Spiritbound [Spirit Magic, Military, Progression] (Book 1 Complete)

"What changed?" Tucker mumbled to himself.

Since he arrived at the bastion, there had been little time dedicated to training. Unlike most, he didn't have the luxury to fully immerse himself in improving his capabilities. He felt the tiny fragment float freely in his body and soon, it shrouded his hand in aura. There were no physical changes he could see, other than his aura being stronger than before.

"I guess I didn't manifest a property…" Tucker forced a small smile. Properties were hit or miss. While some provided minor buffs like strengthening, on rare occasions, it could become something unique. Like a minor healing effect or an increase in their reserves. Other times, it would be nothing at all.

He held out his hand and examined the refined emerald energy. Everything seemed the same. He gazed at the sky, observing Gale as his aura dissipated in the wind. It had been days since Tucker summoned his companion into the world, and surprisingly, there weren't any changes in his spirit essence.

Tucker held out his arm, allowing Gale to land with its talons clenching onto his forearm. He gently patted his companion's head and sank deep into thought. While Newton could manifest spells with the spirit threads, Gale couldn't. This meant it was either a limitation for mid-tier spirits, just like how Sally couldn't create threads, or he was missing something.

He stood still as Gale hopped onto his shoulder, his mind was filled with thoughts of all there was to learn about spirits, magic, and aura. Even with Charles's book, it felt like there was a limit to how much he could absorb. Tucker grabbed the sheath holding his dagger, tossed it into the air, and caught the polished leather in the palm of his hand. If Alex were still here, he would probably give him an earful about fidgeting with random objects, but could the old man blame him? He had a hell of a month.

Tucker released a weak laugh and soon smiled. "I wonder what that old bastard is up to." Those were the last words in his mind as a lone figure soon caught his attention. From the side, Luka was standing there, leaning against the stone arch with a grim light in his eyes. He approached his friend and stopped right in front of him.

"Captain, we have a problem," Luka said in a voice barely above a whisper.

Tucker's eyes widened slightly. It was the first time Luka had ever called him by his title. "What happened?"

"I can't discuss it here." Luka stepped forward and waved at Tucker to follow. "The others are waiting for us, so I'll explain everything once we're all together."

Seeing no reason not to believe his words, Tucker let Luka lead the way. They traveled through countless streets and alleyways, passing by stone structures with arched windows, iron-fenced balconies, and sloped, slated roofs. It hadn't occurred to Tucker how large the fortress city was until they reached the top of an old bell tower. Before him were hundreds of buildings of various heights along the streets and alleyways. He could see numerous people walking through the city carrying out their daily activities, and soon turned his gaze to his comrades.

"I see I'm the last one to arrive," Tucker said, staring at Ray, Jess, Eric, and Benjamin as they remained scattered on the balcony. "So, what have you called us for?"

Tucker turned to Luka, who wore a troubled expression. His eyes were shaking, and slowly, Luka reached for a small, translucent orb in his leather pouch. All the watchmen knew what it was from the engravings. A memory orb that was used to retrace events that had already happened.

"What's stored inside the orb?" Eric asked.

"An encounter with the Empire's latest war machine," Luka replied.

"Does the Commander know of this?" Tucker added.

"He does. The Order has created several copies of the memory orb and distributed them to all the bastions. From what I know, the Commander is already in a meeting with his advisors." Luka stood in the center and held the orb tightly in his hands. "It's best if you guys take a look and see for yourselves to understand what's coming. It's far worse than we could've ever imagined."

The orb emitted a blinding light as the grey letters sealed within it expanded. Something was entering his mind, like a dream that wasn't his, and soon, everything turned white.

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A man stood before a ruined forest with blonde hair smeared in dirt and grime. Leaves and twigs covered his dark green cloak, concealing most of his figure in the dense foliage. Yet, despite his battered appearance, there was a pitch black mask on his face made of steel with numerous engravings etched onto the surface. The steel engravings' wing-like elements spread out to the sides and curved back.

Most wouldn't know what it signified, but to watchmen like them, they knew in an instant. The mask was a sign of prestige within their Order. A symbol that signified the person in the recording as a Nightfall Ranger.

Jagged chunks of stone splintered, breaking the land and scarring the terrain into a ruined memory of its former glory. The ground trembled with each step that seemed to shake the world. However, the man remained unfazed even though his body was battered and damaged beyond belief. Countless sword wounds were on his limbs, and arrows jutted from his back like branches of a dying tree. A pool of blood formed beneath him, staining the dirt to the point where everyone knew what they were watching. They were witnessing the final moments of a man standing at the edge of death.

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"To think the Empire would have made such a monstrosity." The man laughed and tightly clenched onto the hilt of his broken sword.

Heavy metal plates clashed and scraped against each other, releasing a deep screech that sent shivers down the ranger's spine. Steam hissed from the hidden vents in the war golem's body, filling the air with a low, guttural hum. The golem was unlike anything the ranger had seen before: a fifteen-meter-tall humanoid figure clad in metal plates like a suit of armor. From the two glowing lights in the machine's visor, he could roughly guess that was how it saw the world. A single cylindrical device was mounted on its back, split open by the other ranger's strike. An abundance of mana could be seen seeping out of the container. While one hand gripped a sword wreathed in a vivid scarlet aura. And the other, a battered shield still ready for combat.

