The Imperial Palace had changed.
The days of celebration and peace had disappeared.
Even within the palace walls, the shadow of war could be felt.
Yet for a brief moment, King Mark allowed himself a small moment of peace.
He walked through the Imperial Garden beside his wife.
The flowers were still blooming.
The fountains still flowed.
The birds still sang.
It was strange.
The world outside was suffering, yet this small part of the kingdom remained untouched.
His wife looked at him.
"You seem troubled."
Mark smiled faintly.
"A king is always troubled."
"Even now?"
"Especially now."
Before she could respond, the sound of footsteps interrupted them.
A soldier approached.
He immediately bowed.
"Your Majesty."
Mark's expression became serious.
"What is it?"
"Lady Irene has arrived."
The peaceful expression disappeared.
Mark already knew why.
"She requests an audience."
Mark looked toward his wife.
"I will handle this."
His wife nodded.
"Be careful."
Mark gave a small smile before leaving.
The moment Mark entered the palace study, he saw her.
Irene.
His younger sister.
The strongest knight of the kingdom.
But today, she was not wearing her usual armor.
She wore a new design.
A set created by the combined efforts of the kingdom's alchemists and dwarven craftsmen.
The armor was lighter.
Stronger.
And embedded with magical circuits.
A weapon designed for the new era of war.
Mark looked at her.
"You have already started using it?"
Irene ignored the question.
Her eyes were filled with anger.
"The expedition beyond the Wall has stopped."
Mark sighed.
"Yes."
"And you accepted this?"
"Irene..."
"No."
She stepped forward.
"Do you understand what this means?"
"The lands we purified are being corrupted again."
"The Demons are advancing."
"And we are sitting behind a wall."
Her voice became sharper.
"How long do you think we can continue defending?"
Mark remained silent.
Because he knew.
She was right.
But being right was not enough.
"The Demon we encountered changed everything."
Irene's expression hardened.
"I know."
"That is why we must attack before they gather more strength."
Mark looked at her.
"You saw the reports."
"One Demon nearly destroyed an entire army."
"We lost hundreds."
Irene clenched her fist.
"And how many more will die if we wait?"
Silence.
Mark had no answer.
After a moment, he spoke.
"The Border is not being abandoned."
"Lucian is there."
Irene froze slightly.
Then her anger returned.
"Lucian."
"He would also think this is wrong."
Mark looked toward the window.
"Yes."
"He would."
After Irene left, Mark remained in the room.
He stared at the reports.
The Demon invasion.
The Dark.
The corrupted lands.
Everything was connected.
Finally, he turned toward the shadow guard standing nearby.
"What does Lucian think?"
The shadow guard lowered his head.
"The Vice Commander believes the current strategy is inefficient."
Mark closed his eyes.
"I see."
Then he whispered.
"If only Henry was here..."
The room became silent.
Far away, within the Elven territory...
A different war was being fought.
Not with swords.
With knowledge.
The Elven Research Hall was one of the most protected places in the continent.
The reason was simple.
The future of the war was being decided there.
Irwin stood inside the research room when a messenger arrived.
"Lady Irwin."
The elf bowed.
"We received another report."
Irwin looked up.
"What happened?"
"A leader of the Dark has appeared."
Her expression changed.
"Where?"
"North of the Elven mountains."
"A remote village."
"The village has been taken over."
Irwin immediately picked up the report.
The Dark.
Even though the official search had been stopped due to the Demon threat...
She never stopped.
There were five known leaders.
And now, one of them had revealed himself.
A priest.
A high-ranking member.
Irwin's eyes narrowed.
"Prepare a team."
The village was silent.
Too silent.
The scouting team moved through the streets.
They found the truth.
The villagers were alive.
But imprisoned.
Locked inside cages.
The Dark had chosen this place because it was isolated.
No one noticed.
No one came.
Until now.
The shadow soldiers moved.
Quietly.
Quickly.
The twenty Dark followers guarding the village never realized what happened.
One moment they were standing.
The next...
They were dead.
The soldiers moved toward the center of the village.
The chief's house.
But as they approached, their equipment reacted.
The Dark mana detector began increasing.
Slowly.
Then rapidly.
A soldier looked at it.
"This is not normal."
The building was filled with darkness.
Two soldiers entered.
A few seconds passed.
Then—
BOOM!
Their bodies were thrown outside.
The soldiers immediately prepared themselves.
The door opened.
A man stepped out.
Large.
Muscular.
With a huge smile on his face.
A massive sword rested on his shoulder.
"I was wondering when someone would come."
He laughed.
"My name is Ickar."
The leader of the Dark looked at them.
"Finally, some entertainment."
The soldiers attacked.
All at once.
But Ickar moved casually.
A single swing of his sword.
The soldiers were pushed back.
Another attack.
Another soldier fell.
He was not just strong.
He was overwhelming.
Every strike carried Dark mana.
Every movement destroyed their formation.
The soldiers struggled.
Yet Ickar did not notice something.
Behind them.
A group was preparing something.
A device.
A cannon.
Created from the research of the Elves and Dwarves.
Irwin watched from behind the formation.
Beside her stood an elf researcher.
"Will it work?"
The elf looked uncertain.
"We have the theory."
"The calculations are correct."
"We tested it."
Then he looked at the weapon.
"But this is the first time using it on a true Dark user."
Irwin nodded.
"Then we find out."
She raised her hand.
"Fire."
The cannon activated.
A brilliant white light exploded.
The battlefield turned white.
Ickar stopped.
For the first time...
His expression changed.
The light struck him.
His Dark mana began disappearing.
The armor around him cracked.
The massive warrior collapsed.
But he was alive.
His body was covered in burns.
The elf stared.
"It worked..."
Then he frowned.
"Not perfectly."
Irwin looked at him.
"But he fell."
The elf smiled.
"That is true."
Ickar was captured.
And brought to the Elven Palace.
The secret research facility continued its work.
This was where the continent's strongest magical researchers gathered.
The reason was the high mana density of the Elven lands.
And the Evergreen Machine.
A device capable of drawing natural mana from the environment.
Here, they studied.
Demonic energy.
Dark mana.
Light mana.
Every possible method to fight the Demons.
Meanwhile...
Somewhere hidden.
A room existed.
A table.
Six chairs.
Five occupied.
One empty.
The leaders of the Dark gathered.
The atmosphere was tense.
"Ickar was captured."
One leader spoke.
"He acted alone."
Another replied.
"He always does."
"He said he was bored."
Silence.
Then the person sitting at the largest chair spoke.
"Enough."
The room became quiet.
The true leader of the Dark looked at them.
"We do not have time for this."
His voice was calm.
"Bring Ickar back."
His eyes moved toward one woman.
"Tena."
She bowed.
"Understood."
The leader then looked toward the map.
The Elven Palace.
"The humans have started using the Light."
A faint smile appeared.
"Then it is time."
Everyone looked at him.
"Time for what?"
He answered.
"To take the Elven Palace."
The room became silent.
The next battle had already begun.