“Crazy bitch.” Anastasia cursed as she healed her disciple’s destroyed body. Victoria was sleeping deeply from exhaustion. Looking at her face, Anastasia let out a deep sigh. She knew best what her disciple was feeling.

Victoria hadn’t been able to do anything because she was drowning in guilt. When she finally got back to her daily life, she always looked depressed. For the last hundred years, Anastasia had only seen her disciple act shamelessly, and she hadn’t seen her behave like this in a long while.

When Victoria had thrown a tantrum saying she needed to save Kahn, Anastasia didn’t help her and locked her up in a room instead, worried that she would go insane. Anastasia didn’t want to see her one and only disciple become a crazy bitch, but she had ended up that way in the end, regardless. There was nothing Anastasia could do but scold her as she puffed on her pipe.

『Victoria.』 At that moment, a breeze silently gathered and took the form of a human. Rebecca settled down and held Victoria in her arms to console her old friend. After some time passed, Victoria slowly opened her eyes.

“Are you awake? You little…”

“T-Teacher…”

“Bitch.”

“Sorry.”

“You did a cute trick with the Adamantine Nova.”

Victoria couldn’t look Anastasia in the eye and dropped her head. “I was worried that it would be stolen…”

“Fine. I understand that was a real danger. But you’ve made things tricky even for me.” When Anastasia had checked the Adamantine Nova, she’d been almost scared to death. A spell to bind the item had been carved on it. If it went past a certain distance away from Victoria, it would explode immediately. Also, it would take some time to release the binding. It meant only one thing: ‘Even in that state, she’s gonna help out that Kahn bastard or whatever his name is.’

Anastasia was going to scold her again but in the end, she just sighed and took the pipe out of her mouth. White smoke spread around her. The two didn’t say anything for a while. Victoria’s head hung low, and Anastasia just kept her pipe in her mouth. Then, Anastasia spoke up again. “So.”

“Yes?”

Anastasia shouted in an annoyed voice, “Do you feel better after going through all that?!”

Victoria smiled bitterly. “A bit…”

“Haa. You pushover.” The smoke wrapped around Anastasia and then disappeared. “Still, if you feel a bit better now, that’s good. But no more.”

“But Teacher—”

“No means no.” Anastasia cut her off. She wouldn’t allow any more rebellion. It seemed like she would forcibly hold Victoria back if she didn’t listen.

Victoria clenched her teeth. She had stalled for time on behalf of Kahn, but that was all she’d accomplished. She still hadn’t rescued him, and he was probably still fighting more players. Her eyes fell on the Adamantine Nova.

Anastasia had said that the binding spell was tricky for her, which meant that, for the time being, Victoria was the only person who could use it. Anastasia wouldn’t be able to stop her.

‘Wait. Then how did Cain’s subordinate use it?’ At first, she had thought that the spell had been a failure. She was extremely curious, but she decided to leave it aside and think about how she could activate the Adamantine Nova. If she could escape and create a temporary tool with it…!

Anastasia was about to shout at her disciple, who clearly hadn’t given up hope yet, but at that moment, Yeon-woo stepped through the doorway. “That’s enough, Victoria.”

Behind him, the Ice King followed with an awkward smile.

“Why didn’t you kill him? I’m sure I told you to cut off his head and send it back to Iron Lion,” Anastasia scolded Cain, making the Ice King’s expression turn sour.

Anastasia didn’t care, and she took her anger out on Yeon-woo. The Ice King had hurt Victoria, and of course she would be furious to see him. However, Yeon-woo firmly shook his head.

“No. He’s promised to help us from now on.”

“How do you know that?”

“We made a pledge.” They had made a soul contract by pledging on a demon’s name. If either of them broke the contract, the demon would take their soul. The Ice King sighed. He’d agreed to the contract because the other option had been death. It wasn’t much of a choice.

Anastasia put her pipe in her mouth, still dissatisfied. “Anyway. So?”

“I learned the reason behind what’s going on.”

“The reason?” Anastasia looked curious.

Yeon-woo sighed at the thought of having to repeat everything the Ice King said, but he began explain the fight for Bian studies. As soon as the words “Ruyi Bang” and “successors of the Monkey King” came up, Anastasia’s eyes grew bigger.

Since she’d been alive for a thousand years, she knew many secrets of the Tower, including the Ruyi Bang pieces. At the time, she just thought it was just a strange game the Monkey King had left behind, but now, it had unexpectedly involved her.

When Yeon-woo finished explaining, Anastasia looked at Freesia as if for confirmation. Freesia silently nodded, standing there like there was nothing else she had to add. Anastasia’s expression hardened further. “So Kahn played this bitch?”

