In the middle of a fog-covered forest area, the night seemed rather evil that day, with moderate rain falling over one of the many forests in the central mountains of the Chutha Dynasty.

In one part of this forest, there was a place where there were hardly any magical beings around a peak that was about a kilometer high between its lowest and highest points.

In the middle of the peak, which covered an area larger than Saltstar City, was a relatively large cave with torches partially illuminating the surroundings.

As one moved further into the cave, one would see blood flowing from the inside of the cave toward the exit, where rain washed away the blood flowing down the side of the cave.

Meanwhile, screams of pain were coming from inside the cave, where a man with long white hair, tattoos on his body, and tanned skin was standing, waiting for the words of the man behind the screams and blood in the area.

If Vicente had come face to face with this man, he would have been shocked to see someone so similar to Casey!

The only difference between Casey and this person was his age, visible in the man's experienced eyes, but also in the signs of his wrinkles and white hair.

As he waited, an evil voice came from the cave's depths. "Joseph, the last group you brought me is far below my needs. Perhaps you have lost your value to me?"

Joseph shuddered as he heard this and replied. "Not at all! I'm bringing the master a few more people. They should be here soon."

"But will they make up for this latest failure?" The voice asked. "If it doesn't pay off, I'll have to use you next time."

Gulp!

"It will pay off for sure." He replied, trying to stay where he was. "I am an old man without much time or opportunity, master. But the people who are coming to us are young and full of vitality. You will not be disappointed with the next group."

"Let me know when they arrive. Let's see what your next gifts will be."

After that, the screams inside the cave resumed as Casey's father appeared outside the cave, ignoring the rain.

'Casey, you should have forgotten about me.' Joseph thought to himself, "Since you haven't forgotten me, help your old man live a little longer!

...

Meanwhile, not far from the cave, Casey was climbing the peak he had just reached, following in his old man's footsteps.

Casey was currently a Mid-level Mage and had the ideal configuration of pentagrams: a red, an orange, and a yellow.

That was nothing compared to Vicente's set of pentagrams, but it was excellent for a man of just over 20.

Since his ability was very unusual, it had given him a lot of confidence, which made him go in search of his father as soon as he had finished absorbing his third pentagram.

On that day about a year ago, he had successfully strengthened himself with a new pentagram and found traces of his father after years of not hearing from the man.

As someone who wanted his father dead as much as Vicente wanted revenge on those responsible for Kate's death, Casey didn't hesitate to begin the journey that was about to end.

As he climbed the peak, he couldn't help but remember his little sister killed by Joseph, feeling stronger as his heart shook with hatred for his father.

'Joseph, just wait for me! I'll turn you into a vegetable, just like you did with Ruby!' He clenched his fists in hate and walked off into the rain, not caring about the terrible feeling in the surrounding area.

...

As Casey was approaching the cave where his old man was waiting for him and Vicente's men, Vicente and Layla started to climb the peak.

'Master, something's wrong.' Torne alerted his master when he felt an evil aura that even he felt threatened by.

But Torne didn't have to say anything. The moment Vicente and Layla started to climb the peak, they noticed the same sensation coming from that place.

Vicente felt less bothered by the sensation, but even he noticed that what was there was not simple.

As for Layla, as a magician of the Light Path, she was the most affected of the three, and she immediately began to tremble at the sensation coming from the cave where Joseph's master was.

"What is it?" She looked at Vicente in doubt, as she had never felt anything like this before. "This is worse than what we felt in The Skull City. It's like death itself is on this peak!"

Vicente looked at the peak in front of him, seeing only a few meters ahead due to the fog in the area. "This feeling... What kind of magical being could create that?"

Then he remembered what the Lamia had told him and realized that she really had told him the truth.

"What has Casey's father gotten himself into?" He worried.

But then Torne said in his mind. 'I found your friend Casey, master. He's a little ahead of us. But he's already too close to the source of this evil feeling. We can no longer save him without risking ourselves as well.'

Vicente clenched his fists, feeling the doubt between abandoning Casey after all the way here and risking a little more.

'Damn it!' He closed his eyes and said to Layla. "You should go back. I'll keep going."

"What? Why?" She asked, not understanding why he wanted to go on alone.

"It will be too risky, Layla. You'd better not go with me."

"What about you?"

"I owe Casey a debt. He helped Nina in the past, so I'll help him this time."

Layla grabbed one of Vicente's shoulders and said. "That's not proportional at all. Casey wouldn't ask you to do this."

"But I'm going to do it anyway. If I can save him, I can benefit from his help in the future." Vicente commented as he took a step forward.

"Then I'll go too." She stepped forward as well, making Vicente stop and look into her eyes.

"I may not be able to protect you."

"Tsk! Are you worried about me?" She looked into his eyes, so close to Vicente that she could feel his breath.

"You don't have to risk your life for me." He said seriously.

"If I don't have to do that, what kind of companion am I?" She asked him seriously. "I may not agree with you on many things, but as long as we're traveling together, I'll do my best to help you, just as you've already done for me.

If you're going, I'm going too. There's no debate about it. Either we go back together, or we go on together!"

Vicente smiled when he saw the determination in the gray-

haired woman's eyes. He moved closer and touched one of her cheeks while his other arm went around her waist.

"If we survive this, I'll make you my woman."

Having said that, Vicente kissed Layla's pink lips, surprising her. She hadn't expected it, but she didn't refuse. When she felt his tongue enter her mouth, she let go for a moment and kissed for the first time in her life.