In the underground facility designated as Zone C-3, a multitude of figures gathered within the dim, cavernous hall. The most striking feature among them was their eyes, each pupil flickered with different colored lights, creating an eerie rainbow of luminescence that danced through the oppressive darkness.
"It's time," announced a man draped in black robes, his voice reverberating through the chamber with grave authority that seemed to settle into the very stones.
As the black-robed figure's words faded into silence, another presence emerged from the assembled crowd. This newcomer wore blood-red robes that appeared to absorb the flickering lights around him. He moved to the front of the gathering with deliberate, measured steps that commanded attention.
"Brothers and sisters," the blood-robed figure began, drawing back his hood to reveal a young face marked by sharp, determined features. "The mission entrusted to us by the Supreme Being can essentially be declared a complete failure. Even Master Xin himself has fallen into the hands of those creatures from beyond our realm."
He paused deliberately, allowing his penetrating gaze to sweep across the crowd gathered below. The faces that stared back reflected a complex tapestry of emotions, some displayed crushing depression, others barely contained fear, and many bore expressions of complete confusion. These complex feelings swirled through the dim underground space like a poisonous miasma.
"But we still possess a glimmer of hope," the young man continued, his voice now carrying a note of calculated confidence that cut through the despair.
Upon hearing these words, most of the crowd froze completely in their tracks. Then the questions began erupting from multiple voices simultaneously:
"Master Ming, what exactly are you referring to?"
"Master Ming, please don't keep us suspended in uncertainty. At this point, even if it means storming the entrance directly, we're prepared to do it!"
"Yes, we've reached a critical juncture where retreat is no longer a viable option."
Observing that he had successfully stirred the crowd's flagging spirits and captured their undivided attention, the young man known as Master Ming allowed himself a slight, knowing chuckle. "I'm certain everyone present knows that I am the direct descendant of Master Xin himself."
The crowd fell into stunned silence. They wondered why Ming would bring up this particular fact now, especially considering that Master Xin's lifeless body still hung prominently in the sky above them like a grim reminder of their devastating defeat.
However, Ming had no intention of prolonging the suspense unnecessarily. Instead, he revealed a secret that sent waves of horror through everyone present: "What if I told you that I possess the ability to acquire Master Xin's legendary eyes for myself?"
The crowd erupted into absolute chaos and disbelief.
"How could that even be possible?!"
"Master Xin's eyes are the only ones of their kind ever witnessed in recorded history!"
"Master Ming, have you successfully awakened your third eye?!"
The mere thought of this possibility sent ripples of excitement coursing through the assembled crowd. Although Master Ming clearly lacked Master Xin's all-encompassing power and authority, if he somehow possessed that legendary ocular ability, escaping this underground prison would surely become a relatively simple matter. Once free, they could soar through the heavens and traverse the vast seas at will.
However, Ming's next words immediately dampened their rising spirits like cold water on flames: "I have not awakened my third eye."
Feeling as if they were being manipulated and played for complete fools, the crowd erupted in waves of anger and mounting frustration.
"Master Ming, Master Xin is dead and gone. You don't seriously think we'll still blindly accept your rule, do you?"
"Yes, I genuinely thought you actually had some sort of concrete plan, but it seems like nothing more than empty promises and false hope."
Such harsh accusations overwhelmed Ming from all directions, but he remained completely unperturbed and composed. A strange, deeply unsettling smile slowly crossed his features. "Why do you assume..." he began with deliberate slowness, "that Master Xin's legendary eye was entirely natural?"
A momentary, profound silence fell over the entire gathering. Ming's cryptic words left the crowd somewhat bewildered and uncertain, yet they also sensed something distinctly ominous lurking beneath his carefully chosen tone.
"Now!" Ming commanded with sharp authority.
Just as everyone was still attempting to process his cryptic statement, black-robed figures scattered strategically throughout the crowd suddenly struck without any warning whatsoever. They moved with practiced, lethal efficiency, taking the lives of those standing directly beside them in swift, brutally decisive motions.
