They surrounded him.
Confident. Certain. Thinking they finally had the upper hand.
That was their mistake.
From every direction, attacks were launched—blades, magic, arrows—
—and Zeo vanished.
Silence.
Shock spread across their faces.
But not all of them were blind.
Two S-rankers noticed.
"He moved…"
Without further delay, they rushed forward, weapons ready, confronting him mid-motion.
Then chaos began.
Blades clashed. Magic burst. The cave trembled under the pressure of their combined assault.
And Zeo…
He faced them head-on.
His movements had changed.
Faster.
Sharper.
Stronger.
Cilard stepped forward, daggers appearing in his hands as a dark liquid coated their edges.
"Deadly Fang."
Poison.
Lethal and silent.
Yet Zeo didn't look surprised.
Because he already knew.
A fragment of the future flashed through his mind—
—and he moved.
He stepped back, then jumped high toward the ceiling of the cave.
Cilard and the other S-ranker followed without hesitation.
They didn't notice.
It was a trap.
Zeo reached the ceiling first.
He raised his hand.
"Pusher."
A force exploded outward.
The ceiling cracked—
—and collapsed.
Rubbles crashed down violently, forcing Cilard and the others back.
And in that moment—
Zeo moved.
He appeared behind three B-rankers supporting the formation.
Before they could react—
He struck.
One.
Two.
Three.
All fell.
In an instant.
As he turned toward the last one—
Two A-rankers stepped in front.
One with a sword.
The other with a staff, already chanting.
Zeo's eyes shifted.
Avoid the swordsman.
Kill the mage.
He moved—
—but suddenly—
The ground shattered.
A massive larva-like monster burst out, tearing through the earth.
Its jaws opened wide.
Devouring everything.
Two B-rankers—
Gone.
The A-rank swordsman—
Gone.
Swallowed in seconds.
Zeo stepped back, eyes narrowing.
"Monster…?"
His thoughts sharpened.
"Only one here can control monsters…"
His gaze searched—
Thenkis.
Then—
A presence.
Behind him.
Cilard.
Low to the ground, silent, precise.
Too fast.
The daggers struck.
Zeo couldn't fully avoid it—
—but he didn't let it be fatal.
He grabbed the blades with his left hand.
Poison spread instantly.
Pain surged.
But he held on.
He moved to use "Pusher"—
—but Cilard didn't allow it.
He threw the daggers aside and launched into relentless strikes.
Punches.
Kicks.
Unstoppable.
Zeo couldn't react in time.
Blows landed again and again—
Yet his body endured.
His durability rising, reducing fatal damage into something survivable.
Then—
The monster returned.
Cilard jumped back.
Perfect timing.
A setup.
The creature's jaws opened—
—and swallowed Zeo whole.
Silence fell.
Cilard stood still, watching.
"…There is more than he's showing," he muttered. "Be on guard."
But Thenkis didn't listen.
His pride in controlling monsters blinded him.
Seconds passed.
Then—
The monster twitched.
Its body began to convulse.
Something inside—
Moved.
Then—
BOOM!
The creature exploded.
Blood and flesh scattered across the cave.
And from within—
Zeo stepped out.
Covered in blood.
His eyes locked onto Thenkis.
Cold.
Filled with killing intent.
"Thenkis… the one who will lead the defense force… defeat the kingdom with his monsters… kill the current king… and leave the kingdom in ruins…"
His voice dropped.
"I've seen it."
Silence.
Even Cilard didn't move.
Zeo raised his sword and pointed it forward.
"Its your time to face consequences."
He moved.
Thenkis reacted instantly.
Monsters answered his call.
Two demon-like beings appeared in front of him.
One raised its hand.
A mist spread—an illusion field.
Zeo stopped his breathing.
The second monster attacked with long claws.
Zeo countered.
Steel met claw—
—and suddenly—
Cilard appeared behind him again.
But this time—
Zeo reacted.
A kick.
Clean.
Cilard was sent crashing back.
