“Isn’t this the way to the Levies Mountain Range?”
As Rita had anticipated, Blena chimed in as they prepared to cross the mountain peak and enter the valley on the other side.
“I sense mana from deeper in.”
“But we’ve come too far. Is that okay?”
“It’s fine. This distance is manageable.”
Rita said as much, but in truth, it wasn’t fine.
The rugged terrain made the path increasingly narrow and treacherous.
On the uneven rocky path, Blena, who was clumsy at controlling her summoned creature, stumbled several times.
Seth, similarly unsteady, frowned at Rita, who dashed along the rocky trail as if flying.
Blena, however, was more worried about the increasingly harsh environment than her own clumsiness.
Moreover, Rita seemed less interested in scouting the Levies Mountain Range and more intent on racing straight through it.
As they climbed along the canyon, Blena hurriedly called out to Rita.
“Rita! Just how far are you planning to go? We’ve come too far! Shouldn’t we turn back?”
Seth, also feeling the distance, glanced around.
Rita, halting her horse with a neigh, looked back and gave a sly smile.
“If you’re worried about getting into trouble, you’re welcome to head back first. I’ll stay, scout a bit more, and return later.”
Her words implied she was willing to accept the reprimands from Talos and the elders.
Blena, caught off guard, looked at Seth.
“Seth, what do we do? We can’t just leave Rita behind.”
“We’ve come this far; we can’t give up now.”
“I knew you’d say that.”
In the end, the three pressed on and crossed the Levies Mountain Range.
“Wow… My goodness.”
After descending the steep mountain path, they emerged onto a vast plain, and Blena gasped in awe.
The scenery was breathtakingly beautiful, but to her, it was an utterly unfamiliar, unknown land.
“Is this really the right place? Isn’t this the northern edge from here on?”
“Yes. The end of this path is Aide Hill, where that strange seed appeared recently. I’m planning to head there now.”
Blena’s eyes spun at Rita’s calm response.
But having crossed the Levies Mountain Range, there was no turning back.
***
Leading the two startled companions, Rita scanned the surroundings with sharp eyes.
Since Iskis and its fragments hadn’t yet begun their rampage, the environment of northern Aide Hill was quiet and pristine.
The forests are still lush, and the small animals seem fine.
The tribal territories also look calm.
But to be certain, she needed to check the seed’s condition herself.
The three traveled further and finally reached Aide Hill at the northern edge.
This was a hill facing the northern sea.
In the middle of the barren land stood something resembling a massive rock, jutting out at an angle.
“Is that the seed? It’s huge.”
Blena marveled at the mountain-like size of the seed.
It was a red seed, resembling a human heart.
Its surface was dotted with tiny holes, from which a faint blue light softly glowed, and the rough surface pulsed faintly as if breathing.
While Blena grimaced in disgust, Rita felt relief that Iskis was still in its “seed” state.
“How does something like this just sprout from the ground? My friend in the herbology department said it must be from another dimension. It’s lucky it appeared here, though, right? If it had shown up where people live…”
Rita nodded in agreement, glancing at the sea.
If only it had fallen into the ocean and died.
“I need to take a closer look.”
Rita circled the seed, observing it closely.
Ominously, a sprout had already grown behind it.
At first glance, it looked like a weed, but in the darkness, the vivid red stem and leaves confirmed it was a tree.
I have to destroy it now.
Gritting her teeth, Rita gripped her staff tightly.
“Piercing Flame.”
There was no time for hesitation.
Rita thrust her staff directly into the young tree.
The staff struck the tree, bursting into bright red flames.
“What are you doing all of a sudden?”
Blena and Seth, who had been watching cluelessly, rushed over in surprise.
Rita was still shaken by the strange sensation lingering in her hand.
As the two stood dumbfounded, staring at Rita’s intense focus on the tree and seed, a rustling sound came from nearby.
The noise from the shadowy forest stirred Blena’s fear.
“W-What was that just now?”
As Blena flinched, the forest rustled more violently.
At the clear sound, Seth and Rita turned toward the source.
Assuming it was just a passing animal, Rita frowned, but then a shadow suddenly loomed into view.
A creature with sticky black hide, a grotesquely swollen head as if bloated with water, and blinking red eyes.
It was a slightly larger version of the juvenile beast Rita had encountered during the Iskis battle.
Most tellingly, it was cloaked in black mana—a color unique to Iskis, its fragments, or its beasts.
“What is that?!”
Rita clamped a hand over Blena’s mouth as she screamed.
As if to confirm, words Rita had once seen appeared above the creature.
[Origin: Iskis]
[Name: None]
[Rank: Arche – Third-class]
[Attribute: Wind]
As if to prove it, a bright blue light glowed intensely from the creature’s head.
Its weak point.
Rita shivered, recalling the words of the “god.”
But something was off.
Its origin is Iskis?
Does that mean it was born directly from Iskis?
“Is that a chimera?”
“I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Despite the shocked reactions around her, Rita kept her eyes on the blue light glowing from the beast’s head.
