Chapter 102

Chapter 102
## Chapter 102: Emergence of the Fifth Pillar

A new Fifth Pillar has been brought into the world.

This entity possesses the raw power to dismantle inexplicable phenomena, reaching a level that transcends even the Crown of Myth. It is a genuine freak of nature, one that might even eclipse the White King himself.

…Of course, the nature of rumors is to become bloated and distorted.

“It is true. He is an individual who holds the potential to end my life.”

“……!”

Surprisingly, the White King confessed this without a hint of ego. It was the first time Aria had ever heard him acknowledge someone as a lethal threat to himself, and the admission left her stunned. Was the gossip actually grounded in reality?

“Once the five pillars are united, you will find him to be quite likable.”

His phrasing felt intentional and strange. Likable? Why on earth would she have any reason to grow fond of one of the pillars?

‘It couldn’t be.’

Aria’s expression darkened with a scowl.

“I have zero interest.”

“You would be wise to develop some.”

“……”

“The Fifth Pillar is currently overseeing the Abyssal Labyrinth. Once matters there are concluded, I will facilitate an introduction. You will meet him then.”

Her gut feeling had been spot on. The White King intended to hand her over—the princess of the Crow King—to this new pillar. When the White King issued a decree, it was essentially law. This was the exact reason Aria had sequestered herself within the Mountain of Cultivators.

“…There is already someone else I am considering.”

“Cast him aside.”

“He is a warrior whose strength dwarfs even Raktusha. He protected me from Raktusha’s blade… and I believe he has the capability to dominate the Four Evils.”

If her eyes hadn’t deceived her, that man was a literal god of the sword compared to Raktusha. He had cleaved the sacred Cultivator’s Stele with a solitary strike. Furthermore, she had gifted him the ancient text of the Sword Sage. Based on the lore within those pages, his feat of damaging the stele proved he was qualified to subjugate Baal, the most savage of the Four Evils.

As she expected, the mention of the Four Evils caught the White King’s full attention.

“In 그 case, bring this man to me. I must evaluate him personally.”

He clearly intended to weigh the worth of this mysterious swordsman against the Fifth Pillar. If the man truly could command Baal, his strategic value would be immense—perhaps even greater than that of the pillar.

Aria spoke with unwavering firmness.

“Before that happens, I intend to claim the Northern Heavenly Sword.”

“…The Northern Heavenly Sword?”

That was a blade of enigmatic origins, currently held under a seal in the frozen wastes. It was a weapon so volatile and ruinous that the White King had personally locked it away.

“If I am to capture his gaze, I must first elevate my own power.”

“That is nothing but a poor excuse.”

“It is the simple truth.”

Aria refused to back down. She had come to realize she had been living like a sheltered bird. The world was crawling with prodigies, and beyond them were monsters who redefined the term. To stand among them, she had to shed her fear of the unknown.

‘Stronger than Raktusha and capable of taming the Four Evils.’

The White King knew her reasoning was a thin veil, yet the prospect was undeniably alluring. With the Black King making aggressive moves toward her, the White King couldn’t afford to be passive. He was already weaving defensive webs, but adding a powerful new piece to the board was a chance he couldn’t ignore.

‘I find myself wanting to see this man for myself.’

—

The situation was turning sour.

The man felt a bitter taste in his mouth, but his options were dwindling. Having failed to uncover the Phantoms’ true faces or secure the White King’s daughter, his only remaining path was the high-stakes auction held within the Empire.

‘Remarkable.’

Crossing into Darcan territory, the hosts of the event, was an eye-opening experience. He had heard of their prestige as a lineage of master duelists, but the sheer volume of artwork lining the path from the warp gate was staggering.

The architecture was colossal. Every structure was designed with such elegance that it felt almost suffocating. Even the sentries patrolling the gate radiated a lethal competence.

“Perhaps we should have opted for a more extravagant entrance?”

“Is it even possible to be louder than this?”

Black Night sighed in response. She had accompanied him to provide support, though her face wore an expression of exhausted resignation. Her companion, however, stood tall with pride, having arrived in a gaudy, illegal carriage crafted from solid gold and pulled by eight horses—a gift from the Emperor himself.

‘…This is where the real competition begins.’

