"Wait! No, my seal strengthened itself again and my abilities have been sealed yet again! I can't do anything!" Kwok Ryong spoke anxiously as Kim Yangwon turned behind, the dangerous crimson glow shone brightly with the intention to kill, "Choi Seunghyuk! You shall die along with your teammate here alongside you!"
The crimson glow in his hands widened and enlarged, glowing with greater intensity yet not brighter but instead darker, the main hall was overflowed with the crimson red glow, darkening everything in sight.
"The Duke can't do anything, and I trust none of the Royal members or your little friend Jeon Jisung over there would dare to stop me unless they really wish to end their lives early. Well, now, are you are ready to bite the dust?"
The atmosphere was so uneasy that it almost materialised to choke Seunghyuk. The dark crimson glow danced threateningly on the King's palm as Seunghyuk stood beside Kwok Ryong while thinking of the multiple ways he could get out of all these unscathed.
"Silence shows that you are ready to accept your fate. How dare you think of taking away the throne from me? You were wishing for death the moment you stepped into the very kingdom of Arkawarenia!" The King bellowed out in anger as the crimson glow expanded and glowed in bright darkness in which Seunghyuk's sight was covered by the dark glow, only his ears picked up something, and it was not something good, "Choi Seunghyuk...You should feel honoured I used the Nighthowler's Scroll of Secret Arts to take your life. You started to regret your every decision made up till now, didn't you? Whatever, I'm not going to waste my breath talking to someone who is going to meet his death soon."
Seunghyuk's whole body immediately shuddered with fright and alertness, turning around aimlessly looking into unknown directions and bearings amongst the pure, dark glow. The remaining four senses, excluding his sight that was now lost, were heightened temporarily with all the adrenaline coursing through Seunghyuk's veins which allowed him to listen intently to the footstep sound of the base of the shoe tapping the carpeted floor in House Travessle.
"I can't fight him head-on...This Kim Yangwon is just too strong with his Nighthowler's Scroll of Secret Arts..." Seunghyuk spoke under his breath to himself and he immediately decided to settle things indirectly, summoning the heat of the strong flames to his palms where he slammed it down to the supposed floor and created a fire barrier of sorts, "Now that it's done...Snake of Ophiuchus!"
Seunghyuk was clear that the King was the only one who was able to see him and his actions vividly amidst the pitch black darkness, which suggests that Seunghyuk had to be extremely alert and to consider multiple perspectives including through the eyes of the enemy as well.
"Choi Seunghyuk! You were nothing but an insolent rat from the start! You really thought your mere skills could win me?" A fist emanating crimson, dark energy approached rapidly towards Seunghyuk's fire wall, and pierced through the fire wall like it was just a thin piece of paper, passing through the fire flowing wall harmlessly, only to find no trace of Seunghyuk behind the bright wall of defense but a summoned snake, "Choi Seunghyuk! You really think you can run forever on my grounds! In this darkness, I make up the rules and you will be forced to follow them!"
Seunghyuk's Snake of Ophiuchus hissed terrifyingly and widened its mouth to show dangerously venomous fangs, but it was instantaneously overwhelmed by the strength and magnitude of the King's fist and immediately disappeared. Seunghyuk watched as futility neared him as death was tugging at his leg roughly while he listened to the ominous footsteps of the King tap louder and louder by the second.
"Am I going to lose my life now? In the darkness?" Seunghyuk spoke desperately and awaited the cold touch of Death's scythe as he stared into the absolute darkness until a strong voice cut through the silence of dread, "My king! You can stop now!"
The overwhelming darkness seemed to swirl and lighten, slowly brightening up the area up again as all the dark crimson energy was seeped away from the surroundings, leaving a shocked and flabbergasted King. Seunghyuk was now able to see everything in front of him as the darkness no longer encompassed him and his gaze fell on the teardrop-shaped pendant held in the hands of one of the elder Nighthowlers, the one that had acted as the King's spy before.
That one act triggered the fuse inside of the King as he turned behind him sharply facing the five elder Nighthowlers and hollered inhumanely, "You! Do you not care about your partners well-being?! Well I certainly do not care about it now! Someone kill that crazy woman locked in the dungeons!"
"No!" The elder Nighthowler shouted out with genuine fear and concern, his hands shook and jittered terribly like electricity was running through his body when he heard about the danger that was about to be brought upon his partner when he decided to openly defy the King, "You do not touch her! Kim Yangwon!"
Everything was heated and intense in the main hall of House Travessle, the Duke watching futilely in silence as Jisung watched worriedly in quietness, not knowing how to step in to make the situation less dangerous for Seunghyuk.
"Kim Yangwon...You're amazing, really I'm not kidding. Never would I have thought the King of the huge and spectacular kingdom of Arkawarenia is such a low creature that would even stoop down to the level of using one's close one as a threatening device. You're really amazing, don't you agree yourself too?" Seunghyuk spoke sharply as he slowly rose from his sitting position on the carpeted ground, dusting off his shoulders as he stretched with weird nonchalance and stalked up closer to the King who tried to open his mouth to reply to Seunghyuk's sarcastic remark, "You don't need to reply. I know that you're going to admit it. You were never fit to rule such a kingdom like Arkawarenia anyway."
"You!" The defeated King stared angrily at Seunghyuk, holding the stare for a good ten seconds before he turned and walked away, pushing open the double doors forcefully, turning behind facing Seunghyuk to give another threatening statement, "Choi Seunghyuk, I will have the last laugh. You are nothing but a mere rat in my kingdom."
