***

The Underground World, four months ago

Footsteps clicked on the earth above Delzd and the others. Through the one-way exit, the ghouls could see the tall, fair-skinned man moving about, his eyes searching for something.

"Stay quiet," Elder Boris communicated via the telepathic spell .

Delzd scanned through the earth. The Abovelander seemed to be alone.

"There it is," the Aboverlander exclaimed after his eyes landed on the ghouls below the earth. "My friends, I'm here to help."

"He's… talking to us? He sees us!" Galzd communicated.

"Keep it shut, Galzd."

The rest of the ghouls, using their magic eyes, continued to stare back at this lone man. His vastly different appearance from the Abovelanders a thousand years ago, coupled with the lack of a visible magic aura made them anxious. Had the Abovelanders evolved to be this good?

"Hello?" The Abovelander waved at the frozen ghouls.

"I'm telling you, he can see us!"

"Hmm…" Elder Boris muttered.

"What do you think?" Elder Boris communicated to the four other Elders.

"He sees us, that is a fact."

"Correct. And I do not sense any hostile intent from him. Perhaps we could talk it out."

Nodding his head, Elder Boris turned back to face the Abovelander.

"State your intentions."

"Like I said, I'm here to help. To help you get back what's yours."

"Who are you?"

"That's not important."

A rectangular purple outline started to form in the ground above.

"Nevalia."

With the closing of his fist, the earth both parties were looking through disintegrated, allowing the shining sun rays to fill the underground asylum. The ghouls grunted loudly, feeling the intense heat and blinding lights enveloping them for the first time in centuries, maybe millennia. Several fell to their knees, but the Elders continued to stand tall, never once breaking eye contact with the stranger.

"What's important is that I have the power to help you."

"And why would you, an Abovelander, want to help us?"

"For all we know, this could be a trick to lure us out." Elder Thale chimed in.

"Speak clearly and prove your loyalty to us," Elder Boris continued.

"Well, I kind of expected that." The Abovelander stroked his chin. "How about the fact that I'm not from this world? I'm sure with your magic eyes, even you can tell."

The ghouls, elders included, exchanged glances with one another. For what felt like aeons, they had only known two worlds, the Aboveland and the Underground World. How could someone come from somewhere else?

***

The Grand Palace, present moment

General Zoloe was seated in the meeting room, facing the other Lords. Finely crafted goblets of wine were placed in front of them, their rich aroma filling the air.

"Hah, even I thought you were with her," Felken smirked, lifting his goblet in a mock toast. "My hat's off to you."

"Well, that's how he bought the Queen's trust," Gerard replied, a sly smile playing on his lips.

General Zoloe laughed, raising his goblet to toast the others. "Now that the Queen's gone, it's time we reorganise things."

"Indeed," Gerard agreed, leaning forward slightly. "I propose starting with the Treasurer. The Queen personally appointed him."

"Yes, we should. But first, His Majesty. What if he returns?"

The Council of Lords paused as they let out low, soft grunts.

The young lady with sleek, ebony dark hair, Clara, suddenly stood up. "We impeach him."

The Lords started eyeing one another. They all shared the same thought, but none had dared to voice it out till now.

"Hmm, perhaps it's time for a change..." Gerard stroked his chin.

"His Majesty has been in the seat for almost a century now."

"Right, so we are all on the same boat then." General Zoloe toasted again. "To a new Haventry."

The rest toasted as well, and they heartily carried on their discussion, talking about the bills and laws they aimed to change. However, midway through the discussion, General Zoloe's expression suddenly shifted as he received a telepathic message. His eyes glazed over momentarily as he focused on the urgent communication via .

"My lord! The ghouls! They are coming... they are coming to the cit-- urk!!"

The communication cut off abruptly, bringing General Zoloe's attention back to the room. His face continued to don a stern look.

"Something the matter?" Felken asked, raising an eyebrow.

"The ghouls are coming with an army. They plan on attacking us," General Zoloe responded, his tone grave.

"What?!" Gerard exclaimed, his expression one of astonishment and concern.

