Chapter 24 - chapter 9: owl of northern spirit (3)

After the Monderia family heard about the incident at their domain, they hurried back. Upon arriving, they found the gardens damaged, though not completely destroyed.

Asok's mother was horrified to see her son lying unconscious at the castle entrance. She rushed to his side and helped him sit up.

"Mom…" Asok muttered weakly, then fainted again.

"My poor child… what on earth happened here?" she cried, her voice filled with both anger and worry. She turned to Tabib, who had approached.

"I greet your grace," said Tabib, bowing. "About an hour ago, the infamous Predator attacked the Monderia domain. He used rank 8 magic and powers we did not anticipate. But do not worry—he failed and died in from of me."

In monster society, hierarchy is built on three things: individual power, lineage, and wealth. True authority comes from one's personal power, not simply from noble birth or riches. However, lineage can provide natural talent and the support of allies, making it a foundation for future strength. Wealth, in turn, is only as useful as one's ability to use it for growth and self‑development.

Tabib, a rank 7 monster, held authority comparable to Asok's mother, though he ranked below her due to differences in wealth and lineage.

"He died while trying to escape," Tabib reported solemnly. "His reasons and goals for coming here remain unknown. But I can confirm that he perished attempting to advance both his rank and his grade at the same time."

Asok's mother gasped in shock. "He tried to advance rank and grade simultaneously? That's certain death! Why would anyone attempt such a thing?"

"I believe this is the reason," Tabib said, raising his arm to reveal Sans's artificial soul.

The moment she sensed it, Asok's mother felt an inexplicable connection. "This soul… it feels like it belongs to me. Wait, Asok? No, my son's soul is still in his body… Could this be related to the tournament incident? Did he use soul magic to create a soul identical to my family's? How is this even possible?"

"I'm not sure either," Tabib admitted. "But it seems the Predator possessed profound knowledge of soul magic. He developed theories and managed to craft this artificial soul. He died for unknown reasons. Before his death, he asked that his identity remain secret—likely to protect his family. He also left me this."

Tabib then displayed a pearl-like arcane artifact. "This artifact stores knowledge and messages. He had planned to use it for crafting stronger artifacts, but instead, he left behind his research, knowledge, and experience. It was his final attempt to ensure his work survived."

Asok's mother sighed, torn between sympathy and anger. She could not help but feel pity for Sans—a researcher who had tried everything, only to fail and die—but she was also furious because he had hurt her son.

"We will talk about this later. Right now, I need to take care of my son—wait… Millia?"

She froze when she noticed Millia lying unconscious just inside the castle. Shocked, she hurried to his side and lifted him gently. Millia was her best friend's son, and her own son's closest companion. She could not leave him there.

Determined, she carried both Millia and Asok to Asok's room and let them rest, resolving to tend to their injuries before anything else.

…

Two days later, Millia returned from his home and met Asok.

"Were you able to rest?" Asok asked as they walked side by side.

"No," Millia replied. "Every time I fell asleep, I felt like someone was beside me. I would suddenly jolt awake, but there was never anything unusual."

"I see… you know I recently start to think that Predator was really strange," Asok said uneasily. "Why was it always me that he targeted—at the tournaments and even at my home? It's as if I did something to him."

"Yeah… to be honest, I don't know whether to feel relieved or sad about his death. You know what I mean."

"…"

Soon, they arrived at Millia's home. Just as the wall was about to open, something suddenly pulled them inside. Darkness surrounded them.

"What?!" Both Asok and Millia cried out in shock

Bam! Bam!

They hit the ground hard.

"Finally! Oh my goodness, it has been literally days. I was starting to think it was too late to carry out my plan. But thanks, Archios!"

The voice came from behind them. Before they could even comprehend what had just happened, they fell unconscious once again. By now, it felt like the fifth time they had been knocked out in just a 2 week.

…

"Wake up, Millia," I said softly, tapping his cheek to rouse him.

"Uhh… Mom, I don't want to get up," he mumbled.

I chuckled. "Hehe, I'm not your mom." I decided to tease him.

"If you don't wake up, there won't be any cheesecake," I said.

Millia's eyes snapped open, and he sat up immediately. "Where?!"

Then he froze, looking around. "Wait… where am I? And… who are you?"

We were in a huge underground hall. The room was shaped like a massive sphere, and we were standing on a round platform in its centre.

"Oh, I'm Sans Wing Ding," I said.

"Who?"

"Right, you weren't part of the investigation. You probably don't know me. Maybe you know me as… the Predator."

As I spoke, I used transformation magic to give myself the Predator's face. Millia's eyes went wide in terror. He stumbled backward and almost fell into a nearby hole, but I caught him just in time and pulled him safely back onto the platform.

"What?!" Millia's voice cracked as he stumbled back, his eyes wide with shock. "How… How are you alive? You are supposed to be dead"

"Heh," I said, brushing the dust from his shoulder as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "It was a difficult trick, I admit. My death? Pure deception. I needed them to believe it… but here I am."

Millia's breathing quickened, his fists clenching at his sides. "Why would you even show yourself to me?! You're a criminal! I don't want to hear a single thing you have to say!"

"Oh?" I tilted my head slightly, as if amused. "So you won't even hear why I committed all those crimes?"

Millia hesitated for just a beat, his brow furrowing. "Your reason… wasn't it supposed to be researching souls? Wait…" His voice trembled. "Does that mean… that was all a lie? No! No, I refuse to listen! Stop trying to make me think about it!"

I couldn't help but chuckle softly. His fear and anger were written all over his face, yet curiosity sparked behind his eyes. I reached out and patted his head briefly. "Well then, if you won't listen, go ahead and tell the others. I'll be waiting… at the entrance of Moltier City. My life… and death… are up to you."

"Stop joking around!" Millia snapped, taking a step closer but still trembling.

"Who said I was joking?" I replied, meeting his gaze steadily.

His voice dropped to a whisper, disbelieving. "Are you… serious?"

"Very real. Very serious."

The silence stretched between us for several moments before Millia's shoulders slumped slightly. His anger cooled, curiosity gnawing at him until he finally spoke. "Then… tell me. What's your reason for doing all this?"

I smiled faintly, my voice calm and deliberate. "Simple. Tana… and the artificial soul."

Millia's face flushed with anger. "Just for Tana? Are you serious? How could you do all of that… just for it? Tana can be replaced! It can be found again! But you—" His voice broke, rising with emotion. "You risked the lives of countless monsters!"

"Yeah," I admitted, nodding slowly. "I took risks. But I also lowered the cost—I didn't actually take any lives."

"That's not the point!" Millia shouted. His chest heaved as he struggled to find the right words. "I… I…"

I laughed softly, but not unkindly, and held out my arcane artifact, a thin, metal‑bound book glowing faintly with sigils. "Instead of arguing, why don't you see my reasons for yourself?"

Millia glared at it, suspicion flashing in his eyes. "Hmph! Do you think I'm a fool? Of course you've tampered with it somehow. Whatever you show me will be a lie. We'll use mine instead."

He produced his own memory‑transfer arcane artifact, a shimmering crystal sphere etched with runes.

I chuckled under my breath, folding my arms. "Kids these days… always so cautious. Good. Very good."

We placed our hands on the arcane artifacts, and immediately I felt my consciousness becoming exposed and vulnerable. It was overwhelming, but I understood why—it was the purpose of arcane artifacts.

Then, memories I had never tried to recall started surfacing. I realized Millia was seeing everything: the memory of why I had committed those crimes in the first place. He then moved deeper, into the memories of my life before regression—my first life.

Soon, I sensed a wave of terror and fear that was not my own. It was Millia's horror bleeding into my mind.

"Don't stay in too long. This arcane artifact is about to break," I said within our shared consciousness.

In an instant, Millia yanked his hand away from the book. He stumbled back, clutching his hands, his face pale.

"W‑What… how… what just happened?" he stammered.

Millia was horrified and utterly confused. He was so terrified that he couldn't even move, trapped in his own disbelief and self‑questioning.

"Do you… understand now why I did all of that?" I asked quietly, my voice echoing in the hollow, spherical chamber.

Millia's eyes were wide, his chest heaving. He shook his head violently, his whole body trembling. "No! No, this can't be real. It's fake! You're lying to me!" His voice cracked, echoing off the stone walls. "You—You have mastery over mind magic, that's it! You planted those memories in your mind. All of that… all of it is made up! Humans aren't even real!"

I tilted my head slightly, watching him with calm, almost pitying eyes. "Hehe… believe what you want," I said softly, brushing an invisible speck of dust off my sleeve. "Whether you think it's fake or not doesn't matter to me. Like I said, I'll be waiting… at the entrance of Moltier City."

