"Wraith looked rather uneasy. At last, he finally managed to find his voice.
'Err y-young master, please wait! I have no intention of fighting you nor causing any harm, moreover—'
Sai scoffed.
'Tchghh, like you're one to talk, old man. You show up in a spooky place wearing a dark robe with a snake bound to a skull on its back, so excuse me if I'm being too rational.'
Sai said sarcastically as he pounded his right fist into his left palm, clenching his teeth in rage.
'Explain yourself......!' Sai said slowly, lowering his eyelids.
'NOW!'
He continued in a cold, menacing tone as he slowly opened his eyes in a lethal manner.
Wraith immediately composed himself. He stood tall—shoulders raised, knees straight, head held high.
'Pardon my intrusion. I haven't even introduced myself, how rude of me. My name is Wraith.'
'I'm part of a secret organization called the Death Stalkers. Our goal is to reawaken this world and sanctify it for a new beginning.'
'Do what? And sanctify who now?'
Sai responded sharply, confusion vivid in his narrowed brows.
Wraith took a deep breath before continuing.
'Mankind is nothing but a disease to this beautiful world, and in time, it will crumble at the feet of our pointless conflicts. Therefore, we must join hands together in order to usher in a new era of peace—an era led by supernatural entities from the spiritual realm......'
'So in other words, you're trying to unleash demons into the world, thereby enslaving humanity and yourselves as well!? Boy, that sounds fun.'
Sai cut in sarcastically, rolling his eyes while resting his right palm against the side of his head, tilting it slightly to match his mocking gaze.
'Not enslavement, but revelation!...... Renewal!...... Of a new era!' Wraith said, his voice slightly raised. He appeared desperate.
'And this concerns meeeee......… how?!'
'I'm glad you asked, young master. I—'
Sai immediately cut him off with a smack to the face, his eyes remaining closed.
'Please stop calling me that.'
Wraith slowly rubbed his cheek before continuing.
'Actually, young master, on behalf of the Death Stalkers, I came here to ask for your assistance in enabling our noble cause. The Death Stalkers have taken notice of your undeniable power.'
Wraith's voice shifted into a cold, icy tone.
'You don't know the full potential of your own strength, do you? We can teach you how to use it.'
'That's not enough reason for me to join your little parade though,' Sai responded.
'Think about it. You can finally look down on all those who overlooked you. You will stand above all. Even the great mages will not be able to withstand your unlimited power. You will become a God amongst Men.'
Wraith's tone was filled with an eerily persuasive aura.
Sai's face twisted with curiosity and confusion.
'God!?.......... What do you mean......... God!?'
Wraith's lips twisted into a chaotic smirk.
'So you are not aware of the great power bestowed upon you? The power to nullify magic.'
Wraith raised his hands toward the horizon as though waiting to receive a supernatural blessing from the heavens.
'In a world where magic is everything, a power that has rarely surfaced before has finally appeared! Many are oblivious to your outstanding potential, therefore they choose to discriminate against you.'
Wraith looked back at Sai, his face now far more menacing—his eyes dampened with malice.
'What if I told you that you could finally get revenge on all those who segregate against you? And do so with a group of people who recognize your talent and treat you like a human being.'
Wraith was smart, decisive, and most of all—cunning. He grinned inwardly.
The Death Stalkers never had any intention of treating Sai fairly. If Sai accepted the proposal, the requirements for the ritual would almost be complete.
The portal to the Underworld was heavily guarded by a sealing spell cast by the first Special Grade Mage in existence. However, with Sai's ability, the path to the Underworld could once again be restored.
Therefore, Sai was their final resort.
The true intentions of the Death Stalkers were not only to use Sai to break through the barrier and unleash the Demon King, but also to use Sai himself as a sacrifice required for the ritual.
Now, if Wraith could successfully convince Sai, the Death Stalkers wouldn't have to go through the hassle of using force.
'And at least it would be more convenient than the last time we had to use forceful means on a powerful sorcerer,' Wraith thought.
An image flashed through his mind—an old man with long gray hair and beard, dressed in a silver silk robe. His eyes gleamed with violet rays through half-moon shaped glasses clinging to his nose.
