[The Independent Elven Kingdom — 4:00 AM]

  While the vast majority of the Independent Elven Kingdom rested beneath the quiet protection of night, the Royal Palace appeared calm and majestic from the outside. Moonlight spilled across the marble terraces, and the tall silver trees surrounding the palace swayed gently in the cold wind.

  To any observer, it would seem like a peaceful kingdom enjoying a rare moment of calm.

  But far beneath the palace, deep within the forgotten lower levels of its dungeons, another reality existed.

  From behind thick stone walls, faint and broken screams echoed through the darkness.

  They were weak… exhausted… and filled with unbearable pain.

  Inside a narrow chamber illuminated by a single dim mana-lamp, a horrifying scene unfolded far away from the eyes of the world.

  Jakar the Butcher stood beside a line of restrained prisoners.

  The victims were Scarlet Elves, captured survivors of the mountain massacre. Their bodies were chained to a series of advanced extraction devices designed specifically for one purpose.

  Blood harvesting.

  Cold metallic restraints held their arms and legs in place while transparent tubes pierced their veins. Through those tubes, streams of deep crimson blood flowed slowly into glass vials placed along a mechanical rack.

  The machines surrounding them emitted a steady mechanical rhythm.

  Every five minutes, the system activated.

  The tubes would drain blood.

  Then stop.

  Then wait.

  Because Scarlet Elves possessed a rare biological trait—their blood and mana regenerated at an abnormal speed.

  The machines were calibrated to exploit that exact regeneration cycle.

  Drain.

  Recover.

  Drain again.

  It was a carefully engineered cycle of endless suffering.

  One of the imprisoned girls lifted her trembling head. Her lips were dry and cracked, and her voice barely carried through the chamber.

  "Lord Nico… please…"

  "Save us…"

  "Our bodies… our souls… can no longer endure…"

  Her words dissolved into weak sobs.

  Jakar responded with a low, disturbing laugh.

  He slowly walked along the line of prisoners, inspecting the vials like a craftsman examining his work.

  Beside him stood King Ronard, ruler of the Independent Elven Kingdom.

  The King observed everything in complete silence.

  His eyes followed the streams of blood filling the glass containers with a cold detachment that bordered on something inhuman.

  For a long moment, he said nothing.

  Then he turned to leave.

  Before he could reach the exit, another elf cried out desperately.

  "My King… please…"

  Her voice shook violently.

  "Spare us…"

  Ronard stopped.

  Slowly, he turned his head.

  For a brief moment, something resembling regret flickered in his eyes.

  But it disappeared almost immediately beneath the weight of his conviction.

  "I am sorry," Ronard said calmly.

  "But the prosperity of my kingdom must come first."

  "The future of my people requires sacrifices."

  He glanced once more at the machines.

  "Your blood is the fuel we require."

  Without another word, he walked away.

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  The door closed behind him.

  The chamber returned to the rhythm of the machines.

  Moments later, one of the Scarlet Elves began breathing heavily. Her body trembled violently as the extraction cycle ended.

  Then suddenly—

  Her heart stopped.

  The machine continued humming, unaware that its subject had died.

  Only five remained.

  Jakar approached the lifeless body and nudged it with his boot.

  "Pathetic creature," he muttered in annoyance.

  "Dying before we could even fill the second crate."

  He turned away with irritation and returned to monitoring the machines.

  The screams continued.

  [Black Spear Headquarters — The Countdown]

  On the opposite side of the continent, the night remained calm around the Black Spear Headquarters.

  The celebration held earlier that evening had finally ended. The halls that were once filled with laughter and music had returned to silence as soldiers retreated to their rooms to rest before the next day's training.

  Only the soft wind moved through the gardens.

  Under the pale light of the moon, Nico Sigmund stood alone.

  His gaze remained fixed on the sky.

  For a long time, he did not move.

  Then he spoke quietly.

  "Does pain truly have meaning in existence…"

  "Or is it merely fuel for something greater?"

  His crimson eyes glowed faintly.

  A subtle tremor ran through his body.

  It was not fear.

  It was instinct.

  Somewhere far away, the flow of mana in the world had begun to shift.

  "I can feel them…"

  "The Demon Rift Empire is beginning to stir."

  His eyes narrowed slightly.

  "Kaizen is moving."

  Nico inhaled slowly.

  "The countdown has begun."

  "I do not know when the first scream will echo across this world…"

  "But I know it is coming."

  "And it is close."

  He turned away from the garden and began walking through the quiet corridors of the headquarters.

  His thoughts were distant.

  Heavy.

  As he moved toward the main hall, he suddenly crossed paths with Melina Aethel.

  She had been heading toward the garden, likely searching for fresh air to calm the lingering anxiety left by the recent battle.

  When their eyes met, she froze.

  Her heart began beating rapidly.

  So many words gathered in her chest.

  She wanted to explain everything.

