"What’s happening here?"

Theo fell into deep thought, trying to understand the situation. Gradually, several ideas flashed through his mind:

The hostage situation had spiraled out of control.

The previous rescue team had been annihilated.

The missing Balmung.

The surprisingly weak resistance from Black Skull.

And Ed Troyban’s mysterious intentions.

…

"What if Hangryong decided to *use* this situation differently than in the previous life?"

A certain theory began to take shape in his mind.

What if, while secretly transporting Balmung, they encountered an unexpected takeover by the terrorist group Black Skull?

Normally, they would move quickly to retrieve it. But by chance, the rescue team assigned happened to be the Order of White Armored Knights.

For Ed, that team included his political rival Julius’ forces, as well as Theo—the nephew who had become a thorn in his side. Ed, known for his love of schemes, might see this as an excellent opportunity.

The perfect chance to kill two birds with one stone.

If he’d already retrieved Balmung and was using Black Skull as bait to maximize damage to the White Armored Knights...

Theo felt a shiver down his spine.

A *reverse trap.*

This place was a deadly pit, engineered by Ed to wipe out the entire White Armored Knights’ 5th Division.

He snapped to attention.

"Selford, Arin!"

"Holy—! Why are you shouting all of a sudden?"

"Where are Captain Evelyn and the others? We need to find them now!"

"They’re probably still clearing out the area, but why—?"

"We need to evacuate immediately!"

Theo shouted with urgency.

"The fortress! The fortress is about to be attacked!"

"...!"

"...!"

* * *

Not far from Blanc Castle, within a dense forest...

"Hah... hah... hah…!"

Black Skull operative Kiran clutched a long, black-wrapped object as he ran for his life.

-*Kiran, you must protect this at all costs! This treasure contains the will of those lost to the Ragnar!*

Just before he left the fortress, his commander had entrusted this to him, repeating the importance of its safety.

He had no idea what it was.

From the moment they’d stolen it from the Ceres Trading Company, it had remained securely wrapped.

But judging from its shape, he guessed it was a sword.

He thought he’d find out what it truly was when he reached his destination…

"Wait, what’s happening?"

Kiran’s thoughts were interrupted as his vision began to spin.

That was his last thought in life.

*Puhhff—*

*Thud!*

The headless body of Kiran collapsed onto the ground.

Then,

*Tap.*

Around his fallen corpse, twenty cloaked figures descended in eerie silence.

One of them knelt down to retrieve the bundle and carefully unwrapped it.

A sword with a navy-blue scabbard and a golden hilt.

*Schwing—*

After briefly inspecting the blade, the figure slid it back into its sheath and looked toward their leader.

"We’ve secured the target, Balmung."

"Well done."

"Thank you, sir."

The subordinate bowed respectfully and returned to their place.

"All this trouble over a single sword. But at least now, we have a chance to bring those White Armored Knights down a notch."

The leader pulled back his hood, revealing a man strikingly similar to Ed but with the distinctive crimson eyes of Ragnar.

Sidra Evoyle.

A first-class agent of the Central Security Bureau and a close confidant of Ed Troyban.

"Take your positions."

*Fwoosh, fwoosh—*

The twenty operatives dispersed in all directions, rapidly assembling various components.

The *Demon Fire Cannons*.

A powerful artifact of war, these cannons could unleash explosive magic with a destructive force ten times that of regular artillery, earning them the nickname "Reapers of the Battlefield."

The ten cannon barrels aligned toward Blanc Castle in the distance.

"It’s about time for the explosives planted in the fortress to go off."

*Tic-tic-tic-tic—*

Checking his watch, Sidra closed it and issued a quiet command.

"Fire."

It was a soft-spoken order.

But the effect was anything but quiet.

*Boom! Boom! Boom!*

*Rumble—*

The cannon barrels erupted with fiery energy.

It sounded like a dragon’s roar.

* * *

*Tsk!*

Former Cherry Blossom Palace Lord, Emil Troyban, was carefully cleaning a rare plant when the stem snapped, causing her to scowl.

Then,

*Crash!*

She smashed every pot on the shelf, all of her expensive imported orchids and vases from the East, shattered on the floor.

