Chronicles Of The Crafting Hero

Kai was running just behind the guards when they suddenly stopped. He decided to slow down, wondering, *Why did they stop?* His run slowed into a quiet walk. He stepped carefully, not wanting the guards to hear him. But then, loud, thunderous noises echoed repeatedly in the distance. *What's going on?* he thought. *Are they still fighting? Why aren't the guards stepping in? If they don't, Mister Angel could be killed.*

Silently, Kai moved closer. He saw the Captain overpowering Tyler. Tyler was fighting back, landing blows, but the Captain's hits were far stronger, each strike knocking Tyler back violently or slamming him to the ground, though he quickly got back up. Tyler wore a mask, but it was unmistakably him, his short dark hair, slightly dark-tanned skin. Even his grunts and voice gave him away. It was the man who had helped him before, despite his changed appearance.

Kai watched as the Captain's blow sent Tyler crashing into the ground with a thunderous impact, almost as if he sank into the earth. *Why aren't they helping? Are they too afraid? he wondered.

Kai immediately sprinted forward. He watched with mounting dread as a dark shape plummeted from the sky. The Captain raised his hand, and a massive, obsidian blade materialized in his grasp. Kai knew the Captain's intent. He was poised to plunge the weapon into the person lying vulnerable on the forest floor... the same person who had helped him.

*He's going to die… I won't let that happen! I have to help Mr. Angel. I'll buy him some time so he can escape…*

Kai activated his skill, "Non-Existent." The skill rendered him invisible to the senses of those around him. More than that, it made him utterly forgettable, a ghost in the minds of those he passed.

He plunged into the woods, his feet pounding the short grass. He weaved through the stunned guards, their cold metal armor scraping against his skin as he crashed through their ranks. He gritted his teeth and focused on his goal. The Captain was mere feet away, the greatsword aimed directly at Tyler's chest, poised for the killing blow.

*Come on… it's not too late. If Grandma was right… I won't let this chance slip away…*

With a yell, Kai launched himself at the Captain, shouting, "Don't hurt Mr. Angel!" He executed a desperate spear tackle, a blur of motion that caught the Captain and Tyler off guard. The three bodies slammed into the earth. Though the Captain was thrown off balance, his grip on the sword remained tight.

The muscular guard's mind reeled, *What the hell? Who is that man? None of us saw him coming! How the hell did he do that?*

The guard, yelling to the other guards, shouted, "This is our chance! Come on, they're both down!"

The other guards, spurred by the order, quickly followed, racing towards the two struggling men.

As this happened, the Captain quickly sat up. Kai, trying to rise beside the Captain, urged, "Come on, Mr. Angel, this is your chance! Run away!"

The Captain, fueled by rage, then hit Kai with the back of his fist. The blow connected with devastating force, knocking several of Kai's teeth loose. The impact sent Kai sprawling backwards. His body slammed violently into a pile of rubble and dirt, a chaos of broken branches.

Kai's entire body screamed in pain, but the agony centered in his abdomen. A searing pain pierced him, unlike anything he had ever experienced. He opened his eyes, staring in horror at a thick, *crimson-stained* branch protruding from his stomach. It had clearly pierced him from the back.

He gasped in agony, his mind reeling. *It hurts… it hurts… Oh, goodness… it hurts…*

The guard's eyes widened as he closed the distance to the Captain.

Tyler, still sprawled on the ground, was surprised by the sudden turn of events. He had been attempting to equip the new armor, but a system panel, written in red, now floated above him. It displayed a stark warning: WARNING! WARNING! WARNING An energy of unknown origin has enveloped the armour. If the user equips armour, there may be dire consequences. Do not Equip armour.

Tyler thought, *What the… consequences? What is it talking about? I don't have a choice!* He then yelled, "Equip armour!"

Right then, the system panel began to glitch. The digital display seemed to tear itself apart, the panel distorting violently. The panel vanished, and immediately, other panels sprang into existence, screaming: WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!

