2025-01-25 12:48:13They traveled for hours to an unknown destination and soon reached the town center. But unlike the center of San Roque, the center of this town in Tribal was filled with darkness.
There were no vendors along the roadside, and there weren’t many people strolling around the various parts of the center. In short, it felt like a ghost town. "Where are the people?" he whispered to the wind. Ambong heard this and responded. "They're at the factory." He suddenly remembered the man’s offer earlier. He scanned the area and spotted a large building not far off. Faint sounds of machinery could be heard from there. His eyebrows raised. That seemed to be the only normal thing he had noticed about the town. Ambong was already heading toward the building. He had no choice but to follow. He intermittently looked around. The place really was different. The houses in the center were made of nipa palm, and only the large factory was made of concrete. The road was also bumpy, and it seemed as though it had just rained, as the path to the factory was muddy. It felt like going back to the time when San Roque wasn't as populated. Back when the streets weren’t paved, and the houses were made of palm and nipa. Suddenly, someone shouted ahead. "So, there are freeloaders!" He focused his attention ahead and saw a man wearing thin metal armor. Like the man earlier, he had a thick, long mustache and was holding a bolo. His eyes narrowed as he looked at him and Ambong. When he saw Ambong, the furrow on his brow disappeared. He stood upright and waited for them to approach. "Who are they?" the man asked calmly. Alkan was taken aback by the tone of the man’s voice. Just moments ago, he had almost been killed by the sharpness of the man’s gaze. Why was this man suddenly being kind? He couldn’t help but glance at Ambong, who was standing beside him. This must be the reason why these creatures were being nicer to him. "Is Tayon here?" Alkan asked. The man looked like he was about to shout at him, but when he glanced at Ambong and saw his creased brow, he suddenly smiled at Alkan. "Tayon, the leader, is inside. Why are you looking for him?" "I met a man on the road earlier. He told me to look for him if I ever came to the center," Alkan explained. The man looked him up and down, then gestured for him to enter the factory. "Look for Amores inside, and he will take you to the leader, Tayon." He then looked at Ambong. "Sir, would you like to come inside?" Ambong cupped his chin and glanced at Alkan. He smiled at him. "No, I'll just wait outside." Even though he was nervous, Alkan walked into the factory. Besides looking for work, he wanted to find out where he was. He didn’t know where the Black Wing Tribe's base was, and the only way to find out was to ask the leader. But he couldn’t ask directly because they would suspect him. He had to work in the factory to avoid raising suspicion. Especially now that Ambong wasn’t with him. He had no way to convince the so-called Tayon. He also didn’t want to owe Ambong anything, since his soul would be the price. "Where can I find Amores?" he asked the woman sitting behind the desk. She looked at him. "That's me. Who are you looking for?" "Tay-- Leader Tayon. I want to speak with him." She tilted her head to the left before standing and gesturing for him to follow. "Come with me." He nodded and secretly smiled. It seemed like women were harder to talk to than men. They passed through several dim hallways before reaching a large red door. The woman knocked and gestured for him to enter before walking back down the path they had taken earlier. He took a deep breath before pushing open the large door. A foul smell greeted him. He covered his nose and looked around inside. Unlike the dim hallway, the room was brightly lit. The light came from a round crystal in the middle of the room. A man sat behind the crystal. His eyes were closed. But when he took a step forward, the man opened his eyes. Without a word, he lunged toward him. If he hadn’t dodged the man’s sharp claws, he might have taken his last breath. He quickly stepped back, alert, and stared at the strange man. The man looked him up and down, and Alkan noticed that the creatures in this town seemed to always examine strangers from head to toe. "Who are you?" the man asked. He didn’t expect to hear the young voice of the one they called Tayon. The man looked to be around his age, though a few centimeters taller. What was unusual about him was his silver-colored eyes. "I’m Alkan," he replied, still on alert. "I want to work in the factory." Tayon raised an eyebrow. After a moment, he laughed. "Are you new to this town?" He nodded and stayed still. He didn’t think Tayon would suddenly attack him. "I met a man on the road earlier. He said if I came to the center, I should look for someone named Tayon to get a job in the factory." Tayon looked away and walked back to his seat. "What you want isn't easy. Who was this man you're talking about?" "He didn’t introduce himself, but he looked like the guards outside." He noticed that Tayon froze for a moment, but after