"Come out, Chael," Eclipse called, stepping over the fallen guards. Chael emerged from the shadows of the tunnel, a grin on his face.

  "Your speed is ridiculous," Chael chuckled as he swung his Odachi over his shoulder. “I was ready for some action too.”

  “Ahhh. I’ll take care of them.” Eclipse yawned, “If you fight here you’re gonna cause too much chaos.”

  “Haaaah! Fine…” Chael sighed in resignation.

  "They’ll be out cold for a while after that shock," Eclipse replied. "We should use the time to swap clothes with them and slip in before they wake up."

  "Agreed," Chael nodded, snickering. "Yeah, we won’t get far dressed like this."

  They quickly stripped the guards of their gear and put on the heavy fur coats lined with thick, rugged leather armor. The attire was completed with strange, conical hats and sturdy boots. The outfit gave them a fierce, almost barbaric appearance.

  Once disguised, they cautiously pushed open the door and were greeted by complete darkness. With a quiet zap, Eclipse sparked a small bolt of electricity at his fingertips, enough to illuminate their surroundings. The faint glow revealed a spiralling stone staircase leading upward. Eclipse took the lead, the faint crackle of electricity barely disturbing the silence as they ascended.

  At the top, they came upon another door. Eclipse carefully pushed it open, stepping into a small, dimly lit room. The space was simple and crude, with rough stone walls and a dirt floor covered in scattered hay.

  "What is this place?" Chael murmured, glancing around the primitive setting.

  Before Eclipse could respond, Chael moved ahead, opening another door. They were immediately greeted by a cool gust of wind and the sight of a sprawling encampment before them. All around, there were tents of various sizes, from small, dirty white ones to a large, imposing red tent at the center. The camp was alive with activity; Dracoferus tribe members, clad in their rugged attire, moved about doing a series of different activities. Some were eating, others sharpening weapons or tending to horses, while a few practiced archery.

  "Good thing we put on these disguises," Chael muttered, glancing around. "We’d stick out like a sore thumb otherwise."

  Eclipse’s eyes narrowed as he spotted Thorn slipping into the large red tent. "He’s just gone in there. Let’s go."

  They made their way across the camp, careful to blend in as they approached the red tent. Realising they couldn’t enter without drawing attention, they positioned themselves close to the tent, where the thin fabric allowed them to hear the conversation inside.

  “A letter from Chief Khali,” a warrior announced, his voice muffled but clear enough. Eclipse could just make out the shape of a warrior handing over a letter, an eagle perched on his shoulder. Thorn took the letter, reading it silently for a moment before tossing it into a small fire pit in the center of the tent.

  “Prepare the boys to wake up early tomorrow,” Thorn ordered, his voice sinister. “This time, we’ll be heading to the place Lord Khali mentioned, to search for that item he wants.”

  Chael and Eclipse exchanged glances at this information.

  Meanwhile, back at the tunnel entrance, the two guards Eclipse had incapacitated started to stir. “Hey, wake up! Why the hell are you guys sleeping on the job?”

  A few of their comrades barked, shaking them awake.

  “Huh? I… I don’t know what happened,” one of the guards mumbled, still dazed as he sat slumped against the wall.

  Smack!

  The other warrior slapped him on the back of the head. “What do you mean, you don’t know? If you’re gonna sleep while guarding, at least come up with a better excuse! Whatever, now get up, it’s our turn to guard.”

  The dazed guards stumbled to their feet, still a bit out of it. As they stood, the others burst into laughter.

  “Gaha! Do you not even know your left from your right?” one of the warriors snorted, then pointed at their shoes, “Oh, you don’t! Gahahaha! Why are your left and right shoes actually the other way around?”

  The embarrassed guards were dumbfounded as the others continued to laugh at their blunder.

  Eclipse and Chael sat in a small, dimly lit restaurant. The place looked classic-wooden beams, low tables, and paper lanterns casting a warm, orange glow across the room. The air had the scent of grilled meat and rice, and the sounds of sizzling food mixed with the quiet chatter of other patrons. The walls were adorned with faded paintings and calligraphy, and the floor was made of wood.

  The duo hunched over their meal, bowls of rice and grilled meat, eating as if their food was going to fly away if they took a little while longer. Chael wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and leaned back a bit, his chopsticks still in his other hand.

  "That was easier to get out of than I thought," he said in an amused tone, "It seems like there’s a shit-ton of entrances and exits within the Avyssos that connects it to different areas of the Bloodmoon Region, just like that Sage guy said."

