Thalamik slipped away from South Jaka City under special military clearance two days before their departure to Vanguard Academy.
His destination was a place he once called home: the Ruins of L'arc Academy. Though charred rubble and twisted steel dominated the landscape, signs of the grand institution that once stood there lingered—a broken statue of its founder, half-buried in debris, corridors scorched black, and remnants of once-proud training fields.
A small troop of soldiers accompanied him, combing through the destruction in silence. Thalamik had requested their help to search for what he called "lingering souls," while they didn't fully understand, they followed orders.
He walked among the fragments grimly, ignoring the harsh wind that carried the acrid smell of burnt wood and stone.
"Sir," one soldier called out, pointing his flashlight at a collapsed corridor, "this path seems stable enough to explore. Should we proceed?"
Thalamik nodded. "Stay here. I'll return soon."
The soldier seemed puzzled but obeyed him nonetheless.
Thalamik took a deep breath and closed his eyes, letting the faint pulse of lingering souls.
Since taking the Fiend Kaiser System made by his first batch of Fiends, he had learned to sense lost souls trapped by regret or hatred anywhere they might be. As long as their wills remain strong, he can feel it.
Aric called me back then.
When Hale was dying, I heard Aric's voice.
He said he wanted to die.
He wanted me to end his life.
He said he had had enough being in a vegetative state.
Yet at that moment, he was preoccupied with Hale. Thalamik only responded to his call after Hale passed away.
The reason for that is that, well, he didn't want to miss Hale's final breath or message.
No, it was actually because.
I wish Hale had lingered.
Deep down inside, I feel like if she lingered, I would take her as my fiend.
If that happens, I can eventually find a way to resurrect her-
That sort of thinking haunts him. Now that he had a new power. One that tampered with souls. He felt responsible for not trying everything.
Yet he knows.
The reason this power exists.
It is not to force peaceful souls.
It's to utilize the lingering souls that still wanted to fight.
In the end, consent is what makes this different from any normal necromancy.
Under the flickering beams of rubble, a faint glow began to coalesce above a battered training field.
Thalamik approached cautiously. The wind kicked up dust and ash, swirling it into a shape—the hazy outlines of a figure wearing a half-burnt uniform. Another glow then appeared nearby.
"Wisnu… Pacifica… it's been a while…"
As he suspected, the souls of Wisnu and Pacifica indeed lingered.
Wisnu's form flickered, eyes hollow and forlorn, while Pacifica's spirit shimmered with a sorrowful brilliance.
Around them, dozens more faint lights flitted, the remnants of those who had perished when the Academy fell.
I didn't know there were this many people who tried to protect Hale.
Heck, I didn't even know their names.
Yet these people here undoubtedly helped Hale survive.
He steeled himself.
"Your souls are still here… Does this mean you haven't given up on fighting yet?"
The souls of Pacifica, Wisnu, and the others nodded, responding to Thalamik's word.
"I couldn't save you in life," he murmured, voice rough with regret. "But at least… I can offer you a purpose now."
Blue mana unfurled around him like a cloak. Thalamik raised one hand, chanting under his breath. The swirling lights converged, forming a congregation of souls awaiting release—or a new path forward.
"Join me. If you still wish to fight for humanity… become my Fiends."
One by one, the souls began to merge into Thalamik's aura. Some hissed in anguish, others shuddered in silent acceptance. Within moments, the spectral forms had vanished, leaving only the hum of mana pulsing through him.
Panel appeared.
[You have absorbed Fiends]
With a command in mind, Thalamik opened the Fiend Kaiser system—a spectral, status-like interface that appeared before his mind's eye.
[\]
Fiend Captains
Black, Knight Class Skeleton Warrior
Arcuest, Knight Class Ghoul Warrior.
Pasette, Knight Class Ghoul Warrior.
Visha, Knight Class Ghoul Warrior.
[\]
Thalamik's saw the new addition to his Fiends. Arcuest was Aric's new name, Passete for Pacifica, and Visha for Wisnu.
Every time a fiend was recruited, Thalamik would get their mana reserve around 1% to add to his own base of mana reserves.
He noticed that his soldiers also had different distinctions. Black, the knight who first became his fiend captain, was turned into a Skeleton Knight, while Aric and the others were turned into ghouls.