The goal was to maximize visibility and forge ties with the Imperial aristocracy. Looking around, no other carriage matched the opulence of theirs. Many of these travelers were likely fellow invitees, arriving early to dig for intel before the Darcan auction officially kicked off.

“We’re the trailblazing Players for this event, aren’t we?”

“……Quiet.”

“Oh, is that term forbidden here?”

They were in the heart of the Empire now. This was a place that harbored a deep-seated hatred for Players. It was also likely that the Death God Church had tendrils spreading through these lands. To avoid a knife in the dark, they had to be extremely careful with their language.

“Regardless, it’s quite a sight. If a mere vassal’s land looks like this, I can’t even fathom the Imperial Palace.”

The Palace was beyond his imagination. But if he could claw his way into those inner circles, he could rectify his failures and reach new heights. Even in this wealthy district, the golden eight-horse carriage was a magnet for attention. As they rolled through the streets, every citizen stopped to stare.

‘Go ahead, look. This display cost me thirty million gold.’

Of course, he had essentially “requisitioned” that gold back from Black Night. He soaked in the stares, his ego swelling.

“W-What is that?”

“A Hydragon?”

“How did a beast pass through the warp gate…!”

Suddenly, a wave of shock rippled through the crowd back at the gate. He turned his head and saw a massive, terrifying creature emerging from the teleportation circle.

…It was impossible. The Empire’s warp points were under the strictest surveillance, guarded by elite knights. A monster shouldn’t be able to breathe near one, let alone walk through.

“That’s no ordinary Hydragon.”

“……It’s a spirit construct, summoned via the Hydragon’s Soul.”

Insanity. The Hydragon’s Soul! That was the legendary artifact Gracia had been hunting for across both Pangeniar and Earth. But there was no doubt; despite the unusual horns, only that specific artifact could manifest a creature that felt this “natural.”

Who was this person? Who had the sheer audacity to summon a legendary beast and parade it into Darcan territory? No sane human would use a Hydragon as a pack animal for their carriage.

“Hold!”

“Stand down!”

The reaction of the guards was even more bizarre. Instead of drawing steel, they stood at attention as if they had been expecting this. A man stepped out of the beast-drawn carriage.

“‘Skull Destroyer’…?”

“The legendary relic of the giant tribes?”

The weapon gripped by the newcomer was unmistakable. It was the Skull Destroyer, a massive blade reserved for the champions of the giants. Yet here was a human-sized figure casually wielding it.

“Look at that black goat helm. He’s got style, I’ll give him that,” Black Night whispered.

The helmet was a mystery to them, but the aura of the warrior holding the giant-slayer sword was suffocating. He carried a blade exceeding three meters in a single hand, his face hidden behind the goat mask. He was shirtless, displaying a physique like a wild, powerful stallion. It was a hypnotic sight.

“It took us half an hour to get cleared. You think they’ll let a monster like that in?”

“……There’s no way.”

The figure didn’t even look human—more like something wearing a human facade. Perhaps a giant who had shifted forms. The Empire was notoriously xenophobic; there was no chance they’d allow an unknown entity to stroll in, especially not with a Hydragon in tow.

“Clear for passage!”

“Proceed!”

“……What?”

Black Night’s jaw dropped. The stranger had simply flicked a piece of paper toward the guards, and they had stepped aside instantly. No interrogation, no luggage check, nothing. The carriage and the beast moved into the city with total freedom, claiming the spotlight from everyone else.

—

**Martial Prowess**

“They didn’t seem to suspect a thing.”

Hudson let out a long breath of relief once they were clear of the gate. He had been genuinely anxious about the entry. I glanced at him and gave a small smirk.

“Relax. Our entry was flawless.”

The fact that we were waved through the moment we showed the invitation meant the Lord of Darcan had personally vetted the document. They clearly viewed Hudson as an envoy or ally of the White King. Now that we were inside, the risk of being exposed as imposters was significantly lower.

“By the way… is it truly alright for me to act as your superior while you play the guard?”

“It’s fine. And drop the formal speech.”

“……I wouldn’t dare.”

“You are the guest of honor in Darcan. I am merely your protector for this trip.”

“I… I will do my best to play the part.”

He needed to get into character. My role for this specific outing was strictly that of Hudson’s hired muscle.

