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Chapter 13: The Tortoise Symbol
Last Updated:
2025-03-11 18:50:24
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Jade: The Hybrid Mage Chapter 14: Gyrange’s Cave
Ever been in a dark room—not just any dark room, but one unfamiliar, suffocating, and full of unknowns? You stumble forward, arms outstretched, every step cautious as your eyes strain against the blackness, searching for any hint of light. That’s what it was like for the first thirty minutes inside Gyrange’s Cave after the massive doors slammed shut behind us.Then came the green rings of light.They lined the walls, ceiling, and floor of a corridor, pulsing faintly like a heartbeat.“It’s hard to tell what comes next. Everything looks suspicious,” Butcher muttered, his eyes scanning the eerie glow.“We were let in too easily,” he added, tightening his grip on his axes. “Feels like we’re walking into a trap.”“Let’s just avoid stepping into the circles,” Gidon suggested, his voice unusually serious.“For once, I agree with Gidon,” Lydia chimed in, taking a deliberate step forward—right into a green circle. She turned to face us, her expression calm. “See? Nothing happened.”'She’s moc
Last Updated : 2025-03-12Jade: The Hybrid Mage Chapter 15: G-Mech 0100
“How can someone so smart be so reckless?” Gidon muttered, following after her.“She knows you’ll come to her rescue, idiot,” Butcher said with a laugh, paddling next to me.One moment Lydia was ahead of us, and the next, she was gone.“Where has . . . bloob . . . master gone?” Blooby asked, his voice tinged with worry.“Let’s get to the sound first,” the boss said, his calm tone masking the tension in his movements."Whoa!"Suddenly, a powerful force yanked me forward, and the world blurred. In an instant, I was standing in a triangular room, Lydia and Gidon already there, looking equally disoriented.“Welcome,” Lydia said, seeming too amused for the situation we were in.“What just happened?” Butcher asked as he appeared beside us.“Look up,” Lydia whispered, her voice tinged with awe.Above us, suspended in the center of the room, was a sleek, oval object. Its surface gleamed like polished silver, and faint red patterns pulsed along its edges.“I am G-Mech, 0100,” a feminine voice
Last Updated : 2025-03-12Jade: The Hybrid Mage Chapter 16: Kreel
I woke up to the scent of damp earth and the soft rustle of leaves. The sky above was pale, framed by towering trees that seemed to stretch forever. Ahead of me, a massive wall loomed, built entirely of interlocked tree trunks, its surface rough and intimidating.Skulls of beasts adorned the top like grim sentinels, their hollow eyes staring down at me. Scrawled across the structure in jagged black lettering, formed from ash and bone, was one word: KREEL.My heart pounded in my chest. 'Why am I here? Did the machine bring me? Did it do something to me while I was unconscious?'Panic surged through me as I patted myself down, searching for any changes to my body. My hands ran over my arms, my legs, my neck. Everything felt the same—except for the faint sting in my palm. I turned my hand over and froze.The tortoise symbol.Its scar was burned into my skin, red and raw."Master wake up . . . bloob . . . after four hours, twenty-seven minutes . . . bloob . . . and thirteen seconds," Bloo
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“I see you wrinkling your nose, weird woman.” The boy looked over his shoulder, then turned back toward the foggy path ahead. “That smell? That’s nature having intercourse with the stench of monster droppings to create a whole new kind of garbage aroma. Learn to live with it. Like the fog, it’s here to stay.”I grimaced. “The air feels thicker, too.” I touched my dampened hair, my fingers brushing the beads of moisture clinging to it.“Learn to live with that too,” he said nonchalantly. “You’ll also notice the ground vibrating beneath your feet. That’s the earth whispering to you, weird woman. It never stops.”“You don’t say?” I limped slightly, having tripped on a sharp stone earlier.Without a word, the boy had pulled a small container from his cross-bag and smeared a pungent paste over my knee. It stung, but I realized quickly it wasn’t for the pain—it was to mask the scent of my blood.“You feel it in your belly, don’t you?” he asked, his sharp laughter echoing through the trees.
