Two weeks ago in Ossibus, Fhajo was arrested for his movement against Matar, the king of Ossibus. Matar used a flock of crows to spy on the palace all day after he and his court left for Moonatoria. The organization Fhajo had formed planned to assassinate Matar upon his return. However, thanks to the message delivered by the crows, the mercenaries Fhajo hired were caught in their own trap. They confessed under Matar's iron grip, which squeezed them with fear, especially when they saw the crows' glaring red eyes and beaks poised while perched on trees and large rocks. They cawed noisily like street loafers, their sheer number making it sound like a bustling marketplace.

Matar's plan continued. To put on a show of force, he commanded his soldiers to patrol Moonatoria wearing Thallerion armor and sow terror.

"Adamoth, you were negligent at the palace... you let the vines creep in!" Matar said, referring to Fhajo, who had acted like a king in his absence.

"Your Majesty, Matar... it seems you never said to watch out for growing weeds either?" Adamoth retorted.

"Idiot!" Lanero interjected. "He's not talking about literal weeds or vines, but Fhajo, who tried to take King Matar's life to seize the throne."

Adamoth lifted his large machete and pointed it at Lanero. "Hey, I get that! I'm brave, but I'm smart too, hmph!" He sneered with a sassy look.

"Can you please just use your finger! That's insane!" Lanero's eyebrows furrowed, and he rolled his eyes at the warrior who loved to cause a commotion in the middle of a war, a hot-blooded man whose attitude could easily get on your nerves.

"Enough of this pointless chatter," Matar said as a crow landed on his shoulder. The two stopped and chose to align their conversation. "Adamoth, this is your time to lead the soldiers who will cause chaos in Moonatoria."

A meaningful smile formed on Adamoth's face, his eyes igniting with life. His muscles, tired from idleness, and his arms, aching from his showboating with the large machete, were finally relieved. Its blade, too, was eager to taste blood, especially that of a plump bear.

His mind wandered far, ready to face what was to come. His back relaxed like a cobra preparing to strike. He plunged the large machete into the ground and clenched his fists. "I have men I can rely on for this," he said, grinding his teeth.

Matar's crows were scattered across the entire world, so he knew what was happening in other countries. He also learned that the Shadow of the Crux had spread to the neighboring country of Cypriox. Even in Ossibus, he followed suspicious people with malicious intent, especially those kidnapping children under fifteen years old. They were captured and subjected to brutal interrogation and threats, including being fed alive to the crows.

Suddenly, Marguel appeared from an unknown direction, like a shadow slipping in behind them. Marguel used magic to paralyze the tongues of Matar's captives, then cursed one of Matar's crows and forced it into the mouth of one of the captured people. The person convulsed as if having a seizure, their eyes becoming a milky white, and a foul-smelling smoke, like a rotting corpse, enveloped them, making others sick.

With a wave of Marguel's hand, a terrifying creature leaped out of the smoke. It had a savage, burned-like face, sprouted monstrous scales, and its hair resembled hard horns. The monster Marguel had cursed attacked the interrogators, and every time it made contact, it felt like being bitten by a thousand scorpions.

Marguel and Matar faced each other, but only stared, as if calculating every moment and situation. The monster slithered at Marguel's feet, glaring at Matar, its scales trembling.

Matar's crow, Corvys, which he was stroking, looked at Matar. Suddenly, some energy hit the monster's brain, its eyes rolled back, and it died. Matar remained calm, stroking his crow. In a flash, Marguel was behind Matar, whispering without emotion.

"You're too complacent." Marguel's lifeless breath hit Matar's neck. But Matar only gave a simple smile.

"You're the one who got too careless. Count the eyes around you," Matar said, referring to the swarm of crows. "You had the nerve to kill one of my pets to use for your magic." Matar said this while his back was turned to Marguel.

"If you stop the operations of the Shadow of the Crux, the entire organization will destroy all of Ossibus," Marguel threatened.

"Are you threatening me?" Marguel could not read Matar's mind because something was blocking and countering his telepathic ability.

"You're arrogant because you have the power of the Entity of Corvus, but I can remove any Entity attached to you!"

"What Entity are you talking about?" Matar said, laughing sarcastically. "I tamed the crows, that's why they obey me." Matar immediately drew his sword and tried to strike Marguel, even though he was still behind him. "Take this, sorcerer!" He delivered a powerful blow, then looked back. But Marguel was no longer there, like a mere hallucination.

Matar's soldiers arrived, accompanied by Lanero, his right-hand man, and his attendant, Gallexe.

"Why are there so many dead people here?" said Adamoth. The soldiers he chose to lead in the raid on Moonatoria were horrified. "A monster!" Adamoth frowned and gripped his machete.

"Your Majesty, was this the work of that mysterious crow?" Lanero said, his hair standing on end as he looked at the crows around them. Lanero's eyes trembled as he observed the crows, which suddenly flew toward their location. "Your Majesty, I think I said something bad." He pressed himself close to Matar. Matar was also surprised why they were flying closer after forming a cluster, as if they were about to attack them. But they just flew past them and feasted on the bodies of the people, including the monster's corpse.

"I thought it was the end for me," Gallexe sobbed, clutching the king's cape. The crows were as thick as grass on the ground, eating the dead bodies. Fear was etched on the faces of Adamoth's soldiers at the horrifying scene. But for Adamoth, it was just a normal spectacle; he found the deaths of his cowardly comrades in war far more chilling.

