THE light mood inside the silver house suddenly turned tense when Lucius came in a hurry. It was already past midnight. All of them were in the library except Krecia, who had already left earlier that day. They were discussing their upcoming plans for their journey to Cape Madura when they were interrupted.“My lord, I just received news from our network in Herex, the empire decreed a Death Horde in the Aolien Village, and soldiers are already approaching. Semme accused them of supporting the insurgents.” Lucius looked worried.Jie didn’t know what was going on. Every ear was alert to Lucius’ words. Ryker seemed to be the most affected among them. He got up to face his attendant.“Lucius, are you certain? A death horde is the harshest punishment given to a certain village.”“I couldn’t be wrong. Some of the guild members are there.” Lucius was turning pale.“So, the death hor

DAWN was approaching, and Jie shivered in the sudden gush of cold wind. There was a blackout in his mind again that he could not recall after chanting the Mizuagua Conjuration for the second time. He was perplexed as to why this was always happening to him.“Oh, please. Not now.” Jie blinked hard when his eyes slowly became blurred. He fought hard not to lose consciousness.Ryker ordered his men to disperse after ensuring all the survivors were retrieved.Liv was still silent, trying not to shed tears again. Magistrate Golvig was always beside her and always motivating her, even though the old man also needed urgent medical care.“Magistrate, the burn marks on your face must have hurt a lot,” Damien said. He used his earth magic to produce an herb and carefully rubbed it on the magistrate’s burned cheek. “This is just first aid. You’ll need a skilled healer since this wound might be infected if left untreated.”“This is nothing compared to the lives we lost here.” Golvig gazed down.W

KAFLE had been listening in silence to the conversation among the three. He’d take advantage of the chance that they were here at Rigin Port.“May I suggest that we go to Amaris Island? That way, we’ll be closer to Hanum as we travel by sea,” Kafle said as he stood up. He had been thinking about this while they were still crossing the Gherja Mountains.The three looked at him with their questioning faces. They must be flustered since he asked it all of a sudden.“Will you risk it, Kafle? You and Izora are traveling alone to Amaris unguarded?" Damien expressed a little disapproval.Kafle nodded his head. “I’ve weighed the situations and ended up with this decision. There are a lot of factors to consider.” He paused for a moment, then he added, “I don’t mean to be rude, but what if you guys were stuck in the time loop in the Litus Forest? My daughter’s future will be bleak. I don’t want her to spend eternity in that dreadful place.”“Point taken. Elves live for thousands of years. Izora

“ETHROS, your stamina training will start now,” Damien said as he drew his long sword from its hilt. It was tied at the bottom of his rucksack bag.All of them wore a dark-hooded cloak carrying a full load since they had planned this expedition for fifteen days at most. If they failed to obtain the Orb of Oblivion, they'd return to Ankhe and formulate a new plan.“How can I do that?” Jie’s forehead crumpled. He was walking behind Damien, as everyone trekked using a torch light. “I want to be strong. I’m tired of passing out every time I use magic.”“For now, don't use magic unless it is needed. I'll use my sword to preserve my mana. Anything can happen; be ready.”“Understood.”Liv prepared her crossbow as she guided everyone. “Sheagan used to be lively twenty years ago. But when Taftani started dumping his failed experiments into the cape, it became uninhabitable for humans.”“What kinds of experiments?” Jie asked while still alert, anticipating if the beasts in hiding would attack t

JIE sat back on the stone amidst the acid river to rest. Constantly battling the Night Flutters made it difficult for him to regain his breath.“Is it safe for me to go there, right now? Can I rest?” Jie polled his companions.At that, Damien rose to his feet. “If you dare to cross the river on your way here, I guess you could rest.”Jie pursed his lips then he complained. “Oh, God! Damien, you are sick! You are trying to kill me, aren’t you? Weren’t those bats enough? I’m exhausted. My body needs a break.”“Aren’t you on a break now? Continue your meditation. You see? You didn’t faint this time after using a huge amount of mana.”Despite his extreme exhaustion, Jie was taken aback by the situation. Unlike before, he didn't feel lightheaded.“Your body is gradually adapting. Regardless, unless you cross the acid river going here, we’ll not leave.” Damien sat back.Liv seemed uncomfortable walking back and forth. “Captain, we have not discussed this delay. The Black Destroyers will cat