The question lingered in Myung-Hee's mind long after the battlefield grew quiet.
It was a calm afternoon when she finally asked.
She and Lulu were seated in the palace courtyard, the sound of wind passing gently through the trees. For once, there were no alarms, no messengers, no distant smoke rising from the horizon. The peace felt unnatural—fragile.
"Lulu," Myung-Hee said softly, breaking the silence. "Can I ask you something?"
Lulu closed the book she was reading and looked up. "Of course."
"…Do you know anything about The Priestess's achievement?"
Lulu stiffened.
Myung-Hee noticed immediately. "I found a book," she continued carefully. "It mentioned her achievement—but didn't explain what it was. Not even a single detail."
Lulu exhaled slowly.
"You're not the first to ask," she said. "And
you won't be the last."
She looked toward the palace tower where The Priestess resided, her expression unreadable.
"Nobody knows," Lulu said. "Not the scholars. Not the historians. Not even the royal archives."
Myung-Hee frowned. "Nothing at all?"
Lulu shook her head. "It was never recorded. Every document that should explain it… simply doesn't exist."
A chill crept down Myung-Hee's spine.
Three months passed.
And war returned—again and again.
The Demon King's forces attacked six times in total.
Each time, Myung-Hee stood at the front lines.
Each time, she defeated the Demon King.
And each time—
He escaped.
The pattern became maddening.
The battles grew fiercer, the Demon King's tactics sharper, his power more refined. Yet Myung-Hee adapted just as quickly. Her control over her abilities had reached a level she never thought possible when she first arrived in Althra.
Still, victory never felt complete.
After the sixth battle, something changed.
The reports stopped coming.
No scouts sighted demon movements. No villages were attacked. No borders were breached. The Demon King—and his army—vanished.
The silence was worse than war.
"He's still alive," Myung-Hee said one night, staring at the map spread across the war room table.
Lulu nodded. "I know."
"Then why hasn't he attacked?"
Lulu hesitated. "…I don't know."
That answer unsettled Myung-Hee more than any battlefield ever had.
Two more months passed.
The Demon King did not appear.
Yet The Priestess summoned Myung-Hee and Lulu repeatedly, her voice unwavering.
"Continue your training," she told them.
"Remain vigilant."
"Do not lose focus."
Each time, her tone carried the same warning.
"Nobody knows what will happen if you lower your guard," she said. "The moment you believe the danger has passed—that is when the kingdom will fall."
One evening, as Myung-Hee passed the palace corridor, she overheard The Priestess speaking quietly.
"The disaster will come," The Priestess said. "And if the kingdom is unprepared, it will lose everything."
Three days later—
The reports flooded in.
Monsters.
Not demons—but something else entirely.
Creatures began appearing across the land: forests, roads, mountains, villages. They attacked travelers, merchants, even soldiers. Their forms varied wildly, as if they came from entirely different origins.
Within two weeks, the situation worsened.
No matter how many monsters Myung-Hee killed, their numbers never decreased.
"It doesn't make sense," Myung-Hee muttered, wiping blood from her blade after another battle. "They just keep appearing."
The soldiers were exhausted. Villages lived in fear.
And still—
No sign of the Demon King.
That was when Myung-Hee made a decision.
She went to see The Priestess.
The chamber doors opened soundlessly, revealing the familiar glow of ancient magic. The Priestess stood near the window, gazing out at the kingdom below.
"You wish to speak," The Priestess said without turning.
"Yes," Myung-Hee replied. "I have an idea."
The Priestess turned her gaze toward her. "Speak."
"We can't handle this alone," Myung-Hee said. "Even with the army and me fighting nonstop, the monsters keep coming. The kingdom needs more fighters—trained ones."
The Priestess listened silently.
"We should build an adventurer guild," Myung-Hee continued. "Train civilians who are willing to fight. Give them structure, resources, and purpose."
For a moment, the chamber was silent.
Then—
"I agree," The Priestess said.
Myung-Hee blinked. "…You do?"
"The era has changed," The Priestess said calmly. "This world will no longer be protected by heroes alone."
Construction began immediately.
Lulu took charge of building the adventurer guild while continuing to assist Myung-Hee in defending nearby villages. The workload was immense. Days blurred into nights as monster attacks continued relentlessly.
Two months passed.
Stone by stone, the guild rose.
Training grounds were established. Instructors were assigned. Weapons were forged. People from all walks of life stepped forward—farmers, hunters, former soldiers, even scholars.
At last, the Adventurer Guild of Althra stood complete.
On the day of its opening, Myung-Hee stood beside Lulu in the main hall, watching recruits line up with determination in their eyes.
"Who will lead it?" Myung-Hee asked.
The Priestess stood at the head of the hall.
"You will," she said.
Myung-Hee froze. "Me?"
"You understand battle. Leadership. Responsibility," The Priestess said. "And more importantly—you understand sacrifice."
The room fell silent.
Myung-Hee clenched her fists… then nodded.
"I accept."
Applause filled the hall.
Yet as Myung-Hee looked around, a strange feeling lingered in her chest.
The monsters were still coming.
The Demon King was still alive.
And somewhere beyond the world's understanding—
Something far worse was waiting.