Tirra’s voice rang in his mind.
’Boss, the mage was killed by Tyr after Deathwood Guardian weakened him!’
Isaac relaxed a little at that.
Their team was winning.
Still, he didn’t lower his guard. He was short on time.
As Isaac and Selene climbed out of the basement, the sight that greeted them was a battlefield.
The entire warehouse and the surrounding structures were crushed into rubble. Deep craters littered the ground, and the air shimmered from the lingering heat.
The late Champion rank mage’s attacks, combined with Tyr manipulating the flames, had burned away almost all the corpses.
Only ashes and blackened stones remained.
In the center of the devastation stood Godric.
He was barely recognizable now.
His clothes were torn to rags.
His body was covered in bleeding cuts, bruises, and burns.
One of his eyes had exploded, leaving a sunken mess on his face.
Yet, he hadn’t fallen.
Somehow, through sheer willpower, Godric remained standing.
He used the pain from his injuries to stay conscious, forcing his mind to ignore the hallucinations and fear that the poison flowers spread around the area.
Isaac watched him carefully, his body tense.
’He’s holding on by a thread… but it’s still enough to be dangerous.’
Isaac didn’t have time to waste. His own body was still poisoned, and his stamina was slipping.
He clenched his fists and increased the power of Sovereign of Land.
The land drained Godric’s remaining stamina faster.
Godric staggered and fell to one knee, gasping for breath. He stabbed his sword into the ground to keep from collapsing completely.
“I am Godric!” he roared, blood dripping from his mouth. “The sin born out of this city’s corrupt system! I will not fall here!”
The aura around him darkened.
It wasn’t normal battle aura anymore. It was twisted and violent, born from sheer hatred.
His body shivered as the aura wrapped around him, distorting his figure.
“Unless I right the wrong—” Godric shouted, the ground cracking under his feet, “—I refuse to fall!”
He pushed off the ground and dashed toward Isaac.
He moved far faster than he should have in his condition.
Deathwood Guardian swung to intercept, but he was a beat too late.
Godric was already halfway across the battlefield, closing in on Isaac.
Isaac didn’t flinch.
He wasn’t even looking at Godric.
Instead, his gaze was fixed on something else.
Behind Godric, a crack split the air.
And through that crack, Leora stepped into the ruined battlefield.
At her feet lay the corpse of Vespara.
The woman’s body was mangled. Her snake-like hair was severed and oozed dark blood.
Her face was frozen in a look of horror, as if she’d seen something truly terrifying before she died.
Leora’s eyes locked onto Isaac’s. Her sword hung casually by her side.
“You are injured. Why didn’t you use the switch I gave you?” she asked, her voice calm despite the imminent danger of Godric.
Godric didn’t even have time to turn his head.
Leora’s sword blurred in her hand.
The next moment, Godric’s charging body froze mid-step.
A thin red line appeared across his chest.
His mouth opened as if to say something.
But nothing came out.
Then, slowly, his body split cleanly into two.
He collapsed onto the scorched ground, lifeless.
“I asked you something,” Leora said.
She looked angry. Angry that despite her trusting Isaac he wouldn’t do anything reckless, he had put himself in mortal danger.
If anything happed to him, Emily would’ve been broken. Leora didn’t want to see the child lose someone close to her heart again.
“I figured that,” he said, smiling as he tried to appease Leora. “you had it under control— cough! cough!”
He coughed blood uncontrollably.
His eyelids began to fall, and he could barely stand straight.
Still, he was smiling a cheeky smile, as if he couldn’t feel pain, as if he was hoping Leora would put away her anger.
“You should still have used the switch. It’s there for emergencies, not decoration.” She sighed.
She looked at Selene. “Make him lie down.”
Selene did as she was asked.
Her grip on his arm remained tight, as if afraid he might disappear if she let go.
Leora’s sharp eyes caught the movement, but she didn’t comment on it.
Selene’s voice trembled.
“C-can he be saved?” she asked, almost desperate.
She wasn’t even looking at her own wounds anymore.
How could she, when the person who had saved her was lying there, barely conscious?
Leora knelt down beside Isaac, checking the inside of his mouth and the color of his eyes. Her frown deepened.
“This isn’t a poison I’ve seen before,” she muttered. “It’s melting his muscles from the inside.”
Selene’s heart froze.
“But… but Isaac fought an assassin,” she stammered. “He was still standing…”
Leora shook her head.
“He has high stats,” Leora explained. “He can keep moving as long as he ignores the pain. It’s hard, but not impossible.”
Leora stood up and walked away, scanning the wreckage for anything useful.
Tyr remained crouched close to Isaac. The treant somehow looked he would cry if Isaac didn’t say anything soon.
The Deathwood Guardian Scarecrow stood in standby mode.
Somewhere nearby, Tirra had hidden herself, just as Isaac had instructed before the battle started.
Selene stayed kneeling beside him.
Her arms were trembling as she clutched Isaac’s bloodied hand.
His skin was cold, and his breathing was shallow.
That unknown warmth she had felt when he first saved her — the feeling didn’t know name of — now felt like a bucket of cold water poured over her heart.
The thought of him dying twisted her insides painfully.
She bit her lip so hard it almost bled.
Leora returned, dragging Vespara’s corpse with her.
In her other hand, she held a small vial taken from Godric’s body.
She tossed it to Selene.
“Drink it,” Leora ordered. “You’re poisoned too. It’s probably a variant of fear poison.”
Selene nodded and obeyed immediately.
The liquid was bitter and burned as it slid down her throat, but she didn’t complain.
After making sure Selene was stable, Leora knelt beside Vespara’s body.
Without hesitation, she grabbed one of the remaining snake-head appendages growing from Vespara’s scalp and sliced it off.
