Chapter 20
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Conqueror of the Verse
By ColdLink Writer
CHAPTER XX
Echoes Left Behind
Arc 2 – The Shadow Conspiracy
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The forest outside the capital had fallen silent.
Hours earlier the ground had trembled beneath the force of a battle powerful enough to reshape the land itself.
Now the aftermath remained.
Broken trees lay scattered across the battlefield like fallen giants. Their trunks were split open, branches torn apart as if a storm had ripped through the forest.
But this had not been a storm.
This was the result of power.
Spirit energy still lingered faintly in the air.
Even the wind seemed cautious as it passed through the ruined clearing.
At the center of everything was the crater.
A massive scar in the earth where the final clash had occurred.
The ground had collapsed inward, forming a deep hollow nearly thirty meters wide.
Burn marks covered the soil.
Fragments of stone and shattered roots were scattered everywhere.
And near the edge of that crater…
The corpse of the monster remained.
Its enormous body had collapsed on its side, claws dug into the ground as if it had tried to cling to life during its final moments.
The creature looked grotesque even in death.
Black veins spread across its skin.
Its twisted limbs were far too long for its body.
And the faint trace of underworld energy still leaked from the corpse like smoke.
That was the sight the Holy Guards had arrived to witness.
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The Arrival of the Holy Guards
Dozens of armored soldiers moved carefully through the battlefield.
Their silver armor reflected the pale light of the moon.
Lanterns had been lit across the clearing, illuminating the devastation.
Several soldiers were examining the remains of the monster.
Others inspected the bodies of the masked men scattered across the battlefield.
Hollow Sigil.
Even the lowest ranked Holy Guard knew that symbol.
A twisted mark shaped like an empty eye.
Captain Darius Valen stood near the edge of the crater.
He was silent.
Observing everything.
His sharp eyes scanned the battlefield slowly, taking in every detail.
The broken ground.
The direction the trees had fallen.
The placement of the corpses.
Nothing escaped his attention.
Standing several steps behind him was a boy.
Arin.
His body ached from exhaustion.
He had run all the way to the capital earlier that night, desperate to bring help.
Now he stood surrounded by dozens of soldiers.
The same soldiers he had begged for assistance.
But the situation had changed.
Arin's hands were not bound.
The Holy Guards were not treating him like a prisoner.
But they were definitely watching him.
Two guards stood nearby at all times.
Their eyes followed his every movement.
Arin understood why.
He had already told them everything.
Everything he knew about Kashihero and Lucas.
About how they had saved him.
About how they were his teachers.
And about how they had defeated the monster.
The guards had listened carefully.
Too carefully.
Because to them…
Kashihero and Lucas were no longer just mysterious fighters.
They were powerful unknown individuals.
And powerful unknown individuals were dangerous.
Captain Darius finally spoke.
"Bring the investigators closer."
Several officers stepped forward immediately.
They began examining the ground near the crater.
One of them knelt down beside a deep slash in the soil.
"This wasn't caused by the explosion."
Another officer leaned closer.
"It's a blade mark."
Darius glanced at the wound.
Clean.
Precise.
A single strike powerful enough to slice through both the monster's hide and the ground beneath it.
That kind of precision meant skill.
Extreme skill.
Darius turned slightly and looked at Arin.
"You said your teachers fought the monster."
Arin nodded.
"Yes."
Darius continued.
"Which one of them used a sword?"
Arin didn't hesitate.
"Master Kashihero."
The name hung in the air.
Kashihero.
Darius repeated it quietly in his mind.
Then he asked another question.
"And the other one?"
Arin's expression shifted slightly.
"Master Lucas."
Darius's gaze sharpened.
"What did he do during the fight?"
Arin tried to recall the battle.
Lucas standing calmly while the monster roared.
The red glow in his eyes.
The terrifying aura that surrounded him when he finally moved.
"He fought the elders."
Several officers exchanged glances.
Darius remained calm.
"How strong are they?"
Arin hesitated.
He didn't know how to measure their strength.
But he remembered something clearly.
"They weren't afraid."
Darius raised an eyebrow.
"Of what?"
"The monster."
The captain looked back at the battlefield.
Most experienced warriors would hesitate when facing a creature like that.
But according to Arin…
His teachers had not.
That alone told Darius something important.
These two individuals were extremely dangerous.
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The Monster Examination
A group of investigators gathered around the corpse of the underworld creature.
One of them carefully lifted the creature's arm.
"Massive muscle density."
Another examined the wound across its chest.
"This is where it died."
He pointed to the deep slash running diagonally across the monster's torso.
