The room remained silent.
Traveler sat beneath the dim light of the chief's house.
Seris stood several steps behind him.
Her eyes remained fixed on the hallway.
Something was wrong.
She could feel it.
The chief stood across from them, wearing the same calm expression.
Too calm.
Traveler slowly lowered the cup in his hand.
Then—
CLINK.
A metallic sound came from beneath the floor.
His eyes shifted downward.
For half a second—
nothing happened.
Then the walls exploded open.
BANG!
Wood shattered.
Men poured into the room from every direction.
Spears.
Axes.
Blades.
Bows.
And behind them—
two enormous men carrying the massive hammer.
Traveler stood instantly.
His chair crashed backward.
Seris turned—
but the first attack was already coming.
A blade flashed toward Traveler's chest.
His eyes suddenly changed.
Purple.
For one brief instant, an unnatural purple glow burned inside them.
Traveler moved.
The blade missed his heart by inches.
His hand caught the attacker's wrist.
The man's eyes widened.
Traveler twisted.
CRACK.
The man's body slammed against the wall.
Traveler seized the blade from his hand.
Another villager charged.
Traveler stepped forward.
One slash.
The man's body collapsed.
The room froze for half a second.
Two men were already dead.
Traveler stood between them, blade hanging from his hand.
His purple eyes remained fixed on the crowd.
No fear.
No hesitation.
The villagers stopped.
Even the chief's expression changed.
Then the chief shouted—
"NOW!"
The hidden weapon activated.
A pale streak of light shot across the room.
The Light Whip wrapped around Traveler's torso.
CLINK.
The moment it touched him—
Traveler's body dropped slightly.
His breathing became heavier.
His muscles tightened.
The strange light around the whip seemed to sink into him.
Traveler grabbed the weapon.
He tried pulling it apart.
Nothing happened.
The chief stared at him.
"Bind him!"
Three villagers rushed forward.
Traveler swung his blade.
One fell.
Another spear struck his shoulder.
Traveler barely reacted.
Then—
WHIP!
The Light Whip tightened.
His strength suddenly dropped.
The villagers pulled together.
Traveler was dragged backward.
His boots scraped across the floor.
Seris attacked.
A villager raised his sword toward her.
She moved aside—
but another blade came from the opposite direction.
SLASH!
The blade struck her hard across her side.
Seris staggered.
Blood appeared across her clothes.
She looked down.
Then back toward Traveler.
Before she could move—
another group surrounded her.
Traveler's eyes shifted toward her.
For the first time—
his expression changed.
Not emotion.
Calculation.
He pulled against the Light Whip.
The floor cracked beneath his feet.
The chief's eyes widened.
"Pull harder!"
Six men grabbed the Light Whip.
Traveler suddenly stepped forward.
The entire group was dragged several inches toward him.
The chief shouted.
"THE HAMMER!"
The two men carrying the enormous weapon stepped forward.
They lifted it together.
Traveler looked at them.
The hammer came down.
BOOM!
Traveler moved at the last possible moment.
The hammer smashed through the floor where his body had been.
Wood exploded upward.
Traveler tried to counter—
but the Light Whip tightened again.
His movement slowed.
One villager thrust a blade toward his back.
Traveler turned too late.
SHNK.
The blade entered his back.
Traveler's body jerked.
Another came from the opposite side.
SHNK.
A second blade struck.
Then the third.
SHNK.
Three blades were buried across Traveler's back.
The villagers stepped away.
Traveler remained standing.
His head lowered.
His white hair covered his eyes.
The purple glow disappeared.
His eyes returned to blue.
The chief stared.
"He is still standing..."
Traveler slowly raised his head.
His breathing was quiet.
He looked at the men surrounding him.
Then—
he pulled one of the blades out of his own back.
The villagers froze.
Traveler turned.
The man nearest him tried to retreat.
Too late.
Traveler grabbed him by the throat.
CRACK.
He threw the man across the room.
The man struck the wall and stopped moving.
Another attacked.
Traveler caught the blade with his bare hand.
Blood ran down his palm.
He stepped forward—
and drove his own blade into the man's chest.
The man collapsed.
The room went silent again.
Traveler stood there.
Three wounds in his back.
Blood running down his side.
The Light Whip still wrapped around him.
Yet he remained conscious.
The chief's face became pale.
"Again!"
The massive hammer rose.
Traveler looked toward it.
But before he could move—
one of the villagers swung a sword toward his head.
Traveler turned.
Too late.
CRACK!
The blade struck the right side of his head.
His body staggered.
The sword fell from the attacker's hand.
Traveler stood completely still.
Then—
his knees gave way.
He collapsed.
THUD.
His body hit the floor.
His white hair spread across the broken wood.
No purple eyes.
No Arafial.
No voice from the Abyss.
Nothing.
The chief stared at him.
"Is he... dead?"
Nobody answered.
Across the room—
Seris was still fighting.
Barely.
Blood covered the side of her body.
Three villagers surrounded her.
She tried to move.
One spear struck her.
She fell to one knee.
Another blade came down.
Seris raised her arm—
but the weapon struck her.
She collapsed.
The villagers stepped back.
Her body remained motionless.
The chief looked between them.
Traveler.
Seris.
Both lying on the floor.
Neither moving.
The Light Whip still surrounded Traveler.
The chief slowly approached.
He looked down at the Traveler.
No breathing was visible.
No movement.
Nothing.
He lowered his voice.
"Check him."
One man approached carefully.
He crouched beside Traveler.
He reached toward his neck.
Then stopped.
He looked at the chief.
"I..."
His voice trembled.
"I can't tell."
The chief stared at Traveler's motionless body.
For several seconds—
nothing happened.
Then the wind outside stopped.
The entire village became silent.
And beneath Traveler's collar—
the Abyssal Mark remained completely dark.
For the first time—
even the Devourer watching from the forest could not tell whether the vessel was alive.