The artifact he used was a C-grade magical artifact: the Chain of Rescue. This artifact is extremely useful in situations of disaster or unexpected danger.
The blue chain cut through the avalanche with ease as Nolan held it tightly. Soon, he saw a silhouette, Julian, his jacket torn and his curly hair a mess. Julian was rolled up in the snow, unconscious.
The blue chain immediately wrapped around Julian's waist and moved again without stopping. This time, however, it moved even lower.
From the depths of the avalanche, Nolan heard a faint voice calling for help.
Among the snowdrifts, he spotted Selena. The girl, dressed in casual clothes, was swaying in the avalanche but was still protected by a water magic barrier.
Seeing Nolan, Selena waved her hand.
"Nolan, I'm here."
Without hesitation, the blue chain wrapped around her waist. With one powerful tug, he pulled her and the other two out of the avalanche, which was still rushing toward the abyss.
The blue chain floated in the air and slowly lowered them to the snowy ground. Trees completely covered in snow stood all around them. They landed smoothly.
Julian was still unconscious. Selena, the short-haired girl, supported Julian's body against a nearby tree trunk.
"Where are we now?" Selena asked quietly after making sure that their surroundings were clear and that there was no visible danger.
Nolan gazed around the silent forest. The trees were sparsely spaced, and their trunks were covered in a thick layer of snow that reflected a pale light. The cold air bit his skin, causing his breath to condense into thin wisps. He pressed the beaded orb bracelet on his left wrist, and a holographic map immediately appeared before his eyes.
Selena, on the other hand, knelt beside Julian. She pulled out a long tube containing a softly glowing crystal orb, a healing-type magical artifact, and placed it near Julian's chest. A warm glow slowly spread, stabilizing his condition, though the young man remained unconscious.
"We're in the Andes region," Nolan said curtly after examining the map.
Selena nodded slowly, her brows furrowed slightly. "Mentor Vincent sent us to the Andes, but definitely not to the headquarters of the Snake Goddess Organization." She paused for a moment, thinking. "Should we—"
Suddenly, Nolan raised his hand, signaling for Selena to be quiet.
Something was wrong.
He hadn't heard the whispers or felt any noticeable mana waves, but his instincts screamed. A few seconds later, she heard the faint sound of slow, irregular footsteps, as if their owner was trying to endure pain.
A man with long, blond hair tied back in a ponytail emerged from behind a large tree. His body was covered in wounds, and his clothes were torn and stained with dried blood. He staggered a few steps, his eyes gleaming faintly when he saw Nolan and the others, as if he had found hope, before finally collapsing onto the snowy ground.
"Oh my..." Selena exclaimed softly.
She immediately approached the man and summoned a healing artifact to help him without hesitation.
Nolan remained where he was, watching warily. His gaze fell on a tiger pin on the man's robe. It was nearly identical to the twisting black dragon pin on Nolan's jacket, the official badge of a major.
Time passed slowly.
About half an hour later, Julian finally opened his eyes, groaning softly. Soon after, the man Selena had rescued also regained consciousness. Still gasping for breath, he tried to sit up and introduce himself.
"My name is Jason, from the Tiger Guild," he said. "The Aurora Association has issued a mission alert: The Snake Goddess Organization's headquarters have been discovered." He swallowed hard, his face tense. "Several major and minor guilds are scrambling to move. Our guild leader, Sir Georgia, has ordered us to head immediately to the Andes region."
He lowered his voice as if implying something forbidden. "And the Rune Calamity is in their hands."
Selena and Julian looked at each other. Their expressions tensed simultaneously.
Nolan realized one thing clearly: the test Mentor Vincent had given him was no ordinary one. It was equivalent to an S-Rank Mission—the kind that could cost lives, even for experienced Sentinels.
"So, what caused your injury?" Selena asked with concern. Despite her often brusque demeanor, the worry in her voice was evident.
Jason sighed heavily.
"During the large-scale search, we were forced to split into several teams. My team was the main one that helped Sir Georgia get to Nail Cliff. However, we never expected the Snake Goddess Organization to be working with the Daemons."
His tone hardened.
