The journey, guided by Arion, was a long, silent trek through a world consumed by a horrible, unending war. They had set out in the early afternoon, and the sun had already begun its slow, painful descent behind the charred mountain peaks, casting long, grotesque shadows that danced and twisted in the desolate wind.

The landscape they walked through was nothing but a testament to pure destruction. There were no forests, no signs of life, and not even a hint of green. The land was a barren wasteland of cracked earth and blackened rock, a scorched, sterile expanse where even the weeds had given up. The constant, gnawing emptiness of the place was a physical presence that pressed in on all sides, a grim reminder of the overwhelming power that had shattered this world.

For the most part, the groups walked in a strained, heavy silence, their minds lost in the weight of their own thoughts and the terror of what lay ahead. However, there were a few small pockets of conversation that punctuated the quiet, small islands of humanity in a sea of desolation.

Teo, ever the one to find an opportunity in the most dire of circumstances, had made it his personal mission to speak with Emir. The kid, still unnerved by the events of the last few days, walked with a quiet, solemn demeanor, his gaze fixed on the ground. Teo approached him, his tone surprisingly gentle as he began to speak, his voice a low, encouraging murmur. He made good on his promise to teach him how to control his monster transformations better.

"You have to understand, what you are feeling is normal. When the Undead Empress tried to possess me, I felt the same thing. I felt as if a part of my own humanity was slipping away, being replaced by a cold, unyielding rage."

Emir looked up at him, his small face filled with honest confusion.

"But… I feel so powerless. I feel as if the monster inside me is the one who is truly in control. I feel as if my vision is clouded, and I lose all sense of myself."

Teo nodded, a grim, understanding smile on his face.

"That is because you are letting the monster take control of your instincts. The same thing would have happened to me. I would have become a mindless puppet of the Empress, and you, possibly a husk without a will apart from an insatiable thirst for destruction… But you didn't. You fought back, even if it was just for a moment, and that is a testament to your unyielding will. You have it in spades, 'King of Monsters' aside, a child like you wouldn't have survived this long if you didn't have a will of iron. And that, my boy, is the most important thing. You have to learn to use that will. You have to learn to control it and to bend the monster inside of you to do your bidding. The next time you transform, you have to remember that you are the one who is truly in control, not the monster inside you."

He then provided the boy with a few tips to aid in his next transformation. He explained how focusing on a specific thought or a specific person, a living anchor to reality, could help him retain his consciousness and not fall into the monster's instincts, and so much more.

Meanwhile, a few meters away, the small group of Kazue, Katya, and Drake was also engaged in a quiet conversation. Katya, whose white mask seemed to give off a low, eerie glow in the dim light, was stuck to Kazue's side, her hand holding onto the other girl's sleeve as if she were a lifeline. She was unusually clingy, even for her, but Kazue did not seem to mind at all, walking with a gentle, patient pace that seemed to calm the blonde girl's nerves.

Drake walked beside them, a small, knowing smile on his face as he listened to them talk about the battle.

"So, to recap… How did you manage to get back to your senses after defeating the Dracling?"

The blond said with a curious tone and a playful expression on his face. Katya's mask seemed to blush a little, a faint, reddish glow appearing on its smooth surface.

"Well… It was all thanks to Kazue. She gave me a mental shock, a kind of jolt that snapped me out of it with a…"

She wanted to say more, to brag about what had truly happened, but Kazue quickly intervened, her own cheeks turning a faint pink.

"It wasn't anything! I just… I just gave you a small, friendly kiss on the forehead! That's all!"

She said, trying her best to avoid the subject. Drake let out a genuine, hearty laugh, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

"Haha! So, a simple kiss was all it took to get you back to your senses? I'll keep that in mind."

Katya merely huffed, clearly annoyed at the way the conversation was going, but before she could say another word, Drake's expression turned serious.

"I'm glad you're back, Katya. But why are you still wearing that mask? It seems extremely dangerous."

The girl simply stared at him, her expression turning into a mix of resignation and defeat even behind the mask.

"It's not that I want to wear it… It just won't come off, I've tried."

