The white snowy plains were eerily silent.
The first thing that hit was the smell of blood.
The nauseating scent of blood filled the nostrils.
“Ugh.”
A groan escaped Ian’s lips.
‘…What happened?’
One thing was clear: he had lost consciousness after stepping through a fissure in the snow.
Since then, it was difficult to assess the situation.
It seemed impossible to adapt to whatever magic or space this was.
‘Damn it.’
Losing consciousness was only natural.
—Clang!
The sound of metal clashing violently echoed.
That sound, like a warning, gradually brought back Ian’s senses and consciousness.
His head felt hot.
Ian touched his forehead with his hand.
Something warm and viscous trickled down.
It was blood.
Clearly his own blood.
Was this the cause of the pervasive smell of blood around him?
It felt as though he were still dreaming, in a haze.
“You’re late! Ian Blackangers!”
Flash.
Someone’s voice snapped him awake.
Not just someone, Yerina.
Ian quickly surveyed his surroundings.
It was dim. But there was a ceiling. It must be indoors.
Given the decor, it was likely somewhere in the main building of the Richard’s mansion.
The problem was the corpses strewn around.
Several corpses wearing masks.
And several more with heads drenched in crimson, their eyes too stained red.
“…Lina, Danya.”
And there, lying next to him, were familiar faces.
“…”
“…”
Thankfully, they were still breathing.
A faint sense of relief washed over him.
—Thunk!
Ian immediately deployed the Lunar to block the attack.
His hand felt numb.
“Are you okay!”
Yerina’s voice came again.
Turning towards the voice, Ian saw Yerina’s back.
Her thighs and shoulders, full of red, as if she were facing off against someone.
Beyond her, the opponent remained hidden behind her.
However.
The opponent was heavy.
An overwhelmingly heavy presence.
It felt like this space was bending around that figure.
Even its aura was dark and menacing.
…That person is evil.
Though unseen, there was a certainty about their presence.
— Ruaaaaaaa!
With a tremendous roar, shockwaves engulfed the surroundings.
Yerina, pushed back, stood beside Ian.
“You finally regained your senses! You’re late, Ian!”
“Sorry.”
“Get ready to defend. It’s a damn monster. It’ll attack soon.”
Smoke thickened before their eyes from the recent shock.
Ian immediately assumed a defensive stance.
Contrary to her warning, there was no sign of any attack.
Instead.
—Thud. Thud.
The heavy sound of footsteps echoed.
One step, two steps.
Through the dense smoke, a dark and massive figure loomed.
As the smoke cleared, the figure revealed itself.
“Hmm.”
A voice deep and menacing, like a beast growling.
The one who uttered that voice had thick blue hair slicked back neatly. Even in a standing position, he exuded an imposing, sturdy middle-aged man.
A familiar face to Ian.
A face he had seen countless times across screens, struggled against, and finally triumphed over.
The final boss of Act 2.
The head of the Pierce Duchy, the Northern Grand Duke.
Richard Pierce.
Just his presence alone seemed to diminish everything around him.
As if he were an ant looking up at a human foot.
The vast gulf of disparity didn’t seem to register.
His lips slowly parted.
“So, you’ve finally come out.”
Ian swallowed.
Finally, you too.
The weight of that word was heavy.
It seemed to make sense yet didn’t.
Was he, like him, constantly observing and tracking him?
Why?
But Ian halted his pondering.
Richard Pierce’s eyes seemed to penetrate everything, staring at him as if seeing through him.
The sharpness in Sharon Pierce’s eyes, like a veil, seemed reminiscent of her father.
Though not exactly the same, Ian felt as if his mind was being read, causing him to stop all thoughts.
Right. What need is there for pondering in this situation?
If a fight is inevitable, all worries and doubts must be set aside, focusing only on the battle.
“Ho.”
As if finding himself amusing, Richard Pierce looked at Ian.
In response, Ian respectfully bowed his head.
“I’ve been invited to the family for a while, but I haven’t properly greeted the lord. Please forgive my negligence. I am Ian Blackangers.”
“Huh?”
Richard chuckled as if it was an unexpected move.
Would there be another youth who would greet him like this in such a situation?
Gone were the expressions of fear and worry he had just had. Now, there was a bold young man standing in front of him.
Richard smiled.
But no one would call that smile a smile.
It was a smile that seemed to make one shiver just by looking at it, filled with a fear-inducing aura.
Yerina, who was taking a stance next to him, swallowed her saliva.