“……Um.”

A hesitant voice drifted from the interior of the carriage. I turned to see a man clutching a pair of spears, his eyes wide with nerves as he rubbed his neck.

“I-Is this really the Empire? Are you sure I should be here?”

It was the Spear Master, Balte. He was a side character I had picked up back at the Mountain of Cultivators. This guy had spent two solid years doing nothing but thrusting spears in the Chaos Cultivator zone, pushing his physical limits to the absolute breaking point. I couldn’t just throw away a character who had successfully mastered external qi flowering.

“Think of it as a growth opportunity,” Hudson replied smoothly.

Hudson was aware that Balte was one of my “alternate” identities, much like Isaac or Isabella.

“A-A growth opportunity? Do you really think I can be of any use?”

Watching Balte shake like a leaf, I shared a look with Hudson.

‘He’s a bit slow on the uptake.’

‘Very slow.’

It seemed spear-wielding protagonists were destined to be socially awkward. I gave a mental shrug.

**【Lv. 10】**

To my surprise, Balte’s level had settled at 10. His true stats had finally stabilized once his limiters were removed. He had started his mountain training at level 7; reaching 10 meant he had gained massive experience over those two years. Sparring daily with the White King’s daughter had clearly paid off, even if he didn’t realize his “bully” was royalty.

“M-My skills are so mediocre… I won’t be a drag on you?”

“You are highly capable.”

“N-No. Someone like me couldn’t possibly…”

Balte had zero self-confidence. He was a Level 10 spear master with external qi—a “proto-transcendent” who had essentially consumed the essence of a star. If any faction realized his true potential, they would kill to recruit him. His grit and stubbornness made him the ultimate late-blooming genius.

‘Two years of constant losing really broke his spirit.’

Getting thrashed by Aria every single day had left him timid. And, to be fair, my “abandoning” him there was likely the root cause. If I hadn’t left him behind, he might have had a healthier ego.

‘I seem to have a knack for collecting broken characters.’

Back when I played Pangeniar, I experimented with hundreds of builds. I’d discarded so many, and Balte was just one of the pile. Isabella, Isaac, Balte… it was ironic that I kept running into the “failures” I’d left behind. Meanwhile, the ones I poured everything into were nowhere to be found.

I had funneled every resource into Wilhelm, but I had other high-tier alts too.

‘Where are PollockCodHardship, HumanFishingFisherman, and ThunderGodDescent?’

Hardship was the heir to the PollockCodConan style—a swordsman I’d sunk 10,000 points into. Fisherman was a lord of the seas who could hook an Extinction Fish. ThunderGod was a master of lightning sorcery. I had stripped them of their gear to empower Wilhelm, but their base abilities were still god-tier. Where had they vanished to?

‘Are they dead?’

If they were active, they’d be making headlines. The silence suggested they might have actually perished in this world.

“Balte. Do not second-guess your lord. If he says you are excellent, then you are. Now, repeat it: ‘I am excellent.'”

“Y-Yes. I am excellent.”

“Good. Don’t you ever forget who gave you this chance.”

“I… I won’t.”

Hudson was already busy “disciplining” Balte. Balte knew I was the one who helped him achieve his breakthrough, and Hudson was making sure that loyalty stayed firm. Eventually, Hudson signaled the carriage to stop and looked at me.

“My Lord, are you feeling hungry? Perhaps we should dine.”

“Here?”

“This is the most prestigious establishment in the territory. It’s strictly for the Imperial elite and visiting governors.”

“Lead the way.”

I gave a nod. We had plenty of time before the auction began. The whole point of arriving early was to scout the area. The city was currently teeming with nobles and regional rulers who had come for the event. This was the perfect time to size up the competition.

The sign read: ‘Darcan’s Afternoon.’

The restaurant occupied a grand four-story building. Just as Hudson described, the street outside was lined with ornate carriages belonging to the Imperial upper crust.

“Is that a Hydragon?”

“……What in the world?”

“It’s pulling a coach?”

“Who uses a Hydragon as a horse? And how did the city guard permit this?”

Even without any extra flair, the Hydragon was a total showstopper. Everyone dining on the terrace turned to gawk at us. Ignoring the whispers, we calmly walked into Darcan’s Afternoon.