Within a matter of minutes, only Ming, still clad in his increasingly blood-stained robes, and his loyal black-robed assassins remained standing in the underground hall. Bodies littered the stone floor, their spilled blood beginning to pool and flow steadily toward the center of the chamber.
"Dig them all out," Ming ordered with complete emotional detachment. As he flexed his fingers with practiced ease, the blood pooling on the ground began to gather around him in response to his dark magical manipulation.
Gradually, the flowing blood formed a massive, intricately designed magic circle. If someone could somehow view the entire formation from high above, they would immediately notice it bore an uncanny resemblance to the giant pupil at the center of the blood moon hanging ominously in the sky, a perfect, mirror-like reflection of the celestial phenomenon.
"Master Ming, they're all here," a black-robed figure said with deep respect as he approached Ming, carefully carrying a large ceramic jar.
Inside the jar were dozens of pairs of eyes, each one gleaming with a distinctly different color like macabre jewels of unnatural beauty. The sight would have made most ordinary people violently sick, but Ming's expression remained cold, focused, and utterly unmoved.
Glancing at the remaining black-robed figures with casual indifference, Ming spoke as if discussing the day's weather, "I need yours as well."
"Just one from each," he clarified with chilling nonchalance.
The black-robed figures heard this command without the slightest hesitation or protest. Each of them immediately gouged out their right eye with practiced precision, blood streaming down their faces in crimson rivulets. Clutching their bleeding eye sockets without so much as a whimper of pain, they placed their extracted organs within the giant magic circle's perimeter.
Witnessing this display of absolute, unwavering loyalty, Ming gently placed his right middle finger, index finger, and thumb over his own right eye socket with careful precision.
"Although I'm not like Master Xin, who used Master Corvus and Master Maxim as mere consumables with the Supreme Being's direct assistance," Ming muttered to himself thoughtfully, "with so many eyes offered as sacrifice, creating a significantly weakened version shouldn't present any insurmountable problems."
Ming applied gradual, steady pressure with his right hand. A moment later, his own eye appeared in his palm, a perfect sphere of fluid and delicate nerve tissue. Ming seemed completely insensitive to what should have been excruciating pain, letting the blood from his empty right socket drip down his cheek like crimson tears of sacrifice.
He gently placed his own eye in the precise center of the magic circle, completing the grotesque ritual with ceremonial reverence.
As the eye at the center began to radiate an increasingly dazzling light, the magic circle started to vibrate with distinctly otherworldly energy. Eyes positioned around the perimeter shattered one after another in the blood-red illumination, their spiritual essence converging at the center to completely envelop Ming's sacrificial offering.
Seeing the dark ritual reaching its climactic moment, Ming's face flushed with eager anticipation. "Almost there, almost there," he whispered with feverish intensity.
"As long as I possess that legendary eye..." He paused, his thoughts turning toward revenge before harsh reality reasserted itself. The vivid memory of that monstrous, powerful, completely expressionless woman made him shudder involuntarily despite his newfound confidence.
"Let's focus on trying to escape from this place first," he decided with more practical wisdom.
Soon, the magic circle drawn in fresh blood dimmed to a faint, pulsing glow, and in its place, an eye flashing with strange, multicolored light floated in the air like a supernatural artifact of immense power.
Ming grasped the floating eye with trembling hands, handling it as carefully as the most precious treasure in existence. Looking at the orb in his palm that resembled enchanted glass, he was so overwhelmed with excitement that his entire body trembled with barely contained anticipation.
"Success! The same legendary eyes as Master Xin possessed!" he exclaimed in absolute triumph. "I never truly believed I would be able to succeed!"
As a direct descendant of Master Xin, Ming naturally knew the complete dark history of how his ancestor had systematically built his vast empire. However, after his ancestor had completely dominated the known world, he had strictly forbidden his descendants from imitating his methods and obtaining this powerful ocular ability. Under Master Xin's unavoidable and constant surveillance, they could only serve to help him consolidate and maintain his iron grip on power.
