Editor : Amethyst00



"Hmph!"

The man's massive biceps bulged.

From the enormous greatsword gripped in his hand, a surge of powerful aura burst forth.

Seeing that, Chen Xia swiftly closed the distance between them.

Vrrrrrrr—!

A piercing sound as if the very air was being torn.

"Bold, but a foolish choice."

Seeing Chen Xia charge at him without hesitation, the man had no doubt about his victory.

She may have possessed a strength unthinkable for a young girl, but that was all.

Chen Xia could feel the aura blade of destruction ripping through the very air, bearing down on her.

Sshk—

But with her eyes closed, she pushed off the ground even harder.

The man's eyes widened in disbelief.

Fwoosh!

Chen Xia dove directly into the path of the destructive blade and charged through the opening.

"Impossible!"

The man cried out in horror, trying to check Chen Xia's advance.

But she was faster—already closing in on him.

"Her eyes are closed?!"

His face twisted at the sight.

Whud!

Chen Xia's fist dug into the man's side.

Her small and delicate-looking fist carried an overwhelming force.

Water flows.

The more it flows, the stronger it becomes.

And when that flow is dammed up for long enough—it crashes down with crushing might.

Just like a dam, Chen Xia had contained the aura of water in her fingertips and released it all at once. The blow was heavy and powerful.

And then—

Whirl—!

As Chen Xia twisted her fist upon impact, a massive vortex erupted like a surging torrent.

"Gahhh!"

A mangled cry escaped the man's lips.

BOOOOOM—!

He was hurled back, crashing through several buildings.

"Hah…"

Chen Xia exhaled and opened her eyes.

The reason she had closed them was simple.

Hyper-sense.

That was how Chen Xia entered the realm of hyper-perception.

Of course, hers was still rudimentary, just the initial stage.

And the only sense she could tap into was touch—a far from complete state.

"So this… is the world Lord Aaron and Leo-doryeong live in."

Familiar with darkness, Chen Xia had temporarily sealed her vision to heighten her touch. Even that incomplete hyper-sense felt like a whole new world.

While she marveled—

Rumble—! Crash! Crack!

The buildings the man had crashed into began to collapse.

He emerged from the rubble, armor shredded like paper.

Despite the heavy impact, he was still smiling as if nothing had happened.

"Impressive. But reckless. Closing your eyes and charging in with no plan—that's what saved you."

"If that looked like a reckless charge to you, then I can guess your level."

"Heh. So you've got guts. I like that!"

The man slammed his fist—his non-sword hand—against his chest.

"But girl, your strike wasn't enough to pierce this steel body of mine."

Brimming with confidence, the human warrior reached out toward her.

"What do you say, girl? Will you not follow in my footsteps and serve the Goddess? You have more than enough talent to be chosen as Her champion."

"Goddess? What's that?"

"Ahh, how tragic. A human who's forgotten Nyx, the Frozen Death."

"Sounds like an ominous name—right up there with the Flames of Calamity."

"Nyx is different from such disasters who only seek to burn the world."

Akatrix laughed.

"She seeks to shape the world into something ideal. To cultivate it into beauty."

"And after that?"

"She'll freeze the world—lock it in timeless stillness."

"So… the end of the world. Sounds no different from Erebos."

"Perhaps. But that won't happen in our time."

Akatrix smirked confidently.

"Under Her divine radiance, we can live out our lives with honor and power. Doesn't that tempt you? I, Akatrix, am a warrior favored by Her grace—destined to rule over all humanity. And I have no consort. You are more than worthy to be mine. To bear my heir."

"Spare me the nauseating offer. I already belong to someone else. My body and heart—are his alone."

Chen Xia smiled sweetly.

But her eyes had gone icy cold.

"That doesn't matter. I like taking what belongs to others."

Chen Xia scoffed.

"You couldn't touch him if you tried. You wouldn't even get to speak to him."

"What?!"

Still smiling, she tapped her own neck.

Akatrix, confused, suddenly clutched his throat as something hot surged upward.

"Impressive regeneration. You're only now realizing you've been cut."

"What… kugh!"

Akatrix's eyes bulged as he grabbed at his throat with one hand.

Thud—! Clang!

His hulking form dropped to his knees.

Chen Xia approached, a dagger now in her hand.

"When I struck your side earlier, I also slit your throat—with this. While I did that, I flowed the water aura into your bloodstream."

That water aura had turned into blades that ravaged him from the inside.

"Most would react to the pain or detect it through aura. But you… you seem to have suppressed your sense of pain. You've got strength, but no control."

