"Now, villagers… who said Verdants have no power to defeat other I.D. users?" Draven asked. "Did I kill an Azure or a Crimson in front of you? No! It's Gil who defeated it! Why are you afraid of them?"
He continued. "Because they have enhanced strength? Because they have special abilities?"
Then he scoffed. "That's complete bullshit! If you want to be accepted in this world, you need to be wise and brave. Fight for change! Or you'll stay weak forever!"
Outside the barrier, Naisha and the other villagers watched in confusion.
They could see Draven talking, his intense expressions, and his sharp gestures.
But they couldn't hear even a single word.
To them, his voice was nothing more than a muffled hum, lost within the thick, impenetrable walls of the cubicle barrier.
"Is Mother Venice alright?" Gil asked.
He had just entered the village after he shot Gebo.
Mother Venice, still shaken but composed, nodded. "I'm fine. But, Gil, what exactly happened?"
Gil sighed, confirming Draven's suspicions.
"Everything he predicted was right. Gebo and Deka attacked with hostage tactics in mind. They couldn't win against Draven, so they resorted to threats and deception."
Gil looked at Deka. "So everything is a lie?"
Deka scoffed. "Verdants are just not weak. You guys are easy to manipulate too."
Naisha clenched her fists, her sharp eyes locking onto Deka. "Let's beat him."
A cold sweat ran down Deka's back as he noticed something terrifying.
The villagers were all staring at him.
"Shit, stay back! Don't come near me!" Deka panicked, stepping backward.
Inside the barrier again, Draven smirked.
"That's right! Go and beat those other I.D.s who dare threaten your lives!"
"Gil! Gil!" Draven called out, waving his hands.
But Gil didn't even turn or react.
"Wait... They can't hear me? "
He spotted Naisha.
"Babe! Yahoo! Babe!"
He waved his hand frantically.
But just like Gil, she didn't even flinch.
Draven sighed, arms dropping. "My voice is trapped in here too. Now it's up to Gil."
A moment passed, and he started thinking again.
"On second thought… good thing they didn't hear my speech. That would've been so humiliating."
"Shit, I will never give a speech again!"
He pressed his palm against the thick barrier.
The moment his hand made contact, a translucent screen suddenly flickered into existence before his eyes.
"What the heck is this?! This isn't a status screen."
[Barrier detected. Do you want to shatter it right now?]
[Yes] or [No]
"Oh! So I need to touch something to activate this skill."
---
Outside the barrier…
Naisha and the villagers were closing in on Deka.
Just then, Gil stepped in front of Naisha, blocking her path.
"What are you doing?" Naisha asked.
"Please, let him go. He's just a kid," Gil replied.
Then, he turned to Deka. "Run. There's a whole life waiting for you outside this forest."
"Huh? What are you doing?" Deka refused, clenching his fists. "Do you really think I'll listen to you?"
Naisha pressed a knife against Gil.
"Do you even understand what you're doing and who you're protecting?" She glared at him.
While they were at it, a sudden, piercing shatter echoed through the air.
"Crack!"
Deka's eyes widened in pure shock.
Draven had just broken the strongest barrier in the entire Slave Hunters faction!
Naisha and the others stared, momentarily frozen in confusion.
Draven stepped forward, his gaze locked onto Deka.
"Who are you?!" Deka shouted in terror. "Don't come near me, you monster!"
Panicked, he summoned another thick barrier around himself, trying to trap himself inside for protection.
But with just a single touch from Draven—CRACK!—it shattered like fragile glass.
Draven's voice was low and menacing.
"So this is how you plan to make Gil proud of your second life?"
His piercing death stare sent a cold chill through Deka's spine.
"Run… before I kill you."
Deka, trembled as fear overwhelmed him.
Without another word, he turned and bolted into the forest, desperate to escape.
"Why did you let him go?" Naisha asked, irritated.
"Let me cook something, babe," Draven grinned. "And the water I'm asking?"
Just then, a high-pitched laugh shrilled through the forest.
"Hihihihihi!"
It echoed, stretching unnaturally, making the air feel cold and heavy.
"Hihihihihi~"
'That voice again,' Draven muttered.
Everyone turned, scanning the area for the source of the eerie laughter.
From the shadows of the trees, figures began emerging one by one, clad in savage, barbaric attire.
This was the full force of the Mad Clan, the feared faction of the Slave Hunters.
The villagers froze in terror as the group surrounded them, their sheer numbers overwhelming.
At the front stood four strong elites, the highest-ranking members beneath their leader.
The Fifth, a man in his thirties with spiked hair, wielded a staff.
He was a mage known for his devastating spells.
The Fourth was a woman with a wild, unhinged look.
She gripped dual axes, her body twitching as if consumed by madness.
The Third, a towering, bald giant with muscles like boulders, carried a massive warhammer that could crush anything in its path.
And finally, Second and now the leader of the Mad clan, the deadliest of them, stepped forward.
He was a dual-dagger wielder, his sharp eyes scanning for a target.
The villagers' fear deepened as they realized the full force of the Mad Clan had surrounded them, cutting off all possible escape.
Meanwhile, Draven was looking for someone behind him.
'Make it faster, boy.'
The Verdant villagers huddled together, their bodies pressed against one another in fear.
In front of them stood Naisha, Gil, and Draven.
"I suppose you're the one I spoke with a few hours ago," Draven said as he got the water-filled wooden bucket.
Draven took a casual sip from a large container of water. His demeanor was completely unbothered despite the overwhelming numbers against them.
Second smirked.
"You're still acting cocky, even when you're clearly at a disadvantage. This isn't the same with the Jackals, you know."
Draven ignored him, tipping his head back as he downed the last of his drink.
Then he let out a refreshed sigh and raised his hand in a 'wait a second' gesture.
Second narrowed his eyes. "Tch. Are you even listening?"
Draven finally wiped his mouth. "So, you're here for revenge for your Gorvex?"
"Revenge?" Second let out a short laugh. "Hah! We don't believe in revenge. The weak die. The strong survive. That's all there is to it. We're only here for the slaves."
With a devilish smile, he continued, "And you, my friend, will fetch a good price."
The Fifth raised his staff, and at its tip, two glowing orbs materialized.
One was of fire and the other of water.
With a flick of his wrist, the spheres shifted and transformed into elemental spears.
The Fourth, the wild-eyed woman, grinned maniacally.
In addition to the two axes she wielded, she summoned four floating small axes, which levitated around her.
The Third, the towering brute, slammed his war hammer into the ground.
A deep rumbling followed as his weapon expanded, growing even larger than himself.
The sheer weight of it caused the ground beneath him to crack.
The Second unsheathed his twin daggers, and then an ominous wave of shadows erupted from him, forming countless dark forms.
Draven's sharp eyes assessed them.
They were all preparing to attack at once.
'Tch. He's really taking his time.' Draven glanced at the huddled villagers. 'I can't save them all.'
Just as he expected, a blur of deadly magic, steel, shadow, and minions surged forward.
But at that moment, Draven's ears caught something.
Footsteps.
They were rushing toward them from behind.
A smirk spread across Draven's lips.
Before the Mad Clan's attacks could land….
"SHHHHHRRRRRK!"
A sudden eruption of barriers shot up from the ground, one after another, encasing the villagers in an impenetrable fortress.
The Mad Clan's attacks slammed against the barriers, sending sparks and shockwaves rippling through the battlefield.
"You took too long, Deka!" Draven shouted, smiling.