Sakeer was taken aback.
So these twin sisters—these subhumans—possessed such a mysterious lineage?
The so-called "Demon Gods", according to various speculations, were monsters, elite creatures, and even powerful bosses that descended upon this world from the game. Their arrival unleashed catastrophe, altering the fate of the land.
This was the very reason the "Thirteen Heroes" had emerged—to combat the devastation.
The strength of these Demon Gods varied widely.
The most powerful among them still lay sealed within the depths of the Great Forest of Tob, their levels reaching 85 and beyond. Some were so dangerous they were feared as Demon Kings, beings capable of nearly wiping out the world.
Even the weaker ones, though, remained beyond the capabilities of ordinary humans.
At their lowest, their strength was still above Level 36, surpassing even the Hero Realm.
Sakeer sifted through the information on Demon Gods stored in his mind.
Then—his gaze settled on the trembling twin witches before him.
Their pale, emaciated forms curled into themselves, shrinking from his presence.
Though their faces bore vaguely human features, their pointed ears and unsettling expressions made it clear—they were anything but.
But their appearance was secondary.
What truly intrigued Sakeer was this:
Could game-born monsters really leave behind descendants?
The idea wasn't without precedent.
The Six Gods and the Eight Greed Kings were both legendary beings from beyond this world—yet they had left behind children.
So was it truly impossible for monsters to do the same?
Sakeer's thoughts raced.
What if this wasn't an isolated case?
What if there were more?
If so—this world held secrets far deeper than he had imagined.
His eyes flashed.
A sudden realization struck him.
The Wise King of the Forest—the creature he had slain—had possessed subtle but distinct differences from the other monsters of this world. Could it be…?
Was he also of Demon God lineage?
Under the gray-robed mage's unreserved confession, the method of creating Frogman Eggs was laid bare.
And just as Sakeer had suspected from the beginning—
The process was extremely complex, riddled with a terrifyingly high failure rate.
Not only did it require the special alchemical techniques mastered by the gray-robed mage, but it also needed the Twin Witches' unique magic to be completed.
But what was the mage's true goal?
The creation of Frogman Eggs wasn't merely for the sake of the experiment.
Rather, it had been a trap—designed to lure out Quaiesse and assassinate him as an act of revenge against the Slane Theocracy.
As for the claim that Quaiesse's innate ability had been used in the research?
That was a deliberate deception—false information designed to mislead Quaiesse.
Still, Sakeer learned something unexpected.
The gray-robed mage revealed Quaiesse's true ability—
A gift capable of increasing the favorability of monsters.
Even exerting direct control over them.
Sakeer's eyes flickered with understanding.
"So that's how it controlled my Barghest."
Compared to skills granted by professions, certain innate abilities could be absurdly overpowered.
Quaiesse was a prime example.
His monstrous control abilities combined with his combat talent made him a natural fit for the [Black Scripture].
Sakeer now suspected that beyond Quaiesse's raw strength, his innate ability had played a major role in his ranking.
As for the personal grudge between the gray-robed mage, Quaiesse, and the Slane Theocracy—
Sakeer didn't care.
But—
Through this conversation, he stumbled upon an unknown piece of history.
The gray-robed mage's younger sister…
Had once been the Earth Witch Queen.
The Slane Theocracy was well-known for its Six Great Temples, but aside from these, another faction operated in the shadows:
The Six Miko Princesses—high-ranking shrine maidens tied to the six major shrines.
Each shrine maiden possessed a unique magic item, allowing her to perform grand ritual magic—
Spells so powerful they vastly exceeded her natural level.
But these magic items weren't something anyone could use.
They required a rare, innate talent—a special gift encoded into their very souls.
And the Slane Theocracy had a way to detect such abilities.
With a population of over 15 million, they scoured their people for individuals with the right talents, molding them into puppets for their grand ambitions.
For many, this was an honor.
For the gray-robed mage's sister, it had been a curse.
She had been born with the perfect affinity—a prime candidate for the Six Holy Temples.
At first, she, too, had believed it to be a blessing.
But the truth—
Was far crueler.
Sakeer gazed at the gray-robed mage, who sat there in a stunned silence.
Then, he shook his head.
Nothing in this world comes without a price.
Rising from an ordinary life to become one of the Six Holy Shrine Maidens—
Did she truly think such an elevation would be free of cost?
Sakeer frowned.
If he remembered correctly, in the future—
Clementine would betray the Slane Theocracy by stealing the "Crown of Wisdom" from the Miko Princess of Earth.
And after losing that artifact—
The Miko Princess of Earth had descended into madness.
A madness that was all too real.
Because the "Crown of Wisdom" was not simply an artifact.
