31- It was a trap

Yassin appeared in a strange place that stretched as far as the eye could see. A vast, flat land of black sand, surrounded by mountains on every side.

It was the Black Valley.

He walked forward slowly, casting a calm glance around. Then he sensed two familiar energies.

He turned toward them and said:

“Your hostile intent is obvious... Come out. Let’s talk first.”

Noel and Sam stepped out from behind a massive rock.

Sam smiled.

“No wonder you were our teacher.”

Yassin answered calmly.

“Looks like you two have been playing around all these years.”

Noel smiled and slightly raised his hand.

“You’re right... We’ve been playing with what we took from you, gathering the scattered pieces.”

He continued:

“We traveled across the world in search of knowledge. We encountered many users, and some of them possessed pieces of the truth... We took what they knew, then got rid of them.”

Yassin narrowed his eyes.

“The truths you’re searching for are far beyond your ability to comprehend.”

Then his voice grew sharper.

“But what matters to me now... why did you approach one of my students? What do you want from Wail?”

Sam laughed mockingly.

“Looks like you’ve started training some pathetic people.”

He gave a sarcastic smile.

“A few words were all it took... and Wail began doubting you and everything you ever told him.”

Noel looked directly at Yassin.

“Yassin... you have no idea what we’ve already discovered.”

Yassin’s eyes widened.

“...What did you see that day?”

Noel took a deep breath.

“We discovered that Kiji couldn’t destroy the five legendary spirits...”

Silence fell.

“...He wasn’t even their equal.”

Yassin’s gaze grew sharper.

But Noel continued without hesitation.

“Because of his fear, he separated the Spirit World from the Human World, hoping those spirits would never return.”

Yassin clenched his fist.

But Noel did not stop.

“I know what we did looks wrong from your point of view.”

“But our goal isn’t evil.”

“We seek to restore balance between the powers.”

Then he pointed at Yassin.

“As for your student... he carries a hidden power that must be extracted.”

Sam added:

“And recently... we encountered the legendary Spirit of Darkness.”

Yassin’s expression changed instantly.

“...Dark?!”

After the battle with Dark...

Taken from NovelPhoenix, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

Over the past five years, Noel and Sam had not only been searching for knowledge. They had also been searching for a cure.

The technique Sam had used against Yassin years ago...

Void Shackles...

had left behind a terrible side effect.

The purple chain energy had begun growing inside the energy vessels in his body, slowly consuming them.

His death was only a matter of time.

One rainy day...

Noel entered a small house carrying pain medicine.

He found Sam lying on the bed, silently enduring the pain.

He handed him the medicine.

Sam then asked:

“Did you find anything?”

Noel shook his head.

“No... We still have nothing.”

Sam slowly sat up against the wall.

“Don’t you dare give up.”

He coughed lightly, then continued:

“Even if this is the end for me... don’t let everything we’ve done be for nothing.”

Before Noel could answer...

Darkness filled the room.

Dark-blue energy ignited around him, and black energy gathered in the center of the room until it formed a black entity with glowing red eyes.

It spoke calmly:

“Stay calm. I came... to help you.”

Noel remained cautious.

“Who are you?”

The entity answered:

“Your friend is dying, and I can save him.”

Noel asked sharply:

“And why would you do that?”

The entity smiled.

“Because we have something in common.”

“Let me heal your friend... and afterward, I’ll ask you for a favor.”

Noel remained hesitant.

When the entity approached Sam, Noel stepped in front of him.

“You’re not touching him.”

“How can I trust you?”

The entity smiled again.

“Void Shackles...”

“A technique that consumes all forms of existence... except spirits.”

Silence fell before he continued.

“And the only thing capable of treating it... is Spirit Energy.”

Noel’s aura gradually faded.

“Spirits...? Who are you?”

The entity answered:

“I am the legendary Spirit of Darkness.”

“Call me... Dark.”

Then he added:

“Even if you don’t believe me, you have no other choice.”

