2025-02-13 05:47:03Surikong grinned widely. “That’s a good decision. Get ready, we’ll be leaving soon.”
Celya happily turned around and stepped back toward the door. But she stopped in her tracks when she passed by Alkan. She looked at his face and smirked, as if challenging him. Then she rolled her eyes and continued walking. He ignored the princess’s actions and turned to Surikong, who was still smiling at him. His lips pressed into a thin line before he turned away and left the room. He could still hear Surikong’s voice behind him, saying, “You should get ready too, Alkan. We’re leaving soon.” Alkan clenched his fists. He really didn’t like being told what to do. However, he wanted to get out of that palace, so he decided to follow Surikong’s orders without arguing. As the sun neared the western horizon, Alkan found himself standing outside a factory. The king did not accompany them, but he had sent two large men to escort them to the entrance. “We can only go this far, king of witches,” one of them said. Surikong raised his hand, gesturing Alkan and Ambong to follow him. Alkan trailed behind the witch silently. In truth, he had no close connection with Surikong, so he didn’t feel too much tension. But Ambong has different thoughts. Before he invaded Alkan's life, he was once a small bud of force that gained intelligence inside Surikong. He knew Surikong’s misdeeds and had accompanied the man on several expeditions. He had witnessed firsthand how Surikong injured and killed his enemies. He also knew that Surikong favored his sister (another entity born from Surikong's powers), which made him uneasy as he followed in his father’s footsteps. It wasn’t long before they reached a fork in the road—one path to the right and one to the left. Both paths were dark, making it impossible to tell what lay ahead. Surikong stopped, causing the two men behind him to halt as well. The witch turned to Alkan, who swallowed nervously. Surikong had been silent earlier, and now that he was facing him, Alkan couldn’t help but think suspicious thoughts. Is this the end for him? A sudden chill ran down his spine. “Do you know which way's the right path?” Surikong asked. Alkan looked past the witch, scanning the roads ahead. He shook his head. But instead of frowning, Surikong smiled sweetly. “Then we'll go our separate ways. I hope you could live past dawn,” he said with a mischievous grin. There was something off about Surikong’s smile, but Alkan couldn’t pinpoint what it was. Surikong placed a hand on Ambong’s shoulder, and in the blink of an eye, both vanished into thin air. Alkan stood frozen, glancing around. Had they really left him behind? In another situation, he might have shed tears of joy, but as he looked at the two paths ahead, fear crept in. He was in an unfamiliar place with no one to guide him. He realized it would have been better to have Ambong by his side while exploring the vast lands of Tribal. But having Ambong by his side, he knew that he'll be mistaken for an ally of the Black Wing Tribe. That would cause a lot of trouble, especially when Gio seemed unwilling to let him fall into the hands of the Black Wing Tribe. He sighed and stepped onto the left path, unaware that a shadow was following him and had slipped into his body without him noticing. Not long after, Alkan saw an abandoned settlement. The ashen ground told him that this settlement was burned down not too long ago. He stepped toward the center of the ruins, hoping to find any materials he could use for protection. But instead of materials, he spotted a cluster of shadows not too far away. It wasn’t very large, but it was dense and was moving in his direction. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. Alkan thought that he's the origin of the shadows, but why was he seeing other shadow beings like Ambong? He quickened his pace to avoid the shadow, but it seemed to sense his attempt to flee and moved even faster. Losing patience, Alkan broke into a run. The shadow sped up as well. He didn’t know where he was, but he knew he was standing in a dangerous place. Shadows surrounded him, their eerie giggles filling the air. The once ashen ground was now shrouded in mist—mist that emanated from the shadows inching closer to him. Alkan stopped advancing and shut his eyes. He didn’t want to see the shadows, but closing his eyes only made the hairs on his neck stand even more, as he could hear their laughter more clearly. He wasn’t sure if it was because Ambong had once dwelled in his body that the shadows were drawn to him. But one thing was certain—nothing good would come from their approach. He took a deep breath and stepped away from that place. He felt as though he were blind, unable to see his surroundings clearly. The shadows had blocked his path, making it impossible for him to navigate. At times, he stumbled over protruding rocks and tree roots. The only sound he could hear was the chirping of crickets. Occasionally, the wind would blow, rustling the leaves on the tree branches, adding to the noise around him. It was better that way than walking in complete silence—that would be far more terrifying. Since he couldn’t see his surroundings, he decided to shut his eyes completely and rely on his other senses. He ignored the discomfort of tripping and quickened his pace. Before long, a cold wind brushed against his face. He inhaled deeply and caught the scent of smoke ahead. He opened his eyes and saw a burning settlement. Only then did he notice the desperate screaming in the distance. Alkan froze. "Hurry! Run faster! The houses are burning!" "Hide! They might come back!" "The women and children are in danger! Hide them first! The men will handle the rest!"
