Sirbert von Ernhem.
His Korean name: Nam Tae-min.
The mission assigned to him was simple.
He was not to participate in the Abyss Raid, but rather, if the raid failed, he was to minimize the damage.
Of course, this mission was not given to him alone.
Those with solid fame and status in this world.
People who couldn’t move carelessly, yet were positioned in crucial places.
Such individuals were entrusted with this task.
Although, in truth, only two people were officially assigned this.
Sirbert, a tenured professor at the Imperial Academy, and the one ranked second who was in the capital.
This only applied to the two of them, and of course, there was no element of compulsion.
Among ten thousand Possessors, who could dare issue a forced command to the ones at the very top, to the 2nd and 5th ranked, perched at the summit?
No matter how firm a foundation and support Daphne had, it was impossible, and so, this “mission” was more a matter of voluntary action than obligation.
Even so, Sirbert did his utmost.
He genuinely loved both his position as a professor at the Imperial Academy and this world itself.
「The challenge of Abyss – 51st Floor has failed.」
「Two dimensions will be connected.」
『The “Abyss” will appear.』
He was startled when these messages appeared, but acted quickly nonetheless.
The Magic Academy of Imenia was vast, and within it was a Gate.
“We must evacuate civilians as far as possible and deploy all available forces to surround the Gate!”
There were hardly any Possessors in the Academy.
That was always the case, but now, with the raid failed, nearly everyone had logged out to protect the original world.
“Hurry!”
Yet, even this had been anticipated by Sirbert, allowing him to respond swiftly.
Since the new Empress’s days as Imperial Princess, he had aligned himself with her.
He had helped her escape from the Imperial Castle in times of crisis, and it was Sirbert who had connected her with Hio.
Sylvia had repaid this favor properly, and as a result, Sirbert’s standing at the Academy, already high, had risen even further.
“Only the graduating class should remain in the Central Square as reserve forces in case of emergency—the rest, withdraw at once!”
Even as he prepared, his mind was filled with doubts.
The previous 50th Floor had been a crisis because of its sudden spike in difficulty and its labyrinthine nature, which they hadn’t anticipated.
But from what he’d heard, the 51st Floor was assumed to be an ordinary raid-type challenge.
And the members participating were dazzlingly strong, almost excessively so.
“……There could be unforeseen variables, so don’t let your guard down!”
It seemed clear some variable had indeed come into play.
Such thoughts only brought more worry.
‘What about the world outside?’
‘Should he log out right now and try to protect the outside world instead?’
Truthfully, there was more to protect there than here.
“……”
“……Focus.”
He shook his head, clearing away distracting thoughts.
‘He’d already experienced this once, hadn’t he?’
In the face of a crisis he couldn’t handle—Ataolf—’what choices had he tried to make?’
That day, clutching the Logout Ticket (72 hours) in his trembling hands, leaving behind the screaming students, how much self-reproach had he endured since then?
Once was enough for such things.
To leave no regrets, he was determined to protect them this time.
That was his resolve.
Not even a day had passed when a signal began emanating from the Abyss Gate, black as night.
“Prepare……!”
Sirbert was tense, but he was also filled with self-assurance.
Since the Black Fang’s assault on the Academy, their forces had been strengthened, and he himself had grown as well.
Moreover, there was only one entrance, and they were in the position to block it.
Sirbert’s Telekinesis was overwhelmingly effective against large numbers, making this an advantageous fight.
“They’re coming!”
Just as he expected, the start was smooth.
Monsters, their bodies twisted and blackened, grotesque and hideous.
The so-called Abyss Monsters were instantly crushed by Sirbert’s Telekinesis as they crossed the Gate, and even if they were lucky enough to dodge that, they were skewered by countless swords and spear tips.
The endless flood of monsters was as infamous as the Abyss Gate’s reputation, but that was all.
They had enough troops surrounding the single Gate.
Sirbert could fight while conserving his mana.
Few things could break through a well-prepared Sirbert in such conditions.
Still, it was the Abyss Gate of the mid-levels.
Compared to the failed attempt on the First Floor, the monsters now were incomparably stronger and poured out endlessly.
