Dark Magus Returns

Having successfully collected the pills, Dame still couldn't shake off the feeling of unease. He had every reason to be uneasy because a tough battle lay ahead. His father had essentially sent him on a suicide mission, and nobody expected him to survive this ordeal.

Now, he was about to meet the individuals who had reluctantly agreed to join him. On the highest floor of the Neverfall Clan base, where the lowest-ranked warriors of the clan resided, fifty of them had gathered in a dark cavern. Strange glass orbs powered by light were attached to the walls, providing self-sufficient illumination since using fire in such an area was relatively dangerous.

Dame stood before them all, accompanied by Fixteen, Carlson, and Kirk—three individuals who stuck by him despite his reputation as the troublesome young master. When Dame looked into the eyes of those in front of him, he could sense their skepticism and frustration, even though they held back their words.

"I know what you are all thinking," Dame spoke aloud, breaking the tension in the air. "All of you are wondering why it was me who got chosen and why I'm here with you. If it were one of my brothers, maybe we'd have a better chance, or you'd have more confidence."

"At this moment, I have to admit that no one believes in us. But I'm telling you all now, you may know me as a fool, a playboy, or whatever, but one thing is for sure—I don't plan to die, and neither should you."

With a nod to Fixteen, he handed out the pills one by one, going from person to person. For his own group, each of them would be using the Uncommon Cursed Mana Pills originally intended for the Crimson Crane and their group. Given the dire situation, he decided to use half of them and make up excuses for the rest.

"The Qi Pills I've given you aren't your average Qi Pills!" Dame proclaimed. "If you look at the markings on them, you'll see they've been created by none other than the Dark Magus."

The clan members examined the Qi Pills, noting the imprints on them. It was quite remarkable because the markings were not merely scratched in but an integral part of the pill, something they had never seen before. The color of the pills matched as well.

But what truly puzzled them was the name. "Wait, Dark Magus? I've heard that name before. Isn't that who the Crimson Crane clan is looking for?"

"Yeah, I saw the poster too. Aren't they offering a level 5 power stone for information about that person?"

"Wait, what? They're offering such a huge reward? Does that mean this person is a big deal or something? Then what are these pills?"

A sly smirk appeared on Dame's face. This was part of his plan. Alba had already put up posters and spread information to search for the Dark Magus, so his name had somewhat become known. However, they still didn't know why.

Right now, Dame was also thinking about the future. These pills were effective, and if they used them in battle and they were the reason for their survival, then these warriors would likely become loyal customers in the future.

They would do everything they could to obtain the products of the Dark Magus. "The differently colored pills have different effects. The Blue pills will restore your Qi, the Red pills your vitality, and the Green ones increase your speed. In the upcoming battle, all of you should use them wisely. All of us will be needed for this battle coming up, and I have used everything I could to obtain these from the Dark Magus."

"As I said before, I don't plan to die."

Now Dame could see the change in the people's expressions. There was hope in their eyes that the situation could turn around. Now all that remained was to proceed with the actual battle tomorrow. He had done everything he could.

---

Back in his room, Raze had finally decided on an enchantment to cast on the warrior statue. It had been a headache for him, trying to find an enchantment that would be worthwhile for an item he couldn't carry with him into battle. It wasn't as if he could use the statue as a weapon.

So, instead, he opted for something that could enhance strength in a certain area. He placed the regular level 2 power stone on the ground along with the enchantment.

"Honestly, I thought about turning this into a 20-year Qi Pill and advancing my Dantian to see if it would bring me to the second stage. Or perhaps using it to increase the strength of my magic core and get closer to becoming a 3-star mage. But items are more useful, especially with Dark magic giving them a chance to become high-tier items."

Activating his Dark Magic, Raze infused the statue with energy. The item floated in the air momentarily as the energy surged through it, then it gently floated back down.

"Show me the effects," Raze said, and slowly, the information began to appear in front of his eyes.

[A Sealed Cursed Warrior Statue]

"A sealed item! Did I just manage to hit the jackpot again?"

Now that it was a sealed item, his enchantment would have no effect, and the item's power could be anything. But sealed items were likely to be of an even higher grade.

"To break the seal, the item requires the drop of blood from five different people, not including your own. Those whose blood has been used will lose a part of themselves that will never be returned."

"Lose a part of themselves... Does the item have to be so vague? Anyway, considering it's a cursed item, it won't be good to use it on my allies. But wait a second, aren't there five disciples I need to return the favor to? Ah, yes, I think I've already found my sacrifices." Raze smiled.

Satisfied with the results, he put the item away. However, he decided not to risk it with the second power stone, which was of the earth element. Instead of absorbing it into his magic core to gain Earth magic, he used it to create an enchantment that would work well for him in his current situation.

He drew the magic circle and placed the mask with the enchantment. This time, he used regular magic rather than dark magic. The mask had been created.

[An Uncommon Face Change Mask]

[Allows the user to change their own face into another]

[The mask must be placed on Person A's face first, then when the mask is placed on Person B, it will change Person B's face to Person A's face. The mask can only be used to store one person's face, but it is not bound to a single user]

There were higher tier mask's that could be used multiple times, and change into many different faces. These types of masks often caused difficulty and was something Raze had used to cause mass confusion in Alterian. For now though, this would have to do.

"Since it's an uncommon item, its effects are limited, but this is perfect. Now with this, I guess I can watch the battle a bit more up close. But before that, I should learn some sword skills."