The ancient tunnel trembled beneath centuries of silence.
Dust drifted lazily through the dim air while the Ruined Guard stood before the massive stone doorway like an immortal sentinel.
Its hollow blue eyes burned with an eerie flame.
The enormous stone halberd remained planted against the ground.
It had not moved an inch.
Rio lowered her body behind the corner one last time before meeting the eyes of the two people beside her.
"...Ready?"
Ryota nodded without hesitation.
Sayanaki merely smirked.
"As ready as I'll ever be."
Rio inhaled slowly.
"...Go."
The crimson crystal hanging around Sayanaki's neck immediately shone with a brilliant light.
The pendant pulsed once.
Twice.
Then—
Three figures stepped out from shimmering distortions in the air.
Each possessed the same crimson hair.
The same scarlet eyes.
The same twin daggers.
The three clones stood beside the original Sayanaki without making a sound.
Ryota still found it unsettling no matter how many times he saw it.
It was impossible to distinguish the original from the copies.
Sayanaki glanced at all three.
"Let's make some noise."
All four vanished simultaneously.
The only thing left behind was a gust of wind.
—
The Ruined Guard reacted instantly.
Its glowing blue eyes flared brighter.
The moment Sayanaki entered its detection range—
The ancient construct came alive.
BOOM!!
The enormous guardian lunged forward with impossible speed for something made entirely of stone.
Its halberd carved through the air.
One clone barely managed to leap aside.
The second clone wasn't as fortunate.
CRASH!!
The halberd struck downward.
The stone floor exploded.
The clone shattered into countless blue particles before disappearing entirely.
One hit.
One kill.
The Ruined Guard didn't even pause.
The remaining three Sayanakis split apart.
Each drew several kunai from beneath their cloaks.
"Now."
Three hands moved simultaneously.
SHING! SHING! SHING!
The kunai flew past the guardian rather than toward it.
Instead—
They struck the rocky wall surrounding the tunnel exit.
A brief silence followed.
Then—
BOOOOOOM!!
Three violent explosions erupted together.
The mountain shook.
Chunks of stone collapsed from the ceiling.
Ancient rock split apart.
The narrow cave entrance widened considerably as broken stone rained onto the ground.
Dust engulfed everything.
Ryota shielded his face.
"So that's what she meant..."
The passage was now several meters wider than before.
Exactly as Rio had planned.
The Ruined Guard ignored the collapsing tunnel entirely.
Its focus remained locked onto the assassin before it.
The construct swung its halberd horizontally.
The blade screamed through the air.
Sayanaki ducked beneath it.
Her remaining two clones mirrored the movement perfectly.
All three immediately disappeared.
[Assassin Skill: Backlash]
The words overlapped.
Three identical voices.
Three identical activations.
The space around the guardian distorted.
Invisible slashes erupted from impossible angles.
The Ruined Guard reacted with frightening precision.
Its halberd spun once.
Twice.
Stone met invisible blades.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
One clone appeared behind the guardian.
Another emerged above it.
The original appeared low to its right.
Three daggers flashed together.
The guardian twisted.
Its massive stone fist struck the clone above.
The copy exploded into blue fragments.
Its halberd swept backward.
The second clone vanished beneath another devastating strike.
Only the original remained.
But the distraction had already served its purpose.
Sayanaki's daggers traced crimson arcs across the guardian's body.
SCRRRAAAK!
Stone cracked.
A long scrape appeared along the construct's left arm.
Another cut scored across its knee joint.
Then another across the opposite leg.
None of them dealt meaningful damage.
The Ruined Guard was simply too durable.
But durability wasn't the objective.
Mobility was.
The construct staggered for the briefest instant as fragments of ancient stone chipped away from its joints.
Sayanaki immediately jumped backward.
"Rio!"
A gunshot answered her call.
BANG!!
The musket round struck directly against the Ruined Guard's chest.
The impact itself did almost nothing.
But Rio wasn't aiming to injure it.
The instant the bullet connected—
Her blue eyes glowed.
A clock-like symbol reflected within her pupils.