***
After hours of one-sided slaughter, Sirbert’s mana gradually diminished, and the soldiers’ stamina was being worn down.
“Not much left! Hold on just a bit longer!”
He knew he wasn’t the only one struggling.
Gates were appearing all over the continent, and even in the capital alone—including the Academy—there were several.
The Order of the Sword, that guy ranked second—everyone was fighting fiercely.
So Sirbert kept his focus until the very end—he was confident.
For hours it continued—until, truly, a ridiculous variable arrived.
“Did we… finish it off?”
The Gate’s front was quiet, as if someone had muttered those words.
But Sirbert didn’t relax his guard.
“Not yet!”
If it were over, the Gate—having expelled all its Abyssal Curse—should collapse.
Yet it still stood strong.
Not only that, but its energy was surging, as if preparing for something even greater.
Just as Sirbert had anticipated, the turbulence in the Abyss Gate grew more violent until it reached its peak.
Then, something stepped out through the Gate.
Sensing this extraordinary presence, Sirbert instantly focused his Telekinesis and ordered others to do the same.
“All at once! Don’t hold back—unleash every skill you have!”
KWAANG-!
A barrage of skills created a storm of explosions around the already devastated Gate.
KWAANG-! KWAANG!
‘How long did it last?’
Though no one gave a signal, the attacks gradually ceased.
“…Did we… finish it?”
As someone muttered again, the dust began to settle.
And what was revealed—
“A person…?”
The form of a person, impossible to mistake for an Abyss Monster.
Long, slender arms and legs.
Classic, well-placed features, with long hair flowing behind.
At a glance, it looked as if they had unleashed all that firepower at a beautiful woman.
But what stood out: her eyes were entirely black, and her ears were long and pointed.
All attacks had been blocked by inky black plants sprouting around her.
And then—
「A powerful mental attack has been detected.」
「A powerful mental attack has been detected.」
「A powerful mental attack has been detected.」
「A powerful mental attack has been detected.」
As soon as their eyes met the woman’s, a frenzied message rang out.
Sirbert instinctively averted his gaze.
That’s why he saw it.
“G-Goddess. A goddess….”
“Wow…”
“Ugh…”
Those around him, instantly frozen like stone.
No, they had literally turned into Stone Statues.
Everyone who met the gaze of the woman who stepped out of the Abyss Gate turned to stone on the spot.
“W-What is this…?”
Sirbert could only mutter, unable to even think of raising his head.
“……”
No response came back.
Despite the multitude of troops that had been surrounding the Gate, not a sound could be heard.
All he heard was—
-KIEEEEK!
-KYAAAH!
The shrill screams of countless Abyss Monsters pouring out behind the woman.
“…We’re doomed. Truly…”
A cold bead of sweat rolled down the back of Sirbert’s clenched fist.
Of course, he never lifted his bowed head.
***
“Professor!… No, Tae-min hyung! What do we do now?!”
As someone shouted, running between the Academy buildings, Sirbert shouted back.
“How would I know, you idiot!”
As if wanting to join in their exchange, another answer sounded right behind them.
-KIEEEEK!
Abyss Monster—its body black, its head twisted, both arms bent into legs, and its legs twisted to walk on all fours.
It moved so fast that it was upon them in a flash.
「Skill – ‘Advanced Telekinesis’ activated.」
It was instantly smashed into the ground and crushed.
“For now… we need to lure that monster somewhere else!”
A black-haired woman—or rather, a monster—strolled leisurely a short distance away.
No doubt, the boss-class Abyss Monster for this Gate.
‘Of all the Gates, why did the boss monster have to appear here?’
It should have gone to where the Order of the Sword or that other guy was.
“Hyung! Even with Telekinesis at full power, is it no use?”
“No! Didn’t you see earlier?!”
Sensing the danger as soon as she appeared, Sirbert and most skill-users had unleashed all their powers at once, but every attack had been blocked by the shifting mass of black plants around her.
To break through that would require at least the highest-tier skills.
Skills even more destructive than his own Telekinesis might be needed…
“Damn it. Daphne should have come here.”
