The Warlord's Second Life As A Commoner : 022

After successfully obtaining the Seal of Light, Lucian and his party decided to take a short rest at the temple ruins in Evernight. The soft glow of the seal felt warm in Lucian's hands, as if it offered a glimmer of hope in the midst of the darkness. But despite their recent victory, the atmosphere between them was tense.

Eris sat on one of the collapsed pillars and looked at the seal with a doubtful expression. "We may have obtained this seal, but what exactly can we do with it?" she asked, her voice filled with uncertainty. "The Order of the Dawn will not stand idly by. They will surely come to take it."

Alden nodded in agreement. "We must return to Arcadia Academy immediately and decide our next move. The longer we stay here, the greater the risk of being discovered."

However, Thalia interrupted their conversation with a sharp tone. "Do you really think you can take that thing outside of Evernight without any consequences? This place isn't just a cave of legends. There's a power that binds this seal, and I'm sure it's no ordinary power."

Lucian looked at Thalia with eyes full of conviction. "We have no choice. If this seal stays here, the Order of the Twilight will surely find it. At least if we take it away, we can hide it somewhere safer."

Thalia took a long breath. "If that's your decision, I won't stop you. But don't blame me if you find more enemies than you thought."

The journey back from Evernight was not as easy as they had expected. The Ice Mountains, previously full of natural traps, were now haunted by a shadow army that seemed to have been sent directly from the Order of the Dusk.

On the third night of their journey, as they set up camp in a sheltered valley, a strange noise was heard in the distance. Eris, who was standing guard, immediately woke the others.

"Something is approaching," she whispered, her eyes sharply scanning the darkness.

Soon, shadows began to appear among the trees. They were not human, but monstrous creatures with transparent bodies and eyes that glowed blood-red.

"Spectra," Thalia murmured in a cautious tone. "They are spirits caught between this world and the next. The Order of Dusk must have awakened them to scare us."

The creatures attacked without warning. The ghosts had incredible speed and attacks that could barely be seen. Lucian and Alden tried to protect the others, while Eris and Thalia used their magic to create cover.

However, the growing number of spectres made the situation even more difficult. As one of the creatures was about to attack Eris, Lucian suddenly felt something within him rise. His right eye glowed with a strange blue light, and a burst of energy shot out of his body, destroying most of the spectres in an instant.

Everyone fell silent, staring at Lucian with mixed expressions of awe and fear.

"What was that?" asked Alden, still breathing heavily.

Lucian shook his head, looking puzzled. "I don't know. It... just happened."

Thalia watched Lucian intently. "This is no ordinary force. Whatever it is, we'll have to talk about it later. For now, we must keep moving before another enemy arrives."

As they approached the border of the Ice Mountains, the group came upon a small abandoned outpost. They decided to take shelter there before continuing their journey. But in the middle of the night, something unexpected happened.

Thalia, who had always been cold and skeptical, suddenly attacked Alden from behind, knocking him to the ground. Before the others could react, she had her dagger pointed at Eris' neck.

"Give me the seal or I'll kill her," Thalia said in a cold tone.

Lucian, who had just woken up, immediately drew his sword. "Thalia, what are you doing? I thought you were on our side!"

Thalia chuckled. "You really are naive. Do you think I would risk my life for something I don't believe in? I don't care about the Order of Dusk or your kingdom. I only care about myself."

Despite being in Thalia's grip, Eris remained calm. "You're making a big mistake, Thalia. You don't know who you're up against."

Before Thalia could react, Eris suddenly disappeared in a flash of light, using a quick teleportation spell to escape. In the chaos, Lucian and Alden attacked Thalia and successfully disarmed her.

"You're not going anywhere," Lucian said in a sharp tone.

Thalia smiled only weakly, despite being cornered. "You think this is over? I'm just a small step in a great plan. The Order of Dusk will find you, and there's nothing you can do to stop them."

After the incident with Thalia, the atmosphere in the group became much more tense. Even though they finally made it out of the Ice Mountains and into safer territory, the trust between them began to waver.

"How can we be sure that there are no more traitors among us?" Alden asked in an angry tone.

"Enough," Lucian interrupted, his voice full of authority. "We are all here for the same purpose. If we begin to suspect each other, the Order of the Twilight has already won."

Eris looked doubtfully at Lucian. "But what about the power you use against the Spectra? Are you sure it has nothing to do with your past as Caelum?"

Lucian sighed. He knew the question would be asked sooner or later. "I don't know what really happened. But what I do know is that we must focus on our task. This Seal of Light is our last hope, and I will not let anything-or anyone-destroy it."

Behind his words, Lucian realizes that this journey is not only about protecting the world, but also about facing the shadows within himself. As the Order of the Twilight approaches and the threat grows, he knows that difficult choices will soon be made.

And Lucian believes that the greater the obstacles he faces, the stronger he will be and the faster he will regain his strength.