Black ViSage made his way deeper into the jungle, where he quickly set up a small, sturdy tent. The fire from a compact hearth flickered softly, casting warm light across the canvas.
"Please, sit here inside the tent," Black ViSage said, motioning toward the center.
Walker bowed slightly, gratitude evident in his weary expression. "Thank you… truly, thank you for this."
Black ViSage's gaze was steady, almost commanding, as he spoke. "I suggest you do not return to the village tonight. The villagers are angry—not just at you, but at your children. If you go back, you will only invite more danger. You should remain here for the night."
Walker nodded slowly, accepting the wisdom. "You are right. We will stay here. Tonight… we will stay hidden."
"Good," Black ViSage replied. "Stay here and remain safe. I will return soon to ensure nothing happens."
Without another word, Black ViSage vanished into the darkness, moving silently toward the village where Robert Robinson was seething with rage.
Hidden high in the trees, Black ViSage listened carefully. Robert's voice dripped with venom as he barked orders.
"Send my low-level assassins! Kill Walker and his daughter immediately! Capture Zak… but remember—do not harm him! If Zak is hurt, the villagers will realize the Ghost Dragon is a lie. And… do not forget, take care of the adventurer who dared to interfere. Kill him as well!"
The assassins bowed swiftly, murmuring, "Yes, master. We will follow your orders."
Black ViSage's eyes narrowed. He had heard enough.
Robert clutched a glowing Dragon Stone, a dangerous artifact of unknown power. With precision and stealth, Black ViSage followed him, using his camouflage magic to blend seamlessly with the shadows.
"Robert," one of his assistants, a man named David, asked cautiously, "how many sacrifices do you need? Your army is already large… how many people are required?"
Robert laughed, a low, dangerous chuckle that made the hairs on Black ViSage's arms stand. "David, you do not understand my plans at all."
David swallowed nervously. "Sir… I… I don't understand."
Robert's eyes glinted with malice. "I am going to attack New York. To conquer New York is no simple task. It requires strength, numbers, and power beyond imagination. I must select only the most physically powerful humans—those who will make my army invincible."
He waved his hand toward the village below. "This village contains precisely what I need. Powerful humans… men and women capable of unmatched strength. Once my army reaches full capacity, nothing can stand against us."
Black ViSage's mind raced as he listened carefully, analyzing every word. He understood Robert's plan fully now: the village was only the beginning, a source of raw power for a far larger conquest.
Robert's grin widened. "Tomorrow… the day my army reaches one hundred thousand strong… I will finally be ready. Huh… yes, I am ecstatic. Nothing can stop me now."
Black ViSage's eyes narrowed behind his mask, the shadows of the trees blending seamlessly with his presence. Tomorrow… I will ensure this madness ends before it begins.
Black ViSage returned quietly to the jungle camp and stepped inside the tent. His presence was calm, yet heavy. He looked directly at Zak.
"Zak," Black ViSage said, his voice low and serious, "tomorrow you will go back to the village. You will tell the village leader that your father betrayed you and fled from the village."
Zak's eyes widened in shock.
"Hey—what are you saying?" Zak shouted. "My father never betrayed me! He would never do that!"
Black ViSage nodded slowly. "I know that very well. I am not saying this because it is the truth. I am telling you to lie."
Zak clenched his fists. "Why would I lie like that?"
"If you say those words," Black ViSage explained calmly, "the village leader will forgive you. He will accept you again… as the sacrifice."
Walker suddenly stood up, panic filling his voice.
"Hey! What are you saying? Are you telling my son to be sacrificed?!"
Zak shook his head violently.
"Are you mad?! I don't want to be sacrificed! I don't want to die!"
Black ViSage raised his hand slightly, signaling them to calm down.
"I know all of that," he said firmly. "And don't worry. I already have a plan. I will not let Zak die."
That same deep night, a chilling presence crept through the jungle.
Black ViSage's eyes narrowed. He felt it instantly.
Assassins… but weak ones.
He understood immediately. Powerful assassins would have found their targets without trouble. These were low-level killers.
Suddenly, the assassins attacked the tent.
They slashed through the fabric—but Walker and Liriya were not there.
Before they could react, Black ViSage appeared like a shadow inside the tent and struck. His movements were swift and precise. One assassin fell instantly.
More assassins rushed in, surrounding him.
A brief but brutal fight followed.
Black ViSage defeated them all with ease.
"Why did you attack me?" he asked coldly, standing among the fallen bodies.
None of them answered.
Suddenly, one assassin released a thick smoke screen. The area filled with dark fog.
When the smoke cleared—
Black ViSage was gone.
The assassins searched desperately.
They found Zak.
But Walker and Liriya were nowhere to be seen.
Having no other choice, the assassins returned to the village and reported everything.
Robert Robinson exploded in anger at first.
But the moment he heard one thing—
"They captured Zak."
Robert's expression changed instantly. He smiled.
"Good," he said calmly.
The next morning, the entire village saw Zak return.
Zak was taken to his room.
Robert sent three girls to stay with Zak.
"This is his final day," Robert said coldly.
Zak, still young and confused, felt happy seeing the girls. The day passed with laughter and distraction.
At exactly 6:00 PM, Robert stood before the villagers and announced:
"The Dragon has spoken. He desires ten more humans next week. We should be grateful that the Dragon has answered our prayers!"