If Daphne had brought her Legendary Weapon, Laflicia, it might have worked.
But that wasn’t the issue right now.
“That thing—it’s only following us.”
The boss monster had left the people turned to Stone Statues behind and was coming after them directly.
“Hey, have you ever seen a boss monster that looks so human? It’s my first time!”
The one yelling next to Sirbert as they ran was one of his guild members.
The vice-leader among the founding members—Kwon Woobin, known here as Kemen.
Unknown in this world, but back in reality, he was the first Awakened—almost as famous as Nam Tae-min himself.
His power was strong, but… before this unforeseen monster, it was useless.
“You, try using your Appraisal Skill.”
“Huh? Are you crazy, hyung? If our eyes meet, I’ll die too!”
“That’s why, use it without making eye contact! We can’t just run forever! We need to figure something out!”
“No… Ah… This is seriously terrifying…!”
Letting out a huge yell to shake off the fear, Kemen turned his head and looked back.
“Uaaah! Appraisal!”
Whether he actually saw anything, it took less than a second for him to look forward again.
“Haaah! That’s f***ing scary!”
“…Did you see anything?”
Taking a deep breath, Kemen answered with a sigh.
“I saw it, but… I’ve never seen that name before! Does a boss monster like that even exist?”
“What did it say?”
His reply—
“It says… ‘Most Noble Elf’…”
Sirbert’s doubts only deepened.
The graduating class—considered the Academy’s reserve forces.
It wasn’t just about seniority.
Only skill.
Graduating from the Academy meant being assigned to key positions in the Empire, becoming an official or a knight.
A student had to be that well-prepared to join the graduating class.
So it wasn’t strange for Claire and Roland to be here.
Of course, being in the graduating class didn’t mean you would graduate next year.
They were recognized for skills comparable to the graduating class.
“There shouldn’t be any problems…right…?”
Even among them, tension was running high.
Normally, students would be joking and laughing, but now, silence weighed heavily.
They knew.
They’d experienced the horrors and brutality of war.
Just a few months ago, they’d felt the grief of losing friends and comrades.
But it was different now.
Having gone through it once—knowing despair, sorrow, helplessness—they were tense, but they did not run.
They looked forward without averting their gaze, even if afraid.
If they ran, their friends beside them would die.
In the last attack, they’d painfully learned that nothing could be done if all they did was cower in fear.
Perhaps that determination was being tested now.
“The line has been breached! Everyone, prepare for battle!”
As if to put their resolve to the test, the crisis came without delay.
-KIEEEEEK!
That eerie scream echoing from afar.
Even at a distance, it was clearly not the sound of anything from this world.
The silence deepened, and the tense air spread through the students like a contagion.
“…Stupid Claire. If you’re scared, why don’t you run first?”
“Pathetic Roland. I think you’re the one who’s scared.”
“No? Not at all?”
“Me neither?”
Even so, Claire and Roland stepped forward bravely.
For them, it was natural.
Claire’s goal was never something so meager as this.
She’d vowed countless times to stand shoulder to shoulder with Hio—she couldn’t just freeze here.
She walked forward confidently.
Roland, unwilling to lose to Claire, walked out beside her.
Claire looked up to Hio.
Roland looked up to Sirbert.
Both girls admired someone and wanted to follow in their footsteps—the two were truly alike.
“You don’t need to overdo it! The Academy’s knights and professors are strong, so don’t go too deep and hold your ground!”
With the advisor’s shout, monsters appeared in view.
Their limbs and necks grotesquely twisted, bodies pitch black.
And their speed—far beyond what they imagined.
“G-Gather together! The professors will handle everything!”
But even the advisor’s voice was laced with deep uncertainty.
…And so, hours passed.
Nothing had been resolved.
The situation only spiraled toward the worst.
-KYAAAAAAH!
***
A monster vanished, engulfed in flames, letting out a chilling scream.
“Haaah… Huuu…”
Claire and Roland, breathing heavily.
The situation was grim.
The chain of command was a mess, control was lost, and chaos had ensued.
‘Where had their initial resolve gone?’
