Kael sat there for a few moments, staring blankly in the direction the three Luminaires had gone. His thoughts running beneath the surface.
'Not even worth sharing the knowledge with, huh?'
He smiled to himself.
Then, without a word, he rose to his feet, brushing off the dust that had clung to his clothes. Then he turned and started walking in the same direction as the others, his footsteps light, his presence barely noticeable against the wind.
"Now… I'd assume it's a beast that's causing the trouble."
Kael rolled his shoulder as his thoughts began to drift.
His mind sifted through what he knew about the forest's wildlife. The higher the altitude, the more brutal the conditions, freezing winds, thin air, and almost no food. Only the hardiest creatures could survive here.
Most were small, relying on stealth and endurance rather than raw strength. Rodents, scavenger birds, and insect-like beasts clung to the rocks and roots, carving out a meager existence in the harsh terrain.
Larger beasts were rare, and true predators even rarer. Anything hunting this high up was either desperate or powerful.
Kael pushed off a rock with one hand, vaulting over it as he closed in on the other Luminaires. His gaze shifted forward.
The mountain peak loomed ahead, half-hidden beneath a thick cloud that crept over it like a slow, rolling wave swallowing stone.
As the mist engulfed the summit, a damp heaviness settled in the air. Moisture clung to his clothes, soaking the fabric until it clung cold and heavy against his skin. Still, the chill was a welcome change. After hours of breathing dry, dust-choked air that scraped at his throat, the cool humidity felt almost refreshing.
Kael's eyes swept over the open space.
The dense cloud obscured the landscape, drastically shortening visibility. But rather than seeing it as an obstacle, Kael saw an opportunity.
Over the past few days, he hadn't simply been walking idly, he had been testing. Every chance he got, he pushed the limits of his new mote's abilities. He would stand silently against a tree as the others passed, watching to see if they noticed him. More often than not, they didn't.
Whenever the group engaged in conversation, he remained quiet. The fewer words he spoke, the less attention he seemed to draw. Fewer questions were directed at him, and at times, they didn't even glance his way, as if he wasn't there at all.
They obviously knew he was with them, yet it was as if the thought to acknowledge him never fully formed in their minds, like some subconscious force nudged them away from noticing his presence.
He hadn't even activated the mote, yet its mere presence within his soul was already yielding results.
This was the power of a rank two mote. It was only a single rank higher than his soulbound motes, yet the difference in strength was incomparable.
It was also the reason Kael felt confident in his ability to follow the Luminaires unnoticed. He was already highly skilled at moving undetected. This mote only amplified that ability, making his presence even harder to perceive.
Kael's steps came to a halt as three silhouettes emerged through the mist ahead. He crouched low beside a tree, eyes narrowing as he watched them from a distance, careful to stay hidden.
The three Luminaires were kneeling near the edge of a small drop, their attention locked on the clearing just a few dozen meters below. One of them moved his hand in slow, deliberate motions, tracing shapes in the air, explaining something. A raven perched calmly on his shoulder, its head tilting slightly, almost as if it were listening.
The other two said nothing, their focus entirely on him.
Time dragged. Nothing happened. Still, Kael didn't blink. He watched them, sharp and still, tracking every small movement.
Then, the three rose to their feet. A moment later, they leapt from the ledge. Coats and hair whipped in the wind as they dropped from sight, vanishing into the mist below.
Kael waited a moment before lifting his hand from the tree. He stepped forward, approaching the spot where they had stood just moments before. Lowering himself onto one knee and peered down at the area below.
It was an open clearing, much like the one where they had rested earlier, but larger. The ground was uneven, and towering trees rose from it, their massive trunks stretching high above him.
Kael squinted as he looked ahead.
The three were moving swiftly, their strides steady but urgent, heading toward a fixed direction.
He followed their line of movement, his gaze stretching further into the mist.
'So that's it…'
One eyebrow lifted slightly.
Far in the distance, at the very edge of his vision, a massive form stood.
It walked on two legs, its sheer size making even the towering forest around it seem ordinary. Even through the thick cloud cover, Kael could tell, it had to be over forty meters tall.
Each step was slow and heavy, the creature gripping nearby trees for balance as it moved forward, as if its own weight threatened to topple it.
And growing from its wide, hunched shoulders was something unnatural, a jagged cluster of shapes, like a miniature, thorned forest stretching outward from its body.
Kael rose to his feet and jumped down from the ledge without hesitation. He needed to get closer. There was no way he was missing this fight.
Moving carefully, he closed the distance, stopping just close enough to observe the Luminaires without drawing attention. His gaze shifted forward, locking on to the massive figure ahead.
Now that he was closer, he could finally see it in full.
With every step, the creature sent deep, muffled thuds rippling through the forest floor. Kael could feel the vibrations beneath his boots. Its skin was a faded, pale blue, rough and cracked like dried leather, its massive body marred by scars of every kind. Some were clean and deep, others torn and jagged, like something had tried to rip it apart piece by piece.
