Ashen Ascension: The Divided Flame-Chapter 85: Undercurrents

42 days had passed since the day Nara told him about the two special places in the first layer and gave him the sword. Now Ivor moved quickly through the forest, searching for Nara instead of hunting or training.

Other kids had started following Nara into the Scar, hoping he'd lead them to the whispered-about boy. Because of this, Nara stopped coming at regular times. Instead, he and Ivor agreed that Nara would enter and leave when he could, and Ivor would be the one to find him.

Ivor liked the idea. It was practical and suited his tracking skills. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

He tracks by sound, smell, and small signs people leave behind. As he ran, the forest told him things: damp bark, old soil, old blood, steel, and nervous kids. He ignored most of it, focusing only on Nara's scent. His smell, mixed with forge smoke, oil, ink, and paper, always sharpened his focus.

Ivor changed his path twice to avoid noises. Then he heard four sets of footsteps. They sounded cautious, except for one, lighter and more measured. It was Nara.

Ivor dropped into cover the moment he sensed them and listened carefully. Nara was moving at a steady pace, but the three boys behind him were following too closely, their attention fixed entirely on his back.

Ivor didn't hesitate.

He moved in a wide arc through the undergrowth, keeping low and silent. Over the past weeks of hunting, he had learned how easily sound carried in the forest and how to move where the ground swallowed it. The new robe helped as well, its fabric brushing against branches without noise. He drew his sword but kept it sheathed, turning it into a blunt weapon.

The first follower lagged slightly behind the others, his stride uneven from a faint limp. Ivor closed the distance from the side and struck the base of his neck with the sheathed blade in a precise, practiced motion. The boy's breath caught in a sharp gasp as his legs folded. Ivor caught him before he could crash into the ground and lowered him carefully into the ferns, leaving him face down but breathing.

The second boy never noticed. His attention remained fixed on Nara ahead. Ivor approached from behind and drove the sheath hard into the base of his skull. The impact dropped him instantly. Ivor steadied the falling body and eased it down beside the first.

The third was more cautious. He slowed after a few steps and glanced back over his shoulder. When he heard the faint rustle of movement, he began to turn.

Ivor was already there.

He closed the gap in two quick strides and slammed the sheath into the boy's ribs, knocking the air from his lungs before he could shout. As the boy doubled over, Ivor struck the side of his neck. The body sagged immediately. Ivor caught him and lowered him to the forest floor, letting the thick ferns and shadows hide the three unconscious figures.

The quick fight took less than 30 seconds. Afterward, the path looked the same, but Nara was alone again.

Ivor waited a moment, checked for anyone else with his Soul Sense, and then walked out.

Nara stopped, turning around. He looked surprised for a moment, then hid it. It had been nearly a week since he last saw Ivor in the Scar. He looked Ivor over, seeing the changes.

Ivor was a little taller now. His shoulders were broader, and his waist was thinner, making him look well-trained. The black robe fit correctly. His hair was neatly tied back, and his eyes were cold and serious, making him look older than twelve.

Nara put down his bag, sighed, and spoke first, trying to make the meeting seem normal.

"I have been walking around for almost two hours," Nara said. "It took you so long to find me."

Ivor didn't react to the complaint. He looked past Nara briefly, listening to the forest around them.

"They've been moving across the entire first layer looking for me," Ivor said. "We don't have much time before someone else reaches this area."

Nara nodded. The fatigue in his eyes made him look more like a student than the confident boy Ivor had first met. He didn't argue.

"Yeah," Nara said. "My handler, Draco, told me what's going on. The other handlers have told everyone in the first layer to hunt you down. Anyone who finds you and manages to beat you will get rewarded."

He shook his head with a faint, tired smile.

"They've basically turned you into a training target."

Nara glanced at him. "You're kind of like the boss of the first layer now."

Ivor's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Does that mean those with more than ten attuned nodes will come too?" he asked.

Nara shook his head. "Officially, no. They're not supposed to participate."

He hesitated before continuing.

"But if you move into the second layer, that restriction disappears. They'll come after you then. And even here, some of the stronger kids might ignore the rule. Not everyone cares about regulations when there's a reward and a reputation to gain."

Ivor considered that quietly.

Rules only mattered when someone powerful enforced them. Inside the Scar, that kind of authority barely existed.

Nara changed the topic to why he was there. He pulled a folded piece of black clothing from his bag. It looked like a thin tunic that could be worn under robes. When he held it up, Ivor saw the fabric was unusual. It kept its shape with a slight pull, and the threads reflected light oddly, suggesting they were specially made, not randomly woven.

"This is what I've been working on all this time," Nara said. "It's the first piece of mana-infused armor I've ever forged."

He spoke cautiously, as if he didn't want to exaggerate its quality before Ivor saw it for himself.

"It's very light and thin, just like you asked," he continued. "You can wear it under your robes without it getting in the way. I built it to deflect physical strikes and weaken mana-based attacks."

He paused briefly before adding the limitation.

"But it's not meant for prolonged punishment. If it keeps taking hits, the structure will start to fail."

Nara met Ivor's eyes.

"I'd estimate it can absorb around fifty solid attacks before the mana weave breaks. After that, it will stop working."

Ivor took the tunic. It felt light, but he could feel a subtle, non-stitched pattern beneath the surface. It had no metal or obvious reinforcement, but felt heavy in a way, as if mana gave it tension instead of thick material.

Ivor remembered something he had read in the profession manuals Nara had given him. Weave artisans specialized in fabrics that carried passive mana structures—linings, robes, inner armor. The work required delicate control and exact placement of mana threads. Forging weapons and weaving mana-infused cloth were usually separate crafts.

The fact that Nara had managed both was impressive.

Ivor studied him more carefully now. A person didn't need to be the strongest fighter if they could create the right tools.

"Thank you," Ivor said.

He didn't wait for further explanation. He removed his robe and slipped the tunic over his head. The fabric settled smoothly against his skin. It was light, so light that after a moment he almost forgot it was there. He rolled his shoulders, twisted his waist, and shifted his stance to test how it moved.

Nothing resisted him.

"It's good," Ivor said.

Relief appeared on Nara's tired face, followed quickly by a quiet pride he tried not to show too openly.

"It should help," Nara said. "Not forever, and not against someone who keeps landing hits through an entire fight. But it'll buy you time. One mistake won't immediately cost you your life."

Ivor nodded, already calculating its usefulness. Fifty solid attacks, Nara had said. Not invincibility, but enough margin to survive the opening chaos of a fight, especially in a place like the Blue Cave.

His gaze shifted briefly toward the trees where the three unconscious boys lay hidden among the ferns.