Kaida stood at the edge of the training grounds, watching Floki weave shadows around himself. His War Glaive pulsed faintly asthe skill,Eclipse Shroud spread, pulling the light into a swirling void.
The shadows clung to him like living things, bending to his will with every subtle movement. Kaida crossed her arms, her emotions swirling between frustration and awe.
“Still practicing?” she called out, stepping closer. Her voice carried a mix of challenge and curiosity, enough to make Floki glance her way.
Floki grinned, releasing the shroud with a sharp twist of his glaive. The training grounds brightened, though the tension in the air remained.
“Caught me,” he said, his tone playful. “What do you think? Am I a master yet?”
Kaida rolled her eyes, stepping into the training circle. “Messy as always, but effective. There’s something I need to show you—something important.”
Floki raised an eyebrow, his grin widening. “Important, huh? If this is some elaborate setup to seduce me, you don’t have to try so hard.”
Kaida groaned, turning on her heel toward the apothecary. “Just follow me, Floki, before I change my mind.”
Floki shrugged, slinging the War Glaive over his shoulder. “Lead the way, oh mysterious guide.”
The apothecary smelled of herbs and faintly bitter potions as they stepped inside. Krysta worked at her bench, grinding powders into a fine mixture with her smooth actions.
“Floki,” Krysta said without looking up. “I see Kaida’s dragged you into my workshop again.”
Floki leaned against the doorway, his grin as sharp as ever. “Dragged? I walked here willingly. I can’t resist the chance to outshine your alchemyskills.”
Krysta chuckled softly, glancing his way. “Quick wit, as always. If you’d taken me up on my offer to become my disciple, you might have actually stood a chance.”
Floki spread his arms, feigning innocence. “Pill making is too slow for someone like me. I’d rathertorture peoplethan measure powders.”
Kaida cleared her throat, cutting through their banter. “Mother, I want him to see the relic.”
Krysta’s expression darkened quickly, as she stopped doing what she was doing. “Kaida, we’ve talked about this. The relic isn’t something to show off.”
Kaida stepped forward, her voice firm. “This isn’t about showing off. You said it yourself—Floki’s different. He might understand its potential.”
Krysta’s gaze shifted between them, weighing the request. Finally, she sighed, setting her tools down. “You’re both too reckless for your own good.”
She moved to a locked cabinet, her fingers shaking slightly as she unlocked it. The ornate box she pulled out seemed to hum faintly, even in its closed state.
Floki straightened, his grin fading slightly as he stepped closer. “What’s in the box?”
Krysta placed it carefully on the table, her eyes sharp as she looked at him. “Something powerful. And something dangerous.”
When she opened the box, a dark crystal pulsed faintly inside, its energy filling the room with a violent chill. The air grew heavy, pressing against their senses like a mountain.
Floki’s eyes narrowed, his War Glaive humming faintly in response. The system’s familiar chime echoed in his mind, overlaying lines of information across his vision.
[Warning: High-Intensity Shadow Artifact Detected. Linked to Interdimensional Energy Pathways. Potential Synergy with Forbidden Paths.]
The relic pulsed again, its energy seeming to reach out toward him. Floki stepped closer, his gaze locked on the crystal as his mind raced with possibilities.
“What do you feel?” Krysta asked, with fear in her voice. Her sharp eyes studied him, waiting for any sign of weakness.
Floki didn’t answer immediately, his focus shifting between the relic and the War Glaive in his hand. The system chimed again, revealing more details about the artifact.
[Artifact Identified: Shadow Relic. Fragment of Interdimensional Construct. Warning: Improper Usage Risks Spirit Well Instability.]
Kaida’s voice broke through his thoughts. “You’re quiet for once. That’s rare.”
Floki blinked, the grin creeping back onto his face. “Just imagining how much trouble this thing could cause in the wrong hands.”
Krysta’s expression hardened as she closed the box with a loud snap. “That’s why it stays here. Its power is dangerous, even to the strongest cultivators.”
Floki straightened, his gaze sharpening. “Then I’ll make sure I’m ready for it.”
Floki stepped out of the apothecary with Kaida, though his mind lingered on the relic. Its pull was undeniable, and he knew he couldn’t leave it behind.. Kaidafollowed, her frustration clear in every step.
“You’re thinking about leaving, aren’t you?” she asked, her tone sharp. “That thing is calling to you, and you’re going to chase it.”
Floki shrugged, his grin lazy but his eyes serious. “You know me, Kaida. I can’t resist a good challenge.”
Kaida stepped in front of him, staring into his eyes. “You don’t think about the consequences. You just run toward the next big thing.”
Floki tilted his head, histone softening slightly. “If I don’t chase it, someone else will. And they won’t use it half as well.”
Kaida’s jaw tightened, but she didn’t argue further. Instead, she watched as Floki turned toward the horizon, his gaze steady and full of determination.
That night, Floki returned to the apothecary under the cover of darkness. The shadows wrapped around him like a second skin, concealing him from sight.
The system pulsed softly as he approached the locked cabinet.[Suggestion: Utilize Shadow Bind to disable lock mechanisms efficiently.]
Floki smirked, weaving thin threads of shadow that slipped into the lock with ease. The faint click of the unlocking mechanism was barely audible in the silence.
He opened the cabinet and retrieved the ornate box, its hum now almost welcoming. The relic inside pulsed once, as though acknowledging his presence.
[Shadow Relic Acquired. New Path Alignment Required for Safe Integration.]
Floki closed the cabinet carefully, leaving no trace of his presence. The apothecary remained undisturbed, the shadows once again swallowing him whole.
Chang waited for Floki near the edge of the training grounds, his arms crossed. His usually calm expression held a hint of worry as Floki approached.
“You’re leaving,” Chang said simply, not as a question but as a fact. Floki nodded, his grin faint but present.
“The Path of Shadow isn’t enough for you,” Chang continued, his voice firm. “You haven’t mastered it, and you’re already chasing something else.”
Floki tapped the War Glaive against the ground, his tone playful. “Mastery is boring. Growth is where the fun is.”
Chang frowned, his gaze heavy. “Sho-Nuff won’t be pleased.”
Floki glanced up to see the Shadow Clan Master standing on a distant balcony, his sharp eyes locked on them. The weight of his presence pressed against the air like a storm.
Sho-Nuff’s voice carried across the distance, low and unyielding. “Leaving now means you may never return. You’re choosing a harder path, Trickster.”
Floki’s grin widened, sharper than ever. “Isn’t that what makes it worth it?”
Sho-Nuff said nothing more, turning back into the shadows of the clan’s halls. Chang sighed, stepping aside to let Floki pass.
“You’d better survive,” Chang muttered. “The Shadow Clan’s reputation isn’t so easily abandoned.”
Floki clapped him on the shoulder, his tone light. “I’ll send a postcard.”
As Floki walked away, the system pulsed one last message in his mind.[Mission Updated: Path of Death Initiated. Shadow Relic Integration Pending.]
The next morning, Krysta noticed the relic was gone, her expression darkening with fury. “Kaida,” she called out sharply. “The relic—it’s missing.”
Kaida froze, the weight of her mother’s words sinking in. Her mind immediately went to Floki, though she couldn’t bring herself to voice the accusation.
Far beyond the Shadow Clan, Floki walked confidently toward the Eastern Region. The relic’s pulse matched his steady steps, [Energy Fragment Detected: Shadow Relic is One of Five. Path Alignment Required for Full Integration.]
