After the fight with Endregar's soldiers, Akatosh and Torval seek refuge at every safe place they can find. Torval, with no ability of teleportation and Akatosh's partner, was in a deep resentment to the point he didn't control the use of his energy. By that, it would take him another week or more to replenish his used-up powers.

Having no optional shortcuts, they reside at an inn. Utilizing the things, they scavenged from the last battle and with a little bit of luck, they came across a village.

"I have been watching you for quite a regular time. And I have to say your one strange person that I've met so far." Torval says after they ate their meal.

"Same goes for you... With your shady works and secret things."

"Well, before we get to that, I was curious to how you create a spell in killing that boar."

"What about it?"

"Did I tell you about the collars and how they restrict a person in casting spells?"

"Oh… well... um... it was my dog's doing." Akatosh bluntly replies.

To his reply, Torval's face wasn't very much applause to his word.

Torval sigh. "Moving on, it's quite peculiar to have a marking embed on your shoulder."

"Do you know about this thing?"

"There's more to that than just a tattoo. Prior to that, what pact did you make from those druids."

"I don't know... I just spoke to one of their unsociable guardian and... Oh, not that. It's just that one of their chosen priestesses wanted to be free, and to do that... well, she created a scandalous move on me. Though I did manage to escape that hellhole... In return, well... it would be nice to tell me one of your stories, though it's fine if you don't. We both have our ways to watch."

Torval pauses for a moment, surveying Akatosh as he happily sips a mug of wine accompanied by food and snacks. "The truth is..." He pauses, looking at the surroundings for a green light. "The truth is, I was one of the people assigned by the kingdom of Keshoval to spy at Endregar."

"Well, that pretty much sums my conclusion. Anyway, Keshoval huh... I too was working with... Uh... Let me reminisce my memory. Ah, that family the de Shilvia know anything about that?"

"H-how long have you been working?" Torval says, alarmed by Akatosh's sudden words.

"Not long--" before Akatosh could continue, Torval immediately stood and asked to chat in private.

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"Well, that's a common thing." Akatosh exhaustless says. "It's always the same since it's in our blood, humans or not. We are born to kill each other."

Upon hearing his word, Torval was silent and quite fluctuated. He had explained the opposition and tension between Keshoval and Endregar. Yet for someone who had worked with Keshoval didn't give a thing about it.

"Then I have to ask, from which place you came?"

Understanding the connection of his question, a question of patriotism. Akatosh smiles for a moment and replies calmly. "Earth."

"Earth? I never heard that country."

"Great Mother Earth, Mother Earth, Planet Earth... you name it. Although, it's only but a memory. Where I came from is much as equal in here. Tension will rise, hunger and bare resources led to war, through all of that gave a path to death. And if you're asking which side, I take... well that but I do not know."

Torval notices his hesitation as he stands smiling at him.

"What?"

"Nothing we should gather information." He implores, going downstairs.

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Slowly as they head to the innkeeper, a group of dwarves’ barges through the inn. Clad in armor and equipped solely of hammer and war axe. Some were carrying shields, brutally damaged so as their armors. Desperate and injured, they lay one of their commanders whose skin turns pale. And the veins were dark, pulsating as if it would explode.

"Is there any priest or clerics here!" One of the dwarfs’ shouts, echoing through the building.

Torval rushes to see the dwarf's injuries, and right away his face was disappointed the moment he saw the dwarf.

The situation rouse as the atmosphere turns dull. Some of the humans didn't dare to look at the desperate dwarves. Tension boils the blood of the dwarves as no one would take turns to help them.

"Well, what do we have here." Amaragnum implores.

Akatosh went for a small peak and, just by looking at the ornated equipment and armor. He concluded he was the leader of the group.

"Looks like they did get their ass whopped by a shadow demon." Amaragnum continues.

"Care to explain that man's situation."

"Monsters such as shades, wights you name it... they're the ones to avoid when you have no white mages. But going head-to-head with a shadow demon is suicide to these dwarves."

"Know anything that corruption-like things on his body?"

"Soul drain, a dreadful wound from a shadow demon. It corrupts the body and soul of a victim, giving them a slow and unceasing pain until the victim dies."

