Dawn broke, staining the sky over Aerion a bloody red, a clear omen of the tragedy to come. Outside the gates of East Aerion, a formidable army was ready. The clank of armor, the neighing of warhorses, and the roar of commands all blended together. Henry stood among the ranks of the Investigation Bureau, his heart in turmoil.

He looked at Ragley, who was wearing his imposing battle armor, standing on the command platform, his eyes fixed on the distant Manrok Mountains. He felt the burden, the responsibility, and the hidden fear deep in the leader's eyes.

"Soldiers of Zephyros! Brave investigators!" Ragley's voice, amplified by magic, echoed throughout the square. "Before us is the last lair of those who brought tragedy upon this land! This will be the final battle! We will wipe them out and bring true peace to Aerion, to Zephyros!"

As the cheers rose, and everyone was filled with fighting spirit, only Henry was silent. As he took in the scale of the army and the iron determination on Ragley's face, a stark realization struck him: this was the moment.

This was the opportunity he had been waiting for. He thought about the plan he had made with Socrost, about the false body that Mythris had helped him create, a body that was being kept in a separate space. That crazy but only plan now had a chance to be carried out.

While the entire army was marching forward with the hope of a final victory, Henry was walking on a path that led to his own death, a fake death, a new and lonely beginning.

"All forces, advance!"

Ragley's voice rang out. The army began to move, slowly leaving the capital Aerion and heading towards the Manrok Mountains, to the place they hoped would be the final battle to eliminate the black societies and bring peace to Zephyros. At the Manrok Mountains, a thick layer of fog swirled over the ancient ruins, the remnants of a forgotten era. Standing on a high rock, Ragley was observing the battlefield. His dagger-like eyes looked down at the valley where the remnants of the Black Societies were huddled together. He could tell they were prepared. Magical barriers and traps had been set.

"The plan is too simple, the setup too convenient," Ragley thought to himself, his hand clutching the hilt of his sword. "The enemy wants us to be careless, wants us to walk into the cage they have prepared. But they are wrong. They don't know that even if Zephyros is weakened, it is still one of the strongest kingdoms in Tehra, and every trap will be crushed by absolute power."

He turned, looking at the formidable army that was silently waiting for his command. More than a thousand elite Zephyros soldiers, heavy magic cannons on the surrounding mountains were loaded, and over twenty elite investigators from the Bureau. This force was enough to flatten a small fortress.

"All artillery units," Ragley's voice rang out, sharp and decisive, amplified by magic, echoing throughout the valley. "Target: the central ruins. No probing shots needed. Fire for effect! Flatten that place for me!"

As soon as the command was given, a series of magic cannons fired, and the battle began. The ground shook. Dozens of magic energy spheres, with the power of fire, lightning, and ice, drew deadly curves in the gray sky and crashed down on the ancient ruins.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The explosions shook the entire mountain range, sending rocks and dirt flying. Moss-covered stone walls, which had stood for a thousand years, shattered into fragments. Wild fires erupted, consuming everything. The entire valley was engulfed in fire and chaos. From within that hell on earth, piercing screams echoed, mixed with the sound of collapsing structures.

The remnants of the Black Societies, who had just been so confident in the trap they had set, now became miserable moths drawn to a flame. The spatial barrier they had worked so hard to set up now became a mass grave, trapping them in the hell they had created.

When the rain of fire stopped, leaving behind a ruined landscape and the smell of burnt flesh, the lucky survivors began to desperately flee. They poured from the ruins in a panicked, disoriented swarm. But what awaited them outside was not a path to life, but a steel encirclement that had been set up.

"CHARGE! WIPE OUT ALL THE VERMIN!"

The commanders of the Zephyros army shouted in unison. A thousand soldiers, with the ferocity of a flood, charged from all directions. The clank of armor, the roar of battle, and the gleam of swords and spears blessed with holy light shone in the dawn. The battle was quick and merciless. The evil magicians, who had lost all will to fight, were now facing an elite army. They were mercilessly slaughtered, their black blood staining the ground.

Henry, along with Danz and Halb, led an attack from the Investigation Bureau. He swung his sword, creating clean and precise strikes. But in his heart, a feeling of unease kept rising. His Mystic Sense was sending out warnings, a stream of dark energy was hiding somewhere, watching everything. "Something is wrong," he thought to himself, "something is off here."

Just then, as the joy of victory began to flicker in the hearts of the Zephyros soldiers, the sky above them suddenly darkened, faster than any storm cloud. A chilling, foul aura of death erupted from the center of the ruined ruins - it was it, the deadly gray mist. It swept across the battlefield, a tsunami of overwhelming power that created an instinctive fear.

All the Zephyros soldiers felt their chests being crushed by a thousand-pound rock, and their breathing became difficult and suffocating. The weapons in their hands felt heavier.

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The spatial barrier that Ragley had broken was now re-established, stronger and more terrifying than before. A wall of darkness enveloped the entire valley. From within that darkness, a figure slowly emerged, hovering in mid-air. It was Beleth. Not a weak Rank 5 avatar. This was a Rank 6 avatar, a true killing machine. The white bone mask covered his face, revealing only blood-red eyes.

He waved his hand. Immediately, from beneath the ruined ground, from the unmarked graves, hundreds, thousands of Undead figures began to slowly rise. Death Knights in black armor with eyes burning with dark fire, Corpse Golems patched together from countless bodies, Wraiths lingering with mournful wails. An army from hell, numerous and fierce, had appeared.

"The real party, it's just beginning," Beleth sneered, the smile of a hunter who had found his prey. "Let me see, where is my special little mouse hiding? Which of you is the chosen one? The one who carries that flavor of Mystic Sense I've been searching for?"

