In the dim room, the wavering firelight looked painfully bright.

By the time the white-robed man recovered from his shock, the flame had already filled his sight.

"A cantrip... Fire Bolt?"

The white-robed man's brow lifted at the familiar opening gesture.

He understood Fire Bolt's power too well.

Because of that, he was not afraid. If anything, Roland's ability to cast cantrips made him more interested.

His thoughts moved, but his body did not pause.

Fire Bolt might be limited in power, but it still shared the same origin as spells. In his current weakened state, taking it head-on would be foolish.

He was about to turn sideways and dodge when the firelight at Roland's fingertip suddenly swelled.

In the blink of an eye, the weak flame expanded into a fireball the size of a palm.

"How is that possible? That is clearly only a can..."

His horrified thought had not faded before his pupils contracted. The ball of fire seized his vision completely.

That was his phylactery.

The outline shaped by the flames was exact down to the smallest detail. Even the ancient etched patterns on the box's surface were visible, like someone had projected his soul vessel directly into the firelight.

He should have grown alert.

He should have looked away at once.

But the rhythm of the flame was a hypnotic incantation, dragging his consciousness down inch by inch.

"No... this is impossible..."

His voice came out hoarse and weak.

Reason screamed danger, but his body seemed bound by invisible threads. He could not even move his fingertips.

The fireball expanded endlessly in his vision until it filled his world.

His will to resist was stripped away layer by layer.

His thoughts sank into chaos, leaving only one idea echoing in his mind.

"That flame... is my phylactery... no!"

"It's mental control!"

His mental barrier shook with a roar, crushing the invading charm by force.

But when the white-robed man refocused, the blazing fireball had already finished charging.

Too late.

Orange-red light washed across his pale face. The compressed flame had locked onto his entire figure.

In a life-and-death clash, one breath of distraction was enough to die.

But no panic appeared on the white-robed man's face. The corner of his mouth lifted.

"How... interesting..."

The whisper had barely left him when the firelight burst with a roar.

Scorching air swept through the room, swallowing everything in flame.

Wooden tables and chairs warped in the heat. Paintings on the walls turned to ash in an instant. Even the window glass shattered under the violent change in temperature, sending shards flying in every direction.

Thick smoke rolled toward the ceiling, then the explosive wave of flame drove it back, forming a burning vortex in the cramped space.

Fire surged, hot wind howled, and Roland's robes snapped wildly in the blast.

He narrowed his eyes, staring through the heated air at the figure engulfed by the flames.

Strangely, the white-robed man did not burn.

He dissolved like ink dropped into water.

That spirit-like shell twisted and deformed in the high heat. It looked like thin gauze being torn apart by an invisible hand, the edges collapsing into fine points of light that drifted away.

Then, in a burst of blinding light, the body exploded.

No flesh flew. No scream rang out. Only countless crystalline fragments scattered like broken glass.

Among the fragments dancing through the air, a bright object flickered in and out of sight.

"Clink!"

It fell to the floor with a clear sound.

"Is it over?"

Roland swept his gaze over every inch of the room. Only after confirming there was no further movement did his taut nerves ease a little.

Because his Spirit had risen greatly after taking up [Juggler], this Fire Bolt carried roughly the same power as the first one, but it had not emptied his Spirit completely.

Roland exhaled, steadied himself, and stepped forward. He bent down and picked up the shiny object lying on the floor.

The instant his fingertips touched it, he felt cool metal.

He frowned, lifted it before his eyes, and examined it closely.

"A... pendant?"

A thin silver chain dangled between his fingers. The pendant's main body was a teardrop-shaped piece of obsidian, its surface threaded with dense dark red lines like congealed blood.

When the light shifted, the outline of a fine pattern appeared deep inside the stone's core.

It had not formed naturally.

"Inside this... are inscribed Spell Circuits?"

While Roland focused on the pendant, a faint buzzing sounded beside his ear.

At first, it was like tiny wings beating near him. In the next instant, the sound swelled and burst.

With a soft pop, it felt like someone had pierced a bubble beside his eardrum.

His whole body trembled. Some invisible blockage had been yanked out of both ears.

The world that had been unnervingly silent flooded with sound.

Wind rustled through grass. Weapons clanged in the distance. Faint battle cries carried the smell of blood.

"This is..."

Roland's pupils contracted, and his fingers tightened around the pendant.

So the silence had not been real. Some power had covered his five senses.

He shook his head and looked toward the shouting and clash of steel.

The sounds came from the harbor.

Beneath the dim sky, white-robed figures fought the dark-blue-uniformed guards of Far Harbor.

