The shockwave rippled across the area as the phoenix’s eyes opened to look at Iron, who was touching its beak.

At that moment, Iron felt like the whole world stopped and only he and the phoenix were the only beings that remained in this red world.

The anger, pain, sadness and despair that the phoenix felt from the torture that it suffered under the hands of the dark elves flowed into Iron. On the other hand, the pain and anger that Iron had felt from the harsh and gruesome experiences that he went through in his previous life also flowed into the phoenix.

Their anger and fury resonated with each other creating a strange sense of feeling that spread in their hearts.

―You have temporarily assimilated with the retrieved Phoenix. 

―With the temporary contract created between the Divine Beast Phoenix and the temporary contractor, all of the strength and energy that entered the dimensional crack had been retrieved and recovered.

―The Phoenix can exert its full power for 20 minutes.

―Ppiyooooo!

Red energy broke out from the phoenix’s body as it spread its wings and stood up in anger. The phoenix’s angry cry threw back the approaching dark elves.

The phoenix’s simple show of strength through its single cry was more than enough to throw the hostile dark elves away. A feat worthy for someone hailed as a phantom species.

However, despite throwing the dark elves and creating a sea of fire, the phoenix still couldn’t hold back its anger. It continued to wreak havoc as it vented out all of the anger and frustration that it had hidden deep inside. Iron, who could feel the extent of the phoenix’s anger, resentment, frustration and pain, knew that it was breathing out all of this flames to show them the sufferings that it had been through.

“You’ve done well.”

Tears dripped from the phoenix’s huge eyes when it heard Iron’s words.

Then, it turned to stare at the four black towers that constrained itself. These towers sucked its powers dry to forcibly open the crack behind its body. The phoenix looked at it hatefully as it destroyed each and every single one of the towers. It even breathed out flames to turn it into powder as if just a single debris was a complete affront to its existence.

With the four towers breaking, the crack gradually began to fade away as the black force slowly dispersed.

―The dimensional crack in the Winter Mountains has been stopped. Seal it completely to remove the danger from the Winter Mountains.

“It… It’s done!”

Iron smiled brightly when he saw that the dimensional crack had been stopped. However, that wasn’t the end of it all. 

Crack, crack, crack, crack!

―Ppiyooooo!

The cave’s ceiling shook while cracks began to appear on the walls. It seemed like the cave was about to collapse.

Seeing this, the phoenix began to melt the black chain that tied it down with its flames. Only then did Iron realize that it was not only the dark elves that threatened the phoenix.

“Go! I can endure it!”

Knowing what it felt, Iron gritted his teeth. He looked like he would collapse right away but he endured as much as he could to give the phoenix the entire 20 minutes to vent its fury and unleash its powers on its enemies. He endured to the point that his gums and lips bled just so he could help the phoenix take its revenge.

The phoenix nodded its head in gratitude before breaking out of the cave and flying into the air. 

Iron was only barely able to clutch onto his senses as he watched the phoenix break through the cave with its flames. 

“Keuk!”

He looked up at the open ceiling as pain wracked his entire being. It seemed like the pain was telling him that his mana had long been depleted. 

After a while, he saw the phoenix fighting against some black dragons that were wrapped in the same black chains that bound the phoenix earlier. Their fight was so violent that almost half of the mountain had already collapsed. 

“It’s not a real black dragon.”

Iron had seen a black dragon from a distance back in his previous life. Just comparing their sizes was enough for him to judge that they weren’t legitimate black dragons.

“Half-dragons?”

Iron mumbled to himself as he stared at the half-dragons. 

Even though they were only half-dragons, their power was still overwhelming. They could easily overpower dozens of knights and wizards altogether. However, despite the existence of the four half-dragons, the wrathful phoenix couldn’t be stopped. It easily overwhelmed the half-dragons as it breathed out flames. No matter how strong the half-dragons were they still wouldn’t be able to overcome a single wrathful phantom species.

“Amazing.”

It was as if the phoenix was showing off the reason why it was a creature categorized under the phantom species. Phantom species were beings that exerted an overwhelming strength and dignity that exceeded any master’s level. And the phoenix was this kind of creature.

For the first time, he saw and felt how powerful masters were here in the Winter Mountains. He even witnessed how strong a phantom species was. 

“Is the power of the Leonhardt family head also at this level?”

He knew that the family head was a master that was already approaching the grand master level. He was a monster that could divide the Empire with his godly sword.

Seeing the phoenix’s show of strength, he thought that perhaps the Leonhardt family head was also at this level.

While Iron was busy watching the fight with those small thoughts running through his head, he felt something approaching him. 

When he turned to look, he saw that the dark elves that had been thrown back earlier were now gathering together once more. Seeing this scene, Iron prepared himself for his eventual death.

―Hoot!

―Tweet!

His divine beasts flew towards him to protect him too.

However, contrary to their expectations, the dark elves did not touch Iron. They only stood there staring at the dimensional crack while murmuring to themselves.

“What are they…?”

Even the dark elves that he was sure was injured by the Ghosts started to join their group while they continued to mumble to themselves.

That was when Iron felt that something was wrong.

Before he could discern where this strange sense of incongruity was coming from, the strange energy from before blew him away.

“Cough! Co… contaminated energy?”

Iron’s eyes widened in shock as he staggered to his feet. The dimensional crack, which was almost closed thanks to the phoenix’s awakening, was now beginning to open once again.

“How come?”

When he saw the crack growing rapidly once more, Iron turned to look around to find where the black energy was coming from. That was when he saw the dark elves turning into dust one after the other.

“These fucking crazy bastards!” 

Iron was now witness to the dark elves' craziness.

