Thane collapsed onto the ground from sheer exhaustion. Although his wounds were slowly regenerating, his spirit and mind were utterly drained. This had been a perilous battle. Terax delighted in torturing and tormenting the weak, and it was precisely because of that indulgence that he had grown careless and loosened his guard, giving the boy an opening. If the one who came had been Exitus, the boy would have died in a single strike. To underestimate an enemy was to underestimate one’s own life.

  The pack of Cerberus did not hurry to leave. Instead, they encircled Thane. Their eyes gleamed with hunger. They knew that within his body dwelled the power of Terror. If they could devour Thane, they would likely evolve countless times beyond their current state.

  “Grrr.”

  At that moment, a terrifying roar suddenly erupted from Mount HellHowl. The sound shook the earth violently and filled every nearby Cerberus with dread. The beasts shrank back in fear, their necks drawn tight. Those carrying corrupted intent trembled uncontrollably. Only Rush remained calm, its gaze steady.

  The Cerberus scattered in all directions, leaving Thane lying there alone. Rush slowly approached him, clamped its jaws around the boy’s leg, and flung him onto its back. It let out a low whine, then began to move at a measured pace toward the town of Siver.

  “A favor, Terror?” Thane smiled faintly to himself.

  He truly needed this mercy. He no longer had the strength to escape the fangs of the hounds. Terror had once said it would return. Thane had not believed it. The things that existed above the mountain peak had never held any appeal for him. But now, he had a reason to return. A single roar in exchange for freedom. Terror truly was clever.

  “The chains binding you there, when I return, I will break them for you.”

  Thane’s words were so faint they were little more than a murmur in his mouth, yet somehow Rush heard every single one clearly. It let out a joyful roar, its three heads spewing blazing red flames into the sky.

  From the distant Mount HellHowl, Terror nodded in satisfaction. Its tail swayed lazily within the molten lava, and its massive body sank once more to the bottom of the lake. Another long slumber began. It only hoped that this time, it would not last too long.

  “I will wait.”

  Mulock’s black vessel cut swiftly across the sea, closing in on the Wellfare Harbor of Coinreach. Long piers forged from durable Fortis steel stretched outward, while crowded repair yards teemed with activity, filled with the shrill shouting of Dwarves whose bodies were smeared with grease and oil. From afar, countless ships could be seen packed tightly along the shoreline, their varied insignia marking origins from innumerable factions.

  Coinreach was the greatest trade city of the Dwarves. Here, vast quantities of enchanted weapons and unique magical pharmaceuticals were bought and sold. It was also one of only two Dwarven cities permitted to connect with The Great Lock.

  Mulock cast a brief glance at a ship bearing the insignia of Hesmor, then calmly turned away. For a fleeting moment, he felt the urge to destroy it, merely to vent his anger. His mind was deeply unstable, his fits of madness drawing ever closer together. Only a few months had passed since his last eruption, when he had slaughtered the fishing village of Hesmir, and now the madness was descending once more.

  “Time truly waits for no one.”

  Mulock felt pressed by urgency. He desperately needed an Enestone. If Jacor’s information proved false, he would have no choice but to continue with his original plan. He did not care what the world thought. At the very least, he would remain alive.

  “What a lively city. But I dislike the atmosphere here. It reeks of oil and smoke. Truly unpleasant.”

  Shelley sprayed a heavy dose of perfume around herself, as if trying to mask the foul stench of the place. She cradled Tris in her arms, the child sleeping soundly, motionless like a porcelain doll. Rowling was no longer floating, but walking beside them like an ordinary person. Though still wearing a mage’s robe, it lacked the usual serpent patterns and was instead nothing more than a plain cloak.

  “This is Coinreach, a city of technology and magic. A strange place capable of harmonizing two entirely different principles. Many powerful mages lie hidden here. I do not wish them to notice my identity as a Shadow.”

  Rowling herself was not truly Rowling. She was merely a remnant of a soul fused with Volder. She was an abnormal existence, and nothing could guarantee that the mad mages roaming this world would not take an interest in studying her.

  “There are not that many mages on the outer edges of Coinreach. Most of them gather near the area connected to The Great Lock. Still, your caution is not misplaced. This world has never lacked lunatics.”