Noel looked at Sam.

His body was growing weaker with every passing day.

Finally, Noel closed his eyes and stepped aside.

Dark approached and placed his hand over Sam’s chest.

Strange black energy flowed from his palm, and purple chains began emerging from Sam’s body, drawn toward the black energy before disappearing inside it.

Moments later...

The pain vanished.

The weakness vanished.

Sam stood on his feet as if he had never been dying moments before.

The two stared at Dark in disbelief.

Sam asked:

“How can we repay you?”

“You’re a legendary spirit... What could you possibly need from humans like us?”

Dark answered:

“I seek balance as well.”

“And ever since the end of the Great War, I have never stopped pursuing it.”

“But your teacher expelled me from the vessel I was inhabiting.”

“And now I can no longer continue my purpose.”

Noel asked:

“What do you want from us?”

Dark began telling them what had happened with Wail and the Falis, and how the red energy had awakened inside him.

Then he said:

“For five years, you’ve been eliminating those who lost control of their energy.”

“And Wail... is no different.”

Sam frowned.

“But the technique we have for extracting that energy... kills the host.”

Dark smiled.

“Because you don’t know everything.”

He opened a small black portal and pulled an ancient manuscript from it, placing it before them.

It was the missing continuation of the manuscript they had stolen years ago.

Noel read quietly:

“If the body is afflicted with energy corruption, extracting the element itself becomes impossible, because the corrupted energy blocks it.”

“That is why a corrupted-energy extraction technique is used... but it usually causes the energy vessels to explode, killing the user.”

Then he stopped at the final line.

“...However, there is a complete method for extracting it without killing or harming its host.”

Silence fell.

Then Dark said:

“That is what I want.”

“I will help you perform the complete technique and free Wail from that energy.”

The two exchanged glances.

Dark continued:

“But in return... I want to use his body as a vessel.”

Silence fell.

Then he said calmly:

“He will not die from the extraction.”

“What I do afterward... will be the price required to maintain the balance.”

The two remained silent.

Deep in his darkness, Dark smiled without letting it show on his face.

Then he continued:

“I have helped many humans throughout the centuries.”

“And if I obtain a new vessel... I will continue helping them.”

“But before that... you won’t be able to approach Wail while Yassin is around.”

Noel said:

“We’ve wanted to get rid of him for a long time... but we’re unable to.”

Dark asked:

“Why do you want to kill him?”

Sam answered without hesitation:

“Because the balance of power is leaning toward him.”

“And for balance to be restored... he must fall.”

Noel slowly nodded.

“If that allows you to continue helping others... then we agree.”

Deep within the darkness...

a hidden smile appeared on Dark’s face, as if he were concealing a large part of the truth.

The scene returned to the present.

Yassin stared at them for a long moment, then said:

“I told you before...”

“Greed drives people to commit unforgivable acts.”

Noel’s dark-blue aura ignited.

He said calmly:

“Enough talk. Let’s finish what we came here for.”

A golden aura rose around Yassin.

Then he smiled.

“So...”

“Five years made you think you’re capable of facing me?”

Noel smiled in return.

“Five years...”

Then he shouted with excitement:

“...made us certain that facing you would be madness!”

Suddenly...

Dozens of purple chains appeared from thin air, shooting toward Yassin from every direction and piercing his arms, shoulders, and body.

Sam stood with both hands raised steadily.

There was no sign of any side effect this time.

But then...

his eyes suddenly widened.

Yassin’s body transformed into golden particles and vanished from his position.

He appeared above the rock they had been standing in front of.

At the same moment, the two froze under the pressure of an overwhelming golden energy.

Yassin said:

“Did you really think I’d fall for the same trick twice?”

Sam smiled.

“No...”

Then he looked beneath Yassin’s feet.

“...But I expected you to fall into this one.”

A massive black seal appeared beneath the rock.

Yassin’s eyes widened.

“Damn it...”

A massive burst of green energy erupted toward the sky...