Amidst the darkness, in a thatched wooden house, Arion lay unconscious in bed. His face was covered in sweat and a wooly blanket was tugged over him. He was bandaged from his shoulders across his abdomen to his hips. Surprisingly, blood has oozed on the bandages from the injury sustained at the Bloodstream Cave.
Suddenly, his eyes shot open as he woke up, gasping non-stop. He felt an intense pain, despite his surprise at being able to feel it.
As his eyes scanned the room, curiosity overwhelmed him. He wondered where he was at the moment and sprang out of bed, throwing the blanket aside. "Where am i?" he imagined. Thankfully, there was an entrance to the room, so he dashed outside.
However, he was met with the sight of a man chopping firewood outside. Arion's spell-engraved sword appeared in his hand as he casted a spell in his mind and pointed it at the man with a serious look.
"Who are you?" Arion questioned.
The man, dressed in a black banner dress with a smile on his face, turned to him. His long, white hair marked him as a great immortal. The man was about to speak when Arion interrupted,
"Why the hell am I here?! If I am fortunate enough to be alive, I am supposed to be trapped in the fallen rocks of that cave. So who are you?"
The man remained unfazed and gave an irrelevant response, "Instead of doing this, use your Devilmite Beam to force answers from my mouth." Arion was surprised the man knew about his skill, and for the time being, he lowered his sword. The man smiled and remarked, "I see you've grown cooler than before."
The man then put down his axe. Arion questioned how he ended up there and how the man seemed to know something about him, first mentioning the Devilmite Beam and knowing his change of attitude.
Upon closer inspection, Arion realized where they were was a forest, silent and devoid of the crowds he was used to in Heka.
Suddenly, soldiers appeared in the forest, running helter skelter in an inspective manner. They were all in black armor and their swords were not different.
Arion sensed that the soldiers didn't react as if he and the man existed even though their eyes met. And apparently, the soldiers turned back without venturing into the wood thatched house.
Arion wondered why the soldiers didn't venture further into their location and why they appeared unnoticed. The strange man then revealed that he had made his house invisible for a long time and it made them also invisible. Then he revealed that the Silver King had ordered Arion's capture.
"The king of this demon land? Why does he want me?" Arion demanded, his face contorted with frustration.
"Probably because you are a mountain god, and he needs your torrent of power," the man replied, though Arion clearly wasn't satisfied with that explanation. "Since you feel so strongly about it, how about I make this place visible?" the man suggested.
"No, I've just been through a lot, and I need some rest," Arion replied.
The man approached the soldiers and told Arion he was going to play a prank on them. The man was invisible infront of the soldiers and when he cast his magic, it diverted the soldiers' attention, making it seem like someone had passed by.
"But, how come you know the king is searching for me?" Arion questioned him.
Then he shrugged, "The Silver King would not send his soldiers to search for anything else than something precious. Meanwhile, you are the only one of such that is in this forest." Then he sounded a little friendly, "It would have been hard for you if you were rescued to the demon mountain. Its mountain god would have come for you as well."
Arion smirked, knowing that mountain god's power couldn't fight against him.
Back at the Silver King's palace, the soldiers reported their failure to find the mountain god. The Silver King erupted in anger, determined to acquire Arion's power. He ordered them to search every inch and corner of Silver Land until they brought Arion to him.
Later that day, the man treated Arion's wounds. In the silence, he took the opportunity to ask Arion why he had given up on revenge, mentioning that he had read Arion's mind while he slept.
Arion remained silent, not willing to share his personal matters with a stranger. The man assured him it was okay to keep it to himself.
After a brief conversation, Arion abruptly got up, put on the banner dress the man gave him to wear, and headed to the door, signaling his departure.
"Where are you heading to?" the man asked.
"I'm going to make things right. Due to some strange emotions, I failed to avenge my family, and I need to rectify that. I'll kill everyone involved in my family's death," Arion declared firmly.
The man tried to dissuade him, emphasizing the importance of self-control. He suggested that Arion find out the truth behind his family's death and explore other options instead of seeking vengeance.
"What do you mean?" Arion asked, the gap between his eyes curling into an irresistible frown.
"I know you not only want to take revenge but also to know why your family was murdered. I know the answer to your plight, but only if you promise to stay here and practice self-control," the man explained. "Vengeance may not be the best option. Why don't you find out why your family was killed? Was it fair or unfair? Can you solve things differently?"
Arion was taken aback. He asked, "What's the condition?"
"I already told you;train your mind in this mountain. If you can practice self-control, I'll reveal the truth behind your family's death."
Arion, not willing to submit to the deal, contemplated the offer. "What if I don't do as you say?"
"Well, you won't say so. No matter how hard you are to get, your mind won't ever mislead you," the man said frankly. He appeared optimistic, looking at Arion with a casual expression. "Not only your family was eliminated, but thousands more. I will tell you what became of them to be subjected to such, and your personal identity. Just submit to my offer."