It was a tool of enslavement.
It robbed the wearer of their consciousness, transforming them into a mere vessel for casting magic.
If the Crown of Wisdom had such an effect—
Then the other shrine maidens' artifacts were likely no different.
What happened to the shrine maiden who lost the "Crown of Wisdom" and fell into madness?
Or—if a new shrine maiden needed to be chosen, what became of the previous one?
The answer was simple.
One of the core duties of the [Black Scripture] was to "send these maddened Miko Princesses to the gods"—a euphemism for eliminating them.
Of course, the gray-robed mage had no knowledge of the [Black Scripture], nor did he realize that Quaiesse was one of its members.
His interest in Quaiesse had nothing to do with the Black Scripture.
His true motive was far more personal—
His sister had been taken away by Quaiesse's father.
"Tell me everything you know about Zurrernorn."
Sakeer broke his brief silence, his tone calm yet firm.
The gray-robed mage's situation was difficult to judge.
At first, when the mage mentioned the Slane Theocracy's belief in human supremacy, Sakeer had found his mocking tone somewhat puzzling.
But now, he understood.
From the perspective of a nation, a race, or a religious order, things could seem clear-cut.
Yet for an individual, those same ideals could mean something entirely different.
Sakeer had always seen himself as an ordinary man who had simply gained power.
But after everything he had experienced—
He could no longer rely on the simple notions of right and wrong, good and evil that an ordinary person might cling to.
In his previous life, novels and anime often spoke of the importance of "sticking to one's heart."
Back then, he never gave it much thought.
But now—
He realized just how crucial those words truly were.
In a world filled with different races, clashing ideologies, and shifting power dynamics, blindly adhering to rigid definitions of right and wrong would only lead to confusion and ruin.
"We have twelve members… Zurrernorn."
The gray-robed mage's voice was eerily devoid of emotion.
Sakeer frowned—not because of the information itself, but because it wasn't much more than he already knew.
According to the mage, the identities of Zurrernorn's twelve members were shrouded in secrecy.
Even among themselves, they remained largely unknown to one another.
Only one thing stood out:
The leader of Zurrernorn.
Based on the mage's speculation, this figure likely came from the Slane Theocracy and held a high-ranking position within it.
Sakeer exhaled slowly.
"Well… it's not much, but at least we're not completely in the dark about Zurrernorn anymore."
After committing the information to memory, he motioned for the gray-robed mage to reveal all the magic he had mastered.
By now, Sakeer had already figured out the mage's class structure.
His foundational magic classes included:
Magician
Sorcerer
Priest (Divine Magic)
These were basic professions, unrefined and lacking a solid class framework.
It was no wonder he had struggled against Quaiesse.
Hum—
A notification flashed.
[Skill Point: 68 → 67]
New Skill Acquired
Skill: Magic Mark (2nd Tier)
Cost: 10 MP
Effect: Consumes magic power to place a unique magic mark on the target, allowing the caster to track their location.
Sakeer ultimately chose a second-tier sorcerer spell, a necessary step to fully unlock this basic class.
Despite the gray-robed mage being a Heroic Realm magic caster, his class limitations meant he could only wield fourth-tier spells at best.
Among the spells he had mastered, many were intriguing, but none were particularly valuable for Sakeer to learn.
This Magic Mark spell, however—
Might be useful in unraveling the secrets behind the creation of Frogman Eggs.
Sakeer cast a glance at his updated attribute panel.
[Attribute Panel]
Player: Sakeer
Justice Value: 23 [Neutral]
HP: 373 → 388 (+30%)
MP: 173 → 188 (+16%)
Physical Attack: 373 (+29%)
Physical Defense: 248 (+19%)
Dexterity: 213 (+16%)
Magical Attack: 218 → 233 (+18%)
Magical Defense: 188 → 203 (+14%)
Combined Resistance: 255 (+20%)
Specificity: 230 → 260 (+20%)
Total Growth:+182%
(Note: The full stat table has been updated in the comments section.)
Most of these stat changes were within expected parameters.
But one particular increase stood out—
His Specificity stat had jumped by 30 points.
Such a dramatic rise could only be explained by his recent advancement—
The Mad Mage class.
"Is this a passive ability?" Sakeer mused.
He didn't dwell on the matter for long.
There were more pressing concerns—
What to do with the gray-robed mage and Quaiesse.
"You should have heard the conversation just now. Now then..."
Sakeer turned his head toward the twin witches beside him, but before he could finish his sentence—
The Emerald Leaf Witch and the Mist Witch had already fallen to their knees, trembling.
"We surrender," they said in unison, their voices shaking.
Sakeer gave a slight nod, his expression unreadable.
