Spirit Game

Rain and the others pressed forward through the city, cutting their way through the relentless Shadowborne Legionaries as they raced toward the entrance of the mines.

The sounds of distant battle reached their ears, and they quickened their pace. As they rounded a corner, Rain spotted General Varlox in the thick of combat, locked in a desperate struggle against a group of shadow creatures.

Rain's heart leaped at the sight of him, but his relief was short-lived. Varlox was grievously wounded, one eye lost, and the once-proud contingent of Ebizo soldiers had been reduced to just four battle-weary seadwellers.

"General!" Rain, still fused with Chi, launched himself from his horse in a blur of motion, slicing through a shadow creature that was poised to strike Varlox down. With swift strikes Rain dispatched the remaining creatures with ease.

Santi and the others rushed in, joining the fray as they fought off the rest of the enemies.

Ri, in particular, moved through the enemy lines like a phantom. He was a blur of motion, so fast and agile that the Shadowborne creatures barely registered his presence before they were beat down.

Without breaking a sweat, he dispatched multiple enemies at once, his movements fluid and lethal. A silent killer, Rain would appear out of nowhere, strike with lethality, and vanish just as quickly, leaving nothing but fallen foes in his wake.

It was as if he moved with the wind itself, carrying the shadow creatures away with each swift strike.

Chick and Chill swiftly tended to General Varlox and his men, their healing powers flowing over the wounded soldiers like a soothing balm. But it wasn't enough to fully mend their injuries.

Seeing the dire situation, Rain quickly handed out [Healing Potions], urging them to drink. The elixirs worked quickly, knitting wounds and restoring strength to the weary warriors.

However, despite their best efforts, General Varlox's left eye was lost forever.

"What happened? Are you alright, General?" Rain asked, though he immediately regretted the question. It was clear that General Varlox was anything but alright.

Varlox, weakened and kneeling, looked up with a pained expression. "My Lord, I'm sorry . . . we've failed you."

"Failed me?" Rain frowned, confusion evident in his eyes. "But you opened the gates."

The general's face twisted in shame. "It wasn't us . . . it was #4."

Rain froze. "#4?"

Chick and Chill exchanged surprised glances, but Rain's concern only deepened. "#4? Where is he?"

Before Varlox could respond, Chi, who had been fused with Rain, suddenly separated from him, panting heavily. Rain quickly moved to support her. "Chi, are you okay?"

The fusion had drained Chi's energy, and they couldn't hold it for longer than thirty minutes. She needed time to recover, but despite her fatigue, she chirped softly, her worry for #4 evident.

Rain's heart raced, anxiety clawing at him. "Where is he? Is he . . . ?"

Varlox couldn't meet Rain's gaze, knowing the depth of his lord's worry for his original troops. He had seen that same look when Chin died, though Rain had never spoken of it. The weight of his unspoken sorrow was almost too much to bear.

"Sadly . . . I don't know where #4 is. He must still be in the control room. We split up, and I asked him to go there while we took care of the enemy forces.

As of now, I don't know what happened."

A heavy silence fell over the group.

Chi weakly chirped, while Chick and Chill were ready to search for #4 immediately.

"We don't split up," Rain said, his voice firm, though a trace of desperation lingered. "I'm sure #4 is alright. He did manage to open up the gates, after all." He forced a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Besides, we all know #4 has a talent for hiding."

Despite his reassurances, unease lingered until Ri stepped forward, his presence commanding attention.

"My Lord," Ri said, his deep, slow voice cutting through the tension. No one had expected him to speak, especially since he had been silent throughout the battle. Now, all eyes were on him, curious about what he would say.

"I will go and find #4 and bring him back to you," Ri declared.

Rain's expression brightened a little. "Are you sure, Ri?" he asked, though he hesitated. Splitting up was risky, but his faith in Ri's strength was strong, and the worry gnawing at him for #4's safety made the decision even harder.

Sensing Rain's confidence in Ri's abilities over theirs, Chick and Chill exchanged glances, a flicker of disappointment crossing their faces.

They didn't voice their feelings to Rain, knowing their strengths lay in support rather than direct combat. Ri, on the other hand, was a lethal force — his skills rivaled even Chi's, perhaps greater, and he hadn't even evolved yet.

Ri nodded with his poker face.

"Wait, take some of the others with you," Rain began, ready to assign troops to accompany Ri in finding #4. But Ri shook his head firmly.

"I'm enough," Ri replied, his voice steady. "Anyone else will only slow me down."

"Huh? This brat . . ." someone muttered.

"What are you saying — that we're weak?" another soldier commented dryly.

Ri's confidence was palpable, almost arrogant, but it wasn't without reason.

Helliana smirked, clearly amused, while Santi gave a curt nod of approval.

"Do you know where you're going, though?" Golly interjected, pointing toward a tall building that stood out from the rest. "That's the control room, on the uppermost floor."

"Got it," Ri replied with a nod.

Before anyone could react, Ri had already bolted in the direction of the control room, moving with lightning speed. The rough terrain and lurking shadow creatures didn't seem to hinder him in the slightest. He darted up walls and leaped across rooftops, evading enemies with ease.

The other soldiers fell silent, their earlier comment died down. Grunts turned into tight-lipped acceptance as they realized the truth — Ri's words weren't a boast, but a fact. They couldn't leap as high, scale walls with such ease, or move with the speed and agility he possessed.

Traveling in a larger group would only draw more attention too, making them easy targets for the lurking shadow creatures. Ri's solo mission made sense, and even though it stung their pride, they couldn't deny that he was their best chance of finding #4 quickly and safely.

"He moves like the wind . . ." Santi murmured in awe.

Helliana nodded in agreement. "The Onis are among the strongest races, after all. Even though Ri is still young, he's already incredibly strong and fast."

Rain felt a surge of gratitude for Ri's presence. He moved with the grace and stealth of a ninja, his ability to hide his presence making him an invaluable asset to their team.

Right now, however, their focus had to remain on Gorm.

"Let's move," Rain commanded.