Carving the wings wasn't particularly challenging for Su Hao. The rough designs provided by [Cosmic Light] were clear, requiring only crude shaping rather than intricate detailing.
Su Hao worked with swift, efficient strokes, using his blade to whittle down the thick wooden planks until they resembled aerodynamic wings. He didn't bother smoothing the surface; perfection wasn't necessary for his plan. What mattered was function over form. Then, he added some simple control mechanisms to the wings.
The principle of winged flight relies on the difference in air pressure between the upper and lower surfaces of the wings to provide lift. With [Cosmic Light]'s calculations and simulations, building the wings was quite easy. In about two hours, Su Hao had roughly finished carving them.
The wings extended over a meter on each side, their sleek, swept-back shape resembling the wings of a fighter jet. This design allowed for speed and agility, key advantages Su Hao needed to escape or maneuver during combat. When he fastened the wings to his armor, the entire contraption looked fierce and futuristic, though the rough craftsmanship betrayed its rushed construction.
Satisfied with their sturdiness after giving them a few test shakes, Su Hao realized he lacked proper materials to secure them.
Adapting quickly, he became a makeshift carpenter once again, crafting a simple Luban Lock mechanism from leftover wood to securely attach the wings to his armor. The lock was tight, functional, and ensured the wings wouldn't interfere with his movements during combat.
After making sure everything was in place, Su Hao began to wait for nightfall.
As nightfall approached, the atmosphere grew thick with tension. Clouds gathered overhead, shrouding the moon and plunging the landscape into a deep, impenetrable blackness.
The seven warriors, still watching from a distance, remained oblivious to Su Hao's true intent. He needed to test the wings— mobility, speed, and control.
However, with the warriors constantly watching, he couldn't risk revealing his hand too soon. He would wait for the perfect moment.
As the dark clouds blotted out the last traces of moonlight, Su Hao decided it was time.
Fastening the wings to his armor, Su Hao activated his runes—‹Hardening› to strengthen the wings, ‹Sharpness› for smoother air cutting, and ‹Wind Resistance Reduction› to minimize drag. He also applied a ‹Coordination› rune to himself. Crouching low, he began sprinting along his preset route, picking up speed until he gained enough momentum. Then, with a powerful leap, he launched himself into the air. At that exact moment, the ‹Burst› rune on his feet activated, propelling him upward.
"Boom∼!"
A burst of power from his ‹Burst› rune sent him rocketing into the sky.
The seven warriors, who had been sitting in the darkness, immediately jolted upright, alarmed by the loud noise.
"What was that!?" one of them shouted, scanning the dark horizon in vain..
Old Cao, who had briefly closed his eyes, suddenly snapped them open. "Damn it! He's making a break for it! Quick, follow!"
The seven of them immediately dashed in the direction Old Cao had indicated.
After a while, Old Cao frowned and said, "His speed has suddenly increased a lot!"
"It's fine, we just need to keep tailing him."
Old Cao shook his head, his voice tense, "At this rate, we'll lose him soon."
The warriors exchanged uneasy glances. "Impossible. He couldn't move that fast on foot."
As they continued their pursuit, their movements grew more frantic. But no matter how fast they ran, the gap between them and Su Hao only widened.
Meanwhile, Su Hao was soaring higher and higher, breaking through the thick cloud cover and emerging into the cool, clear sky above.
At first, Su Hao felt anxious—his inexperience with flying left him tense. But as the ‹Burst› rune propelled him forward, he began to feel the steady lift generated by the wings.
His apprehension faded, replaced by an exhilaration that filled his whole being. He was flying. Truly flying.
The world below shrank into a patchwork of shadowy landscapes, the vastness of the sky enveloping him in an exhilarating rush of freedom.
The wind howled around him, the cold air biting his face, but none of it mattered.
Su Hao had once only dreamed of this, but back then, he lacked both the financial means and the courage. Now, he was living it—soaring through the night sky with wings he had built with his own hands.
And Su Hao knew this was just the beginning.
