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It had to have been placed there.

As the thought settled, Kai’s suspicions sharpened. There was only one person who could pull off something like that: Lucian. He had the power, the influence, and, most importantly, the cunning to orchestrate something that underhanded.

But there was a bigger question. How had Lucian managed it?

Kai’s mind wandered back to the reports about the necromancer lurking in the Vasper Forest. A Mage like that wouldn’t just appear without a reason.

If a necromancer had crossed into Vasper Forest, it would have had to pass through the Sylvan Enclave and Lucian’s territory was in the middle of it.

Suddenly, things began to align. The necromancer wasn’t just a wandering threat; there was a connection. If Lucian had offered safe passage or collaborated with the necromancer in some other way, it would explain the emergence of the parasite.

The more Kai thought about it, the more it all clicked. Lucian wasn’t just playing politics anymore. He was something much darker than the surface of an arrogant persona disguised in expensive clothes. He was dangerous.

And Kai knew he had to act because Lucian was no longer just a brother vying for his territory. He was involved in something that could spiral out of control, something far bigger than Kai had anticipated.

Kai had berated himself for not seeing the signs earlier. How could he have missed it? The necromancer had been right in front of him, but there hadn’t been any symbol of a larger organisation, nothing to link him to any known group. Looting the body had revealed no clues, just a series of dark trinkets, none of which provided the answers he sought.

But then again, why would the necromancer have something so obvious on him? It wasn’t like people who dabbled in forbidden arts walked around wearing badges.

Still, Kai knew he couldn’t keep beating himself up about it. The past was the past, and lingering on it would only waste time. What mattered now was making sure something like this never happened again. He needed to be more vigilant.

With that conclusion in mind, he came to the present and moved forward with his group as they walked towards the dungeon, their horses traversing the roots growing along the forest floor.

"I still don’t understand how the guards let a necromancer slip through Veralt to Vasper Forest," Feroy muttered, shaking his head and breaking the silence. "This shouldn’t have happened. It’s our fault for not keeping a tighter watch!"

Kai didn’t even break a glance at him as he replied, "It happened when I wasn’t taking charge of the city seriously. So, no, Feroy, it wasn’t just the guards’ fault. It was as much my fault as theirs."

"It’s not your fault, Lord Arzan."

"I wasn’t paying enough attention to the inner workings of the city. I let things slip by and trusted too much in the system. That’s on me. But now we learn from it."

Feroy fell silent, listening.

"We can’t change what’s already happened, but we can make sure the security is tighter from now on. We’ll improve the patrols, and list out exactly who we’re letting into the city and the villages, and for what purpose. No more blind trust. A registry is a good way to do it and we can improve the system with enchantments as we go."

"A registry?" Feroy asked, raising a brow.

Kai nodded. "Yes. That way, we know who’s here and why. It’ll make sure no spy or dark Mage sneaks in unnoticed again. They might still lie about their purpose, but there are ways to get around it."

"Won’t it be hard to keep an eye on such a big territory, especially one connected to the Vasper Forest? This place is huge." Klan asked from behind.

Kai nodded, his gaze scanning the dense trees that hovered over them, their leaves casting dappled shadows on the ground. "It will be difficult, but not impossible. We can’t cover everything simultaneously, but we can start building a proper security system. It’s going to take time, but we’ll get there."

"Yes, it’ll be a process, but a mandatory one," Feroy’s words came out loud, confirming everyone’s thoughts.

With that, they once again fell silent letting them just look around and take everything in.

They followed along the stream of water, and the deeper they moved, the closer they got to the waterfall. The trees seemed to stretch endlessly, impossible to distinguish where they began or ended. Different colours, and sizes of trees— some Kai knew would even look luminous at night towered high around them. He involuntarily sighed as they passed a couple of richly grown Agarwood trees, noting them down to use in a few of his potions.