  "Yeah, this place is weird. It seems that there’s thousands of plazas down there that we haven’t even gone near." Eclipse added, shoving five slabs of meat into his mouth.

  Chael picked at a piece of meat on the grill in front of him, lifting it to his mouth with his chopsticks.

  "What I don’t get," he said between bites, "is why it’s so secretive. Bloodmoon Region is already pretty lawless. You can get away with murder and selling weird things out in the open, so why bother creating a whole secret underground world?"

  Eclipse thought for a moment, chewing his food slowly. "Maybe it’s about keeping identities hidden. Even in a place as crazy as Bloodmoon, there are still things people don’t want to be connected to. Or some other reason, I dunno."

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  They both finished their food, dropping their bowls and chopsticks onto the table. Chael leaned back and sighed. "So… that village. I wonder what Khali is looking for there. Do you think it’s that Nine Lamentations thing they were after when they captured us?"

  Eclipse frowned, the memory clearly bringing a surge of anger.

  "I doubt it," he said, "The last place I saw the Nine Lamentations of Conquered Worlds was in Grapefruit Village. I thought they took it when they burned everything down."

  "What the hell even is it?" Chael asked, curiosity in his voice. “I never got to ask you.”

  "I dunno, really." Eclipse admitted. "All I remember is an art piece in my old man’s room-a painting of an ocean. When I looked at it, I suddenly felt like I was falling into it, like my reality had become an art piece. I couldn’t leave until the old man snapped me out of it."

  After a while of chatter, they both stood, paying for their meal and heading out into the night. They made their way through the narrow, lantern-lit streets to the inn where they were staying, a place Celestia had recommended.

  Their room was simple but comfortable, with tatami mats on the floor, sliding paper doors, and a small table in the corner. The beds were low, futon-style, with thick blankets neatly folded on top. As soon as Eclipse opened the door, the crimson moonlight washed over Eclipse’s figure, casting a dim shadow over the floor. From that shadow, he saw a pair of crimson eyes opening in the darkness, and then Shadow emerged from within.

  Shadow Veil.

  That’s right, this was Shadow’s Ability now as a C - class Monstra. Bloodbeasts were split into five major divisions, and the first one was Bestia, however if a Bestia gained enough experience and adaptation to learn Qi & Anima, then they would have effectively evolved into the Monstra division. This was the division that Bloodbeasts awaken their innate ability specific to their species. Shadow’s species of Bloodbeasts had the innate ability to conceal freely enter and exit any shadow, and this ability would evolve to be stronger and more effective the higher they went in class and division.

  "Here, Shadow, you can eat this meat now," Eclipse said, tossing a piece of raw meat into a bowl on the floor. Shadow immediately jumped up and started eating.

  Chael, looking exhausted, flopped face-first onto his bed without another word. The very next second, he heard Eclipse’s soft snores filling the room. He yawned, stretching out his arms.

  "Aaaah… tomorrow’s going to be a busy day, I guess," he said to himself, settling down for the night.

  The Dracoferus tribe marched towards a village with a swagger that was equal parts arrogance and savagery. Some of the warriors rode on horses, their fur-lined armour barely concealing their savage nature. Others trudged forward on foot, gripping bows, curved knives, and strange, brutal-looking weapons. Their laughter was harsh, their steps heavy, and the way they shoved each other around spoke of a group that thrived on chaos and violence.

  From a distance, Eclipse stood on a high tree branch, his right hand resting against the trunk as he watched the approaching horde. Chael sat on the same branch, his legs swinging carelessly, a bright smile on his face. Below, Shadow lay on the grass, his eyes fixed on the scene calmly..

  “Can we smash them into the ground already?” Chael asked, his grin widening as he looked up at Eclipse.

  “No. For now, we watch,” Eclipse replied, his face cold and stern. Their eyes remained locked on the army of Dracoferus warriors as they advanced toward the village.

  The sun was just beginning to rise, casting a soft golden light over the small, rundown village. Aric, young man in his late teens stood outside his modest home with his heart heavy. His mother stood by the door with an expression of a mix of pride and worry.

  “Promise me you’ll be careful, Aric.” She swept a loose strand of hair from her son's hair.

  Aric took a step closer and placed his hands on her shoulders. “I promise, Mother. I’ll travel far. There must be a way to earn money for us to survive in this terrible village.”

