Ocean looked around the large dark hall and Nox flew over to the stone altar that was in the middle of the circle of incantation that was made on the ground.

Ocean studied the incantation and shook his head with a sigh as he kicked the ground hard enough to destroy it. The incantations were to summon a demon.

Nox whooted and Ocean walked over looking at the altar which was spotless. He chuckled a little and scratched Nox’s neck gently.

"Let’s go to the next location now, hm?" Ocean said and Nox hooted in response before he flapped his wings taking off towards the staircase.

Ocean glanced back once before he walked over and kicked the altar hard enough to send the large rock flying into the wall. He then kicked off the stone pillars making the ceiling collapse over the secret room.

Ocean walked up the stairs after destroying the leftovers and saw Nox circling above before swooping towards the trees. Ocean narrowed his eyes as he took a couple of steps ahead and sensed the unstabke presence of the mana. It was as if the mana was on the verge of fading away completely.

Nox hooted loudly before yelping and Ocean raced ahead to see Nox falling down, Ocean increased his speed and caught Nox gently against him watching as his mana was a mess. The same condition that Kai was in when he was about to be kidnapped.

Ocean’s anger flared before he took off behind the figure that was rushing away. On his way, he casted the healing spell on Nox to ease him from his misery.

Ocean then looked up and used a Frost spell to shoot the icicles as soon as he spotted the figure. The icicles stabbed the person’s legs and he fell to the ground with a muffled grunt.

In a flash, Ocean was standing right in front of him. The man was dressed in all black with half of his face covered by a cloth, his eyes though were quite strange. His eyes were like that of a dead person’s.

Ocean looked down at him and he suddenly flung his arm and shot a black ball of flames, Ocean simply flicked his finger dousing the black flames with his water ball. The man’s eyebrows furrowed a bit and he pushed himself up to a half crouch looking straight up at the Ocean.

Ocean smirked, "Now, who would have thought somebody would come here to welcome me."

The man didn’t respond and Ocean shrugged, "Well, I was planning on giving you enough time to escape but you were foolish enough to come back here again."

The man was still silent and Ocean hummed before he activated his Mana Eyes and saw that he was actually accumulating his dead mana to his arms. Ocean then checked his personal details.

[Name: Jabron

Alias: Reikah

Mana: None

Power: User of Dead Mana, Hell Flames.] 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

[Hell Flames are classified as an Anti-Mana Entity and represent the purest manifestation of dead Mana. They exist as the absolute opposite of Mana, possessing the capability to induce immediate Mana disturbance upon contact with any Mana-bearing substance or lifeform. This disturbance disrupts the target’s internal Mana flow, resulting in excruciating pain and, in severe cases, complete Mana collapse leading to death. The only entity that can face the Hell Flames are Dragons or God.]

Ocean quickly read the description of the Hell Flames and then looked down as the man created a huge black fire ball and Ocean sighed before he created a huge water ball and splashed it over the man. Smoke started emanating from his body and Jabron grunted and clutched at his body letting out gruntled screams of agony.

"Don’t try so hard, Jabron. You must know who I am so, you must also know that your Hell flames aren’t going to work on me."

Jabron’s eyes widened, for the first time showing the humanly emotion.

"How... do you know my name?" Jabron asked.

Ocean shrugged, "I’m a Dragon. I even know about how many members are there in your coven and about your Witch leader."

Jabron clenched his jaw and Ocean stepped back watching as a smoke ball landed near his feet between him and Jabron.

Ocean was able to see clearly as a figure landed swiftly and grabbed Jabron before running off. Ocean sighed, he wasn’t planning on it but now he had encountered two of the dark mages.

He looked down at Nox who hooted a little and Ocean smiled.

"What do you say Nox? Should we go hunt some dark mages?"

Nox hooted in response flapping his wings and Ocean stepped ahead before he unfurled his own wings taking off in the direction where the dark mages went.

It didn’t take him long to spot the two mages and he dropped several water balls around their circumference making the mage to stop running. He looked around in panic as he was carrying Jabron over his back. Ocean landed softly behind him with his hands at his back and Nox landed on the branch of the tree.

"Looking for me?" Ocean asked and the mage flinched before he whipped around.

Ocean could see him trembling in fear but he still tightly held onto his partner.

"Since when do people supporting evil have the good ideals like saving their comrades?" Ocean asked with a bemused look on his face.

Ocean checked the new young man’s details, he didn’t have any special power apart from some dead mana that he could use to create dark spells. His name was Azar.

Ocean didn’t move from his spot observing Azar as he had gone pale, cold sweat coated his forehead and dripped down his chin, Ocean was able to hear his racing heart loud and clear.

Suddenly Ocean rose his hand and flickef his wrist dousing the oncoming black flame ball that Jabron had shot.

Ocean stood unfazed while Azar’s eyes darted from left to right looking for a way out.

"It’s useless," Ocean said, "escaping or winning against me."

Azar gritted his teeth and Jabron moved from behind him. Azar stumbled a little as Jabron got down from his back and stood on his legs which barely had any strength. Ocean’s pure supreme Dragon’s Mana was starting to rot his legs that were corrupted by the dead Mana.

"Leave." He grunted.

"Wha- No, I can’t leave you here like this, Reikah." Azar spoke, panocked already.

"Even if we fight against him together, we won’t even be able to put a scratch on him. I’ll distract him so, run." Jabron said hiding away the agony that Ocean’s mana had put him on.

Apart from his legs his whole body was soon going to rot away. He knew he had no way of survival apart from consuming the demon’s blood but it was so small in amount that it wouldn’t suffice and besides, their new base was too far to make it in time.

"Reikah, I can’t leave you in this state. I’ll help you."

"What can a weak mage like you do? Get out of here, you’ll only get in my way." Jabron snapped and Azar pursed his lips.

"I... I still can’t leave you here to die!" Azar shouted.

Ocean stood there quietly watching their exchange.

"Get out of here, didn’t you hear me? You’ll die before me!"

"I still can’t leave! What will I say to Domina?!" Azar shouted.

Ocean tilted his head slightly hearing the last word that left Azar’s lips.

Jabron gritted his teeth about to smack Azar when Ocean spoke up.

"Now, now. Don’t hit the poor boy, Jabron." Ocean spoke.

"Even if you try to sacrifice yourself to save him, you won’t be able to keep me here."

Azar looked at Jabron before he faced Ocean.

"I’m not escaping alone."

Ocean smiled, "That’s right, you two are not escaping at all. Too sad that your partner is going to die soon."

Azar’s eyes widened and he watched Jabron who fell to his knees.

"Re-Reikah?!" Azar sank to his knees quickly looking at Jabron but as soon as he touched him Jabron smacked his hands away.

"Don’t touch me!" Jabron shouted.

Azar stared at him, conflicted.

"He’s drenched in my pure Mana, Azar. You’re not that corrupted so, it won’t affect you at first, but if you keep coming in contact with it frequently, you will also end up like him." Ocean explained.

Azar looked at him and then at Jabron.

"Too bad for you two. There’s no way of saving you two now."

Suddenly, Ocean’s eyes widened and he leapt back as a large black circle appeared under Jabron and Azar and the two disappeared from right before his eyes.

Ocean watched silently as the two were taken away. He simply stood there watching the spot which had some of Jabron’s black blood staining the ground.

"Someone in their coven can use teleportation incantation, huh." Ocean mused and then smirked, Nox landed softly over his shoulder.

"Interesting. Hunting them will be fun."