"Fine. Then clean up the damage here. With your abilities, you should be able to restore the area to its original state."
As Forest Priests, controlling the growth of plants was second nature to them—it wouldn't be a difficult task.
Without waiting for a response, Sakeer raised his hand and cast Magic Mark on the twin witches.
With this spell in place, even if they attempted to flee, he would always be able to track them down.
The witches, still fearful, quickly left to carry out his orders.
Now refocusing his attention, Sakeer turned to the unconscious Quaiesse.
Bang!
With a single, precise strike, he knocked the gray-robed mage unconscious as well.
Then—
He shifted his focus back to Quaiesse, shaking him awake from his stupor.
As soon as Quaiesse's eyes fluttered open, Sakeer activated the magic of "All-Race Enchantment."
With this spell, he could place Quaiesse under his complete control.
Staring into Quaiesse's now vacant, dazed gaze, Sakeer asked coldly,
"Is there a way to isolate resurrection magic within the Slane Theocracy?"
Resurrection magic had existed in this world for far too long.
It was impossible that powerful factions hadn't researched countermeasures against it.
Even the leader of Zurrernorn had managed to study and modify resurrection magic.
It was unthinkable that the Slane Theocracy wouldn't have developed some way to suppress or counter it.
Quaiesse's stiff voice responded without emotion:
"To stop the resurrection of the dead... all you need to do is destroy the body beyond recognition."
Sakeer frowned.
"...And?"
That was too obvious, bordering on useless information. He inhaled deeply and pressed further.
But this time—
Quaiesse hesitated.
Despite being under the influence of All-Race Enchantment, there was a distinct pause in his response.
That hesitation instantly caught Sakeer's attention.
Finally, Quaiesse spoke, his tone faltering as if fighting against some unseen force.
"Magic isolation..."
"You must... block the influence of magic... to resist resurrection spells..."
"The simplest way to achieve this... is to have powerful monsters consume the remains."
"The energy within the creature itself will further disrupt and alienate the effects of resurrection magic..."
"But... the monster must be incredibly strong—at least at the level of a Heroic-tier being..."
A flicker of resistance flashed across Quaiesse's vacant expression, and his words grew more fragmented.
Sakeer's pupils narrowed.
Quaiesse was resisting—no, breaking free—from the charm magic.
"Can you resist enchantment with sheer willpower?"
A look of genuine surprise crossed Sakeer's face.
But there was no time to let the thought settle—
Without hesitation, he swung his arm, knocking Quaiesse unconscious once more before he could fully break free.
Sakeer exhaled slowly, staring down at Quaiesse's limp body.
"The idea of using powerful monsters to suppress resurrection magic... is that even viable?"
Finding strong monsters wasn't the problem.
Deep within the Azerlisia Mountains, there was a La-Angler Lava Lord—a Level 47 monster spanning over 50 meters in length.
It was certainly powerful enough.
But would this method actually work against more advanced forms of resurrection magic?
Something still felt off.
Sakeer's mind replayed Quaiesse's struggle moments ago.
Quaiesse was weak, barely clinging to consciousness—yet he had still managed to resist All-Race Enchantment to some degree.
That wasn't normal.
Wait a second...
Sakeer's eyes suddenly narrowed.
A realization struck him.
The Slane Theocracy had long been rumored to implant special magical safeguards into the minds of their Holy Scripture members.
It was a form of magical conditioning, meant to silence them under interrogation.
If triggered, it could instantly kill the affected individual.
It was known that—
If a member of the Holy Scriptures was forced to answer three critical questions, they would die on the third response.
It had happened before—
Nigun Grid Luin and most members of the [Sunlight Scripture] perished under this very magic when captured by the Bone King.
Sakeer had already asked Quaiesse two questions.
If he asked a third, Quaiesse might trigger the spell and die instantly.
That explained Quaiesse's struggle.
All-Race Enchantment made the target perceive the caster as a friend—
But even charm magic couldn't override the survival instinct against certain death.
Quaiesse had resisted because answering another question would kill him.
Sakeer clenched his jaw.
"This complicates things..."
Originally, he had planned to extract as much information as possible from Quaiesse.
But if the Slane Theocracy's magical conditioning was in place, Quaiesse wouldn't be as easy to manipulate as the gray-robed mage.
Still...
There was one potential loophole.
Sakeer glanced at Quaiesse's unconscious body, a new idea forming.
"If I use resurrection magic on him..."
"Would that reset the number of questions I can ask?"
If he revived Quaiesse after each interrogation, he might be able to extract information three answers at a time.
But that also meant dealing with an entirely new problem—
How many times could he repeat this cycle before something went horribly wrong?