At another location deep within the jungles of the Murky Mountains, a group of Magi dashed through the undergrowth with solemn expressions.

The air was thick with the sound of battle as these Magi continued to cast spells at the magical beasts all around them.

"Maintain formation!" The leader of the group roared as he hacked his sword at the beasts in front of him. "Quick rotations! Injured ones fall back! Switch to Formation B!"

The man had medium-length black hair, and his pupils were light brown in color. From how his team was efficiently performing against the beasts, it was certain that this Magus had great experience and leadership skills.

He wore ostentatios robes which were covered by a white cloak with golden embroidery at the seams.

The insignia on the white cloak was that of the Gracie Family.

And this man was Morden Gracie.

He and the other Magi of the Gracie Family had received a mission from headquarters to eradicate a den of magical beasts in the western direction of their camp.

It had been a week since they'd arrived here, and till now, their mission progress was pretty smooth for the most part.

Under the leadership of Morden, there had been zero casualties till now. This spoke volumes about his strategic prowess.

As this group of Magi advanced, the underbrush suddenly rustled ominously. The next moment, a sounder of black boars emerged from the shadows, their tusks gleaming with a cold light.

With a bloodthirsty guttural growl, the corrupted beasts launched themselves at the Gracie Family Magi.

Under Morden's leadership, the group effortlessly took out their enemies. Bolts of lightning materialized out of their fingertips and small orbs of fire rained down on the beasts, instantly burning them.

However, with every creature that fell, two more seemed to take its place.

But the Magi were fearless in their advance and responded with a flurry of spells. Within a few minutes, all the corrupted beasts had been already taken care of.

Furthermore, there still hadn't been any casualties amongst the group of Magi.

"Lord Morden is truly a great commander!"

"If it weren't for our Lord, most of us would have already died."

"Truly, Lord Morden is a Magus among Magi!"

One by one, everyone started to fawn over Morden. Although they said such flattering words, there was indeed some truth to it.

Morden had a stoic expression on his face, however, inwardly he felt greatly satisfied by the praises from his subordinates.

He glanced at them and flatly stated, "Stop dawdling around. Quickly retrieve the beast cores and other necessary loot from the corpses."

"Yes, My Lord!" The Magi respectfully replied in unison and hurriedly started looting the carcasses.

Morden coolly glanced at his subordinates as they did their jobs.

Suddenly, his space-type storage ring trembled ever so slightly, and the following moment a small, copper lantern about the size of his palm shot out from it.

Morden's expression froze when he realized what this item was.

"Soulmark Lantern?!" His heart sank. "W-Who does this belong to?"

A Soulmark Lantern carried the spiritual power signature of a Magus. Its main usage was to let the holder know about the life status of the owner of the signature.

Morden always carried with him the Soulmark Lanterns containing the spiritual power signatures of people close to him such as his elder brother, Oswald Gracie, and his son, Kevin.

In fact, all the important people from the Gracie Family had left their marks on Soulmark Lanterns. In the event that any one of them died, the other members of the family would be immediately notified.

Not only that, but the lantern would also guide them to the murderer!

Morden's heart was gripped by intense nervousness and fear as he held the tiny, copper lantern in his trembling hands, trying to ascertain which Gracie Family member's mark it had.

A few moments later, he finally learned who the mark belonged to.

"NOOOO!!!" He screamed in sheer agony as he dropped to the ground.

His eyes turned bloodshot as tears endlessly streamed down his face. He gritted his teeth so hard that his gums turned bloody.

Then, he clenched his fists and repeatedly slammed them on the ground.

"No! No! No! No!" He roared in anguish. "My son My son It can't be!"

He raised his head and glanced at the dense canopy with lifeless eyes. He clutched at his chest and wailed in overwhelming grief.

"My Kevin It cannot be No, it cannot be!"

The other Magi of the Gracie Family were greatly startled when they saw Morden break down emotionally all of a sudden.

They glanced at the small lantern clasped tightly in his hands and realized that someone close must've died. Moreover, hearing the name of their young master come out of their lord's mouth, they confirmed their speculation.

Instead of coming forward to comfort him, they stood at a distance and lowered their heads.They then secured a tight perimeter around Morden, shielding him from any potential threats.

After a long time, Morden had cried until he could not cry anymore.

All that remained now was a cold and expressionless face.

He gazed at the copper lantern in his hand and softly muttered, "My sweet boy have you left me as well?"

Then, his eyes flashed with killing intent as a tempestuous rage bubbled within his heart. He put mana inside the lantern, and a few moments later, a small white orb of light surfaced from the lantern.

The tiny orb of light circled around the lantern a couple of times and then shot into the distance.

Morden gazed at the light orb with cold eyes. He got to his feet and instructed his subordinates, "Follow me."

"B-But, My Lord, what about the mission" A Magus tried to meekly protest, but instantly shut his mouth when Morden glanced at him with unbridled bloodlust.

Morden didn't speak a word, but his intentions were clear.

Soon, everyone started following where the light orb led them. Morden, who was at the forefront of the group, thought with immense anger and grief,

Whoever you are

I will kill you!

In a dimly lit chamber, Adam slowly opened his eyes. His vision was initially blurry but gradually gained focus.

"I'm alive?"

The moment he gained consciousness, the sensation of pain radiating throughout his body overwhelmed him like a tidal wave.

"Ughhh," he couldn't help but groan in agony.

His pupils darted around as he glanced at this familiar place. "Where am I?"

The next moment, he saw two tiny creatures slowly make their way toward him and stand right beside his face. Then, they leaned over and cutely glanced at him.

When Adam saw them, he was stunned!

"Y-You guys"

These tiny creatures had four yellow eyes each that shone with curiosity as they glanced at Adam.

They only looked at him for a few moments, before opening their mouths and starting to lick his face.

"Meow~"