Victor watched from high above, observing ever since the players geared up to confront the detached forces of Graviel’s remaining army. However, he had several reasons for not intervening. For one, he wanted them to grow stronger through experience, and frankly, he found their plans interesting. If they became too reliant on him, it wouldn’t be good for the future endeavors that he wanted them to achieve for him. Besides, death for them didn’t mean anything, as they would respawn indefinitely.

  As for the loss of equipment, he was here to salvage whatever they left behind, such as the mercenaries’ weapons, which were of good quality and could be reused. Not only that, the arms had designs that doubled as cosmetics for players with medieval interests. Additionally, the acolyte robes could now be produced with the addition of life-skill players adept at tailoring since the enchanting parts could be left to him or Eleanor.

  And there was one more goal he wanted to achieve: to ignite a fervent animosity among the players toward these “bandits.” After all, mobilizing the entire player base was part of his grand strategy, and what better catalyst for unity than the thirst for revenge?

  At least it worked very well for him. He had done that with the fate of the villagers, but he could have done better back then if he had the recording of the whole thing. But there was no time for regret now.

  Pleased with his strategic foresight, a smile crept across Victor’s face. “Time to collect and move on to the next phase,” he mused as he descended.

  As he got busy scavenging, his thoughts turned to Butterfly. He didn’t expect her to start eating human flesh, but this might be the side effect brought about by the bloodline. As there was limited knowledge about her bloodline, there was no knowing for sure until they surfaced.

  In the future, there were bound to be more and more bloodline Magus, so he had to be prepared for them.

  ***

  Right at the precipice of a bottomless chasm, a temporary encampment was set up, casting long shadows in the dim light. Having narrowly escaped the sea of fires, Graviel and his dwindling underlings made their way safely to their destination—the entrance to the pocket dimension. Inside the tent, Graviel convened with his cronies and the high-ranking mercenaries. An air of apprehension hung heavy as they anxiously awaited for a report.

  Graviel constantly tapped on his chair until he couldn’t hold it any longer and turned to Rowan to ask about the mercenaries he had dispatched. “More than half a day has passed, and we’ve heard nothing. Rowan, explain to me what’s going on.”

  “Forgive me, sir, but there may be more at play here,” Rowan replied with a hint of unease. “The mastermind behind all this must be a dangerous adversary…” Even a Ki Master such as himself couldn’t hide the pallor on his face over this fact.

  “Just who the fuck is behind all this shit!” Jared interjected angrily.

  From nearby, Dorian answered briskly, “I saw that those people wore acolyte robes. It’s highly likely they’re affiliated with some faction.”

  Meanwhile, Elara was absent-minded as she remained silent in the corner, clearly still shaken by the horrors of the magical plants in the valley. Although she was more adept at alchemy, that didn’t mean she had no knowledge of magical botany.

  But who would know of this secret other than them? Not to mention that the other party was much faster than them and even set up traps well in advance.

  As Graviel’s thoughts raced, Victor’s face flickered in his mind. He was the only one other than them who knew about this place, so it’s reasonable he would be here before them.

  “No! Impossible!” he murmured. Graviel was absolutely sure that Victor had met his end back then. The forbidden spell that he used to kill him had been a treasure given by the Cult, and it could even kill a peak Elemental Adept Magus.

  What were the chances of him surviving? What were the odds of him finding a hidden treasure? Or perhaps he had been rescued by a powerful ally who extracted the truth from him, thus resulting in this situation? After all, the magic contract he had used back then was a counterfeit and had been nullified.

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  Should I call for reinforcements? Graviel now began having second thoughts about keeping the pocket dimension for himself. If he told his family about the whole thing or even “them,” he would still be able to get something in return. No, I’ve come this far. I can’t back away now.

  As he and the others were in deep deliberation, a murmur of discontent began to rise from outside the tent where the mercenaries were resting. Their voices swelled in protest, echoing throughout the camp.

  “I’ve had enough! I want out, even if it means forfeiting the pay!”

  “Yeah! We’re riskin’ our necks for what? Some unknown mission in this godforsaken territory?”

  “I ain’t stickin’ around for this!”

  “Damn, useless trash!” Rowan dashed outside to quell the unrest before it escalated further.

  “What a bunch of weak-willed mercenaries,” Jared commented in disdain.

  Graviel was not someone to sit idly while his backyard was burning, so he strode outside and surveyed the scene unfolding before him. A cluster of mercenaries had gathered near the main tent, their expressions clouded with uncertainty. The one who led them was a wiry man with a hook nose and jagged teeth.

