His grip on his sword hardened.
"You people... don’t really know when to stop talking."
The guards frowned. "What did you say?"
Theon slowly pointed his blade toward them. "I said... if you’re done talking... come at me."
For a split second, the entire cave became silent. Then a voice echoed, "Kill him!"
More than a dozen guards charged at once.
Theon didn’t panic. His eyes calmly followed every movement. The first man swung his sword. Theon stepped beneath.
Clang!
The blade struck nothing but air. Theon drove the hilt of his sword into the man’s ribs.
Thud!
The guard cried out and collapsed. A spear came from behind. Without looking back, Theon ducked as the spear flew over his head. He spun around and swept the attacker’s legs from beneath him.
The man hit the ground hard. Another rushed in with an axe. Theon blocked the strike.
Clang!
The impact echoed through the cave. Using the opening, he drove his shoulder into the man’s chest. The guard stumbled backward into two others as they all crashed to the ground.
"What?!"
"How is a kid doing this?!"
The guards stared in shock. Theon didn’t give them time to recover. He dashed forward. His movements were clean and efficient. Every swing of his blade struck with precision. One guard dropped.
Then another. Then another. No unnecessary movements. No wasted energy. Everything flowed naturally.
Watching from the cages, one of the older elf boys whispered, "He’s... amazing..."
A little elf girl clutched Frena’s sleeve. "Is he really human?"
Frena smiled faintly. "...Yes. But he’s unlike any human I’ve ever met."
She continued unlocking the remaining cages as quickly as she could. "There. The last one."
The final lock clicked open. All of the elf children were free. Frena quickly gathered them together. "Everyone, stay close. We’re leaving now."
Just then, a deep, powerful voice echoed throughout the cavern.
"So... this is why my men have been disappearing."
The laughter in the camp stopped instantly. Every remaining guard stepped aside as heavy footsteps echoed from the darkness beyond the cave.
Thud.
Thud.
Thud.
A tall man slowly emerged from the shadows. He wore a long black cloak, and dark mana swirled around his body like smoke. His cold eyes settled on Theon. Then he smiled.
"So... you’re the little pest causing all this trouble."
Theon narrowed his eyes. He could immediately feel it—this man’s presence was completely different from everyone else in the cave. Without taking his eyes off the stranger, Theon spoke calmly.
"Frena. Take the children and get them somewhere safe."
Frena understood what he meant immediately as she gathered the children behind her. "...Be careful."
Theon gave a small nod. "I will."
The mysterious man chuckled. "Trying to protect others? How amusing." He slowly raised one hand.
Dark shadows gathered around his fingers. The real battle was about to begin.
"Everyone, stay close to me." The frightened children quickly obeyed. Some held each other’s hands, while others clung tightly to Frena’s cloak. Theon didn’t take his eyes off the man standing before him.
"I go by the name Malrik Voss."
Theon’s eyes widened in shock. Malrik Voss, the leader of the Black Chain Syndicate, was a man whose overwhelming magic was more terrifying than any monster’s. Across the continent, countless children had disappeared because of his power.
Malrik stared at Theon with a faint smile. "I have to admit, I didn’t expect a child to defeat so many of my men." He hardened his grip on his sword.
"But this is where it ends." Dark mana poured from his body. Black shadows spread across the ground like living creatures.
Theon raised his sword. His expression remained still. "I’m not the one who’s going to lose."
Malrik chuckled. "We’ll see."
In the next instant, he vanished.
Theon’s eyes widened. "So fast!"
Before he could react, bang! A powerful kick struck his side. Theon was thrown several meters across the cave before landing on one knee.
He quickly looked around. Malrik had disappeared again.
"Looking for me?" His voice appeared from behind. Theon turned at once to block the attack.
Clang!
Their swords collided. The impact sent both of them sliding backward. Malrik smiled. "Good reflexes. But they’re still too slow and lack experience." His body melted into the shadows once more. He appeared above Theon, his blade coming crashing down. Theon rolled to the side just in time.
Boom!
The attack shattered the rocky ground. Without wasting a second, Theon stretched out his hand. "Ice Spear."
Several sharp spears of ice shot toward Malrik. He swung his sword, and dark mana burst from the blade. The ice shattered before reaching him.
He laughed. "Is that the best you’ve got?"
Theon didn’t answer. Instead, he placed his palm on the ground. "Ice Vine."
Frozen vines burst from beneath the earth and rushed toward Malrik. They wrapped around his legs and arms. For a brief moment, he couldn’t move. Theon dashed forward, his sword aimed straight at Malrik’s chest.
Crack! Dark shadows burst from Malrik’s body. The frozen vines broke apart instantly. Malrik stepped aside and drove his fist into Theon’s stomach.
Bang! Theon staggered backward. Before he could recover, another strike landed across his shoulder. Then another. The final blow sent him crashing into a stone wall. Dust filled the air.
Frena looked over in shock. "Theon!"
The elf children held their breath as Malrik lowered his sword. "I thought you’d entertain me longer. You’ve got talent. But talent isn’t enough."
