---

  "Boom!"

  A loud explosion rang out, raising a cloud of dust. As the smoke cleared, Valen saw four figures standing tall. He recognized each of them instantly.

  The first was Siegfried Dragunov, radiating an overwhelming red aura.

  The second was Marcus Alderwood—the murderer of Valen’s maid and his own cousin. His presence was calm, yet dangerously intense.

  The third was a huntress, Ellis Runestone, chosen by Artemis herself.

  And the fourth—the unwavering knight, successor of House Vortigern, blessed by Archangel Michael. He held a spear with a firm grip, his presence as solid and immovable as a mountain.

  In that moment, I thought they were the humans destined for greatness... yet one of them carried the mark of divinity.

  Upon seeing Marcus, hatred flared within me. But I was a warrior from the start—I had to use my hatred to rise, not let it use me for my downfall.

  Valen narrowed his eyes at Marcus.

  "Alderwood… you're here. After all you've done—how dare you!"

  He was ready to lunge forward with his sword, but his ally Lucian stopped him.

  "Valen, this isn’t the time. If we fight them now, we’ll reveal our trump cards too early. They’ve got four of the greatest of this generation. We can’t win—we have to retreat."

  Hearing those words, Valen clenched his fists, knowing Lucian was right.

  "Alderwood… this won't be the end. One day, we’ll finish this. Until we meet again!"

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  With that, Valen and Lucian mounted their griffon and took off, wings cutting through the sky.

  "Not so fast," Ellis said, pulling an arrow from her quiver. She nocked it, focusing her energy.

  "Arrow of Annihilation!"

  Boom!

  Another explosion erupted. Valen barely dodged in time, his eyes wide.

  “That power… worthy of Artemis’ chosen one,” he thought as they escaped the blast radius.

  As they flew away, Marcus looked at Ellis.

  “You’re something else.”

  “No,” Ellis replied, voice calm but resolute.

  “That was my best shot. He still dodged it. If we fight, I’ll give him a hard time… but he’ll win in the end.”

  Marcus nodded. It was a bitter truth, but a truth nonetheless. He then turned his gaze to the real reason they came—not Valen, but the manifested projection standing nearby.

  "Damn," the projected figure said, stretching.

  "I must be pretty damn popular. Everyone keeps showing up for me."

  Marcus replied, annoyed, “Don’t waste our time. Join us.”

  “Blah blah. Let’s keep it simple—find my real body, fight me, waste some time, and then I’ll join. Easy.”

  Galahad frowned, stepping forward.

  “We came for you. Don’t waste our time—we’re the Empire’s most trusted subordinates. You will—”

  Ellis interrupted, cutting off Galahad.

  “I’m Huntress Ellis Runestone. That should be enough introduction.”

  Michael added casually,

  “Yup, I know you—one fights for battle and loyalty, the other looks like he wants to reform the system, and you… you're a wild card. Great. Oh, and hey, what’s 1 minus 1?”

  Ellis, visibly irritated, growled,

  “It’s zero. Enough of your nonsense. Just join us!”

  Michael shrugged.

  “I care about your advice as much as the answer to that math problem. And if you could’ve found me already, you would have.”

  Siegfried, now visibly excited, laughed.

  “Hahaha! Your body must be nearby. Let’s just destroy this whole fortress to find it!”

  With that, a barrage of inferno-cloaked spears rained down, blasting the fortress apart.

  "Inferno!!"

  Everyone started to flee—including Michael—muttering under his breath:

  "This idiot… we could’ve saved that technique for later!"

  “Hahahahaha! Found you in milliseconds!” Siegfried shouted joyfully.

  Michael, now staring at him, sighed.

  “He was definitely born the day a hundred idiots died… what luck.”

  Suddenly, three furious figures appeared beside Michael. He raised his hands, sheepishly.

  “Hey, no need for violence. I’ll join your team, how’s that? You can beat me up later. But uh... maybe take a look behind you first?”

  The group turned around instantly—and froze.

  Could it be... Selene Evernight? they all thought.

  The mysterious figure stepped forward, confirming their suspicion.

  “I’m Selene Evernight, Successor of Shadows. I’ve come to join you.”

  Marcus smirked.

  “Good. I was planning to come after you anyway.”

  Selene nodded.

  “But I bring news—some good, and some bad. I observed your battle with Valen and Lucian. They weren’t here to fight… they were here to recruit the final member of their faction.”

  She continued, listing their lineup:

  1. Valen Veridian

  2. Lucian Caelum

  3. Vesper Albrecht

  4. Cyril Morvan

  5. Seraphina Lysander

  “Only two are combat types,” Selene said.

  “Cyril manipulates other factions using her family’s wealth—promising rewards even in defeat. Vesper creates potions that can heal any wound and boost power. Seraphina provides buffs and holy blessings—she can protect from injury and poison for two minutes, but only twice per hour.”

  “Their team is well-balanced. And we need to eliminate at least five other teams to pass. Thanks to my surrender and Michael’s addition, plus the others—we now have enough points to move forward.”

  Marcus narrowed his eyes.

  “So… the rumors are true. Your family has eyes everywhere.”

  Selene gave a faint smile.

  “Information is the asset that turns the tide. We’re called the ‘darkness lurkers’ for a reason.”

  She looked toward the horizon.

  “The weather’s shifting... Looks like a storm’s about to hit.”

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