CHAPTER 63: CHAPTER 9.4 : THE UNSEEN WARNING (1)

By the time Al arrived home, a calm afternoon breeze welcomed him. The air still carried traces of the sun’s warmth, but the scent of grass and flowers from the family garden gave the atmosphere a touch of coolness.

Out front, he noticed David—the brother whose life had been swapped with his—getting into a car with Clarista, the fourth sibling. Beside them stood a sharp-looking girl with a single ponytail—Fani, David’s private tutor who had been visiting frequently lately. The three of them seemed relaxed, chatting casually.

Al didn’t pay them much attention. He simply walked past.

Crossing the edge of the garden toward his room—situated at the far end of the estate—Al moved through the vast grounds of the Virellano residence. It wasn’t a typical house. It resembled more of a villa complex.

But just a few steps in—

A flying kick came at him from the side!

Al lazily shifted his body slightly to the left. The kick missed cleanly, not even making him flinch.

"Oh? You dodged? Not bad, orphan brat," came a voice from the direction of the attack.

Vianna. Al’s third sibling. A dedicated martial artist. She was still in her training uniform, sweat streaking her temples. Apparently, she’d been sparring—with Dedy, her mentor.

Unimpressed by the "greeting," Al shot her a piercing glare. A look that seemed ready to flay and torture. His emotions still hadn’t settled from earlier, and his fury remained raw and unchecked.

Vianna, initially smug and mocking, suddenly felt a shift. That gaze—

Why did it feel... threatening?

She quickly shook off the feeling. Annoyance bubbled up. She was just about to hurl a retort when Dedy—massive build, intimidating face, sharp eyes, and a dark reputation from the past—stepped forward. Seeing Al arrive, he quickly intervened, halting the conflict and standing at attention with a formal military salute.

A bizarre gesture, from Vianna’s point of view.

She stared at Dedy, clearly displeased, but then shrugged, too disinterested to question it.

"I’m taking a break," she muttered, and Dedy gave a small bow in response.

As she passed Al, Vianna looked him up and down, then let out a short laugh. "Look at that body. So fragile. You should start working out. Beating up street punks isn’t enough," she jabbed. "Assuming you even won."

Thanks to Dedy’s interruption, Al’s anger had mostly cooled. He just sighed, no longer provoked.

Once Vianna left, Dedy spoke up.

"You’ve returned, young master," he said in a deep but respectful tone.

Al glanced at him, and for a split second, the image of Michaelis flashed in his mind. He exhaled.

"It’s only been a few hours... and I’ve already seen two terrifying-looking men acting all cute in front of me."

Michaelis with his tearful theatrics, and now Dedy with his polite ’young master’ act.

Al patted Dedy’s arm and headed to his room. He needed rest. A moment of peace.

At least... until something strange happened again—because in his life, "peace" usually meant nothing more than a break before the next wave of chaos.

And with that, he drifted into a deep sleep.

---

When Al opened his eyes, he was in an old building. Dirty, with rotting wood, trash, and scattered leaves. A gloomy place, hidden beneath collapsed beams.

His small body trembled. He looked at his hands—pale, tiny hands. Clutching a wooden doll holding a tiny block.

He held his breath. Cold sweat trickled down.

Even the breeze made his fear worse. Then—

A door creaked open.

Someone in dark brownish-black clothing entered.

Al instinctively covered his mouth with his free hand, keeping his breathing silent.

The figure looked around but found nothing. Just as the person turned to leave—

Al, crouched in fear, lost his balance and collapsed onto the dry leaves beneath him.

Krekkk.

The leaves crunched.

Al’s eyes darted to the doorway—

But the figure was gone.

Relieved, he exhaled and closed his eyes—

Only to open them and find the figure right in front of him.

Grinning. Wide. Horrifying.

"AAAAAGGHH!"

Al screamed.

He jolted awake.

Different room.

Back in his bedroom at the Virellano estate.

Just a nightmare.

He supported his head with one hand. His body was still trembling. His chest tight. He realized it was a dream—a memory, actually. One he had long buried.

He rubbed his face, trying to calm himself.

The shadow of the dream still lingered. The figure from it still faint in his memory.

Eventually, his breathing steadied. He glanced at the window. The sky had dimmed, now tinted red by the setting sun.