In terms of undead, a Skeleton is weaker than a Ghoul. So it would mean Aric's based stats are greater than Black's.
That's when he founded..
[Evolutionary Factor Found. Human with High Mana Level -> Ghoul Species]
The system said so when he first recruited Aric.
He wished he could ask the system what an Evolutionary Factor is, so he tried his best to ask.
"What is an evolutionary factor?"
[Condition in which you can unlock stronger species of undead. Based on their mana pool when they were alive.]
From that alone, Thalamik understood that his soldiers grow stronger, or at least start at a stronger level, when they have a larger mana pool at the moment of their recruitment.
But how did that happen?
The answer was easy.
Thalamik itself was burdened to turn these souls into fiends. He was using his mana to turn souls into undead.
If the mana provided by the fiends is small, Thalamik must compensate with a lot of mana, which can cause him to lose mana quickly. So, the codex made by Black was to anticipate that.
[Your mana efficiency rate for Fiend Kaiser System is low.]
[Your fiend soldiers can't get any better than Ghouls]
The system said.
He then thought to himself.
Though he trained crazily using this system, he never thought he could summon anything other than upgraded skeletons.
He is quite sure that this must have happened due to Aric, Pacifica, and Wisnu's high mana reserves. On top of that, he was now quite adept at using Fiend Kaiser.
Thalamik gazed at the names again momentarily, feeling an odd mixture of relief and grief.
"I will not let you down. I won't let your deaths be in vain," he promised quietly. "We'll finish what we started."
Clenching his fists, Thalamik stepped away from the wreckage, the swirl of mana dispersing around him.
He met again with the soldiers who had waited for him. They all looked on with confusion, saying nothing as he passed.
For Thalamik, this was the only way forward—he would carry every soul that wished to fight again.
This is the only way he was sure to progress as the Fiend Kaiser.
***
On the day of departure, Raymed, Thalamik, and Carmilla found themselves at the bustling international airport in South Jaka City. Their flight plan was convoluted due to ongoing conflicts across various airspaces, but the trio remained determined to reach Europe by any means necessary.
Raymed glanced out the airplane window at the receding Jaka City skyline and sighed deeply. He was seated at the window, Carmilla was in the middle, and Thalamik was in the aisle seat.
"Still thinking about Hale?" Carmilla's gentle voice pulled Raymed back to the present.
"Yeah," he admitted softly. "Her last words… they're stuck in my head."
Thalamik, seated beside Carmilla, barely lifted his eyes from his spiral notebook. "She trusted us. But I am sure she doesn't want that trust to become a burden, Ray."
Raymed raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "You say that, but you think more than I do." He smirked.
"N-No. I am not thinking about it too much. Besides, we gotta focus. We're probably heading straight into another warzone," Thalamik said, scribbling again.
Carmilla smiled softly, eyes half-closed. "I am glad, though."
Thalamik and Raymed stared towards Carmilla.
"I mean… I still think about her as well. She had always been so nice to me. So I think of her like a mother figure. I am glad we are thinking about her a lot. It validates my feeling that Hale is indeed important to us." Carmilla said.
A flight attendant then stepped beside Raymed. "Would any of you like anything to drink or eat, sirs and miss?"
Raymed managed a tight smile. "Just water, please." He overheard the elderly couple behind him whispering about alliances and Vanguard Academy. Their words stirred apprehension and excitement within him.
"Seems like everyone's got high expectations for this academy," Raymed murmured.
"From what I have heard, Vanguard Academy was instituted sometime after our enrollment in L'arc. The idea was to create a movement that supports equality for all races. Promoted by Grand Saint Veuz." Thalamik closed his book.
"Who's that?" Raymed asked.
"Honestly, we have never even had the chance to talk about her. But she was behind the Saint Association. The program Carmilla is enrolling." Thalamik said.
Carmilla stared in awe at Thalamik as if she were in a trance.
"Oi, Carmilla, are you hearing us?" Raymed said.
"Oh! Sorry, I was just startled at what you said!" Carmilla replied with a blush. "Hehe, I didn't know you read about the Saint Ascension Programs before. On top of that, even knowing our leader, Grand Saint Veuz! When did you become an expert in this?"
Thalamik smiled nervously. "I mean.. I just learned it. Last night."
"Ah, I see that's wonderful!"