Assaulted at unimaginable speed, the students scattered in an instant.
Even the professors couldn’t easily handle each monster.
‘Why was this happening?’
The bizarre monsters—nothing like what appeared in the books—were so strong.
No one knew the answer.
Still, Claire conjured her flames without a word of complaint.
“Roland, get ready.”
“Huu… Rude Claire.”
Roland straightened up again.
As a user of wind skills, Roland was the perfect match for Claire.
-KIEEEEK!
“They’re coming.”
Above Claire’s head, a Fireball formed and grew larger.
It almost looked like the blue flames she’d once seen.
Like her own will to become like him, the Fireball swelled.
It was still cute compared to that, but even by this world’s standards, it was an impressive Fireball.
-KKEEEK! KIEEEEK!
Boosted by Roland’s wind, the power doubled.
Monsters struck by it screamed in high, chilling voices and were annihilated.
They had already defeated dozens of monsters like this.
But the end was nowhere in sight, and a creeping sense of dread grew ever larger.
There was clearly something else here besides these twisted monsters.
With monsters of this level, there was no way Professor Sirbert and the Academy knights would have been breached.
What confirmed that doubt—
“…Look, another one.”
Stone Statues—found here and there in alleys, gardens, and roads.
So lifelike in their expressions and postures, as if they’d been alive just moments before.
Faces frozen in terror, or some even in ecstasy.
‘What kind of horror had turned people into these statues?’
‘What terrible calamity had appeared here, and what was Sirbert fighting against?’
With each new statue, anxiety welled up inside them.
They could feel their mana nearly depleted.
Their stamina was almost gone.
Despite all their effort, it wasn’t enough.
If there was any excuse, it was a lack of time.
***
Only a few months had passed since the Black Fang’s attack on the Academy.
Even this much progress was remarkable in the Academy’s history—’was it too greedy to want more?’
“…I can still do more.”
Greedy? She was far from finished.
“…Reckless Claire. We should quit and run too. We’re both almost out of mana.”
“I’m nowhere near done.”
But it was clear neither of them was in good shape.
They’d been fighting for hours, dodging and attacking.
Both mana and stamina were near their limits.
“Claire, you glutton… At this rate, we might run into that monster turning everyone into stone—aren’t you worried? Even Professor Sirbert can’t handle it. You need to know your limits…”
***
Looking around, before they knew it, they were in front of the Practical Building.
‘When had they gotten this far?’
At first, the graduating class reserve forces had been stationed in the Central Square, well away from the Gate—a precaution from the professors so they could flee if things got dangerous.
But Claire and Roland had gone further in.
In front of the Practical Building—essentially the heart of the Academy.
Their reason for coming in wasn’t grand.
It was simply for self-improvement.
If they hid safely behind others, their goal would only slip further away—so they pressed on.
But now, this was the limit.
-KIEEEEK!
From all sides came the wails that shouldn’t exist in this world.
-KKAAAAH!
Mixed in were screams, possibly human.
The deeper in, the more frequent the Stone Statues appeared.
It was too much.
“…Let’s go.”
At last, Claire had to say it.
Biting her lip, she supported the limping Roland and turned away.
And at that moment.
“This is chaos. Complete chaos.”
A voice—so familiar it sometimes appeared in her dreams.
“The world is, indeed, complete chaos.”
Unable to believe it, Claire whipped her head around.
‘When had he arrived?’ In his now-familiar extravagant attire, a man with a large staff was walking out of the Practical Building, looking around.
Her goal, her idol, and at the same time…
Anyway, that man.
And beside him, a small child wearing a similar, oversized hat, waving a hand.
With such a small frame, the hat looked as if it covered half her body, and atop her head, some glowing letters flashed brightly.
Complete chaos! Complete chaos!
The sight was almost comical, a strange contrast to the brutality and tension of the moment.
And underscoring that contrast was Hio’s calm voice.
“Watch closely, Freya.”
With that, the child lifted her hat to reveal emerald eyes.
“I’ll show you their weakness.”
Soon, as always, in the relaxed tone of Hio Pavlenko—
“Celestial.”
The staff moved.