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"Why are you worried, Gerard? We have the anti-ghoul barrier, . They won't be able to get in here no matter what," Felken laughed, his laughter echoing in the room as he dismissed the threat.

General Zoloe shook his head, his expression unyielding. "We can't underestimate them, Felken. The ghouls wouldn't mobilise an army unless they had a plan. The barrier will hold, but we need to ensure our forces are ready to defend it and counter any unforeseen tactics."

"Well. You'll handle it, right?" Felken asked, his tone still carrying a hint of nonchalance.

"Yes," General Zoloe replied. "Now, if you would excuse me."

Without waiting for further discussion, General Zoloe hurriedly left the meeting room.

***

Gaya Forest

After the ghoul army marched off, my eyes radiated a blue aura as I followed the trail they had left behind. It led me deeper into the forest, a familiar path that Layla had once guided me through. Sometime after, snowdrops started falling from the sky, transforming the once-green landscape into a serene blanket of white. Eventually, I reached the edge of the lake again.

Strange.

Strange. The magic particle trail had stopped abruptly, just like Layla's trail earlier on. I moved around, reaching out with my hand, searching for any hidden entrances. There had to be a secret passage; there was no way an entire army could teleport like the Ghoul Champion did.

After a while, I noticed an unusual indent in the ground meters away from the lake. My light blue eyes narrowed as I focused on it, spotting a few magic particles floating above it. This had to be the place. With a deep breath, I tapped into my Creation Magic, summoning an enormous boulder and dropping it onto the ground, hoping to reveal the hidden entrance. But to my surprise, the ground remained sturdy, refusing to yield to the boulder.

"Hmm," I muttered.

Perhaps would do the trick. I created another magic formation just above the ground, channeling my energy into the spell. With a grunt, I forcefully brought my arm upwards, attempting to pull the ground up. But once again, it refused to budge. I tried again, this time infusing the spell with additional enhancements. My abdominals contracted as hard as they could. The veins on my arms bulged with effort as if they were no longer willing to remain hidden. Sweat trickled down onto my brow.

BOOM

The earth propelled upwards, finally creating an opening into the ground. Looking down, my eyes scanned the infrastructure down there. I could see some doors, some elevated platforms that resembled tables and chairs, and several very weak lanterns dangling loosely under the ceiling. The bottom seemed to be at least five or so metres deep.

After ensuring no one was around, I hopped down into it and landed softly on my feet. A strong odour immediately rushed into my nose, forcing me to pinch them closed for a moment. The smell was familiar, a noxious blend of decay and rot, overwhelmingly foul like meat left to fester in the heat, making the air feel heavy and damp; no doubt it was the smell of death.

Wandering about the place, only the same sights appeared before my eyes. Walls made of earth, rooms with dimly lit lanterns and beds made out of soft dirt were here. Other than the isolated room from where the source of the smell came from, there wasn't any other type of bedroom. No kitchen, no baths; none of the rooms you would expect to find in a settlement. However, after some more exploration, I found a tunnel that led deeper into the earth.

It brought me to another set of spaces that was oddly more well-lit than the space before. Rows of cells with metal bars lined up in the corridor, some of which contained weaponry and armour, while some contained skeletons that slumped against the walls inside. At the end of this space was a larger cell that contained a muscular figure inside. The figure was hung by the wrist, their chest barely heaving in and out. A translucent magic screen was hovering before him.

"Hey. Hey!" I called out, maintaining a safe distance from the cell bars.

The figure weakly looked up.

"J-Javen!"

"Genon…? How… are you…" Coughs squeezed themselves between his words.

Self-casting a strength-enhancing spell on my body, I ripped the cell bars open, immediately rushing to free him of his restraints.

"Thank… thanks…"

"Where's Layla?" That was the first question that shot out of my mouth as a green aura radiated from my palm.

"Layla… the Champion… he turned her into a ghoul." The healing spell gradually restored strength in his body. "Thanks, Genon."

"What?!"

"Yes, there's no time." He pointed to the screen. It showed the ghoul army already positioned outside the city barrier, preparing for their next move. "We need to get back before it's too late."

