An empty plain near Enmenia, the capital of the Verden Empire.
Bright yellow Sword Aura filled the fields. It was a yellow aura that resembled a dragon. At the tip of a spear thrust like a bolt of light, the Ideation of an absolute being erupted with a roar.
*Screeeech!*
A Strange Entity screamed. It was not a cry of rage, but a shriek of agony.
The types of Strange Entities were diverse. More accurately, it was a mixture of Strange Entities and Abyss Monsters. Creatures from Floor 70 and Abyss Monsters from previous floors had clumped together, shrieking in a noisy discord of various sounds.
However, that cacophony soon faded into silence, and the plain was soon submerged in stillness. Every monster, including nearly 100 Strange Entities, had stopped breathing.
In the center of it all stood a single human holding a spear.
Regarda Ovierre withdrew his Sword Aura, surveying the field of corpses he had created with indifferent eyes.
“Master Regarda!”
A bright voice called out from behind him. It was Freya, descending gracefully from the sky on the wind.
“I finished telling the Sword Master everything!”
Unlike Freya, who landed lightly and delivered the news cheerfully, the corpses of monsters tumbled down around her.
“I cleared out the monsters I saw on my way here, too! Hehe.”
Regarda nodded bluntly, as he always did. “You did well.”
“Hehehe. I didn’t think the Sword Master would believe that Hio was alive and back, but he believed it immediately and was so happy.”
“I suppose so. He is an Ideation user who has realized the essence of life and can read the truth.”
Regarda turned to move, and Freya followed him with quick, short steps.
“How was Isidore?”
“Yes! She was gathered with the Elder and everyone else! They said they’re preparing to set out for the west!”
“I see.”
“Are we going straight ahead like this?”
“We must. This is the fastest way to settle the current situation.”
*Whoosh!*
A wind began to blow behind the two as they walked side by side.
“How did the Magician look?”
“Hio? Hmm… he felt similar to you, Master Regarda. He was using magic, and I saw some extremely dangerous-looking flowers with it!”
“Is that so? It seems he finally awakened his Ideation.”
“Ah, so those flowers were Hio’s Ideation!”
The gentle breeze soon turned into a storm, sweeping over the surroundings. The monster corpses caught in it were scattered in all directions, but the area around Regarda and Freya remained perfectly peaceful.
“Oh, and there’s something the Sword Master told me to keep in mind, just in case!”
“Has a variable appeared?”
The wind swirled around Freya’s body. Her physical form began to transform.
“Yes! They say a witch has appeared in the north!”
Her body rose into the air on the wind. A massive dragon form was revealed. Regarda, naturally mounted upon her, asked a rare follow-up question.
“…A witch?”
『Yes! A witch! They say a crazy witch is enchanting people as she makes her way down!』
“Is it someone related to the Abyssal Depths?”
『I’m not sure, but he said it didn’t seem like it! What should we do? Should we join them?』
“…No. If it isn’t the Abyssal Depths, the Sword Master will handle it on his own.”
*Flash!*
The dragon and the Dragon Knight gradually gained altitude before streaking across the sky at incredible speed. Amidst the flight, the calm Regarda stared straight ahead and spoke to Freya.
“And didn’t I tell you to maintain the dignity befitting the Dragon Tongue when you return to your dragon form?”
『Yes…』
“Do not use formal speech, either.”
『…Understood.』
“That is the life of the Wind Lord.”
***
Vitalianus was currently frowning, a rare sight for him.
“A witch. I can’t believe it even after hearing the report.”
He already had a mountain of headaches, and now a witch had appeared.
“A witch… isn’t that a cursed ability user who appeared 200 years ago?”
“That is correct.”
“Why would such a being appear now, of all times…”
They had somehow managed to prevent the collapse of Floor 70, but that was only in the broader sense. There were places where the defenses had been breached and places where battles were still ongoing. It simply meant they had used all their strength to prevent damage larger than expected; the Empire was still at war with the Strange Entities.
And yet, a witch. What a bolt from the blue.
“After cross-referencing several testimonies, her abilities are even more bizarre than the witch recorded 200 years ago.”
“To what extent?”
“Just by looking at her, everyone—regardless of age or gender—is enchanted. It seems that even if they don’t see her, they fall under her spell once they enter a certain range.”
“Enchanted?”
“Yes. To use a metaphor… it’s as if they’ve fallen in love…”
“Hah, love. This is absurd.”
If there was any silver lining, it was that she only enchanted people without causing any casualties. However, the witch’s army had already crossed the northern kingdom of Fioria and was about to reach the Empire. He had no choice but to respond.
“What is the scale?”
“The ancient golems made of ice and snow are estimated to be around 10,000.”
“10,000 ancient golems… and the enchanted civilians?”
“They remain enchanted, but they do not seem to be moving with her.”
“Can those who have been enchanted once not be returned to normal by a priest’s divinity?”
“It seems to be a special ability. They only repeat that she is the Goddess of Love, and their minds have not returned to normal.”
“…This is truly a headache.”