Blades flashed and swords crossed. The white-robed figures retreated step by step. Clearly, the guards held the upper hand.

"What exactly happened..."

Roland was still frowning when something cut through the air beside him.

He stuffed the pendant into his chest pocket, and his right hand closed around the hilt at his waist.

Before he could identify the source, a clear voice called from the side.

"Sorry, sorry! Roland! Are you all right?"

"Crash!"

Broken glass scattered as a slender figure flipped in through the shattered window.

Against the dusky evening light, Roland narrowed his eyes.

The newcomer was a girl.

Beneath her short brown hair was a face too delicate to look ordinary.

Dust clung to her round cheeks, and her parted lips drew quick breaths.

Most striking were her eyes. They glowed faintly, bright in the darkened room.

When she turned her head, Roland noticed her ears.

They were sharper than an ordinary person's, the rims almost translucent.

His body tensed at once.

"An Elf?"

Before Roland could ask, the girl swept her gaze around the room and finally locked onto his face.

"Thank goodness, Roland! You're still alive!"

She bounced forward, short brown hair swaying.

"If something happened to you, I really wouldn't know how to explain it to Mr. Colin."

Roland took half a step back, his right hand still on his sword hilt.

"Who are you?"

"You're still as cautious as ever..."

Seeing his guard remain up, the girl sighed.

Then she placed her left hand before her chest and performed a strange but elegant salute.

"Avril Starwhisper, current field agent of the River Kingdoms' Shadow Veil organization."

"Shadow Veil?"

Roland ignored the unfamiliar term for now. His wary gaze stayed on Avril.

"So you are..."

"Mr. Colin sent me to protect you."

Avril scratched her head, embarrassed, and the tips of her pointed ears reddened.

"It's just..."

She gave him an awkward smile.

"I didn't expect that guy to be proficient in mental spells and able to use secret arts to create substitutes..."

The Elf girl's voice grew smaller.

"So just now... he lured me somewhere else..."

"Wait."

Roland's brow drew tight, and his gaze turned toward the place where the mysterious white-robed man had turned to ash.

"You're saying... he was only a substitute?"

"That's right!"

Avril nodded hard.

"Before this, the other members of Shadow Veil and I fought him..."

At that point, uncertainty entered her voice.

"Although I don't know whether the one we fought back then was also one of his avatars, he was much stronger than the ones that appeared in Far Harbor..."

Even stronger?

Roland's expression turned grave.

Immune to physical damage. Terrifying speed. Experienced combat technique. Secret arts for mental attacks.

Recalling the mountain of corpses and sea of blood from the illusion, Roland drew a deep breath.

Without [Steel Will], he would probably have become the man's plaything in an instant.

And that strength was not even his full power.

Roland thought of the desire-filled way the white-robed man had looked at him. He still did not know what the other party wanted, but one thing was clear.

He had been marked.

Roland lowered his voice. "Then do you know anything specific about this person?"

Avril shook her head.

"I only know he's the mastermind behind the Church of Truth. As for the rest..."

"I understand."

Avril had already revealed plenty, but the doubt on Roland's face had not disappeared.

An idea seemed to come to her. She raised her right hand, then used her left to take an item from the leather pouch at her waist.

It was a uniquely shaped badge.

Crystal tinged blue and red had been carved into the pattern of a shell, its surface carrying an unusual luster beneath the sunset.

"Now... you should believe me, right?"

Roland's eyes shifted.

This badge was almost identical to the token Colin had given him, differing only in a few details of the pattern.

The warm texture and shifting light of the material were not something an ordinary craftsman could imitate.

Roland relaxed a little, but his right hand still held the sword hilt. Without drawing attention to it, he took half a step back and kept a safe distance from Avril.

The badge looked real, but until he fully confirmed her identity, he would not lower his guard.

"So... what exactly happened here?"

Seeing that Roland had eased up at least somewhat, Avril released a long breath and gave him a bright smile.

"It's all part of Mr. Colin and His Majesty Morne's plan!"

She gestured with both hands, doing her best to explain.

"The Church of Truth has been causing trouble in the Golden Valley Kingdom and the River Kingdoms for years, so this time they deliberately set up a trap to lure them to Far Harbor and wipe them out in one sweep!"

Plans. Schemes. The Church of Truth.

Roland was turning those pieces over when Avril suddenly leaned closer and clasped her hands in a pleading gesture.

"Please, Roland!"

She tilted her head, pointed ears trembling slightly.

"For the sake of me selling you Devilfish at a low price before..."

"Wait."

Roland frowned and cut her off.