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Before he could process what was happening, several women ran in his direction. He was rooted to the spot, startled when one of them grabbed his arm and pulled him away from the scene. "Move! The Black Wing Tribe is coming!" she gasped. Her face was pale, her breathing ragged. He could feel the cold tremble in her hands. "They’re all dead! There's nothing left for you there!" He didn't know whether to laugh or cry at her words. He hadn’t come to that settlement looking for family. Still, he let her pull him along. So that she wouldn’t fall behind, he took hold of her arm instead and ran at the front of the group. He heard her sharp intake of breath but noticed she didn’t complain—she simply ran, trying to keep up with him. Alkan's ears had perked up at what the woman had said. The Black Wing Tribe is coming? Did that mean they were the ones responsible for the burning village? He glanced at the woman beside him. He couldn't tell which tribe she belonged to, but she didn’t seem
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Yes, there were times when he could control the shadow without knowing that it had a mind of its own because of Ambong. But now, Ambong was no longer inside his body, so he didn’t know how to summon the shadow. "I am not part of the witch's lineage. There was someone who taught me how to manipulate it..." His lips pressed into a thin line. "Besides, if the black sawikin had sent me here, the women would have already been lying lifeless on the ground." "Then show me your ability!" the man demanded. With no other choice, Alkan closed his eyes. He focused on himself until he felt the creeping cold from his soles, rising up his legs, arms, neck, and finally to his face. His muscles shivered with dread. This was the familiar sensation whenever the shadow touched his body. And it seemed his suspicion was right when he heard a woman scream. Footsteps followed, scurrying away from him. He knew the women had taken refuge in a corner. When he opened his eyes, even he was taken aback.
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The woman glanced at the child and shook her head. "When the baby was born, a light surrounded it. After that, we didn’t see anything strange—except for the fact that Ester’s child is incredibly beautiful." Alkan’s gaze deepened. His suspicions were correct. The tribe couldn’t see the white light wrapped around the infant. This would make capturing the child much easier. However, he was growing concerned about Ester. If he couldn’t take the baby, he might have to abduct Ester instead.Alkan spent several days in the cave with the tribe of priests. In the past few days, he had been trying to push away his thoughts of abducting the baby, constantly reminding himself that it was not yet the right time. His patience seemed to pay off when Ester called him over and had him sit in front of her. The woman smiled at him. “This is my daughter, Wakin,” she said, revealing the face of a young girl. Alkan’s gaze deepened as he looked at the child. At last, Ester herself had introduced her da
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The sawikin grinned. "Why don’t we find out?" He opened his mouth, about to shout. Without thinking, she removed her claws from his throat and leaned down—pressing her lips against his. Her expression darkened. She couldn’t believe it. She had just kissed a sawikin. His lips curved against hers. And before she could pull away, his hand slid behind her, pressing her even closer. She inhaled sharply, eyes widening. She struggled to move, but his grip was like stone. He deepened the kiss. And to her horror—he was enjoying it. Damn it. This was not part of the plan. She let the sawikin kiss her, and several minutes passed before he finally released her. Only then did she push herself up from where she had been pinned down. She shot the sawikin a glare, but it only responded with a mischievous smile. Despite the anger simmering inside her, she refused to use magic for revenge. If she did, its companions would immediately sense an exorcist’s presence. Taking a deep bre
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Alkan let out a deep sigh. The mermaids were currently troubled by the sudden increase of sawikin on the river's surface. They were worried that if they went out, the sawikin would capture them. The mermaids needed to go to land to gather food for Alkan. Since he was a mortal and had different dietary needs, a group of mermaids would travel to land once a month to collect food. However, two months had passed, and they still couldn't leave due to the growing number of sawikin on the river’s surface."B-But—""The king will not go to—""I will go," he interrupted the silver-haired mermaid. The six mermaids turned to him, so he smiled. "Where is the council chamber? I'll follow you," he said to the attendant.If it weren’t for the food problem, he wouldn’t have gone. Besides, something was urging him to go. He had a feeling that food wasn’t the only issue—it was also about the sawikin on the river’s surface. Something bad was about to happen, and he
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In the blink of an eye, all the sirens in the room disappeared—except for Selena. She continued to stare at Alkan, her eyes holding an emotion he couldn't quite decipher. How many centuries had it been since a sawikin last set foot beneath the river? Selena still remembered how her mother had forbidden her from venturing onto land because of the winged beings that ruled the skies. They were a different kind, not their equals, her mother had said. The creatures called sawikin were dangerous, and if she ever encountered one, she must never approach it—she must flee at once. For those who could swim and those who could fly would never see eye to eye. But Selena had always been stubborn as a child. Instead of running from the sawikin she saw by the riverbank, her curiosity led her closer. She introduced herself to the sawikin. For years, they secretly met, and when she became the leader of the siren tribe, she invited the sawikin to visit the depths of the river. He agreed, though
