Regaleon: The Forgotten Knight

For a frozen second, none of the three moved...

A single lock of Veyrath’s brown hair drifted silently toward the forest floor, cleanly severed by the blade.

The failed Alchemist’s amber eyes widened as cold sweat rolled down his face with a terrifying realization striking him in the guts like a bolt of lightning.

Had he reacted even a fraction of a second later, that silvery flash would have claimed far more than a strand of hair; instead, it would have taken his entire head...

A deathly silence settled over the clearing as Veyrath remained where he had instinctively thrown himself, his breathing growing increasingly erratic.

Death! He thought. Once again, death had brushed past him; and once again, he had escaped by the narrowest of margins...

Meanwhile, Regaleon’s head snapped toward the direction from which the attack had come.

His golden eyes swept across the woodland with frightening speed, examining every tree trunk, every overhanging branch, and every patch of swaying grass.

But he found nothing as the forest appeared exactly as it had moments earlier.

Crimson leaves danced peacefully upon the breeze. The dark tree trunks streaked with crimson veins stood motionless, while the cool wind whispered gently through the canopy as though nothing had disturbed the forest at all.

There were no footsteps or movement of any kind nor was there any killing intent. In fact, he could detect absolutely nothing and somehow, that absence was more terrifying than any visible enemy...

Regaleon’s brows knitted together, his mind swirling deeply with thoughts.

An attack that precise should have left behind the faintest clue regarding its origin. And though the strike had been both sudden and impossibly fast, years of relentless training had sharpened his instincts enough to identify the approximate direction of the ambush.

Yet, he found absolutely nothing...

Just as that thought crossed his mind, a faint ripple suddenly passed through the air.

Regaleon’s pupils contracted. And without hesitation, he violently tilted his head aside...

WHOOSH!

Another silver projectile sliced through the space where his face had been a heartbeat earlier...

It passed so close that he felt the cold wind generated by its flight brush against his cheek before embedding itself into a crimson tree several meters away...

THUNK!

It was only after it stopped that the others finally see what had nearly killed him...

It was a slender throwing knife, its polished silver blade gleaming beneath the crimson sunlight with an eerie, almost sinister luster.

Veyrath gasped the moment he saw it, his breaths now reduced to frantic pants. Even Vaelorin’s expression hardened as his fiery eyes began searching the forest for whoever was hunting them.

But before either of them could react, the air trembled again...

However, this time, the disturbance was sharper and more violent, like invisible strings snapping through the atmosphere.

Regaleon’s instincts exploded into action as he shouted. ”SCATTER!”

The instant the word left his mouth, the three of them leapt in different directions. And almost simultaneously, two silver streaks tore through the spaces they had occupied moments before...

One skimmed past Veyrath’s previous position while the other narrowly missed Vaelorin’s chest before disappearing into the forest.

A heartbeat later...

THUNK! THUNK!

Two more throwing knives buried themselves deep within separate tree trunks...

Silence returned, overshadowing the forest in a deceptive tranquility; and for brief moments, only the frantic pounding of three racing hearts disturbed the deceptive calm.

Veyrath spun around wildly and asked with a trembling voice.

”Just... where are... they coming from?”

Vaelorin didn’t have an answer as he also pondered the question, his eyes frantically searching the forest grounds for anything that is even out of place.

Even Regaleon was speechless...

His entire life had been devoted to preparing for situations exactly like this, yet every lesson he had ever learned seemed utterly useless this moment.

His eyes could detect nothing. And even his heightened senses perceived nothing; it was allowed as though the attacker simply did not exist and that thought alone was enough to send a chill creeping down his spine.

Regaleon’s grip around his Halberd tightened as his breathing gradually steadied. His golden gaze continued scanning every possible hiding place while his mind raced...

Judging from the attacks alone, the enemy appeared to specialize in long-range combat. Yet that conclusion quickly fell apart the moment he thought of it...

This was because throwing knives were not true long-range weapons. Even if the attacker possessed extraordinary skill, launching blades from concealment should still have exposed their position, especially against Regaleon’s sharpened instincts.

So basically, it was impossible to hide while attacking from the shadows; unless, the attacker was of a higher Rank than him. Perhaps, an Etheryean

His expression darkened when the thought crossed his mind. Actually, that possibility couldn’t be dismissed and it was the only plausible explanation for what was going on.

However, the Crimson Forest should have contained no other humans besides the eight of them. So if it was not a superior cultivator, then who is it?

His thoughts raced as he rapidly assembled the clues; an opponent capable of concealing both their presence and killing intent, an expert in ambushes, and a master of remaining unseen.

All of these attributes pointed to just one answer... An assassin.

The realization caused his expression to sink even further because being hunted by an assassin inside the Crimson Forest was far more dangerous than facing a Rank One Anima head-on.

Regaleon had barely finished processing that thought when another disturbance rippled through the air.

Once again, he reacted entirely on instinct. Spinning on his heel, he swung his Halberd with every ounce of strength he possessed...

CLANG!

Steel met steel and the throwing knife was knocked aside...

However, the tremendous force behind the impact sent violent vibrations racing through his arm.

Regaleon’s heart sank as that single exchange confirmed everything he needed to know.

Whoever they were facing was far beyond their league and before that realization could settle in fully, three more ripples spread through the air simultaneously...

His expression changed instantly and without thinking further, he shouted at the top of his voice.

”RUN!”

The sudden order left the other two momentarily stunned.

But before they could question him, Regaleon had already turned and burst into a full sprint through the forest...

Without hesitation, Veyrath and Vaelorin followed behind him...

Branches lashed against their faces, crimson leaves erupted beneath their boots while roots and uneven ground threatened to trip them at every step as they forced themselves into a desperate dash through the forest.

Behind them, the unseen hunter continued its relentless assault...

A silver blade whistled past Regaleon’s shoulder. And at almost the same moment, another buried itself into the trunk of the tree directly ahead.

THUNK!

Without slowing, Regaleon immediately altered his movements, weaving unpredictably between the trees.

The others copied him without hesitation as they started zigzagging. With that, the trio split apart once more, refusing to maintain any predictable pattern.

They darted between towering trunks, vaulted over fallen logs, and slid beneath low-hanging branches, using the forest itself as their shield.

Yet all of these erratic movements made little difference because every dodge, every leap, and every turn was answered by another knife...

Each attack came without warning and each originated from a different direction every time they were projected. It was as though the forest itself was trying to kill them...

The relentless barrage continued for several agonizing moments before Regaleon’s eyes suddenly widened.

”Vaelorin!”

He yelled, but the warning came too late.

A silver flash burst from the right and before the failed Pyromancer could even react, the blade tore cleanly through his shoulder.

Blood sprayed into the air...

Vaelorin cried out in pain as the tremendous force spun him sideways. His Fiery Staff slipped from his grasp while the heavy skin sack he was carrying tumbled from his shoulder.

His foot caught on an exposed root and since he was already off balance, he stumbled helplessly before crashing violently onto the forest floor.

He rolled several meters across the crimson leaves before finally coming to a stop. Blood rapidly spread across his shoulder, soaking his clothes a deep crimson...

Without hesitation, Regaleon lunged for him; but before he could close the distance... Another ripple disturbed the air.

And this one was aimed directly at the fallen Vaelorin...