A Sudden Restlessness
The island was called Bluesand, named after its striking blue-colored beaches. Unlike Silverflower and Greenmoon Islands, it was untouched by demons and free from strange phenomena like eternal frost or green moon.
It was a small island, barely worth mentioning on the grand stage of the world. Only a single Legendary-level powerhouse resided here, and its resources were scarce—hardly suitable for mages or knights seeking cultivation. That said, its breathtaking weather attracted even high-ranking Golden Knights, who often brought their families here for a peaceful holiday.
Edric had only one reason for choosing this island—it was the closest escape from Greenmoon Island.
He needed to get away. Fast.
Bluesand Island was the best option.
"With so many Extreme and Absolute-rank spells, do I really need to be afraid of the Flicker Empire?" he wondered. The answer came immediately.
"Yes!"
Despite his impressive skills, they provided little direct combat power. His newly acquired ability to wield Abyssal Power was also mysteriously suppressed.
"This island is quiet. The population is low, the weather is perfect, and there are few strong individuals here. I can lay the eggs and complete the 'Ancestor of a Nation' mission without interference."
Ten million descendants. The number was staggering. Even at a rate of 10,000 births a day, it would still take years.
"I can complete all three tasks at once—give birth to children with the demonic bloodline, pass down dark magic talent, and raise them. It's not difficult at all. And at the end of three years, I'll have three Ultra Chests!"
Excitement burned in his eyes.
"After getting three Ultra Chests, I can upgrade my magic talent to Legendary, complete the Gate of Abyss task, and earn another reward. Then, when I return to Greenmoon, I'll be in a much better position to crush the Demon King of Greed's influence!"
The plan was simple—because it had to be.
There were too many unknowns. A detailed plan would shatter the moment something unexpected happened. Edric preferred broad strategies that allowed him to adapt rather than rigid blueprints doomed to fail.
And so, without hesitation, Edric set foot on Bluesand Island, searching for the perfect place to begin his mission.
...
Her name was Gisela.
She had simple blonde hair, a face with unremarkable features, a thin figure, and wore plain, ordinary clothes.
From a distance, one might mistake her for a normal girl—just a 15 or 16-year-old with nothing special about her.
But nothing could be further from the truth.
She was anything but ordinary.
Gisela was one of the highest-ranking mages in the entire Flicker Empire. A Super Mage.
She looked no older than fifteen, yet her true age stretched back fifteen thousand years. To her, mortals were like bubbles—appearing and vanishing in mere moments. Their fleeting lives held no weight in the grand scheme of things.
Her perspective on the world was incomprehensible to ordinary people.
Mortals viewed the world through countless lenses—good and evil, man and woman, oppressor and oppressed, brave and cowardly, kings and slaves.
To her, such distinctions were laughable.
None of it mattered.
Good or evil. Man or woman. Ruler or servant. Courageous or cowardly. All were insignificant in the face of the greater truth.
The Abyss.
To her, the world was not a battle of nations, ideologies, or morality.
It was simply the Abyss versus everything else.
This was the only truth.
For fifteen thousand years, her entire existence had revolved around this one struggle.
The Abyss had always sought to corrupt and infiltrate this world, and for generations, the Flicker Empire—alongside other great empires—had successfully held the invasion at bay.
But lately… Gisela was worried.
There were two Demon Kings of the Abyss who had always been the most persistent in their attempts to breach this world—
The Demon King of Greed and the Demon King of Weirdness.
The Demon King of Greed was still in the Abyss, tirelessly hammering against the barriers of reality, seeking a way in—and always failing.
The Wall still held.
But the Demon King of Weirdness…
It had stopped.
No movements. No attempts at infiltration. It had simply fallen into a deep sleep.
By all logic, this should have been a cause for celebration. One less Demon King actively trying to break through meant an easier battle.
But Gisela—a Super Mage—felt no joy.
Lately, she had been restless.
Something was wrong.
And she had no idea what it was.
Even though she had no evidence, Gisela felt it.
Something was going very, very wrong.
She had checked the World's Will, inspected the Wall, and ensured that everything was functioning as it should. But no matter how many times she verified, the unease would not go away.
No matter what method she used, she couldn't find the source of this dread.
"Could I be wrong? Could my senses be failing me?" she thought to herself.
But she knew better.
Gisela possessed Absolute-Rank mage talent. More than that, she had a second, invaluable gift—Sixth Sense.
It had saved her life more times than she could count.
This ability wasn't just some vague intuition—it was a true premonition of disaster, a warning of impending danger, whether to herself or those she cared about.
When she was still a Mythic or Ultra-Rank Mage, her Sixth Sense merely told her when someone intended to harm her.
But now…
Now, as a Super Mage and one of the Flicker Empire's most senior figures, this feeling meant something far worse.
Because at her level, there were very, very few beings in the world that could even threaten her.
Unless several of the world's great empires joined forces to attack the Flicker Empire, there was nothing else that should be able to make her feel like this.
That was why, for the last ten thousand years, her Sixth Sense had remained dormant.
Because there was nothing left to fear.
But then, a few years ago—the feeling returned.
This time, it was far worse than anything she had ever experienced before.
She had thought about it for a long time, analyzed every possibility. And in the end, there was only one conclusion.
Someone, most likely the demon king of weirdness, must be very close to breaking through the Wall.
The Wall was the only thing keeping them at bay.
Even Absolute-Rank powerhouses like the Demon Kings couldn't exert much influence in this world as long as it remained intact.
But if they found a way around it…
If they could bypass the suppression of the World's Will…
If they managed to exert Absolute-Rank battle strength in this world…
It would be a catastrophe beyond anything in history.
The Flicker Empire didn't have a single Absolute-Rank powerhouse.
It had relied on the Wall for protection.
But now, for the first time, Gisela was no longer certain it was as impenetrable as she had once believed.
She had searched for years.
For any sign, any clue.
And she had found nothing.
Nothing at all.
Except for one thing.
A single clue.
She opened a letter.
"The Knight Order requests the Mage Order to provide one Ultra-Rank Mage for the purpose of solidifying demon suppression formations around the southern islands in the Silver Ocean."
This was the clue she had been searching for.
Gisela investigated further and discovered that local forces had reported the appearance of a demonic creature in that region. However, by the time the Super Knights arrived, the creature had already vanished.
Demonic outbreaks were not uncommon.
Every year, some lesser demons managed to slip through the cracks, but as long as they weren't Ultra-Rank or above, they weren't a major threat. These incidents were usually handled by Ultra-Rank or Super-Rank Knights.
They didn't require the attention of a Super Mage.
Super Mages were far rarer than even Extreme-Rank Knights.
Yet this demonic outbreak was different.
Because when the Super Knights recovered remains from the site and examined them, the results were clear—
The traces belonged to the Demon King of Weirdness.
The Demon King that had been dormant for decades.
And now, suddenly, it had left its mark in the southern islands of the Silver Ocean.
That was all Gisela needed to know.
She would not send an Ultra Mage.
She would go herself.
She had to see it with her own eyes.
She still hoped her Sixth Sense was wrong.
But if it wasn't…
If her instincts were right…
Then she would have to do everything in her power to stop what was coming—
Before it was too late.
Because if she failed—
The entire world would be in danger.