Millia took a shaky step back, his fingers twitching as if he wanted to grab a weapon but couldn't remember how to move properly. "Y-You're insane," he whispered. "You… you expect me to… to meet you after all this?"

"Yes," I replied simply, my tone steady and deliberate. "Because in there—" I gestured to the now-fading glow of the memory artifact, "—you saw what I need and why I need it. You know what drives me. If anyone can understand, it's you. So meet me tomorrow."

Millia stammered, his lips parting and closing as if to argue, but no words came out. Sweat dripped down his temple. Soon Asok start to wake up.

"The exit is right over there," I said, pointing toward a faintly glowing archway that had appeared along the curve of the chamber. "You can leave whenever you're ready. I won't stop you."

Before he could speak again, I used my shadow magic. Darkness coiled around me like smoke, swallowing me from my feet upward until I disappeared entirely.

After that, I returned to the mansion. Inside one of the rooms, a clone of me was forging a sword from Severiat steel.

While trapped in Kallia's snare, I had created two clones. One served as proof that I had died—the Predator—while the other stayed behind in the mansion to convince everyone that Sans was still present. Crafting clones was extremely difficult, but I managed it by first forming a single clone foundation in previous day. I quickly created another clone that I sent to the mansion and then created the second.

However, the second clone did not fully inherit my will. To compensate, I gave it an arcane artifact infused with a figure's will, effectively allowing the clone to act as that figure. Even so, it was clear that the clone was unstable. It wouldn't last long and was already on the verge of fading away.

"Everything is finished. You can rest now," I said softly.

With a gentle sigh of relief, my unstable clone dissolved into a stream of magic energy and merged back into me. I immediately adjusted the nature of both my artificial soul and my physical body, then activated teleportation using my Grade 2 artificial soul.

Ting ting!

In an instant, I arrived in the Frost Zone that Land of Kall belong 

Each continent in this world has its own defining trait. Frostland is known for the immense magic pressure that saturates its air. This pressure naturally stabilizes a monster's body. A few days ago, while traveling toward Moltier City, my body had begun to stabilize, but because I was not yet within the Frost Zone and only focused on reaching it, the effect was minimal. Even with concentration, I could not accelerate the process much.

Now, with the combination of the Frost Zone's magic pressure and arcane artifacts that accelerate the flow of time I can finally complete the stabilization of my extraordinary monster body. Once finished, I will ascend to become a true Rank 6 monster.

I spent the entire day meditating, focusing on the transformation of my body. A few beasts tried to attack me, but the half natural aura of a Rank 6 monster was enough to frighten them away.

…

"He should be here soon," I muttered, exhaling slowly. My thoughts immediately turned to Millia. Everything I had done was a gamble—a truly risky gamble. But if it worked, the outcome would be perfect. I would gain the support of a noble house heir, someone who could oversee any investigations and shield me from suspicion. If he believed the memories I had shown him, he would help me without question.

But if he didn't

I clenched my fists, anxiety twisting in my chest. The possibility that he might not trust me gnawed at my mind. I forced myself to think through it again, calculating every angle from Millia's perspective and considered his personality and with the extraordinary monster mind I run over hundreds of test, the chances he would reject my story were low—but not impossible.

In the end, I know, everything now depended on luck.

I thought to myself as I sat at the edge of the wheat field, watching the golden stalks sway in the wind, snowflakes drifting gently around me.

"My luck is terrible. I might lose this gamble. But it's my only chance to avoid certain failure—I have to win. If I let fear take over and keep dwelling on the risk of losing, I'll never find my courage. I'll always remain small and hidden, and I can't afford that. Not when even more dangerous challenges are waiting for me ahead."

The breeze carried the scent of cold earth, and I exhaled slowly, trying to steady my heart. This was my gamble, and I had no choice but to face it.

Soon, I sensed two monsters approaching. Turning around, I saw Millia and Asok walking towards me.

Millia's boots crunched softly against the frost‑tipped grass as he approached, Asok a wary shadow at his side. the golden wheat and drifting snowflakes painting an otherworldly backdrop. Both of them stopped a few paces from me, tension thick enough to feel.

"You know," Millia began, voice steady but eyes sharp, "even though I saw those memories you shared, I need something more. Say something only a true regressor would know."

I inclined my head slightly, letting the silence stretch as I studied him. Then, with a small, almost mischievous smile, I said, "Olivia. Does that name ring a bell?"

Millia froze, his pupils shrinking. His breath hitched as though I had struck him. The only sound was the soft sigh of wind through the wheat.

I stepped forward, keeping my voice calm and deliberate. "It's your aunt's name, isn't it? Your mother planned to name her unborn child Olivia, in honour of her sister. Only your father, your mother, and you ever knew. No one else." I spread my hands slightly. "Am I right? Is that proof enough?"

A sudden metallic hiss cut the air. Asok had unsheathed his sword, the blade trembling slightly as he held it at my throat. His face was a mask of caution and hostility. "Keep your distance," he warned, voice low.

I tilted my head, unbothered by this "Asok," I said, slowly and carefully, "why are you here? If I'm correct, Millia told you what happened. Or… is there some part I've missed?"

He didn't answer immediately, his eyes narrowed and calculating. After a long moment, he exhaled and eased his sword down a fraction. That was all the confirmation I needed.

Millia, however, wasn't done. He raised his hand, the subtle hum of magic energy gathering around his fingertips. "How did you find out about this?" He took a step forward. "I am certain Mother would never share something so private."

"Because," I said with a knowing smile, letting the weight of my words sink in, "I lived to be a hundred in my previous life. I read the chronicles of your family. I saw everything. If that's not enough, I can answer more."

Millia gave a short, incredulous laugh, though his eyes never left mine. "To be honest," he said quietly, "I still can't decide if you're lying… but I'll trust you. For now."

There was a long, tense silence. I stayed perfectly still, knowing that Millia might have prepared a trap or was watching carefully for any sudden move. He was far too cautious, and I realized that one misstep would ruin my gamble. This gamble of mine had not yet shown its final result—it was still in motion, and everything depended on the next moment.

Then I thought to myself, "From his perspective, he's still unsure. To him, I seem far too knowledgeable, capable of pulling off feats he's never even heard of. That makes him wonder if I'm truly a regressor—or if this is just a trick. After all, extraordinary monsters are known for their intelligence. He won't believe words alone; he needs proof through actions. Hah… this kid's not bad at all."

I smiled and said aloud, "Alright then, where are the resources? I need them very badly."

Millia shook his head. "Well, there's one thing—I won't just give them to you."

"What?" I asked, genuinely surprised.

"Me and Asok will accompany you," he said firmly. "While we're with you, I'll provide the resources you need."

Right at that moment, I understood his plan perfectly. He wanted me to demonstrate techniques and methods no one else knew, to see them in action. By doing so repeatedly, he could confirm whether I was truly a regressor. It was a clever approach—he wouldn't rely on my words, but on consistent proof. Moreover, I believe Asok had some kind of teleportation thing that could instantly take both of them away if they were in danger, or they became suspicious and I tried something against them. It was a solid plan: constant testing, protected by an emergency escape. I had to admit, it impressed me.

"Good job, kid," I thought to myself. "Very impressive. Since what I say is true, there's no need to make excuses." Then another thought struck me. "Wait… do your parents know you're here? If you come with me, this could cause a lot of problems."

Millia dispelled his spell and looked at me calmly. "Don't worry. Asok and I have a teleportation device that will send us back whenever we're in danger. Our parents agreed because we're fully prepared and have taken precautions."

"Hehe, you really are a kid who likes to see things through to the end, aren't you? Well then, so be it," I said, turning around and starting to walk back toward Moltier City.

"Let's go and hunt some rank 15 beasts," I added as I headed toward the nearest teleportation gate.

"Wait—rank 15 beasts? No, I must have misheard you! You mean rank 10, right?" Millia asked, his voice full of shock and disbelief. Asok's expression mirrored him; both of them clearly thought they had misunderstood me, which made me laugh.

"Nope, rank 15. You're not going to go back on your words now, right? Or are you too scared to come along?"

"No! I'm not scared! Hmph!" Millia pouted, crossing his arms.

Asok narrowed his eyes, his tone cold. "If you're this confident, then there must be a plan—or this is another one of your tricks."

I just smiled and kept walking, the teleportation gate gleaming ahead of us.

Then we used teleportation gate to teleport to city on border of Frostland that closest to frost zone that I left shard few days of time remained I need to hurry 

From that point on, we moved as quickly as possible but not at our highest speed because Millia and Asok could not keep up. Asok was at peak Rank 3 stage, while Millia was an average Rank 4 stage, which greatly slowed our travel. I also couldn't use my innate trait of teleportation to help, since it only works on me alone, unlike Millia, who can carry others.

