That night, in the simple but cozy lodging room, the communication crystal on Zeref's small wooden table glowed with a soft blue light. Livy's voice came through the magical device—normally calm, tonight it carried relief and pride.
"Master Zeref, our mission has been completed," she reported, her tone formal but unable to hide her excitement. "We destroyed three warehouses in the Kardan area. Three warehouses in three consecutive nights. We rescued dozens of victims—mostly children and young women who were to be sold as slaves."
Zeref sat in the wooden chair, his chin propped on his hand as he listened. In the corner, Skadi in her small form curled up on a cushion, her ears twitching as she caught the conversation. Zeref smiled faintly.
"Very good work, Livy. You have all exceeded my expectations. Any casualties on our side?"
"No, Master. Mira and Mia suffered minor injuries when they confronted two Silver-tier guards, but nothing serious. Lora and Tina handled the remaining guards perfectly. Nora managed to burn a warehouse without leaving a trace using high-level fire magic."
"Good." Zeref nodded, his red eyes gleaming with satisfaction. "Rest well. You deserve praise and—"
"Master," Livy cut in; her voice suddenly turned serious. "There is something else I must report."
Zeref straightened. Skadi opened one eye and looked at him with curiosity. "Say it."
"When Lora scouted the fourth warehouse yesterday, she accidentally encountered a captain named Voran." Livy paused for a moment; her breath sounded heavy through the communication crystal. "He… is different from the other captains, Master. Very different."
"Different how?"
"At first, based on our informant network, the intel said he was a High Silver-tier captain—strong in combat but within a range we could handle if we were careful." Livy drew a long breath. "But yesterday, when Lora observed the fourth warehouse up close and tried to watch from a safe distance… she felt his aura directly, Master."
Zeref frowned. "And?"
"His strength far exceeded our initial estimate." Livy's voice trembled slightly—not from fear but from frustration at their mistake. "Lora swore his aura wasn't High Silver. She's convinced—absolutely convinced—that Voran is at least Mid Gold-tier, maybe even approaching High Gold-tier. His aura made the air feel heavy from a hundred meters away. And worse…"
"More?" Zeref asked, his tone sharpening.
"Yes, Master. Even while using the Disparaître magic device you gave her and hiding a hundred meters away, Lora was almost detected. Luckily she retreated before being exposed."
Zeref fell silent for a moment, his mind rapidly processing the information. The low-tier Disparaître device he had provided should easily fool anyone below Mid Gold-tier, and could even deceive Low Gold without issue. If Voran almost detected Lora from that distance...
It could only mean one thing: Voran truly was Mid Gold-tier or higher. For a slave-trading syndicate to have a Mid Gold-tier warrior as a captain was extremely unusual. It indicated an organization far larger—and far more dangerous—than he had assumed.
"Our informants were wrong," Zeref murmured to himself. "Or they were deliberately misled."
"We thought of that too, Master," Livy replied quickly. "Lora reverified her sources. Most likely, Voran has hidden his true strength from his subordinates. Or… he may have recently ranked up."
"There is another thing to report," Livy continued. "Lora managed to overhear part of a conversation between Voran and other captains before she had to withdraw. He called himself a Division Captain—not just an ordinary captain, Master. He ordered three other captains to reinforce the fourth warehouse. He said he would set traps, add twenty guards, and install a high-tier Mana barrier. He even…" Livy stopped again, this time longer.
"Even what?"
"…he even sent a request for assistance to someone he called 'Lord Gareth'. From the tone, this person seems stronger than Voran himself."
Silence filled the room. Skadi was fully awake now, sitting upright with her ears raised. Her dark blue eyes studied Zeref intently.
Zeref closed his eyes; his thoughts spun as he analyzed the situation. A Division Captain at Gold-tier. Three other captains likely at Silver-tier. Planned traps. Mana barriers. And most troubling of all—someone named Gareth, who sounded like he was above them.
Most likely a Master or even a Grandmaster.
"Livy," he finally said with a decisive tone, "stand down all movements for now. Do not conduct any operations until I give further orders. You've done excellent work, but I will not let you walk into a trap. Especially not if our intel is unreliable."
"Understood, Master. We will await your orders."
"Good. Give my regards to the others. You've all done your best. I'm proud of you."
The communication crystal dimmed; its blue light slowly faded like a candle being snuffed. Zeref rose from his chair and walked to the small window overlooking the dark forest. The crescent moon hung in the night sky like a half-closed eye—watching, judging, waiting.
"Voran… Division Captain at Gold-tier," Zeref muttered, his hands balled at his sides. "So this syndicate is more organized than I thought. They have a clear hierarchy. And if there's a Gareth above them…"
"Will you intervene?" Skadi asked suddenly, her feminine voice both curious and concerned. She hopped off the cushion and padded closer to Zeref; her paws made no sound on the wooden floor. In her small form she sat by his feet.
Zeref looked at the little wolf with a faint smile that did not reach his eyes. "Perhaps. But I am not foolish enough to rush into battle without information. First… I need to know what will happen."
He turned and looked at the wooden wardrobe in the corner. Simple and unassuming, it held one of his most valuable artifacts. Inside, secured in a black velvet case, lay the Chaos Eye Fragment—the gift from the Goddess Seraphis Noctra five months ago after he passed the Second Trial in the Realm of Chaos.
Zeref walked to the wardrobe; each step felt heavy with the decision he had already made. He opened it slowly. The velvet box rested inside, radiating a barely perceptible but weighty aura—like pressure on the chest that made breathing slightly difficult.
He opened the box.
Within, a dark purple gem with a black whirlpool at its core gleamed with an uncanny light—like stars trapped in eternal darkness, a miniature black hole that sucked in the surrounding light. The Chaos Eye Fragment. An SS-rank artifact.
Special ability: See short-term possible futures.
Cost: Drains Mana drastically and places an enormous mental burden on the user.
"Will you use it again?" Skadi asked, her worry undisguised. Her tail stopped wagging; her body tensed. "Each time you use it you drain yourself. Last time you were unconscious for a whole day. And the time before that you coughed up blood."
Zeref cradled the gem carefully, his hands enveloping the small stone as if holding an egg. The dark purple light reflected on his face, making his red eyes look deeper. "I know the risks, Skadi. Believe me, I know. But this time… I must use it. Those girls are my responsibility. I formed the Shadow Force. I gave them these missions. If they die because of my decision…"
He left the sentence unfinished.
Skadi growled low—not in disagreement, but in understanding. She felt the weight he carried. She knew the responsibility this youth bore. "Very well. But I will watch you. If you deteriorate, I will stop you by force. Even if I have to bite your hand to make you release it."
"Thank you, partner," Zeref said sincerely. He crouched and stroked Skadi's head gently. "I'm lucky to have you."