Su Hao reinforced the wings with another ‹Hardening› rune and activated the ‹Burst› rune at his feet again, rocketing even higher into the sky.
He needed to reach a high enough altitude to practice various flight maneuvers. If he messed up and fell, he'd have enough time to correct himself.
"[Little Light]," Su Hao commanded, his voice steady, "start recording flight data. Analyze everything—maximum speed, ascent rate, turning angles, and noise levels."
Su Hao soared higher and higher, breaking through the cloud layer. Suddenly, the moonlight shone brightly upon him, and he continued upward until he reached an altitude of over 3,000 meters (1.86 miles). From there, he began giving [Cosmic Light] commands to start data analysis.
With his mind focused and his confidence growing, Su Hao began testing different flight maneuvers.
He climbed steeply into the air, reaching dizzying heights before diving sharply toward the earth, then pulled into sharp turns, banking left and right as he pushed the wings to their limits.
Though clumsy at first, Su Hao's movements became smoother with each pass, his confidence soaring alongside him. If not for the concern about the wings' durability, he would have attempted even more daring aerial maneuvers.
While Su Hao was embracing the sky, the seven warriors below were becoming increasingly confused.
Meanwhile, down below, the seven warriors were standing around, looking at each other in confusion.
"Are you sure he's still here?" one of them asked Old Cao, who had been leading the group based on his core vein ‹Tracking› ability. His senses allowed him to track Su Hao's movements, but the sudden increase in speed had thrown him off.
"I'm certain! I can feel him—he's close, but his movements are erratic, like he's bouncing from one direction to another."
The warriors exchanged bewildered glances. "Old Cao, it's pitch-black out here. If he was right in front of us, we'd see him. Are you sure your tracking isn't off?"
Old Cao's expression tightened in frustration. His ability worked by pinpointing directional movements on a flat plane—it couldn't account for height or the three-dimensional space Su Hao now dominated from the sky. But his pride and certainty kept him from admitting any doubt. "He's here, trust me."
The rest of them mentally rolled their eyes. Sure, it was a bit dark, but they were Grandmaster-level warriors with sharp eyes and ears. If a living person was bouncing around right in front of them, there was no way they wouldn't notice it—especially not someone moving that fast. It felt like they were being played.
"He's the Silver Armored Rune Master," one of them said, voice hushed. "Maybe he's using runes to hide his movements…"
Old Cao stayed silent, but his attitude was resolute—he was confident in his senses.
Paranoia began to seep in. Though they couldn't see Su Hao, they felt exposed, vulnerable to a surprise attack at any moment. The longer they stood in the eerie quiet, the more it felt like the calm before a storm. They heightened their alertness, suspecting the "Traveler" might strike from the shadows.
Unbeknownst to them, Su Hao was far above, soaring among the clouds and testing his newfound wings, his mind far from the warriors struggling to follow his phantom presence on the ground. His confidence soared with every passing moment, and though his wings were rudimentary, the potential they represented was limitless.
"Just the beginning," Su Hao thought, a wide grin spreading across his face as he streaked across the night sky, planning his next move while the seven warriors stumbled helplessly below.
....
After flying for what felt like hours, the exhilaration of winged flight had settled into a steady calm. Su Hao, having mastered the feel of the wind under his wings, turned his attention to the ground far below.
His sharp senses extended outward, scanning for any sign of movement. At around 2,000 meters (1.2 Miles) in altitude, the faint pulses of life caught his attention. The seven warriors were scattered but still within range.
Hiding in the clouds, Su Hao slowly drew his blade, activating all the runes on both his blades and his armor. He then applied ‹Wind Resistance Reduction› and ‹Coordination› to himself.
‹Wind Resistance Reduction› would minimize air drag and reduce the noise of his flight to little more than the sound of wind. ‹Coordination› sharpened his ability to maneuver in midair, granting him the grace of a bird of prey about to strike.
Finally, he activated a rune he rarely used: ‹Light Absorption›.
