Chapter 20: Pale skin.

When dawn broke, Isz's group split up to gather more information about the trio.

Isz: "You can head in that direction. We will meet back here in front of the hotel later, alright?"

Rosie: "Alright, let's see if we can find anything."

Rosie's group advanced, and as they questioned the residents, some confirmed their presence while others mentioned that they had already eradicated the disease, but they didn't know where the healers had gone. Rosie grew frustrated at the possibility that the trio might have already departed.

Looking toward the horizon, a thick red mist was spreading across the city. A resident stumbled out of his house, coughing up blood, and died right then and there.

Rosie: "What is happening?"

Kira entered a combat stance upon seeing a pale-skinned, hooded man laughing at the dead resident. The man lunged at them; Einar confronted him but was violently thrown away. Rosie joined the fray, drawing her sword, but the man dodged and tried to rush her. In response, she completely incinerated him using a white flame.

Worried, Rosie asked Einar if he was alright, and he confirmed that he was fine.

Kira: "Princess, what on earth was that?"

Rosie: "I don't know, let's go warn Isz about what is happening."

Meanwhile, as Isz explored the area, he discovered that the trio had already left for a city located on a small island of Volny called Marina,that was their final destination where they would stay.

Isz: "Damn it, it's always like this. They never give us a concrete answer."

Isz looked down at Cerberus and smiled faintly, saying that they just had to keep searching.

Suddenly, a pale-skinned man with long white hair approached and said that his queen would not let Isz leave that place alive. The man struck at Isz, who blocked the blow with his sword.

Lith: "Ah, the vessel. How unexpected to see how fast you are."

Isz: "Who are you?"

Lith laughed, but Cerberus lunged and bit him, immediately spitting on the ground afterward because the man's blood was pure acid. Noticing this, Isz attacked Lith, but the creature took flight and mocked him, saying the queen had underestimated Isz when she sent him on the mission against the Voice.

Hearing this, Isz realized that the one pulling the strings behind all of this was Zhofia. Faint memories of that day flashed in his mind, and he fell to his knees.

Lith seized the moment to charge, but Isz sliced him in half and torched the remains with his lightning.

Still trying to process everything, Isz turned to Cerberus and said they were going to track down Zhofia and defeat her.

The group reunited, and Isz explained what had happened to him.

Rosie: "What do we do now?"

Isz: "I'm going to check the city to see if this mist has spread to other areas. You guys, try not to wander off."

Rosie: "We're coming with you."

Isz: "No, it's too dangerous for you. Besides, your objective is no longer here, so there's no reason for you to risk your lives."

Rosie: "No, people are dying here, and they might be attacked at night. There are no military forces here either."

Isz: "Okay, I won't force you into anything, but do not take unnecessary risks with these monsters."

Rosie: "You got it."

Isz then encountered two more Liths who demanded that he meet them in the Marble Forest. Isz refused, but they warned him that if he declined, the entire city would be overrun by Liths.

As night fell, with fury in his eyes, Isz set off with Cerberus, but he was secretly followed by Rosie and her group.

Isz: "What do you think you're doing?"

Rosie: "We are coming with you."

Isz: "No, this is my business. If you want to help, go patrol and guard the city."

Rosie looked intently at Isz and asked what he was hiding from them, and why he refused their help.

Isz: "I'm not hiding anything. I just don't think this concerns you, and it's going to be far too dangerous."

Looking up at the sky, a massive swarm of Liths was closing in on the city. Isz immediately dashed toward the forest with Cerberus.

Along the way, Isz and Cerberus tore through several Liths using magical strikes and lightning. Rosie watched, deeply impressed, until they reached the heart of the forest, where Zhofia sat upon a throne.

Zhofia: "Hello, my scout."

Isz: "What the hell are you? Those horns, these monsters... I get it now. You were the one who caused all the chaos in Vein."

Zhofia: "Ah, as sharp as ever. A scout is always a scout, even when all the others are dead. I had forgotten how handsome your face was, Isz. It's a shame I'll have to kill you."

Rosie listened closely to the words: scout, Vein, knight. Her suspicions about Isz's past grew even stronger, but something still didn't add up in her head—his age, since those knights were supposed to be much older.

Isz: "You dishonored every single soul in Vein. You caused the death of my master and my friends. For everyone who fell that day, and in the name of the scouts, I will kill you right here!"

Isz lunged at her but was instantly surrounded by Liths, who carried him away, flying deeper and further out of the forest. Rosie, Cerberus, Kira, and Einar were left behind, fighting the remaining Liths in the middle of the woods.

Zhofia: "A princess of the dragon clan, what a beautiful young lady you are."

Rosie, startled: "You demon! Where did you take Isz?"

Zhofia: "Don't you worry, he is going to die. As for you, I want them to keep you alive so I can enjoy you."

Einar: "Go to hell!"

Einar drew his magical sword and swung at Zhofia, but the forest felt like a beehive completely swarming with Liths.

In a desperate move, Rosie unleashed her flames, setting the entire forest ablaze.

Kira: "Stop, Princess! If you keep this up, you'll set the whole city on fire!"

Rosie swallowed hard and stared straight into Zhofia's eyes, a look of pure rage instantly taking over her face.