When Korgami heard the beast's final words, he showed no outward reaction, but a storm had begun brewing in his mind.
"His wife... and daughter..."
He whispered to himself, his violet eyes flickering with a faint glow.
"Does Barbaros have weaknesses? It seems his heart hasn't been freed from the shadows of the past..."
A cold, shadow-like smile appeared on his face, as if the darkness itself had conspired with him on this discovery.
"If he truly still clings to them... I'll forge them into a blade to stab him with..."
Then he murmured, his mind racing:
"But... I don't know what they look like. I can't copy those I've never seen..."
"I need someone who knows them... someone of the same race... Yes, there's one right before me now."
He shifted his gaze downward, where the fierce battle raged between the Human Commander and the beast who'd spilled all the secrets.
"You... the one who spoke the truth... You'll be used now."
The Queen noticed Korgami was plotting something dark again but didn't intervene.
Korgami whispered, so softly only Ragnar could hear:
"Why not let them fight a little longer? Exhaust the pieces, then move the board..."
At that moment, Korgami drew from his cloak a dark stone slab, etched with a spiral of ancient symbols. He whispered forgotten words into it, and darkness began to condense around him, as if something was being prepared.
"This! The stone I managed to forge under Ragnar's guidance after handing the Stones to the four foolish leaders... Though I only succeeded once, its craftsmanship was excellent." Korgami muttered as he watched the stone pulse with energy, gripping it in his hand.
He released the stone—but contrary to expectation, instead of falling, it remained suspended in mid-air. This stone was no ordinary object...
Korgami kept his eyes fixed on the battle between the Golden Commander and the beast, his hands behind his back, while the dark stone floated slowly before him, surrounded by a halo of violet-tinged darkness.
"This stone... is more than a tool. It's an extension of my will... a will that defies all..."
He whispered to himself as he toyed with thoughts of submission, control, and seeing through others' eyes.
Suddenly, the beast and the Commander vanished from the pit, followed moments later by a violent collision in the sky...
The beast unleashed a barrage of dark energy orbs, each the size of a small house, tearing through the sky like meteors.
The Golden Commander raised his pure shield, saturated with golden energy, deflecting the orbs with astonishing skill. Each impact produced a deafening roar and blinding flashes.
But the deflected strikes flew wildly...
Some slammed into the barrier, causing explosive sparks; others crashed down onto the guards, forcing them into chaotic retreat.
One such orb ricocheted at terrifying speed, shooting like a black comet straight toward Korgami.
Ragnar shouted and lunged to intercept it, but Korgami raised his hand slowly, stopping him with a calm voice:
"Stand down."
Ragnar didn't hesitate—he'd seen that gleam in his master's eyes before. The gleam that meant: "Do not interfere. I am in control."
In a split second, Korgami raised his finger, wrapped in a swirling vortex of dark energy.
BOOOOOOM!
The moment his finger touched the orb, it exploded mid-air, dissipating into dark gray smoke without even grazing him.
A violent gust of wind whipped up, scattering leaves from the trees below, while Korgami stood unwavering in the air, his cloak billowing. His eyes watched the battle as if nothing had happened.
Ragnar asked, astonished:
"Were you going to let it hit you?!"
Korgami replied with a faint smile:
"I merely wished to measure the chaos this Commander can unleash... Interesting... But he made one mistake... He fought me within my own domain..."
Then he looked back at the beast, gripping the dark stone as he muttered:
"I'll make this beast my eyes, watching the future from afar... and my blade to tear out his master's heart..."
Near the battlefield, atop the massive wall, stood the Barrier Guardians—an elite guard unit tasked solely with maintaining the barrier's strength.
But seen from afar, they seemed weak. "Is this the strength of SS-rank guardians?" one might ask...
They struggled to deflect the energy orbs ricocheting from their Commander's radiant shield. The impacts were devastating.
"Damn it! What kind of energy is this?!" shouted one guardian as he blocked an incoming orb.