I thought to myself, "If only I had Rank 7 True Space Magic, I could create a space tunnel and solve this problem." Millia couldn't teleport with Asok repeatedly, even with my magic energy supporting him, and I couldn't simply abandon them by teleporting ahead on my own. I needed another way to travel faster.

As I considered the problem, my eyes fell on Millia and Asok. The two children were drenched in sweat, pushing themselves to their limits, running at full speed for hours. Watching their exhaustion made me realize just how urgent it was to find a solution.

"Wait, didn't Rank 6 monsters from Moltier City use True Space Magic to teleport with others?" The thought struck me suddenly, giving me inspiration.

Millia and Asok were gasping for air under the protection of barrier given by arcane artifact, their bodies trembling from exhaustion. I approached them.

"Are you two alright?" I asked, easing my magic energy into the barrier's weave. The surface shimmered faintly as I tampered with its structure, parting it like a curtain until I stepped through without resistance.

Millia sat slumped against the icy wall of the barrier, his breath fogging in the frigid air. He exhaled sharply and pressed his palm to the glowing artifact beside him, feeding it another surge of magic energy to keep the barrier stable. "Why," he muttered bitterly, "did I ever think a Rank 4 arcane artifact could keep you out?"

I crouched down beside them, glancing at Asok, who was pale and shivering despite the protection of the barrier. The cold wind howled beyond the magical dome, carrying flecks of snow that hissed when they struck the barrier's surface. "At least it's doing its job against the snowstorm," I said, settling onto the frost‑dusted ground. After giving them a moment to recover, I leaned forward slightly. "Tell me something… do you two know any techniques for teleporting with others? Specifically, using Rank 6 True Space Magic?"

Millia's eyes narrowed, as he started to think then said. "Hmm… Yes. I know one. But why would you—" He suddenly tensed, his voice spiking with alarm. "No. No! I won't tell you anything!"

He turned away sharply, shoulders rigid, his refusal absolute.

I let out a quiet sigh, my breath curling like smoke in the cold air. "I didn't want to do this," I murmured, almost regretful, "but it seems I have no choice."

I reached out and placed my hand gently on Millia's head. He flinched, but before he could react further, I sank into his mind. My consciousness brushed against his thoughts, diving deep into the layers where knowledge lived. Memories flickered past—lessons, experiments, the intricate workings of space magic—until I found the technique I sought.

A moment later, I withdrew, releasing him. Millia swayed, groaning as he clutched his head. "Seriously?" he said through gritted teeth. "If you were just going to rip it from my memory, why even bother talking first?" His voice cracked with frustration and disbelief. "Are you really a regressor? How do you not know this? It's new, yes, but it won't stay secret for long!"

I met his glare with a calm, steady gaze. "Stop there, Millia. You already know—I spent my whole life in the human world, not the monster world. It's natural that I wouldn't have this kind of knowledge."

Millia snorted, his face tight with irritation, while Asok, still catching his breath, studied me with a wary, unreadable expression. Their suspicion weighed heavily in the frozen air, and I had expected it. 

I had faked my own death, after all—so they might believe I was lying even now. With my abilities, they had to consider that I could have rewritten my own memories to deceive them, even claiming another life as proof of my identity. From their perspective, everything I had shown them like my memories, even my claims about the human world all could be fabricated. 

Still, I had planned for this. Their mistrust was natural. For now, I had what I needed. 

The gamble continued. I began to process the knowledge I had taken from Millia. Absorbing knowledge was like eating raw food—it needed to be cooked, refined, before it could be properly used. The speed of this refining process depended entirely on the mind.

Fortunately, as an extraordinary monster i have an extraordinary monster mind, this came easily to me. I could digest and refine knowledge much faster than most. Even so, I reminded myself—I was still only on the verge of becoming a true Rank 6 monster. I had not yet fully reached that stage.

"I see" I finally understood how they were teleporting. When I first saw it, I was shocked—after all, space magic is usually about manipulating and reshaping space, not moving through it directly. True teleportation is only achievable at Rank 7. Yet what they did was a brilliant twist on the concept.

Their method resembles a teleportation gate, but the mechanics are different. Essentially, it creates a temporary space tunnel. To perform it, a monster must use space magic to sense the surrounding space and then extend that sensing to the destination they wish to reach. However, teleportation also has a critical condition: the monster must have been to the destination at least once before. 

By linking the monster's current location with a place they know deeply, their presence at those two points pulls against each other, forming an unstable but safe tunnel. Within this tunnel, the monster's sensory projection—almost like an astral form—pulls their physical body through to the destination. 

It's a risky but ingenious method, combining deep spatial awareness with the ability to anchor oneself to a familiar location, creating a safe path where none should exist.

"I can do this easily because I have the figure" I told myself. To be safe, I decided to test the teleportation method first. I spent the entire night practicing, starting with short distances and gradually increasing the range with each attempt. By morning, I had managed to teleport far enough that I could reach the Frost Zone in just two jumps. I could probably make it in one, but I needed to be cautious—after all, a Rank 15 owl beast was out there, and I couldn't predict what might happen if I took unnecessary risks.

"Kids, we'll be using space magic teleportation to travel now," I said as I stepped behind them. A soft blue mist swirled around us, forming as I opened the door to my space tunnel. Within seconds, the mist enveloped all three of us, and we were yanked forward—then, in the blink of an eye, we appeared at our destination.

Millia's eyes widened in shock. A moment later, his expression twisted into irritation. "If you already knew this technique, why on earth did you bother taking my knowledge?"

"I don't know what you mean," I replied calmly. "I needed your knowledge, and after practicing for an hour, this is the result."

Millia snorted loudly. "That's a lie. Unless you have an extremely deep understanding of space magic, mastering this technique in an hour is impossible. Even a transcendent Rank 6 monster needs days to reach this level. Stop spouting nonsense!"

"Haha, who said I was lying? I really did learn this a few hours ago. If you don't believe me, give me a challenge—I'll accept any of them," I said, already preparing to attempt a second teleportation.

"Oh, please. I'm sure this is just another one of your tricks," Millia muttered.

Moments later, the second teleportation was complete, and we arrived just outside the Frost Zone I had been aiming for.

"Well, kids, don't separate from me, okay?" I said, taking both of their hands. Then, together, we stepped into the Frost Zone, where the icy trees rose around us in a frozen, glittering forest.

As we walked through the Frost Zone, beasts occasionally appeared behind the icy trees, watching us cautiously. I released waves of Rank 6 aura, and they immediately fled into the shadows. We continued like this for an hour until we decided to stop and rest.

I still hadn't found the cave where I had left my shadow dimension with shard. Due to a miscalculation, I had entered the Frost Zone from the opposite side, which made it difficult to locate the cave.

While Millia and Asok slept, I sat in meditation to focus on stabilizing my body. With each passing moment, I felt more comfortable and lighter. Previously, I had felt as though my body carried a heavy fatigue that restrained my movements. I now realized that it wasn't exhaustion at all—it was the instability of my body. As I meditated, that instability faded, and my movements felt free and natural again.

At last, I had reached true Rank 6. I couldn't help but let out a laugh. "Hahaha! Finally! If it weren't for the magic pressure of the Frostland, this would have taken at least 15 days."

Satisfied with my achievement, I returned to our camp. Millia and Asok were asleep, leaning against each other. In the centre of the camp, a magic fire flickered gently, casting a soft glow over their resting faces.

I paused, watching the fire. "Heh… funny. This so‑called magic fire, an artificial fire magic meant to provide safety and protection, is considered precious. But to me, now that I've become a true Rank 6, it's nothing more than a spark I could ignite with a snap of my fingers."

I sighed, letting the memories of my journey wash over me. From the extreme Rank 2 stage to semi‑Rank 6, all in the span of a single month—it had been a relentless climb. I knew I could push further, but I hesitated. "If I go beyond this point," I thought, "who knows what might happen?"

"Mom, don't leave… please," Asok murmured softly in his sleep.

I glanced at him and saw he was still deeply asleep—just talking in his dreams. Then, suddenly, I felt a familiar presence.

"This aura… oh, it's you again," I muttered.

I slipped out of the protective barrier and walked toward the approaching beast. At first, all I sensed was a Rank 6 monster, but as it drew closer, I recognized it—the Rank 6 bear I had fought a few days ago.

"Go," I commanded, releasing my soul magic.

A hawk-shaped projectile created from soul magic shot from my palm with devastating force. It struck the bear so hard that the impact shook the ground, triggering small tremors.

ROAR!

"Hmm… using Grade 2 magic energy really amplifies my soul magic. Let's see just how much stronger it has become," I said as I approached the fallen creature.

Even though soul magic mainly affects souls and non‑physical aspects, it can still produce physical effects. This time, the result shocked me—a massive crater had formed in the ground where the attack landed, and blood was scattered everywhere.

