While descending the underground stairs.
I sensed that the atmosphere was different from usual.

There was always a cool draft down here.
But tonight, it was oppressively humid.

No, it went beyond humid and felt damp.
As if I had stepped into an underwater cavern.

To change the atmosphere of enemy territory so freely.
The intruder who entered the underground must be highly skilled.

The entrance to Basement Level 2 was tightly shut.
I turned the doorknob and stepped into the corridor.

“……”

Surprisingly, Basement Level 2 looked perfectly intact.
Then why was there that strange humidity only on the stairs?

Moreover, there had been a massive explosion here just moments ago.
Yet there wasn’t a single sign of destruction.

‘This is strange.’

I moved forward cautiously.
In the silent space, only the sound of my shoes echoed softly.

‘Hm?’

While walking, I suddenly stopped at the changed appearance of the corridor.

The assassin corpses that had been strewn across the floor.
They were gone, even though Myoran had been controlling them and I hadn’t cleaned them up.

I slowly looked around.
And then, the moment I raised my gaze to the ceiling with instincts from my days as an assassin lord.

“Grrrrrk……!!”

Two assassin corpses were stuck to the ceiling like spiders.
Grotesquely, as if something had possessed them.

The moment our eyes met, they dropped down rapidly.
I dodged instinctively, but after landing, they chased me with chilling movements.

‘This is different from when Myoran controlled them.’

Back then, they felt like puppets.
Now it felt like something had fully possessed them.

They even seemed to have developed egos, using intelligence.

They split to both sides and pursued me madly.

With no other choice, I ran toward the stairs.
And just as I barely managed to slam the door shut……!!

“……”

Strangely, the cries of the monsters stopped completely.
As if nothing had happened at all.

“What is going on?”

I cracked the door open again.
To my shock, the underground corridor was perfectly normal.

The corpses that had been crawling on all fours were gone.
The boxes they had smashed while chasing me were restored.

That was when I began to realize it.
What I had just seen was some kind of illusion.

‘Black magic.’

In the past, among Duke Tuten’s allies, there had been the Black Tower.
Their specialty was distorting familiar spaces like this to set traps.

‘They’re trying to block all access until Myoran is subdued.’

Judging by how everything reset whenever the door was opened or closed,
I had to distinguish the traps from the real corridor.

‘Now that I know the principle, shall we try again?’

With a resolute expression, I entered the corridor once more.
Thankfully, this time the assassin corpses were lying still.

The boxes were neatly against the walls.
The floor was clean and intact……

Wait.
The floor shouldn’t be clean.

Just before stepping onto the polished brick tiles,
I hurriedly stepped back.

The bloodstains were gone.
I had only cleaned Myoran’s cell, so this place should still be filthy.

I picked up a small stone from the floor.
Then tossed it lightly onto the spotless ground.

Rumble―――.

The instant the stone touched the surface.
The floor began to collapse immediately.

Thanks to retreating quickly, I barely made it back to the stair entrance.
If I had stepped on it carelessly, I would have fallen straight down.

“Whew.”

Good. I dodged two traps so far.
Now, let’s open the door and go in again.

This time, even the familiar bloodstains were properly drawn.
The assassin corpses and boxes were all in place.

‘Is this really the real corridor this time?’

I advanced cautiously and safely arrived in front of the solitary cell.
Just as I grabbed the doorknob.

A small sound came from the entrance behind me.
As if something massive was approaching.

“……?”

With narrowed eyes, I stared at the door leading to the stairs.

The ground was shaking.
No, it wasn’t just shaking, it was convulsing violently.

And then, the door shattered completely.
An uncontrollable sea of red blood surged toward me.

‘What kind of pattern is this?!’

Up until now, staying there had been safe.
But now the trap started from the opposite side.

There was nowhere to run.
With no other option, I flung open the cell door and jumped inside.

At that moment.
My body began to plummet downward rapidly.

“Ghk……!!”

The senses of an assassin lord and the body of a swordmaster.
Thanks to those two passives, I barely managed to grab onto the edge.

When I looked down with difficulty, Myoran’s cell had……
Turned into a dizzying cliff with no visible bottom.

The surging red torrent sapped the strength from my fingers.
Even so, I clung on desperately and focused my mana.

Whoooosh――.

Fortunately, all the water flowed down into the abyss.
I barely managed to climb up and collapse onto the d*mned fake corridor.

‘The pattern changed again.’

Right.
The traps have to be at least this level to deal with Myoran.
No wonder the Archduke secretly allied with them behind the Emperor’s back.

