The first thing Toru noticed when he woke up was the absence of pain.
The second detail followed: he was no longer in the forest.
The walls around him were rocky and cold, lit only by the flickering light of a campfire. The smell of ash hung in the air, mixed with the faint scent of damp earth.
On the other side of the cave, sitting with his back against the stone, the man who had saved him watched him in silence, as if he was just waiting for this moment.
Toru stood up suddenly, still panting. His body reacted immediately, expecting the throbbing pain of battle wounds... but it didn't come.
He frowned, running his hand over his shoulder. There was no sign of the spear that had once pierced him. Nor the cuts or bruises.
"Is your pain gone?"
The man's voice was calm and firm. He had short, white hair, deep-set eyes and a presence that radiated authority. His silver armor was light and functional, adapted for mobility in combat. He didn't look like an ordinary warrior.
By the look of him, he couldn't have been more than 30 years old.
Toru finally came out of his shock and shook his head.
"Yeah... I'm fine."
The man nodded, stood up and walked to the cave entrance. From where he stood, he could see Drakenvaar in the distance, its imposing walls surrounding the city like a fortress.
"The Maestro must have noticed that boy's death by now..." said the man, without turning around. "Consider yourself lucky. If I hadn't been around, you'd be dead now."
Toru swallowed.
"Are you talking about Shouma?" He hesitated for a moment. "Do you know the Maestro?"
The man was silent for a few seconds before answering.
"If that was his name, then yes. He was strong. Impressive to see that the Maestro recruited someone like that for his army."
He then turned to face Toru.
"As for the Maestro... Yes, I know him." He crossed his arms. "Eighty years ago, to be precise."
"Eighty... years?"
Toru felt a chill.
"Is this guy an old player, like the Maestro?"
The warrior interrupted his thoughts.
"Now put out that fire, let's go boy."
"Leave? Where to?"
The man crossed his arms.
"To level ten. The Kingdom of the Elves. But you can rest assured that I'll take care of the monsters on the way."
Toru hesitated.
"I can't."
The man frowned. "Why not?"
He clenched his fists.
"My... friends."
He didn't like calling them that. But he didn't know how else to refer to them.
"They're still in Drakenvaar. I have to get them out. They have to know the truth."
The warrior remained silent. Then he asked:
"Have your friends awakened the Way of the Hero? And if the answer is yes... Have they accepted the Maestro's equipment and passives?"
Toru hesitated.
"Renji and Arisa have accepted. As for Yui, she hasn't received anything yet because she's missing her path."
The man rubbed his chin, pondering.
"Four new players on this floor, then..."
He clicked his tongue, annoyed.
"Give up on them."
The coldness in his voice made Toru's eyes widen.
"The Maestro must have noticed the death of that Shouma..." he pointed towards the city. "Drakenvaar is now surrounded by guards."
He then turned to face the necromancer again.
"And more importantly... The Maestro can control other players through his passives. If they've accepted his blessings, they're already under his control."
Toru felt a shiver run up his spine.
"So that was it..."
He remembered Shouma's words.
"Didn't you notice them getting more stressed?"
Yes. Renji and Arisa were different. More irritable and much more aggressive.
"So... that's how he does it."
The man smiled.
"I bet they got stressed out when you said something about the Maestro, didn't they?"
"Exactly! How do you know?"
"Experience, kid. Experience." He looked at Drakenvaar again.
For a moment, he seemed to be considering something.
Then he sighed.
"You're going to make me regret this."
"What?"
The man raised his hand, activating his system.
A translucent screen appeared in the air.
╔════════════╗
[ Status Screen ]
╠════════════╣
○ Level: 100
○ Attributes:
○ Strength: 500
○ Speed: 500
○ Endurance: 500
○ Mana: 5000
○ Stamina: 5000
○ Intelligence: 500
╚════════════╝
╔════════════════════════╗
[Hero's Path: Sword Saint]
╚════════════════════════╝
Toru's eyes widened.
"Level 100!?"
The man kept his expression neutral.
"Show me yours."
