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Chapter 34: A Prey in the Dark
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๋ฐ์ดํธ:
2025-03-29 22:38:43
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Jade: The Hybrid Mageย ย ย Chapter 35: The Rotten Man
I donโt know how long I stayed in the darkness. Hours? Days? Time lost all meaning. The only certainty was the annoying sound of my bare feet against the damp, fleshy ground as I limped aimlessly.Squish . . . squish . . . squish . . .Every step grated against my nerves. Every stumble reminded me how fragile my strength had become. When I wasnโt moving, I was cryingโletting out broken sobs that disappeared into the void around me.My wounds burned with every movement, the dripping residue from the goo above searing my flesh. But I kept going. I had to.Eventually, just as the last thread of hope in me was about to snap, I heard itโa low humming sound floating through the darkness.I tried moving toward the sound, painfully quickening my pace. But then, I froze, my feet stuck as they sank slightly into a patch of sticky ground. Slowly, I felt myself being pulled under, the thick goo devouring me, biting into my already raw wounds with a fresh sting of pain. I screamed, thrashing again
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2025-03-30Jade: The Hybrid Mageย ย ย Chapter 36: Prince of the Dark
He sat huddled in a corner where the faint glowing worms dared not approach. The air around him seemed heavier, almost as though it refused to touch him. Holding my breath, I lowered myself beside him, leaning against the meaty wall. Its unsettling warmth seeped into my back, but I barely noticed, too focused on steadying my breathing against his deathlike odor. โD-donโt hurt me,โ he stammered, his words tumbling over each other. โDo not t-t-take my-my soul away. I ha-have done nothingโโ His words dissolved into a fit of coughs, each one more violent than the last. The foul breath that followed hit me like a slap, making my eyes sting and my stomach twist. 'How can he smell worse than this place?' โYou donโt have to be afraid of me,โ I said, turning my face away and covering my nose. โIโm not a demon. Iโm lost here, just like you.โ He groaned, his body trembling with every ragged breath. โI tried to walk, but my knees . . . they wonโt let me. My jointsโโ He paused, letting out a
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2025-03-31Jade: The Hybrid Mageย ย ย Chapter 37: Jodeicasca
โThat explains the feeling perfectly,โ I said, my voice trembling. โAnd knowing that doesnโt help. If anything, it makes it worse.โThe darkness pressed against me like a living thing. The faint glow of worms scattered across the fleshy ground offered little solace. I could still feel itโthe presence of unseen watchers, their oppressive gaze prickling my skin. Were they demons, or was my fear simply feeding my imagination?Klaus shifted beside me, his breaths shallow and strained. โMemories of my wife and daughter came to me not long ago,โ he murmured. โEver since then, the demons have used them to torment me. I can hardly think of my daughterโs innocent face without seeing a dark fog hanging over it. I hear her laugh, calling out to me . . . and then I hear her cry, asking why I abandoned her and her mother.โHis voice cracked, and a shudder ran through his frail body. โIzogie, my darling wife. Does she still hope Iโm alive? Or has she given up and found someone new? I canโt . . . I
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2025-03-31Jade: The Hybrid Mageย ย ย Chapter 38: Trial of Regret
โJodeicasca?โ I whispered, my voice trembling. โNo . . . itโs a myth, isnโt it?โThe words felt hollow even as I spoke them. Fear crept under my skin, roughening it with goosebumps.โYouโre perishing in her belly, and you ask me such a foolish question,โ Klaus replied, clicking his tongue in disapproval.โWhat foolish question?โ I snapped, my chest tightening with panic. โIโm scared out of my mind, Klaus!โโItโs never okay to be foolish, Jade.โ He sighed heavily, the sound rasping like sandpaper. โFear makes fools of people. And fools make mistakes that lead to foolish deaths.โโThen why are we here?โ I demanded, my voice shaking. โI canโt speak for you, but why me? Why not those who deserve it more?โKlaus chuckled darkly. โDeserve? Do you think this place cares about fairness?โI ignored him, my thoughts racing. โThe myth says Jodeicasca is where the unforgiven suffer endless regret to earn mercy from the Great Gods. If they pass the test, theyโre condemned to eternity in the third
