The Dawn of the New World

He couldn't help but trace the outline of her features with his forefinger.

From her small eyes, nose, and lips to the ears that were usually hidden behind the waist-length hair, everything resembled her elven family members as if crafted from the same moonstone.

Her ears curved upwards, a clear indication of her bloodline and real identity.

"You have no idea how long I've been looking for you," Hao Xuan muttered under his breath but with a sudden bout of deja vu he was thrown off by a series of memories bubbling up to the surface of his mind.

He was standing in the rain at the peak of a steep hill. It was night and the cold wind was blowing hard forcing him ever closer to the edge.

He was in a daze overlooking the bustling city lights in the distance. He was so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn't even react to the puddle of blood forming at his feet staining the white shirt.

He only picked up on the person that had walked up behind him until they were just a stone's throw away.

Awoken from his stupor Hao Xuan turned on his heels pulling out a handgun from his waist and pointing it at the would-be assailant.

But his eyes opened wide when he saw who it was. Ma Jiang was standing in front of him in a ripped black dress.

Drenched from head to toe and obviously freezing in the cold weather she didn't even bat an eye at the firearm aimed at her head and simply smiled, relieved from the bottom of her heart.

"You have no idea...how long I've been looking for you," she uttered laboriously through heavy breaths.

Hao Xuan blinked and the memories sunk back into the ocean of his mind.

He couldn't help but let out a heavy sigh upon realizing what they were.

'So you were the one who found me first then.'

Only now was he able to tell who was who.

'I thought for sure Ceni would have found me first.'

Hao Xuan placed his hand over his heart where he could feel a piece missing. It had been a part of him for so long that even though it was now taken away he could still feel a vague connection to it.

*Snort*

Ma Jiang was already snoring like a horse in his lap which made it that much harder to wake her up. He was about to flick her awake just like he used to do it in the memories but held back in the end.

'Maybe it's better if I pretend not to remember, it would only hurt you more.'

Instead he carried her over to the stone bed and placed her down. Ma Jiang didn't seem to mind the hard surface at all since she didn't even make a sound.

"Sleep for now," he whispered before walking to the doorway.

He knelt down and closed his eyes, recalling the right order of the spell. Dipping a finger into one of the many open wounds he began inscribing a row of symbols on the floor using his own blood.

'A low-tier blood barrier. Even I should be able to use it without proper training.'

In one of his many lives, he lived in a world where magic ruled over all.

Within the hierarchy, blood magic was the easiest to get into but the user had to pay a heavy price with each spell cast. Fortunately, now with his nearly inexhaustible vitality he could use it without much forethought or consequence.

Once the symbols were inscribed he uttered the spell in a low voice.

"Let the weary soul rest from the tumultuous tides of the outside world."

A red spark ignited from one of the symbols before exploding in a sheet of blinding red light.

*BZZZZZT*

It covered the entrance before slowly losing much of the luster.

Hao Xuan waved his hand across the threshold and felt the slight resistance against his skin. It was still there but could only be seen when someone passed through it.

'Again. So much more powerful than what I remember. I gotta stop throwing out abilities and spells so casually. With this body everything is way stronger...and I don't even feel it...'

The blood energy required to activate the spell would be dependent directly on the user's physique and since Hao Xuan's was so uniquely powerful the spell was that much stronger.

With some peace of mind that there was some level of protection to keep Ma Jiang safe Hao Xuan made his way out of the mountain.

He could feel the perverse negative energy of the grey mountain surrounding him from all sides but chose to keep it at bay.

He directed his attention towards Argham which was bustling with life even from so far away. Hao Xuan closed his eyes for a moment and when he opened them again the shape of his pupils had changed.

With his lycan bloodline he could see a lot more.

'Tsk, it's like a torch in the darkness. No wonder the corrupted spawn found it so easily.'

There was a multi-colored ocean dancing above the city.

😉