Its shoulders were covered in patches of green moss and clusters of rock. Small trees had taken root in its massive frame, somehow clinging to life as it moved.
'A mountain troll.'
Kael exhaled and leaned his back against a nearby tree, eyes still fixed on the hulking figure in the distance.
Mountain trolls were rare in this region. Their skin was notoriously tough, highly prized for crafting leather armor that could rival low-grade enchantments. Their bones, harder than iron, were often used to forge durable arrowheads and spear tips. Just killing one could set someone up for life, if they survived the fight.
But Kael wasn't focused on the material rewards.
He was starting to piece together Torin's reasoning. The value of the mountain troll was obvious, but that wasn't what had drawn Torin this far up the mountain.
No, this wasn't about profit.
Mountain trolls weren't mere beasts. They were dreadborns, creatures of near-human intelligence, with memories long enough to remember every slight, every threat, every intruder. And more importantly, they were territorial to an extreme.
Their territory was always marked on official maps the moment one was discovered. At first glance, that might seem counterintuitive. With how valuable their bodies were, why not keep their presence a secret? Why not harvest them in silence?
But the reasoning behind it made sense.
First, very few had the power to take one down. A group of rank one Luminaires would be lucky to survive, let alone claim a kill. The risk outweighed the reward for most.
Second, and more importantly, mountain trolls were nature's best gatekeepers. Nothing else dared live near them. They wiped out competing beasts and dreadborns with brutal efficiency. Having one nearby meant the region around it would be unnaturally quiet, safe even.
But there was a catch.
Mountain trolls held grudges.
Not in the way beasts did, flee and be forgotten. No.
Wound one, steal from it, enter its domain uninvited, and it would remember. For days, weeks… years.
And when it came back for vengeance, it wouldn't be wild or frenzied.
It would be calculated.
With their powerful sense of smell, mountain trolls could track anyone who trespassed in their territory. To them, it wasn't just an intrusion, it was a personal offense.
Even if someone unknowingly crossed into their domain and left without confrontation, the troll wouldn't forget. It would follow, silent and relentless, no matter how far they traveled, until it settled the score.
And if that person wandered into a city?
The consequences would be catastrophic.
A mountain troll rampaging through crowded streets, driven by the single-minded urge to eliminate its target, would leave devastation in its wake. Buildings crushed, lives lost, damage on a scale that far outweighed the value of its hide or bones. That was why their locations were always marked.
Torin had understood what most wouldn't.
He had realized they had entered such a domain and had chosen to confront the troll here, on the flat mountain top, rather than risk a battle on the treacherous slopes below, where one misstep could spell death.
It was a decision made with cold logic. The right decision.
Kael would have done the same if he were in Torin's position.
The three Luminaires now stood in front of the mountain troll, yet it hadn't noticed them. From a distance, it looked like they exchanged a few quick words, then Selene stepped back.
She lowered herself to the ground, sitting cross-legged, eyes closed in focused stillness.
Malric and Torin remained beside her. Neither made a move.
Kael furrowed his brow.
'What is she doing?'
He shifted his weight, narrowing his gaze as he observed her strange actions.
After a short while, Selene opened her eyes and stood back up. The group spoke again, this time with her leading the conversation.
Kael's gaze cooled.
'An information pathway Luminaire.'
He cursed silently.
There were many pathways, each with its own strengths and quirks. Some were rare, others more common. The information pathway fell firmly into the latter. Widely practiced and incredibly versatile, it focused on perception, analysis, and mental clarity. Luminaires who followed it were able to rapidly process vast amounts of information, details on beasts, terrain, enemy movement, everything.
They were the eyes behind the strategy. The mind behind the plan.
Every noble family, every serious hunting party, made sure to have at least one. It was simply too useful not to.
Kael took a moment to reassess Selene, mentally noting her abilities. Of the three, she now posed the greatest threat to him.
As soon as Selene finished speaking, Torin and Malric began to move toward the mountain troll, while she stayed back, analyzing, calculating, and observing.
The raven perched on Torin's shoulder suddenly broke apart, dissolving into a swirl of golden particles that scattered into the wind. The instant it vanished, something new took shape in its place.
With a sharp surge of motion, two massive wings burst from Torin's back.
Each feather was a deep raven black, gleaming with a strange luster, as if they absorbed the light around them. The layering was perfect, each feather aligned with precision, their sharp edges catching just enough light to look both elegant and dangerous.
The sheer scale of them was staggering, transforming Torin's usual composed presence into something almost celestial.
Then, with a single, thunderous flap, the wings erupted with force. Torin shot into the sky, the air cracking beneath him. Dust and pebbles exploded outward from where he stood, and in a blink, he was nothing but a blur against the gray clouds above.
Within moments, he was high above the troll, suspended in the air like a shadow watching from above.
Kael's eyes widened.
"A rank three Luminaire..."
