The night in the forest felt far more ominous than usual.
Brajamusti and Sinta stood in front of the old hut, watching the darkness between the trees. The sound of footsteps they had heard moments ago was growing clearer.
It wasn't just one person.
It wasn't ten, either.
There were far more of them.
"Looks like we won't be getting any rest tonight," Brajamusti said quietly.
Sinta tightened her grip on her sword.
"I figured as much."
Before long, dozens of men dressed in black emerged from behind the trees. They moved in perfect formation, like a trained army.
At their front stood a thin, cold-faced man with a long scar across his left cheek.
His gaze went straight to the flute at Brajamusti's waist.
"We finally found you."
Brajamusti stepped forward.
"Who are you?"
"We have no obligation to answer."
The man raised a hand.
"Hand over the Dragon Flute."
Brajamusti let out a long sigh.
"Why does everyone want this thing?"
The man gave a thin smile.
"Because its owner will become the most wanted person in the martial world."
Sinta glanced at Brajamusti.
"That's not good news."
Brajamusti smiled faintly.
"I'm starting to realize that too."
The scar-faced man began to lose patience.
"This is your last chance."
"No."
Brajamusti's answer was firm.
The man immediately signaled them to attack.
Dozens of men moved at once.
The forest erupted into chaos.
Sinta charged the group on the left. Her sword flashed rapidly, forcing her opponents back.
Meanwhile, Brajamusti faced several men at once.
Though he could hold his own, the sheer number of enemies kept him on the defensive.
A kick struck his shoulder.
Another opponent tried to stab him from behind.
Fortunately, Sinta arrived just in time to deflect the attack.
"We can't keep this up!" Sinta shouted.
Brajamusti knew she was right.
There were too many enemies.
He gripped the flute at his waist.
But then he remembered Sinta's warning.
Don't use it too often.
But if he didn't use it now, they might not make it out alive.
The scar-faced man laughed.
"Come on. Use that flute."
Brajamusti furrowed his brow.
"You want me to use it?"
"Of course. We want to see whether the legend is true."
Brajamusti began to sense that something was wrong.
These men seemed to be deliberately forcing him to use the flute.
But he had no time to think about it any further.
More opponents kept pouring in.
At last, Brajamusti raised the flute to his lips.
He blew into it slowly.
The flute's notes echoed throughout the forest.
At first, nothing happened.
Then, suddenly, a powerful wind swept through the trees.
Leaves spun into a massive vortex.
The ground trembled.
Dozens of attackers lost their balance.
A wave of air swept them away, sending them flying in every direction.
Some of their weapons were even torn from their owners' hands and thrown far away.
Sinta herself was stunned by the display of power.
Brajamusti was no less shocked.
This time, the flute's power was far greater than before.
The scar-faced man fell silent.
For the first time, the smile vanished from his face.
"So it's true..."
His eyes gleamed as he stared at the flute.
"The legend wasn't a lie after all."
Before Brajamusti could ask anything, the man suddenly threw an object onto the ground.
BOOM!
Thick smoke filled the forest.
When it cleared, the man and the rest of his men had vanished.
They had fled.
The forest grew quiet again.
Only the sound of the night wind remained.
Brajamusti lowered the flute.
"Strange."
Sinta looked toward the fleeing enemies.
"They didn't come to capture you."
"What do you mean?"
"They came to confirm something."
Brajamusti recalled what the scar-faced man had said.
They wanted to see whether the legend was true.
"So they only wanted to test this flute?"
Sinta nodded slowly.
"And now they have their answer."
A sense of unease immediately welled up inside Brajamusti.
If that was true, then whoever had sent those men was certainly more dangerous than they were.
Because now that person knew the Dragon Flute was truly in his possession.
Shortly before dawn, Brajamusti and Sinta decided to leave the hut.
They continued their journey before the enemy could return with even more men.
As dawn began to break, they reached a hill overlooking a vast valley.
From there, they could see a long road leading north.
Sinta suddenly stopped.
"There's something there."
Brajamusti followed her gaze.
In the distance, someone stood alone atop a massive boulder.
The figure wore a dark brown robe.
Though he was far away, it was clear that he was watching them.
Brajamusti narrowed his eyes.
"Is that one of our enemies?"
Sinta slowly shook her head.
"I don't know."
Yet for some reason, she looked startled.
As if she recognized the figure.
Meanwhile, in the distance, the brown-robed man gave a thin smile.
He held an old wooden staff.
Then, without saying a word, he turned and walked away, disappearing into the morning mist.
Brajamusti stared in that direction, puzzled.
He did not yet know that this man would become one of the greatest keys to uncovering the secrets of the Dragon Flute.