The Spiritual Realm was unusually quiet.
Not peaceful.
Quiet.
There was a difference.
Jade stood beneath the enormous trees of the forest, his crimson eyes calmly observing the surroundings.
The air carried the faint scent of leaves and distant monster essence.
He had been waiting for Kelvin.
Kelvin had disappeared earlier, claiming that he needed to retrieve something.
Jade hadn't thought much of it.
Until now.
Footsteps approached from behind.
Jade turned.
A familiar figure emerged between the trees.
Kelvin.
The young man walked casually, almost lazily, with his usual childish smile spread across his face.
But he wasn't alone.
Two girls followed behind him.
One was slightly taller.
Her long hair moved gently in the wind.
Her expression was calm.
Almost too calm.
The other girl walked beside her.
She looked younger.
Her eyes were bright.
Her expression was gentle.
Yet something about both girls immediately made Jade uncomfortable.
He couldn't explain it.
There was no killing intent.
No obvious hostility.
No dangerous aura.
Nothing that should have triggered his instincts.
And yet...
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
Kelvin raised one hand.
"Jade!"
He smiled brightly.
"I thought you'd already left."
Jade looked at him.
Then at the two girls.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Kelvin."
"I thought you would take forever."
Kelvin laughed.
"I know, right?"
He scratched the back of his head.
"Things took a little longer than expected."
Then he stepped aside.
"Anyway..."
"Let me introduce you."
He pointed toward the first girl.
"This is my sister."
The girl smiled politely.
"Annabelle."
Kelvin then pointed toward the second girl.
"And this is my cousin."
"Audrey."
Audrey gave Jade a small smile.
"Nice to meet you."
Jade nodded.
"Nice to meet you too."
His voice remained perfectly calm.
His smile never disappeared.
But inside...
His instincts were screaming.
Something about them was wrong.
Jade couldn't identify what it was.
They looked human.
They sounded human.
They even behaved like normal girls.
But their presence felt...
Empty.
Not empty like someone who lacked confidence.
Not empty like someone who was tired.
Empty in a much deeper way.
As though something inside them had been removed.
Jade's eyes narrowed slightly.
Then—
"JADE!"
A voice suddenly screamed inside his mind.
Jade nearly flinched.
He immediately recognized it.
Little Black.
The tiny shadow suddenly appeared on his shoulder.
Its small body trembled.
Its nonexistent eyes stared directly at Annabelle and Audrey.
Jade's expression didn't change.
He had already taught Little Black something important.
Whenever other people were nearby...
It wasn't allowed to speak aloud.
Instead, it had to communicate directly with him through their mental connection.
Jade had expected Little Black to remain quiet.
But apparently...
Something had frightened it badly enough to break that rule.
Jade smiled toward the two girls.
At the same time, he spoke telepathically.
Little Black.
Why did you yell?
The little cat didn't answer immediately.
It simply stared.
Its tiny body trembled.
Then its voice echoed inside Jade's mind.
Those girls...
Their minds are destroyed.
Jade's smile almost disappeared.
What?
Little Black continued.
Their minds feel like they're dead.
There is almost nothing inside them.
Jade remained perfectly still.
His eyes continued watching Annabelle and Audrey.
The two girls were standing normally.
Annabelle smiled.
Audrey looked around the forest.
Nothing appeared unusual.
Yet Little Black's next words sent a chill through Jade.
But there's something else.
Something connected to them.
Jade's heart tightened.
What?
Little Black pointed mentally toward Kelvin.
There's a warm path.
It goes from their minds...
"...to Kelvin."
Jade's expression remained calm.
But his thoughts became extremely sharp.
A warm path?
Little Black nodded.
It connects all three of them.
Like something is controlling them.
Jade's eyes narrowed.
Little Black's voice became more serious.
If I'm not wrong...
Kelvin is a Necromancer.
Jade froze.
For a brief moment...
The entire world seemed to become quieter.
A Necromancer.
The word alone carried enormous weight.
In the regions Jade had traveled through, Necromancers were feared for one simple reason.
They possessed the ability to control the dead.
Corpses.
Skeletons.
Dead monsters.
Sometimes even the bodies of powerful warriors.
A skilled Necromancer didn't need to fight alone.
Every battlefield could become their army.
Every corpse could become another weapon.
Every death could potentially make them stronger.
And if Kelvin truly was one...
Then Annabelle and Audrey...
Jade's eyes slowly moved toward them again.
Dead minds.
Connected to Kelvin.
Walking beside him.
The pieces were beginning to fit together.
