2025-02-15 06:49:50Alkan flinched and quickly looked ahead. The three men were already frowning at him. But because of the light he had seen, his earlier plan to leave now seemed unlikely.
He needed to find out which tribe the child belonged to and why it was surrounded by light. He cleared his throat. "What tribe are you from?" The three men narrowed their eyes at him and slightly lowered their heads into a stance ready to attack. A chill ran down his spine, and he quickly raised his hands. "I mean no harm. I just want to know if you're allied with the White Wing Tribe and if that’s the reason the Black Wing Tribe attacked you." At the mention of the White Wing Tribe, the tension in the air slightly eased. He couldn’t quite read the three men’s expressions, but he noticed the women averting their gazes. Soon, the man in the middle straightened his stance. He looked Alkan over from head to toe. "We are not allies of the White Wing Tribe, but neither are we enemies of the white sawikin. We have lived peacefully in the Black Wing Tribe’s land since our ancestors' time, but the black sawikin attacked us because they want to expand the influence of the Black Palace. Our ancestors once signed a contract with the Black Palace stating that the priest’s tribe would never ally with the Black Wing Tribe. Because of this, the first king of the Black Palace allowed us to build our settlement in his land, on the condition that in every generation, one of our priests would serve in the Black Palace. But the current king seeks greater power. He wants to conquer the west, which is ruled by the White Wing Tribe, and he started with the tribes within his land that have not sworn loyalty to the Black Palace." "The Black Palace?" Alkan frowned. The man looked at him with mild curiosity before answering. "The Black Palace is where the Black Wing Tribe resides." "If that’s the case... where is the Black Palace?" With that question, the tension completely dissipated. The two men on either side of the middleman straightened as well before walking toward the women. Only the man in the middle remained. "Now I know you weren’t sent by the Black Wing Tribe." The man took a deep breath and smiled faintly. "The Black Palace is in the south, while my tribe’s land is in the northwest of the palace. A few kilometers from this cave, you’ll find the river that serves as the border between the south and the west." Alkan frowned at his words. He no longer regretted coming here, even though he knew he had strayed from his intended path to the Black Palace. In the past few days, he had been unsure where the black sawikin had taken Valeria. But now that he knew what and where the Black Palace was, he was certain that was his true destination in Tribal. But now wasn’t the time to go there. He didn’t know what awaited him. It was better to be prepared. Besides, he needed the White Wing Tribe’s help. Now that he knew the white sawikin indeed held power and influence in Tribal, rescuing Valeria would be much easier. Surely Gio understood why he had rushed to Tribal, right? It wasn’t as if he had planned to end up in the black sawikin’s land so soon. He had intended to seek the white sawikin’s help to prepare for Valeria’s rescue. The man suddenly cleared his throat and continued. "But that river isn’t safe. The sirens allied with the White Wing Tribe dwell there. They serve as the first line of defense against the Black Wing Tribe due to their unique abilities." Alkan nodded, recalling what Manuel had told him about the sirens or mermaid. If the creatures in the San Roque River were real, did that mean the sirens living there were originally from Tribal? His eyes narrowed. He wasn’t sure about his theory yet, so he set it aside. He looked at the man. "You said your tribe is one of priests. I don’t know what kind of beings you are in Tribal." A smile played at the corner of the man’s lips. "The priest’s tribe is one of the beings capable of manipulating an exorcist’s magic. Our tribe is one of the five pillars of Tribal. Our ancestors were able to negotiate with the Black Wing Tribe because our tribe is vital to maintaining order in Tribal. We have the ability to suppress or nullify an exorcist’s magic. Likewise, only an exorcist can directly counter a priest." Alkan's lips parted slightly. He hadn't expected such abilities to exist in Tribal. "The exorcists..." he muttered. "Where is their tribe?" The man’s smile faded, and he frowned in irritation as he recalled their adversaries. "They are allies of the White Wing Tribe. I don’t know their exact location, but I’m sure they hold a high position in the White Palace, just as our tribe does in the Black Palace." Alkan nodded. It seemed there was a system of balance and checks in Tribal. Just as the White Wing Tribe opposed the Black Wing Tribe, the priests countered the exorcists. "You," the man suddenly said. "What tribe are you from? I don’t see any signs that you belong to the Black Wing Tribe’s allies. Does that mean you’re with the White Wing Tribe?" There was no malice in his voice, only curiosity. But because of the cave’s silence, everyone heard his question. All eyes turned to Alkan. Some looked at him with curiosity, others with suspicion. Some even stepped back, putting distance between themselves and him. Clearly, while they weren’t enemies of the White Wing Tribe, they didn’t trust the white sawikin either. Alkan swallowed and clenched his fists discreetly. His gaze flickered to the baby that had caught his interest earlier. His heart sank even more when the mother stood up and took a few steps back, pressing herself deeper into the cave’s corner. It seemed she was afraid of the white sawikin. He cleared his throat and looked at the man. "I don’t belong to any tribe, nor am I directly allied with the White Wing Tribe." He exhaled. "But I can manipulate shadows, so you can be sure I’m not from the White Wing Tribe." Instead of relief, more suspicious stares fell upon him. The man’s lips pressed into a thin line. "If you're not with the White Wing Tribe, does that mean you’re allied with the Black Wing Tribe?" Alkan quickly shook his head, especially when the man’s gaze sharpened. He sighed. "I am not allied with the Black Wing Tribe. Like you, I am free and unaffiliated. So you don’t have to fear that I will betray your tribe." A tense silence filled the cave. Then the man spoke, his voice serious. "You say you can manipulate shadows. Only one tribe is known to have that ability—the witches, who are allied with the Black Wing Tribe." Gasps echoed through the cave and Alkan's face darkened.
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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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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 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
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The lands of Tribal were vast. While soaring through the sky, Alkan could see the territory ruled by the White Wing Tribe. Unlike the south, which was shrouded in darkness, the western lands were bathed in light as the sun peeked through the clouds. What amazed him was that despite flying under the midday sun, he did not feel its scorching heat. Instead, it felt as if he were submerged in lukewarm water—just the right temperature for him.They flew past clusters of houses. Alkan was even more astonished when he saw creatures with small wings on their backs. However, what puzzled him was how fast they ran, as if they were incapable of flight.Moments later, they passed by another group of beings that suddenly appeared out of nowhere. His eyes widened when he saw two of them soaring through the air—despite having no wings attached to their backs.The two creatures noticed the passing sawikin carrying Alkan. They approached, prompting Gio to stop mid-air and hover in place. He turned to
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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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Alkan stayed beneath the river for several more weeks. Selena announced that she was carrying an heir in her womb. That night, the tribe held a feast, and even though Alkan was the center of attention, some could not help but indulge in their excitement. They were eager to share a bed with him.He was gloomy. He had no intention of building a harem, yet it was as if he were the protagonist of a story filled with beautiful women longing for him.Moments later, Selena turned to him and once again introduced him to the entire tribe as the king of the merfolk. He let out a breath and stood up. As he scanned the crowd of guests, he realized that despite the population having remained stagnant for centuries, the number of merfolk was still overwhelming.Two attendants approached him and placed a golden crown on his head. They smiled at him, and he responded with a nod. He was eager to return to his chamber to rest.Eventually, the feast came to an end.
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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
Chapter 22: Estranged relationship
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
