Haruto had a plan.
At least... something close to one.
Raising two fingers, he replicated a singularity, drawing in his magic-rich blood. Through Zetsugan, he applied Bio-Fluctuation Manipulation, forcing the dense orb of blood to rotate. The moment the rotation stabilized, an invisible vortex formed-an Astron distortion resembling a gravitational warp.
As the orb grew denser and more powerful, the surroundings began to respond.
Hana and the others felt the air tighten, as if the space itself was being squeezed. Small rocks, roots, and fragments of crystal trembled, then cracked, crushed under the overwhelming pressure pulling toward the core.
And it kept growing tighter.
Haruto poured more and more power into it.
The blood loss was immediately compensated by his regeneration, but the backlash from the crushing pressure-generated by the pseudo-gravitational effect-rushed through his body. His bones groaned under the strain.
It hurt.
Even with his absurdly high pain tolerance, the sensation was unmistakable.
But that was only natural.
After all, he was attempting to replicate the core concept of one of the most terrifying phenomena in the universe.
A singularity.
A black hole.
With every passing second, as the pseudo-singularity increased in power, he felt his bones snap, muscles tear, and his body compress as if caught between two titanic forces-like a watermelon crushed between the jaws of a hippo. Energy drained rapidly, his Astron reserves bleeding away alongside the blood.
Hana watched the process closely-and immediately understood.
"He's... no way that's a-" she muttered, eyes widening in sheer awe.
Both Haruki and Haruna turned toward her, already feeling the crushing pressure but unable to grasp what they were witnessing.
"Big sis... w-what is that thing?" Haruki asked, her voice trembling slightly. "Is he trying to blow this place up or something?"
Haruna, meanwhile, was utterly speechless.
She had sworn her loyalty to him-her new master-but until now, she had never truly seen him fight. Even the sparring with the blood soldier had showcased mostly his physical abilities: monstrous strength, inhuman endurance, impossible pain tolerance. That alone had been enough to leave her stunned.
She was a disciple of one of the strongest swordsmen in the Forest of Lunar.
And yet...
This-this was different.
His control over Astron particles, the way he shaped and compressed them, the sheer scale of influence his technique exerted over the environment-it was on an entirely different level. To think someone so carefree could wield power like this...
That was the moment it truly sank in.
This was the master she had been waiting for.
Not just someone strong-but someone worth following.
As the rocky terrain warped under the influence of his technique, her resolve hardened. She would grow stronger. She would stand beside him-not just as a follower, but as his blade.
Hana, on the other hand, wore a wide, almost prideful grin.
"This is... AMAZING!" she thought, barely containing her excitement.
This was the first time she had ever witnessed real magic.
Until now, everything had been physical combat, raw abilities, and strange evolutions. But this-
This reminded her of something important.
This wasn't just another world.
It was a fantasy.
Their fantasy.
But, of course... it was never that simple.
Yes, Haruto had grown far stronger. His new body had adapted to absurd levels of pressure.
But it wasn't ready to hold a pseudo black hole indefinitely.
His regeneration repaired the damage as fast as it was inflicted-but even that had limits.
He knew it.
His energy reserves were already more than halfway depleted. If they ran dry, the singularity would crush him from the inside out, and without Astrons, regeneration would fail.
Death-by his own technique.
Worse still, he could feel the expanding influence reaching outward.
Toward them.
Hana and the blood snake might withstand it.
But Haruna and Haruki?
Their bodies-especially Haruki's-were still too unpredictable.
That was why, from the very beginning, he had been deliberately increasing the rotation speed.
It worked like a whirlpool.
Slow rotation meant a wide pull-unstable, messy, dangerous to allies.
But fast rotation...
A tighter core.
A violent center.
And a smaller reach.
By forcing the Astron flow inward, compressing it rather than letting it spread, he worked desperately to reduce the vortex radius.
Sweat dripped down his face as he pushed the technique to its limit, doing everything he could to relieve the pressure bearing down on Hana-and the others.
Time was running out.
As he reached the point where even the slightest misstep felt threatening, Haruto stopped pouring in more Astrons.
The pseudo-singularity hovered between his fingers, loudly and violently rotating, its presence distorting the air around it. Maintaining it alone was draining him dry-his body screamed in protest, regeneration barely keeping pace with the strain. Yet despite that, a confident, excited grin crept onto his face.
