Chapter 30: Birth of Lukaris
I had been following the path for several hours already, my footsteps leaving traces in the hot, dry dust that covered the ground. An oppressive heat, typical of a merciless summer, weighed on my shoulders. The acrid scent of scorched earth mingled with the wilted vegetation. The dry air created an unreal, almost suffocating atmosphere. The wind blew hard, but it was warm, like a burning breath sweeping across the arid fields, carrying with it the dust of the plains.
My gaze was fixed far ahead, where the path barely took shape beneath an endless horizon.
A group, still distant, slowly emerged through the heat-blurred air.
I hadn’t hesitated.
The instinct for survival had resurfaced, and without wasting a second, I activated my stealth skill.
I merged instantly with the air, the wind surrounding me and adopting me like a fleeting shadow. Without a sound, my movements became lighter, my steps almost invisible, as if I were fading before the relentless nature surrounding me.
My heart was pounding—not out of fear, but from the strange thrill of stalking, the sensation of imminent danger.
Within seconds, I found myself just a few steps away from the group.
The heat seemed more intense near them, their silhouettes outlined in the burning air of this harsh land.
They looked unmistakably like demons.
A dozen of them, imposing and sturdy, stood with overwhelming confidence, like giants frozen in this scorched earth. Their skin was a metallic grey, marked by the searing sun and past battles. The ritual tattoos adorning their arms and chests seemed to glow, emanating a vibrant light in the heat, like powerful runes amplified by the environment around them.