The beast struggled to rise, but I could sense its chaotic natural energy. It clashed violently with its own magic energy, which was spilling out of control. Unchecked, this unstable magic would soon mutate its body, leaving the creature helpless and doomed to die in agony.

As expected, its form began to change. Its claws twisted, and its fur grew uneven, making movement nearly impossible. Then its flesh started to mutate, and the bear's agonized cries echoed through the Frost Zone.

"I need to end this quickly," I said.

Concentrating, I compressed and condensed my magic energy into a sharp, blue slash. With a single swing of my hand, the attack flew toward the beast. Cutting off its head killing it immediately which all mutations on body stop 

"I can see that the Grade 2 magic energy from my newly‑forged artificial soul increases the potency of my magics nearly tenfold," I murmured to myself, feeling the raw magic energy surge through my body. "This aligns with my expectations… yet I can tell the magic I casted was unstable. My last attack should have ended the bear's life in an instant, but instead, it caused prolonged suffering. If I am to wield this strength properly, I need to refine and stabilise the artificial soul even further."

But this wasn't so bad, considering I had never crafted an artificial soul before—let alone a Grade 2 one. The flaws in this artificial soul weren't failures; they were lessons. Each imperfection gave me valuable insight into the process of creating artificial souls. By learning from these mistakes, I could refine my methods and gain a deeper understanding for the future.

I released a slow breath, letting the icy air cool the tension in my chest, and turned back toward the camp, the glow of the protective barrier faintly visible between the frost‑laden trees.

But when I reached the clearing, I stopped in my tracks, my eyes were wide.

The camp was empty.

"…What?" The word escaped me in a trembling whisper. My gaze swept over the snow‑dusted ground, frantically searching for some sign of movement. My pulse spiked as I darted to the centre of the camp, eyes scanning every detail.

The protective arcane artifact still pulsed steadily, its barrier shimmering with pale light. There were no signs of distortion, no ripples of broken natural law, no lingering traces of hostile magic. The barrier should have kept them safe—so why were they gone?

I dropped to one knee, examining the soft frost underfoot. No drag marks, no footprints leaving the dome, no splattered dust. Even the magic fire still flickered, suggesting they had been here only moments ago. My thoughts raced.

"If another extraordinary beast had attacked, there would be signs of a struggle… and they would have left the backpack behind," I muttered under my breath, fingers tightening against the frozen soil. "Did they leave willingly? Were they taken… without resistance?"

A cold dread coiled in my chest, heavier than the weight of the Frost Zone's magic pressure. My mind replayed every possibility, calculating odds, searching for patterns, but none of it made sense.

I clenched my fists until my knuckles whitened. "Something's wrong… very, very wrong."

Then I stood up and activated my investigation magic—a rare form of magic that used for detection and scanning. The moment I invoked it, my perception of the world shifted completely. This magic allowed me to see the environment in an entirely new way. During my time in Moltier City, hardly anyone knew about this magic. It was so unpopular and obscure that only a handful of extraordinary monsters ever used it. Most of them preferred to rely on mind magic when they needed to track or locate me. Now, through investigation magic, every detail of my surroundings became vivid and clear, revealing patterns and traces invisible to ordinary sight.

Using my investigation magic, I opened my vision to the area. In an instant, the icy landscape transformed into a glowing network of threads and sparkles, each one revealing traces of magic, movement, and lingering intent. Snowflakes drifted like frozen lights, and even the smallest disturbances in the frost sent ripples through my perception.

"Let's see… what happened to the children," I whispered. My focus spread across the camp—the barrier, the fire, and the surrounding ice. 

Investigation magic is a type of magic that allows the user to process information and deduce answers, but it comes with heavy mental strain. Using it makes the mind work so hard that it feels like it could overheat. This magic functions like a form of deduction based on wisdom-type arcane artifact, and while powerful, it can sometimes produce incorrect or incomplete answers.

Monsters that specialise in mind magic cannot use investigation magic at the same time. Mind magic enhances mental speed, focus, and efficiency of focused thinking to incredible levels, but monsters has the limitation that only one type of magic can be used at once. Because of this, investigation magic and mind magic are incompatible.

Some powerful harbinger monsters, known for their mastery of mind magic, realised this limitation. To overcome the side effects of intense mental strain given by mind magic and to mimic the capabilities of investigation magic, they began creating wisdom-type arcane artifacts. These arcane artifacts serve as tools to assist with mental tasks, relieving the burden on the mind while providing similar benefits of investigation magic.

Slowly, faint echoes of recent events began to reveal themselves.

At first, there was nothing but stillness. Then, two small figures—Millia and Asok—appeared in my vision, like smoke‑shaped phantoms within the barrier. Millia's aura flickered nervously, full of tension, while Asok's aura hung low and heavy with exhaustion. They leaned against each other, waiting.

Then the disturbance came.

A subtle ripple cut through the air, slicing the barrier as if it were silk. There was no sound, no flash of magic—only a precise fold in space that even the barrier's artifact could not detect. I followed the faint phantom thread as it spread.

The ripple expanded into a silent void. From it emerged shadowy shapes. They did not strike or attack. Instead, they simply reached out and touched the children's shoulders. The moment their hands made contact, Millia and Asok's auras dimmed—they fell unconscious without a struggle.

In the next instant, space warped, and they vanished.

I exhaled slowly, my fingers pressing into the frost. "Space magic… this was a clean abduction."

I thought carefully about the situation. Whoever had taken the children was no normal beast—using space magic of this precision was unusual. Yet there had been no killing intent. "Are they a highly intelligent beast?" I wondered aloud. "Or something else entirely?"

Despite my unease, I reasoned that the children were likely still safe. Even if danger arose, they carried a teleportation device that could save them.

I took a deep breath and activated my investigation magic again, this time focusing only on the lingering traces of space magic. Through my enhanced vision, threads of power shimmered faintly, guiding me like glowing trails. I followed them carefully, tracing the exact path the abductor had taken.

Then, something strange happened. The space magic ahead began to pulse, sending out delicate weaves of space magic—almost like a message. I froze, shocked. The signature of this magic it was mine. The way it bent space, the way it resonated—it was identical to how I would send a message myself.

A chilling realization struck me.

"My shadow dimension?!" I gasped. It was the only possibility.

Without hesitation, I launched forward at full speed. The world blurred around me as I crossed immense distances in the blink of an eye, racing toward the hidden realm that only I should have been able to access.

Soon, after following the pulsing threads of space magic through the dense Frost Zone, I finally came upon the source of the disturbance. My journey there was anything but straightforward. I leapt over frozen streams and wove my way through a maze of colossal ice‑crusted trees, each step leaving faint imprints in the snow. The wind bit at my face, and the air was so cold it burned my throat when I breathed.

I paused more than once to confirm the direction. Every few dozen paces, I activated my investigation magic to ensure I was still on the trail. The glowing thread of space magic would flicker in my vision, weaving between trees and disappearing into the misty frost. Many times, I had to climb high onto ice‑slick branches just to see a better path forward.

The terrain became rougher as I advanced. Jagged ice formations jutted from the ground like ancient fangs, and the snow grew deeper, sinking up to my knees in places. I kept my movements precise, distributing my weight carefully so I wouldn't trigger any hidden ice sinkholes or collapse fragile snow bridges formed over frozen creeks.

Then, after what felt like hours, the forest opened up into a vast clearing—and there it was.

The hive root.

An enormous white ice tree towered before me, its trunk so wide that all the other trees around it seemed like mere twigs by comparison. Its roots sprawled outward like frozen rivers, snaking through the snow and vanishing beneath the frost. The branches twisted high into the sky, draped in shimmering icicles that glittered faintly in the pale sunlight.

I approached slowly, feeling an instinctive pull toward the tree. My breath caught as I realised the sensation wasn't just awe—it was my own magic being drawn in. I could feel my shadow dimension responding, threads of my shadow tugging toward the massive ice tree.

A cold shiver ran down my spine. "So… this is where it's anchored," I murmured.

As I stepped nearer, the pull intensified, and I could sense the overlapping layers of space magic humming around the trunk. The attraction was undeniable. My shadow dimension—my hidden realm—was resonating with this tree.

That could only mean one thing.

"My shadow dimension… it's here," I whispered to myself, placing a gloved hand against the icy bark. "Whoever took the children… they went inside."

The realization made my alert. This journey through the frost, the endless pursuit, had led me to the threshold of my own secret. The hive root stood like a frozen monument, guarding the gateway to a mystery I hadn't expected to face so soon.

So I approached the massive hive root, my shadow pounding as I prepared to retrieve my shadow dimension. I reached out with my own shadow dimension, intending to pull it free like a magnet drawing metal,

But then, something entirely unexpected occurred.

Instead of yanking the shadow dimension toward me, I felt a sudden, overwhelming force tugging at me. My body lurched forward, and before I could react, I was the one being pulled in.

