Beroga and Ki Beli moved through the frozen city at a steady pace.
Around them, everything had come to a complete standstill. Cars remained motionless in the middle of roads, birds hung frozen in the sky, and countless people were locked in place wherever they had been when the artifact was activated.
The treasure in their possession had stopped the flow of time throughout the entire city, creating a battlefield where only a select few could move.
As they traveled across the city, Beroga suddenly slowed to a stop. His eyes narrowed as he looked upward toward the sky.
"What happened?" Ki Beli asked.
"...I felt like I sensed the presence of a God," Beroga answered.
"Well, this city is special. It makes sense that the Gods are beginning to pay attention to it. Don’t worry. God of Ax should’ve already put up a shield to block the vision of other Gods." Ki Beli replied.
After hearing that explanation, Beroga nodded. It was a reasonable possibility. God of Ax was the God worshipped by the Purification Cult.
Although neither he nor Ki Beli were his Chosen, they still possessed methods to contact him during emergencies. And the appearance of Emily Warren definitely qualified as an emergency.
The Purification Cult had spent considerable resources to research about Emily Warren. Every report, every piece of intelligence, and every prediction pointed toward the same conclusion. Her existence represented a growing danger.
She was the daughter of the Netherworld Empress, and her future potential was enough to concern even the upper levels of the organization.
In the end, the leader—Beroga—and the strongest fighter—Ki Beli—of the Purification Cult branch operating within this Sector had decided to act personally.
The two continued advancing toward Emily when they suddenly sensed movement.
Both immediately became alert, but before either of them could react, something slammed into Ki Beli.
The giant’s eyes widened as his enormous body was launched upward like a cannonball. A thunderous boom echoed through the frozen city as he disappeared high into the sky.
Sera did not hesitate after making her move.
Blue lightning slithered around her body as the System aggressively suppressed her power, but she ignored the pain and moved with terrifying speed.
In an instant, she appeared before Beroga and grabbed him by the neck. The force behind the movement shattered the ground beneath them.
Just as she prepared to throw him away, however, a massive fist crashed into her abdomen.
The impact was devastating.
Sera’s body bent backward before she was launched across the city. Buildings exploded apart as she tore through them, leaving a trail of destruction that stretched for dozens of blocks. Concrete, glass, and steel scattered in every direction before eventually settling into silence once more.
Ki Beli was already back on the ground. He lowered his arm. His gaze remained fixed on the distant rubble where Sera had disappeared after he punched her.
"That’s an Angel," he muttered.
The blue lightning surrounding her was enough evidence.
"It could also be someone from Hell. Be careful." Beroga replied.
Neither of them understood what they had just witnessed.
Who was Sera? Why could she move inside a city where time had been frozen? More importantly, where had this city acquired such a powerful guardian?
The questions filled their minds, but neither man allowed confusion to slow them down. Whatever answers existed could be found later. Right now, they had a mission to complete.
Ki Beli charged toward Sera while Beroga accelerated toward Emily.
Then both of them abruptly froze.
Their bodies became rigid. Their mana stopped responding. Their muscles refused to obey their commands. For a brief moment, neither man could move even a single finger.
Sera emerged from the rubble, blood dripping from the corner of her mouth. In her hand was a mysterious spear. The moment it had struck the ground, its ability had activated and temporarily trapped both Beroga and Ki Beli.
Unfortunately, Sera knew the situation was far from favorable.
Blood stained parts of her clothing, and the pain in her abdomen made it obvious how much damage Ki Beli’s attack had inflicted. At the same time, the System’s restrictions continued to increase. The blue lightning around her body had become noticeably more violent. Every passing second weakened her further.
If she unleashed her full power and tried to end the battle immediately, the destruction would be catastrophic.
There were simply too many civilians nearby.
Even though they were frozen in time, they could still die. Buildings could collapse. Shockwaves could tear through entire districts. A battle fought at her true strength would leave countless casualties.
Sera gritted her teeth.
That woman knew.
Everything suddenly clicked into place. Mother had known this would happen from the very beginning.
That’s why she sent Sera here and gave her ’that.’
Without wasting time, Sera reached into her spatial ring and retrieved an item. The moment Ki Beli saw it, his expression changed dramatically.
"...How do you have that?" he asked.
Beroga’s brows furrowed as well.
The object in Sera’s hand was capable of making someone immune to the effects of the time-freezing artifact. More importantly, it was supposed to be stored within the treasury of the Three Color Organization.
