The gray threads began stitching the twins' bodies with astonishing speed, weaving the muscles first, then the bones, the skin, and the features, as if an invisible sewing machine was working in full focus. The sounds produced were strange a mixture of slicing and crackling.
One of the masked figures said in a trembling voice as he stepped back:
"H-How the hell…?"
Another replied, staring madly at the dancing threads:
"This… this is madness! I haven't heard of anything like this even in the Old Temple's reports!"
A third masked man gasped, pointing with a trembling hand:
"They… they came back to life. Literally!"
In the back, a young man with his long hair tied neatly behind him stood surrounded by a wild aura—it was Alex Lorini. His eyes behind the mask trembled in shock; he couldn't believe what he was seeing. He had always doubted the twins' competence and believed the commander overestimated them.
When he learned of their death, he felt a hidden thrill… He thought it was his golden chance to prove himself, to rise and take a higher place in the commander's eyes.
But now…
Reality slowly shattered his arrogance. What he saw now destroyed all his beliefs.
Suddenly, the gray threads wrapped around their bodies, forming a dense cocoon that emitted a faint silver-like glow, as if an ethereal shell was hiding something beyond logic inside.
The earth stilled.
Even the wind stopped.
And all eyes were fixed on those two pulsating masses of life.
Then, slowly, the cocoons began to crack from the middle, releasing hot breaths, as if something was exhaling from within death.
Crack... Crack... Shhhhhh...
The first cocoon burst open like a rotten flower, and from it emerged the short brother—his body was covered in a sticky fluid, but a terrifying aura surrounded him. He shook his hand while lazily stretching:
"Ooof... How I hate this part it always makes me feel uncomfortable hahaha."
The brothers exchanged glances, then slowly walked toward the white-haired commander, their bodies igniting with undeniable auras, mocking laughter echoing behind them.
The brothers walked slowly toward the white-haired commander, their bodies still sticky with the strange fluid, and their auras flaring as if showing themselves off.
They approached the commander and stood with sudden discipline, then bowed slightly and said together in a deep, unified voice:
"Greetings… Sir."
Some of the masked men were still frozen in place, unable to comprehend what had just happened. As for Alex Lorini, his fist trembled silently, and his teeth ground against each other inside.
The tall brother said with a twisted smile, looking at Alex's masked face as if he could see through it:
"You look pale, Alex… Are you sick? Or… worried about us?"
His smile widened, the corner of his eyes bending with clear sarcasm, then he added in a deliberately mocking voice:
"Are you worried? Don't worry we're fine… as you can see."
Alex Lorini gritted his teeth behind the mask, wishing deep down he could plant his fist into the face of that long-tongued clown. But he quickly regained his composure, bowed very nobly, and said in a calm, controlled voice:
"Your return brings me joy, immortal twins… Your presence is priceless and irreplaceable."
The short brother chuckled quietly, then said while circling Alex in a nearly theatrical manner:
"How sweet it is that the rising members care about us old simple folk."
The tall one added in a lighter, but more cunning tone:
"Of course he'd care… He's from the noble Lorini family after all. It's hard not to show concern… publicly."
Alex smiled but didn't reply, every muscle in his face taut like a bowstring. He failed to hide the boiling behind his eyes.
At that moment, the commander's voice rang out with cutting coldness:
"Enough."
The atmosphere shrank. All movement stopped. The twins fell silent instantly and stood upright like soldiers.
The white-haired commander cast them a steady gaze before asking in a voice tinged with harsh curiosity:
"How was his power?"
The tall one answered seriously, all mockery gone from his face:
"Sir… we underestimated the enemy. He wasn't just a beginner-level hunter he was a hunter at the peak of the intermediate level."
The short one followed immediately, his eyes shining with a mix of shame and determination:
"He surpassed us with his clever use of skills, and his movement techniques were unnaturally precise. He's at the level of Purging Assassins… maybe even higher."
The tall one said, lifting his head firmly, his eyes burning with dark resolve:
"But we will not allow this hunter to remain free we will immediately make up for our mistake."
They continued together, in a synchronized, blade-sharp voice:
"We will hunt him again, and this time… we will use our full power."
"And kill him."
As they uttered the last word, an intense killing intent burst from their bodies, like an invisible explosion that swept through the place, causing some masked men to step back instinctively.
A faint gray aura rose from their bodies, twisting in the air like hungry snakes, emitting a suffocating pressure around them as if ready to devour their next prey.
Even Alex Lorini felt a chill run down his spine and swallowed quietly, while the commander remained silent, watching them with a mysterious gaze, showing neither approval… nor disapproval. He was simply an observer, as always.
But before the aura could rise more, and before the twins could speak, a deep voice echoed in the place—calm… but allowing no debate:
"Enough."
The gray auras stopped suddenly, as if an invisible force cut off their flow. The twins' faces stiffened in place, as if their will had frozen for a moment.
Everyone fell silent. Even the wind, which had begun to move again, retreated for a moment, as if afraid to disturb the master's silence.
The white-haired commander looked at them all, his eyes half-closed but shining with immeasurable awareness. Then he slowly turned and looked toward the depths of the forest, as if sensing something coming from within.
A charged moment passed before he spoke in a low voice, yet it carried a shock to everyone who heard it:
"We can't pursue him now."
The twins' expressions changed instantly.
The short one raised his eyebrow tensely, while the tall one's eyes widened. Then the latter said in a voice barely concealing his agitation:
"But… sir, we are ready. We can track him, and we swear we won't fail this time!"
The commander slowly shook his head, his gaze still fixed on the horizon between the trees, then said:
"I know… but they've arrived."
The short one blinked in confusion and muttered:
"Who?"
The commander answered in a faint voice as if speaking to himself yet everyone heard it clearly:
"The owners of the place…"
When the commander finished speaking, an angry scream echoed through the air, coming from a distant place but strangely approaching.
Along with it surged incredibly strong demonic auras, like a wave of bound darkness suddenly unleashed, followed by heavy footsteps that made the ground tremble beneath the standing figures.
The trees began to shake in the distance, branches snapping and falling. With each step, even the air seemed to turn over as if someone was choking it.
Suddenly, dozens of massive bodies burst through the trees… From the shadows emerged about twenty to thirty beasts, tall and walking on two legs.
Their bodies were covered in thick white fur, their faces hidden behind that same white hair, only their red eyes visible.
At the front, one of them was taller and bulkier, holding a massive rusty sword in his right hand. The others carried huge iron clubs or tree trunks violently torn from the ground.
One of the masked men spoke fearfully, his voice hoarse as if the words were being ripped from his throat:
"The white demonic beast… with the weapon…"
One of the novice masked men muttered, a trembling youth standing behind the rows, his hands clutched to his chest as if protecting his heart:
"Damn…"
The wind shook the tree leaves, and the air around them quivered like a funnel under the terrifying aura in the atmosphere. The giant beast stepped forward, driving his rusty sword into the ground splitting the soil and cracking the earth beneath.
Then he raised both hands to the sky and took a deep breath until it seemed his chest would explode from its expansion. The air itself nearly froze around him, as if the entire forest was holding its breath.
At that moment, the white-haired commander frowned, overwhelmed by a strange sense of danger that nearly froze his blood.
He shouted loudly, drawing his sword quickly:
"Cover your ears now!! Retreat!!"