Belobog, Central District.
Klipoth Fortress.
A Silvermane Guard soldier hurried over at a jog.
Gepard—who had just lifted the lockdown—looked up at once.
"Captain Gepard, bad news!"
"Based on the preliminary bomb sweeps across several districts—"
"There are at least one hundred thousand bombs hidden throughout the Upper City!"
"And—and—and there's a message attached…"
"It says… time is running out."
Gepard clenched the shield in his hand, then slowly raised it in a halting gesture.
"I understand…"
"Relay the order. Per Commander Bronya's directive, civilian safety comes first."
"Evacuate residents to secured zones."
"And intensify the manhunt. If necessary—"
"—authorized to eliminate fugitives on sight."
"Yes, sir!"
After the guard left, Gepard pressed his fingers to his brow.
"Belobog…"
"The Supreme Guardian…"
"Lady Bronya…"
"And those two rebels from the Underworld…"
His gaze drifted over the quiet streets—
and briefly caught sight of three unfamiliar figures moving through the city.
He had never seen them before.
Gepard looked away.
But at that same moment, Dan Heng's eyes lingered on Gepard.
"Wait—why are we running?"
"With your strength, are a few Silvermane Guards really a threat?"
"I'm exhausted!"
"Evan, what exactly is going on?!"
The instant they were surrounded, Evan grabbed Seele and bolted.
While his consciousness had been deep inside his mental domain—
he had somehow injured Cocolia.
His body's instinctive defense had activated.
The Stellaron's will had nearly been overwhelmed—
stuffed by three hundred thousand human thoughts.
As a result, Cocolia—both mentally and physically wounded—
had retreated with Bronya.
After piecing it together, Evan reached a conclusion.
The next destination was inevitable.
Everwinter Ridge.
Everwinter Ridge lay in the coldest region of Belobog.
Perpetual snow.
Dense Fragmentum zones.
Endless hostile creatures.
A place even the Silvermane Guards avoided unless absolutely necessary.
The entire region felt like a hibernating beast.
There were only two narrow routes in and out—
both fractured by the Fragmentum, crawling with monsters.
The sky there was eternally gray.
Unmeltable permafrost.
And Antimatter Legion remnants, frozen forever within the ice.
"The Stellaron causes irreversible corruption to ordinary people," Evan said calmly.
"That's why I won't involve the Guards."
"The key to defeating Cocolia—"
"—is there."
He pointed ahead.
Seele's face darkened immediately.
"…There?"
"There's literally nothing there."
Seeing her expression worsen, Evan quickly explained.
"Everwinter Ridge is the final battlefield."
"The Stellaron inside Cocolia is only a projection."
"The true core lies beneath Everwinter Ridge."
"The planet's endless winter—"
"—is caused by that original Stellaron."
"…Yeah. I know," Seele nodded.
"Svarog told us."
Evan then proposed going to Everwinter Ridge alone.
Seele refused outright.
No one had ever fought a Stellaron directly.
No one knew what it was truly capable of.
Seven hundred years ago—
When the Antimatter Legion invaded Jarilo-VI,
a warrior from this world traveled the cosmos seeking aid.
But the Interastral Peace Corporation had no interest in a weak planet.
The Xianzhou was locked in war against Abundance abominations.
No civilization answered the call.
The Corporation withdrew all assets.
Merchants, travelers, Trailblazers—everyone left.
Jarilo-VI's armies collapsed.
Then—
a Stellaron fell from the sky.
Without an awakened will, a Stellaron was manageable for advanced civilizations.
Some could even harness its power.
The Xianzhou had solutions.
Penacony had solutions.
To Herta, it was barely more than a collectible.
But Jarilo-VI had no choice.
So an outsider named Landau activated the Stellaron.
In an instant, frost consumed the world—
transforming what was once the land of the Spring God
into the frozen hell it is today.
That woman became one of Belobog's Founders.
The first Supreme Guardian.
And the place where the Stellaron first descended—
Was here.
Jarilo-VI.
Everwinter Ridge.
A dead land.
Endless permafrost.
No life remaining.
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