The knight took another step forward.
THUD.
The ground trembled beneath its weight.
The air grew heavier.
Thicker.
Harder to breathe.
No one moved.
Then—
Arin leaned slightly toward Kael.
His voice was low. Controlled.
"…Follow the plan."
Kael didn't look at him.
But a faint grin formed on his lips.
"…Got it."
Arin stepped forward.
Just enough to draw attention.
"…Before we start," he said calmly.
The leader glanced at him.
"…What?"
Arin tilted his head slightly toward Kael.
"…Show them."
Kael stepped forward.
He exhaled slowly.
For a brief moment—his eyes closed.
He pictured it.
The guns.
The ones he had used before.
The one that had caused the explosion…
The one that left the crater behind.
Dark energy gathered in his palm—
Unstable.
Violent.
Then—
Three weapons formed mid-air.
Guns.
Heavy.
Rough.
As if they weren't meant to exist in this world.
Faint cracks of energy ran across their surface, flickering unpredictably.
The air around them hummed.
Unsettling.
The leader's eyes narrowed.
"…You made those?"
Kael grabbed one and smirked.
"…Yeah."
For just a moment—
Greed flashed across the leader's eyes.
Gone as quickly as it appeared.
Kael picked up the largest gun.
Then turned—
And tossed it to the leader.
The man caught it instantly.
His grip tightened.
He stared at the weapon.
Recognition flickered in his gaze.
The crater.
The explosion.
The destruction.
A slow smirk formed.
"…So this is the one."
Kael pointed at it casually.
"…That's the strongest one."
"The same gun that wiped out those goblins."
The leader's smirk deepened.
Now he understood its value.
Arin spoke calmly,
"Don't use it too early."
The leader glanced at him.
"It only has one shot."
A brief pause.
"…Save it for when things get dangerous."
The leader studied him for a moment.
Then nodded.
"…Understood."
Arin stepped back.
Beside Kael.
"…We're not suited for close combat," he said.
"We'll support from a distance."
"No point getting in your way."
The leader didn't argue.
"…Fine."
His attention returned to the guardian.
Kael leaned slightly toward Arin, whispering,
"…He took the bait fast."
Arin's eyes remained fixed ahead.
"…He was always going to."
The knight shifted.
Its massive greatsword rose slightly.
The air around it distorted.
The leader stepped forward.
His voice sharp.
"…Positions."
His team moved instantly.
Weapons drawn.
Formation tight.
No hesitation.
Behind them—
Arin and Kael stood still.
Watching.
Waiting.
The leader tightened his grip on the gun.
A faint smile still lingered on his face.
Confident.
Greedy.
Unaware.
"…Attack."
Arin and Kael grabbed the remaining guns.
They moved without a word.
Positioning themselves at the edge of the battlefield—
Not too close.
Not too far.
Watching.
Waiting.
The leader's voice cut through the tension.
"…Move!"
His team surged forward.
Steel clashed against darkness.
The guardian met them head-on.
CLANG.
The first strike landed—
And did nothing.
The knight didn't even flinch.
It moved.
Too fast.
The greatsword swept sideways—
CRASH.
One of the men failed to react.
The blade tore through him.
Clean.
Brutal.
He hit the ground before anyone could even shout.
"…Spread out!" the leader barked.
They adjusted instantly.
But the pressure had changed.
This wasn't a fight anymore.
It was survival.
Another swing—
A man raised his weapon—
Too slow.
The impact sent him flying.
He crashed into the rocks.
His body didn't move again.
Behind them—
Kael tightened his grip.
"…This is bad."
Arin didn't answer.
His gaze had shifted.
Not to the fight—
But to the Monolith.
Watching.
Measuring.
Calculating.
"…Kael."
"…Yeah?"
"…The Monolith."
Kael glanced at it.
"…What about it?"
Arin's voice dropped.
"…That's the key."
A brief pause.
"…It's the source."
Kael's expression sharpened.
"…You sure?"
"…Look at it," Arin said quietly.
"The energy…"
"…It's the same."
Another shockwave rippled across the battlefield.
The leader barely blocked a strike—
Sliding back, boots grinding into stone.
Blood ran down his arm.
Arin stepped forward slightly.
"…Hey!"
The leader snapped his head back.
"…What?!"
Arin pointed toward the Monolith.
"…Destroy it."
A beat.
"…That's its weakness."
The leader hesitated—
Just for a moment.
Then his eyes flicked toward the pillar.
Thinking.
Calculating.
The guardian attacked again.
He barely dodged.
"…Damn it!"
He turned and shouted—
"Keep it busy!"
"We're switching targets!"
The remaining members moved.
Faster now.
Desperate.
No longer confident.
The guardian shifted.
As if it understood.
Its movements sharpened.
More aggressive.
More precise.
Kael raised his gun.
"…Say when."
Arin's gaze locked onto the Monolith.
Distance.
Angle.
Timing.
"…Not yet."
The leader lunged forward—
Drawing the guardian's focus.
"Over here!"
The axe wielder followed—
Roaring as he struck.
A distraction.
A sacrifice.
The guardian moved.
Faster than before.
The blade came down—
CRASH.
The axe wielder tried to block—
The impact shattered his stance.
His body folded—
Then dropped.
Still.
"…Now," Arin said.
Kael pulled the trigger.
BOOM.
The shot tore through the air—
Straight into the Monolith.
Impact.
The explosion swallowed it whole.
Darkness twisted—
Cracked—
Then shattered.
For a moment—
Everything went still.
The guardian froze mid-motion.
Its body trembled.
Cracks spread across its armor.
Faint light leaked from within.
Then—
It collapsed.
The massive form broke apart—
Disintegrating into fragments of dark energy.
Falling.
Fading.
Gone.
Where it stood—
Something remained.
A floating core.
A soul.
Dark.
Dense.
Pulsing with power.
No one moved.
For a second—
It was over.
The leader dropped to one knee.
Breathing heavily.
Bloodied.
Exhausted.
Two of his men were dead.
Two barely alive.
Then—
Slowly—
He stood.
His gaze shifted.
Not to the fallen.
Not to the soul.
To Arin.
And Kael.
Something had changed.
The calm was gone.
Only greed remained.
Unhidden.
Uncontrolled.
He raised the gun.
The one Kael had given him.
And pointed it straight at them.
"…You two need to die."
Kael's eyes narrowed.
"…Seriously?"
The leader's voice turned cold.
"I didn't know what your abilities were."
"So I waited… until you used the Monolith."
Arin tilted his head slightly.
"…Why wait for that?"
A faint smirk appeared on the leader's face.
"Because when you interact with a Monolith…"
"…your panel becomes visible."
Kael's expression shifted.
"…Visible?"
The leader nodded.
"To everyone nearby."
His grip tightened on the gun.
"Your abilities. Your growth. Your value."
A brief pause.
"…Everything."
His eyes locked onto them.
"But now…"
"…it doesn't matter."
A faint smirk appeared.
"If you live—"
"…I won't be able to absorb the guardian's soul."
His gaze hardened.
"And a climber's soul…"
"…is far more valuable."
Silence.
"…So yeah," he said quietly.
"You die here."
Kael exhaled slowly.
"…Figures."
Arin didn't move.
Didn't react.
Then—
His lips curved slightly.
"…Good."
His eyes gleamed.
Calm.
Sharp.
Certain.
"…That means everything is going according to plan."
End of chapter