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9 - Awakening
Last Updated:
2024-06-11 15:57:18
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MAD END'S DECEPTION 10 - War You Started
Six Months Ago (Part 1.2)GILDEONHe sprang to his feet, slipping into his trousers before joining Kohina outside. They stood together, looking down at their camp in the ravine below. Captive sylphs lay scattered around like cattle awaiting slaughter. Compared to their state, the cattle would’ve been more fortunate to meet a swifter and more dignified end.They said the Shining Keeper had shackled the sylphs’ emotions to maintain control over them, rendering them docile. But beneath the moonlight, Gildeon could see how those sylphs’ eyes, varying in shades of blue, glimmered with unease. Their lithe bodies shivered. He could smell their suppressed terror from atop the cliff.His gut twisted as he watched the scene below. Male and female sylphs lined up against the ravine wall, clothes torn, backs bared. Lash after lash from spiked whips tore into their skin, nearly flaying them alive.Some might argue this was mere retaliation for what their comrades had suffered. But as the acrid ste
Last Updated : 2024-06-11MAD END'S DECEPTION 11 - Come to Me Then
Six Months Ago (Part 2.1)GILDEONHe smashed through the metal gates with a deafening roar, turning the garrison entrance into a chaotic mess of stone and steel. Towers crumbled, columns toppled, and bodies were trampled under his feet as he charged ahead.His dragon was hungry for destruction.His senses sharpened, locking onto the warrior sylphs and spellcaster sylphs in their whites and blues. They stood frozen, trying to maintain stoic faces, but he could see the confusion in their eyes, could practically taste their fear. This was likely their first time to see a dragon up close. Baring his teeth, he snarled, sending another wave of terror through them. Behind him, he felt the salamanders crashing through the wreckage, knocking down enemy sylphs. Some fought with blades, while others had shifted into their beast forms, slashing with claws and whipping their tails around. Before him, the spellcaster sylphs reacted first. Their hands formed reverse triangles in front of their stom
Last Updated : 2024-06-16MAD END'S DECEPTION 12 - Keep Her to Himself
Six Months Ago (Part 2.2)GILDEONThe stench of death faded, replaced by the sharp smell of burning electricity. Ghulik squirmed against Gildeon's back, his tiny voice trembling.“What is Master doing? Master is going to Mad End's Wall. Master is already maaad!”The goblin jumped off, but Gildeon didn’t bother looking back to see where he scampered off. With a firm grip on the reins, he slowed the horse, needing a clear view of the chaos ahead.The trail widened, the trees thinning out until he reached a vast stretch of drylands. The ground was reddish-brown, cracked, and lifeless, stretching to the horizon where a wall of dazzling lights towered. Colors swirled together, creating a mesmerizing, almost hypnotic effect. It was as high as five men stacked on top of each other. He could hear its hum and feel the air sizzle, close enough to tingle his skin.Beyond the wall of lights, an even higher obsidian rock wall loomed, its peak lost in the sky. They said beyond that wall was the end
Last Updated : 2024-06-16MAD END'S DECEPTION 13 - Don't Try to Stop Me
Six Months Ago (Part 3)GILDEONAraheen. That was her name. He couldn't grasp why her name stirred something deep within him—an inexplicable urge to possess her. From now on, she'd be his wife. At least until he'd taken what he needed from her.They found an abandoned sylph watchtower a few miles from the Mad End’s Wall. It was where he’d taken Araheen. They would be safe here. For now.Using the tip of his shortsword, he drew Kohina’s summon sigil on the rust-colored earth, muttering her name under his steam-charged breath. He needed her help to set his plans in motion, and Kohina was the only salamander he could trust with his secrets.Afterward, he settled onto the windowsill, one leg propped against the frame. While waiting for Kohina, he inspected the sigil needle he’d picked up earlier. Silver, with a finial patterned after an owl, its eyes set with sapphires. The tip was sharp enough to prick his fingertip. Other than that, it looked just like the hair sticks Kohina often used.