"In that case, I have to genuinely thank that expressionless woman!" Ming thought, laughing with wild, manic glee. "Good riddance to the tyrannical old fool!"
His right hand trembled with barely controlled excitement as he brought the artificial eye toward his empty socket. As the two drew closer together, tiny tendrils of flesh began to connect and bind the eye securely to his skull.
Finally, Ming's right eye returned to its proper socket, though now it pulsed with distinctly unnatural power that seemed to emanate from within.
"Hahahaha!" Ming stroked the area around his newly restored right eye and let out a wild, triumphant laugh that echoed through the chamber.
"Master Ming," a black-robed figure nearby asked with evident concern, "are you feeling alright?"
Hearing this inquiry, Ming slowly opened his tightly closed right eye. Blood-red stars shone brilliantly within the pupil, casting an ominous glow that made the very air itself seem to shimmer and distort.
"I feel absolutely incredible right now!" Ming declared, his voice filled with intoxicating, overwhelming power.
The black-robed figure staring directly at him with those crimson pupils immediately broke out in a cold sweat. The sheer pressure emanating from that legendary eye was completely overwhelming and suffocating.
But just as the subordinate was about to voice his growing discomfort, Ming frowned deeply and closed his right eye with obvious effort. "As expected, it's still no true match for Master Xin's original eye," he admitted with slight disappointment. "And the physical and mental burden is rather significant."
"But fortunately, it can be systematically strengthened later through continued use and additional sacrifice."
The black-robed figures breathed a collective sigh of relief upon hearing this reassuring news. The oppressive pressure that the legendary eye had placed on them was truly immense, like standing directly before a predator that could end their existence with a single thought.
At this crucial moment, one of the black-robed men knelt respectfully on the ground, "Master Ming, my eyes tell me that creatures from the outside world are steadily approaching our current location."
Hearing this intelligence, Ming smiled with eager anticipation, his new eye beginning to glow hungrily with malevolent light, "Perfect timing. My right eye is genuinely thirsting for fresh blood. Just let me have some entertaining fun with these insignificant little mice."
"Did you see that eye in the moon flicker just now?" Azrael asked the four people around him uncertainly, his voice carrying a distinct note of growing unease.
However, the others all insisted they hadn't seen anything unusual, or rather, they simply hadn't been paying careful attention to the sky during their methodical approach.
"Did I imagine it?" Azrael said with persistent uncertainty gnawing at him.
But Azrael wasn't a character in a horror movie who would foolishly ignore obvious warning signs only to meet his inevitable doom later. Even if something seemed potentially amiss, he wouldn't pretend not to see it and recklessly lead his team into unnecessary danger.
"I feel like there's something seriously wrong with this entire secret realm. We'd better exercise extreme caution," Azrael said gravely, his experienced summoner instincts now on high alert.
Oliver, Choi-Gyu, and Jea-Min all nodded in complete agreement, readily recognizing the wisdom in Azrael's heightened wariness and concern.
Sun-Myun, however, rolled his eyes dismissively and muttered under his breath, "Always trying to scare us unnecessarily."
He casually dismissed Azrael's suggestion, figuring that with both Azrael and Oliver around for protection, it wouldn't be his turn to face any real danger if something truly went wrong. Besides, why should he be particularly nervous? He hadn't sensed anything genuinely dangerous about this secret realm during his previous training sessions here.
Soon, Azrael and his four companions emerged from a dense forest that had effectively concealed their cautious approach.
"We've arrived," Azrael announced, gazing through the trees at the eerily quiet town spreading out ahead. "But why haven't I detected any demonic presence whatsoever?"
He was genuinely puzzled by this development. While his mental power wasn't nearly strong enough to cover the entire town comprehensively, it was more than sufficient to detect supernatural activity in the immediate surrounding areas.