It was a frustrating situation, but he had to move quickly. 10,000 ice golems were coming down. No casualties had occurred so far, but he couldn’t allow such a large military force to enter the Empire without permission.
“What is Sir Regarda doing?”
“He has left Enmenia and is moving straight toward the east.”
“Then we can put out the most urgent fires for now.”
Vitalianus finished his thoughts and quickened his pace. Since there was no time to sit comfortably and talk, he had been moving from the start.
“Then gather the troops. I will personally face the witch.”
By a rough estimate, she was not someone an ordinary person could handle. Even if he could deal with the witch, the Empire would have to suffer significant damage to stop 10,000 golems.
“It would be best if it could be resolved through dialogue, but…”
He needed to find out the witch’s purpose. No, before that, he needed to check if she was of sound mind. If she could be reasoned with, he intended to accommodate her requests as much as possible.
However, if the witch’s mind was not sound, or if her demands were too unreasonable…
“…I’ll have to eliminate her as quickly as possible.”
Behind the fast-moving Vitalianus, knights began to join one by one. With them, he would soon encounter the witch.
At the northeastern border of the Empire.
A quiet tension hung over the walls surrounding the border. Across the desolate northern land, a cloud of dust—no, a cloud of snow—was rising from afar. An army drenched in pure white was swarming toward them.
The golems of snow and ice were large enough to be clearly visible even from this distance. No one knew why legends from the Mythic Age—when dragons, magicians, and numerous gods coexisted—were revealing themselves now. One thing was certain: the moment they clashed with those things, enormous damage would occur.
Perhaps they wouldn’t even see tomorrow. Their bodies looked as if a sword wouldn’t even leave a scratch. According to lore, they possessed the bizarre ability to reform and move no matter where they were cut or stabbed. They had the power to easily crush a human.
Of course, those things were terrifying, but there was something even more fearsome.
“…The witch.”
At their lead. Floating slowly in the sky above them with disheveled hair, there she was. A crimson energy covered the sky, approaching along with the snow clouds.
Bright crimson hair. Charmingly curved crimson eyes. Soft lines and red lips. Her pure white naked body, obscured by the snow mist…
“Wake up!”
“Gasp!”
The knights, who had barely regained their senses at the strong shout that shook their bodies and minds, hurriedly bowed their heads and lowered their gaze.
“Never look at the witch!”
If it hadn’t been for Vitalianus’s Ideation, half of the knights would have been enchanted the moment the witch appeared. Her ability was stronger than he had imagined, and it was a dangerous power.
Naturally, he tightened his grip on his sword. For the first time in a long while, a competitive spirit surged within him. Where had such a capable person suddenly come from? What on earth was the source of that crimson power that made even Vitalianus himself feel tense?
Part of him wanted to fight the witch right then and there, but Vitalianus knew better than anyone that he couldn’t.
Actually, the witch he sensed directly was stronger than he had expected. The ice army she led was also dangerous. Of course, he didn’t think he would lose even if a war broke out, but the immense damage would be unavoidable.
If they suffered that much damage here, the future of the Empire would turn dark abruptly. So, for now, he could only hope that the witch’s mind was intact.
“O Witch.”
Vitalianus stepped forward toward the approaching witch.
“What is the reason for your descent to this place?”
His words, carrying the roar of a lion, were transmitted to the crimson witch. Since the witch would surely recognize the power contained within them, she would stop at a reasonable distance. That was what Vitalianus expected.
However…
*Grin.*
Far from stopping, the crimson witch accelerated even more. Facing that dizzying beauty, Vitalianus felt a momentary sense of familiarity.
But he soon steeled his heart and was forced to give a difficult command.
“All troops, prepare for battle.”
The witch was already out of her mind. The Empire would have to endure a painful loss.
“Absolutely never look at the witch’s form.”
The crimson energy and the golden aura clashed violently against each other.
***
‘Where should I go first?’
Hio, having finished his business on Earth, fell into brief deliberation. He had set the broad strokes, so Yoon Seulah would handle the remaining finer details. He didn’t have the time to worry about those things, and he had much to do on the Verden Continent anyway.
That was why he was conflicted.
‘The Tower of Mages or the Empire?’
There was much to do at the Tower of Mages. He had to check on Furnel, and he had to learn 6th and 7th Circle magic. Since he had formed his sixth ring, he also had to check the other floors of the Tower that would have opened up.
Above all, the Suicide Squad. He had to gather information regarding that group, represented by Abellar Pavlenko. There was a high probability that the ones who had helped Hio in the Abyss Gates so far were not Kreutzvalt, but that Suicide Squad.
‘On the other hand, returning to the Empire… there isn’t much to do.’
Freya and Claire had confirmed his survival, so they would have relayed the message. He also knew from Claire that the situation wasn’t so critical that the Empire was on the verge of collapsing. If he had to pick, there was returning the Ordo to Sylvia and discussing future measures with Vitalianus…
‘Well, I have the answer.’
Having finished his thoughts, Hio immediately cast a skill.
[Transcendental Skill – ‘Dimension Transfer’ is being activated.]
‘Would he have known what results this choice would bring if he were a true god?’