Right after arriving in Kahara, the city of the old gods, the wizard of the Red Tower, Liyan, Seolrang, and the Golden Mane tribe decided to wait near the entrance, where they had the best view of the city.

Of course, Seolrang and Evan tried to follow Alon, but Alon left them at the entrance and went down into the city alone.

There was only one reason for that. 

[Since you can hear the voice, you’ve at least shown a minimum level of respect. Come alone to the central tower of Kahara.]

This was because, as soon as Alon entered Kahara, he heard a voice whispering such words to him.

Naturally, he had no idea whose voice it was that whispered into his ear. 

Though he had been to this city more than dozens of times, never before had a voice like this echoed in his mind.

However, instinctively, he realized that it had something to do with the words left behind by a mysterious being. Without hesitation, he moved forward and finally arrived at the center of Kahara.

It was less of a forgotten city and more fitting to describe it as a fortress, given how tall the tower was, especially for an underground structure.

Staring at the tower blankly, Alon soon walked inside. 

Upon entering, what greeted him was a spiral staircase leading upward. 

Without a word, Alon began to climb the stairs. 

Flare! 

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As he ascended the staircase, the lights began to ignite one by one, as if to illuminate his path.

Though it was a situation he had never seen in the game, which made him hesitate momentarily, that was all. 

Following the lights, Alon continued his steps, and eventually, when he reached the top of the long staircase, he found a massive room.

Rat-a-tat-tat~!!!

Along with the activation of a magic circle, he saw the previously empty room fill with enormous bookshelves. 

The bookshelves rose from the ground and soon covered the entire tower. At that moment, except for the sky and ground, there was no clear distinction between front and back.

[You’ve arrived.]

***

In fact, not all members of the Golden Mane tribe had an unusual affection for other bloodlines.

Of course, compared to other beastfolk, the Golden Manes had a relatively high species-wide affinity for each other.

Though it meant little now, the Golden Mane tribe had once stood at the top of the beastfolk hierarchy 500 years ago.

But even so, their affection wasn’t deeper than what they had for their own families. 

They merely had a slightly higher affinity for one another than for other species, and that was it.

In the end, they were still strangers to each other.

Nevertheless, the reason why Seolrang was so obsessed with her kin and cherished the Golden Mane tribe so deeply was because of her past. 

Her happiness lay in the past.

She had enjoyed the days spent living with her kin, found fulfillment in helping her father wrap up the day, and was happy to sit at the table in the evening, eating meals with her family.

The life she led in a community where only the Golden Mane tribe lived, where everyone was bound under the concept of kin, still remained a source of happiness for Seolrang.

That’s why Seolrang sought revenge against the ‘Black Dragon’ who shattered that happiness and aimed to gather her kin to reclaim it.

Her respect for the Great Moon also stemmed from that.

She believed that the essence of the Golden Mane tribe, which Alon had given her, could bring her both revenge and happiness once again.

And for her—

Crunch-!

“Huh?”

The death of one of the Golden Mane tribe was enough to drive her reason into a raging fury.

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Right before her eyes, the body of her kin, who had been speaking just moments ago, crumbled so pitifully. 

And at the same time, what appeared before her was—

“Hmph~ Is this all?”

It was none other than Malian. 

“Nothing much.”

Malian of Baba Yaga.

With his hideous face twisted in grotesque pleasure, he threw aside the corpse of the Golden Mane tribe. At the same time, dozens of black-robed figures appeared behind him.

“What the—”

“Prepare for battle!”

At his command, the wizards of the Red Tower and the mercenaries he had hired raised their staffs with tense expressions. The previously relaxed faces of the Golden Mane tribe quickly turned to those of panic and fear.

And then—

“What do you think you’re doing?”

Malian, staring directly at Seolrang, who was making an unmistakably menacing expression, twisted his lips into a sneer and spoke.

“Are beastfolk truly this dumb? You’re asking me that question, in this situation?”

His voice was full of mockery, clear to anyone who heard it.

Upon hearing this, Seolrang narrowed her eyes, realizing there was no longer any need for words.

Crackle-!

Electricity erupted from her body, scattering in all directions, and her gleaming golden eyes locked onto Malian as her target.

“One.”

In that instant, Seolrang twisted her body, narrowly evading an attack brought on by an unsettling, instinctive feeling.

Boom~!

The ground exploded with a deafening sound, as if a massive meteor had crashed into it, leaving a gaping crater.

“Wow, you dodged that? You’re not just any ordinary opponent, huh?”

Soon, a man who had completely demolished the entrance, Kalman Arents, casually walked out of the dust with a deep grin.

Seeing Kalman stand next to Malian as if they had planned it, Seolrang let out a bitter laugh. The events that had just transpired allowed her to grasp the situation.

Seolrang clenched her fist tightly.

Crackle-!

Electricity sparked to life in response to her will. Her stance made it clear that no more conversation was necessary.