"Hey, hey, back to our topic, who was Grand Saint Zeus?" Raymed asked.
"It's Veuz!" Thalamik and Carmilla said in unison.
Grand Saint Veuz. A figure who was previously a researcher in physics. When Mana appeared in our world sometime in 2020, she invested a lot of time to learn it. In a short time, Veuz managed to learn how to properly control mana. Yet the claim was that her methods aren't effective in teaching people to use Mana rather than focusing on Mana-related treatments.
"I haven't heard enough to know what she is like. What I do know is that she is an egalitarian wishing for equal rights for every race in this world, even before the peace treaty." Carmilla replied as she thought about Veuz. "The Saint Ascension itself was a practice that she developed herself to support unconditionally, whether towards a human or a non-human." She continued.
"From what I've heard, Veuz herself also built her association for demi-humans, fae, and spirits. Her Saint magic is universal support magic that can be used by any race for any race." Thalamik said as Carmilla gasped in awe.
The two then talked more about what they knew about Veuz. Raymed, on the other hand, lost interest and went back to looking at the window.
Upon arriving in Batam and boarding a crowded ferry, Carmilla leaned against the railing, smiling faintly as the wind swept through her hair.
"It's nice to feel this wind again! Even if it's just for a moment," she commented, watching the islands drift past.
Raymed stepped up beside her, gazing at the horizon. "It almost makes me forget the world is at war."
Thalamik joined quietly, his gaze distant yet determined. "We can't forget. This normalcy is exactly what we're fighting to protect."
Carmilla chuckled softly, turning to Thalamik gently. "That's corny."
Thalamik grumbled, turning away slightly, though a hint of a smile lingered.
Arriving at Singapore's harbor, the trio explored bustling hawker stands beneath bright lights and aromatic steam.
Carmilla's eyes sparkled as she sampled the local cuisine, "Singapore's hawker food is legendary! We have to try that next and that next!"
Raymed grinned. "Lead the way, Carmilla."
Journeying further by ferry and train through Malaysia, their taste buds were treated to nasi lemak. In fact, Carmilla eats nasi lemak every morning if she ever finds the time to look for it.
Carmilla sighed contentedly over lunch at a small station café. "Feels like an endless food tour. I could get used to this."
"I am concerned about our budget. Diko didn't say much about how much we should spend." Thalamik said.
"WHAT!! We still have enough right, Thal?" Raymed asked in a clearly nervous voice.
"Don't tell me we have to eat less food when we leave Malaysia!" Carmilla said with tearful eyes.
"Guys… please stop acting-" Thalamik stopped saying hurtful things after seeing Raymed and Carmilla's puppy eyes.
"I'll negotiate with Diko…" He said before picking up the phone.
As they continued the journey, the food tour didn't stop. In fact, Carmilla was so happy that she never once stopped smiling.
Diko said they will be supported for every bill related to food, so they should not worry too much about the details.
Their travels continued, and trains and buses led them to a long-haul flight from the Middle East to Southern Europe. Despite lingering sorrows, shared meals and casual jokes brought moments of relief.
In the train, Thalamik remained introspective, quietly sipping his drink. Raymed nudged him gently, " Are you alright? You've been quiet."
Thalamik's eyes met Raymed's briefly. "Just preparing myself. We can't afford to fail again."
Carmilla leaned in, softly reassuring. "We won't. We're together."
Finally, nearing Europe, they needed to take another plane. Raymed felt their hearts torn between sorrow and cautious hope. Gazing at distant mountains as their plane descended, he spoke quietly, more to himself than anyone else. "Maybe this academy can change things."
Carmilla said. "That's the hope. Yet I am sure we can do it. We are special!"
Thalamik glanced up, a subtle determination burning in his eyes. "Whatever happens, we're doing this together."
As the plane landed…
"Are you Mr. Thalamik?" An elven woman with a uniform asked him.
Thalamik stared at the elf for 4 seconds. That's all the time he needed to make a decision.
"Ew. Elves. I am going home!" He proclaimed, refusing to enter the immigration.
"OI THAL, WHERE ARE YOU GOING!?" Raymed asked Thalamik, who was trying to run away from immigration.
"What about the part where we do everything together!?" Carmilla demanded an answer.
"I change my mind! I don't want to be involved with Elves ever again!!" Thalamik spat as he ran back to the plane.