2025-01-25 11:09:36"Shut up."
Alkan didn't believe Gio's words and continued to watch over his wife. For the next few days, he didn't find anything suspicious so he let his guard down. Unbeknownst to Alkan, the black sawikin hadn’t actually left the house. It had stayed inside and never left Valeria's side. At first, Valeria was afraid. However, she became used to it. The black sawikin had already told her about the Tribal land -- the place where creatures like the sawikin came from, and although she didn’t fully believe it yet, the power and abilities that she had witnessed with her own eyes couldn’t be explained by science. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to believe, even if she couldn’t trust the face of the sawikin man. That’s why she didn’t want Alkan to know the black sawikin hadn't really left. She knew he’d just worry and blame himself. The sawikin had said it wouldn’t leave her side until it got what it wanted, but it wouldn’t tell her its intentions. It just followed her around and rarely interfered with her life. So she decided to let it follow her. The next day, the Mayor held a party and invited Alkan and his wife. It was already four in the afternoon when they left the house. The Mayor led him to meet some influential families in San Roque, while Valeria excused herself, saying she would sit in the corner and wait for him. He didn’t protest since he knew Valeria didn’t enjoy gatherings like these. After several minutes of introductions, hours passed by unnoticed. He didn’t realize the time until everyone started heading to eat dinner. He excused himself from the Mayor and quickly went to Valeria’s spot, but she wasn’t there. Alkan looked at Gio who was silently leaning against the wall. His gaze questioned where Valeria was. The sawikin frowned. Alkan didn’t waste any time and quickly stepped out of the mansion. Everyone was busy, so no one noticed him when he made his way out. "Where is she?" he asked in a low voice. Gio followed him, and when they reached a quieter place, he answered. "Tura said Valeria is in the garden. But he can’t find her exact location." Alkan frowned. "Can’t find her exact location?" "It seems someone hid her presence. Only the black sawikin can do that," Gio said. He fell silent for a moment, then narrowed his eyes. "Black sawikin?" He thought of the black sawikin that had visited his house. He cursed under his breath. "I swear, if that bird dares to hurt her, I’ll roast him!" Gio was stunned and looked away. He grimaced. After all, one of the things sawikin hated the most was being roasted like a bird. Alkan quickly reached the fountain at the far end of the garden. Valeria wasn’t there, but he saw two black feathers lying on the grass. He squinted. "Looks like the black sawikin took your woman away," Gio said as he stopped behind him. He looked up at the night sky. The moon was bright and round. A cool breeze blew, but his mind was blank. "What do they want from her?" he mumbled under his breath. Gio looked at him, then gazed into the distance. "I’m not sure. But it seems that your woman is special." "Does black sawikin knows you’re watching over me?" Gio was silent for a few minutes. "It seems so." He sighed. "If I’m right, they’ll use Valeria as bait against you." Alkan’s frown deepened. "I’ll find their den, those bastards," he cursed and gritted his teeth. "You can’t!" Gio immediately interrupted. "You’re not ready to face their tribe. If they’re using the woman as bait, I’m sure they won’t harm her. There’s still a chance to get her back. You need to wait for the tribe’s next move." "But—" "They won’t harm Valeria until they have you. Do you understand?" But Alkan’s frown didn’t disappear, so Gio sighed heavily and said, "Just think, if they had any ill intentions toward Valeria, they would have killed her the first time they saw her. But they haven’t done anything. So the only thing you can do now is wait." Alkan clenched his fist. He was about to speak when, from the corner of his eye, he saw a shadow. He turned to look and froze. There was a black sawikin standing among the flowers, staring at him. The creature had been hidden in the darkness, so he hadn’t noticed at first, but as he looked in its direction, he saw its red eyes glowing brighter. Alkan gasped. His knees weakened in fear. Gio also looked in the direction he was staring at and stood upright. Like Alkan, he hadn’t noticed the black sawikin’s presence. Gio furrowed his brow. It seemed that the black tribe was using something to conceal their presence. This was not a good sign. "Where did you take her?" Alkan asked. Though his body trembled with fear, he forced himself to ask for Valeria’s sake. The black sawikin stood silent for a few minutes before stepping into the moonlight. Its black wings were spread open, and a smile played on its lips as it looked at Alkan. Alkan clenched his fist. "Where did you take her?!" he asked. The black sawikin giggled. "Seems like the leader chose the right woman." Alkan squinted, his fist tightening. "What do you want from her?!" he asked again, his teeth clenched in anger. Is this black sawikin deaf or plainly stupid? Why is this bird not answering his questions and made him ask again and again?! "Ah?" The black sawikin held its chin and narrowed its eyes at him. "Nothing. The leader just wants to take a good look at her." The words hit Alkan like cold water. His gaze grew even sharper. "If you lay a hand on even a strand of her hair, I’ll kill you all!" The sawikin laughed and shook its head. "Alkan Buena, don’t speak too soon. You may regret what you’ve said today!" the bird said before flying off into the sky. Alkan’s body shook with suppressed rage. His eyes followed the black sawikin until it disappeared from view. The silence in the air lingered for several minutes. "Follow it," he whispered to Gio. Gio blinked. "What?" "Follow it. Hurry! Don’t let that damn bird get away!" But Gio stayed standing behind him. Alkan took a deep breath and turned to face Gio. "What? Aren’t you going to follow?" Gio furrowed his brow and looked up at the sky. "It’s not the right time for you." Alkan cursed again. "What’s the right time? Did you hear what it said? If I don’t save Valeria, those bastards might do something to her!" "Calm down, Alkan." Alkan cursed repeatedly, pulling at his own hair. He quickly left the garden and searched for the guards stationed at the entrance of the mansion. "Why did you let her leave?!" he shouted at them after telling them about Valeria’s disappearance. "Damn it! You should have gone with her! She’s a woman, she doesn’t know her way around here, and you just let her wander off?" He cursed again. "If anything happens to my wife, you better hide because I’ll find you and tear you apart!" Just then, the mayor came out of the mansion. Some guests, who had heard his cursing, followed behind. "What’s going on here?" the mayor asked the guards with a frown and turned to Alkan. "What happened, Alkan?"
