The silver-haired woman smiled.
The forest remained unnaturally still.
Not a single leaf moved.
Not a single insect chirped.
It was as though the Sixth Floor itself had stopped breathing.
"My name..."
"...is Laura Esteria."
She finished her bow with perfect grace.
Noah kept Shadowfang raised.
"You know who I am."
Laura nodded.
"I do."
"And I’ve spent years hoping we’d never meet."
Those words caught Noah off guard.
"I thought you said you’d been searching for me."
"I was."
"And now I wish I’d failed."
Silence.
The moonlight reflected off Laura’s golden eyes.
Unlike Azrael...
Unlike Ragnar...
There was no hostility in them.
Only exhaustion.
The System flickered back to life.
Individual Identified
Name: Laura Esteria
Affiliation: Unknown
Threat Level: Unable to Calculate
Notice
Information Restricted.
Noah frowned.
"Again?"
"Why does the System keep hiding information?"
Laura noticed the blue screen reflected in his eyes.
"It can’t tell you."
She smiled sadly.
"Not because it doesn’t want to."
"Because it isn’t allowed."
"What are you talking about?"
"The System..."
She looked toward the crimson eclipse hidden beyond the forest canopy.
"...answers to something."
Before Noah could ask another question...
The ground shook.
Not violently.
Gently.
Like a heartbeat.
THUMP.
THUMP.
THUMP.
Laura’s expression immediately hardened.
"We’re out of time."
She reached into her white coat.
Noah instantly raised Shadowfang.
She stopped.
"...You’re cautious."
"I’ve had a rough week."
Laura almost laughed.
Instead...
She slowly withdrew a small silver compass.
Its needle spun wildly before stopping.
It pointed...
Not north.
Toward Noah.
She placed the compass on a nearby stone.
"It belonged to my father."
Noah didn’t touch it.
"What does it do?"
"It finds Ragnarok."
Silence.
"My family has protected that relic for generations."
"You said your father."
Laura lowered her eyes.
"He died."
"Protecting one of the Seven."
Noah’s heartbeat quickened.
"The Seven Successors?"
Laura nodded.
"No."
"The Seventh."
She looked directly at him.
"You."
Noah froze.
"...That’s impossible."
"I only inherited Ragnarok recently."
Laura’s gaze never wavered.
"You inherited its power recently."
"But the moment Ragnarok chose you..."
"...our destinies became connected."
A sharp whistle cut through the forest.
Laura spun instantly.
Her hand moved to the sword at her waist.
"They found us."
Noah looked around.
"Who?"
Laura answered with a single word.
"Watchers."
Dozens of figures dropped silently from the trees.
Black cloaks.
Bone-white masks.
Each carried a curved silver blade.
Unlike the Black Eclipse...
Their cloaks bore no symbols.
No insignia.
No identity.
Only silence.
The leader stepped forward.
His mask resembled a featureless face.
He looked first at Laura.
Then at Noah.
"The girl."
His voice was flat.
"Kill her."
He turned toward Noah.
"The boy..."
"...capture alive."
Noah’s eyes narrowed.
"Another group?"
Laura slowly drew her sword.
Its silver blade reflected the moonlight like liquid glass.
She exhaled once.
"Stay behind me."
Noah blinked.
"I can fight."
"I know."
She didn’t take her eyes off the enemies.
"But not these."
The masked assassins rushed forward.
They didn’t make a sound.
Not one footstep.
Not one battle cry.
Just...
Death.
Laura vanished.
SHING!
Moonlight flashed across the forest.
Three masked figures froze.
Thin red lines appeared across their chests.
A heartbeat later...
They collapsed.
Noah’s eyes widened.
"I didn’t even see her move."
The remaining assassins hesitated.
For the first time...
Fear entered their ranks.
The leader whispered,
"...Impossible."
"...Moonlight Sword Style."
Laura pointed her blade toward them.
Her voice became ice.
"I gave your order thirty years ago."
"Leave."
"I won’t repeat myself."
The leader’s masked face stiffened.
Thirty years?
Noah looked at Laura.
She didn’t look older than twenty-three.
Yet...
The assassins clearly recognized her.
Without warning...
The leader raised his hand.
A crimson flare shot into the sky.
Laura’s expression changed.
"No..."
The flare exploded above the forest.
It formed the shape of a crimson eye.
Laura grabbed Noah’s wrist.
"We’re leaving."
"What about them?"
"They were never the real threat."
As if answering her...
The forest shook violently.
A roar echoed through the trees.
It wasn’t human.
It wasn’t a monster Noah had ever encountered.
The ground cracked beneath their feet.
Laura looked toward the darkness.
For the first time since meeting her...
Real fear crossed her face.
"They woke..."
"...the Forest Guardian."
A colossal silhouette slowly rose above the treetops.
Two emerald eyes opened in the darkness.
They locked onto Noah.
Then...
The creature took its first step.
The entire Sixth Floor trembled.
The forest shook with every step.
BOOM.
BOOM.
