Inside the dimly lit cavern, the scent of damp stone and lingering magic filled the air. Ronan lay asleep on the cold floor, his breathing steady but strained. Nearby, Kael, Mordek, Gorvath, Vexara, and Lirith gathered around a dusty, timeworn journal. Its pages were yellowed with age, the ink smudged in places by trembling hands.
Gorvath's voice broke the heavy silence as he read aloud:
"This will be the final entry of this journal. A brief explanation of what has transpired here: this place was once a secret research facility, devoted to the study and development of new forms of magic. We were pioneers, decoding ancient spells and exploring the limits of magical potential.
But everything changed when Krovak from the demon race arrived. He seized control, twisted our mission. No longer were we studying magic for progress; instead, we became tools for his twisted ambitions. Bloodline experimentation became the focus—our goal: to create new life forms by mixing the essence of different races."
The group exchanged troubled glances.
"At first, the creations survived mere months. Then Krovak brought in demon males and females—prisoners, shackled and silent. Days later, human captives followed. When we demanded answers, he claimed they were all criminals, unworthy of mercy. 'Perfect for experimentation,' he said.
Security tightened. You could enter through the teleportation circle, but never leave the same way. Only the central teleportation platform provided a way out—and even then, only if you had access to the exit circle beyond.
Then came the worst. Krovak forced demons and humans to conceive children—hybrid offspring bred like cattle. Despair consumed many. Some took their own lives. Others obeyed, trembling under the weight of fear.
We tried to resist. Most were slaughtered. The rest of us were kept alive, our knowledge still useful to him. We discovered that nobles—demon and human alike—were supporting Krovak. There was no one we could trust.
Each test subject bore multiple bloodlines. Once a child was born, it would remain for a few months before being taken. Where they went, we never knew. The project lasted thirty years.
Six years ago, he brought in a demon girl. She had unique Space Magic and several rare bloodlines. We infused her with more, assuming the overload would kill her. But she survived. Krovak fathered her children—twins at first, then a daughter. I can still hear her screams the day we took them away. And she was pregnant again when something unexpected occurred. Masked men arrived—an argument broke out. Krovak left with them, vanishing through the teleportation circle. He never returned.
We dared to hope. Some of us tried to access the upper cavern and repair the circle. Only one came back—half-dead, whispering of Doomscale Lizards.
The facility, the project—everything fell apart. Only a handful of us knew the full truth. We debated using the central teleportation circle to escape, but the test subjects were too weak to bring them with us. We decided to leave without them. If I survived, I swore I'd come back for them. But if this journal is still here, it means we failed. We died trying.
If you are reading this, I pray you leave this place in one piece.
— End of Entry —"
The silence that followed was thick, suffocating.
Gorvath lowered the journal, his hands trembling slightly. He turned to Mordek. "Sir... what should we do now?"
Mordek stared at the journal, then let his gaze drift to Ronan's sleeping form. His brows furrowed, his thoughts clearly miles away. After a pause, he spoke, voice resolute. "If that central teleportation circle is our only way out... then we'll take it."
He gestured to the raised white marble platform in the centre of the cavern, etched with ancient runes that still pulsed faintly with dormant power.
Ronan stirred, then slowly sat up. He rubbed his head, blinking groggily. "Did I miss something important?"
Kael opened his mouth to respond, but before he could speak. "When do we leave?" he asked, his voice low but determined.
Mordek stepped forward. "How's your injury?"
Ronan flexed his fingers, tested his limbs, then nodded. "I'll manage. Nothing serious now."
Mordek gave a firm nod. "Then we move. Now."
The group turned toward the marble platform, their steps heavy with purpose. The weight of the past, the horror of the journal, and the uncertain path ahead pressed down on them, but still, they moved forward.
The golden glow of the teleportation circle flared beneath their feet, bathing Mordek, Gorvath, Vexara, Lirith, Kael, and Ronan in light. In an instant, the scenery changed. The cool, musty air of the cavern was replaced with the fresh scent of nature.
Now they stood on separate teleportation circles scattered across an open clearing. Above them stretched a clear blue sky, but something was off.
"Did we make it out?" Vexara asked, cautiously scanning the treeline.
Mordek's brow furrowed. His voice turned grim. "No... we didn't. Look up. There's no sun."
They all followed his gaze. The sky was bright—but lacked a sun.
"This is a small world," Mordek muttered. "A fabricated space. I just hope we don't meet the one who built it. That would be... problematic."
Ronan, ever alert, scaled the nearest tree in seconds. His eyes sharpened as he activated his perception skill, Keen Eye. After a brief scan, he descended.
"Not far from here, I felt a mana signature matching this teleportation circle... but there was something else too," he said, brushing bark dust off his hand. "It felt like a Hollowed Spirit—but more twisted. More sinister."
Mordek closed his eyes and extended his senses, confirming Ronan's words. He gave a short nod. "We have no choice. That's the only lead. Let's move."
Hours passed as they trekked through the dense forest. The silence grew heavier with every step, broken only by the occasional rustle of leaves.
