A terrorist attack had just been carried out on the King during a recent gathering. The event had been organized to promote agriculture and inter-education programs for foreigners—especially those who held resentment toward the country.
Many important figures were all present at that moment, but they all survived, thanks our national highest phase Sorcerer. Mr. Shadow.
...
Seated on a chair, Lumian adjusted his golden-rimmed glasses as he read the news.
He had planned to head to the Crimson Choir Faculty earlier, but decided to leave at the next hour instead—seven.
Turning the page of the Arclif Article, his eyes continued scanning the report.
Many do not yet know the cause of the terrorist attack. Some speculate that sorcerers—or individuals possessing supernatural abilities—may be involved…
Lumian paused. Then he rubbed his temples.
Of course… he thought. Ordinary people can't see curses. Only when the concentration gets too high do they start seeing them.
Even when we help them… they still fear us.
A quiet sigh escaped him.
Still… I can't really blame them.
Fear is natural.
He lowered the paper slightly, his thoughts continuing.
But who would organize something like this?
Foreigners?
He shook his head faintly.
No… that doesn't make sense. The King has been improving things lately. He's even trying to support them now…
Lumian smiled faintly and continued reading.
After some time, he lowered the newspaper and rested briefly. Then, without lingering, he stood up and exited the faculty.
Outside, he walked beneath the dark night sky, his figure fading into the quiet streets.
...
Betyl Dock, Lokiam.
The water rippled gently beneath the dim light.
A fish darted through the current—then suddenly bit onto a hook.
With a sharp pull, it was dragged out of the river, thrashing briefly in the open air before going still.
Nearby, a grey-haired man watched the scene unfold, a small smile forming on his lips.
Not far from him, Carl—his green hair easy to spot even in the low light—walked alongside another man.
In the distance, the deep horns of ships echoed across the dock, blending with the restless sound of the water.
...
Carl and the red-haired man chuckled as they walked toward the ship.
After a moment, the man reached out and patted Carl on the shoulder.
"But Carl… are you really leaving?" he asked. "We're going to miss you around here. Most of our heists don't even work without you."
Carl smiled faintly.
"It's not even my decision," he replied. "Have you heard about that sorcerer on Xaprok Island? The big one."
The man's expression shifted slightly. "Yeah… I've heard."
Carl's smile widened.
"That's my next target."
The man let out a quiet sigh and nodded. "Old man already told me," he said, a hint of bitterness in his voice. Then he added, more seriously, "Just… don't break the rules while you're there."
Carl raised a brow.
"Don't steal from the innocent. And don't kill."
Carl chuckled softly. "Of course. You think I'd forget that?"
He shoved his hands into his pockets as they kept walking.
"I've lived by that code this whole time. Besides… this isn't just any heist."
He paused, thinking.
"The guy—what was his codename again… ah, yeah. Arbeola."
Carl let out a low laugh.
"He's done enough things to make even the Almighty Sun God raise an eyebrow."
The man snorted quietly.
Carl continued, his tone sharpening slightly.
"But more importantly, he's well connected. And you know me—I've got connections too."
He glanced toward the dock, where ships loomed in the distance.
"I heard his group recently clashed with a rival gang. Lost quite a few people."
A small smirk formed on his lips.
"So… I reached out to one of the survivors."
He shrugged casually.
"And just like that—I got the job."
...
The man nodded, forcing a faint smile.
"I'll really miss you," he said. "Just… make sure you reach out if you ever need anything."
Carl gave a small nod.
Then the man asked, "Do you at least know the phase of that sorcerer?"
Carl shook his head. "Nope. But he should be around Phase 8. The only thing making him dangerous is his connections."
The man nodded again, though his expression didn't fully relax.
By the time they reached the ship, he let out a quiet sigh and handed Carl his luggage.
"I still don't get why you're traveling by ship," he muttered. "A guy like you should be on a private airplane."
Carl chuckled as he took the bag. "You're not serious."
The man tapped his shoulder, this time with a genuine smile.
"Just stay safe out there, Carl."
A soft night breeze passed through, brushing against them.
Carl nodded. "I will. You too."
They shared a brief hug.
Then, without looking back, Carl stepped onto the ship.
He set his luggage down and exhaled quietly.
