Primordial Heir: Nine Stars

The next target was a pair of cadets who had chosen to rest near a stream.

They had constructed a small shelter beneath a rocky overhang and established a basic perimeter around their campsite. Their weapons lay within reach, and one of them remained awake while the other rested.

They had made reasonable preparations.

The stream provided water, the rocks offered protection from attacks coming from one direction, and the surrounding trees made it difficult for distant observers to see their campfire.

Unfortunately, the same trees also provided Nero with countless paths of approach.

He circled the campsite once.

Then twice.

He observed the guard’s habits, the direction of the breeze, and the distance between the shelter and the nearest trees.

The guard was alert.

Every few moments, he scanned the forest and checked the area around the stream.

Nero waited until the guard looked toward the opposite bank.

A thin veil of Darkness flowed beneath the overhang.

It crept along the ground, passed behind a cluster of stones, and reached the sleeping cadet.

The second cadet stirred.

Nero froze.

The boy shifted beneath his cloak, then settled down again.

Nero continued.

Darkness rose around the sleeping cadet, forming a silent barrier that prevented any sudden movement from disturbing the campsite. A moment later, the bracelet flashed.

**Eliminated.**

The guard’s head snapped around.

He stared at the shelter.

Then he saw the message on his own bracelet indicating that his companion had been eliminated.

He jumped to his feet and drew his sword.

His gaze swept across the campsite.

”Who’s there?”

No answer came.

He activated his ability.

A ring of mana spread around him, illuminating the ground and the nearest trees.

Nothing.

He turned toward the stream.

A ripple crossed the water.

He immediately swung his sword.

CLANG!

Steel struck steel.

Nero stood before him, his black blade resting against the cadet’s weapon.

For the first time that night, someone had managed to force Nero into a direct exchange.

The cadet reacted quickly, driving his sword forward while gathering mana around his legs.

Nero retreated half a step.

The second strike followed.

Nero parried it.

The third came from above.

Nero tilted his blade and redirected the attack, allowing the cadet’s momentum to carry him forward.

The cadet was skilled.

He had good instincts and didn’t waste movements. His attacks were direct, efficient, and supported by years of training.

But he was fighting an opponent who could perceive every change in the air around him.

Nero felt the slightest shift in the cadet’s shoulders before each strike. He sensed the movement of his feet through the current passing over the ground. Even the change in air pressure caused by the sword’s movement revealed the direction of the next attack.

He didn’t need to overpower the cadet.

He only needed to remain one step ahead.

The cadet swung horizontally.

Nero ducked beneath the blade.

A thread of Darkness wrapped around the sword’s hilt.

The cadet tried to pull it free.

Nero stepped forward and struck his armor with the flat of his blade.

A pulse of mana followed.

The bracelet flashed.

**Eliminated.**

The cadet fell silent.

Nero caught him before he struck the rocks, then lowered him to the ground.

He turned toward the stream.

The surface had barely settled.

A few moments later, Nero was gone.

Six cadets.

All eliminated.

***

The trial grounds were enormous, but they were not endless.

As Nero continued his hunt, the number of available targets gradually decreased. Some cadets had already been eliminated by monsters, while others had gathered in groups large enough to discourage solitary attackers.

Nero didn’t mind.

He wasn’t in a hurry.

He moved from one region to another, observing the participants before deciding whether they were worth approaching.

He ignored several cadets who were clearly exhausted and had no interest in attacking anyone. Their movements suggested that they were simply trying to survive until the trial ended.

They weren’t his targets.

Instead, he focused on those who continued moving through the forest in search of points, particularly those who had separated from their groups or grown careless after a successful hunt.

He didn’t attack recklessly.

He studied them.

He waited for the right moment.

And when the opportunity presented itself, he acted.

One cadet was eliminated while investigating a strange disturbance in the trees.

Another lost his bracelet after chasing what he believed to be a wounded monster.

A third attempted to ambush a lone participant, only to find himself caught between the darkness beneath his feet and a sudden current of wind that disrupted his balance.

Nero never stayed long enough for the remaining cadets to understand what had happened.

Sometimes, they noticed a missing companion.

Sometimes, they discovered only the fading trace of mana.

And sometimes, they found nothing at all.

