Vale approached Ran, who watched him with sharp brown eyes – swathed in a plain white shirt and black cotton pants – and spoke, his tone cutting like a blade...
"I'll join your team with John, but I don't think we'll benefit much from you."
"Yes, you're correct. You might not achieve much from joining our team, but you can climb the ranks in the security division of the Abraham clan," Vale said.
Vale reclaimed his scabbard and baldric, earth-stained from the tumult of the fight, sheathed his sword with care, and strode toward Jangre – a silent shadow beside Ran...
"We're headed to Celestia, where the Abraham clan resides," Vale said.
***
'Celestia?' 'I had heard whispers of that place in past cycles, glimpsed paintings in Aether Haven – buildings echoing China's ancient curves... Vale named our team with a Chinese term, yet he doesn't wear traditions on his sleeve. Maybe Chinese names are common here, a thread in this world's tapestry.'
***
We reached the train station of Argenta, purchased five tickets, and settled into our seats. Leo wagged his tail gently, his gaze lingering on the two new members with quiet curiosity. I turned my attention to the world beyond the window—a vast desert stretching endlessly beneath the sky, a small city clinging to its edge like a fleeting thought against eternity.
Just like that, we left Argenta behind.
Soon, the sun sank beneath the horizon, bleeding gold into dusk, and night draped the land in silence. Sleep claimed me slowly, the rhythm of the train rocking my thoughts into darkness. Then—a sound.
Something fell.
I opened my eyes to see a scabbard lying on the floor, a sword still nestled inside—Vale's. I picked it up carefully and placed it beside him, ensuring it rested safely near his sleeping form. Turning away, I glanced back toward the window.
That was when I saw it.
A reflection.
Someone moving silently down the aisle, their presence barely disturbing the stillness. They stopped beside a specific seat—where a woman sat. Her black hair flowed freely to her hips, framing yellow eyes that gleamed faintly in the dim light. A flowing qipao hugged her figure, silk embroidered with phoenixes and peonies that shimmered like living fire.
The figure cloaked in darkness drew a dagger, pouring a glistening substance over its blade.
Poison.
I moved without sound, appearing behind them in a breath, seizing their wrist just as they turned. They attempted a headbutt, but I slipped aside and drove my fist straight into their abdomen. Even then, they tried to suppress any noise.
Steel whispered free as I drew my sword and raised it. The assassin responded in kind, unsheathing a finely crafted blade and lunging toward me. Their strength was sharp—but inferior.
They faltered.
Retreating, they fled the way they had come—only to stop abruptly.
Vale stood there, smiling calmly, sword in hand. John and Ran had awakened as well, standing beside him. Vale knelt down, casually petting Leo, who had not barked even once—an eerie silence hanging in the air.
Every escape was sealed.
Cornered, the assassin rushed at me in desperation. I blocked their strike. A kick followed—I evaded it. With a swift upward slash, I tore through their mask. It split apart, revealing a woman with long black hair, brown eyes blazing with fury, and a scar carved across her face.
She attacked again.
I dodged.
Then I invoked the First Form of Broken Blade Perseverance—Krudha Kaal.
The ground trembled beneath my feet as I restrained its force. My blade descended, shattering hers in a single strike. I followed with a brutal kick to her face, then a storm of punches until her body could no longer rise.
We closed in on her.
And then—
A sword flew through the air.
Its hilt bore gold and black patterns, its force terrifyingly precise. It pierced straight through her eyes and burst out the back of her skull. Blood erupted as her lifeless body collapsed onto the floor.
Silence fell.
We turned toward the source.
There she stood—the very woman I had saved—her yellow eyes cold and unwavering. Behind her stood a man in his late twenties, clad in black-and-gold martial attire. The woman stepped forward, her presence overwhelming, and stopped directly in front of me.
The night seemed to hold its breath.
"What's your name, young man?" she asked.
"Jangre Nolan."
"Even though I knew the assassin was going to attack and I was going to wait until the blade was next to me, you came without alerting the assassin and subdued them. Your actions were reckless and drew unnecessary attention. If there'd been any other passengers in this compartment, they'd have woken up, but fortunately, we were the only passengers. Thanks to you, I didn't need to lift a finger, and I'm grateful for your help."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Where were you heading, young man?"
"Celestia."
"Why?"
"Trying to find a job suited to our skills."
"I have a job for you, and I think your friends could also work there with their skills."
"?"
"The job is in the security division of the Abraham clan."
'Abraham clan... so this woman is also from the Abraham clan. To offer us a job without consulting anyone, she must be an important person in her clan. With the overwhelming pressure she's exuding, she might be incredibly powerful.'
I glanced back at Vale and the others – Vale beamed like a jackpot winner, nodding at me with silent approval. Turning back, I met the woman's yellow pupils, and my voice emerged calm, like a still pool...
"We'll join, ma'am."
"Not ma'am, call me Young Lady."
"Yes, Young Lady."
The way she addressed herself hinted at her stately importance within the clan. As dawn broke, the train pulled into Celestia station, and we disembarked into a realm that breathed Chinese antiquity – buildings with eaves that curved like dragon's claws, people draped in silk robes, and an air thick with tradition. Two carriages arrived; the Young Lady directed us to board the second, while she and the man claimed the first. Soon, we halted before a colossal black gate, its iron majesty towering fifty feet high. The gates swung open at her approach, and she led us past the threshold, into the heart of the Abraham clan's stronghold. A soldier was briefed about our presence, and we were ushered into a chamber where martial attire awaited – gold and black, the colors of night and power. As we donned the garb, Vale's whisper cut through the silence...
"Our plan was to gather manpower and infiltrate here the following year, but here we are, without raising suspicion, and welcomed by a high-ranking clan member's recommendation. Don't forget, though – a soldier in the security division is still a disposable pawn to them."
Dressed in the martial regalia, we emerged from the chamber, whereupon the Young Lady awaited, a poised silhouette against the shifting shadows.
"From now on, you are soldiers of the Abraham clan, pledged to serve with your lives. Understood?"
"Yes, Young Lady."
"I forgot to introduce myself – I am Corvina Abraham, eldest daughter of the family head. This is a secret known only within the clan... so you grasp the weight of it."
'So, essentially, it's a veiled threat – silence on her identity, a binding chain that yokes us, soul and sinew, to this clan's eternal grasp.'
Vale approached, Leo in tow, his voice a soothing susurrus...
"Ni Tian Meng is going to devour the Abraham clan."