While the small wooden boat drifted deeper through the dark river flowing beneath the mountain, silence surrounded both Ak and Mike. The sound of water striking against the sides of the boat echoed softly through the narrow valley while cold mist floated above the river like wandering spirits. Ak sat quietly near the edge of the boat, his hand resting over Max's sword while his thoughts drifted far away. Since entering the mountain, strange emotions and memories had constantly been haunting him. The abandoned village, the warning inside the diary, and the mysterious magical presence hidden within the mountain all made him feel as though he had stepped into something far greater than he understood.
Mike glanced toward Ak for several moments before finally breaking the silence. Curious about Ak's past, he asked about his life before all of this began. He questioned what Ak had been doing before they met and where he originally came from. Ak remained silent for a short while, his eyes fixed on the dark river ahead. Eventually, he quietly answered that he had been traveling alone since his teenage years. He explained that he spent most of his life wandering from place to place without ever truly belonging anywhere. However, after saying that, Ak once again drifted into deep thought and stopped speaking further. Mike noticed the heaviness in his voice and decided not to press him more.
As the boat continued moving forward, the atmosphere around them slowly changed. The river widened, and the cliffs around them became darker and steeper. Suddenly, Mike noticed something massive standing ahead in the distance. Emerging from the mist was an enormous castle built from black and crimson stone. The structure looked ancient and terrifying, its towers stretching high into the darkness above like claws reaching toward the sky. Even from far away, the castle radiated an unnatural aura that made the air itself feel heavy.
Mike immediately pointed toward the castle and asked Ak if they should investigate it. Ak stared silently at the strange structure for a moment before nodding slowly. The sight of the castle gave him an uneasy feeling, but at the same time, he sensed that it might hold answers connected to the mountain and the strange events surrounding them. Carefully, they guided the boat toward the riverbank and stepped back onto solid ground.
The moment they approached the castle, the atmosphere became far colder and darker. The giant entrance gate stood half open as though inviting them inside. Ak and Mike exchanged cautious glances before entering together. The inside of the castle was consumed by darkness. Long empty corridors stretched endlessly ahead while dust and silence filled every corner. Their footsteps echoed loudly through the halls as they walked deeper into the structure.
After wandering through the darkness for some time, they eventually noticed a single torch mounted against the wall. The faint flame flickered weakly, barely illuminating the surroundings. Ak immediately turned toward Mike and asked him to use his fire magic to light the remaining torches nearby. Mike raised his hand and cast a small fire spell, causing flames to spread from torch to torch throughout the hallway. Slowly, parts of the castle became visible beneath the growing light.
At that same moment, somewhere hidden within the shadows of the castle, a figure silently watched them. Deep red eyes glowed faintly in the darkness. The figure resembled the same red-haired man Ak had once fought before. Observing them carefully, he muttered quietly that he sensed something strange about the newcomers.
Meanwhile, Ak and Mike continued exploring the castle halls. Eventually, they noticed a faint glow further ahead. Curious, they followed it until they reached what appeared to be the grand living hall of the castle. The room was enormous and surprisingly beautiful despite its abandoned condition. Massive chandeliers hung from the ceiling while ancient decorations and luxurious furniture remained untouched beneath layers of dust. Yet despite the grandeur, the entire castle felt empty and lifeless.
After searching the hall for some time without finding anything useful, Ak began considering leaving the castle altogether. However, just as he turned around, a swarm of bats suddenly burst forward from the darkness directly in front of him. Their screeching echoed throughout the hall, startling both Ak and Mike. At that exact moment, a voice emerged from the shadows and warned them to leave immediately or face terrible consequences.
Ak frowned slightly but ignored the warning entirely and simply continued preparing to leave. Suddenly, Mike appeared holding two strange keys he had discovered while exploring another section of the castle. The mysterious figure hidden in the darkness immediately became shocked upon seeing the keys. In a disturbed voice, the figure declared that they would never find the final key.
At that moment, Mike noticed a staircase leading upward toward the higher sections of the castle. Curious, he suggested they continue exploring above. As both of them began climbing the stairs, the mysterious figure once again demanded that they stop ignoring him. Finally, he stepped out from the darkness and revealed himself.