Torin was no longer making the slightest effort to suppress his aura. The moment his wings had spread, Kael was hit with a wave of pressure that crashed into him like a collapsing mountain. It was overwhelming. Immense. A force so absolute it felt like it could crush the very earth beneath their feet.
Kael had suspected that Torin might be a rank two, just one step above himself. But rank three? That was something else entirely.
For the first time since joining this group, something stirred beneath Kael's usual calm. Something dangerously close to unease.
A rank three Luminaire was rare, rarer than any mountain troll. Reaching such a level required not only talent but an unwavering commitment to mastering one's pathway. Few ever managed to climb that high, even if they dedicated centuries to the pursuit.
For the Eirendaile family to send a powerhouse like him on a mission like this made it clear just how much they valued the mission's final outcome.
Kael analyzed the battle even more intently now, not willing to miss a single detail.
As Torin hovered in the air, Malric had already summoned a bow, the string pulled tight with a stone-like arrow ready to fire. His back muscles tensed in perfect symmetry, the effort visible as he held his aim steady. It was obvious now, Malric was taking a support role in this fight.
Torin stayed suspended, his wings completely still, almost as if they were nothing more than decoration.
He raised his hand.
A faint shimmer appeared in the air above him, small sparkles flickering into existence in a streak, in the same moment, a black javelin formed in his grip. Seemingly forged from polished black marble.
Below, the mountain troll finally took notice.
Its deep-set, eerie eyes shifted slowly, locking onto Torin hovering high above. For a moment, it didn't move, just stared, as if trying to make sense of what it saw.
Then it roared.
A deafening, guttural bellow tore through the air, shaking the very trees. The sound felt like it came from the earth itself. The ground shook beneath its weight, gravel dancing and leaves tearing free from their branches in a frenzy.
Selene flinched. Her hand rose instinctively to cover one ear, though her gaze never wavered. She kept her eyes fixed on the battle unfolding in front of her.
Torin didn't flinch. His face was still, unreadable.
He moved slow, almost casually, his arm reached behind him, fingers curling as if grasping something just out of sight.
Then, without warning, he twisted.
The motion was fluid, yet sharp, like a whip coiled to strike.
And when it did, it struck hard.
With a sudden surge of power, he hurled the javelin forward, so fast Kael couldn't even track it.
One moment, Torin's arm was outstretched. The next, it was empty.
A beat passed.
Then, the mountain troll stumbled.
Its giant arm, still raised to strike, jerked violently. The black javelin tore straight through its palm, a line of blood spraying out behind it. But it didn't stop. It kept going, ripping through flesh, pulverizing muscle, crushing bone, until it burst out the back of its shoulder, leaving a mangled hole behind.
The troll staggered backward, howling in pain.
But it wasn't the javelin that emerged from the other side.
From the exit wound, a swirl of golden particles scattered into the air, glimmering softly like fireflies. They danced in the wind, slow and beautiful, flickering briefly before fading into nothing.
High above, Torin hovered effortlessly, his hand raised as another javelin formed in his grasp.
He hadn't waited for the first to finish its arc, he had dismissed it mid-flight, summoning the next without pause.
Below, the mountain troll stood frozen, its massive frame trembling. The injured arm now hung limp at its side, shredded and useless.
Then it screamed.
The sound was worse than before, no longer just a roar, but a raw, guttural cry of pain and fury. It echoed through the forest like a twisted chorus of suffering.
Selene winced, raising her hands to her ears as the scream tore through the air.
But before the cry even faded, arrows were already in flight. Malric's shots struck true, thudding deep into the troll's torso, each one aimed with ruthless precision.
And then, another javelin.
It tore through the sky like a thunderclap, slamming into the troll and carving another devastating wound into its thick body. Flesh split. Blood flew.
From his vantage point, Kael watched the fight unfold, silent and unmoved.
He wasn't here to marvel or be impressed.
His eyes followed everything, Torin's every movement, the troll's every reaction. He was studying, absorbing, learning.
Torin fought like a phantom of death, efficient and surgical.
Each javelin struck like a divine judgment, bypassing hide and muscle like they weren't even there.
Malric's role was just as clear. His arrows weren't just meant to injure but to restrict movement, exploiting the troll's pain and forcing it into a defensive state, making it easier for Torin to land fatal blows.
Selene, though not actively engaged in combat, was still part of the fight. She was analyzing, just like Kael, but her role was different. She wasn't just observing, she was likely providing crucial information, predicting the troll's movements, ensuring the battle played out in their favor.
Kael's gaze lingered on her for a moment before returning to the fight.
It was a near-perfect execution of a coordinated hunt. Each person knew their role, and they played it well.
He watched a moment longer, then turned around and started walking.
There was nothing left to see. The fight had unfolded faster than expected, but that didn't matter. He had learned what he came for, more than he could've hoped for.
"That's my cue to leave."
The words came quiet under his breath as he stepped into the mist, his figure fading with each footfall.
He didn't look back. Only forward, toward the resting spot, and toward the version of himself they expected to find.