The reddish light stretched the shadows of trees in the garden. The air had grown colder.

Al got up and checked his phone. Messages, updates, and a scroll through social media—until one news report made him grimace.

---

"A powerful, unusual explosion occurred off the coast of Makazhar, approximately 2km from the western shoreline near Tanjupayang Beach."

---

He just shook his head and muttered,

"My bad."

But that brief moment of distraction didn’t last.

A heavy, negative aura pressed against his room—not just any aura. This one was wild, dark, and... inhuman. And its source wasn’t far.

He immediately moved to the window, eyes narrowing as he peered into the distance.

That direction... The forest... near Lorari Beach?

That place...

No time to waste.

Al reached into his dimensional storage and pulled out a sleek black outfit—light combat gear he used for personal missions. Simple in design, but lined with hidden armor plating.

As he suited up, he activated a Glyph on his right hand—a circular magic emblem he used for long-distance communication.

With one tap, he mentally sent a message to several subordinates.

"Forest near Lorari Beach. Move out—now."

Seconds later, replies came in.

Al leapt over the outer wall in a single smooth motion, vanishing into the deepening night—

Driven by instinct.

The instinct of a predator.

Because whatever was stirring in that forest—

Was not something to ignore.

---

The sky had turned pitch-black by the time Al arrived at the site—a dense forest area not far from Lorari’s shoreline. Moonlight struggled to break through the clouds. The scent of salt mixed with a subtle yet suffocating trace of magic.

Standing atop the tallest tree branch, Al’s gaze locked onto a small, vine-covered structure, almost hidden by roots and shrubs. A place he’d been to before.

And yes—the dark energy was coming from there.

Elsewhere, three figures remained hidden in the shadows—Sebastian, Al’s right-hand man, and two elite members of the shadow unit: Kian and Bata. Silent, but fully connected through telepathy.

"Master, what’s the plan?" Sebastian’s voice rang through the channel—calm, but alert.

"We wait."

Al had planned to wait and make sure the attack could be launched in this area.

But that choice was disrupted.

Moments later, unfamiliar figures began arriving—members of other factions. Moving in trained patterns, some lurking between trees, others pretending to be night hunters.

But from Al’s vantage point, nothing escaped his sight.

More importantly—none of them could see the building. Only Al and Sebastian could. To be precise, Sebastian could sense the magic from it, while Al could see it directly using his dimensional vision. That’s why even seasoned warriors like Kian and Bata couldn’t break through the illusion veiling the area.

"The structure... it’s behind some kind of illusion barrier," Sebastian reported again.

Al nodded slightly.

"Kian. Bata. Go with Sebastian. You won’t be able to see it anyway. The barrier’s too strong."

"What about you, Master?"

"I’ll infiltrate. You three—set up the combined barrier. Surround the area. I’ll destroy whatever’s in there."

No questions asked. The three moved instantly.

Like clockwork, they spread out to three strategic points.

And then—

A masked figure appeared beneath the fractured moonlight, clad in black. Alone, yet calm.

Al.

"I don’t have business with any of you," he said firmly, voice echoing with force. "And I don’t want to hurt anyone. So if you value your lives—leave now. This place is dangerous."

The bold ones, walking out in the open, paused. They stared, amused by his warning.

Others, still hiding, observed silently.

"Who the hell are you to boss us around?" one tall man in a blue jacket stepped forward, sneering.

"You don’t need to know who I am. But this is urgent. Leave. There’s nothing here for you. You won’t gain anything."

With that, Al flicked his hand slightly.

"You too."

Thunk! Thunk!

Thin daggers pierced trees—right next to the heads of hidden scouts.

Metal met wood with sharp precision. One by one, the eavesdroppers emerged... stiff, irritated.

"...You’ve got guts, kid."

Energy flared.

Their auras surged, trying to intimidate.

Al didn’t flinch.

"I already warned you."

"Huh?" one muttered.

"Do it," Al commanded via telepathy.

"Yes, Master," came the unified response.

Skill: Area Barrier

In seconds, the trio’s combined magic activated. A triangular formation locked into place, creating a translucent dome of violet-blue energy over the entire area.

Now, the intruders grew nervous.

They could feel the foreign energy enclosing them—

But had no idea where it came from.

And this would mark the beginning of something terrifying.

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