Toru hesitated, but knew he had no reason to refuse. If this guy wanted to kill him, he would have done it a long time ago.
He then activated his own screen.
╔════════════════╗
[ Status Screen - Toru ]
╠════════════════╣
○ Level: 7
Attributes:
○ Strength: 7
○ Speed: 7
○ Endurance: 7
○ Mana: 500
○ Stamina: 50
○ Intelligence: 12
╚════════════════╝
╔═════════════════════════╗
[Way of the Hero: Art of the Immortals]
╚═════════════════════════╝
The warrior read the information and arched an eyebrow. "Your Way... How does it work?"
"I can revive fallen creatures and put them under my command. But at my current level, I can only revive up to ten monsters."
The man narrowed his eyes. Then he sighed heavily.
"Shit."
Toru blinked, confused.
The man ran a hand through his hair, clearly regretting the decision he was about to make.
"All right, kid..." He clenched his fists. "Let's go save your friends."
○
In Drakenvaar Cathedral, a guard rushed in, panting, his eyes wide with terror.
"Sir Maestro! Dragons are flying over the city!"
The Maestro, seated on the cathedral throne, frowned, but remained calm.
"Only dragons?" He sighed. "Shoot them down."
"It's not that simple, sir..." The guard swallowed. "These dragons are much stronger than usual. They're between levels 25 and 30! That's three times more than the standard!"
The Maestro narrowed his eyes.
"And there's more..." The guard hesitated before continuing. "They're... undead. The arrows aren't having any effect."
"What?!"
Before he could process, another guard rushed in, desperate.
"Sir, our swords... They're gone!"
"What do you mean?"
"They..." The guard looked up, pointing. "They're floating over the city."
The Maestro immediately got up and went to the balcony of the cathedral.
And then he saw it.
In the sky, putrid dragons were flying in formation, with golden blades stuck in their backs, radiating an eerie glow.
Above the city, hundreds of swords floated, suspended in the air like a swarm of blades.
So that was it.
The Sword Saint was using his skill to disarm the guards, while Toru was using the dragons to sow chaos.
The Maestro clenched his fists.
"Damn... Toru's still alive."
One of the guards then caught his eye.
"Where's Shouma? He's a formidable warrior, he could take care of those beasts easily."
The conductor hesitated.
"Shouma... can't come."
A silence hung in the air.
He then took a deep breath. He turned around, adjusted his costume, and started walking.
"I'll sort it out myself."
Before leaving, he touched his own eye and activated his communication with Renji and Arisa.
"I want you near the statue in the center of town."
The war had begun.
○
A few minutes earlier...
The Sword Saint materialized a short, golden blade in his hand.
"Look at this."
The sword shone brightly.
"This is the Ascension Blade. Any creature pierced by it will gain twenty more levels."
Toru's eyes widened. "That's... incredible."
"I'll take down some dragons, and then I'll put them under your control. Then we'll use the blades to strengthen the undead. Your job will be to cause chaos in the skies, while on the ground you look for your friends."
"What about the Maestro?"
The Saint turned around, crossing his arms. "I'll hold him off, but I don't know how long I can do that."
"Then I need to be quick."
The Saint nodded positively.
"Try to lure them to a prominent location, as soon as I have time, I'll head there and break the Maestro's control."
He snapped his fingers.
"After that, I'll try to get them to level 8, and from there we can head for the land of the elves. Where the Maestro's influence can no longer reach us."
○
In the present day. The first part of the plan was working perfectly.
In the skies, undead dragons flew over Drakenvaar, spitting flames of fire everywhere.
The archers fired arrows, but the attacks were useless.
The dragons felt no pain, let alone flinched.
"Fire the cannons!" shouted one of the guards.
The machines were set up under the walls, firing explosive bursts.
One of the iron bullets hit one of the dragons, piercing its putrid wing and knocking it into the middle of the city.
"Aim for him!"
But before they could fire again, a golden sword fell from the sky. Destroying the cannon in a single blow.
The guards looked up.
And then they saw him.
The Sword Saint was floating above the city, surrounded by his floating blades.
