From the moment I was chosen by the holy relic

Eric looked down at him and asked, "What exactly do you want to do with these mages? Who are you communicating with? Who was that letter in the mine addressed to? What conspiracy are you plotting?"

Kadir slowly raised his head, his black hair falling across half his face. His expression was like a withered branch burning in the twilight, devoid of any regret, only a touch of absurd pleasure.

"Kill me," he said, his voice low and tinged with contempt. "I won't tell you."

Eric frowned slightly, but showed no anger. He turned to the soldiers behind him and ordered, "Separate each of his followers and interrogate them one by one."

He stepped out of the trap and walked steadily past a row of his bound prisoners. He interrogated each one individually. Some remained silent, some were terrified, and some simply shook their heads. None of them knew the name of the person in the letter, or even had heard of the correspondence.

Eric's expression darkened, and he walked back to Kadir.

"Your people know nothing."

Kadir tilted his head back and chuckled softly, the sound echoing between the rock walls like a venomous snake licking the air.

"Ha, I told you, it's no use asking them. I never let them know too much about what I do."

"You've changed," he said suddenly, a complex light flashing in his eyes. "Eric, you're not the naive kid you used to be."

Eric looked down at him, a cold smile slowly spreading across his face: "Isn't this all thanks to you?"

Kadir grinned, his laughter tinged with a faint cough, as if even his strength was beginning to wane. Yet he stubbornly held his head high, like a wolf king about to be beheaded.

Just then, footsteps sounded, and a figure slowly walked in from outside the door.

Leah wore a cloak, the edges of which were soaked by the rain. Her long hair clung to her face, and her complexion was almost deathly pale. When she saw the face that had haunted her nightmares, she trembled, her eyes reddening, but she forced herself to suppress her anger, hiding it in her voice:

"What are you still hesitating about?" she asked Eric coldly. "Kill him."

In her eyes were scorched earth after the fire, and the lingering echoes of her companions' deaths.

Lancelot stepped closer and said slowly, "The king has decreed that if Kadir can be captured, he need not be escorted to the capital; he can be executed on the spot, and the king will decide the outcome."

Eric remained silent for a moment.

He looked down at Qadir, his eyes showing neither anger nor pleasure, only an indescribable sorrow and resolve. He slowly drew his sword, its blade as cold as frost, reflecting the dim light in the cave, like a ray of clear radiance from a temple.

He walked slowly forward and stopped in front of Qadir.

"Kadir," he began, his voice loud and clear, like a declaration reaching the ears of everyone present:

"In the name of the kingdom,"

By the oath of the covenant of all spirits,

With the blood of those you have desecrated,

With the souls of the dead in your hands,

I, a knight of Nosteria,

You are sentenced to death. Execute the trial.

The sword was suspended in mid-air, not yet falling, when a bone-chilling cold suddenly surged from all directions.

Like a demonic claw suddenly appearing in the night, a thick, almost solidified black mist swept across the entire mine in an instant. It was not naturally formed smoke or dust, but rather a malevolent force carrying an evil curse, rising like a shadow from the depths of an abyss, transforming into a nightmare that enveloped all living beings.

Eric's heart sank, instantly sensing that familiar yet deadly aura. He roared:

"It's Senia! Defensive formation, all personnel assemble!"

Before he finished speaking, the sound of clashing steel rang out like a dense rain in the wind. Although the soldiers were startled, they were experienced in battle and in an instant formed a standard North Ring, a barrel-shaped circular defensive formation with shields raised high and spears thrust out, like thorns standing upright in the mountain rocks.

But something beyond reason lurked within that black fog.

A nearly invisible shadow swept across the perimeter. The next moment, a muffled groan was heard, and a shield-wielding soldier's body jolted violently. Blood gushed from the crack in his breastplate, slithering like a snake down to the ground. His arm remained in a defensive stance, but his life had already been severed by the sharp blade.

"Second group, switch positions!" Lieutenant Reihart roared, his hoarse voice filled with barely suppressed fear.

But all of this is just the beginning.

The black fog grew thicker and thicker, as if it were deliberately obscuring the light and dragging everyone into a gloomy abyss.

The soldiers grew restless; they couldn't see their surroundings, couldn't hear friend from foe, and couldn't even tell if they were still in their positions. The iron boots pounded the ground with an ominous echo, like the sound of drums striking a coffin lid.

Some people began to panic, started shouting, and instinctively brandished their swords in an attempt to drive away the invisible enemy.

"Don't move!" Eric roared, but he knew that in this kind of magical mist, the authority of words was gradually losing its effect.

He gripped the sword tightly, a chill creeping from the hilt into his arm, as if warning of an approaching murderous intent.

