As Jon Amber stares down at Magnus, it didn't even crossed his mind to underestimate this boy. Someone who can kill a cultivator at the 3rd Level- Amethyst realm with only a knife isn't someone who is to be underestimated.
He and Magnus locked eyes and spoke no words when one of Jon's men suddenly called out.
"Young master! The black knife that killed this assassin suddenly disappeared!" He said.
Jon furrowed his brows and scrutinized Magnus while the other calmly stared at him with a light smile.
"Tell me, why did you help us?" Jon asked.
Magnus lightly closed his eyes and chuckled. "Is it weird to say that i just wanted to help?"
Then Jon smiled scoffed. "In this world? It is...Either you have some ploy in mind or your just a nice person but in the cultivation world, nice people are scarce."
Hearing this Magnus chuckled before turning serious. "Then you better be thankful you met one of these 'Nice persons', if not? That girl would've already been dead."
Magnus pointed at the girl who was his age. Jon turned to her as well and after a moment of silence he sighed.
"I thank you for that but you know it isn't easy for me to trust you, right?"
Magnus raised both hands and said. "I understand..." He then turned to the dead assassin and asked.
"You're gonna dispose of them right?"
Jon turned and answered. "Yes, they didn't have anything on them that could be trace back to which organization they belong to and I don't want their friends to come after us should they discover their corpses."
It was here that Magnus threw in what he really wanted. "Then...you won't mind if I dispose of them?"
Jon turned to him and scrutinized him as well, he still had his doubts about this kid and he had a feeling that he was being played.
"What's in it for me?" Jon asked.
Hearing this Magnus was stumped and didn't know how to answer, then Gula's voice suddenly rang in his head.
"Hahaha. He got you there, King." Gula's charming voice echoed.
"Sister Gula, what should i say?" Magnus asked for help.
Gula giggled which slightly annoyed Magnus but she said. "You could reveal to him your Darkness, they wouldn't be able to know what it truly is anyway. At most they'll think it's a special ability of your stigmata or some art you practice, which is technically correct."
Magnus nodded. "Alright..."
Meanwhile, Jon saw that Magnus was taking a while to answer but then he moved his hands, this prompted Jon to think that Magnus may be some hidden assassin that was tasked to posed as someone who would help them and when he got close, he would kill him or his sister.
Jon quickly reacted and grabbed the handle of his sword, about to draw it. His men also grabbed their swords.
But at that moment, they saw that a wisp of shadow appeared from Magnus' palm and formed the same knife that killed the assassin. Jon and his men were surprised that they took a step back.
One of the men reacted. "Young Master, that's the exact knife that killed the assassin!"
Jon furrowed his brows again and turned to Magnus as if asking for an explanation.
Magnus sighed. "It's called "Forming Shadow Arts"
Jon didn't believe him because how could he? He barely knows this kid and he's just supposed to believe the things he says?
Magnus clearly saw that they didn't believe him but at that moment, a cute voice echoed.
A small girl stood between Magnus and Jon.
Jon saw his little sister moving between them, he feared that this boy might suddenly move to attack her so he shouted.
"Rachel, get out of the way."
But the girl, Rachel shook her head. To which Jon once again shouted. "Rachel"
Rachel stubbornly looked her brother in the eye and said. "Your bad, big brother! He saved me and yet you're bullying him!"
Hearing her, Jon thought that it would certainly be this way if not for that fact that the cultivation world is notorious for betrayals than good will.
When the siblings were about to argue, Magnus sighed and moved towards the assassin's corpses. He knew that no matter what he says, Jon won't put down his guard towards him, so it would be better if he just takes what he came for.
"Stop! What are you doing?" One of the men drew his sword and pointed it towards Magnus.
Seeing this, Magnus's gaze turned much colder. The man felt like he was being stared upon by a fearsome beast and his body trembled. Suddenly, a shadow darted out from Magnus' arm and without him moving, the shadow devoured half of the sword.
