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The Cassiubia expeditionary force’s worst crisis was over. They had been in the worst predicament when the Shalyh forces declared war against the Abyss. If the Sernitas had raised their army then, the Cassiubia League and humanity would’ve faced enemies on both fronts. It was self-evident how arduous and exhausting the battle would’ve been since the Cassiubia expeditionary force wouldn’t have been able to face even the Sernitas alone. Fortunately, they were able to go through this crisis without much loss, but it worried them that the Sernitas were still showing no signs of activity.

It really was suspicious. The Sernitas stopped outside activities after bringing the Demon Empire to ruins right at the end of the Great War. Thinking that the Sernitas’ behavior was strange, many came up with possible explanations: the Sernitas were scared, focusing on defense, escaping from Liber, or scheming something in secret. Ideas that would’ve easily been dismissed as nonsense before were being accepted as plausible.

Their attitude was understandable as the Cassiubia League had been victorious in every battle after joining hands with humanity. Be it small skirmishes or large-scale wars, they had been the winner in every conflict, including the trouble at the Hala Forest; their victory against the three-forces coalition in the great war had been the decisive moment, and their morale reached its peak after another victory against the Abyss. At this point, it seemed like their ultimate dream was within their reach.

It truly had been dreadful when their goal had been nowhere in sight, but now that it was right in front of them, they found themselves overflowing with courage and motivation. Unlike before, their hopes took concrete forms rather than appearing as elusive dreams, and this changed their attitudes. Just like how their ally had shown results in the recent war against the Abyss, some even proposed going on the offensive against the Sernitas instead of waiting for Shalyh’s expeditionary forces to join them.

Of course, the Last Dragon wasn’t foolish enough to agree to their suggestions to show the power of Liber’s true natives and immediately head for battle. She was one of those who suspected the Sernitas were scheming something, so they couldn’t let down their guard. She thought that Sernitas’ inactivity facing what should be their biggest crisis meant that they were certain that they would get greater benefits elsewhere.

Furthermore, the Last Dragon heeded Chi-Hyun’s warning, ‘to not act rashly before Shalyh’s expeditionary team joined them.’ She had no intention of doing otherwise.

The war would commence officially after Shalyh’s expeditionary team recovered the damages they had suffered from the recent war and joined them here. Thus, before that, they planned to thoroughly guard the borders and look for signs of any activity. Of course, they wouldn’t only surveil the situation. Both the Last Dragon and Chi-Hyun were also concerned about the Sernitas’ inactivity. Thus, at Chi-Hyun’s request, the Last Dragon decided to scout the Sernitas’ territory herself.

This wasn’t very difficult to do. The Last Dragon could fly and go in a circle once around Sernitas\' territory. At the same time, the Last Dragon couldn’t let down her guard. She had to exercise the highest caution and not grow complacent just because the situation was looking more optimistic. Yet, there was one thing even the Last Dragon couldn’t hide: it was hope. She thought if they overcame this one obstacle—this one great ordeal, they would reach the future many had given up on a long time ago. The Last Dragon’s eyes filled with hope. It was then the Last Dragon frowned while scanning below her.

***

After disconnecting from the Abyss King, the Sernitas were in a state of chaos greater than ever before. It was of course because of Chi-Woo. He had grown too strong and progressed too far. He was a different person from the Chi-Woo the Sernitas had faced during the great war. With the confirmation of this fact, it seemed clear that they had been wasting their time. They thought they were thoroughly prepared to face Chi-Woo after bringing the Demon Empire to ruins, but all the time and energy they spent so far were meaningless now.

Perhaps even after finding out that Chi-Woo’s growth far surpassed their previous calculations, the Sernitas could still make preparations in response to the new findings. However, the Sernitas was stunned to witness Chi-Woo’s battle with the Abyss King. When facing Chi-Woo, the Abyss King had demonstrated power far exceeding his original. He used countless consciousnesses as sacrifices and broke the law of causality multiple times to fight Chi-Woo, but in the end, he still lost. The methods that the Abyss King employed were ones the Sernitas would never even consider. While it would bring great power, it would also lead to inevitable self-destruction. It was a choice the Sernitas, whose ultimate goal was to perfect themselves until they became the greatest existence in the universe, couldn’t make.

The Sernitas didn’t know what to make of the fact that the Abyss King still failed to win despite taking such huge risks. Another problem was that they didn’t know how much more Chi-Woo would progress now that he was going to face the Sernitas. Given the way the situation had unfolded, the possibilities that the members of the Cassiubia expeditionary team had come up with seemed likely now; guesses like the Sernitas were too scared and were now thinking of escaping Liber had a ring of truth to them.

Since the Sernitas only moved when they were certain, Chi-Woo was a great anomaly, made up of mysteries and uncertainties. He was someone who always deviated from expectations. Thus, in a situation where they couldn’t guarantee victory, escape seemed like the preferable option. The vast universe was infinite; they could move as far away from Liber as possible and remedied their lack of information while wandering across different planets. And after repeating this process for endless time and evolving, they could find Chi-Woo again once they were confident in themselves. It was an opinion that aligned with the path the Sernitas had taken until now.