From within the black mist, a piercing sneer rang out, a sound like the friction of snake scales or the tearing of rags, sending chills down one's spine:

"Tsk tsk tsk, your defense is just as boring as it is on the arena."

That was Senia's voice, flippant and cold, like a knife tip lightly grazing the throat, yet deliberately not cutting in.

"Senya!" Eric roared, his anger surging. "Eileen spared your life back then, and you have no conscience at all?"

His voice cut through the black mist, but could not penetrate the shadowy, sunless place.

"Conscience?" Senia smiled faintly, as if she had heard a ridiculous joke.

"You and that little witch who can heal can live, that's my way of thanking Eileen. But what about the others?" He paused, and the next moment, a short sword shot out from the mist, as fast as a ghost and as sharp as thunder.

"I don't owe them anything."

Another mournful cry rang out.

Eric whirled around to see a young soldier slowly collapsing, his eyes wide with terror. The short sword had pierced his heart with near-cruel precision.

"No, if this continues, we'll be hunted down by him one by one." Eric's heart was filled with turmoil.

He gripped the sword hilt tightly, veins bulging on his forehead, his breathing becoming heavy. He had fought Senia before and knew she was no ordinary assassin, but a hunter with precise control over the black mist and exceptional senses. She was as cunning as a night demon in the darkness, capable of silently striking at the heart of the enemy.

"Calm down, Eric, calm down, you're the commander!" He forced himself to remain calm, but the black mist before him seemed to be alive, entwining his will and trying to drag him into chaos.

However, just on the verge of despair, a subtle change quietly occurred.

It started as a point of light.

As small as a grain of rice, as faint as a firefly. But Eric saw it; in the corner of his vision, that glimmer of light was not obscured by the black mist.

He held his breath and stared intently. It was a metallic glint on the edge of the shield—Leah's staff.

Then, there are the textures of the rock face, the dust on the ground, and people.

Eric's heart skipped a beat.

"Can I see?"

He couldn't believe his eyes. The black fog was still thick, but his vision was slowly returning—blurred, distorted, yet real. Light and shadow intertwined and recombine in his eyes, and outlines reappeared.

"What happened?" Lancelot whispered, panting. "I can see it now!"

More soldiers around them cried out in alarm. Some knelt on the ground, panting, while others looked around, their eyes regaining their vitality and anger. They supported each other, gripping their shields and spears tightly. The panic from before was gone from their eyes; instead, they showed a will to be reborn from the brink of death.

"Quickly restore formation!" Eric shouted the order.

But his gaze never left the edge of the black mist.

He knew that Senia had not yet shown up.

At that very moment, a series of hurried yet faint footsteps echoed through the fog. Before the soldiers could even turn around, a dark figure darted through the gaps like a snake, swiftly passing through the partially reorganized defensive perimeter.

"Stop him!" Lancelot shouted, but the dark figure had already swept past like a whirlwind, grabbing Kadir by the back of his shirt and dragging him out of the mine tunnel.

"He's trying to escape!" someone exclaimed.

Senia's movements were swift and decisive, clearly indicating that he had already judged the situation to be irreversible. He didn't understand how these people had broken free from the suppression of the black mist, but he knew that once the enemy regained their sight, he would have no chance of winning.

He did not hesitate.

Amidst the fog and chaos, before his vision was fully clear, he plunged into the exit, like a startled black fox fleeing.

"Stop him!" Eric roared, leaping into the air to give chase. But the fog had not completely dissipated, and the dim light along the path provided cover for Senia.

Outside the mine tunnels, the neighing of warhorses could be heard.

Senia practically leaped onto the horse's back, and with a thud, the horse carried him away as a blurry afterimage, disappearing into the distance along the mountain road.

"Damn it!" Eric stood at the cave entrance, watching the figure gradually blur into the dust, his hand almost crushing the hilt of his sword.

Light footsteps sounded as Lia approached. Lingering magical energy still emanated from her, but her face was filled with disappointment and anger, her lips even turning pale from being clenched so tightly.

Her gaze was fixed on the distance, her fingertips trembling slightly.

"Just a little bit more," she said in a low voice, her voice as cold as sharp shards of ice.

Eric turned to look at her, remaining silent for a moment. He understood why Leah was so furious; it was a rare opportunity, a crucial moment that could lead to Kadir's downfall. Such a chance might never return.

He said slowly, "I understand you. We have come a long way and sacrificed too much to finally have the opportunity to settle this blood debt."

Leah slowly lowered her hand, the anger burning in her eyes had not yet subsided, but she had gained a sense of calm and restraint.