He stopped mere steps away, his smirk widening. "Now, I''ll be taking you with me—"


    "I don''t think so."@@novelbin@@


    Gin''s frown deepened as he turned toward the voice.


    Standing before him was a man with piercing blue eyes and with his lower face obscured by a ck mask.


    "Travis…" Cattleya muttered. Recognition flickered in her expression as she identified one of her more notable ssmates.


    She hadn''t expected to see him here of all ces. She knew Travus mostly for his constant arguments with Lucas.


    Travis''s gaze swept over her, noting herpromised state. Tendrils of darkness coiled around her, pinning her in ce as she gripped her sword tightly.


    "Looks like you''re in rough shape," he said, his words calm but a bit mocking. "Lucky for you, I found you."


    Cattleya''s eyes narrowed in irritation. "I didn''t ask for your help. I can handle myself just fine."


    As if to prove her point, light began to shimmer around her body, slowly encroaching on the dark tendrils constraining her.


    "I wouldn''t do that if I were you," Gin said with a chuckle.


    -Thud!


    Cattleya gasped as her knees buckled beneath her.


    "W-What?" Cattleya fumbled in confusion. Her mana reserves had been abruptly depleted—more than half of it drained in an instant.


    She tried once more to summon her light attribute, but the tendrils tightened, feeding off her dwindling mana like leeches.


    Gin only smiled as he turned his gaze to Travis.


    "I''m only interested in this girl," he said coldly. "If you value your life, boy, you should leave now before I change my mind."


    Travis raised a brow. "I''m an Exorcist. Do you really think I''d just let you walk away?"


    Gin''s expression darkened. "If you''ve got even a shred of self-preservation, you should."


    Travis''s lips curved into a slight smirk. "I think I''ll pass."


    Without hesitation, water erupted around Travis, spiraling outward with deadly precision before surging toward Gin in a roaring torrent.


    Gin reacted instantly, leaping aside as the water st mmed into the ground with explosive force.


    -BAM!


    The impact left a deep crater, debris scattering across the battlefield. Gin''s eyes narrowed, his amusement fading. Raising a hand skyward, he spoke up.


    "Rain down."


    The trees around darkened almost immediately as countless needles of shadowy rain materialized, descending toward Travis in a deadly cascade.


    Travis quickly swung his de upward, summoning a towering wall of water to shield himself. The barrier shimmered briefly before darkening, tainted by Gin''s influence.


    Travis noticed the corruption and acted swiftly, jumping back just as the wall disintegrated into a thick, dark liquid.


    But Gin was already upon him.


    With frightening speed, Gin closed the distance, delivering a powerful kick aimed directly at Travis. Travis managed to shield himself with his arm at thest second, absorbing the impact, but the force still sent him crashing to the ground.


    Travis raised his cold gaze. Gin was already charging again, his sword wreathed in writhing tendrils of shadow.


    "Tch!" Travis clicked his tongue, flexing his numb arm despite the sharp pain. He could feel the damage—possibly a fractured bone—but there was no time to dwell on it.


    Encasing himself in swirling water, heunched himself toward Gin once more, their des shed strongly. Sparks flew with each collision, but it was clear Travis was at a disadvantage. Gin''s physical strength was overwhelming, and worse, his dark mana seeped into the water, corrupting it with every sh.


    Cattleya watched powerless as Travis struggled. But she wasn''t just watching as she focused on gathering her mana. The tendrils of shadow still coiled around her, but she wasn''t wasting the precious time Travis had bought. Bit by bit, her light attribute pushed back against the dark mana constraining her.


    With a strained effort, she managed to move her arm, her sword trembling as she pointed it toward Gin. She waited, timing it perfectly. When Gin maneuvered into the right spot, she unleashed a concentrated stream of light directly at his back.


    "Ugh!"


    Gin staggered forward, caughtpletely off guard by the sudden attack. The opening was all Travis needed. Summoning a swirling vortex of pressurized water around his fist, he charged forward and struck Gin square in the stomach with a crushing blow.


    "Arghh!" Gin coughed up a mouthful of blood, his body flying backward and mming into the ground with a resounding thud.


    A single mistake—and Gin had paid dearly for it.


    Meanwhile, Cattleya felt the tendrils around her loosening. Seizing the opportunity, she summoned thest reserves of her light, finally breaking free from their grasp.


