Kaelen's eyes snapped open—only to find himself falling.
Endless blackness rushed past, a cold wind biting at his skin as gravity pulled him into the unknown. Then, through the shadows, he saw it.
A massive cage.
Inside... a dragon.
The sheer pressure of its presence almost crushed him. Its aura was overwhelming—powerful, dreadful, suffocating. The air itself twisted in fear around the beast.
"I... know this place..."
Realization struck him like ice water.
The Spooky Palace... and that aura... Ivarage.
The moment Kaelen's mind identified the dragon, his Unique Skill [Founder] activated automatically, shielding him from the soul-distorting pressure, also reinforcing his mental defenses.
Not wanting to be noticed, Kaelen activated [Masked Existence], his presence fading to nothing. He followed with [Molecular Manipulation], halting his fall and beginning to float.
From above, he finally noticed—two humanoid figures stood before the dragon.
The first stood inside the cage beside Ivarage, bathed in the very aura that could kill most beings instantly.
They were unscathed.
His hair was jet black, his entire body wreathed in a faint purplish haze that seemed to drink in the surrounding magicules.
The second stood outside the cage.
He had pristine white hair and glowing purple eyes—an unnatural brilliance that felt as if it could pierce through reality itself. His robes were regal, layered with intricate embroidery of gold and violet, fit for ancient royalty. A cape, fastened with a jeweled clasp, swayed behind him as though even the void's wind obeyed him.
Kaelen could not hear their words from this distance, but their postures suggested familiarity. They spoke without fear of the dragon's looming presence.
No one in the history of the Tensura world dared to approach Ivarage at this time... yet here they were.
The white-haired one's lips moved first, his voice deep yet oddly casual.
"An entity has arrived... from beyond this world. Veldanava's essence has visited him."
The black-haired man tilted his head slightly.
"Is this outsider like Rimuru? Someone from another world but within this same universe? Or...is he someone who knows Tensura, who has read it—like us?"
The white-haired one's mouth curved into a smile... then a grin.
"Why don't you ask him yourself?"
He raised a single finger and pointed directly toward Kaelen's floating position.
Kaelen's expression didn't change.
He had already suspected that Masked Existence might not have worked on beings of this caliber—he had activated it too late.
The black-haired man slowly turned his head.
His glowing, dark-purple eyes met Kaelen's.
A chill ran through Kaelen's spine. Monsters... these aren't just powerful—they're on a completely different level.
Then... he sensed something.
A presence closing in fast.
A Cryptid lunged out of the shadows, its claws extended to tear him apart.
Kaelen's reflexes kicked in—he froze the air under his feet with Ice Magic, launched himself high, and countered mid-air.
" Damn it... if this keeps up, more will come. Those two are just watching me... How long do I have to stay here?"
A cold voice echoed inside his mind. It was [Founder].
"Approximate remaining time: Two minutes."
Kaelen exhaled in relief. "Good. Enough time to kill this one.You know... you could have spoke to me earlier."
"There was no need until now," Founder replied, emotionless.
Kaelen's form shifted into Dragon Form v1.
Two swords of pure light appeared in his hands. One blazed with Cardinal Fire, the other shimmered with Cardinal Ice.
Still moving, he crossed the blades into an asterisk-shaped strike:
First diagonal — Cardinal Ice.
Second diagonal — Cardinal Fire.
Final horizontal — pure Light.
To ensure the attack would land, he warped the surrounding space, dragging the Cryptid into range, then delayed the strike two seconds into the future.
The blow landed cleanly—Kaelen dashed forward, severing all of the creature's limbs in a single strike.
From the cage's edge, the white-haired man murmured:
"Ohh~..."
Another Cryptid lunged at him, but Kaelen sidestepped and unleashed Lightning Chains—working on the same principle as his Ice Chains, but fueled by crackling thunder. The attack wrapped around the beast, locking its movements for a short time.
Kaelen grabbed the first Cryptid—still writhing limbless—by the face and activated [Primordial Ingestion]. Its essence and soul were devoured, the body collapsing into nothing.
The second Cryptid broke free and rushed him—
—but was instantly annihilated by a swirl of magicules blasted from Ivarage's aura which the black haired man send, flying dangerously close to Kaelen.
The magicules condensed around him, forming a crushing sphere.
The black-haired man inside the cage said:"I guess that's taken care of."
The white-haired one smirked."I wouldn't be so sure about that."
He gestured toward Kaelen.
Kaelen stood unmoving, then activated Primordial Ingestion once more—devouring the swirling magicules of Ivarage itself. Every last particle vanished into him.
Founder's voice echoed again.
"Master, time is up. We are returning."
Kaelen smirked. "Perfect timing."
A burst of brilliant light consumed his vision.
The white-haired one chuckled."I guess we found an interesting one."
The black-haired one tilted his head."Well... I suppose so."
Kaelen blinked. He was lying on his bed, back in his normal base form.
A clear, ringing voice filled his mind.
[Voice of the World]
Individual Kaelen has accumulated sufficient amount of Ivarage's magicules
Granting Unique Skill: [Annihilarch].