From behind the fading smoke of the explosion, Zeo's voice cut through—sharp and heavy with pressure.
"So... you've started showing your true form."
Several members of Valerat's party looked visibly shocked. They couldn't see clearly—the smoke and lingering energy distorted the air, making Karim's figure appear ghostlike. But the heat and pressure radiating from him made them sweat in silence.
As the haze cleared, Karim raised a hand. In an instant, his true form vanished—replaced by the image of a man with dark hair, dressed in a red-black robe. The menacing aura disappeared as though it had never existed.
In the distance, Ravyn was still locked in a fierce fight. Her body leapt effortlessly between dunes, clawing and countering attacks from three Valerat members at once. But it was obvious—Ravyn held the upper hand.
"Enough!!" Karim's voice boomed suddenly, echoing through the sand.
The Valerat fighters immediately withdrew, though still on guard. Ravyn stood atop a rock, chest heaving, eyes glowing with rage. She wasn't finished.
"I'm not done!" she growled.
Alice appeared beside her and gently grasped her arm. "Ravyn, that's enough. Don't escalate it further."
Ravyn looked at Alice, then toward Zeo, who stood calm. Though frustrated, she finally lowered her claws.
"Fine…" she muttered, hopping down from the rock and walking with Alice toward Zeo.
When they arrived, Karim stared at Zeo with a conflicted expression—part respect, part annoyance, and part caution. At last, he gave a slight nod.
"In the name of the Valerat party, I apologize for the actions of my subordinate, Migo. The matter is clear. You've won," he said flatly.
Some Valerat members were visibly shocked. They didn't expect Karim to submit so easily. But they didn't know... if the fight continued, their leader's disguise would be blown—revealing a side they had never known.
Zeo crossed his arms. "So you think this is over just because you say it is?"
Karim narrowed his eyes. "What are you implying?"
Zeo responded coldly, "This problem started because someone tried to buy my companion—as if she were a slave. So, it's only fair that you hand one of yours over… as compensation. Or... we continue the battle."
A heavy silence fell. Even the wind stopped blowing. Murmurs of panic spread among Valerat's members. They weren't confident they could handle someone who had just crushed Migo in his own terrain.
Migo went pale. "W-wait! This is all a misunderstanding! I was just joking! I didn't really want to buy her!"
"Silence!" Karim snapped, casting a deadly glare at him.
"Fine. I believe that's the best solution. Choose one of my members as your slave."
Gasps filled the group. But no one dared protest. When Karim made a decision, it was final. They could only pray one thing: Please, not me.
Seconds passed. Everyone assumed Zeo would pick Migo.
But...
Zeo stepped forward and pointed at someone else—a lean young man with sharp, downcast eyes hiding behind the group. His shoulder was still wrapped in rough bandages.
"That one. I want him," Zeo said.
All heads turned to the man.
He staggered back. "M-me? But… why me?! I wasn't even involved!"
Zeo stared flatly. "I choose you. From now on, you're mine."
The young man gritted his teeth. "No… I… how can this—" He turned to Karim. "Lord Karim!"
But Karim stood still, then let out a long breath. "You heard him. We lost the duel. If that's what he wants… then so be it."
"No…!" the young man looked betrayed. "I swore an oath to Valerat! I'm loyal!"
Karim didn't look back. He simply raised his hand and severed the party bond.
"From now on, you're no longer one of us."
Several party members lowered their heads. Migo even looked relieved—grateful he wasn't chosen.
Alice walked toward Zeo, watching his expression.
Zeo gave her a nod.
Alice activated a basic slavery seal—a binding contract spell that could only be broken by the master's will. A magic circle appeared at the man's feet, rising and locking around his neck. A flash of light sealed the mark on his forehead.
Zeo stepped closer, blood dripping from a small self-inflicted wound to finalize the contract.
"What's your name?" Zeo asked sharply.
The man slowly looked up, eyes red and furious. "...Fael."
"From now on, Fael, you'll be traveling with us," Zeo said coolly. "Consider it a stroke of luck you never expected."
Fael didn't respond. But in his heart, something else stirred—not just hatred... but a deep unease. Because the rest of Valerat said nothing. Not even Karim.
Lucky? Yeah, right, he cursed internally.
Still, the seal had formed. There was no turning back.
---
The agreement was sealed. Fael now stood begrudgingly at Zeo's side, his expression dark and filled with pressure. He said nothing, but his body language screamed resistance.
To Zeo, that was enough.
The two groups finally parted ways.
No handshakes. No farewells.
They separated without an ounce of hospitality.
Alice, the only one who still valued adventuring etiquette, glanced back and gave Karim a polite nod.
"May your path not lead to deeper hatred," she said simply.
Karim met her gaze with an icy stare. Migo stood behind him with a smug grin, his lip still swollen from Zeo's punch.
Ravyn didn't hide her anger. She glared at Migo like a beast not yet done hunting. But Zeo had already walked away, and Ravyn chose to follow instead of reigniting the fight.
Fael walked last. Every step felt heavier than the desert sands.
But it wasn't his new "status" that weighed him down the most.
It was Zeo's silence.
Zeo never looked at him. Never spoke. No commands. No threats. No rage.
And that silence… terrified him more than anything.
Does he know? Fael wondered.
Does he know I was the one watching him last night? Did he hear me call him lunatic...? Is he planning to kill me... or torture me first?
He clenched his fists, head down. In all his years with Valerat, Fael had never felt so small. He would've preferred open punishment... to this treatment from Zeo.
They walked on, leaving the oasis behind.
Desert winds blew gently again, erasing their tracks one by one.
---
Elsewhere, now that Zeo's group had disappeared from view, tension hung over Valerat's camp.
Karim stood at the edge of the oasis, jaw tight and eyes dark.
"Mobilize the entire force," he ordered coldly. "Prepare for the next hunt."
Migo approached, wiping dried blood from his lip with a grin.
"So we're just letting them go?" he asked sarcastically.
Karim turned, eyes sharp.
"We're not rushing. We'll eliminate them... sooner or later. Once we obtain the artifact, there's no reason to hold back."
The remaining Valerat members looked relieved. They knew: as long as Karim hadn't secured what he wanted, killing would be postponed. But that was only a matter of time.
Migo chuckled, his sly grin returning. "Well, at least the brat didn't take my life. But later... we decide his fate."
"And that demi-human too," he added. "One day... she'll be mine. In my way."
Karim said nothing. He just stared at the vast desert, at the rising sun, and the fading footprints being swallowed by sand.
That artifact... was his only priority now.
But once that was in his hands—
Vengeance would be a sweet ritual.
---