Victoria shut her eyes as she held a letter.

“Are you doing well, Granny…I mean, my lovable lady?” It began playfully. At the Five Mountains of Penances, she had hated this tone but she missed it now. The letter had been sent to her from Kahn via By the Table.

For the past year, she had been suffering from depression at the thought of Rebecca and Kahn sacrificing their lives for her. She had managed to pull herself together and return to her usual self with the help of her teacher, and then Kahn’s letter suddenly arrived.

At first, she was ecstatic to read that he was doing well and preparing to climb the floors again. However, as she continued to read, she had the feeling that something was off. She was certain that Kahn had written the letter but there was something strange about it that she couldn’t put into words. ‘It’s like he’s saying goodbye…’

There was nothing in the letter about visiting her when he found the time. Victoria touched the edges of the paper, thinking that something might be hidden in it. She couldn’t sense anything, even when she cast magic on it. ‘Or maybe…?’

She formed an orb of fire in her hands and began to burn the letter. As the black ashes swirled around, a strange phenomenon occurred. Victoria’s eyes widened and her eyelids quivered in shock.

At that moment, Victoria felt the magical wavelengths that signaled space opening. Anastasia was probably coming. Victoria waved her hand to clean up the ashes and opened the door with a bright smile. “Master, you’ve come…” Her voice trailed off when she saw the people with Anastasia. Instead of the beautiful children that usually followed her, she saw familiar faces—although technically, she didn’t actually know their faces because they always wore masks.

One of the visitors was Freesia, and the other: “Cain!” Victoria ran to Yeon-woo and hugged him.

“Have you been well, ma’am?”

“Y-you…!”

“It’s a relief you look better now.” Yeon-woo hugged Victoria back and patted her back.

Victoria burst into tears, feeling sorry that she’d sent Yeon-woo away when he had visited her the first time. She had sent her research, but she wanted to apologize because her actions weighed on her. She was grateful that he’d chosen to come here.

“You bad girl, your master is here and you don’t even notice that I’m hurt. You’re only crazy for men.”

Victoria forced down the urge to say how hypocritical it was for Anastasia, of all people, to say that. She turned to her master and only then realized that Anastasia’s favorite robe was burned and torn, exposing her naked body.

“Did something happen?”

“How quick you noticed. What are you doing? Get a new one from my room. And a pipe with some tobacco. Bring it to the guest room.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Victoria slightly bowed and said to Yeon-woo, “Let’s talk later. I have something to ask you.”

Something to ask him? Yeon-woo was curious, but he just nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

“What are you doing? Stop dilly-dallying!”

“Yes, ma’am!” Victoria quickly ran into another room as Anastasia huffed. She seemed out of sorts from Freesia’s and Yeon-woo’s presence. “You two follow me.”

* * *

After Freesia appeared and interrupted their fight, Anastasia had recalled her monstrous energy and led Yeon-woo and Freesia to her residence. It looked very different from the usual structures in the Tower which were often built like castles. However, Anastasia lived in a cluster of buildings that was more like a manor.

She changed into the robe that Victoria brought her and crossed her legs as she sat at the head of a table. Her robe was very revealing, but she didn’t seem to care, nor did Yeon-woo look at her body. He didn’t even touch the steaming cup of tea on the table.

“I don’t like you,” Anastasia suddenly said.

Yeon-woo gave Anastasia a questioning look.

“I don’t like that gaze of yours.”

Yeon-woo was speechless.

“Does the thing on your lower body work well?”

Yeon-woo understood what Anastasia was saying and snorted. “You’re not my type.”

“Your type? All men…!”

“You’re quite arrogant.”

Anastasia’s eyebrows twitched, and Freesia clucked her tongue. “Why don’t we stop talking about weird things?”

“Both of you are so annoying.” Anastasia frowned and put the pipe in her mouth. When she exhaled, white smoke filled the room.

Freesia turned to speak to Yeon-woo. “Even though she acts like that, she’ll explain things to you properly, so don’t worry.”

“Thank you for your help.”

“It’s nothing. I’ve received something in return for it, and since I know Anastasia well, I thought it would be better for me to come and interpret what she says for you.” It seemed more like she wanted to complete her deal with Yeon-woo and appease Anastasia at the same time. However, she did help Yeon-woo, so he thanked her.

