Northern Region, Green Wind Forest, Dark Forest—
"What the hell is this…!?"
The mercenary team from before stood frozen at the edge of an enormous crater, looking down.
The earth seemed to have been torn away by a colossal hand, leaving a vast section of the Dark Forest simply… erased! The forest ended abruptly, its trees stopping at the rim of the crater, their roots severed mid-growth and hanging helplessly in the open air. The ground curved inwards, forming an almost perfect, unnatural bowl, its walls uneven yet disturbingly deliberate. Some sections were rough and 'shredded', others violently fractured, as if the land itself had resisted, until something finally forced its way free!
At the center of the crater lay something even more unsettling…
That was—
A literal lake of liquefied spiritual energy!
It pooled at the bottom, becoming so dense that it had physically manifested. The surface shimmered faintly, rolling in slow, glassy waves of shifting colors that warped the air above it.
The space hummed with a suffocating pressure, forming something like an oppressive aura that pressed into the chest and crawled across the skin. Simply standing there made their nerves prickle, and approaching it felt unthinkable, as if some primordial instinct had ignited just to warn them.
Danger aside—
"It's a miracle…" someone whispered.
"Is this… a 'Treasured Land?'"
"Incredible! I can feel it from here! I might even break through…"
Low murmurs rippled through the group, all tangled tightly with unease.
Some stared in reverence, others in disbelief, but every one of them felt it—the silent question hanging in the air… 'What kind of thing could scar the Green Wind Forest like this… and then leave? Why?'
However—
Oka didn't share their excitement.
It wasn't only him, no, a few others had begun to sense the problem as well…
He stood rigid at the edge of the cliff, his expression dark, eyes fixed unblinkingly on the pit below.
He glanced back, looking at the white-robed man for a mere moment, before turning back.
The female scout from earlier noticed and stepped closer, lowering her voice. "Captain… what's wrong?"
He didn't answer immediately—
Instead, he took a long breath, then looked back at the others…
At their excited whispers.
At their nervous, hopeful smiles.
His brow furrowed.
A cold weight settled deep in his heart.
Finally, he spoke, his voice low and heavy, his words falling like ice...
"If this is what was left behind," he said slowly, "can you really imagine what was taken away?"
Silence followed.
The scout's eyes widened, horror dawning a moment later.
She understood…
And—
From the rear, the white-robed young master continued staring ahead, his dark eyes unmoving. His grip tightened around his flute, until it trembled faintly in his hand.
* * *
[Night] Southern Region, Unnamed Forest, Forest Clearing—
-
Otan's eyes, standing atop the massive golem, widened in fury!
He roared! "Come! Let's—!"
But suddenly—
His smile froze.
"Huh—?"
In that instant, from his 'height'…
He felt 'it', and he trembled!
In the distance, Petra stood on the crown of a tree—
Her black eyes glowed with an eerie green light as she smiled, a wide and unrestrained smile.
Her giggle was like the echo of a witch, the sound stretching through the forest as everything seemed to fade away. Her lips curled up as a 'shadow' stretched over the treetops.
Otan felt a shiver run down his spine. His instincts began to scream like mad!
The air rippled, and the forest swayed.
"W-what is this…?"
He couldn't stop shaking.
Looking forward again, the little girl was enveloped in darkness. The blackness wrapped around her small body, swallowing her whole, and leaving only her glowing green eyes to pierce through the veil and lock with his gaze.
The air grew heavy, as the world itself started to change.
With shaky legs, Otan slowly craned his neck.
That was where his body felt this deep dread was coming from…! Not from Petra!
Above him, the sky had turned black, the clouds had disappeared, and the world was engulfed in darkness. Where the moon should have been, a single red light ignited in the void, like a distant star—
Fooosh!
Then another, and another—Foosh, foosh, foosh!
Soon, a row of eight stars ignited in the void, 'staring' down at the frail old man and the 'small' golem.
When one stares into the abyss—
- Stare!
—The abyss stared back!
Hooooong! Something shook!
Otan's teeth clattered.
—!
Foosh! Then another—
Foosh-foosh-foosh!-foosh-foosh!-foosh-foosh-foosh-foosh!
