When the rays of dawn shone through the leaves of the Darkwood forest, Exitus woke up after a night’s sleep. The memories of the past appeared, haunting his mind. He thought he had become immune to them after the constant nightmares in Allblack, but no, perhaps he had overestimated himself. The pains, the memories, they had never disappeared. They were only there, accumulating, waiting for a day to erupt.

  “Let’s depart, Exitus.” Nashor’s voice echoed, pulling him out of his thoughts.

  “Alright,” Exitus replied quietly.

  “Do you miss your family, Nashor?” the boy suddenly asked.

  Nashor was startled. It had been a long time since anyone asked him that question. Something pricked in his heart, a feeling he had buried long ago.

  “Not for a single second have I forgotten them, Exitus. Not for a single second have I forgotten the hatred that can never be reconciled.”

  “He feels that too, Nashor? Your enemy once tasted the same thing.” Nashor fell silent. He knew the law of cause and effect but so what? He only knew vengeance; that was simply the only reason he still existed in this world.

  Nashor gritted his teeth and steeled his resolve. From beneath his cloak, he drew out a glimmering silver-gray badge and tossed it to Exitus.

  “This is ... the leader badge of the SilverFang.” The boy caught the badge, surprised as he looked at the object in his hands.

  “How… how do you know this?” Nashor asked, astonished that Exitus recognized it.

  "I know a lot more than you think." The boy calmly said, he even had a detailed introduction page about it.

  “This is the final legacy of our tribe. Help me find the one worthy to inherit it. It only reacts to Ossa blood; others will not be chosen.” It was ironic. Even though Nashor was the last heir of the main SilverFang line, the badge still would not acknowledge him.

  Exitus nodded gently and carefully tucked the badge into his shirt pocket. There was no need to be greedy; he had another version of it that could be used.

  The two companions walked in silence, accompanied only by the rustle of footsteps and the whistling wind. The scenery of the forest slowly changed; the lush green leaves turned into withered yellow, the sturdy branches decayed and barren. The deeper they went into the Valley of Death, the gloom thickened—the chilling wind, the stench of decaying corpses. Their journey would soon end; the feast would soon be over. Before them lay the entrance to the Valley of Death, where skeletons dragged their bony bodies with soulless steps. Starved undead wolves, their stomachs torn open, devoured the flesh of their own kind.

  Crack!

  Exitus stepped on a dry twig, making just a small sound, but it was like a flash of lightning in a dark sky, enough to draw the attention of the undead and skeletons. They sensed the living energy coming from the two humans before them. The skeletons’ eyes flickered with flames as they raised their weapons, slowly approaching. The undead beasts drooled, eyes blazing, they did not wait, they rushed forward with open jaws to tear their prey apart.

  “Fall back.”

  A gloomy voice echoed. All the undead creatures seemed to feel a commanding order pressing upon their minds. They all retreated, making way for a powerful being to appear. Slow, deliberate footsteps echoed, and the figure gradually emerged from the dark mist covering the Valley of Death. A skeleton draped in a black robe carved with strange patterns, its hands bound by chains inscribed with runes, those chains seemed anchored to somewhere deep within the fog.

  “It’s a Lich,” Nashor whispered.

  The nameless Lich advanced slowly toward the two. The iron chains clanged softly, straining to their limits. The Lich fixed his gaze on Exitus. Despite the boy’s small frame, an immense power lay hidden within him. Curiosity stirred, and the Lich tried to probe deeper using Will but suddenly, a pair of red eyes pierced his mind, terrifying and unyielding. They stared straight into his soul, a chilling warning.

  For the first time in a hundred years, the nameless Lich felt fear. A being of unimaginable power resided within this boy.

  “Why have you come here? This place does not welcome the living. Please, leave,” the Lich said politely.

  Exitus was surprised. In the books he had read, Liches were powerful sorcerers, at least of the rank “Archmage.”They transformed into undead because of their desire for immortality and power. Liches were intelligent and arrogant creatures. A Lich speaking politely to those beneath him was extremely strange.

  “We came to ask the Ferryman to help us cross the Black Sea,” Nashor said.

  The Lich fell silent, staring at Nashor. The flames in his eyes flickered, then he said:

  “You know the rule, don’t you?”

  “I know. Let the boy go first,” Nashor said calmly.

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

  The Lich said nothing. He did not interfere in others’ affairs. He himself was merely a prisoner here. If the visitor followed the rules, there would be no problem. He waved his hand, and a surge of magic dispersed the fog, revealing a long path. He pointed his bony finger toward the distance and said softly to Exitus:

  “Boy, follow this path. At the end, the Ferryman will be waiting there.”

  “Right” Exitus nodded.

  He turned to look long and deep at Nashor. The warlord did not avoid his gaze. He smiled faintly and nodded.

  “Go, Exitus.”

  Exitus walked slowly into the mist until his figure completely vanished. He did not look back.

  “He is a smart and… determined boy,” the Lich gazed into the fog, as if he could still see the boy’s silhouette.

  “He is special, hard to deceive, intelligent to a frightening degree.”

  “That’s why I said he is determined. He knows, yet he still walks forward. In the future, he will become one of the proud and mighty.”

  “Ha ha ha! Only proud and mighty can fulfill my wish!” Nashor laughed loudly.

  He laughed heartily, like one who had avenged his hatred, like one laughing for the last time. After a while, the laughter faded, and the mist once again veiled everything.