  His voice was filled with determination, but also a hint of sadness and worry.

  His mother smiled softly but her eyes glistened with unshed tears. “We’re counting on you, Aric”

  He nodded, feeling a lump in his throat. “I’ll never forget, I promise. I’ll be back before you know it, and things will be better for us.”

  He finished his final goodbyes and stepped back before letting out a deep exhale. With one last look at his mother, he turned and began to walk away.

  After walking a couple of minutes, he was past the village entrance when a dark figure suddenly loomed before him.

  It was Thorn.

  His imposing presence was like a shadow swallowing the light around them. Aric recognised him instantly and his heart raced as he came face to face with the man whose reputation for cruelty was known far and wide.

  “Who do we have here?” Thorn sneered, his eyes glinting with malice. He reached out, grabbing Aric by the face, lifting him off the ground effortlessly. “You look like you have dreams, boy. Hope in those eyes… I can’t stand it.”

  Aric struggled as panic flooded his senses. “Let me go! Please!”

  Thorn merely chuckled with dark amusement flickering across his eyes and with a swift motion, he drew a dagger, the blade catching the light for a split second before he plunged it into Aric’s heart. The young man’s body went limp as Thorn dropped him to the ground, watching in boredom as life faded from Aric’s eyes.

  “Another dream crushed,” Thorn muttered, stepping over Aric’s lifeless figure as rode into the village, the legion of Dracoferus warriors howling and shouting behind him.

  The village was poor, its people even poorer, and the sight of the Dracoferus tribe's arrival sent waves of fear through the crowd that had gathered. The villagers looked ragged, their clothes worn and patched, their faces lined with worry and exhaustion. A man, who seemed to have taken up the role of the village leader, stepped forward. He was thuggish in appearance, his face rough, but his eyes were filled with fear as he addressed the approaching warriors.

  “How can I help you, sir, from the Dracoferus tribe?” the man asked, his voice trembling as the villagers crowded around, desperate to see what was happening but too afraid to speak.

  Thorn, leading the tribe, sneered at the crowd. “What’re you looking at?” he snarled.

  The villagers immediately looked away, their anxiety palpable in the tense silence.

  The so-called leader stammered, trying to keep his composure. “I-I-If it’s the tax you’ve come for, sir, we usually pay at the end of the month. We’re not quite ready yet…”

  “Shut up,” Thorn snapped, cutting him off. “Did I say I came here for tax?”

  The man’s eyes widened in panic. “Then what brings you here, sir?”

  Thorn’s smile was cruel. “From this moment on, we’ll be searching every part of this shitty village. If anyone dares to interrupt us, you’ll be killed, and your head will be put on display for everyone to see. Now, if any of you know about the secret lair of the late Xephyr family, speak up. If we find out you knew something and kept quiet, my boys here will cut you open while the whole village watches.”

  The villagers’ faces drained of colour, their gazes fixed on the ground. None dared to meet Thorn’s eyes, the silence thick with fear.

  “So, I take it no one knows anything about the lair,” Thorn said, his voice dripping with contempt. “Nor does anyone have any problem with us tearing this place apart?”

  With that, the Dracoferus tribesmen began their search, storming into houses and ruining it from within. The air was filled with the sound of crashing furniture, breaking pottery, and cruel laughter. Tables were flipped, chairs smashed, and personal belongings scattered and destroyed. The villagers stood helplessly outside, watching as their homes were wrecked, their faces a mix of terror and rage.

  “Nothing,” one of the warriors finally reported. “We checked this village top to bottom, and there’s no sign of the Xephyr family’s hidden lair.”

  “Useless village,” Thorn spat. “Let’s get out of here.”

  He mounted his horse, and the other warriors followed. As they rode off, the villagers collapsed in despair-some falling to their knees, others covering their faces to hide their tears.

  Nightfall came quickly, and the Dracoferus warriors began setting up camp not far from another village, tying down their horses and pitching tents.

  Two of the warriors, laughing loudly, wandered a short distance away to relieve themselves. As they stood there, mocking the villagers, a sudden, sharp sound filled the air-

  zzzzzzzzzzap.

  Both warriors started shaking violently, their laughter cut off as they were electrocuted where they stood. Before they could even register what was happening, a tree trunk, sharp as a spear, shot through the darkness, impaling them both and spraying blood against the night sky. The last thing they saw was the red light of the Blood Moon before everything went black.