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2025-03-31Jade: The Hybrid Mageย ย ย Chapter 39: Prince or Predator
Klaus withdrew his hand, and I told myself it had been a mistake. He couldn't see me in the darkness any more than I could see him. Maybe he hadn't realized where his hand had wandered.I wanted to believe that. I needed to believe it, for my own sanity.'I may be weak and wounded, but my dignity isn't damaged.'"If you ever escape Jodeicasca," Klaus said, his voice low and rough, "I doubt you'd ever find it in you to commit another sin you'd regret. But that's only if you get out."His hand came back, resting on my chest again, firmer this time. My breath hitched, and a slight sound escaped my lips. He paused, then slid his hand back to my shoulder, stroking it as though nothing had happened.Anger erupted in me like fire. I grabbed his wrist, squeezing his knuckles together until I heard a crack. Then I flung his hand away, my chest heaving.He didn't make a sound, not even a grunt of pain.For a moment, I considered punching him, maybe clawing his face if I could find it in the dar
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2025-03-31Jade: The Hybrid Mageย ย ย Chapter 40: The Icy Mouth of Death
โFind her head and crawl out of her mouth,โ Klaus said, his voice weighed down by hopelessness. โHer tail is endless, leading straight to death and then hell. Itโs a gamble to know which side leads to her headโright or left.โ He let out a long, defeated sigh. โItโs up to the Great Gods to decide our fate. Thereโs no such thing as luck here.โโHer mouth . . . Of course, that must be the way out!โ I thought, my pulse quickening. 'Oh Spirits, what direction should I take if Iโm to start this fickle journey?'โI followed the worms,โ Klaus continued. โI suppose you were doing the same?โHis hand brushed my thigh, and I cleared my throat sharply. He withdrew it without a word.โI got caught in a slime,โ I said. โIt swallowed me, and I ended up down here. After that, I followed the sound of your humming. But now that I really look at the worms, theyโre all moving in one direction.โI clenched my fists, fighting the urge to scratch at the wounds that pained me so. My lovely skinโalthough not
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2025-03-31Jade: The Hybrid Mageย ย ย Chapter 41: Light & Darkness
There was no warmth left in Klaus's lifeless body to fight the cold, but I clung to him regardless, my tears soaking into his brittle skin. I wept until my sobs dwindled to whimpers, shaking not just from the icy darkness but from the fear creeping through every inch of me.Then, without warning, a violent force yanked his body from my arms. It happened so fast, so silent, that I couldn't tell where he had been taken or what had done it. The air seemed to hold its breath, leaving only an oppressive, heart-pounding silence in its wake. My chest thudded so hard it felt like my ribs would crack under the pressure.'What just happened?'"The smaller creatures are warm as a meal from an oven," Klaus had said. Could it be that the larger ones are the opposite? But there was no light, no glowing hint of whatever had taken him."Please . . . don't hurt me," I quavered, my teeth clattering as I wrapped my arms around myself. I looked to my left, then to my right, but the darkness was lung-crus
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2025-03-31Jade: The Hybrid Mageย ย ย Chapter 42: Cray Cray
โSo, the test of the Great Gods for you was Jodeicasca, the tailless snake of regret?โ Kalu Drya, the Sky Borderโs head healer, asked. She was an elderly woman with a smile as gentle as her voice, her presence oddly soothing despite the weight of her words.โFor the last time . . . Yes!โ I snapped, exasperation leaking into my tone.I lay on a long chair, staring at the ceiling, arms crossed in defianceโyet fear coiled around my heart, twisting inside me.Ten Hours EarlierI woke up gasping, as if I had been drowning and had just broken through the surface. My breaths came in frantic gulps, my chest rising and falling with violent urgency.I was in a large bedโsoft, unfamiliar. Blinking through the haze of panic, I took in my surroundings. The room was spacious, pristine, and entirely white. The only piece of furniture was the bed I lay in. Even the loose garment draped over my body was a stark white, blending me into the room like a ghost.I didnโt understand what was happening, but
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2025-04-03
