THE VILLAIN'S POV

Clana's expression slowly shifted the moment she heard that.

"That's impossible. Then how—wait… you didn't escape that city?!"

I nodded, and she lost it.

"No way! You stayed there alone against that army?! Wait—don't tell me… you survived that?!"

Truth be told, I was planning to face them all on my own… but it never came to that.

"That army was fake. An illusion created by that witch."

"An illusion?"

"Yes… just a mirage."

"So everything we've been through… was for nothing?"

One revelation after another, Clana clutched her head again as her migraine returned.

That desperate teleportation, which everyone thought was the only way to survive, turned out to be meaningless…

In fact, it had led to the deaths of many students—a truth I'd confirmed using the third-person pov to spy on their last meeting.

Clana didn't take it well. And just seconds later, she began coughing again—her body crying out from hunger and thirst after depleting her supplies.

Seeing that, I pulled out everything I had, handing over all the food and water I'd stored so far.

I gave her my full share, untouched, but she refused at first.

"I can't accept this… what will happen to you if I take all of your rations?"

"I don't need them."

I replied instantly and pushed them closer to her.

My body was unique. Surviving for a few weeks on aura alone wasn't that difficult.

Clana couldn't argue anymore. She drank and ate with desperation.

"But Frey… how did you find me without a mark?"

After the teleportation, the witch's mark was our only clue to finding each other. The only way to locate the others.

"Finding you was just luck. Pure coincidence."

I'd been searching nonstop for ten days, passing through multiple Ultras camps and cities—until I stumbled upon her.

"Just luck, huh?"

"What about you? Why didn't you regroup with the others?"

Now that she was better, I started asking the questions I'd held in for days. This was the first.

"I tried… but I couldn't make it."

Clana sighed, frowning as she recalled the past days.

"What exactly happened?"

"These cursed mountains…"

She pointed outside with her finger and began recounting everything.

"This mountain range stretches for hundreds of kilometers. It's a nightmare land in itself—filled with nightmare creatures that appear the deeper you go…"

I listened intently to what Clana had to say.

It was the first time I'd heard of another Nightmare Zone besides the ones I already knew.

"Crossing the mountain range is practically impossible," she said. "Even if we somehow managed to survive all the nightmare creatures along the way, it would take far too long. But… I did find a path that lets us bypass everything safely."

"There's a secure passage—an arcane corridor that allows for instant teleport from this side of the range to the other."

"But the problem is… that passage is a military base. An Ultras stronghold. The moment I got near it, they were already waiting. They chased me for days—you know the rest."

She supported her explanation by sketching a rough map in the dirt. She drew the jagged outline of the mountain range and a thin line through the middle that represented the passage.

"We'll have to find a way around it," she said flatly. "Selena's mark points to the other side."

But I cut her off.

"We're not going around the mountains. We're going straight through the front gate."

"Excuse me?"

Clana stared at me like she'd misheard, her voice raised in disbelief.

But I stood by what I said.

"We're going through that base—through the gate itself. Even if it means tearing it down on top of them."

"Frey… do you hear yourself? That place is crawling with them!"

"I know. But we don't have a choice if we want to reach the others."

After all, they've already found a way back home.

If we waste time trying to circumvent the mountains, we might miss that one chance entirely.

So I chose the direct route.

"We'll go as soon as you're fully recovered."

I said it with conviction.

Clana scowled automatically. The trauma of the past few days was still written all over her face—and now I was asking her to walk back into battle.

But we had no choice.

"If anything happens… Clana, I want you to leave the fighting to me. If you have to run.. then run. I want you to always put your survival first, understood?"

"…."

She didn't say a word.

She just nodded, hesitant and silent—especially with me standing that close.

And with that, our path was set.

…

…

…

It took Clana another 24 hours to recover enough to move again.

That night, we set out toward the passage she'd mentioned.

We wore black cloaks that covered us from head to toe for disguise, especially Clana—who I wrapped in every spare piece of clothing I had, leaving only her eyes visible.

After all… even if the Ultras didn't know she was an enemy, they'd still flock to her on sight.

"We'll try to sneak in. If possible, I want to avoid fighting."

"Okay…"

Infiltrating the lower blood caste wasn't difficult. Their defenses were weak, and most of them were barely stronger than fodder. I was confident we could get through.

It took only minutes to reach the entrance of the passage.

I expected to find the same kind of weak fortifications I'd seen all across the primitive Ultras lands—but I was met with something else entirely.

Nestled between the mountains stood a massive gate—fortified with magic cannons and dozens of guards stationed above.

The gate opened now and then, letting some Ultras in and out.

But what caught my attention wasn't the architecture or the overwhelming presence of the fortress.

It was the Ultras themselves.

Those auras… their vibrant expressions… the way their bodies radiated explosive strength. They were nothing like the lower-blooded cannon fodder I'd fought the past few days.

I scowled.

"These aren't lowbloods."

They were entirely different. Not even comparable.

These were the real strength of the Ultras—the ones who had forged demonic contracts. The ones with demon blood running through their veins.

"The Highbloods…"

I muttered unconsciously, just as Clana stepped back in shock.

"That's impossible! I was here just a few days ago. There were none of them!"

She was visibly shaken. Realizing the full power of what now stood before her, she stumbled backward instinctively.

"Let's fall back."

She wanted to retreat—but I grabbed her hand before she could.

She turned to me, confused.

"We keep going."

"But—!"

"Trust me."

I tightened my grip and moved forward, pulling her along.

"Frey… stop!"

Step by step, we approached the massive gate—until we came fully into view.

If they wanted to, they could bombard us with the arcane cannons perched above.

But they didn't.

Which meant they hadn't realized yet… that we were enemies.

As we got closer, two guards stationed outside moved into view—towering men with massive swords strapped to their backs, their aura radiating with suffocating force.

"Frey, stop!!"

Clana's voice cracked, panicked—especially after sensing their S-class auras.

I saw the fear in her eyes.

But I didn't stop.

Face-to-face with the Highbloods…

I was ready to enter the gate.