Finally, they emerged into an open field. Just across it stood another teleportation circle—this one guarded by a lone figure. A man stood in front of it, still as stone.
"Who is he?" Gorvath asked, eyes narrowing.
Ronan's gaze hardened. "He feels like a demon—but he's dead. There's a Hollowed Spirit inside him, controlling his corpse. I think."
Mordek's jaw clenched. "That's Krovak. I had hoped he was lost to time."
Kael turned to Mordek, uncertain. "What do we do, Sir?"
Before Mordek could respond, the ground trembled beneath them. A deep thud echoed across the field. In a flash, a shockwave knocked Vexara and Ronan off their feet, sending them crashing into trees. Kael and Gorvath barely had time to raise their guard before Krovak's fists landed, sending them skidding back several feet.
Only Lirith and Mordek remained standing, though the impact had rocked even them.
Krovak let out a guttural cry, shaking the air. An overwhelming pressure crashed down on them, heavy and oppressive. Everyone froze, their bodies weighed down by an invisible force.
"Soul suppression..." Mordek whispered, then shouted, "Kael! Protect Ronan! His soul is still recovering—he can't take this kind of pressure!"
The moment Mordek's voice rang out, a sudden pulse of energy surged from Ronan. The air shimmered. Another soul force rose—his meeting Krovak's suppression head-on. The two pressures collided, one resisting the other in a storm of raw will.
Ronan screamed, the sound filled with pain and fury, and shattered the soul suppression gripping him. He pushed himself to his feet, blood trickling from his nose.
"Your soul suppression is weaker... compared to that damn goddess's," he growled.
His Eclipse Edge sword gleamed as he drew it. Fire mana surged into the blade, the metal glowing a deep, furious crimson. He rushed forward with a battle cry, raising his sword high.
"SKY SPLITTER!"
With a mighty downward slash, he unleashed a fiery arc. The flame erupted with a roar, tearing through the air. Krovak raised an arm to block, bracing himself. The strike collided with a thunderous explosion. Flames engulfed the battlefield.
Vexara, clutching her side, looked to Mordek. "Is it over...?"
When the smoke cleared, Krovak stood mostly unharmed—his body marred only by a few smouldering burns.
Ronan panted, sweat pouring down his face. "I put everything into that... and yet..."
Before he could finish, Krovak vanished from sight.
A breath later, he was in front of Ronan.
Ronan's eyes widened, reacting just in time. "Molten Shield!"
A wall of molten rock surged up between them. Krovak's fist shattered it instantly, lava spraying like dust.
Ronan swung his second Eclipse Edge to parry, but the blade snapped in half under the force of Krovak's blow. The punch struck Ronan in the gut with devastating force. A gasp of air left his lungs as he was hurled back, slamming into a tree with a sickening crunch before collapsing to the ground.
He lay there, barely conscious, his vision swimming. The others, now freed from the soul suppression, rushed forward with weapons drawn, their faces etched with fury and fear.
Mordek stared at Krovak, whose burns were already beginning to fade. His eyes darkened.
"No. This is just the beginning."
Without thinking, Lirith lunged forward and drove her fist into Krovak's chest. The blow was so fierce it forced the towering figure to stagger backwards several steps, a rare sight from someone of his overwhelming strength.
Mordek didn't waste a moment. "Vexara! Heal Ronan and boost Lirith and me!"
Vexara dashed toward Ronan, who was struggling to rise to his feet, blood trailing from his mouth. Her hands glowed softly as she placed them on his back. At the same time, waves of magical energy surged out, coating Mordek and Lirith. Their auras intensified as their physical and magical powers were enhanced.
Kael and Gorvath joined the fray, flanking Krovak and launching coordinated strikes. Sparks danced from the impact, but their attacks barely left a scratch. Only Lirith and Mordek seemed to truly injure Krovak. The brute growled in frustration.
Kael clenched his teeth, thinking, "I'm a Master Tier Two. Why are my attacks not working?" He glanced at Lirith, who moved like a tempest. "She's younger and on a similar Tier... How is she dealing with this much damage?"
"Sir," Gorvath shouted between swings, his sword clashing against Krovak's arm, "we can't keep this up! He's healing everything we throw at him!"
Kael narrowed his eyes. "This body... it doesn't seem natural. We need to strike whatever's inside him. The hollowed spirit!"
"Exactly," Mordek growled. "We need soul damage. Gorvath, Lirith—get the enchanted swords!"
All three drew shimmering blades etched with ancient runes. As they began to attack again, Kael felt a pulse from within his own sword, Enmu. Something resonated. He unsheathed it.
"These swords feel just like Enmu…" he thought. Testing it, he swung at Krovak. To his surprise, Enmu left a visible scar of bluish-white energy across Krovak's form. "It works. It damages the soul."
Vexara, standing behind the frontline, kept pouring healing magic and boosts onto the four warriors. But something changed. Krovak, until now relentless and savage, began hesitating. He dodged, backed away. His hollow eyes focused on Vexara.
Lirith noticed his gaze. Her heart skipped a beat. "NO!!"