That organization had recently been destroyed.
Several thoughts flashed through both men’s minds before they reached the same conclusion.
’She’s the one who destroyed them.’
Their wariness immediately increased. A normal Angel would never be capable of destroying the Three Color Organization while operating under the restrictions of the System. If Sera had truly accomplished such a feat, then she was far stronger than they had initially assumed.
Meanwhile, Sera’s thoughts raced.
’If I go all out, too many people will die.’
That alone was enough reason to hold back, but there was another problem.
If she revealed too much of her strength, her identity would inevitably be exposed. Beroga and Ki Beli would realize she was connected to the War God.
Once that happened, God of Ax—enemy of War God—would become aware that this city possessed ties to War God.
The Purification Cult would no longer view this place as merely dangerous. They would classify it as a threat that needed to be erased immediately.
Sera could not allow that to happen.
She needed help. Someone capable of fighting beside her.
Only then would they have a chance of winning without exposing everything.
’Should I use this item on Avery?’
The thought appeared briefly before being dismissed.
’No.’
The entire reason the Purification Cult had activated this artifact was Avery. They knew how dangerous she truly was. If they had gone through the trouble of stopping time across an entire city, then they had undoubtedly prepared contingencies in case Avery somehow escaped the effect.
Using the item on her would likely accomplish nothing.
’Eleanor?’
Sera immediately rejected that possibility as well.
’Emily?’
’Not enough.’
The East Sea King and the Dwarf King were powerful, but Emily lacked the mana necessary to support them in a battle against opponents like Beroga and Ki Beli.
Only a few seconds remained before the spear’s effect wore off.
Sera’s mind worked frantically as she searched for a solution. Then a single name surfaced.
’Isaac.’
She hesitated.
No matter how talented he was, he was still only an Adept. Could he truly make a difference in a battle involving monsters like these?
Then she remembered something Mother had said before she left.
’That kid, Isaac, is smart. He will always keep his strength hidden. If he has revealed trump cards, you can be certain he has even better trump cards hidden away from the common eye.’
Back then, Sera had assumed Mother was merely praising him.
Now she realized those words had been preparation.
Mother had expected this moment.
She wanted Sera to use the item on Isaac.
The spear’s effect was beginning to fade. Beroga and Ki Beli would regain movement any second now. Sera made her decision.
She vanished from her position and appeared beside Isaac’s frozen figure. Pressing the item against him, she watched as it dissolved into black light and merged with his body. A black spear tattoo formed along his skin before disappearing beneath his clothes.
Without wasting another moment, Sera turned and charged toward Beroga and Ki Beli. At almost the same time, both men regained control of their bodies.
Isaac opened his eyes.
Thanks to the clones scattered throughout the city, it took him only a fraction of a second to understand what had happened. Time had been frozen. The entire city had been affected. Everyone around him remained motionless, trapped within the artifact’s influence.
Then Sera’s voice reached him.
"Purification Cult!"
Isaac immediately understood.
The Purification Cult had launched an attack.
A cold fury surged through him. They had come after his city. They had come after Emily. They had come after his wife. For a brief moment, anger threatened to overwhelm his thoughts.
He crushed it instantly.
This was not the time to be angry.
This was the time to act.
Isaac rapidly assessed the situation. His senses expanded across the city through the network of clones he had positioned everywhere. Thousands upon thousands of frozen citizens filled the streets. If Sera fought without restraint, the resulting destruction would be unimaginable.
Then he remembered the Soulbind Pendant.
A solution immediately formed.
Because the citizens belonged to his city, every one of them possessed a minor Bond with him. The connection was weak, but it was enough.
Isaac activated the pendant.
One citizen disappeared. Then another. Then hundreds. Then thousands.
Across the frozen city, people began vanishing from streets, buildings, and vehicles as they were transferred into the Soulbind Pendant. Isaac moved continuously while directing his clones to assist with the process. The number of people disappearing increased every second.
His thoughts remained focused on a single goal.
Sera needed freedom.
She needed to stop worrying about civilians.
And if he could remove everyone from the battlefield...
Then Sera could finally go all out.
While continuing the evacuation, Isaac noticed something strange.
Beroga and Ki Beli occasionally glanced in his direction. They clearly knew he was moving within the frozen city. They could see him removing civilians and interfering with the situation. Yet neither of them made any attempt to stop him. Neither attacked him. Neither even altered their battle plans.