Seunghyuk was about to retort saying that Arkawarenia would no longer be Kim Yangwon's kingdom very soon but he stopped himself and allowed the King to bask in his temporary haughtiness. It was like the raging waves had slowly plateaued and calmed, exuding a short moment of unconflicting peace.
"Hyung! Are you okay? What was that black glow, it's really dangerous!" Jisung's voice came faster than his face and Seunghyuk merely shook his head and reassured Jisung that he was fine, but Jisung did not seem very convinced.
Seunghyuk smiled helplessly at the worried Jisung and immediately turned to Duke Travessle whose face had contorted with pain and exasperation. When their eyes met, the Duke immediately put on the same wide smile but it was obviously forced and unnaturally curved that it seemed to awkwardly affect Seunghyuk's actions as well.
"Well...Contestant Choi Seunghyuk, since the King had irresponsibly given you two ridiculously impossible tasks, I will not push you even further to assign you your third and final task. I believe the Royal members here have collected enough information and have decided to provide you with your necessary Royal Recommendations," The Duke spoke with the same usual strong and full voice and gestured to the Royal members sitting in rows by his side who were still adjusting to the sudden brightness after darkness.
"That's awesome! You don't need to risk your life anymore!" Jisung's eyes seemed to light up immediately as if the whole sun replaced his eyes and gave off light like there was no limit to it, but Seunghyuk just put a hand in front of his eyes horizontally like he was trying to blocking the nonexistent brightness, "Jisung...I'm afraid I'll have to let you down..."
Jisung's smile immediately faded and his bright expression replaced with one of confused worry and perplexity which made Seunghyuk feel bad for him deep inside because he understood that from there on out, he would not have many other choices to choose from. Seunghyuk could only reach out a comforting hand to pat Jisung's slouching shoulders with strong reassurance.
"Duke Travessle, no, everyone here, I would like to give myself a third task. This may all seem rash and unnecessary, but I have a very good reason to do it, and that is to help one of the elder Nighthowlers," Seunghyuk spoke out loud to everybody in the main hall of House Travessle, then shifted his gaze to the left briefly to look at the one elder Nighthowler clutching the mysterious teardrop-shaped pendant in his hands, now full of dark, crimson black energy, "I am going to save that elder Nighthowler's wife from the evil King's hands."
The surroundings were already silent before the bold statement was released out from Seunghyuk's mouth, and now the whole space entered an incomprehensible state of inconceivable silence from everyone's state of disbelief.
"Are you mad! Hyung, you're crazy!" Jisung literally launched a cannonball of minor tantrum into Seunghyuk's face which Seunghyuk only reacted helplessly with a bitter smile, and the silent first Nighthowler King of Arkawarenia finally spoke up again, but his silence-breaking words were ones that Seunghyuk could not find himself to appreciate, "I agree with that boy over there. Did you somehow lose your brain from the previous fight with the current King? I mean you can decide yourself to choose the path of suicide but I really don't think you-"
"Kwok Ryong, speak like an actual royal one before I smack you out of anger and decide not to break your seal anymore," Seunghyuk stared into Kwok Ryong's eyes and spoke harshly like every single word was a sharp knife that left cuts here and there on the helplessly sealed ancient creature's body which he immediately begged Seunghyuk pathetically, "Please, please, young man, I'm terribly sorry. You do what you want to do even if it's death I wouldn't dare say another word against it anymore."
Seunghyuk could not say he was very satisfied with that response but he had no time to waste on such trivial matters like Kwok Ryong's eccentric manner of speech. With haste in his feet, he brisk walked towards the huge double doors leading out of House Travessle and stopped briefly in front of the group of five elder Nighthowlers, the "double agent" standing at the very front holding the pendant in his hands.
"I really mean it when I say I will rescue your partner. Now it's only your choice if you want to follow me. I cannot have too many people going with me or that would lose the main purpose of 'secretly rescuing' your partner from the King's grasp," Seunghyuk spoke and threw the decision into the elder Nighthowler's hands but it was immediately turned down, "I am sorry I would not be able to accompany you on this mission. I am exceptionally grateful that you really decided to save my partner from Kim Yangwon's malicious plans, but the position tracker implanted inside of my body would only hinder your progress."
Seunghyuk listened, nodded and gave a reassuring smile to the elder Nighthowler who bowed briefly with a whole motion of appreciation and gratitude. Seunghyuk pushed open the huge double doors of House Travessle and took one step out, but realised he made another big mistake: He did not know where anything was in Arkawarenia.
"Kwok Ryong, I might actually need you, so can you...wait no, you don't have the choice. Come with me now or remain as a beautifully tied up package that will forever remain unopened," Seunghyuk ordered arrogantly and the previous Nighthowler King had absolutely no other choice but to follow Seunghyuk's orders and to become Seunghyuk's compass and map.
"Hyung! I'll come with you!" Jisung ran forward towards Seunghyuk as his rushed, heavy footsteps sent vibrations across the whole carpeted floor, still, Seunghyuk opened his mouth to try to reject Jisung's offer for his well-being but Jisung's death stare was weirdly scary and effective towards Seunghyuk, "Choi Seunghyuk. I. Am. Coming. With. You."
Seunghyuk did not even complain that Jisung rudely used his full name even though he was younger than him, but instead he patted Jisung's head like he was trying to calm his pet hamster down. Jisung angrily shook Seunghyuk's hand off of his head which only put a smile on Seunghyuk's face.
"Well, I guess three people will do then. Now, let me commence my own third and final task. Your...My task starts...now!"