ISEKAI? More like I See Crap!

"Ellyn!!"

Syaria's voice rang sharply in her mind as three fire-lizardmen charged out from the rising haze, their burning claws trailing embers.

Ellyn's eyes glowed cold blue, her Absolute Eye reading their paths in a flash.

She leapt upward with a sharp exhale, spinning mid-air as her dual ice blades reflected the blazing sunlight.

Flames roared beneath her—fireballs spat from the lizardmen's mouths, but Ellyn slashed downward, her blades slicing through the flames, turning them into bursts of mist and steam.

Too hot… too fast…! she grit her teeth, adjusting her trajectory mid-air.

[Cryo Pulse]

A sudden wave of ice magic pulsed from her core, and a dozen sharp ice arrows formed in a circular ring around her.

They fired one by one, homing in on the charging monsters with rapid bursts.

One lizardman roared in pain as an arrow pierced through its shoulder, another crashed to the side after its leg froze mid-sprint.

The third monster deflected two with its claws but was then struck in the chest by Ellyn's final arrow, causing it to stagger.

The heat distorted their wounds, burning away some of the frost.

They howled in rage, still pushing forward.

"Ellyn—behind you!!" Syaria shouted again.

The one that had fallen vanished beneath the dirt, tunneling, then erupted behind her with claws raised.

Ellyn turned just in time, slamming her ice blade into the monster's claw in a loud metallic crash, skidding back from the sheer force.

Her vision blurred for a moment.

The heat was finally catching up to her.

"Princess, you need to finish them quickly!" Syaria warned.

"I know!!"

Ellyn dropped to a knee, one hand on the scorching ground.

She channelled mana fast, ignoring the burning sensation.

[Frost Bind: Chain Freeze]

Dozens of thin frost threads erupted from the ground like vines, grabbing and locking the monsters' legs in place.

The fire-lizardmen thrashed and screamed as ice surged up their limbs, freezing their movements bit by bit.

Ellyn rushed in, blades glowing faintly blue.

[Twin Crescent Slash]

With a spinning leap, she sliced through the trapped monsters, one after another.

All three collapsed, steam hissing from their bodies.

Ellyn dropped to one knee again, panting hard.

Syaria's voice softened.

"…You did well."

Ellyn slowly stood up, brushing dust and ash from her knees. She looked around at the scorched battlefield, her eyes carefully scanning the area.

"Syaria..." she said softly.

"Yes?"

"You were a High Priestess during your life, right?"

"That's correct," Syaria replied.

"Then… do you know how we can find a way out of here?"

There was a short pause before Syaria answered.

"I can help, but I'll need to use your mana to cast a guidance blessing. The heat and magic distortion here make it hard to sense direction."

Ellyn stayed silent for a moment.

The ground around her was still partly frozen from her last spell. As soon as her magic wore off, the intense heat of the land would return with full force.

She looked up at the sky, where the sun was burning hazily. Its position was strange and warped by magical distortion.

"I can't even tell which way we're facing..." she said, biting her lip. "I don't even know where I am."

Syaria stayed quiet for a moment, then spoke gently.

"You're doing well to stay calm, Princess. If you give me some of your mana, I can try to trace the nearest mana leyline. It should lead us to either a settlement… or a rift gate."

Ellyn gave a tired nod and pressed her hand to the necklace around her neck.

"Alright… just don't drain me too much."

"I won't. I promise."

A faint glow appeared from the crystal, and a soft wind spread outward in ripples. Dust and debris shifted as Syaria began her spell.

A faint glowing orb appeared in front of her, floating a few feet above the scorched ground. It pulsed softly, like a gentle heartbeat, then slowly moved forward.

"This is the guidance," Syaria explained. "Follow it. It should lead you out of this area."

Ellyn's eyes stayed focused on the orb, her attention sharp.

"But be careful, Princess… this orb only guides. It doesn't protect you, and it won't sense enemies nearby."

Ellyn took a slow breath and gave a small nod.

"That's good enough for me," she said.

She deactivated one of her ice swords, and the magic around her dimmed a little. Her breathing steadied, but she still felt tired in her limbs.

Now holding just one blade, she muttered, "I should conserve my mana… just in case."

Her tail swung low behind her as she started walking.

The guidance orb floated ahead steadily, weaving through broken stones and burned trees. The air was still hot, but the soft glow of the orb gave her some hope.

Halfling Kingdom – Inside a high-ranking noble estate.

In the dimly lit room of House Rutherlin, one of the powerful noble families in the Halfling Kingdom, there was a tense atmosphere.

