Part 0: Prologue
*In the sprawling expanse of the land, a creeping shroud of darkness threatens to engulf all in its path*
pondered a seasoned warrior, his furrowed brow betraying his concern.
The ominous signs manifest in the brooding, crimson-laced sky, a harbinger visible to all living beings.
With a sense of urgency gripping his heart, he resolved to relay this dire warning to the commander before it was too late. With a retinue of knights at his side, he hastened towards the royal capital, determined to convey the crucial tidings.
Yet, fate intervened cruelly as they were ambushed by a monstrous, wolf -like beast along the way, leaving devastation in its wake.
"By the heavens, what manner of creature is this?" he exclaimed in terror.
***
The Royal capital, Nox, stood as a beacon of prosperity in a world fraught with strife. A bastion of equality, it embraced all, regardless of social standing, setting it apart from its envious neighbors who coveted its bountiful resources.
Time and again, rival nations sought to assail Nox, driven by conflicting ideologies and avarice. Yet, they met with defeat each time, their armies Retreat making sure they never attack them head on again because of the massive casualties they sustained during the battles.
In this realm, an array of mystical forces such as magic, sorcery, and martial arts, each boasting extraordinary techniques, coexist. While each discipline offers unique advantages, the majority of practitioners, particularly mages, hail from esteemed lineages, where magical prowess is often inherited, underscoring the significance of innate aptitude in determining one's stature within these circles.
In Nox, sorcery is condemned due to its inherently destructive tendencies, with severe consequences awaiting anyone found practicing it. Martial arts, on the other hand, were deemed inferior to magic and sorcery due to their perceived limitations in comparison to the formidable powers wielded by practitioners of the arcane arts.
Over time, martial arts has evolved into different styles and disciplines that could be compared to superhuman abilities due to advancements over generations.
Each discipline has its own lineage and tradition for preserving and passing down its teachings and techniques. Among these, there existed a sinister group known as the "Blood Hunters," who were practitioners of the dark arts, infamous for their destructive tendencies and involvement in mass atrocities.
Their whereabouts are unknown, and they seldom involve themselves in mortal affairs, thus maintaining their anonymity.
At night, In a forbidden forest, a hooded figure wielding a sword hurriedly carried a baby through the rain, determined to ensure the infant's safety at all costs.
"I must ensure his safety."
Despite the pursuit of a group of soldiers on horseback and the onslaught of royal mage archers firing arrows infused with fiery magic, the hooded figure remained resolute in his mission. When one of the arrows struck the man's leg, it momentarily impeded his progress.
"Argh!"
Despite feeling a slight pain from the arrow, the hooded figure held the baby tightly and removed the projectile with skill. Undeterred, he pressed on, running deeper into the forest while being relentlessly pursued with the infant in his arms.
"Ensure None of them survive!"
"We seek both of their corpses, eliminate them."
The leader ordered both the mage archers and soldiers to end both the man and the baby life's without mercy.
Upon reaching the forest's edge, the hooded man cast a protective spell on the baby, rendering him invisible and creating a small force field to shield him from harm. Placing the infant in a boat, he set it adrift on the ocean, sacrificing his own safety to ensure the child's survival.
"So that leaves me to deal with you guys"
he declared to his pursuers, drawing his sword with lethal precision. In a flurry of movement, he dispatched thirty soldiers with astonishing martial prowess, effortlessly dodging the mage archers' fiery arrows.
"im...impossible, He killed 30 royal soldiers in mere seconds?!"
*Even with an injured leg, he shouldn't be able to move like that, I can't take him out with ordinary measures* He thought
"Soldiers! Archers! form the battle formation!"
The leader of the army, witnessing the hooded man's unmatched skill, realized conventional tactics would not suffice. Ordering his forces to regroup, he prepared for a final assault.
"Attack! Don't hold back"
But before they could strike, the hooded man unleashed a devastating wave of fire magic, decimating the remaining (soldiers & archers) and leaving the leader severely injured.
"pathetic"
"s...spare me master, I would give you anything you want. Gold, Silvers, As long as you let me live.
"Anything I want? *chuckles*, What I want is your life...Shut up and die!"
As the hooded man moved to deliver the final blow, a bolt of lightning intervened, narrowly missing its target. Surprised by the unexpected interference, the hooded man paused, his curiosity piqued.
"Phew! that was close. what was that?"
He wondered aloud removing his hood to reveal a determined yet contemplative expression. As he surveyed the aftermath of the battle, he noticed a mysterious figure vanish into the shadows, leaving him intrigued and eager to uncover the truth behind the unexpected intervention.
"Could it be that the prince send a mage to save the leader?. Even so, it wouldn't be an ordinary one"
"Lightning summoned from the sky requires a grandmaster lvl to do that"
He smirks
"This is getting interesting"
Meanwhile, across the ocean, the baby found himself caught in a raging storm. Thanks to the protective spell cast by the hooded man, however, he remained safe aboard the drifting boat, unaware of the perilous journey that lay ahead.
The man was still curious about what happened until he noticed some unidentified masked figures hiding inside the dark.
"I know that you're hiding, come out now!"
Daggers were hurled from various directions in the woods by the masked figures with remarkable accuracy and speed. However, the man's agility and swiftness allowed him to effortlessly dodge multiple daggers simultaneously. With calm composure, he spoke.
"You have to do better than that to catch me off guard"
Suddenly, the unidentified masked figures emerged before him, clad in black garments from head to toe. Despite their concealment, he swiftly recognized them by the symbols of a flaming skull embroidered on their attire, seemingly imbued with sorcery.
"I know that symbol...You're from the assassins clan"
...
"Why were you sent to kill me?"
...
"Are you guys deaf...or dumb?"
"How dare you?!"
One of the masked assassins expressed frustration, while the man continued to taunt them.
"it was a question and besides I wasn't directly saying you were...
Another masked assassins cut in with murderous intent
"you've toyed with death, then you'll experience one"
"let's kill this fool and be done with it"
The assassins wielded their daggers and launched an attack, but he swiftly defeated them all using only hand-to-hand combat techniques, incapacitating them by breaking their bones and limbs with specialized martial skills.
"Never in your life should you dare to attack me with such pathetic skills," he sighed.
He gazed out at the ocean, pondering whether the baby had encountered any peril.
" I hope he is safe"