"I'm not the enemy."
The voice was hoarse and heavy—far from Ronan's usual tone.
Lex narrowed his eyes. "Why are you using that voice? I know that's not your real one," he said—sharp, though not fully defensive.
Ronan stayed silent. His eyes showed no fear—only resolve.
"Then—" Lex's sentence hung mid-air as the ground beneath them shook violently. The 4-star skeleton mage raised its clawed staff, and a reddish-purple magic circle rapidly formed beneath their feet.
Lex rolled aside just in time, dodging the next lightning strike. Smoke still rose from his body, a burning sensation crawling from bone to lungs—but he stood. Now wasn't the time to fall.
"I'm not here to mess with you. We have the same enemy," Ronan said, more firmly, more like himself.
Lex exhaled. "I bet not."
Ren and Juan eyed Ronan with suspicion. But they knew one thing—this wasn't the time to argue identity. Focus meant survival.
Before them, the three remaining skeletons formed a triangular formation—two 3-star knights standing two meters tall in armor etched with deathly symbols, and one 4-star skeleton mage floating proudly, its cloak flaring like black smoke in a storm.
That pressure... it wasn't just intimidation. It was raw energy, a gravitational pull like a black hole. Their breathing grew heavy just standing near it.
Vera, Helen, and Khalid arrived, completing the semicircle encircling the enemies.
"Who the hell is he?" Vera asked, eyes on the skeletons and Ronan.
"No idea. But he said he's not our enemy," Lex replied flatly. "Ask him yourself."
All eyes turned to Ronan. He nodded, slowly, offering no defense.
Helen's gaze pierced through. There was something... something about that aura that felt familiar.
"He seems to know what's going on," Khalid murmured.
Lex didn't waste time. "Spread out!"
They moved like a single unit trained for years.
"Juan, Khalid, one knight. Ren, Helen, the other. Vera, buff me!"
They formed small teams, positioning themselves perfectly. Ronan moved quietly behind Lex and Vera, merging into their shadow.
"So you picked the strongest, huh?" Lex sneered without turning.
"I'm just finishing what I started," Ronan replied flatly.
Lex snorted. "Heh. Whatever."
The skeleton mage raised its staff. Blood-red energy surged from its tip, coating the two knights. The aura didn't just radiate—it bit into their bones.
The knights glowed red. A horrifying roar echoed from their skulls. They jumped simultaneously, slamming the ground and sending out a shockwave.
BOOM!
The first knight lunged with a straight thrust. Helen dashed forward, her arm turning completely to ice as she grabbed the enemy's sword.
A cracking sound followed as the ice spread rapidly—devouring the sword, the hand, then the entire body of the skeleton knight.
Ren didn't wait. With a low shout, his Devil's Hand smashed into the skeleton's head.
CRACK!
Bones shattered, the head jerked. The knight flew back, spinning midair.
Ren gave chase, ready to finish it off. But as his claw struck the knight's chest, it halted—stopped by glowing runes.
The rune exploded. A burst of red energy knocked Ren back.
"That goddamn mage!" Ren cursed, glaring at the distant caster. Somehow, it was still maintaining the buff from that range.
Elsewhere, Lex danced through battle. Twin blades slashed rapidly while five others floated around, circling the mage.
Each strike of his blade cut through the air, leaving bluish-white trails.
The skeleton mage fought back. Its staff wasn't just magical—it spun like a deadly weapon wrapped in chaotic purple energy. Lightning flashed with each swing.
Meanwhile, Ronan stood firm. Sweat poured down his face. The pressure from the mage hit like a sledgehammer. His breathing was short, vision blurry.
Not from fear. But his body was still human. He hadn't yet touched the spirit realm, unlike Lex's team—most of whom were clearly in the Origin realm.
[New Skill Acquired: Pressure Sense]
[Description: Your body begins adapting to the energy pressure from stronger entities. You can sense aura intensity and killing intent from close range.
Effect: +15% Reaction Speed when facing enemies with stronger aura than yours]
Ronan's eyes widened slightly. A new skill... just from withstanding that pressure?
"I love you, System!" A small grin appeared. Flames danced around his palms—pure red fire.
He synced with Lex's rhythm. Spotting a gap when the mage turned to defend, Ronan flung two compact fireballs—fast and dense.
BLAST!
Flames engulfed the mage, burrowing deep rather than burning out.
The skeleton mage turned, violet eyes flaring.
But Lex had already seen his chance. He swung a now-massive two-meter blade at the mage's torso.
KRAKK!
Not the sound of bone—but of rune shattering.
Lex didn't stop. He raised the sword again—
BANG!
The second strike smashed the same spot. This time, the rune shattered completely.
The buffing magic on the knights vanished instantly. Red aura gone. The knights staggered, weakened.
Ren and Juan charged, locking into one-on-one duels with far better odds.
Lex turned, still catching his breath. "You're not bad, kid," he said to Ronan. "And I know you're smiling under that hood."
Ronan didn't reply—but he was. Not from Lex's praise, but from the holographic window before him.
[New Skill Acquired: Fireball]
[Launch a dense fireball at high speed toward a target, causing a small explosion on contact. Deals Fire Damage in a small area and may ignite enemies for several seconds]
He hadn't realized a basic skill like Fireball could feel this satisfying. And now—instant upgrade awaited.
But then—the wind roared. Pressure dropped sharply. Gravity felt ten times heavier. The air thickened. Earth trembled.
