At first glance, “Hidden Rite” might seem like some ceremonial skill or passive ability, akin to a “Dark Communion,” but it was far from that. This skill was closer to something for combat.

Isaac opened the skill description to confirm.

[Hidden Rite]

*Is the candle behind the veil extinguished, or is it still burning? Forms a domain of the Color Beyond centered around the caster. Within the veil, chaos-related relics and miracles are greatly amplified. Sacrificial targets caught within the veil cannot escape, and the veil can only be destroyed by external interference unless the caster chooses to release it. Events within the veil cannot be observed from the outside, and the veil’s interior is likewise isolated from external events.*

‘It’s almost identical to the skill I know.’

Isaac thought to himself as he touched his lips. While the description was vague, he was already familiar with the skill, and he had a good idea of its potential.

In the game, bosses with this ability would randomly appear and engulf players or their companions without warning.

If a companion was pulled in, there was a high chance they wouldn’t survive. If the player was drawn in, they’d find themselves in a brutal survival scenario, cut off from any support.

The game was already difficult enough, but losing a painstakingly trained companion or being forced into a solo survival event could be devastating.

As such, every time a boss wielding the “Hidden Rite” skill appeared, Isaac couldn’t help but grit his teeth.

In essence, this skill allowed Isaac to challenge anyone in the middle of a battlefield without worrying about being observed. He could freely use miracles and powers related to the Nameless Chaos without fear of being discovered.

It meant he could fight under circumstances heavily skewed in his favor.

The skill’s greatest strength lay in its versatility. If Isaac had possessed this skill, he could have defeated Atlan without resorting to using Isaac’s Swordsmanship: Event Horizon.

‘The best part is… angels can’t intervene.’

The veil’s severance effect was incredibly potent.

An angel, being an external observer, couldn’t interfere with what was happening inside the veil unless it was already summoned. They would first need to break the veil, which was one of the reasons Isaac had despised the skill so much.

‘And now they’re giving it to a player?’

Skills meant for monsters were balanced with the assumption that only monsters would use them. In a game context, this was completely broken, but…

‘Then again, why should I care?’

Isaac’s recent feat of holding off the Olkan Code was nothing short of extraordinary. In any other game, this would have been worthy of an ending.

And despite such a monumental accomplishment, Isaac himself had received nothing, so it was only fitting that the Nameless Chaos would grant such a reward.

Isaac shamelessly accepted it.

Of course, this power wasn’t without its limitations.

Given its potency, the activation time was short, and it couldn’t be used frequently. If Isaac recklessly expended his skills within the veil only to emerge surrounded by enemies, he would be in trouble.

The veil’s blind spots applied to the caster as well.

‘I’ll be facing large-scale battles soon, so this skill is timely. Or perhaps it’s because of those battles that I was given this power.’

Either way, Isaac was satisfied with the reward from the Nameless Chaos.

Then, a thought struck him.

‘Wait, does this mean I’m basically a boss monster of the Nameless Chaos now?’

It was a long-overdue realization.

***

Since ancient times, whenever two or more people gathered, the question inevitably arose: who was the strongest?

Currently, the Issacrea estate was hosting some of the most formidable individuals it had ever seen.

While the potential for conflict was always present, everyone was maintaining decorum for now. Beneath that courtesy lay a shared arrogance—‘Of course, I’m the strongest.’

“For now, there’s no issue, but once the expedition starts, the command structure might collapse. They’re all used to calling their own shots, and this is a coalition of differing faiths.”

Gebel voiced his concerns to Isaac.

Isaac agreed.

“You’re right. To ensure the expedition runs smoothly, we need a clearer command hierarchy.”

Currently, the Issacrea estate was hosting representatives of the Codex of Light, Elil, the World’s Forge, the Red Chalice, the Golden Idol, and even the Nameless Chaos. If there were a coastline nearby, the Salt Council would have probably joined too.

