The shadow beast lunged across the dusty road, its body stretching like living darkness.
Vilgers scattered in panic.
Affin’s instincts moved faster than his thoughts. He opened his Card Collection Book and focused his mana.
“Neutral Step.”
Energy surged into his legs and he leaped sideways just as the beast’s cws tore into the ground where he had been standing. Dirt exploded into the air.
The cloaked traveler watched calmly.
“You’re quick,” he said. “But that won’t save you.”
Affin slid across the ground and regained his bance.
“Who are you?” he asked.
The man’s hood shifted slightly, revealing a pale face and cold gray eyes.
“My name doesn’t matter,” he replied. “I’m just one of the hunters of the Crimson Skull Order.”
The vilgers gasped.
Torren stepped back slowly. He had heard that name before in old rumors.
A dangerous organization that hunted powerful mages.
Affin frowned.
“You’re attacking a vilge just to test me?”
The hunter smiled faintly.
“I’m not attacking the vilge.”
He raised a hand.
“I’m testing you.”
The shadow beast roared and charged again.
Affin flipped another page.
“Neutral Guard.”
A glowing shield formed around his arm.
The beast smmed into him.
The impact shook the ground.
Affin was pushed several steps backward, but the shield held long enough for him to jump away.
The hunter watched carefully.
“Three basic cards,” he said. “Weak.”
Affin knew that already.
The hunter slowly turned another page in his own book.
More dark energy gathered.
A second shadow creature began forming behind him.
Affin’s heart tightened.
Two monsters.
His normal cards wouldn’t stop them.
The hunter spoke again.
“Last night you used something unusual.”
His gray eyes narrowed.
“A multi-element card.”
Affin did not answer.
The hunter raised his hand.
“Use it.”
The two shadow beasts charged together.
Affin clenched his teeth.
Fine.
He flipped the page.
The strange card glowed.
“Elemental Merge.”
The card burst into light.
Four elemental symbols appeared around him again.
Fire.
Wind.
Lightning.
Water.
The energy swirled violently.
The hunter’s expression changed slightly.
“So it’s real.”
Affin thrust his hand forward.
The elements merged together.
A powerful bst erupted from his palm.
The explosion smmed into the first shadow beast and tore it apart instantly.
The second creature tried to leap through the bst.
But lightning and wind ripped through its body.
The creature dissolved into bck smoke.
The entire road shook from the impact.
Vilgers stared in disbelief.
Torren whispered quietly, “Multiple elements…”
The hunter stepped back slightly.
His eyes were now serious.
“That card…”
Affin lowered his hand slowly.
The energy faded.
“You said someone named Skull Blood Dawn wants to meet me,” Affin said.
The hunter closed his Card Collection Book.
“Yes.”
Affin shook his head.
“Tell him I’m not interested.”
For the first time, the hunter ughed.
“You misunderstand.”
His voice became colder.
“This wasn’t an invitation.”
Suddenly, the ground beneath Affin cracked.
Bck chains of shadow burst upward and wrapped around his legs.
Affin struggled.
“What—?!”
The hunter raised another card.
“Shadow Bind.”
The dark chains tightened.
“You are coming with me.”
Affin tried to activate another card, but the chains were draining his mana.
The hunter walked closer.
“Your Neutral affinity is very valuable.”
He leaned down slightly.
“And the card you used…”
“Master Skull Blood Dawn will enjoy studying it.”
Affin clenched his fists.
He refused to be captured like this.
His eyes dropped to his book.
Elemental Merge was still glowing faintly.
Maybe…
If he pushed it harder.
Even if it was unstable.
Affin forced more mana into the card.
The symbols appeared again.
But this time the energy spun much faster.
The hunter noticed immediately.
“What are you doing?”
The elements began colliding violently.
Fire cshed with lightning.
Wind spiraled around water.
The energy became unstable.
Affin shouted.
“Let’s see if you can handle this!”
He released the power.
A massive explosion of mixed elements erupted outward.
The shockwave shattered the shadow chains instantly.
The hunter was thrown backward across the road.
Dust and light filled the entire area.
When the smoke cleared, the hunter slowly stood up.
His cloak was torn.
Blood ran from his forehead.
He looked furious.
“You reckless idiot…”
Affin was breathing heavily.
That attack had drained almost all his mana.
The hunter stared at him for a moment.
Then suddenly closed his book.
“Fine.”
Affin blinked.
“What?”
The hunter stepped backward.
“This vilge isn’t worth the trouble today.”
He looked directly at Affin.
“But we will meet again.”
His voice became quiet.
“Next time, you won’t escape.”
Dark shadows gathered around his body.
Then he disappeared into the wind.
Silence returned to the road.
The vilgers slowly approached.
Torren looked at Affin with new eyes.
“You can’t stay here anymore,” the old man said.
Affin already knew that.
If hunters from the Crimson Skull Order were searching for him…
Vilge Out-1 would never be safe.
Affin looked down at his Card Collection Book.
The Elemental Merge card glowed faintly.
His journey had officially begun.
And somewhere beyond the Barrens…
The path toward Arcana Dominion Academy was waiting.
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