He looked down and noticed thick undergrowth tangled at the hooves. The heavy sound of the waterfall surrounded them. The smell of the damp earth filled his nostrils.

This close to the Vasper Forest, nature felt alive, almost watching them, listening to them, and stalking them.

His thoughts drifted, taking a swift turn as he thought back to the conversation with Feroy and a form of magic that might help them— Druidic magic, a kind of magic that was one of the rarest in the world and was even a form of lost magic in his era— he had been considering it for a while now.

It would certainly make things easier, especially in monitoring such a vast area. But druidic magic was the legacy of the elves and it wasn’t easy to learn it since they were known to be protective of it.

Kai wondered whether it was time to seek out the elves. Making contact with them could open doors to that magic and offer alliances he would need in the future. He would need them to become an Enforcer as well and although he knew a few tricks he could use, there was no guarantee they would work.

The soft crunch of leaves brought him back to the present. He felt the breeze and heard the sound of the waterfall. From the information he had, the dungeon was right next to it. But that wasn’t why he held up a hand, signalling for everyone to stop.

From beyond the thicket, a low growl rumbled, barely audible but unmistakable.

Kai pushed aside the thick vines using a first circle spell [Tangle Shift] to reveal a small clearing ahead. Then he used [Hawk Eyes] to see just outside the entrance to the dungeon cave they were heading for.

There, pacing near the stone entrance, were four wolf-like creatures. Duskhounds. Their sleek grey bodies were slightly larger than the average wolf type beasts and they possessed higher agility, violet eyes and muscular limbs.

"Grade 1 duskhounds," Kai muttered, his eyes narrowing.

Klan frowned. "I thought we killed most of the beasts during the wave." His voice came above the loud noise of the water.

Kai shook his head at his statement. "The Vasper Forest has far more beast than what attacked Veralt. If the brood mother had won, more would have joined it. These duskhounds are just a fraction of what lurks inside."

Klan grunted, accepting the explanation.

"Either way," Kai continued, his voice steady, "I believe we can handle these easily."

"How many are we talking about?"

"I can only see four. But duskhounds normally move in a larger pack, so I’m guessing there are more around the dungeon. I can find them, but I don’t think there’s any need to. They are known to run away if they see any stronger creature, so I believe we just need to kill those four and we can make our way down the dungeon."

"Let’s fight then," Klan whispered. "I believe we would be able to take them up."

Feroy nodded in agreement, tightening his grip on his spear.

Kai turned to Rhea who looked a little spooked with the sudden prospect of a battle. He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Out of all of them, she had the least experience of a battle. "You’ll be behind me, well protected, so don’t worry. This is your first real battle where you’ll use offensive spells." He gave her a small, encouraging smile. "I won’t put you in too much danger. These duskhounds are only Grade 1, but I want you to observe and cast the spell I taught you when you see an opening."

Rhea nodded, swallowing her nerves. "I’ll do my best."

"Let’s move," Kai commanded as they got off from their horses and bound them to trees before moving closer to the dusk-hounds.

He didn’t waste another second. With a flick of his hand, his mana surged, cold and sharp as it coalesced into jagged ice shards.

The duskhounds sensed the danger, their growls intensifying as they turned towards Kai. In an instant, they leapt forward, fangs bared.

Kai responded with precision, his focus locked on the advancing duskhounds. His hand shot forward, launching icy shards toward the creatures. The spears of ice sliced through the air with lethal accuracy, striking the nearest duskhound square in the side.

The beast let out a guttural howl before collapsing, its body freezing solid where it hit the ground. The once-ferocious creature lay motionless, ice spreading across its fur as it succumbed to the cold.

Without missing a beat, Feroy shot forward. His spear spun in his hands, movements fluid as he channelled his element into the weapon.

Kai knew he had unlocked his affinity before the beast wave, but as he saw the flames dancing around Feroy’s spear’s edge, he realised that his connection with flames was strong.

