Warrior Training System

The night had been long, much to Cassian's fortune, as it gave him more time with Cassandra. Now, after a refreshing bath and some rest, they shifted their focus to hunting for food to replenish the energy spent the previous night. Cassian stood in the middle of the river, his sword held steady in a poised stabbing position.

With swift, precise movements, he struck the water multiple times in the blink of an eye, his sword leaving faint afterimages in its wake. When he paused, there were five fish skewered on his blade, their bodies wriggling briefly before going still as blood trickled down the metal surface.

Satisfied with the successful hunt—each fish weighing at least a kilogram, enough to fill their stomachs—Cassian stepped out of the river, a triumphant grin on his face. "I caught some, Detective!" he called out, his voice carrying excitement as he held up his catch.

"Alright, skin and gut them while I search for more dry wood to burn. There isn't much left after the rain these past few days," Cassandra said, stacking a few arm-sized logs before heading off to gather more.

The jungle felt significantly less dangerous than before. Cassandra had sensed a lot of people nearby—not academy students but adults. Cassian had seen them too, accompanied by others around his age, which could only mean one thing: the parents of the examinees had arrived. This also signified that the University of Valtross was officially over.

Cassian could already imagine the shock people would feel when they discovered that a prestigious academy had been secretly creating clones of its students, killing the real ones, and replacing them with those clones.

Unbeknownst to him, Cassian was in for a shock of his own when he returned to the city, where far bigger events were unfolding because of the academy's actions. As he finished cleaning the fish, Cassandra returned—but to his surprise, she wasn't alone. Two people accompanied her, one of whom he immediately recognized: none other than Rylan Dastor, the mage prodigy he had encountered during the exam.

Rylan's eyes widened in surprise upon seeing Cassian, though he quickly composed himself.

The second person was an older man dressed in mage robes, unfamiliar to Cassian. However, judging by his presence with Rylan, it was easy to guess he was from the Dastor family. The way Cassandra casually conversed with the man suggested she knew him well.

As they approached, Rylan smiled and extended a hand to Cassian. "You made it out too,"

"Yeah," Cassian replied, shaking Rylan's hand with a polite smile, glancing at Cassandra, who was still chatting amicably with the older mage—a man who seemed about her age.

"You two seem to know each other already," the man remarked with a friendly smile. Both Cassian and Rylan nodded in response.

The man continued, introducing himself, "Well then, I'm this one's elder brother, Simon Dastor. It's nice to meet you." He extended his hand toward Cassian.

Cassian shook Simon's hand firmly and introduced himself. "I'm Cassian Alacio. It's a pleasure to meet a member of our kingdom's esteemed mage family."

As Cassian returned to cleaning the fish, Simon and Rylan headed to catch more. Meanwhile, Cassandra explained how she knew Simon; they had crossed paths years ago when he was studying at one of the prestigious universities in Magisteria.

Cassian, however, kept his true identity under wraps. Despite trusting Simon and Rylan, his secret persona was vital for future missions. Once the fire was crackling and the fish were cleaned, Cassian skewered them onto makeshift spits crafted from sturdy sticks and set them over the flames. Simon and Rylan joined them around the fire, settling in as the aroma of roasting fish filled the air.

Rylan broke the silence, his curiosity evident. "Do you know who destroyed those teleport gates?"

Cassian smirked, raising his hand nonchalantly. "That would be me."

Rylan's jaw dropped. "You? How?"

Simon, equally intrigued, leaned forward, awaiting the explanation. Continue reading stories on empire

Cassian recounted how he had discovered the clones with fake Domains and figured out that their hearts could be used as mana bombs, causing a surprise expression to appear on Rylan face as he said. "The clones in our training ground was different they only consisted of mages and didn't use the fake domains you said, I think that's why they didn't have those types of hearts as most of them just had normal human like most mages have, unlike you circle warriors..."

