/ Fantasy / Jade: The Hybrid Mage / Chapter 18: The Oldlings

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Chapter 18: The Oldlings

작가: Queen Jenna
last update 최신 업데이트: 2025-03-15 19:50:28

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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  • Jade: The Hybrid Mage   Chapter 19: The Duwlamarey

    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

    최신 업데이트 : 2025-03-15
  • Jade: The Hybrid Mage   Chapter 20: Sky Border

    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

    최신 업데이트 : 2025-03-16
  • Jade: The Hybrid Mage   Chapter 21: Mole-beasts

    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

    최신 업데이트 : 2025-03-18
  • Jade: The Hybrid Mage   Chapter 22: The Commander Is My Commander

    Kema ignored my question, his tone sharpening as he turned back to me. “Listen carefully, Jade. No one—no one—can see this symbol on you.”“But Lydia and the boss,” I pleaded. “We need to save them. I don’t believe the machine let them go.”“I don’t know who these people are, Jade. But you need to forget about that place.” His commanding tone left no room for argument. “Forget about those people and that cave.”“But Commander, does this mean the rebels are tied to Gyrange’s Cave?” Lasha interjected cautiously. “Should we investigate further?”Kema’s gaze snapped to her, the air between them thick with tension. “Not another word.”The lieutenant stiffened, then gave a sharp nod. “Understood, Commander.” Without another glance, she turned on her heel and left.“You don’t understand,” I said, my voice breaking. “We have to save them.”“I’ll handle it,” Kema said firmly, his eyes softening just enough to make me believe him. “But you need to focus on what’s coming. The selection exams beg

    최신 업데이트 : 2025-03-18
  • Jade: The Hybrid Mage   Chapter 23: The Story Of The Jagganighs

    Kema led me to a small, modest room tucked away in the depths of the Sky Border. A girl sat on one of the two beds, her dark eyes scanning a book. She wore the same dark blue uniform I’d seen on others my age—structured yet comfortable.“This is your roommate, Bainer,” Kema said.The girl stood briefly, saluting Kema with precision. She didn’t spare me a glance before returning to her bed.“That’s your side,” she said flatly, gesturing to the empty bed.The door closed softly behind Kema, leaving me alone with her.‘Oh, she’s a loner,’ Naila observed dryly.I sat on the edge of my bed, glancing at Bainer. She didn’t look up from her book.“Nice to meet you,” I said.She didn’t respond.The silence in the room was suffocating, but I decided not to push. Exhaustion weighed heavy on me, and for now, silence felt like a small mercy.:~*~:I stood at the edge of a vast chamber, my heart racing to the gentle charge of magic in the air. Six applicants, myself included, had been chosen for th

    최신 업데이트 : 2025-03-20
  • Jade: The Hybrid Mage   Chapter 24: Through The Maze

    The first corridor was dark, the air thick and oppressive. Symbols etched into the walls glowed faintly, their light just enough to guide me forward. At the end of the corridor, two paths opened before me.One was marked with the inscription: To sacrifice is to serve.The other read: To conquer is to protect.I hesitated, the story of the Jagganighs fresh in my mind. The girl had sacrificed herself, hadn’t she? It seemed like the obvious choice. But something about the phrasing felt off.‘Think, Jade,’ Naila urged. ‘What did the mage say about truth?’I closed my eyes, replaying the story in my mind. The girl’s sacrifice wasn’t what won the war—it was the power she channeled. Her act wasn’t about giving up but about empowering others.I stepped toward the second path.As I crossed the threshold, the symbols on the walls flared, and a new challenge emerged—a glowing riddle scrawled across the corridor ahead:“What flows without form, yet shapes mountains with time? Choose its vessel wi

    최신 업데이트 : 2025-03-20
  • Jade: The Hybrid Mage   Chapter 25: The Final Test Of Brilliance

    I didn’t have long to rest before the senior mage called my name again. The murmurs of the crowd quieted as I stepped forward, my chest tightening with anticipation.“Jade Ishola,” he said, his voice steady but laced with authority. “The second stage to test your brilliance awaits.”‘The second stage already?’ I thought, swallowing hard. Naila stayed silent, her presence steady in the back of my mind like a calming pulse."The final stage is done to confirm the mental fortitude of those who came out top at the first stage. It would have only three chambers. Good luck."I took a deep breath and stepped into the glowing doorway that had appeared in the chamber’s wall. The air shimmered, and the light swallowed me whole.:~*~:When I opened my eyes, I was in a vast, empty expanse. The ground beneath me was made of smooth, reflective glass, and the sky above swirled with hues of gold and blue."This place is unreal," I murmured, my voice echoing in the stillness.‘Focus,’ Naila said. ‘We’

    최신 업데이트 : 2025-03-22
  • Jade: The Hybrid Mage   Chapter 26: Friends & Foes

    The moment I stepped out of the final chamber, a chorus of gasps and murmurs rippled through the crowd. The other participants had been watching my trial, their faces etched with varying degrees of awe, resentment, and disbelief."Did she really finish it that fast again?" someone whispered."Impossible," another said, shaking their head.I walked forward, trying to ignore the sea of eyes boring into me. My heart raced, not from the trials but from the overwhelming attention.‘You’ve made quite an impression,’ Naila said, her tone amused.‘I didn’t ask for it,’ I replied, feeling heat creep up my neck.The senior mage who had overseen the test approached, his eyes sharp and assessing.“Jade Ishola,” he said, his voice carrying over the murmurs. “You’ve not only passed the trial—you’ve shattered the previous record.”A stunned silence followed his announcement.“Congratulations,” he added, inclining his head slightly before stepping back.I nodded, unsure of what to say. The weight of

    최신 업데이트 : 2025-03-22

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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

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