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Moments later, I managed to get a thorn through my foot and a bee sting on my arm before I spotted twinkling lights in the distance.I limped toward the glow, my body aching, until I came before a high wall made of bamboos. Twisting vines and leaves curled around the structure, blending it seamlessly into the forest.‘Maybe they use it to lure creatures away,’ I guessed.“Let me in! The kid you sent to welcome New Comers left me to die! Gib is his name!” I shouted, hoping someone would hear.“And you are?” a woman’s authoritative voice called down from above.“I’m—” I hesitated, my thoughts racing.“Yes! I didn’t quite get that! You’ll have to speak up!”“I’m Jade . . . Jade Ishola!” I finally said, thinking, 'What’s the point of lying now?'“Welcome to the Family, Jade,” the woman said. Seven columns of bamboos raised, creating a passage through the wall. “He was meant to leave you alone in the forest. We can’t afford to have anyone weak among us again.”:~*~:Inside, the settlement
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The next morning, I’d just finished washing up in the bamboo bathroom when the village erupted into chaos.“There’s a wild boar heading toward the Shelter!” someone shouted, their voice tinged with panic.I rushed outside, my hair still damp, and found the settlement in uproar.“That’s free food! A few of our finest hunters can surely kill a wild boar!” an Oldling roared, his grin wide.“The Duwlamarey has it, Elder,” another voice countered, silencing the crowd.The air grew heavy with fear. People scrambled toward underground rooms as the Chief, his staff adorned with its human skull, barked orders.“Hurry! Everyone underground! Hunters, to your positions!”“What are you doing?” Gib hissed, grabbing my arm.“I want to see it,” I replied, breaking free and crawling beneath one of the huts.“That’s crazy! Let’s go!”But I ignored him, too curious to turn back.The boar shattered the bamboo gate with a single strike, its roar echoing through the village. The sound pierced my heightened
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Relief washed over me when I saw Gib stir awake, his small frame twitching beneath the shelter of the Oldlings’ care. His eyes fluttered open, and for a moment, he looked confused. Then, with that infuriating little smirk of his, he said, “Takes more than a falling pot to get rid of me, weird woman.”I choked back a laugh, tears welling in my eyes. “Don’t call me that.”“You like it,” he replied weakly before his eyes closed again, drifting into what looked like a peaceful sleep.‘He’s alive. He’ll be fine,’ Naila assured me, her voice soft for once.‘Good,’ I thought, letting out a shaky breath. I had no more tears to spare. Not here, not now.The hunter assigned to escort me waited nearby, leaning against the rough bark of a tree, his spear resting casually in his hand. His name was Torren, and he’d been silent since we met, his sharp eyes watching everything with a predator’s focus.“It’s time,” he said simply, his voice as unyielding as the spear he carried.I glanced back at Kree
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Inside, the Sky Border was a world unto itself.The scale of it dwarfed anything I’d ever known. Towers of crystal and xylnaziom steel rose high above, their surfaces shimmering as if kissed by perpetual sunlight. The air was charged with a vibrant energy, and the hum of machinery mixed with the distant murmur of voices.Watchers moved with purpose, their capes flowing behind them. Those of higher rank wore the black combat attire I had seen before, complete with hoods and the iconic eagle-wing tattoo. They were the heart of the Border—its protectors and its soul.'No wonder the Oldlings called them mole-beasts,' I thought. 'They live in the walls, part of the very structure itself.'The scarred mage led me through wide corridors carved from gleaming stone, each turn revealing something more incredible than the last.“How big is this place?” I asked, my voice echoing faintly.“Big enough to host the Royal Palace five times over,” she replied without looking back.I stopped walking for
Last Updated : 2025-03-18
