Chapter 581: A Man

As Dale spoke, a peculiar silence fell over the room. For reasons unknown, everyone paused, their gazes shifting to him with varying degrees of disbelief and surprise.

Sensing the odd atmosphere and his teammates’ strange expressions, Dale furrowed his brow and asked, “What?”

“Is there something wrong with your brain?” Reynold asked dryly from the side, his tone laced with suspicion.

“What do you mean by that?” Dale replied, slightly confused.

“Your plan actually sounds… smart. We’re just wondering if you ate something unusual during this week-long preparation that suddenly gave you a boost in intelligence,” Seraphim added, raising a brow as she leaned forward slightly.

Dale merely snorted and chose not to dignify the comments with a response.

“Although your plan is decent, and admittedly beyond the scope of the assigned mission, do you think it’ll be that easy to infiltrate the Forsaken Cult’s base and implant mana bombs?” Kingsley asked, his tall frame relaxed against the wall.

Everyone nodded in agreement with Kingsley’s words. The Forsaken Cult’s base would no doubt be heavily fortified, layered with numerous detection runes, magical barriers, and enchantments. Stealthily planting mana bombs inside such a place wouldn’t be easy, if it was even possible at all.

“Don’t worry. I possess the darkness element. That should be more than enough,” Dale said with a hint of pride.

Everyone collectively shook their heads. The darkness element, while versatile, was far from rare. Thousands within the Forsaken Cult were known to wield the same element, and so did many demons. Relying solely on it would be foolish.

“Do you think they’re expecting us? Like… maybe there’s been a leak?” Seraphim asked suddenly, her voice quiet yet clear from the side.

Though Anthony’s eyes remained closed in deep thought, his attention visibly shifted toward Seraphim the moment she spoke. He had been asking himself that very question internally. Now it seemed Seraphim had also thought that far ahead.

“They won’t,” Vega responded from beside Anthony. “Only we and the Warlords know about this mission. The information is locked tight.”

Seraphim nodded slowly, then rose gracefully from her seat. She floated upward toward the aircraft’s ceiling. With a mere flicker of thought, her spiritual energy responded, bending the laws of matter around her.

Her form phased seamlessly through the roof of the aircraft until her feet touched down lightly atop it, where she now stood under the open sky as the aircraft soared ahead.

This was one of the many applications of spiritual energy she had learned directly from Anthony. As an illusionist, Seraphim had mastered the art of turning her body into a phantom-like projection, allowing her to phase through solid material as though she were no more than a dream.

Her green eyes turned toward the sky above, which stretched in vast majesty. The wind played with her hair, sending dark strands whipping behind her like wild ribbons.

‘I’ve been cooped up in the military base for so long, I haven’t even returned here in years…’ Seraphim thought with a sigh.

Her gaze drifted toward the distant horizon, focusing on the direction of the Elf Domain. There, piercing the heavens themselves, she saw a towering tree, so tall and vast it appeared to support the sky. The Elves referred to it as the World Tree.

Elves who awakened the ability to manipulate spiritual energy were said to be blessed directly by this ancient tree.

‘Maybe I should check in on the Elf Domain after this mission,’ she mused to herself.

Her thoughts then wandered to the Elf King, Aeltharion Moonwhisper. She wondered how he would deal with the Forsaken Cult’s agents that had infiltrated his lands.

But Seraphim quickly shook her head, pushing the thought aside. Every Domain leader was said to be at least as powerful as a Supreme Monarch. The Forsaken Cult didn’t stand a chance against such forces, not on their own territory.

“A penny for your thoughts?” came a voice from behind.

Seraphim’s head snapped to the side. Standing there calmly was Vega, her presence as silent as the wind. Seraphim hadn’t even sensed her approach.

‘When did she get here?’ she wondered, startled.

“Just thinking whether or not to visit the Elf Domain,” Seraphim said honestly.

“And why hesitate?” Vega asked, tilting her head slightly. “If it’s on your mind, just go. Or is something holding you back?”

“There’s simply no reason to,” Seraphim said, her tone suddenly subdued. “I have no family left in the Elf Domain.”

There was a melancholic weight to her words. Vega, perceptive as always, didn’t pry. She refrained from asking how Seraphim had lost her family or probing any sensitive questions. Painful memories didn’t need reopening.

“I’m sorry for your loss, Seraphim,” Vega said gently, her voice full of sincere empathy.

Seraphim didn’t respond. Her gaze remained fixed on the luminous moon above, her thoughts drifting once more.

“If you’re not visiting the Elf Domain, you should consider the Human Domain,” Vega continued, her tone now lighter. “I’ll personally take you around. Show you all the fun stuff. It’ll be our night out.”

Seraphim looked at her, intrigued.

“I might just take you up on that. Though I’ve been to the Human Domain twice, those visits were strictly for missions, recruiting military candidates back when I was still a Lieutenant,” she said.

“Then you’ve never really experienced it. This time, it’ll be different. Bring some friends too. We’ll make it a proper girls’ night. I’ll bring Veronica,” Vega added with a wink.

Seraphim chuckled lightly. “You and Veronica seem pretty close. How long have you known her?”

“Almost a decade now,” Vega replied. “We’ve been best friends ever since. Why do you ask?”

“Nothing really. I just remember her eyes. I’ve never seen anything like them, pure white, yet… beautiful.”

“You’re not the first to say that,” Vega said with a nostalgic smile. “A lot of people say that when they first meet her. Even I was—”

She abruptly stopped mid-sentence, her gaze locking onto something far in the distance. Seraphim noticed her sudden silence and followed her line of sight.

Far ahead, in the pale moonlight, floated a lone figure.

It was a man, tall, around seven feet, with long, flowing hair the color of pure blood that danced in the wind. His eyes matched the crimson hue, glowing with a piercing intensity. His skin was unusually pale, almost ethereal.

Then, slowly, the figure raised his hand.

Seeing this motion, both Vega and Seraphim reacted in an instant. Their bodies phased through the aircraft roof, returning to the interior like specters falling through mist.

“Antho—” Seraphim began, but she was cut off.

In that very moment, everyone’s instincts screamed in unison, as if the very air had been filled with a singular, undeniable message:

Death.