Fire Mage (Web Novel)

Chapter 616: Shadowstep Dance

Meanwhile, Charles returned to the guest house in Crystal Lane at West Borough and started comprehending the 'Rebirth Fire Essences' in his Inner World.

To outsiders, it would appear he was fooling around in his bedroom. But he was trying his best to understand the secrets of Rebirth Flame.

Two days passed in a blink.

It was around 9 P.M.

During the two days, he spent most of his time trying to comprehend more 'Rebirth Flame Essences' but soon felt that he had reached a bottleneck.

Although he still managed to comprehend four more Rebirth Fire Laws, he soon realized it was his limit.

At that moment, his 'Rebirth Spell model' had already grown as strong as one kilometer in radius and appeared more like a mini-sun within his Inner World!

Moreover, his Rebirth Domain's diameter had increased up to 5 km!

If not for the mutation of his soul, Charles felt that this mini-sun might've enveloped his whole existence.

'I can't make more progress due to the lack of 'Wisdom Power.' Not only that, but I also need to stop comprehending Rebirth Flame and focus my attention on other spell models.'

Despite being a newly ranked Fire Mage, his understanding of 'Rebirth Fire' had grown stronger than any legendary mage!

It was to the point that he reached the threshold of the Legendary Realm.

He knew that excessive comprehension might damage his body and soul and decided to stop.

'But the reason the comprehension of Rebirth Flame Essence became easy for me might be due to the soul mutation by the rebirth flame and the increased fire affinity. When reconstructing my broken soul, I've been exposed to the Rebirth Star for a long time and even got some benefits during every death too.' He felt that the comprehension of other spell models wouldn't be simple like this one and decided to check it out.

But before he could take out the golden badge from his space ring, he suddenly sensed a foreign presence entering the house in stealth mode and frowned.

At that moment, a cloaked human figure stealthily entered the lawn and walked toward his bedroom.

Upon seeing this, Charles hurriedly lay on the soft bed and covered himself with a quilt.

Within a few seconds, the human shadow entered his room and walked toward the table on the left side.

'He isn't here to assassinate me?' Charles also felt no hostility from this person and decided to observe him.

On the other hand, the human shadow took out a strange leather book and a small black vial from his space ring and placed them on the table. After that, he also took a sealed letter from his pocket and put it underneath the book.

Once done, he turned around, looked deeply at Charles's bed, and hurriedly walked towards the window.

Then, he jumped out of the room and stealthily left the house.

'He is a Deacon of the Sun Church?' Charles easily guessed the intruder's identity and sat up in a hurry. Afterward, he stepped out of the bed and moved towards the table.

Soon, he lit the nearby lamp and focused on the book.

"Shadowstep Dance." He calmly picked up the brown-covered book and flipped it open.

At the same time, a row of information appeared before his eyes.

[Name: Shadowstep Dance

Technique: Sword Technique.

Affinities: Darkness, Shadow, Void.

Rank: Extraordinary.]

Although the information was short, it was enough for Charles to understand how good this technique was.

'An Extraordinary Sword Technique... I didn't expect the Sun Church to be willing to give me an Extraordinary Level sword technique without batting an eye.' He opened the first page and started reading it.

The first few pages were only about how to use the technique in theory. But after that, Charles saw nothing but empty pages.

'A fake book?' He furrowed his brows and probed it further.

After probing for more than an hour, he suddenly realized that some mysterious shadow force was hidden within the mysterious blank paper and was stunned.

As he delved deeper into his exploration, Charles discovered that the shadow forces within the blank pages were not just a passive presence but an active entity responding to his intentions and thoughts. It was as if the shadow was alive, waiting for someone with the right affinity to unlock its secrets.

Excitedly, Charles realized he had stumbled upon a unique form of knowledge, a hidden technique concealed within the book's pages. This discovery surprised him, and he eagerly continued his investigation.

As he turned the next blank page, his mind became attuned to the shadow force, and slowly, intricate patterns began to manifest. The patterns depicted fluid and graceful movements, hinting at a dance-like combat style. Charles realized that the technique required mastery over the sword and a profound understanding of the darkness element.

He carefully absorbed the details of each movement, memorizing the intricate steps and the accompanying sword techniques. Gradually, he started to piece together the fragmented knowledge, feeling a connection to the art of Shadowstep Dance.

