'What the hell? Damn it... what the hell is going on?'

Why did Hee-Ra noona suddenly awaken from her hibernation? It was a ridiculous question to ask myself, but I already knew the answer. She had woken up because someone worthy had appeared.

It wasn't as though Hee-Ra noona had shut herself away in the Red Mercenary Guild after losing all her worldly desires and emotions, but...

'She had been getting a little bored.'

Yes, there was no denying that she had been somewhat depressed after losing her sense of direction in life. She wasn't the type to crave wealth, power, prestige, or even work itself. The Red Mercenary Guild had only come into existence because she ended up taking care of the people who followed her.

She was a tyrant, the kind of person who belonged on a battlefield. She was a warrior who had to keep fighting. In other words, she lived for conflict and cared for little else.

'The problem is that she got too strong...'

After reaching the apex, it would be fair to say she had lost her purpose in life. Thankfully, I had been dropping by the Red Mercenary Guild regularly, filling her wine cup like some favored concubine and keeping her spirits up.

If I hadn't, she would have torn open a dimensional rift and gone looking for a fight on the other side. The reason she had finally dragged herself out of her lethargy after being quiet for so long was painfully obvious.

'A Transcendent.'

In the terminology of that world, a Life-and-Death Realm master had appeared, and there was no way she hadn't sensed their presence. A brand-new product had hit the market, so naturally, she rushed out to shop.

Forget Colonel Smith and Choi Young-Ki suffering critical injuries, as the fact that Jo Hye-Jin had ended up getting wounded explained everything.

Jo Hye-Jin had long stepped into a realm beyond mortals, so her suffering injuries could only mean one thing.

"Commander Jin—no, Ha-Yan!" I shouted.

There was no need to throw open a door or anything. There was no way Jung Ha-Yan wouldn't notice that something abnormal was happening on the continent. The moment I blinked, my surroundings changed.

Just moments ago, I had been in a dim underground prison, but now, I was in Lindel. Before I could even look around, deafening explosions already pierced my ear. Having received absolutely no explanation, Han Sora looked completely bewildered.

"Miss Jung Ha-Yan? M-Miss Jung Ha-Yan? Huh? What is... um... what? It’s suddenly..." she muttered to herself in confusion.

I hadn't expected Commander Jin to come along as well, but he was standing nearby. Apparently, he hadn't bothered resisting Jung Ha-Yan's magic. Turning my head, I saw him staring ahead with an intrigued expression.

We were on the outskirts of Lindel, near the Tutorial Dungeon. Originally, the dungeon was located quite far from the city, but Lindel had been expanding so steadily over the years that it eventually swallowed up this region as well.

If we had known something like this would happen, we wouldn't have developed this district. It was hardly fortunate, but at least this place was still a considerable distance from Lindel's center. There was a chance the city itself could avoid serious damage.

'That's probably just wishful thinking...'

"Ha-Yan, can you move everyone in Lindel to the capital?" I requested.

"O-Okay. I don't think that'll be a problem. B-But moving everyone in Lindel all at once would probably take... around twenty minutes..." Jung Ha-Yan answered.

"Then how long would it take to move only the people in this area?" I asked.

"One minute. T-The spell targets living creatures, so that includes not just people but dogs and—"

"Okay, that's fine. Do that. Keep scanning the area whenever you have time, and Miss Sora, please use the guild communication channel and order everyone still in Lindel to evacuate immediately," I ordered.

"Yes, sir."

Unlike me, who was practically stomping my feet in frustration, Commander Jin looked completely at ease. My eyes followed his gaze toward the old man standing across from Cha Hee-Ra.

"Interesting," the old man commented.

'What's interesting, old man? There's nothing interesting about this. This isn't fun at all.'

"Hehehe. The word 'remarkable' is the only word that comes to my mind at this sight. Child, you, alone, are astonishing enough, but to think there are four others who reached the Life-and-Death Realm.

"I can barely lift my head from shame when I compare myself to you, youngsters. Ah... now that I think about it, the girl with the spear has already stepped into the Mysterious Realm. On top of that, the power you wield is different from martial arts.