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“Wait, wait! What is the meaning of this!? We are wizards of the Red Tower! And you all are from Baba Yaga, aren’t you!?” 

Unlike Seolrang, one of the wizards of the Red Tower desperately shouted in an attempt to escape the situation. As Malian turned his gaze toward them, the wizard added,

“Hmm, Red Tower wizards, huh? I suppose it could cause some trouble if we mess with you.”

His words hung in the air.

“That’s right! If any harm comes to us now—”

“But.”

The wizard tried to continue, but Malian immediately interrupted, not allowing him even a moment’s respite.

“That would only be a problem if any of you made it out alive, wouldn’t it?”

With a twisted smile, Malian’s words made the wizard’s face go completely rigid. The wizard wasn’t foolish enough to misunderstand his meaning.

And so—

“Tsk, if only you hadn’t made such a fuss, none of this would’ve been necessary. Why did you have to make things difficult for everyone?”

“Now that I think about it, where’s that noble we’re supposed to take care of? He should’ve been with you, right?”

“Well, we can deal with that after we kill this one first.”

Kalman casually responded to Malian’s words and said,

“Now, let’s see.”

Black, sinister energy swirled around him, terrifying to anyone who saw it.

“Shall we run a little experiment?”

Boom-!

With that, the battle began, as Kalman hurled his fist toward Seolrang.

***

Alon, realizing that the voice that had echoed in his mind was now coming from directly in front of him, lifted his head. There, sitting at a desk, was a figure.

It was impossible to define its appearance.

To be exact, it seemed as though something was constantly disrupting any attempt to describe its form.

It looked human, beast-like, and monstrous all at once.

As Alon stared blankly at the figure, whose shadow seemed to shift infinitely, it spoke.

[Do not stare too long. You won’t be able to perceive my existence no matter how hard you try.]

With those words, Alon snapped out of his daze, remained silent for a moment, then asked,

“Who are you?”

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[If you cannot even comprehend my form, what makes you think you can comprehend my name?]

“… Did you know I was coming?”

[How could I? Do you have any idea how long I’ve been trapped here?]

“Yet, you spoke as if you did know.”

[Not at all. Perhaps you were mistaken?]

Alon suddenly felt the urge to flick the head of the formless figure sitting before him, but he held back and spoke instead.

“I came here following the words of Ulthultus—or rather, of the mysterious entity.”

[Hmm. I had a hunch that might be the case.]

The figure responded in a slightly intrigued tone and continued.

[Did that being tell you its true name? …Well, it seems reasonable enough to think you’re worth testing.]

Alon fell silent for a moment as he watched the figure nod as if this conclusion was quite logical, then spoke again.

“…Testing what, exactly?”

[Testing your chance. I mean, an opportunity for you.]

“An opportunity…?”

As Alon muttered to himself, the figure elaborated.

[You seem to have many questions. Unfortunately, I cannot provide you with any answers right now. You lack the qualifications.]

“And what is that supposed to mean?”

Curious about a setting he had never encountered in the game, Alon asked further.

[To clarify in advance, it’s not my judgment you should be concerned with. Rather, it’s this world’s standards that determine your worth.]

After saying this, the figure seemed to ponder something for a moment before continuing.

[You probably don’t understand and have many questions. So I’ll explain it simply.]

It soon spoke again.

[Before long, another outsider will descend into this world. Deal with that being and return to me.]

“…And if I do?”

[Then you will have met the minimum requirements—the requirements to see me properly and have your questions answered.]

“So you’re saying I can’t learn anything right now?”

[Well, I can at least give you one hint.]

The figure, whose form was still too ambiguous to define, looked directly at Alon and smiled.

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[Once you leave the tower, go and read the text at the easternmost end of this fortress. That should give you a general idea of the situation.]

“The text at the eastern end…” Alon murmured, and the figure dragged out its response before speaking again.

[Good, I’ve made my decision.]

[In fact, my explanation ends here, but since you’ve come all this way, I’ll share something interesting with you.]

Without giving Alon a chance to ask, the figure continued.

[In this world, beyond the use of incantations, there is a concept known as ‘Sulli’ (順理)—the natural order. Have you heard of it?]

“…?”

“Sulli?”

[Yes, and beyond that is ‘Self-manifestation’ (自性具現), but that’s still far beyond your reach.]

After murmuring to itself for a moment, the figure resumed explaining to Alon.

[Sulli is the foundation for what those in this world call magic, though the fools who wield it barely understand its basics. I can see that you’re better than they are, but you’re still using it incorrectly.]

The figure continued speaking as if it found the current situation amusing.

[The magic manifested through incantations follows the natural order. It’s not something you can just throw together haphazardly. Only by following the natural order, carefully constructing the incantation, and invoking the proper name can true magic be performed.]

The figure raised a finger and added:

[But even with this explanation, I doubt you’ll understand. So, as a gift, I’ll teach you the ‘Sulli’—the natural order.]

It concluded by saying:

[This is what true magic is.]