The grotesque beast Malian fully recognized Seolrang’s strength.

The presence she had shown in the colony until now was even more intense than that of Kalman Arents, who had been active as a Babayaga for an extended period.

However, despite this, neither Malian nor Kalman thought they would lose to Seolrang in this fight.

Both Kalman Arents and the grotesque beast Malian were also Babayagas like Seolrang, and most importantly, they had absorbed the Abyssal Essence.

Abyssal Essence

Malian didn’t know exactly how the Abyssal Essence granted power.

All he knew was that once someone of a certain rank used the Abyssal Essence, they were endowed with power in some way.

But for Malian, that knowledge was sufficient.

Even at that very moment as they fought Seolrang, both of them could feel that just by using the Abyssal Essence, they had become nearly twice as strong as they originally were.

Crash—!!!

As Malian’s fist struck the spot where Seolrang had stood, the chamber shook as if an earthquake had hit.

Crack!

With just a stomp from Kalman, the ground collapsed.

And that wasn’t all.

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Roar!!!

Malian displayed her unbelievable power by tearing off the roof of the forgotten city’s castle and throwing it at Seolrang.

The overwhelming strength, clearly beyond human limits, filled the mercenaries, magicians, and beastmen fighting against the assassins with despair.

But despite this incredible display of power, the expressions on Malian and Kalman’s faces were worsening as time passed.

The reason was none other than Seolrang, who was still fighting against them.

The golden-eyed Seolrang, who had vanished in a flash of lightning, suddenly appeared in front of Malian and struck him in the waist.

After fending off Kalman Arents’s attack from behind, Seolrang landed a punch on him.

Boom!

Malian and Kalman were sent crashing into the wall of the large chamber, shattering it.

“How is this even possible…!?”

Malian scowled at Seolrang.

Seolrang’s body was indeed covered in wounds.

Her shining hair was stained with blood, and her eerie body was marked with countless injuries.

Yet despite all this, she was dominating.

Even though they had absorbed the Abyssal Essence and become twice as powerful, the two Babayagas couldn’t force her to retreat even an inch.

“You monster…!”

Malian grimaced as she transformed her grotesque right hand into the shape of a sword.

‘She’s not even emitting black magic, so she hasn’t absorbed the Abyssal Essence either…!’

Despite not consuming the Abyssal Essence, her strength was overwhelming enough to dominate two Babayagas who had.

It was clear… defeating her with brute force was impossible…!?

With his once-confident expression now gone, Malian looked gravely at Kalman.

“Click.”

As if confirming a prearranged signal, Kalman clicked his tongue, then leaped forward—toward the beastmen, not Seolrang.

The moment Seolrang realized that Kalman was rushing toward Ralga, the member of her tribe who was leading the fight against the assassins, she immediately moved.

Crack!

She blocked Kalman’s punch.

Boom!

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The terrifying shockwave from just the clash of their fists made Seolrang grimace momentarily.

But then she sensed something strange.

Despite having a serious expression moments ago, Kalman now wore a clear, unmistakable smile on his lips.

At that very moment—

Stab!

“Huh?”

Seolrang felt a searing pain in her back.

She turned to look, and there stood Ralga.

“Finally…!”

With a twisted grin on his face, Ralga had stabbed Seolrang in the back with a blade.

Seolrang’s eyes filled with confusion for a moment.

“Ugh…!”

Blood flowed from her mouth.

Crash!

Seolrang was sent flying by Kalman’s kick, rolling on the ground.

She couldn’t make sense of the situation.

Her eyes were full of questions—questions, confusion, and even more questions.

Her bewildered gaze fell on Ralga.

He was smiling wickedly.

Seolrang couldn’t understand it at all.

“Why?”

A question escaped her lips.

As Seolrang tumbled across the ground from Ralga’s betrayal, despair clouded the faces of the mages, mercenaries, and beastmen, while a sneer appeared on Kalman’s lips.

Relief filled the eyes of the assassins, and Malian’s face showed a hint of triumph.

All this information entered Seolrang’s field of view, but she was solely focused on Ralga.

“Why…?” Seolrang muttered, puzzled once more.

And then, Ralga, who had been sneering all this time, stepped forward toward Seolrang.

Seolrang tried to move her body, but soon realized that she couldn’t.

“The poison from Kamonasis is on the blade, so you won’t be able to move for at least an hour. It’s best not to struggle,” Ralga said, looking down at Seolrang’s shocked expression as he approached her.

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Unlike his usual composed demeanor, Ralga twisted his lips into a sneer as he crouched in front of her.

“Ah… what was it again? Did you ask why?” he mocked as he pulled off the gauntlet from Seolrang’s hand.

“I wanted this.”

“…What?”

“Didn’t you hear? I said I wanted this,” Ralga repeated, shaking the essence of the Golden Mane Tribe in front of her as if to mock her, smiling slyly.