Last Updated : 2024-06-17MAD END'S DECEPTION 14 - Witch Lady
PresentGILDEONFor days, he'd been waiting for that powerful witch to make another move. So far, no danger had come Arah’s way, which meant one of two things: either they hadn’t traced the sylph magic back to her yet, or they were already aware and were just smart enough to bide their time.With no class today, it was perfect timing when he received news about another body turning up dead—someone who probably bore Arah’s Clover Wish too. He had to see it for himself. So, without wasting time, he drove straight to the fishing village and met up with the fisherman he had helped before.“You told me to call you if any strange jellyfish attacks came up around here,” Donny said, leading him to the far end of the shore. “Over there, Mr. Ayadi. I didn’t know what to do at first.”They trudged past boulders and fallen trees, remnants of last year’s typhoon. The low tide exposed algae-coated rocks, and even from this distance, Gildeon caught the stench of something rotten.“Master, Ghulik sme
Last Updated : 2024-06-17MAD END'S DECEPTION 15 - Only A Monster
ARAH“You haven’t broken the lock yet?” Tonio's curious eyes bore into her after she admitted she couldn't get into Gildeon’s study. Of course, she left out the steamy details that now distracted her, making her heart race. Her tattoo machine hung idle as she fought to drown out the memory of her husband's lustful gaze, the intense sounds he made, and how he came hard into her mouth...She was embarrassed to even be thinking about these things while working next to her friend.‘Get it together, Arah. Save those thoughts for later,' she scolded herself.“I thought you’d have managed to peek inside by now.” Tonio’s voice broke through her reverie.“I haven’t had a chance to try again,” she replied, steadying her voice and refocusing on the cursive name stenciled on Tonio’s forearm. The delicate lines of ‘Patricia’ were a welcome distraction. “He added a new lock. It’s tricky. He’d know if I touched it.”For all she knew, Gildeon could've also installed a spy camera somewhere in the hous
Last Updated : 2024-06-18MAD END'S DECEPTION 16 - His to Claim
GILDEONHe trudged up the narrow dirt trail, eyes locked on the abandoned farmhouse behind the broken wooden fence. It was laughable how people spun stories about this place, scaring the shit out of themselves. Haunted, they said. The rumor was that the old woman who died here had cursed the land—anyone who dared set foot inside would end up dead. That kept most folks away, speeding up as they passed the hill.To him, it sounded like the perfect hideout for someone on the run, like Roselia. Except now, she’d made him hike up the trail five times, never letting him reach the farmhouse gates.He halted, panting a little. He’d indulged her vindictive theatrics long enough. “You can stop this stunt now, Roselia!” he shouted, hands on his hips. “Let me in, or I’ll start burning this place down.”Right on cue, a middle-aged woman in a violet dress appeared at the top of the trail, her long copper hair swaying in the breeze. Her lips were pursed, hands clasped in front.“What do you need, My
Last Updated : 2024-06-19MAD END'S DECEPTION 17 - Bought Her Flowers
GILDEONHis eyes flicked to the chamber as Ghulik started retching. The goblin was on his knees, saliva dripping from his jagged teeth, hands bracing himself on the floor. Gildeon had expected the process to take longer, but here it was already.The sooner, the better anyway.He set the grimoire back on the table and stood to watch closely, hands in his pockets. Ghulik vomited up two black, slimy eggs, each the size of Gildeon's palm.“Just as I thought,” Roselia muttered, handing the eyeglasses back to him. He felt their renewed enchantment just before pocketing them. “Two eggs. Two witches, My Lord.”He crossed his arms, shaking his head. “It still baffles me that this is how you people get the witchtrace of each other.”“Well, back in the day, it was a lot... different,” Roselia said hesitantly as she approached the chamber. She carefully picked up one egg and set it down on the clear part of the table. “Witches used to slice open their stomachs, with nothing to numb the pain.” A g
Last Updated : 2024-06-20
Latest chapter
MAD END'S DECEPTION 179 - Key To Your Mind
