The Ashen family.
Once the ruling dynasty of the Dominion of Ashen, they were a force that could have founded an empire if they wished. Unlike most kingdoms that separated warriors and mages, the Ashen bloodline birthed hybrids, individuals who wielded both sword and spell with terrifying efficiency.
Founded over 3,000 years ago, the family's first patriarch, Vael Ashen, was a legendary warrior-sorcerer who defied the gods themselves. He carved out a kingdom in the lawless lands where mana storms raged uncontrollably. His descendants, known as the Arcane Warlords, blended ancient aura cultivation with mana mastery, creating techniques that reshaped battlefields.
During their reign, at least five Ashen rulers reached or surpassed the Deity level.
But their ambition became their downfall. In their pursuit of immortality, they conducted forbidden experiments, attempting to fuse mana and aura into an undying body.
The ritual failed.
The empire crumbled, reduced to ruins. The Ashen family was believed to be extinct.
In the aftermath, large kingdoms and empires rushed in, eager to plunder their secrets. But they found only eternal darkness. The sun never rose over Ashenfall again. The land was left cursed with violent mana storms, reality-breaking tempests that drove intruders insane, and the Ruinborn, twisted creatures formed from the remnants of Ashenfall's people.
This devastation earned it a dreaded name, Ashenfall.
Yet, rumors persisted.
Deep beneath the ruins lay the Ashen family's greatest treasure, their tome of secrets. If one could survive the storm, the Ruinborn, and the unknown horrors lurking within, unimaginable power awaited.
And now, Baines was here.
He clenched his fists as he stared at the old man before him.
'I once heard mother talk about them.' Baines reminisced those days when he could only pick up little words, and as a story he had repeatedly heard, he remembered it.
"I've heard the stories," Baines said, his voice quiet but firm. "But why am I here?"
The old man chuckled; his eyes filled with amusement. "That story isn't complete."
Baines frowned, but before he could react, his body was lifted off the ground. His feet dangled in the air as he was pulled forward effortlessly.
'Aura control at this level? He has to be at least 7th Star,' Baines thought, momentarily stunned by the sheer force holding him.
They passed through the towering pillars of what remained of the throne room and stepped into open space.
Then Baines saw it.
Like the rumors, the sky was just darkness and, in the distance, a massive mana storm, stretching endlessly into the sky. It spun in reckless, chaotic abandonment, warping the very air around it.
Even from a distance, danger warnings screamed in Baines's mind.
"First off, we didn't go extinct. Sure, we lost a lot, but we had moved before it happened."
"Then?" Baines's eyes widened.
"Yes, we are remaining hidden."
"We?" Baines was surprised again and looked forward, "This storm…" Baines murmured, his body trembling.
The old man nodded. "This is us. Our life's work. Our greatest achievement. Our future."
Baines narrowed his eyes. 'Eye, what do you see?'
[EXTREMELY CONCENTRATED ENERGY]
'Of what?'
[AN ENERGY CREATED FROM THE COMBINATION OF MANA AND AURA]
Baines felt his breath hitch.
"Oh?" The old man smirked. "You understand now, don't you?"
The realization hit Baines like a tidal wave.
Most warriors cultivated aura. Mages absorbed mana. Divine beings wielded sacred power, which was said to be the pinnacle of energy.
But this…
'Eye, how does this compare to divine power?'
[AFTER COMBINATION, IT UNDERWENT A STRANGE MUTATION, SURPASSING DIVINE POWER]
Baines's eyes widened. "What…?"
The old man spread his arms. "While others train their aura or gather mana from the air, we created something beyond both. We call it Ashenfall."
Baines remained silent.
Divine power. It was the hardest energy to attain, due to its closeness and faith to the related sacred being. But this storm, 'Ashenfall' was even stronger than that.
The sheer implications of such power were staggering.
Still, something didn't add up.
"This has nothing to do with me," he said flatly. "Why am I here?"
The old man smiled. "Why else? you are family."
Baines gave him a deadpan stare. "Please, just kill me already if—"
"Carla Ashen, only daughter of Alphen Ashen. Married John Baek. Mother of Rokin, Ralph, Cecilia… and Baines Baek."
Baines's breath hitched. He hadn't heard his brothers' names in years.
His chest tightened. "What do you want?" he asked bitterly.
The old man sighed. "Soon, the Ashen family will rise again. And to ensure our future, we need a worthy successor."
Baines laughed dryly. "You say my mother is among you. Yet when her family was being slaughtered, where were you?" His voice cracked.
Silence.
The old man closed his eyes. He had no words to refute that, they were wrong in that aspect.
But then he spoke, his voice steady. "It's not too late."
Baines flinched.
"Why do you think no healer can wake your mother? It's because she chose that state."
"What?" Baines' voice shook.
The old man continued, "If you reach the highest level of Ashenfall, an energy stronger than divine power, what is your sister's injury to compare? If you become the successor, what is stopping you from using the family's power to find your father and brothers? And what is better than taking revenge with your own two hands?"
He pointed to the storm.
"As I said, this is the future. Now, will you take this offer?"
Baines trembled. He thought about his mother, his sister, the ruins of his home. The betrayal.
Slowly, he clenched his fists.
"…Yes."