The Apostle of Ruin

Chapter 8: Blade of Frost

Kisane, Zeke, and Willow stood on a roof a few buildings away from The Olympian Hotel, their expressions tense with anticipation. Willow's eyes shimmered with the faint glow of mana as she surveyed the hotel.

Zeke's voice cut through the silence, breaking the tension. "What's the situation, Willow?"

Willow's enhanced vision revealed the truth. "Just as we suspected, the hotel is swarming with members of the Dawnfrost Vanguard," she reported, her tone betraying a hint of concern. "This complicates things significantly."

Kisane, ever the strategist, pondered their next move. "So, what's our plan now?" she inquired, her voice calm.

"Right now, all we can do is wait and keep watch of their next move. It's crucial we don't attract any unnecessary attention," Willow suggested, her voice laced with urgency.

"Agreed," Kisane affirmed, acknowledging the wisdom in Willow's words.

"That's actually a great idea," Zeke chimed in, recognizing the necessity of their stealthy approach.

"Let's reconvene in a few hours?" Zeke proposed, receiving a nod of agreement from the other two before he silently slipped away into the shadows.

A moment of silence enveloped them before Kisane broke it with a wry observation. "He's probably off to indulge in another parfait, isn't he?"

"Yep," Willow confirmed with a hint of amusement in her voice.

Kisane couldn't help but express her frustration. "Are we the only ones taking this even remotely seriously?"

"Apparently," Willow replied, her tone tinged with exasperation.

As the tension eased slightly, Kisane ventured to a more personal question. "Do you still hate my guts, Willow?"

"Absolutely," Willow responded.

Kisane sighed, a hint of a smile playing on her lips. "I wonder how Rei's training is going," she mused.

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Back in Yggdrasil, the serene grassland echoed with the cacophony of clashing steel and earth-shaking thuds as Rei relentlessly sparred against Kris's imposing dirt golem. Armed with Nightbane, Rei launched a flurry of strikes, each blow aimed at breaching the golem's formidable defenses. Yet, despite his best efforts, Nightbane's power seemed futile against the golem's resilient form.

"Kris, how am I supposed to get through this thing? My sword is barely leaving a scratch on it!" Rei's frustration echoed across the battlefield as he deftly evaded another powerful strike from the relentless golem.

"I taught you the basics; now it's up to you to figure it out!" Kris retorted her voice firm despite the casual munching of potato crisps. "Despite his difficulties, he's actually learning extremely quickly," she added, a hint of pride evident in her tone.

With determination etched on his face, Rei braced himself for the golem's impending charge. Infusing mana into his body, he shifted into a defensive stance, readying himself for the inevitable clash. As the golem surged forward, its massive form hurling a thunderous punch toward him, Rei stood his ground, blocking the blow with all the strength he could muster.

The golem's form shimmered with a verdant aura, pulsating with the raw power of green mana. Rei's eyes widened in astonishment as the earthbound behemoth expanded in size, its once formidable frame now augmented by the addition of two more formidable arms, catching him completely off guard.

With lightning reflexes, Rei's instincts kicked in as one of the golem's new arms hurtled toward his face with alarming speed. In a swift and decisive motion, he reacted, his blade slicing through the air with precision as he severed the appendage before it could make contact.