The words hit both Kazue and Drake like a ton of bricks. They stopped walking, their eyes wide with shock. A worried look appeared on Kazue's face, and she began to fidget with her fingers, her mind already racing with a million different possibilities.

"What?! What do you mean by that?!"

She exclaimed. Drake, on the other hand, was now completely focused on the problem, his gaze fixed on Katya's mask… Wasn't it the mask from the goddess that Adam had tamed or something like that? It seems they had to ask him directly later.

Not that far from there, alter Kazue and Charles were a pair that kept to themselves. They walked in a practiced silence, their expressions unreadable as they kept a careful distance from the rest of the group. While the conversation between them was almost inaudible, Adam, who was walking not too far from them, would often notice a subtle glance from alter Kazue toward her counterpart.

It was a look filled with a mixture of hatred and a strange, almost painful longing that Adam, with his own experience, could only surmise. However, he pretended not to notice, although he was indeed taking mental notes.

On the other hand, Alter Li and Li were conversing. Li, whose robotic red eye gave off a faint, eerie glow in the dim light, was talking about their differences with a hint of amusement in his voice.

"You see? The most obvious difference is this."

He said, tapping his robotic eye with a single finger.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

"This little thing here allows me to use the [Lock On] skill so my spells have an autotarget. I don't miss."

Alter Li, who had been listening with a flat, unimpressed expression, simply scoffed and shook his head.

"You say that as if it is an advantage. As you know, I was in the 'Steam and Steel' scenario as well, but I did not bring back such a cheap and useless gimmick."

He then, with a flourish, summoned his spellbook, a massive, leather-bound volume that exuded a powerful energy.

"But what I got from that scenario was a treasure of a different kind."

He said, his eyes filled with an almost tangible pride. He opened the book, and the words, "Atomica Arcanum", appeared on its cover, a clear, unmistakable sign of the powerful, S-Rank item that was the treasure of the scenario. Li's expression, which had been one of casual amusement, turned into a frustrated, comical sneer.

"Tsk… Well, lucky break."

It was more of a joke than a genuine complaint, but it was a clear display of the casual, friendly rivalry they had somehow developed over the course of the day.

Meanwhile, Adam and Solène were also engaged in a strange, predatory dance of conversation. The girl, whose crimson hair was a violent splash of color against the drab landscape, was unusually "friendly" with him, often leaning on his shoulder or getting a little too close for comfort. She spoke with a savage, sharp-toothed smile, her comments laced with a biting, almost predatory wit.

"You know, I'm glad we had a little… 'meal' together, Adam. You smell much better now. Not like some musty old undead anymore."

She said, sniffing him with a wide, feral grin. Adam, for his part, did not seem to be put off by her, responding to her barbed comments with a sharp, sarcastic wit of his own.

"Oh, is that what you think? I suppose I must take that as a compliment… Not. I smell nothing of the sort; your nose must be broken, and please do not lean on me."

Their conversation was a rapid-fire exchange of insults and thinly veiled threats, a strange, tense back-and-forth that was punctuated by Solène's manic laughter and Adam's weary and frustrated sighs. The sight was so bizarre that Chloe, who was walking behind them, was absolutely glued to the couple.

Her eyes were fixed on Solène with an almost lethal intensity, a raw, unadulterated jealousy that made her cheeks puff up in silent, furious protest. She was so lost in her thoughts that, when Nikolai approached her, he was met with a terrifying glare that made him stop in his tracks.

Chloe's eyes, which were usually filled with a gentle, loving light, were now a torrent of pure, unyielding anger that made the long-haired boy turn around and walk away, his body shuddering.

The hours passed as they continued their journey, and the sun finally disappeared completely, leaving them to walk under the cold, indifferent stare of a sky devoid of stars. The trip was long and grueling, and the members of both teams, already tired from the recent battle, were now beginning to show the strain. At times, the group would have to hide in the shadows of the scorched earth as they detected the presence of Draclings flying in the air, their gargantuan bodies casting long, menacing shadows on the ground.

To the group's surprise, however, the dragons never even seemed to notice their presence, their keen senses completely failing to find them. It was a strange, unsettling phenomenon that Arion, after a few minutes of quiet observation, managed to decipher.

