Elizabeth blinked once.

"...And what continent is—"

"Will you please shut up?" Arthur snapped.

His voice came out hoarse, raw with exhaustion.

"I almost died several times today. I don’t want to answer any more questions. Just know that we’re safe. For now."

Before Elizabeth could retort, a familiar chime echoed in Arthur’s mind.

Ding!

[ Temporary SS-Rank Enhancement duration has ended. ]

[ Removing Temporary Attribute Boost... ]

[ Removing Temporary Mana Amplification... ]

[ Removing Temporary Bloodline Enhancement... ]

A wave of weakness slammed into him.

Arthur felt his strength drain away all at once, as though someone had yanked the floor out from under his soul.

[ Applying Enhancement Penalty... ]

[ -10 Years Lifespan ]

[ Host has returned to original rank. ]

[ Current Rank: B-Rank (Tier 3) ]

His muscles turned to lead. His bones ached deep within the marrow. The suffocating, divine power he had just wielded faded as though it had never existed, leaving behind only a hollow, exhausted shell.

He gritted his teeth and rode out the dizziness.

Then another notification appeared.

---

╔══════════════════════════════════════╗ ║ QUEST COMPLETED ║ ╚══════════════════════════════════════╝

Absolute Choice Quest: "The King Who Refuses to Kneel"

Status: [Completed]

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Conditions:

✓ Survive.

✓ Protect Yuna Akatsuki.

✓ Break the Imperius Family’s plans.

✓ Turn the tables on the Imperius Family.

✓ Make the Imperius Family fear the consequences of opposing you.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Evaluation:

Perfect Completion

The Imperius Family has acknowledged you as a threat.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Reward Granted:

◆ S-Rank Talent: Beast Tamer

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Installing Talent...

10%... 30%... 60%... 100%

Installation Complete.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

[S-Rank Talent: Beast Tamer]

◆ Increased affinity with beasts. ◆ Easier beast contracts. ◆ Faster beast growth. ◆ Hidden evolution paths revealed.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Talent Acquired:

[S-Rank Talent: Beast Tamer]

---

Arthur managed a small smile.

’S-Rank talent, huh... not bad,’ he thought.

The smile faded quickly as another wave of weakness washed over him. The terrifying aura that had filled the forest moments before vanished completely. His limbs felt numb. His vision blurred.

He sprawled on the ground, too drained to hold himself upright.

Beside him, Elizabeth gently laid Yuna down on the grass.

"Arthur," Elizabeth said, her voice tight, "it’s not looking good for Yuna."

Arthur forced his eyes open.

"Her body temperature is spiking at an abnormal rate," Elizabeth continued. "I’m also afraid one of her arms might be gone forever. She’s been crippled."

Elizabeth’s gaze moved over the burns, slashes, and bruises covering Yuna’s body.

"It looks like she was fighting for a very long time," Elizabeth said. "These injuries are fatal. A normal person would have died long ago."

She exhaled slowly.

"I’m surprised she’s even alive at this point."

Silence.

"Arthur?" Elizabeth called.

No answer.

She looked over.

Arthur’s eyes were half-closed, his breaths shallow. When Elizabeth touched his forehead, heat burned against her palm.

His body was burning up as well.

The injuries he had suffered—Adrian’s pressure, Lucas’s attacks, and the backlash from his own power—were worse than she had allowed herself to acknowledge.

"Arthur, can you listen to me?" Elizabeth asked. "Arthur."

"Will you stop... talking?" Arthur muttered.

He fumbled with his spatial ring.

A small vial clinked into his hand.

He held it up weakly.

Inside was a golden liquid that shimmered faintly, as though tiny stars swirled within it.

Elizabeth’s eyes narrowed.

"What’s this now?"

"It’s called the Elixir of Life," Arthur said. "An S-Rank item. I got it from Queen Eliana as a reward... in the Ashford Empire."

He swallowed, his throat dry.

"It can heal any injury... even regenerate lost limbs," Arthur continued. "Give it to Yuna. I won’t let anything happen to her. No matter what."

Elizabeth stared at him.

"Are you sure?" she asked. "The injuries you’ve sustained are also life-threatening. And I don’t think you have any more of these elixirs."

She gritted her teeth.

"And you realize that if something happens to you, I’ll die as well—"

Arthur’s voice turned cold.

"Stop your endless yapping and do what I said," Arthur cut in. "Do you think I care about you right now?"

Elizabeth’s mouth twitched.

"Annoying bastard," she muttered under her breath.

She pulled the cork from the vial.

A rich, sweet fragrance filled the air, tinged with something ancient and wild. Elizabeth turned toward Yuna, who lay motionless, her lips slightly parted, breathing shallow and uneven.

"She’s in no condition to drink it," Elizabeth said quietly. "Looks like I’ll have to administer it myself."

She lifted the vial to her lips.