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Alkan didn't answer the Mayor and hurriedly left the party.A few days later, his business finally opened but Alkan was not happy. “Alkan,” Gio called, sitting in the chair across from him. The sawikin tried to catch his gaze but failed. Gio sighed. “Don’t sink too low. Nothing will happen to Valeria.” He looked at the sawikin. “It’s been days, but the black sawikin hasn’t shown any signs. Are you sure Valeria’s still alive?” Gio’s lips formed a thin line. “Believe that nothing will happen to her.” Alkan cursed and slammed his fist on the table. “Nothing? Those monsters have no conscience. You’re not even doing anything to find her. You, bird clans, are worthless!” he said, standing up and storming out of the storage room. But when he stepped out, he saw Manuel. Alkan stopped for a moment before silently walking past the man. The white sawikin wouldn’t lend a hand to look for Valeria, and Alkan didn't know where the lair of the black sawikin was except for those white sawi
Overlord of the Four Powers Chapter 4: New place
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Overlord of the Four Powers Chapter 6: Creatures of the night
Amores watched Alkan with a curious gaze as he stood in front of her. "You’re quick," she remarked, then reached under the desk to grab something. "Write your name here and answer the questions." She handed him a folder, and as he opened it, he saw the personal details he needed to fill out. His eyebrows subtly raised in surprise. He hadn't expected such a system in this town. After filling it out, he returned the folder to her. She then gestured for him to follow her to his first station at work. He was taken aback as he took in the full view of the place. There were beings lying on beds with tubes attached to their arms. At first glance, he knew they were having their blood drawn. What confused him was why these beings needed to be drained of blood. Back where he came from, it made sense if the blood was for patients in need, but this was different. The Tribal wasn’t like that. It was home to creatures from legends. These beings didn’t need blood unless there was an emergenc
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Ambong tightened his grip on Alkan, and in an instant, the shadow dropped from its position in the sky. Alkan gasped and clung tightly to Ambong's sleeve, cursing repeatedly in his mind. Tayon's eyes widened, and he quickly flew toward them. A mischievous grin formed on Ambong’s lips before he suddenly darted off in a different direction. Alkan heard Tayon curse before swiftly pursuing them. As Ambong laughed in the air, Alkan’s face turned as pale as paper. His heart had been pounding relentlessly, painfully even. He kept taking deep breaths, but before he could steady himself, they were once again surrounded by vampires. Unlike earlier, Tayon’s brows were now creased. His gaze toward Ambong was sharp, but it became even more piercing whenever it landed on Alkan. "Don't even think about escaping. No matter what you do, you won't get away. You're in vampire territory," Tayon smirked. "Haven't you noticed? No matter where you go in this place, there's always a vampire watching. Sto
Overlord of the Four Powers Chapter 8: Princess
Her gaze shifted between Alkan and Ambong. After a few seconds, she smiled at him."New faces in the palace. Who are you, and how did you get in?"Alkan was about to answer, but Ambong pulled him past her. Celya only let out a soft laugh as she watched them leave.Her amusement faded when she saw the way Ambong looked at her—cold and guarded. How annoying. She didn’t like it when men ignored her, especially those who should have been on their knees, enchanted by her beauty.“Celya,” she heard a voice call from behind her. A fellow vampire approached, worry on his face. “Why are you out here? Your father is looking for you.”She clicked her tongue in irritation but turned gracefully. “I was just welcoming our guests. Did he say what he wanted?”“He just told me to fetch you. You should hurry back.”Celya sighed but obeyed. However, as she walked away, her thoughts lingered on the man who had stared at her so intently—Alkan. Unlike the others, he had looked at her with fascination, yet
Overlord of the Four Powers Chapter 9: Tension Rising
Alkan opened the door, and two male vampires stood before him. He raised an eyebrow upon seeing them."Do you need something?" he asked.The vampire on the left spoke. "The king is summoning you. The king of the witches is here."Alkan froze at the statement. After a few seconds, he glanced behind him, where he saw Ambong with a dark expression.There was nothing Alkan could do but follow the two men. Ambong walked beside him, silent all the while. He kept his head down, staring only at the path ahead.It wasn’t long before they reached the vampire king’s throne room. And the two men were right—there, seated on a step just below the throne of the vampire king, was Surikong.Surikong looked in Alkan’s direction, and their gazes met. A smile formed on his lips."Alkan Buena," he greeted.It felt as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped on Alkan. A chill ran from his head to his toes, and cold sweat formed on his skin. He knew Surikong was involved in the strange events that had plagu
Overlord of the Four Powers Chapter 10: Abandoned
Surikong 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,”
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Chapter 26: Emergence of the White Army
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
Chapter 25: To dream
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.
Chapter 24: Body and Conscience
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
Chapter 23: One long night
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
Chapter 18: Under the balete tree (2)
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
