Alkan cursed under his breath. She had thrown his own words back at him. What a cunning woman! He gritted his teeth in frustration. "You have my word," he muttered, looking away. Andara smiled sweetly. "Good. Then you’ll remain tied up until we reach the island of the bakunawa." She walked away. Only when she was out of sight did the corner of Alkan’s lips curl upward. Andara believed he had lost his power when he entered her body. But what she didn’t know was that Puro and Dilim were still with him. However, he couldn’t feel her power, which meant he couldn’t use it. Perhaps Andara's magic had followed her soul, but because his body was different from the beings of this world, she couldn't sense her power. If he were to compare soul strength, his was far stronger than any creature in this world. Maybe it was because his original soul was sawikin, or perhaps he had received a blessing from an ancient anito. He wasn’t sure. Days and nights passed as Alkan remained at th

“Heh,” he scoffed and glared at Andara. Before long, two beings approached them and pulled Andara off him. “Friend, even if you are under the Captain’s protection, Andara is a hero. Please do not tarnish the reputation of the kingdom’s hero.” Andara merely smirked and shrugged before turning away and sitting back under the tree. Meanwhile, Alkan felt like a thorn had been removed from his side. He was uncomfortable when Andara brought her face too close—because it was his own face she was wearing. The two beings helped him up and escorted him back to his resting spot under the tree. He sat down and sighed. Not long after, the awaited carriages from the palace arrived. He boarded one, and the carriage took off into the sky. His eyes widened in shock. He didn’t expect carriages like this to exist in this world. Roshel even laughed upon seeing his surprise and asked why he was so startled—this wasn’t the first time he had ridden a palace carriage. “Can all carriages fly?” h

"Master?" he whispered, looking at the two beings in confusion. "Who are you?"The woman lifted her gaze and smiled at him. "Master, my name is Pilak. I was formed from the fusion of purple and yellow flames."Alkan's eyes widened. "You're the silver fire?"The woman nodded with a smile. Alkan inhaled sharply—her smile felt far too mischievous. He turned to the man, who had been silent all this time. "What's your name?"The man looked up at him. "My name is Anino. I control shadow and darkness." He then raised his hand, releasing a mist-like shadow that swayed gently with the breeze. "I was formed when the silver fire purified my consciousness."Alkan nodded, even though he had no memory of what they were talking about. However, he could sense that the two had no ill intentions, so he didn’t hesitate to ask, "Why have you taken human form?""To guide you in your training, Master," Anino answered. "This world is filled with pure energy, making it possible for us to take human form. You

The group took Alkan out of the forest while he remained silent inside the net. His muscles were weak, as if the strength he had felt after consuming the crystals had been nothing more than a cruel joke. "Master, this is only a weak enchantment. Don’t worry. Once you get out of the net, your strength will return," Pilak reassured him through his mind. He sat up straight and absentmindedly rubbed his temple. "You startled me," he muttered. Pilak fell silent. He exhaled, glancing around at his surroundings. "There are many knights and mages in this group. Can you take them all down?" he asked in his mind. "Yes, Master. It would be easy to kill them all," Anino replied. The corner of Alkan’s lips twitched. "I didn’t say kill them—just put them to sleep for a while," he said before sighing. The group hadn’t done anything wrong to him, so he had no intention of making things difficult for them. Before long, they arrived at the first town on the border between the North and the

Her eyes widened in shock, and she leaped from Anino’s arms, running away from him. Anino sighed and lifted his hand. Shadows emerged from his palm, capturing the defenseless Esmeralda. "Ah! No! Let me go!" she screamed. Alkan’s lips twitched when he saw the shadow lift Esmeralda off the ground. The woman floated in midair, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Anino, don’t toy with her," he said, his voice disinterested. Anino scoffed but obeyed, lowering Esmeralda back down. She frantically looked around, and the moment she saw Reto, more tears welled in her eyes. She immediately knelt. "Leader, forgive me! I don’t know how the prisoner escaped! I swear I don’t know! Please forgive me, Leader! I don’t want to lose my title as a mage!" Silence filled the air. Both Pilak and Anino glanced at Alkan, while Reto furrowed his brows. "What do you mean?" Reto asked Esmeralda. Esmeralda looked up and finally noticed Alkan sitting beside the grilled meat. For a moment, her min