The private dimensional space of the guild, war room.
Even though the distant sounds of battle still faintly reached this place from outside, inside the command room everything was drowned in a heavy silence. A massive map floated in the center of the room, glowing points constantly turning on and off, and every small change... meant life or death.
None of the members in the war room spoke. All their gazes were fixed on the arrays displaying the Goblin Guild’s territory.
Exactly where Lana and her legion were carrying out a very important operation—one that could deal a massive blow to the enemy.
Daniel had already completed a successful operation, and had even done more than what he was originally sent for.
They had destroyed enemy outposts in their area, and now if this operation also succeeded, it would be another major strike.
In the middle of that silence, the door opened. A few heads turned toward it.
And Daniel walked in.
His clothes were still stained with blood—not just the enemy’s, but traces of a heavy battle he had just gone through.
The Fallen Ones were nowhere to be seen. Naturally, they had returned to the inner world to rest. They hadn’t suffered much damage, in fact, they hadn’t been damaged at all, but they had still gone back to rest.
A few of the commanders fell silent for a moment, their gazes lingering on him.
There was no need for explanation... but a report was still given.
"The operation was successful. Several enemy outposts have been completely destroyed. Their supply routes have been disrupted..."
"And... the main targets have also been eliminated." He paused briefly before finishing his report.
He had originally gone to kill a few individuals responsible for the deaths of half of the guild’s forces.
But on his way back, he had even managed to kill a Half Step S-Rank commander.
Such an Awakened was extremely important for any guild, as they had the potential to reach S-Rank, a powerhouse just one step below the peak of the country.
And now, such an Awakened from the enemy side was dead.
Several gazes grew heavier.
They already knew this boy was special, but he was far stronger than they had imagined. In fact... he was on a completely different level.
Some of them even asked themselves if they could defeat him.
They weren’t sure.
All of them were S-Rank, and yet... they couldn’t be certain.
"The group that was carrying out the AoE attacks... has been completely wiped out. There’s no need to worry about them anymore. But there might still be other hidden groups."
Then, the breaths that had been held were finally released.
On the map, the changes were clear. The enemy’s pressure had decreased, their lines were no longer as stable, and for the first time since the beginning of the war... the Everlight Moon forces could breathe.
The destruction of the outposts and the death of an enemy commander had already been witnessed by their guild forces, which was why their morale had returned and they were now attacking the enemy with greater strength.
Varnos didn’t take his eyes off the map, but his calm and firm voice echoed through the room.
"You’ve helped a lot. Thank you."
"Their pressure has dropped. They won’t be able to repeat those attacks anymore," he continued.
"Now is the best time to stabilize the situation. But we need to be careful in case they use another trick."
Several people nodded, and new orders began to be issued.
But Daniel didn’t join the discussion. He just stood there.
He glanced around.
"Where’s Lana?"
"And then, after not seeing her anywhere, he asked.
"She entered the Goblin Guild’s territory with her legion," Serah replied. Unlike before, her tone was no longer indifferent, there was a trace of respect in it.
Before, the only reason they valued Daniel was because of his Fallen Ones.
But now that he had shown his own strength, they didn’t dare to ignore him. They treated him with the respect of an equal.
Daniel nodded. He knew she was supposed to carry out such a mission.
Now that he thought about it... the timing wasn’t bad.
"Their infiltration was successful," Elira said without lifting her head, still analyzing the data.
Several images on the map changed.
"They destroyed several key points. The enemy’s support routes have been damaged..."
"And one of their main mana distribution centers has also been destroyed."
That meant a massive blow had been dealt to the enemy.
Then, without Daniel even asking, she began explaining the mana distribution centers—something that caught his attention.
"The fact that they have arrays like this is interesting... but does this country even have technology at this level?" he paused slightly and asked.
"No. This level of equipment only exists in the central continent. They definitely bought it from a global power," Elira replied.
"But there’s no official data. Which means it was done secretly."
Daniel frowned and glanced at Varnos. His meaning was clear, and the latter understood immediately.
It was possible that the same force that sold these arrays to the Goblin Guild was actually the hidden hand behind everything.
But even if that was true... what could they do?
Could they fight a global power?
They would be destroyed before they even realized what happened.
But why would a global power interfere in the affairs of this country?
Their country had nothing special. It was remote and insignificant.
So what was really going on?
"But there’s a problem." Elira suddenly said.
All eyes turned toward her. On the map, several new points appeared.
But these... were different.
Their light was heavier, their presence more distinct. Their movement was direct, and their destination was clearly Lana’s legion.
"What are they?" Varnos narrowed his eyes slightly.
This time, Elira raised her head. Even she wasn’t completely sure, but they were definitely powerful Awakened.
She immediately used the data and aura detection to match them with existing records and identify the owner of the strongest aura.
It wasn’t difficult. It didn’t take long before she succeeded.
"Jason. The brother and right-hand man of the Goblin Guild leader."
Varnos’ eyes narrowed further. The expressions of everyone in the room darkened.
Jason was a very powerful opponent for Lana.
Someone she couldn’t handle.
This was no longer a normal clash, it could end in her death.
"There are several other high-level auras with him... they’re heading straight toward Lana," Elira continued.
On the map, the distance kept shrinking.
Closer with every second.
"If they clash... the legion won’t be able to hold."
"Even if they retreat, they’ll suffer heavy losses... assuming they can even retreat," someone else added.
All eyes turned to Varnos.
But the problem was obvious.
Even if they sent reinforcements right now... it would be too late.
A few seconds of silence passed.
During that time, Daniel said nothing. He just looked at the map.
"She can’t win."
His voice was calm, but there was no doubt in it.
He had fought that bastard. He knew his strength.
Several people looked at him, but no one had anything to say.
They agreed.
On the map, a live image of the battlefield appeared.
Lana and her legion.
And in front of them... several powerful auras.
And among them, Jason.
The distance closed. The tension rose.
The atmosphere in the command room grew even heavier.
Daniel closed his eyes for a moment, took a slow breath, and then opened them again.
"...This is bullshit."
The time for revenge had come.
And in the next moment, his body disappeared.
For a second, some of them didn’t even understand what had happened.
"...What just happened? Where did he go?"
Their gazes returned to where Daniel had been standing, but there was nothing there anymore.
Varnos kept looking at that spot for a few seconds.
His eyes were calm, but a faint smirk appeared on his face.
It seemed that very soon... Alaric would witness his brother’s headless body.
Meanwhile the sky above the Goblin Guild’s territory.
The clouds had been pushed aside, but not to let light pass... rather, to make space for a battle.
At a height where even the sounds of the battlefield below could barely be heard, two presences stood facing each other.
Lana.
And Jason.
A strong wind blew between them. Mana surged through the air, and the pressure of their presence made even the sky itself seem unstable.
For a few moments, neither of them moved.
"The fact that your father sent such a gift to our guild... really makes me happy. I can send your head back to him." Jason’s eyes calmly moved over Lana, a faint smile forming on his lips.
Lana gave no response. She simply raised her slender sword, her eyes cold.
She had no intention of talking to this trash. The more time she wasted, the more reinforcements from the Goblin Guild would arrive.
And in the next moment, she disappeared.
The first clash shook the sky.