"Seraphelis, it’s time to show them your power," Ethan said.
The moment he gave the order, a system panel appeared in front of him, displaying that the Soul Servant had switched from passive mode to aggressive mode.
This time, Ethan only summoned Seraphelis to assist him, so the panel showed only her name.
[Soul Servant:]
[Seraphelis (Lv.500) || SSSR Rank || Passive → Aggressive || 10,000 MP]
Ethan was shocked. With Sera’s incredibly high level and rank, the cost to activate her aggressive mode was enormous—10,000 MP.
Ethan’s total MP was 15,400. If Seraphelis consumed 10,000 of it, that meant he’d only have 5,400 MP left.
But Ethan had high hopes for her. A level 500, SSSR-ranked Soul Servant had to be worth that massive cost.
Soon, chibi Sera floated in front of Ethan after receiving the MP supply and her master’s command.
Her small body began to glow a dazzling golden light, so bright that the Silver Star players had to raise their arms to shield their eyes.
Slowly, the light faded, revealing Seraphelis hovering above the ground—wearing a beautiful golden gown, a star-shaped crown, and holding a golden magic staff in her hand.
A mage? Forget that. She’s a goddess—she can be anything she wants.
But why did her Soul Servant form appear as a mage? Could that be her base class?
Not only Ethan, but even the Silver Star players could see Seraphelis clearly now.
The women looked jealous of her beauty and elegance, while the men were completely mesmerized by her divine grace and stunning figure.
"What kind of servant is that? I’ve never seen it before," asked one of the mages.
"That doesn’t matter. If we kill the master, the servant disappears," said the team leader firmly.
"Attack him now!" he shouted.
The order was given, and all of them charged toward Ethan. Ethan gripped his sword tightly, ready to fight back.
But before he could move, Sera stretched out her hand, her golden pupils glowing as she looked at Ethan.
Her expression said it clearly—she wanted him to leave this battle to her.
"Are you sure you can handle them?" Ethan asked.
"Yes. For me, they’re nothing but weaklings," Sera said confidently, surprising Ethan.
My three other Soul Servants never spoke to me before. Sera is different. It’s like she can adapt to player features while keeping her consciousness.
[Duration Aggressive Mode: ]
[23:59:43]
What? The aggressive mode lasts a whole day? That’s insane—massive power and long duration. What kind of monster did I summon?
Ethan realized just how lucky he was to have completed that side quest and obtained Seraphelis.
If someone else had gotten her instead, she might have become his worst nightmare later on.
Sera turned toward the five Silver Star players charging at her. Her sharp gaze fixed on them as she slammed her staff to the ground.
The ground trembled and split in two. From within the cracks, thousands of golden orbs burst out and gathered into a single point high in the sky.
Ethan stayed silent, eyes wide open, watching the golden light form above the forest sky.
What is she going to do with that much power?
The Silver Star players froze, staring up at the sky in horror.
Above them, a massive golden rune with ancient symbols spun clockwise, its size covering nearly the entire southeastern forest.
Every player in that forest witnessed the grand spectacle of the rune’s formation. The ancient letters rotated slowly, completely under Seraphelis’s control.
"W-What is that?!" the Silver Star mage shouted.
"This is bad—she’s going to destroy the entire forest!" yelled the team leader, panicking.
"Run!" he shouted.
"Too late," Sera said coldly.
Her body rose into the air, hovering right before the glowing rune.
With a motion of her hand, she unleashed a colossal golden beam that blasted toward the Silver Star players.
The beam’s heat was unbearable. The forest floor blackened instantly, trees erupted into flames, and the entire southeastern forest turned into a blazing inferno.
Ethan watched in disbelief, but the heatwave spread too fast. He had no choice but to take cover.
He stabbed his sword into the ground, activating his shield defense, trying to withstand the scorching heat from Seraphelis’s attack.
That power... it’s terrifying.
Within seconds, every member of Silver Star’s team was vaporized—burned to ash instantly.
None of them could escape the golden light, as if it were divine punishment cast down by a god.
Other nearby players fled in terror, evacuating themselves from the forest.
Monsters trapped inside weren’t so lucky; they either burned alive or were completely annihilated by the golden beam.
In less than ten minutes, the entire southeastern forest had become a sea of fire.
From afar, players could see the massive blaze and started heading there to investigate.
Ethan, still inside the forest, collapsed to his knees, his body covered in burns.
The aftershock of Seraphelis’s power left him dehydrated, his throat dry and his body trembling in pain.
"Ethan?" Sera called softly.
Through his blurred vision, Ethan saw the devastation—the forest reduced to ashes, black smoke rising into the sky.
Sera realized what she’d done. Her power had hurt her master.
"A-Are you alright? I’m sorry—I didn’t mean to go that far. I just felt so happy because I—"
"Sera," Ethan whispered weakly, cutting her off.
"M-Master?" she asked, her voice trembling.
"That... was incredible power."
COUGH!
Ethan coughed hard, blood spilling from his mouth. His vision grew dim, and his strength failed him. Sera’s panic rose.
If Ethan died, no one could protect her.
"P-Please hold on! I’ll heal you all!"
Moments later, Ethan lost consciousness, critically injured. Lara and the others were also affected, though not as severely thanks to Ethan’s protection.
Sera grew desperate. She could sense multiple people approaching the area.
If they found Ethan and his team in this state, they’d surely kill him.
Without waiting for orders, she carried Ethan and the others away from the burning forest, flying north.
She was determined to keep them safe, far from the chaos.
"Don’t worry, Ethan. I’ll heal you and your friends."
***
The next day.
Duqu Village.
"Ethan’s still not awake?" Lara asked.
Luca shook her head, sitting beside Ethan’s bed, where he lay unconscious.
"He’s badly hurt from yesterday’s incident. If it weren’t for Sera, we’d probably be dead," Lara said.
"Where is she?" Luca asked.
"She’s up in the sky above the village, watching the area. She’s making sure no players come near to threaten Ethan," Lara replied.
"He’s lucky to have such a powerful servant—especially since she’s the Goddess of Light, one of the gods we’re supposed to kill," Lara said.
"To kill her? I doubt we could. She’d probably be the one to kill us," Luca answered.
"I agree."
Not long after, Ethan’s fingers twitched. Slowly, his eyes opened, adjusting to the light.
The first thing he saw was the ceiling, then Luca, then Lara.
"You guys?" he muttered.
"Thank goodness you’re awake," Luca said.
Ethan looked at her. "Thanks for healing me, Luca."
"It wasn’t me," Luca replied.
"Then who?"
"Your goddess—Seraphelis. She healed all of us," Lara explained.
Ethan’s eyes widened. Lara had said it casually, but those words—goddess and Seraphelis—hit him hard. His sharp gaze turned toward them.
"Goddess? You know Seraphelis’s identity?" he asked sternly.
"Of course. She told us herself," Lara said.
"So, tell us, Ethan," Lara teased, "where did you even find a woman like her?"
Lara and Luca laughed, but Ethan didn’t. He knew exactly what it meant for others to know who Seraphelis truly was.
In a deadly game where every player sought escape, information like that could start a massacre.
If word spread about Seraphelis, players would band together to kill her. And if that happened, Ethan’s chances of survival would vanish.
"Listen, both of you."
"If either of you leaks Seraphelis’s identity to anyone, I’ll kill you."
"E-Ethan?" Luca gasped.
"I mean it. Even if you’re my teammates—I won’t hesitate. My life is worth more than yours."
"Do you understand?"