It did not stop…!
Lights continued to ignite, one after another, until hundreds of them filled the black sky above them!
But—
This was not a starry sky, no, it was something far more terrifying!
At that moment, the old man's blood turned completely cold!
He could see 'it' now!
The creature that filled the sky!
Its massive black body, its eight eyes, its eight legs, and—
The castle…
The Verdilith Castle, along with the full range of its territory!! It was a massive island in the sky!
Otan's eyes widened.
This is…!
He remembered!
He remembered reading about this a long time ago! Back when he was a child!
In an ancient book, one that predated the Book of Calamity!
The first demon king, no, the demon king's castle! It was said to be carried on the back of an ancient beast, a massive spider that shrouded the sky!
It was—
The Castle Crawler!
"How is this possible…?" Otan murmured.
Why didn't I see it coming?
How could I miss such a massive monster!
Impossible!
And—
Why was it so big!?!?
"This is a… a Castle Crawler—no! It's far too big! What is this monster!? Who is this little girl!"
Then—
His scream split the sky!
—!!
Hundreds of magic cannons all fired at once, bombarding the forest and eviscerating everything!
* * *
The next day—
News of Petra's arrival in the southern region spread like wildfire!
It had been a full year since the little brat bearing the continent's largest bounty had last appeared, and for over twelve very long months, her trail had been completely cold!
In the aftermath of the Second Calamity, the continent entered a tense and unstable period...
It was during this period that cities were searched one after another, and countless unofficial checkpoints popped up along the major roads, regional borders, and popular trade routes. Driven by the Sky Tower's bounty, this brief period became focused on one goal, find and hunt down Petra!
It was a rare window of opportunity—
The Second Calamity had ended, yet the Third had not begun. Once the next calamity arrived, many people were worried that Petra would leave the continent entirely, making this the only realistic chance to capture her! Intelligence networks were mobilized, secret informants were activated, and divination after divination was cast in an attempt to trace her movements…
And yet—
Nothing surfaced!
Nothing at all! For an operation at such a ridiculous scale, the complete lack of results was not merely disappointing, it was deeply unsettling!
Petra, naturally, knew nothing about this…
Slowly, she was forgotten…
Some had assumed she died during the Second Calamity, while others believed she had already found a way to flee the continent entirely!
A few suspected she was simply hiding, but that was difficult with so many eyes searching.
As for the small handful that suspected Elena was protecting her, well… these people couldn't even keep up with the big-breasted big sister, so what was the point?
Whatever the truth, time deluded everything….
Months passed, and new problems arose.
For those professional hunters, new targets replaced old ones.
The name Petra faded into the background, remembered only by those with long memories or particularly large grudges.
But…
Now that she had reappeared in the border town of Old Hand—
Tock!
With that single report, the missing link was restored, and everyone's attention shifted all at once. Bounty hunters, mercenaries, adventurers, and countless hidden forces all turned their eyes in the same direction, and that was towards the road from the border to the capital!
It wasn't just these 'minor inconveniences', many of Petra's personal acquaintances had also taken notice of her arrival!
* * *
Hellion Empire, Royal Academy of Magic—
Private dormitory, front door…
A pile of papers was passed to a young boy with pale blue hair and a silver monocle. He took them and sifted through each page one by one, then paid the paperboy and sent him on his way.
After closing the door, he walked down the hall and entered an independent laboratory, moving slowly through a series of discarded mechanical mechanisms and arcane research left out, cluttering the floor.
Looking around—
This was a makeshift research laboratory built into a shared dwelling…
Near the back of the room, he was greeted by another youth with dark hair and heavy black circles under his eyes. The first boy, Merlin, nodded at Pen before slipping past him, opening the door to the study, and walking inside.
Pen watched his senior brother pass with tired eyes.
Inside the room—
Behind the desk sat yet another youth, this one wearing thick goggles, with countless trinkets scattered across the table. He was disassembling and reassembling them like a clockmaker, practicing his craft while continuously engraving miniaturized runes onto each small piece, one at a time.
When the door opened, the boy with the goggles looked up.