Tyler thought, *What is happening?*

He glanced to his left and saw the approaching guards. They were now very close. To his right, the Captain was now back on his feet, a picture of deadly intent.

The Captain then said, "You've brought an ally. It's not going to help you." He launched himself forward, the greatsword held with both hands, poised to deliver the killing blow.

Tyler's eyes widened, his heart hammering in his chest. The system glitched again, and the warnings continued to flash infinitely.

Immediately, an invisible shockwave of pure darkness burst forth from Tyler with a thunderous BOOM that rattled the very air. The force field formed around him like a sphere of raw, chaotic energy, tearing through the grass in every direction. The earth itself seemed to recoil under its power, leaving behind a scorched, trampled trail of destruction.

The Captain and guards were caught in the violent surge. They were hurled backward like ragdolls, their bodies spinning uncontrollably through the air before slamming heavily against the ground. Sharp cries of shock and agony tore from their throats as their armor scraped harshly against stone and soil.

Yet the dark force field did not fade away. Instead, it pulled back as if drawn into an invisible vortex centered on Tyler. A subtle, ghostly whoosh whispered through the forest as the energy retracted, leaving a charged silence hanging thick in the air.

Then, an extraordinary transformation began.

Tyler's eyes ignited, blazing with an intense, radiant white light that cut through the surrounding gloom like twin stars. His eyebrows flared with the same luminous fire, sculpting an expression fierce beyond mortal resolve.

Raw energy surged within him with a palpable force. His feet lifted effortlessly off the ground, suspended inches above the earth. The wind seemed to cradle and bear him, swirling gently as if paying homage to his rising power. His arms stretched wide, embracing the unseen waves of energy pulsing all around.

What is happening? he thought, breathless yet brimming with newfound strength.

From his legs, a shadow darker than any black the eye could perceive began to crawl upward. This was no ordinary shade—it possessed a depth and weight that defied existence itself, heavier than the Shadow Armor he once knew. The darkness writhed and twisted, alive with a fierce, stormy tempest.

The wind exploded outward from this shadowed form, setting the trees trembling and thrashing violently. Leaves whipped through the unsettled air, their frantic dance a testament to the brewing storm of power that now dwelled within Tyler.

From the dazed and groaning guards, voices rose weak and trembling.

"What the hell just happened?" one gasped from the ground, still struggling to rise.

Another, grasping the earth with wide eyes filled with terror, choked out, "What… what is that?"

The Captain staggered to his feet, head still spinning from the force. His eyes widened in incredulous fear as they locked on the figure before him, Tyler transformed, no longer just a man but a nexus of relentless, shadowed power.

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The Captain took a step forward, drawn by the raw power emanating from Tyler. *"How… How did he do that?"* He took another step, his gaze fixed on the figure now almost completely consumed by the encroaching darkness. *He was mere moments from death… I could have finished him if it wasn't…*

The Captain's thoughts were abruptly cut off as he struggled to recall what had stopped him from killing Tyler. The intrusion, whatever it was, remained a frustrating blank in his memory.

Meanwhile, meters away, Kai smiled weakly, his crimson eyes locked on Tyler. He felt the life draining from him, the loss of blood taking its toll. He thought to himself, *Huh… I thought angels were supposed to be beings encased in light.* He coughed, a gout of blood staining the grass. *Oh well… Beggars can't be choosers....

And with that, Kai's body went limp. His face met the ground, his crimson eyes staring unseeing at the earth. He was dead.

Immediately, the shadow enveloped Tyler's entire body, even his face and hair. Only his eyes and eyebrows remained visible, blazing with that fierce white light. Tyler stared at his hands, then felt the overwhelming surge of power building within him. But the energy didn't originate from his body. It was almost as if the power tore through the ground in a line. A black shadow erupted from the earth, phasing through Tyler, climbing into the air. It was filled with swirling, small white lights, like ethereal steam, and it emitted an unsettling whooshing sound as it rose.