Yet there was a fierce opposing opinion that also brought up valid points. First, there was no guarantee that their opponent would simply let them leave even if they tried to escape. Second, Chi-Woo’s information was too precious to give up. The Sernitas had visited countless planets so far, and all their experience taught them that planets with higher intelligent life forms and developed civilizations were all similar. Of course, there were differences between the worlds. Some with great scientific advancements, some with a focus on martial arts, some that resembled the typical fantasy world, and their levels of development differed. However, there wasn’t a great variety between the scale of the worlds.

Thus, worlds that had once been surprising and mystical soon became nothing out of the ordinary. Even when they found a new planet and searched it inside out, they didn’t gain any information different from before. For the Sernitas, Chi-Woo was the world of the unknown they couldn’t even begin to fathom. They felt the same sense of excitement they had when they departed from their homeworld and found a planet with sentient lives for the first time. Thus, it seemed too much of a shame to leave like this. But if these were the only points in support of staying on Liber, the opposing side would’ve still been the majority. What turned the tide completely was the next supposition.

—Even if we escape, there’s no guarantee of surpassing him.

—Agreed. Rate of progress is severely abnormal. Might have the highest possibility of winning right now even if the situation proves very difficult.

Time was fair to all. It was questionable whether or not Chi-Woo would remain at a standstill while Sernitas accumulated strength. And once they met again after a great length of time, they might arrive at a situation where it would be completely meaningless to discuss the next course of action. Perhaps the gap between their power would widen so much that they would have no choice but to quietly wait for death. Thus, before Chi-Woo became truly untouchable, it was better for them to act now and clash with him. After all, if they succeeded in absorbing Chi-Woo’s information, they would no longer have to wander listlessly around the universe and could achieve their goal.

Could they really give up this opportunity? In the end, the collective leaned toward one side. Though it wasn’t the overwhelming majority, it was decided that they wouldn’t leave Liber, that they would bet everything they had on the coming fight. Of course, the situation didn’t take a wild turn simply because they came to a decision. The Sernitas were also well aware that they were too lacking to oppose Chi-Woo right now. And since they couldn’t deal with him in their current states, they needed to evolve into a new existence using whatever means possible. In order to do that, the Sernitas made preparations using the information they had received while connected to the Abyss King—the Heaven’s Vessel.

But even with that, they knew they couldn’t be too optimistic about the situation. Though the Heaven’s Vessel was a new sort of information they had never encountered, and they acknowledged its possibilities, it wouldn’t be enough. They confirmed that it would help improve the current situation, but as was the case before, it wouldn’t guarantee a victory. Thus, the Sernitas continued to contemplate and ponder about what to do when one great force approached them.

It was a grand and mysterious will, and with its sudden appearance, it made two offers to the Sernitas. The first offer was that it would give the Sernitas the possibility to head toward the future they wished for. Though it wouldn’t be able to guarantee results, it would provide valid and suitable causes for them to reach their ultimate dream. The second was that it would provide the Sernitas with the minimum time to head toward that future.

From that point on, all opposing voices completely disappeared, and the Sernitas began to work as one mind wholeheartedly. They dove into the work, and all the Sernitas began running toward their goal as one, the same way they had done it when first departing their original world. This was an opportunity they all thought they had a good chance in and was worth putting their fortunes on the line for. Then, after finishing all preparations, and every single one of them declared that there was no need to stall any longer, the Sernitas moved out of their dormancy like a man finally stretching his shoulders after hunching for a long time.

“What…?” The Last Dragon looked alarmed as she looked below her.

***

Looming war clouds heralded the bloodlust that manifested before a war or battle. It had been so since Shalyh’s expeditionary team left the city to fight the Abyss. Everyone knew that war was a part of life on Liber, and that there was no time for them to dwell on celebrations and joy even after defeating the Abyss. This moment of quiet was time for them to prepare for the upcoming war rather than taking a break. Thus, Shalyh’s expeditionary force didn’t waste a day and focused on healing and recovering, as well as visiting the temples of the gods they served.

For the heroes, the next war could be the last one that decided whether or not they returned to the Celestial Realm. Chi-Hyun also thought the end was near. Though their numbers were less than when they battled the Abyss, their overall strength didn’t drop significantly. No, in some ways, they could say that their strength had increased. It was thanks to the growth systems; the more battles they survived, the stronger they became.

While thinking it was time for them to get ready, Chi-Hyun received the contact he had been waiting for. It wasn’t from his celestial device, but from a crystal orb that he had received from a companion a long time ago. Wondering if the Last Dragon had found out anything about the Sernitas, Chi-Hyun accepted the call.

“Okay, so what’s the result of your search…?” Chi-Hyun asked as soon as the line connected, but trailed off when he saw the tattered state the Last Dragon was in and how chaotic her surroundings were. Desperate cries for help rang all around her.

“Are…” Seeing the quickly changing scene, Chi-Hyun realized a startling truth. It was hard to believe, but the Last Dragon was fleeing as if she was getting chased.

—…Chi-Hyun.

Unlike her usual self, the Last Dragon’s voice dropped low as it rang out from the orb.

—Listen to me carefully from here on out.