The figure possessed pale skin, crimson eyes, and an unnaturally elegant appearance. His presence radiated both danger and authority. He declared himself the ruler of that place. Ak calmly asked for his name. The man replied simply that his name was Vampire, and that he was the lord of all vampires. Confused by the strange introduction, Mike awkwardly questioned whether his actual name was truly Vampire. The man answered seriously that he was not merely a vampire but the Vampire Lord himself.
Despite the warning, Ak and Mike ignored him once again and continued climbing the stairs. Eventually, they reached a massive hall completely covered in darkness. Suddenly, brilliant light burst forth from the center of the room. There, resting upon a stone platform, stood a magnificent sword overflowing with terrifying power. The weapon radiated an overwhelming aura unlike anything either of them had ever felt before.
Mike's eyes widened instantly upon seeing the sword. He felt strangely drawn toward it, almost hypnotized by its presence. Ak, however, showed little interest in it at first. Mike slowly approached the sword and attempted to pull it free from its resting place. But the moment his hand touched the weapon, loud cracking sounds echoed across the hall.
From all four corners of the room, giant knight statues suddenly awakened. Their glowing eyes lit up as they turned toward Ak and Mike before charging forward violently. Mike immediately used his magic to attack them, but his spells proved completely ineffective against the powerful stone guardians. One of the knight statues struck Mike heavily and sent him crashing backward.
At that moment, Ak suddenly experienced strange flashes within his mind. For brief moments, he saw countless dead bodies scattered across battlefields. The horrifying images filled him with intense fear and determination simultaneously. Instinctively, Ak stepped forward with Max's sword and blocked one of the knight statues directly. Using all his strength, he pushed Mike backward and ordered him to escape immediately.
Mike refused instantly, unwilling to abandon Ak. However, Ak shouted at him and demanded that he trust him. Before Mike could respond, another knight statue attacked from behind and slashed across Ak's back, leaving a deep wound. Pain surged through his body, but Ak refused to fall. He desperately fought against all four knight statues at once, defending and attacking with everything he had.
Meanwhile, Mike felt completely useless watching Ak suffer. In desperation, he attempted to cast another spell, but suddenly his magic vanished before activation. Shocked, Mike turned toward the Vampire Lord and demanded to know why he had interfered. The Vampire Lord calmly pointed toward the glowing sword and explained that after many centuries, the sword had finally chosen its true wielder.
During the battle, Ak suffered countless wounds. Blood covered his body while exhaustion weakened his movements. Eventually, one of the knight statues struck Max's sword from his hands, sending it sliding across the floor. For a brief moment, Ak stood defenseless before the guardians.
Then suddenly, Ak ran toward the glowing sword resting in the center of the hall and grabbed it tightly.
The moment his hand touched the sword, something changed.
Memories flooded through his mind. He remembered training with his father long ago. He remembered the movements, the sword forms, the discipline, and the techniques his father once practiced before him. For years, Ak had unconsciously memorized those movements while watching him train.
Closing his eyes briefly, Ak began recreating those exact sword techniques.
His movements transformed completely.
The sword moved through the air with speed and precision far beyond before. One after another, the knight statues fell beneath his attacks. The hall shook violently during the battle until finally the last guardian collapsed onto the ground.
Silence filled the room.
Ak stood there trembling, covered in wounds and blood. His body could barely remain standing anymore. Slowly, he fell onto his knees while remembering the swordsmanship of his father that had saved him. Yet even in that moment, Ak quietly promised himself that one day he would surpass his father and become even stronger than him.
Mike quickly rushed toward Ak and thanked him sincerely for saving his life once again. Before either of them could speak further, the Vampire Lord slowly approached Ak. To their shock, the Vampire Lord knelt before him respectfully and bowed his head.
Addressing Ak as his lord, the Vampire Lord swore absolute loyalty to him until the end of his life.
Both Ak and Mike stood stunned by what had just happened.
Afterward, the Vampire Lord requested Ak to follow him because he wished to show him something important. Ak initially refused due to exhaustion and distrust, but the Vampire Lord continued insisting respectfully until Ak finally agreed.
Together, Ak and Mike followed the Vampire Lord deep beneath the castle until they reached a pair of gigantic ancient gates covered in mysterious symbols. The gates radiated immense power. The Vampire Lord then asked Mike for the two keys he had found earlier and requested Ak to hand over the newly claimed sword.
Carefully, the Vampire Lord inserted the sword into a massive slot located in the center of the gate. Then he placed each key into two separate locks positioned on both sides.
and gates start opening