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The lingering presence of dark magic, even thicker than that of the undead, wafted strongly from that direction.

‘It’s too strong to be human… even for a dark sorcerer.’

The amount of dark energy far exceeded normal levels.

There was little doubt that this was the force behind the current situation.

However, due to the tremors emanating from the ground, she had no choice but to stop.

Turning her head slightly, Bellen furrowed her eyebrows.

“What in the world is that?”

A reptilian skeleton as tall as a five-story building, with bony wings spread wide, raised its head.

Its skull’s shadowy eye sockets glowed with a fierce blue light.

The amount of dark energy the creature exuded was overwhelming, like a volcano’s lava, so intense it masked the traces of dark magic Bellen had been following.

“Damn it, if we let that thing roam free, the entire fortress will collapse.”

Bellen leapt through a shattered window, throwing herself to the ground.

Despite the five-story drop, she had to endure the sharp pain in her knees and aching joints.

“Ugh… why am I suffering like this in my old age…”

She continued cutting down the undead as she advanced.

The immediate priority was to draw that monster’s attention.

Focusing all her aura into her legs, she sprinted with all her might, closing the distance in an instant.

Standing before the bone dragon, Bellen was awestruck as she witnessed its terrifying presence up close.

‘I’ve faced countless monsters this size, but this one… feels different.’

Instinct screamed at her to flee, but Bellen was familiar with this sensation.

All the creatures deep within the demonic realm had given off the same vibe.

What was important was quickly identifying its weakness and minimizing fear.

You can’t afford to lose your fighting spirit until you’ve visualized its defeat in your mind.

Bellen keenly observed the bone dragon, which hadn’t even glanced at her.

Inside its ribcage, a black heart thumped rhythmically.

Since it was an undead creature, its weakness would undoubtedly be that heart.

‘Hmm… if I can slip in there and carve out the heart, I might be able to finish it… but…?’

It seemed too simple.

This only made Bellen more cautious.

Exposing such an obvious weak point meant the creature had some form of defense.

‘First, I need to find out what that defense is.’

Bellen leapt into the air, landing on the bone dragon’s knee.

At that moment, a faint vibration traveled from beneath her feet.

Urgently, Bellen began sprinting up the creature’s torso, using its thigh bone as a foothold.

Shwish!

Spikes shot up from the bones like spears, sprouting wherever she passed.

‘So, its defense mechanism is its own bones!’

Long spikes shot at Bellen from all directions.

As expected, the creature had no intention of allowing her to reach the heart so easily.

Slice!

Bellen cut through the spikes she couldn’t avoid, diverting their trajectory entirely.

She even used the spikes as stepping stones to propel herself forward.

Thud!

With the path to the heart completely blocked, Bellen had no choice but to step onto the creature’s spine.

But then, the creature’s heart began to blaze.

Feeling the air around her rapidly heating up, Bellen’s eyes widened.

“Huh?”

Thanks to her experience, her aura was already concentrated around her body before she consciously realized it was a danger signal.

Whoosh!

Blue flames erupted from the creature’s heart, sweeping across like a tempest.

Bellen was struck by the immense heat, blood spurting from her mouth as she was sent flying.

“Ugh…?”

By the time she hit the ground, she couldn’t even balance her center of gravity properly, rolling across the training ground like a pencil.

Wherever she passed, fresh blood painted the snow-white ground.

Barely managing to steady herself, Bellen knelt on one knee, struggling to stand.

Then, she looked at the bone dragon.

It was staring back at her.

Its gaze seemed to acknowledge Bellen, as if she was no longer a mere insect but a foe worthy of attention.

‘…Has it finally recognized me as an enemy?’

Surviving that kind of flame, it probably is.

Bellen composed herself and gripped her sword once more.

Just then, a cavernous voice echoed through the air.

– Interesting, for a human.

The tone was refined.

Bellen gulped.

“You can even talk?”

– I do not speak with primitive beings. So be glad. You’ve left such a strong impression on me that I no longer care about your species.

The creature’s gaze, with its chin raised and eyes lowered, was unbearably arrogant.

Though it infuriated Bellen, she knew that with her current body, victory was uncertain.

‘Damn it, the aura I just used for Flameguard…’

Only a quarter of her aura remained, and her entire body ached to the point of exhaustion.

She was in a situation where she had to charge toward the ribcage all over again.

Bellen decided to stake her life on the next opportunity.

‘There will only be one chance.’

Concentrating all her remaining aura into her legs, she took a deep breath.

The key was to charge in with all her might and stab the creature’s heart.

But the bone dragon sneered, as if even that would not be allowed.

– So, you intend to stir inside me again? Then, what will you do this time?

Before the words were even finished, spikes erupted from the bone joints of the dragon.

The spikes spread out, filling even the smallest gaps between the joints, eventually forming a full-body armor.

Bellen’s expression darkened.

“Ah…”

With this, there was no way to get to the heart.

And breaking through the white armor of bones was impossible.

Even with an entire knight order, it would barely be possible to have a chance at victory.

‘…If only Aol were here.’

Noticing that Bellen had lost her fighting spirit, the bone dragon opened its mouth.

– If you have no desire to fight anymore, I will make things easier for you.

The creature gathered blue flames in its mouth.

It was undoubtedly preparing to unleash a breath attack that would sweep across the entire area.

Unable to dodge or block it, Bellen could only look up at the creature in despair.

But just then—

From afar, a sound like the violent plucking of stringed instruments echoed.

