World of Antraxia: Crystal Of Despair

A distant sob echoed through the forest. A young girl's cry, fragile and desperate, carried through the trees. A massive orc, its heavy footsteps shaking the ground, charged toward her.Pa! Pa! Pa!Before it could reach her, the orc stumbled, eyes rolling back as it collapsed with a loud thud. Three small daggers jutted from the left side of its skull, glowing faintly before disintegrating into dust.A figure emerged from the shadows, his leather armor adorned with intricate patterns that shimmered in the moonlight. His steps were steady, confident, yet gentle as he approached the trembling girl."Are you hurt?" he asked, his voice calm. "What's your name?"The girl wiped her eyes, her voice barely above a whisper. "M-Melissa... that's my name. Who are you, mister?"The man smirked. "Me? Just a passerby."He turned as if to leave but stopped abruptly. Running a hand through his hair, he let out a quiet sigh before kneeling beside her."My name is Aren. Aren Athernis," he corrected himself. "I'm a member of the Divine Weavers, sent to protect your village from the orc attack. And do me a favor—forget what I said about being a passerby."Without waiting for her response, he took off toward the burning village.A static buzz crackled in his earpiece before a familiar voice chimed in."Ayo, man, why'd you ruin it? You could've just left after that first line. Boom! Instant mysterious hero moment. But nooo, you had to talk more. You ruined it, bro."Aren rolled his eyes. "That was cringe as hell, Max. And that sounds heroic to you? Sorry, mate, you're beyond saving. You passed the point of no return. May the goddess Xeraltha bless you."Max chuckled. "Yeah, yeah. Anyway, here's your intel. The village has about 500 people. The chief's a Gray Core Essence user, but he's in critical condition. Seven orcs total, including the one you just took out. All of them are gathered in the village center. Oh, and the orc chief? Also Gray Core. Be careful, man. At your speed, you should be seeing the village right about... now."Aren crested the hill, and the sight made his stomach clench.The village lay in ruins. Houses reduced to smoldering rubble. People screaming, running for their lives. The orcs feasted on the remains of their destruction, their guttural laughter blending with the cries of the wounded.Aren's fingers twitched. Weapons flickered into existence around him—small knives hovering like silent phantoms.He launched two daggers at an orc smashing a house. Thud. The beast crumpled, lifeless.Not slowing down, Aren sprinted toward an archer tower, scaling it with ease before launching himself off. He twisted midair, driving a knife deep into the skull of a nearby orc. The creature shrieked before collapsing.The other orcs turned, snarling, their glowing eyes locking onto him."That's just what I wanted," Aren muttered, a smirk curling his lips.He conjured a thin, almost invisible thread, looping it around a nearby orc's neck. With a flick of his wrist, he fastened two knives to the thread's ends and hurled them toward two more orcs. The daggers flew like silent reapers, embedding themselves in their skulls.The instant they fell, the thread snapped taut—severing the first orc's head clean off.Blood sprayed, painting the dirt red.Aren didn't pause. His eyes locked onto the orc chief standing at the center of the destruction.With a flick of his hand, eight kunai shimmered into existence around him.Four shot toward the orc beside the chief, piercing deep into its flesh. The last four rocketed at the orc chief itself.Clang!The chief deflected them with ease, his sheer strength sending the kunai clattering to the ground.Aren smirked. Predictable.He twitched his fingers.The kunai lifted once more—connected by the near-invisible threads he had attached before launching them.From a distance, it looked like Aren was dancing—spinning, weaving, his kunai moving in perfect harmony with him. They glowed red-hot, their edges sharp enough to cut through air itself.The orc chief grunted, its movements slowing. The knives struck faster, harder, each attack more precise.Twenty seconds of relentless battle.Then—silence.The orc chief staggered. Two kunai buried deep into its glowing eyes. Another lodged in its throat, the sheer force tearing a gaping hole through its neck.With a final, wheezing breath, the beast collapsed.Aren exhaled, wiping the blood from his blade."That wasn't so hard."