  “Sir Rowan. This isn’t worth our lives,” the lead mercenary grumbled. “Too many have fallen already. It’s time we cut our losses and head home, payment or no payment.”

  The sentiment caught like wildfire among the assembled mercenaries. These mercenaries had signed up for gold and glory, not to be cannon fodder in this strange, perilous place like this.

  “Sir, I’ll discipline ‘em good. I’ll make sure they can’t speak like that anymore,” Rowan declared, his tongue darting out to wet his lips in anticipation. He moved to grab the lead dissenter, but Graviel intervened before he could lay a hand on the man.

  “Forget it,” he ordered, shaking his head. “I need to set an example for him.” Then, a cold glint flashed in his eyes. These complaining mercenaries were those random ones recruited in the cities rather than the elites sent by his family—a bunch of expendable pawns that could be cast aside at any time.

  “As you command.” Rowan quickly restrained the lead dissenter, making him unable to move an inch.

  “What?! Let me go!” The man struggled fruitlessly against Rowan’s vice-like grip. But as an ordinary mortal, there was nothing he could do against such a powerful Ki Warrior.

  Graviel’s gaze bore into the man, speaking each word slowly and clearly. “Tell me, how do you want to die?”

  “You can’t do this! You’re our employer! You can’t harm your own men!” the man protested, desperation creeping into his voice.

  “TELL ME, HOW. DO. YOU. WANT. TO. DIE?!” Graviel thundered, his voice reverberating through the camp.

  Finally, the skinny man broke down and begged, “S-Sir, please…! Spare me! I’ll never cause trouble again!”

  “Then, a chilling death it shall be.” Graviel’s response was unnervingly simple. He extended his hand toward the man’s shoulder and manipulated the Cryo elemental particles around him to slowly encase him in ice, despite his best attempt to escape.

  “Argh! Stop! Please, stop—!”

  Amidst the apprehensive and fearful gazes of the onlooking mercenaries, the man’s cries were drowned out by the sound of freezing air. As the man transformed into a statue of ice, nothing but eerie silence pervaded the area.

  In this world, absolute power reigned supreme. Only by asserting dominance and showing what it meant to be the one at the top could one command unwavering obedience. Those who did not understand this were as good as doomed. This was the iron-clad law of survival.

  Graviel turned his gaze upon the remaining mercenaries, particularly those who had dared to join in the dissension moments earlier. “Does anyone else wish to leave?”

  “No, sir!”

  “I’ve never wanted to leave!”

  “It was all his idea! He’s the one stirring up trouble!”

  All the mercenaries voiced their denials of leaving and accused the skinny man, now frozen, of causing the dissension. It was clear they had learned their lesson well and knew not to cause trouble anymore.

  “Good.”

  Finding that no more mercenaries dared to rebel, Graviel returned to his tent, followed closely by Jared and Dorian. As they entered, Jared shot a disdainful sneer at the mercenaries, while Dorian gazed at them with contemptuous disdain.

  Seated at the only chair within the tent, Graviel pondered his next move. Obviously, engaging in a protracted battle with an unknown force was out of the question. The only way to turn the tables was to open the pocket dimension and gain control of it from within. If he managed to do that, then no matter how powerful or numerous the other party was, it would be impossible for them to do anything to him, considering that he possessed two parts of the key. Plus, he had prepared something “special” for this kind of situation well ahead of time.

  Caution was always his second nature.

  “It is decided.” Graviel rose from his seat with a tall stature. “Hear my command: Rowan will lead ten elite mercenaries to accompany us into the ruins. The rest will remain here to guard the entrance. Allow nothing to pass through, not even a fly! Understood?”

  The mercenaries stationed outside the pocket dimension were merely a precaution, as Graviel intended to seal the pocket dimension from within. He was confident that without a key, no one could breach its defenses, unless they were those powerful, esoteric Cosmo-elemental Magi—a possibility he deemed highly unlikely.

  “Yessir!” Rowan promptly nodded and proceeded to execute his order.

  Shortly afterward, he gathered the elite mercenaries with his group to open the pocket dimension. He hoped what awaited them inside would be enough to turn things around. But just as he was about to begin, a distant rumble echoed through the forest, growing louder with each passing second. The ground trembled beneath their feet, and the air crackled with an ominous energy.

  Something evil was coming.