  The years of silence.

  The distance she had created between them.

  She had never ignored him out of pride.

  She had simply felt weak.

  Too weak.

  She wanted to grow stronger before standing beside him again.

  Nico walked past her without saying anything.

  The silence crushed her chest.

  But then—

  Ten steps later—

  He stopped.

  Without turning around, he spoke calmly.

  "Keep shining, Melina."

  "You are walking the right path."

  "You will become stronger soon."

  Then he continued walking.

  Melina stood motionless.

  Tears streamed down her face.

  But they were not tears of sadness.

  They were tears of relief.

  Nico was not someone who clung to resentment.

  He had always been different.

  She remembered the first time she met him at the university.

  Back then, Nico had been a confused soul.

  Someone who understood almost nothing about the world he lived in.

  Now their paths had diverged.

  Melina searched for her identity.

  Nico searched for the truth behind his own existence.

  [The Forest of Dread]

  As Nico approached the main gate of the headquarters, another door opened nearby.

  General Akaria stepped outside.

  She noticed him immediately.

  "Where are you going at this hour, Nico?" she asked calmly.

  Nico turned slightly.

  "I have some matters to attend to with my alliance," he replied.

  "I believe I mentioned this arrangement before."

  Akaria rubbed her forehead tiredly.

  "Yes… now I remember."

  "You may go, but be careful."

  "A member of the Black Spear cooperating with an external alliance could cause political complications."

  "Ensure your involvement remains discreet."

  "I know the rules," Nico said calmly.

  "This is only a routine visit."

  Akaria nodded.

  "Very well. Safe travels."

  Nico left the headquarters and began moving toward the Celestial Star Kingdom.

  Unlike most warriors of this era, he did not rely on advanced transportation or high-speed mana flight.

  Instead, he walked.

  His black cloak blended with the darkness of the night as he crossed the empty lands beyond the fortress.

  Eventually he reached the edge of the Dark Forest.

  This forest was infamous.

  Countless adventurers had died within its depths.

  Yet when Nico stepped inside, the monsters did not attack.

  Hidden between the trees, powerful predators watched him cautiously.

  Their instincts screamed in warning.

  They saw his faint crimson eyes.

  They sensed something ancient.

  Something unfamiliar.

  They did not see a human.

  They saw something beyond instinct.

  Nico continued walking through the forest.

  [Was I sent to this world by mistake?]

  [Everything happening to me has no explanation in human knowledge.]

  [I search for a connection to this world…]

  [But the deeper I look… the more terrifying the truth becomes.]

  He stopped in a clearing and looked toward the stars.

  He remembered the scientific discoveries of this world.

  The fusion of technology and mana had allowed civilizations to observe distant galaxies.

  At the farthest point ever recorded—

  There was a strange phenomenon.

  A dark void surrounded by radiant light.

  [The place I see in my dreams…]

  [The crown…]

  [The graveyard of stone…]

  [I am certain it exists there.]

  Nico clenched his hand slightly.

  [No matter how long it takes…]

  [I will reach that truth.]

  [Even if the price is the destruction of everything I know.]

  [The Splintering of the Elite]

  While Nico disappeared into the darkness of the forest, unexpected guests arrived at the Black Spear headquarters.

  Inside the reception hall sat Alfred, leader of the Silver Axe team—the elite protectors of the Independent Elven Kingdom.

  He calmly drank a cup of hot coffee while two armed elven guards stood behind him.

  Moments later, General Akaria entered the hall.

  Despite her exhaustion, her posture remained firm.

  "How are you, Akaria?" Alfred greeted.

  "I apologize for arriving so late, but King Ronard's orders were urgent."

  "You are always welcome here," Akaria replied.

  "But what brings such urgency from the King?"

  Alfred placed his cup aside.

  "I will be direct."

  "The King has ordered the immediate recall of all high-ranking elves."

  "They are to return to the kingdom to strengthen our defenses."

  Akaria's expression darkened.

  "You mean Natalia and Elara."

  "Yes," Alfred confirmed.

  "Natalia Grotaro and Elara Meridian must return immediately."

  "Zorua is exempt. The King understands his position as your deputy."

  Akaria lowered her head.

  "I spent years training those two."

  "They were meant to become pillars of this team."

  "Losing them now… is a serious blow."

  "I understand," Alfred said calmly.

  "But the world is changing rapidly."

  "Every kingdom is gathering its strongest warriors."

  "King Ronard prioritizes the security of his own realm."

  Akaria remained silent for a long moment.

  Then she nodded slowly.

  "Very well."

  "I will inform them."

  "They will depart tomorrow."

  Alfred stood.

  "Thank you for understanding."

  "I believe they would grow stronger under your command… but my hands are tied."

  After he left, Akaria remained alone in the hall.

  The silence felt heavier than before.

  The team she had only just begun to build…

  was already starting to fracture.

  [End of Chapter 36]