"Why the hell is Shuka taking so long? Didn't he say he'd be right back? Why is it always like this?" Karsis cursed impatiently.
Though, there was another possibility—had something happened to Kashu too? Both of them were decently strong. A typical mage wouldn't be able to threaten them so easily.
Besides, they hadn't received any alerts of a guild mage coming to attack them. Most likely, those two were just messing around too much. Or perhaps they were scheming something together behind his back.
As the head of the entire guild, Karsis had countless things to consider every day, while those two got to live leisurely in comparison.
Shuka was tolerable, but as for the messes Darmon made, Karsis couldn't even be bothered to complain anymore.
In the end, he was the guild master, so of course, he had to clean up after them. If his men suffered losses, how could he not retaliate?
If he couldn't even reclaim that much, where would his authority go?
Karsis stared blankly at the map of the town. This town was already under the rule of Black Dusk
He had stationed guards at every road leading into the town. If any mages from the guild arrived, he'd know immediately and could strike back. This plan was flawless, the first battle to make the name of Black Dusk known.
"Lord Karsis, bad news, something's happened!"
A small underling burst into the strategy room without even knocking.
"What the hell are you shouting about? Can't you see I'm thinking?" Karsis snapped, glaring at the underling who had dared to interrupt him.
"It's serious, sir! The guards at the entrance have been killed!" the underling reported, sweating nervously.
"What? The guards at the entrance, dead? How is that possible? Who did it?" Karsis was genuinely surprised. The guards had been killed without them even realizing it.
"Judging from the corpses, it was a single strike kill. The guards didn't even realize they were under attack. From what I can tell, the intruder is extremely dangerous," the underling stammered, reporting his analysis.
"I see. You can go now," Karsis waved dismissively. This wasn't something he needed to deal with personally. He had bigger plans to focus on, something far more important.
Whoever had done this was probably an assassin, and assassins always had specific targets. As long as that target wasn't him, he didn't care. After all, he was a tiger, and a weak little lamb could never take down a tiger.
---
Meanwhile, Noel was looking at the castle's grand main hall, feeling a strange chill. So this was Black Dusk's stronghold, and yet, it was oddly quiet.
It was almost eerily empty. Would Black Dusk's people really be in such a quiet castle?
"Karsis is in the room at the very top," a voice echoed in Noel's mind.
Why did he know that? Where was this information coming from?
"I'm talking to you. I'm the greenery within this castle."
Noel realized it was Tias' blessing at work.
"Can you tell me the distribution of people inside the castle? That's crucial for me," Noel replied mentally.
"I don't know. My vision is limited, but other plants might help you."
"Very few people remain. There's only the cook in the kitchen, two small underlings, and at the very top, the leader of Black Dusk—Karsis."
A flood of information poured into Noel's mind, making his head feel like it was about to explode.
Still, he had learned a great deal. But he never wanted to use this method again—it was too agonizing.
"Why are there so few people here? This is Black Dusk's base. Shouldn't there be more of them?" Noel frowned. Was there another secret hidden here?
"Of course there are few people left. The majority of the guild's members have been sent out."
"They're stationed along the routes mages would have to take to get here, either to intercept them or to relay information. Did you really think this dark guild didn't know how to protect its own turf?"
"Those without the means to protect themselves would've died long ago. They wouldn't be ruling over a whole town."
Noel processed the clear intel. The cook was his acquaintance, Uncle Sam, and the two underlings would be easy enough to deal with. The real problem was Karsis—what kind of magic did the leader of Black Dusk wield? If he was the guild master, he was bound to be incredibly powerful.
Noel had struggled against Shuka and Darmon, and Karsis would certainly be an even greater challenge.
---
"Young one, accept my power. I've given you so much already, so why aren't you using it?"
That familiar, loathsome voice—it was the God of Truth, the one Noel had made his deal with. Were gods really this bored?
"Don't pester me. I'm already pissed off enough," Noel growled.
"With the Eye of Truth, you have the power to see through all things. With Truth Magic, you can command the elemental forces of this land at will. If you use it, that guild master will be nothing to you."
The God of Truth laid out the facts, and Noel felt tempted for a moment. But he didn't want to rely on this cursed power.
"What price will I pay if I use that power?" Noel looked down at his hands, seeing them as if they were already soaked in blood. It was his fault that Mond had died.
"You're quite adorable, you know. Very interesting," the God of Truth chuckled softly.
"I'm not that bored, kid. But one day, you'll understand just how foolish your refusal is. I look forward to the day you embrace your power."
"Shut up and disappear already. I don't want to hear your disgusting voice."
Noel clenched his fists in fury, itching to lash out. But he forced himself to calm down. Losing control here would be the same as suicide.
"Oh, are you angry? What a cute child. I'll keep watching you." The God of Truth let out a twisted laugh before fading away.
---
"Three underlings are near the entrance. Use your wind magic to quietly take them out," another message appeared in his mind.
Noel pushed open the door to the main hall, casting wind movement magic to instantly accelerate. The wind blade at his fingertips slashed precisely across a throat.
A single, clean kill. One moment, it was a living man; the next, a corpse, the body already stiffening.
There was still one more left, but he had to be careful not to let Uncle Sam get involved. Sam was innocent, and if Black Dusk discovered his connection, they would use him as a hostage. Noel knew very well these people were capable of anything.
"Who the hell are you? How did you get in here? I've never seen you before."
The underling glanced at his dead comrade, then back at Noel.
"What did you do? You bastard, you think you can kill one of us and get away with it?" The underling sneered, trying to provoke him.
Noel was already on edge, and now, someone dared to provoke him further. With a flick of his wrist, a wind blade slashed forward, cutting the underling cleanly in half.
It was a gruesome death, intestines spilling out onto the floor, and even Noel felt a wave of nausea. He wasn't made of stone—seeing this made him uncomfortable.
Especially this time, seeing the body split open with entrails exposed, it was too much. Even if he tried to see these people as animals, it still felt excessively bloody.
A true avenger was supposed to be emotionless, a machine of vengeance. But was he becoming nothing more than a killer, slaughtering people in this castle without remorse?
Doubt began to creep in, but even in his confusion, he had to move forward.
Noel's mind was a chaotic mess, but he forced himself to regain clarity. In moments like this, he had to remember what he truly wanted.
There was only one left—the leader of Black Dusk. Once he killed him, his revenge would be complete.
Noel climbed the stairs, step by heavy step, feeling as if something was binding him, but he kept going.
He knew this farce had to end—and it would end by his hand.
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