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Jade: The Hybrid Mage Chapter 68: Mist & Romance
Lysar strolled through the mist like she was taking a stroll through a rose garden, not a death trap.Her squad was all seasoned—fourth-years and fifth-years. They moved around her like a deadly pack, relaxed but hyperaware.She smirked behind her black half-mask, her portal magic flickering in tiny spirals around her fingertips, playful and casual."Poor Jade," she said lightly, almost singing. "Must be choking on her fear right about now."One of her teammates chuckled.Another—the royal mage—stepped closer, offering Lysar a playful grin. "Maybe she'll get lucky and die quickly."The royal werewolf stiffened a few paces back, silent. His golden eyes flicked to Lysar, then to the mage, then away. His posture rigid. His fists clenching.Lysar caught it all, of course.And smiled wider.She stepped toward the royal mage, tracing a finger down the front of his armored vest. Slow. Taunting."You’ll protect me, won't you, Arien?" she purred.The werewolf’s jaw tightened. A low, near-silen
Jade: The Hybrid Mage Chapter 67: Into the Fog
Lotanni was the first to give the full rundown on Lysar's team. Of course she was. If there was gossip, she'd find it faster than a scent-hound on heat."Three mages, four werewolves," she muttered while checking the straps on her gear. "One of the werewolves is royalty. The prince from the Southern Fang. Has a stupidly forbidden crush on Lysar."Nyomei raised a brow. "That arrogant one who walks like his back’s too stiff for his own head?""That’s the one. But get this—he’s in some kind of love triangle. Because apparently, one of the mages, another royal, is having an affair with Lysar too."Bainer blinked. "Wait, what?""I’m telling you, the drama in that squad is better than any tavern tale."I didn’t comment. I was too focused on the unnerving green eyes of one of the mages Lysar had selected. He hadn’t said much, but the moment I saw those eyes—bright, fog-cutting, too familiar—something twisted in my gut.Kreel.He was from Kreel.I’d know those eyes anywhere.The briefing was
Jade: The Hybrid Mage Chapter 66: The Mission
The news came the evening before the match.We were at the 5-Year Cadet Barracks when it dropped—right after evening drills, soaked in sweat and panting from a brutal sparring rotation. I’d barely unclenched my fists when the announcement flared across the nearest magic veil, the glowing script scrolling like a judge's verdict."UPDATE: Team Match Initiated. Jade Ishola and Lysar Fallan will no longer face off in a duel. Instead, each cadet will assemble a team and be deployed into the Evil Forest. Mission Objective: Recover a sacred crest stolen by bandits. First team to return with the item wins."A silence passed through the training ground when the update dropped. Then chaos.“They what?!” Lotanni shouted. “A mission? We’ve been training for the RGT, not an actual op!”Lysar’s voice cut through the noise, smooth and mocking. “Lucky cunt, Jade. Guess I won’t get to publicly humiliate her ass with a good beating after all.”She stood off to the side with her squad—older cadets in sh
Jade: The Hybrid Mage Chapter 65: Fire Beneath the Skin
"You're enjoying this way too much," Naila murmured inside my head, her voice dry, but amused. "A little too proud for someone who nearly died under a boulder of magic two hours ago."Lysar was still on her knees.I didn’t move. Just watched."Alright, enough," Naila said. "Pull it back. You made your point. Eat the rage before someone thinks you've lost control and decides to act on it."She wasn’t wrong.I drew a breath and clenched my fists, slowly pulling the aura back into me. It resisted, angry and wild, but I forced it in, reeling the energy back like an unraveling thread. As the storm faded, so did the trembling in the air.And the moment the last wisp vanished from around my body—I dropped to my knees.The Watchers lowered their weapons at once.Kema stepped forward. His jaw was tight, unreadable. He glanced at Lysar, who still hadn’t gotten up."Spend the night in the demon cave," he said simply.Gasps echoed. Even the wind seemed to falter.Lysar's head snapped toward him.