"Now, I'm even more curious about this world," the old man added.

"..."

"But the most fascinating one is that black-haired child. How can someone with such a worthless body, a physique that has undergone no training whatsoever, contain such overwhelming energy? Hehe... he's practically a living divine elixir. Truly mouthwatering. Absolutely mouthwatering..." he muttered.

'He's insane. Completely insane.'

Since he had attacked us, there was no room for any negotiations, but the old madman's words made it even clearer that diplomacy was simply impossible.

"My darling is pretty mouthwatering, I'll give you that. But what exactly is an old fossil like you still trying to achieve at your age that has you drooling over him?" Cha Hee-Ra asked.

"Child, the pursuit of power knows no end. Ah, yes, I noticed the boredom in your eyes. Whether you believe you've already reached the end or your desires are beginning to fade, I shall offer you a piece of advice that will serve you well," the old man said.

"..."

"Follow your desires," he said.

"..."

"..."

"Funny. I already do that. And just now, I've found something new that I want," she said.

"..."

"I want to smash your head in so badly I can barely hold myself back," she added.

"Hehe..."

"..."

"..."

"Darling... and Second—wait, what's with that purple-eyed guy? Why is he here, too? Whatever. Don't interfere. That one belongs to me," she said.

"So you insist on hastening your own death. It was the only path you could take to preserve your life..." the old man said.

"You never know who's stronger until you test it, old man," she argued.

The old man with the unruly white hair and beard slowly raised an arm. Meanwhile, Hee-Ra noona cracked her neck and slowly approached him.

'Fiend Elder Mad White?'

There was no need to check his status window. I didn't need to analyze him in detail to know that he was a monster. I could feel it in my bones. As always, Hee-Ra noona made it clear that she didn't want anyone to interfere, but if she were truly in danger.

'What choice do I have? Even if she hates me for it, I'll step in.'

A deafening boom rang out. It was like a bolt of lightning had crashed down from the heavens. The two of them hadn't even collided. Cha Hee-Ra's fist had merely cut through empty air, yet buildings caught in the resulting shockwave collapsed one after another.

I could see the Fiend Elder Mad White's eyes widen slightly. He had judged her to be a master who had reached the Life-and-Death Realm, so he clearly knew she was strong.

What he hadn't expected was for someone without a trace of internal energy to create a spectacle like this through raw physical strength alone.

"What absurd strength. Hehehe..." the old man laughed. He probably already understood that protecting himself with internal energy was meaningless.

'One clean hit and it's a one-way trip to the afterlife.'

Blocking was meaningless. I had always believed that Cha Hee-Ra was stronger than Kim Hyun-Sung, at least when it came to pure physical prowess. She did not need any flashy techniques, complicated skills, or refined swordsmanship. She was just strong.

She had the perfect physique for combat, and her strength wasn't the only thing that was absurd. She had the speed to match that strength and an innate combat instinct that transcended any techniques. Of all the humans I had ever met, Cha Hee-Ra was the most perfect weapon.

This was precisely why the sight before me looked so unfamiliar.

BOOM!

"How fascinating. It isn't that you've forgotten the forms or transcended them. It's as if the very concept of forms never existed for you in the first place. Child, I'm beginning to wonder whether you're truly human," the old man said.

"I hear that a lot," Cha Hee-Ra said.

'How the hell is he doing that?'

I couldn't understand how the old man was avoiding all of the attacks. He was merely flicking his arms through the air, yet Cha Hee-Ra's punches kept veering off in completely different directions.

I had heard plenty of nonsense about overcoming strength with softness, and I had even seen examples of it before, but I had never seen anything like this. Even the way he moved his feet was different.

Whether it was some kind of footwork technique or not, every step made him vanish with an afterimage as if he were using Teleportation. Of course, the old man was aware that confronting Hee-Ra head-on was dangerous, so he was constantly widening the battlefield.

