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After exchanging a laughter we both didn’t understand, I got to the point.

“Poara, could you guide me towards the iron wood?”

“Yes, I’ll lead the way right now.”

Perhaps it was because it was her duty as a student council member. Poara started to stride confidently into the forest.

It seemed she wanted to finish this mission successfully so she could transition from a temporary member to a regular one.

‘I want to stop her, but…’

It’s better to resolve the Spirit Great Forest situation as quickly as possible. I needed some tricks up my sleeve for the upcoming mock battle.

So, I followed Poara diligently into the Great Forest.

After advancing quite a bit into the forest, I realized what being a Spirit Mage meant in the Spirit Great Forest.

Originally, when I arrived, the trees were densely packed together. However, as Poara began to walk, the trees parted, and the grass split open.

It felt as if the entire forest was welcoming someone like Poara.

‘There’s a reason Nikita sent a Spirit Mage.’

The Spirit Great Forest is extremely wary of outsiders. But Spirit Mages are different.

Spirit Mages are those loved by spirits. Thus, the trees inhabited by spirits welcomed the Spirit Mage.

‘Especially, Poara seems to have a higher resonance than the other Spirit Mages.’

While playing the game, I heard about the Spirit Great Forest often. Lucas, having spirit resonance, could also have a career as a Spirit Mage.

So, there was a distinct difference between approaching the Spirit Great Forest as a Spirit Mage and not being one.

However, even then, she was not at Poara’s level.

‘It’s because she exited due to a boycott incident in Act 4.’

Poara was a talented Spirit Mage, enough to join Jerion Academy. There must have been a reason for her rapid acceptance into the student council as a temporary member.

‘I’m glad I brought her along.’

With every step Poara took, the forest parted for us. Thanks to that, we could traverse the Spirit Great Forest rather easily.

Soon after, I started to feel a chill.

The Spirit Great Forest, which was originally filled with warmth due to the spirits, shouldn’t feel this cold.

It wasn’t winter, after all; it couldn’t possibly be that cold.

“Brr, it’s c-c-cold.”

However, the distinct cold was evident enough that even Poara started to shiver.

Before long, a sight that should not have been before my eyes appeared.

The Spirit trees were as hard as iron. It was as if even the spirits inside them had turned to steel. The trees had completely lost their vitality.

“What, what is this?”

This was the first time Poara had witnessed such a scene. Shock was written all over her face.

The story about the Spirit trees turning to iron was already famous among the Spirit Mage students.

But since Poara was still a first year, she probably had never ventured this deep before.

I approached one of the iron trees and touched it. A chilling sensation crept up my hand.

It was cold.

It felt like touching ice on a frozen lake in the chilling winter.

‘It’s progressed more than I expected.’

Originally, this event should have been resolved towards the end of Act 2, after the winter break.

However, due to Lucas’s absence and some incidents, it had eventually progressed to the current situation.

My crimson eyes quietly scanned the surroundings.

“Poara, can you feel the spirits?”

“N-no, I don’t feel anything! It’s completely empty here!”

Poara answered my question, her face turning pale.

Spirits are like nature. Where there is nature, spirits exist.

Moreover, the Spirit Great Forest has a much higher density of spirits than any other place.

To find no spirits in the Spirit Great Forest signifies an irreversible disaster.

‘It must be the case.’

I removed my hand from the iron tree. The spirits were now trapped within this iron.

It was only natural that I wouldn’t feel their presence.

“I’m going inside. You stay here.”

“W-what? Senior, isn’t it dangerous to go alone!?”

“It’s fine. If it gets dangerous, I’ll signal you, so just wait here.”

A Spirit Mage like Poara wouldn’t be of any help anymore.

One thing was needed here.

‘A fierce flame that can even melt steel.’

Magung Academy Slayer.

The reason the third installment is titled Fire Butterfly is that the spark of will within Lucas is the key to resolving all the events.

But right now.

With Lucas’s death, the spark of will had completely extinguished.

The world lost its blazing flame. All that remained was the charred wood.

However,

Even the charred wood must burn again.

To sustain a world that has lost its flame.

I had to be the kindling to ignite the fire.

I opened my bag and casually placed a vial on the ground next to the tree.

This was my insurance.

I looked at my hands, trembling weakly.

Having come this far, was I nervous about what was to come?

I tapped my hand and stood up.

Instead, I pulled out something else from my bag.

As I revealed something carefully wrapped in special cloth, a familiar warmth radiated from it.

I placed it on the ground that had turned to steel and unraveled the cloth.

Fwoosh-

The gust of hot air bursting from the cloth heated my face.

The coldness of the steel that surrounded me was swallowed up in an instant by the heat.

Where the cloth was unraveled stood a rough, red crystal.

Within the crystal, a single flame flickered fiercely.

This is referred to as the essence of fire.

The corpse left behind after a fire spirit lived and died.

But the heat contained within still vividly showcased the fire spirit’s might.

‘Those Spirit Mages must have been green with envy seeing me carry this.’

Carrying the corpse of a spirit is a taboo among Spirit Mages.

However, I couldn’t care less.

I wasn’t a Spirit Mage anyway.

‘I must lead this world to its rightful path.’

So, even if it’s a taboo, I’ll use anything for the sake of the rightness.

I ignited a flame in the chilling steel forest.

Alongside the blazing essence of fire, a coldness lingered in my eyes.

‘It’s coming.’

The moment I lifted my head, a fierce chill rushed in my direction.

Darkness began to engulf the surroundings.