With a swift thrust, Feroy caught the second duskhound mid-leap and it whimpered violently as the flames burned its body. The pain seemed to overwhelm it as it got thrown on the ground.

Feroy didn’t pause, his spear spinning once more in his grip as he prepared for the next strike, his eyes tracking the movement of the remaining wolves.

Behind him, Klan took a more methodical approach. He planted his feet firmly into the earth, calling on his connection to the ground beneath him.

The soil trembled in response, and Klan summoned jagged rock shards from the ground, sending them flying toward the third duskhound.

The beast yelped as the sharp stones pelted its body, forcing it back. When it tried to rush forward again, Klan stomped the ground hard, and a small stone barrier shot up between them, cutting off the creature’s path. The duskhound scratched at the barrier, its claws scraping against the stone, but it couldn’t advance further.

Kai, meanwhile, continued his icy assault. With quick, practised gestures, he conjured another shard in his hand and sent it hurling toward the remaining duskhounds. He had been learning the structures for second circle ice spells he had found and modified them to suit the modern spell structure design, and they worked as expected.

One of the beasts, poised to strike at Klan’s barrier, froze mid-motion as the ice shard found its mark. Its body stiffened instantly, frozen in place as if time itself had stopped for the creature.

With the immediate threat contained, Kai took a step back, putting some distance between the remaining beasts and his group. He felt the slight pain in his Mana heart and knew it was better to let the others deal with the beasts.

Moreover, he wanted to see how things would unfold with his apprentice.

Rhea, standing slightly behind the others, clenched her fists, trying to keep her breathing steady. It looked like she had been watching intently, her eyes fixed on the last duskhound that had somehow slipped past Feroy’s flames. The creature was darting toward her with alarming speed, its predatory eyes locked on its new target.

"Now or never," Rhea muttered, her voice shaky but determined. Kai heard it barely over the waterfall. The duskhound closed the gap in mere moments, its muscles tensing for the final leap. But before it could pounce, Kai was already in motion.

With a drag of his wrist, a thick barrier of ice materialised between Rhea and the beast, halting its advance. Kai glanced back at her, his eyes sharp but filled with unspoken encouragement.

Rhea’s hands trembled slightly as she summoned her mana, focusing on the fire spell structure Kai had drilled into her in the past week.

"[Fireball!]" Rhea shouted, her voice cutting through the noise of the metal, the sound of water and the spells cast by Klan.

She thrust her hands forward, releasing the pent-up energy. A glowing sphere of flame erupted from her palms, hurtling toward the duskhound. The fireball collided with the creature’s side in a blaze of heat and light.

The impact sent the duskhound sprawling to the ground, its fur alight, smoke rising from the singed flesh. The beast twitched for a moment, then lay still, its lifeless body smouldering.

Kai turned to Rhea, his stern expression softening as a proud smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "Nicely done, Rhea. Perfect timing."

She exhaled deeply, the tension in her shoulders melting visibly.

He looked at the four beasts on the floor, dead. His eyes scanned the sprawling trees around them as he heard movements, probably from the rest of the pack that were hiding nearby. But they soon vanished.

Since they were only Grade 1 beasts, none of them dared to jump out to avenge their kin.

"Well, that went well," Klan responded while letting out a huge breath. "The rest aren’t as brave as these."

Feroy approached, wiping sweat from his brow. "More like not as unlucky as these. They were able to run away in time seeing our power."

"Alright," Kai said, turning back toward the dungeon entrance. It was a cave as most dungeons were, wide enough for them to easily move inside without ducking. "We’ve dealt with the duskhounds, but let’s keep moving. There’s no telling what’s hiding deeper inside."

With that, the group moved toward the dungeon’s mouth, their steps echoing against the stone walls as they descended into the depths. The sound of the waterfall soon was muffled by nothingness but the constant beat of their hearts.

Kai summoned several orbs of light, sending them ahead to illuminate the way. The cold, dark air of the dungeon greeted them, the walls damp and slick with age.