"What—?" The word escaped my mouth in shock, but I had no chance to resist. My body collided with the icy trunk of the hive root, and in that instant, a swirling blue portal burst open in its surface.

Before I could even think of escaping, the portal swallowed me whole.

The world spun into a blur of blue light, and then, as suddenly as it had begun, the motion stopped. I found myself standing in an endless white sea, its surface smooth like frozen glass. Above, a vast blue sky stretched into infinity, and delicate snowflakes drifted down in slow, hypnotic spirals. The air was still and cold, carrying an eerie serenity.

I stood frozen, my mind struggling to process the sight before me. "What… What is this? What just happened?" I whispered in shock, taking in the endless white sea beneath my feet and the endless, pale blue sky above.

A sudden, soft voice came from behind me, smooth and almost melodic. "Hello there, your greatness."

I spun instinctively and began to channel my time magic, ready to defend myself—but then I stopped. My eyes widened in disbelief. Standing behind me was a figure who I can recognized as myself. Or rather, a reflection of me, accompanied by a serene nature spirit.

"Figure…? What are you doing here? What happened?" I asked, confusion clear in my voice. My doppelgänger simply gazed back, calm and unthreatening, which made the situation even more surreal. I had never seen the figure act this way.

The nature spirit bowed deeply toward me. Even though most nature spirits appear nearly identical unless they evolve, their size often indicates their age. By its proportions, this one was around 700 years old.

Its appearance was extraordinary: a unique, golden mask‑like faceplate dominated by a single, large blue eye. Long, pale lavender‑white hair swept elegantly across its head, a faint glowing white halo hovering above. Layered feathered wings in soft white and muted purple draped around its shoulders like a cloak, while two additional pairs of large wings extended outward from its upper back and lower waist.

The spirit wore an ornate, flowing gown. A white vest adorned with a central sunburst and cross emblem covered its torso, and the gown flared into a decorative purple‑and‑white triangular pattern, lined with small embroidered crosses along the hem. The entire form radiated an aura of divine elegance.

"This nature spirit offers its respect to your greatness," it said, bowing once more.

I frowned slightly, tilting my head. "Why… why are you speaking like that?"

The nature spirit bowed towards me and said, "Oh, your greatness is unaware of what has happened. Allow this nature spirit to explain."

"Go ahead and explain, then. Figure, you should explain as well," I replied, glancing at the silent reflection of myself.

The nature spirit giggled softly before answering, "I'm afraid that Figure cannot speak. He has expended an immense amount of willpower and has entered a state of hibernation. What you see here is only a fragment of his conscious mind."

"I see," I murmured, considering how much force had been required to pull me into this strange place. "That explains why he can't respond. But… what is this space?"

As I looked around, the realization struck me.

The nature spirit, though composed purely of nature energy, was able to communicate and even use magic here. I also noticed that I felt no physical changes to my body. Yet, I could see both the spirit and the figure clearly especially figure who is mind yet having this form. From these clues, I understood the truth.

"This is an imaginary space," I whispered to myself. "Rank 9 space magic…"

It was essentially a hyper state infused with space magic—capable of pulling a physical being into an intangible, mental world. It felt as though I was standing inside someone's mind, it basically mean I physically entered mind.

In other words, I was within an imaginary world, a non‑physical space where the nature spirit could directly communicate with me.

I was completely at mercy of the nature spirit, yet she addressed me with deep respect. There was a moment of confusion for me—something I didn't quite understand.

"It seems you have already realised that this is an imaginary world, your greatness," the nature spirit said softly. "Then Allow me to explain why the Figure is here with me."

She continued, "Your shadow dimension was collapsing far faster than you expected. While you believed it would endure for a week under Nirjaw's attacks, in truth, it could only last three days. The Figure realised this and tried to manipulate nature energy to slow down the destruction. In doing so, he inadvertently drew my attention. As a nature spirit, I can sense all activity involving nature energy. That is how I connected with the Figure and transported your shadow dimension into this imaginary world. Here, I infused it with magic energy to keep it stable. But in order to gain my protection, the Figure revealed your secret—your regression, and your true identity. I am bound to greater nature spirits, and it is now my duty to serve you."

Her words stunned me, but they also made everything clear.

"Where are Millia and Asok?" I asked.

"They are here, your greatness," she replied. With a gesture, the children appeared before me, each resting peacefully within a shimmering protective bubble.

"I see them… but where is the shard? I can sense it from you, not from the Figure," I said.

"That," the nature spirit said gently, her melodic voice echoing in the serene, icy expanse, "is exactly what I wished to discuss with you, your greatness."

I frowned, tilting my head slightly as I watched her elegant wings shimmer in the soft light. "Hmm?"

"I want to make a deal," the spirit continued, her single blue eye glinting like a frozen gem.

My gaze sharpened. "What kind of deal?"

She spread her hands delicately, feathers rustling softly in the still air. "I need your greatness to kill Nirjaw."

I blinked, processing her words. "…Nirjaw?"

"The Rank 15 apex owl beast," she clarified, her tone calm but weighted with desperate resolve.

A cold silence fell over the white sea beneath our feet. The still, frozen world around us seemed to hold its breath as I considered the enormity of what she was asking. Fighting a Rank 15 apex beast was no trivial matter.

"I know I shouldn't do this," the nature spirit admitted, bowing her head slightly. "But I am holding the shard as leverage to make you fight Nirjaw. Do not worry—afterwards, I will give you a branch from my main vessel."

I exhaled slowly, my breath fogging in the cold, imaginary air. "Listen… it's not like I was planning to run away. But that's a Rank 15 beast. My original plan was to kill it after it finished off the Asdarty Tree's scone. I was going to spend a whole week preparing Tier 2 magic for that. Fighting it directly? I can't beat it head‑on."

"I understand," she said, her voice soft, almost sorrowful. "But I have no choice. I have been fighting Nirjaw for years, and my foundation is on the brink of collapse. This is my last hope. By forcing your greatness, I believe that—even if you fail—you will create an opening I can use. You were once a greater monster, beyond the worldly reality. I believe you have a plan in mind. And if you fail, I will still return the shard to you."

I closed my eyes for a moment, the weight of her words and the frozen air pressing against me. It wasn't just the shard—it was the helplessness in her tone, the desperate gamble she was making. I let out a long sigh, resigned to the risk.

"Alright," I said finally, opening my eyes. "I will help you. But I need a map of the Frost Zone first. I need to prepare something before we face a Rank 15 beast."

"Thank you, your greatness," the nature spirit said with a respectful bow before projecting a 3D map of the Frost Zone. The map revealed the vast frozen landscape, and I quickly noticed that the Asdarty Tree was located at the edge of frost zone, where it bordered the sea. Meanwhile, my current location was on the most distant, opposite border.

In other words, I was as far away from the Asdarty Tree as possible. Yet this was not entirely a disadvantage—it gave me time to plan and prepare as I made my way there.

"Wait, I never asked your name. What is it?" I inquired.

"It is Iflang, your greatness," the nature spirit replied.

"I see, Iflang. I have an idea, but it will require your full attention. Are you willing to cooperate?"

"Anything, as long as there is hope for success. I am willing to do anything," she answered earnestly.

"Very well. My plan is simple. I intend to use Tier 5 soul magic. Soul magic is extremely effective against beasts or anyone who does not specialise in it. However, to make it work, we will need to set up a formation. I am not even a Rank 10 monster yet, so you will be in charge of casting the magic while I prepare everything. Is it possible for you to learn soul magic directly from my memories? Even though I have knowledge due to regression, I have lost my intuition and only have insight. It might be troublesome, but reading my memory by basic mind magic should be manageable, right?"

"Hmm… I don't know," Iflang admitted with a hint of uncertainty in her voice. "But I hope I can."

I allowed myself a small smile, even as I braced for the inevitable wave of nausea. I knew this sensation well—it was the same one that had made Millia furious with me when I had read his memories.

"Alright," I said softly, steadying myself. "Let's begin."

…

For five days, she delved into my mind and absorbed the knowledge of soul magic. During that time, we practiced tirelessly, repeating the exercises hundreds of times until I finally decided that we were ready.

In the hierarchy of monster magic, there is a clear scaling system Tier 1 magic Corresponds to Rank 6–9 magic. Tier 2 magic: Corresponds to Rank 10 magic. Tier 5 magic: Corresponds to Rank 14 magic.

Tier 5 magic is far beyond what I can handle. However, a 700‑year‑old nature spirit has its own advantages as she is at Naveara spirituality. Even though she cannot fully control magic the way a monster does, but she can channel and direct it with incredible precision.