Xaprok… here I come.
...
Azamthal Street, along the road.
Lumian walked briskly through the night, his footsteps steady against the quiet street.
The strain from his earlier divination still lingered—faint veins bulged along his hands, a subtle reminder of the toll it had taken. But he paid it little attention and kept moving.
The Crimson Choir Faculty was located beyond Cornerstone, making the journey longer than usual. Fortunately, his home wasn't far, so the distance wasn't unfamiliar.
After several minutes of walking, the silhouette of the faculty finally came into view.
Without slowing down, Lumian stepped inside.
Crimson Choir Faculty.
As Lumian stepped inside, he spotted Mira—the red-haired receptionist—speaking with a visitor. Her voice carried clearly as he approached.
"Yes, we operate as both an exorcist faculty and a security company," she said with a polite smile. "Please wait a moment, we'll attend to you shortly."
The man nodded and took his leave.
Mira glanced around, then her eyes landed on Lumian. They brightened slightly.
"Good evening, Lumian. Long time no see," she greeted cheerfully.
Lumian returned the smile and walked closer.
As he did, his gaze… unintentionally drifted.
The way her purple shirt fit didn't exactly help his focus. For a brief moment, his eyes betrayed him—lingering longer than they should.
What are you doing…? he thought inwardly.
A ridiculous sentence nearly slipped into his mind—
Lady Mira, are you trying to tempt me?
He almost winced.
Absolutely not. That sounds insane.
Another attempt formed—
You have quite the… presence.
…No, that's even worse.
Lumian suppressed a groan.
In the end, he settled for the only safe option.
"Good evening, Mira."
...
Mira smiled. "Seriously, I haven't seen you in over a month. Even the captain asked about you. And Whitely too—you know he actually thought you were part of this faculty?" She let out a soft laugh. "Can you believe that?"
She still really talks a lot, Lumian thought.
Outwardly, he removed his hat and gave a faint, wry smile. "Maybe I'm just too charismatic."
Mira laughed. "Charismatic? Please. Though I've not known you for long, I can tell, you barely talk, especially around girls." She tilted her head slightly, amused. "So, tell me… do you have a girlfriend?"
Lumian paused.
A second passed. Then another.
After what felt like ten full seconds, he placed his hat back on and replied,
"And you… do you have a boyfriend?"
Silence. The only trace of noise that could be heard was the chirping of crickets.
For a brief moment, neither of them spoke.
Then—
Tap. Tap. Tap.
...
When Zayn finally came down the stairs, he raised his brows.
"Good evening, Lumian. How are you doing?"
"Fine, Captain. I was told I'm stationed at the Olympic Coast," Lumian replied.
Zayn nodded. "Alright. Follow me, I'll show you the way."
He turned toward the door, signaling Lumian to follow.
"The Olympic Coast isn't far. Just go a bit deeper into that forest."
"Forest?" Lumian asked as they stepped outside. "What's there?"
"Don't worry. You'll see," Zayn said with a faint smile as they turned right.
After a moment, he changed the topic.
"Where's the superior who's supposed to accompany you?"
Lumian raised a brow. "Which superior?"
He paused, then added, "Wait… didn't you tell me to just call you Zayn?"
Zayn nodded.
Lumian continued, "Anyway, I recently got promoted. I'm now a Private Sorcerer."
"Private Sorcerer?" Zayn repeated, slightly surprised.
"That's pretty fast. Before I became captain, I spent four years in this church, heh. Maybe they trust you."
...
Lumian nodded, and they turned left, entering the quiet forest.
The woods were calm, filled only with the faint chirping of crickets and distant rustling of unseen creatures. The silence was so deep it almost felt alive—so heavy that even a person's heartbeat seemed audible.
They walked for a short distance before turning right.
After a while, Zayn suddenly stopped.
He tilted his head slightly and let out a soft, melodic tune. The sound was strangely beautiful, echoing through the still air.
Then, without warning, he stepped forward.
It was as if the path itself swallowed him—his figure vanishing completely.
Lumian exhaled slowly, his gaze fixed on the empty space where Zayn had been.
Uncertainty lingered in his mind about what lay beyond that invisible passage.
After a brief pause, he steadied himself.
Then he stepped forward.
