Inside the imperial estate of Luspel Empire, the imperial family’s magic tower that the imperial family’s magicians resided in existed.

And right in front of that magical tower, there was a large empty lot, and this spot was the location where the imperial family’s magicians tested large-scale magic as well as the place where they cased AoE Teleport magic.

And currently at this spot, including Ian and the Lotus Guild members, hundreds of royal knights of the imperial family stood there.

“So, you’re saying only a total of 100 people can be moved, right?”

“That’s right, Viscount Ian.”

“That’s a little iffy…”

AoE Teleport was high-rank magic that could teleport several people to a designated coordinate all at once.

The fact that it needed an enormous amount of mana was an obvious, and because whenever the number of people that needed to be moved increased or if the distance grew further, the required mana increased exponentially, so it was also restrictive magic.

“Still, I think it was a great idea that we found out the coordinates of Sky Highlands that time.”

At Hellaim’s words, Ian nodded his head.

“No kidding. Since it is an advantage that we can even move to Sky Highlands all at once.”

After promoting to a Viscount, even Hellaim, the leader of the royal knights of the imperial family, he treated Ian like an aristocrat.

That was quite satisfying.

Ian turned and looked at Herz.

“Yoohyun, by the looks of it, I think it would be best to just stick in about 10 people from our guild.”

“Hmm… Then do the rest of the people need to join with the empire expedition and come as the second party?”

If there was a limit of 100 people for moving, then it was definite that it should be formed with the strongest fighting power.

Since they have no idea what kind of dangers will lurk in the central continent.

The guild members of the Lotus Guild that applied for the expedition were mostly over lv 110, but by the look of it, compared to the lv 150-range royal knights of the imperial family, it was the truth that they were weak.

Ian was planning on taking a couple executives including Herz and Fiolan that were close to or over lv 120.

‘If I join the advance party this time and go over, then I’ll be able to obtain a huge amount of EXP… But since there’s no meaning if I just grow alone now.’

Ian and Herz carefully selected the ten people that would join the advance party in the AoE Teleport.

This was because if all of the executives just joined, then there would be no one to lead the second party.

“Let’s have Kroban hyung1 and Carwin lead the second party then.”

At Ian’s words, Kroban nodded his head.

“Okay, we’ll do that.”

“And drag over all the soldiers that are over lv 100 amongst the soldiers in Ollibus Domain and Lotus Domain as well.”

At those words, Kroban asked back with a slightly worried expression.

“Then wouldn’t it be a little dangerous for the domains?”

“No. Since there isn’t a single domain affiliated with Kaimon Empire around us anymore now anyways, and even so, the Defensive Power of the domain isn’t weak enough to suffer from a weak guild that doesn’t even have a territory.”

When the northern continent first opened up, because guilds affiliated with either empire took over bases all at the same time, a couple of territories affiliated with Kaimon Empire existed even around the Lotus Domain.

However, as time passed, eventually all of the territories closely located with Luspel Empire were taken over at last by high-rank guilds affiliated with Luspel Empire or the Luspel Empire’s expedition and had found stability.

You could say that something like an empire border had formed even in the northern continent.

In a situation like this, the territory wars that Lotus Guild needed to be careful of were challenges from guilds that were affiliated with Luspel Empire as well who didn’t have territories yet, but the Defensive Power of the Lotus Domain had gotten to a point that it could block off a challenge like that without much difficulty.

At Ian’s words, Kroban nodded his head as he replied.

“Alright. Then, take care, Viscount Ian.”

Kroban grinned as he responded, and the slightly untidy premises were organized quickly and accurately.

“Alright, then shall we go now?”

As about 100 people were evenly lined up in the vacant lot, Ian sent a signal to the chief magician, and along with that, a large magic square began to be drawn.

Whoong-.

Because it was a marvelous scene that the Lotus Guild members, excluding Ian, were seeing for the first time, all of their eyes rounded.

“Ooh, this is cool.”

At Herz’s words, Ian burst out into laughter.

“It won’t be that cool in a moment.”

“What do…?”

However, before he could finish speaking, Herz was able to find out what Ian’s words meant.

Piiing-!

Their sight was engulfed in a white flash of light as it began to spin.

In the middle of the dizziness that hit him without a forewarning, Herz cried.

“Argh, you should have told me sooner!”

And shortly after.

The advance party of 100 people that were lined up in the wide, open space disappeared from the spot like a mirage.

* * *

The place that the advance party had teleported to was the Sky Altar that the Griffins were hatched at.

The advance party of 100 people began to appear one by one on top of the altar, and the ones that arrived first were Ian and Kaizar.

“It feels so new. To think that I would step foot on this land again.”

To Kaizar, who was looking around his surroundings and mumbling in a low voice, Ian asked with a puzzled voice.

“Retainer, it seems you’ve come here before.”

Ian’s words had grown slightly shorter and shorter.

Ian, who was slightly nervous even after speaking, examined Kaizar’s reaction, but it looked as if he didn’t care much.

“10 years ago. Before the judgment of the Kailan Goddess was made, this place was hell.”

“Hmm…?”

“Each and every day was a series of war, and Luspel and Kaimon struggled in order to swallow each other up. The result of that, there was even a time their Capitals were in danger as well.”

Ian had asked without much thought, but after hearing Kaizar’s story, he was moved by interest.

“But retainer, didn’t you say you were a commoner? How did you end up fighting for Luspel Empire’s side?”

After Kaizar unsheathed his sword and held it up, he moved forward with big strides as he answered.

“I was a mercenary.”

