In the depths of a dark labyrinth, within a chamber shrouded in malevolence, an old dark apprentice magus stood within an intricate eight-node rune circle. Each node held a half-dead human, their bodies twisted and broken from inhuman torture, lingering in agony. The magus, cloaked in shadows, focused intently as he cultivated his dark mana, feeling the power pulse through him like a heartbeat.Suddenly, a loud banging echoed against the heavy door of the chamber, the sound reverberating through the stillness. The old magus had anticipated this interruption; Thoren of the Magenthore clan had warned him of Marona's impending attack. The door creaked open with a haunted groan, revealing several black-robed guards, their faces pale and trembling.Impatience laced the magus's voice as he demanded, "Speak! Did we kill Marona? Don't concern yourself with casualties—just tell me!"One of the guards, visibly shaken, gathered his courage. "L-lord, we lost almost all our fighters. Only a handful remain."Fury ignited within the old magus, and he clenched his teeth, the air thickening with his dark energy. "How?" he growled.The guard, now completely fearful, stammered, "Marona launched a massive assault on our men through the tunnel from her territory. She sacrificed hundreds of her cannon fodder swordsmen and blew up the front side of the tunnel.""That mad bitch!" the magus roared, his anger boiling over. "But I still don't understand how this cost us all our men!"Then the guard's last sentence struck the old magus like a hammer: "Someone from Marona's side infiltrated the Nyx side of the tunnel and blew it up from behind, trapping our swordsmen inside."The revelation sent a wave of dark mana oozing from the magus, the humans at each node of the rune circle disintegrating into lifeless husks. He realized that no one from his side could have leaked information; all of them bore the curse of the heart. Any attempt to betray him would result in their hearts exploding in a shower of gore. The Nyx, the Shadowflame, was bound by a blood pact to him—so who had betrayed him?"Darius 'The Broker'?" he thought bitterly, his mind racing with rage. "That scum! Whoever did this will pay the price."With a hurried wave of his hand, he barked, "Inform Nyx about the attack and gather our remaining forces!"The black-robed man bowed deeply, fear etched into his features. "The lady Nyx is already on her way, my lord."An evil smile curled on the magus's lips as dark thoughts twisted in his mind. "Today, Marona, you will die. And I will torture your soul for eternity." As planned, Lucas, Silas, and Meluis waited near Nyx and Marona's territory. Soon, they heard the sound of about forty swordsmen accompanying Marona through the dark alley. Marona approached Lucas and his team, a confident smile on her face."You guys don't look so bad. I guess it was smooth sailing for you," she said, her tone light.Silas scoffed, crossing his arms. "I wouldn't say it was smooth sailing."Marona waved a hand dismissively. "Let's not waste time; let's finish what we started."With that, they entered the labyrinth of tunnels, Marona at the forefront and Lucas guiding the guards toward the Death's Hand's main base. About ten hired swordsmen led the group, followed by half a dozen aura swordsmen, while the rest trailed behind, flanking Marona and Lucas.Lucas kept his focus sharp, scanning their surroundings as his instincts were on high alert. Suddenly, a warning beeped from his AI.
"Minor mana fluctuation detected ahead. Host advised to proceed with caution."
In a loud voice, Lucas called for everyone to stop. Most responded quickly, but a few hired swordsmen were slower on the uptake. From the shadows, a startled black-robed man triggered the trap. Instantly, four of the hired swordsmen were enveloped in a cloud of poisonous gas, collapsing lifelessly to the ground.Lucas spotted the robed man lurking in the shadows and, without hesitation, loosed an arrow from his Crown Eagle bow. The arrow struck true, and the black-robed figure slumped dead into the darkness.Marona observed with a mix of admiration and relief. If it hadn't been for Lucas's quick reflexes, all of the hired swordsmen might have perished. Among them, a fully armored swordsman looked intently at Lucas, clearly impressed by his swift action.Marona swiftly cast the Air Sweep spell, which cleared the poisonous fog from their path. Lucas wanted to observe the intricacies of her spell, but it happened so fast that he barely registered it.Air Sweep SpellDescription: The caster conjures a wave of compressed air to push back enemies or objects.Effect: Knocks back targets and can disrupt their balance.Mana Cost: 3-5 mana."Impressive," he muttered, still processing the close call.After losing four men to the trap, everyone was on high alert. With the aid of his AI, Lucas managed to detect and avoid further traps, maintaining their pace through the tunnel. Despite his efforts, they encountered more hazards—spiked potholes, deadly rune traps, and other lethal dangers—and lost three more men along the way.Eventually, they arrived at the main entry tunnel to the Death's Hand base. What they saw left even the hardened swordsmen stunned. The massive gate leading into the base was flanked by grisly crucifixions: young children, nailed vertically to the door. The sight was horrifying, a macabre display meant to force a terrible choice. The only way to enter quickly was by splitting the children's bodies in half to open the gate.The pitiful cries of the children echoed through the tunnel, the innocent voices striking deep into the hearts of the swordsmen. Everyone waited, their breath held, for Marona's order.With visible pain in her voice, Marona whispered, "What cruel monsters..."One of the hired swordsmen scanned the crucified children and froze in place, horror dawning on him. Among the victims, he spotted his own lost daughter. Without waiting for an order, he broke into a desperate sprint toward her."Lily! Don't worry, Papa's here!" he shouted, his voice breaking.The young girl, drained by pain and sobbing, barely opened her eyes. With a hoarse, dry voice, she whispered, "Papa... please…"The swordsman rushed to her side, his heart shattered by the sight of her suffering. But just as he reached her, a shadowed figure loosed an arrow from the darkness. It flew with a deadly whisper and struck the swordsman in the throat. He collapsed instantly, blood bubbling from his mouth as his wide eyes remained fixed on his daughter.Lily let out a heart-wrenching scream, her cries piercing the silence and the hearts of everyone around.From the shadows, several swordsmen emerged, their movements swift and silent. Behind them, fully cloaked in black, stood the unmistakable figures of assassins. They flanked Marona's group from both sides, encircling them with deadly precision.Marona's eyes narrowed as she murmured, "These are Nyx's assassins... So it was you, Nyx, the traitor all along."The realization settled over the group like a cold wave. Weapons were drawn, breaths held, and every man steeled himself for the inevitable battle that loomed. The tension in the air thickened as both sides prepared for the bloody conflict ahead.