LOGINLia's POVEarly the next morning, Lia was soaking in the bathtub.The water was warm, but her mind was anything but calm. Endless possibilities ran through her head as she pieced together everything that had happened—the church, the border report, and the mysterious illness that had begun spreading.A knock at the door cut through her thoughts.She paused for a few seconds without moving.This wasn't the kind of place people visited.She had no neighbors she spoke to, no personal connections, and no logical reason for anyone to be standing outside her door at this hour.She slowly stepped out of the tub and activated her enhanced vision, looking through the door without opening it.Leonard.Standing outside in dark clothing, the lower half of his face hidden behind a mask.She stared at him for a moment.How did he find my house?She deactivated her enhanced vision, returned to the bathtub without the slightest concern, and calmly finished what she had been doing.Outside, Leonard nev
Lia's POVNight had fully settled over the city by the time Lia finally left the base.This time, she didn't head straight home.Instead, she walked silently through the narrow alleys, her eyes tracking the guards patrolling the top of the walls. Since news of the illness had spread, the number of checkpoints throughout the city had doubled, and the gates were under tighter surveillance than ever.That wasn't a problem for her.She reached the rear edge of the outer district and stopped beside an old stone wall overgrown with dry vines. She glanced upward for a moment before drawing a thin strand of mana between her fingers.A remnant of her previous use of mana stones.She anchored it silently.Then she pulled herself upward with effortless precision.She landed atop the outer wall without making a sound.The cold wind struck her face immediately.Beyond the walls, the darkness was far deeper.No lights.No human voices.Only the endless forest stretching into the distance and the he
Lia's POVLia left the base shortly after the nightly reports had concluded.There was nothing official preventing her from leaving, nor was there any reason for anyone to question her. Her movements within the Corps were always considered part of reconnaissance and investigative operations, especially after what had happened during the last mission.The air outside the Walls was colder than usual.Behind her, the city gradually sank into the stillness of the night, but Lia never slowed down.She continued walking until she reached the small house she rented on the outskirts of the inner district.The place was simple.A single room.A narrow window.And only the essential furniture.Nothing suggested she had lived there for long, and nothing tied her to the place beyond necessity.She had chosen it specifically to avoid attracting attention.She closed the door behind her without looking back.Then she stopped in the middle of the room.Walking over to the small table, she placed her
Lia's POVThey returned with the first light of dawn, encountering nothing on the way back.The forest that had been a battlefield only hours earlier now stood silent, as though everything that had happened there had been nothing more than a passing disturbance. The evidence of the battle remained scattered across the ground—broken tree trunks, bloodstains that had yet to dry, and pieces of abandoned equipment left behind by soldiers who never returned.No one spoke during the journey.Leonard walked at the front with steady steps despite the exhaustion written across his body and the damage to his uniform. Behind him, the remaining members of the squad followed in silence. Their numbers had been noticeably reduced. Some dragged themselves forward despite their injuries, while others carried nothing but a heavy silence.Lia walked near the middle of the formation.Her expression had not changed since the mission began. The same calmness. The same focus. Yet her eyes constantly scanned
The night passed after the first chaotic hours of the battle.The campfires had grown smaller. The firewood was running low, and the soldiers took turns standing guard without exchanging more than a few words. The bodies had been buried near the edge of the rocky area as quickly as possible, without ceremonies or pauses.Their numbers were smaller now.The survivors were scattered around the fire. Some sat in silence, some lay down, and others tried to sleep despite their exhaustion.Lia had remained beside the same rock for a long time.Her back rested against it, one knee drawn up, a metal canteen held loosely in her hands. She wasn't drinking anymore.Her eyes drifted between the flames and the darkness.No conversation.No unnecessary movement.Eileen had fallen asleep beside her. Her head rested against her knee, and a blanket covered half of her body. Her breathing was slow and steady.On the opposite side of the camp, Leonard stood at the edge of the firelight. He watched the f
The crimson eyes remained fixed within the darkness as the mana surrounding the area surged to a suffocating level, making even breathing feel heavier.Leonard immediately tightened his grip on his sword."Fall back."But Lia didn't move.She stared silently at the figure, trying to make out its true form among the towering trees.Then it moved.Just one step.The ground trembled beneath their feet.The earth split apart near the tree trunks, dried leaves rained down from above, and a deep, thunderous sound echoed through the forest.Leonard clenched his jaw."That's not an ordinary Titan."Lia didn't answer.Because she felt something far worse.That pressure...It wasn't coming from its body alone.It was coming from its core.An enormous core.Complex.Completely alive.Then another explosion erupted from the direction of the camp.This time, unmistakable screams followed.Leonard reacted immediately.The grappling hooks from his maneuver gear shot toward the trees, but he stopped
It was an imposing procession consisting of 136 Three-Star cultivators and 20 Four-Star cultivators, led by a Royal Cultivator (King Realm – Five Stars) in the early stage.It was obvious that the Kingdom of Glisyora was serious about avenging its eldest princess.Lia sighed in irritation before st
This time, Lia slept deeply without nightmares.When she woke up, Max had already left.She spent nearly an hour thinking about the events of the previous night.Lia got up, went through her routine, and then headed downstairs for breakfast."Good morning, my lady. I hope you had a pleasant night's
Leah was sitting in front of the dressing table, staring through the mirror at that intruder relaxing in her room…She lifted a towel and began slowly drying her wet strands of hair, absentmindedly.Suddenly—She stopped.Large hands gently took the towel from between her fingers, taking over the t
Max returned this time to the palace in the capital of the First World… but he was not alone.The gates opened slowly, their creaking echoing through the vast courtyard as he walked in with calm, steady steps. In his arms was a young girl—Leah. Her head rested against his chest, her breathing stead







