Auren charged towards Lyrax. He jumped, reaching a certain height with speed, and swung his sword. A wave of attack shot sharply towards Lyrax. Lyrax summoned his staff and deflected it with ease. Auren kept on slashing as he came down. There was fun on his face. As he was about to reach the ground, Lyrax charged.

The constant wind of Hollow Mountain kept on flowing, waving his hair and clothes. Lyrax spun his staff, and a green jelly-type man appeared. He had a sword in his hand, and his height was the same as Auren's.

Auren's eyes narrowed. He asked, "Who is he?"

Lyrax replied, "It is my jelly art, and he is Bobo. He is skilled in fighting. Now you can discharge your attacks and know how to fight him. I am taking a rest for now." He waved at him, turning around and stepping towards the temple. While leaving, he said, "Make sure to defeat him, or his jelly will put you in his jelly jail."

Auren nodded.

Jelly Bobo jumping in his place, his jelly bouncing.

Auren: "He is a hunter too, like me..."

Auren charged. Flash! He swung his sword. Bobo jumped, backflipped midair, and attacked with his sword. The sword of jelly extended.

Auren jumped, swinging his sword upside down. Faaanggg!

Again, a new sword formed in Bobo's left hand.

Auren flashed a sudden expression. Auren: "Huh? What is that?"

Meanwhile, Lyrax sipped tea, calmly watching the fight. Lyrax: "Auren, one more thing. He will disappear only when you cut him in half from the belly. Otherwise, he will keep regenerating. And he makes swords from his body... so be careful with that too."

Auren grinned, eyes burning with battle lust. Auren: "I'll cut you down soon, you'll see!"

Lyrax yawned, scratching his head . Lyrax: "Hehe, I don't wanna see… I'm sleepy. Later." He vanished inside, leaving the two to fight.

Bobo charged, legs coiled like springs. As he leapt, his knees bent sharply and his jelly sword elongated mid-swing, hissing with a sickly green light.

Auren bent backward just in time, the blade whistling past his nose . Auren (thinking): "Fast too! If that sword catches me, I'll be trapped in his jelly prison…"

He smirked. Auren: "Alright then. Let's dance."

Both warriors rushed in. Tang! Tang! Tang! Their swords clashed again and again, sparks flying. Each time Auren landed a blow, Bobo's strange body regenerated, the wounds sealing instantly.

Then Bobo spun wildly, his jelly blade stretching and whirring like a giant cutting machine. Auren dashed away, barely dodging the lethal arcs.

Auren (thinking, gritting his teeth): "Not good… he has more advantages here. But I won't give up."

His jaw tightened. Rage flashed in his eyes. Auren: "That's enough… you're frustrating me!"

He leapt high into the air, thunder crawling across his sword.

Bobo condensed his jelly body, coiling like a cannon, preparing to launch himself upward.

Auren (roaring): "AAAHHHHHH… DIIIIIEEEEE!!!"

Lightning wrapped his blade. THUDD! THUDD! The ground shook as he unleashed his technique. Phantom Slice!

BOOOOOOMMMMM!!!A thick, dark-red wave of destructive energy ripped forward, tearing the battlefield apart.

Bobo transformed his entire body into a massive, grotesque sword and hurled himself against the strike.

The clash was apocalyptic.THUDDMMMAAAMMM… BOOOOOOMMMMM!!!The shockwave flattened the earth, rattling the skies.

Auren's final strike shattered Bobo.The blade split him in half, and his jelly-like flesh splattered everywhere before dissolving into the ground. Auren landed hard, chest heaving, sweat dripping.

He pressed a hand against his stomach, eyes wide."My wound… It's healed? How—?"

The battlefield grew quiet. Bobo's remains faded into the void, as if he had never existed. Then—

Clap… clap… clap.

A slow applause echoed from the temple balcony above.

"Well done, Auren," a voice called. "Defeating Bobo isn't a cup of tea. Honestly, I expected you to struggle for weeks… but you ended it in a single day."

Auren jerked his head up. His expression tightened as he saw Lyrax, standing tall, robes flowing in the dusk light.

"I watched your battle carefully," Lyrax continued, his tone calm but edged with power. "You awakened the second stage of your ability just now."

Auren's brows furrowed."You… you saw my fight? How?"