  Mulock clicked his tongue. He did not oppose Rowling’s carefulness. After all, he himself was a madman, and understood their mindset all too well. Among all lunatics, Mulock considered himself the worst of them.

  The deeper they went into Coinreach, the more strange sights they witnessed. Not magic, but machinery. Massive steel buildings loomed overhead, while cumbersome machines belched thick black smoke as they devoured and expelled fuel.

  They stopped near a cable lift where a plump Dwarf was sleeping soundly, his thunderous snores echoing like rolling thunder. Dwarves were a skillful race, but not every individual was diligent.

  “Hey. We need four tickets.”

  Mulock kicked the leg of the chair hard, jolting the Dwarf awake. The Dwarf startled, drool clinging to the corner of his mouth as he squinted blearily at the group before him.

  “Humans?”

  He frowned upon realizing they were human. Coinreach was not devoid of humans, but few of them used the cable lifts. Most native humans in Coinreach belonged to nomadic gangs, infamous for petty vandalism and theft. Some were extremely violent and reckless. Because of this, humans were not well regarded by the other races here.

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  “Four gold for four tickets,” the Dwarf said coldly, shouting an outrageous price. Partly out of prejudice against humans, and partly out of spite for having his perfect afternoon nap ruined.

  “Four gold? Are you serious, or are you joking?”

  Shelley bristled with anger. It was just four cable lift tickets, which should have cost no more than four silver at most. Dwarves truly were a despicable and greedy race. Raising the price tenfold like this was no longer business, but personal malice.

  Mulock, of course, had no intention of wasting four gold so senselessly. He glanced around. The passersby showed little interest in such incidents. After confirming this, Mulock nodded slightly, then instantly transformed into a massive python and swallowed the unfortunate Dwarf whole amid his terrified screams.

  The Dwarf thrashed wildly inside the serpent’s stomach. His body was crushed by constricting muscles, while his flesh was gradually corroded by the acidic fluids within Mulock. Absolute terror consumed the small Dwarf. Regret overwhelmed him as he desperately tried to channel mana to protect his body from the corrosion. But as time passed, his mana was exhausted. He fell into despair, giving up entirely, allowing the acid to slowly melt his body away.

  “Ugh.”

  Mulock vomited the Dwarf out along with a heap of viscous slime. This was merely a warning. He had no intention of killing the Dwarf. Nor did he wish to attract the attention of the guards. He needed to make a trip into the city center, where the guard headquarters was located at the heart of the district.

  When the Dwarf regained the light of day, he stared at Mulock in sheer horror. He could feel his skin reddened, softened, and burning. He tried to wipe the thick yellow mucus from his body, but his movements were slow and cautious. He did not know whether the madman before him would swallow him alive once again. His former arrogance vanished, replaced by fear, deference, and obedience.

  “So, how much was the ticket price again? I do not think I heard it clearly earlier.”

  Mulock rubbed his stomach, suppressing the discomfort after vomiting. He spat once, then slowly stepped closer to the trembling Dwarf, wearing a gentle smile as he asked softly.

  “Free. Free, my friend. It's fu*king free.”

  “Oh.”

  Mulock patted the Dwarf’s cheek, then raised a thumb in satisfaction. Before leaving, he did not forget to generously spray some perfume on the Dwarf, as if to mask the foul stench clinging to his body.

  “Shapeshifting… A Druid, a devotee of Caelthrys. Truly a madman. In my entire life, I have never encountered a Druid as brutal as this one.”

  The Dwarf forced a stiff, mechanical smile to see off this calamity incarnate. He was utterly bewildered. Since when had gentle nature loving priests become capable of such savagery? The concept of a Druid in the unfortunate Dwarf’s mind was completely rewritten. The image of ascetic priests clad in animal hides was swiftly replaced by that of a monster wearing a human guise, with a cold face and dead fish eyes.

  …

  The cable lift slowly moved deeper into the central district of Coinreach. It passed by rows of brightly lit power pylons packed tightly together, clearly meant to supply vast amounts of energy to this area. Shelley propped her chin on her hand, gazing toward the distant perimeter wall where the so called Waste Zone lay. She could vaguely make out ramshackle tents and flickering bonfires, where the lower classes were holding some kind of feast or solemn gathering. A group of strange people in bizarre attire screamed and howled to the accompaniment of a piercing, grating music.