The energy erupted from the earth like a celestial geyser, rocketing into the sky. The line of shadow tore through the heavens, ascending higher and higher, piercing the clouds. Instantly, a thunderous *BOOM* echoed from the upper atmosphere, as if the energy had collided with something unseen.

As soon as the sound faded, the energy dispersed, spreading across the sky in a vast circle, resembling a colossal hurricane. It was a swirling vortex of darkness and faint, ethereal light, the white light within the shadows swirling like steam. But it was not merely a hurricane. It was larger, more profound, taking the shape of a galaxy, an impossible celestial body blossoming in the sky. This breathtaking display of power covered the entire town of Aria, casting the world below in a strange, ominous twilight.

The residents of Aria looked up in fear, their faces illuminated by the unnatural light. Some scrambled back into their homes, while others, gripped by panic, began to flee. Unaware of the unfolding cosmic event, the two guards stationed outside Aria, still unconscious from their earlier revelry, remained slumped against the city walls, lost in slumber. They were ignorant of the chaos that was unfolding, the event that would become a pivotal moment in the history of Aerlion. The power displayed in the sky could be seen for thousands of miles, a beacon of unimaginable energy.

Then, the celestial phenomenon began to withdraw. At blinding speeds, it contracted, the darkness and light coalescing. The line of shadow then plunged back down from the sky, striking the exact spot where Tyler floated. It appeared that Tyler was absorbing it all, the raw power of the celestial event coursing into him.

Tyler groaned, his body straining under the influx of power. Then, as suddenly as it had begun, it stopped. He let out a long, shuddering sigh of relief.

All the power had been absorbed. The silence that followed was profound, unsettling. Tyler looked at his hands, now encased in an inky darkness, a perfect void. The system flickered back to life. A small panel appeared, the words "Void Armor, equipped successfully" flashing briefly. The system glitched twice more, then vanished completely.

Tyler thought to himself, *So this… this power… is the armor the system was warning me about? It's the Void Armor.* He paused, his mind reeling. *I feel…*

He didn't know what to think. He didn't know what he was feeling. In fact, he wasn't even sure if he was feeling anything at all. It was as if a great weight had been lifted, as if most of his emotions had vanished into that same void.

He looked to his right, and his breath hitched. The Captain, his face contorted in fury, had already launched himself forward. The greatsword, shimmering with a crimson edge, hurtled through the air, aimed directly at Tyler.

But then, something extraordinary happened.

The system reappeared, still wracked with glitches, displaying a single line: "Void Spectra activated." The sword, in that instant, passed *right through* Tyler. The Captain was left utterly dumbfounded, his eyes wide with disbelief. It was as if Tyler had become intangible, a ghost in the mortal realm.

*Impossible… how did…* The Captain's thoughts were cut off abruptly.

Tyler, without even realizing he was doing it, had activated a skill he didn't even know he possessed: "Speed of Dark."

The Captain's feet were no longer planted on the ground; they were dangling in the air. Tyler was holding the Captain by the throat. It had all happened in the blink of an eye. The speed was so blindingly fast that even the guards were utterly bewildered. They hadn't even seen it happen.

The Captain choked, a crushing force constricting his throat. He clawed at Tyler's hand, gasping, "Get… off… me!" The words were barely audible, choked with the pressure.

Immediately, Tyler activated another skill: "Abyssal Glare." His eyes, blazing with that fierce white light, locked onto the Captain.

The Captain was assailed by a sensation he had never known before. He felt as if he was staring into an abyss, into something deadly and inevitable. He was gazing into a void, a vast emptiness that threatened to swallow him whole. He felt his stamina draining, his willpower crumbling. His hands, now trembling, could no longer hold onto Tyler. He let go, his arms hanging limp at his sides.

Tyler released his grip, and the Captain plummeted to the ground. Then, with a soft *poof* of smoke, Tyler teleported away.