  Exitus walked through the cold air. Each footstep echoed in his heart. He wanted countless times to turn back but he chose not to. He forced himself to move forward, until finally, the image of a poetic riverbank appeared before his eyes. An old, moldy boat lay there, its body covered in green moss, the smell of damp wood mixed with rot forming a strange scent. The flowing river rocked the boat with creaking sounds. Standing there was a strange old woman, wrapped in a tattered black cloak. Unlike the sorcerer’s robe of the nameless Lich, hers was a common cloak worn to ward off cold, sunlight, and night fog. Her back was hunched, swollen as if with a large lump beneath. Her face was cold, her skin rough and covered with foul sores. The old woman smiled “brightly” to welcome Exitus, revealing black, sharp teeth like those of a beast.

  “Welcome, my dear guest! I am the Ferryman of the Black Sea. It seems you’ve met Kathas. He is an arrogant one, but I am not. I am very respectful and polite to my customers. Step aboard, and we shall begin our journey.”

  The old woman warmly guided the boy. As Exitus sat down on the boat, it drifted away. The boat seemed alive, it needed no control, moving by itself with the flow. Exitus watched the strange old woman. She, like Kathas, seemed wary of him. She sensed something extremely dangerous emanating from him. Contrary to her earlier cheerfulness, now she was silent and cautious.

  “This trip isn’t free, is it? What is its price, madam?” Exitus broke the silence and asked politely.

  “You don’t know? No! you already know,” the old woman said in surprise, then smiled mysteriously.

  “Why ask something you already know?” she asked mockingly.

  “I might be wrong,” Exitus whispered, as a glimmer of hope faded from his eyes.

  No one knew how long had passed. The boat just kept floating on. Silence would likely envelop it until it finally emerged from the endless mist.

  Hesmir Bay, a sea bay located in the city of Hesmir of Hesmor, a place blessed by nature with abundant resources, rich sediments, and diverse marine life. The villagers fished on small boats, their cheerful shouts echoing across the waves, hauling in nets heavy with the sea’s bounty. Thanks to Enesur’s blessing, the fishermen of Hesmir once again celebrated a prosperous harvest season.

  Mira was an apprentice mage of Seabloom Academy which is a small combat academy near the bay of Hermis. A lively young girl with sun-kissed skin and light brown hair glimmering with golden hues typical of seaside folk. Her large round eyes, thick determined brows, high nose, and small lips gave her a bright and firm expression. She had returned home for a short break, and today, she joined her father’s fishing boat at sea. Though still an apprentice, she could clearly sense the water element; through the ripples of the current, she could predict where the fish gathered. Her father’s boat owed much of its success to her abilities. In this fishing village, at least, Mira was regarded as a genius.

  Playing with a lock of her hair, Mira gazed into the deep blue flow of the sea, where sunlight shimmered and danced. She inhaled the salty breeze that brushed gently across her face and listened to the soft rhythm of the boat slicing through the water. She cherished these peaceful moments, away from the noisy, complicated life of the academy, where her humble origin was always a problem, a barrier in her path. Mira could feel herself nearing the condensation of her first magic core; once successful, she would officially become a mage, a mage at eighteen. But she needed the help of a mana stone, a costly item monopolized by nobles. With it, her advancement time would shorten greatly, giving her the qualification to take the Great-Mornet Academy examination.

  “Damn those filthy nobles!”

  Thinking about months of oppression made her puff her cheeks in anger. Suddenly, something floating in the water caught her eye. Mira gasped and shouted to alert the crew.

  “Everyone! There’s a boy floating in the sea! Hurry and pull him up!” she cried out in panic.

  Exitus woke up on a soft wooden bed, his head resting on a smooth pillow beneath a warm blanket. He lay still, soaking in the gentle warmth and comfort he hadn’t felt for a long time. Suddenly, he grabbed the pillow, squeezed it, then pressed it to his face and took a deep breath. It smelled... pleasant, comforting.

  “Hey! What the hell are you doing?”

  Mira stepped into the room just in time to see Exitus sniffing her pillow like a man possessed. She stared at him with a puzzled expression. Then her eyes caught the rat-shaped mark on his right hand perhaps the days of being treated like an animal had left him mentally unstable.

  “Hello there, I’m Mira. What’s your name?” she said, sitting beside the bed with a bright smile and a kind gaze.

  “My name is Exitus,” the boy replied.

  “Where am I? How long was I unconscious?”

  “This is Hesmir—well, you could call it by many names, but I prefer its nickname: the City of Dreams. As for you, I’m not sure. We found you drifting at sea... it’s been three days since then.”

  “Three days...? So I’ve drifted all the way to Hesmir, huh?” Exitus murmured.

  His last memory was of the small boat being swallowed by a strange whirlpool. It spun endlessly until the sea consumed everything. The old woman’s voice echoed in his mind like a farewell "One soul for one life". Exitus fell silent. Someday, he would return. There was no hatred toward those in the Valley of Death, it’s all just a transaction but at the very least, he wanted to bring Nashor home after fulfilling the man’s dying wish.

  “Hey! Are you even listening?” Mira waved her hand before his eyes to grab his attention. Her voice snapped him out of thought.

  “I’m not deaf,” he muttered.

  “Hmph! I know you’ve been through something terrible, but remember this! It was me who saved you!” Mira said with irritation.

  Exitus stayed silent. Perhaps he had been a bit rude, but his mood was in no state for pleasantries.

  "Growl"

  “...”

  “Ah! Mira, right? I’m really grateful you saved my life! Truly! I’d be even more grateful if you could give me something to eat right now,” Exitus smiled awkwardly.