Silvan kept walking, his grip tightening around Solar Flare Edge. His mind lingered on the lack of loot and the unsettling connection to Z@lther.
In his world, the reason these creatures appeared the moment the Dark Child fell was still a mystery.
The prophecy had come true, and then they appeared.
The Dark Child was a being that had caused havoc throughout the world, almost immortal, bringing destruction wherever it went. But in the end, it still died at the cost of countless lives. According to prophecy, after its fall, a new era of prosperity was supposed to begin.
That didn't happen.
Instead, what followed was the appearance of the Kymers and the ominous being known as Z@lther.
And now, Kymers had appeared in this world, too.
"So, YunYun, you're telling me you have no idea what that was?"
YunYun nodded. "I've never seen that thing before. It might be a demon, but its Qi flow is nonexistent."
Silvan nodded, not asking any more questions. Whatever the case, he would have to fight them again. And he would have his revenge against Z@lther by gaining authority over the system.
Silvan moved forward, heading toward the Qi pool marked on the map. But just as he neared, he heard something.
Clank!
"Ughh…"
Then a sharp cry.
Silvan stopped. His gaze flicked toward the source of the noise. Activating Focused Vision, he zoomed in.
Beyond the trees, he saw them a group of four, surrounding a girl. Their swords were pointed at her, clad in red.
One of them grinned, the tip of his blade glinting under the light.
"I don't know what that girl did," the man muttered, "but it seems it's over."
"We'll take that treasure… and also her~."
Laughter followed.
Silvan's gaze shifted to the girl as he got closer. She wore a snug tank top that fit over her toned body. A blue cap shadowed her eyes, and a black mask covered the lower half of her face.
In her grip a blue spear, mist swirling around it.
His eyes narrowed, focusing on the small star tattoo beneath her left eye.
Silvan recognized her. And he started moving closer.
Yet, she wasn't acting like the person he remembered from TV.
Even surrounded, outnumbered, there was no fear on her face.
The blue mist around her spear pulsed as she adjusted her grip. The four men surrounding her didn't seem to notice.
"Let's not waste time, boys," one of them sneered. "Take her down."
The moment the words left his lips—
She moved.
A crown of swirling air appeared above her head.
"The mark of Wind!" Silvan uttered, shocked.
Her spear lashed out, cutting through the air.
One of the attackers barely reacted in time, raising his sword to block too slow.
The spear's mist expanded, twisting unnaturally, seeping through his guard like a snake.
Then—
Crack!
His arm twisted at an unnatural angle, his scream piercing through the air.
But the others weren't idle.
They struck.
She was already anticipating their movements, dodging one attack. But she wasn't fast enough to dodge another.
She barely moved in time.
Slash!
The blade struck her left arm, carving a deep wound. Blood seeped out instantly. She stumbled backward.
"She'll lose at this rate," Silvan mumbled, assessing the gap in power.
[Demonic Human, 5th Stage of Body Tempering]
[Demonic Human, 5th Stage of Body Tempering]
[Demonic Human, 5th Stage of Body Tempering]
[Demonic Human, 5th Stage of Body Tempering]
All of them were at the 5th stage. Even for him, at the 6th stage, this would be a tough fight.
"YunYun, who are they?" Silvan asked.
"They're from the Ghost Valley. Wait… don't tell me you're going to save her?"
Silvan nodded, deciding. "Protect my body for a second."
He closed his eyes, leaving YunYun confused. Meanwhile, the battle worsened.
The girl killed one of the disciples in that moment.
Another wound appeared on her hand. Her breathing was heavy now.
"Tch, she killed him."
"Haha, that's even better. One less person to share with!"
The remaining three grinned as they looked at the treasure and at her.
Disgust flickered in her eyes seeing them.
"I'm back."
Silvan opened his eyes and quickly scanned the battlefield.
In a single second, he assessed the situation. Then, he stepped out slightly from the bushes.
"Dungeon Portal,Open."
A swirling purple portal appeared behind him.
[Dungeon Portal: Enables sending resources or new dungeon subjects back to the dungeon or transferring subjects. The double body cannot pass through the portal itself.]
YunYun was still confused.
Then something peeked out from the portal.
His eyes widened in recognition.
"Blooming Sap Cannon! Fire!"
[To be continued...]