GILDEONIn a blink, he was back in Drusden’s throne room. He dropped to his knees, palms flat on the cold floor, breath ragged. He hadn’t even realized he’d shifted back to his mortal form. His chest tightened, a storm of emotions threatening to tear free.His mysterious birth mother. His father’s death…He slammed his palms against the floor, frustration boiling over. Haemos and Kohina knew who he really was. Why the fuck had they kept it from him?Footsteps. Brown boots halted in front of him—Drusden’s. The Headwitch crouched, head tilted.“If you need a shoulder to cry on, mine’s available, salamander,” Drusden mocked.Gildeon’s glare burned as he met the bastard’s smug face.“Not gonna lie. Your father’s memory might be my favorite one I’ve delved into.” Drusden paced, dragging from his cigarette. “Learned a lot about your kind. Shame we never got the real answer about your mother.”He stopped, gaze lifting to Dragon Zylas as he exhaled a slow stream of smoke. “I really thought I’
MAD END'S DECEPTION 178 - As One Of Us
GILDEONHe held his breath, waiting for an answer that didn’t come. Or rather, his father said something, but it was all muted.“Did you censor it?” Gildeon asked, tilting his head slightly. He couldn’t see Drusden lurking in the shadows, but he was certain the bastard was there.“Now, why would I do that?” Drusden retorted. “This is your subconscious, salamander. The memory of your parents—well, parent—is ingrained in your spirit. I have no control over it.”Gildeon dragged his attention back to the scene. Ragina’s face said it all—eyes wide, lips parted. She knew who it was. Part of him thought she’d be mad at Daego, but she just stared at the baby. Shocked, but not angry. She held the little him in her arms as the membrane slowly dissolved, strand by strand, until only the baby remained, crying. That sound, from him, was strange to his ears.Weeks passed. The baby’s existence had been hidden from everyone. Only Haemos and Kohina knew about it. Gildeon watched Ragina care for the ba
MAD END'S DECEPTION 177 - His Father's Valor
GILDEONHe didn’t move. Couldn’t. His eyes stayed locked on the couple. Something stirred deep inside—a pull, like he was truly connected to them. Especially to the one they called Daego.Could they really be his mother and father?Haemos had known them. That was the part that was fucking with his head. Why had Old Man lied to him?“You look bothered, salamander,” Drusden said, craning his neck to get a read on his face. “Huh. You didn’t know them, did you? Orphaned too young, is that it?”He ignored him. The Headwitch could talk all he wanted. Gildeon was tuned in elsewhere, listening to the conversation between his father and Markaus. They talked about Greater Beast sightings. Camp relocations. Strategies. The stuff that mattered.A proud smile tugged at the corner of Gildeon’s mouth. General Daego was a wise man.Drusden’s voice ruined it again. “He kind of moves and talks like you.”“I liked it better when you weren’t here,” Gildeon shot back, irritation creeping into his voice.D
MAD END'S DECEPTION 176 - An Important Mission
GILDEONHe thought it was a figure of speech at first. He hadn’t expected the Indigo Sylph to mean it literally—centuries into the future.Jumping into the next scene, Gildeon braced himself. The air was cool, and the sky stretched dark above him. He stood at the edge of what appeared to be a small park or a quiet town bordering the woods. Six camper vans were parked in uneven rows along the tree line. A bonfire flickered in the center of the clearing, its glow dancing across a group of about ten people gathered around it.A few held beer bottles, their laughter spilling into the night. Some swayed as if they were having the time of their lives. One man strummed a guitar, and the others sang along to what sounded like a country song.He had no clue what year this was. The seventies? Eighties, maybe?“I didn’t expect you to make it this far,” Drusden’s voice came from behind him.“About time you showed up,” Gildeon replied dryly, not bothering to turn around. “I was starting to forget
MAD END'S DECEPTION 175 - To The Future
GILDEONHe’d seen enough to know this would end badly. Still, he couldn’t help but wonder how Kana would manage to crawl out of this alive. These shamans were not to be underestimated. Their power carried the weight of something ancient—something likely bestowed by Yonah himself. Even the strongest modern witches would surely be no match for them.“Me not let Kana die!” Tree Man growled, planting himself between Kana and the shamans. The low rumble of his voice sent birds screeching out of the canopy, their wings beating frantically against the still air. On the ground, smaller creatures bolted into the underbrush, a nervous energy spreading like wildfire.Tree Man was prepared to go all out in this fight.The shamans faltered but didn’t break. Their chanting rose, seemingly twisting the air itself. The scent of earth turned sour, and the very forest recoiled—leaves curling, branches straining, as if the trees themselves wanted to pull away from what was coming.“Don’t fight them,” Ka