Selene watched, horrified, as Leora dug into the fleshy remains and pulled out a small hidden pouch filled with an unknown, shimmering liquid.
Selene’s voice shook.
“W-what are you doing?”
Leora didn’t even glance at her.
“The poison in Isaac’s body is unknown,” she said. “It’s probably a personalized creation by this naga demihuman.”
Leora tore open the pouch and poured the liquid into a small cup she conjured from her storage ring.
“Her hair naturally produces an antidote for her own poisons,” Leora explained. “This is the only way to neutralize it.”
Without any ceremony, she forced Isaac to drink the liquid.
For a few long moments, nothing happened.
Selene squeezed Isaac’s hand harder, praying.
Then, finally, Isaac’s body jerked slightly.
A weak cough escaped his lips, and his eyelids fluttered open.
Relief hit Selene so hard she nearly collapsed.
Leora squinted her eyes.
“This wouldn’t have happened if you had used the defensive artifact I gave you,” she snapped, though her voice held a mix of scolding and relief.
“But no—kids these days think they need to put their life on the line to grow stronger. Nonsense!”
Isaac chuckled weakly.
“Kids?” he said, grinning. “Aren’t you my age too?”
Leora froze.
There was an awkward pause.
Then, without a word, she turned on her heel and stalked off toward the ruins, muttering something under her breath about calling reinforcements and checking for any remaining assassins.
Isaac smiled to himself and turned his head to look at Selene.
She was still holding his hand, her grip trembling slightly.
Their eyes met.
Neither spoke for a moment.
Selene bit her lip, struggling with her emotions.
“I… Thank you for saving me, and….”
“You don’t need to say anything,” he said, feeling the tremors from her hand as he squeezed back gently. “You’re safe now. That’s enough.”
He intented to maintain his warm tone only until he brought her back to Alice.
After that, he had no intention of even looking at her.
She might regret her actions now, but it wouldn’t change the bullying she had put Alice through.
Selene, unaware of his cold gaze, stared at his hands.
She kept holding them, and felt a rush of warm emotions.
Tyr, ignoring Selene, jumped into Isaac’s embrace in his miniature form.
Isaac patted his back, calming him down.
“It’s okay, Tyr,” Isaac said softly. “I’m fine.”
Tyr’s branches slowly relaxed, but he didn’t let go immediately.
Isaac let him be for a while. After all, Tyr had fought hard today.
When Tyr finally pulled back, Isaac smiled and turned his attention to Tirra.
He spoke through their mental link, ’Tirra, from today, you’ll live in the ruins. It’s better than keeping you trapped inside the Soulbind Pendant.’
Tirra, who had been hiding in a far-away building, chirped in surprise.
’I’ll come to meet you as often as I can,’ Isaac added.
The small ghost bird’s voice rang out brightly in his mind.
’Thank you, Boss! Tirra loves you!’
Isaac chuckled softly.
Inside the Soulbind Pendant, Tirra had a safe but cramped space.
Even though she never complained, Isaac had seen how happy she was when he let her out today.
Letting her live freely here was the least he could do.
’Now,’ Isaac said, ’you must have reached Level 10 after the last battle, since all the experience from the enemies went to you and Tyr due to the party. Tell me what items you need for your evolution, and I’ll bring them.’
Tirra chirped excitedly.
’Yes, yes! Tirra is about to evolve! Tirra can’t wait!’ she said, spinning in the air.
Isaac smiled at her excitement.
Tirra quickly listed the items she needed: Fragment of Phantom Root, Spirit Nectar, Nightbloom Feather, Core of a Lesser Wraith
’Tirra will evolve into a Nightshade Wisp!’ she announced proudly.
Isaac memorized the list carefully.
He would start gathering the materials as soon as possible.
An evolved Tirra would be even more useful, and more importantly, she would be happier too.
After Tirra flew off into the nearby ruins to find a place to settle, Isaac turned his attention back to Tyr.
He intended to ask him about his own evolution conditions. Tyr had hit Level 20 after all.
But when Isaac looked at him, he realized Tyr was still emotionally overwhelmed.
The big – small – guy wasn’t ready for a conversation yet.
Isaac just kept patting his back slowly, giving him the time he needed.
Minutes passed.
Finally, the other groups from the rescue teams arrived at their location.
Kael was the first to rush over.
“Hey! Is it true you defeated a Champion rank?!” Kael shouted, practically bouncing on his feet. “Your maid said so, but… come on, there’s no way that’s true, right?”
Isaac, still sitting against the side of a ruined wall, just smiled faintly.
He didn’t answer.
Behind Kael, Leora’s eyebrow twitched dangerously.
Kael, blissfully unaware, continued to babble.
“I mean, you’re strong, sure, but a Champion rank? That’s crazy! Even SSS rank awakeners have trouble jumping three ranks, let alone jumping four ranks like you!”
Before Kael could say anything more embarrassing, Nero stepped in.
“Let him rest,” Nero said flatly. “Can’t you see he’s exhausted?”
Kael finally noticed the bloodstains on Isaac’s clothes and the way Tyr was hovering protectively beside him.
He scratched the back of his head awkwardly and muttered, “Ah… right, sorry.”
Isaac didn’t mind.
He appreciated Nero stepping in, though.
He scanned the group casually.
Everyone looked at him in apprehension, and fear. Isaac understood that was normal.
No one would believe if they were told an Initiate rank awakener defeated three Champion rank awakeners.
But tomorrow, when General Magus would support his claim after learning everything from Leora, they would have no choice but to believe him.
Isaac suddenly noticed something.
Celia had a different expression from others.
The idol was standing near the back of the group. Her eyes were twinkling as she looked at him.
For a brief moment, Isaac blinked.
She looked almost… starstruck.