Regardless of its origin, it was clearly tied to Iskis’s bloodline and needed to be killed.
If the information was correct and that light was indeed its weak point, attacking the head would suffice.
“Red Light of Annihilation.”
A red flash gathered at the tip of Rita’s staff and shot out in all directions.
The fiery tendrils, swirling fiercely through the forest, abruptly changed course and mercilessly pierced the juvenile beast’s head.
Kiieeee—!
The small beast writhed, letting out a scream.
The blue light on its head faded instantly.
It collapsed, emitting a murky vapor.
Confirming the beast’s death, Rita felt a small surge of exhilaration.
It really is the weak point.
That’s it…!
Staring at the beast’s corpse, Rita let out a twisted smile.
The beast was an Arche third-class—not a difficult opponent for an average first-class mage.
But in the past, without knowing its weak point, it took lengthy probing, forcing her to endure unnecessary attacks.
Though its reaction speed made it tricky, if she could target the weak point directly, even sub-adults could be dealt with.
***
As Rita calmly assessed the situation, eyes turned to her.
“What was that? What did you just…”
Seth was stunned.
Rita had killed the creature instantly, without a moment’s hesitation.
Was this really the behavior of an inexperienced mage who spent her days buried in the research department?
It was more like the reaction of a seasoned hunter who had roamed the mountains for years.
It was certainly a puzzling situation.
But Seth reminded himself that this was “Rita of the Mage Tower.”
Hadn’t she always been regarded as a prodigy with exceptional talent in the Tower?
To Seth, unaware of Rita’s secret, this was simply another facet of her talent.
Even Blena reacted similarly.
“Wow. As expected of the Mage Tower’s genius. I had my doubts, but you’re perfect even in real combat!”
Unlike Blena’s innocent admiration, Seth stared at Rita with a mix of frustration and envy.
Rita, unfazed, explained her actions.
“Its black mana and ominous appearance made me attack immediately.”
“How can something that creepy-looking even exist? I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Blena recoiled at the creature’s sticky hide.
Seth nodded in agreement.
As Blena said, its grotesquely swollen, pale eyelids were far from pleasant.
Even Seth, who was accustomed to chimeras, frowned, unable to identify the creature.
“Rita, could this be… the chimera that appeared near the villa?”
“I don’t know. But is there a chimera with this combination? It doesn’t seem like a chimera.”
Rita glanced subtly at Seth as she responded.
Seth, who prided himself on his chimera expertise, was easily swayed.
“Based on its oral structure and parts, it doesn’t seem like a typical chimera. I’ve never seen this form before…”
“Ugh. How many teeth does it have? And its body is so small—does it even have proper digestive organs? What’s with this black mana? Is it corrupted?”
***
While the two examined the corpse, Rita pondered deeply.
This is strange.
Aren’t beasts born from fragments?
Why is its origin Iskis?
Or does it become a fragment when it matures?
Rita racked her brain.
Iskis, born from the tree, produced seven fragments, which in turn spawned beasts.
So, it wasn’t entirely odd for a beast to be born directly from Iskis.
Rita looked at the red tree with fearful eyes.
Did Iskis awaken the moment the sprout grew?
That thought alone left no room for further deliberation.
If Iskis had awakened…
Rita’s face paled at the realization.
I need to act immediately.
If I delay, their numbers will grow rapidly.
She had to alert everyone to the danger as soon as possible.
“Seth, just in case, shouldn’t we scout the area more? There could be more of these.”
“What? More of those things? No way…”
Blena glared into the forest, horrified.
Rita subtly pointed at the seed.
“It might have come from that strange tree.”
“The tree? The one that grew from the seed? You mean that monster came from the ground?”
A seed sprouting from the earth, a red tree immune to magic, and an unidentified monster.
To an outsider, it might sound far-fetched, but the connections were plausible.
“What do we do? Shouldn’t we tell our master and the elders? This could be a threat to the kingdom!”
“Yes, that’s a good idea. I’ll stay and scout. Blena, you and Seth return to the Mage Tower and report this.”
“Hey, wait. Wouldn’t it be more efficient if I stayed with you…”
“No, Seth. Blena is second-class. We don’t know what’s in these mountains. We can’t send Blena back alone. Use the teleportation stone…”
“No need. We can get back fine on our own. Sending a message from the Mage Tower would waste time. But you? Are you staying alone…?”
“Are you worried about me? Even after seeing my reaction speed earlier?”
Knowing Seth’s personality, shutting down unnecessary arguments was easy.
Her slightly taunting question made Seth scowl instantly.
Rita nodded, satisfied with his silence.
The tactic worked perfectly.
“Rita, don’t go too far. Stay around here, okay? Let’s go, Seth.”
At Blena’s overly dramatic urging, the two finally disappeared from sight, and Rita sighed in relief.
“I can’t put Seth in danger again, not in a place where who-knows-what might appear.”
Rita gave a bittersweet smile, recalling the final moments of Seth’s death caused by her in the original timeline.