The week after the Bandit Camp raid was unspectacular. There was no news about the bandit leader.

If Xavier and others hadn’t felt that something was wrong about the Bandit Camp and the Demonic Card Holders, they might have accepted that the pair of Lesser Succubi had led the camp. However, there was something wrong with the camp.

Luka, Leyla, and the other Scouts of the settlements returned to the bandit camp to investigate the scene again, but there was nothing. The camp looked nothing like it had been after the massacre. The corpses had been removed, and the wooden huts also disappeared into thin air. Even the blood-drenched soil was dry and unstained.

It was almost as if the Bandit Camp had never existed.

But the bandit leader was still on the run. They were certain the bandit leader would return to attack them when they least expected it. Therefore, more people were deployed to check the surroundings and report anything they found suspicious.

The only good news was that the Kobolds didn’t attack Haven and that Silvia Vador regained consciousness. She got back to her senses and recuperated quickly. Her family and the healers monitored her condition and those of the others injured, taking turns to stay by their side and watch over them. Thus, in a matter of days, all the wounded recovered and were back on their feet.

Unfortunately, Silvia Vador wasn’t given too much time to relax. The Kobolds no longer remained silent. The scouts had reported Kobold sightings around their settlement, so a meeting was called to determine the plan of action. This time, the leaders chose to stay silent and let the others talk. After the Bandit camp incident, more and more people thought that killing the kobolds before they attacked Haven was the only option. Earlier, there used to be some resistance to that, but seeing the slaves and their condition left them traumatized. They did not want to end up weak and at the mercy of monsters or evil humans. Hence, it did not take much time for everyone to reach a unanimous decision- the Kobolds had to die.

Luka had been at the bandit camp most of the time. He was an Assassin but had several good Cards that helped the Scouts’ investigation. In the first place, Luka was the one who found the Bandit Camp. He found the track to the enemy lair through the letter attached to the Behemoth and warned everyone about it.

“What’s up?” Xavier asked lightly. Luka was a good guy. He was one of the most likable people Xavier had gotten to know in his school days.

“I found some tracks near the bandit camp, but I didn’t want to worry your parents. Your Mother is already busy enough dealing with the Kobolds. They’re getting more troublesome by the day, and I cannot even be certain whether the tracks are fresh. The bandit leader might already be somewhere else…” Luka explained only for Xavier to intercept.

“You want me to check if the bandit leader is somewhere around? That’s fine with me.”

Everyone is already worried about the bandit leader. If the trails are fresh, we can get rid of him before anything bad happens, but it would be bad if we informed everyone about Luca’s lead only to find out that it was a false alarm.

Luka gave him a tight-lipped smile. “I cannot ask you to do that. You already risked your life over and over again in the past few days.”

Xavier shrugged. “We all do that, not just me. Besides, if your findings truly lead us to the camp leader, wouldn’t it be better to have someone with you rather than fighting him alone?”

Luka gave him a bright smile. “I’ve noticed you have a penchant for killing and blood. Maybe you also suffer from martyrdom complex.”

Xavier slapped Luka’s shoulder, who scowled, but then they made a plan to sneak in undetected.

Xavier agreed with Luka’s reasoning. It was better to move out alone and check the trails first. If they found the Bandit Leader, they could always return to report his – or her – hideout and come back with the settlement’s combined power. But there might also be nothing. Xavier was worried about his mother. She had recovered merely days ago, and it was obvious that the last injury had put a heavy toll on her body and mind. He didn’t want to worry her.

“Let’s go then.”

The last few days he had been rather tense post the bandit camp battle. Xavier kept worrying about his mother as well as the way the Lesser Succubus had died at his hands. He knew something other than pure rage had overtaken him, but when he tried to recall, he felt he was grasping at straws. It was great that he managed to kill the Lesser Succubus but he somehow also felt it was not his doing entirely. And that thought bothered him.

He was lost in thoughts as Luka led the way.

Over the past few days, Xavier dreamed more often about the dark figure. The dream was repetitive, but it grew more lifelike every time it returned. And now that he realized that something dark was hibernating within him, Xavier didn’t know what to do anymore.

What are those darkness tendrils? Where are they coming from? Did they create this dream, or did the dream create the darkness? Or did my subconscious create both? Just….what is going on?

The darkness tendrils were more active than they used to be before Xavier lost control of them in the Bandit Camp. Sometimes, they wreaked havoc inside him and threatened to burst out of his body when Xavier lowered his guard. The instant he dropped his guard, the darkness tendrils would attempt to overwhelm him and take charge of his body.

The tendrils are sentient. They are not supposed to be inside me, either. I cannot accept that they’re part of me. I didn’t give birth to such abominations! Xavier shouted in his mind. He had a lot more to tell himself to ensure that he wouldn’t give in to the darkness tendrils, but then Luka slowed down, dragging him out of his thoughts.

“Are we the—...” Xavier asked, only to get pulled aside by Luka.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

“Stay silent,” He ordered in a whisper before pointing through the small gap in the bushes.

Something was swirling a few feet ahead of them. It was a familiar mass of energy, the same dark blue vortex that seemed to appear out of nowhere and take root in their settlement. Goblins, Kobolds, and similar monsters had stepped out of it, wreaking havoc in their peaceful lands.

A Monster Gate? Again? What the fuck?! Xavier almost shouted at the top of his lungs.

Luka glared at him, forcing Xavier to keep his mouth shut.

[Did he go through that Gate?] Xavier asked, using Whispering Energy to communicate with Luka.