[Unique Skill: Chronos Eye]
Mana erupted violently from Rio's body.
Blue light wrapped itself around the Ruined Guard.
Time itself distorted.
The guardian's movements immediately became sluggish.
Its halberd, once impossibly fast, now crept through the air.
The blue flames inside its eyes flickered unevenly.
Rio clenched her teeth.
The pressure struck almost immediately.
"...Tch..."
Unlike ordinary enemies...
The Ruined Guard possessed overwhelming power.
Chronos Eye could still affect it—
But the mana cost skyrocketed.
Rio felt her reserves draining at an alarming rate.
Her vision blurred.
Sweat rolled down her forehead.
The magical circle beneath her feet cracked from the sheer amount of mana being forced into the skill.
"Move..."
She poured in even more mana.
"...Move slower!"
The guardian resisted.
Its body trembled violently.
Every second felt like wrestling against an entire mountain.
Rio's breathing became ragged.
Her mana plummeted.
Eighty percent...
Seventy...
Sixty...
It continued falling.
She knew she couldn't maintain this for long.
Not even ten seconds.
Not even five.
She shouted without looking away.
"RYOTA!"
Her voice echoed through the tunnel.
"This is your only chance!"
Ryota was already moving.
He sprinted forward with everything he had.
Every step echoed through the ancient corridor.
His fist tightened.
Blue energy gathered around his right arm.
The familiar sensation returned.
Force.
Weight.
Momentum.
Everything touching him became part of the calculation.
[Unique Skill: Scalular Impact]
Blue light exploded around his arm.
Ryota lowered his shoulder.
The guardian slowly turned toward him.
Too slowly.
Chronos Eye still held it in place.
Rio screamed through gritted teeth.
"NOW!"
Ryota planted one foot against the ground.
The stone beneath him shattered.
He twisted his waist.
Every muscle in his body moved together.
Scalular Impact compressed every ounce of force into a single point.
Then—
He punched.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!
The sound alone shook the mountain.
His fist slammed directly into the Ruined Guard's chest.
For one impossible moment—
Nothing happened.
Then—
The accumulated force erupted.
The guardian's entire stone body bent backward.
Cracks spread across its armor.
Its feet left the ground.
Then the impossible occurred.
The Ruined Guard—
A monster weighing several tons—
Was launched like an arrow released from a bow.
It blasted through the widened tunnel entrance.
Stone exploded outward.
The guardian shot into open air beyond the mountain.
Everyone rushed toward the opening.
Outside—
The massive construct soared high above the mountainside.
Higher.
Higher.
Until gravity finally reclaimed it.
The Ruined Guard disappeared beyond the edge of the cliff.
A few seconds later...
A distant crash echoed from somewhere far below.
Silence returned.
Ryota stared at his own fist.
"...That..."
"...actually worked."
Rio released Chronos Eye.
The blue glow vanished from her eyes.
Her knees buckled.
She caught herself against the cave wall before collapsing.
A tired smile appeared across her face.
"I told you..."
She looked toward Ryota.
"...you only needed one opportunity."
Behind them, Sayanaki let out a long whistle before sheathing her daggers.
She looked first at the destroyed tunnel...
Then at the distant mountains where the guardian had disappeared.
Finally, she laughed.
"You two really are insane."
She crossed her arms with an amused grin.
"...Good thing I decided to follow crazy people."
For several long seconds, no one moved.
The only sounds that echoed throughout the hidden passage were everyone's heavy breathing and the distant rumble of stone crashing somewhere far below the mountain.
The Ruined Guard was gone.
Ryota continued staring at his clenched fist.
Even now, he still couldn't believe what had just happened.
"...I actually sent that thing flying..."
He slowly opened and closed his hand.
Rio smiled faintly.
"You did."
"It worked exactly as planned."
Ryota looked toward the opening in the cave.
"...I thought monsters like that couldn't be moved."
"They normally can't."
Rio leaned against the cave wall while catching her breath.
"But everything has momentum."
She tapped the side of her head.
"You don't beat stronger enemies by overpowering them."
"You beat them by understanding them."
Sayanaki folded her arms with a grin.
