The night air was heavy with an eerie chill.

  Above them, the sky crackled with raw magical energy as Elvynna and the golden corpse waged a fierce battle. Below, the bloodshed in the royal garden had finally come to a violent end.

  "Whoosh!"

  A bright flash of magic zipped through the air like lightning, cutting through the night. Scarlett’s head, once regal and proud, tumbled into the nearby pool with a sickening thud, sending up a spray of blood-soaked water.

  "Darling, he actually did it!"

  Elvynna’s heart soared at the sight. She had brought Eirik along, uncertain of his value, but now it was clear—her husband had delivered the fatal blow.

  "How dare you!"

  The golden corpse roared, its fury echoing through the battlefield. Beneath it all, a disturbing realization began to form: there were more golden corpses in Elaresar, and they had intended to confront Elvynna. Yet, it was he, the lead corpse, who had stepped forward. He had underestimated this young woman—after all, she had only recently reached the Grandmaster level, and her power seemed unstable. But as the battle unfolded, he saw the full extent of her experience.

  Her vast magical power was controlled with perfection, pushing her abilities beyond normal limits. Even as a true Grandmaster, he couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy at how fluidly she wielded her magic.

  Then there was that boy—Eirik. His strength had surged unexpectedly, and before the golden corpse could comprehend what was happening, Eirik had dispatched Princess Scarlett of Crimson Hollow in an instant.

  That woman had to die, but the boy—he deserved worse. They had dared to invade Elaresar and strike at the royal family’s heart.

  "You’ve got some nerve!"

  "Prepare to die!"

  From deep within the palace, a chorus of ancient voices erupted, like thunder crashing across the sky. The very air vibrated with their fury, shaking the city to its core.

  In that instant, massive golden hands reached down from the palace itself, aimed at Elvynna and Eirik.

  "We need to move!"

  Elvynna shouted, pulling Eirik to her side as she transformed into a blur of vibrant energy. They dashed through the air, desperate to escape the looming threat.

  But then, everything dimmed.

  Looking up, they saw it—a colossal, dark-golden hand blocking out the sky. The sheer scale of it was mind-boggling.

  It wasn’t just a strike; it was a manifestation of power so vast it struck fear into the hearts of countless souls below. Even though the attack wasn’t directly aimed at them, panic spread like wildfire through the city. People collapsed, unable to look away from the sheer magnitude of the threat.

  The weight of the hand pressed down on Elvynna, each part of her body screaming in agony. But she clenched her teeth and forced herself to push forward, her only thought to protect Eirik at all costs.

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  "Break!"

  She gritted her teeth and screamed, blood leaking from her eyes, ears, and mouth. But the next moment, her body erupted in blinding light.

  Like a flash of lightning, she moved—so fast that even the most advanced detection spells couldn’t keep up.

  Bang!

  With a thunderous crash, the golden hand was pierced clean through, a bloody hole left in its wake.

  "What?!"

  A voice of frustration and shock echoed from within the palace. The terrifying golden light, the overwhelming pressure that had terrified the entire city, vanished without a trace.

  The world fell into an unsettling silence.

  The citizens of Elaresar exchanged confused glances. It was as if they had woken from a nightmare, unsure of what had just transpired.

  A man and a woman had appeared out of nowhere, disrupting the royal garden, and had killed Princess Scarlett—but somehow, they had left without so much as a scratch.

  The woman, standing tall with her long hair flowing, was surrounded by an aura of radiant magic, leaving an unforgettable impression on all who saw her.

  "Who is that man?"

  "That guy looks like a low-level practitioner, but he’s protected by a Grandmaster-level woman. She’s clearly into him. What a guy!"

  "No way... could he be her relative?"

  "Impossible! Did you see the way she looked at him? That’s not just respect, that’s love!"

  The whispers echoed throughout Elaresar, growing louder with every passing moment.

  When the name Eirik was revealed, the gossip turned to frenzy.

  "Eirik... Why does that name sound familiar?"

  "Of course! That’s the guy who rejected the alchemist’s offer! There was quite a stir about it not too long ago!"

  "Wait, hold on! This kid turned down the alchemist, and now he’s got a Grandmaster-level woman doting on him?! What kind of crazy world is this?"

  "He must have some serious pull to turn down the alchemist. And now look at this woman—she’s clearly crazy about him."

  Meanwhile, in the heart of the palace, a tall, authoritative middle-aged man entered a secret underground chamber, his expression one of grim disapproval.

  Moments later, thunderous voices roared from within the chamber.

  "How could she be so weak after all these years with the Regal Bone of the Ancients? No wonder she got killed!"

  "You should figure out how your incompetent daughter offended such a powerful young Grandmaster."

  Elvynna’s display of raw power in the earlier battle had left even the royal family shaken to their core.

  Despite their many golden corpses, they knew these creations were only effective within the capital. They were not invincible.

  "We made it!"

  Far beyond the city’s gates, Eirik and Elvynna sat together, panting heavily from the battle’s intensity.

  "Killing Princess Scarlett in Elaresar... that was huge. Our scores are definitely going up now. Who knows, we might even get some extra rewards..." Eirik mused, feeling satisfied with the outcome and with Elvynna’s performance.

  As Elvynna tended to her wounds, she turned her gaze toward him, her expression unreadable.

  "Darling, during the battle, you used the Eye of Divine Insight. Why haven’t you used it before?" she asked, her voice soft but serious.

  "Wife, didn’t you know? The Eye of Divine Insight is either inherited or developed. Some are born with it, while others awaken it through training. Maybe I’ve just got a weak bloodline, and it triggered in the heat of the moment," Eirik answered, looking at her with innocent eyes.

  "Hmm... that does make sense."

  The Eye of Divine Insight was tied to one's bloodline—those with strong bloodlines naturally awakened it. However, those with weaker bloodlines needed external triggers and training to unlock it.

  Some might even lose it once the initial excitement wore off. But in times of danger, a person’s potential could surpass normal limits.

  "Darling, you’re not hiding anything from me, are you?"

  Eirik’s explanation seemed plausible, yet Elvynna’s intuition nagged at her. What if there was more to her husband than met the eye?

  "What could I possibly be hiding from you?"

  Eirik thought to himself, unease creeping in. He decided he needed to use the Eye of Divine Insight less frequently—Elvynna was starting to question him.

  If she found out... he didn’t even want to imagine what would happen.

  Elvynna nodded, but deep within, her doubts grew, hidden beneath her calm exterior.

  Maybe she was overthinking it? After all, she hadn’t come across a single male player so far...