"NOW THIS IS COOL!" he exclaimed.
In a blur, he moved.
Carrying the gluttonous singularity in his right hand, Haruto vanished from where he stood and reappeared beside the colossal wooden gate. Without hesitation, he drove his arm forward and shoved the spinning mass straight into it.
The moment of contact was absolute destruction.
The massive door didn't crack.
It didn't split.
It collapsed.
The dense gravitational pull crushed the wood inward as if it were paper, pulverizing it instantly. The rubble piled behind the door fared no better-stone shattered, splintered, and fractured under the overwhelming pressure before it could even begin to fall.
In the very next second, the debris was gone.
Every fragment-wood, stone, dust-was torn apart further and dragged screaming into the pseudo-singularity. Its black-hole-like nature devoured everything within its effective field, breaking matter down and consuming it with terrifying efficiency. The gluttonous nature of his blood amplified the effect even further, turning consumption into annihilation.
Three seconds.
Maybe four.
That was all it took.
The path ahead was no longer blocked.
It was erased.
Haruto stared forward, momentarily stunned by the empty space where an entire wall of obstruction had existed just seconds ago.
"...That worked way better than I expected," he muttered.
Before he could even begin to process it, something went wrong.
The dense orb in his hand shuddered.
Its rotation destabilized, the compression faltering as his Astron reserves dipped dangerously low. The pseudo-singularity began to unravel-violent, erratic, far harder to control.
"Ah... shit."
The moment instinct screamed at him, he acted.
Haruto hurled the unstable mass away like a grenade and ducked down, throwing himself back as far as he could.
Deprived of precise control yet still saturated with violently rotating Astrons, the pseudo-singularity lost its point of balance. Its tightly bound core bloomed outward for a brief, terrifying moment-space warping as the vortex tore itself apart.
Then-
It dispersed.
A colossal surge of energy exploded outward, not as a blast of fire, but as a crushing release of pressure. The ground trembled violently, the air screaming as it was torn and forced aside.
Haruto didn't even look back.
He felt it.
Like the world itself shuddered.
The shockwave rolled through the forest beyond the labyrinth, rippling through stone, roots, and frozen earth alike. Far away, beasts stirred in unease. Magic beasts recoiled. Even distant lands felt something-an inexplicable disturbance passing through the world.
It was dangerous.
Only now did Haruto truly realize just how reckless that technique was.
His regeneration finally caught up, knitting shattered muscle and strained bone back together, restoring his body-and even his torn clothes-as his Astrons stabilized once more.
And then-
Cold.
A brutal, overwhelming cold surged through the opening like a living thing.
Haruto straightened and took a step forward.
The moment he crossed the threshold, the world opened.
Icy air slammed into him, stealing his breath. This wasn't the damp chill of caves or ruins-it was vast, absolute, a cold that belonged to the open world itself. His breath fogged instantly, pale mist spilling from his lips and drifting away on the wind.
White stretched endlessly before him.
Snow blanketed the land as far as the eye could see, thick and undisturbed, smoothing over hills and valleys alike. The terrain rolled gently, its edges softened beneath layers of frost, as though the world itself had been muted and restrained.
Above, the sky hung heavy and gray. Clouds pressed low and oppressive, threatening more snowfall at any moment. There was no sun-only a dull, lifeless glow filtering through the overcast veil.
Silence ruled.
Ahead, a forest stood frozen in place. Tall trees rose like dark silhouettes against the snow, their bare branches weighed down by ice and frost. Not a single leaf stirred. Not a single cry echoed through the air. Even the wind moved cautiously, whispering as it passed through the frozen trunks.
No monsters.
No movement.
No presence lurking in the distance.
Winter had driven everything into hiding.
Each step Haruto took sank into the snow with a soft crunch, the sound unnaturally loud in the vast stillness. The cold gnawed at him relentlessly, seeping past resistance, crawling across skin and bone alike.
Behind him lay chaos, destruction, and blood.
Ahead lay a frozen world-quiet, merciless, and vast.
"...So this is the outside," he murmured, taking in the first breath of freedom.
That's when Haruto understood one thing clearly-
This world is way bigger than they imagined.
Hana and the others stepped out slowly, finally laying eyes on the outside world for the first time.
"Woah..." Hana breathed, her voice barely more than a whisper. "...It's... beautiful."