The cell I was aiming for had become a cliff,
And the starting point had turned into a trap.

Was this a pattern designed to guarantee death?

No.
No matter the magic, there is always a way to break it.
This fake corridor must also have an escape.

I returned to the entrance where blood had poured out earlier.
Opening and closing the door again, the corridor thankfully reset to normal.

Bloodstains.
Corpses.
Boxes.

Everything was unchanged.

And when I stopped in front of Myoran’s cell once more.
The same sound of waves echoed again.

Goooo―――.

The door shattered and a crimson tide rushed in.
Reeking of such a vile stench it felt like my body would rot on contact.

There was nowhere to escape.
Which meant I had only one path left.

‘Break through the wave.’

The raging wave surged toward me.
I sprinted straight into it with all my strength.

The closer I got, the more deafening the current became.
Even so, I threw myself into it.

Splaash!!

My entire body felt like it was being torn apart.
Just like when confession magic had crushed me.

Even so, I focused all my mana and endured forcibly.

And then.

Something sparkling drifted within the torrent.
A golden, glowing object.

I squeezed out every ounce of strength and reached for it.

The uncontrollable current tossed me around violently.
But I was no amateur after countless regressions for survival.

Clenching my teeth, I barely managed to grab it.

“……”

The moment I obtained the glowing object, the crimson waves vanished instantly.
I had finally returned to the real prison.

Hiding the magical core inside the trap.
What a bunch of creepy b*stards.

Ignoring my throbbing body, I grabbed the cell’s doorknob.
And when I pulled it open with force, the sight that greeted me was――

Countless mirrors filling the solitary cell.
And at the center stood Myoran, motionless.

As if enchanted.

Before the warden entered.
The place was partially collapsed, thick dust floating in the air.

“So Duke Tuten had a reason for summoning me.”

A middle-aged man with a scar over one eye.
The Black Tower’s second-in-command watched the woman before him with interest.

“I thought you were just an ordinary woman, but to think you hid such immense power inside. I almost regret not realizing it when we first captured you.”

Myoran, a woman with decadent eyes.
She stared coldly at Kane, her natural enemy.

She had cut down most enemies in a single stroke with her refined swordsmanship.
But the black magician before her was no easy opponent.

He was one of the Empire’s powerhouses who had captured her before.
And the most troublesome master of black magic for someone with an unstable mind.

“You’re becoming one with the gem inside your body. Can you really handle it?”
“That’s none of your b*siness. You’re going to die here anyway.”

The Sword Saint raised her blade again.
Releasing overwhelming killing intent that once faced multiple knight commanders alone.

“Well, I’ll find out once I take you. Coincidentally, the family heads from the Eastern Continent who know you well have arrived.”

But the black magician Kane showed no reaction.
He had already trapped her multiple times.

“It must be frustrating, but don’t resent it too much. You’re just a foreigner ignorant of black magic.”

The man in a black robe raised his staff.
Ominous mana flickered from the black crystal embedded at its center.

“Go mad on your own and collapse.”

Dark fog enveloped Myoran.
And then.

Clones identical to her appeared and swung their swords.
Perfectly replicating the Sword Saint’s skill.

“Ugh……!!”

Even for her, fighting four clones of herself at once was impossible.
She barely blocked them, but openings inevitably formed.

As a result, shallow wounds appeared on both arms.

‘Now do you understand my importance, Myoran.’

As her breathing grew heavier, Cheonok’s voice echoed louder.

‘Without my power, you’re nothing more than a common swordswoman.’
“Be quiet, Wolseon…….”

‘If you accept Cheonok, you could rival the Alliance Lord. Why do you refuse?’
“Because I’ll obviously end up losing my body to you!!”

‘You were the one who swallowed me in the first place, Myoran.’

“……”

That was true.
She had taken Cheonok into her body to survive,
And thanks to it, she had grown strong quickly.

But what was the point of all that.
When she couldn’t even see through a single piece of otherworldly sorcery.

The last shred of sanity she was barely holding onto began to waver again.

If she were captured again, it wouldn’t end with prison this time.
She would be seized by the Alliance chasing her from the Eastern Continent and forcibly separated from Cheonok.

Her corpse would be left sprawled on the ground.
Just like her dead father and disciples……

“What a shame. If I had that technique, I would’ve split your body myself.”

The clones swung their swords again from all sides.
Having already spent considerable strength, she couldn’t block every attack.

“Now stay down quietly.”

If she failed to defend again, she would lose consciousness.
Instinctively realizing this, Myoran finally tried to speak.

