Chapter 118
Before Elysia reached the center of the Imperial Palace.
The closer she got to the palace, the stronger the sense of unease became.
‘…Something’s off.’
It reminded her of a similar situation from Seyros Saga.
‘What’s wrong with the monsters this time?’
An unexpected, sudden update.
People had been horrified by the design of those grotesque and massive beasts. They were so much stronger than any monsters before that players kept dying before they could even put up a proper fight.
Players had complained — “Did the devs mess up the update?” or “How are we supposed to beat that?”
And right now, even the chat was full of panicked players who had played Seyros Saga before, urgently trying to explain.
“Whoa, that thing’s showing up in Lemegol too!”
“You need at least a Sword Master class to solo that…”
“How are we supposed to beat it? There aren’t even that many Sword Masters in Lemegol!”
‘That’s the problem.’
In Seyros Saga, there were some players who’d reached the Sword Master class, but here, that rank was considered an extraordinary power. Even the Crown Prince was someone who hid his strength.
‘Even he would struggle with that.’
Not even the main male lead could handle such a monster. Jerome certainly couldn’t either. So why had the system released such a bugged event? In Seyros, an event like that had wiped out tons of players — it was practically designed to kill beginners instantly.
…Which meant that right now, everyone in Lemegol was as good as dead.
Unless someone on par with a top-ranking Seyros Saga player appeared, everyone — the Crown Prince, the Emperor, all the soldiers who had gone to fight… and even the Duke — would perish.
“You’ve got to be kidding me! This isn’t funny!”
Elysia’s sudden outburst made Howell flinch.
“Wh–what’s wrong?”
Elysia stared out the carriage window at the colossal beast. If no Seyros Saga ranker appeared, they’d all be doomed. And amusingly enough, that very “ranker” was right here.
Pointing at the monster, Elysia smirked crookedly.
“Just looking at that thing pisses me off. Like hell I’m gonna lose.”
“What? Wait—what are you—”
Before Howell could stop her, Elysia had already moved. She gripped the window frame, glancing politely toward a startled Frillien.
“Sorry, Saintess. I’m going to open this window. Oh, and you might want to keep your head down. I mean that — for everyone’s safety.”
“Huh?”
Frillien blinked in confusion. The only one who understood what was about to happen, Howell, shouted frantically.
“W–wait! Don’t break the window! There’s a door! I’ll open it!”
“Oh, you’re learning.”
Click.
Her hand touched the door handle. Howell’s voice trembled.
“I know you won’t listen no matter what I say, but—!”
“Oh, are you telling me to be careful? Or not to die?”
The worried looks fixed on her. Elysia thought for a second, then smiled faintly and said lightly:
“…Don’t worry.”
She looked so calm, so composed, that for a moment everyone forgot to speak — just staring at her in silence.
Then—
Whoosh!
In a flash, the carriage door opened — and Elysia vanished. By the time they looked, her red hair was already a dot in the distance. Howell muttered weakly,
“She knows better… so why does she always do this…”
Burying his face in his trembling hands, he fell silent.
If Elysia were still in the carriage, she would have seen the familiar notification — ‘Alert level increased.’
* * *
“Normal skills won’t cut it. So, time to use that last saved Skill Access Ticket! All in!”
Elysia sprinted forward, using Teleport to instantly phase through the outer wall. It didn’t take long to reach the palace’s center.
Item: [Iris’s Wings]
Enhanced with the item’s leaping power, Elysia soared high — so high that the massive beast was now beneath her feet, fully in view.
“Skill Access Ticket used — [Fury Blade]!”
Elysia thrust both swords forward. The Duke’s sword and the one gifted by the Crown Prince gleamed, radiating energy as blazing swordlight spiraled around her. Wherever she passed, arcs of pure light carved trails through the air.
Countless wounds were etched across the monster’s body.
Kieeeeek!
The beast froze, screaming in agony. Like a crumbling stone tower, its massive form began to disintegrate.
“Get back—run!”
Knights shouted as the debris rained down. Elysia snatched up nearby stones and hurled them upward.
Bang! Boom!
Her throws shattered the falling rubble midair — pulverizing it before it could crush anyone. That should keep them from getting buried or injured.
In the blink of an eye, Elysia had felled the largest monster of them all. Exhaling a sharp breath, she turned back.
‘…Now let’s see if everyone else is still alive.’
Hopefully, she wasn’t too late.
The dust cloud from the explosion slowly cleared, revealing faces — the High Priest, barely conscious; the Captain of the Royal Guard, speechless; the Duke, eyes wide in disbelief.
And then—
The Emperor, watching with unmistakable intrigue.
“…Isn’t that the daughter of Duke Semperion?”
* * *
Duke Semperion stared at his daughter in disbelief. He wasn’t the only one — no one could believe what they had just seen.
No one had expected anyone capable of changing this situation to appear.
If there had been any last hope, it would’ve been support from the Magic Tower.
The Tower’s true power is far greater than people realize.
All because of one hidden figure — the Tower Master.
That strength was also the reason the Tower Master was always under watch — even treated, unofficially, like a sacrificial offering.
They often fought secretly for the Empire and vanished without a trace, many dying quietly in the process.
Thus, generation after generation, Tower Masters lived their entire lives hidden from the public.
Because the death of the Empire’s strongest protector — their greatest hope — would be too devastating for its people.
Instead, they avoided the spotlight entirely, and when one died, another quietly took their place, with no public announcement.
There were likely several Tower Masters who had disappeared that way.
The Duke gazed at his daughter with a heavy heart.
Elysia had just wiped out monsters with impossible swordsmanship — a power beyond reason. It could rival the Tower Master’s might itself.
And if such strength became known, there would surely be those who would try to control her… or use her as a sacrifice, just as they had done to Tower Masters for generations.
Why would she take such a dangerous risk…
But even if he said that aloud, she wouldn’t listen. She was the kind of person who would break a window just because someone told her not to go outside.
No — he couldn’t blame her.
This had all happened because of his own incompetence.
Now, the Emperor and the High Priest were watching her with growing interest, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.
He wasn’t strong enough to stand in her place — or to protect her from those who might try to use her later.
That realization brought a crushing sense of despair.
And as that helplessness washed over him, something moved in the corner of his vision — a monster was creeping up behind Elysia.
“Elysia, behind you!”
He tried to run — but he was too far.
Cruelly, in moments like this, he was always one step too late.
Too many monsters still stood between them. His weary legs stumbled; even if he reached her, could he really protect her?
He shouted her name and sprinted toward her—
Then the sky flashed.
BOOM.
A blinding violet light enveloped the massive monster. The creature, lunging for Elysia, shrieked and staggered back.
Kieeeek!
“…That’s—!”
The mana was overwhelming.
A nearby mage gaped in horror, and the others stared as if frozen.
The Emperor’s face hardened in shock, and even the High Priest’s eyes went wide in disbelief.
Then, between the fallen monsters, a figure stepped forward.
“…Finn?”
Elysia blinked, stunned. She looked from Finn to the Emperor and the High Priest, confused.
Finn Ende approached her calmly, a relaxed smile on his face, as though none of this chaos bothered him.
“I heard you went ahead — you gave me quite a scare.”
“Ah, um, well… that…”
Elysia darted her eyes around nervously — as if to ask, “Are you really allowed to use that kind of magic out in the open?”
The Duke, who had just reached them, also stared at Finn in silence.
His timing was impeccable — appearing right now, as if to remind everyone exactly what his “role” was.
The strongest being in the Empire — but one regarded as its sacrifice.
The true Tower Master, who lived under the guise of “Finn,” had just revealed himself before them all.
