Sounds of war was raging. Screams of panic, pain, and death resounded across the battlefields. Piles of dead bodies littered the grounds, with the scent of blood and death hanging over them.

This was the scene around Jain village, which was faring the worst.

Drake, who was still imprisoned, couldn’t see what was going on but could hear the cries of the people nonetheless.

However, he didn’t care much for them now. He was overwhelmed with grief, regret, despair, rage, hatred, and various other emotions.

Footsteps echoed across the prison chambers.

“Time’s up little brother, have you made a decision?”

Drake was silent. Drowned under the weight of his own thoughts and emotions, Drake couldn’t speak.

Looking at his strong, intelligent brother in this pitiable state, Hazezel sighed.

He didn’t expect Drake to encounter Astoria on his way back and directly seek out Holt. Originally, he had planned to poison Drake as well and then shackle him, so he was surprised to see Drake next to Holt’s body.

He knew that he and his guards combined would still be no match for Drake, hence he had to put on a brief act to deceive him before restraining him.

Even with his mana restrained, Drake was still a powerful martial artist too. The mana restraining shackles worked best against mages and were only somewhat effective against martial artists. Hence Hazezel stabbed him as well.

If things had gone according to his original plan, he wouldn’t have had to hurt him and could have sent Drake on his way, like he did with Astoria.

Despite everything, he still loved Drake, so it hurt him to stab his own brother.

But none of that mattered now.

Their village was about to be overrun with demons, so they had to leave. Realising that Drake was in no position to make a decision, Hazezel made the decision for him. He walked into the cell, took out the pill the dark mages gave him, and shoved it down Drake’s throat.

Once inside, the pill entered Drake’s inner realm, and unravelled itself into a black, starfish-like, parasitic spirit. It latched onto Drake’s mana core and started sucking on it.

Pain, unlike anything he had ever known overwhelmed Drake.

“AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!” he screamed.

The pain brought Drake out of his trance. What happened? He was confused and then noticed the parasitic spirit attacking his mana core.

Drake realised that Hazezel must have fed him the pill to destroy his mana core and cursed.

However, every time the starfish attacked his core, waves of pain went through his body. His foundation as a mage was being destroyed.

He couldn’t allow that!

Drake willed the mana in his inner realm to attack the spirit, but it was useless. The spirit was too strong. Hence, he changed tactics and tried to restrain the spirit.

His mana transformed into translucent chains, ropes, and shackles, and tried to bind the spirit. However, the spirit kept breaking free.

But Drake wasn’t going to give up. He used his full concentration to keep restraining the spirit every time it broke free.

There!

Drake could tell that it was having some effect. The spirit’s attack on his mana core was slowing down. Even if it was a negligible amount, it was definitely there and it gave Drake hope. He continued using all of his mana, willpower, and concentration to restrain the parasitic spirit.

Unaware of Drake’s internal struggles, Hazezel ordered a guard to drag Drake’s now limp body.

Naturally, he had bribed some guards to help him.

Carrying Drake, Hazezel arrived at the eastern gate of the village, the furthest away from the Beast Woods. However, swarms of monsters were attacking the village, and it was only a matter of time before they made it there.

Thinking so, Hazezel forced the last aura enhancing pill he had into Drake’s mouth and forced him to swallow it, before letting them leave through the gate.

Outside, a large and luxurious carriage, similar to Astoria’s was lying in wait. Next to it stood a female swordswoman. If Drake was awake, he would have recognised her as Helen, the woman who had accompanied him to slay the minotaur in his first battle all those years ago. She was one of the few to make it back alive, when they were ambushed by the three minotaurs during their escape on that day.

Despite the aura enhancing pill, Hazezel knew that the trip could be dangerous with so many demons everywhere. Hence, he didn’t want to send a crippled and unconscious Drake alone and asked Helen to protect him.

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She was hesitant to leave the village when everyone else was fighting, however, she realised that it was an important mission to protect the village head’s son. As long as Drake was alive, maybe they could rebuild somewhere else.

Hence, she agreed to travel with Drake.

Naturally, Hazezel didn’t tell Helen about Holt’s death, and all his other plots. As far as Helen was concerned, Hazezel, out of love for his little brother, wanted to make sure he survived this war, and also save him as a last resort to ensure that their people lived on through him, even if it was in another place.

As the carriage left, Hazezel turned to look at the village. With their strongest fighters gone, no one could stop the pseudo commander class demons which easily broke through the village gates. The demons had invaded and were running amok, killing everyone on the streets.

There were fires everywhere, and the village he had grown up in was being burnt to the ground. Soon, even the screams and cries of the villagers would die down as the last few villagers met their end.

Hazezel sighed, thinking back to the fateful day two years ago when he found out that Astoria was possessed by a parasitic spirit.

…

Two years ago, in Astoria’s room.

“I know you are there. I just want to talk to you.”

Astoria showed no reaction, and Hazezel was beginning to question whether his deduction was correct.

Just as he was getting more and more confused, Astoria’s eyes suddenly opened, and she sat up facing Hazezel. Her eyes turned completely black, and she stared at Hazezel blankly.

