Alkan slowly stood up and wiped the blood from the corner of his lips. He looked at the prince of the black sawikin. Behind him, fifty shadows followed closely as the prince took slow steps toward him. "Ah." The prince clicked his tongue. "I didn’t expect you to still be standing, mortal." Alkan spat out blood and then charged toward the prince. He strengthened the green flames on his sword and slashed it in the prince’s direction. But before his strike could land, the prince vanished from his spot. The next thing Alkan knew, he was sent flying again as the black prince appeared behind him and slashed at him with his claws. Alkan’s brows knitted together as he felt the sting in his body. Why? Why couldn’t he defeat the prince? His frustration grew. He couldn’t accept that the strength he had gained from the other world was being mocked by the prince, who smirked maliciously in front of him. Alkan clenched his fists and s

After a few minutes, Alkan slowly descended. He opened his eyes. The whites of his eyes had turned black, and a strange smile played on his lips. In a blink, his expression and eye color returned to normal. The diamond noticed but didn’t question it—she simply smiled at him. “Master, you have successfully obtained the third power. Now, you can fully manifest your black wings.” “Black wings?” he repeated in confusion, glancing over his shoulder. He saw nothing there. The diamond chuckled. “Why don’t you step out of your consciousness first, Master?” she suggested. Alkan withdrew his awareness from within, and as soon as he did, a sharp pain seared through his back. He had felt some discomfort earlier, but he hadn’t expected it to be this painful once he was back in his physical body. He clenched his jaw and turned to look behind him. There, he saw the black wings. He stood up straight, a grin curving his lips.

Alkan and the female exorcist landed outside the gate. They were quickly surrounded by guards. When the guards saw Alkan and the female exorcist, they were shocked. "A mortal?" one of the guards asked in astonishment, lowering his raised weapon. "You haven’t returned to the White Palace in months. Many things have happened that you are unaware of." He then turned his gaze to the female exorcist standing beside Alkan. The guard's eyes narrowed, and after a moment, they widened in shock. "Mortal, why are you with the traitor? Get away from her!" he shouted, raising his sword in front of the female exorcist. Alkan's vision darkened. "Where is Manuel? Inform him that I want to speak with him," he said through gritted teeth. "But, mortal—" "Do as I say!" Perhaps due to the force he released, coming from Menandro, the first king of the White Palace, the guards quickly moved. They lowered their weapons and stepped b

With the arrival of the dragon in the Tribal lands, the first war led by Alkan was set to unfold. The three kingdoms—Fairy, White Sawikin, and Black Sawikin—mobilized to destroy the dragon that was spreading terror in the East. Although the three tribes did not see eye to eye, they fought together against the dragon. "Who is that Black Sawikin flying in the sky?!" shouted some White Sawikin, who were battling corpses rising from their graves. "I don't know! But he's the only one among us who can fly! Our wings are useless against the force emanating from the dragon!" "Is that Black Sawikin trying to get himself killed?!" "Yes!" Manuel swung his sword and looked up at the lone Sawikin still airborne. His eyes narrowed as he stared at the familiar figure of the Black Sawikin. A corpse charged toward him, reeking of rotting flesh. He

The Diamond Woman brought him to a secluded tribe in the southernmost part of the land, far from the Black Palace. When he opened his eyes, he found himself in a forest beneath the scorching midday sun. He let out a deep sigh and closed his eyes again. "Master?" the Diamond Woman called when she saw that he remained lying on the grass. "Later," he muttered in a low voice. "I just want to rest." The Diamond Woman created a barrier to shield him from the sun. Then, she sat beside him, watching the peaceful dance of the leaves as the wind passed through them. They remained in silence for several minutes before Alkan suddenly opened his eyes, recalling something. "When will you restore Pilak and Anino to their human forms?" he asked. The Diamond Woman turned to him, lost in thought for a few seconds. "I could restore them now, Master, but some beings are approaching. It wouldn’t be safe for the two flames to tran