He smiled.
"Well done, Maestro. You've equipped them well."
With a wave of his hand, the reality around them began to tear apart, opening up cracks in space. They were portals. From the celestial glow of the anomalies in the sky, swords
appeared. They emanated a divine essence, and because they were made of light. They blinded any creature nearby.
He then lowered his hand, and a rain of blades began to fall on the walls.
But then...
A flaming arrow flew straight towards him.
The Saint raised his hand, catching it in midair.
The fire molded itself into the shape of a blade, and he added it to his arsenal. It floated around the gray-haired man.
He looked down.
"Nice try. But that won't be enough to stop me."
There was no one there.
Then a shadow appeared above him.
Fast.
Relentless.
The Maestro.
Before Santo could react, the impact came.
The Maestro's blow knocked him out of the sky and they both plummeted in a cloud of dust.
When the dust cleared, they both stood up.
The Saint smiled, analyzing the Maestro.
"You haven't lost any speed over time. Impressive."
The Maestro narrowed his eyes.
"It was a mistake for you to come here."
"Come on, it's been 30 years. Aren't you even going to say hello to your old friend?" The Saint raised his flaming blade.
The two advanced against each other.
The second part of the plan had begun.
○
The necromancer moved through Drakenvaar like a shadow. The fruits of his increased speed, thanks to the blade of ascension embedded in his back. A gift from the Saint of the Sword.
His rapid footsteps echoed over the roofs of the houses. The city, once filled with the joy of the festival, was now plunged into chaos.
He needed to find the rest of the students.
Where was it again?
His eyes fixed on a building ahead. The place where the brown-haired girl worked.
Yui must be there.
He took a deep breath and jumped off the roof.
His body smashed through the window with a thud, and shards of glass flew in all directions. Some people hiding inside the bar screamed, cowering behind the furniture. Yui, who was crouching near the bar, opened her eyes wide when she saw the necromancer in the middle of the wreckage.
"Toru?! Where did you come from?"
He approached quickly, grabbing her wrist.
"We don't have time." He pulled her close. "Come with me!"
"What?! Let me go!"
She tried to resist, but Toru lifted her onto his shoulders. Through the door and out of the tavern.
"You idiot! Get off me!" Yui struggled, punching him in the back.
Toru threw her to the ground with moderate force, causing her to fall sitting down.
She looked at him in disbelief.
"What the fuck do you think you're doing?!"
"Saving you."
Yui narrowed her eyes, getting up. "From what?!"
He looked around, making sure no one was chasing them.
"From Maestro, from Renji, from Arisa. All of it."
Her eyes narrowed.
"Toru... What happened?"
And then he explained everything.
The kidnapping by the dragon, the execution attempt by Shouma, the Sword Saint, the Maestro's control ability and the attack on the city.
Every word made Yui turn pale.
She put her hand to her mouth, taking it all in. "That... That can't be true."
Toru held her by the shoulders, looking into her eyes. "Then tell me... Renji and Arisa were strange, weren't they?"
The girl hesitated.
"Yes... They were angrier than usual."
"Because they're not themselves anymore, Yui." Toru let out a heavy sigh. "If we still have any chance of saving them, we need to go now."
She swallowed. Then she nodded.
"Renji brought me here before the festival was canceled." She pointed to the center of town. "He and Arisa are protecting the petrified dragon."
Toru gritted his teeth.
"Then we need to run."
Subtly he called one of his dragons closer, the necromancer knew that a fight was almost inevitable.
○
In the skies above the city, everything was shaking. The result of a collision between powers.
Hovering above the clouds, the two strongest were battling.
The Sword Saint was floating in the air, his silver armor partially destroyed, with burns spreading across his chest.
The Maestro, on the other hand, was in a worse state.
Five glowing swords were stuck in his body, each applying a different negative effect:
[Warning: Poisoning Detected. 0.5% loss of life per second].
[Warning: Blindness. Vision over ten meters blocked].
[Warning: Paralysis. Has a 33% chance of becoming paralyzed when performing any action].