"We faced a Sequence 8 Ultimate Daemon and a Sequence 7 Ultimate Dark Sentinel. Sir Georgia fought the Daemon while my team and I fought the Dark Sentinel. But we were completely defeated. I was the only one who managed to escape."
As Nolan listened to the explanation, he immediately thought of the hills jutting out of the earth with their sharp, spike-like tips. He had seen this sight moments after exiting the portal before a massive avalanche struck.
Julian, who had been leaning against a tree, stood up. His face looked refreshed, though still somewhat tired.
"So, what's next? Are we going there, too?"
"Are you guys from the Death God Guild?" Jason asked, shifting his gaze between the pins on Nolan, Selena, and Julian's clothes.
"Yes," Julian replied curtly.
Jason's initially relieved expression slowly turned grim. He frowned as he tapped the bracelet on his wrist, bringing up a holographic screen displaying the three of their profiles.
"Just new members?" he said, not hiding his disdain. "Two Sequence 1 Sentinel Masters? What kind of joke is this? The Death God Guild sure knows how to joke...and spoil their members."
Nolan could immediately feel the tension settle over Selena and Julian. The word "pampered" felt like an empty taunt.
From day one, they were forced to endure grueling trials under Vincent's thumb, followed by dangerous ones. There wasn't even the slightest hint of indulgence.
"Hey," Julian snapped, his voice filled with irritation. "We just saved you, and yet you're so ungrateful."
"No high-ranking Sentinels came to help. Instead, they sent useless juniors," Jason said with a bitter laugh. His anger spilled out uncontrollably. His gaze shifted sharply toward Nolan, Selena, and Julian. "Ah, I remember now. You three were former members of Thomas's Team 3, weren't you? The team that was so foolishly killed by Daemon during the Transcendence Trial Incident."
Selena and Julian's fists clenched. Anger was evident on their faces. But Nolan felt something far more pressing—a sharp, piercing sense of danger.
"Say whatever you want," Nolan said flatly, his voice calm but wary.
Jason's laughter stopped abruptly. His mocking expression froze, replaced by wariness and a hint of fear. His gaze was fixed straight ahead.
In the distance, trees were falling one by one. A wave of red energy rippled through the ground and headed straight for where they were resting.
Without hesitation, Nolan activated his protective magic. Selena and Julian did the same. The next second, the red wave slammed into their shield, shaking the air around them.
Amidst the chaos, Nolan saw a man's figure floating in the air. He wore a white tuxedo with red stripes and a black cape with matching stripes. His blood-red hair was topped by a wide-brimmed hat resembling a cowboy hat from Earth.
"Seriously..." Jason shouted desperately from behind his visor. "How could my subordinates be so stupid as to let a Dark Sentinel escape?"
This only fueled Selena's anger. Despite the overwhelming enemy pressure, she turned sharply to Jason.
"So you survived because you let your friends act as shields so you could escape?"
The red-haired figure smiled viciously.
"Finally, the little lambs have been found."
The pressure radiating from the man made the air feel like it was pressing down on Nolan's chest. Despite the visor, the opponent's power was palpable. He was a Sequence 7 Ultimate Dark Sentinel, and his aura was far more terrifying than Captain Thomas'.
Nolan assessed the situation honestly.
Two Sequence 1 Master Sentinels.
One Sequence 2 Master Sentinel—himself.
On top of that, there was a Sequence 5 Sentinel Saint who wasn't sure he would cooperate.
The odds of winning were slim to none. The best course of action was to flee.
But before that plan could be fully formed, the ground around them shook violently. Nolan felt the ground beneath his feet pull upward. The ground split and floated as if gripped by an invisible giant's hand. Trees were ripped from their roots and lifted with it, forming a floating field about five meters in radius.
"I hate people who know everything!" Selena screamed, her voice a mix of fear and irritation.
"What do you mean, Selena?" Julian shouted, bouncing up and down to maintain his balance on the floating ground.
"Gravity magic," Selena replied, her voice trembling. "It's the rarest and deadliest element, especially if the user is talented. I never thought I'd see it in action."
The red-haired man casually waved his hand. Instantly, the floating ground and trees were crushed by an invisible pressure and formed long, sharp spikes. In an instant, hundreds of these spikes shot toward Nolan and the others, carrying a dense killing intent.