MAD END'S DECEPTION 174 - A Spirit Connection
GILDEONHe trailed behind the two as they approached the massive tree, his gaze fixed on Tree Man. Perhaps lingering in this memory would reveal what kind of being this creature truly was.The tree’s gaping hollow was enormous, easily allowing Tree Man’s towering frame to pass through. Inside, the space was surprisingly human in design. A bed woven from thick, intertwining roots and padded with moss leaned against one wall. Tree stumps, their surfaces smoothed by years of use, served as tables and chairs.From the ceiling hung baskets stuffed with dried vegetables, fruits, herbs, and fish strips. Their pungent aroma was thick, hitting hard—earthy and sour with a sharp, fishy tang. Even Kana wrinkled her nose, quickly covering it with her hand.Tree Man noticed, his bark-like face shifting slightly, as if attempting an expression. For a moment, Gildeon could have sworn it was an embarrassment.“Sorry,” Tree Man said, his rough voice awkward as he gestured vaguely around the room. “Hous
MAD END'S DECEPTION 173 - Pure Cosmic Power
GILDEONHe stared in awe at the creature growling low before him. Even Kana froze behind it, her wide eyes fixed on the strange being. Its body was covered in coarse, bark-like skin—gray and rugged. The ridges and grooves of its muscles resembled twisting roots, and patches of moss clung to its surface.It looked less like a living being and more like a human figure carved straight from an ancient tree.Gildeon had no idea what kind of being this stranger was. But in this era, it wasn’t that extraordinary. This was when the Shining Keeper had entered hibernation, leaving the second cosmic breach unchecked. Even the sylph hunters of the time couldn’t stem the fallout. Various beings from other dimensions spilled into the world—sentient, unlike the mindless beasts they had eradicated long ago. Some were so bizarre, so alien, that even higher mortals had no names for them.The wolves didn’t stay down for long. They rose again, their shadowy auras pulsing stronger than before, wrapping ar
MAD END'S DECEPTION 172 - Tainted
GILDEONHe panted, surprised at the effort to land that punch on Drusden. Being trapped in the witch’s domain clearly had its disadvantages. Still, watching the bastard skid across the ground, his boots kicking up dirt and his body crashing against a jagged rock, was satisfying as hell.Drusden let out a grunt and propped himself up. Blood trickled from his split lip, and a dark bruise was already forming along his jawline where Gildeon’s clawed fist had connected.“You don’t have a fucking clue what she went through,” Gildeon growled low, the urge to end the bastard clawing at him. But he couldn’t ignore the possibility of more traps lurking around. Drusden wasn’t the type to leave himself defenseless. A reckless attack could backfire, and Gildeon wasn’t about to let it blow up in his face tenfold.“I’ve got to hand it to my ex-wife,” Drusden said with a small chuckle, sitting up and swiping the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand. “She managed to wrap a higher mortal arou
MAD END'S DECEPTION 171 - That's Human Nature
GILDEONHis mind raged with questions. Kana wasn’t special—just a pure human. But what truly gnawed at him was Zylas’s father. He had to be a higher mortal. A salamander.Gildeon couldn’t begin to wrap his thoughts around the idea of a salamander coming down to Earthland and mating with a human. There had been stories of deserters—salamanders who had gone rogue and vanished. Copulating with a lower mortal was plausible. But to conceive a hybrid offspring? That was something else entirely.The shamans led Kana into a cave not far from the village. They moved through a narrow, twisting passage before emerging into a wider chamber. At its center lay a shallow pool of water, its surface rippling faintly. Sunlight streamed through holes in the ceiling, casting shifting light patterns across the water and the rough cave walls. It gave the space an almost otherworldly glow—reminding him of the caves in Shamibar.But what seized Gildeon’s attention the most was the limestone formation shaped