“I see.”

However, at that moment, while looking at Kaizar who was about to jump down out of the altar, Ian was taken aback.

“No, retainer! How can you just move alone like that? I’m telling you, this is Sky Highlands.”

Ian had already experienced the fears of Sky Highlands.

Ian, who remembered the Pachyao, the lv 180-range giant desert tiger, and the Teranodon, the lizard that was close to lv 200, stopped Kaizar, but Kaizar wasn’t fazed.

“Lord guy, do you know?”

“What?”

“That the meat of the Pachyao is that delicious. I’ll grill it for you a little later.”

“…”

With a whoosh, Kaizar jumped down outside of the altar, which was about 3-4 floors high of a building.

Ian shook his head, and during that time, all of the people arrived at the altar.

Hellaim approached Ian as he asked.

“Viscount, where did Kaizar go?”

At that, Ian let out a deep sigh.

“He says that he wants to eat Pachyao meat.”

“…”

Kaizar wasn’t someone that Ian could control anyways, and as Hellaim also knew that well, he didn’t say anything else.

“But, Sir Hellaim.”

“Please ask, Viscount.”

“Kaizar… It wouldn’t be dangerous for him to go out alone, right?”

Ian speculated that Kaizar and Hellaim’s forces were similar.

As he wasn’t able to check Hellaim’s level yet, it wasn’t accurate, but based on the two people’s relationship and circumstances, he was able to speculate like that.

However, from what Ian remembered, even Hellaim moved carefully in this Sky Highlands, he had asked.

Hellaim, who figured out Ian’s mind, laughed as he replied.

“There probably will not be an existence that is dangerous enough for Kaizar or me in Sky Highlands at the least. Relax. Last time, I needed to protect the Griffin egg, so I just moved carefully.”

“Ah-ha…”

And Hellaim, who had turned around, let out a command to the knights that were lined up before they realized.

“We will enter the central continent as fast as possible.”

* * *

“Huhuhut, Euhahahat!”

A black robe that was long enough to drag along the ground, as well as a staff with a dark light at the end that let off a dark energy.

Kanjihoonie, who calls himself the strongest Black Magician, wore a nervous expression as he stepped foot into the Sky Desert that was in front of his eyes.

‘The first one to have discovered Sky Desert is probably me, right? Keuheuheu… I wonder what will come up as the reward for the field’s first discoverer.’

Kanjihoonie, who was way ahead of himself, calmed his pounding heart and checked the message window.

And a system message popped up.

However…

• You have entered Sky Desert.

• Due to the hot and dry climate of the desert, your movements have been slowed by 1%.

Hoonie wore a flustered expression.

“I’m… Not the first?”

In an instant, a sense of loss flooded in.

“No, I even timed it with the update and received a hidden quest like this, but how could there be someone that has come here before me?”

However, just then, a dark shadow slithered and appeared next to a complaining Hoonie.

• What are you doing, Hoonie? The master of darkness is waiting. There is no time.

“Understood. Don’t rush me, Ballam.”

Surprisingly, the thing that appeared next to Hoonie was an undead of a Black Magician’s dreams, one that took on the form of a Death Knight.

However, a slightly different point was that the normal Death Knight’s body was a dark light, whereas the shadow that appeared next to Hoonie was one that was equipped with dark and gold light at the same time.

“I just need to find the ancient grave of Shikar, right?”

At Hoonie’s words, Death Knight ‘Ballam’ nodded his head.

• That’s right.

“What about the location?”

• The ancient ruins of Shikar. You need to enter the central continent.

Hoonie nodded his head.

“Understood. Let’s go quickly.”

However, Ballam, who was about to move forward, suddenly stopped in his tracks.

• Hoonie, enemies have appeared at the front.

“No kidding. They’re monks.”

Exactly like their name, monks were monsters that took on the form of a Buddhist monk.

But that didn’t mean they were actual Buddhist monks, or in other words, human-like monsters, but rather monsters that had the appearance of a mummy.

Seu-seuk- Seu-seu-seuk-

Tons of monks shot up from within the desert sand.

The monks were strong monsters that started from lv 130 and were as high of a level as the latter half of the lv 140s, but Hoonie didn’t look like he was even the least bit intimidated.

While fidgeting with the black bracelet that was on his wrist, he shouted out the starting words.

“Revengeful spirits of the resentful deceased… Beg for the strength of the desert and dedicate yourself!”

As he did so, as if they had become living organisms, the sand of the desert rose up into the air and began to take shape.

And that became the form of a ton of skull soldiers and they began to fill up the desert.

“Keuheuheut, as expected. The power of the Immortal is great.”

While looking at the hundreds of desert skull warriors that charged towards the monks, Hoonie laughed darkly.

A fixed play that felt so cringeworthy.

However, Death Knight Ballam, brilliantly did his part in Hoonie’s such fixed play.

• That’s right. The strength of the Immortal is great. Hoonie, I believe that you will build the empire of darkness up again.

Hoonie nodded with a determined expression.

“Of course, Ballam. I, Hoonie, will continue the maintenance of the Immortal and tinge this ground with darkness.”

While the two master and servant(?) seriously held a theatre of situations, the skull soldiers of the desert that were summoned with the power of the Immortal were magnificently facing the monks.

Hoonie watched that scene with a pleased expression as he began to move his feet.

And behind him, Death Knight Ballam followed him quietly.

However, they didn’t know.

That soon, an incredible disaster(?) named ‘Ian’ would approach them…

1 hyung = what a younger male calls a close and

/or related, older male