The skeleton mage stood once more. Its eyes blazed brighter. Its energy... surged to a whole new level.
Dark purple runes formed across its skeletal frame—especially chest, back, and arms.
Lex and Ronan were flung back by the aura alone.
"Get ready for something bad," Lex said—completely serious this time.
Ronan stayed sharp. Eyes narrowed. Body tense.
Then—something unexpected.
The mage's body trembled violently, as if ready to explode from within.
Crack!
A loud bone-snap echoed. Its arm suddenly fell off. Then its leg. One by one, its bones crumbled like a tower of cards.
"…What the actual fuck is happening?" Lex muttered, stunned.
Ronan, meanwhile, smirked. He knew—this was his moment.
Without waiting, he dashed forward—like a bolt of lightning.
"HEY!" Lex shouted, raising a hand, but Ronan was too fast.
Vera panicked, immediately casting a buff—red energy engulfed Ronan, a cloak of boiling flame.
He stood before the half-crumbled mage. His right fist blazed—red fire swirled, but deeper... older power surged outward. Primal and burning.
"Starflame… Meteor!" His voice was firm as he punched forward.
BURST!
The fiery punch shot forward like a meteor—blood-red explosions tearing straight ahead, cutting through the wind and obliterating everything in its path. The sound wasn't just loud—it shook the air itself. The flame surged far, stretching dozens of meters, incinerating trees, bushes, even the very ground into ash.
Lex and Vera stood frozen. All their doubts… vanished instantly, like smoke swept away by a storm.
Juan, Ren, Khalid, and Helen were still locked in battle, but they all turned instinctively. Their focus broke, momentarily scattered by the sheer force of that devastating strike.
As the blaze slowly faded, only a barren wasteland remained. Scorched earth, charred trees—and the skeleton mage… was gone. Not a single trace left behind.
Ronan staggered, his breath ragged. His entire body felt drained, like every ounce of strength had been wrung out just for that one attack.
But...
[Successfully eliminated 4-Stars Creature. Gained 200 skill points.]
A grin spread across his face again. "Worth it," he whispered softly.
But the exhaustion wasn't done with him. His vision began to blur, his body swaying—on the verge of collapse. Then, a wave of energy wrapped around him—gentle, refreshing. A soft green light glowed faintly, enveloping him.
He opened his eyes, alert again, and turned to look behind him.
Lex and Vera approached—Vera still casting her healing buff.
"That… That was insane. You killed that skeleton mage in one blow. What's your ability? Fire manipulation? No, it's gotta be more than that," Lex asked, half awe, half curiosity.
"I figured you'd understand why I cover my face," Ronan replied lightly.
Lex chuckled, "Right, of course."
Ronan looked around. The others were still fighting, but clearly winning. The knights, stripped of the mage's buff, were now vulnerable.
He crouched, grabbed four of the eight remaining soul stones. "I'll take half," he said.
Lex nodded. Vera said nothing.
"Listen," Lex said, "there's an elite position open in the Aegis Order. If you're up for it, just come find me. That spot—it's already yours."
Ronan stood still, looking at him—two tempting offers in less than a week. Not bad.
"I'll think about it," he replied casually.
Then he walked off slowly, grabbed his pack from a distance, and—without another word—left for real.
Lex watched his back until Ronan's figure vanished into the thin mist, then turned back to the battlefield. Just in time—Helen and Ren had finished off one of the knights, followed soon after by Juan and Khalid.
For most of them, it was routine. But not for Helen—this was her first truly intense fight. Her heart was still pounding, and even though she looked composed, her mind hadn't quite recovered from the pressure.
The battlefield now held only dozens of soul stones scattered across the ground—a sign of the hundreds of skeletons they'd faced.
"There's at least a hundred soul stones here. We can split them evenly," Khalid said, already starting to gather the glowing rocks.
"Well," Ren nodded, "doesn't quite match the trouble we went through. But... a mission's a mission."
Lex let out a long sigh, pushing his hair back. "Those Silent Will bastards... they're the reason we're stuck cleaning up this mess. I just hope they don't make it out of that rift alive."
No one disagreed. Everyone knew—the Silent Will Order was to blame. They'd entered the portal illegally, forcing the Aegis Order—who had an alliance with the realm—to step in as a favor.
In the middle of the conversation, Helen stayed quiet. Her face was pensive, eyes narrowed.
That mysterious figure from earlier… kept flashing through her mind.
There was something about him that felt… familiar.
"You think we should call for backup?" Vera asked, approaching Lex. "I mean, there's always a chance we'll get another, stronger wave of skeletons."
Lex shrugged, hands on his hips. "Don't think we need to. We'll be—"
A loud distortion cut him off.
Everyone turned reflexively. The Dimensional Rift, once glowing red… now shone a bright green. Its energy had stabilized. That could only mean—
"Oh well, it's open. Let's move!" Lex shouted, grinning with excitement.
"YEAH!" Juan and Ren cheered, taking off at a sprint.
One by one, they all rushed toward the rift.
But Helen stopped short. She stumbled over something. Her foot felt wet.
She looked down and checked—a thin, stretchy red object. Wet.
"...A balloon?" she muttered. Then she sniffed. A sharp, familiar scent.
"...Vinegar?"
Her face stiffened. Eyes widened, as if a puzzle piece had just clicked into place.
Her expression shifted—a mix of realization… and doubt.
"Could it be… him?"