The moment he crossed the invisible barrier, his heartbeat quickened.
He looked around—and froze.
All around him were figures resembling human beings, suspended upside down on wooden crosses.
...
"Zayn… what are these?" Lumian asked softly.
Zayn's expression turned serious. "These are semi-cursed beings. I'm sure you already know what that means."
Lumian nodded.
Zayn continued, "They retain some human traits, so they might try to deceive you. Don't fall for it."
Lumian nodded again, then hesitated.
"Captain… sorry if this is a strange question, but how did we adopt this method? Where did it come from?"
Zayn glanced ahead before replying, "Well… it's not something that matters too much. But I'll tell you anyway."
"It originated from the Church of Retribution. The method is widely used, so this is one of the ways to handle such beings."
Lumian listened quietly, then after a short pause, asked,
"But Zayn… why don't we just kill them instead of crucifying them?"
...
Zayn smiled faintly. "It's simple. If you kill a semi-cursed being, they spread corruption… and can reincarnate years later. It's better to keep them restrained."
He gestured around them.
"You can see this place is completely sealed off from the outside world. Heh… even your captain placed a sleeping barrier to keep it hidden from ordinary people."
Lumian nodded.
So when I dealt with James… I didn't truly kill him. That means he could spread corruption… and come back.
That's bad.
If anything happens… I'll report it to the captain.
Zayn glanced around once more, then turned to leave.
"Stay here for another hour. Your shift ends after that."
Lumian nodded as Zayn walked away.
Left alone, Lumian scanned his surroundings.
His gaze slowly settled on a crucified figure—a woman.
"Can… can you help me…?"
Her voice was weak. Fragile.
Lumian's steps slowed… then unconsciously, he began walking toward her.
Step… step…
"Lumian. Stop."
Zayn's voice cut through the air from behind—sharp and firm.
Lumian blinked.
Once. Twice.
His senses snapped back into place.
He froze.
What stood before him was no longer human.
The "woman's" face was grotesquely distorted, as though it had been crushed and reshaped again and again. Her mouth twitched unnaturally as a low, guttural growl escaped her throat.
Lumian's breath hitched.
He slowly stepped back, careful not to turn his back fully on the creature.
Then he made his way toward Zayn.
Zayn simply smiled.
"Now you see what they truly are," he said calmly. "Don't let their words sway you."
Lumian took a steady breath and nodded.
Zayn turned and walked away once more.
"Just wait here for an hour."
...
When he left, Lumian exhaled softly.
So these aren't fully developed semi-cursed… They can't properly maintain their human traits.
He paused.
Then what would a complete one look like…? Last time I was with James, he practically had enough human traits, to be considered human. And I'm sure he had not fully developed.
Shaking the thought away, he glanced around again.
At first, all he saw were human faces—figures hanging upside down, motionless.
But now… he didn't feel anything.
The fear had dulled.
His attention shifted to the environment itself.
It was identical to the forest outside—same trees, same ground, just hidden, sealed away.
Just as he turned forward, his diviner intuition suddenly flared.
A quiet warning. He stopped.
Then slowly… he turned back.
This time—
They weren't human.
Every single one of them had changed.
Their eyes glowed a deep, unnatural red, piercing through the darkness of the night—like predators watching from the shadows.
Like owls.
All of them…
Staring at him.
Lumian's breathing remained steady, but he didn't linger.
He turned away again.
Without hesitation, he approached a nearby tree.
With a swift motion, he leapt upward, using his agility to climb—
Then settled onto a high branch, observing from above.
...
Lumian looked around. After a while, faint whispers began to reach his ears.
It was his name, the crucified figures were whispering his name! The tune almost sounded meliodous.
Yet, he didn't feel fear—nor any sign of losing control.
Heh… that should be my Eidolon's doing. It's been helping me ever since.
His thoughts shifted.
Wait… speaking of that… I haven't started a new meeting. And the royal passes… do I even need them? We already have Kelly's files.
But I still need more information... they're are many questions I need answers to...
Lumian glanced at the crucified figures surrounding him.
They're restrained… so they shouldn't be able to do anything.
With that, he leaned back slightly, closing his eyes.
In the next moment, he envisioned himself within the White Kingdom.