They gave up their vitality and turned to dust with only their clothes left behind just to reopen the dimensional crack. They willingly sacrificed themselves to open the dimensional crack once again. And because it was not just one or two sacrifices, the crack began to widen once again.

The dark elves squeezed everything that they had down to the very last drop. And since their vitality and energy was similar to the energy in the dimensional cracks, a synergy was created that sped up the process.

“No way…” 

Watching this scene helplessly, Iron realized that this might be the reason why he was not able to encounter any dark elves in his previous life.

Even if the Northeasterns were fools that did not investigate their turf, they were still bound to discover that something was amiss. They would surely investigate at least once. Just one investigation might lead them to the discovery of the dimensional crack. And if they mobilized the Ghosts in the process, they would have definitely blocked their attempts at least once or twice.

What if the dark elves did this every time?

If they sacrificed themselves every time the dimensional crack failed to open, then it was reasonable that they would not exist by the time the monster wave had begun. 

“Why are they doing this?” 

Iron did not know. He was guessing that they carry hatred for the human race. Or perhaps they have a deep resentment and vendetta against the beings that lived and were living on this continent. Whether it was hate or vendetta, it was high to the point that they were willing to sacrifice themselves just to see it through

Are they trying to destroy this world?

Iron struggled to stand up as he let those thoughts flash in his head.

He wanted to prevent the dimensional crack from expanding further by killing off one dark elf.

Before Iron could make a move with his shaking body, masked men began to enter the cave in unison.

“Ran… ger?” 

Iron mumbled to himself as he saw the outfit that he had seen from somewhere before. Seeing that they were allies, he hurriedly shouted at them. 

“Kill the dark elves quickly!” 

The rangers tilted their heads at him in confusion. Iron wasted no time as he shouted again to urge the rangers to move.

“They’re opening the dimensional crack! Kill them quick!” 

Only when Iron shouted their evil deeds did the rangers move to kill the dark elves. 

With the rangers’ intervention, the dark elves were forced to stop sending their vitality to the dimensional crack. They were forced to resist and fight against these new opponents that appeared in front of them.

Iron sighed in relief when he saw this. 

Since the rangers came just at the right time, the pace of the dimensional crack widening visibly slowed down. He thought that if they could kill all of the dark elves here then the dimensional crack would start to close once again. 

However, as if they wanted to break Iron’s wishful thinking completely, a dark elf that he thought was dead opened his mouth and laughed derisively.

“Fufufufu! Kuhahahaha! It’s already too late.”

“What?” 

 “I meant that it’s too late for the dimensional crack to close.” 

After saying this, the dark elf poured out his remaining vitality to the dimensional crack and turned to dust. Then, just like a domino, the bodies of the dark elves, which they presumed to be dead, started to turn into powder as they sent their remaining vitality into the dimensional crack. 

The dimensional crack, which seemed to have recovered the energy that was retrieved from it earlier, started to widen again after absorbing the vitality of all the dark elves. Then, a mana circle appeared in the open crack.

“It’s… too late?”

Iron’s expression distorted as he watched the dimensional crack slowly turning into a dimensional gate. He had struggled so hard but in the end he failed to close it.

Then, a streak of red light fell straight down towards Iron. Iron, who was staring at a loss at the dimensional gate, instinctively reached out to catch the falling streak of light. When he turned to look blankly at his hands he saw a red bird lying listlessly.

―Ppii…

Although they did not sign any contract, he could still confirm that the red bird that was now only as big as Baepsae was the phoenix from earlier since they had temporarily achieved assimilation. He believed that the phoenix had used all of its power earlier that’s why he could only feel a weak trace of power coursing through its tiny body.

―Tweet! Tweet, tweet, tweet, tweet!

Baepsae perched on his head and told him to put the phoenix in his subspace so it could recover. Just like what they did with Owl. Owl agreed with Baepsae as he urged him to open his space. Owl also looked very tired. It had suffered too much from the fight earlier since it had not yet recovered all of its strength. 

“All of you had worked hard. Go in and get some rest.”

Baepsae and Owl nodded their heads at Iron as they brought the phoenix, who looked like it was already at the brink of death, in his subspace. 

After being left alone, Iron couldn’t help but stare blankly at the dimensional gate once again. There was a huge sense of loss covering his entire being. 

Perhaps it was because he was relaxed for a moment that all of the strength in his body had disappeared. This strange sense of powerlessness was too strong that he almost passed out on the spot.

“Iron!”

He saw a man running towards him while calling out his name.

The bloody man that was running towards him was none other than Crimson, the Northeastern Commander. 

“Contaminated mana is flowing out. Don’t lose consciousness here! Wake up!”

Looking at Iron’s gradually closing eyes, Crimson quickly slapped his cheeks to force him to wake up.

Iron, who barely came to his senses, looked at the dimensional gate just in time to see a weird giant insect squeezing out through the open space. 

“Void insect…”

Crimson lightly swung his sword and quickly cut off the incoming void insect when he heard Iron’s murmur.

But it was impossible to kill it with just one strike. These insects were as tough as cockroaches and had a tough and strong proliferation. The void insects were beings that could still survive even if half of their bodies had already been crushed. 

“It’s too late to close it.”

Crimson frowned when he saw Iron’s distorted face. 

“I know a way… to seal it. Let’s get out of here first.”

“Void insects are already coming out.”

“They won’t spread out until they have turned this place into their own territory.”

Crimson looked at Iron with an expression that screamed ‘How the hell did you know?’ but Iron did not answer him. 

“Let’s retreat for now.”

Iron nodded with a bit of difficulty. And with Crimson’s support, they left the cave with the rangers. 

Only the remnants of the dark elves, the black powder, were left flying around in the cave.