Jade: The Hybrid Mage Chapter 64: The Roar Within
My aura wasn’t fierce like fire.Not in the way I expected.It didn’t rage or scream or crackle.It was . . . cool.Not cold.But steady. Deep. Endless.And yet, when I reached for it, I felt the truth—It wasn’t gentle at all.It was heavy. Condensed.Like trying to pull a mountain up by its roots while lying beneath it.I clenched my jaw, fingers twitching on the stone beneath me. My bones felt like they were vibrating from the inside out.I gritted my teeth.Tried to yank it out.The pressure of the cave didn’t help. It shattered every ounce of focus I scraped together.The weight of it all—inside and out—was suffocating.My lips cracked when I whispered, “Come on—”‘Stop fighting it,’ Naila said, her voice a tether in the storm. ‘You can’t pull aura like magic. You become it. Let it rise. Don’t command it—join it.’“I’m trying,” I hissed through clenched teeth.‘You’re not trying. You’re battling it. That won’t work. This isn’t an enemy. It’s you.’I slumped.My chest rose and fel
Jade: The Hybrid Mage Chapter 63: The Threshold Within
I failed to capture any of those muscular, rat-faced chickens the next morning. The joker, Lysar, gave me an hour to catch five—like she was offering some kind of mercy.She got what she wanted in the end, smiling like a demon when she ordered me back into the cave.The second time was no gentler than the first.I approached the mouth of the cave with slow, bracing steps, every muscle in my body tensed for what I knew was coming. The air shimmered, thick with invisible threads of pressure that pulled at my skin and slowed my legs like I was walking through molasses.And then, like clockwork, it happened.The force yanked me inward with brutal speed. I flew through the dark, slammed into stone, and crumpled to the ground. But this time, I expected it. I curled my body in midair, took the brunt of the impact on my side instead of my back. It still hurt like hell, but I stayed conscious.That was new.The cave roared silently around me. That same crushing weight clamped down, harder now,
Jade: The Hybrid Mage Chapter 62: Rage and Reward
I didn’t know how long I lay there.Minutes? Hours? Days?The pain made time meaningless.I didn’t cry out—I couldn’t. My body wasn’t mine anymore. Just bones and nerves trapped under the weight of something too vast to comprehend. Something ancient and angry, pressing on every part of me like it wanted to flatten me into dust.I couldn’t move.Couldn’t breathe right.All I could do was feel. And plead.I whispered to the darkness, over and over, “Let it end.”When that didn’t work, I begged.When begging didn’t work, I asked for death.And then—just when I thought the cave would keep me forever—It spat me out.One moment I was crushed beneath its aura. The next, I was flying.I hit the dirt outside the cave mouth hard, landed face-first in gravel, and gasped for air like it was treasure.I didn’t even lift my head.But I saw the boots.Polished. Familiar.A hand grabbed my collar and turned me over.And there she was.Lysar.Smirking down at me like I was exactly what she expected t
Jade: The Hybrid Mage Chapter 61: The Field & The Cave
They weren’t just fast.They were coordinated.Hundreds of sharp-eyed nightmares, darting across the grass with freakish rhythm. Beaks snapping, talons gleaming, thick sinewy muscles built for chasing and shredding. If I hadn’t spent fifteen days sharpening my instincts in the isolation chamber, I’d be a torn-up mess before midday.I dodged left, rolled under a leaping pair, and kicked one away before it clawed my thigh. They circled back, unrelenting.Naila’s voice had been quiet since I stepped into isolation. I knew she hadn’t left—her presence still hummed at the back of my mind, silent and still, hibernating deep in the dark void.She said her time in the God's domain had taken a toll on her resolve, and she needed time alone to recover.But it was moments like this I missed her most.If she were here, she’d tell me how to beat this. How to capture them.But right now? I was alone.Two hours passed.Two. Whole. Hours.I hadn’t caught a single one.The most I’d managed was knockin
Jade: The Hybrid Mage Chapter 60: Welcome to the Barracks
The main hall was still empty when I asked the system for an update.“All RGT Selects have transitioned to advanced training with the five-year cadets,” it replied. “Except Cadet Orin, who remains in Isolation Chamber Nine.”So they’d all made it through.I had passed reflection training last. But apparently, I wasn’t the only one still left behind.I was just about to leave when the door to Chamber Nine hissed open.Orin stepped out.His shirt was soaked through. His arms hung heavy at his sides. Eyes slightly unfocused.We locked eyes.“Hey,” he muttered.“Hey,” I replied quietly.He didn’t stop walking. Just gave me a tired nod and moved toward the exit.“See you at the barracks.”I watched him go, understanding too well the weight in his step.He’d won the fight.But he’d lost the race.After the longest shower of my life and a hot meal that nearly brought me to tears, I made my way to the five-year barracks.It was louder than I expected.Cadets jogged in lines across the courtya