Lyrax smiled faintly, eyes glowing like stars."I am the highest grade Seer. Sight beyond sight is mine. And right now, I stand at the Fourth Stage. To reach the Fifth… that path is the hardest of all. But you, Auren…"

Lyrax leaned forward slightly, his gaze piercing straight into Auren's core."I can already see it—you will reach it. Every future ability of yours shines before my eyes."

The temple wind howled, carrying Lyrax's words across the battlefield.

Auren – "Then I will reach every stage possible, Master Lyrax."

Lyrax gave him a kind look, his eyes carrying both age and warmth."I will train you tomorrow. For now, enjoy yourself here a bit. Come inside the temple—there are many things within."

Auren nodded. As he stepped closer, the air grew heavier, filled with the faint scent of burning incense mixed with old stone dust. To his right, a small cave caught his eye, its gate sealed shut by thick wooden bars, iron chains locking it in place. The air near it felt strangely colder, as if whispering secrets. Auren hesitated, then chose to ignore it.

He entered the temple.

A vast square hall opened before him, the floor made of red stone polished smooth by countless footsteps. The walls glowed faintly with the reflection of torchlight, their flames swaying and crackling, sending shadows dancing across the carved surfaces. Along the sides stretched a square balcony that circled the hall, supported by pillars etched with symbols of forgotten gods.

There were three floors in total, each with rows of chambers, their doors closed, keeping their mysteries hidden. On the third floor stood Lyrax, gazing down with calm authority. Auren remained at the bottom, the vast emptiness of the hall making him feel both small and honored to stand within it.

Lyrax – "Come up, Auren."

The young man placed a hand on the cool stone railing of the staircase and began to ascend. Each step echoed faintly, carrying upward as though the temple itself was listening. As he climbed, his eyes caught the ancient paintings carved into the walls.

A man striking down a winged monster, his blade etched in fire.A mother cradling a baby, the child's tears carved in delicate detail.Three dots, interconnected, with a planet engraved at the center—its meaning unclear, yet powerful.

The air smelled of age, mystery, and something sacred.

Auren reached the third floor, his steps echoing softly against the stone, walking along the square-shaped streets that wound around the temple's high chamber. The air here felt different—cooler, heavy with the faint scent of incense that had burned long ago, mixed with the musk of aged stone. Dim golden lamps flickered in corners, their flames bending as if whispering secrets.

Meanwhile, from Lyrax's palm, glowing little birds shimmered into existence, fluttering like sparks made of breath and light. They scattered around Auren, their wings humming faintly, leaving trails that dissolved into the air.

Lyrax's voice, calm yet curious, broke the silence."You like those birds, Auren?"

Auren glanced, unimpressed. "Umm… nothing special. I'd rather know the history here—what those carvings mean. And…" his voice lowered, "I want to know about Ash Phantom."

Lyrax's saliva caught in his throat. He froze for the briefest moment, his gaze sharpening, his tone suddenly cold though still calm."Where did you hear that name?"

Auren pressed his lips together, unsure. "I… I don't know. It just popped into my mind. But it makes me uneasy. And… I also met the Dream Settler. But he said I am not Ash Phantom. He said he was already fulfilled… or… maybe something else. I don't remember exactly."

Lyrax's lips slowly widened into a half-smile, though his eyes remained shadowed."Are you certain he was the Dream Settler? Dream Settlers don't speak. They don't give opinions. They do their work silently—they never come personally. They only show you a dream."

The words struck Auren like a blade. His chest tightened; a cold shiver ran down his back. His thoughts tangled in knots, every memory now suspicious.

"What is going on with my life, Master Lyrax?" Auren's voice cracked with desperation. "Why me? What did I do wrong? Why was I born like this? Why does this name—Ash Phantom—keep coming into my mind? If he wasn't the Dream Settler… then who was he?"

He grabbed his head, his nails pressing against his scalp, and leaned forward over the stone balcony. The carvings on the walls—strange, jagged symbols of fire and shadow—seemed to twist with his unease. The silence of the chamber pressed in heavier, the glow of Lyrax's birds now looking more ominous than beautiful.

Auren's voice was raw, trembling."I want to know everything now."

Lyrax's tone shifted, carrying the weight of centuries.Lyrax – "You are not just Auren. You are Ash Omen. In the Grand Era, they called you the Ash Phantom. You were born again to reclaim the power the Tideborns once hunted. That destiny was carved into your very soul."

He paused, his glowing birds dissolving into ash mid-air. His eyes reflected both sorrow and expectation.

Lyrax – "We… all of us… are depending on you. And now, you must learn the truth. What truly happened in the Grand Era."

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