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The damp wind began to blow. The Black Temple was an ancient hero but had fallen into a Dark Magician.

It was a space created by Arge.

He had set up several special arrangements in this place. The ruler of the first floor was one of those arrangements.

“Hehehe.”

A chilling voice started to echo. Selbin and Viola felt goosebumps rise on the back of their necks.

“Sister, this is really creepy.”

“Right.”

Viola attempted to remain as calm as possible while scanning the situation. ‘The Dark Magician Arge will resurrect.’

To be precise, it was Arge’s original soul that would revive. Compared to the living Arge, it would be nothing, but it was indeed a daunting opponent for the current Viola and Selbin.

‘What should I do?’

Viola desperately recalled information from the novel. The Dark Magician Arge knew that evil spirits would be born here.

Someone would defeat that evil spirit too.

‘Using the monsters on the first floor of the Black Temple as flesh offerings, and using the soul of the evil spirit as an offering to resurrect the original soul.’

It was a thought thoroughly fitting for a Dark Magician. The problem was that there was no particular way to deal with the original soul.

‘In the original work, it was Tundra who killed Arge’s original soul.’

And that was supposed to happen several years later. In other words, it meant that the original soul possessed such powerful strength that it had to be directly dealt with by the male lead in the novel. The protagonists in the novel weren’t busy fighting with minions.

‘Surely Zeno wouldn’t come in to assist?’

I had to find my own way to survive. “Did you bring me back?”

I could see the headless original spirit.

Though it had no neck, it strangely spoke.

It took the form of an old man, but it looked frail and gaunt.

In the novel, things like this were referred to as ‘ghosts.’

“I’m very hungry so I’ll have to eat you.”

The headless thing approached Viola. Black haze was rising from its body. Viola had to make a decision.

“I have to fight.”

There was no other method that came to mind aside from fighting directly. ‘How did I survive up to now!’

I couldn’t die here. And certainly not be eaten by a resurrected original soul.

‘It would be too unfair to die!’

Thinking about dying here only fueled my anger. Just then, Selbin collapsed with a thud.

Selbin’s eyes held no focus.

“Hehe, Sister, I feel, dizziness, hee, hee….”

Viola thought she understood why Selbin had collapsed. ‘She has been poisoned by the murky energy leaking from the original spirit.’

However, thanks to the energy seeping from her ring, Viola was not poisoned by the murkiness. The miraculous spirit water contained in her ring. Arge protected Viola’s body from the bad energies outside.

“Oh? You’re quite a useful child.”

“You’re making it sound like you’re useful.”

After all, there was no one to see or hear. Viola Bellatu didn’t need to act.

“Let’s have you die while I live.

I absolutely couldn’t die here.

“Pongpong! Water Barrier!”

She summoned the water barrier. She focused her strength.

This wasn’t the real Arge but just the ghost left behind by Arge’s grudge.

“Are you stronger than my favorite character?”

This body had lived through a year of duels with my favorite character. A mere ghost wouldn’t kill me for sure.

Viola raised the power of the Grass Sword.

‘This isn’t a duel.’

This was real combat. She had to survive whatever it took.

To survive, she had to kill the opponent.

Unbeknownst to Viola herself, her eyes began to turn red.

‘I want to live.’

Viola lost herself in a strange sensation. ‘I will kill.’

Though she was thinking it herself, it felt as if she wasn’t. It felt as if the real Viola had emerged from her subconscious and was accompanying her.

As the Killing Star manifested, the Grass Sword was imbued with intent to kill.

Petals of the Marguerite flower soaked in killing intent began to flutter around.

Viola discovered a curious phenomenon.

‘The Marguerite petals and grass leaves… have changed.’

All grass leaves manipulated by the Grass Sword were dyed purple. Viola couldn’t figure out the reason behind it.

It felt as if the entire world had been tinted purple.

‘There won’t be a second chance.’

I had no idea what would happen. She pulled all her strength.

Unbeknownst to her, a grim smile crept across Viola’s lips.

*

Zeno spoke.

“The princess is making a holy blood oath.”

“I don’t care.”

“The princess might get angry.”

“I can handle that.”

Zeno looked deeply into Tundra with his sunken eyes. He said he had escaped from the ‘Sacred Ground of the Ancient Warriors’ where the Eye Shines. ‘What has been happening during that time?’

Tundra’s aura had changed significantly. A far more refined gaze than before.

A gathering and stabilized energy.

Yet its inherent pressure was beyond imagination. Sheilan was also taken aback.

‘What is going on with that guy?’

He hadn’t been like that when they first met. However, he had come back looking like a completely different person after saying he would train at the Eye Shines.

Zeno spoke again.

“I clearly advised against it. I’m not responsible.”

Tundra nodded. ‘The master is inside.’

No. I decided not to call him that.

Viola didn’t particularly like the title ‘master.’

I would not do what Viola didn’t wish for.

