At that moment, Garr could feel a chilling sensation around his neck.
The sword embryo’s blade was so close that blood began to trickle down.
Everyone watching was utterly baffled.
Moments ago, the sword embryo seemed to be struggling against Garr’s attacks. Yet now, Garr had stopped his offense entirely, channeling all his magic into reinforcing his defenses.
But even then, he remained frozen, motionless—standing there as if he were inviting the sword embryo to strike him.
“What is he doing? Why isn’t he fighting back?”
“This doesn’t make any sense. Is he just waiting to be hit?”
The crowd erupted in murmurs of confusion and disappointment.
Even among those watching, some began mocking Garr.
“All the other fights have been so thrilling, and now we get this? He looks like an idiot just standing there.”
“Is he really a saint of the
Sanctuary of Extension
? This is embarrassing!”
…
Back in the
Metal Field
, something about Garr’s condition clearly wasn’t right.
His face had gone pale, and his body trembled slightly.
“What’s happening? Is the
Metal Field’s
treasure too powerful, even for a saint?”
“Could the ancient battlefield here be far more dangerous than the other fields?”
“It might be! Don’t forget, the
Metal Field
is the only one where the treasure actively attacks participants. None of the other treasures have done that.”
“Maybe it’s more than just a battlefield. Could this place be tied to an ancient war of gods? It might be why the treasure here carries such destructive power!”
…
While the audience speculated wildly, Daniel watched with quiet amusement.
Having previously explored the
Fire Abyss
, he was familiar with the inner workings of the
5 Fields
. While the
Metal Field
was indeed unique in its aggression, it was far from capable of trapping participants in ancient battlefield illusions or carrying the lingering power of gods.
No, Garr’s state had nothing to do with the
Metal Field’s
power.
It was personal—something within himself.
…
The projection revealed the sword embryo darting toward Garr.
Its blade struck his neck, but Garr didn’t flinch or react. His defenses, bolstered by powerful magic, were so strong that the sword left only a faint white mark on his skin.
Despite being unharmed, Garr’s mind was elsewhere.
He wasn’t facing the sword embryo.
In his mind, he was reliving that day—when the girl with the giant sword held him at her mercy.
She was overwhelmingly strong, so much so that he couldn’t even muster the strength to resist. The memory of that encounter suffocated him, making it hard to breathe.
Now, even though it was just a sword embryo before him, the weight of that memory froze him in place.
All he had to do was reach out and grab it, and the treasure would be his.
But his body refused to move, as though it were shackled by fear.
Finally, Garr let out a long, shaky breath and retreated, stepping out of the sword embryo’s attack range.
Once Garr moved away, the sword embryo returned to its platform, seemingly dormant without a target.
Despite being unscathed, Garr reached into his pocket and pulled out a
forfeit token
. Crushing it in his hand, his figure was enveloped in white light and vanished from the
secret realm
.
This token, provided to participants of the
Battle for Dominance
, allowed them to forfeit and leave the secret realm. Using it meant forfeiting their qualification for the competition.
…
“What?! He just forfeited?!”
“Why would he do that?”
“We’ve been speculating all this time, and it turns out to be nothing?”
“He could’ve tried a few more times. The sword embryo didn’t even scratch him!”
…
The audience was abuzz with confusion and criticism.
Garr was supposed to be the saint of the
Sanctuary of Extension
. How could he give up so easily?
“Look at Yesar from the
Dawnlight Empire
! He fought to the bitter end, even dying in the process. This Garr just ran away! What a disgrace!”
…
“Nina, do you think this might have something to do with Rose?” Nina teased, glancing slyly at Rose.
That day, when Rose had held her greatsword to Garr’s neck, he had worn the same expression of terror.
Now, it seemed as though that fear had resurfaced.
Daniel turned to Rose thoughtfully. Nina had told him about that incident before. If Garr’s forfeit was connected to that memory, then his actions made sense.
The sword embryo carried a faint aura of destruction—not as potent as Rose’s—but enough to awaken the terror Garr felt that day.
To have a giant sword pressed against your neck with no ability to resist—such an experience could shatter anyone’s confidence.
…
In truth, the sword embryo posed no real threat to Garr. It couldn’t penetrate his defenses, as it had already demonstrated.
Yet, Garr’s fear and lingering trauma paralyzed him. He couldn’t even muster the courage to grab the sword.
All he could do was forfeit.
…
“Garr! Do you realize what you’ve done? You’ve disgraced the
Sanctuary of Extension
!” an elder roared as Garr appeared outside the realm.
“I’m sorry… I’ve failed you,” Garr murmured, bowing his head deeply.
“You…” The elder’s anger flared, but he could only sigh in frustration.
“Return to the sanctuary. When we’re back, I’ll speak with the saint lord about whether you’re even worthy of your title as saint!”
With that, the elder stormed off, leaving Garr alone.
…
Meanwhile, the other members of the
Sanctuary of Extension
left in silence, their faces filled with disappointment.
Ina, who had always admired Garr, hesitated. Normally, she would’ve gone to comfort him, but this time, she felt a deep sense of irritation.
She had devoted so much to supporting Garr, yet he had never reciprocated. Now, with his failure, he might lose his title as saint.
What was the point of staying by his side anymore?
For the first time, Ina felt clarity. Without even glancing back at Garr, she turned and left.
…
Garr stood motionless, head bowed, lost in thought.
In the
Wood Field
, two chosen participants from major factions were present:
Fedrick
from the
Cult of Calamity
and
Deguro
from the
Dark Empire
.
Fedrick had transformed into a massive tree, enhancing his ability to attune himself to the
Wood Field’s
rule.