The second mountain blocked sight and hearing.

『Red Deodara, why don’t you stop now? I think you’ve been loyal enough to Blood Sword.』 The players surrounding Victoria shouted through Consciousness. Since this was a stage that closed off all one’s senses, only skilled players who could use Consciousness could handle it.

Their numbers were small, but each one was outstanding. Nonetheless, Victoria just smiled coldly. 『Loyalty? Stop talking useless crap. There’s only one thing I’ll do here.』 Her aura flashed. 『Do you want to die here? Or do you want to take a step back?』

Magic power pulsed around Victoria. The object in her hands spun like a top as the storm around her became fiercer. 『Adamantine Nova…』

The faces of the players who recognized it turned hard. That was the source of their problems right now. Adamantine Nova was a source of strong magic power, but it could also be used as an amplifier. In the hands of a monster, it boosted monstrous energy, and in the hands of a magician, it boosted magic power.

Victoria was such an outstanding magician that she was called Red Deodara, and she was the disciple of an artisan. What would happen if such a skilled person had the Adamantine Nova?

『Shit! It’s another magic power storm!』

『Get down!』

Sparks flew out around Victoria as the waves of magic power shot out. The players who had been trying to corner her quickly protected themselves with barriers or tore scrolls to escape. The magic power storm swept everything away—trees, grass, and even the players who hadn’t been able to avoid it.

『What the…!』

『No way!』

Everyone gulped at the sight. They were all well known in their areas of expertise, but they were nothing in front of Victoria. However, some considered it an opportunity. A magic power storm of that magnitude required a long cooldown time. They planned to attack Victoria then.

『Hmph!』 Victoria only snorted when she saw through their plans and poured her magic power into the Adamantine Nova. Rune letters scattered above Victoria’s head. She had worked hard to create an artifact that could supply her with endless magic power using the Adamantine Nova as a source. The Adamantine Nova was a tool that had been condensed so much that it created heat, which she could transform into magic power with her artifact. The Adamantine Nova as so powerful that her teacher, Anastasia, used it to bind the weapons for that reason.

Boom! Boom! The players were swept away.

『That tool never ceases to amaze me each time I see it.』 An older man entering his golden years appeared through the smoke. His smile was friendly, but he had a sharp aura. It was the Ice King, the king of mercenaries who had emerged from his seclusion to make his name known around the world again.

He clapped his hands, spinning like a top. He split the ground, shooting ice thorns at Victoria. Barriers automatically sprung up around her, but each ice thorn managed to destroy a layer until the Ice King managed to reach Victoria. 『Look here, it’s all right to stop now. How about it? You and those of us who are chasing you are all tired. And technically, there’s no reason we should be fighting like this.』

The Ice King spoke in a pleading tone as he avoided Victoria’s magic. He had been commissioned to find Kahn, and it wasn’t a good idea to fight Victoria. He didn’t have time or strength to spare, and besides, he understood Victoria’s reasons. She was saving her precious comrade from a group of hyenas. If he were in her shoes, he would also do the same thing, regardless of what Kahn had done. ‘But the problem is…’ Both of his hands glowed blue. ‘I’m the villain right now.’

Victoria lightly flicked her finger as if he wasn’t worth answering. Runes floated over her hand for a moment, and a red tongue of fire lashed out.

〈Floor Explosion〉

It was a superior spell that forcibly extracted the sun’s heat, and it would instantly take the life of anyone it struck. However, the Ice King wasn’t the kind of person who’d wait for death like that.

He clucked his tongue, thinking that he had no choice but to stop her. His hands shot out and ice columns shot out of the earth.

〈Ice Palm〉

It was the Ice King’s signature skill that created tall waves of ice. The Floor Explosion fell apart from the ice columns, and more waves of ice rose to the sky when he spread his left hand. Soon, he spread his right hand, as well.

The ice columns continued to grow around Victoria until she was trapped. It was the Ice King’s way of containing her. 『Oh dear.』 However, they didn’t affect her at all. 『It was all for nothing then…』 She had run off using Blink over and over. However, despite his words, a smile of concern appeared on the Ice King’s face. 『You should’ve stayed in there. That way, you won’t get hurt.』

A ray of light shot down as if it had been waiting. It was the Archer of Silver, Streege. The famous bounty hunter had guessed her escape route and shot an arrow after her.

〈Shot of Moonlight〉

The skill split through air to reach its target. Behind Victoria, a masked assassin appeared through a portal. It was the famous ranker known as Moon Walker. Magic circles tried to rise around Victoria, but before the magic power could form properly, the Shot of Moonlight destroyed the circles.

The Adamantine Nova stopped functioning for a moment from the backlash, and Moon Walker aimed for Victoria’s throat. Boom! Moon Walker’s sword barely missed her throat, and the bracelet around her wrist created a new barrier around her. However, unable to withstand the impact, the bracelet shattered into pieces.

