A figure emerged from the darkness, approaching Isla with a parchment clutched tightly in hand. Without a word, he delivered the paper to Isla — and vanished as swiftly as he had come, swallowed by the shadows.
Without hesitation, Isla dissolved into the surrounding gloom, becoming one with the shadows themselves. Hollow had already uncovered the demon's location: hidden deep beneath the palace, sealed away in its ancient, forbidden underbelly.
Wasting not a single breath, Isla phased through the walls — one after another — relentless in his advance until he reached a massive doorway, unguarded by mortal men. The gate was inscribed with intricate magic circles; but to Isla's relief, they focused solely on protection — not detection or alarm. The mages had clearly intended for this place to remain hidden and defended.
A grin spread across Isla's face. For one such as him, slipping past defenses like these was mere child's play. Even during the House Venir incident, he could have breached their dungeon alone, yet he had restrained himself — choosing instead to let Lucas witness the fruits of his plan firsthand. These magic seals would never have sensed him; yet even now, he preferred his true power remain a secret.
"Lucas might have noticed… but it matters little, so long as I claim what I seek," Isla mused silently.
Drawing his black robe tighter, he invoked his art:
Heavenly Dark Art – First Form: Nihilist Cloak.
His form wavered, melting into a ghostlike mist, and he drifted through the entrance without a sound. Within the chamber, he beheld it: a figure, humanoid yet marked by horns, slumbering deep inside a pearl the size of a man.
A demon — sealed by forces Isla could not immediately comprehend.
He approached carefully, one hand reaching out to touch the pearl. Yet even his profound shadow powers found no help to penetrate it; the barrier rebuked him effortlessly. Whatever spell held this creature captive was beyond even his formidable skill.
Only then did Isla fully grasp the magnitude of the threat.
The Wizard King had not exaggerated.
If even a general of the Demon King's army possessed such terrifying strength, then what of the Demon King himself?
With a rare flicker of disappointment, Isla turned away, retreating silently back through the labyrinth to the surface. His destination: the Wizard King's chambers.
The Wizard King was dozing, but the faintest tap of glass woke him. Donning his robe, he greeted Isla plainly. Between two men such as themselves, power meant more than politeness. No time was wasted on formalities.
The Wizard King gestured for Isla to sit, offering a simple cup of tea.
"Have you seen the demon?" the Wizard King asked bluntly.
"I did," Isla replied, lowering his cup.
Without pause, the Wizard King explained: the demon was one of the Demon King's most trusted lieutenants — sealed by Raphael during the ancient Demon-Dragon War. Over the centuries, the seal had weakened. Feeling the demon's pulse, the Wizard King's anxiety grew. Should the entity awaken fully, it would plunge the world into unspeakable chaos — the Second Age of Darkness.
The Mage Tower's masters took turns reinforcing the seal, but it was only delaying the inevitable. They would need everything — and everyone — to face the coming storm.
Isla listened, expression unreadable. Then, ever shrewd, he leaned forward.
"And what," he asked, voice cold and steady, "would Dracia offer the Empire in return for our aid?"
The Wizard King chuckled softly, as if he had expected the question.
"An Elder Dragon's Heart."
Isla's eyes widened ever so slightly.
Such a prize was unthinkable. The Elder Dragons were sacrosanct — and yet, the Wizard King was willing to offer one up?
"Sacrifices are needed for salvation and peace," the Wizard King murmured, sipping his tea casually.
In his mind, the fate of the world outweighed any cost. Isla saw it clearly: a realist — just like himself.
Without another word, Isla rose.
"You'll hear from me soon," he said calmly, and vanished into the shadows.
But his business was not yet concluded.
As Isla prepared to leave the tower, another figure appeared unbidden: Elrick, the Master of the Blue Tower.
In the silent garden, Elrick raised a hand — and with a snap of his fingers, summoned a barrier of sound, sealing their conversation from all prying ears.
Isla remained wary, his senses sharpened.
"I need your help," Elrick said.
Isla said nothing, waiting.
"To dethrone the King," Elrick continued, his voice low and full of ambition. "And conquer the world."
Isla scoffed, cold and amused.
"And how, exactly, do you plan to achieve that?"
Elrick pointed downward — toward the sleeping demon sealed beneath their feet.
"We unleash the demon," Elrick said, eyes gleaming. "And use the ensuing chaos to kill the Wizard King."
Silence fell between them, thick and heavy.
What had begun as a mission to quietly monitor the chimera experiments had spiraled into something far more perilous: a double-edged opportunity Isla could neither ignore nor embrace lightly.
Both sides could offer him great rewards.
Both sides carried the promise of destruction.
He needed time. A plan. A decisive strategy.He understood that both paths led to his own advantages.
If the Wizard King fell, and Elrick rose in his place, Dracia would have a weaker, more pliable ruler for him to bend to his will.
Compared to the Wizard King's indomitable power, Elrick was but a flickering candle — and Isla intended to be the one who held the flame.
Wordlessly, Isla crushed the veil of silence with a mere flick of his wrist.
He left nothing behind — except a single card, fluttering to the ground.
On it, an address: a remote place on the borderlands, where Hollow resided — a perfect place for an ambush or an alliance.A place to lure Elrick,either to team up with him or to take him out.
A domain ruled by Isla alone — atop a mountain where no sun reached, where darkness reigned eternal.
A fitting battleground for what was to come.