Serena tightened her grip on Asher. "Tell me we're not just flying blind in here."
Asher didn't respond immediately. He was focused. The mana in the storm was wild, erratic—but not random.
Almost like a heartbeat.
Asher's eyes narrowed.
Something was alive in here.
Serena sensed it too. "…You feel that?"
Asher nodded. "We're not alone."
Lightning suddenly exploded across the sky, illuminating the storm's core—
And for a split second, Asher saw it.
A massive, glowing eye staring back at them from the storm's depths.
Serena froze. "Oh, hell no."
The storm shuddered. The air thickened.
A deep, rumbling voice echoed through the clouds.
Serena flinched. "Okay, I vote we leave. Immediately."
Asher didn't move. His mind raced. New novel chapters are published on Novel~Fire. (n)et
The storm wasn't just a storm.
It was a sentient entity.
Something ancient. Powerful. And aware.
Asher took a slow breath, adjusting his grip on Serena. "We're just passing through. We don't want trouble."
"Then you have chosen the wrong path."
Suddenly, the clouds shifted.
And the storm itself began to take form.
A towering, humanoid figure emerged from the churning darkness. Its body was made of pure storm energy—lightning crackling through its veins, wind forming its limbs. Its glowing eyes locked onto Asher and Serena.
"If you wish to pass… you must prove your worth."
Serena groaned. "Great. Another cryptic test. Why do all ancient beings do this?"
Asher's eyes gleamed.
"Fine," he said, his blood aura flaring. "Let's do this."
And then, it attacked.
The moment the storm entity spoke, the sky roared with fury.
A massive bolt of lightning shot toward Asher and Serena like a divine spear.
Asher barely had time to react. He tightened his grip around Serena and twisted mid-air, forming a barrier of blood just in time—
The force of the impact sent them spiraling downward, crashing through the turbulent winds.
Serena coughed. "We are so dead!"
Asher gritted his teeth. "Not yet."
He steadied himself, forcing the blood wings at his back to stabilize their fall. The storm's pressure was immense—he could feel his own blood boiling from the sheer mana saturation in the air.
The storm entity's eyes flashed.
A vortex of tornadoes erupted around them, forming an inescapable cage of wind.
Serena clicked her tongue. "You just had to pick a fight with a literal storm god."
Asher ignored her, analyzing their situation. The storm wasn't just wind and lightning—it had rules. The energy followed a pulse, a cycle.
If he could figure out the pattern—he could disrupt it.
Serena suddenly grabbed his shoulder. "Uh, Asher?"
A spear of pure lightning was forming in the storm entity's hand.
And it was aimed directly at them.
The spear launched forward, faster than thought.
Asher didn't hesitate.
He pushed Serena away, twisting his body to face the attack head-on.
Blood surged. Power flared.
A massive crimson barrier erupted around him, dense and pulsating with raw energy—
But the moment the lightning touched it—
The entire sky lit up.
Serena shielded her eyes from the blinding explosion. The force sent her flying back, but she managed to steady herself, looking around frantically.
Then—from within the smoke—
A silhouette emerged.
Wings of blood, eyes glowing with power.
Asher floated there, completely unharmed.
Serena blinked. "How the hell—?"
Asher exhaled. "I get it now."
He lifted his gaze toward the storm entity, a smirk forming on his lips.
"You're not just testing my strength."
The storm entity remained silent, watching.
Asher's smirk widened.
"You're testing my control."
And then, for the first time—
Serena looked between them. "Wait, what does that mean?"
Asher didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he closed his eyes.
The storm itself started to change.
Serena's breath hitched as she felt the winds shift. The oppressive mana that had been threatening to crush them suddenly settled.
The entity's lightning-drenched body began to flicker, its energy drawn toward Asher.
Serena's eyes widened.
"Asher, what are you—?"
Asher slowly opened his eyes—
And for a moment, they weren't red.
They were glowing white—like the storm itself.
The storm entity's form began to dissolve, merging with the winds around them.
The howling winds faded. The oppressive pressure lifted.
Serena stared in shock. "…Did you just absorb a storm?"
Asher exhaled, shaking off the lingering energy in his veins. "Not exactly. I just borrowed its power for a moment."
Serena ran a hand through her hair. "Right. Just casually 'borrowing' the power of a literal storm god. Totally normal."
Asher smirked. "You'll get used to it."
Serena sighed, rubbing her temples.
"…I really hope not."
With the storm cleared, they resumed their flight.
The border to the next god's domain was near—
But so was their next challenge.
Because if the Blood Cross had any idea where they were heading—
They wouldn't be far behind.
The skies had cleared, but the air remained tense.
Serena kept glancing at Asher as they flew, her grip tightening around his arm.
"You sure you're okay?" she asked.
Asher rolled his shoulders, feeling the lingering storm energy hum beneath his skin. "I'll live."
Serena frowned. "That's not reassuring."
Before Asher could reply, a sharp pressure crashed down on them.
Both of them froze mid-air.
An overwhelming force.
A suffocating, chilling sensation that seeped into their bones.
Serena's breath hitched. "This isn't normal mana…"
Asher's eyes sharpened.
"This is divine presence."
Serena cursed. "They found us already?!"
A shadow loomed above them.
A massive floating warship emerged from the clouds, its dark, jagged hull covered in glowing crimson runes.
Asher gritted his teeth. "Damn cultists work fast."
From the warship's deck, figures clad in black and crimson robes stared down at them.
A deep, booming voice echoed from the ship—
"Sinners who defy Malfus—your lives end here."
Serena instinctively grabbed her daggers. "Please tell me we're running."