A deafening silence followed the blast of spells.
Sera, Kaelyn, and the other mages stared at the dungeon core, their chests rising and falling rapidly from the exertion. The adventurers behind them looked equally drained.
They had all attacked at once. Spells layered, timed, focused into a single point. It should have cracked. It should have shattered.
Instead, there was nothing. Not a scratch. Just a faint shimmer across the surface of the core—like a ripple on still water.
Kaelyn collapsed to one knee, panting hard.
"It didn't even... react," she said in disbelief.
Sera kept her eyes on the core, her breathing steady, but inside she was just as shaken with mana exhaustion.
A shadow moved.
From behind the core, a man stepped out slowly. His figure was familiar, posture refined. Hands were folded behind his back as if he was casually strolling through his garden.
Kaelyn's eyes widened. "Duke Kurtis?"
"No," Sera said sharply, grabbing Kaelyn's arm. "That's not him. Look at his eyes."
The man raised his head. His eyes were dull—lifeless. His skin looked greyish, parts of it already cracking at the edges like old bark.
"Ah… what a warm welcome," he spoke, his voice smooth and mocking. "I had hoped to remain hidden a bit longer, but that explosion earlier… well, plans changed."
"Who are you?" Kaelyn asked, stepping back.
He smiled.
"Veil Nightfall. A craftsman of artifacts, and—" he chuckled darkly, "—a temporary tenant of this body. I must say, the duke's frame has served me well. Though it's starting to fall apart."
Sera's grip tightened.
"You're using his corpse…? You monster."
"Monster?" Veil tilted his head. "Harsh. I prefer 'opportunist.' And really, he was barely using it. Reclusive nobles make excellent hosts. No one notices when they rot."
Kaelyn's voice was barely a whisper. "The orphanage… you were there, weren't you?"
Veil's smile widened. "Orphanage?... Oh yes. That little dump. It served its purpose beautifully. Free mana conduits. Disposable. And the donations? Ironic, really. People paid to fuel my experiments."
Kaelyn trembled with fury. Without thinking, she launched a bolt of mana.
The spell struck him in the chest, crackling… and fizzled out.
Veil didn't even flinch.
"I can't feel pain through this body. That's one of the perks. Though I do enjoy watching you try."
Sera narrowed her eyes. "You'll be dead once we recover our strength. Reinforcements should be arriving after that explosion."
At that, Veil paused. Then slowly reached behind his back.
"Reinforcements? You mean them?"
He lifted something into view.
It was a head.
Bloodied. Fresh.
Kaelyn staggered back. "No… no, that's—"
Sera's face went pale.
The head belonged to Leontius Armenia.
The king.
"Most of them are dead already," Veil said softly. "And your kingdom is about to join them."