Seolrang blinked slowly.

“You betrayed me… for that?” she asked.

She still didn’t feel anger. Ralga, wearing an expression of confusion for a brief moment, soon let out a mocking laugh.

“For this? Seolrang, do you really think the guild you created is still standing because of some noble reason? Do you think the clans stuck around for your little family act? No, no.”

Tap, tap—  

“It’s because of this. The clans stayed in the guild because of the power they could gain from you,” he sneered, tapping her face with the gauntlet.

Seolrang’s expression slowly darkened as she furrowed her brow.

“Why would you think otherwise?”

Deep down, Seolrang knew that Ralga wasn’t entirely wrong.

She had always been aware that the reason she was able to gather the Golden Mane Tribe so quickly in the colony was because she possessed the essence gifted by the Great Moon.

But even so, Seolrang hadn’t believed that the clans had stuck with the guild solely for the essence this far into the journey.

Even if they had gathered for power at first, Seolrang felt that the time they had spent together over the past two years since forming the guild was genuine, and she believed that she had been faithfully rebuilding her former family.

No, she trusted in that belief.

“That can’t be…!”

Seolrang clenched her teeth, but Ralga didn’t erase his mocking grin as he stared at her.

Then, he let out a small chuckle and snapped his fingers.

Snap—

And then, as if they had been waiting for the signal, the other members of the Golden Mane Tribe started gathering behind Ralga, one by one.

Seolrang looked at them in disbelief.

The clan member she had greeted just two days ago.

The one who had spoken with her earlier on their way to this place.

No one was an exception, all stood behind Ralga, and Seolrang, noticing that they bore no wounds unlike the mercenaries, realized the truth.

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“…Ha.”

For the first time, she let out a bitter laugh.

Not the warm smile she had always shown to the clans, but a cruel, cold smile.

“Now that’s the expression of someone waking up from a dream. I’m satisfied,” Ralga laughed, satisfied, as he patted Seolrang’s head in mockery.

“To be honest, every time you acted like you were something special, it disgusted me. Using power you didn’t deserve just because you got lucky… It was really hard to watch. How does it feel to wake up from that dream?”

“…Are the others… also traitors?” Seolrang answered his question with a question.

Ralga, seeing the betrayal and hatred hidden behind her bitter smile, found it amusing, twisting his lips to respond.

But before he could speak—

“That’s enough. Let’s wrap this up,” Malian interrupted, stepping forward before Ralga could open his mouth.

He transformed his arm into the shape of a sword and raised it, preparing to strike Seolrang down.

“It’ll be a pain if she moves, so let’s finish her off now.”

Just as Malian was about to execute Seolrang with his sword—

Swoosh—

A small question appeared on Seolrang’s face, which had been filled with resignation just moments ago.

And not just Seolrang.

Ralga, who had been sneering, also looked puzzled.

The mages and even Liyan, who had been in despair, wore the same expression.

Even Kalman, who had been smirking just a moment ago, now looked perplexed.

The reason for this was…

“Ah—?”

It was because a large hole had appeared in Malian’s head, who had been basking in triumph just moments before.

Thud—!

Malian’s body collapsed to the ground, lifeless.

As everyone began to question the absurd death of one of the colony’s Babayagas,  

“Ah—?”

Liyan, who had been staring blankly at the scene, suddenly realized that her breath had turned into visible white vapor.

At that moment, everyone present saw it.

In the distance, from the forgotten city of the god Kahara, a man silently emerged.

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Crunch—

With each step he took, frost spread, freezing the ground beneath him, and a grayish-white magic from the bracelet on his left wrist enveloped his body like a thin ice barrier.

Step, step—

The man’s stride was unwavering.

Even though there was a Babayaga and dozens of enemies before him, his expression remained utterly indifferent.

Without any emotion or reaction, he walked forward, and everyone began to tense up at his appearance.

Ralga, who had been mocking Seolrang moments ago,  

Kalman, who had been smiling confidently, and all the enemies present grew nervous as they watched the man with a blank expression.

Because they had all witnessed it.

They had seen Malian, a Babayaga, have his head pierced in an instant.

“Ugh—!”

As the man slowly approached, Ralga instinctively stepped back.

And it wasn’t just him.

Every being identified as the man’s ‘enemy’ naturally retreated.

Just standing there, his presence choked them, and they felt an overwhelming sense of helplessness and fear.

Even Kalman, the strongest among them, felt it.

‘What is that!?’

His body recoiled as he stared at the man, who appeared with eyes so black and blue that he instinctively knew comprehending them would break his mind.

“Master…?”

Finally, the man, Alon, approached Seolrang, who still had a sword lodged in her back, and stared at her intently.

“Ice Crystal (氷晶).”

He spoke a phrase, one different from anything he had said before.