From the mouth of the labyrinth, the world unfolded beneath them.
They stood atop a towering cliff, the stone beneath their feet dusted with snow and frost. Far below, a vast white expanse stretched endlessly-rolling hills buried beneath thick layers of snow, valleys smoothed into gentle curves by winter's touch. The land looked untouched, pristine, as though no living thing had dared disturb it.
The forest below spread like a frozen ocean of black and silver. Tall trees stood shoulder to shoulder, their bare branches weighed down by ice, their trunks half-buried in snow. Frost clung to everything, catching the dim light filtering through the overcast sky and scattering it in faint, shimmering glimmers.
The sky itself was heavy and pale, a blanket of gray clouds hanging low, threatening more snowfall at any moment. There was no sun-only a cold, diffused glow that made the world feel distant and vast.
And above all else...
Silence.
Winter had claimed everything.
Hana took a slow step forward, the crunch of snow beneath her feet echoing far louder than it should have. For the first time since arriving in this world, she felt it-not danger, not fear.
Scale.
This place wasn't a dungeon.
It was a whole new world, waiting for them to explore.
Haruna stepped out next, freezing in place as well. Her eyes widened for only a moment before resolve returned to her expression.
"...Lord Haruto," she called.
He turned toward her. "Hmm?"
She hesitated, lips parting as if to speak-then stopping herself.
Haruto blinked, then nodded in realization. "Oh-right. Do you know where your teacher might've been taken?"
Haruna stiffened. "B-but, my lord... your Astron reserves must be nearly depleted. Don't you need time to recover?" Her voice wavered with genuine concern.
Astrons... So that's what they call it, Haruto thought, filing the information away.
Before he could answer, Hana stepped up and placed a hand on Haruna's shoulder. "Don't worry. We just need to save him, right? We'll handle it. Just tell us where they might be."
"Yeah," Haruto added with a reassuring smile. "I'll recover enough on the way. We don't need to fight-just rescue your teacher and get out."
Haruna stared at them for a moment, conflicted. Then she nodded, her expression hardening with determination.
"...There is a place," she said slowly. "My teacher once warned me about it. An outpost of the Crimson Battalion. It's unlikely... but it's possible they're holding him there."
"Good enough," Haruto replied without hesitation.
He turned toward the blood snake. "Hey. You've got an important job. Go back inside and gather all the crystals and plants you can find. I noticed a lot of energy leaking from them earlier-it'll help us recover faster. Be careful."
The snake reacted instantly, turning and slithering back into the depths of the labyrinth without a hint of delay.
Haruto then faced Hana and Haruki. "You two-see if you can find somewhere we can come back to. Somewhere temporary."
"I know," Hana cut in, already nodding. "He's probably injured. He'll need a place to rest." She smirked. "Don't worry. You can count on us. Just... don't do anything stupid, okay?"
Haruto chuckled. "Same to you."
Then he turned back to Haruna, eyes sharp and focused. "Alright. Let's go. Lead the way."
Haruna nodded once, her expression resolute, and broke into a run.
Haruto gave Hana and Haruki a quick wave before following after her, their figures soon disappearing into the frozen white beyond the cliff.
"Well..." Hana smirked as she turned to Haruki. "Let's get to work. If we finished fast, we might be able to try out what I was talking about back in the labyrinth."
Haruki, excited as ever, "Yup! Yup! Let's surprise him when he gets back!"
---
On the western edge of the great forest, a party of adventurers had assembled.
Thirteen individuals stood clad in thick furred coats and reinforced gear, their medieval weapons secured and ready. Several tamed dire-wolves waited among them, their breaths forming white mist in the frigid air. Judging by their preparation alone, this was no amateur group—they were ready for both the cold and whatever dangers lay ahead.
"Everyone ready?" the leader called out. "This expedition could take up to a week. Stay sharp. And..." He turned his gaze toward a cloaked high elf and the young boy beside him. "...no matter what happens, your highest priority is the prince's safety. Understood?"
"Yes, sir!" the group shouted in unison, weapons raised.
The leader then leaned closer to the high elf and spoke in a lowered voice. "Duke Velnard, you have nothing to worry about. I gathered the best adventurers available. Still... are you sure this is wise? Bringing the prince into the Great Forest?"
