Deep within the dark, silent cave, a sudden blaze erupted—raging flames that seemed intent on consuming everything in their path. Monsters engulfed in fire ran frantically, their shrieks echoing through the cavernous void.
Massive centipedes lunged toward a shadowy figure, but were immediately blasted away by a torrent of scorching wind and fire.
In the midst of the chaos, a blade of flame cut through the air. Standing tall before the charred corpse of a centipede over thirteen meters long was a man with white hair dancing wildly in the heat—Marcus.
Holding a crimson spell scroll in one hand, he poured mana into it, summoning flame after flame, hurling them toward the horde.
Marcus muttered to himself, "Why hasn't he arrived yet?"
The one he awaited was none other than Julien, who was still descending into the abyssal cave. This was no ordinary cavern—it was the nest of the centipedes, their lair, and a vault for the treasures they guarded.
Marcus turned his gaze toward the writhing swarm clustered at the center of the chamber. The creatures piled upon each other, devouring one another; their blood splattered, only to be greedily licked up by the rest.
"Who are you?"
A voice came from the cave's entrance. Marcus turned to see a man in a white feathered coat, his mouth streaked with mud, wearing a dark uniform beneath.
"Where is he—?"
Without hesitation, Marcus condensed frost around him. With the power of a fifth-grade mana core, he quickly drew moisture from the damp air, forming an icy spear and hurling it toward the newcomer.
The spear whistled through the air, aimed straight at Julien's face—but at the last moment, a massive back interposed itself, shielding him.
A thunderous explosion followed. The mountain ape that had taken the hit was instantly frozen solid, sealing off the narrow passage behind them.
The wall of ice held only for a few seconds before shattering, and the frozen beast began to move again.
…
Elsewhere—atop a frostbitten mountain illuminated by several mysterious lights—a young woman played a flute. When the final note faded, she lowered the instrument and picked up a stack of papers, reading softly to herself.
(Incident Report: City of Jinlus)(Date: XX/XX/XXXX)(Compiled, recorded, and investigated by "Red Flame Day," a branch under "Eighth Day," Department of Royal Mystical and Aberrant Affairs)(Incident handled and supervised by: "Cockroach")(Classification: Level 7–8, as determined by the Magical Mutation Management Division)(Primary Cause: Gift)(Individuals Involved: …)(Casualties: 10,000+ [Unverified due to the anomalous nature of the event])(Injured or affected individuals: ???)
…
The battle raged on in the depths of the cavern—a symphony of destruction. Marcus moved his hands swiftly, conjuring a small triple-layered magic circle. From its center emerged an eerie, glowing eye.
The eye shimmered with a faint green light. As it turned toward the mountain apes, they howled in agony, clutching their faces.
"Spirit Eye," Marcus thought—an ability that temporarily blinded its targets.
The apes stumbled to the ground, confused and writhing. A moment later, a misty frost spread from Marcus's gesture, coating the air with pale white dust.
Then, the centipedes—still devouring each other moments ago—suddenly turned and lunged toward the apes. They tore into the beasts in a frenzy, ripping and devouring until nothing remained but blood-stained bones in less than ten seconds.
…
(Time of Occurrence: UNKNOWN. Estimated duration—over three years.)(Primary Cause: Kale XXX)(Indirect Cause: XXX [Requires high-level clearance])(Nature of Incident: ???)(Involved Parties: Undetermined due to complexity of event / [Requires high-level clearance])
…
(Summary: The City of Jinlus was discovered to be enveloped in a strange and complex layer of mana. Peculiar mana veins appeared in the form of black strings hanging from the necks of all residents—yet none seemed to notice, as though under hypnosis.)
(On XX/XX/XXXX, during a routine biennial inspection by the Division of Geo-Reconstruction—under the Urban Design and Management Bureau—inspectors discovered a cloud perpetually hovering above the city, unmoving despite the winds.)
(Two members of the City Security Bureau were dispatched to investigate but soon vanished and began avoiding all contact.)
(Two days later, the inspectors themselves seemed to forget the anomaly entirely—they could no longer perceive the cloud, even as it loomed above them.)
(When finally reached, the cloud was found to contain a massive black hand moving as if manipulating invisible puppets. Further investigation revealed that the cloud itself was woven from white threads—threads connected directly to the hand.)
…
The battle below intensified. Marcus thrust his spear toward Julien, who blocked it with a steel shield. Using the cover of his feathered cloak, Julien produced three iron orbs.
Marcus retreated, slicing a circle into the ground with his spear, then leaped onto the weapon's tip. The glowing runes within the circle ignited, whirling like golden gears. His eyes flared with radiant white light.
"Fall back!" Julien shouted, halting the charging apes. He pressed the three orbs against his chest, concealing them beneath his cloak, and then hurled them at Marcus.
The orbs streaked through the air, trailing faint red mana residue.
The runic circle around Marcus shimmered brilliantly, forming a golden vortex that acted as his shield. The barrier expanded rapidly—but small holes began to form as the orbs pierced through.
Before Marcus could react, the orbs exploded. The cavern quaked, burying him beneath a rain of shattered stone.
Instinctively, he raised his arm to defend—but something blocked his movement.
A gray-black pupil stared back at him, its gaze trembling in horror.
BOOM!
A mass of writhing, fleshy tissue struck him, pinning him against the wall. The muck crawled and clung to his limbs, holding him immobile as debris rained down.
But Marcus wasn't panicking. The golden barrier surrounding him expanded again, pushing away the debris within seconds.
A massive rock crashed down toward him—but at that exact instant, light erupted from beneath the rubble. Above lay darkness and stone; below, only searing radiance.
The air grew hotter. The slime coating his body melted away. He caught a glimpse of his attacker before sprinting to retrieve his fallen spear.
Julien stared back. Marcus now stood within a radiant, golden dome two meters high. Julien gestured for the mountain apes to encircle him before charging toward a towering creature bristling with dozens of legs.
"Disperse!" Marcus roared.
The golden barrier shattered, unleashing a blinding wave of light. The apes lunged without hesitation, clawing to restrain him.
Marcus twirled his spear, moving with lethal grace amidst the radiant storm. In that moment, surrounded by light, he looked less like a warrior—more like a dancer performing within a sunlit inferno.