‘The princess is inside.’

Tundra resolved to help Viola. After all, he was merely seen as a dog in the outside world, and helping Viola wasn’t illegal.

The moment he stepped inside the Black Temple, he felt a strange sensation.

‘Something is manifesting. Something ominous and dangerous.’

Tundra was not afraid.

He had overcome endless illusions at the Eye Shines.

He fought for his life against the monsters that were constantly pouring out.

Inside, the flow of time differed greatly from the outside world. Tundra had trained for over ten years in there.

Even after the passage of those ten years, he could clearly feel Viola’s aura.

‘I can feel the princess’s aura.’

Shortly after. A purple storm of grass began to rush in.

It was a more dangerous energy than the snowstorm at the Eye Shines.

‘You have grown.’

It was an extremely strong energy. Tundra avoided all the petals swirling around him.

He could have cut them, but he did not.

Thus, some petals grazed Tundra’s skin.

‘I’m bleeding.’

No matter how much Tundra was capable, he couldn’t dodge all the petals.

Tundra quickly took out a recovery ointment from his pocket dimension and applied it.

Not because it hurt.

‘She would surely be heartbroken seeing me bleed.’

So he resolved to recover as quickly as possible. In the midst of the grass storm, he concentrated his mind to find the original spirit.

‘There you are.’

Having Viola unleash such powerful intent with the Grass Sword. Tundra brandished his great sword.

In an instant, he narrowed the distance to the original spirit.

He unfurled Hixson’s swordsmanship technique, the Tereon Swordsmanship.

“What are you?!”

The original spirit couldn’t react in time. Viola’s Grass Sword alone was enough to be overwhelming.

“Me?”

He opened the first chapter of Tereon Swordsmanship. ‘Wave.’ Six black sword lights engulfed the body of the original spirit.

“A person needed by the princess.”

The original spirit split into six. Tundra tilted his head.

Now that he thought about it, it didn’t seem quite right.

“No, I’m a person needed by the princess.”

Memories of another life. In other words, I wasn’t recognizing the identity of Kang Han-jun. Kang Han-jun was Kang Han-jun, and Tundra was Tundra.

However, he did not deny the memory itself. Tundra pledged to stay by Viola’s side, and that became Tundra’s identity and life’s purpose.

“Y-you!”

The original spirit could do nothing and gradually faded away. Tundra casually disturbed the energy of the original spirit with his great sword.

The original spirit, who revealed itself as the ruler of the first floor, was powerless.

Like smoke dispersing, the original spirit began to vanish.

Tundra, with a blank expression, scattered the smoke and dropped his sword to the ground.

And then walked quickly. “Princess.”

Viola lay collapsed, having exhausted all her strength. Due to exerting herself completely, even Pongpong had been reverted.

Tundra hurriedly lifted Viola in a gentle embrace.

He laid Viola’s head against his knee and checked her breathing.

‘She has collapsed.’

She was not in danger of her life. She had merely fainted from exhaustion.

He tidied up Viola’s disheveled bangs.

“I’m returning to your side.”

Today, Viola appeared particularly petite. I wondered why she had felt so terrifying and large before.

‘You’ve really grown stronger.’

In truth, even without Tundra stepping in, Viola could have subdued the original spirit without much trouble. Viola’s Grass Sword was that strong.

Despite that strength, the current Viola felt incredibly small. Tundra knelt, propping Viola’s head for six hours.

During that time, Selbin came to her senses. Selbin shouted in surprise.

“Y-you’re a ghost?!”

Only then did Tundra realize Selbin was next to him. He hadn’t noticed her existence for six hours.

He had been focused solely on Viola.

Shortly after, Viola regained consciousness.

When she struck down the original spirit or when Selbin came to her senses, the lifeless look that resembled a machine began to regain vitality.

“Princess?”

A smile appeared at Tundra’s lips. He had now become a completely different person from before.

Selbin thought it was fascinating to see that.

Selbin pondered seriously.

‘Dual personality?’

In any case, Viola had come to her senses, and for a while, she believed she was dreaming. But it wasn’t a dream. Tundra had returned.

Much earlier than expected.

Viola instinctively sensed something.

‘It feels like… a lot has changed.’

It felt as if the person itself had changed. The very atmosphere felt different.

“Princess.”

Tundra tidied up Viola’s bangs once more. Viola, who had used too much energy, hadn’t completely regained her senses and wasn’t even aware that she was lying on Tundra’s knee.

“I’ll be here for you.”

He resolved to be someone needed by Viola. So he made one request. “Please give me a name.”

Just as he had done for the old Pongpong. For Bellatu, giving a name held special meaning.

To give a name meant to claim ownership.

In other words, receiving a name signified one’s willingness to become a part of you.

“I will be someone who can meet the needs of the princess.”

Still kneeling, he earnestly and sincerely pleaded. “I want to be your person. I am here. Please allow me to be by your side and protect you.”