The moon hung low over the small, craggy island, its pale light reflecting off black water and thick mist that drifted like restless spirits. The land was uneven—sharp rocks jutting from sand and earth, skeletal trees clawing at the sky, and the distant rumble of waves crashing into jagged cliffs.Amidst this eerie setting, two figures faced each other—one shrouded in ghostly mist, the other cloaked in the stench of blood and malevolence.“Kid,” the bandit spat, pulling a bloodstained sleeve from his belt and tying it tightly around his forehead like a warband, “you’ve pushed your luck. What impact do you think you have here? You just separated yourself from the others... just to be slaughtered.”He stood some distance away from the rest of the scuffle, facing Venak Zephyrine across the ashen clearing. His’s scarred face twisted into a smirk, his yellowed teeth glinting like a predator savoring the kill. Around them, fog curled in closer, thickening the air with tension.Venak exha

"It finally subsided… well done, Venak," Oasis thought, few meters away, yet locked in a brutal clash of wills. His cyan aura shimmered intensely as he caught Barnabus’s massive bludgeon with both bare hands, stopping it mid-swing. Sparks scattered from the impact, the force creating a small crater beneath his boots.Barnabus staggered back a step, breathing heavily, blood oozing from his cracked lips and missing teeth.Oasis spun back.Barnabus spat thick red saliva to the side. “It seems Delva has fallen…” he muttered, and then barked out, voice gritty, “You’ve got a steady pack, boy. My lifelong comrades… reduced to corpses.”He grinned wide, a twisted, broken thing. “You won’t have an easy death, brat.”Oasis’s eyes narrowed. The temperature around him subtly rose.His aura flickering like flames , alive.“I don’t even know you,” Barnabus continued, shifting slightly and adjusting the front of his trousers without shame. “And you don’t look like anyone I’ve killed—or fucked

The eerie silence blanketed the island like a shroud, broken only by the rhythmic splash of water as waves lapped against its jagged edges. Smoke still lingered in the air from the fierce battle, curling into the dark sky as shadows of scorched trees and shattered rocks stretched across the sands. Blood had soaked into the cracked earth, and the distant cries of seabirds returned as if reclaiming their island. A quiet aftermath—haunting, somber, still.Oasis flew back, flaming wings beating softly in the wind, and landed beside Du Shiye, who knelt near the unconscious form of Kael.“Take him to the ship,” Oasis said, but his voice had changed. It no longer carried the cold indifference that once made others uneasy—it was calmer, warmer. To Shiye, it felt unexpectedly human, inviting even, as though the terrifying force who had decimated Barnabus was gone, replaced by a more approachable figure.Shiye blinked once, then nodded, hoisting Kael with effort and turning toward the ship

Oasis stood near the helmsman, his arms lightly folded as the wind caressed his tousled dark hair.The gentle lull of the waves rocked the Lunaris vessel as it cut through the eastern sea.Overhead, gulls cawed occasionally, but the most noticeable sound was the rich laughter of Du Shiye.The youth was seated against the rail, head tilted back, laughing with abandon.It was rare to see such joy from someone trained in poisons and death, but in that moment, Shiye’s laughter felt like music — soothing and pure.Oasis found himself smiling at the sound."This… this should always be what life is like," Oasis thought.Then, without warning, he initiated a mana link — a private channel of spiritual communication — and projected his voice directly into Venak’s mind.Venak, who stood a short distance away near Lianhua, stiffened as the sudden presence entered his thoughts."" Oasis’s voice was calm, yet decisive.!!!Venak blinked, but quickly c