"Mm?"
When Arthur's eyes met Merlin's, he scanned him inquisitively, then dropped his gaze to the pile of papers in Merlin's hands.
His eyes momentarily flickered with a golden light.
"Ah, so it's like that. Hand it over," Arthur said, setting down a bronze wheel and holding out his hand.
Merlin passed him the papers.
"The latest news."
Arthur took them, cleared space on the desk with a sweep, and unfolded the newspaper. The headline was large, with Petra's massive face plastered directly across the front page.
Arthur's eyes widened for a moment, then twitched, then narrowed with a chuckle. "Mm, so that troublemaker's finally back, huh? It's almost time too, so I guess she won't be skipping out this time?"
Arthur frowned and looked up.
Merlin tilted his head in confusion.
Arthur tapped the paper on the desk and explained, "This is the northern region's Heaven's Chosen I told you about."
Merlin's brow furrowed. "Ah? Oh, so she's the one…"
His eyes scanned the newspaper with an unconcealed arrogance.
Arthur had told him the truth about the little ant that took Noah. Like most others, Merlin had also been shocked when he learned that it was just a puppet, a puppet controlled by a little girl!
Arthur smirked. "Yeah, the troublesome one. Hmm, perhaps you'll have a chance to reunite with Noah again. When you do, make sure to show him how much you've grown over the past year!"
Merlin's eyes flashed.
And Arthur smiled while sending him off…
* * *
Central Region, Cliffside Camp—
This was a large, half-crumbled plateau hidden behind the shadow of a tall mountain ridge. The cliffside blocked the wind, forcing the air overhead into a constant rolling current, like a wall of moving clouds. The sound never fully faded, and the low, constant pressure made this place feel cut off, and isolated from the rest of the world.
Concealed within this plateau was a desolate camp, and what little shelter this unique terrain had provided had long since failed its occupants…
Woosh!
Within the camp, a black shadow appeared atop a collapsed wall…
Elena emerged from the wind with a single step, her cloak snapping sharply before silently settling. Loose dust and fragments of stone were kicked up around her boots, before immediately being dragged away by the wind.
She stopped for a second, letting the wind pass, then surveyed the ruined camp ahead.
After a pause, she 'pinched her fingers', calculating again and again.
Her eyes narrowed as she scanned the area. "It should be here…" she muttered.
Swoosh!
She vanished from the wall and reappeared beside a mound of broken stone and shattered wood, and without hesitation, she moved forward, stepping even deeper into the remains of the deserted camp.
Tap, tap, tap…
She walked with vigilance, scanning left and right…
This was one of many places that the evacuees had set up camp during the short period after the second calamity. In the chaos that followed, these temporary shelters had been thrown together quickly, and were only meant to last a few days at most. Unfortunately, this settlement seemed to have been destroyed by one of the many stampedes.
They were simply unlucky.
What was worse…
Judging from the state of the ruins, those who escaped early had returned and tried to look for survivors, but they hadn't been fast enough.
Tents lay torn and flattened, supplies were overturned and half-buried, broken carts and discarded tools were scattered, and the ground was split, cracked, and compressed, as if trampled repeatedly by something massive. There were obvious signs of looting, likely from the party of survivors that had returned to look for anyone who had failed to escape, then successfully hid.
It was a mess…
There were countless dark stains where blood had soaked into the earth and dried. Many had died, most of who had already been eaten or taken away.
Elena moved through the wreckage in silence, her steps careful and her expression unreadable.
She didn't rush.
She didn't need to—
That was because, she knew exactly why she was here…
-
Elena stopped before the largest tent, which was collapsed near the center of the camp. This was an enormous building, its face alone spanning over thirty meters across. The canvas, in many places, hung in ragged strips, stiffened by wind and stained with dried blood. Whatever had been built here had long since fallen inwards, reduced to nothing more than a pile of torn fabric and loose wood, broken poles, and debris that blocked the way inside.
Elena reached out and lifted the rippling tarp.
Ducking her head—
She entered...