I wanted to tell them to at least take the fight outside Lindel, but this wasn't exactly the kind of situation where I could complain. They were moving around so wildly that Jung Ha-Yan and I had already used teleportation several times just to keep up with them.

As time went on, even Cha Hee-Ra's formidable physique showed cracks.

Watching Jung Ha-Yan snicker whenever Hee-Ra was injured looked a little frightening, but honestly, Hee-Ra was far scarier. At this point, she was covered in blood. Her face was slightly swollen, and her hair had become a complete mess.

"And you're durable as well. Hehehehe. It doesn't even seem like you're protecting yourself with internal energy..." the old man said.

Despite Cha Hee-Ra's injuries, her eyes remained burning. They glowed red like molten metal fresh from a furnace. Those eyes were filled with irritation and anger. They seemed to be saying that she wasn't satisfied with this fight.

"Hey, old man," Cha Hee-Ra said.

"..."

"Get serious," she said.

"Hehehe." He laughed.

"If you don't get serious, you're going to die this time," she warned.

"Such arrogance," he commented.

"I'm not joking. It's been a long time since I found an opponent worth fighting. I don't want to see you die in a pathetic way. Stop feeling me out and get serious. Stop playing around. Stop talking like some beggar trying to teach a lesson. Fight me with all you’ve got. I'm not here to chat with you," she said.

"Heheheh. Child, you—"

"I warned you. Get serious," she said, cutting him off.

Boom!

Cha Hee-Ra shot forward. She moved so fast that I had to strain my eyes just to follow her. Had I unconsciously raised my perception to the limit? For some reason, the movements of both fighters seemed to slow down in my eyes.

The old man immediately sprang into motion. It looked like he was trying to escape her range using that bizarre footwork of his, but after several exchanges, Cha Hee-Ra adapted to his movements and gave chase. He attempted the same maneuver again, but she had already figured it out and reached out toward him.

With a swish, both of the old man's arms traced a strange circle through the air, and Cha Hee-Ra's arm twisted violently. I watched in slow motion as bone burst through her flesh and droplets of blood scattered into the air.

Even then, she didn't withdraw her hand. She showed no sign of pain and no emotions whatsoever as she reached for him with those empty eyes of hers.

"..."

The old man seemed to have realized that the fight could not continue just like this, as he brought his hands together and swung his arm.

BOOOOOOOOOOM!

A cataclysmic explosion ensued, and the sound of the explosion itself seemed to stretch out indefinitely as if time itself had slowed down. The impact obliterated every building around them, and half of Hee-Ra noona's beautiful face was literally torn away.

Half her face was ripped off, but even so, she did not stop reaching for him. It seemed she had twisted her head at the last moment to keep the damage from reaching her brain. I had no idea how she was still moving in that condition, but Cha Hee-Ra's hand finally reached her target.

Cha Hee-Ra grabbed the old man by the shoulder and dragged him down with her. They tumbled across the ground before she coiled around him like a serpent and climbed on top of him. Her movements looked extremely familiar to me. No, it was the position that was very familiar to me.

Judging by the old man's reaction, he had never encountered her style of jiu-jitsu before.

"..."

"..."

[I told you. Get serious.]

"..."

"..."

[I knew this would happen.]

"W-Wait..."

[Still, I had fun, old man.]

BOOOOOOM!

The ground collapsed beneath them, and naturally, the city took the full force of the damage as well. Of course, the Blue Guild wasn't spared, either. Why was it so irritating to see Commander Jin nodding in satisfaction?

"What a shame, Lee Ki-Young," Commander Jin commented.

'This bastard. Seriously, is now the time for this?'

"A real shame..." hE repeated.

'Is that all you have to say right now? You're definitely doing this because your estate got destroyed, aren't you?'

"Your city has fallen. The Blue Guild has fallen as well. Everything you've poured your heart and soul into has been reduced to ruins. Quite literally... hehe... everything," he added.

I wanted to say something back, but I could only let out a sigh of relief.

"..."

After all, the old man was finally dead with his head completely crushed.

"..."

[Darling, call a priest over, and bring some meat and alcohol, too.]