The dust settled as Kael and his team groaned and pushed themselves off the cold, uneven ground. It was difficult to see farther than a few feet because of the thick floating debris in the air.
Kael shook his head and coughed to get rid of the lightheadedness. He could still hear distant shouts from above the gorge, but the explosion had done its job—the bridge was gone, and their pursuers were temporarily cut off.
Mira sat up first, wincing as she rubbed her elbow. Sera was already on her feet, scanning their surroundings with her bow drawn.
Kael let out a sharp exhale and rolled his shoulders. "Everyone in one piece?"
"Define 'piece,'" Sera muttered with a pout, brushing off dirt from her robes.
Mira gave a curt nod. "Bruised but still alive."
Kael's silver eyes flicked toward the royals. Elira and Dain had landed roughly, but they were moving without any injuries. King Eldrin remained eerily still, but his hollow gaze proved he was conscious.
Lord Arid, however, was the odd one out—he was smirking.
Instinctively, Kael's dagger started to twitch in his fingers.
From the start, there had been something that didn't sit right about this man. And now, standing in the aftermath of their drop from the sky, Lord Arid appeared overly pleased, as though the chaos had only made things more entertaining for him.
Then he chuckled.
"Kekekeke..."
A deep, evil chuckle of amusement.
Kael tensed. And so did the others.
"Well, well, well…" Lord Arid let out a sigh and clapped his palms together lazily. "It's been an entertaining ride."
His smooth yet eerie voice reverberated across the empty room as though he had been waiting for this very moment.
Sera's bowstring tightened. "What's so funny?"
Mira took a slow step back, primal energy pulsing at her fingertips. Lord Arid, however, appeared unfazed. His grin, if anything, got bigger and wider.
Kael said nothing, though his grip on his dagger became tighter. Now—now he realized that something was wrong with this man, even though he had suspected it from the start.
Lord Arid was more than just a prisoner of war. He had been holding out and just observing from the sideline. He was playing the long game, and now, he felt the game was over.
Lord Arid tilted his head, his dark eyes gleaming with wicked amusement. "You see, dear Kael, I must own up to the fact that I've had a hand in shaping this war. In a literal sense."
Dain's head snapped up with rage flashing in his eyes. "What?"
Lord Arid gave a dramatic sigh and dusted off his cloak. "Come on now, dear prince. Surely you must have figured it out by now?"
He grinned more broadly. "The war—the endless cycle of bloodshed—it was never about the throne."
Elira's breath caught in her throat. "You… you don't want to rule?" she muttered.
Lord Arid gave a low, dangerous laugh. "Rule? No, little lass. I want ruin.. destruction.. chaos... Only the weak desire to rule."
The atmosphere surrounding him changed. There was a strange pressure that settled in the cavern. It made his skin crawl, and Kael's instincts screamed at him to move and react.
But Lord Arid simply stood there, basking in their shock.
"You see," he continued, taking a step forward, "I was never meant to be anything more than a forgotten noble. A remnant of the past, unworthy of power, discarded by my own bloodline."
His shadow extended strangely as he walked.
"But why settle for a throne when you can have something far greater?" His grin eerily extended to his ears. "Why rule a kingdom when you can orchestrate its complete collapse?"
Kael's heart was racing. This was no ordinary corrupt noble. Lord Arid was a skilled puppeteer and manipulator.
His hands had been pulling the strings from the shadows all along. The war, the deception, the bloodshed.
All of it.
And the war would never be over as long as he was alive.
Kael's fingers twitched at his dagger. "You're the one fueling both sides."
Lord Arid's eyes gleamed. "Very good. Took you long enough."
The temperature dropped as if to cool off the growing heat.
Lord Arid's form shimmered, his entire being growing darker.
And Then—
A surge of black mist erupted from his body.
Mira gasped, stumbling back. Sera immediately raised her bow, but even she hesitated.
Because Lord Arid was no ordinary noble.
A Shadowmancer was what he was.
Level 12 and incredibly powerful.
Kael didn't blink at all. He had suspected it. The eery calmness he portrayed. Lord Arid had watched them as if they were pieces on a board. He was usually one step ahead in his speech. But now, it was confirmed.
———
[DING!]
[SIDE QUEST UNLOCKED]
———
Kael's vision flashed as the system screen appeared.
———
[SIDE QUEST: THE END OF THE PUPPETEER]
Your task: Eliminate Lord Arid and shatter the war's foundation. But beware—he has no intention of falling easily.
REWARD:
1. +5 Stat Bonus to Constitution & Mental Cognition.
2. Unique Skill Unlock: Eclipse Step (Briefly merge with the shadows, moving unseen for a short distance.)
3. 5000 EXP.
DO YOU ACCEPT? YES / NO
———
Kael barely hesitated. 'Yes'
[QUEST ACCEPTED]
The system window faded.
Kael's heartbeat slowed down. His senses became more acute. This battle was unavoidable. And now, it was personal too.
Lord Arid's shadow twisted behind him as he chuckled again. "Ah, I see that look," he said, cocking his head in speculation. "You've come to that realization, haven't you? That you are powerless."
Kael rolled his shoulders, his dagger gleaming as he stepped forward.
"You're right," he acknowledged. "I don't."