The forest swallowed every clue.

Nero’s methods grew more refined with each encounter.

He learned to spread Darkness across the ground without allowing it to form an obvious trail. He used Wind to guide falling leaves away from his path and prevent branches from moving when he passed. He could travel between shadows while using subtle currents to maintain his balance, making his movements almost impossible to detect.

When an opponent’s senses were particularly sharp, he changed his approach.

He would remain still and allow the natural sounds of the forest to conceal his movements.

When an opponent relied on magical detection, he minimized the amount of mana he released and used Darkness to disrupt the connection between the target’s senses and the surrounding shadows.

When a group moved together, he separated them by manipulating the environment, creating small disturbances that encouraged them to investigate different directions.

He didn’t need to be stronger than everyone.

He needed to understand them better than they understood him.

And that was becoming increasingly easy.

***

The final encounter of the night took place near a rocky ridge.

Three cadets were moving through the area, their bracelets glowing faintly in the darkness. They had spent the previous hours hunting monsters and had accumulated a respectable number of points.

Their leader was particularly cautious.

He had heard rumors that several participants had disappeared during the night, and he suspected that another cadet was hunting them.

The possibility concerned him enough to keep the group close together.

They moved slowly, maintaining a defensive formation as they crossed the ridge.

Nero watched from a narrow ledge above them.

He had been following them for nearly ten minutes.

Their leader frequently checked the ground, searching for signs of movement. One of the others kept watch over the surrounding trees, while the third monitored their rear.

They were better prepared than the previous groups.

A direct approach would be inefficient.

Nero’s gaze moved toward the slope below the ridge.

Loose stones covered the ground.

A narrow path wound between the rocks, leading toward a small depression surrounded by trees.

He understood the terrain immediately.

A faint current of Wind passed over the slope.

Several loose stones shifted.

One rolled down the incline and struck another.

The sound echoed through the ridge.

All three cadets turned.

The leader raised his hand, signaling the others to stop.

He studied the slope.

A second stone rolled downward.

Then a third.

The cadet watching the rear moved closer to his companions.

The leader hesitated before drawing his sword.

He signaled for the others to follow and cautiously approached the source of the disturbance.

They entered the narrow path.

Nero moved above them.

Darkness spread across the rocks, merging with the natural shadows and creating a concealed route along the upper ledge.

The wind carried the sound of their footsteps away from the path.

The first cadet reached the depression.

Nothing was there.

He turned toward the others.

At that instant, a dark shape dropped behind him.

Nero struck.

The bracelet flashed.

The second cadet spun around, weapon already raised.

A gust of wind swept through the depression, scattering dust and loose leaves.

He lost sight of Nero for a fraction of a second.

That was enough.

Nero appeared beside him, deflected his weapon, and struck his armor with a concentrated pulse of Darkness.

**Eliminated.**

The leader reacted faster than either of his companions.

He abandoned his defensive position and retreated toward the open slope, attempting to create distance.

Nero followed.

The leader swung his sword, releasing a powerful wave of mana that illuminated the rocks.

Nero passed beneath it, his body blending into the darkness cast by the ridge.

The leader immediately changed direction and struck again.

His attack swept through the empty space where Nero had been.

A current of Wind shifted behind him.

He turned.

Nero was already there.

The leader raised his sword to block.

Their weapons collided once.

The impact rang through the rocky depression.

Nero’s expression remained unchanged.

The leader’s eyes widened as he felt his own weapon being forced aside.

He tried to recover his stance.

Darkness curled around his feet.

His movement faltered.

Nero’s next strike landed against his armor.

The bracelet flashed.

**Eliminated.**

The ridge became quiet.

Nero stood among the rocks, his black sword held loosely in one hand.

He looked toward the forest.

No one else was nearby.

He checked his bracelet.

The accumulated points from the six cadets he had hunted were now reflected in his score.

His total had reached approximately **3,000 points**.

The gap between him and the other participants was becoming ridiculous.

Yet Nero felt no particular excitement over the number itself.

What pleased him was the progress he had made.

The Law of Darkness had become more than a means of summoning shadows or forming weapons. He could use it to conceal his presence, interfere with an opponent’s perception, and turn the darkness of the environment into an extension of himself.