What? I Actually Reincarnated As Stepping Stone In Another World?



In response to his question, the cloaked figure raised a hand, prompting the four individuals behind it to assume aggressive stances.

"Of course, our purpose is to eliminate you!" the figure declared with chilling certainty.

Just as the cloaked figure spoke, it raised its hand, unleashing a surge of dark energy that hurtled towards Rian with incredible speed.

"Not good!" Rian exclaimed, witnessing the imminent danger.

He swiftly channeled his mana into his legs, empowering him to leap a staggering ten meters away in an instant.

*Boom!

The spot where he had stood erupted in a destructive blast, encompassing a five-meter radius.

Rian's horse vanished in the abrupt onslaught.

"Damn it!" Rian cursed inwardly, sensing an overwhelming menace emanating from the black-robed man.

"This aura... It's the aura of a mid-level elemental!" Rian tightened his fists, unable to tear his gaze away from the other four figures cloaked in robes.

The energy they exuded indicated that they were lower-level elemental saints.

At present, Rian possesses the strength of a mid-level elemental saint, placing him on par with the leader among those figures.

However, Rian remained in an injured state, with the poison still coursing through his body without any signs of a cure.

The fifth-level potion that Arthur had given him remained untouched.

Rian had intended to save it for when he reached Arkham, where he could recuperate undisturbed.

Little did he expect to encounter such a perilous situation now!

Rian fixed a penetrating gaze on the five figures and uttered, "You all belong to the Light-Eater organization. Weren't you supposed to be eradicated?!"

"How dare you all resurface?!"

"Do you not fear the wrath of the ruling powers, as they did to you hundreds of years ago?" His tone carried a threatening undertone as he sought to stall for time, searching for an escape plan from their clutches.

Upon hearing Rian's words, the cloaked figures let out a laugh and shook their heads in amusement.

"Rulers? Are you talking about the Emperors of the Five Empires?" One of the cloaked figures taunted with a mocking tone.

Rian maintained his silence, but his silence conveyed a resounding agreement, affirming the implications made by the cloaked figure.

Observing Rian's lack of response, the cloaked figure chuckled and proceeded, "Your notion of five emperors pales in comparison to our Lord, the very founder of our organization!"

"Destroy us? Absurd!" the cloaked figure jeered.

The five figures donned in cloaks erupted in laughter, treating Rian as though he were a mere spectacle, eliciting mockery and scorn.

Rian's eyes widened in disbelief, and he inquired, "Lord? Whom are you referring to?"

His voice trembled with a mixture of apprehension and incredulity, struggling to comprehend the significance behind the figures' words.

If the cloaked figure's claim held true, wouldn't this so-called "Lord" possess tremendous power and influence?

Nevertheless, as Rian posed his inquiry, the laughter abruptly ceased.

The figure who had launched the initial attack approached deliberately, uttering, "Do you wish to discover the identity of the Lord?"

"Dream on, for this moment marks your demise, and the deceased have no need for further knowledge!"

With those words, the figure and the other four cloaked figures unleashed a sinister elemental technique, aiming to obliterate Rian in a single devastating blow!

Witnessing the unfolding chaos, Rian refused to remain passive.

He swiftly retrieved his twin black daggers from his cloak, invoking his wind elemental art with determination.

"Wind Elemental Art: Typhoon Wind!" he whispered, and in an instant, an immense typhoon materialized from the very air, ferociously assaulting the five cloaked figures.

The overwhelming force of the typhoon struck them with relentless power.

However, in a moment of cunning, the leader of the figures reacted swiftly.

"Disperse!" the leader commanded.

In an instant, the four remaining figures behind the leader dissolved into the shadows, scattering in different directions, evading the destructive path of the tempestuous typhoon.

Soon after, the leader of the cloaked group began to chant an incantation, invoking the powers of darkness.

"Darkness Elemental Art: Darkness Swallows Everything!"

In an instant, an ominous darkness materialized, emerging from the depths of nowhere.

It collided with the raging typhoon, engulfing it voraciously until the tempest gradually dissipated, succumbing to the overwhelming might of the darkness.

Witnessing this astonishing display, Rian exclaimed in disbelief, "What in the world!"

"How is it possible for such an immense force to consume such a potent destructive power?"

However, while he was still reeling from shock, the four cloaked figures, who had skillfully positioned themselves, swiftly encircled Rian and launched a relentless and ferocious assault upon him!

"Bastards!" Rian cursed vehemently, swiftly invoking his elemental arts.

"Wind Elemental Art: Unification With Air!"

In an instant, his body melded seamlessly with the air, vanishing from sight, leaving the attacks of the four cloaked figures to strike nothing but empty space.

