Back in the Shadowland, within the fortified halls of the City of Hope, Paul had called for an emergency meeting. The atmosphere inside the chamber was tense, far different from the usual calm discussions that took place there. One by one the strongest members of the group gathered around the long wooden table at the center of the room.
When everyone had finally arrived, Paul stood up from his seat. His posture was firm, but there was a visible seriousness in his expression that immediately caught everyone's attention.
"The orc leader, Thavuk, is moving south," Paul began, his voice steady but heavy with concern. "He has something planned. Something big… and it needs to be stopped."
A faint murmur passed through the room before Vanessa leaned forward slightly, her brows narrowing.
"How are you so sure?" she asked.
Paul rested his hands on the table as he thought back to the battle. "In the middle of our fight, something changed," he explained. "At first he was enjoying it, fighting like it was entertainment. But suddenly… he wasn't. He became impatient. In a hurry." He paused, his expression tightening. "Maybe even a little scared."
Dave leaned back in his chair with a quiet sigh, already understanding where that line of thought led.
"Which means someone stronger than him is giving orders," he said.
Liane nodded slowly, folding her arms. "And the only ones capable of ordering an S-rank… are gods."
The room fell silent for several seconds as the implication settled over everyone like a shadow.
Finally, Alina broke the quiet. "So what's the plan?"
Paul lifted his head, his gaze sharp and focused as he looked around the table.
"We act immediately," he said firmly. "I'll move toward them with a small strike group. Dave, Vanessa, and…" His eyes shifted and landed on Alina.
"You."
Alina blinked once, happy but attentive.
"This fight is going to be difficult," Paul continued. "But I think you're ready. You're already close to mastering your transformation. With it, you're around B minus now." He gave a small nod of approval. "That's more than enough to deal with orcs."
The seriousness in his tone made it clear that this wasn't just another mission.
Alina nodded, a small but confident smile forming on her face. There was excitement in her eyes, mixed with determination. Being chosen for a mission like this meant Paul trusted her strength, and she had no intention of disappointing him.
Paul then shifted his gaze toward Liane and Arlasan, who were standing on the other side of the table.
"I leave the city to you two," he said.
Both of them understood the weight behind those words. The City of Hope was still vulnerable, and with many of their strongest fighters leaving, its defense would depend on those who stayed behind.
Paul himself knew the situation was far from ideal. If Mr. Sage truly decided to move against them now, there would be very little they could do to stop him. Still, he had no other choice. The threat from the south had to be dealt with.
"There are two chieftains with Thavuk," Paul continued, his tone calm but serious. "Both of them are probably A2 rank or higher. And there are thousands of orcs marching with them."
A few people in the room shifted slightly at the number, but no one interrupted.
"What we're going to do," Paul went on, "is stall them. Slow them down as much as possible until the others arrive to help."
Dave raised an eyebrow, leaning slightly forward.
"Will others come?"
Paul remained silent for a moment before answering.
"I hope so."
It was the only answer he could honestly give.
…
In the underworld, Leo's gaze remained fixed on the godlike creature hidden within the swirling darkness.
At that very moment, the two gigantic monsters standing in the field, massive zombie like giants with rotting flesh and towering frames, lurched forward and charged toward him. Each of their steps shook the ground like small earthquakes as they closed the distance.
But before they could reach him, the enormous stone sword beneath Leo's feet suddenly dissolved. The solid blade broke apart into a dense, spreading fog that rolled outward in all directions, covering the battlefield like a thick, grey sea of mist.
The giants slowed, their movements uncertain as they searched for him inside the fog.
Then, without warning, Thorn expanded and burst through the mist. The blade growth was so enormous it could have split a mountain. It swept horizontally across the field in a single devastating motion.
The two giants were cut cleanly in half.
Their bodies separated instantly, collapsing to the ground with a thunderous crash.
At the same time, thousands of stone soldiers began falling from the sky. Their heavy bodies struck the ground one after another, forming ranks as they landed before immediately charging into the army of undead. Stone blades clashed with bone and rotting flesh as the two forces collided.
In the middle of the chaos, Leo floated calmly in the air, untouched by the battle below.
His eyes were still locked on Zahhak.
Step by step, he began walking forward through the sky itself, moving toward the massive shadow where the godlike creature rested.
Within the darkness surrounding Zahhak, the enormous red eye watching him slowly narrowed.
A moment later, a heavy wave of dark energy rippled outward from the creature. From the ground around Leo, four more giant zombies suddenly rose into existence. Each one was enormous, their bodies towering like moving fortresses of decayed flesh.
All four charged him at once.
But before any of them could even reach him, their bodies suddenly froze mid motion.
Cracks spread across their limbs. The next instant, they shattered into countless pieces.
Leo continued walking forward as if nothing had happened. When he finally reached the massive creature, he stopped in the air, hovering slightly above the enormous red eye staring at him from the darkness.
"Zahhak, the Watcher of the Underworld," Leo said calmly. "I'm here to talk."