“Ian. Ian Blackangers. You are indeed an interesting child, as I’ve heard.”
“It is an honor to be liked by the Grand Duke of the North.”
“I must say, you’re more polite than I’ve heard.”
“Thank you.”
“Hehehe.”
He laughed like a wild beast growling.
“This is Richard Pierce, the head of the family here. Though the arrangements haven’t changed, feel free to make yourself at home.”
“The arrangements haven’t changed indeed. The hospitality of the Duke was truly remarkable, and the sights you showed were truly impressive.”
“Oh. Sights, you say? I don’t recall showing anything.”
“Didn’t you show everything, even the deepest places that couldn’t be shown to others? The snowfield was truly vast.”
Yerina flinched at Ian’s words.
He was obviously referring to Richard’s prison, and bringing up that topic seemed more like provoking that monster-like figure.
‘What are you thinking, Ian?’
Contrary to her thoughts, Richard calmly responded.
“Indeed. Did you enjoy the sights?”
“Why speak? It was truly breathtaking. Such a place seemed almost unreal in this world. There were no rivers or seas, yet it was even more culturally rich. ”
“Oh. Why is that? Many people usually think places with water are culturally rich.”
“Snow is also water. The snowfield is full of snow, which is water, and when it flows in the wind, it becomes a river, doesn’t it? The mountains are high, and the river made of snow flows, so it can’t help but be a sight among sights.”
“You know how to appreciate scenery. I understand now why that person took an interest in you.”
“Thank you. That leads me to ask.”
“Go ahead.”
“After seeing the scenery, I feel a bit homesick. May I return home for a while? I miss my familiar bedding.”
Richard chuckled.
“Fascinating. So, you want to go back?”
“Yes.”
“Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem likely to happen.”
“Ah, escaping is futile… There’s nothing you can do about it.”
Yerina, who had been standing tensely beside Ian, looked at him incredulously.
Ian shrugged his shoulders in response to her gaze.
“I thought it was worth a try.”
‘… Is he crazy?’
Yerina was about to say something inappropriate out of surprise.
But Richard, who had been watching her, spoke up.
“Intriguing. You’re completely different from what I’ve heard. I might want to see you myself, considering the interest shown by the one who has been watching you.”
What’s he talking about?
As Ian was about to respond, Richard took a step forward.
“I also want to see you. Personally.”
— Thud.
It was just a simple step.
But it felt as if the ground was shaking, such was the force resonating.
An overwhelming presence.
Even Yerina, standing beside him, staggered slightly.
But Ian remained standing, looking directly at Richard.
In the midst of this, Yerina interjected.
“Richard Pierce.”
“Yerina. Your speaking habits have become bad towards me, your father and head of the family.”
“My speaking habits have been bad ever since I found out that you were a member of the Bloodstone Cult. You are no longer a father or anything else to me.”
“I see.”
“But.”
Yerina pointed at Ian.
“What about this boy and those two young girls? Will you not let them go? This matter should be settled within the family.”
Yerina was the first to emerge from the gap in space.
As soon as she appeared, she exchanged blows with Richard Pierce, and even though all her strategies had been shattered, she sensed it.
Even though she had undoubtedly reached the level of a 5-Star, Richard Pierce was overwhelmingly powerful. Just one of his moves was enough to make it a struggle to even hold on for time.
It was a fight with no chance of winning.
Therefore, her thought was to save these kids if possible.
Then, there might be a chance to plan a counterattack.
But it was Ian who blocked her judgment.
Ian grabbed her by the hem of her dress from behind.
“I’ll take it from here.”
Yerina looked at Ian with bewilderment.
Hasn’t he come to his senses yet?
Even after all the strategies have been shattered, what’s the point of taking such an attitude towards someone emitting such a powerful aura?
Yerina opened her mouth somewhat sharply.
“Step aside. I’m only trying to save your life.”
“It’s not like that.”
“… What?”
Ian chuckled.
“Now I understand. Even if I were to escape, that gentleman would chase me to the end.”
“What do you mean?”
“The Grand Duke of the North. His target is me.”
“What are you talking about? If he had thought that way, he wouldn’t have swallowed you in the first place.”
“Back then, he probably didn’t know me well. But things have changed now. I’m not sure why the Northern Grand Duke suddenly changed his mind, but…”
— Thud.
“I seem to be quite an important figure.”
Ian took a step towards Richard.
“Within the Bloodstone Cult, at least.”