While they are chatting, one of the dwarves destroys a table with his hammer, and from the looks of it, he was going berserk. Torval tends to the dying one but, his healing didn't give an effect.

"Boss, do you know how to heal it?"

"Well, if that shade did a physical injury that I can't. But... if it is the opposite, quite a piece of cake."

Akatosh walks calmly, checking the dwarf if there's any wound inflicted. Yet by far, the words coming out of his companions said that their leader didn't receive any physical injuries.

Slowly Akatosh squats, and as his arms begin to again borrowed by the stillmage. Torval felt Amaragnum's dreadful energy and, for a blink, the dwarf's life immediately returns.

"Fuck is that all?" The stillmage implores, disappointed by the low energy he harvested.

"Ah... so can you do a teleportation now."

"Teleport yourself! I thought I would have a good amount of food. All that use of time spell cost me a shit amount of mana. I'm done with this place; I'm done with being humanity." Amaragnum angrily says, retrieving back to his hiding spot.

Whilst at his time chatting with Amaragnum, Torval, and the dwarves were silent as they stare at him, paralyzed.

"What?"

After a successful heal, the leader of the dwarves took his time resting for about a minute. Following that a pack of beers was ordered by him joined by Torval and Akatosh as thanks, there they take a staggering encounter. "I'm thankful ta ye human. Me wou' have been dead if it weren't for your help than these blasted kins o' yours."

"Pease... it was my partner who save you," Akatosh replies, and to his words, Torval was confused and somewhat surprised.

The dwarf moves his eyes at Torval and says his thanks. To his surprise, Torval looks at Akatosh in a confused mind. Replying to him with a blank expression Torval decides to go with the flow.

Saying their gratefulness to Torval, the leader of the dwarves moves his eyes on Akatosh since there were eyes that gave witness. Having thought that Akatosh was just saying small things, the dwarfs then said something interesting.

"Ta be true ta ye, I'm Vuldrig Duhlgerlun first son of king Durvod Duhlgerlun of Thuram."

"Well, what a revelation meeting you. I'm curious how'd you face a shadow demon."

"It all started when we received a report that a large number of ogres were spotted at our border. Got few of their numbers at the cave entrance. We thought that our scout was misled, but after investigating the cave. Those damn mongrels dug up an old dwarven road that connects to our kingdom."

"Seems civilization is catching up. Don't you think there's something more to that? How a group of ogres manages to found a hidden old road of yours connecting to your home. Don't you think there's someone involved?"

"Aye, me too was suspecting that. But leaving that aside, we venture our way deeper into the road. That's when we encounter a large number of ogres and trolls lying dead on the ground."

"And that's when it appears."

"Bloody bastard... We should have run while we got the chance."

While Vuldrig was venting about his past encounter. Akatosh was calling at his stillmage friend.

"What!" Amaragnum hists.

"Do share some of your things about killing a shadow demon thing?"

"Hire a white mage, a priest, or some shit people for I care."

"Why so grumpy?"

After hours of drinking and telling stories, both Torval and Akatosh made a decision. To help Vuldrig subjugate the shadow demon. By that, they were financed by Vuldrig, buying them equipment at a local armory.

"I'm just a regular everyday normal motherpuker, I told you in the first song I'll tell you in another... I'm just a regular everyday normal motherpuker, I don't have a girlfriend my hands, my only lover..." Whilst Akatosh was humming his song as they head to where the shadow demon was. His companions were a bit twitchy since he was crooning through their language.

"Heh, that be some shit-good song ye have young lad." Implores one of Vuldrig's companions.

Having understood half of his song, conversation sparks the group. Being good at chatting, the group exchange words about their stories so was Akatosh uttering about his past life.

Taking only a few hours, the party stands before the entrance observing the ancient dwarven structure. Like a train tunnel, the inside dimmed as they head deeper. After a few more hours of walking, Torval's magic orb light then shifts to a quick extinguished.

"It's here!" Torval implores after seeing his light orb slowly fade.

Appearing through the corners of the walls and columns. Transparent silhouette and glowing red eyes, five shadow demon was now surrounding them.