"You said... Devilfish?"

"Of course!"

Avril smiled slyly and cleared her throat.

The next moment, her clear voice changed into a rough woman's voice.

"Back again, young man? A fresh batch of Devilfish came in today, and I saved some just for you!"

That familiar voice made Roland's expression shift.

He stared at the slender girl in disbelief, unable to connect her with Jenny, the burly fishwife with a pockmarked face in his memory.

But the facts were in front of him.

Not even Darco knew about his Devilfish transaction with Jenny.

The Church of Truth would not investigate such a trivial matter just to set him up.

Roland's gaze sharpened.

One clue after another linked together in his mind.

King Morne suddenly changing his itinerary to visit Far Harbor.

The strict city gate guards inexplicably relaxing after the king's arrival.

Avril disguising herself as a fishwife and selling Devilfish to the Church of Truth.

The meaningful warnings Gundar and Colin had given before leaving.

And perhaps other details he had missed.

Every piece confirmed that Avril was telling the truth.

"So..."

Roland recalled the pleased surprise in the mysterious white-robed man's eyes when he saw him, and sighed.

"I'm just the unlucky person who happened to get dragged into this?"

"You really are... a little unlucky..."

Avril stuck out her tongue, frustration showing on her face.

"The Church of Truth's target was definitely His Majesty Morne. But according to the plan, His Majesty Morne would go to the seaside at dusk to hold a treasure-digging event."

"So although Mr. Colin asked me to protect you, he didn't make many extra arrangements at Sea Pearl Hall."

"Who could have expected that the church leader would actually..."

She explained her mistake again, then looked at Roland with violet eyes full of expectation.

"So, Roland... could you not tell Mr. Colin about my mistake at Sea Pearl Hall?"

"I only just joined Shadow Veil as a Ranger, and I'm still in the assessment period..."

"Ranger?"

Roland's eyes widened, and he studied the girl in front of him more carefully.

He clearly remembered Bronson saying that Rangers were one of the few Transcendent Professionals still existing in the present world.

"Hahaha..."

Seeing Roland's shock, Avril laughed and proudly lifted her chest.

"Only an apprentice. An apprentice Ranger!"

"So, Roland, could you..."

Roland raised a hand and interrupted her. Then he looked around.

The room was blackened by smoke and scorched by fire.

He shook his head helplessly.

The matter had already happened. Being harsh about it now would solve nothing.

He could hardly draw his Mithril longsword and kill the Elf girl in front of him just to vent his anger.

Aside from a moment of satisfaction, that would bring no benefit.

It would be better to make her owe him a favor.

After all, he would go to the River Kingdoms sooner or later. In unfamiliar territory, he might need this Elf girl's help.

Not to mention, she was a Transcendent Professional about to officially become a Ranger.

No matter how he calculated it, that was far more valuable than blaming her or tattling.

Roland raised his head and looked straight into Avril's faintly glowing violet eyes.

"I can agree, but..."

"But what?"

Avril's ears perked up at once.

"You owe me a favor. If I need something in the future..."

"No problem!"

Before Roland could finish, Avril raised both hands and agreed cheerfully.

"Back when I sold you those Devilfish, I knew you were the best, Roland!"

Her smile shone bright, the tension and worry from before gone.

"So... how is the situation now?"

At Roland's question, Avril tilted her head and looked out the window.

"His Majesty Morne and Mr. Colin originally planned everything very thoroughly. In theory, it should have ended long ago. But who could have expected the mastermind behind the scenes could even drive monsters?"

"Drive monsters?"

Roland frowned and followed Avril's gaze.

The next second, his pupils contracted.

On the other side of the harbor, a group of monsters with human bodies and fish faces brandished rusted tridents, roaring as they fought the guards.

The guards were well trained and coordinated smoothly, forcing the fishmen back step by step. Even so, the smell of blood in the air and the screams rising one after another made Roland's heart sink.

What truly caught his breath, however, was the scene rising in the distance.

Beyond layer after layer of rooftops, several enormous purple-red tentacles broke out of the water. Each was as thick as the trunk of an ancient giant tree, its surface covered in vicious suckers and slime, wet and slick under the dusk.

They twisted toward the sky, blocking the light and breaking the sunset into scattered fragments.

With the tentacles' appearance, the entire harbor began to tremble.

Far-off wooden crates and cargo at the docks rolled into the sea one after another. Moored ships were thrown by huge waves into collisions with each other, and the sharp cracks of breaking masts rang out without end.

"What... is that thing?"

Looking at the writhing tentacles in the distance, Roland felt his throat tighten.