  “They are a pack of lunatics and cowards. No matter how terrible the Waste Zone is, it cannot compare to the battlefields of BadLand or Noland. They are runaways who crossed the Eversand Desert to reach this place. I really want to slaughter every last one of those noisy vermin.”

  Mulock’s eyes turned bloodshot. Killing intent flooded the cabin. His arm trembled violently before quickly returning to normal.

  Shelley looked at Mulock with deep concern. What had just happened was not normal. Her impression of Mulock had not been bad. The pirate, though undeniably evil, at least acted according to his own rules and did not kill indiscriminately without benefit. He usually avoided trouble and preferred to turn into a parrot, sitting quietly in a corner atop his own puppet. The Mulock before her now was strange. He sat there absent mindedly, eyes tightly shut, as if suppressing something.

  “Is something happening to you, Mulock?”

  Mulock remained silent. It was a familiar question. His former companions had asked him the same thing, right up until the moment he went mad and tore them apart piece by piece. The question was truly meaningless. He hated concern. It made him feel unbearably guilty.

  “He is one of The Ones. Those chosen from birth to become vessels for the gods’ projections in the mortal world. Judging by the fact that he is being relentlessly hunted by a Sea Lord, it is not difficult to guess that he is the projection of Oxxhurael.”

  Rowling explained calmly. She possessed deep knowledge of ancient lore. After all, the dwelling place of The Writer was the Lost Library. Unlike Shelley, Rowling had joined The Writer long ago, perhaps sometime around the era of the Dark God.

  “The bouts of madness will only grow stronger until he is no longer himself. At that point, a fragment of Oxxhurael’s will shall descend, and the power he wields then will be no less than that of a Madenes.”

  “What nonsense. There is no such easy path. I would rather become the excrement of a Sea Lord than drift endlessly in that dark void.”

  Mulock sneered. He was selfish. He did not want his body to become a puppet for any being. If that day ever came, he would destroy it with his own hands. But at least, he still had time. His reason for coming to Coinreach was to visit a friend, someone capable of helping him extend the little time he had left.

  The central district of Coinreach was connected directly to The Great Lock. A colossal wall covered in vines and moss rose like a mountain, separating the territory of the Elves from that of the Dwarves. Black crows with green eyes circled vigilantly overhead, and within the gaps of the massive wall, elite Elven warriors could be seen, fully armed.

  “Wow. So this is The Great Lock? It is incredible.”

  Shelley had never seen The Great Lock in person before. She had only heard of it through books and legends. It was said that in ancient times it had been a Tree World, but for some unknown reason it withered and collapsed.

  “It is best not to approach it. Those Elves will not show mercy to intruders. Coinreach has a designated place for trade and exchange with them.”

  Returning to the city itself, Coinreach resembled a paradise of multicolored light. The citizens wore flamboyant clothing not much different from the refugees of the Waste Zone, except that theirs looked more refined and clean. Garments gleamed like polished glass. Sparkling eyewear seemed to be indispensable accessories. Most striking of all were hairstyles designed like flowing currents of water.

  “How strange. This is Dwarven territory, yet there are so few of them to be seen. Humans, Trolls, Orcs, Naga…”

  “They are down there.” Mulock pointed toward a tunnel leading deep beneath the ground. By nature, Dwarves still preferred living underground. What lay above was merely the surface of Coinreach. Naturally, they could not reveal everything under the watchful eyes of the Elves.

  “So we are going down?” Shelley asked curiously, eager to see the magnificent scenery beneath the earth.

  “No. We are going there.”

  Mulock shook his head. He had not come to forge weapons, but to seek magical medicine. Their destination was the official trading ground between the Elves and Coinreach. He pointed into the distance, toward a massive stone bridge connecting The Great Lock to the land below.

  “That is DryLeaf Market. A gathering place for those arrogant Elven mages who specialize in selling talismans and magical medicines. A friend of mine is there. Her personality is rather eccentric, but her abilities are extraordinarily profound.”