Dark Magus Returns

Murkel's first destination was the Erupting Fist Clan, the place where he had grown up for 25 years—the place that taught him morals and raised him after he was taken in as an orphan.

Originally, he felt extremely indebted to the clan, even being given the position of the next Clan Head despite not being part of the original bloodline that started the clan.

This is why he thought they were great people. This is why he believed they would have come and helped him stop the beasts from the portals. So, he wanted answers to his questions.

'Before, when I was seeing through the eyes of the hybrid, or really my own eyes, I could see that the world of Pagna had changed. They even talked about a Dark Faction that didn't exist during my time, and the people in charge were unfamiliar to me.'

'That means a lot of time must have passed while I was in the dimension, and now having entered it a second time, even more time must have passed as well. There's a chance that no one from back then is still alive.'

'Maybe if the clan was prosperous and the students I taught became middle-stage students, they would still be at the Erupting Fist Clan.'

In the back of Murkel's mind, there was another thought. Although some clans lasted hundreds of years, many would fall and no longer exist. With the clan gone, where would he go next, and what would his plan be?

There was no need to worry about that for now; he just needed to get there first. As he traveled the short path, he noticed many changes along the way.

There was a string of villages along the river that had been created, which were never there before. These villages were more populated than before and had a large amount of crops.

He could even see clan symbols on the clothing of those outside and on clan buildings as well.

Out of curiosity, Murkel decided to stop in. It was quite a shock at first, especially since he had no clothes on himself, but pulling out a beast crystal and handing it over quickly resolved that as they got him well-dressed.

'It would have been inappropriate to go without clothes to meet my old clan anyway.' Exiting from the tailor, he continued his journey through the town, and that's when he noticed a statue in the center.

"What does this plaque say at the bottom? 'To the founder of the Dark Faction, Bofan Kilikola.'" Murkel read out.

It was a name he didn't recognize, and when he looked up at the statue, he saw it was a man in strange robe-like clothing, with a hood covering his head.

The statue didn't reveal what his eyes looked like, only his mouth, but there were notable items crafted around his belt.

'The shape, the figure, isn't this the wanderer that I fought all those years ago!' Murkel thought.

It was hard to tell since the statue was just that—a representation of a man without much detail in the face. However, if there was one person who could form the Dark Faction in his mind, this would be the person.

'I need to do some more research; there should be a library of sorts somewhere,' Murkel thought as he continued to look around, trying to find out answers to everything that had happened while he was away.'

Information was obtainable, but more than anything, Murkel was able to find out what had occurred through speaking to others. He first talked to the general public, getting somewhat of an idea.

He couldn't quite get the full answers he was looking for, so he decided to head to the clan that was based in the current village.

The clan base was a small dojo, with short walls on the outside and a single entrance leading to an open courtyard that led to the room itself.

The warriors quickly approached him, asking who he was.

"Do you have an appointment set up with the clan?" one of the guards asked.

"I do not, but I wish to speak. I am from the Erupting Fist Clan," Murkel said, placing his fist into the palm of his hand and giving a respectful bow. Courtesy and other manners were coming back to him—things he hadn't used for a long time.

One of the guards went inside, and a few moments later, he returned with one of the elders from his clan.

'They didn't question me about the Erupting Fist Clan, so it seems that they at least still exist in some way,' Murkel thought.

When the elder set eyes on Murkel, a bead of sweat ran down the side of his face. He quickly quickened his steps to meet Murkel sooner and gave a slight bow.

"I never expected a sudden visit. Is there some type of issue going on?" the elder asked.

Murkel was a little confused by the elder's reaction. "There is no issue. I just wish to ask a few questions. You can relax."

"Ah." The elder seemed to calm down and was no longer worried. "Then we can head inside. Please escort the master inside."

One of the guards went ahead to escort Murkel toward the building while the other guard stood next to the elder.

"Was he someone important, sir? Should we have been more cautious? Who is he?" the guard asked.

"I have no idea," the elder replied.

The response caused the guard to scratch the top of his head, wondering if it was time for the old man to retire from his days as a Pagna warrior.

"Can't you feel it, though?" the elder said. "That man is incredibly strong, and you know in the world of Pagna, we have to be careful when masters like that come to visit us."

Upon entering, the elder was happy to answer the questions Murkel had, however odd they may be. Since Murkel was asking about various things, he eventually got the answers he sought.

Bofan was the man who had formed the Dark Faction, and he did so with the creation of the Noctis Clan. Learning of the skills and names, Murkel was sure that they were the same person.

However, he learned that the Dark Faction leader Bofan had gone missing, and no one knew the real reason why. At the same time, the three factions had decided to communicate more with each other, ushering in an era of peace, and the yearly martial arts tournament was established around fifty years ago.

From what Murkel knew, the three clans didn't seem close back then. According to the elder, the Dark Faction wasn't in a good situation. With Bofan gone for so long and Noctis Clan members essentially nonexistent, the Dark Faction was weakening, and the three factions were skirmishing more and more each day.

"And what about the hybrid that appeared fifty years ago?"

The elder raised an eyebrow. "Did that happen fifty years ago as well? I suppose it was around that time, yes."

Now Murkel had a good idea of how long he had been away. "Thank you. I think it's about time I return to the clan. Thank you for your answers. And, I wouldn't worry about the Dark Faction for much longer; big changes will be coming."

Murkel said as he headed for the Erupting Fist Clan.