[Warning: Mana drain. 2% mana loss per second].
[Warning: Stamina drain. 2% loss of stamina per second].
Even so, the man remained standing, panting, but still deadly dangerous.
The Saint smiled.
"That reminds me of old times."
He then turned his eyes to the city center. The statue of the dragon stood in the middle of Drakenvaar.
"Do you still remember when the Lady petrified that thing?"
The Maestro spat blood.
"Of course I remember..." He wiped his mouth. "And if it weren't for you, she'd still be by our side."
The Saint narrowed his eyes.
"Much less would we be in this cold war."
"Don't lay that blame on me." The Saint shook his head. "It was you who decided to advance against White Palace. I merely paved the way."
The Maestro smiled, even though he was wounded.
"None of that matters now... Saint."
He stared at his opponent, his eyes filled with a dangerous glint.
"And to think that's your name now. I don't even remember the original anymore."
The Saint didn't reply.
"But it doesn't matter." The Maestro straightened up, clenching his fists. "It doesn't matter if you're the chosen one... I've found another."
The swordsman's eyes widened.
"Another... blessed one?"
There was silence for a moment.
And then the Saint realized.
"You're saying that within these walls..." He narrowed his eyes. "Is there another player capable of accessing floor number one thousand?"
The Maestro smiled.
The fight was about to start again.
○
Back to Toru and Yui.
The two of them were moving quickly across the rooftops, advancing towards the city center.
The dragon statue was already visible in the distance.
But before they could get any closer...
An ice arrow flew towards them.
Toru reacted at the last moment, grabbing Yui on his lap and jumping to the side, dodging the attack.
When he landed, he looked up and saw the source of the shot.
Arisa.
She was standing on a rooftop, already carrying another arrow on her bowstring.
And next to her, Renji was holding his dagger. His eyes were fixed on both of them, like a predator hunting its prey.
"Toru."
She tightened her grip on the bowstring.
"You've allied yourself with the invaders."
"Arisa, you don't even know what you're talking about!"
"If you continue to side with him, you'll be considered a traitor, Yui." The archer drew her arrow. "Don't make me kill you too."
Yui's eyes widened.
"Kill?!"
But at that moment, the necromancer noticed something strange.
Renji had disappeared.
His instinct screamed.
He turned just as the rogue appeared at his side and struck a blow with his dagger. Toru tried to block with his arm, but the blade dug into his flesh, opening a deep cut.
The pain burned like fire.
"Son of a bitch!" He spat out blood.
Toru then grabbed Yui's clothes and hauled her up into the air. Leaping into the sky.
Arisa was already ready for the next shot.
An arrow imbued with electricity sliced through the air, coming straight at them both.
"She's aiming to kill!"
At that moment, the dragon that the necromancer had called earlier descended from the sky, intercepting the attack.
The projectile hit the creature in the chest, piercing through its dead flesh.
The beast shuddered, its undead body absorbing much of the impact.
But the damage was still great.
Its wings were useless now, destroyed by the high voltage of Arisa's arrows.
He lost altitude and fell in the middle of the square. Raising a cloud of dust.
Toru and Yui rolled on the ground.
The other two were already on the move, without a chance to breathe.
The dragon tried to get up, intending to protect his master. However, Renji activated his synchronization with the Goblin King. He then fired like a bolt of lightning towards the creature.
His blades flashed.
The blows were precise and deadly, cutting through the dragon's wings, paws and neck in rapid movements, tearing apart its putrid flesh. Meanwhile, Arisa fired a shower of arrows, covering all directions and preventing any attempt by the beast to counterattack.
The living dead fell. At the same time, Toru's eyes widened.
"They're still at level 6! Has the Maestro strengthened them that much?" he muttered in disbelief.
The necromancer tried to get up, but couldn't.
Pain exploded in his leg. He then looked down.
"Shit!"
Arisa's arrow, which he had deflected earlier, had not been completely blocked by the dragon.
His leg was compromised.
"Toru!" Yui ducked down beside him.
At the same time. Renji and Arisa were approaching.