Theon remained silent. He slowly pushed himself to his feet. A small cut rested at the corner of his mouth as he wiped away the blood with the back of his hand. Then he smiled.
Malrik frowned. "...What’s so funny?"
Theon looked straight at him. "I wanted to finish this without using it." He lifted one hand toward the ceiling. "But you’ve made your choice."
A cold wind swept through the cave as the torches flickered wildly. The temperature dropped. Tiny crystals of frost began forming across the walls.
Malrik’s smile faded. He could feel it. Something was changing. Blue light gathered above Theon. Ancient magic circles appeared one after another, circling high in the air.
Malrik’s eyes widened. "Ancient Magic?"
Theon didn’t answer. He simply kept his hand raised as the enormous magic circle continued to expand above the battlefield. Malrik stared at the glowing runes above his head.
His confident smile was gone. The blue magic circle continued to grow until it covered the entire cavern. Ancient symbols revolved around its edge, releasing an overwhelming pressure.
The remaining guards looked up in horror. "...What is that? I’ve never seen a magic circle that large..."
One of them dropped his weapon. "We have to get out of here!"
Panic spread through the hideout. Some of the men turned and ran toward the exit. Others stood frozen in fear.
Malrik gritted his teeth. "...Ancient Magic. So the rumors were true."
He pointed his sword at Theon. "It doesn’t matter. I’ll kill you before you can cast it!"
Dark mana burst from beneath him as he shot forward at full speed. His sword sliced through the air as he aimed for Theon’s neck.
Theon didn’t move. His eyes remained fixed on Malrik. Just before the blade reached him, a wall of ice rose from the ground.
Boom!
The sword struck the barrier but failed to break through. Malrik quickly jumped back, his expression turning serious. Theon lowered his raised hand. His voice echoed throughout the cavern.
"Ancient Ice Magic..."
The magic circle shone even brighter.
"...Ice Javelin."
For a heartbeat, everything became still. Then...
Crack!
A giant spear of crystal ice emerged from the center of the magic circle. Another followed. Then another. Within seconds, dozens of enormous ice javelins filled the sky above the cavern.
Each one glowed with ancient magic. Each one radiated terrifying power. The remaining guards stared upward. "...Run!"
Theon’s hand came down. The giant spears fell like a storm.
BOOM!!
The first javelin struck the ground, sending a violent shockwave through the cave. Another pierced a watchtower, reducing it to rubble. A third crashed into the surrounding walls.
The entire hideout shook as the ceiling cracked apart. Huge rocks began to rain down from above. The guards fled in every direction, screaming as the cavern collapsed around them.
Frena immediately gathered the elf children. "Everyone! This way!"
She led them toward the exit while protecting the younger ones from the falling debris.
Theon watched Malrik. Just as another ice javelin came down, Malrik’s body dissolved into darkness.
"...Shadow Magic." Theon frowned. "He’s escaping."
Without hesitation, he called out, "Fen!" A ripple spread beneath his feet.
A massive silver-white wolf burst from his shadow. Its crimson, predatory eyes locked onto the fleeing ringleader. Theon pointed toward the escaping figure.
"Don’t let him get away."
Fen let out a powerful howl before disappearing into the darkness.
Moments later, Theon helped Frena guide the rescued children out of the collapsing hideout. As they reached a safe distance, the cave gave one final roar.
BOOM!
The entrance collapsed completely. Silence followed. The rescued children looked back at the ruined hideout. Some cried with relief. Others hugged Frena tightly as she smiled gently.
"...It’s over."
Just then, Theon’s familiar howl echoed through the forest. Fen emerged from the trees, blood staining its jaws. In its mouth, it carried the battered body of Malrik. It gently dropped him onto the snowy ground before Theon.
Then Malrik coughed weakly. With the last of his strength, he looked at Theon and laughed.
"Heh... you may have won today. But... the Pandora Codex... will find you." His eyes lost their light, and he fell silent.
Neither Theon nor Frena noticed the faint strand of shadow mana that slipped away from the body. It disappeared into the night.
Theon looked at Frena. "The children are safe now."
She nodded. "Thanks to you."
The elf children gathered around her. One little girl looked at Theon. "...Thank you."
Theon smiled. "You are welcome. Just go home safely."
Frena stepped forward. "I’ll take them back to the Elven Kingdom." She looked at him for a moment. "...I won’t forget this."
Theon nodded. "I hope we meet again."
She smiled faintly before leading the children into the forest. Theon watched until they disappeared among the trees. Then he turned toward the palace.
He had no idea that the shadow mana which had escaped from Malrik’s body was already racing through the night, weaving from one shadow to another. It passed beneath towering trees, through deserted paths, and eventually reached the Imperial Palace.
Without alerting a single guard, it descended deep beneath the palace. Far below the grand halls, far below the royal chambers, it entered the ancient underground prison hidden beneath the Imperial Palace. At the very end of the dungeon sat a lone man.
Heavy chains bound his arms and legs. Countless magical seals covered the walls, the floor, and even his body. The strand of shadow mana stopped before him and dissolved into a message. The man’s closed eyes slowly opened. An obvious smile appeared on his face.
"Finally. The child is here."