A weird sound resembling steel scraping echoed in my ears.

Chill-

With a shiver coursing through my body, I took a breath.

And soon, what came into my view was a being that emerged from the darkness.

It was a presence made of chilling steel.

She resembled a sword or a woman with long hair.

A being that should have been a deity on this land.

But for some reason, she couldn’t become a god and fell endlessly into a darkened state.

This was called “Myth” in this world.

As I embodied the Fire Butterfly, I encountered the first myth I would meet in this vast world.

＊ ＊ ＊

In the Spirit Great Forest located in the northern mountain range of the Great Dragon.

To resolve the anomalies occurring there, I am now facing a myth.

Before my eyes stands a woman made of chilling steel.

The chill emanating from her has turned the Spirit trees into iron.

I carefully straightened my posture.

The myth, “Steel Empress.”

The unholy being that couldn’t become a god has wandered here, settling in the Spirit Great Forest.

Originally, the power of the spirits dwelling in the Great Forest was a delicious delicacy for the myth.

However, the Spirit Great Forest was originally guarded by the Spirit Sovereign, who was on the verge of becoming a god.

Thus, myths couldn’t haphazardly invade the Spirit Great Forest.

‘However, the Spirit Sovereign who resided in the Spirit Great Forest eventually passed and became a divine entity.’

As a result, the place of the Spirit Sovereign became vacant.

With that sudden vacancy, the protection of the Spirit Sovereign over the Spirit Great Forest disappeared.

Consequently, the Steel Empress penetrated into the Spirit Great Forest.

‘That’s how it is.’

This is the reason the Steel Empress entered the Spirit Great Forest.

‘The protagonist Lucas will melt and defeat the Steel Empress with the flame of will.’

The Steel Empress desires to rid herself of the coldness encased within her.

The chill is not originally hers but a power she gained by becoming a myth.

The myth that couldn’t become a god harbors profound disgust toward it.

Therefore, the Steel Empress realizes the flame of will residing in Lucas and seeks to steal it, turning into a moth to his flame.

After defeating the Steel Empress, Lucas receives thanks from the spirits.

During this process, the newly elected Spirit Sovereign proposes a contract to Lucas.

This is the Lucas Spirit Mage route.

‘But Lucas is not here right now.’

The flame of will that could melt her doesn’t exist.

All that remains is the meager essence of fire.

But even the essence of fire is enough to draw her out.

She desires warmth more than anyone else.

If it has warmth, she will converge upon it.

[ Brr, huuuu. ]

Just as expected, the Steel Empress began rushing toward me.

The direction she charged in was the essence of fire I had thrown ahead of me.

Yearning for warmth, she flung her body toward the essence of fire.

Chiiiii-!

However, the coldness that flowed from the Steel Empress extinguished the essence of fire almost instantly.

The essence of fire was merely the power of one spirit.

There was no way it could stand against someone who could turn even trees housing spirits into steel.

[ Brr, uuuu. ]

Crackle! Clang!

The Steel Empress smashed the extinguished essence of fire.

Smash!

At that moment, the ground beneath her turned into fierce steel.

She raged out of frustration for not gaining warmth.

A chilling wind began to whip around.

Perhaps due to fear, the spirit trees trembled like aspen leaves.

The Steel Empress slowly turned her head in my direction.

The light faded, and darkness began to engulf the surroundings.

Chill-

Once again, goosebumps spread across my body.

Myths were originally meant to become gods but failed to do so.

Their power is certainly not something that can be compared with humans.

Maybe that’s why my body was speaking to me.

It was telling me to escape right now.

No matter how many times I had played through the Fire Butterfly arc, it was still a game.

Now facing an existence far removed from reality, fear crept in without me realizing it.

My body quivered with instinctual fear.

There was no choice.

No matter how much I knew everything about this world, I was still human.

The mysterious danger confronting me in this reality was terrifying.

But there was something even more frightening.

‘Being face to face with such a monster made me realize.’

I suddenly found myself dropped into this world that was not a game.

I knew this world better than anyone, but as I had never lived it, I was the most ignorant being here.

That was me.

I was scared.

When this world which I didn’t fully understand became the reality.

I feared I might find myself helpless about what to do.

So, I kept struggling to block the holes of this world that the protagonist had left behind.

If not, I would become unnecessary in this world.

‘Cogwheel.’

They say humans are social animals.

When the cogwheels of society misalign, people fall into fear.

I had already gone through this once.

During the time when I was boasting my potential,
due to an unexpected injury, I was thrown into society empty-handed.

That made me feel like I was utterly worthless.

That’s why I understood that fear well.
That’s why I immersed myself in the Fire Butterfly arc.

I had escaped from my misaligned life through the means of a mere game.

But now.

Even my escape route was misaligning and collapsing.
My only refuge was casting me out.

Before I knew it, my fists were clenched.

Venturing into the world after a bad ending was both my obsession and my stubbornness.

But even if it was just that obsession and stubbornness,

I wanted to protect this world.

This was the only refuge and happiness I had in my life.

So even now, I would do anything and everything for it.

I lifted my head.

The Steel Empress, an existence of mystery, was before me.

The Steel Empress would become the foundation and strength for whatever comes next.

Originally, this was Lucas’s ordeal.

I was the one to endure the first trial of that ordeal.

My crimson eyes shone fiercely.

I was no longer frightened by the Steel Empress.

I knew something even scarier than her.

Even if the flame of will is absent,

With another spark of will, I raised my fists.

“Come.”

I will continue this world for myself.