‘Yes. It seems you’ve finally made up your mind.’

Cheonok waited with a satisfied voice.
Believing the moment had finally come.

However, at that instant.
All the clones rushing in froze simultaneously.

Then white cracks began spreading across their bodies.

Crack――.

“What…… how was it broken?”

Kane’s lips parted as he understood the meaning of the cracks.
Even Cheonok, on the verge of liberation, stared blankly.

Claaang―――!!

Before Myoran’s eyes, white mirror shards scattered beautifully.
The fog enveloping the cell vanished completely.

“How long are you going to keep swinging your sword at thin air?”

A familiar voice echoed from afar.
Myoran raised her head toward it.

“How exactly were you planning to beat mirrors at rock-paper-scissors?”

I smiled thinly with snake-like eyes.
After shattering every mirror the black magician had carefully set up.

“Warden……?”

Myoran’s chilling expression shifted into disbelief.
The man who kept appearing and stirring emotions dulled by repetition.
This time, even she let out a dry laugh.

However, the other two faces were utterly grim.

Kane had his magic seen through by a lowly so-called hooligan noble.
And Cheonok had lost the long-awaited chance at liberation.

“How dare a weak criminal see through my magic?”
‘You’re interfering again…….’

They both glared at me with killing intent.
But soon, they flinched under the overwhelming presence pressing down on them.

“Right now, where do you think you’re looking?”

The Sword Saint freed from illusion.
Her swamp-deep eyes were filled with vicious killing intent.

“It feels good to be clear-headed for once. I missed the feeling of cutting someone down.”

Myoran gently stroked the sword hilt stained with the blood of hundreds.
With a ferocious eye-smile, she stared at the black magician who had bound her.

“Want to try summoning clones again? I think I can tear them all apart this time.”

Her madness was so thick she could even recall the clone magic that had threatened her life.

“If that’s impossible, I’ll butcher you instead, Kane.”

Cold sweat ran down the Black Tower’s second-in-command as he faced the unleashed beast.
Even Cheonok slipped back quietly, as if claiming it had done nothing.

‘It’s 2 a.m., time to sleep.’

‘Wasn’t Cheonok supposed to be stronger at night?’

As I clasped my hands behind my back.
Jade-colored sword energy wrapped around Myoran’s blade.

“Tonight, I’ll take your head and send it to Tuten as a gift.”

The intense aura sent chills down even my arms.
This……

The prison isn’t going to collapse, is it?

The second-strongest magician of the Black Tower, Kane.
He knew Myoran well.

Even without borrowing Cheonok’s power,
She had once faced two knight commanders simultaneously like a monster.

No one could subdue her in a one-on-one fight.
That was why he prepared the black magic mirrors, forcing her to fight reflected clones of herself.

No matter how strong one was,
Fighting enemies that perfectly mimicked oneself was extremely difficult.

However, that magic required extensive preparation for how broken it was.
Mirrors had to be installed around the target, and no one could be allowed to touch them.

That was why he had assigned three elite knights to the warden and laid down trap sorcery as well……
So how did that d*mned ordinary man break through?

“No, no. Now’s not the time to think about that b*stard noble.”

Muttering to himself, the black magician grabbed his forehead
And decided to focus on the catastrophe before him.

Sword Saint Myoran.
The woman known as the greatest sword of the Central Plains.

“……”

Having already bound her once, he had planned to act alone and monopolize the bounty this time.
Only now did he realize how foolish that thought was.

“Yes. I must fight with the resolve to die as well.”

The middle-aged black magician raised his staff.
He began burning away his lifespan, focusing every nerve in his temples.

“Today, I’ll face you with the resolve that one of us will die.”

The lamps in the cell began to flicker.
Each time the light dimmed and brightened, something rose behind Kane.

The shadow of a massive, jet-black dragon.

“This sorcery can only be used by those who have reached the pinnacle of black magic.”

His lips twitched with confidence.
Having sacrificed half of his remaining lifespan, there was no retreat left.

The dragon-shaped shadow filled the underground cell.
Opening its jaws wide, it charged black breath.

A destructive output rarely seen even in previous cycles.
Yet instead of the flashy strike before her, Myoran glanced back at me.

“You said you wanted to draw your sword, didn’t you?”
“Huh? Ah, yeah, I did.”

Myoran spoke with dark jade eyes.

“There’s a similar technique in the Central Plains. I’ll show it to you.”

She sheathed her black sword.
Then, resting her hand on the hilt, she waited for the shadow dragon’s breath.

Kwaaang―――!!