But the servants and attendants standing by her side didn’t react.

They’d grown used to scenes like this, occurring every other day.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it!"

*Thud, thud, thud!*

She pounded her fist on the broken shelf, kicking aside any remaining pots until she finally calmed down.

Then, with a crazed look in her eyes, she turned to her butler.

"Hah...! Hah...! By now..."

"Yes, my lady."

"By now... Theo Ragnar and his scum must be buried alive, yes?"

The plan to trap and annihilate the 5th Division of the White Armored Knights had been Emil’s doing.

It was a plan devised to exact revenge on Theo, the one who had taken her beloved son, Axion.

Though there was a risk that Balmung could be damaged in the chaos, what did it matter?

Without Axion, no plan had any true meaning.

*Even so... to evolve a mere theft into this scheme... she truly is a Troyban.*

The butler swallowed hard, nodding at her question.

"Yes, my lady. They surely are."

"They’re dead for certain, right? Hmm?"

"Certainly, my lady. The Central Security Bureau has handled this. Trained by Hangryong, they wouldn’t make mistakes."

"Yes, you’re right. My dear brother’s influence, the blessing of the Troybans... mistakes are impossible."

"But…"

"What? Is something bothering you?"

"Oh, no, my lady. Nothing."

The butler stifled his urge to ask, *How do we report to Lord Ed about moving the Bureau without his permission?*

It would be a surefire way to lose his head in that moment.

Finally feeling at ease, Emil sneered.

"Then… let’s wait for his head to arrive. Hohohoho!"

Whenever that smile appeared, something terrible was sure to happen.

* * *

Before Theo could explain, the sound of explosions echoed from all around.

"What’s that?"

Selford and Arin looked out the window, only to see the ominous sight of artillery shells arcing down from the sky.

*Boom! Boom! Boom!*

Shells began bombarding the fortress from every direction.

An earthquake-like tremor shook the structure.

*Rumble—*

The walls crumbled, clouds of smoke rising thickly.

"Damn it! I’m going in!"

"Theo!"

Before Selford or Arin could stop him, Theo launched himself forward, pressing his feet firmly into the ground.

Wind wrapped around him.

*Gale Wind.*

The Storm God skill activated.

*Fwoosh—*

"I need to save Evelyn!"

He couldn’t let the first commander who’d taken him under her wing perish here.

He couldn’t let Ed win like this.

"I don’t have much mana left. What do I do?"

The problem was, his fight with Slow had depleted nearly all of his mana.

Tracking Evelyn and the other members’ locations while moving, and searching for any explosives in the fortress, left him feeling drained.

But clenching his teeth, he forced himself to keep going—

Until suddenly, energy he hadn’t felt before began stirring within him.

*Fwoosh!*

*...The Soul-Devouring Poison!*

He realized this was the essence of the Soul Dragon, spread throughout his mana circuits.

*Whoosh!*

That energy quickly melded into his mana, increasing his strength.

The wind surrounding Theo intensified.

*Wind Thunder God – Tempest.*

The second level opened fully.

*Fwoosh—*

Thanks to this, Theo quickly reached Evelyn’s location.

"Captain!"

"Theo Ragnar? What are you doing here?"

"This place is a trap! We have to escape immediately!"

Evelyn didn’t question him.

She understood everything from his words alone.

"Everyone, retreat—!"

But her command was drowned out by the explosion overhead.

*Rumble!*

The ground beneath them trembled again for some unknown reason.

This wasn’t from the impact of the shells above.

No, it was coming from deep below.

Explosions were erupting within the fortress itself.

All around them, flames rose.

"Did they even plant explosives in the fortress?"

Evelyn’s eyes filled with dread.

With explosions inside the fortress and artillery raining down outside, escape seemed nearly impossible.

At that moment, Theo reached for the blade of a fallen Black Skull member.

What’s he doing?

Evelyn didn’t have a chance to ask.

Theo’s face was resolute.

*[Skill: Hatchling Sync] is reading the memories of this item.*

Theo quickly compared the memories he sensed in the sword with those he’d gleaned from Slow’s weapon.