The moment Wraith remembered, a cold chill slithered down his spine and his heart immediately sank.
He would do anything to make sure he never found himself in that kind of situation again.
'So you see, young master, join us and you will gain unlimited power beyond your imagina—'
'UGGHHH!
SHUUUUT UP ALREADY!'
Sai exclaimed, slightly widening his arms in frustration, his jacket and hair dancing majestically to the rhythm of the passing wind.
'UNLIMITED POWER THIS!
EVIL LORD THAT!
You guys aren't even thinking about the repercussions of unleashing a Demon King into this world!'
...…...!
'And besides, the world can't be purified by a demon. As a matter of fact, your whole purification scheme sounds a lot like treason......'
A dramatic silence filled the air between the two.
'So......'
'I have no choice......'
'But to decline that offer.'
Sai spoke slowly, his face darkened beneath a looming shadow—blank, decisive, unreadable.
'However......'
Sai placed his right hand inside his pocket while bluntly pointing his left index finger downward at Wraith. He slightly raised his head, staring at him firmly with a menacing gaze.
'You're coming with me, pal.'
Sai's voice was calm and icy, yet firm.
Wraith's composure immediately dropped.
He began to panic.
The chances of Sai rejecting the proposal had always been high, which was why Wraith was supposed to arrive with his assigned partner for protection—
'Von.'
Lord Varn's younger brother.
But he was nowhere to be found.
Wraith's lips curled nervously as his heart sank.
Not simply because he was worried, but because of the monstrous aura emanating from Sai.
'This kid is truly dangerous... and on top of that, my magic has no effect on him.'
'The only option I have left now is......'
'ESCAPE!'
Wraith shouted aloud.
With a flick of his wand, a giant mist erupted from its tip, swallowing the area whole and blocking Sai's vision.
'Tchghh...! So he plans on using this fog to escape, huh? And even though my body nullifies magic, this fog is everywhere...... I see,' Sai muttered calmly as he surveyed the area around him.
His expression remained blank and unbothered.
Wraith immediately dashed in the opposite direction.
Unable to use a teleportation spell, he enhanced his physical abilities instead.
He sprinted through the woods at immense speed, his robe thrashing viciously through the fog-filled air as he avoided every tree trunk and stump with advanced precision.
A whirlpool of thoughts stormed through Wraith's mind as he fled.
'I wasn't able to persuade Sai in the end. He's far smarter than he looks. Damn it! I'll need to report this to Lord Varn. At the very least, I'm certain I've gotten away from Sa—'
Wraith barely completed his thought before a crimson-blue sword tore through the magic-infused fog.
A painful scar ripped across Wraith's cheek as the blade grazed him.
Wraith tumbled face-first into the soft loamy soil, his nose stopping inches away from the sword's sharp blade embedded in the ground.
Bruised, dazed, and utterly confused, Wraith was dumbfounded.
He knew about Sai's power to nullify magic, but where had this mysterious weapon come from?
'Could it be Sai that threw this?!'
'But he wielded no such thing earlier.'
Wraith stumbled back onto his feet, struggling to stand.
His vision twisted violently.
Everything spun around him as though an earthquake had erupted inside his skull.
Overwhelmed by dizziness, Wraith dropped back to the ground.
'I need to get out of here......'
'QUICKLY!'
'Ughhh...! Which direction was it again?'
Due to the intense dizziness, Wraith had completely lost his way within his own fog.
Now, his own spell had become his prison.
'I can't see a thing in this fog... but if I clear it out, I could easily be identified.'
At that moment, a sudden memory flashed through Wraith's mind.
His eyes widened.
'Oooooo!'
'The sword! I almost forgot—who could've...'
'Sorry, I dropped that.'
Sai interrupted as he emerged from the fog.
The mist vanished from his surroundings with every single step he took.
Sai slowly walked closer and closer, his footsteps echoing through the silent terrain.
Wraith remained kneeling there—utterly dumbfounded.
His eyes widened in disbelief.
His mouth hung open."