The villagers cheered and bowed in devotion.
Inside his mind, Robert laughed.
Foolish villagers.
Later, the girls took Zak to bathe him, washing his body as part of the ritual.
Zak committed sinful acts again, not fully understanding what awaited him.
Afterward, Robert personally carved the dragon symbol onto Zak's chest.
At 9:00 PM, Zak was taken outside.
The village was silent.
Every door was closed.
Every window was shut.
Thick mist covered the ground.
Zak's heart trembled.
He looked around desperately.
"Did Black ViSage betray me…?" he whispered.
Tears streamed down his face.
"Why am I the one being sacrificed…?"
Then—
A massive, terrifying presence descended.
The Ghost Dragon appeared.
Its roar shook the entire village.
The villagers fell to their knees, praying loudly.
"Dear Dragon, please accept our offering!"
"Please eat him and bring happiness to our village!"
Hidden from view, Robert tightly gripped the Dragon Stone, controlling the Ghost Dragon.
Assassins surrounded him, protecting him from any threat.
Robert smiled deeply.
Soon… my army will reach one hundred thousand Marrowbanes.
Suddenly—
A sharp blade pierced Robert's body.
"Ahhh—!!"
Robert froze in disbelief. His eyes widened as pain exploded through his chest.
"You son of a—!" he screamed, blood spilling from his mouth.
All the assassins turned instantly.
"What are you doing?!"
"Are you insane?!"
"Why did you stab our leader?!"
Without hesitation, the assassins attacked the betrayer.
But then—
The betrayer assassin calmly raised his hand and removed his mask.
The moment they saw his face, every assassin froze.
It was Black ViSage.
Shock spread like poison.
David stepped back, his voice trembling.
"Who… who is this masked man?"
Zak, terrified by the chaos, ran and hid beneath the massive statue of the Ghost Dragon.
At the same time, everything went wrong.
The Ghost Dragon roared violently.
The Marrowbanes screamed.
They were no longer under control.
Robert collapsed to his knees, breathing heavily.
"No… no… this can't be happening," he muttered.
With shaking hands, he grabbed the Dragon Stone.
"If I inject the Dragon Stone… I will survive," Robert thought desperately.
Without hesitation, he injected it into his body.
The result was immediate—and horrifying.
His body twisted unnaturally. Bones cracked. Flesh warped.
Robert screamed in agony.
"Ahhh—!! What is happening to me?!"
He began to attack himself, clawing at his own body.
But even after transforming, he still could not control the Ghost Dragon or the Marrowbanes.
Inside their houses, the villagers heard terrifying screams.
"What is that noise?"
"Why are humans shouting?"
"Is the ritual going wrong?"
They peeked through their windows.
What they saw made their blood run cold.
A massive monster rampaged through the village.
People were dying.
But no one dared to step outside.
They believed—
If we leave our homes while the Dragon is feeding, the Dragon will become angry.
That was the villagers' faith.
That was their curse.
Suddenly, the monster—Robert—attacked everyone.
Even his own assassins.
"Hey—Robert! Why are you attacking us?!" one assassin shouted.
David screamed in horror.
"He's not Robert anymore! He's a monster!"
Inside Robert's broken mind, fragments of thought remained.
"What am I doing…?"
"Why am I hurting my own people…?"
Then madness took over.
"No… no… this is all because of that betrayer assassin!"
"Black ViSage!! I'll kill you!!"
"AAAAAHHHHH!!"
At that moment, Robert completely lost control.
He slaughtered his own assassins mercilessly.
They had no chance to escape.
One slash.
One moment.
Death.
David was injured badly, crawling on the ground.
Before he could scream—
Another strike.
David died.
The Marrowbanes rampaged through the village, attacking anything that moved.
The villagers didn't understand what was happening.
Fear paralyzed them.
Then—
Black ViSage moved.
His presence shifted.
In a single motion, he attacked the Marrowbanes.
Slash.
Crush.
Collapse.
Hundreds of Marrowbanes were destroyed in moments.
Black ViSage narrowed his eyes.
If I use a powerful blast attack, I can erase everything, he thought.
But the villagers will be harmed.
And if high-level adventurers sense it, they will come.
If they discover it was me… it will cause trouble.
The truth was simple.
Black ViSage hated attention.
Even after defeating an Angel, he had warned Dancing Hollows:
"Do not tell anyone that I saved you."
"Do not speak of my power."
He hated being noticed.
Then—
Black ViSage opened his eyes.
A different power awakened.
The world darkened.
A Dark Snow Door—a massive, pitch-black hole—opened in the air.
From it emerged countless eyed hands.
They reached out silently.
The Dark Snow Door absorbed everything that was dead.
Marrowbanes.
Dead bodies.
The Ghost Dragon.
The monster that Robert had become.
Everything was pulled inside.
The Dragon Stone, however, was not absorbed.
Because the stone was not dead.
Robert was absorbed because—
His body was dead.
His emotions were dead.
His mind was dead.
Only the stone had been controlling him.
The Dragon Stone fell to the ground.
Black ViSage picked it up.
Without a word—
He disappeared.
The village fell silent.
The villagers came out slowly, trembling.
They didn't understand what had happened.
The Dragon was gone.
The monster was gone.
The dead were gone.
Only confusion remained.
And fear.