Time in the imaginary world flows differently. In reality, only two seconds passed, but within the abstract space she created—an imaginary world shaped by space magic—days could stretch into what felt like weeks. Without time magic, this place has no true time of its own, but she imposed a flow of time upon it for our benefit. This allowed us to spend long periods training without losing real‑world time.

From this alone, it became clear that the nature spirit's true specialty is space magic. That does not mean she is incapable of using other forms of magic. Nature spirits and beasts both wield magic through nature energy rather than pure magic energy, but their mastery over natural forces and laws is extraordinary. With their immense reserves of nature energy, they can rival or even surpass monsters in the right conditions aka being their domains.

This is why Nirjaw could not win. The battle was essentially like a fight between a Rank 14 and a Rank 15 monster, because Nirjaw was fighting Iflang within her own domain. There, she had countless advantages. Despite her strength, against a Rank 15 opponent, she could only weaken and stall it over time.

In the end, this is why Nirjaw perished, locked in a prolonged fight. By the moment of his death, his fighting strength had already fallen to the level of a Rank 12. Still, weakening a Rank 15 to Rank 12 is an impressive feat. Striking the final blow and killing such a beast, even in that weakened state, is something worthy of praise—even from greater monsters.

Nature spirits were the greatest power in my arsenal, but using them came with a heavy price. I swore an oath that I would never take this path lightly again. Forming a bond with a nature spirit meant becoming both its master and the foundation of its domain. Unlike natural, independent nature spirits, these bonded spirits relied entirely on the master's own self‑management of their core and soulland.

In my previous life, I learned the hard way how to raise nature spirits, including greater nature spirits. Through those experiences, I gained vast knowledge and deep expertise in nurturing them and understanding their strengths and weaknesses.

"Hey, wake up! Stop pretending you're tired!" Millia said, dumping snow onto my skull. I didn't react at all. Honestly, as a skeleton monster, hot and cold affect me, but I don't really feel them.

"Just… five minutes," I murmured, letting sleep take me even as snow completely covered my skull.

"Get up! You're Rank 6! Your stamina and recovery are way beyond Rank 5, so there's no way you're tired!" Millia shouted, hopping angrily on the frozen ground. Through my magic sense, I noticed Asok silently watching me. It seemed they had a plan—Millia would yell and argue while Asok observed, trying to spot anything suspicious. They were looking for any fault, any clue to confirm if I was a regressor or not.

I swore to myself they had no idea. They didn't even know they'd been abducted and had spent five days resting. Meanwhile, I was having my memories read by a nature spirit and practicing Tier 5 soul magic. To me, being tired wasn't unreasonable at all. But they didn't know that, and I couldn't tell them.

"Oh, Archios, children really are this annoying. I'm glad I didn't have any in my previous life," I sighed as I stood up. With a snap of my fingers, I created small shockwaves that blew all the snow off my body.

I paused to assess myself. "Hmm… my strength as a Rank 6 is about equal to a standard upper Rank 6. My speed is only slightly faster than a standard semi–Rank 6." I frowned, uncertain. "I'm still not sure if Tier 5 soul magic can meet my expectations. I can only hope it will, since I don't know much about that beast's full capabilities. The information the nature spirit gave me was useless, but there's a lot I still didn't know those being Nirjaw, as an apex beast, controls every Rank 6 to Rank 9 beast in the Frost Zone."

I rolled my shoulders, loosening the tension I hadn't realised I was holding, the joints in my frame crackling softly in the cold air. My fingers brushed Millia's head in a brief, almost absent‑minded pat, and I slipped the strap of his backpack onto my shoulder along with the other one. Without a word, I began to move forward, my long strides pressing deep prints into the snow. The distant horizon, pale and endless, seemed to swallow my steps.

A faint crunch and wheezing breath followed behind me. Then, an indignant voice broke the quiet.

"Hey, wait for us!" Millia gasped, his breath catching in the freezing air.

I looked back. His small frame stumbled along beside Asok, who was also struggling to keep up. Their boots sank into the thick snow, making each step a battle. Around them, the tall ice trees heavy with snow made them look tiny. I walked steadily, my long steps quickly putting distance between us.

"You're moving as if every second is urgent," Millia said, flailing his arms to keep his balance. It felt ironic—he was the one who had urged me to come, yet now he was the first to complain. His warm breath puffed into the cold sky, fading quickly into the frigid air.

I slowed down a little so they wouldn't exhaust themselves. "The world doesn't wait for anyone," I said quietly. "If we stop for too long, the snow will cover our tracks, and it will be like we were never here."

Millia frowned and looked at our fading footprints. "You mean… if we're too slow, people will forget we even came this way?"

I didn't answer. A dead branch skidded past my boots in the wind, saying all I needed without words.

Asok finally caught up, pale but determined. He glanced at me, then at the trees groaning under their icy weight. "You're like the wind," he panted. "No matter how fast we run, you're always ahead."

I let a small, unreadable smile touch my face and kept walking, the snow swallowing the sound of our footsteps.

In my first life, I lived through 169 years of winters and summers, always alone in my strength. I had never seen another shadow like mine—a monster that reached beyond Rank 10. Back then, the sky felt empty and far away, as though I was the only one who could touch it.

But when I finally rose to the level of a greater monster, I saw the truth. The 8th and 9th regions were full of extreme harbinger monsters, each one rare and brilliant, one in a million. They fought, they struggled, they shone for a short time, and then the world swallowed them whole. They vanished, forgotten before anyone could remember their names.

It was then that I understood the quiet law of existence: even the brightest stars can fade without anyone noticing. Talent does not promise legacy. In the end, the wind and snow will bury everything.

Now, I prepare to face Nirjaw, the apex predator of this frozen land. I can feel that truth pressing coldly on my shoulder. Maybe I, too, will disappear into the white sea of oblivion—one more spark lost to the storm. Yet if I refuse to take this risk, I am already nothing, a shadow no one will ever remember.

Whether I win or lose no longer matters. All I can do is try. I tell myself I do not care about being remembered, but deep inside, I still long for it.

"I don't want to die," I whisper to myself, "but I must face death, not knowing if I will succeed or fail."

…

"Lucky, are you absolutely sure about this?" Fortunate asked as he handed Lucky his armour, his tone laced with concern.

"Yes," Lucky replied firmly. "Now that we've located Millia and Asok, we need to act quickly. We can't afford to wait. We can't send the extraordinary monsters—they're all occupied with other critical tasks. This mission is just about monitoring and accompanying them. I can handle that."

Fortunate exhaled heavily, accepting Lucky's reasoning with some reluctance. "Alright," he said, finally giving in. "But please, be careful. If you encounter a Rank 6 beast, don't try to fight it alone. Use the teleportation device immediately to escape, understood?"

Lucky nodded in acknowledgement. He activated the teleportation device, and in an instant, space around him began to warp, pulling him into a swirling tunnel of light and compressed energy. This was the space tunnel—a direct path to the Frost Zone.

However, something went terribly wrong.

Halfway through, Lucky felt the space tunnel twist unnaturally. The flow of space around him became turbulent, as if reality itself had bent in the wrong direction. A violent shudder passed through the tunnel, and his stomach lurched.

"What—?!" he exclaimed, but the words barely left his mouth before the tunnel cracked like shattered glass.

Lucky was thrown out violently. His body spun through a chaotic void, colours and fragments of space blurring around him. He felt weightless and disoriented before slamming down onto cold, hard ground.

He groaned, forcing himself onto his hands and knees. The world around him was unfamiliar. He was not in the Frost Zone.

Lucky looked around, his heart pounding. Towering crystalline structures jutted from the ground like frozen spears. A pale mist drifted through the air, and the sky above shimmered with faint, shifting patterns as if space itself was unstable.

"I… I fell out of the space tunnel," he muttered, realising the danger he was in. "But… where is this place?"

Lucky slowly stood, scanning the surreal landscape. No familiar landmarks, no clear path forward—only an unknown location that pulsed with strange, otherworldly energy.

He clenched his fists, steadying his breath. "I need to stay calm… I have to figure out where I am before I do anything else. Millia, Asok… hang on. I'll find you."

…

"What do you mean someone entered your dimension?" I asked in shock, speaking to Iflang through our mental link.

"I'm not sure how," she replied, her voice tinged with unease. "But it appears to be a Rank 5 monster. Right now, he's wandering through my astral space."

Iflang and I had used mind magic to connect our consciousnesses. This allowed us to speak across any distance, but there was a limitation: only one of us could initiate communication at a time. I could not simply talk to her whenever I wanted—she had to start the exchange for me to respond.

I sighed, thinking to myself, "A Rank 5 monster that can enter a space like this… who could it be? I don't know anyone capable of that."

Since I had no answer, I decided to try another approach.

"Iflang, connect my consciousness to the Figure in the shadow dimension. I'll recharge him and let him handle this," I said.

