In the entire Mine Valley, even a Second Shackle Realm warrior could be considered an overlord, but the Heads of the Dragon Council far surpassed them, their power and influence in an entirely different league.

Aside from the Blood Lightning Monster, the most notorious member of the council was the First Head. Dubbed the Uncontrollable, his name alone inspired fear. A few months ago, he had slain a Ninth Shackle Realm Hero of the Gluttony Army, one who wielded the Blessing of Gluttony.

Not content with that, he challenged another Hero from Asgard... and won. Soon after, he found himself surrounded by dozens of powerful experts attempting to subjugate him, yet he managed to escape.

The Uncontrollable’s reputation only grew when he slew the Guardian Beast of a prominent Large Country, cementing his name in the annals of legend. Tales of his strength and audacity spread like wildfire, leaving countless beings in awe and terror.

"A Fifth Stage monster... capable of slaying a Ninth Shackle Realm Hero?" Esriel frowned, disbelief and curiosity mixing in her gaze.

Eztein glanced at her and asked calmly, "What do you think?"

Esriel turned her eyes toward him, puzzled. "What do you mean?"

Eztein let a faint smile touch his lips as he shifted his attention to the Fourth Head. "Actually, I wanted to recommend her for a vacant seat on the Dragon Council. You wanted me to become a Head, right? Well, I found someone capable of filling that position."

"Hmm...?" The Fourth Head raised an eyebrow, glancing at Esriel with interest.

"Wait a minute," Esriel said, her surprise evident. "You didn’t tell me anything about this!"

"You said you didn’t have anything to do," Eztein explained, his tone calm but persuasive. "No goals, no plans... so why not take the position while you figure out what you truly want?"

With her strength, she was more than capable of becoming a Head of the Dragon Council.

A Tenth Shackle Realm expert.

Eztein himself had no intention of joining the council. Their leader’s seat was enough; it provided them with influence and connections within the city.

"Think about it," he added, not looking up from the papers in his hands. "You have nothing else to occupy your time. Might as well take it."

Esriel was silent, speechless. She could do nothing but stare at the documents in front of her, the pages heavy with information about the Dragon Council and the immense responsibility of the position being offered.

Vashno and Doranjan finished reading the documents, their expressions shifting as they absorbed the contents. The progress of the Dragon Council far exceeded their expectations. It was far better than they had imagined.

After a brief silence, Eztein calmly folded the papers in his hand. Flames flickered to life, reducing the documents to ashes in an instant.

"What’s our next move?" Vashno asked.

Eztein turned toward them. "There’s some information regarding Isabella. We might be able to locate her."

"There’s a chance we won’t?" Vashno raised an eyebrow.

"Yes." Eztein nodded. "A small organization has recently risen in the central region of the Immortal Land. It’s called the Heavenly Potion Pavilion, and its Pavilion Master matches Isabella’s description."

He paused before continuing, his tone growing more serious. "There’s also a Supreme Elder within the pavilion who wields the flames of the legendary Vermillion Bird. To be honest, I believe that person is Erkigal."

"If that’s the case, then she must have survived the ambush months ago..." Vashno murmured. His gaze darkened as memories of those chaotic events resurfaced. "I wonder who else is still alive."

"Well then," Eztein said, the corners of his lips curling upward. "Let’s find out whether Isabella truly is the Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Potion Pavilion."

...

The situation on the God’s Continent had undergone a dramatic shift following the fall of the Ruler of Gluttony. Seizing the opportunity, numerous factions launched a coordinated assault against the remnants of the Gluttony Army.

Deprived of their ruler’s support, the Gluttony Army quickly collapsed. Like starving wolves, the victorious factions swept across the continent, occupying abandoned strongholds and carving up the vast resources hidden within them.

As for the demon army, they halted both their advance and their battles. Having lost several top-tier experts in the conflict, they were in no condition to continue waging war. Even so, the world did not pause. It continued to turn, and across the land, countless individuals were rising, each eager to display their growing strength.

Even with the fall of the Ruler of Gluttony, the chaos on the continent showed no signs of slowing. If anything, it only grew more turbulent.