Jade unconsciously took one step backward.
Only one.
But Kelvin noticed.
His eyebrows rose.
"Hm?"
"Is something wrong?"
Jade immediately smiled.
"No."
"I'm fine."
Kelvin looked at him for another second.
Then his childish smile returned.
"Are we going to stand here all day looking at each other?"
Jade laughed lightly.
"Sorry."
He looked toward Annabelle and Audrey again.
"Nice to meet you both."
Annabelle nodded.
"Nice to meet you too."
Audrey smiled.
"Kelvin talks about you quite often."
Jade raised an eyebrow.
"Does he?"
Kelvin laughed.
"Of course."
Jade smiled.
But his attention remained on Little Black.
Are you certain?
Little Black nodded.
I'm certain something is wrong with them.
Their minds aren't normal.
They're like corpses pretending to be alive.
Jade's expression became colder.
Yet he didn't attack.
Not yet.
He didn't know Kelvin's true strength.
He didn't know what kind of Necromancer he was.
And most importantly...
He didn't know why Kelvin had brought these two girls here.
Attacking without understanding the situation would be foolish.
Jade had survived this long by learning one important rule.
Never attack something simply because it frightened you.
Understand it first.
Then decide.
Kelvin suddenly tilted his head.
His eyes landed on Little Black.
He smiled.
"I didn't notice the cat before."
Little Black immediately stiffened.
Its tiny body turned toward Kelvin.
Its expression somehow managed to look furious.
Jade felt a dangerous amount of irritation coming from the little cat.
It looked like Little Black was about to retort.
Jade reacted immediately.
His hand shot upward.
He gently covered Little Black's mouth.
The cat struggled beneath his palm.
Jade smiled awkwardly.
"He was here all along."
"In fact..."
He glanced down at the furious cat.
"His name is Shadow Mind."
"He doesn't like people calling him a cat."
Kelvin blinked.
"Oh."
He stared at Little Black for another moment.
Then smiled.
"Shadow Mind."
"Interesting name."
Little Black narrowed its eyes.
Jade could practically hear it complaining inside his head.
I am not a cat.
Jade ignored it.
Kelvin laughed softly.
"Sorry."
"I didn't mean to offend him."
Jade smiled.
"It's fine."
For several seconds...
Nobody spoke.
The forest breeze moved gently between the trees.
Leaves drifted through the air.
Everything appeared peaceful.
Normal.
But underneath that peaceful surface...
Something much darker was happening.
Kelvin looked at Jade.
His childish expression remained perfectly intact.
But inside his mind...
His thoughts were completely different.
So it was him.
His gaze briefly shifted toward Shadow Mind.
He was the one who trespassed into Annabelle's mind.
There was no doubt anymore.
Kelvin had felt it earlier.
Something had entered the mental space of one of his creations.
Something had touched a mind that shouldn't have been touched.
And now...
That same creature was sitting on Jade's shoulder.
Kelvin smiled.
So Jade knows.
He knows what I am.
His fingers slowly tightened.
But his expression remained cheerful.
He couldn't attack yet.
Not here.
Not before obtaining the treasure.
That treasure was too important.
He had spent far too long preparing.
Too many corpses.
Too many sacrifices.
Too much time.
Everything had been leading toward that moment.
Kelvin glanced toward Annabelle and Audrey.
Both girls remained silent.
Their expressions were peaceful.
Their minds were quiet.
Their bodies were obedient.
Perfect.
Kelvin smiled inwardly.
Once I obtain the treasure...
His eyes slowly became colder.
I won't need to hide anymore.
He looked back at Jade.
The childish smile returned to his face.
I can't wait.
I'll kill him.
And then...
His thoughts became darker.
I'll add him to my collection.
The thought brought him genuine excitement.
Jade didn't know what Kelvin was thinking.
But Little Black did.
The tiny cat suddenly trembled again.
Jade felt it immediately.
He glanced toward his shoulder.
Little Black stared at Kelvin.
For the first time...
Jade saw something unusual in its expression.
Not fear.
Not anger.
Something closer to recognition.
As though Little Black had sensed the same darkness hiding behind Kelvin's smile.
Jade's own smile slowly faded.
The meeting had only just begun.
Yet somewhere beneath the surface...
Both sides had already decided what they wanted.
Kelvin wanted the treasure.
And once he obtained it...
He wanted Jade dead.
Jade, meanwhile...
Still didn't know exactly what Kelvin was.
But he knew one thing.
Those two girls were not normal.
And the moment he discovered the truth...
This peaceful meeting would end.