Chapter 73: Cleansing
Kaelen stepped into the white expanse, his robes torn and stained with blood—both his and the clone’s. His breathing was heavy, one hand clutching his side while the other dragged along the air for balance.
Deep gashes marked his arms, and his black hair stuck to his face with sweat. He looked like he had just walked out of a brutal storm.
Kaelen blinked through the haze of pain and saw Neal and Alira locked in a fierce battle.
They weren’t holding back. Neal’s fists blazed with golden light, and Alira moved like a shadow, her blades flashing with deadly speed. Sparks flew as they clashed again and again, neither giving an inch.
Kaelen tilted his head, amused. "Tch. They’re still full of fight?" he muttered with a grin. "Was their trial that easy?" The thought made him chuckle.
Then he paused, eyes narrowing as he took in the air.
The energy here was thick—rich and radiant. With every breath, he felt power trickle into him, XP flowing like a slow river into his core.
"Now that’s more like it," he said to no one in particular, plopping down cross-legged. "You two carry on. I’ll just be here... leveling up."
As Kaelen meditated, a blur of movement flashed beside him—Alira struck without warning. Her blade cut through the air, aiming straight for his neck.
But Kaelen’s eyes snapped open, body already shifting. He dodged cleanly, the strike missing him by a hair. The glow from his body pulsed faintly—he had been healing even while meditating.
The figure posing as Alira froze mid-motion, stunned. "You dodged that?" it hissed.