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Theo and Umbra were flying across the chilly night sky.

“Keeeeek!”

Umbra, seemingly thrilled by the freedom of flight after such a long time, let out a screech.

Theo, meanwhile, was reviewing a document as they flew.

“So, they want me to take the promotion exam already? This is much sooner than I expected.”

Theo had always intended to qualify for the promotion exam as quickly as possible.

However, he had assumed it would only be after completing three or four missions. He hadn’t expected it to come this soon.

In most cases like this, the Central Intelligence Bureau would typically suggest waiting a bit longer to observe, often delaying such matters.

But upon seeing the list of recommenders, he understood why it had been approved so quickly.

– Captain of the White Armored Dragon Cavalry, Dark Dragon Julius Ragnar.

– Lord of the Plum Blossom Palace, Sword Dragon Osa Ragnar Prunus.

– Leader of Black Snow, Black Dragon Robert Ragnar.

.
.
.

Three out of the Nine Dragons had stepped forward.

Even the Central Intelligence Bureau would have found it hard to ignore a request like this.

“But why did the Black Dragon get involved?”

Theo understood Julius and the Lord of the Plum Blossom Palace, but he couldn’t quite grasp why Robert, the Black Dragon, was involved.

Even during the nomination ceremony, there had been no notable connection between them. In this life, he hadn’t had any significant interaction with Robert.

“Could it be because of the incorrect information Black Snow passed on?”

From what he’d heard, Black Snow was currently in a state of emergency, tracking not only the Black Skull but also the forces behind the sudden appearance of three factions.

In that case, it wouldn’t be strange for Black Snow to feel some favor towards Theo, who had helped prevent a major crisis.

“And then there’s someone else whose presence on the list I don’t understand.”

The person Theo was most confused about was:

– Captain of the Black Iron Cavalry, Iron Puma Torkel Ragnar.

“Torkel… I can’t figure out what he’s thinking.”

Theo knew Torkel had been interested in recruiting him into the Black Iron Cavalry.

He had even sent his vice-captain, Ayan Sosori, as a representative.

But, during the nomination ceremony, there had been so many prominent figures that Torkel had seemed to step back, and Theo had assumed he had given up.

Perhaps that wasn’t the case after all?

“It might be worth meeting him if I get the chance.”

Theo carefully folded the notification and tucked it into the inner pocket of his jacket.

“The promotion exam is in five days. I need to get myself in top condition by then.”

The promotion test is conducted in front of three examiners: one selected from the candidate’s own unit, one from the Central Intelligence Bureau, and one from another unit.

The candidate passes the test by either breaking the sword of at least one examiner or receiving the approval of two or more examiners.

When Hazel Copel said, “Defeat me if you want to be recognized as the heir of the Plum Blossom Palace,” this was exactly what she was referring to.

‘After I refused the position of disciple, she glared at me like she wanted to kill me. I wonder what it takes to become an examiner?’

Theo chuckled as he recalled Hazel’s intense gaze when he left the Plum Blossom Palace.

‘More importantly.’

He slowly gathered his thoughts and lowered his gaze.

‘Shouldn’t I be arriving soon?’

Theo narrowed his eyes.

The reason he took an impromptu nighttime walk with Umbra was simple: he was searching for the Ghost Castle.

‘Found it.’

In that instant, Theo’s eyes gleamed coldly.

At first glance, the area looked like an ordinary coniferous forest, but he didn’t miss the faint eerie presence lingering in the air.

– To find the Ghost Castle, you must pass through this area at precisely midnight.

– Midnight? Is there a particular reason for that?

– The exact location of the Ghost Castle is hidden by a barrier for security reasons. However, there’s only one time of day when the barrier opens.

– And that’s at midnight?

– Correct. Midnight, when one day transitions into the next, is known to be when yin energy is at its peak. It’s also when the magic that forms the barrier is at its weakest. That’s the time to strike.

When Theo had requested information about the Ghost Castle, Evelyn had uncovered this secret after much investigation and shared it with him.

And now, it was nearing midnight.

‘Two minutes to go.’

Theo glanced briefly at the pocket watch he had borrowed from Cecilia, then tightened his grip on the reins.

“Umbra, let’s go.”

Keeeeek!

Umbra let out a sharp cry and swooped down toward the ground.

Theo steadily checked the time as they approached the barrier.

When the pocket watch hit exactly midnight, something faint and hazy appeared above the coniferous forest, only to vanish quickly.

