Current Thoughts: He's become way too perceptive… I can't read his face anymore.
Frey smiled as he read her thoughts.
His poker face had become so refined that even Sansa's unique ability to read expressions no longer worked on him.
"You're unusually quiet. Are you okay? Did something happen?"
Her pitch-black eyes met his as she asked.
"I'm perfectly fine."
And for once, he meant it.
He felt more at ease than ever, occasionally glancing at the thoughts of Sansa and Danzo.
Having come to terms with himself, he'd reached a point where there was no longer any pressure ... no unnecessary thoughts weighing him down.
He had thrown everything over his shoulder… and now, he was focused only on what lay ahead.
Frey had begun living his life to the fullest… fully aware that it could end at any moment.
Later that same day, Frey wandered alone through the temple streets.
Lately, all eyes had been on him following his sudden spike in strength, so he made sure not to do anything suspicious. As a result, his days passed quietly.
The only ripple in that calm was the message that appeared on the system's interface.
A new mission had been added to the list:
Main Mission: Survive the Hunt
(Reward: 10,000 Achievement Points)
Frey didn't understand what "the hunt" referred to ... but the reward wasn't a joke. It matched the final mission's prize from before… which meant it wouldn't be easy.
Was it from the Ultras, with the impending war looming ever closer?
Or from the Church, which had begun isolating itself from the rest of the Empire?
Or perhaps… something else entirely—an unseen threat?
So many possibilities. But all led to danger.
Far from the Empire ..
On the other side of the world, deep within one of the Ultras' top-tier Blood Cities…
A place unlike the barren plains beyond its walls.
A city so advanced, it could rival the imperial capital of Belgrad.
And just beyond its towering skyscrapers and endless steel structures, stood a secluded fortress—isolated from the rest of the city.
The main stronghold of one of the Four Lords of the Ultras:
Gavid Lindman, the Aether Wielder.
Dressed in his usual sharp suit, with perfectly combed hair and a pair of reading glasses that made him appear like an intelligent aristocrat, Gavid silently observed the young man beyond the reinforced glass wall—untouched by the chaos within.
The castle was anything but quiet today.
The agonized screams of the young man inside echoed violently through every corner of the chamber.
The masked warrior, V—the Moonlight Blade bearer—thrashed wildly, trapped in a sea of black fire that devoured him from the inside out.
Faced with such torment, all V could do was scream… until even his voice faded into silence.
His battered condition was proof of how long he had been enduring the infernal trial.
Gavid Lindman continued to watch with zero emotion ... patiently waiting for the final result he sought.
"How cold of you, Lindman."
A third voice echoed from the shadows, pulling Gavid's gaze from the glass.
From the dark corner stepped in a massive intruder with a chilling smile across his face.
His body was wrapped in black bandages from head to toe, hiding whatever lay beneath… though they failed to conceal the ominous glow of his crimson eyes.
Gavid turned cautiously, resting his hand on the hilt of his sword.
"Are you really taking a stance against a mere Empyrean, oh mighty Lord?"
Gvardiol sneered, his laughter hissing like a serpent's breath.
Gavid didn't rise to the bait.
"I came as a messenger. To inform you that the operation will begin soon."
"You traveled all this way just to say that?"
Normally, Gavid Lindman would have kicked Gvardiol out without hesitation.
But this time, he held back—he could feel the pressure rolling off him.
A raging aura… one that matched his own, an SS class power.
"I hear the next Kazis Valerion has appeared inside the Empire,"
Gvardiol said, glancing at V, who writhed behind the barrier.
Gavid answered bluntly. Gvardiol continued:
"And the new Abraham Starlight has made his appearance too."
Yet the news, which should have unsettled Gvardiol, did nothing of the sort. If anything, he seemed… thrilled.
Both men shared the same thought:
Snow Lionheart and Frey Starlight? Their potential means nothing… so long as they're killed early.
"But what a shame…" Gvardiol chuckled, licking his lips.
"Your little Empyrean can't enter Helmond, can he?"
Gvardiol laughed mockingly as he unleashed his aura ..
The unmistakable pressure of an SS rank warrior.
Gavid narrowed his eyes at the monster before him.
With that level of strength, Gvardiol now stood among the Lords and the Hollows—officially making him the strongest Empyrean alive.
And it was all because of one thing:
That horn protruding from the back of his head.
As if reading Lindman's thoughts, Gvardiol left a note atop the nearby table before slowly sinking into his shadow.
"Don't be too bitter, old lord," he said with a sneer.
"We were forged from different materials… that's all."
And with those parting words, Gvardiol vanished completely.
Gavid Lindman cursed, retrieving the note and tucking it into his coat before returning to V.
Gvardiol had always been an enigma—an anomaly that defied logic.
His meteoric rise in strength had raised more questions than answers.
Barely a year ago, he was just an S-rank…
How had he broken through so quickly?
The answer was simple:
Half-human, half-demon.
Helmond—the demon realm and their homeworld—was a place no ordinary human below SSS-rank could survive, not even for a minute.
But those with demon blood… were different.
And that was the crucial point...
Just like Londor, time flows differently in Helmond.
"The Empire will lose this time…"
Gavid muttered, face blank.
"Because the seal they so proudly relied on… was broken long ago."
The barrier left behind by Kazis Valerion .. shattered into pieces.
In other words, there was no escape anymore.
The Earth now stood exposed… once again at the jaws of the beast.
And Gvardiol had taken full advantage of that.
He trained in Helmond for a long time… then returned.
Now an SS-rank monster ..
Announcing that the horrors of the war from over 300 years ago…
Were about to return.