A beam so intense the entire underground trembled erupted.
Worthy of its reputation for having destroyed an entire village.

But.

Myoran did not flinch before the oncoming beam.

As if calmly waiting for an opening.
This wasn’t the woman who usually swung her blade madly while consumed by insanity.

Even a mere hooligan noble had pierced through the black magician’s illusion.
If she, the Sword Saint, couldn’t surpass it, it would be laughable.

Green killing intent flared as she drew her black sword.
At the same time, she traced a perfect straight line and struck.

“……!!”

The beam split cleanly in two upon contact with her sword energy.
The divided streams ricocheted and smashed into both walls.

Kwarrr―――!!

The magically reinforced walls collapsed.
Thick dust filled the cell.

“Cough……!!”

I frowned deeply and looked forward again.

A single strike unleashed during a draw.
That one blow split not only the breath, but even the black dragon itself in half.

Faced with the overwhelming gap, Kane froze in shock.
So did I.

However, it wasn’t her strike itself that stunned me.

What shocked me was that her technique
Had shattered not only the black dragon, but the rear wall as well.
Even beyond it, the corridor was completely destroyed.

Just imagining the repair costs made my lips tremble.
Unaware of my inner agony, Myoran assumed I was admiring her and turned away cynically.

‘Stop posturing and take the fight outside, you lunatics……!!’

“It’s not over yet!!”

That d*mned black magician didn’t give himself a moment’s rest and unleashed more curses.
Instantly turning the cell floor into a black swamp.

However, Myoran leapt across it with graceful movements.
She had reached the realm of walking on water.

Grinding his teeth, Kane gathered the scattered fragments of the black dragon.
He formed them into hundreds of arrows and rained them down on the approaching Sword Saint.

Myoran smirked at the barrage tearing through the air.
She plunged her sword into the swamp-like ground and……

Lowered her body and swung widely.

A beautiful tableau unfolded, like a full moon reflected on a black lake.

A heavy torrent of water surged into the air.
The falling arrows tangled in the viscous waves and collapsed entirely.

Whoooosh―――.

Amid the black rain, Myoran gazed indifferently at the black magician.
The eyes of an absolute powerhouse who no longer relied on anyone’s strength.

The Black Tower magician shrank back without realizing it.
Only now did he grasp how insane it had been to face her alone.

Afterward, he tried desperately to steady himself and counterattack……
But the woman bearing the moon’s yin energy showed no mercy.

Amid the pouring rain, she pierced his heart in a single motion.

“Guaah……!!”

A member of the group she had longed to kill.
Black blood boiled out of his mouth.

“You should have killed me when you had the chance. Pathetic fools.”

The Eastern Sword Saint looked down coldly at the kneeling Kane.
Trembling violently, the black magician collapsed.

Then he fled into the swamp-like ground.

“Looks like he’s running.”
“It doesn’t matter. He’ll die soon anyway.”

His heart had already been pierced.
No matter how vile his sorcery, a black magician could only last a few minutes.
Myoran granted him the cruel agony of dying slowly.

“My head feels clearer. I feel better.”

She tilted her head up toward the ceiling.
Her black qipao and hair were soaked with sweat.
It felt like she had loosened one of the chains that bound her.

“Hey.”

With some mental leeway restored, Myoran turned to me calmly.
I responded by rolling my snake-like eyes slyly.

“Planning to slither away again like a crafty snake?”
“I was going to retrieve the corpse of the guy who ran.”

“There’s something I want to ask before you go.”
“……?”

Myoran slowly approached me.
Casually exhaling hot breath.

She placed a hand on my shoulder.
And pulled me in with her hazy eyes.

Her rich, fragrant scent and breath tickled my nose.

“How did you get in here? You must’ve had enemies too.”
“If you’re worried I allied with them, don’t. I took care of all of them myself.”

I leisurely looked down at the excited nineteen-year-old woman.
With the arrogant expression everyone called villainous.

“They all drank my special coffee and were amazed.”
“Special coffee……?”

The more she talked with me, the stranger I seemed.
Myoran looked up at me dubiously, then let out a deep sigh.

“So you poisoned them with coffee. Typical of a family infamous for cruelty.”

‘I didn’t say I killed them…….’

When I pouted, she released her grip.
Then turned away sharply and crossed her arms.

“Go. You said you were retrieving the body.”
“I’ll be back soon, so clean up a bit. I told you to kill him neatly…….”

Myoran stared silently at my back as I climbed the stairs.
And once I completely disappeared from sight.

She awkwardly fiddled with her braided hair and muttered.