‘Now!’

Theo shot through the barrier with Umbra, landing smoothly on the ground.

Thud!

The air that had been flowing through the forest subtly changed.

It became damp, oppressive.

And eerie.

Tsss… Tsssss…

Weeeee!

The sound of the wind brushing against the tall conifer trees echoed strangely, as if it were a wailing ghost.

The thick fog made it nearly impossible to see even an inch ahead.

‘My senses feel blocked by something. I can’t perceive things properly. Still, I guess I’ve managed to find the right place.’

Theo looked up at Umbra and spoke.

“Wait in the sky for now. We don’t know what might happen, so keep watch and let me know if anything comes up.”

Umbra shook its head wildly.

Keeek! Keeek!

“…No, it’s too dangerous to just go wandering here. We don’t know what might jump out, and fighting on the ground would be difficult for you too. I’m not saying I’m leaving you behind.”

Keeeek!

No matter what Theo said, Umbra seemed unwilling to listen.

It wasn’t so much that Umbra didn’t want to leave Theo’s side, but rather it seemed worried that Theo might be in danger.

‘What am I supposed to do about this?’

Theo scratched the back of his head in frustration. Just then—

Keeyeeek!

Umbra spread its wings wide and let out a loud roar. Suddenly, its body began to dissolve.

“…!?”

No, more precisely, its form sank down, completely vanishing into Theo’s shadow.

Theo’s eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected turn of events.

A satisfied chuckle echoed in his mind.

Kehehehehe!

‘It awakened its Shadow Wyvern ability!’

Theo let out a faint laugh.

Originally, the Shadow Wyvern was a creature that used shadows as its nest, operating primarily within them. Its ability to manipulate shadows was exceptional, though Theo had wondered if it could still be used in this lifetime without the Shadow Demon Poison. Apparently, it didn’t seem to be an issue after all.

Keeeek!

The shadow rippled, and Umbra’s triumphant cry resonated. Umbra was confident that it could help Theo more from within the shadows than from watching above.

“You’re right. My thinking was short-sighted. Let’s go together.”

Keeeek!

Umbra’s cry echoed through the forest once more.

Shiiiing—

Theo unsheathed the Drake’s Blade slowly and began moving forward.

It was time to find Hilda.

* * *

Rustle, rustle—

Theo continued wandering through the fog.

Although it was difficult to keep his bearings due to the dense mist, Umbra guided him, signaling that they were nearing their destination.

Before long, Theo spotted the faint outline of an old castle in the distance, perched beyond a ridge.

It appeared hazy, like a mirage in the desert.

The Ghost Castle.

However, to Theo, it appeared slightly different.

Fwoooosh—

A soft blue light emanated from the castle, the same kind he had seen whenever he encountered the relics of the Ancient Dragon.

‘As I thought, it’s here.’

Theo smiled briefly, satisfied that he had found the correct path, but suddenly froze as a chilling sensation crept down his spine. He quickly turned his head in the opposite direction.

Swish, swish—

Kiaaah!

From the opposite side of the forest, a ghostly wail echoed ominously, and something slowly emerged from the shadows.

‘A girl?’

Was she twelve? No, maybe thirteen years old?

A young girl was dragging a long sword across the ground as she walked toward him.

Theo almost unleashed his aura, suspecting it might be a phantom creature, but he paused for a moment.

The girl wasn’t looking at him.

With hollow eyes, she gazed into the empty air, staring at nothing, and soon after, she quietly dissolved into the wind.

“…What the…?”

Theo wondered if she had concealed herself, preparing to strike from behind, but he couldn’t sense any presence at all.

Then, from another direction, a similar phenomenon appeared.

This time, a girl around fifteen years old.

It seemed as if the younger girl he had just seen had aged a few years. She was gritting her teeth, entirely focused on her training, swinging her sword again and again.

The malice in her eyes was intense, filled with a burning rage.

Then, just like before, she vanished into the wind.

‘What is going on?’

Again, from another direction, a woman appeared, around nineteen years old, engaged in fierce combat with someone.

She cut down her enemies relentlessly.

Even when they surrendered, she mercilessly severed their heads, her face twisted with murderous intent like a demon.

And again, she disappeared into the wind.

And then—

‘There’s more.’

From different directions, the woman appeared again, growing older each time.

With each appearance, her aura became more murderous, her actions increasingly brutal.

By the time she reached middle age, her face was devoid of emotion, as if she were wearing a mask.

