As soon as we crossed over into the new space, I found myself momentarily lost in the sight before me.

Everywhere I looked, the area was filled with dolls, greeting us with their unsettling presence.

If this world really was Snow Castle, there’s no way such a cheerful-looking space could exist. This must be an effect of Coward Mode.

Could this be tied to the Entities? I wondered. Or maybe the scenery is too horrific to witness directly?

Lost in these thoughts, I looked blankly at the Vice Commander as he spoke.

“It doesn’t feel like a safe space at all,” he muttered.

“Ah, yes, sir.”

If this place doesn’t feel safe, does that mean these dolls are somehow connected to the Entities? If so, it’d be best to avoid stepping on them. But how? The open spaces on the ground are so narrow that it’s almost impossible not to step on them.

I frowned slightly as I thought about it, and the Vice Commander pursed his lips. “It seems even this atmosphere doesn’t intimidate you.”

Was I wearing too calm an expression?

I wished I could show him my view directly, but since I couldn’t, I decided to just go along with his words.

“Oh…no, sir. It certainly looks…dangerous.”

Stumbling over my words, I noticed the Vice Commander looking at me with a pleased smile, as if he was misinterpreting something.

I wanted to explain myself, but he simply looked ahead again.

“Let’s keep going.”

“Yes, sir!”

Unable to argue, I followed him forward. Watching him trample the dolls without hesitation, I realized they probably weren’t as dangerous as I’d thought, so I began to step on them as well.

Soon, I asked the Vice Commander for some food and kept moving, filling my stomach as I walked. I noticed his gaze, like he was looking at me as if I were some kind of monster. There really must be something off about these dolls, I thought.

The Vice Commander then said, “Don’t rush. This many bodies must mean something’s here.”

It dawned on me why he had been giving me that look.

Oh…eating in front of corpses probably does make me look like a bit of a freak. I should’ve thought it through.

Just as I was beginning to regret my actions, I noticed something up ahead.

A man and a woman, locked in battle, neither seeming willing to yield.

The Vice Commander and I quickly ducked behind a mound of dolls, watching as they fought. It was clear their combat abilities were evenly matched.

The immense clash of strength sent nearby dolls flying into the air. Knowing these were actually bodies, I could imagine how gruesome this scene truly was.

When the man’s face became momentarily visible, I had a flash of recognition and whispered to the Vice Commander.

“Isn’t…isn’t that him?”

The figure closely resembled the Martial God from the Vice Commander’s dream, right down to the twin axes he wielded. There was no one else who’d fight with such an unwieldy weapon.

The Vice Commander’s eyes widened at my words, and he immediately charged toward the man before I could stop him.

Clang!

The Vice Commander’s greatsword blocked the woman’s attack, deflecting it easily as the two men locked eyes in mutual recognition.

“Wh-who is this?!” the man asked, his voice rough but joyful.

“Isn’t that the Vice Commander?!” he shouted, seemingly thrilled.

The man was indeed the Martial God.

Clang! Clang!

The Vice Commander deflected the woman’s attack. If she could engage him so easily, it could only mean she was an Entity. What was odd, though, was that both she and the Martial God wore expressions of amusement, as if enjoying the battle.

“Martial God…!” the Vice Commander’s voice held a slight quiver, perhaps from the joy of finding one of his cherished knights once again.

The Martial God greeted him with a strong punch to the shoulder. “Hey, Vice Commander! Is that really the look you’re giving me after all this time? And you’re still as big as a mountain!”

“Hah, nothing compared to you.”

“What’re you talking about? You’re taller than me!”

Despite having not seen each other in ages, they spoke as though they’d been together just yesterday.

But they knew this wasn’t the time for a reunion.

“It’s great to see you again, Martial God. But let’s save the talk for later. First, we deal with her.”

“Haha, of course! She’s almost dead anyway!”

The Martial God’s proud voice made me smile without thinking.

“She’s almost dead!” The Entity suddenly echoed his words in the same tone.

What? Was she mocking him? The Martial God was known for his strength, rivaling even the Vice Commander’s, yet this Entity didn’t feel nearly as powerful.

Perhaps she was one of those playful Entities? But her imitation wasn’t mocking; it was a flat, exact echo of his words.

Despite the odd feeling it gave me, the Vice Commander and Martial God advanced on the Entity together.

Boom!

The Martial God’s twin axes and the Vice Commander’s greatsword struck the Entity in unison. She tried to block, but their combined attack shattered her weapon completely.

The Entity stood there, her face blank with shock.

“Haha! The finishing blow is mine, Vice Commander!”

“The finishing blow is mine!”

There it was again, her echo.

But since I was the only one who heard it, the Vice Commander seemed unaware, watching intently as the Martial God’s powerful movements unfurled.

The Martial God leapt into the air, his massive form rotating five times before raising an axe high behind his head.

“RAAAAH!”

His terrifying roar filled the space as he drove the axe into the Entity’s skull with centrifugal force.

Thud!

I saw the Entity’s head momentarily sink in, cartoonishly, before springing back up. I didn’t need any more signs to understand what this meant.

“RAAAAH!” The Entity let out a similar roar, her body trembling before collapsing to the ground, dead.

The Martial God took a few breaths, watching her body to ensure she was truly dead.

Then, confirming his victory, he laughed, raising his axes high. “Victory is ours! The knights of Londan are eternal!”

After the battle, the Martial God and Vice Commander rested, basking in their victory, while I sat quietly nearby. It had taken me a long time to feel comfortable around the Vice Commander, and now here was another legend. It was like meeting a daunting senior officer for the first time.

The Martial God turned to me, then looked at the Vice Commander and asked, “Vice Commander, who’s this young one?”

“He was just promoted to knight. He’s impressive—willing to risk his life for Londan.”

“What? There’s already a knight like that?!”

The Vice Commander practically beamed, his chest swelling with pride.

“He’s got incredible resilience, too. He even had Entity fragments embedded in his body without taking any damage—a normal person would’ve died on the spot.”

“Entity fragments?”

“It’s…a thing. You’ll learn as we work together.”

The Vice Commander laughed at the Martial God’s expression of awe, clearly enjoying the reunion.

Rising to his feet, the Vice Commander moved toward the portal. “That’s enough for now. Let’s leave this horrific place.”

“Couldn’t agree more! Vice Commander, thanks for saving my skin!”

“When we return, the Princess will likely give you a commendation. Be ready to accept it.”

“Will do!”

With that, the Vice Commander stepped through the portal first, and I rose to follow the Martial God.

But instead of going through, the Martial God muttered something and looked back at me. For a brief moment, I thought I saw his eyes flash red.

“You’re a lot like me, friend.”

That eerie energy froze me in place. Though his face held a warm smile, his gaze unmistakably conveyed murderous intent.

For a second, we stood in silence, until the Martial God broke it by giving me a thumbs-up. Then he ran after the Vice Commander as if nothing had happened.

“Hey! Wait up, Vice Commander!”

“Idiot! How many times have I told you not to throw your arm around me with that massive frame?!”

“Ah, come on! You can take it!”

Laughing boisterously, the Martial God threw an arm over the Vice Commander’s shoulder, who grumbled in response.

Was it just my imagination?

Despite lingering questions, I quietly followed behind them.