When the plot-skips players into the game world

When the Stranger finally escaped from the Hall of Silver and Tin, he instinctively looked back.

The entire palace was already ablaze... the roaring flames twisted the air around, and visible waves of heat mixed with the scent of sulfur assaulted his face. Billowing black smoke almost covered the sky, mingling with the dark clouds.

It was like a dark passage had descended from the sky to the Hall of Silver and Tin... heralding the apocalypse and destruction.

Finally, it began to rain.

The ground was full of sulfur and flames; the sky was full of dark clouds and torrential rain.

Fortunately, people had already begun to evacuate, so there was no crowding and no horrific stampede accidents occurred.

The scene of the apocalypse was imminent.

The Stranger couldn't help but tense up.

He couldn't tell if his mentor, "Mr. Bruzvick," had escaped... nor did he know if he managed to control the Flame Demon.

And more importantly—

—Where were his teammates! Why had they disappeared again!

His mentor from his own world line, who had now entered the promotion ceremony as the "Counselor," the real Mr. Bruzvick... and his junior sister, codenamed "Grape," Aurora, where were they now!

The Stranger felt a wave of confusion.

He had just been seriously investigating his own identity, trying hard to play his role. He originally planned to rest for the night and start looking for his companions the next day... but in just a few hours, the situation had taken a drastic turn and had completely fallen into an uncontrollable unknown.

"What exactly was that, Master Nobel!"

A slightly trembling voice came from beneath the Stranger.

The young man also felt bewilderment and fear toward that terrifying magical beast: "After the queen's death, everything has become so strange... Is this the punishment from the Crown Lord!"

"—Don't stop, run!"

Sensing the Knight slowing down and constantly looking back at the Hall of Silver and Tin, the Stranger commanded aloud the Knight who was carrying him to escape, "That's the Flame Demon! A Flame Demon can self-replicate by devouring souls...

"And most importantly, when a Flame Demon is being subdued it will cause violent explosions! Glass Island is going to be destroyed, we must leave this place!"

The Stranger was very pessimistic about the outcome of this promotion ceremony.

The essential task of this ceremony required him to safely evacuate Princess "Isabel Du Lac" to the Eternal Theocracy.

And now, he couldn't even find the princess.

Unable to find his teammates, unable to find the princess, and having no idea how to reach the Holy Nation—he had never been to Avalon, much less to the Holy Nation, and didn't know the way at all.

Besides knowing that the capital of Avalon was called Glass Island, he didn't even know the names of the other cities, nor did he know the specific location of Glass Island in Avalon or the relative location of the Holy Nation in Avalon.

He was very confused.

So the Stranger decided, at least to let himself survive—

If Princess Isabel couldn't reach the Holy Nation safely within four days, the promotion ceremony would be a failure. But failure itself carried no penalty, it was death that brought punishment—so as long as he lived safely to the end, that would be considered achieving his goal.

If possible, it would be best to find "Grape" too. The two of them should find a place to strive to survive together.

And just then, the Stranger suddenly heard a surprised shout, causing him to shiver involuntarily.

"Master Nobel! You've escaped?"

The one coming toward him was a handsome male bishop in a red robe.

The Stranger didn't know if he was familiar with the man, so he could only solemnly pat the Knight below him, signaling him to put him down first.

Whether he was the Priest known as "Fox" or not... after all, it was good to be accompanied by a bishop. At least if he were injured, the other could save his life.

"...Yes, I've escaped," the Stranger said, summoning all his strength to show a look of sorrow, "but the other Knights and Ministers, it seems like they all..."

"What exactly happened inside the palace," the bishop frowned, "Did the Star Antimony people directly attack the royal family?"

...It was actually your own people who assassinated the queen!

The Stranger felt a little aggrieved and confused for a moment.

Because he really didn't know why the Star Antimony people would dare to do such a thing to Avalon.

—Now in the real world, Star Antimony was embroiled in a war initiated by the Avalonians.

The Gryphon Legion from Avalon had become the nightmare of many Star Antimony civilians—when the Gryphons flew low, the sharp sound of breaking air and the rolling thunder, along with the hurricane that howled in, signaled that a building or an area would be destroyed by the thunderstorm.

And they had no means of counterattack. The colossi could only symbolically fire their cannons, but they had never successfully shot down any Gryphon. Their speed was simply too fast to lock onto.

Besides, the renegade Mages from Daffodil Territory had caused huge losses.

The land forces had to exhaust lives to barely stop the advance of the Mage phalanx.

And with the Holy Nation tilting the scales, decapitation tactics were ineffective. They couldn't counter-attack Avalon itself.

As a result, Star Antimony was pulled into the quagmire of war unprepared.

"It's all Minister Drost's fault!!"

The Stranger vehemently criticized Minister Drost, who dared to assassinate the queen—his disgust was undoubtedly heartfelt.

—Now, if Avalon was attacking Star Antimony, it seemed to also stem from the trouble brought on by that fat pig named Drost!