The Captain, struggling to push himself up, found himself overwhelmed with exhaustion. He was breathing heavily, his mind racing. *What the hell is going on? What is happening? All my strength… gone… I can't even stand…*

He managed to get into a crouching position, one knee on the ground, his gaze darting around, searching. Tyler was nowhere to be seen.

Then, with another *poof* of smoke, Tyler materialized directly behind the Captain.

He touched the Captain's back. The Captain's eyes widened in terror. Before he could even react, before he could turn, Tyler and the Captain vanished in a final, swirling cloud of smoke.

The Captain found himself suspended high in the atmosphere, a dizzying height above the ground. The vast expanse of the sky stretched out around him. Tyler was holding him by the neck, and the Captain's heart was hammering against his ribs.

Below them, the entire town of Aria was visible, a sprawling tapestry of light and shadow. Even further beyond, the remaining guards below stirred, shock and confusion etched on their faces. One of them stammered, "W-what… what do we do now?"

The muscular guard, his face pale, could only shake his head. "We… we have to report this. We couldn't handle it before, but this… This is way beyond us."

Suddenly, one of the guards yelled, "Yeah! What are you waiting for? Let's get the hell out of here!" And with that, he took off running, the others scrambling to follow.

The muscular guard stared up at the sky, barely able to make out the two figures silhouetted against the inky blackness. He shook his head, a chill running down his spine. *That person… no, that *thing*… is not human.* Then, he turned and ran, desperate to escape.

Meanwhile, Tyler, still floating in the sky, drew the Captain closer. His voice, when he spoke, was not his own. It was as if shrouded in shadows, a chilling echo rather than a voice. "Remember what you said to me before… about wanting to kill me?"

The Captain struggled to use his nullifying skill, but nothing happened. It wasn't even that his skills were nullified; it was as if he had never possessed them. All his mana, all his abilities, were gone. He felt utterly empty, stripped bare.

Tyler said, "You said I was going to meet her in hell. Too bad that's not going to happen."

Tyler then tossed the Captain higher into the air. The Captain yelled in sheer, primal horror as his body began to tumble, ascending higher and higher. He clawed at himself, his mind reeling. "No… no… no… this is impossible! This… this doesn't make any sense!"

Suddenly, the Captain saw something that made his eyes widen in utter terror. His heart hammered against his ribs, the last vestiges of hope, however fragile, dissolving instantly. The sky above was no longer just dark. The sky was falling.

A massive, black sword, twice the size of the guild mansion, descended upon him, a harbinger of oblivion. Before the flat side of the blade could even meet his body, the Captain's final thought was a desperate, broken plea: "He… he was… so weak… I almost… I could've... but... then…"* The crushing weight of the truth settled upon him. *"He isn't human. Is he?"*

The flat side of the colossal blade struck with bone-shattering force. Every bone in the Captain's body shattered. He plummeted towards the earth at astonishing speed.

The impact was a devastating *BOOM*, a cataclysmic sound that echoed through the forest. Trees splintered and snapped, and the ground itself was ripped apart, sending a massive cloud of dust and debris surging skyward. A crater, a testament to unimaginable power, formed where he had fallen.

And Tyler, now standing in the air, was holding the impossibly small hilt of that monstrously huge sword

Tyler materialized in front of the Captain with a soft *poof* of smoke, the broken man lying in the crater. The Captain coughed, a crimson torrent spilling from his lips. His bones were shattered, and his breath came in ragged gasps.

Tyler looked down at him. His voice, devoid of empathy, of any emotion whatsoever, echoed from him as if from a hollow cave. "I feel no pity," he stated, the words chilling in their emptiness. "I feel… nothing."

Tyler then crouched beside the broken Captain. "Right now," he continued, his voice flat, "I don't even feel hate towards you. It's almost as if all of my emotions are gone." He gestured with his shadowy hand. "This armor… Now I understand why the system was warning me about it."

The Captain twitched, his hand spasming open. Then, a *whooshing* sound filled the air. The immense sword reappeared, hurtling towards Tyler.