Screeeeeech

Bellen turned her head to see a gleaming golden head of hair.

Hersel stood in a draw stance, glaring at the bone dragon.

Ping!

The moment he drew his blade, a sharp sword aura burst forth from the scabbard, enough to sting the skin.

The sword aura traced the shape of a black crescent moon, flying out in the blink of an eye, and then—

Slash!

It cut through the bone dragon’s chest and extended upward into the sky.

Thud!

The bone dragon’s upper body slid off its severed section and fell to the ground.

Bellen stared blankly at the lower half of the creature’s body.

The heart was cleanly severed, and black blood gushed from it.

‘Th-that insane…?’

Bellen’s jaw dropped.

***

The tattoo on my wrist dissipated like smoke.

『Sword of Mystery』

A sword strike that can cut through any metal.

Using it puts the wielder in a near-death state.

It takes ten years to recover energy.

Thankfully, there was no need to fall into a near-death state.

[Threat detected. Type: Master’s Curse]

[1-second invincibility activated.]

[1-second invincibility cooldown: 57 seconds]

But why did I feel like crying?

It’s probably because I just used one of Asares’ rare ultimate moves in the first act.

There would definitely be moments where I could have used it when it really mattered, but I wasted it on some monster that wasn’t even part of a boss fight. Ṟ

–What a waste.

Even if I didn’t use it, just keeping it was a game-breaking option.

Of course, it only worked on lower-level monsters, but that was still something.

Thanks to it parting the sea like Moses, I had an easy, straight shot to the commander’s battle.

‘…That cat had truly mysterious powers.’

‘Right. But you won’t see it again. It’s gone.’

It would reappear after a few years when it regained its strength, but by then, the scenario would be over.

If I wanted to reunite with it, I’d have to survive the end of the world.

In any case, what should I do about that elderly woman standing there with a dumbfounded face?

I had no choice but to reveal myself because it looked like she was about to die, but the situation wasn’t favorable for me either.

“You… You’ve already reached that level?”

This is exactly why.

“You must be mistaken. Actually, there’s a hidden master at the academy, and they must’ve launched a sword strike from afar. I was just checking how well my newly forged sword worked.”

“What kind of nonsense is that…”

‘Damn it, if she doesn’t believe me, then she must not be that drunk yet.’

Bellen seemed likely to persist in questioning, so I quickly tried to change the subject.

“But is it really okay for you to be here like this, Great Aunt? You must have received a request from the professors.”

“Well, yes, but… answer me clearly. Since when? That thing you unleashed—it’s your father’s—”

“Ugh… my head…”

I clutched my head with my right hand, grimacing.

Of course, I didn’t actually have a headache.

It was just to avoid dealing with her annoying questions.

“I’m really dizzy right now. That move just drained all my energy…”

When I subtly glanced at Bellen, she sighed as if realizing there was no use pressing further.

“Fine, fine. We’ll talk about this later. I’ll go take care of my work now.”

Bellen’s task was to eliminate ‘Felia of Obsession.’

Though the appearance of the bone dragon had been an unexpected variable, it was crucial that she meet her end.

If she somehow survived and wandered around, who knows what could happen.

As I watched Bellen’s retreating figure, I silently prayed.

Though it was delayed due to some complications, I hoped she would succeed…

“Well, I suppose I should start moving too.”

I began walking toward the fortress entrance again.

Thanks to Bellen mercilessly cutting down the undead along the way, the path was clear.

Feeling more at ease, I glanced up at the terrace.

There stood Luon Al Vanas.

He was leaning against the railing, watching me intently.

It was nearly time for the curtain to fall.

I had to go up to the 12th floor to see it for myself.

I needed to ensure the story was flowing properly, and there was also Felia’s request.

– It’s a simple favor. I’d just like you to meet Luon. That’s all I ask personally.

In any case, it was a path I had to take, and I’d even gain a reward.

– Of course, I’m not asking you to do this for free. If you help me, I’ll tell you where the staff I used in life is hidden.

Yet, my steps were uneasy.

It was probably because of the lingering sense of strangeness I had felt earlier.

The strange feeling I had when talking to Felia may not have been caused by the unusual meeting at the dining hall.

Even though she had obtained the Crimson Magic Book, she still helped Luon.

That’s what bothers me the most.

I’m anxious, wondering if there’s something I’m unaware of…

This could lead to a new variable in the end.

***

The bone dragon that had been swiftly defeated turned to dust and was carried away by the wind.

Luon took out a cigarette.

A soft chuckle escaped his lips.

In truth, everything had become dull and boring.

He had considered many ideas regarding the game’s settings, but eventually, even that felt pointless, and he left it all to Felia.

He didn’t know why it turned out different from his expectations.

He had conquered the Frost Heart and even eliminated the professors he had always treated as garbage.

The trio of friends laughed joyfully, and he fulfilled his duties as president.

Yet, all he felt was emptiness.

But, at this moment, he felt happy.

He rediscovered what pleasure was.

Suddenly, he realized that he had felt this way again recently.

He had probably felt the same on the frozen lake where he usually trained.

‘It was fun when I fought Arkandric too.’

What’s the difference between that and this?

He had fought the professors, too, so why did it feel so dry and unsatisfying then?

Well, it’s a pointless question now.

Luon left the terrace and grabbed the sword he had left on the table.

The game was about to end soon.

“If even this isn’t fun, then… at that point…”

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