"I don't know either... Even if we stop them, they explode instantly!" yelled another, crouching behind his comrade.
But what caught their attention were two figures hovering in the air—or rather, one figure and a tall shadow standing behind him.
"What is that? I don't recall seeing him before..."
The guards stared in astonishment.
"Is he aligned with that beast? Or with us?" they wondered silently, unaware this figure was plotting something terrible...
After only a moment's thought—What should we do about him?!—it happened.
Without warning...
A massive black orb rebounded from their Commander's shield.
It shot out at blinding speed, its energy completely different from previous orbs.
The shadow behind the figure moved as if to intercept it... but...
The cloaked man raised his hand... as if saying, "Stop."
As the orb was about to strike him...
He merely lifted his finger, now sheathed in a vortex-like dark aura...
What followed was an earth-shattering explosion:
BOOOOM!
The guards stared in stunned silence... shock etched on their faces.
"How is this possible?!" one exclaimed, watching the man's cloak whip violently in the wind.
"That man... Is he the one who stood alone against the heroes of the Varyon Alliance? If so... he's unlikely to side with that beast, but he's not with us either..." mused a giant, pale-skinned guard, glaring at Korgami.
"What?! That same man? Why is he here? Don't tell me he wants to enter the Beast Continent... That's suicide!"
"I don't know why, but his mere presence threatens the barrier... forcing us to treat him as an enemy."
"Hey, Cloak! I'm talking to you—can you hear me?!"
The guards tried calling out, but Korgami turned toward them... and a violet spark flashed in his eyes.
"Hmph... It seems the hero-insects have spotted us... Pathetic. How could SS-rank heroes fail to notice two intruders in a restricted zone?!"
"This is pitiful..." Korgami spat, looking at them with contempt.
Ragnar said tonelessly: "Master, you underestimate your own power... Your presence is so terrifying that even at less than 1% strength, darkness instinctively conceals you..."
"I advise you not to underestimate high ranks like SS... You can't match them now unless you unleash your inner dark energy to temporarily boost your power... and that could harm your mortal body."
"But there is a possibility... If you reach the meteor before it strikes the Beast Continent... and absorb the negative energy—the hatred, malice, and all dark emotions gathered since its explosion—you might unlock 1% of your power."
"Also, if you faced Barboros now... he could kill you with a glance. That beast fighting the human Commander is proof enough... I've seen his power."
"Though it's nothing compared to the King of old... he could end you now with a word. You're no longer the King feared across worlds, just a mortal now..."
Ragnar's words struck Korgami like an arrow to the heart.
He hadn't expected such boldness from his ever-loyal servant... but Korgami lifted his head, staring at the clouds just meters away.
"You're right, Ragnar... So, the four years until the meteor arrives... I'll spend training inside the Beast Continent. And on the day it falls... will be my fated battle against the Calamity-ranked Beast Leader—Barboros."
Korgami's aura suddenly spiked... The beast and Commander felt his energy fluctuate but didn't deem him a threat.
His gaze shifted... to one that saw only contempt, as if he loathed everyone present.
"But Ragnar... How about you kill all the guardians?"
"Now... Attend to them. Leave none alive. They're useless to my plans."
The crystal stone glowed brighter than ever... signaling Korgami's energy had fully coalesced.
Korgami sneered:
"Heh... Ugly beast... Drain your energy all you want... I'll show you how humans can be worse than beasts..."
"I don't know if I'm still human or not..."
"But I am Korgami... I will erase the heroes. I will wipe the Beast Continent from history. I will leave for another planet... and achieve the impossible... to destroy them from there."
Ragnar watched his master's expression... and suddenly, an ancient memory surfaced—of the Dark King wearing that same look.
Ragnar soared through the air toward the colossal wall and the barrier emitting powerful energy vibrations. In an instant, he reached one of the guardians...
He drew his sword from behind his back... and swung it.
A wave of darkness surged toward the guards...
"Look out! That shadow is attacking!"
"DEFEND!!!"