Reylin joked, but his situation was far from laughable.

  The four unique treasures that no first layer should even see charged at him. They soon would trample him down, and Reylin couldn't think of anything to stop it.

  He just stared at them, ready to accept that loss.

  His Crimson Dragon was exhausted, to say nothing of the hero.

  If his alliance worked, then taking down one of those beasts seemed plausible.

  All of them? Impossible!

  "That trash should be able to control them……" Reylin clicked his tongue as he dropped his back onto the ground.

  The dark matter people couldn't control the abomination, but it should be different from the broken parts. If that was not the case, then all other kingdoms should work together to seal it……

  The consequences of their deed and the prices they would pay for it would probably just hurt the kingdoms……

  Reylin shifted his eyes to Kyle, "You were utterly useless. It's not like we couldn't take care of the undead monsters…… So? Why haven't you retreated yet? Pride?"

  Kyle's people had long since retreated. They did it straight after Maya's slash cut through the abomination……

  They were amazed by the combination of two players, but the moment the beast's status remained alive, they just gave up.

  Only Kyle remained with scant people.

  Kyle sighed, "I believe the ascended would've answered our call should you not be here……"

  Reylin chortled, "We are left powerless. Someone has to make the next move. Am I right?"

  Kyle didn't reply, but he gritted his teeth and stared at the creatures with fear and confusion…… The latter was directed at his ascended, though.

  He wanted an answer.

  Why did his ascended not help him? Why did he leave all of it to the players? And now, as all of those players died beneath the creatures' forms, the ascended still hadn't reached out to them!

  Kyle trembled…… and stared at the creature……

  Reylin smirked, "I don't think your ascended will suddenly bless you with power…… You will just die."

  The creatures never stopped, and their towering forms kept getting closer to them. Many players also decided to just give up the front, and they all scattered in all directions…… Naturally, many of them snatched the rainbow scales and intercepted the dark matter people……

  Still, as the abomination's parts remained focused on Reylin, no one stopped the battle between players and dark matter guys.

  Reylin didn't request any help, and he was ready to just die.

  However, a sudden coldness embraced him.

  Perhaps, due to his depleted mana, Reylin felt the coldness more. It made his body shiver, but just for a few seconds.

  That coldness turned mild, and Reylin felt like a soft breeze just washed him.

  He turned his eyes behind and noticed a woman in black clothes.

  She stood with her eyes calmly looking at him. Her whole face was exposed, her hair sprang free and fluttered alongside the wind……

  Reylin knew her.

  But he didn't know that kind of part of her.

  "Thank you for protecting my home," Yuki said.

  She stared at him with a warm smile, blushing cheeks, and tears tumbling down her face. Her whole appearance was stunning despite most of her curves hidden beneath the black robe! That face turned Reylin's impression of her into the past, a past he would soon forget.

  He smiled at her, "Your emotions returned……"

  Yuki nodded then passed through him, "Despite all, you didn't renege your promise…… We could argue that you did it for your alliance, but it matters not…… I want to believe that this promise brought me here."

  In her tone, Reylin spotted a flaw.

  That flaw widened his eyes, and he quickly rattled off, "Don't you dare sacrifice yourself!"

  "You annoying astute bastard……" Yuki didn't turn around but kept moving toward the creations, ready to hack at any obstacle.

  She raised her hand, then said, "I want to protect my home as well…… Don't stop me now, Reylin."

  Cold mana surged from Yuki's hand. It became an ice storm that expanded in the blink of an eye! Her whole mana disappeared!

  Alas, that was not enough.

  Yuki was sure of it, so she just activated the second part of her skill.

  Her skin paled and turned blue…… It then turned into ice that entered the ice storm. It fueled the ice storm and heightened the sealing prowess within it.

  Yuki's whole body dissipated into particles, and she was no longer here……

  "You foolish woman," Reylin replied as he stared at the spectacle.

  His heart clenched, and he felt a void within him…… It was a loss he couldn't describe, yet the pain just surged as the ice storm enveloped the creations!

  Yuki's voice extended toward him, "Princess Rose is the same…… She just wants to protect her home…… She made a mistake…… That's all. If you worried about her assassination, the king was already one foot in the grave…… He killed himself after he argued with Princess Rose…… A king couldn't make a choice, unlike his daughter.

  That's why don't be rough with her. Please?" Yuki beseeched.

  Her whole consciousness then disappeared……

  Reylin's lips parted, but he couldn't utter a word. He hovered his eyes on the creations imprisoned in the ice tomb…… All of them became sealed, their consciousness deeply shoved back to their hearts……

  Suddenly, Zamram appeared.

  He smirked at all those creations, "She saved us a lot of time and effort…… Haha!"

  He touched the ice tomb, then entered its system…… However, his eyes soon widened, "Impossible!"

  Iciness crawled through his fingers!

  Zamram lost against Yuki's sealing skill!

  His smile returned quickly, though, "I have to take those sealed beasts with me then……"

  Alas, it was yet something he couldn't do……

  As he tried to lift those creations with his absurd strength fueled by the dark armor, Zamram realized that those monsters were sealed to the world!

  Even taking the ground beneath those monsters wouldn't work!

  "Unbelievable…… Such a woman was in the Blue Rose Kingdom? How come we knew nothing?" Zamram whispered, then disappeared.

  Reylin had been looking at him with narrowed eyes, then sighed……

  Part of him was happy that Yuki's effort didn't go to waste…… He wanted to smile, yet he couldn't bring it out of him……

  He lifted his body trembling, then mustered every drop of his will to face Kyle, "You useless piece of shit. You have your formations! You have your people! You couldn't sacrifice that worthless trash?!

  You couldn't bring out any sealing skill?! How fucking useless can you be?!" He roared at them.

  Kyle and his people didn't reply. Their heads were low.

  Reylin bit his lips, then punched Kyle!

  He was weak, but that punch brought Kyle down onto the ground. That man toppled backward, then tumbled behind……

  Reylin heaved a howl, "Let me tell you why you are fucking useless! Because you believe in that garbage that calls themselves the ascended!

  I now know the answer to your question, Kyle!"

  Reylin howled, but his whole body froze, and he couldn't utter a word.

  [Changnam has muted you.]

  [Crimson Dragon's System erased the foreign influence.]

  "They focus on players! Why? Because players can be cut off at any moment! Take back the system, and those players can't return to their world! That works both ways! You get this shit now, Kyle?!

  They strengthen players to fight the dark matter, then they will cut off the system and take the players' power for themselves! That's how it works! They don't want anyone of you to get your own mana and threaten their seats atop the first layer!

  And that's just for the first layer! The ascended! You fucking hear me? You piece of shit! You can't dominate the second layer, so you want to seal the first one under your rule! And here we have the dark matter trash thwarting your plans! Hahaha!"

  Yuki was a result of a failed mana product……

  Reylin suddenly realized that the ascended definitely had knocked that failure off so that no residents would get stronger!

  It was definitely harder to take powers from residents!

  Reylin laughed maniacally, "I will erase your whole belief from this continent! Haha!"

  Kyle and his buddies looked at Reylin with their cheeks swollen.

  They silently stood up and left the scene, inwardly seething and trembling from his words.

  Kyle said, "The ascended tried to silence him but to no avail…… This is the Crimson Dragon."

  "He was right…… Wasn't he?" One of his buddies asked.

  Kyle bit his lips, and no reply bypassed his lips.

  Reylin's laughter stopped when he touched the iciness on one of the creatures.

  He stared with a pained heart that contorted his expression to match its feelings.

  A snowflake then fell onto his palm.

  [Yuki's Sacrifice - A seal to unlock the beasts.]