The enormous eye stared at Leo for a long moment, unmoving. Then, slowly, the massive creature began to rise.
The motion was heavy and deliberate, like a gigantic beast waking from a long sleep. The shadows wrapped around its body shifted and stretched as it pushed itself up from the ground. When it finally stood, its immense frame seemed to grow even larger, the darkness around it expanding as if feeding its presence. In a matter of seconds, Zahhak appeared twice as large as before.
Then his other eye opened.
Now both glowing red eyes were fixed on Leo from far above, even though Leo was still suspended in midair.
"I can sense Alad's and Leviathan's power on you."
The voice that echoed across the field was thick and deep, almost ethereal, as if several layers of sound were speaking at once. It rolled through the battlefield with immense weight, vibrating through the ground.
"Tell me… who are you?"
"I'm Leo Mantine," Leo answered calmly.
A brief silence followed. "That means nothing to me."
This time the voice was different. It was thinner, sharper, like the hiss of a serpent sliding across stone.
"Then let me explain it another way," Leo said without changing his expression. "I'm the one who is going to challenge the God of Light soon. And for that… I need your power."
For a moment, Zahhak remained completely silent. Then a loud laugh burst from the darkness. The sound rolled across the field like thunder, shaking the earth beneath them.
"Why should I help you, little one?" Zahhak said mockingly. "You are weak."
Leo tilted his head slightly, completely unfazed.
"Would you rather sleep here forever?" he asked casually.
Then a faint smirk appeared on his face.
"Or are you afraid?"
The reaction was immediate. A massive wave of mana erupted from Zahhak's body, exploding outward in every direction like a violent storm. The shockwave tore through the battlefield, instantly obliterating both the remaining undead army and the stone soldiers Leo had created. Bodies shattered, dust scattered, and the ground cracked under the immense pressure.
"Know your place, little one," Zahhak's voice roared across the field. "If you value your life."
As the surge of mana faded, the shadows around Zahhak slowly withdrew, peeling away like smoke carried by the wind. The darkness that had hidden his body for so long finally receded, revealing his true form.
Leo's eyes narrowed slightly as he took in the sight.
Zahhak had the massive head of a goat, its skull framed by two long, curved horns that stretched upward like blackened spears. His front legs were thick with muscle, ending in powerful claws that dug slightly into the scorched ground beneath him. His hind legs were different longer and heavier, ending in massive hooves that cracked the earth with every slight movement.
But the most unsettling part was on his back.
A long, thick tail rose from behind him, yet it was no ordinary tail. It was a massive serpent. The snake's body coiled behind Zahhak, its scales dark and glossy, and its head hovered above the goat's head, its narrow eyes also fixed on Leo.
Two predators sharing one body.
Leo couldn't hide the flicker of surprise in his eyes. Despite the oppressive aura radiating from the creature, there was something strangely fascinating about Zahhak's form, an ancient, mythical presence that made him feel like he was standing before a living legend.
"You helped the Goddess before," Leo said calmly. The Thorn in his hand pulsed with quiet power, faint waves of energy flowing through its blade. "And now you will help me."
His grip tightened slightly.
"One way or another."
Zahhak's gaze grew heavier, the weight of it pressing down on Leo like a mountain.
"The Goddess was worthy of my power," Zahhak replied slowly. "You are not."
For a brief moment, silence hung between them. But before Leo could respond, Zahhak continued.
"However… you are bold." The snake's head tilted slightly as if studying him. "And I like that."
A faint rumble escaped from his chest. "So I will give you a chance. A chance to save your life… and perhaps earn my blessing."
Suddenly Zahhak lifted his head and released a deep howl that echoed across the entire field. At that exact moment, a sharp pain exploded through Leo's hand.
Leo immediately grabbed it with his other hand, his expression tightening as the pain spread up his arm like burning needles. It felt as if something inside his body was being torn out.
Then slowly, a thick black smoke began to seep from his palm.
The dark mist twisted in the air, gathering beside him. It swirled and condensed, slowly taking shape as it grew denser and darker.
"This," Zahhak said calmly, "is the corruption inside you."
The smoke continued to gather, forming limbs, a torso… a face.
"If you are able to defeat it," Zahhak continued, "I will help you."
The goat head remained still, but the serpent head let out a strange sound, something close to laughter.
"But be careful," Zahhak added. "A corruption can use its path without limit."
The snake's mouth opened slightly, its forked tongue flicking through the air.
"Tell you what… if you defeat it, I may even explain how it works."
As he finished speaking, Zahhak leaned back slowly and sat down again, clearly amused by the situation.
Leo's eyes shifted to the figure forming beside him. It looked exactly like him. Same face. Same body.
Only its form was made entirely of dense, shifting darkness. Leo then looked down at his hand. The pain had completely disappeared, leaving behind only a faint numbness.
This was a rare opportunity. If he succeeded, he could gain Zahhak's help… and perhaps understand the corruption itself.
But Zahhak had sounded far too confident.
Which meant one thing.
The creature standing before him, this version of himself made from corruption, was probably far more dangerous than it looked.