The crows of Matar that ate the cursed bodies had their eyes changed color to black, but Matar did not notice it because they immediately left the place and held a meeting.

Present day (Xerxez's voyage to Scarlet Mist island)

From a distance, there was an island covered in mist, but the mist had a faint scarlet color. It was almost dawn when they reached the island. It was the first of six islands that was easy to reach.

"My apologies, Hyushen and King Xerxez, I can only go to the foot of the island. I'll wait here for your return..." He looked at Xerxez's companions, his soldiers. "May you still be complete upon your return." He looked at them seriously. Maladon had noticed that the three soldiers were wearing amulets, so he snorted mockingly.

The torches they carried were bright, but the fog was still so thick that they had a hard time moving forward. Hyushen was their guide since he had a round compass necklace. His book was getting a little wet and spattered with ash from the torch. The island looked like a mountain, and the path wasn't muddy because missionaries had maintained it, so there was no obstructive grass. Unusual birds also started to sing, a kind of bird they had never heard before, so Xerxez was amazed by the birds' noise. They could also smell the fragrance of the mist, which smelled like roses and tulips.

"I can see the scarlet flowers ahead," Hyushen said. "This is what the book was talking about. We're still far from the man's dwelling." Xerxez heard a rustling sound that Hyushen didn't notice.

"Shh, I think something is following us," Xerxez said, drawing his sword. The three soldiers behind him also poised their bows for the possible appearance of the mysterious rustling. There was a shadow behind the mist, but they couldn't make out its form. "Stay alert," King Xerxez told his soldiers.

"It ran to the right!"

"No, it's behind us!" said one.

"It's none of what you said!" said the soldier in the middle.

"King Xerxez, it seems you're right; even your soldier noticed it," Hyushen said. He took his dagger and also watched his surroundings. "According to the book, a ferocious animal roams this large island. Could it be one of them?"

"I don't know, but it moves very fast. I have a hunch there are many of them."

"Many?" Hyushen swallowed hard. "But according to the book, it's a Lynx that roams this large island."

"A Lynx?" Xerxez said. "So it's just a mountain cat."

"Don't say that... according to the book's story, after a terrifying ritual performed by the priest's wife, a change occurred on this island. The once gentle animals now bite."

"Don't panic. One of you monitors the back, and the two of you guard the sides," Xerxez ordered the three soldiers, who were bewildered with confusion.

"King Xerxez, this is the place where the great light came from. According to King Wendzar, the priest Covinnther invented a scientific device that many believed was magic. His wife used it to destroy the church of Cypriox, but she failed," Hyushen said, relying on the stories of the King of Cypriox, who was a witness to what happened. But the truth was, Covinnther's wife, Zeri, did not intend to destroy the churches but was desperately trying to revive her baby, Marguel, who had been dead for a week.

Flashback...

In those desperate hours, Zeri hadn't slept for days, weeping in front of her breathless child. Its skin had turned pale, it was cold, and it was starting to smell. Her husband was in the Cypriox prison and was unlikely to be released by the authorities for rebelling against the Cypriox system.

A voice entered her mind, a man with a deep voice that echoed like a bell. "I can give you what is impossible if you promise to obey me. Are you willing to sacrifice your faith for your child's life?"

"I have nothing left. They arrested my husband and will crucify him, and our child died because of their oppressive system... My family hates me too... The cause of all this misery is the Crux religion!" Zeri screamed in utter desperation.

"Then accept this cat." A black cat suddenly appeared before her, and Zeri's eyes became cat-like. She could see clearly even in the dark, and even the thick mist was no obstacle for her. The voice taught her how to use magic, and her consciousness was opened, and knowledge entered her mind as easily as a soul merging with her being. A necrocosmic energy that collects the knowledge of dead planets and people, especially in galaxies with dying planets and stars.

She used signals to teleport herself to the islands. And she took the unique stones to add to and power the teleportation mechanism. This is also why cats are currently roaming around Zeri. The barbarians fear her because of her cats, which are scattered throughout the Barbarian city.

End of flashback

Queen Zeri, the queen of the Shadow of the Crux, is the reason for the changes on the islands. The animals on the island are now elusive and a threat to those who visit. The legendary Lynx guards the island's jewels, the phoenix flower, which is rare to grow and bloom and is believed to be able to heal the diseases and curses of sorcerers and demons.

"King Wendzar said that the man who lives here can teach us where the phoenix flower is," Hyushen told Xerxez. "With it, your son can be cured from the monster's curse."

"Then guide us to the man's place, and we will take care of these shadows that keep appearing in the mist," Xerxez said.

Present day in Moonatoria

Queen Azonia remembered the appearance of the sorcerer Marguel; she was afraid he knew about her past infidelity. But one day, bad news arrived at the kingdom of Moonatoria: the enemy had attacked a small town that was part of Moonatoria.

"Your Majesty, the homes of the citizens in the town of ___ are burning. The enemy has burned the fishermen's houses, and some of their pets were killed... Some people died when they fought them."

"Who did this despicable thing?" Harthur said.

"You won't believe what I'm about to say... Because they were from Tha—" he was still out of breath. "They were wearing Thallerion armor!"

"Tha-Thallerion!!???" King Harthur spluttered in shock.

"Isn't that—"

(The story cuts off here.)