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Jade: The Hybrid Mageย ย ย 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 seasonedโfourth-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.Anotherโthe royal mageโstepped 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."Youโll protect me, won't you, Arien?" she purred.The werewolfโs jaw tightened. A low, near-silen
Jade: The Hybrid Mageย ย ย 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 backโs too stiff for his own head?""Thatโs the one. But get thisโheโs 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?""Iโm telling you, the drama in that squad is better than any tavern tale."I didnโt comment. I was too focused on the unnerving green eyes of one of the mages Lysar had selected. He hadnโt said much, but the moment I saw those eyesโbright, fog-cutting, too familiarโsomething twisted in my gut.Kreel.He was from Kreel.Iโd know those eyes anywhere.The briefing was
Jade: The Hybrid Mageย ย ย Chapter 66: The Mission
The news came the evening before the match.We were at the 5-Year Cadet Barracks when it droppedโright after evening drills, soaked in sweat and panting from a brutal sparring rotation. Iโd 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.โThey what?!โ Lotanni shouted. โA mission? Weโve been training for the RGT, not an actual op!โLysarโs voice cut through the noise, smooth and mocking. โLucky cunt, Jade. Guess I wonโt get to publicly humiliate her ass with a good beating after all.โShe stood off to the side with her squadโolder cadets in sh
Jade: The Hybrid Mageย ย ย 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 didnโt 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 wasnโt 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 bodyโI 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 hadnโt 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 Mageย ย ย Chapter 64: The Roar Within
My aura wasnโt fierce like fire.Not in the way I expected.It didnโt rage or scream or crackle.It was . . . cool.Not cold.But steady. Deep. Endless.And yet, when I reached for it, I felt the truthโIt wasnโt 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 didnโt help. It shattered every ounce of focus I scraped together.The weight of it allโinside and outโwas suffocating.My lips cracked when I whispered, โCome onโโโStop fighting it,โ Naila said, her voice a tether in the storm. โYou canโt pull aura like magic. You become it. Let it rise. Donโt command itโjoin it.โโIโm trying,โ I hissed through clenched teeth.โYouโre not trying. Youโre battling it. That wonโt work. This isnโt an enemy. Itโs you.โI slumped.My chest rose and fel
Jade: The Hybrid Mageย ย ย 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 fiveโlike 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 Mageย ย ย Chapter 62: Rage and Reward
I didnโt know how long I lay there.Minutes? Hours? Days?The pain made time meaningless.I didnโt cry outโI couldnโt. My body wasnโt 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 couldnโt move.Couldnโt breathe right.All I could do was feel. And plead.I whispered to the darkness, over and over, โLet it end.โWhen that didnโt work, I begged.When begging didnโt work, I asked for death.And thenโjust when I thought the cave would keep me foreverโIt 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 didnโt 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 Mageย ย ย Chapter 61: The Field & The Cave
They werenโt 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 hadnโt spent fifteen days sharpening my instincts in the isolation chamber, Iโd 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.Nailaโs voice had been quiet since I stepped into isolation. I knew she hadnโt leftโher 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, sheโd tell me how to beat this. How to capture them.But right now? I was alone.Two hours passed.Two. Whole. Hours.I hadnโt caught a single one.The most Iโd managed was knockin
Jade: The Hybrid Mageย ย ย Chapter 60: Welcome to the Barracks
The main hall was still empty when I asked the system for an update.โAll RGT Selects have transitioned to advanced training with the five-year cadets,โ it replied. โExcept Cadet Orin, who remains in Isolation Chamber Nine.โSo theyโd all made it through.I had passed reflection training last. But apparently, I wasnโt 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.โHey,โ he muttered.โHey,โ I replied quietly.He didnโt stop walking. Just gave me a tired nod and moved toward the exit.โSee you at the barracks.โI watched him go, understanding too well the weight in his step.Heโd won the fight.But heโd 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