Immediately inside the doorway, mounds of bodies were piled to both sides, stacked where they had been gathered. It looked like an attempt by the last team to sort through the dead, no, perhaps they had been searching for someone specific…
Most of the corpses were civilians who hadn't escaped in time, although here and there, there were still the remains of magic beasts that lay discarded among them, broken apart and dismantled, then thrown aside after everything useful had been stripped away.
Elena stepped in and immediately grimaced.
The air was thick and stagnant, trapped beneath the tarp for far too long, heavy with the lingering stench of iron, smoke, and burned flesh.
She knelt and pushed aside several bodies as she moved, checking each one quickly.
As she advanced, she spotted the source of the smoke, a shallow pit dug in desperation, where a small fire, the remnants of a 'huge flame', still smoldered weakly in its coals. It had likely been used to warm the tent, because the wind wall cut this place off from the outside world, letting the high altitude turn this place bitterly cold.
It would seem that the original residents would rather risk freezing than facing the magical beasts outside. It's ashamed that they were eventually found anyway…
She shook her head and continued.
Time passed.
"They're all dead?" she muttered in confusion.
She had not found her target…
Looking around again—
It looks fresh enough, but…
Where was 'she?'
Then—
She paused…
"Hm?"
"No… wait, not all of them…"
Her foot stopped mid-motion, and after a brief pause, she frowned and moved deeper into the large tent, following her instincts. After a quick search, near what had once been a makeshift medical ward, a collapsed support beam lay over a torn canvas, pinning it down, and sheltering whatever was below.
Elena gripped it and shoved it aside, Boom!
With a dull crack, the beam shifted, revealing what lay beneath.
There, abandoned under shredded sheets and broken tools, lay a single figure, forgotten and alone.
The body was badly burned and twisted, severely scarred from something long ago, with both hands 'gone', leaving only mutilated stumps. Silver-streaked blue hair spilled across the dried blood-soaked ground and clung to her torn robes. The girl was crushed and broken by the tent and terrain, her body bearing 'several signs' of severe trauma, with both old and new injuries, some reopening, while others were simply too old. Her burns and disfigurement seemed slightly older than the rest of the injuries, but what was most miraculous was that her chest was still rising and falling!
But just barely…
Elena stared down at her and sighed in relief. To most people, perhaps this person would be better off dead than alive, but Elena had a different opinion...
"So, you survived in this life, huh…" she said quietly, a small smile forming on her face.
"It's good to see you again, Ora..."
Elena removed a pill from the spatial ring on her finger and carefully placed it into the girl's mumbling mouth. She frowned almost immediately, realizing that the girl's mouth was too dry for the pill to dissolve. After helping the unconscious girl sit up, Elena pressed her own lips against Ora's, and—
Chuu~~~
After 'ensuring she swallowed', Elena lay her back down on the ground and pinched her fingers, recalculating something in her mind. She hummed softly to herself, red-faced, as the invisible threads of fate adjusted for her.
After she was satisfied, she stopped…
"That should be enough. Now we're just waiting for those guys to come find you…"
Elena turned and left the tent, leaving Ora behind.
Her work here was done...
It wouldn't be until a few years into the future when she and her future party member would reunite, erm… 'meet for the first time'…
The young girl, Ora, in her disoriented state, fluttered her eyes open just enough to catch a glimpse of the departing Elena's back.
Elena stepped out of the camp, and, in a single motion, flashed away, reappeared on a distant peak overlooking the ruins, and from there, she surveyed the area one last time, confirming no hostile elements remained nearby.
When she finally spotted a small party of four adventurers wandering towards the camp, she nodded.
"Good," she said to herself. "Since Lyra's here, that's one more who'll make it to the end."
She turned, and suddenly—
A shadow passed overhead, pressing down...
"Hm?"
Elena raised her hand, allowing a large eagle-like flying beast to descend and perch calmly on her forearm. She arched an eyebrow as she noticed the folded note tied to its leg.
She untied it, unfolded the note, and read—
Causing her eyebrows to raise slightly…
"Hm. It looks like we'll be seeing each other soon," she murmured. "It's been a while, little sister."
She smiled faintly.
Fooooush—! The wind picked up, and—
Elena vanished.
* * *