Tyler didn't even glance behind him. He felt no fear, no adrenaline, nothing. He simply reached out and effortlessly caught the blade, his fingers closing around the hilt. Then, with another *poof*, the sword vanished, erased from existence.

The system flickered into existence, its words mangled and corrupted. It glitched violently, then disappeared.

Tyler thought to himself, *This armor… It's almost as if it's… hurting the system.* He straightened, a grim determination settling over him. *I'll have to end this quickly.*

He touched the Captain on the chest. With a chillingly detached chuckle, he said, "I guess you'll be the one meeting your members in hell. Say hi to them for me."

Immediately, a black shadow began to consume the Captain. It spread from his chest, enveloping his entire body in an inky shroud. He began to breathe heavily, his breaths coming in ragged gasps as he realized what was happening. "You… you bastard," he wheezed, his voice filled with a mixture of disbelief and terror. "This… this can't be happening! What… what are you?"

Tyler replied, his voice still devoid of emotion, "Right now, I don't know."

Instead of the Captain's heartbeat, there was nothing. He was still alive, yet a part of him was already missing. He was disappearing, consumed by the void, piece by piece. He saw it happening, the relentless erosion of his own being.

The Captain screamed, the sound abruptly cut short. He vanished, swallowed entirely by the black shadow, leaving only the lingering scent of ozone.

Tyler stood for a moment, then disappeared in a swirl of smoke. He reappeared in front of the white-scaled room that he had created. With a simple touch, the room began to corrupt, the pristine scales falling away as if eaten by shadow. The shimmering remnants were absorbed into Tyler's inventory, leaving Rebecca's lifeless body exposed.

Tyler went to Rebecca's body and gently lifted her. He thought to himself, *Now… let's give you a proper burial.* Then, he disappeared once more.

Moments later, in the ensuing silence, Kai opened his eyes. He coughed, a rattling sound in his chest. The crimson-stained branch that had pierced his stomach was absorbed by a similar shadow and vanished. Where the wound had been, the hole in his gut slowly mended, disappearing without a trace.

He smiled weakly, thinking to himself, *That… took long enough.* He groaned, the lingering pain a dull ache. "I know nothing can kill me… but… still hurts like hell," he muttered as he pushed himself to his feet.

He forced himself to his feet, wincing at the lingering ache. He surveyed the scene of devastation, the crater, the splintered trees, and thought, *What the hell happened? Mister Angel… he's gone.*

Kai began to walk, not towards the town, but around the periphery of the destruction, lost in thought. *So… Mister Angel… he came here to stop the corrupted guild, didn't he? He killed every last one of them. He stopped it from growing… Grandma was right. Not all angels come in forms of light.*

As he walked, he passed the scattered dead bodies, a grim testament to the battle. Then, he saw a woman.

She was standing nearby, shivering uncontrollably, as if frozen to the core. She was mourning, her cries muffled and broken.

Kai thought, *A woman? Did Mister Angel spare one of them? If he did… it must have been for a reason.*

Kai approached the woman, his footsteps soft on the damaged earth. He said, "Hey… Sorry… excuse me…"

Mani turned sharply, her eyes meeting Kai's. His crimson eyes, short black hair… the resemblance, however faint, reminded her of Tyler. A shiver ran down her spine. She whispered, "No more…"

And then, she fainted.

"Woah!" Kai exclaimed, reacting quickly. He reached out and caught her before her body could hit the ground, supporting her gently. *What happened to her?*

He looked down at her. Her lips were cracked and dry, her skin pale and peeling. Her eyes were bruised, but the marks weren't from a physical attack. It was as if she had been crying, inconsolably, for days.

He muttered under his breath, *It looks like you've been through hell.* Kai thought internally, *Was she captured? I've never seen her in this guild before. I've come here almost every day, asking for food from that woman…*

*She must have been a captive.*

"Don't worry," he said aloud, offering a reassuring smile. "I'm gonna get you some help."

He then cradled her limp body in his arms. As he began to walk, he thought aloud, *Looks like Mister Angel saved both of us.*