"And by having someone insane enough to come up with plans like that."
Rio simply shrugged.
"I'll take that as a compliment."
She glanced deeper into the tunnel before raising one hand.
"It's safe."
Then she called out.
"Kiraya."
"You guys can come over now."
Almost immediately footsteps echoed through the cave.
Kiraya appeared first, her hand resting on Lionheart's hilt until she completely confirmed the guardian was gone.
Behind her came Hinabi, followed by Ramos and Silla.
The moment Ramos stepped out of the tunnel, he looked around repeatedly.
"...It's really gone..."
Ryota laughed.
"It won't be climbing back up anytime soon."
Ramos finally breathed normally again.
"...Thank goodness..."
Rio smiled before turning around toward the cave exit.
"Come."
"There is something I want all of you to see."
Curiosity spread across everyone's faces.
Rio walked forward.
The others followed.
The widened tunnel eventually narrowed once again before sunlight began pouring through the opening ahead.
The fresh mountain breeze drifted into the passage.
Everyone instinctively shielded their eyes.
Rio stepped outside first.
Warm sunlight washed over her silver hair.
She stood quietly near the edge.
Then slowly spread both arms.
"...Welcome."
She smiled.
"...to the Hidden Zone."
Everyone stepped outside.
Silence immediately followed.
No one spoke.
Not because they didn't want to—
But because they simply couldn't.
Before them stretched a breathtaking world hidden within the mountain itself.
The towering cliffs surrounding the area formed a natural wall that concealed everything from the outside.
Crystal-clear water occupied the center of the valley.
A beautiful lake reflected the morning sky like polished glass.
Small clusters of ancient trees surrounded portions of the shoreline.
Gentle grasslands covered the open fields.
Wildflowers swayed softly beneath the mountain breeze.
Birds sang somewhere among the trees.
A small waterfall descended from the cliffside into the lake, creating gentle ripples across the otherwise peaceful water.
It felt...
Untouched.
Hidden.
Like an entirely different world.
"...Beautiful..."
Silla whispered unconsciously.
Kiraya slowly lowered her sword.
"I've..."
"...never seen somewhere like this."
Even Sayanaki remained unusually quiet.
Her crimson eyes carefully observed the valley.
"...No monsters."
"...No patrols."
"...No ruins."
She looked at Rio.
"You found paradise."
Rio chuckled.
"Not paradise."
"Our future."
Ramos looked around with wide eyes.
"So..."
"No one's discovered this place?"
Rio shook her head.
"No."
"And nobody will."
She pointed toward the narrow cave entrance behind them.
"The only entrance is through the Aether Ruins."
"And reaching those ruins already requires surviving monsters seventy levels above us."
She smiled.
"Most players never even discover that the ruins exist."
"Even fewer realize there's another area hidden beyond them."
Hinabi slowly looked around once more.
"...So this entire place..."
"...belongs to us?"
Rio nodded.
"If we claim it today."
She turned toward Ryota.
"Come with me."
Ryota immediately followed.
The two of them jumped toward the center of the lake.
Unlike the rest of the shoreline...
A large island rested peacefully in the middle.
Massive.
Flat.
Perfectly elevated above the surrounding water.
They crossed several naturally formed stepping stones before finally reaching solid ground.
Everyone else remained on the opposite shore watching curiously.
The island itself stretched astonishingly far.
Its open grassland alone was enormous.
Kiraya slowly estimated its size.
"...That's..."
"...huge."
Rio nodded.
"It should be."
"This island alone is almost ten school buses long."
"And nearly the same width."
Ryota looked around.
"...This entire place..."
"...was waiting for someone."
Rio smiled.
"Exactly."
She slowly opened her inventory.
Golden particles floated around her hand.
A crystal appeared.
Unlike ordinary items...
This crystal glowed with elegant white light.
Its surface shimmered like polished marble.
Tiny magical runes slowly rotated inside it.
Ryota's eyes widened.
"...Is that..."
Rio nodded.
"The Guild Headquarter Crystal."
Everyone immediately stared.
This single item had cost them nearly everything.
