Henrik shot Roger a resentful glance before sprinting away. From afar, Roger could faintly hear words like "cross-species" and "man and beast."
"Stay here. If it really is that woman, don’t hesitate—leave as fast as you can." Roger warned repeatedly.
Hearing his words, Amanda remained silent, her gaze firm and unwavering.
With a shift in focus, Roger appeared in an instant near the suspension bridge at the base of Kaer Morhen. A brief glance was all it took for his heart to sink to rock bottom.
Kaer Morhen, hidden deep within the forest and cloaked in mist, was impervious to ordinary people. Even Transcendents with significant power couldn’t enter by accident without guidance.
But none of that mattered now. What truly mattered were the injuries on Hillrenes’ body—injuries that should have made it impossible for her to leave Everworld.
To his astonishment, Hillrenes didn’t attack immediately. She stood at the edge of the suspension bridge, her gaze drifting past Roger, scrutinizing the distant peaks and the castle beyond.
"How did you find this place?"
Roger’s voice was low and guarded.
"After all, it was once a part of me. What little remnants remained, though faint and fleeting, were enough for me to track down this trace."
Roger fixed his sharp gaze on the beautiful woman before him, scrutinizing every inch of her without missing a single detail. Strangely, he couldn’t sense even the slightest ripple of power from her.
She was like any ordinary human.
Roger spread open his right hand, and tendrils of black mist rose from the Abyss below, swirling and condensing in his palm.
Black Moon manifested.
Every muscle in his body tensed as power surged through him. Roger was on high alert, ready for combat at any moment.
"I didn’t come here today to fight you."
"I only have one purpose."
"Do you wish to ascend to the Fifth Tier?" She looked at Roger.
"You do something for me, and I’ll give you everything you desire."
Roger furrowed his brow. His expression didn’t relax in the slightest. Instead, he tightened his grip on Black Moon.
He had already made up his mind. No matter what Hillrenes did next, he would strike her down with a single slash without hesitation.
Meanwhile, in a room perched on the mountain, Henrik and Amanda were tensely watching the distant scene unfold.
"Roger said that woman is a dragon." Gone was Henrik’s earlier casual demeanor. His face was now grave, fully grasping the gravity of the situation. His previous antics had been nothing more than deliberate pretense.
"Can you sense anything?" Henrik asked.
As a Dragonborn, Amanda had a unique insight that set her apart from the others.
Amanda shook her head solemnly, her expression heavy, "I can’t sense a thing. That woman doesn’t carry any trace of a dragon’s aura."
Henrik slowly clenched his fists.
"Is it going to turn into a fight?!"
His face was taut with nerves. "That’s a dragon—a terrifying creature that only exists in legends!"
Henrik’s heart pounded like a drum. He didn’t even notice how hoarse his voice had become—a natural reaction to extreme tension.
"She raised her hand... Exhale... She rested her hand on her shoulder..."
Henrik’s voice grew shrill, as though someone had grabbed him by the throat.
"Why is she taking her clothes off??"
In that instant, not only Henrik but even Roger thought his eyes had deceived him.
"What the hell... what’s going on?"