"I will become one of the strongest rulers in the entire country of Wuhan. Only a handful of rulers possess enough power to rival mine," Exca declared, his voice echoing through the vast chamber.
"So, what's the plan, Exca? How do we get rid of that woman?" Lyon asked, narrowing his eyes.
"There's only one way to settle this. Open the Darkest Dungeon and bring me Sasaki the Reaper. He'll accompany you on this secret mission."
Exca's expression turned cold.
"I would have preferred to handle this myself, but I can't risk attracting the attention of the higher-ups. I'm counting on you."
Lyon's eyes widened.
"You want me to open the Darkest Dungeon? That's insane. Even with the Anti-Renshi cuffs, Sasaki's aura is stronger than mine. I just hope this doesn't turn into a disaster."
"Don't worry about Sasaki. I have a way to control him," Exca assured him. "His Anti-Renshi cuffs will be removed. I need him at full strength. Eliminate the woman and bring the boy to me. Do whatever you want with the girl. I couldn't care less about her."
He's actually planning to use that spell? Lyon thought, anxiety creeping into his mind.
Still, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. A child whose Renshi rivalled that of a god Slaying Knight. Power like that didn't appear in every generation.
"I won't let this opportunity slip away," Exca muttered, pacing across the chamber. "Begin preparations for the dungeon at sunset. I'll start the mind-control spell now. Controlling Sasaki will be a nightmare, but I'll manage."
"Understood. I'll update you before opening the dungeon," Lyon replied, turning towards the exit. "See you later."
As he left the grand hall, Lyon muttered under his breath.
"You really intend to control that monster. Sasaki consumes Darkside Spirits to grow stronger. He's not just a man anymore. He's practically a human Darkside Spirit."
He glanced back towards the chamber.
"We only managed to imprison him after he consumed a Special Darkside Spirit. I hope that mind-control spell works, because I'm not risking my real body on this mission. I'll send one of my tentacles instead."
---
Unknown to Alfie and his companions, Exca had been monitoring them long before they left the kingdom.
The moment Alfie awakened his Renshi during his battle with the Alpha Darkside Spirit, Exca deployed tiny, insect-like surveillance drones created using mages. Their presence was undetectable, even to those with exceptionally sharp senses.
Through these drones, he had observed every movement made by Alfie, Lucy, and Rebekah.
Exca, the Special Darkside Knight of Guhan, possessed the Twin Dragon Bloodline, one of the rarest and most powerful bloodlines in Shinra history.
Every Shinra belonged to a particular bloodline, each granting its users unique abilities.
The Octo Bloodline allowed its users to multiply themselves or create duplicates of objects during battle. Lyon's earth tentacle technique was one example. Each tentacle remained connected to its user through an invisible Renshi rope. If that connection was severed, the tentacle would disappear.
The Martial Bloodline allowed users to channel their Renshi into weapons or specific parts of their bodies, particularly their fists and legs. This made them exceptionally dangerous in close combat.
The Stormzy Bloodline, the most feared among the three common bloodlines, granted its users control over the weather, including storms, lightning, and wind.
However, none of them could compare to the Twin Dragon Bloodline.
Exca's bloodline was ten times more powerful than the Stormzy Bloodline. If he fully awakened it, his strength would increase to roughly twenty times that of an ordinary Stormzy user.
There was only one problem.
He lacked the Renshi needed to awaken its full potential.
His solution was to take Alfie's overflowing Renshi and transfer it into his own body using a device he had built long ago.
The TM Machine.
And now, with Alfie finally within his reach, Exca was determined to make his plan a reality.
---
Back on the road
By noon, Alfie, Rebekah, and Lucy were still travelling across the vast terrain separating them from Ashura.
"Master, your horse is incredible," Rebekah remarked. "Doesn't she ever get tired?"
"Of course she does," Lucy replied. "I replenish her stamina using a healing spell. That allows her to run continuously for twenty-four hours."
"That's amazing," Alfie said. "What kind of spell is it? I'd love to learn how to use it on my own horse someday."
"You want to know every little detail, don't you?" Lucy teased. "Let's keep quiet until sunset. You can interrogate me then."
Alfie glanced at the sky.
"It doesn't look like the sun will set anytime soon. Asking a few questions shouldn't hurt."
"Don't forget I'm sitting behind you," Rebekah warned. "One more word, and I'll shut your mouth myself."
"Oh, really?" Alfie replied with a grin. "You're behind me, remember? One little push, and you'll be kissing the dirt. Don't test me, honey badger."
"Try it, and I'll show you who's boss. Besides, don't forget your Renshi is sealed," Rebekah said with a sly grin.
Lucy tightened her grip on the reins.
"Keep this up, and I'll knock both of you off my horse myself. Now, zip it until we reach our next stop."
"Yes, Master," they replied in unison.
They immediately turned towards each other.
"Stop copying me, you moron."
"No, you stop copying me, rockhead."
Lucy sighed.
They're never going to learn.
As the horses galloped across the open terrain, her thoughts drifted back to Guhan.
Something is wrong with that kingdom. Why would they deactivate the Kingdom Icon immediately after I killed the Alpha Darkside Spirit? It makes no sense.
Perhaps they're trying to conceal Alfie's awakening, afraid that other kingdoms might come after him. Or maybe they're planning something else.
I've witnessed awakenings before, but it's been more than a century since the last one like his. If Guhan's higher-ups have been corrupted, this could become troublesome.
She glanced at the road ahead.
Even if they realize Alfie has left the kingdom, they'll need time to make their move. We've already crossed four kingdoms. At our current pace, it'll take them a while to catch up.
Despite her reasoning, an uneasy feeling lingered in her chest.
Still, I can't shake this feeling. All I want is some peace. A quiet journey to Ashura, where I can train these kids properly without getting dragged into another mess.
"Master, are you alright?" Rebekah asked, interrupting her thoughts. "You're frowning and smiling at the same time."
"I'm fine," Lucy replied. "Just thinking about a few things."
"Rebekah is always the one starting our arguments," Alfie chimed in. "She doesn't respect her elders. Someone needs to teach her a lesson."
Lucy glanced at him.
"How old are you, Alfie? Since you're always talking about respect."
"Ten."
"And you, Rebekah?"
"I'm nine," she answered with a frown.
Alfie immediately broke into a smug grin.
"Hah. You're only nine, honey badger. You're still a baby. Learn to respect your elders."
"Pipe down, Alfie," Lucy said with a smirk. "You win this round. But now that she's quiet, perhaps you should be quiet too."
"No problem, Master Lu. My mouth is sealed until our next stop," Alfie declared proudly.
"You'd better keep it sealed," Rebekah muttered. "Because even though you're older, I'll still end up stronger than you."
Alfie's grin widened.
"Oh? Is that a challenge? Are you seriously challenging the great Alfie?"