The city of Val’Haren was alive with movement, but Argolaith, Kaelred, and Malakar remained on edge.
The Veiled Order was watching them.
Waiting.
Argolaith sat near the window of his rented room, staring out at the darkened streets below. His fingers idly traced the hilt of his sword, his thoughts racing.
He had spent the last few months fighting, traveling, and uncovering lost knowledge—but this was different.
The Veiled Order wasn’t some random group of bandits.
They were organized.
They were powerful.
This content is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.
And now, they were interested in him.
He wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a very, very bad thing.
Kaelred lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling. "So, what’s the plan? We can’t just sit here and wait for them to kill us in our sleep."
Malakar, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, smirked. "You underestimate me, Kaelred."
Kaelred scoffed. "What, do you have undead guarding the inn?"
Malakar’s eyes glowed faintly. "…Perhaps."
Kaelred groaned. "You definitely have undead guarding the inn."
Argolaith sighed. "Regardless, we can’t just wait around. We need information."
Malakar grinned. "Then we hunt."
Kaelred sat up. "…Hunt what exactly?"
Malakar’s smirk widened. "The hunters."
The three of them moved through the city, their senses sharp.
Val’Haren was bustling even at night, merchants still bartering, warriors sharpening their blades, and distant music drifting through the air.
But Argolaith was looking for something else.
A shadow. A sign. A flicker of movement that didn’t belong.
Then—he saw it.
A figure in red moving through the crowd, trying to remain unseen.
Argolaith tapped Kaelred’s shoulder. "Got one."
Kaelred followed his gaze. "That’s definitely one of them."
Malakar chuckled. "Let’s see where they’re going."
They followed, silent and precise, weaving through the crowd like shadows themselves.
The figure moved toward a quiet district, far from the city’s busy trade center.
A series of abandoned buildings loomed in the darkness.
Then—the figure disappeared.
Argolaith and Kaelred pressed against the wall, watching carefully.
Kaelred whispered, "Did you see where they went?"
Argolaith nodded. "There’s a hidden entrance. Below that building."
Malakar stepped forward. "Then let’s introduce ourselves."
Before either of them could protest, Malakar strode forward, boots clicking softly against the stone.
Kaelred groaned. "He’s going to get us killed."
Argolaith smirked. "Probably."
They followed.
The entrance was well-hidden, a stone slab embedded into the ground with ancient runes etched into its surface.
Argolaith ran his fingers over the markings. "They’re using a cloaking rune. It hides the door unless you know the exact sequence to break it."
Kaelred sighed. "Great. So how do we break it?"
Malakar grinned. "Like this."
With a single wave of his hand, the rune shattered like glass.
Kaelred blinked. "…Seriously?"
Find more chapters on Freewebnovel
Malakar chuckled. "It wasn’t very advanced."
The doorway opened.
Darkness welcomed them.
Argolaith drew his sword. "Let’s move."
The Hidden Chamber
The underground hideout was dimly lit, the walls lined with books, maps, and arcane diagrams.
It wasn’t just a meeting place.
It was a research facility.
Kaelred muttered. "They’re studying something…"
Argolaith stepped forward, his eyes scanning the parchments and scrolls.
Symbols. Locations. References to lost magic.
But one thing stood out.
His name.
Right there, scribbled in ancient ink:
Argolaith of Seminah. Subject of Interest. Potential Connection to the Grand Design.
Argolaith’s blood ran cold.
Kaelred read over his shoulder. "…They’ve been watching you for a while."
Malakar hummed in amusement. "Well, this is interesting."
Argolaith clenched his jaw. "What the hell is the Grand Design?"
Before anyone could answer—
A presence filled the room.
The Master Reveals Themselves
A voice echoed from the shadows.
"I was wondering when you’d find this place."
Argolaith, Kaelred, and Malakar whirled around, weapons raised.
A woman in crimson robes stepped forward, her golden mask reflecting the dim light.
She was different from the others.
Her aura was suffocating.
Malakar’s glowing eyes narrowed. "Ah. A Master."
The woman inclined her head slightly. "Malakar, the wandering lich. You have a habit of interfering in things you don’t understand."
Kaelred tensed. "Who are you?"
The woman ignored him, her gaze settling on Argolaith.
"You are not supposed to exist."
Argolaith’s grip tightened around his sword. "…What does that mean?"
The woman took a step closer. "You were not in the original plans. You were not meant to walk this path."
Argolaith stood his ground. "Plans? What plans?"
The woman tilted her head. "The Grand Design."
Malakar exhaled. "Ah, so that’s what this is about."
Kaelred shot him a look. "You know what that means?"
Malakar smirked. "Oh, I know a lot of things. But this… this is interesting."
The woman’s voice was calm, but absolute.
"Come with me, Argolaith. There is much to discuss."
Silence.
Then—
Argolaith lifted his sword.
"I think I’ll pass."
The woman sighed. "Unfortunate."
And then—she attacked.
The air erupted with magic, golden flames bursting to life.
Argolaith dodged to the side, barely avoiding a blast of raw energy.
Kaelred threw a dagger, but it melted midair before reaching its target.
Malakar grinned. "Oh, this will be fun."
The woman moved with impossible speed, her cloak billowing as she launched another attack.
Argolaith blocked, his blade trembling under the force.