It was the reward they had obtained after surviving impossible battles.
Rio slowly knelt.
She gently placed the crystal onto the grass.
The instant it touched the ground—
Ding.
A translucent system window appeared before her.
Guild Quarter Crystal Detected.
Suitable Construction Zone Confirmed.
Would you like to establish your Guild Headquarters here?
► YES
► NO
Rio quietly stared at the message.
Her fingers hovered above the confirmation button.
For a brief moment...
Images from her previous life flashed before her mind.
Royal Knights.
The guild she helped build.
The countless years she devoted.
The headquarters she watched grow.
The guildmates she trusted.
The betrayal.
Being abandoned.
Being discarded.
Everything...
Disappeared.
Rio slowly smiled.
"This time..."
"...I'll build something worth protecting."
Her finger pressed—
YES.
The crystal exploded into brilliant white light.
Everyone instinctively covered their eyes.
The Guild Quarter Crystal floated upward.
Countless white particles burst from its core.
They scattered across the island like thousands of glowing stars.
The ground trembled.
The earth itself responded.
Stone rose upward from beneath the island.
White quartz pillars erupted from the ground one after another.
Foundations formed.
Walls assembled themselves.
Windows appeared.
Massive support beams locked together.
Entire rooms materialized.
Everyone stood frozen.
"...Impossible..."
Hinabi whispered.
The structure continued growing.
A magnificent staircase emerged.
Elegant balconies formed.
Tall windows reflected the surrounding lake.
Decorative pillars appeared beneath a beautifully crafted entrance.
The roof completed itself with smooth white stone.
Then another floor rose.
Then another.
Finally—
The construction stopped.
Standing proudly in the center of the island...
Was an enormous four-story mansion.
Its architecture resembled a luxurious noble estate combined with a modern penthouse.
Everything was constructed from brilliant white quartz that shimmered beneath the sunlight.
Elegant arches decorated the entrance.
Tall windows overlooked the surrounding lake.
Large terraces stretched along each floor.
Massive wooden double doors stood proudly at the front.
Beautiful blue banners materialized beside the entrance.
Even flower gardens slowly bloomed around the estate.
But the construction wasn't finished.
The island trembled again.
Stone rose from beneath the lake.
Everyone watched in amazement.
A magnificent white quartz bridge slowly extended from the mansion toward the shoreline.
Each section locked perfectly into place.
Then stone bricks emerged one after another.
A beautiful pathway connected the bridge directly to the hidden valley.
Trees shifted slightly as magical landscaping completed itself.
Small lantern posts appeared beside the road.
Benches.
Flower beds.
Decorative stone fencing.
The transformation continued until the once untouched valley now possessed the unmistakable appearance of a noble estate hidden deep within the mountain.
Silence filled the hidden zone.
No one spoke.
Not because they had nothing to say—
But because no words seemed large enough.
Ramos' jaw slowly dropped.
"...This..."
"...This is ours?"
Silla covered her mouth.
"It..."
"...it's beautiful..."
Kiraya slowly walked toward the beginning of the bridge.
She gently touched the smooth quartz railing.
"...A headquarters..."
"...inside a hidden zone..."
She turned toward Rio.
"...You planned all of this?"
Rio nodded quietly.
Sayanaki let out a soft laugh before shaking her head.
"I've infiltrated guild headquarters."
"I've assassinated nobles."
"I've broken into castles."
"But..."
She looked at the mansion.
"...I've never seen someone build an entire headquarters in under a minute."
Ryota stood beside Rio.
The breeze gently moved their white hair.
He looked at the enormous mansion.
Then toward the hidden valley surrounding it.
Finally...
He smiled.
"So..."
"This..."
"...is Crowned Era's home."
Rio looked at the mansion one last time.
The sunlight reflected brilliantly across the white quartz walls.
For the first time since returning to the past...
She truly felt it.
This wasn't borrowed.
This wasn't inherited.
This wasn't something built for someone else.
This...
Belonged to them.
Rio smiled softly.
"...Welcome home."
For the first time...
Crowned Era finally had a place in Evermount that no one could ever take away.