“Impressive strength.”

Taesan stood beneath the rift, his senses sharper than ever, heightened by his growth since the last return.

For the first time, he could faintly discern the presence of the Gatekeeper guarding the rift.

The energy emanating from the Gatekeeper was immense, oppressive even at this distance. If it were a mere fragment or its main body, it didn’t matter–the Gatekeeper was at least at the level of an Old God.

“Could I win against that?”

The answer was uncertain. The likelihood of defeat seemed higher than victory. It was an opponent of that magnitude.

[You’re not planning to fight it anyway, right?]

“True.”

The Guardians had brought the discs that could seal the rift semi-permanently. If that succeeded, there’d be no need to fight the Gatekeeper. The plan was to seal it off entirely without confrontation.

“Still, I should prepare for the worst-case scenario.”

[By the way, those Guardian guys are causing a ruckus. Acting like they own the place. You’re really not going to step in?]

“Doesn’t matter.”

Taesan’s voice was indifferent.

“They’re just couriers. Let the players handle it.”

* * *

“Ugh…”

The Guardian lay crumpled on the ground, twitching.

He struggled to comprehend what had happened. He recalled the woman raising her arm, and the next thing he knew, he was on the ground.

“Ugh… ah…”

The man groaned as he tried to rise. His legs almost gave out, but he managed to stabilize himself by clinging to the wall.

“Oh, good. You’re alive.”

Lee Taeyeon’s voice carried a note of relief.

“I wasn’t sure if I held back enough.”

“You… you… what did you do to me?”

The man’s mind, still hazy, worked to piece together the situation. He arrived at a crude conclusion.

This woman had attacked him.

His face contorted with rage.

“You wench! What did you do to me?”

“I told you no.”

“You–! You!”

His voice rose in anger, attracting the attention of those nearby.

“What’s going on?”

“What happened?”

Among the gathering crowd were other Guardians.

“What’s the problem?”

“This woman!” The man pointed at Lee Taeyeon, trembling with anger.

“She attacked me!”

“What?”

The Guardians’ faces hardened. Slowly, their hostility turned toward Lee Taeyeon.

“Ugh, this is annoying.”

Lee Taeyeon remained unfazed, her expression one of mild irritation.

There was no fear, no tension–just pure annoyance, as if she had stepped into a puddle on her way somewhere.

“What’s going on here?”

Akrasian entered the scene. The injured Guardian rushed to him, explaining the situation in heated tones.

After listening, Akrasian’s face twisted in displeasure.

“So that’s what happened.”

His gaze landed on Lee Taeyeon, sharp and full of disdain.

“I had intended to show leniency since this is a world under the Great One’s care. But it seems I’ll need to enforce strict discipline.”

“He came at me first. How is this my fault?”

“Of course, it’s your fault.”

Akrasian spoke as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“We came down to this world to save you. It’s only natural that you do whatever is within your power to aid us. To refuse that is sheer insolence.”

“Ah…”

Lee Taeyeon sighed.

“You really haven’t changed, huh.”

Akrasian gestured, and the surrounding Guardians closed in on her.

‘Perfect timing.’

For strict discipline and absolute order, an example was always needed. Akrasian intended to use Lee Taeyeon as that example by thoroughly crushing her.

“You’re quite strong,” he acknowledged, his tone patronizing.

“But not nearly strong enough to challenge us. Let me show you what happens when someone dares oppose a Guardian.”

“This is such a hassle…”

Lee Taeyeon still showed no signs of fear, only annoyance.

“Mind if I step in?”

A clear voice broke the tension.

Amelia strolled into the scene, taking a position next to Lee Taeyeon.

“Amelia?”

“You seem annoyed. Should I take care of this for you?”

“Fine by me.”

Lee Taeyeon agreed readily, and Amelia’s smile grew wider.

Akrasian, who had intended to dismiss Amelia initially, frowned when he recognized her.

“It’s you.”

The woman who had mocked their strength earlier.

“Perfect. I’ll deal with you first.”

“You think you can?”

Amelia smirked. Akrasian’s lips curled into a sneer.

“I know you’re strong. Perhaps even as strong as me.”

Akrasian drew his sword.

“But I’ve saved countless worlds and defeated countless monsters. Someone like you could never compare to me.”

“Enough talk. Come at me.”

Amelia waved him forward with a flick of her fingers. Akrasian growled, baring his teeth as he lunged.

He moved fast–too fast for an ordinary person to follow. His blade swung with precision, aiming for Amelia’s vitals.

She remained motionless, unbothered even as the blade approached her.

Akrasian felt certain of his victory.

Boom!

Akrasian’s body slammed into the ground with a thunderous impact.

“What…?”

“Well, this is disappointing.”

Amelia dusted off her hands.

“I thought maybe there was something special about you. Maybe some kind of power I couldn’t sense. I even allowed myself a tiny bit of hope.”

She looked down at Akrasian, her face a mix of boredom and disdain.

“But it turns out… you’re just weak, aren’t you?”

***

“Ugh, ah…”

Akrasian staggered to his feet, his legs trembling as he swayed unsteadily. His eyes darted around, unfocused, his mind a chaotic mess.