From the outside, his entire form seemed to dissolve into the surrounding darkness. Cloaked in shadow, Su Hao was now invisible to the naked eye, blending perfectly with the night. His silhouette disappeared, even against the faint starlight breaking through the clouds.
Su Hao dubbed this mode "Silent Flight Mode."
Although Silent Flight Mode wasn't as fast as his full-powered flight, it was more than sufficient for the job at hand. He moved swiftly, noiselessly through the clouds, gliding down like a shadow given form.
Now fully prepared, Su Hao began his descent, gliding silently through the clouds.
Locking onto the fourth warrior as his target, Su Hao's blade remained pressed against his leg, ready to be unsheathed in one swift motion. He was closing in fast—faster than they would ever realize.
At the same moment, below, Old Cao's instincts flared wildly. His heart raced, an unshakable sense of danger filling him with dread. He spun around and shouted, "He's coming! Fast! Right in front of us—run!"
Without hesitation, Old Cao took off running.
Without needing to understand the source of Old Cao's fear, the others bolted, scattering in all directions.
Panic surged through them as they fled, each warrior desperate to get as far from the invisible threat as possible. They cast frantic glances in the the direction Old Cao had pointed, eyes wide and straining in the dark, but there was nothing—only an oppressive silence that sent chills down their spines.
Just as one of the warriors was about to ask Old Cao what exactly they were running from, a high-pitched whistle sliced through the air. It was so fast, so sudden, that none of them had time to react.
In the blink of an eye, Old Cao's head was severed clean from his shoulders. His body crumpled to the ground as his decapitated head rolled to a stop, lifeless eyes staring into the void.
Instinctively, the remaining warriors scattered even further.
"What just happened?" one of them yelled, his voice trembling.
"I don't know! I didn't see a thing! I just heard something fly by, but… I couldn't see it."
"I think it came from the sky," another said, casting an anxious glance upward. The stars twinkled innocently above, but the warriors now knew they were being hunted by something far deadlier than they had anticipated.
"We're screwed—Old Cao is dead. We've lost our only tracker."a third warrior spat, voice breaking under the weight of sudden realization.
"What now? Do we abandon the mission and report back?" another asked, his voice cracking with panic.
"Are you mad?" one of the veterans hissed. "The Nine Lords are waiting for us to bring back the 'Traveler.' If we return empty-handed, we're dead men."
The mention of the Nine Lords silenced the group.
They all knew the penalty for failure in their mission. If they returned without the "Traveler", their fate would be sealed—execution. They could flee, but it would only delay the inevitable. No matter how far they ran, the Lords would find them.
A tense, heavy silence fell over the group as the weight of their situation sank in.
With Old Cao, they had at least a chance of tracking their target. Without him, they were blind, fumbling in the dark. The "Traveler", could strike at any moment, and they would be helpless to stop him. Their only advantage had been the ability to follow his movements. Now, they were prey with no eyes, and the hunter could be anywhere.
"What do we do now?" one of them asked, his voice almost a whisper.
"We have no choice," said another, his face grim. "If we abandon the mission, we're dead. If we stay, at least we have a chance to fight back."
Another warrior nodded. "We can't run. If we die, it'll be in battle, not as cowards."
The warrior's expression hardened. "Right. We'll use bait tactic. Spread out, let him come to us. One of us will draw him out, and the others will attack. It's the only way."
The plan was dangerous, but it was the only option they had left. The warriors steeled themselves, knowing their chances of survival were slim.
"Let Old Crane handle it next," one of them suggested. "The five of us will act as bait, but we need to stay sharp. He's coming from above."
Each man nodded, clutching their weapons with a renewed sense of dread. They scattered across the open field, eyes scanning the sky for any sign of their invisible assailant. They had only one hope now: to catch Su Hao off guard. If they could just spot him before he struck again, maybe—just maybe—they could turn the tide.
But as the cold wind whispered through the trees, they knew the truth deep down.
The hunter had already chosen his prey.