He explained that dragons, as a species, could easily detect the presence of other living beings, but they also emitted a powerful, physical presence that could easily be felt by other creatures of the same rank. He theorized that Solène, being a Dragonkin, was emitting a similar presence that was masking the rest of the group. To the dragons in the air, it would seem as if another of their own kind was in the area, and so they would simply pass by, completely ignoring the humans.

Solène, upon hearing this, turned to Adam, her lips curled into a malicious grin.

"And your scent is helping, "David". As I said, ever since our little meal, your energy has begun to feel more like those cursed dragons and less like some undead."

She said, poking his cheek with a single, sharp finger. Adam, with an annoyed look on his face, slapped her hand away and sighed.

"Please don't touch me..."

The threat was weak, but it was enough to make Solène recoil, a playful laugh escaping her lips as she walked alongside him, her body swaying in a loose, carefree rhythm. Chloe, who had been watching the entire exchange, simply puffed up her cheeks and shot a glare at Adam, which he, for once, didn't notice.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, they arrived at their destination. By now, the moon was high in the sky, and the only light came from the stars that dotted the landscape. In the meantime, Samantha had handed out simple, delicious bread to everyone, which, despite being just bread, had a variety of flavors and managed to replenish some of their stamina.

What they had in front was no different from what they had seen the whole trip... It was still the same barren, desolate wasteland, but in the center of a scorched valley, there stood a single, massive rock, a strange, imposing sight in the sea of nothingness that surrounded them.

"We're here."

Arion announced, his voice a quiet, somber murmur that was filled with weariness.

"What do you mean, 'we're here'?"

Alter Drake said, his voice flat with a bit of annoyance as he walked forward, his gaze fixed on the rock.

"There's nothing here, just a stupid rock."

Upon hearing this, Arion simply smiled, a sad, knowing expression on his face as he looked at the confused faces of the users.

"That is the entrance. The palace is located in a place unknown to all, including me."

A collective gasp of shock and bewilderment spread through the group. They couldn't believe what they were hearing, but then Kazue, whose eyes were filled with a frantic excitement, let out a loud, joyous shout.

"The rock! I get it! It's the rock!"

Arion simply smiled and nodded, his expression one of pure, unadulterated relief.

"Yes, exactly. During the war, an alliance of elves and dwarves, with the help of all the races, created these runic doors to transport their armies to the palace in a final, desperate attempt to bring the battle directly to the dragon's domain… I have never used one, and no one who has ever entered has ever returned."

The elf said with sadness and melancholy in his words.

"I don't know how they even managed to find it, but it seems it works… However, it is a one-way trip, and there is no way to know what lies on the other side. You may be transported to the entrance of the palace, to the very throne room, or to a location thousands of miles away. I don't know where the other transporter was located."

The words were chilling, and a heavy, oppressive silence fell over the group once more. The choice was clear, but the risk was immense. After a long, agonizing moment of deliberation, Drake took a step forward, his expression resolute. He was tired of waiting, and he knew that this was the only way to save his friend.

"We're already here. And my team will take this path to save Sebastian, no matter the risk, right?"

He said, his voice firm and unwavering, followed by the rest of the 'No Name' team and a very enthusiastic Solène, who saw the whole thing as a new, exciting adventure.

Alter Drake, whose expression had been one of deep thought, clenched his fist, a flash of pure, unadulterated anger on his face.

"Tsk… I've never said we wouldn't go. This is the only rational way to clear the scenario anyway."

He then, with a defeated look, turned to his team, and they, with a collective, reluctant nod, followed his lead.

Arion, who was watching the whole thing, simply smiled, a serene, almost peaceful expression on his face as he looked at them. He had lived for too long, and he had seen too many things. After the last battle against Dravhark, he had lost his will to live as a simple survivor; if he were to die, it would be on his terms, with his head held high, just like his fallen friends and family.

"It is as simple as touching the rock… Or so they said."

He said, his voice a low, final whisper, and the group, without a moment of hesitation, placed their hands on the cold, unforgiving surface of the rock.

A brilliant flash of white light erupted from the rock, blinding everyone. When the darkness of the night returned, there was no one left. The rock stood alone in the desolate, empty wasteland, and the only thing that remained was the quiet hum of the wind.

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