Faced with such a creation, a sense of regret filled his heart. The damaged plates and torn metal were proof of his friend's struggle to buy him time, but it wasn't enough. The machine had paved the way for the Empire's forces, and behind it were several figures clothed in black garments. There were over a hundred at a glance, but compared to before, where there had been triple the number, it was much better. His comrade had cut their numbers down and did a tremendous job at lessening his burden.

He fought back the tears in his eyes as he stared at the colossal golem, focusing on the figure on its shoulder who held a severed head. Their azure robe fluttered in the wind as the gold accents reflected the moonlight. His long grey beard and bushy brows framed a face aged with cruelty. Yet the man didn't seem to care and simply tossed the head towards the ranger. A sickening thud entered the ranger's ears as the head hit the ground, splattering blood onto the floor.

"Here's a gift. Your friend caused quite a stir, but in the end, it seemed like his efforts were futile." The Elder mage waited until the ranger had a clear sight of his deceased friend's skull before gently tapping on the golem's head. Before the ranger could do anything, the golem raised its foot and crushed the skull into the dirt. Leaving only a pile of mush smeared with debris. "I've even taken the liberty of giving him a burial." The mage grinned and gave a heartfelt laugh that felt like someone was shoving glass down one's ears.

The ranger felt his blood rise, but bit back their anger. He knew now wasn't the time for his emotions to run rampant and quickly thought out the options before him. Yet just before he could even blink an eye, the golem took a step forward, crossing a hundred meters in less than a second.

The ground cracked with each step, and the trees were torn from their roots by the sheer pressure the machine unleashed. But before the golem's blade could meet the ranger, a fierce gust of wind howled through the clearing. The ranger's body flickered for a moment as they vanished, reappearing at the golem's flank. His aura-clad blade struck at the golem's visor, leaving a large gash within the metal bars and shattering the glowing light.

It hissed and shifted its torso, turning the metal frame ever so slightly as the mage pointed the amber staff at the ranger. At the tip was a blue magic circle that shimmered as the outer rings filled with mana. Six catalysts radiated a dazzling light, releasing a series of flaming spheres from the center.

Each one shot out at a frightening speed, ripping through the air as the ranger soared, wrapping his body in wind essence. He swiftly controlled the current surrounding them, pulling the fiery flames around him. Manipulating its movements before returning each one back towards the sender.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The fireballs struck the war golem with a deafening explosion, the impact conjuring a roar that rattled the air, leaving only smoke and a wave of heat that burst outward. A crackling and snarling emerged from the clawing flames, hardly making a dent as a barrier shimmered before the machine. The air was thick with the scent of scorched metal and ash, yet the ranger kept his defense up and raised his blade. Marking the final moments as the memory faded and the orb flashed once more.

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Tucker blinked several times and grabbed the side of his head. The feeling of immersing oneself in a memory orb was disorienting, but soon mellowed out. He vaguely understood what had happened and the machine's capabilities; however, he found himself at a loss for words. The other watchmen were also the same.

"That's what happened. We managed to find the orb in a crevice after the ranger passed away. It was safely hidden and had been there for weeks." Luka paused and crossed his arms while leaning against the stone pillar. "The only reason we found it was because one of the rangers sent to investigate their disappearance was familiar with their tactics."

"What was the response from the Order?" Jess asked.

"There hasn't been an official response. With the memory orb, they found a list of messages written in some kind of encryption, but as far as I know, there haven't been any results," Luka replied.

Benjamin quietly stood there and closed his eyes before breaking his silence. "We need to train the men."

Eric nodded in agreement, but Ray clenched his fists with anger flashing across his face. He glared at Benjamin. "Do you really think any training we give now will matter?" Ray shot a fiery look at them. "That thing killed rangers for crying out loud!"

"No, it didn't kill a ranger by itself," Tucker corrected. His voice drew everyone's attention. "We'll follow what we already planned, but for now, we all need to rest."

"How can we rest when—!"

Ray shut his mouth the moment Tucker met his gaze. The look of sadness and anger mixed in the captain's eyes was something he had never seen before. Soon, Ray averted his eyes and sighed. "Very well, sir."

One by one, the watchmen gave their farewells and respect to their captain before descending the staircase, leaving behind Luka and Tucker at the top of the old bell tower. The bells tolled slowly throughout the city. Each note was a deep melody that rippled through the air like distant thunder. Yet the two didn't mind and instead stood there in silence, both deep in thought.

Tucker stared at the beautiful city filled with light. The towers of stone and glass that reached towards the sky, reflecting against the stone roads like a river of gold. He could hear the air hum, as if the city itself was alive and breathing. He felt the breeze carry the weight of countless lives onto his shoulders as he was faced with the dire reality of the situation. A sense of pain gripped his heart as he stared at Luka. He had already lost one friend; would it be too much to ask for the commander to transfer his other one away?

"If you had the option of leaving, would you take it?" Tucker asked.

Luka weakly smiled as the corner of his lips barely moved up. "Depends, are you going too?"

Tucker shook his head. "I can't, not while they still need me."

"Then there's my answer." Luka leaned over the iron rails and laughed. "It isn't like you to be scared."

"I'm not." Tucker rested his back against the railing with his arms propped just over the edge. He wasn't afraid of dying, but he was terrified of losing those close to him. "It's ironic, though, this bastion was supposed to be our safe haven. Instead, we're faced with the greatest danger our nation has ever seen."

"What can I say? We've never been lucky."

"I suppose that's true." Tucker gazed at the stars with a smile. "Are you with me?"

The sound of a distant bell filled the area as Luka stood still. Yet the words that came out were as clear as day. "Until my last breath."