Gabriel twitched his fingers, and the motion was answered with a series of vibrations along the strings . Because the filaments were all tangled together, the vibrations spread into all of them . They grew stronger as they traveled until the air hummed like Gabriel had plucked a guitar string . But the keen resonance was like no stringed instrument anyone had ever heard .

Nature’s greatest weaver was the spider . To them, each strand of silk was like an extension of the self . Through even the slightest sensation along the string, they exerted absolute control over their domain . Gabriel could achieve the same result . Cloudhawk couldn’t hide anywhere in which his threads extended .

“I found you!”

Gabriel clenched his hands, and the threads closed in . He was determined to finish this contest right here, right now .

For the moment Cloudhawk remained in his phase state, but the flaw was obvious . He might be immune to harm, but neither could he harm anyone else . Moreover, once he was between dimensions moving around became more difficult . With another pa.s.s from Gabriel’s threads and his psychic energy quickly waning, how much longer could Cloudhawk keep this up?

Inwardly, Gabriel had to admire his opponent .

The fact that Cloudhawk was in possession of so many relics at his young age didn’t matter much . More striking was their varied types . Gabriel had never met anyone who could use so many different kinds of relics, it was frankly incredible . Given time, Cloudhawk would almost definitely grow to be stronger than Gabriel . But for now, he was still green .

Good enough . Time to begin!

His hands rose, revealing his next offensive .

Another net, much thicker and stronger than the last, fell over the area . It was the same as before, only this time Cloudhawk was out of strength and Gabriel had more to pour into his threads . The mesh was finer and the filaments stronger, No blade was going to carve an opening this time .

It was over! Gabriel clenched his fist .

The net contracted, leaving its tell-tale marks along the ground . The indomitable crush of it sent a s.h.i.+ver through the crowd .

Cloudhawk felt it coming; from the top of his head, from under his feet . North, south, east and west . His enemy’s web was closing in all around . Dangerous did not begin to describe his predicament . A moment of carelessness and he would be a corpse . Meanwhile, Gabriel was speculating on how Cloudhawk would respond .

Sitting around and waiting for death was definitely not Cloudhawk’s style . But, with the net closing in and nowhere to go, he wasn’t left with many options . Phasing was his only choice, but once the field surrounded him he was forced to slow way down . The net would be on him, hundreds of threads, the longest he could hope to persist was three seconds before his mental energy was totally drained .

Would that be enough? Gabriel couldn’t think of anything other way Cloudhawk could evade him .

Cloudhawk did not pause . He threw up hi cloak, and vanished once again into thin air . As the net continue to draw in he raced to the border . With the phase stone activated, Cloudhawk attempted to slip through . They fought him, but he eventually managed to fight through the resistance .

Invisibility again?

Gabriel found that he couldn’t even determine Cloudhawk’s position through the string’s vibrations anymore, but he did not remain idle . He gathered another large net of filaments and sent it through his string prison . It swept across the circular field, but upon reaching the other side –

b.a.s.t.a.r.d! He already escaped?

Cloudhawk was faster than he gave him credit for . By the time he realized his error, a black-gold sword was hacking toward his face . But… Cloudhawk had to use the phase stone to escape his net, and that slowed him down . How did the wastelander appear in front of him so quickly? Like he wasn’t slowed at all .

What Gabriel did not know was that Cloudhawk’s cloak was also an exceptional relic . It didn’t just make him invisible, it also sharply increased his speed . It and the phase stone made a very effective pair, for it counteracted the stone’s drawbacks . He slipped through Gabriel’s net almost the instant he summoned it .

Most of his threads were tied up in the net . What was left for him to use in his defense?

Hastily pulling a few strings free, Gabriel whipped them into the sword’s path . The force of their collision knocked him back several paces . For a moment the two struggled . CLoudhawk heaved his sword against the filaments and they started to give way . Quiet carnage’s keen edge inched closer to Gabriel’s face . He couldn’t compete with Cloudhawk’s strength . Gabriel’s handsome face seemed destined to be horribly mamed .

“Naberius, it’s your turn!”

There were two people locked in the young man’s body – or, more accurately, two souls . Naberius was his darker side, and once he awakened his bloodthirst would not be abated . However, his malignant nature came with at least twice the speed and strength Gabriel possessed . With Cloudhawk weakened, how was he going to fend off the madman?

He had to deal with him before Naberius woke up .

A b.e.s.t.i.a.l growl rumbled deep in Cloudhawk’s throat . Veins engorged throughout is eyes and in the depths of his pupils burned a crimson fire . All the white turned sanguine red, nightmarish to behold .