That had been Moon Walker’s goal. The bracelet had connected Victoria to the Adamantine Nova. Without it, she wouldn’t have access to the Adamantine Nova’s magic power anymore.

Victoria quickly stretched her hand to the Adamantine Nova, but the commander who had been observing the situation from below nodded. 『Get her.』

As befitted the greatest mercenary clan, the players of Iron Lion moved rapidly, lifting their iron bows and aiming for Victoria. Boom! Boom!

The Magic Steel Rockets had been made by one of the five great artisans, Maf, and each time one was shot out, it exploded in the air. Victoria fell, her skin blackened from the soot. 『No…no…!』 She tried to catch the Adamantine Nova as it fell to the ground.

“Victoria, please help me.”

She needed it because people were still chasing after Kahn. She had to distract them so he could find a place to hide.

“I want to save someone. I know it’s shameless to sacrifice you like this, but I’m asking you for help.”

It hadn’t been that long since she had caught up with Kahn. In that brief moment, Kahn had gripped her desperately. “Please, help me.”

She couldn’t forget how tears dripped down his face as he asked her to stall for time. She didn’t know what was driving him, what he was after, or what he was doing. He’d always been like that even during the time they’d trained on the Five Mountains of Penance. He was playful, but there were moments he had been unreadable.

His gaze seemed preoccupied, but it hadn’t been focused on Victoria. He only smiled bitterly whenever she asked him about it. He never let anyone get close. She hated people like that, but it was also the quality that pulled her closer to him. Even though he teased her, he was like a little brother.

In hindsight, she might have considered him a man, and she wanted to help him as much as she could. She didn’t care that he was using her. The image of her furious teacher, who was probably looking for her, flashed through her mind, but she wouldn’t be able to do anything other than apologize.

She might not even get the chance now. Her hand was about to reach the Adamantine Nova when Moon Walker appeared, his sword raised.

『Ah.』 That was all Victoria said as her wrist was severed from her arm. She didn’t feel any pain. She only thought of grabbing the object in front of her. Things couldn’t end like this.

Boom! Victoria crashed into the ground. She had fallen from a high point without any protection, and her body was crushed. Her spine was shattered, but the small amount of magic power she had left held her body together. Multiple players, including ones from Iron Lion, pounced on her to interrogate her about Kahn before she drew her last breath.

『You have to deal with her carefully! She’s the only person who knows where Blood Sword is. She might be hiding something else, so don’t let down your guard!』 After the fourth commander of Iron Lion Torca spoke, the mercenaries tore dispelling scrolls and bout her feet and arms with magic power bindings.

Clack, clack!

Torca examined Victoria with a serious gaze. The Ice King approached him with a bitter smile. 『Don’t hurt her too much.』

『Are you still going on about that?』

『She’s not a bad person. And she’s trying to protect your young master. Take that into consideration.』

Young master. Torca’s eyes wavered for a moment at those words, but his expression stayed the same. 『You’ve grown dull.』

『Is that so?』

『Yes. You never would have said that in the past.』 In Torca’s memories, the Ice King had always been focused on the most efficient way to accomplish his goals. He was cold-blooded and didn’t care about the sacrifices they had to make.

『I’ve grown older. Also…』 The Ice King had a mysterious smile. 『I don’t want to become enemies with him.』

Torca frowned. 『Are you talking about him again?』

『Haha, you’ll understand why I’m saying this when you see him.』

『Even so, nothing will change.』 Torca snorted. He had heard about the Hoarder countless times because the rookie was always at the center of big events. He heard that he was close to Kahn as well, but he didn’t think much of it. Some said that he had taken the Ruler Benteke and Triton down on his own and that he might join the ranks of the Nine Kings one day.

However, Torca thought that was hilarious. Emerging clans? Others might have been in awe of them, but they were just rookies—you could tell by how easily Triton toppled without even fighting back.

The Iron Lion Clan was different. They had a long history, and their forces weren’t lacking even compared to the Large Clans. No matter how amazing the Hoarder was, he couldn’t fight them alone.

As for the warnings of the Ice King, it was as Torca said. The Ice King had grown old, and the older one got, the more worries one had. ‘After this, I should let the higher-ups know to cut all ties with the Ice King. It seems like he’s still skilled, but his softness might ruin a battle.’

Victoria was now tied up, and his subordinates told him they had taken the Adamantine Nova as well.

『Everyone get ready to return to…!』 Just as Torca was giving orders to return, a large object that looked like a meteorite hurtled to the ground. Boom! Dozens of mercenaries were shredded into pieces.

In the center of it all, Yeon-woo stood with his Fire Wings spread open, holding Victoria.

『Oh dear. He seems quite angry.』 The Ice King scratched his temples and said awkwardly to Torca. 『Can I take a rain check?』