It was a situation that could fall apart at any moment, yet the only thing keeping it together was the powerful charisma of one individual.

“I figured I could take my time because I’m the strongest here, but it looks like I need to get the lower ranks in order.”

“What?”

“Sorry?”

“…”

Gebel looked like he had a lot to say but ultimately nodded.

When it came to the question of who was the strongest, the simplest answer was to test it.

However, this was not just about determining personal strength; it was also about gauging how each individual’s skills would translate onto the battlefield.

‘But if they end up injured from fighting each other, the whole exercise would be pointless.’

Isaac contemplated ways to assess strength without causing injuries.

First, he gathered the top fighters likely to clash: Lianne, Edelred, Cedric, Rottenhammer, Tuhalin, and Raulok, the leader of the Lycanthrope Warriors.

Hesabel was also included.

“So, among us, who do you think is the second strongest?” Isaac asked.

His question was met with a mixture of snickers and incredulous looks, as if they couldn’t believe he’d ask something so childish. It was then that Edelred, who seemed to think himself the weakest in raw skill, raised his hand.

“Why are we starting with second place?”

“What? Well, that’s because the first place is already decided, Your Majesty,” Isaac replied confidently.

His words were met with more laughter and curious glances—expressions mixed with confidence and pride. But as these competing gazes crossed, those smiles started to turn sour.

Rottenhammer was the first to break the silence, looking at Cedric as he spoke.

“The young man of Elil seems pretty confident in his skills.”

“I was taught that excessive humility can insult the weak. But what about you, Sir Paladin? You’re quite old; do you still want to compete with young folks?”

Cedric’s rebuttal prompted a reaction from Tuhalin.

Naturally, there was no one in the room older than Tuhalin.

“Old? What’s wrong with being old? You whelps keel over and die long before you get to be like me. You should know that an old weapon is sturdy.”

Raulok burst into laughter at Tuhalin’s remark.

“Haha! We all know that the Thunderhammer is half-senile. But what I’m curious about is the gaze of that Holy Land guardian lady. Didn’t she lose to His Majesty Edelred over there?”

It was common knowledge that Edelred’s skills were the weakest among the group unless he used the power of the Holy Sword Kaldbruch. Raulok’s jab was suggesting that Lianne, who had lost to Edelred before, had no right to compete.

Lianne, however, didn’t react with anger or ridicule. She simply looked down at him calmly and fired back.

“I once fought the Holy Grail Knight to a draw.”

“What?”

Isaac was the one taken aback, but Lianne responded nonchalantly.

“The match was interrupted by a third party before it was decided, so it’s a draw.”

“My apologies…”

Edelred muttered an apology in a small voice. Watching this, Hesabel leaned close to Isaac’s ear and whispered.

“It’s amusing to see these people scrambling at your feet, Isaac. Should I leave a dagger by their pillows at night as a warning? Clearly, the second-in-command should be me.”

However, Hesabel’s voice was loud enough for everyone present to hear.

“What kind of vulgar threat is this?!”

“Seems like she can’t escape her Red Chalice upbringing!”

“What was that?”

Everyone except for Tuhalin, who was slightly hard of hearing due to age, heard her remark.

Isaac had to press Hesabel’s head down to force an apology and restore order.

“I apologize. Hesabel’s loyalty sometimes overrides her sense of decorum. I will make sure she receives proper guidance.”

“Decorum, you say?”

The tension flared again, as the heated atmosphere began to spread. Finally, Edelred, who had initially asked why they were picking from second place, stepped in to diffuse the situation.

“Wait, wait. Let’s all calm down for a moment. I know that my skills are the least impressive among the heroes gathered here. But we are all about to go to war. We won’t be fighting fair duels on the battlefield, will we?”

The sight of the youngest person in the room trying to calm everyone down seemed to embarrass the others into silence.

And Edelred’s words hit home.

The upcoming battles would be wars between faiths, conflicts where angels and gods clashed. When angels were involved, individual strength became irrelevant.