Oliver naturally released his own mental power to systematically scan the area, but received exactly the same result as Azrael, absolutely nothing detectable.
After a moment's careful consideration and analysis, he said, "There are two logical possibilities. Either these demons are gathering somewhere completely outside our detection range, or they have developed some sophisticated method of shielding themselves from mental detection."
Azrael nodded slightly, confirming Oliver's thoroughly logical assessment. "Then we'll have to infiltrate and investigate directly."
However, he couldn't just charge in completely recklessly. Azrael summoned Fubuki, instructing her to cast a series of [Wind King Barrier - Fubuki Special Edition] concealment spells on everyone in the group.
Having previously witnessed Fubuki successfully conceal Lily's massive laser cannon, the group wasn't particularly surprised by this sensible precautionary measure.
The five of them approached the town in complete, absolute silence, but to their continued surprise, they still couldn't detect any demonic presence within their significantly expanded mental range.
"It seems they've definitely found some way to block our detection abilities," Jea-Min observed with characteristic expressionlessness, pushing up her black-framed glasses with analytical precision.
"Do any of you have cards that specialize in detection or reconnaissance?" Azrael asked as he began summoning his Shadowkhan.
The four shook their heads in unison. To prepare adequately for the national competition, they had been forced to sacrifice valuable space for utility cards in order to make room for more combat-oriented cards.
Azrael wasn't particularly surprised by this response; he had asked more out of hopeful expectation than genuine belief.
If they had possessed such specialized cards, it would certainly have been advantageous, but since they didn't, he had alternative methods at his disposal.
With his spiritual power steadily increasing over time, the number of Shadowkhan Azrael could summon had grown substantially. In this particular situation, it was naturally safer to deploy the Shadowkhan to spread out and conduct thorough reconnaissance.
The ten Shadowkhan bowed their heads in respectful acknowledgment before vanishing instantly, dispersing throughout the town like shadows given purpose.
"Alright, now we wait for intelligence," Azrael told Oliver and the others while systematically surveying their surroundings for potential threats or escape routes.
The other four understood the fundamental principle of not standing beneath a precarious wall. Since Azrael had taken complete responsibility for gathering information, they wouldn't make any rash moves that might compromise the mission's success.
Though even if they had wanted to act independently, Azrael wouldn't have allowed such foolishness.
"We should prepare for the distinct possibility that our presence has been detected," Azrael advised after they had waited for an extended period with no Shadowkhan reporting back and no decrease in the number of dispersed units.
Azrael pinched his brow in growing anxiety. The complete radio silence from his reconnaissance force was deeply troubling and unprecedented.
Oliver and the other three nodded silently, agreeing completely with Azrael's grim assessment of their deteriorating situation.
"So these demons have some means of detection or counter-surveillance?" Azrael mused aloud thoughtfully.
"Eyes? How interesting," he added with growing realization.
The current situation reminded Azrael strongly of the Byakugan from Naruto, a powerful ocular ability that granted near-perfect vision and supernatural perception.
"Hmm?" Just as he was contemplating whether the gap between the Byakugan and more powerful ocular abilities was too great to overcome, a message flashed through his mental connection, snapping him back to immediate reality.
"One of my cards has been completely destroyed," Azrael announced grimly.
As he spoke these words, black and red liquid engulfed Azrael's form like living armor responding to his will. Azrael, now transformed into his enhanced combat state, appeared before Oliver and the other three with dramatically increased power radiating from every fiber of his being.
"Let's go see exactly what we're dealing with," Azrael declared, his voice now carrying new authority and strength.
Having made this disturbing discovery, Azrael didn't hesitate any longer. However, to prevent a possible ambush, he instructed the others to prepare their own summoned cards for immediate deployment.
At this critical point, there was no tactical advantage in maintaining stealth.
The five of them sped off in the direction Azrael's mental link indicated, moving with urgent purpose through the eerily empty streets.
Just as they were about to reach the scene of the disturbance, Azrael suddenly stopped, raising his hand to halt the entire group immediately.
