"Raise your bloodlust above sea levels."

Killian exhaled deeply. He directed his mana flow below his legs, where they’d be most needed.

He nodded at her. Her words were positive nonetheless since she believed Quara would be found. He walked behind her as she moved to her inner chambers.

They were in an estate, primarily where Helen and her pets lived but Killian didn’t hear a single sound within the place. It was odd for a place filled with animals.

His eyes moved around the building and settled on the large portal at the end. It radiated pure mana energy yet was still calm and soothing, down to the soft sounds it made.

’That must be how S-Rank Wardens move so quickly between places. They always have a standby portal.’

"Here, boy." She gestured into a room.

"It’s Killian." He insisted, entering. The room was pitch black, but at the same time, felt like he was many kilometres deep in a dark sea. "What is this?"

A blue interface flashed on his face, having a keyboard and a map interface. The light from it illuminated his position, extending to Helen’s.

"Right." Killian typed in the name, entrance-Gama, while finding it surreal that tapping the air made the keyboards react. It registered and a device whirred under him.

"It really is a hidden A-tier realm." Helen said, looking into the distance at something Killian couldn’t see. "This means something bad, boy— Killian."

She cracked her knuckles gracefully, having the calm smile etched on her face. "It’s a good thing you called me. This is the very reason why I was assigned to you."

Killian’s confused expression flattened for a second as he understood. "Do you mean an angel is in that realm?"

"Likely, yes. They are the ones who could easily advance a realm of orcs from C-tier to A-tier in a short while."

That had been Killian’s worst fear, an angel being involved in the kidnapping. It drastically changed everything he wanted to do, and limited his resolve.

If it had already taken over his sister’s body, then he might have lost the fight before it started.

"Do not worry, Killian." Helen tore a hole through the darkness, expanding it for a portal to form in the tear. "I heard about your possessed cousin too. We will make sure that doesn’t happen again. If it does, I will exorcise the spirit."

Her words were positive again, and Killian nodded. He might be playing into the S-Rank Warden’s habit of always being positive no matter what, as the hope of the people.

But at the moment, he needed that hope.

[Entry Granted To Lady Helen.]

Killian stepped forward to look inside.

PUSH!

He fell into the portal, nearly stumbling on his feet. "Hey..." A wrist device was thrown at him. He looked up at Helen still in the dark room.

She smiled sweetly. "This will take a while and I forgot to kiss my pets good-bye. I’ll catch up with you as long as you don’t lose the device."

Killian said nothing, staring at her.

The smile fell from her face. "You said you can handle it without me, no? Obviously I’d value my pets over you."

"You don’t need to come back." Killian said, but strapped the device over his wrist, just in case she does.

He blamed himself for thinking that an S-Rank would value the mission as much as he would.

’I have experienced a B-tier realm before and even this realm when it was C-tier. I have also experienced an angel before.’

The Void-Bat instantly dropped from his inventory, and so did Thistle. He had spoken to her about it before. He glanced at her and she held his dagger on her waist.

Her attire was similar to his, black and red coverall leather suit. But she insisted on her blue shoes, which threw the outfit off. He bent down, looking at the tall trees and familiar grass plains. It was just like the simulation, exactly.

"This isn’t a simulation, at all. Killian."

"But with your skills, and the quick thinking, it might be another cinch."

The Void’s words made the lump in Killian’s throat go down. "But keep your eyes sharp," he told Thistle. "We are not at the entrance so we might meet orcs soon."

’I thought we would be swarmed on entry but they couldn’t sense our presence yet.’

Most importantly, because the Warden was an S-Rank, they couldn’t track her portal signal unlike simulation portals.

"An angel could be here." He added.

Thistle’s head snapped at him, she said nothing but Killian understood what she meant. It didn’t make sense that they were the major targets of an angel strike yet were left in a realm one had monopolised. "The plan remains the same."

"I guess so..." Thistle sighed, evidently regretting her choices. Her fingers pressed into the ground, digging vines into the ground and sprouting them a distance away.

She stilled, then spoke in a low tone. "Tight soil here. There’s a lot of movement down these roads." Her gaze shifted ahead. "There might be a popular spot ahead."

Killian stared at the contact she made on the ground, then at her vines above it a few metres away. He nodded, quickly gathering what she meant.

"That’s some useful skill."

"Instincts." The vines withdrew into the ground as she rose. "Rabbits can tell where it would be suitable to burrow a hole to live in, and where it’s too busy."

Killian nodded once, raised his bat to his neck and moved ahead. His eyes scanned the trees again after going a distance. The trees were unnaturally still, and their shadows stretched thinly across the path in front of him.

<Umbral Override>

He marked those trees, to make it easy to use that skill the Void mentioned when he’d unlock his series. Their footsteps were dull as they approached a forked path.

There was no sound for miles, and the leaves on the tree branches didn’t sway in the wind. Killian stuck his tongue out, and took it back in. "There is no wind."

Thistle’s ears bent backwards, just before she turned back. "Company."

Footsteps followed after her words. Three figures marched towards them, draped in long, white religious robes that hung heavily on their frames. They were orcs but looked more like humans with green skin and small curved horns.

"Stay back." He told the girl, while stepping forward to meet them. His expression darkened as he saw the emblem on their robes.

The Light Sigil.