The girl pulled the string of her bow, readying a flaming arrow.
"I'll take care of Toru."
Renji nodded, twirling the dagger between his fingers.
"All right."
He then turned to Yui.
"You're coming with me."
The girl's blood ran cold.
"No... I can't fight. Not like this..." Toru tried to stand up, even though his body was failing. "Get out of here!"
He pushed Yui, but it was no use. Renji was already on the move.
He synchronized his ability, switching to ordinary goblins.
For a moment, he seemed to hesitate. He held his dagger more loosely, with uncertainty in his eyes.
However, he soon pulled himself together and began to move. His blade glinted in the moonlight, aimed directly at the girl's neck.
A little further back.
Arisa snorted, her hands trembling slightly, as if she were resisting something. But in the end, she pulled the string of her bow and fired.
It was at that moment that everything changed.
Cracks appeared across the statue of the petrified dragon. The archer was the only one who noticed immediately.
But at the same time...
A system window appeared in front of Yui.
[He who dwells within you can no longer hide. Both heaven and hell must touch, if evolving is to continue. With the authority granted to me, I offer it. ]
[Queen of Four Suits skill activated.]
Yui's eyes glowed an intense red. And when Renji was about to attack her, she reacted instinctively.
His fist slammed into the rogue's face with absurd force.
The impact threw the boy backwards, sending him crashing and skidding to the ground.
Blood began to gush from his mouth.
"What the...?!" Renji spat out blood, surprised.
Yui looked down at his hands.
His body was shaking.
But not from fear.
But from power.
Everyone was surprised by Yui's new strength.
Except Toru.
The Whispers had returned to his head. But now, he could understand them perfectly.
"Me... revive... Art."
The necromancer held his breath.
"What...?"
"Art... of the Immortals."
He heard the name of his Hero's Path.
It was the first time something like this had happened.
"Is she talking to me...?"
On instinct, he activated his ability.
And then…
The monster awoke.
Cracks spread like cobwebs across the colossal statue. But now, the layer of stone was beginning to shatter, revealing something underneath.
Something green and shiny.
Jade crystals.
And then...
The stone shell broke.
The statue exploded into fragments, releasing a wave of energy that shook the entire city center.
An imposing creature emerged from the wreckage, its jade skin glistening with a sickly glow.
Its eyes, however, were not like the rest of its body. They were as black as death itself.
The dragon rose from the ruins, its immense wings expanding with majesty.
The system notification resounded in the air.
[New Boss Detected: Queen of Dragons]
[Elite Rank - Level ???]
○
Above all that chaos, the Maestro narrowed his eyes. Something was different.
He looked down, and then he saw it.
The dragon statue was no more.
In its place, a colossal creature stood, its skin made of gleaming jade, its gaze dark as night.
A putrid energy emanated from it.
And then...
The system confirmed the catastrophe.
[New Boss Detected: Queen of Dragons ]
[Elite Rank - Level ??? ]
The Maestro showed an irritated countenance. "Fucking brat." He growled, feeling a wave of frustration rise up inside him.
The Saint laughed.
"Hahahaha!"
He wiped the blood from his mouth and looked at the Maestro with amusement.
"So that's why you were trying to finish me off quickly, huh?"
The Saint looked at the giant creature in the city.
"Is that what you wanted to avoid? This kid is really impressive, now I understand why you wanted to kill him."
The Maestro didn't answer.
He just turned to walk down towards Toru.
But then...
"Don't even think about it."
The Saint snapped his fingers.
In the sky, hundreds of swords of light appeared, aiming at every point in the city.
Their eyes shone with a cruel menace.
"If you take one step... I'll kill everyone down there."
The Maestro stopped.
"You wouldn't do that."
The Saint shrugged.
"The oldest residents... They're beyond saving." He ran a hand through his hair. "They've been under your control for a long time."
He then looked down.
"But those students... The passives were implanted recently."
The Maestro clenched his teeth.
"You mean..."
The Saint smiled.
"After we left, I evolved a lot. And now. I can break your control over other players."