BOOM.
Trees hundreds of years old toppled like blades of grass.
The emerald eyes burned through the darkness.
Each blink illuminated the entire forest.
Noah gripped Shadowfang.
"...What is that?"
Laura didn’t answer immediately.
She stared at the towering silhouette.
Her face had become frighteningly serious.
Finally...
She whispered,
"The Guardian."
The System appeared.
Its blue screen flickered erratically.
Sixth Floor Boss
Name: Verdant Colossus
Title: Guardian of the Living Forest
Rank: ???
Status: Hostile
Recommendation: Run
Noah blinked.
The System had never recommended retreat before.
Laura exhaled.
"Good."
Noah looked at her.
"Good?"
"It still recognizes the Guardian."
She tightened her grip on her silver sword.
"That means the Tower hasn’t completely fallen under their influence."
"Their?"
Laura didn’t answer.
Instead...
She grabbed Noah’s shoulder.
"Run."
The Guardian stepped into the moonlight.
Noah finally saw it.
It wasn’t an animal.
Nor was it human.
It was a giant formed entirely from ancient trees, stone, and glowing emerald vines.
Its body towered nearly eighty meters into the sky.
Roots twisted around its legs like living armor.
Its arms resembled enormous branches capable of crushing mountains.
An ancient stone crown rested upon its head.
In the center of its chest...
A glowing green crystal pulsed like a heart.
The Colossus looked directly at Noah.
Then it spoke.
Its voice echoed through the entire forest.
"Bearer..."
"...of Ragnarok."
Noah’s pupils contracted.
It knew him.
Laura looked just as surprised.
"...It can speak?"
The Guardian ignored her.
Its emerald eyes remained fixed on Noah.
"Why..."
"...have you returned?"
Before Noah could answer...
The masked assassins attacked.
Dozens leaped toward the Guardian.
Their silver blades glowed with crimson mana.
The leader roared,
"Bring it down!"
The Guardian slowly raised one hand.
No magic.
No skill.
Just...
One hand.
It swung.
BOOOOOOOM!!
The shockwave alone obliterated half the forest.
The assassins disappeared into the darkness like leaves caught in a hurricane.
Some crashed into cliffs hundreds of meters away.
Others never got back up.
One casual swing.
An elite assassination squad...
Erased.
Silence returned.
The Guardian lowered its arm.
Its gaze never left Noah.
Laura slowly sheathed her sword.
"We’re not its enemy."
She stepped forward.
"Great Guardian..."
"We seek passage."
The Colossus remained motionless.
Then...
Its eyes shifted toward Laura.
"Child..."
"...of Esteria."
Laura froze.
"...You know my family?"
The Guardian nodded once.
"Your bloodline..."
"...once protected this forest."
Noah looked between them.
"Laura’s family is connected to the Tower?"
The Guardian looked back at Noah.
Its voice became softer.
"Ragnar’s heir..."
"...answer me."
Noah stepped forward.
Laura immediately grabbed his arm.
"Don’t."
"If it wanted us dead..."
Noah replied quietly,
"...we’d already be dead."
She couldn’t argue with that.
He walked until he stood directly before the colossal being.
"I didn’t come here by choice."
The Guardian listened.
"I’m climbing the Tower."
"I’m searching for the truth."
"And..."
Noah hesitated.
"I’m trying to stop whatever is beneath the chains."
The forest became silent once more.
The Guardian closed its glowing eyes.
For a long moment...
Nothing happened.
Then...
It laughed.
A deep, ancient laugh that echoed through the mountains.
"Just like him..."
The emerald crystal in its chest shone brighter.
A massive root emerged from the earth.
Instead of attacking...
It gently placed a weathered wooden box before Noah.
The box was ancient.
Its surface was carved with the same runes Noah had seen in Ragnar’s throne room.
The Guardian spoke.
"This..."
"...belongs to the Seventh."
Before Noah could touch it...
A voice echoed from above.
"How touching."
Everyone looked skyward.
Standing atop the highest branch of an enormous tree was a man dressed in black robes trimmed with crimson.
A white porcelain mask covered the upper half of his face.
His long black hair swayed gently in the night breeze.
He clapped slowly.
"Even after all these centuries..."
"...you guardians never learn."
Laura’s expression instantly darkened.
"...An Apostle."
The masked man smiled.
"Former Apostle."
He bowed theatrically.
"You may call me..."
He removed his mask.
Scarlet eyes gleamed in the moonlight.
"...Lucien."
The Guardian’s emerald eyes flared.
Its voice thundered across the forest.
"TRAITOR."
Lucien chuckled.
"I’ve been called worse."
He extended one hand toward Noah.
"You’ve met Ragnar."
"You’ve met Azrael."
"Now..."
"...it’s time you met someone who chose the winning side."
A crimson magic circle spread across the sky.
The air itself began to fracture.
Laura’s hand instinctively reached for her sword.
The Guardian took a single step forward.
And Noah realized...
The true battle for the Sixth Floor had just begun.