"He vanished!" one of the four cloaked figures stated flatly.

"Indeed, his mastery of elemental arts is impressive, allowing him both formidable offense and remarkable evasion..." The second cloaked figure commented, slightly admiring but with a hint of mockery in their tone.

The four figures swiftly regrouped at the spot where Rian had eluded them, and their leader also arrived to join their ranks.

"Has he managed to elude us?" the leader inquired, a solemn tone resonating in their voice.

"Indeed, but he can't be too far away," one of the robed figures nonchalantly responded, devoid of any sense of remorse.

It appeared as if they were playing cat and mouse with Rian.

Upon hearing this response, the leader cast a sharp gaze towards the cloaked figure who had spoken, a silent message conveyed through its piercing eyes.

"Don't underestimate him!" the leader exclaimed sternly.

"Despite his injuries, there is information suggesting that he remains a mid-level elemental saint!" The voice dripped with anger.

As the leader's sharp gaze pierced through, the cloaked figure who had been speaking trembled involuntarily, swiftly comprehending the gravity of the situation.

They nodded resolutely, acknowledging the weight of the leader's warning conveyed through its penetrating gaze.

Following that, the leader turned to the others and commanded, "Locate him and ensure he cannot escape!"

The remaining four figures nodded in unison, responding, "Understood!"

Without delay, the five cloaked figures dissolved into the darkness, their forms vanishing like elusive shadows as they set off in pursuit of Rian, tracking the direction in which he had fled.

...

*Wooshh!*

Ten kilometers away from the intense battle between Rian and the five cloaked figures, a man moved with astonishing speed, leaping effortlessly from one tree to another as if he embodied the very essence of a swift and agile gust of wind.

Eventually, the man came to a halt, perched upon a sturdy tree branch, and turned his gaze back towards the scene unfolding behind him.

"I must escape without delay!" The man, who was none other than Rian himself, realized that he had put a considerable distance between himself and his pursuers.

However, a nagging sense of impending discovery urged him to continue fleeing, pushing the boundaries of his speed.

*Woosh!*

Transforming his body into a gust of wind, he swiftly maneuvered through the dense forest, dashing ahead with unwavering determination.

Rian's choice to flee stemmed from his uncertainty about his ability to triumph over all of his pursuers.

Furthermore, one of the cloaked figures possessed the ability to devour his wind elemental power with its darkness elemental art.

The profound menace emanating from this individual filled Rian with an overwhelming sense of dread, compelling him to prioritize his own survival above engaging in a futile confrontation.

The involvement of the other four figures presented formidable challenges of its own.

Although their auras may not have equaled the intensity of their leader's, they still represented a substantial threat to Rian.

Had he been at the pinnacle of his strength, he might have possessed the confidence to face them head-on.

However, the venomous toxins coursing through his body relentlessly corroded his being with each utilization of his elemental arts, weakening him considerably.

Moreover, the toxins within his body also compromised the efficacy of the elemental arts he employed.

In the midst of his frantic sprint through the dense trees, Rian's senses sharpened, alerting him to an imminent danger lying in wait just ahead!

"Caught!" Rian exclaimed in startled surprise, swiftly deactivating his elemental arts.

In a split second, he delivered a forceful kick to a nearby tree trunk, propelling himself towards the ground.

"Hmph! That was a close call!" A black-cloaked figure lunged at him with a sharp knife, but its attack proved futile as Rian narrowly evaded it.

Rian swiftly rolled across the ground, assuming a defensive stance with his daggers firmly crossed before him.

His narrowed eyes fixed on the cloaked figure hovering in mid-air.

Simultaneously, the remaining four figures materialized behind it, their gazes locked onto Rian with unwavering intensity.

"You cannot elude us, Rian!" taunted the leader of the group, a mocking tone permeating their words.

Without a moment's hesitation, the leader unleashed a ferocious assault, its movements exuding an incredibly potent intent to kill.

In tandem with the leader, the four cloaked figures swiftly joined the attack, amplifying the overwhelming force bearing down upon Rian.

Observing this, Rian took a deep breath, steadying himself for the imminent clash.

"It seems I have no other option but to engage in combat!" Rian murmured, twirling his dagger skillfully.

Focusing his mana throughout his entire being, he leaped with remarkable height towards the looming figure of the leader.

"Boom!"

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Why I mostly use "it" is because their gender is unclear and I can't use "him" or "her", However, I'm also still a little confused about whether it's possible to use gender pronouns if even the gender is unknown, correct?

I can use "they" for genderless, but I'm afraid it will be interpreted as plural by you guys :)

If you have any suggestions, please tell me! Thanks!