The cold, eerie moonlight bathed Snowy Inn and the vast, desolate snowfield in a ghostly, unsettling glow.
For a long time, no one dared to speak.
Will and Virgil, now wrapped in bandages, trembled as they stared at the lifeless bodies of Errol and Mick, sprawled in the snow.
The deep wounds on their own bodies no longer caused them pain—shock had dulled their senses.
They were simply grateful they hadn't met the same fate as Errol, who had been decapitated in an instant by Divine Drakebane's blade.
They kept reminding themselves that from now on, they would need to show respect to those around them.
They never knew when they might cross paths with a super martial arts master capable of ending their lives with a single strike.
Before this, none of them could have imagined encountering someone as terrifying and elusive as Divine Drakebane at Snowy Inn.
A few warriors quickly disposed of Errol and Mick's bodies, tossing them into a nearby drainage ditch.
The remaining warriors silently returned to Snowy Inn, feeling that staying inside was their only safe option.
Each one kept their head down, quietly drinking strong liquor to calm the fear gnawing at their insides.
Nearly all of them had heard of Divine Drakebane's reputation.
But none had expected the legendary figure to appear so close to them, so suddenly.
They were warriors from the World of Darkness, all seeking the ancient relic.
Now, after witnessing Divine Drakebane's brutal methods, almost all of them began to reconsider their plans.
None of them were willing to venture deeper into Snow Valley.
It was several long minutes before anyone remembered Doran, the innkeeper.
That was right—hadn't Doran gone into the back hall to show Divine Drakebane the snowmobile and never returned?
The moment those words were spoken, a chill ran through everyone.
They all knew what had happened to Doran.
After a brief silence, a few of the bolder warriors stood up and opened the door to the back hall.
What they found in the snowfield was beyond anything they had expected. There was nothing but bloodstains and a few severed heads—Doran's body was completely gone.
They couldn't understand it. Why had only his head remained, staring with wide, lifeless eyes?
Seeing this, all the warriors quickly retreated into the inn.
They were thankful they hadn't ignored the danger and gone to Snow Valley to confront Divine Drakebane.
Otherwise, that would have been their last journey.
Soon, the crunching sound of footsteps in the snow grew louder outside the inn.
A deep, gruff voice called out.
A tall, long-haired man who looked like someone from Ugonland was the first to step into Snowy Inn.
"Brothers, come inside and grab some food. We'll keep moving after that."
Nearly all the warriors in the inn recognized him.
He was Dermont of the Panacea Ocean Warriors Alliance.
Behind him followed two guards.
Then came Steller from the Devil's Hand Syndicate, Kaseth from the Angel Society, Haniel from the Destruction Order, and Blake, the deputy leader of the Dark Eagle from Northern Escea.
The group entered one after the other.
These were all famous super martial arts masters from the World of Darkness.
They had come to Snow Valley to hunt down Divine Drakebane and claim the ancient relic for themselves.
Captain Dermont took a seat and immediately called out, "Doran, bring us the food! We're starving!"
Steller echoed, "Bring out all your beef and liquor!
"And prepare the snowmobiles for us!"
But after several loud calls, Snowy Inn remained unnervingly quiet.
Will rolled his eyes. He thought to himself, Divine Drakebane? With that level of skill, you're not even in the same league!
That super martial arts master Errol, ranked 38th on the Dark List, didn't even stand a chance.
You all can barely handle someone like Errol, let alone claim you could defeat Divine Drakebane.
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