Flora, who listened intently, asked, "What happened to the friends who were with you?"
Gus, with a sad expression, began to recount the harrowing events. "When Levi used dark magic to bind me and my friends, one of them was fortunate enough to be outside his magic's coverage area. He immediately cast a dispel magic spell on us, breaking Levi's chains. Levi, who was in the middle of giving one of his self-important speeches, was livid. "Who the hell did that?" he bellowed, his eyes burning with rage as he looked at my friend, who had fainted from the immense effort of breaking the spell.
"Furious, Levi used his fire magic to burn my friend. My friend, too exhausted to evade the fireball, was hit directly. The fireball left a grotesque, burning mark on his left side, scorching his entire body. The other three friends who were with me charged at Levi with everything they had, but Levi skillfully dodged all their attacks using his magic.
"Levi was a god who had ascended from mortality. He possessed a world system ability called 'Manipulator,' which made him exceptionally skilled with magic. However, his physical strength was his Achilles' heel. If anyone managed to land even a slight punch on him, it could be fatal. Knowing this, I devised a plan to kill him once and for all.
"I commanded my friends to attack him head-on rather than wait and strategize. They followed my instructions, attacking him directly to prevent him from using his magic effectively. We managed to corner him, but then Levi's sinister laughter echoed through the forest.
"'Did you think, Gus, that I came here unprepared? I know you're smart, and your group knows how to communicate well in battle," he taunted. As he spoke, a group of black-clad men emerged from the depths of the forest. Seeing them, I immediately alerted my friends to stay cautious, but before we could move, an arrow pierced the skull of one of my friends.
"I rushed to save him, but it was too late. The arrow was poisoned, and he died almost instantly. I realized then that these were highly trained assassins, likely working under a noble or royal family. Levi was not alone; he had come with formidable backup".
"Desperate and enraged, I decided to use my sword master techniques to defeat them all at once. I fought with everything I had, killing several of the assassins who came at me. Some were severely injured, but the rest continued to press the attack. I then turned my attention to Levi, who was watching in stunned silence at the display of my swordsmanship".
"He began to cast his trump card spell, a powerful incantation that could turn the tide of battle. But before he could finish, I appeared in front of him, my sword raised, ready to strike him down. Just as I was about to deliver the final blow, a shadowy figure emerged from the darkness and stabbed me from behind".
"I felt a sharp, searing pain as a stream of blood flowed from the center of my chest. I fell to the ground, my vision blurring. The shadowy figure started to converse with Levi, their voices mingling with the sounds of the forest.
"'Looks like you needed some help," the figure said, a hint of mockery in his voice.
"'Of course not. If you hadn't come to help me, I would have dealt with him myself," Levi retorted, though his voice lacked its usual confidence.
"'Look at you, Mr. Confidence, who was about to be cut down just now," the shadowy figure mocked Levi, laughing coldly.
"As I lay on the ground, bleeding and helpless, I strained to hear their conversation. The voice of the shadowy figure was familiar, but I couldn't place where I had heard it before. I turned my head to look for my friends, hoping against hope that they had managed to escape. Instead, I saw three severed heads in the shadowy figure's hands. The sight crushed my spirit. I lost my last hope of finding help and mourned the loss of my friends, who had been with me since the day I joined the sword academy.
"The shadowy figure then asked Levi, 'What are you going to do with Gus?'
"With a cruel smile on his face, Levi replied, 'I'm going to make him a puppet of mine using my ability." He laughed maniacally, his voice echoing through the forest.
"I tried to muster the strength to move, to fight back, but my body refused to obey. I felt the cold grip of despair closing in on me. I remembered the good times with my friends, our training sessions, our dreams of becoming heroes. All of it seemed so distant now, lost in the shadow of Levi's cruelty and ambition.
"Levi walked over to me, his eyes gleaming with malice. "You should have known better than to oppose me, Gus,' he sneered. 'Now, you will serve me, whether you like it or not." He began to chant a spell, dark and twisted, that seeped into my very soul. I felt my will slipping away, my mind clouding with darkness.