Suddenly, the book turned into a streak of darkness and directly entered his head.

Before long, the unique streak entered his Inner World and transformed into a sword-like energy. It hovered along with the spell models and appeared to be merged with the void itself.

At that moment, a blue notification popped up before his eyes.

[Sword Technique: Beginner-Level Shadowstep Dance has been learned!]

[Beginner [Sword Aura] skill has been learned.]

[It is possible to merge Intermediate Level [Dagger Arts] skill with [Shadowstep Dance] skill. Would you like to merge it?]

'Yes.' Charles nodded in response.

A second later, another notification popped up before his eyes.

...

[Intermediate Level [Shadowstep Dance] sword technique has been learned!]

[Intermediate [Sword Aura] skill has been learned.]

[Shadowstep Dance's First Skill has been unlocked: Beginner Level [Shadow Stealth] has been learned.]

[It is possible to merge User's [Conceal] skill with the [Shadow Stealth] skill. Would you like it to merge?]

'Yes.' Charles again replied with a nod and started merging the [Conceal] skill with the [Shadow Stealth] skill.

As seconds passed, he deeply understood the [Shadow Stealth] skill and felt he could become completely invisible in the darkness.

...

[User's mastery over Shadow Stealth has been increased]

[Beginner Level Shadow Stealth skill has been upgraded to Intermediate Level.]

...

"I didn't expect my dagger arts skill and conceal skills to be merged with the Shadowstep Dance technique." He muttered and opened his eyes.

Then, he took the vial filled with dark liquid and inspected it.

"Oh? It is indeed an Exceptional level affinity potion. Bishop Orion didn't disappoint me at all." He said while removing the lid and pouring it into his mouth.

A second later, a burst of dark essence entered his body and spread like electricity.

Charles could feel the dark essence coursing through his veins, intertwining with his Fire elemental energy. It was a potent surge of power, and he could sense his affinity for darkness growing stronger by the moment. The transformation was almost palpable as his eyes glowed with a faint Obsidian shade.

As the darkness essence settled within him, Charles realized that it had a profound effect on his understanding of the Shadowstep Dance technique. The intricate patterns and movements he had absorbed from the book seemed to come alive in his mind as if the darkness was guiding him through the steps.

He stepped back from the table, his body moving with an innate grace and fluidity. With a flick of his wrist, the Moonfire Sword appeared in his hand, its blade shimmering with a sunshine aura.

It was Intermediate Sword Aura!

Charles took a deep breath, feeling the surge of power within him, and began to perform the Shadowstep Dance.

Each step he took was like a waltz, with the shadows seamlessly blending with the darkness around him. He moved incredibly fast, appearing and disappearing in the blink of an eye. The sword in his hand sliced through the air with precision, leaving behind trails of shadow and light.

Charles lost himself in the dance, his mind fully immersed in the art of combat. Every movement felt natural like he had been practicing this technique for years. He could sense the darkness responding to his every thought, enhancing his speed, agility, and stealth.

Time seemed to lose meaning as Charles continued to dance, his body and soul perfectly attuned to the shadows. Hours passed, but he remained unfazed, fully absorbed in his newfound power.

After so many hours, Charles finally stopped his dance movement and uttered a single word in exclamation.

"Incredible."

"With this, I don't need to worry about my true identity being exposed." He said with a smile and stored the Moonfire sword in his space ring.

After that, he focused on the sealed letter and flicked his fingers. A second later, his hand moved gracefully like a shadow and took the letter in a flash.

After a quick look, Charles opened the seal and took out the letter.

"Oh? Cardinal Damien agreed to my request to enter Star Tombs. Not only that, he even promised that I'd get full support from the Sun Church during the exploration. I thought things would go complicated, but I didn't expect he would agree without hesitation. But still, I need to be very careful around the Sun Church." Although Abium had been helping him in all possible ways, Charles felt it was necessary to guard against even a close friend.

'He is only a benefactor to me. He might have no hostility towards me now, but that can't be said in the future. Moreover, not all Sun Church members will have good intentions like this Cardinal Damien.' He conjured a ball of flame, burnt the letter in a flash, and finally took the 'Golden Badge' from his space ring.

"It's time to construct my second Legendary Rank spell."