Ethan's POV
"I would like to take you as my disciple. By the way, I am the Nightshade Dragoness, Nyx Vytheris, and this Ebonspire Peak is my domain in the Dark Forest. How about it?" she said, giving me a moment to think. But I had already made my decision.
"I agree. Please take me as your disciple, Master Nyx," I said firmly. In this godforsaken place, she was the only one who had shown me care, offering not only comfort but guidance.
She tested my abilities, showed genuine interest in my background, and was clearly planning a future path for me.
I could see all her efforts clearly. I wasn't some naive thirteen-year-old boy but a full-grown man in mind having lived a mature and complex life before.
To top it off, she was enigmatic and a powerful female dragon which was truly a rarity in this world.
There was no way I would forego the chance to gain such a powerful backer, someone who could guide me without fail.
Besides a seed of ambition and desire to conquer this strong , beautiful and prideful dragoness had already taken deep inside my mind.
Without her, I might still progress, but I would undoubtedly stumble and commit avoidable mistakes along the way as I have no proper guidance here.
My path had already diverged from that of a normal human mage. The ascension art I practiced transcended typical magical conventions and fixed paths.
It was universal and offered boundless possibilities for growth.
As for Nyx, I could tell that she was ancient, experienced, powerful and someone who likely had knowledge and wisdom far surpassing anything I could find elsewhere.
She was probably old enough to be my great-great-grandfather, but her strength spoke for itself.
"That's settled, then. From now on, you will be my disciple and will live with me on this peak forever," she said.
My face paled at the idea of living here forever, but the mirth in her eyes gave her teasing away. I sighed in relief.
"Come with me outside. Let me show you Ebonspire Peak and its denizens."
She floated into the air, and I followed alongside her. In a flash, we were above the cave.
I looked out at the vast expanse before me, a dark sky full of shimmering stars and a blood-red moon.
The moonlight bathed the black peaks in a crimson glow. Strangely, the scene didn't feel ominous to me instead it felt peaceful and I strangely felt comfortable like a fish finally finding water.
Nyx carried me as we soared through the air, showing me various ancient, tower-like structures scattered across the mountain.
They were eerily empty and looked like remnants of a bygone era, their stones exuding a silent dignity.
Lower on the peaks, I noticed three massive, winged creatures cloaked in shadows. Coiled around smaller peaks, they looked draconic, but I quickly identified them as Shadow Wyverns—a sub-species of dragons.
I had read about these creatures. They were often subordinates to dragons, living alongside them as loyal servants. Still, they were not to be underestimated.
Fully mature wyverns were said to be as powerful as Sky Realm mages. However, reaching full maturity required thousands of years and a rare catalyst to purify their bloodline.
Master Nyx's beautiful dark golden eyes suddenly glowed and turned vertical and a familiar invisible pressure descended upon the wyverns.
The air thickened as her bloodline pressure stirred them awake. The wyverns uncoiled, their massive forms rising into the air.
One by one, they flew to our position, their wings creating gusts of wind that made my clothes ripple.
When they landed, their heads bowed low in deference. Each wyvern was colossal, twenty meters long with dark scales and leathery wings.
Their vertical crimson eyes fixed on me with curiosity and bewilderment.
Before they could react further, Nyx spoke, her voice firm but light hearted.
"Listen up, you lot. This is Ethan LucentVoid, my disciple. I have taken him under my wing. You are to befriend him and accompany him during his training trips. If he faces minor problems, you may help him."
I blinked at the phrase "minor problems," but let it slide for now. I bowed politely to each wyvern and greeted them in turn. Their immense presence was awe-inspiring, but I couldn't afford to falter.
"Now that introductions are over, let's move on," Master Nyx said with a faint smile.
This time, she carried me slowly, heading toward a solitary peak—the tallest among the spires jutting out of the mountain.
Its summit loomed like a crown, piercing the crimson-lit sky. As we neared it, Nyx raised a hand, and dark energy surged from all directions.
The energy swirled and condensed into a massive, twenty-meter-long sabre. The blade glinted ominously, its surface flowing with sinister energy.
She pointed at the sabre with her forefinger and it ignited with dark golden flames. She then uttered a single word,
"Slash."
The enormous sabre descended. With a soundless, terrifying precision, it sliced through the peak's summit as though cutting through butter.
The entire upper portion of the ten meters tall and twenty meters wide mountain detached cleanly and tumbled into the dark, churning clouds below.
Black lightning flashed and it was pulverized to dust in the the black clouds below. I felt fear and could only stare in stunned silence, my mind reeling at the display of such raw power.
Though I had already estimated my master's strength, witnessing it first hand still left me shaken.
I turned my gaze to Master Nyx, my shock apparent. She smiled slightly, the edges of her lips curling upward.
"You've seen nothing yet, little Ethan."
I nodded fervently finally showing the excitement of a young teenager. We flew to the slashed peak and upon landing on it she turned towards me and said with a smile,
"Alright this will be the training spot for your body tempering technique, the icy winds and the temperature at this height should be enough for you to achieve early success.",
I nodded excitedly and thanked her.
She nodded and then we flew together to the black tower on the main peak and she declared it to be main residence.
.We then retired for the night and I entered the dark tower while looking forward to the exciting future.