A cloaked servant knelt on one knee.

"My lord..." he said softly.

"Hmm?" The nobleman, an older halfling with sharp eyes and a neatly trimmed gray beard, calmly sipped from a jeweled goblet.

"Our operative has been captured… by the Beastkin Royal Forces."

The noble's fingers froze in mid-air.

"...Captured?" His voice became low and dangerous.

"Yes, my lord. The man who was pretending to be an envoy escort… they saw through his disguise."

The noble's eyes narrowed.

"Did he manage to teleport before he was caught? Was the princess delivered to the location?"

"That… is still unclear, my lord," the servant answered carefully. "We haven't confirmed whether she arrived at the planned point. We're still waiting for word from our men."

"What about the Beastkin? Have they given or found any information?"

"No word from them either. They're probably still searching for clues."

The goblet was slammed onto the table, spilling red wine over the polished wood.

"Damn it! That girl was supposed to arrive here. She was supposed to be mine!"

The noble's face twisted in rage, but he quickly regained his cold, calculating expression.

"This is a disaster..." he muttered, pacing back and forth quickly.

"If she didn't arrive, then the teleportation failed, or maybe it went somewhere else entirely."

"Your orders, my lord?"

The noble stopped walking, his face grim.

"Send a team to retrieve her from the estate. Check the ritual chamber. If she's not there, destroy the site."

"Understood."

"And one more thing," he said sharply, turning to face him.

"Eliminate our captured man. I don't care how you do it. No loose ends. No connection to us. The Halfling Royal Court must never suspect our involvement in this."

"Yes, Lord Rutherlin."

Inside his mind.

Shit, shit, shit!!

She was supposed to be here by now!

That shitty, low-born, half-trained excuse of a mage, he had one job. One simple task!

And now the entire plan is in shambles.

If she had arrived… if she had just landed inside the estate as planned...

I would have had her secure and sealed before the sun even rose.

Damn it!

That girl... Princess Ellyna—so powerful.

That Absolute Eye, that unique transfer skill...

Even if she's already bound by that ridiculous pinky promise, it wouldn't matter. The oath prevents betrayal, but it doesn't stop her from using her skill on someone else.

I would have had her teach me those ancient spells.

Just one kiss would be enough to transfer a basic or intermediate-level skill.

And if she refused?

She wouldn't have a choice.

With the right setup and the right manipulation...

I could have taken everything I needed from her, the spells, the secrets.

And now... that bastard has ruined everything!!

My months of planning, ruin by that bastard!

If the Beastkin Royal Court finds out I was behind the kidnapping…

My title... my lands... my house! Everything will be stripped away and burned!

His breathing grew ragged as he slammed his fist on the table, cracking the surface.

Suddenly, a figure appeared behind him.

A man in a black robe, his face hidden behind a bone-white half-mask, stepped out of the shadowed corridor like a ghost.

"Kalam."

The figure knelt with one hand over his chest.

"Yes, my lord." Even though his face was hidden, a smirk could be heard in his voice.

The noble didn't wait.

"Finish him. That bastard who was caught, silence him forever."

His voice was filled with venom.

"I don't care how you do it—knife to the throat, poison in his breath, a 'freak accident'—just make sure his mouth never opens again."

Kalam slowly stood up, nodding.

"Consider it done. The silence you want will fall before the next moonrise."

"Make sure no one links this to me. No trace, no shadow, no whisper."

Kalam chuckled low.

"My lord… shadows are my specialty."

He turned and vanished into the corridor as if he was never there.

If that fool, the mage I sent, is inside the Beastkin Royal Prison…

Then there's still hope.

Kalam... he can do it.

A cruel smirk crept across his lips.

He can slip through shadows like mist. Disguise himself as a merchant, a servant, even a royal officer. That man is a phantom in human skin.

He stood and walked slowly to the arched window, the moonlight cutting across half his face.

Hah. The Beastkin may have their own Special Royal Assassin Unit—silent, loyal, merciless. But after the princess was taken, I'm certain their leader is no longer lurking in the shadows.

She'll be near the royal family now. Probably ordered to guard the throne, or join the search.

He let out a quiet, confident breath.

That means fewer eyes in the dark corners of the prison. Fewer blades waiting in silence.

Perfect.

He clenched his fist, knuckles whitening.

Once that mage is erased… there's no proof. No trail. No link back to me.

He turned from the window and walked toward the map laid across his desk.

And when the princess is found again, no one will suspect Halfling nobility. Especially not me.

I've played the role of a peace-seeking noble for far too long to raise suspicion now.

( End Of Chapter )