The behavior confused him.
Normally, an enemy would immediately eliminate a variable like him. At the very least, they would try to stop him from helping Sera, or from putting Emily into the Soulbind Pendant.
Yet the two members of the Purification Cult seemed completely unconcerned by his actions.
Isaac didn’t understand their reasoning, but he wasn’t going to waste time thinking about it. Whatever they were planning could be dealt with later. Right now, saving people took priority.
As he continued working, his hand moved toward the Moon Pendant hanging around his neck.
Selene was inside.
She was still undergoing evolution, but that wasn’t the important part.
Selene possessed a contract with the Spirit of Machines. If Isaac could bring her out, he might be able to gain the assistance of the Spirit of Machines itself.
The Spirit of Machines was stronger than Avery. Although he didn’t know if the Spirit would have any restriction, it would still be a tremendous help.
Sera was already fighting while heavily restricted by the System. Any additional support could make the difference between victory and defeat.
Just as Isaac’s fingers wrapped around the pendant, he felt space distort around him.
The sensation made him instantly alert.
A split second later, the weight around his neck vanished.
Isaac’s hand stopped.
His eyes slowly lowered.
The Moon Pendant was gone.
The Soulbind Pendant was gone.
For a brief moment, his mind refused to process what had happened. Then his gaze snapped toward a distant rooftop.
Several figures stood there.
The Florathi team, and the Third Priest.
Both pendants now rested in Elyndra’s hands.
Isaac became completely still.
Almost unconsciously, his hand rose toward his neck. His fingers brushed empty air where the pendants should have been. The movement was small, but it carried far more emotion than any expression on his face.
The Soulbind Pendant wasn’t merely a storage treasure.
The Moon Pendant wasn’t merely an artifact.
His wives were inside them.
And now those pendants were in someone else’s hands.
Something shifted within Isaac.
The anger that had been simmering since the Purification Cult attacked suddenly disappeared. It didn’t fade because he had calmed down. Rather, it felt as if the emotion had condensed into something colder and far more dangerous.
His face became expressionless, and his eyes became calm. Terrifyingly calm.
The Third Priest smiled politely as if nothing serious had happened.
"I apologize for this. But please do not worry. You will not be harmed. The Great One wants to meet you," he said.
Isaac stared at him for several seconds. His expression never changed.
"Are you working with the Purification Cult?" he asked. His voice was completely steady.
"We have a partnership, yes. But we are not allies." The Third Priest nodded. He sounded almost casual as he spoke, as though discussing a business arrangement rather than a kidnapping. "They needed Emily Warren and I needed Eleanor Weiss, so—"
He never finished the sentence.
The moment those words left his mouth, Isaac moved.
One moment he stood hundreds of meters away. The next moment he was directly in front of the Third Priest.
His fist was already moving.
The Third Priest was surprised He had expected not expected this level of strength and speed.
Still, Isaac wasn’t the only one who could move at such speed.
X-019 appeared between them.
The Overlord moved with astonishing speed, materializing directly in Isaac’s path. His sole purpose was to protect the Third Priest, and he fulfilled that purpose without hesitation.
Isaac’s fist connected.
The result was immediate. X-019 exploded.
Metal armor shattered apart. Internal mechanisms ruptured. Countless fragments scattered through the air as the construct was smashed into pieces so completely that it resembled an object struck by a siege weapon rather than a person’s punch.
The remains flew across the rooftop and crashed into nearby structures.
Silence followed.
For a brief moment, nobody moved.
The Florathi team stared at the destroyed construct in disbelief. They knew how durable X-019 was. They had seen it survive attacks that would kill powerful supernatural beings.
Yet Isaac had destroyed it with a single punch. Not even a particularly elaborate attack. Just a punch.
Isaac lowered his arm and took another step forward.
His gaze never left the Third Priest.
The calmness in his eyes was unsettling.
There was no visible rage. No shouting. No loss of control.
If anything, he looked calmer than before.
That made him even more frightening.
The members of the Florathi team instinctively tensed. Even Elyndra unconsciously tightened her grip around the stolen pendants. The atmosphere around Isaac felt completely different from earlier. It wasn’t the pressure of someone losing control.
It was the pressure of someone who had already made a decision.
"Give me those pendants."
Isaac’s voice remained calm.
"Or I will kill you."