Aether Chronicles: Birth Of A Legend-Chapter 112: Who Are You?

Raegar shook his head but Alaric hugged him while muttering more shit but he stopped it. ''Okay, Father, stop trying to embarrass me in front of the soldiers. If I find other women then it happens, I'm not going to the academy for love, I want to grow stronger.''

The older man started laughing, ruffling his hair. ''Well, my boy. Look after yourself on the road. It will take six days to reach Drakenwood Academy, but if you travel through Moonfire Forest, it should take you four.''

''You just want me to visit my grandparents,'' he chuckled. ''I was going to do that anyway. Yuki showed me a map and I know the route through the forest.''

Alaric nodded with a proud smile. ''Now get going, we have to reach Talonsreach City by nightfall or we're camping outside.''

After that, he watched his father and the soldiers as they pressed onward along the Kingways. As the men and women passed by, they called out their farewells, their exaggerated dramatics drawing a laugh from him.

Once Raegar was alone, he turned down the road that led toward the forest that would take him to the academy and his grandparents' house. A couple of hours later, he found himself on a quiet road with no one on it.

His surroundings were making him paranoid, but not long after that, he spotted a lone rest stop sitting in the middle of the grasslands that stretched in all directions, causing him to mutter. ''Damn world is massive, maybe I can get a flying spell one day?''

Following that, Reagar approached the rest stop that was being guarded by Dawnfirians who looked bored. When he stepped closer, one of the guards called out. ''Stop, traveler! What brings you out here?''

''Heading toward Drakenwood Magic Academy to take my entrance test,'' he answered. ''Was going to rent a room for the night instead of camping out.''

That's when the woman guard commented with a regretful expression. ''The inn is close, young man. The empire moved it to the next rest stop miles down the Kingsway.''

Raegar nodded in understanding as he replied. ''Thanks for the warning. I'll stay by the nearby lake but I advise you to be more careful. Nightwalkers are infesting the empire now and tend to prey on lone guards.''

The two looked worried until the man nodded. ''We will tell the commander traveler,'' he replied.

Moments later, he walked toward the nearby lake and started setting up his tent, drawing the runes around his campsite. Once that was done, he collected a bunch of firewood and piled it up.

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Raegar slumped down, letting tension drain from his body. He stoked a small fire, intent on cooking a meal, when piercing screams erupted from the rest stop. Instantly, he sprang to his feet, adrenaline surging as he cast Enhancement upon himself.

His muscles thrummed with power, and he launched forward in a thunderous blur, the ground trembling beneath him. As he arrived, a chilling sight greeted him: Nightwalkers, their hideous forms descending upon the soldiers in a frenzy of claws and teeth.

He let out a roar, summoning his daggers in a flash of dark steel. His eyes locked onto a creature lunging toward the woman he'd spoken to earlier, her face etched with terror. In an instant, he surged forward, a streak too swift for mortal eyes to follow.

Raegar materialized in front of the beast, his blades singing through the air as he unleashed a whirlwind of strikes. The Nightwalker didn't stand a chance. Its flesh parted in a hundred savage cuts, collapsing into a heap of gore.

Without pause, he turned his fury on the remaining beasts, a one-man tempest of destruction. His daggers danced, carving through the monstrous horde as he fought to save every last Dawnfirian.

Ten minutes later, Raegar stopped fighting as the last Nightwalker dropped dead, and his blades were covered in their dark blood. He looked at the weapons, using Aether to clean them.

While doing that, the two shocked guards approached with wide eyes as the woman spoke. ''Who are you, young master?''

''Raegar Blackwood,'' he answered while dismissing his blades. ''Now I can go rest. The Nightwalkers won't attack again, but hopefully tonight teaches your commander to take a Spellblades advice.''

After the battle, Raegar departed the rest stop, leaving chaos in his wake, and made his way back to the quiet solitude of his camp. There, he set to work, kneading dough with practiced hands and coaxing a fire to life to bake.