“With that in mind, I propose that Sir Isaac Issacrea be appointed as the Supreme Commander. Elil’s forces are here because of their trust and honor in the Holy Grail Knight, so we will follow his command.”

Edelred glanced at Isaac, as if to say this was what he had wanted to bring up all along. Lianne and Cedric nodded in agreement.

Before Isaac could respond, Rottenhammer followed Edelred’s lead.

“Our Order of Paladins has already declared our intent to rebrand as the ‘Issacrea Paladin Order’ with Sir Issacrea as our patron saint. Sir Issacrea may still be modest, but I, too, have come this far under his guidance, and I have no objections to appointing him as Supreme Commander.”

Now, everyone’s gaze turned to Tuhalin. He did not look at Isaac with the same reverence as the others, but he chuckled and replied.

“If the youngsters have decided, then this old man will just cheer from the sidelines. Do as you wish.”

“Oh, as for the Lycanthrope Warriors, we have some obje—urk!”

Raulok began to voice an objection but was silenced when Tuhalin jabbed him in the gut.

With everyone’s eyes now on Isaac, they began clapping, Edelred leading the way. It was a solemn and earnest atmosphere, and Isaac found himself feeling a mixture of gratitude and something more complex.

‘Wasn’t I already the Supreme Commander? Why all this ceremony?’

But Isaac knew that voicing such thoughts would ruin the moment. He swallowed his words and spoke.

“…Thank you.”

However, despite Edelred’s consideration, what he wanted to address wasn’t the appointment of the Supreme Commander, which he had assumed was already settled.

“So, who do you think should be the second strongest, or rather, the Deputy Commander? We need someone to lead when I’m unavailable or engaged in battle.”

The respectful atmosphere shattered once again as sharp gazes were exchanged. Just as it seemed another round of provocations and power plays would begin, a voice interrupted the flow.

“The representatives from the Golden Idol Guild have arrived.”

***

As the door to the reception room opened, Isaac saw Caitlin, Angela, and the representatives from the Golden Idol Guild.

The room was filled with a warm, almost celebratory atmosphere.

Caitlin was chatting happily with some high-ranking members of the guild, and behind them, piles of luxurious-looking chests were stacked, enough to lift anyone’s spirits.

Isaac couldn’t help but feel the warmth of the season, akin to a festive atmosphere.

‘Indeed, kindness often flows from a full granary.’

Isaac approached Caitlin and the woman she was talking to.

The young woman with silver hair and striking beauty froze upon seeing Isaac.

Caught up in the mood, Caitlin shouted loudly.

“Isaac Issacrea, the hero of our era!”

“Looks like you’ve had a drink, Caitlin.”

Isaac muttered, glancing at the empty wine bottle nearby.

It wasn’t a great look in front of a child, but by the standards of this era, it was hardly something to be concerned about—as long as they weren’t feeding it to her.

Isaac turned his attention to the silver-haired woman. Typically, introductions would be in order at this point, but the woman hadn’t said a word yet.

Eventually, Isaac extended his hand and spoke first.

“I’m Isaac Issacrea. And you are…?”

Only then did the woman snap out of her daze, her trembling hand reaching out to meet his. Isaac briefly wondered if they had met before, but the reddening of her cheeks and the rapid pulse in her grip quickly gave away the situation.

‘Could it be that she’s instantly smitten by my looks? Guess being a Nephilim has its perks.’

Isaac thought this would make the conversation easier.

“I-I’m Leonora Bessia. I am the Deputy Guildmaster of the Golden Idol Guild. It’s an honor to meet you.”

Isaac was about to respond with a smile when her name struck him.

‘Wait a second, Leonora Bessia? The second daughter of Guildmaster Belman Bessia? The sociopathic monster capitalism created?’

Isaac’s heart began to race as quickly as Leonora’s, albeit for slightly different reasons.

[To be continued]