    "Ah…" She exhaled, her chest heaving as she struggled to catch her breath. Her mana reserves were nearly depleted, leaving her drained. Still, she managed a faint smirk as she stood shakily to her feet.


    "No need to thank me," she muttered, reaching into her pouch for a mana vial. Without hesitation, she uncorked it and downed the liquid in one gulp, the revitalizing energy spreading through her body.


    -BOOM!


    Her moment of reprieve was shattered as a loud crash drew her attention. Turning, she saw Travis hurled violently into a tree, the impact splitting the bark and leaving him slumped against the base.


    "How dare you, humans…" Gin''s voice had deepened, distorted by an otherworldly tone.


    Cattleya turned back to him, her eyes widening in horror. Gin''s body was undergoing a grotesque transformation. ck corruption surged across his skin, covering it in pulsating veins of dark mana. Two twisted ck horns protruded from his head, and his eyes glowed with a malevolent, demonic hue.


    It was a full possession transformation.


    Cattleya felt an icy shiver cascade down her spine as the oppressive weight of his corrupted mana pressed against her. It wasn''t just his mana—it was the raw intensity of it. He was stronger than she had imagined. Much stronger.


    She tightened her grip on her sword, raising it once more.


    "Buy me time," she said, as her gaze flicked to Travis.


    Travis, still recovering from thest brutal exchange, let out a groan of irritation. He had barely managed to stand after gulping down a Healing Vial. The restorative liquid worked quickly, and he could already feel his injuries knitting themselves together.


    "Why should I?" He snapped, annoyed.


    Cattleya scoffed. "Because I can use the Light Attribute perfectly, and it stands a better chance against him than your water ever could."


    Travis gritted his teeth, unwilling to admit the truth aloud, but he didn''t argue further. The reality was undeniable. In his current state, he couldn''t defeat that monster, and as much as he hated to rely on anyone else, Cattleya had a better chance of turning the tide.


    How had ite to this?


    It was all a blur of bad decisions and worse luck. After Leon had recklessly run off on his own, Travis had followed, concocting a flimsy excuse to cate Theresa. She had bought it without much suspicion, leaving him free to pursue Leon. But somewhere along the way, he had lost track of the boy. Before he knew it, he had stumbled into this nightmarish situation.


    Unbeknownst to Travis, someone else had been watching from the shadows. Hidden behind a tree not far away, a figure observed the scene with barely restrained irritation. Ivan had been watching Travis for some time and hadn''t appreciated his interference. When Travis got too close, it was easy enough to redirect him straight into Gin''s path.


    Gin wasn''t even the demon Travis was supposed to face, ording to the novel''s events. The one Travis should have fought was already dead, in by Ivan to save Ludivine. This encounter waspletely off-script.


    Originally, Gin''s role had been clear: sessfully kidnap Cattleya and spark a rescue arc to save her. But with Travis now involved, things had gotten messy. Even so, Gin remained in control. His smirk said it all—he wasn''t fighting in earnest. He was toying with them.


    Ivan shaking his head, leaned back against the tree, his arms crossed. His eyes flickered with disdain as he watched the struggle unfold. Cattleya was preparing something—a desperate attempt to turn the battle in her favor. But Ivan could already tell it wouldn''t be enough.


    "What a waste of time," Ivan muttered under his breath. Be it the demon, Travis, or Cattleya, none of them were worth his attention. This pitiful disy wasn''t what he hade for. All he wanted was to push his own goals forward, and this distraction was growing tiresome.


    With a final nce at Cattleya, Ivan turned away. He raised his hand to his face and he felt the familiar sensation.


    The Switches. Continue your adventure with empire


    A gift—or perhaps a curse—beyond anything he had ever encountered. It was a force that transcended mana, reaching into something older. It yed with souls and twisted the fabric of space and time itself. Ivan didn''t fully understand how it worked or why it had chosen him, but he didn''t care. The only thing that mattered was that it obeyed him. He was in control.


    A strange ancient lightning crackles shimmered around him, ck and gold threads weaving through the air like serpents. It coursed through him distorting his very being. His body shifted, his frame growing taller. His brown hair lengthened, cascading to his shoulders in waves of molten gold.


    As the transformationpleted, Ivan''s previously neutral expression twisted into a slight smile and his eyes glowed red.