“To think I’d gain inspiration from such a frivolous man. I really have grown weaker.”

A guy who couldn’t even hold a sword properly had come all the way here for his prisoner.
Defeated three knights far stronger than himself, and broke through the black magician’s trap that once defeated her.

Because of that sight, Myoran could resolve to win without Cheonok’s power.
Unconsciously, she stroked her long hair like a snake.

“Well, he’s definitely different from the previous wardens.”

She let out a short sigh.
Then quietly glanced around and……

Timidly picked up some fallen rubble and moved it aside.

“Huff…… huff……!!”

A man clutching his pierced chest wandered through the dark forest.
He staggered toward the meeting place where he was supposed to rendezvous with his subordinates.

“There was a reason the bounty was so high. D*mn it……!!”

Normally, when hunting beasts like Myoran,
At least three powerhouses of similar caliber were assigned.

But with everyone busy, Tuten had suggested waiting a bit longer.

Tempted by the thought of collecting all three rewards alone, Kane overreached.

‘It’s fine. If things go wrong, I can tear out the hearts of those three knights I brought and extend my life……!!’

Laughing like a madman, he arrived at the wooded hill designated as their meeting spot.
As expected, three former royal knights were waiting there.

“You b*stards, you couldn’t even stop a single warden and ruined everything……!!”

Coughing violently, he berated the mercenaries.

“……”

They lowered their heads silently.
Enraged further, he approached them with mana wrapped around his hands.
As if ready to tear out all their hearts at once.

“Because of you, I’m in this sorry state!! Line up, all of you!!”

Thankfully, the mercenaries obeyed their superior’s order without protest.
Thinking former knights were easy to handle, he approached with a grin.

“Hm?”

But his smile soon vanished completely.
Just like when the spell on Myoran had been broken.

“W-What……?”

The look in their eyes had changed.

‘So you were a lackey of the Black Tower. Daring to disturb my sleep.’

The mercenaries stared at their superior with lifeless red eyes.
Each of them drew their weapons.

‘Judging by the looks of it, you’re a dying rag. Not even worth brainwashing.’

Before Kane could finish speaking, an axe lodged into his neck.
A bullet pierced his forehead, and a blade stabbed into his opposite chest.

“Guhhh……!!”

The black blood he had drunk after killing countless people poured out.
The brainwashed knights continued stabbing and slashing until he was completely dead.

“To think a single prison had monsters like this…….”

Those were the final words of the Black Tower’s respected second-in-command.
His lifeless body lay sprawled on a nameless hill.

‘Allowing your cursed corpse to remain near the Prophet is unacceptable.’

Ange, watching from her cell on the first floor.
Like a queen, she waved her hand dismissively at the stench of soil creeping in.

‘Drag it out and dump it in the incinerator.’

The brainwashed mercenaries nodded in unison.
They wrapped the corpse in a sack and loaded it onto the cart prepared to take Myoran away.

“……”

The cart descended the mountain toward the incinerator.
On the well-traveled road, knights happened to be on patrol.

“What’s going on at this hour?”
“We have something urgent to dispose of.”

The northern knights eyed the mercenaries suspiciously.
Their blood-soaked clothes and the cart made it obvious.

“This looks like a crime scene no matter how you see it…….”
“Wait. Are you from Berryhill Prison by any chance?”

At the question from a knight who seemed high-ranking, the mercenaries answered immediately.

“Then go on.”
“What? This doesn’t look normal at all.”

To the soldier’s concern, the knight replied solemnly.

“The Grand Elder ordered us not to concern ourselves with matters related to Berryhill Prison.”
“Ah, if it’s his word…….”

“That’s right. It must all be orders from above. We just follow them.”
“Understood. There must be a plan behind it.”

The knights politely stepped aside and even opened the gates for them.
They went so far as to escort them kindly into the incinerator.

Thus, the Black Tower’s second-in-command who had entered the prison
Was dealt with swiftly and thoroughly.

‘Our elder is certainly perceptive.’

Saintess Ange murmured contentedly as she lay on her pristine white bed.

“Indeed. Those from the shadows handle things like this well.”

Grand Elder Dark adjusted the glasses perched on his nose solemnly.
Having just awakened, he read the newspaper while lighting a cigar.

The two prisoners punished the one who disturbed their sleep without hesitation.

Meanwhile, I arrived at their meeting spot to retrieve the corpse and widened my eyes.

“Huh? Where’d the body go?”

The black magician’s corpse had to be disposed of completely to prevent land corruption.
Yet his ragged remains were nowhere to be found.

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