Ilarion

  After I finished off the parasite, I decided to return to Fabian. That mass of muscles took longer than expected to eliminate. As I turned, I found a group of monsters in a rather unfortunate state. A smirk formed in my mind. They're just a mountain of mana waiting to be absorbed.

  I approached one of the creatures—a massive bat, roughly the size of a ship’s sail. I kicked it on the back, causing its short legs to stick out. I laughed. It has such a dumb, funny grin.

  I drove the Hand of Darkness sword into its heart, and the blade immediately began absorbing its mana. The aura surrounding it wavered for half a minute before settling. The bat-like creature’s corpse dried up, shriveled as if it had been pickled.

  I continued this process for ten minutes, draining one monster after another. The aura around the Lord of Shadows sword swelled, exuding an ominous and dangerous presence. A shiver ran down my spine. What would happen if I struck a creature directly with this?

  I need to get back to Fabian.

  ---

  25 minutes earlier…

  I had parted ways with Ilarion. He was a strange person—impossible to read. It felt like, Just when you think you’ve grasped his essence, it slips through your fingers like smoke.

  And yet, he was easy to talk to. Not arrogant or overbearing. The same could be said for Thaid and Stone. Despite their differences, they seemed like potential friends.

  As I walked through the castle corridors, many soldiers greeted me. I returned their gestures, thanking them for their hard work.

  After fifteen minutes, I arrived at a room guarded by two soldiers. They stood at attention.

  "Who goes there?"

  Upon recognizing me, they quickly corrected themselves.

  "Our apologies, Prince Fabian!"

  "It's fine," I reassured them, "but ensure that no one enters this room."

  I took a couple of steps, then added, "Well, let’s make an exception for a young man with black hair and black eyes. His name is Ilarion. If he comes, allow him inside."

  Taking a deep breath, I tried to suppress the anxiety gnawing at me. Just thinking about the possibility filled me with rage.

  This is my fault… If I really do find the specter inside Miri’s body…

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  I knocked on the door. A gentle voice responded from within.

  "It’s me, Miri! Fabian!"

  Seconds later, the door creaked open.

  There she was—my little sister, six years old, with long, glossy black hair and large, emerald-green eyes. I hugged her gently, hearing her soft giggle.

  She was clutching a teddy bear as big as she was, struggling to carry it. I chuckled.

  "You still can’t carry that bear?"

  Miri puffed out her cheeks in frustration. "Brother, stop it!"

  I laughed. "Alright, alright. But nothing is cuter than my little sister."

  Her pout quickly turned into a bright, silly smile.

  "Miri, do you trust your big brother?"

  She giggled. "Hehe, of course!"

  "Then close your eyes. I have a surprise for you."

  She bounced in excitement before stopping in front of me, stretching out both hands.

  I took a deep breath. Please… please, let this work.

  Mana gathered in my palm. Anxiety, pain, and turmoil churned inside me as I placed my hand over her heart—the spot where the specter was feeding on the mana her body produced.

  The moment I touched her, Miri coughed up blood.

  Her eyes widened in shock before twisting into pain, sorrow, and betrayal. Seeing her expression made my heart clench. I bit my lip so hard I tasted iron.

  "Damn it!"

  A white mass began emerging from her body. She collapsed unconscious.

  The specter… was a wretched, ghostly mass, floating at 1.8 meters tall, with no legs. It had a single, crimson-red eye with no whites—only endless darkness. Its mouth stretched horizontally, lined with dagger-like teeth.

  I quickly scooped Miri into my arms. The door opened by sliding, but I had no time—I kicked it down.

  Rushing out, I handed her frail, pale body to the guards.

  "Damn it! She’s lost too much blood!"

  "Take her to the royal physician immediately!" I ordered.

  Without hesitation, they sprinted away.

  I unsheathed Moon Blade, mana surging violently from my body.

  "I swear I’ll grant you a merciful death!"

  My heart burned with fury, with only one thought repeating in my mind:

  Make this bastard suffer as much as possible!

  I lunged at the specter, slashing with immense speed, but it didn’t react—it simply stared at me with disdain.

  Damn it!

  My blade passed through its form with no resistance, and a chill ran down my spine.

  It raised its clawed hand, its arm shifting into a hammer-like shape. I barely managed to place my sword between the attack and myself. The impact was brutal, shattering the wall behind me.

  This is impossible… It can’t be invincible!

  The specter launched a relentless assault. I barely deflected its strikes, but wounds and scratches began accumulating on my body.

  I reinforced myself with mana, counterattacking through the barrage of blows. This time, the specter blocked me.

  Hah… So, mana-based attacks do affect it!

  I poured more mana into Moon Blade.

  "My turn to attack… using my family's ancient style, honed over centuries!"

  {Light Dragon Style}

  I moved rapidly across the training hall, launching strikes from unpredictable angles. Each attack was swift and difficult to evade.

  But this wretch… it moved strangely, avoiding the deadliest blows. The ones that landed were superficial. Something felt off. I retreated a few meters, exhaustion weighing on me. It felt like I had been fighting for hours.

  The ground around the specter started freezing.

  Tch… Ice element. Bad. This will only restrict my movement.

  I admitted it—fighting it alone was madness. I had to find Ilarion.

  Footsteps…

  Step… step…

  I turned.

  Ilarion!

  Much better—no need to search for him. He found me instead.

  Ilarion smirked. "Pff! You must’ve had a rough time."

  Fabian: "I could say the same for you."

  Ilarion: "What do you mean?"

  Fabian: "That blood on you… parasite and monster blood, huh?"

  Fabian: "You beast… you monster!"

  Ilarion: "Why, thank you for the compliment."

  But then… his expression shifted, turning cold and sharp.

  A chill ran down my spine. I had never seen Ilarion with such an icy, serious look before.

  Fabian: "Ilarion, cover me—"

  Ilarion: "I know!"

  He unsheathed Dawnflame, a sword surrounded by a warm yet searing white aura, punishing those who stood against its wielder.

  The specter’s form flickered. It seemed… uneasy.

  Ilarion: "Alright, let me handle this. Heal your wounds."

  I pulled out a white healing stone. Meanwhile, Ilarion stepped forward, his muscles tensing, mana enveloping his body as he poured immense energy into his sword.

  In an instant… he vanished.

  Reappearing before the specter, he swung—barely missing—

  Or so it seemed.

  He had severed its arm.

  The specter teleported away, black, glossy blood pouring from its wound. Its maw twitched, its teeth shifting grotesquely.

  Ilarion grinned. "Oh? You teleported? Did you just teleport?"

  Ilarion: "Not bad… not bad at all."

  The specter regenerated its arm, but it was clearly struggling.

  So it

  has limits…

  Ilarion's smirk widened.

  Heh… Now we know how to kill it.

  "Fabian," he whispered, "force it to teleport. Then, hit it with your strongest strike. Leave the rest to me."