When the Beyonders saw the fallen Golden Warriors rise once more, someone immediately shouted in terror:
"They got back up?!"
Count Hahn's expression changed as well.
He seemed to realize something.
With a raised hand, the dozens of hawks he had previously sent out wheeled back around and launched another assault.
But this time, the hawks that had sliced through the Golden Legion like knives through butter couldn't even reach halfway before smashing apart against the warriors' breastplates.
Count Hahn frowned.
Then he waved his hand again.
This time, no hawks appeared.
Instead, countless vines burst from the ground and surged forward wildly.
Once again, they easily pierced and crushed the Golden Warriors ahead.
The massive vines did not stop after destroying the legion.
Instead, they continued growing taller and thicker.
As they expanded, the scattered pieces of the Golden Warriors became trapped and compressed between the vines, preventing them from reassembling as they had before.
Even the few warriors standing near the Beyonders were caught, wrapped up, and crushed into pieces.
The sight filled the surrounding Beyonders with joy.
This was the power of a Sequence Three.
These metal monsters had been effortlessly suppressed.
But their relief lasted only a moment.
To their horror, crimson steam and scorching heat suddenly erupted from the fragments trapped within the vines.
The enormous vines rapidly withered under the deadly temperature.
This time, nothing remained to stop the warriors from reconstructing themselves.
As the charred vines collapsed and burned, one Golden Warrior after another rose from the sea of flames.
The heat they generated was so intense that it burned the skin of many Beyonders.
Yet none of them seemed to notice.
Not because of their strong will.
But because their fear had overwhelmed everything else.
Count Hahn tried once more to summon vines.
This time, however, the immense heat radiating from the Golden Legion prevented them from growing properly.
Even when he forcibly created them, nearby warriors immediately severed them with their runic blades.
The Count also noticed something else.
Every time these metal monsters were destroyed, they rapidly evolved resistance against whatever had defeated them.
Impossible to kill.
Capable of rapidly developing countermeasures.
Wasn't that the ability of the Sequence Two Undying Dragon?
Realizing this, Count Hahn frowned and spoke a designation aloud:
"Sealed Artifact 1-047?!"
Then he turned toward the others.
"All of you, leave immediately. Return to the surface. I'll handle this myself."
The remaining Beyonders looked as though they had been granted a royal pardon.
They nodded frantically and hurried away.
Strangely, the Golden Legion made no attempt to stop them.
The warriors simply stood in place, silently staring at Count Hahn.
Only after the others had escaped did the Count roll his shoulders and slowly step forward.
As he moved, the Golden Warriors continuously adjusted the runic greatswords mounted upon their metallic arms.
Then they gradually opened a path for him.
Only after he advanced deeper into the great hall did they stop yielding ground and instead surround him from all sides.
Standing at the center of the legion, Count Hahn first glanced at the Golden Warriors around him.
Then he looked toward the elevated platform in the center of the hall.
Would that be the key to breaking this deadlock?
---
Meanwhile, inside the artificially excavated circular chamber above the hall, the elven master craftsman still knelt before the statue.
Windsor remained unconscious nearby.
The black-robed leader calculated the timing for a moment before bringing his hands from behind his back and walking toward Master Craftsman Daedalus.
Before he could take more than a few steps, however, the elven craftsman rose to his feet and looked at him with disdain.
"With such an obvious trick, why would you think it could affect me?"
The black-robed leader responded by removing his hood.
A mocking smile appeared on his face.
"You mean that strange but pleasant scent?"
"If that's what you were guarding against, then unfortunately, you've already lost."
"What?!"
The elven craftsman's expression changed instantly.
He immediately attempted to act.
But the moment he raised his hand, he discovered that he could no longer move at all.
At the same time, the shadow behind him had somehow transformed into the shape of the black-robed leader.
Only after confirming that the craftsman was completely restrained did the leader smile.
"You always thought I was a Sequence Five Perfumer, didn't you?"
"What a shame."
"The fragrances I release every time I act were deliberately created to mislead people. I even spent considerable effort manipulating others through their shadows, creating the illusion that they had fallen into perfume-induced hallucinations and killed one another."
"As you can see, my true pathway is Sequence Five: Shadow Mage."
As he spoke, he stepped closer to the craftsman and mockingly glanced at the elf's iconic long ears.
"If you had just thought a little harder, you might have wondered why I always choose places without visible shadows whenever I act."
"After all, a Perfumer only needs someone to smell the fragrance."
"Elves truly are textbook examples of arrogance. Once they believe they've grasped the truth, they stop paying attention to every other detail."
The craftsman angrily spat back:
"You despicable coward!"
The black-robed leader only became more pleased.
Bowing theatrically, he replied:
"The insults of one's enemies are the highest form of praise!"
"To be complimented by a distinguished elven master craftsman, what an incredible honor."
Then he straightened up and continued:
"Besides, there's no need to be so angry."
"Your daughter was indeed cured."
"This city of blasphemers is indeed about to be destroyed."
"Your wishes have already been fulfilled."
As if to validate his words, the ground beneath them suddenly trembled violently.
After the tremors, striking flowers began blooming across the surrounding walls.
It was a sign that high-sequence beings had begun fighting.
The black-robed leader's smile widened.
"It seems Count Hahn has already been pushed to the point where he can no longer hold back."
"How exciting."
"On one side, a powerful enemy that demands his full strength."
"On the other, the Special Zone, where he absolutely cannot reveal the extent of his supernatural abilities."
"If he doesn't fight seriously, those ancient constructs will break out and he may die."
"If he does fight seriously, the Special Zone itself may be exposed."
"No matter what choice he makes, it's the wrong one."
Growing increasingly excited, he bowed toward the elven craftsman and the statue behind him.
"And no matter how events unfold, the blame will ultimately point toward the elves."
"Originally, I was worried this might simply be written off as a Sealed Artifact running out of control."
"But with you here, and with your King's statue…"
He clicked his tongue in admiration.
"His Majesty the Emperor truly gets to reap the rewards without lifting a finger."
After straightening up, the black-robed leader reached toward the craftsman's throat.
He intended to kill him.
The corpse of the master craftsman, together with the statue, would become the perfect evidence.
Yet just as he was about to strike, he noticed something.
Mockery.
Contempt.
Both were clearly visible in the craftsman's eyes.
The next instant, a massive runic greatsword thrust out from behind him and cleaved the black-robed leader in half.