"W-what was that…?" Cilard coughed. "His senses… they're sharpening along with his strength…?!"
Thenkis turned—
Zeo was already behind him.
The blade pierced his abdomen.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
Then—
A third monster appeared.
Massive.
Chains wrapped around its body.
Fire covered its arm.
It attacked.
Zeo raised his sword—
The sword shattered.
The punch pierced through his chest.
Zeo's eyes widened.
Thenkis smiled.
Victory—
Or so he thought.
Zeo's body dissolved into smoke.
A clone.
The real Zeo stood behind him.
"Clone Tripler."
Cloth fragments drifted down.
Zeo raised his hand.
"Pusher."
Thenkis' body went limp.
Unconscious.
He fell.
Zeo spoke.
"This is for Carla."
A laugh echoed.
Cilard.
"So… all this for that girl?"
He wiped the blood from his face, smirking.
"I was wondering why you suddenly attacked us. We didn't even do anything suspicious."
Zeo stared at him.
Silently.
"So… revenge?" Cilard tilted his head. "What a sad reality."
He paused.
Then smiled.
"Would you like to know how she died?"
Zeo froze.
Just slightly.
His body trembled.
Cilard noticed.
And continued.
"She was strong. I gave her a choice—stay silent… or don't oppose us."
His expression shifted slightly.
"As she found our identity during the mission… I told her to step back."
A pause.
"But she pointed her sword at us."
His eyes narrowed.
"At all of us."
"Twenty-four adventurers. Thirteen C-rank. Eight B-rank. Four A-rank."
"And she didn't hesitate."
Zeo remained silent.
"She killed some of our men… and even an S-ranker," Cilard added. "Though he wasn't serious… killing one isn't simple."
Then—
His voice lowered.
"She was brave… until death claimed her."
A small pause.
"It's a shame…"
"…we stabbed her from behind."
Silence.
Zeo's mind—
Went blank.
Rage consumed everything.
In the distance, a hidden mage began chanting.
Cilard kept talking—
Unaware.
Zeo opened his system.
But his voice—
Was different.
Cold.
Empty.
"Using skill…"
A pause.
"World Creator."
Something broke.
Not just in the cave.
Not just in the battlefield.
The world.
A crack echoed through existence.
The wind shifted unnaturally.
Every being—
Felt it.
Something was wrong.
Something was not meant to happen.
Cilard's body froze.
"…What… is this feeling…?"
"…Why do I feel like… I just did something unforgivable…?"
A massive spell launched from behind.
A blazing fireball.
It struck Zeo—
And disappeared.
Like it never existed.
Zeo stood still.
Emotionless.
Yet in his eyes—
A faint sadness.
He raised his hand.
The distance between him and the mage—
Collapsed.
Reality bent.
Space erased itself.
The mage's staff turned to dust.
Then his hand.
Then—
Nothing.
Gone.
Cilard attacked.
"Poisonous Dragon Jaw!"
A massive dragon of poison rushed toward Zeo.
Zeo glanced at it.
Then—
Redirected it.
The ceiling shattered completely.
A path to the sky opened.
Dark clouds gathered.
Rain began to fall.
Zeo rose into the air.
Between the sky and the ruined cave.
He looked upward for a moment.
Then—
Raised his hand.
The sky responded.
No—
It obeyed.
Water gathered.
A massive weight of rain condensed into a crushing force.
Enough to drown everything.
To erase everything.
Cilard watched.
Then slowly lowered his hand.
"There is no way to defeat someone who can bend reality at will…"
"…the one who stands beyond the system."
He closed his eyes.
Accepting his fate.
The water rushed downward—
Zeo's eyes slowly closed.
Not in anger.
Not in victory.
Something else.
Something heavier.
Then—
A spark.
A distortion.
Zeo's eyes snapped open.
A portal formed in front of him.
His pupils widened.
From within—
A girl stepped out.
Small.
Radiant.
With long ears.
A presence that didn't belong to destruction.
Zeo stared.
"…A fairy?"