In the Forest Veil of Noverus
Crushed leaves. Curled branches. The scent of burned bark.
Vilgrim and his knight Hairen once again find themselves at the very path they'd crossed hours before. Fatigue settles in, but frustration finally cracks the silence.
Hairen ,gritting his teeth,
"Again? We try a different route and still end up here, my King!"
Vilgrim coldly scanning the trees, eyes narrowing,
"This isn't a forest that loops, Hairen... It makes us loop."
Hairen confused,
"I don't understand. What do you mean?"
Vilgrim,
"Each route should be different. But we return to where we began. He's crafting a false wall... a reflection that bends reality. A 'Loopveil.' This forest is sealed — its master hides inside."
With calm precision, Vilgrim steps forward and presses his palm into what appears to be air — but his hand sinks as if into water. A shimmering ripple distorts the trees. He clenches his hand — and rips it apart.
Behind the veil, a deeper trail appears.
In the far distance, a solitary hut stands cloaked in fog.
Vilgrim pointing,
"There. That's where he is."
Hairen thinking, eyes widen,
"Even I didn't sense that barrier... Just how far does His Majesty's insight reach?"
In the Depths of Bhire Cave
Silence.
Sang lies motionless, blood pooling around him, the axe still embedded in his chest.
From the shadows, a cloaked figure steps forward. His form is human — but the air around him reeks of demonic deceit.
Disguised Demon grinning coldly,
"I must pluck the seed... before it grows into something we can't control. BAAKA."
He raises his hand to finish it—
But Sang's fingers twitch.
A chill pulses through the cave. The demon freezes.
Sang begins to rise, slowly, unnaturally — his body contorting, transforming:
Horns pierce through his scalp.
Winged shields stretch from his back.
Flesh turns to scaled armor.
His eyes burn — a hellish red glow.
Claws tear from his fingertips. His teeth mutate into sabretooth fangs.
The scars along his body ripple, then split — stretching from elbows to fingers, shoulder to neck. The thunder symbol on his face tears and opens a face — "A demon face."
Disguised Demon ,stepping back in fear,
"What…?"
Sang ,smiling darkly, eyes locked,
"You were too late."
With a roar, Sang rips the axe from his chest — and launches forward.
The demon reacts, assembling his dual axes just in time — but the moment steel meets claw, Sang shatters his weapon in one brutal strike.
Disguised Demon ,panting, internally,
"He's powerful... But now ...He's something else!"
Sang ,mocking,
"Already exhausted?"
Demon ,growling,
"No..."
He lets his disguise drop — his true form explodes outward, monstrous and grotesque. His power surges.
Disguised Demon,
"Now... The real battle begins."
He rushes forward with a devastating strike — but Sang doesn't even flinch.
Sang catches the fist mid-air.
And then— something shifts.
A pulse.
A curse.
Then sang stumbles — confused by the sudden weight within his body.
Disguised Demon ,muttering in terror,
"The curse... It's beginning... I must end this—now."
He charges with a final blow — but Sang grabs his arm, lifts his other hand glowing with a black, shifting aura around him—
Sang ,voice thunderous,
"Enough."
He pierces through the demon's chest, absorbing his core and his soul . The demon screams—then vanishes into nothing.
A shadow silence fills the cave again.
Sang stands, breathing heavily, claws still dripping.
His eyes, no longer just red... but glowing with something ancient.