Chapter 7: The Witch's Forbidden Ritual Part 1 The cemetery of Inya Kone Village had become a battlefield. The peaceful land that once held the memories of the villagers was now covered by darkness. The ground trembled. The air was filled with cursed energy. Hundreds of corpses stood silently. Behind them, massive golems made from earth and stone slowly moved forward. Above the battlefield... The witch floated in the sky. A black flame orb carried her body. Her eyes looked down at Adrian. "Do you understand now?" "This is the difference between us." "I spent years mastering the hidden laws of this world." "Spirits." "Elements." "Life and death." "Everything can become my weapon." Adrian stood alone. The Eternal Void Sword floated beside him. He looked at the army before him. He did not feel fear. But he understood something. This witch was not powerful because of one ability. She was powerful because she had mastered many different techniques. She had prepared countless methods. The battlefield itself was her weapon. ... The witch raised her hand. A magic circle appeared. The sky changed. Dark clouds gathered. "Arcane Formation: Thousand Curse Prison." The moment the spell activated... The entire cemetery was surrounded by dark chains. Each chain carried a different curse. Weakness. Pain. Confusion. Fear. Even the mind could be affected. Adrian felt the pressure. The witch smiled. "Let's see how long your mind can remain calm." The chains moved. Adrian activated Void Traverse Art. His figure disappeared. But the chains followed. They did not attack his body. They attacked his presence. His soul. His mind. A mental attack. ... Inside his mind... The world changed. The cemetery disappeared. Adrian stood alone. A familiar feeling appeared. The witch's voice echoed. "You are just Adrian Voss." "A weak human." "A fragile body." "A person who has suffered your entire life." "You think you can stand above everything?" The illusion showed his past. The sickness. The weakness. The loneliness. The moments when he felt the world had abandoned him. The witch tried to break his will. But Adrian remained silent. Because he knew. Those memories were real. His suffering was real. His weakness was real. But they were also part of him. Not something that could control him. Then... Another memory appeared. An endless sky. Countless stars. A figure standing above worlds. The Immortal Emperor. Not a separate existence. Not another person. A part of his forgotten self. Knowledge. Experience. Will. Everything slowly merged. Adrian opened his eyes. The illusion shattered. ... Back in the battlefield. The witch's expression changed. "He broke my Soul Mirage?" Adrian looked at her. His eyes were calmer than before. "I spent my life being controlled by this world." "My body." "My fate." "My limitations." "But I will not allow anyone else to control my mind." The Eternal Void Sword moved. A new understanding appeared. His previous sword techniques were created from basic understanding. But now... The sword intent had changed. A technique formed. "Originless Mind Severing Sword." A sword technique that did not attack the body. It cut through illusions. Mental interference. Soul restrictions. The sword moved. The Thousand Curse Prison cracked. For the first time... The witch's expression became serious. But she did not retreat. Instead... She laughed. "Good." "Very good." "Then let me see how much stronger you can become." She raised both hands. The corpses behind her began moving. The golems awakened. The guardian spirit's seal became darker. The true ritual began. "Rise." "The dead." "Awaken." The entire cemetery shook. The second phase of the battle started.