"The blade strike penetrated directly through the core."
Another investigator frowned.
"That's impossible."
The first man shook his head.
"No."
"It's just very difficult."
He stood up slowly.
"Whoever delivered this strike knew exactly where to attack."
Darius approached the corpse.
He studied the wound silently.
Then he looked back at Arin.
"You said your teachers left before we arrived."
Arin nodded again.
"Yes."
"How?"
"A teleportation circle."
That answer caused several officers to react.
Teleportation magic was rare.
Very rare.
Only high level mages could use it reliably.
Darius folded his arms.
"So they knew you were bringing the Holy Guards."
Arin didn't answer.
He wasn't sure.
But Lucas had looked toward the capital before they left.
Almost as if he had already sensed the soldiers approaching.
Darius continued observing the battlefield.
His mind was working quickly.
Two powerful fighters.
One young boy connected to them.
And a battlefield filled with the corpses of Hollow Sigil members.
This situation was becoming far more complicated than a simple monster attack.
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Arin's Situation
Arin stood quietly near the edge of the clearing.
The guards were still watching him.
Not aggressively.
But carefully.
He could feel their attention every time he moved.
He didn't blame them.
To them he was the only link to the mysterious fighters.
The only person who knew their identities.
One of the guards approached him.
"You should rest."
Arin shook his head.
"I'm fine."
The guard sighed.
"You ran all the way to the capital and back here."
"You're not fine."
Arin looked toward the massive crater again.
Kashihero had stood there.
Calm.
Unshaken.
Even when the monster charged at him.
Arin clenched his fists slightly.
He wanted that strength.
More than anything.
But right now…
His teachers were gone.
And he was surrounded by soldiers who believed he might lead them straight to them.
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In the Forest
Several kilometers away from the battlefield…
The forest grew darker.
Deeper.
The sounds of the Holy Guards could no longer be heard.
Two figures stood on a high ridge overlooking the distant trees.
Kashihero and Lucas.
They had remained in the forest after leaving the battlefield.
The capital lights were visible in the distance.
Lucas crossed his arms as he observed the horizon.
"They arrived faster than expected."
Kashihero nodded.
"The Holy Guards."
Lucas smirked slightly.
"And our student led them straight to the battlefield."
Kashihero didn't react.
He already expected that outcome.
Arin had done exactly what he should have done.
Warn the authorities.
Lucas glanced toward the distant clearing.
"They'll question him."
"Yes."
"They might even keep him under watch."
Kashihero looked toward the forest below them.
"Which means retrieving him will become complicated."
Lucas smiled faintly.
"That was already the plan."
Kashihero nodded.
They had already made their decision.
For now…
They would not enter the capital.
Instead they would remain in the forest.
Watching.
Waiting.
Lucas stretched his arms lazily.
"One week."
Kashihero glanced at him.
"That's enough time."
Lucas's crimson eyes glowed faintly in the darkness.
"For the Holy Guards to relax."
Kashihero's gaze turned toward the distant battlefield.
Arin would be safe for now.
The Holy Guards believed he was the key to finding them.
Which meant they would protect him carefully.
That worked in Kashihero's favor.
Because when the time came…
Retrieving him would be far easier than fighting an entire army to rescue him.
Lucas suddenly chuckled.
"You know something interesting?"
Kashihero didn't respond.
Lucas continued.
"The system gave you a mission to kill a Demon King…"
"…and yet our biggest problem right now is rescuing a student."
Kashihero's expression remained calm.
"Both problems can be solved."
Lucas smiled.
"That's the spirit."
---
Deep Underground
Far beneath the surface of the world…
Inside a vast stone chamber…
A group of cloaked figures knelt in silence.
The Hollow Sigil.
At the center of the chamber stood a massive altar carved from black stone.
Strange glowing symbols covered its surface.
A dark presence filled the air.
One of the followers spoke nervously.
"The elders are dead."
The chamber remained silent.
Then—
A voice echoed from the darkness.
Cold.
Ancient.
"…So the Devourer has appeared."
The cloaked figures trembled.
None of them dared to lift their heads.
The voice continued slowly.
"And the vessel walks the surface."
Dark energy pulsed through the chamber.
The glowing symbols on the altar intensified.
Another follower gathered the courage to ask a question.
"What are your orders?"
The voice answered calmly.
"Prepare the next ritual."
The chamber trembled slightly.
Because deep within the Abyss…
A sealed power had begun to stir.
A power feared by gods and demons alike.
Demon King Xarge.
And somewhere above the surface…
The one destined to confront that power was already beginning his path toward conquest.
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End of Chapter XX