The scene stunned everyone including Rachel.
Magnus then spoke. "Do that again and I'll devour you whole...Relax, you should be grateful I'm doing your job for you by disposing these body..."
Then the Darkness poured out of Magnus' body and covered all of the dead assassins in the area. Jon and his men moved out of the Darkness' way, wary of this strange shadow. When the Darkness came back to Magnus' body, the bodies of the assassins were gone, not a thing remained, even a drop of blood.
After this, Magnus leisurely walked away but he was stopped by Jon. "Where do you think you're going?"
Magnus then turned back. "Why should i stay when I'm clearly not welcomed?"
He was about to walk away again but once more, he was stopped but not by Jon but by his sister.
"What's your name?" She asked.
Magnus had a strange feeling of Deja vu but he answered nonetheless.
"Magnus."
Seeing him walk away, Rachel turned to her brother clearly angry. Jon definitely care for his little sister that he can't win against her when she makes this face. He sighed and called out to Magnus.
"Wait."
"What!?" But Magnus suddenly shouted back. He was clearly pissed for being stopped three times already.
Jon and the others were stunned but he coughed and said. "I'm sorry for doubting you, how about you ride with us? You're clearly going to the ruins as well, it's the least we could do."
Magnus unceremoniously walked back which left Jon and his men stunned and they didn't know who to react.
Jon and his sister sat down with Magnus as his men repaired the carriage. They shared food and Magnus took the liberty to ask some question.
"Is it true what they say about you?"
Hearing this, Rachel quickly turned to him, angry.
But she didn't expect that her brother would actually respond.
"That i raged at the capital when the girl I love abandoned me for someone else? Wouldn't you?" Jon asked with a self-mocking smile.
Seeing this, Rachel once again frowned to Magnus, who then coughed and said to Jon. "Did she gave you an explanation?"
Jon nodded. "She did, she said it was for the family. At that, I knew it would be hard for us to push through our relationship but she gave up without even fighting. She...disappointed me but more than that, I disappoint myself."
When Jon began to speak of the past, the mood suddenly became sad which Magnus didn't intended to do. He thought that since quite a lot of time has passed by that Jon would've already move on but clearly, that wasn't the case...
They didn't speak after that and they only ate in silence but suddenly, Magnus' eyes opened wide and he abruptly stood up and rushed towards an open space.
Rachel stood up, worried but Jon pulled back, he was scrutinizing Magnus and felt that spike of energy from within him.
"Stop, he's going to a breakthrough."
Rachel stared at his brother then back to Magnus.
Magnus turned around and when he saw that no one was relatively close to him, he crossed his legs and sat down, chanting the words of the [Great Leviathan Body] in his head to guide the energy in his body.
This energy came from refining the bodies and Stigmata of the assassins that attacked Jon and his men. Most of them were of the Amethyst realm and they all had Stigmata that are suited for assassination. Because of this they are what you could call the best dish that Magnus could consume at the moment, they had strong cultivation, strong blood and strong body, they had plenty of energy in their body to help Magnus in his own cultivation.
Magnus guided the energy to break down the insides of his body then reconstruct it, ultimately making it stronger.
Boom!
It didn't take too long but as Magnus sat there in the open, a burst of energy exploded from him and from that, Jon knew he broke through.
But what happened next, surprised not only him but also his men and Rachel. They definitely felt the World energy around them being sucked towards Magnus and they knew that it wasn't only at their direction but all around him.
"What's happening, brother?" Rachel asked, the World energy was being sucked towards Magnus but it wasn't dangerous for them so she wasn't worried.
Jon then said. "It must be the ability of one of the arts he's practicing."
After a while, things seemed to have calmed down. Magnus walked back towards them and they could clearly see the vibrancy of his body.
"Hey, can you use any long-range attack?" Magnus asked out of nowhere.
Jon nodded, asking. "Yeah, why?"
Magnus then smiled at him. "Attack me."