As the aroma of warm bread filled the air, he retrieved a stash of spicy noodles he'd purchased earlier, their vibrant scent mingling with the bread's comforting warmth as he ignored the Nigthwalers stalking his camp.

Settling in, he began to eat, his gaze drifting upward to the vast expanse of the sky, where stars flickered like silent sentinels over the tranquil night. Some time later, he crawled into his tent, falling asleep.

The next morning, Raegar woke up with a yawn before climbing out and packing everything away; he wanted to get on the road but quickly noticed a mist had settled over the lake. This made him think while kicking dirt over the fire. 'What is it with the horrible weather?'

Following that, he continued for another day and had to camp out once more until he reached Moonfire Forest. It looked like it came straight out of a history book that showed a ancient forest.

''Why does it feel like Bloodfang all over again?'' he complained. ''Well, the Blackwoods live here, so it should be fine.''

Raegar stepped into the underbrush while holding a Smoke Bomb in case any sneaky monsters ambushed him, but nothing happened. He scanned his surroundings just as a nearby bush shook.

Instinctively, he leaned back just as an arrow whistled past, grazing his cheek with a sharp sting. The sudden attack surprised him, but a pack of goblins burst from the bushes, their guttural snarls filling the air as they charged with reckless fury.

Without hesitation, Raegar hurled the bomb toward them. The device detonated in a deafening blast, and a smoke screen erupted, blinding the creatures. Seizing the moment, he unleashed a barrage of Stormfire Bullets.

Each shot crackling with electric fury as it tore through the disoriented goblins, dropping them effortlessly in a smoldering heap. He stopped moving when he realized nothing was appearing.

Raegar shrugged and pressed deeper into the forest, the dense canopy rustling overhead until he arrived at a stream. The cheerful chirping of birds mingled with the distant, guttural roars of monsters, setting his senses on edge.

His eyes darted across the surroundings he unleashed a Lightningfire Blast at the ground beneath his feet. It erupted in a surge of crackling flame, propelling him skyward just as a spell slammed into the spot he'd occupied moments, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Without missing a beat, he flung a smoke bomb downward, its thick haze billowing out to shroud the area and buy him precious seconds. But as the air thickened, a shadowy figure materialized behind him.

Raegar's sharp eyes caught a glimpse of familiar blue hair trailing from one of the figures who was wielding a sword. A warm smile spread across his face as he called out, ''Hello, Grandmother Agatha. It's been years.''

The words halted the attacker, confusion flickering in their stance. In the same instant, a spear tip gleamed at the back of his neck, wielded by another figure who appeared behind him.

A voice cut through the tension like a blade. ''Who are you?''

With a casual grin, Raegar tugged off his hood, revealing his features. The spear-wielding woman faltered, her weapon trembling slightly as recognition dawned. ''Alaric's boy,'' she gasped. ''How are you here, and what's happened to your face?''

''I fought a Devil Lord while fighting in a dungeon. I'm waiting for Grandmother Elysia to heal me,'' he revealed.

The older woman stepped closer, peeling back her face covering to reveal features strikingly similar to his father's: sharp, feminine, yet unmistakably familiar. Her wide eyes locked onto him, laced with astonishment.

''It is you,'' she breathed, her voice trembling with emotion. ''You've got your father's jawline and nose, and those big red eyes, I remember them so well.''

Raegar opened his mouth to respond, but before he could utter a word, she enveloped him in a sudden hug, her arms wrapping around him. ''My grandson has come to visit us!'' she exclaimed, her joy ringing through the forest.

Agatha drew back, her face glowing with a radiant smile as she spoke. ''Come, I'll whip up a hearty meal and can share what's brought you to us.''

With that, she turned and strode off with purpose, her energy infectious. His grandfather lingered a moment, offering him a warm, weathered smile. ''It's good to see you, grandson, especially all grown like this. Last time I laid eyes on you, you were just five or six.''