In one smooth motion, she drank the potion, allowing the golden liquid to fill her mouth. It burned pleasantly along her tongue, radiating warmth.

Then she leaned down.

Elizabeth pressed her lips against Yuna’s.

Gently and carefully, she tilted Yuna’s chin and fed the elixir to her mouth-to-mouth, allowing the liquid to flow into her throat little by little. Yuna’s body twitched faintly in response, swallowing on instinct.

From where he lay, Arthur watched the two beautiful women so close together, their hair mingling and their lips touching.

"Damn it all..." Arthur mumbled. "I can’t even feel my body. Otherwise, it would’ve been me instead of her..."

The system’s dry voice echoed in his mind.

[ Even at death’s door, you’re still a pervert, huh? ]

Arthur’s mouth twitched.

He didn’t bother responding.

Elizabeth pulled back once the final drop had been passed on. A thin line of golden liquid glistened at the corner of Yuna’s lips before being absorbed.

"My perverted master," Elizabeth said, glancing at Arthur, "I finished the treatment, but I don’t see any changes in her body."

Arthur frowned weakly.

"What, did the queen scam me...?"

Before he could finish the thought, it happened.

Golden light burst from Yuna’s body.

It began as a faint glow, then intensified rapidly, wrapping her in a cocoon of radiance. All of her wounds began healing at once. Deep gashes knitted closed, leaving behind smooth, unblemished skin. Bruises faded. Burned flesh regenerated.

Bones reset.

Torn muscles rewove themselves into perfect alignment.

Elizabeth stepped back, her eyes wide.

Even Arthur stared, stunned into silence.

Then the most impossible part began.

From Yuna’s severed shoulder, light gathered.

Flesh and bone sprouted from the stump—first the faint outline of a skeletal structure, then layers of muscle and tendon, and finally skin. Fingers formed, nails capping each one. In mere seconds, an entirely new arm grew in place of the one she had lost.

The golden glow slowly faded.

Yuna lay there, breathing calmly, both arms whole, her body looking as though it had never been touched by battle.

Only the shredded clothes and dried blood remained as proof.

Arthur let out a rough laugh that turned into a cough halfway through.

"So it was the real thing after all..." Arthur said. "You’re so lucky to have a disciple like me, Master."

His breathing grew more ragged.

"Damn it," Arthur muttered. "I’m going to lose consciousness at this rate..."

He turned his head slightly, looking around the forest.

’This place...’ Arthur thought. ’I’ve seen it before in the game...’

The realization sparked and faded as another wave of fatigue crashed over him.

Then he felt it.

Multiple presences entered his perception—swift, light, and controlled. The forest shifted as leaves rustled and branches bent while figures moved toward them from different directions.

Elizabeth sensed them too.

She shifted her position, placing herself between Yuna and the approaching signatures, her crimson eyes sharpening.

Shapes emerged between the trees.

Graceful silhouettes.

Long ears.

Elegant movements.

Arthur forced his eyes open one final time.

He saw a figure stepping out of the foliage—tall, ethereal, with elongated ears and a breathtakingly beautiful face. Behind that figure, more similar individuals followed, their gazes wary and curious.

’Elves...’ Arthur thought.

Then darkness swallowed him as he finally lost consciousness.

---

Elsewhere, within the TCO headquarters, the atmosphere was far more relaxed.

Inside a luxurious dining room, Sakura sat at a grand table, calmly enjoying her meal. Fine dishes covered the linen cloth, and soft music played in the background.

"It should be coming any time now," Sakura murmured between bites.

As if on cue, her phone buzzed.

She wiped her fingers, picked it up, and answered.

"I knew you were going to call," Sakura said, a smile touching her lips. "Everything happened exactly as I foresaw. Arthur has dug his own grave."

The voice on the other end said something.

Sakura’s gaze sharpened.

"Don’t worry," she replied. "I know where he is. And I can deliver him to you."

She tapped her fingers lightly against the table.

"But," Sakura added, "you know there is a price for everything."

The voice spoke again.

The smile on Sakura’s face widened, becoming almost playful.

"It will be a bit troublesome," she said. "I’ll have to involve myself directly. But it will be done. Don’t worry."

She ended the call and set the phone down with a soft click.

"Looks like it’s time for me to join the game," Sakura said to herself.

She leaned back in her chair, her eyes glinting.

"Oh, Arthur," Sakura whispered. "You will pay for all the damage you’ve caused. Just wait. No matter what kind of board you’ve set up, I can see through everything."

Her hand slowly closed into a fist.

"And soon," Sakura said, "I’ll bury you with my own two hands."

As if on cue, the door opened.

A brown-haired girl walked in swiftly and bowed.

"Lady Sakura," she said. "How may I be of service to you?"

Sakura looked up at her.

"It’s time for us to make a move, Olivia," Sakura said. "We’re traveling to another continent."

Olivia nodded without hesitation.

"Understood," she replied.

As new players had already begun stepping onto the board.