Pop! Snap! Gabriel’s string were breaking, though Quiet Carnage kept it silent . He only knew by the sharp vibrations as they were severed .

Gabriel felt Naberius stirring within . The tides would turn when the sculptor came out, he knew it . He just had to hold on . The two men stared eye to eye and Gabriel could see the burning fires . A stifling intensity was crus.h.i.+ng him, like he could stop breathing at any moment . Those fires were almost infectious, reflecting in Gabriel’s wide emerald gaze . It was haunting .

He felt a psychic power engulf him . To him it felt like his brain was splitting in his skull .  

Cloudhawk’s sword bit into pale flesh . A spray of blood burst out!

With a cry, Gabriel hit the ground and rolled several meters away . The cut stretched from his shoulder down to his abdomen, deep enough to cut into the cavities below . Writhing organs were visible to the naked eye . None were lethal, for Cloudhawk had held himself back . It was the only reason Gabriel was still alive .

Gabriel took a long time to recover cognizance . He shook his head, extinguis.h.i.+ng the crimson fires that lingered in his green eyes . Little by little he felt the dictatorial presence in his mind recede . Although his physical wounds were grave, the thing that terrified Gabriel the most was how Cloudhawk had gotten into his head .

What had he done? With just a look, he almost totally shattered my mind! For just a moment Gabriel had completely lost himself in those fires . Like a helpless lamb to the slaughter .

It happened in an instant, so quick even the instructors didn’t notice . But in moments like that, on the razor’s edge between life and death, everything could be decided in an instant .

Beyond the fact that it happened at all, most incredible was that his power was not derived from any relic . It came from somewhere inside him . He’d never heard of anyone doing something like that without a relic to focus their power . It was unnatural, yet Cloudhawk had somehow managed to do it .

All of it was simply beyond the reality he knew .

Gabriel looked up at whatever monster this was . Cloudhawk stood over him, catching his breath . He returned Quiet Carnage to the sheath on his back . Dozens of wounds criss-crossed his body, but the threads caused very narrow wounds . Even now they were st.i.tching closed, and none of them were a serious threat .

“I’ve lost . ”

His admission was a great relief .

Cloudhawk looked out over the crowd . In a voice thick with pride and anger he shouted . “Who else?!”

The others exchanged quiet glances . He could still fight? He went on as they s.h.i.+fted uncomfortably . “If no one else wants to take a shot, then it’s decided!”

s.h.i.+t, he is  shameless . Cloudhawk could barely stand but he was still putting himself up on a pedestal! Yet after what they’d just witnessed, no one dared look down on the crude young man . He didn’t take Claudia, Drake and Gabriel on all at once, but he did still beat them in succession . Formidable opponents, each one . He was strong – at least strong enough to be captain .

“You three!” Cloudhawk turned his eyes onto his defeated opponents . “There’s a price to pay for everything we do in this world . If you don’t pay for your pride then anyone will feel like they can challenge their captain at any time . You’ve failed, so now you’re going to tell me how to punish you for it . ”

Gabriel responded the fastest . “I accept your leaders.h.i.+p . Anyone who wants to challenge you in the future will have to get through me first!”

Drake heaved a sigh . “From now on I’ll listen to your every command or be subjected to punishment by military law . ”

Cloudhawk nodded his head in satisfaction . His eyes darted to the last challenger .

Claudia felt a churning in her stomach like she’d swallowed a fist full of flies . She knew if she let him open his mouth again the insult would be unbearable . She spoke up . “A loss is a loss, I have nothing to say . I never had any interest in the position anyway . ”

That was an unacceptable att.i.tude . She couldn’t even suffer through a simple pledge of loyalty? But Cloudhawk didn’t care, he accepted it .

There were others out there in the crowd, trainees with more talent and abilities he wouldn’t necessarily be a match for . But now Drake and Gabriel were firmly in hand, convinced of his superiority . Claudia wasn’t happy with the result, but she had lost in full view of everyone . She would have no choice but to listen to his orders . Victory had earned Cloudhawk three mighty henchmen .

 Whether there were others who disagreed with Cloudhawk’s appointment, they wouldn’t be foolish enough to try their hand now . It wasn’t just Cloudhawk to contend with anymore . Anyone who wanted the t.i.tle for themselves would have to be good enough to get through those three before they even had a shot .

“Good . Very good . Now you’ve got yourself some underlings!” Eckard nodded delightedly as he made his way to Cloudhawk . “You’ve proven yourself as captain . You all have a day to get your s.h.i.+t together, then the training starts! Dismissed!”

Eckard turned away .

Natessa gave him a slight nod, then the three instructors each went their separate ways .

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