a few seconds, he continued walking. "You didn’t recognize him?" "No," he replied firmly. Tayon nodded and sat back in his chair. "Do you know what kind of beings live in this town?" For a moment, he was speechless. He hadn’t asked Ambong what kind of beings lived in this town. He swallowed and shook his head. "No," he said. Tayon’s eyes narrowed again. "You have a strange scent. I can smell the scent of a witch on you, but you don’t have witch blood." His frown deepened. "In fact, you have the blood of a... sawikin." Alkan blinked in surprise and stared at Tayon. "What do you mean?" Tayon raised his hand, and in a moment, Alkan felt a cut appear on his finger. Blood dripped onto the white floor, and to his amazement, the wound quickly healed. His eyes widened, and he touched his finger while more blood dripped onto the floor. The blood trailed toward Tayon. And to his shock, it seemed to enter Tayon’s mouth. He froze in place. "My suspicion was correct. You have sawikin blood, but... it’s a strange blood. I can’t tell what kind of sawikin blood you have." Alkan swallowed and looked away. If he had sawikin blood, did that mean one of his parents was a sawikin? Was that why Gio had been following him—because he had sawikin blood? But he couldn’t say that the White Wing Tribe was protecting him. He was still in the Black Wing Tribe's territory, and it would be dangerous if they found out why he was there. "I didn’t know I had sawikin blood," he said, his brow furrowed. In that moment, he spoke the truth. When facing danger, it was only right that a bit of truth be mixed into each lie. Tayon lowered his gaze while continuing to look at him. "If that’s the case, work here in the factory. Don’t trust anyone, and don’t ask what kind of creatures live in this town." He stared at Tayon. There was something he was implying with his words, but Alkan couldn’t figure out what it was. Tayon raised his hand, and the large door that had been closed suddenly opened. "Go out and find Amores. Start working now while there’s still daylight outside."
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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
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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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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 arms and legs were chained to the floor, and the body was covered in lash marks. The long hair obscured the face. The skin was as pale as paper, and the figure was emaciated. This was the state in which Alkan found the tribe’s leader. He swallowed hard. “At first, the leader was not in this condition,” Yuli said with a sigh. “But ever since the dragon appeared in the East, the monster within him has become more aggressive. Even during the day, he can no longer recognize the people around him. He only wants to consume flesh and bones, so we decided to restrain him. He is no longer in his right mind.” Alkan frowned. “Why does he have lash marks on his skin?” Yuli looked at where he was pointing and dropped his shoulders. “That’s what we don’t know. Every morning, his skin just ends up like that, but no one has been seen entering this place. The guards say they haven’t seen anyone come inside—except for a stray cat.” “A st
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The Diamond Woman brought him to a secluded tribe in the southernmost part of the land, far from the Black Palace. When he opened his eyes, he found himself in a forest beneath the scorching midday sun. He let out a deep sigh and closed his eyes again. "Master?" the Diamond Woman called when she saw that he remained lying on the grass. "Later," he muttered in a low voice. "I just want to rest." The Diamond Woman created a barrier to shield him from the sun. Then, she sat beside him, watching the peaceful dance of the leaves as the wind passed through them. They remained in silence for several minutes before Alkan suddenly opened his eyes, recalling something. "When will you restore Pilak and Anino to their human forms?" he asked. The Diamond Woman turned to him, lost in thought for a few seconds. "I could restore them now, Master, but some beings are approaching. It wouldn’t be safe for the two flames to tran
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"Master, use my power to destroy the dragon’s barrier," the Diamond Woman urged. Alkan wasted no time. The green glow of his sword turned pure white. The dragon howled in agony, struggling to shake him off. His sword plunged deeper between its eyes, and he heard something shatter within. His wings flared open, emitting a crimson light. "Mortal! What are you doing?!" the prince’s voice bellowed in his mind. Sweat beaded on Alkan’s forehead from the pain, but he fought against the prince’s attempt to seize control of his consciousness. "You will not win," Alkan growled, pouring out his power. The red light from his black wings intensified, forming ancient symbols that adhered to them, making them even stronger. "No! Don’t do this!" the prince screamed inside his mind.