She was powerful.
Too powerful.
Kaelred gritted his teeth. "How the hell do we beat her?"
Malakar’s smirk didn’t waver. "We don’t."
Argolaith exhaled sharply. "Then we escape."
Kaelred nodded. "I like that plan."
Malakar chuckled. "Then run, boys."
The chamber shook as golden flames roared through the air, scorching everything in their path.
Argolaith barely dodged, rolling across the stone floor as another blast shattered the table he had been standing beside.
Kaelred swore under his breath, ducking behind a pillar as the woman in crimson advanced, her golden mask gleaming in the dim light.
Malakar, standing unshaken, simply smirked. "You are making quite a mess."
The woman’s voice was eerily calm. "You do not understand what you are interfering with."
Malakar chuckled. "Oh, I understand perfectly. I just don’t care."
With a snap of her fingers, the golden flames twisted, shifting into spears of energy.
They launched forward.
Malakar’s eyes flashed.
Darkness erupted around him, swallowing the attacks whole.
Kaelred took the opening. He lunged, his blade flashing.
But before he could strike—the woman simply stepped aside.
With inhuman speed, she twisted her wrist, grabbing Kaelred by the throat and slamming him into the ground.
Kaelred choked, his vision blurring from the impact.
Argolaith rushed forward, sword swinging.
The woman blocked him with a single hand.
"You fight well," she murmured, almost sounding bored. "But you are not ready."
Argolaith gritted his teeth, pushing back with all his strength. "We’ll see about that."
Malakar suddenly appeared behind her, his sword aimed for her back.
But she vanished—reappearing across the room in a flicker of golden light.
Kaelred groaned, pushing himself up. "I hate teleporters."
Malakar smirked. "Oh, they’re delightful. When we’re the ones using them."
The woman sighed. "You are wasting time."
She lifted her hand—and the entire room trembled.
Argolaith’s vision blurred.
A strange pulling sensation filled his chest.
Then—he saw something.
A Glimpse Beyond
For a split second—Argolaith was somewhere else.
The sky was endless, swirling with colors he didn’t recognize.
Towering structures made of glass and energy floated in the air.
And at the center of it all…
A massive tree, larger than anything he had ever seen, pulsed with light.
A voice whispered in his mind.
"You are not supposed to exist."
Then—he was back.
Gasping, Argolaith stumbled backward.
Kaelred grabbed his arm. "What the hell just happened?"
Argolaith’s heart was racing. "I—I don’t know."
Malakar’s gaze was unreadable. "That was not normal."
The woman watched them carefully. "You have seen it, haven’t you?"
Argolaith stared at her. "…What did I just see?"
She tilted her head. "A place you should not know exists."
Kaelred scowled. "Enough with the cryptic answers! What is the Grand Design?"
The woman sighed.
"It is the blueprint of reality. A guiding force that ensures the world unfolds as it should."
Argolaith felt a chill crawl up his spine. "And I’m not part of it?"
The woman’s golden eyes burned behind her mask. "No."
The room fell silent.
Then—Malakar laughed.
Argolaith and Kaelred stared at him.
Malakar grinned. "Oh, this is wonderful."
Kaelred frowned. "How is any of this wonderful?!"
Malakar shrugged. "Because it means Argolaith is an anomaly. A mistake. An error in reality itself."
Argolaith’s stomach turned. "…That doesn’t sound like a good thing."
The woman’s voice was sharp. "It is not. That is why we must correct it."
Kaelred stepped in front of Argolaith. "And by ’correct,’ you mean kill him, don’t you?"
The woman did not deny it.
Argolaith’s fingers tightened around his sword hilt. "Yeah, that’s not happening."
The woman exhaled. "Unfortunate."
Then—she attacked again.
A Fight for Survival
Golden fire exploded toward them.
Malakar countered with a wall of shadows, but the heat burned through it instantly.
Kaelred moved fast, rolling to the side as another blast shattered the floor beneath them.
Argolaith gritted his teeth. He activated a rune from his ring—increasing gravity around their enemy.
The woman staggered, just for a second.
It was enough.
Kaelred slashed at her exposed side, his blade cutting through her cloak.
Argolaith followed up, aiming for her leg.
But—she moved faster than he could react.
A pulse of golden energy threw them both backward.
Malakar lunged forward, his blade aimed for her throat.
She barely dodged, countering with a blast of energy.
But this time—Malakar was ready.
The shadows around him collapsed inward, absorbing the attack.
For the first time—the woman hesitated.
Malakar grinned. "Not so untouchable, are you?"
The woman exhaled.
Then—she stepped back.
Golden light swirled around her.
And just like that, she was gone.
Aftermath
Silence filled the chamber.
Kaelred coughed. "Well, that could have gone worse."
Malakar smirked. "Could have gone better, too."
Argolaith exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "What the hell did we just learn?"
Malakar folded his arms. "That you’re an error in reality."
Kaelred sighed. "Great. That’s just what I wanted to hear."
Argolaith stared at the broken runes around them. "…We need to find out more."
Kaelred raised an eyebrow. "And how exactly do we do that?"
Malakar’s grin widened. "Oh, I have a few ideas."
Kaelred groaned. "That’s what I was afraid of."
Argolaith smirked. "Then let’s get started."
They had more questions than answers.