With the formidable barrier enveloping the city, the ghouls stopped in their tracks, facing the Haventry guards inside who had their weapons drawn and their eyes filled with determination. The tension was palpable, a silent countdown to the battle that was inevitable.

"Pay no mind to the barrier my brothers. Attack with all your might and reclaim what is yours!" The Ghoul Champion flew higher in the sky, his voice reverberating in the air.

A tiny hole formed in the barrier, and with each passing second, it grew larger and larger. Eventually, it became big enough for the army to go through. The ghouls rushed in but were immediately faced by explosions and screeching sound waves that immobilised and sent them hurtling back.

"The best defence is a good offence. Guards. ATTACK!" The senior guard commanded. Battle cries roared as the Haventry guards charged at the ghouls, their swords drawn and their courage unwavering.

Sounds of metal clashing filled the air as both sides casted spells upon each other. The Haventry guards had an immense advantage with the preparation time they had, not forgetting the effects of that weakened the ghouls. However, despite those, they still barely held their own against the pitch-black species, particularly struggling against the stronger ghouls who joined in the battle. Only the long-haired ghoul stayed idle.

As for the Ghoul Champion, he had created a huge magic formation that targeted itself. Some areas of the barrier started waning into a darker shade.

Javen and I flew back just to see the ghouls moving past the first line of defence, stepping on the bodies that were strewn on the ground. Guards from other posts were rushing here to further deter the ghouls.

"Dammit, we're too late," Javen slammed his fist against a tree in frustration.

"No, not yet. Look." I pointed upward.

The Ghoul Champion was still inside a self-created black barrier, busy with his magic formation.

"The Ghoul Champion." Javen's eyes narrowed. His blood boiled with rage and his teeth grinded loudly against each other. Without waiting for another second, he kicked the ground and soared toward him at bullet speed.

"Wait!" I called out. Unfortunately, all his focus was on the target he was locked onto. Javen's arms glowed with a dark, malevolent aura as he cocked his fist, shadows orbiting around his clenched hand.

"My, my, if it isn't the King." The Ghoul Champion sneered with his head still forward-facing.

"FUCK YOU!"

With a thunderous impact, the fist collided with the barrier, sending ripples of energy cascading throughout the air, even rumbling the earth beneath my feet. However, the barrier remained unbroken.

"Ah, I see you had help." The Ghoul Champion's gaze moved past Javen, toward me. "I should have killed you there and then, boy."

"Where's Layla?!" Javen's glare pierced the Champion's soul.

"The thief, the murderer, the liar? Look behind you and you'll get your answer."

Our attention went toward the long-haired ghoul, who still had not done anything up to this point. That-that was Layla?

"Layla!"

Javen went past the Champion and slowly approached her. Reaching for her shoulders, he continued: "It's me, Javen. Ar—"

But in a flash, Layla grabbed his wrist, crushing it in her fist.

"A-Argh! Layla, what are you—"

Then she casted directly in front of him. The sheer force of the fireball propelled him back, sending him tumbling toward the city entrance. He crashed into several ghouls and guards, and then into the wall. The impact made the surrounding debris collapse onto him.

"Good work, darling. Now, take care of him too, would you?" The Ghoul Champion instructed, his voice dripping with smug satisfaction. Layla's head turned in my direction.

Oh shit.

Her body vanished into thin air. I immediately spun around, searching frantically, but she was nowhere to be seen. Oh shit, oh shit.

Then a sudden impact sent me hurtling toward the city wall. Agony exploded through my body as a fist connected with my back, forcing the air out of my lungs. The next thing I knew, I was already inside the city, having created a hole through the wall. Stars danced about in my vision as I laid on the ground, my body weak and unable to move. I could still see the guards and the ghouls going head-to-head. I could still hear the faint explosions and destruction happening all around me. But they were so soft and muffled, as if I was experiencing them through a thick veil.

Shit. I-I... need to... get up. I can't go down... like this, I reminded myself. My eyelids felt as heavy as a mountain, each blink a struggle against the weight pulling them shut.

But as I slowly and painstakingly pushed myself up from the ground, a black figure landed just steps away from me.