Iflang agreed and acted as a conduit. Soon, I felt my consciousness link to the Figure. The fragment of the Figure in my mind began to merge with the one in the shadow dimension. This left the mental fragment of the Figure within me greatly weakened, but the Figure with a physical form and full consciousness would recover quickly once I provided time to go hibernation.

After I finished communicating with the Figure and Iflang, my body finally relaxed. I let myself fall asleep alongside the two children, Millia and Asok. Being an extraordinary monster, my recovery was much faster than theirs, so I woke up long before they stirred. The frigid air of the Frost Zone clung to me, but it didn't trouble my body much.

I quietly got up and moved around the small camp. The magic fire still flickered faintly in the protective barrier, keeping the cold at bay. I decided to prepare food for the children so that when they woke, they'd have something warm to eat. As I worked, I glanced at their sleeping forms—two small figures bundled in their cloaks, curled against the frost‑covered ground.

Millia slowly stirred awake, sniffing the air. "What is that smell?" he mumbled, blinking as he noticed me cooking nearby.

"What?" I replied casually.

I had been roasting some simple food over the magic fire, the aroma carrying through the frosty air. Soon, I handed Millia a plate of the cooked meal, then gave another portion to Asok, and finally kept one for myself. They both began to eat quietly, the warmth of the food helping them recover from the cold and fatigue.

Once we had finished eating, I packed up our supplies. I slung the backpacks over my shoulders and signaled the children to follow. We started walking again through the snowy wilderness.

The journey was calm as long as no Rank 6 beasts appeared. To ensure our safety, I periodically released my Rank 6 aura. This powerful presence was enough to terrify the surrounding wildlife and drive the beasts away before they could approach.

However, this aura also affected Millia and Asok. It wasn't a physical attack, but a psychological one meant to intimidate and overwhelm weaker. Fortunately, both children carried protective arcane artifacts that shielded them from most of the aura's effects. They still felt some pressure, but it was minimal, and they were able to continue the journey without harm.

With the wilderness quiet and all nearby dangers kept at bay, we continued forward step by step into the frozen expanse.

Howl howl 

A few Rank 5 beasts were stubborn enough to appear. They tried to attack us—not necessarily to fight me, but to snatch the two children. Yet I released my aura, and it was not just a psychological weapon. When I condensed and focused it, my aura became a physical attack.

Whoosh!

The Rank 5 beast that had charged at us suddenly collapsed to the ground, only to rise up completely under my control.

Aura is like a monster's scent—a presence that every rank possesses. Before Rank 6, it is mostly useless, leaving only traces behind. But at Rank 6, aura becomes more than scent—it becomes will, like steam from boiling water. If I condense my aura, that steam‑like will becomes a physical force, capable of attacking and suppressing the will of others as if it were tangible.

This ability is also why aura is important in crafting arcane artifacts.

The Rank 5 beast I had struck was now temporarily me. Its will was suppressed by my own, though not destroyed. My will inside it was like boiling water that would eventually cool back into steam. Once that happened, the beast would regain its freedom, and I would lose control.

The Rank 5 beast fled at full speed, its massive size wreaking havoc on the surrounding environment. Trees splintered, and the snow-covered ground was torn apart by its heavy steps.

I sighed, a hint of worry slipping through. "The hive root must be close. So many beasts are trying to block my path… Even the Rank 15 beast must already know I'm here. I have no way back now."

After some time, we made camp. While the children rested, I explained the basics of my shadow dimension to them, including why I had to store them inside it. "Beast attacks will only get worse as we move forward. If you stay out here, I'll have far too much to handle."

"So you want us to stay in your shadow dimension?" Millia asked.

"Yes," I nodded.

"Sure," Millia replied with a small smile. "It's not like you can hurt us in there, and we wouldn't have to do anything. Honestly, keeping up with you these past few days has been exhausting, even with boosting arcane artifacts."

His relaxed attitude surprised me—both he and Asok seemed strangely calm, as if something had shifted in their mindset.

"Alright then," I said. "Let's go."

Together, we entered a nearby cave and sealed the entrance, plunging the space into darkness. I opened my shadow dimension, and the two children stepped inside. Millia and Asok vanished into the protective realm, where countless arcane artifacts and my figure resided to ensure their safety. With that, I closed the shadow dimension, confident they would remain secure while I faced the dangers ahead.

I exited the cave, focusing entirely on my magic sense. A vivid 3D map of the surrounding area formed in my mind as I scanned for the hive root's location. As an extraordinary monster, the thick magic pressure in this region barely affected me. However, for the two children I had left safely inside my shadow dimension, this pressure would have been unbearable.

I sighed to myself. "Great… I really need to fight that beast right now."

Soon, I found the hive root—but it wasn't unguarded. A Rank 6 beast was waiting there.

Without hesitation, I walked straight toward it. My Grade 2 artificial soul gave me confidence; this fight wouldn't be difficult. Only a high‑level Rank 6 beast could pose a real threat to me, and this one had only recently ascended to Rank 6. My goal was simple: drive it away or beat it into submission.

After several hours of walking through the snow‑covered Frost Zone, I finally arrived at the hive root. It was an enormous tree whose trunk rose like a frozen pillar, its wide canopy spreading out like a colossal umbrella. The branches resembled giant mushroom caps, each one curving outward to form natural domes that shaded a vast area beneath. Frost and icicles clung to the edges, glimmering faintly in the pale light, giving the whole structure an otherworldly, cathedral‑like presence.

Suddenly, roars echoed from the surrounding mountains, and eight glowing red eyes fixed on me through the swirling snow.

"Wait… there are multiple Rank 6 beasts?" I muttered, startled. I had expected maybe three more at most, but now I could sense over 7 Rank 6 beasts emerging from the other mountains, drawn by the presence of my aura.

"This is bad…" I thought quickly, feeling the weight of the situation settle over me. "If we fight here, the hive root will be damaged—and I need all the hive roots intact for my plan. I can't risk destroying them. What should I do?"

Howl 

The ground shook violently as an earthquake spread through the area, causing everything around me to tremble.

"Good thing I already placed the two children in my shadow dimension," I muttered to myself. Then, a sudden thought struck me. "Wait… I might have an idea."

I considered it for a moment and sighed. "Hmm… it seems promising, but for now, I need to focus on fighting."

I took a deep breath and examined my innate traits. Back when I was only an unstable rank 6, I had to focus on one innate trait at a time to temporarily stabilize and use it. Now that I was a true Rank 6, all my traits were fully stabilized, but the way they felt and responded to me had changed.

I concentrated on my Rank 6 core, allowing my magic energy to circulate throughout my body. As magic energy flowed, filling me completely, I felt my body reach its absolute peak condition.

With my will focused and my magic energy ready, I commanded my innate trait to activate

Bush 

As soon as my new Rank 6 Gaster Blaster appeared, I know the dramatic increase in its versatility and power. Its form had changed into that of a sleek, black dragon skull with six glowing eyes, its overall structure resembling my own body—a design I found stylish and intimidating.

I studied it carefully, thinking to myself, "Not bad. It looks powerful, but I want to see what it can really do. Since I regressed, my abilities, circumstances, and innate traits have all evolved differently from my first life. It's time to test this properly."

The surrounding ground began to tremble as the unseen beast continued to generate earthquakes. It still hadn't revealed itself, clearly attempting to surround me for an ambush.

"Fire," I commanded calmly.

In response, my Rank 6 Gaster Blaster unleashed a massive beam of energy into the sky. The blast spread across the heavens like a lightning storm, illuminating the entire Frost Zone. The sheer force of the attack created a violent windstorm, shaking everything around me as if the world itself were responding to my power.

I saw a beast approaching and didn't waste a second. I immediately used my bone‑bending skill to create a wall of woven bones. As it moved toward the beast, the wall grew larger and wider, eventually covering an entire mountain and trapping the creature inside.

"Fire," I commanded.

I had already summoned my second Gaster Blaster, and at my word it fired. The beam struck the mountain with such force that a violent wind burst erupted, pushing everything—and even me—back.

When the beam stopped, I saw that the mountain now looked like a triangle sliced in half, its surface melting under the heat.

Then, suddenly, I sensed movement in the sky.

"What?" I muttered, startled.

A Rank 6 beast was descending from above, catching me completely off guard.

Bam!

Before I could react, I was struck by a bird-like beast, and the attack sent me plummeting deep underground. As I attempted to move, the rocks surrounding me resisted my efforts, making it difficult to shift even slightly. It felt as though I was trying to lift the surface above me.

Brrrr

Before I could do anything more, another rank 6 beast attacked. It appeared to be a death worm beast, with a mouth full of sharp, constantly vibrating teeth. It attempted to swallow me whole, along with the rocks, leaving me helpless.