"Something's not right here," he observed with growing unease and suspicion.
It was far too quiet, as if the five of them were the only living beings in the entire area. The silence was oppressive, unnatural, and deeply disturbing.
Without hesitation, Azrael instructed Fubuki to create a powerful telekinetic whirlwind barrier to shield all five members of the group.
In the next instant, a blazing red laser swept in from the distance, piercing through every house and obstacle in its path with devastating, surgical precision.
"Sizzle!"
The brilliant beam collided fiercely with Fubuki's telekinetic barrier, creating a spectacular display of opposing supernatural forces. As the laser grew progressively brighter and more intense, the strain on Fubuki's defenses became increasingly evident.
A deafening explosion erupted from the collision point.
"Boom!"
Smoke and debris billowed outward, completely obscuring their vision of the battlefield. Lily, wearing a solemn expression of determination, swung her Sword in a wide, powerful arc.
The tremendous wind generated by her blade swept away the surrounding dust and smoke, clearing their view of the immediate battlefield.
"Moderately troublesome, but certainly not insurmountable," Azrael concluded, based on his rapid analysis of the laser's intensity and his team's defensive capabilities.
Meanwhile, Oliver's dragon snake had already soared high into the air, gathering thick, dark clouds overhead with supernatural speed and efficiency.
"Crackle!"
Bright blue lightning descended from the artificially created storm, illuminating the darkened streets with brilliant electric light that cast dancing shadows.
"What a shame we don't have that coordination card available right now. We could have executed a devastatingly effective combination attack," Azrael sighed, looking up at the dark clouds that had completely covered the sky.
"Clap, clap, clap!"
Just as the five warriors were on full alert, a slow, mocking applause echoed from the opposite end of the street.
"Impressive! Truly worthy of beings from a world capable of killing Master Xin himself," a voice called out with genuine admiration mixed with unmistakable menace.
A young man in blood-red robes stepped confidently into view, his right eye tightly closed while his left eye remained open, though its light was gradually dimming. It was immediately clear that he had been the source of the devastating laser attack.
"Where did this Homelander wannabe come from?" Azrael muttered, twitching his lips at the young man's overly dramatic entrance and theatrical demeanor.
As soon as the blood-robed figure appeared, as if an invisible switch had been activated, demonic auras began manifesting all around Azrael and his companions. The concealment that had hidden their enemies was finally lifted completely.
Looking at the black-robed figures who were now surrounding them from all directions, Azrael whispered urgently to Oliver, "Did the intelligence briefing mention that all the demons in this secret realm are missing their right eyes?"
Oliver glanced around with a grim expression, noting that indeed, every single black-robed figure had an empty, bleeding right eye socket. This deeply disturbing observation reminded him of Azrael's ominous words upon entering the secret realm.
"No, this wasn't mentioned anywhere. Something is definitely seriously wrong here. We need to find an opportunity to retreat immediately," Oliver replied with barely concealed alarm.
Choi-Gyu and Jea-Min, who had overheard the urgent conversation, involuntarily moved closer to Azrael and Oliver, recognizing the gravity of their deteriorating situation.
"Before we attempt to retreat, I'll have Lily unleash her ultimate weapon to provide adequate cover. See if you can contain that blood-robed figure," Azrael whispered his tactical plan to Oliver. "You three focus on controlling the black-robed figures in our immediate vicinity."
"Understood completely," they responded in perfect unison.
At this crucial moment, the blood-robed figure spoke with obvious amusement, "Still planning some desperate last-ditch effort?"
"Very well then. Allow me to demonstrate my newfound power, the power of a god."
He paused dramatically, his closed right eye beginning to emanate an ominous red glow that seemed to pulse with malevolent life.
"The Eye of the Heart."
With those ominous words, he opened his right eye, which had been tightly closed since his dramatic appearance. A blood-red star gazed directly at Azrael and his companions, radiating malevolent power that seemed to pierce their very souls with supernatural force.