Luka shrugged before pointing at some imprints in front of the Monster Gate. A small tent, an extinguished campfire, and several bags could be seen around the Monster Gate.

[He is camping near the Gate? I cannot sense his energy fluctuations, though. He must have gone out to hunt!] Xavier concluded shortly. Luka nodded in agreement and emerged silently from the bushes.

[Wait! Let’s go back to report the situation to the leaders!] Xavier shouted using Whispering Energy, but Luka couldn’t hear him.

The Monster Gate blocks Whispering Energy. Fuck you, Luka!

Xavier suppressed a groan and followed Luka silently with Camouflage activated. Luka was already near the camp. He inspected a small bag only to recognize that Xavier appeared next to him.

Xavier frowned at his friend but inspected the bags as well. Nothing special was inside them. Just some clothes and other stuff. The bags could have belonged to anyone. However, there was something weird about the tent. Xavier opened the tent and looked inside, only to see that everything was spotless.

There was not a single wrinkle on the bed. That didn’t make sense.

Except if nobody slept in the tent before!

“I think the bandit leader set up a trap,” Luka muttered suddenly. Xavier emerged from the tent, his eyes flicking left and right.

“I came to the same conclusion,” Xavier nodded, his hair standing up on its end, “But where is he?”

Xavier was just about to call Glut and Umbra out of his Soul World to prepare for the inevitable attack of the bandit leader when he felt a sting in his chest.

He looked down, his eyes widening in shock when he noticed an Onyx Dagger jutting out of his chest.

“Right here!” Luka said lightly, a devilish smile distorting his gentle appearance.

Luka pushed the Onyx Dagger deeper into Xavier’s chest and twisted the blade in his friend’s body.

“This world is so fucking fun!” He exclaimed, a devilish laughter escaping his lips, “The New World granted me access to everything I’ve always wished for. Power and freedom. I can do whatever I want and get rewarded for that. Even killing others will be rewarded. I can kill whoever I want and torture everyone as I please. All I need is power!”

Xavier stared at his friend with a disbelieving look. Was this the same Luka he had played hide and seek with in school? Xavier staggered back and tried to clutch at his chest to stop the blood flow. Meanwhile, Luka was talking to himself merrily as if he had just killed a giant behemoth. He seemed proud of his devious trick to lure Xavier alone and stab him to death.

Disappointment and anger quickly replaced shock as Xavier tried to focus on healing the wound first. But no matter how hard he tried, his Healing Energy Card could not help him. Luka even kicked him in the chest again, pushing the dagger even deeper as Xavier’s vision blurred.

A thin coat of sweat appeared on his forehead as he tried to concentrate. Several notifications from his Cards leveling up popped up, but he couldn't focus on them.

At that moment, the darkness tendrils overwhelmed Xavier. His guard was already lowered, granting the darkness tendrils the opportunity they'd sought.

Xavier grew even more disoriented as darkness overtook him. His knees buckled under his weight, and he crashed to the ground, making Luka cackle.

“I wonder what the others will say when they notice that you disappeared. Their faces when they realize that you abandoned them…That’s what I’m living for.”

Luka’s eyes twinkled with a mad glee. He had been tired of living under Xavier’s shadow, always seeing him outshine others and then pretending as if he did nothing. According to Luka, Xavier was insufferable and just waiting for the right opportunity to strike. He had waited for days to slowly gain his trust, lure him outside, and finish him off in cold blood. He had imagined how it would feel to hear Xavier’s heart beat slowly grow weak before he would step on his corpse.

At last, the day had finally arrived. And Luka couldn’t be happier. He had already begun daydreaming about his following plans and a perfect cover-up of Xavier’s absence. While Xavier twitched and groaned, Luka laughed maniacally.

He circled Xavier with a smug look, telling him how much he hated him and how he was doing a favor to the world by killing him. But then, he noticed his heart beat slowed but never stopped completely.

Something was wrong.

Suddenly, he stiffened. He stumbled back, his expression distorting into pain and horror.

Tendrils of the purest darkness burst out of Xavier. They pulled the Onyx Blade out of Xavier’s chest before throwing it at Luka. He tried to move but several darkness tendrils had already coiled around his legs and waist. He couldn’t move.

The Onyx Dagger that was still slick with Xavier’s blood slit through his throat and dug deep into his neck as Luka let out pitiful cries.

Card Holder Stage-1 - Luka - (Devil’s Face) has been slain.

+62 Soul Essences, +5 Rare Card Shards, +2 Epic Card Shards.

Xavier was still reeling from the shock of Luka’s betrayal, so he could barely register the notification of his death. Coupled with the fact that he lost control of his body, his mind was all over the place. He could only watch as the darkness tendrils latched themselves onto Luka’s body and sucked him dry until he was reduced to an empty shell.

Luka was dead, and he had survived, but that did not make Xavier feel happy.

He regained some strength, just enough to struggle against the overwhelming power of the darkness tendrils. They retracted and disappeared for a moment, only to retort and fight back. The darkness tendrils had just gotten a taste of something nice. It was addicting, and they wanted more, even if it was against Xavier's will.

So they fought against his command, making him sway dangerously from one side to the other.

Glut!! Umbra!!

Xavier called out to his loyal companions for help, but the darkness tendrils were faster. They realized he was calling for reinforcement so like a shrewd, sentient being, a darkness tendril emerged from the ground right in front of his feet. He tripped and lost control, stumbling forward.

And he fell straight into the Monster Gate.

A moment later, the world around him turned black.