"Stay sharp," Kai warned. "There might be more beasts lurking down here."

They moved carefully, their eyes scanning the shadowed corridors for any sign of danger. Nothing. The flickering light from Kai’s magic cast eerie shadows, making the dungeon feel alive with movement. But as they continued deeper, they found nothing. The eerie silence was unsettling, and the absence of beasts only heightened their tension.

"No signs of anything yet," Feroy muttered, his spear gripped tightly in his hand.

Kai nodded, though he remained cautious. "Keep your guard up. It’s quiet, but that doesn’t mean we’re alone."

They continued their descent, the darkness thick around them, every sound amplified in the space surrounded by stone. The deeper they went, the more the silence pressed in on them like a tangible weight. Something was off, but for now, they found no signs of danger.

Yet.

The occasional corpse of a beast, already decayed and half-buried by rubble, dotted the path, but nothing noteworthy. They moved carefully, the echo of their footsteps was the only sound that came through the walls.

After what felt like hours of navigating the twisting corridors, they entered a massive room.

In the centre sat a podium— on top of which rested the dungeon core. It glowed faintly, illuminating the huge cave room.

Kai stepped forward, his eyes narrowing at the orb.

Dungeon cores were rare but not unheard of. Places like this— zones where mana pooled heavily— could, over hundreds of years, condense that energy into a core. The core then acted as a beacon for beasts, allowing them to absorb its mana and grow stronger. At the same time, due to the warmth the core often gave, a lot of beasts would use it as a place for hibernation.

It was common knowledge that most dungeons were fiercely guarded by a powerful creature, but with the brood mother slain, the dungeon was left vulnerable and empty and it seemed like no other creature had tried to lay ownership to it.

"We are lucky most ferocious beasts died in the beast wave," Feroy muttered, leaning on his spear. "I’m sure those duskhounds were trying to go into the dungeon to lay claim to the core."

Kai nodded, his gaze still fixed on the core. His thoughts drifted to the necromancer’s golembook. The book had mentioned something about substituting a dungeon core for a golem core, and now, standing in front of one, he could see why. The sheer concentration of mana within it could power any number of constructs. It was no wonder so many Mages were so interested in dungeons like this.

Although he had read reports and several theories on how dungeon cores worked, it was the first time he had seen one. At least one that wasn’t broken into pieces.

Klan moved closer to the core, inspecting the surroundings. "We should take this, right?"

Kai shook his head. "We leave it. Removing it could destabilise the entire dungeon. The beasts may have fled or died, but this core still holds the balance here. Moreover, I have plans for the core. For now, let’s search for any signs of corruption here or treasures. Dungeons like these often have lost swords and armour of fallen warriors and Mages."

They scanned the room, trying to assess if there was anything of value or any sign of traps. A part of him hoped he was going to find another diary like the one he had found in the larva queen’s cave, but there were only webs and dust.

If there were any signs of corruption in the cave, it must have been weak and the condensed mana in the air had erased it.

Still, Kai looked around everywhere, trying to find any other notable things. But he found nothing. No signs of corruption, no treasures, no diaries and not even anything that might help him piece together the mystery of the necrotic parasite.

Everything seemed quiet until—

Klan’s scream ripped through the air, startling everyone. They spun around, weapons drawn, and rushed toward where Klan had wandered off to.

"What is it?" Kai demanded, the heat in his palms already forming in preparation for an attack.

Klan pointed with a shaking hand toward an alcove on the far side of the room. Kai followed his gaze and froze. Thousands of balls of webs, the size of a man’s head, clustered together in a sickeningly neat formation. The soft, pulsing glow from the dungeon core illuminated the disgusting scene, making the pale, translucent shells glisten.

He instinctively took a step, realising what it was.

"What is it?" Rhea asked, breaking the silence, her finger pointing at the balls.

"Eggs," Kai replied. "Spider eggs."