“Freesia.”

“Yes?”

“It looks like you’ve known Anastasia for a long time.”

“We encountered each other when we were still young.”

Nemesis said that Anastasia was a thousand-year-old Gumiho. But if Freesia had known her since their youth…’Is Freesia also…?” What would her age be?

“Isn’t it impolite to ask that of a woman?” Freesia said with a twinkling laugh. Her wooden mask made it difficult to read her thoughts, but Yeon-woo felt chills run down his spine when he looked at her.

Tak! At that moment, Anastasia put her pipe down and changed the subject. “Enough with the small talk. Like I said, I cannot give you that item, no matter what you want to give to me in return. If you want to take it, you’ll have to do it over my dead body.” Anastasia glared at Yeon-woo as though Fox Fire was about to burst into flames on her tails again.

“I would like to know the reason why.”

“I don’t know why you need to know since I’ve made it clear I won’t sell it…but fine. Since you’re so curious, I’ll show you.” Anastasia stood and moved a folding screen way to reveal a plain, white wall. She put her hand on it and the wall creaked open. Behind it was a flight of stairs that led below. “Follow me.”

Anastasia didn’t wait for a response and headed down. They had to pass through many large iron doors along the way, and Anastasia used her monstrous energy to open them. Victoria had set up magic equipment, traps, and even some slumbering monsters and creatures to dissuade trespassers.

‘If I had to fight any of these monsters, it would have been really dangerous.’ It occurred to Yeon-woo that he’d made a foolish choice to fight her. The monsters were all part of Anastasia, and if she recalled her power and gathered it to herself, he couldn’t even imagine how powerful she would become.

The image of the Summer Queen popped into his head. If the two fought, it would probably be an even match. Anastasia was hiding even though she had this power. What was her goal?

“This is where it gets serious. Don’t get carried away. I’ll kill you without any hesitation,” she warned Yeon-woo coldly and opened the last door. Demonic energy blew over to them, and Yeon-woo clenched his teeth. His souls blocked the energy in front of him while the Despair and Grief of the Black King trembled.

“Pretty good.” Anastasia assessed Yeon-woo with the pipe still in her mouth. She had seen all kinds of skills throughout her life, but Yeon-woo’s skill with souls was interesting.

However, Yeon-woo didn’t even have the capacity to read her gaze. “What is…this?”

“Spite.”

Yeon-woo turned to Anastasia. “Spite?”

“The vestiges of those who used to live in the damned Tower.”

The space was filled with all kinds of weapons. Swords, sabers, spears, armor, helms, and gauntlets were all hung on the wall. A black energy wafted from them and took on a human form before disappearing again.

“Weapons with strong vestiges are bound to have souls of their own. These things are traded for high prices in the Tower.”

He nodded. It was the same for Vigrid and maybe even his Magic Bayonet.

“But do you know what happens when the vestige keeps growing?”

Yeon-woo didn’t speak.

“They become monsters.”

Yeon-woo thought of something he had heard on Earth a long time ago: old items turned into monsters after some time.

“These monsters want to swallow their masters and gain their freedom. But what do you think happens when monsters who can’t think rationally are given freedom?”

“Blood will be spilled.”

“Correct. Everything becomes chaotic.” Anastasia walked deeper into the room. There were even stronger weapons and armor inside that exuded Spite.

“I don’t want that to happen, so I’ve kept everything here under lock and key.”

White smoke spread around them again, turning into a dark grey when it merged with the Spite.“But these things are always trying to escape, and so locking them up isn’t enough. They have to be bound as well. And in the center of that is…” She paused. The underground wasn’t as big as Yeon-woo believed thought. “That thing.”

Yeon-woo saw a black bead on the wall glowing like a star. It was the Adamantine Nova. He looked at it with a nonplussed expression because of the powerful aura that it emanated.

“The Adamantine Nova is the pillar of this weapons storage room. You want me to give it to you? Impossible. Everything inside this room will go crazy. They carry a lot of grudges against me, and they’ll want to get revenge on me first.” A bitter smile appeared on Anastasia’s face. “You want me to give you the stone now? That’s like asking me to give you my life. Fuck off.”