‘I… don’t believe it. It’s actually true!’ thought Hazezel.

His sister was actually the spy!

“What do you want?” asked Astoria. However, it was not her usual voice. It was the deep voice, of the dark mage controlling her.

Hazezel composed himself and spoke.

“I am willing to join your side and help you with your plans. Anything you want, I will do for you.”

Astoria’s black eyes widened in surprise.

“Oh? And whatever do you want in return?” she asked.

“Only two things,” Hazezel replied. “Firstly, I want you to leave me and my family alive. Secondly, after this war is over, I want you to help me form a mana core like you did with Henry and let me join you.”

Astoria looked at him intently.

“The second condition is fine, the first… is not,” she replied.

Hazezel’s heart sank, but he spoke confidently.

“Then no deal.”

Astoria hesitated.

“It is not that I am not willing, however, do you think that your father would willingly flee when his village is being destroyed, and his people are dying?”

Hazezel tried to maintain his poker face, but internally he was worried. He had thought of this too but figured there’d be some way to convince him in the future. As long as the dark mage could agree, he would find some way to convince his father.

As if reading his thoughts, Astoria continued.

“Beyond that, Holt is very powerful. If we let him live after destroying his village, even if he escapes, he may try to come after us in the future for revenge. It would be a huge risk that I am not willing to take. Holt has to die.”

Hazezel clenched his fist, “Then… what about my siblings? Can you at least let them go?”

Astoria hesitated, “Elwin… is the same.”

Hazezel’s heart sank again, but he knew that the dark mage was right. Elwin was also very strong and had a lot of talent and potential. With his righteous and dutiful personality, not only would he not run away, even if Hazezel tricked him into leaving at the final battle with some mission, he would surely not rest until he hunted down all of the dark mages. As his brother, Hazezel knew Elwin better than anyone.

“I can allow Astoria and Drake to leave, however, Drake has a lot of potential too. He may be a threat as well in the future. Hence, you need to destroy his cultivation before letting him escape.”

Hazezel paused. He just wanted them to be alive, he didn’t care if that meant Drake had to give up being a mage. Sure, that was a huge sacrifice, but at least he would still be alive.

After long deliberation, Hazezel finally decided that this was the best offer he could get.

“Okay,” he agreed. “I have one more condition.”

“What?” Astoria asked.

“Get out of my sister. You can use my body instead.”

An evil grin came across her usually innocent face. Her black eyes returned to normal, and she fell back onto her bed unconscious. From her ear, a small spider crawled out.

Hazezel was disgusted and felt like vomiting, but he knew he had no choice.

He placed his hand next to the spider. It crawled up his arm, and his neck, and finally entered his ear.

Hazezel’s eyes turned black for a second, before reverting to normal.

…

Hazezel reminisced as he watched the carriage leave and his village burn.

What he had told Drake was only half true. It was true that he didn’t want to die and that was part of the reason he made a deal with the dark mages. But beyond that, he also didn’t want to see his family die. If anyway they were all going to die, wasn’t it better that at least a few of them lived? If that meant he had to get his hands dirty, so what? At least Drake and Astoria would live.

That was also his reasoning for agreeing.

Beyond that, he had watched as Drake and Elwin cultivated. They had both become so strong and were able to change the tides of battles on their own. He thought he and Astoria were the only unlucky ones in the family, but even she had become a mage.

That’s when he realised if he could become a mage too, then he wouldn’t be so weak and helpless anymore. If he had strength, strength like mage king, then he wouldn’t have to fear them. He wouldn’t have to work with them. He could just crush them with his own hands, and his family would all be alive.

What Hazezel hated, was not the dark mages, but his own weakness. He couldn’t cultivate mana or martial arts and was the weakest and most helpless one in the family. The dark mages were an opportunity to change that.

Or rather, he would use the dark mages to gain the power he needed.

That was what he wanted the most.

With a sigh, Hazezel walked away from the destruction behind him, ready to turn over a new leaf.

…

The village of Leon was the closest to the Beast Woods, located southwest of the Jain village. As a result, it was the first to get attacked.

However, due to their zenith pill, they had cultivated many strong martial artists. Despite sending off Bjorn and the twin blades, there were still many steel body martial artists in their village. Combined with Byron, they had just finished killing off the two pseudo-commander class demons that had come to attack them.

They were a ferocious pair of a three-headed demon snake and a large scorpion. The snake could spit out a corrosive poison that melted their swords and shields. The scorpion’s shell worked as thick armour that shielded it from their attacks. They also moved extremely fast and worked together perfectly. The scorpion tanked their hits while the snake spat poison from afar. If they got close, the scorpion would attack with its talons and fangs.

Not to mention the numerous other demons that were constantly attacking them.

It was a difficult fight, but they finally managed to beat the two and were now panting for breath.

Along with Byron, a group of dozen steel body martial artists had gone to engage the two pseudo-commander class demons. Now, only Byron and five martial artists remained.

“Well, well, well,” came a loud voice. The voice echoed across the battlefield, drowning out all other sounds.

“It seems that I must congratulate you on your victory.”

“Mage king!” the survivors all gasped in unison.

He had finally made his move!