But then, Rachel reacted. "What? My brother is almost a 5th Level Amethyst realm cultivator, a blow from him could heavily injure you!"
But Magnus just smiled to her then he turned to Jon, saying. "Don't worry I can take it."
Jon squinted his eyes but nodded. "Alright."
"Brother!" Rachel shouted.
Then Jon said. "Don't worry, if he says he'll be fine he must've something in mind that gives him this confidence."
"But..." Rachel wanted to say something but Jon then interrupted.
"What? Do you like this kid?" Jon teased her.
Rachel immediately blushed which made the men around her laughed, even Magnus chuckled a little which irritated her.
"Humph! Who cares what happens to him." She crossed her arms and turned around.
But Jon clearly saw the worry in her eyes and he said to himself. "Clearly, you do..."
Magnus and Jon stood with more than ten meters between them. Jon drew his sword and Magnus suddenly felt a pressure that made him tensed up, this was the first time he felt this from a human. He smiled and riled up his own energy.
Jon's sword burst into flames and he thrust it forward, sending a flaming arrow towards Magnus.
Magnus covered his palms in Darkness and he applied more force on his foot, he knew he could take this blow as Jon didn't take it seriously either.
Bam!
The ground beneath Magnus' feet shattered, looking like spiderweb. Rachel revealed a worried look but was soon replaced by a shocked one that even her brother was shocked by what they saw.
The flame arrow that collided with Magnus' palms was slowly shrinking, it was visibly getting smaller that after three more blinks it disappeared.
But before they could react, Magnus turned to Jon and said. "Now try and block this."
Magnus spread his hands outward then quickly closed them, loudly clapping. Then out from his finger a black flaming arrow shot out.
Jon was stunned but he reacted quickly and raised his sword to block the attack.
Bam!
He was shocked...Magnus' flame arrow was actually faster, stronger and hotter than his own. But with his stronger cultivation, he raised his energy and his hair burned like fire and he cut the arrow in half.
As the arrow dispersed, Magnus almost fell but he held on to his knees as he breathed heavily.
Jon and Rachel came up to him asked. "What was that?"
Magnus fell to the ground, he turned to them and smiled as he answered. "Ha...That was a...new ability that I gained when...I broke through."
Jon's mouth arched into a smile as he extended a hand. Magnus grabbed his hand and he stood up.
"Come, the carriage has just been repaired. You should rest inside." Jon said.
Rachel then grabbed one of his hand and place it over her shoulder, helping him walk as he clearly looked very weak and tired.
When they entered the carriage, Magnus immediately fell asleep, leaning on the wall. Seeing this, Rachel giggled.
Soon the carriage moved and they began to move towards the ruins. On the way there, Rachel asked.
"Big brother, how is he?"
Jon, who was looking outside the window turned to his sister and smiled. "He'll be fine, my guess is that he just over drafted his energy. That skill he used must've consumed a lot of energy, he may need to practice it further if he wants it be usable in combat."
Rachel turned to Magnus. "Hmm...well, how strong is he?"
Jon was surprised but he still answered. "You already know that his cultivation level is the same as yours, so why are you still asking me?"
Rachel pouted and said. "But he's much stronger than me even though we're on the same level."
Jon then leaned towards her and ruffled her hair. "It's because he practice diligently, instead of playing around like you do."
As Jon laughed at her, Rachel stuck out her tongue at him. Jon laughed again but then Rachel asked.
"Brother, you know Big sister Chloe is coming with that fellow right?"
Hearing this, Jon's expression turned darker and cold which slightly scared her. Jon then replied.
"I do..."
Rachel then asked again. "Then...what are you going to do when you meet her?"
Jon was rather surprised by this question, he had thought about the exact same thing. He thought that he would come to hate Chloe for what she did but he didn't, he wanted to ask her again, why she did it. Though he hated what became of their relationship, some part of him hoped that there is still some part of him that remained in Chloe's heart...Thinking of this, Jon answered.
"I...don't know."