Chapter 77: Fought again (1)
With the arrival of the dragon in the Tribal lands, the first war led by Alkan was set to unfold. The three kingdoms—Fairy, White Sawikin, and Black Sawikin—mobilized to destroy the dragon that was spreading terror in the East. Although the three tribes did not see eye to eye, they fought together against the dragon. "Who is that Black Sawikin flying in the sky?!" shouted some White Sawikin, who were battling corpses rising from their graves. "I don't know! But he's the only one among us who can fly! Our wings are useless against the force emanating from the dragon!" "Is that Black Sawikin trying to get himself killed?!" "Yes!" Manuel swung his sword and looked up at the lone Sawikin still airborne. His eyes narrowed as he stared at the familiar figure of the Black Sawikin. A corpse charged toward him, reeking of rotting flesh. He
Chapter 76: The prince and the dangers in the East (2)
The man smiled and looked into the distance. The sun was just beginning to rise, casting a peaceful dawn across the sky. "I do not wish to refuse your request, especially since this is the first time in nearly a hundred years that someone has sought help from the Immortal Tribe. What makes it even more amusing is that a mortal is the one asking for help. Isn't that an interesting story to be written in history?" In the future, Alkan would realize that leaving the female exorcist in the care of the Immortal Tribe was the right decision. After bidding farewell to the woman, he flew back north, to the forest where the necromancer’s power kept the land in its grip. He landed and summoned the Diamond Woman. He cleared his throat. "The sorcerer said you can restore Pilak and Anino to their human forms. I want them to take shape so I can communicate with them more easily." The Diamond Woman fell silent for a few seconds before ask
Chapter 75: The prince and the dangers in the East (1)
Alkan and the female exorcist landed outside the gate. They were quickly surrounded by guards. When the guards saw Alkan and the female exorcist, they were shocked. "A mortal?" one of the guards asked in astonishment, lowering his raised weapon. "You haven’t returned to the White Palace in months. Many things have happened that you are unaware of." He then turned his gaze to the female exorcist standing beside Alkan. The guard's eyes narrowed, and after a moment, they widened in shock. "Mortal, why are you with the traitor? Get away from her!" he shouted, raising his sword in front of the female exorcist. Alkan's vision darkened. "Where is Manuel? Inform him that I want to speak with him," he said through gritted teeth. "But, mortal—" "Do as I say!" Perhaps due to the force he released, coming from Menandro, the first king of the White Palace, the guards quickly moved. They lowered their weapons and stepped b
Chapter 74: Giving back what was stolen
He took a deep breath and nodded. Kneeling beside Valeria, he gently brushed his fingers against her cheek. She remained unconscious, showing no signs of waking anytime soon. From the corner of his eye, he saw the female exorcist slowly open her eyes. He turned to her and spoke. "How are you feeling?" She scanned her surroundings before looking at him, then lowered her gaze to her swollen belly. "The prince’s child is still here," she whispered. Alkan followed her gaze. "Do you want me to…" "No." The exorcist shook her head and sighed. She lifted her head and glanced around. "Where are we in Tribal?" "Near the North, in the middle of a vast forest." The exorcist stood and took a deep breath. Her gaze fell on Valeria. "The mortal…" Her eyes narrowed. "Why does Valeria look so pale?" "A curse has awakened in her soul," Alkan replied, his expression dark. "The only way to break it i
Chapter 73: Unbreakable curse
After a few minutes, Alkan slowly descended. He opened his eyes. The whites of his eyes had turned black, and a strange smile played on his lips. In a blink, his expression and eye color returned to normal. The diamond noticed but didn’t question it—she simply smiled at him. “Master, you have successfully obtained the third power. Now, you can fully manifest your black wings.” “Black wings?” he repeated in confusion, glancing over his shoulder. He saw nothing there. The diamond chuckled. “Why don’t you step out of your consciousness first, Master?” she suggested. Alkan withdrew his awareness from within, and as soon as he did, a sharp pain seared through his back. He had felt some discomfort earlier, but he hadn’t expected it to be this painful once he was back in his physical body. He clenched his jaw and turned to look behind him. There, he saw the black wings. He stood up straight, a grin curving his lips.
