beginning to unfurl.
And in the shadow of the ancient structure, something watched.
Far to the east, on Emerald, a scout's report arrived at a High Lady's desk.
A human had exhibited regenerative energy beyond comprehension.
"Bring him to me," the Elven noble said.
"Alive."