He had no idea what had just happened.

When his senses returned, he found himself buried in the dirt.

He couldn’t even perceive Amelia’s movements. As he slowly pieced things together, his face twisted with rage.

“…Witchcraft!”

Desperation filled his voice as he convinced himself that Amelia had used some kind of cowardly sorcery. With this as his only explanation, Akrasian lunged at her again.

Amelia extended her hand.

Snap.

The blade he swung so ferociously was caught mid-air.

“Y-you…”

It was as if a toddler was flailing a twig. Amelia had overpowered him with embarrassing ease. Before he could process this humiliation, her fist swung.

Crash!

Akrasian’s body collided with the ground, pain rippling through him as he rolled away.

“You… you… YOU!”

Fighting back a grimace, Akrasian clenched his teeth and tried to suppress the agony coursing through his body. The situation was incomprehensible.

“I am the leader of the Guardians! Akrasian, savior of countless worlds!”

“And?” Amelia’s response was indifferent.

“Guess the worlds you saved were weak,” she said with a shrug.

“You insolent–!”

Akrasian’s furious roar shook the air as he issued an order.

“All of you! Kill her!”

“Yes, sir!”

The Guardians charged as one, a tide of soldiers rushing toward Amelia.

Amelia smiled–a feral grin full of exhilaration.

“Finally, now this feels right.”

Hundreds of Guardians stormed toward her. Amelia calmly clenched her fists, her smile widening.

Boom!

The battlefield erupted as the players gathered nearby bore witness to an overwhelming scene: one woman against hundreds.

And yet, it wasn’t a contest.

Crack!

Armor shattered. Staves snapped. Desperate swings of swords failed to scratch Amelia’s equipment, and the fireballs they hurled vanished with a casual wave of her hand.

It wasn’t a battle. It was a massacre.

Kim Hwiyeon stared in disbelief.

“This… what is this…?”

Diana’s voice cut through, calm and steady.

“I told you. There’s no need to listen to them.”

“Those Guardians aren’t weak–they’re more than capable of saving certain worlds. But you’re stronger. Much stronger. You’ve been underestimating yourselves.”

Diana gestured toward the chaotic battlefield.

“An S-class monster is enough to devastate a planet. Even if every living being on that planet worked together, they’d still stand no chance against it. But here, Lee Taeyeon can defeat such creatures alone.”

“The universe is vast,” Diana continued. “Many planets don’t have gods, dragons, or immortals to protect them. On those planets, a few hundred B-class monsters are enough to cause extinction.”

“Wait, just a hundred?” Kim Hwiyeon’s eyes widened.

Diana smiled faintly. “That’s what an ordinary world looks like. You’re simply too powerful to see it that way.”

The labyrinth’s trials had conditioned them otherwise. Across the entire universe, only the rarest of talents could surpass the 50th floor. Even Spirit Kings and Archmages often stalled at the 70th.

But here on Earth, even mid-level players had surpassed those boundaries. Taeyeon wasn’t the only monster; Amelia, though quieter about her prowess, was another force of nature.

“You’re among the strongest groups in the universe,” Diana concluded. “Your environment’s challenges were so overwhelming that you mistook yourselves for weak.”

The players, forged by unrelenting adversity, had grown to rival the Guardians’ so-called saviors in sheer might. It was a reality both stunning and humbling.

Meanwhile, the battle came to a swift and decisive end.

Boom!

Hundreds of Guardians lay crumpled on the ground, their pride and bodies shattered. Amelia stood at the center, her breathing even, not a scratch on her.

“Done.”

Dusting off her hands, she casually glanced at the defeated soldiers.

What came next was inevitable.

The Guardians fell silent, no longer daring to speak out. Some clung to their wounded pride, their voices shaking.

“We are the saviors of worl–”

“Shut up already,” Amelia cut in, smacking one across the back of the head and leaving him unconscious.

Power had established its hierarchy. The Guardians, for all their arrogance, now understood the difference in strength. They weren’t so foolish as to challenge it again.

Amelia sighed in satisfaction.

“Should’ve beaten them up earlier. That was cathartic.”

With the matter settled, the group resumed their march. The Guardians, once revered, were now ignored entirely. Despite their anger, they knew better than to act out again.

Monsters fell, one by one, as Minerva cleared a path across the sea.

And finally, they reached the rift.

“Wow…”

“It’s massive…”

The rift loomed before them, an unfathomably large gash in the sky. It was vast enough to engulf all of Greenland and more, an ominous void that defied comprehension.

The players felt a chill run down their spines as they stared upward.

And there, waiting beneath it, stood Taesan.

“You’re here.”

“Yes.”

Taesan’s gaze flicked briefly toward Akrasian. The defeated Guardian leader bowed his head in shame.

Taesan spared him no further thought.

“Prepare yourselves.”

With those words, the players began readying their equipment and forming ranks.

Moments later, the quest notification appeared.

[Special Quest: Begin the Sealing Ritual.]

[Reward: Rewards will vary based on performance upon returning to the labyrinth.]