‘That’s bad.’
If the darkness stopped appearing after he left, and people saw that he had evolved, there would be so much suspicion on him.
He already had too much attention. He didn’t need another problem.
“Can it not collapse?” Malakai asked.
Valentine went silent again before replying.
“Yes. It looks like the trial world follows the same principle as the dome. The essence suggests that you absorb it. Since it’s made of the essence, it would eventually fade… but if you absorb it, it would give your power a significant boost.”
Malakai didn’t even need to think.
“No,” he said firmly. “Leave it. Let the darkness creatures keep coming out. Periodically. Keep everything as it is.”
Valentine hesitated. “Are you sure?”
“Yes,” Malakai said again, firmer this time.
Valentine went silent, having received his instructions.
Seeing that everything was now in order, Malakai performed a quick inspection of himself.
“My jacket and top are gone…”
His torso was bare, but as his gaze drifted downward, his eyes widened.
“The scars…”
The scars he had carried for years, the ones that reminded him of all the pain he had gone through, were gone. Completely vanished, leaving behind only smooth, flawless skin.
Regardless…
‘It changes nothing.’
The marks on his body had only been visual proof. The real scars, the ones that had shaped him into the person he was now, were buried deep within his heart.
He moved on, accessing his utility belt.
‘Still intact.’
Then, he crossed to the corner of the hall where his scythe and gun lay. He checked them carefully. Fortunately, both weapons were still in good condition. That brought him a small measure of reassurance.
He holstered the gun, securing it in its strap, then gripped the scythe tightly in his arm.
Then he walked to the middle of the hall and stood, closing his eyes.
Malakai inhaled.
Then exhaled.
Again. And again.
Each breath steadied his heart. The chaotic thoughts in his mind also began to settle.
Anything could happen once he left this place.
Everyone would know that he had awakened.
His uncles and aunts in the Sanguine clan would come for him.
The darkness would come for him.
From this moment on, he would be living with a blade constantly at his throat.
Regardless…
Malakai clenched his fists.
‘Nothing will stop my revenge.’
With the intense surge of resolve, he turned inward and sent his intention to the essence.
In an instant, a blinding light collapsed around him, teleporting him out of the space.
…
A lone figure walked calmly through the dining hall of the Black Reach.
The vast hall was filled with warriors of the Black Reach, each seated in clusters at long, sturdy wooden tables. They ate heartily, drank loudly, and conversed in booming voices that echoed through the hall.
But as Hamada moved through the hall, his firm steps and heavy presence silenced every table he passed.
Conversations died mid-sentence. Warriors stood to their feet and bowed with discipline and respect.
“Blood Champion Hamada.”
He gave them only curt nods in acknowledgment. His stride never faltered, and his hardened expression remained unchanged.
Despite his composed exterior, Hamada’s mind was far from calm.
Almost two days had passed since Malakai had entered the pit… and he couldn’t get the boy out of his thoughts.
It truly was a shame.
He had seen firsthand what Malakai could do, even while unevolved. If he had only awakened…
Hamada exhaled and shook his head.
‘I should stop thinking about this… I just hope his end came peacefully.’
He carried that silent thought with him as he moved to the center of the hall and grabbed his tray of food.
For someone of his status, meals were usually delivered to his quarters. But Hamada never accepted that privilege. He always came for his food himself. He never let aides clean his room, never allowed anyone to handle his equipment.
In his eyes, a warrior who couldn’t manage the basics wasn’t worthy of the title.
As he turned to find a seat, he suddenly paused.
A conversation nearby caught his ear.
“Do you think he’ll survive this time around?”
“Impossible,” another scoffed. “Come on, man. No one’s that lucky.”
“You’d be surprised,” a third voice chimed in. “Do you know how many of the Sovereign’s deadly missions that cockroach survived?”
The table burst into quiet chuckles, until the one seated at the head spoke.
“That’s enough.”
His voice wasn’t loud, but it carried weight. Instantly, the warriors at the table went silent.
“We apologize, Captain Verek.”
Verek scanned them with a cold look.
“Our stay here is just a formality. There’s no surviving the pit. After at most a week, we’ll declare him dead and return to the clan.”
He paused, then waved a hand dismissively.
“Now enough about that trash. You’re ruining my meal.”
“Yes, Captain Verek,” they echoed in unison.
Hamada didn’t say a word. He simply walked away.
But the crushed metal tray in his hand said everything he didn’t.
He found an empty seat at the far corner of the hall and ate his meal in silence.
After a few minutes, he stood and exited the hall, his steps leading him toward the south gate of the Black Reach, the one that directly faced the dome.
“Blood Champion Hamada!”
The guards stationed above the wall straightened at once, calling down with respect.
Hamada offered a curt nod. “Nothing yet?”
The warrior atop the wall shook his head, his expression grim. “No, sir.”
Hamada sighed heavily. “What about the maid?”
“She hasn’t left her position since he entered,” the guard replied. “Didn’t even come back for food or water.”
Hamada frowned.
Since Malakai entered the pit, Nyx hadn’t moved an inch. She’d stood rooted at the same spot.
When asked, she said she was waiting for her master.
Hamada sighed again and shook his head.
The whole thing was just too sad.
“All right,” he muttered. “Keep an eye out.”
But just as he turned to leave, he froze.
‘What’s that…?’
With his strength and experience, Hamada was no stranger to sensing danger, especially one related to the evil that plagued their world.
That familiar, oppressive sensation…
“Don’t tell me…”
His eyes snapped back toward the gate. His legs tensed, then he shot upward, scaling the towering wall in a single bound and landing on top.
The warriors on the wall jumped in surprise.
“Blood Champion Hamada, is something wrong?!”
But Hamada didn’t answer.
His eyes were locked on the horizon, where the pit was.
A second passed.
Then…
A pillar of darkness erupted from the pit, tearing through the sky like a lance of black flame.
The wind around it howled. The clouds split. The land trembled.
Silence fell over the wall. Every warrior stared in disbelief.
And Hamada, with his eyes wide and teeth clenched, whispered the only thing that came to mind,
“…He’s alive.”