Cassian nodded thoughtfully. If they could create clones of warriors, it stood to reason they could do the same for mages. However, cloning mages posed its own unique challenges. While warriors had Domains tied to their will and power, mages relied heavily on knowledge—something that couldn't simply be implanted or replicated. Yet, as Rylan described, the mage clones seemed capable of using spells on par with their originals, which was deeply unsettling.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Simon listened to his brother's account, his expression growing grim. Turning to Cassandra, he asked, "Did you see those clones too, Cassandra? When I got to the facility, it was already destroyed. I couldn't gather much."

Cassandra nodded, her face serious. She was one of the few, aside from the surviving examinees, who had witnessed the clones firsthand and had gathered more information about the facility than most.

As the conversation continued, Cassandra turned to Simon. "Do you have any way to send this information to the city from here? We can't afford to sit on it for too long."

Being several days away from the city, Cassandra knew that while people might have learned about the incident, they wouldn't yet know if she and Cassian had survived. She had planned to seek out the help of a mage, knowing they often had ways to communicate over long distances. Fortunately, Simon took care of it. Without uttering a word or making any noticeable gestures, he simply closed his eyes. When he opened them again moments later, he said, "They'll receive it soon."

"Thanks," Cassandra said with a relieved smile. She exhaled deeply, the tension in her shoulders easing. "At least now we don't have to rush back. Running all day for weeks was really starting to take its toll."

Simon nodded, his expression grave as he spoke. "I've been investigating these testing facilities for days," he began, his tone heavy with disbelief. "I still can't wrap my head around how deeply Valtross Academy has infiltrated our kingdoms with these clones."

He paused, then added, "Before I came here, our family's spy in the Ironclad Kingdom reported something troubling. After the king's death, his children issued an order requiring noble families to send one of their heirs to study at Valtross."

The three listeners exchanged shocked glances, the implications sinking in quickly. Cassandra was the first to voice the chilling thought. "Are you saying the academy might have made clones of the princes and princesses?" she asked, her voice tinged with shock.

"It seems so," Simon replied grimly. "Once the news about the academy's actions becomes public, I'm certain a civil war will erupt there."

Cassandra nodded, her expression equally serious. "Not just there," she added. "Many kingdoms sent their heirs to study at Valtross. This revelation could spark years of conflict across multiple nations."

As the four of them finished their meal, discussing how this incident might impact their respective organizations, Rylan turned to Cassian with a worried expression. "What about us?" he asked. "Are we going to join another university, or what? I mean, we're not going to be sent into those wars, right? We're still kids!"

Simon chimed in, his tone firm but uncertain. "I don't know yet," he admitted. "For now, I'm taking you back home."

Cassian, not truly a noble by birth, wasn't entirely sure what the future held for him. However, playing the role of one, he glanced at Cassandra, who explained, "His parents want him back. I told them I knew him and was repaying a favor by saving him."

Once the meal was finished, the group prepared to part ways, each heading in different directions. Rylan, looking hopeful, said, "If my parents allow it, I'll be back in Magisteria. I hope you'll be there too."

Cassian, uncertain about his own path as it depended on Lady Katherine's decisions, considered her research far from complete. With a small nod, he replied, "I'll be there. Let's meet again."

With that, Cassandra enveloped Cassian in her domain, while Simon performed some arcane spellwork with Rylan. In an instant, both pairs vanished, flashing away in different directions.

As Cassian watched Simon and Rylan vanish into the distance, their figures disappearing at the edge of his view, he took a deep breath. Turning his gaze around, he saw nothing but the dense jungle stretching in all directions, interspersed with small mountain ranges here and there. The wilderness was vast and unyielding, offering no clear indication of their location.

Cassandra smiled, a hint of excitement lighting up her face as she said, "The Old World..."

Cassian, not catching her words clearly, tilted his head. "What?"

Turning back to him with the same eager smile, Cassandra clarified, "The Old World. It's a place in the Infinite Sea, believed to be the only surviving fragment of the world from millions of years ago."