Whoooosh!

Even as he plummeted downward, Beric’s eyes darted rapidly, searching for any sign of Rutherford.

The endless drop made him question if this was really just a simple cliff, but there was no time or luxury to doubt. As the air grew hotter, Beric dragged his sword against the cliff face, trying to slow his fall. Beyond the range of his magic, it was pitch black—he couldn’t see a thing.

Screeeech!

Whoosh!

By sheer luck, his sword caught in a crevice. Hanging by one hand, Beric swung his body lightly and leapt across to the opposite ledge.

“Rutherford, you bastard! Where the hell are you? Dead? If you’re dead, at least say something!”

Below the cliff lay another world entirely—a massive cavern with branching paths. It felt natural, not man-made.

Beric spotted a long, deep scratch on the wall—an Idgal mark. Rutherford must have slowed his fall with his sword just like that, landing here.

Ssslick.

“Catch me and you’re dead, got it?”

Beric called out playfully, drawing a fresh sword from his waist. Then, cautiously, he stepped into the cave. The heat hit him like a wave—so that’s where the warmth he’d felt earlier was coming from.

“What kind of damn place is this? Up top, it’s a frozen wasteland where not a single blade of grass grows.”

A strange, warm breeze blew through. Gripping his sword tightly, Beric moved forward slowly. Suddenly, sensing movement nearby, he spun around instinctively.

Ssssh! Clang!

“Beric. It’s me.”

“Oh, it’s Hale.”

“Next time you lose your mind, at least keep your eyes open.”

“Yeah, who told you to make such a loud noise?”

“I was careful. You just slipped up because you’re nervous.”

“Nervous? Ha! Me? Nervous?”

Hale followed behind, frowning as he glanced at the sword pressed close to Beric’s neck. His look clearly asked how long he planned to keep it raised. Beric chuckled awkwardly and sniffled.

“Sorry about that.”

“Anyway, let’s head back. It’s safer to regroup with the main force.”

“If safety was my priority, I wouldn’t have left Bariel. Rutherford came this way too. Did you see the Idgal marks earlier?”

“Yeah. We can’t figure out what he’s up to. It’s dangerous. Remember, you’re not with the Magic Department—you’re the Emperor’s guard.”

“The Emperor would be thrilled if I took Rutherford’s head. And if I let him get away now, how do you expect me to find him again?”

Ten years. Ten long years.

It took ten years to track Rutherford here after waiting for Ian. Beric knew Rutherford was right in front of him, but he couldn’t just retreat because it was dangerous.

Beric gestured upward with a flick of his hand.

“If you’re so worried, why don’t you go up first? Just tell Ian I’m here.”

“Sigh. You crazy mutt.”

“I’ve heard that one so many times it’s stuck in my ears. No matter how many beggars live in my belly, I’ve never eaten shit. Why do they keep calling me a mutt?”

Just as Hale was about to retort, both of them sensed something and whipped around. From deeper inside the cave came a faint rustling.

“What’s that?”

“Shh.”

Hale hushed him, annoyed at the noise. Beric pursed his lips and crouched low, creeping further inside with all his senses alert.

There was a faint smell—something rotten, musty…

“Wait a minute. This smell…”

Beric inhaled deeply, trying to place it, but it didn’t quite click. One thing was certain: it was tied to a very unpleasant memory.

Turning a corner deeper into the cave, Beric sensed movement in the darkness.

“Hale.”

Beric asked for a light. Hale activated his magic, and the area brightened instantly.

There, hunched over and chewing on something, was a man. His hair was tangled, his clothes in tatters. It didn’t take long to recognize him—Rutherford.

“You bastard, what the hell are you eating in a situation like this—”

Beric’s words caught in his throat.

In Rutherford’s hand was a dried red flower and something unidentifiable. The bizarre sight left Beric speechless, and Hale dropped his cigarette. Now that he looked around…

“This isn’t just a simple cave.”

Stumps of cut trees and unrecognizable thorn bushes came into view. Covered in blue moss, it was hard to tell at first glance.

Rutherford tore at whatever he could grab, stuffing it into his mouth like a desperate man clinging to anything that might save him.

“Ah, that…”

Beric frowned. Not just the dried red flower, but he recognized what Rutherford was holding.

“That’s… a fairy from inside the doll.”

Laromedia. Though crushed and hard to compare precisely, the shape and size made it almost certain. Whether it was still alive recently was unclear, but Rutherford’s hands were coated in sticky liquid.

“Hey! Stop eating that, you lunatic!”

Hale quickly scanned the area. Laromedia’s habitat was said to be in Gaia’s northern and southern polar regions.

The most recent discovery was near Toorun. Though Burgos bordered Toorun, no one expected a habitat here.

‘Could it have migrated?’

It was almost certain that doll magic using Laromedia corpses was rampant in Toorun.

So it was possible they fled south to escape indiscriminate slaughter. The habitat was small and looked hastily made—proof of that.

“Hale, that guy’s lost it, hasn’t he?”

“Beric, be careful of hallucinations. Living Laromedia’s effects are far stronger than dried ones.”

“Still, shouldn’t we just cut him down now? But it’s disgusting—I can’t get close.”

Beric looked down at the crushed flowers beneath Rutherford’s feet. They looked familiar. What were they again?

“Wait—!”

His eyes widened as a sudden realization struck.

“Silask!”

The red flower that never withers once it blooms. Didn’t Ian take some in a pot when he went to the Great Desert? Though dried and brittle, it was unmistakable.

Rutherford wiped his mouth lightly and glared at them.

“Disgusting, huh?”

“Yeah. Damn right.”

“Survival doesn’t care about that.”

A method the gods had revealed—a way to borrow the power of an omniscient deity, even if only briefly. Rutherford gripped a handful of dried petals and smiled venomously.

“Beric. Shouldn’t you be more careful than that?”

“Don’t get all friendly calling my name, asshole. I’m not dying today.”

“Your whole body’s on fire.”

“What?”

Whoosh!

The moment Rutherford spoke, Beric saw flames erupting before his eyes. His own body, perfectly fine moments ago, was now a blazing torch.

Startled, Beric stumbled back, but Hale grabbed him.

“Beric! Snap out of it! It’s a hallucination!”

“No, damn it! It’s hot!”

“Remember, it’s just a hallucination!”

Ziiing! Ziiing!

Hale unleashed his magic to clear the air, but Rutherford whispered sharply.

“Hey. Don’t get too close. The fire might spread.”