Jax sat resting in a rocky canyon, panting heavily, his hands trembling and his eyes darting around nonstop.Only after scanning the surroundings to make sure no one was there did he finally begin to calm down. He leaned against the rock, pushing himself to his feet.
Glancing toward the far horizon, he saw the sun slowly rising from the mountain peak. The tranquil scenery was oddly at odds with the turmoil brewing inside him.
It had been more than eight hours since he and the others had fallen into the abyss, and six hours since he escaped.
He had managed to flee the deep cavern through another passage. After all, that place was crawling with thousands of centipedes—it would be strange if there weren't at least three or four exits.
"Anyway, the battle is over… but something remains."
Jax looked up toward the towering mountain peak. From the heavens stretched a long, dark streak, like a bolt of lightning frozen in midair.
He knew what it was—or at least he hoped he did—because someone had been whispering in his ears, constantly urging him to act.
(Come on, boy. You know what you have to do.)
That damned voice kept echoing in his head, ordering him around, only going silent when he cursed back—and even then, just for a moment.
He hated that bastard more than ever now, treating him less like a comrade and more like a tail-wagging dog obeying its master.
Jax exhaled deeply, forcing himself to calm down. He looked back—toward the depths of the earth—where the battle had long ended, but some had begun fighting again after just a few hours of rest, clinging to madness and chaos.
…
(When examining the victims—or rather, the puppets—of the Black Hand, they seemed to reject any questions related to it. It appears the Black Hand tampered with their subconscious, manipulating thought or emotional state……Security forces and city authorities were ordered to conduct mandatory evacuations to prevent mental domination. Interestingly, those evacuated followed orders obediently, showing no resistance whatsoever—even though they didn't know where they were going, what they were doing, or why.)
…Five days after the incident, security officers from other regions began planning a strategy to approach the target…
…
Marcus leapt aside, barely avoiding a speeding chunk of stone. A grotesque hand burst from the wall beside him.
He wiped the blood from his abdomen and nose—his body ravaged by both mana overuse and battle wounds.
"Graaaa!"
A monstrous roar echoed below him, shaking the ground. Marcus flinched, pulling a blue vial from his ring and pouring it over his head.
Boom!
A burst of azure fire erupted from below—the Azure Bone Mare, a spectral horse known to phase through solid matter and wander endlessly. It was said to be an undead creature with psychic properties far surpassing that of ordinary beasts.
It was native to Zone 1, the Realm of the Dead—but this was Zone 3, the Deep Mountain Gorge. For it to travel this far… why?
Because this place reeked of death. The miasma here was intoxicating to such creatures. And their favorite food—the Blackblood Centipede—was abundant.
Now, at least three Azure Bone Mares were devouring the area, feeding on the centipede corpses littered everywhere.
Marcus tossed the empty vial aside. It had been a cooling agent—essential in this stifling, confined battlefield.
The centipedes, each over six meters long, spewed balls of fleshy mucus toward the undead horses, but it was useless. The creatures condensed into flickering blue flames, shrank to the size of a hand, and drifted effortlessly through the attack.
Once beneath the centipedes, their jaws materialized—biting straight into the unarmored bellies of their prey.
In just minutes, the three horses had slaughtered over thirty juvenile centipedes. Though weak compared to adults, they were still dangerous to students.
Marcus didn't worry about the horses—they were docile as long as they weren't disturbed. What concerned him was the figure still fighting elsewhere.
A few hours ago, after the quake, he and Julien had been separated when the cavern split in half, a thick wall of rock dividing them.
It wasn't part of the plan—but that didn't matter. What mattered was that the final objective would still be met.
Suddenly, Marcus turned. From within the shadows, eyes—dozens of them—stared back at him.
…
(Upon investigating the affected individuals, the Control Bureau discovered that they had lost their mana conduits—the inner pathways that circulate mana throughout the body. Furthermore, several were reported missing vital organs—livers, kidneys, even hearts……Strangely, they didn't die. Instead, the missing organs seemed replaced by thin black filaments. These threads performed the same biological functions—filtering blood, digesting food—with incomprehensible precision.After careful analysis, the researchers concluded that both their conduits and organs had been transmuted into raw mana, which then crystallized into black strings. In other words, these people were dead—but their bodies continued to function through mana manipulation.The Bureau was divided: should they classify them as anomalies or as humans under influence? Aside from partial transmutation and mind control, they still thought, spoke, and lived as usual. But most agreed—these were merely corpses puppeteered by black strings…)
…
The battle between Marcus and Julien, once paused, resumed hours later. Two separate wars now raged within the same cavern.
Julien raised his shield and slammed it into the ground. The metal liquefied, flowing into his arm and forming a massive blade fused with his body.
The mountain apes lunged, overwhelming Marcus. There were too many—too much chaos, too much noise. He couldn't focus enough to cast, forced instead into a desperate defense.
But it didn't last long. Julien roared, swinging his arm-blade as he charged to Marcus's flank, aiming to strike.
Marcus ducked behind an ape, using it as cover—but was immediately swatted away.
Wiping blood from his lips, Marcus stood tall, though his insides screamed in pain.
He spun his spear, channeling mana into his legs, forcing them to move again despite the injuries.
He lunged at a mountain ape, aiming for its heart—but missed, his vision clouded by blood. He retreated to a corner, pressed his hand to the wall—and the stone exploded.
Dust filled the cave, the dim light fading to black. The apes and Julien lost sight of him—until one of the apes suddenly rammed its head into Julien.
"Ugh!" Julien groaned, shoving the beast away, preparing to continue—when his vision blurred.
Someone stood behind him.
[YOU HAVE LOST.]
A voice rang out. When he turned and saw who it was, he froze.
"Evelyn…"
…
(To contain the Black Hand, the task force employed the "Veil of Deception" by traveler XXX, trapping the entity within its own illusion. Several Rank-7s participated in the procedure, details as follows……When the veil was finally lifted, what remained of the Black Hand was a storm of black lightning coalescing around a boy—Kale XXX—missing for years. Yet his body remained the same age as when he vanished……Profile: (Access restricted—High-level clearance required.))
A lone figure stood atop a cliff, gazing down at the now-calm mountain that had once been engulfed in black lightning.
Holding a few strange items in his hands, he began descending the mountain—ignoring everything behind him.
The treasure's theme for this year was: Deception.