Velnard let out a slow sigh, his sharp eyes shifting to the boy beside him. Placing a firm hand on his shoulder, he spoke sternly. "Do not go anywhere without my permission. If you do, we turn back immediately. No arguments."
The boy—Prince Rudra—swallowed nervously, then nodded with determination. "Don't worry, Uncle—ah—Duke Velnard! I'll do my best!"
Velnard wasn't convinced. Not for a second.
"...Sure," he replied flatly.
Within a single day, they had gathered all the supplies necessary for the journey.
Everything had been ready.
And then—
Prince Rudra, the second prince, demanded to join the expedition.
Velnard refused immediately. Firmly. Without hesitation.
It didn't matter.
Rudra came prepared—with a letter bearing the king's seal.
That alone was enough to make Velnard question the king's sanity.
The boy wasn't even as capable as a silver-rank adventurer. Entering the Great Forest of Lunar was a task reserved for B-rank parties at minimum. If Rudra were to get separated, survival would be impossible.
But...
A royal command left no room for refusal.
Velnard could only assume the king's reasoning lay in the prince's unique skill—Preceptor. A power capable of identifying paths, outcomes, and clues. Perhaps that was why the king insisted.
And so, they moved.
As the party advanced deeper into the forest, Velnard spoke in a grave tone. "Dreuo. Have you heard anything regarding the Crimson Battalion's movements lately? Especially after Charybdis disappeared?"
The leader—Dreuo—kept his eyes fixed on the snow-covered path ahead. "Nothing concrete. But I did hear they were moving toward the Chaos Maw. Odd... but not surprising. If they managed to claim the great labyrinth, it would become an almost impenetrable fortress. With the Great Ancestor absent, resistance would be minimal."
Velnard nodded.
But Dreuo wasn't finished. "There's something else. Possibly unrelated—but I need to ask."
"Go on," Velnard said.
Dreuo hesitated, then spoke carefully. "You felt that massive burst of energy too, didn't you? Our mages confirmed its origin. The entrance to the Chaos Maw."
Velnard stiffened. "...Are you certain?"
"Yes," Dreuo replied. "We don't know if it was truly Charybdis—but caution is warranted."
Velnard's expression darkened. "Then there's a chance the ancient seal has weakened. Could the collapse of the labyrinth have been a sign...?"
Dreuo laughed and clapped him on the back. "Relax, Guildmaster. If Charybdis had truly emerged, he wouldn't settle for a fragment of power. Entire nations would've vanished the moment he stepped out."
"...Perhaps," Velnard admitted. "But you know how unpredictable the Dragon Monarchs are. Even the Chaos Dragon could have changed." He stopped himself abruptly. "...Never mind."
Dreuo smirked. "Careful, Duke. You're about to spill classified history."
Velnard sighed. "I know. I've just... not been myself lately."
"The princess?" Dreuo asked quietly.
"...Yes," Velnard admitted. "No matter how many times I warn her to prioritize her safety, she throws herself into danger. But this time... it's worse."
"I understand your concern," Dreuo said carefully. "But her actions are for the kingdom's future. Restraining her isn't exactly fair."
"That's not the issue," Velnard snapped. "It's how she does it." His fists clenched. "Every time she uses that skill, it drains her life force. She's alive only because of her high-elf blood—but even that won't save her if she uses it more than three times."
His jaw tightened. "She has the same eyes as my sister. That same innocent determination. I can't watch her suffer like this... knowing I'm powerless to free her from that curse."
Dreuo fell silent.
Duke Velnard was a high elf exiled alongside his sister decades ago. She later married the king of this nation. Fifty years had passed since then.
Her children—
Nethra Leonhart.
Rudra Leonhart.
Nethra was a prodigy. A mirror of her mother in appearance, ideals, and spirit. Trained personally by Velnard in swordsmanship and martial arts, blessed with spirit magic affinity, and gifted with a long lifespan—she became the jewel of the Leonhart Kingdom.
Rudra, though less overwhelming, was no less earnest. He admired his sister deeply and trained relentlessly, hoping one day to stand beside her as an equal.
Then everything changed.
Nethra awakened a unique skill.
A parasitic one.
It consumed her life force to glimpse possible futures—and forced itself to activate. Once a future was chosen, her body would deteriorate into illness until that outcome was fulfilled.
A terrifying power.
One that had already been used more than ten times.
And once again, they're forced to chase a future that awaited their arrival.
...