The Smiling Sword: Hunt for the Muri Khan

Aren and Valerie both turned sharply at the crack outside, their hearts hammering in their chests.

The Smiling Blade flared with a quick, nervous glow.

"He's already here," it whispered, its voice tight and urgent. "It's the Shadow Walker. I could sense him approaching even before you heard the noise."

Aren gripped the blade tighter, his knuckles turning white. His breath came in fast, shallow bursts, every muscle tense and ready to strike.

Valerie squeezed her eyes shut, forcing herself to breathe deeply, trying to drop into meditation just like she had done in the training circle. Her fingers trembled at her sides.

The room seemed to freeze. Even the night outside went utterly silent ;no wind, no crickets, nothing but the pounding of their own pulses.

Then, as if someone had thrown a blanket over the world, the sharp energy drained away. The air settled. The glow from the Smiling Blade softened.

"He's gone," the blade whispered suddenly, its voice low and almost puzzled.

Aren's chest heaved as he forced his sword down, but his eyes stayed locked on the doorway, still expecting the Shadow Walker to appear any second."But why?" Aren gasped, glancing at Valerie, who stood frozen, her face pale and confused.

The blade shimmered faintly, like moonlight rippling on water. "The Whisperling has warned him," it murmured. "They've decided not to strike tonight. Instead… they'll prepare."

Valerie opened her mouth, but no words came. Her hands dropped limply at her sides.

Aren swallowed hard, a cold sweat running down his back. "So… they'll come for us?" he asked, his voice tight.

The Smiling Blade pulsed once, slow and steady. "Yes. They will come for you both. But not now. Tonight was only a taste… a warning. Tomorrow, we must leave this place."

"Where are we going?" Valerie asked, her voice almost a whisper, as if she was afraid to hear the answer.

The Smiling Blade seemed to glow brighter, its light filling the small room with a ghostly silver shimmer.

"To the Mysterious Lunar," it said quietly. "There… we'll find what you need to truly stand against them. There… your true test begins."

A heavy silence fell again. Aren and Valerie exchanged a long, searching look ; both terrified, but in that moment, something unbreakable sparked between them.

Tomorrow, everything would change.

After the blade's last words, Aren and Valerie laid down, their thoughts tangled with both fear and wonder. Slowly, sleep wrapped around them like a quiet blanket.

When morning broke, a gentle golden light streamed into the hut. The Smiling Blade glowed softly beside them.

"It's time," it said, its voice steady but urgent. "Let's move."

They rose quickly, gathered their things, and stepped out into the crisp morning air. The blade took the lead, floating ahead like a living star. Aren and Valerie followed closely, their steps echoing with quiet determination.

The path twisted and turned, sometimes steep, sometimes narrow, but the blade never hesitated. It seemed like the journey would be long, but strangely, they found themselves stopping sooner than they expected.

Before them stood a cave ;ancient, hidden, its mouth draped in thick vines and shadows. Aren froze, his eyes wide.

"I've walked past this place a hundred times," he whispered, his voice thin with disbelief. "How… how did I never see it?"

The Smiling Blade shimmered, almost pleased. "Yes… it is a secret place. Only I know of it. Here, you will be safe. Even the Six cannot find you here. You will finish your levels, strengthen your spirit, and complete your ranks. This place is invisible to all others."

Aren and Valerie stepped inside, their feet scraping softly on the cave floor. Strange symbols curled across the walls like ancient vines.

As they went deeper, a soft glow began to bloom ahead. Suddenly, they stepped out into a wide open space ; a hidden paradise bursting with light. Lush vegetation stretched everywhere, flowers in wild colors, a sparkling stream that danced around smooth stones, and birds flitting from branch to branch, singing as if guarding some sacred secret.

Valerie gasped, her eyes shining. "This place is… so wonderful," she whispered, turning in slow circles to take it all in.

Ahead of them, they saw it , a clearing that looked like a living, breathing garden of legends.

"You will finish your rank here," the Smiling Blade said to Aren, its glow serious. "But it will not be easy."

Then the blade turned slightly to Valerie. "And you… you will start anew from here. You must learn to train the mind — to focus beyond the limits of fear. You may never become exactly like Nireal," it teased Aren gently, "but if you learn true focus, you will surprise even him;he calls himself Nireal."

Aren laughed, throwing his head back. "Am hungry! Can we get something to eat? Yes fruits!" he said, already darting into the trees like a child at a festival.

Valerie giggled and joined him. Together they ran, plucking bright fruits and laughing, their spirits momentarily light as morning birds.

They finally sat under a huge tree, leaning against its cool trunk with the Smiling Blade resting beside them.

Aren wiped juice from his chin, grinning. "So… what do you think of the Shadow Walker? I think I can't take him down; he can just teleport and kill me in a second!"

The garden fell silent, a hush deeper than any they had felt before.

Then, slowly, the Smiling Blade shimmered, its glow shifting like a ripple on water.

"Just wait," it said softly, its voice dropping low, almost like a whisper carried by the wind. "You will see something soon."