*Slow was too familiar with the fortress layout. Which means Black Skull has been here for a while.*

And in places like this, there was almost always one thing:

*A shelter. Found it.*

Theo sprang to his feet.

"Captain, we need to go deeper underground."

"What? Underground?"

Evelyn barely had time to ask before another soldier shouted.

"What are you talking about, rookie? Are you

 trying to get us all killed?"

The other soldiers nodded, finding Theo’s suggestion illogical.

He couldn’t reveal the skill, so he’d have to convince them another way.

"The outside is more dangerous! Think about why there’s no response from the outer perimeter!"

"Even if we could fly out on wyverns—"

"I’m certain they’ve prepared for that as well. Captain!"

"Captain! This plan is reckless! Are you going to trust an inexperienced rookie?"

Everyone turned to Evelyn, waiting for her decision.

*Tremble!*

Even now, the explosions continued.

Another ominous sound came from a nearby structure, indicating it was starting to break apart.

Evelyn made her choice.

"We’ll follow Theo Ragnar’s plan."

"Captain! This is too dangerous—"

"It’s an order."

"...Understood."

The soldier who’d protested nodded reluctantly.

During crises, absolute obedience was essential.

They were all bound by fate now.

"Theo, remember, the lives of all 33 of us rest on your shoulders."

In Evelyn’s deep gaze, Theo saw she was testing him.

This was his chance to prove his abilities to the team.

-A chance to demonstrate if he was worthy of his destined path.

Showing his skills here would strengthen his position moving forward.

*She trusts me without hesitation.*

Evelyn seemed to be saying,

Show us the strength of your first sword.

And earn their respect.

"…Then I can’t afford to falter."

*Thump, thump, thump!*

Theo’s heart pounded wildly.

"Follow me."

Leading the way, Theo cut through obstacles as he moved.

Evelyn followed right behind, with the others maintaining formation.

*Whoosh!*

"Wait, Captain? Where’s everyone going?"

"Just follow us! No time for questions!"

"Alright! Damn it!"

Selford and Arin, who joined them on the way, also fell in line.

Amid the chaos—

"*Ahhh!*"

"*Why are there explosions?!*"

"*Get out of here!*

"*To the shelter! Quickly, to the shelter!*"

Even Black Skull members who hadn’t been subdued were in complete disarray.

Theo and his team swiftly took down any obstacles in their path.

He continued gathering any remaining team members as they raced on.

*Boom! Boom! Boom!*

*Rumble—*

Explosions relentlessly echoed around them.

Ceilings and walls cracked, with rubble pouring down from above.

The fortress was beginning to collapse.

*Crrrr…!*

"Theooo!"

"Just a bit more! We’re almost there!"

Theo’s mind was racing like never before.

It felt as if his very core was ablaze.

*Left, right... no, diagonal? No, there’s a shell incoming on that side. There’s planted explosives nearby… Take another path.*

Using his heightened instincts from the Dragon’s Heart, Theo rapidly processed the incoming information.

It wasn’t easy to make decisions in such an intense situation, even with his skills in data analysis from the Black Snow.

Fortunately, the Soul-Devouring Poison had boosted his mental speed enough to keep up.

A single mistake, however, would mean death for them all.

*Where is it? Where should we…!*

Theo found himself at a critical junction where deciding the path became difficult.

*Crunch!*

Something in his mind seemed to crack.

*Shhh—*

At that moment, the poison moved, traveling up his spine, reaching his brain.

*Boom!*

A sound like an explosion echoed within him, his mind going blank for a split second.

Then,

An intense heat flooded his mind, erasing any lingering doubts.

Blazing clarity.

*Ding!*

*[Skill: Hatchling Sync] proficiency has significantly increased, advancing to a higher rank.*

*Skill Level: C+*

*You have attained Blazing Clarity.*

*Your thought process speed has increased.*

*Data processing is now smoother.*

*Your decision-making has improved.*

Theo had no time to ponder the changes in his body.

With his accelerated cognitive abilities, he quickly assessed his surroundings.

"This way!"

*Boom!*

They reached the shelter located underground just in time.

As the last person entered and closed the shelter door,

*Rumble—*

The fortress collapsed entirely.