"CHARGE! TEAR THEM TO PIECES!"

A black tsunami rushing towards the Zephyros army. The confidence of the Zephyros army shattered. Panic began to spread. The real life-or-death battle had officially begun. The truth dawned on Ragley - he had fallen into a trap that was even bigger than he had anticipated. But he did not retreat. He was the commander, he had to fight, he had to protect his soldiers, to his last breath.

The trap had closed, and hell had truly opened. As Beleth's command rang out, the Undead army, crashed into the ranks of the Zephyros army. Their feral roars mingled with the screams of the soldiers.

The clank of armor and the sound of breaking bones created a chaotic symphony of death. It was no longer a tactical encirclement; it was a massacre. The Death Knights, with the power of a Rank 3, moved with the speed and precision of true warriors. Their blood-rusted longswords easily tore through the shields and armor of the ordinary soldiers, turning them into soulless corpses with just one swing.

The Rank 4 Corpse Golems were veritable meat grinders, using their strength to sweep away everything in their path, each step leaving behind pools of blood and mangled bodies.

Beleth stood with his arms crossed, his evil red eyes observing the entire battlefield. He was not just commanding; he became a spectator, enjoying the bloody play he had orchestrated himself. A smile continuously spread across his pale face.

He was searching. Amidst the chaotic sea of people, he was looking for a special "flavor," a soul with an extraordinary perception, a prey he had coveted for a long time. Beleth did not attack; he simply observed. His eyes scanned the chaotic battlefield below, a lighthouse of death guiding the slaughter.

He was not looking at the battles but seemed to be evaluating each soul. He frowned when his eyes passed over Ragley, who was powerful but too rigid. He sneered when he looked at Brena, who was holy but too fragile. Below, the commanders of Zephyros were trying to prevent the collapse of the army.

"DON'T PANIC! HOLD YOUR RANKS!"

Ragley's voice thundered, his Rank 5 aura pouring out, creating a blue halo that temporarily pushed back the dark energy. He became a towering mountain against the hurricane of Undead, charging into the largest monsters, every one of his attacks carrying immense power.

But he accepted the reality that he alone could not fight against an entire army from hell. Brena fought with the heart of a true warrior. Her light magic was the bane of darkness. "Holy Barrage" Hundreds of light arrows shot from her hands, incinerating the lingering Wraiths who were trying to suck the souls of the soldiers.

"Purifying Light" A white light spread out, weakening the Death Knights, making their armor more brittle and easier to break. She was a brilliant lighthouse, a glimmer of hope in the darkness.

Quinz, Kaelen, and Gorok, three Rank 4 investigators from the Bureau, also formed sharp attack points. With ghostly speed, Quinz's twin daggers flashed with deadly silver light, cutting the throats of the most cunning Undead. Kaelen and Gorok became two war machines, using pure strength to rampage and create precious openings for their comrades.

Henry, in the middle of that chaotic battle, was not the strongest, but he played an equally important role. His Mystic Sense was operating at its highest level. He not only "saw" the physical attacks, but also felt the dark energy streams and the enemy's intentions.

"Halb, to your right! It's using a fake shield!" Henry shouted. Immediately, Halb, who was about to stab his spear into a Death Knight's shield, quickly changed direction, stabbing straight into the gap under its armpit, finishing off the enemy in surprise.

"Brena, two Wraiths are circling behind you! Seven o'clock!" As soon as Henry's warning ended, Brena turned around, a light sword shooting from her hand, piercing the two ghosts who were trying to launch a sneak attack. Henry's coordination and accurate warnings saved the lives of many comrades, helping them withstand the enemy's overwhelming attacks. But that also put him in the sights of the hunter.

From above, Beleth's blood-red eyes narrowed. He had seen. He had seen his special little mouse. He saw a low-level investigator, with no outstanding strength, who could move and react in an extraordinary way. The young man's warnings consistently preceded the Undead army's attacks, a pattern too perfect to be a coincidence.

"Aha," Beleth sneered, a smile of a hunter who had found his prey. "So it's you."

Immediately, the situation changed. Beleth was no longer just observing. He waved his hand, and a psychic command was sent out. He did not target Henry, but the people who were protecting him. Two Death Knights broke from the battle, two black arrows charging straight at Henry.

"HENRY! BE CAREFUL!" Danz, the warrior with the steel shield that had cracked in many places. He immediately rushed forward to shield Henry, his shield glowing with a final defensive light.

SWISH!

A Death Knight's sharp spear, carrying corrosive venom, easily tore through the shield and pierced through Danz's chest. Fresh blood gushed out in a gruesome fountain. The brave warrior stopped, his eyes wide, looking at Henry with regret and a final message.

"Live...on... Henry!" He fell, his last breath mingling with the air, a hero who had fallen to protect his comrade.

"DANZ!!!" Halb screamed, witnessing his closest friend, his brother who had fought with him through life and death, fall right before his eyes. Fire consumed his mind. He charged towards the Death Knight, the spear in his hand glowing with a brilliant silver light, an attack filled with all his hatred.

But his anger clouded his judgment. He had exposed a opening. The Rank 4 Death Knight, who had been hiding and waiting for his chance, rushed in from behind. A decisive sword slash, and Halb's spear arm was severed. He let out a painful cry and was then torn apart by the other Corpse Golem.

"NO!!!" Henry screamed, the pain of losing two close comrades, two brothers who had given their lives to protect him. He fought wildly, but he knew it was all too late.

The enemy's encirclement was tightening. Other investigators also fell one by one. Despair engulfed everyone.

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