Victoria shut her mouth, and Yeon-woo answered for her. “Probably not.”

“You said that Blood Sword or whoever set everything up to gather pieces, no? That means he conned this bitch.”

“Someone is probably using Kahn.” After listening to the Ice King’s explanation, Yeon-woo had managed to piece together the clues. The first clue was the letter that had turned into ash from Holy Fire and produced the words “Help me.”

In the Tutorial, Kahn had headed to Arangdan even knowing that his life would be in danger. However, this time, he had requested help. When Yeon-woo thought about it, it seemed like Kahn had been making hints even at the Monkey King’s Palace.

Kahn had stared at the rock that had the Seventy-Two Bian inscribed on it as if looking for something. He’d tried to say something to Yeon-woo several times, only to catch himself.

Yeon-woo hadn’t pressed him, thinking that Kahn wasn’t ready to share yet. He thought Kahn would explain everything to him someday. However, if Kahn had been ready to speak but was under some restriction, Yeon-woo’s easygoing attitude hadn’t helped matters.

It was clear that Kahn didn’t want help for himself.

“It’s been a while since we’ve split up.” Doyle was practically Kahn’s brother, but Kahn had said this so casually.

Could he have been asking Yeon-woo to help someone else? ‘Doyle.’

[Athena looks at you with sad eyes.]

It was the first message to pop up ever since he left Tartarus.

‘Please don’t pity me.’ Yeon-woo rejected her gaze.

[Athena looks at you with sad eyes.]

Yeon-woo ignored Athena’s message and shared his theory.

“And your proof?”

“I have none.”

“How do you expect me to believe…”

“You don’t have to believe me.”

Anastasia raised an eyebrow in disbelief. “What?”

“I wasn’t saying it to convince you. I only came to tell Victoria.” Yeon-woo ignored Anastasia’s glare and turned to Victoria, who was staring blankly at him. “It’s only a theory, but I don’t think I’m wrong. What do you think, Victoria?”

“I think…you’re right.”

“And it’s probably the Devil Army pulling the strings and threatening Kahn.”

Victoria silently nodded and clenched her fists. When she had met up with Kahn, he only asked for help and nothing else. Yeon-woo’s words made her head feel like it was clearing up. The Kahn she knew was definitely someone who would throw his life away to protect someone special.

“So, it’s not just the people here who you need to deal with if you want to help Kahn; you also need to fight the Devil Army. You might become an enemy of all the rankers here.” Fighting a clan like the Devil Army wouldn’t be easy unless you were one of the Nine Kings. However, Yeon-woo was prepared to do it.

Victoria quickly checked the magic power that remained in her body. Thankfully, Anastasia’s monstrous power had almost completely healed her. She would have difficulty fighting, but she could still support Yeon-woo from behind. She thought that he had come to ask for her help.

“So…” Yeon-woo began.

Anastasia was clearly thinking the same thing as Victoria because she was about to remove the pipe from her mouth to respond when Yeon-woo finished his sentence. “Please stay here.”

“What?” His words were completely unexpected.

“If you step up, you’ll only be in more danger.” He was telling her to stay here because she would only be a burden. He was only telling her about Kahn so that she wouldn’t chase after him if he disappeared.

Victoria bit her lower lip. The fact that she couldn’t be of any help reminded her of the time when she was powerless on the Five Mountains of Penances. However, Yeon-woo only turned away now that he had told her his intention. Before he left, he said that he would return with Kahn soon.

* * *

“Seseung-nim.”

“Stupid bitch.”

After Yeon-woo left, Victoria clenched her teeth and thought for a while before she called out to Anastasia. However, Anastasia didn’t say much and just put the pipe back in her mouth. As her only disciple, Victoria understood what she meant.

“Thank you.” Victoria bowed and put a shirt on to leave. The Adamantine Nova followed her like a tail as she ran out the door.

“Can you let her go like that? She’s the first child you’ve ever felt affection for.” Freesia had been standing silently in the back, but she couldn’t help asking. Her wooden mask covered her expression, but her eyes were curved and her voice sounded like she was smiling.

Not liking Freesia’s attitude, Anastasia frowned and pulled out her pipe angrily. “She’ll do what she needs to do. How long do I have to take care of her?”

“You’ve changed, Anastasia.”

“I don’t know who she takes after with that stupidity. Tsk! I should’ve stopped her when she said she was going to do that weird Sadhu thing.” Despite her harsh words, Anastasia’s voice was filled with concern. “No teacher who can beat their disciple.” Through the smoke, Anastasia’s eyes were preoccupied. “And nothing is as scary as a woman blinded by love.”