The Twilight Forest—a natural fortress that had once repelled all intruders, including human armies—was no longer serving its purpose. Its intricate ecosystem had collapsed, becoming dysfunctional.

The root cause lay in the decline of weaker monsters, which formed the base of the food chain. Meanwhile, the numbers of more powerful monsters at the top had grown disproportionately. Normally, the strong would cannibalize one another, maintaining a natural balance. However, this wasn't happening.

Amid the dense woodland, a corpulent man with a rotund body and a triangular cloth tied around his head looked up with a pleased expression.

“Oh, this black whistle is truly remarkable,” he exclaimed.

The object of his admiration was a peculiar whistle he held in his sausage-like fingers. This artifact, called the Black Whistle, possessed an extraordinary ability: it could control monsters, bending them to its wielder’s will.

This man, Swarm, had once been a mere second-rank priest. But with the power of the Black Whistle, he had climbed the ecclesiastical ranks to become a cardinal—just below the saints, holy warriors, and the pope in the church hierarchy.

Through assassination, poison, and the calculated use of monsters, he eliminated his enemies without leaving any evidence pointing to him. No one could accuse him of unleashing these beasts because the Black Whistle wasn't created by humans—or even within his theocracy.

“Swarm, you should deploy the Black Whistle sooner. If the opposition secures their defenses, your damage will diminish significantly,” said a figure standing opposite him.

The figure wasn’t entirely human. His lower body faded into transparency, blending into the forest floor as if he were a phantom. His head sported two gleaming red horns that shone like polished gemstones.

This was Kissinger, a Yomi—a ghostly being belonging to the most elite rank of ethereal monsters. Kissinger was also a member of the Demon King’s Ten Fingers, a group of powerful generals under the Demon King. Ranked as the Left Fourth Finger, he was the seventh strongest among them.

Despite his spectral nature, Kissinger was a unique Unique Monster capable of interacting with both physical and spiritual realms. He could ignore physical attacks while inflicting devastating damage, a trait that elevated him to his position among the Ten Fingers. His only weakness lay in his susceptibility to overwhelming magical bombardments, but even that required a mage of his caliber or greater.

In the human continent, where magical capabilities paled compared to the Demon King’s forces, Kissinger was practically invincible.

Kissinger had entered the theocracy covertly on a mission from the Demon King. He had manipulated Swarm like a puppet, whispering ideas into his ear and guiding him to ascend to the rank of cardinal. Over time, Swarm consolidated control over the theocracy, replacing the saintess with someone pliable and eliminating uncooperative holy warriors under the guise of accidents.

With the internal restructuring complete, Swarm naturally turned his sights outward. Under Kissinger's subtle influence, he began preparing to invade neighboring kingdoms, justifying his actions as part of the theocracy’s divine mission.

“I can almost taste the glory of my nation’s prosperity,” Swarm chuckled.

“Yes,” Kissinger replied smoothly. “Your nation will thrive as never before, and you shall reap boundless honor and wealth.”

“Your guidance is indispensable, Lord Kissinger,” Swarm said, bowing deeply.

He failed to notice the ominous glint in Kissinger’s eyes or to question why he was so submissive to the ghostly figure.

As Swarm laughed maniacally, Kissinger sighed in boredom. Running his fingers through his hair and wrapping it around one of his horns, he muttered,

“All of this... what’s the point? I never understand his plans.”

Kissinger's true mission, assigned directly by the Demon King, was to find one specific individual—the Hero, the fated counterpart to the Demon King.