UPS

After defeating the so-called Rhadamanthus, Baldwin stood in place for a moment, surveying the ruins around him. The once-magnificent chamber lay in shambles—cracked walls, a shattered throne, and debris strewn across the floor. His gaze shifted toward the massive door that still stood tall, seemingly untouched.

"You deserve to be destroyed too."

Without hesitation, Baldwin clenched his fist and struck the door with a single, devastating punch. The impact sent a shockwave through the structure, reducing it to splinters and dust. He waited, expecting the labyrinth to collapse as a result, but nothing happened. The realization made him click his tongue in annoyance.

"Tch. What a disappointment."

With that, he sank into the shadows once more, traveling effortlessly toward the exit. As he emerged outside, he noticed that the atmosphere had returned to normal. The eerie sky that loomed over the battlefield had given way to clear blue, and the oppressive energy that once choked the air had vanished. It was as if the battle had never happened—except for one thing.

The field was littered with the remains of the monstrous army. Some had already turned into black smoke, dissipating into nothingness, but many others lay lifeless on the ground, their bodies sprawled in grotesque positions.

Baldwin stepped forward, prepared to absorb them into his shadow, when he suddenly heard movement. A large group was approaching, following the trail of fallen beasts.

"Ah… this is a pain. They're already discovering the bodies. Guess I'll just let them find this massacre on their own."

With that, he swiftly concealed himself behind one of the few trees that had miraculously survived the battle. As an added precaution, he cloaked himself in shadows, blending seamlessly into the darkness.

For a while, he remained hidden, contemplating whether he should escape entirely instead of waiting here. However, his train of thought was interrupted when he spotted a man emerging from the treeline.

The figure was clad in a navy-blue uniform with a red insignia on his shoulder, his attire resembling that of a high-ranking officer. A moment later, more soldiers in similar uniforms appeared behind him, though their outfits lacked the red insignia. Baldwin recognized them immediately.

"Cornell Alex… Figures he'd show up."

As the soldiers began inspecting the dead beasts, more individuals entered the area—this time, dressed differently. Their uniforms were earth-toned, blending with the natural surroundings. At first, Baldwin couldn't immediately identify them, but when his sharp eyes focused on their right shoulders, he saw the emblem clearly:

"UPS."

Soldiers from the infamous UPS faction had arrived.

UPS was widely known for its government system. They had introduced a new form of dictatorship across the world—strict, absolute, and unlike any other. In fact, they were the first and only nation ruled entirely by a dictatorship. Their stance was clear: they were staunch opponents of monarchies and harbored an intense hostility toward gods. Religious institutions were completely banned within their borders—no temples, no churches, no shrines.

Despite this, the Red Moon Empire had no direct alliance with UPS. However, their closest ally, the Xing Fu Empire, was aligned with UPS. This made things complicated—technically, by extension, the Red Moon Empire could also be considered an ally of UPS.

Meanwhile, Ranch Republic and UPS had an official alliance, one founded on shared interests. UPS, as a radical human-led state, stood against traditional society, against divine rule, and against what they deemed "superstitions." Despite their strong ties, UPS had never crossed into Ranch Republic territory without authorization. Their border policies were strict, and travel between the two nations was highly regulated.

But now, it seemed things had changed. UPS and Ranch Republic soldiers were here—together.

The UPS forces had arrived with two scout teams, totaling around 12 to 15 soldiers. As for the Ranch Republic, their own scouts numbered around 10 to 12.

From among the UPS ranks, a man stepped forward. He was dressed in a long, earth-colored overcoat, adorned with two red-green badges on his chest. His long black boots crunched against the dirt as he walked, his thin-framed glasses reflecting the dim light. A thin, elegant longsword rested at his side, secured by a black belt. But what stood out most was his hat, decorated with a dragon and sun emblem—a symbol of UPS authority.

Despite his slender build, his presence carried weight.

As he reached the Ranch Republic soldiers, he raised his hand in salute—a sharp, precise motion, fingers touching the top of his ear.

"Ishaan Roy, Third Border Guard, Second Captain of the UPS," he announced in a calm, measured tone.

A man in a navy-blue uniform with a red insignia on his shoulder returned the salute.

"Alex Cornell, Captain of the Ranch Republic State."

The two men dropped their hands simultaneously.

Ishaan spoke first. "Cornell, we didn't find anything unusual except footprints and crushed trees. The tracks show that the beasts were all converging toward this exact location."

Captain Alex nodded. "We followed the same trail, and it led us here."

A heavy silence fell over the group as they took in the massacre before them.

Over 200 beasts lay dead.

The sheer scale of the slaughter was difficult to process. Ishaan scanned the area, then turned to his men.

"Inspect the bodies."

His soldiers quickly obeyed, moving through the carnage.

For a long while, the only sounds were footsteps and murmurs of assessment. Then, something changed.

Alex noticed something unsettling in Ishaan's eyes. A flicker of disbelief.

Ishaan dropped to the ground, running his fingers across the dirt. Unlike Alex, he wasn't just examining the corpses—he was inspecting the battlefield itself.

At first, Alex had assumed the creatures were low-tier beasts—nothing worth overthinking. He had noticed that many lacked beast crystals, but for weaker creatures, that was normal. Most low-tier monsters didn't even have cores.

But Ishaan wasn't looking at the small ones.

He was standing before several massive creatures—bodies that dwarfed the rest.

Curious, Alex approached him.

"Captain, you've been standing there a while," Alex said, his voice laced with amusement. "What, did you find a hidden treasure or something?"

But when Ishaan turned to face him, his expression was not amused.

It was fear.

"Cornell… these are King-Tier Beasts."

Alex froze.

"What…?"

Without another word, Ishaan reached into his coat and pulled out a pink beast crystal.

At that moment, Alex understood why Ishaan looked so shaken.

He shifted his gaze back to the massive corpses, his eyes tracing their forms carefully. Then, Ishaan spoke again, his voice low and grave.

"Cornell… look at the bodies. Look at the way they're positioned."

Alex took a step forward, scanning the battlefield more closely. And then, he saw it.

The bodies weren't facing toward an enemy.

They were angled away—as if they had been trying to run.

And most disturbingly…

There were no human footprints anywhere near them.

Yes, Baldwin could hear everything.

From his hidden spot, he observed the soldiers as they inspected the battlefield, exchanging theories, trying to make sense of the massacre. They had no clue what had truly happened—no idea that a single person had wiped out an entire army of beasts without leaving a single footprint.

Baldwin waited patiently, his crimson eyes gleaming beneath the cloak of shadows. The day stretched on, the sun creeping higher into the sky, marking the slow crawl of afternoon.

Minutes turned into hours.

By late afternoon, the soldiers finally finished their investigation and began leaving the area.

As the last one disappeared from sight, Baldwin stepped forward, emerging from the darkness. He dusted himself off, stretching his arms before letting out a low chuckle.

"Humans really have no idea what can be done with ability and magic."

A smirk crossed his lips.

Someone was searching for him. Far away, but not far enough. And their presence... was familiar.

Baldwin's eyes gleamed as he felt the familiar presence in the distance. A slow smirk stretched across his lips.

"Looks like I need to go closer to you."

Without hesitation, he sank into the shadows, his form dissolving into the darkness. The world blurred around him as he moved—swift, silent, unstoppable.

Whoever was searching for him… they wouldn't have to wait much longer.