NOVEL WEB Chapter 10: Chapter 10: A Trail of Darkness
Chapter 10: A Trail of Darkness
Kael's POV
The walk back to the guild felt heavier this time. The destruction of the crystal in Crocus hadn't felt like a victory. Sure, we'd stopped it from activating, but the cloaked figure's presence weighed on me like a lead chain. Someone out there was pulling the strings, and they weren't afraid to send their monsters to do their bidding.
"Kael, you okay?" Lucy asked, falling into step beside me.
I blinked, snapping out of my thoughts. "Yeah, just… thinking."
Lucy smirked. "You do that a lot, don't you?"
"You'd be surprised how much trouble I'd get into if I didn't," I replied, managing a small grin.
Up ahead, Natsu and Gray were already arguing again, their energy seemingly endless. Happy added fuel to the fire, laughing as the two mages bickered. Erza, as usual, maintained her stoic focus, but even she seemed uneasy.
As we neared Magnolia, my system chimed, a new notification appearing.
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[Quest Update: Unmask the Shadow Leader]
Objective: Gather intelligence on the cloaked figure and their connection to Zeref's magic.]
Reward: +1,500 System Points, Unlock: Arcane Chains Spell.]
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"Unmask the shadow leader," I muttered. "No pressure or anything."
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Back at the Guild
The guildhall erupted into its usual chaos when we walked through the doors. Laughter, shouting, and the occasional crash filled the air as Fairy Tail's members celebrated the day's adventures. Despite the noise, a hush fell when Makarov approached us.
"Well?" he asked, his eyes scanning our group.
"We stopped the crystal," Erza reported. "But there was resistance. A cloaked figure guarding it. They escaped before we could learn anything more."
Makarov's expression darkened. "This confirms my suspicions. Whoever is behind this knows what they're doing—and they're escalating their efforts."
"What do we do now?" Lucy asked, her voice quieter than usual.
Makarov sighed, his age showing more than ever. "We prepare. And we gather information. Kael, your magic and that tome of yours might hold the key to unraveling this mystery."
My heart skipped a beat. "Me?"
He nodded. "You've shown great potential, but I suspect there's more to your magic than even you realize. Dig deeper, Kael. The answers may be closer than you think."
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A New Lead
Later that night, I sat at the bar, nursing a drink and flipping through my tome. The runes on the pages glowed faintly, almost as if they were alive. I couldn't help but wonder what Makarov meant about my magic holding the key. The system hadn't exactly been forthcoming about where it came from or why I had it in the first place.
"Still at it?" Lucy asked, sliding into the seat beside me.
"Can't help it," I said, closing the tome. "Something about this whole situation doesn't sit right with me."
"You're not the only one," she said. "Erza's been restless, and even Natsu's been quieter than usual."
"Natsu? Quiet?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "Is that even possible?"
Lucy chuckled, but her smile quickly faded. "We need to find out who's behind this before more people get hurt."
Before I could respond, the guild doors slammed open. A messenger stumbled in, his face pale and his clothes torn. "Urgent news!" he shouted, his voice trembling.
The room fell silent as he continued. "There's been an attack—south of Magnolia. A small village has been completely wiped out. Survivors say it was a group of corrupted mages led by a cloaked figure."
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The Plan
Makarov wasted no time. Within minutes, he had assembled a team: Erza, Natsu, Gray, Lucy, and me. The attack was too close to home to ignore, and the fact that the cloaked figure had been spotted again made it clear this wasn't a coincidence.
"This isn't just about stopping the corruption anymore," Makarov said, his voice heavy. "This is war."
We left the guild at dawn, the air tense with unspoken fears. As we traveled south, the destruction became more evident. Burned fields, shattered homes, and the occasional scorch mark hinted at the scale of the attack.
"It's worse than Clover Town," Lucy said, her voice barely above a whisper.
"And it's spreading faster," Erza added grimly. "We need to put an end to this."
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The Village
When we reached the village, it was eerily quiet. The air was thick with the stench of smoke and decay, and the only sound was the distant cawing of crows. The buildings were little more than blackened skeletons, and the ground was littered with rubble.
"This is horrible," Lucy said, clutching her celestial keys.
Natsu's fists ignited. "Whoever did this is gonna pay."
"Focus," Erza said, scanning the area. "We don't know what we're walking into."
I activated Arcane Detection, the runes in my tome glowing as a wave of energy pulsed outward. My system highlighted a faint magical trail leading toward a dense forest on the village's outskirts.
"Their trail leads that way," I said, pointing.
"Then let's go," Erza said, leading the charge.
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The Encounter
The forest was darker than it had any right to be, the trees twisted and gnarled as if the corruption had seeped into their roots. The trail led us to a clearing, where a group of mages stood around another crystal, this one larger and more menacing than any we'd seen before.
At the center of the group stood the cloaked figure, their presence radiating an oppressive energy. They turned as we entered the clearing, their glowing red eyes locking onto us.
"So, you've come," they said, their voice a low growl. "How predictable."
"Who are you?" Erza demanded, drawing her sword. "Why are you doing this?"
The figure laughed, the sound cold and hollow. "You'll find out soon enough. If you survive."
With a wave of their hand, the crystal flared to life, and the mages around them charged at us, their eyes glowing with the same corrupted energy as the beasts we'd faced before.
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The Battle
The clearing erupted into chaos. Natsu and Gray dove into the fray, their fire and ice magic clashing against the corrupted mages. Lucy summoned Sagittarius, his arrows keeping the enemies at bay, while Erza engaged the cloaked figure directly.
I stayed back, my tome glowing as I cast Arcane Wave, the shockwave knocking several mages off their feet. Despite our efforts, the cloaked figure remained unfazed, their dark magic growing stronger with each passing moment.
"You can't stop what's coming," they said, their voice echoing through the clearing.
"We'll see about that," I muttered, flipping to my newly unlocked spell. Channeling my energy, I cast Arcane Chains, the glowing tendrils shooting toward the crystal and wrapping around it.
The figure turned toward me, their red eyes narrowing. "You dare interfere?"
"Yeah, that's kind of my thing," I said, forcing a grin despite the fear creeping up my spine.
The battle raged on, the crystal's glow dimming as my spell took hold. But the figure wasn't done yet, their magic intensifying as they unleashed a wave of dark energy.
"Brace yourselves!" Erza shouted, her armor shimmering as she activated a defensive spell.
I gritted my teeth, my hands trembling as I held the chains in place. This wasn't over—not by a long shot.
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End of Chapter 10