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Selena secretly laughed, but there was no mockery in her expression. Only a smile and laughter appeared on her face. These were the habits she had developed ever since she became the leader of the siren tribe. She had never revealed her true self to anyone. Only she knew what lay behind her cheerful and kind expression. Alkan glanced at the siren woman. He studied her face carefully and could see the hidden mockery in her eyes. Hah. He knew Selena was lying. It wasn’t a secret among creatures that he had the ability to read and understand emotions. This was called human psychology. And because the beings in Tribal never studied such things, they were unaware that he could read expressions. That’s why he could easily tell who was lying—just like Selena. It was obvious she had no intention of letting him go. The intense hatred in her eyes made it clear she wouldn’t simply free someone who had a good relationship with her enemy. He also knew that the only reason Selena hadn’t kille
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He was silent for a few minutes after hearing what Selena said. He avoided her gaze and fell into deep thought. If he could use the mermaid tribe, rescuing Valeria would be much easier. But his conscience couldn't bear the thought of embracing another woman.Besides, wasn't the mermaid tribe under the rule of the White Palace? If he could gain the White Palace's support, he wouldn't have to sleep beside a mermaid. Yes. He still had a choice."No," he firmly rejected Selena's offer. "The mermaid tribe is under the White Palace's rule. So if I manage to ask for the White Palace’s help, your tribe will also aid in rescuing Valeria."Selena rested her chin on her hand and watched him with a smile. His lips twitched. He was uncomfortable with her mocking gaze."Did you know that the mermaid tribe has a saying? 'An enemy of one is an enemy of all. A single fight means a lifetime of separation.' Do you understand what that means?" Selena asked.He shook his head. The mermaid's eyes narrowed
Chapter 21: Sit on the throne
He couldn’t decide whether to laugh or cry at what the woman had said. Pregnant? Intercourse? He had no intention of doing everything she was ordering him to do! He loved Valeria, and he couldn’t bear the thought of sleeping with another woman. Besides, he came here to save his wife... not to fulfill whatever desires these women had. His fists clenched. Was this the exorcist woman’s plan to torment him? His jaw tightened at the thought. “Come. The leader is calling for you,” the woman said before walking away. But Alkan remained where he stood. His lips pressed into a firm line as he watched the siren walk further away. After a moment, she stopped and turned to him, her forehead creased. “Why are you still not following?” she asked. He swallowed before speaking. “I won’t meet with the leader. Tell them to send me back to the White Palace.” The woman’s eyes widened slightly as she stared at him, then looked away with a sigh. “Aren’t you hungry? The leader has been waiting at the
Chapter 20: Under the river
The black sawikin sighed. "Because I have a fairy blood, I can recognize the energy of every tribe belonging to the five pillars of Tribal." She fell silent. She had forgotten. That must have been why he warned her earlier. He must have sensed something strange in the area. A few minutes later, as they continued flying through the air, she became alert when she sensed a group of black sawikin a hundred meters away. She quickly grabbed the arm of the sawikin holding her. "Put me down, quickly! Your companions are here!" But the sawikin didn't listen to her. ... As the female exorcist desperately tried to escape the persistent black sawikin, the mermaid carried Alkan’s body into the depths of the river. Alkan was unconscious as the mermaid held him. His head was encased in a bubble the mermaid had created to keep him from drowning. At that moment, the only thing he could remember was the occasional singing of the mermaid, lulling him into a sense of peace. He couldn't fig
Chapter 19: A necromancer's magic
She stood frozen as countless skeletal figures dragged themselves toward her. What kind of creatures were these? There's no records in history that mentioned skeletons rising from the ground. "My lady, this is not the time to be surprised," the black sawikin said, sounding mildly disgusted as it eyed the approaching skeletons. "If you don’t move, you’ll be their dinner." Snapping back to reality, she took a deep breath and raised her hand. Wind gathered in her palm, forming a small whirlwind. She unleashed it at the cluster of skeletons nearer to her. The force shattered them, but they kept crawling toward her, undeterred. Her lips pressed into a thin line. She summoned another whirlwind, but it still wasn’t enough to diminish their numbers. The black sawikin frowned. "You might need fire to get rid of them completely." She turned to him with a glare. "If you're not going to help, just shut up!" she snapped, focusing on summoning another whirlwind. Relief washed over h
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The sawikin grinned. "Why don’t we find out?" He opened his mouth, about to shout. Without thinking, she removed her claws from his throat and leaned down—pressing her lips against his. Her expression darkened. She couldn’t believe it. She had just kissed a sawikin. His lips curved against hers. And before she could pull away, his hand slid behind her, pressing her even closer. She inhaled sharply, eyes widening. She struggled to move, but his grip was like stone. He deepened the kiss. And to her horror—he was enjoying it. Damn it. This was not part of the plan. She let the sawikin kiss her, and several minutes passed before he finally released her. Only then did she push herself up from where she had been pinned down. She shot the sawikin a glare, but it only responded with a mischievous smile. Despite the anger simmering inside her, she refused to use magic for revenge. If she did, its companions would immediately sense an exorcist’s presence. Taking a deep bre