"You… coward…! Gugh—!"

"Coward? You couldn't even respond to a basic attack like that."

Chen Xia beamed innocently.

"So, care to repeat yourself? Who's taking what from whom?"

bl

Chloe was trapped in solid ice, her entire body encased.

"To challenge me with ice magic? Foolish human."

Crack—!

The ice shattered, and Chloe emerged from within.

The elven mage's eyes widened in shock.

"I had high hopes for an unfamiliar magic formula…"

Chloe sighed.

"A fascinating technique with boundless potential, but the user's skill is dreadful. Relying solely on raw mana output? That's such a primitive approach."

"P-Primitive? You dare call me, a genius mage, primitive?!"

As the elven mage flared in outrage, Chloe looked utterly disinterested.

"Let me show you what ice magic truly is."

Whoooom—!

A tremendous surge of magic stirred around Chloe.

She recalled the sensation from when Lysinas had once taken control of her body—casting magic beyond her reach.

'A clear sign I've still much to learn.'

Shhh—!

Frost flowed from Chloe's form.

Crack—!

Ice rose from the ground and formed into a perfect replica of herself.

An ice clone.

The clone began chanting a spell.

Chloe layered another incantation over it.

A fusion spell powerful enough to endanger the caster—but she'd assigned the risk to her clone.

"Tch! You think I'll let this happen?!"

The elven mage frantically tried to cast a spell.

But Chloe finished first.

Flash—!

"W-What?! How can it be this fast?!"

"Just a simple activation array."

Chloe shrugged.

'Lady Luna and Lady Lysinas didn't even need activation arrays…'

Their magic transcended conventional understanding.

Of course, comparing them to the elf before her was laughable.

'A mage drunk on their own mana.'

Such foes were the easiest.

Chloe glanced at her clone.

"Attack."

The clone launched forward.

And collided directly with the elven mage—triggering a massive explosion.

BOOM!

As the smoke cleared, tiny crystals of ice drifted down like snow.

"…Chloe. What kind of spell did you make?"

Celia had returned, looking stunned.

Eiran surfaced from the tunnels, mouth agape.

Chloe, expression serene, replied:

"Self-destruct magic."

"…Doesn't it bother you that the clone looked exactly like you when it blew up?"

"Hmm? Why would it?"

Her confused expression made Celia shake her head.

"You really are a true mage sometimes."

bl

Enisilia's eyes flew open.

She couldn't win against the elf before her.

"W-What is this power…?!"

"Nothing special."

Lunia withdrew her flames.

She sneered at Enisilia's grotesquely swollen body.

"Resorting to fists? How vulgar…"

"Oh please, I kicked you too. Filthy little worshipper of Erebos's cousin!"

Lunia resumed beating her senseless.

"So the future be damned, long as you live in luxury? You're worse than the traitors!"

"You dare treat the Elven Queen like this?!"

"Elven Queen? I'm the Chaser of the Star! That title trumps yours!"

"W-Wow… you're basically a thug."

As Lunia trampled Enisilia beneath her feet, she turned.

"Chen Xia, that human you were fighting?"

"Said he liked taking what belonged to others. So I took his life."

Chen Xia replied with a sweet smile.

"Shall we finish this elf now?"

Her cheerful tone turned chilling as she looked at Enisilia.

Enisilia screamed in defiance.

"The great Saint and Priestess will not let you wenches go unpunished!"

BOOOOM!

A massive explosion followed her cry.

Thud-thud-roll—

A pale-skinned demoness tumbled across the ground—it was the third Priestess, Phyry.

Fshhh—

Her head melted away.

Enisilia's eyes filled with horror.

Someone walked in from the direction Phyry had flown.

A face like a goddess—yet a presence so fierce, it could freeze the soul.

In her grasp: the mangled, cloth-like remains of the third Saint, Phlegethon.

He too melted away shortly after.

"A nightmare… this must be a nightmare…"

Enisilia murmured in shock.

"That the elf?"

Lysinas's chilling gaze landed on her.

"She's the one who stirred all this."

"Y-Yes, ma'am…"

Lunia replied, her voice trembling.

Lysinas growled and began to approach.

"Alright, that's enough."

Leo appeared behind her, lifting Lysinas under the arms.

"Leave the elf to me."

Lysinas glanced back at Leo, then snorted.

Calming down, she let Leo set her down.

Leo stepped up to Enisilia.

"What are you planning to do?"

Lunia asked curiously.

"We need information."

"How do you plan to get it?"

Leo smiled.

"Usually… once it gets bad enough they want to die, they start talking on their own."