She killed without hesitation, not even flinching as she beheaded what appeared to be a longtime companion, perhaps a loyal retainer.

It was as if she were performing the most mundane of tasks.

Finally, she aged into an old woman, seated on a throne.

No one around her dared meet her gaze. They merely bowed their heads, trembling, only concerned with staying out of her way.

It was the result of a life forged by ruthless power.

Eventually, the palace caught fire. A rebellion erupted.

The elderly woman, still seated on the throne, faced the rebel forces alone.

Her expression seemed to say, Come at me if you dare.

The rebels hesitated, too frightened to approach her. It wasn’t until one brave soul took the first step that the others followed, rushing forward to attack.

The woman let out a crazed laugh as she swung her sword.

The castle collapsed alongside the raging fire.

That scene looked eerily similar to the distant Ghost Castle.

‘This is reflecting a life. A life that someone once lived.’

But a life that had been erased from this world…

Realizing the nature of the illusions, Theo resumed his walk toward the Ghost Castle.

The illusions began to show a new scene.

The young girl, about twelve years old, appeared once more.

This time, however, she wasn’t holding a sword, but a mirror in her hand.

She screamed, as if the reflection of herself in the mirror was something she couldn’t accept.

Then, as though she had resolved something, she abruptly stood up.

From that moment, the girl’s daily life changed drastically from what he had seen before.

She began to adorn herself beautifully.

Though she hadn’t completely abandoned the sword, she had come to realize that her beauty had a deadly effect on people, and she intended to wield it as a weapon.

Men, women, young and old alike—everyone fell under her fatal charm.

Those who had ruined or opposed her in her past life all died mysteriously, and a wall of ironclad power formed around her that no one could penetrate.

She started to build a grand castle.

A massive fortress that no one could approach.

But the castle, surrounded by countless schemes and conspiracies, didn’t last long before it crumbled.

This time, it was due to a rebellion led by those who had once followed her in her past life.

The most painful betrayal was from the man she loved the most.

Thuck—

The woman looked up at her lover with a pained expression and asked why he was doing this.

With a sorrowful face, her lover replied.

“Too many people have died because of you.”

To this, the woman, her face contorted with rage, responded:

“Then I’ll make sure they fear me even more.”

She vowed to become so terrifying that no one would ever dare to meet her gaze again.

Swish—

The illusion scattered and faded away.

Then, the twelve-year-old girl appeared once again.

This time, she didn’t seem startled by her younger appearance.

Instead, she calmly stood up, as if accustomed to it, and began to take action.

She picked up the sword that she had nearly abandoned in her previous life.

And then she moved on to somewhere else.

.

.

As Theo walked, he continued to witness different moments from the woman’s many lives.

Each time she opened her eyes, she was a twelve-year-old girl once again.

And each time, she tried something entirely different from her previous life.

She had been praised as a genius, experienced nothing but success, commanded the obedience of many, eliminated traitors before they could betray her, and eventually became known as a villainess who sat upon the throne.

Before the iron grip of her power, everyone held their breath and bowed their heads. It seemed the entire nation was within her grasp.

But,

the ending was always the same.

Betrayal.

No matter what kind of life she lived, the woman’s fate ended in the same way each time.

In misery.

Or disgrace.

‘It’s a life of endless wandering. Even though she gains new opportunities with every return, achieving higher realizations, in the end, she always finds herself alone. Is this the life this woman lived?’

Theo felt a deep sense of pity for the woman, trapped in this endless cycle of repetition. Yet, as he watched her story unfold, he couldn’t help but feel a chill run down his spine—there was madness woven into everything he saw.

Madness.

Yes, that’s what this was—pure madness.

The kind that drives one to keep crashing into obstacles until something breaks. Even when her spirit was shattered, she would still charge forward, determined to destroy her opponent in the end.

Even knowing that her surroundings would always fill with traitors, she sought to control them through sheer terror, determined to grasp whatever it was she desired.

The kind of madness only a Ragnar could possess.

‘If I were to repeat my own life endlessly, would I end up like her?’

With that thought, Theo lifted his head.

Before he realized it, he had arrived in front of the Ghost Castle.

Perched atop the half-collapsed fortress wall, a woman sat, looking down at him.

She had the same face as the woman he had seen throughout the visions.

And she was smiling, a smile drenched in madness.

“How did you find the sights you saw on your way here? Did you enjoy them?”

It was Hilda Ragnar.