Bing

Bing

Bing

The beast's teeth shattered the stones into dust, and the debris hit me, causing significant damage. To withstand these attacks, I quickly used my magic shield technique to protect myself.

"Shit, I can't last long," I thought. At that moment, I utilized my innate teleportation ability to escape. 

Ting ting

Shortly after emerging onto the surface, I noticed two beasts rapidly approaching me. In response, I forcefully stomped on the ground, causing outward waves of a bone wall to form. These waves expanded in size as they effectively blocked the two beast. Cautious of their impressive coordination, I decided to use my gaster blaster. 

Bzoom 

My gaster blaster fired a powerful beam that struck a beast, inflicting severe injuries on it. The impact was so intense that it also caused significant environmental damage, melting everything in the beam's path. The beast let out a loud roar before turning around and vanishing from my sight. 

Then I turned around and aimed my Gaster Blaster at another beast, but it immediately started to run the moment I targeted it.

When these beasts attack, they are like meteorites—massive and destructive. But when they need to hide or escape, they move like smoke, elusive and hard to catch.

"Rank 6 beasts are intelligent," I muttered to myself. "But they are still beasts. They fight patiently and cautiously. That puts me at a disadvantage. Some are still hiding, waiting for the right moment to attack. Such coordination… only Nirjaw, a Rank 15 apex beast, could command beasts to work together so effectively."

I sighed as I began analyzing the monsters that had attacked me. The bird‑like beast seemed to be a Storm Bringer Hawk beast, and the worm‑like one was a Death Worm. That was strange—Death Worms don't even belong in Frostland. But considering Nirjaw's status as a Rank 15 beast, bringing Rank 6 beasts from other continents wasn't impossible.

As for the two wolf‑type beasts that attacked me briefly, I couldn't see enough of them to identify their species. They vanished before I could confirm anything.

"Well, whatever… this will be enough," I said while using my space magic to create a space tunnel. In my mind, space is like a vast, endless sea. In a space tunnel, distance, size, and even location fade away, leaving behind a boundless realm that cannot be escaped or destroyed. Space magic excels at manipulating this sea, bending and reshaping it. However, it also comes with side effects: manipulating empty space can leave subtle ripples and influence those space tunnel in some level control ways.

While I fought, I ordered the Figure to form a pocket of space that would function as a cage. Once that was set, I fought using only my innate traits. Innate traits are like marks etched into my body—each one allows only a single type of magic. They are not bound by the usual rule of one magic at a time, but instead each follows its own rule. This means that an extraordinary monster like me can wield two forms of magic simultaneously. However, innate traits below Rank 6 are incomplete marks that produce incomplete magic.

Ever since I regressed, I had relied mostly on my knowledge and experience to cast magic—not because I was incapable of using my innate traits, but because they were too weak by my standards. Only now, after reaching my current level, have they finally met my expectations, and I can naturally make use of them again.

Soul Telekinesis

Even though beasts do not have traditional souls like monsters or humans, they possess a condensed form of nature energy known as a core. For beasts, this core functions as both their source of power and their soul. In contrast, a monster's core is only a conduit that connects to its true soul.

My soul telekinesis allows me to exert telekinetic force on any living being as long as I can sense its core. This works on beasts, monsters, humans—anything whose core I can detect. By focusing my will, I can push, pull, or manipulate them from a distance.

Whoosh!

I concentrated, stretching my senses until I felt the pulsing core of the Storm Bringer Hawk as it soared above me. With a sharp inhale, I activated my soul telekinesis. It felt as though an invisible force gripped the hawk's core and yanked it downward.

With a heavy 

Bam! 

the Storm Bringer Hawk hit the ground, the impact creating a powerful windburst that rippled through the snow and trees.

I wasted no time. I teleported high above the hawk beast using my innate trait of teleportation trait, appearing directly over it. Without hesitation, I summoned multiple whips of condensed magic energy that latched onto the ground, anchoring me. Using them for leverage, I hurled myself downward with all my strength, aiming straight for the beast.

Bam!

The collision drove both me and the hawk deep into the earth. Underground, the tight space heavily restricted the Storm Bringer Hawk's movements, leaving it vulnerable.

Seizing the opportunity, I sent a mental command to Figure "Use the space tunnel. Trap it now!"

Bishh!

A swirl of blue mist appeared around us as the space warped into a black void—the space tunnel. The hawk and I were pulled into the tunnel, its shifting walls holding the beast in place. A moment later, Figure pulled me safely back to the physical world, leaving the trapped Storm Bringer Hawk behind.

Through the combined use of soul telekinesis, teleportation, and space magic, I had successfully immobilized the Storm Bringer Hawk and set the stage for its capture.

"one down… seven more? No, eight? Forget it—I can't even tell how many there are anymore," I muttered to myself as I tried to remember how many beast there was

Before I could finish the thought, the ground beneath me suddenly shattered. I plunged into darkness and found myself directly in the gaping maw of a Death Worm. Its cavernous mouth was lined with walls of razor‑sharp, vibrating teeth that closed in around me.

Reacting fast, I activated my bone‑bending. Bones erupted from my hand, expanding outward until they filled the Death Worm's mouth, creating a barrier that kept its teeth from reaching me. 

With the beast momentarily restrained, I summoned my Gaster Blaster. The dragon‑skull construct appeared, its eyes glowing ominously. I aimed it straight down the worm's throat.

"Fire," I commanded.

Boosh!

A torrent of energy erupted from the Gaster Blaster, blasting deep into the beast's body. The Death Worm convulsed violently as the attack consumed it from the inside, the ground shaking with its muffled, agonized roars.

As the Death Worm's stomach burned and bones I created melted, while a violent burst of wind pushed me toward the exit. In a single second, all of this chaos unfolded. I quickly summoned whips of magic energy, using them to hurl myself deeper into the beast's body while simultaneously pulling my Gaster Blaster down with me, driving it even further into the monster's core.

Roar 

I plunged deeper into the Death Worm, my Gaster Blaster's beam scorching everything in its path. The beast roared in pain, thrashing violently around me.

"Quick thinking is always useful," I muttered, letting the Gaster Blaster vanish. I lifted my hand, and a soft blue mist spread behind me as I fell.

Whoosh!

The mist cleared, revealing that the Death Worm had been dragged into a space tunnel. A moment later, it returned to me, and I was pulled back into the physical space—far too close to the hive root.

Without hesitation, I sprinted away from the hive root, determined not to draw any more attention to myself.

"I can't stay near the hive root while beasts are attacking—it could be damaged if we fight here," I thought.

I moved stealthily, and the barrier around the hive tree allowed me to pass unhindered. This was because Iflang, the nature spirit, controlled the hive root. In a way, the hive root and Iflang were one—she was the mind of the forest, and this tree could act as her avatar.

It was a complex relationship, but simple in effect: I had no trouble approaching the hive root. The immense magic pressure that surrounded the area was focused entirely on suppressing the beasts, leaving me unaffected and free to move as I pleased.

I leapt far from the hive root, quickly moving across tree branches and covering the distance of a hundred trees in moments. I landed silently on another branch, thinking I had gained an advantage. But then I saw them: four wolf‑like beasts had surrounded me. I was confused, so I immediately used my magic sense to figure out what they were planning.

"Shit," I muttered as my magic sense picked up the signature of gathering magic energy. I instantly knew what was coming.

Howl.

Howl.

Howl.

Howl.

Boom!

Each wolf unleashed a howl infused with magic energy. The sound waves turned into deadly attacks. Normally, a wolf's howl could uproot an entire forest, but with magic energy infused, the destructive power was much greater.

All four wolves attacked at the same time. Their howls collided and created a massive explosion. I could feel the magic pressure in the air as the attacks converged around me.

"When will I ever be able to do something like this…" I sighed quietly.

Before the attacks could hit, I used my innate teleportation ability and blinked high into the sky. Even so, the shockwave from their combined attack caught me and pushed me higher into sky.

From above, I saw the destruction they caused. A huge part of the forest, the size of a city, had been erased. A massive crater was left behind, as if a meteor had struck. I realized that if the wolves had coordinated even better, their destructive power would have been far greater

"Figure, you need to open a space tunnel whenever I get close to one of them," I began preparing to dash toward a wolf beast. I directed my foot and balanced my body, creating a burst of magic energy. I literally flew toward the beast like shooting arrows.

Whoosh!

Bam!

I forcefully landed on the beast, enveloping myself in severiat metal, which I used to pierce through its body, effectively throwing it aside. Afterward, I withdrew the severiat metal and manipulated it to attach to the wolf beast. This action generated a blue mist surrounding the creature, causing it to vanish as the severiat metal returned to my control.

"So, those three are going to fight together? Fine by me." I summoned my refined severiat metal aka Severiat steel and transformed it into a sword. I then infused the sword with magical energy and applied a sharpening technique to enhance its effectiveness.