As for the Gods, their attention finally converged on the three theaters of conflict. Among them, the Lord of the Wood had fully recovered her strength. In her current state, no ordinary God-rank being could stand against her.

It was only a matter of time before the nearby Holy Lands launched a full-scale assault to subjugate the Lord of the Wood.

...

Demon’s Land.

Territory of the Heavenly Demon Palace.

Inside a quiet chamber sat a beautiful demon with silver hair cascading down her back. A bluish flame burned softly upon her forehead, illuminating her calm yet distant expression.

She was Alicia Remiri Lucifer—the daughter of the Great Demon Emperor, Lucifer.

Alice turned her head toward the window, her gaze lingering on the world beyond. Her thoughts drifted to her friends and what had become of them after the battle. She hoped they were safe... and perhaps even better off without her.

A faint smile curved her lips as the image of a certain man surfaced in her mind.

"Souta."

She slowly closed her eyes. Even when the entire world had turned against her, he had never abandoned her. He had fought until the very end.

That resolve alone had been enough.

His words had already saved her.

Knock.

The sharp sound echoed through the room.

Alice opened her eyes and turned toward the door. Her voice was calm, yet firm.

"I don’t know anything."

"Princess Alicia, whether you know anything or not is irrelevant. His Majesty has already made up his mind about the plan."

The voice came from beyond the door.

Alice’s eyes narrowed. She didn’t know the details, but one thing was clear... her father was preparing something immense, and somehow, she was at the center of it.

Just what does Father intend to accomplish?

...

In an unknown land.

"Souta!"

"Souta!"

"Souta!"

A man slowly opened his eyes.

The voice calling his name echoed again and again, dragging him out of the darkness.

"Where... am I?" Souta muttered as he forced himself into a sitting position.

He scanned his surroundings and froze. He was lying on an unfamiliar beach. Waves crashed endlessly against the shore, while powerful winds swept through the area, sending the palm trees swaying violently.

A dull ache pulsed in his head as he pressed a hand against his temple, still dizzy from what felt like a long, dreamless slumber.

"Souta!"

The voice echoed once more within his mind.

Souta turned his head and spotted a sword lying half-buried in the sand near the shoreline. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to his feet and reached for it, his fingers tightening around the familiar hilt.

"Thank goodness! You’re finally awake!" Saya’s voice rang out, filled with relief.

Souta slowly swept his gaze across his surroundings once more. It looked like an ordinary seashore, endless sand, rolling waves, swaying palms and yet there wasn’t a single sign of life. No birds. No insects. Nothing.

A dull throb pulsed through his head as he pressed his palm against his temple, fragments of memory surfacing one after another.

He had entered a sub-world with the others.

A battle had erupted and someone had uncovered Alice’s true identity.

He had returned to Imperium and bid farewell to Goddess Athena.

Then came the pursuit.

Those who despised demons hunted him relentlessly, while others chased him in an attempt to uncover why the demons had set their sights on him.

The clash that followed was brutal.

Doranjan broke through, reaching a higher stage of evolution amid the chaos.

Forced to retreat, they were ambushed by demons deep within the Involin Forest.

Souta remembered fighting desperately, pushed into a corner and finally, being forced to use the [Blood Card].

He had reached Level 80 and unsealed the Thirteenth Sign.

He had failed to rescue Alice and in desperation, he had invoked the power of the Thirteenth Sign.

Souta’s body had barely met the minimum requirements to contain that power, yet he had forced it anyway. The authority of Infinity erupted, erasing everything in its path. Space twisted, reality fractured, and he was swallowed by a distortion of space and dreams.

That was the last thing he remembered before losing consciousness.

When he awoke, he was here on this unknown land.

Souta lowered his gaze to his hand. He could barely feel any energy within his body.

Everything had been wrung out of him during that battle.

He had survived only because the [Blood Card] carried countless blessings that reinforced his body to the extreme just enough to withstand the unleashed power of the Serpent-Bearer. Without the overlapping stat amplification provided by the [Blood Card], he wouldn’t have been able to endure such authority at all, especially after releasing Infinity.

A quiet sigh escaped his lips as he lay back against the sand, staring up at the vast, cloudless blue sky.