Under the moonlight, Reverse Mountain looked nothing short of magical.

    Every pastel-colored leaf shimmered in the dark, giving the forest a jewel-like appearance.

    It was not an exaggeration to call it a forest made of gemstones.

    But despite the mystical scenery, the soundscape remained eerily silent.

    Not even the faintest sound of insects, despite it being winter.

    Just standing there, the atmosphere of midnight in Reverse Mountain sent chills down the spine.

    Through this deathly quiet path, a woman walked leisurely forward.

    She suddenly stopped, looking down at a hidden device buried in the ground, and spoke into the air.

    "I was wondering why it didn''t feel as cold. You hid a device to keep the temperature from dropping below a certain level? The Fixers are quite meticulous."

    "It can''t be helped. The creatures living in Reverse Mountain can''t adapt to extreme weather. We''ve built a place for them to live, so it''d be a problem if they all froze to death."

    Despite speaking into what appeared to be empty air, a response came.

    From the shadows, an elderly man with a stern expression stepped forward.

    If any other guests of Reverse Mountain had been nearby, they would have been shocked by the sight.

    The old man was none other than Tempest, the dragon and one of the examiners of the third task.

    An unparalleled being considered the mightiest.

    In his prime, he was said to have power comparable to an emperor ruling dozens of kingdoms.

    Even now, with his strength diminished by age, he remained a contender for the title of the greatest mage.

    Having such a legendary figure wandering the test grounds would make even the most confident candidates too nervous to meet his gaze.

    "Then why not make it somewhere warm from the start? Was there any reason to build it in such a cold place?"

    "This is a rocky area considered useless land. The land was relatively cheap."

    Yet, despite standing before Tempest, the woman showed no signs of nervousness.

    Her demeanor was so calm and unaffected that it was Tempest who seemed wary of her.

    Her long hair was braided, with bangs that nearly covered her eyes. Thick-rimmed glasses framed her face, and a long skirt reached her ankles.

    At first glance, she appeared to be the epitome of an ordinary, modest woman.

    But the long eyelashes behind her glasses and the sharpness of her jawline hinted at an allure that could not be hidden by her simple attire.

    Of course, the woman''s true identity was Vespera, a progenitor vampire with blood close to purity.

    The strongest being facing the worst criminal—the Queen of the Night against the pinnacle of all creatures.

    A monster versus a monster.

    An air of solemnity hung between them as they faced off in the deep darkness.

    It was Tempest who broke the silence first.

    "So, what brings you here, Vespera? You never struck me as the type to enjoy children''s games like this."

    "Oh my, I have no idea what you mean. Perhaps you''ve mistaken me for someone else?"

    "Don''t play games. It seems you''ve used an artifact to diminish your presence, but surely you know that such tricks don’t work on a dragon?"

    His words hit the mark with perfect accuracy.

    The artifact Vespera used to hide her identity was a pair of glasses.

    An item of concealment magic that suppressed magical residue and minimized her presence.

    However, such tricks were meaningless against a dragon who could see the glow of one''s soul.

    To Tempest, it was as if the artifact wasn’t even there.

    Realizing there was no point in hiding anymore,

    Vespera took off her glasses with a smooth motion,

    And immediately, a heavy scent of blood and an overwhelming aura of killing intent filled the air around her.

    "Hmph... A troublesome old man. What bad luck to run into you here."

    This was the true progenitor, who had devoured hundreds of thousands, if not millions of lives.

    The lighthearted woman who had been playing with a white-haired girl just moments ago was gone.

    Her presence was so intense that even a being born as the apex predator, like Tempest, wasn''t overshadowed.

    Not to be outdone, Tempest also revealed his full presence, no longer holding back.

    Crackling sounds echoed as their magical energies collided in the air.

    The tension between them suggested neither would yield an inch.

    Vespera, her hair now loose and ready for battle, spoke first.

    "Wouldn''t it be better to talk this out? Dragon blood feels a bit too heavy on the stomach right now."

    "Heh, a woman who destroyed a kingdom overnight just because she felt slighted, talking about negotiation? I''d rather talk to a dog."

    "Oh dear, but the king and his people used divine power. And they called me a witch. The great progenitor being treated like that? Such a kingdom is better off gone."

    Vespera spoke as if recalling a cherished memory, her lips curling into a dangerous smile.

    It was the kind of smile so enchanting that even the strongest-willed man might fall under her spell.

    But not Tempest, who had lived twice as long as her.

    He merely crumpled his expression, as if witnessing something utterly unpleasant.

    "Enough. There’s no point in talking further. I’ll keep this brief. Withdraw from the exam immediately and leave without a sound. Otherwise..."

    "Otherwise, what? You’ll kill me? Hehe, but can you handle it, old man?"

    Rumble...!

    As Vespera and Tempest fully revealed their presence, Reverse Mountain itself seemed to tremble as if in fear.

    The air between them was taut, and it felt as though powerful magic could be unleashed at any moment.

    But just as the tension reached its peak, Vespera, who had been building up her fighting spirit, suddenly tilted her head, sensing something amiss.

    "Strange. The scent of blood that was so clear just now has disappeared. Old man, did you set up a barrier or something?"

    "Of course. If I fought a monster like you here, this entire area would be wiped off the map."

    "Hmm... Wiped off the map, huh..."

    As she pondered for a moment, the image of a certain white-haired girl flashed through Vespera’s mind.

    A girl with no magic, no extraordinary physical strength—just an ordinary-looking child.

    The thought that this girl could get caught up in their fight made Vespera suddenly lose interest.

    Her eagerness deflated like a punctured balloon, and she slowly lowered her raised arm.

    The murderous intent, which had been sharp enough to devour Tempest on the spot, also gradually faded.

    Surprisingly, the one taken aback by this reaction was none other than Tempest.

    He had expected Vespera to be the type to eliminate any annoyance immediately.

    Seeing her withdraw her killing intent so willingly was highly unusual.

    But regardless of his confusion, Vespera simply continued speaking, her tone now dull and uninterested.

    "Forget it. I don''t feel like fighting. Let''s save our bad blood for another time."

    "Does that mean... you''ll voluntarily withdraw?"

    "Nope. That''s a different story. I don’t really plan to pass, but if I decide to leave, it''ll be on my own terms. If you try to force me out... I might just kill every single examinee here and run away. You know I''m not lying, right?"

    Her words carried not a shred of falsehood.

    Of course, Vespera couldn’t defeat Tempest.

    There was a clear gap of at least one or one and a half levels of skill between them.

    But just because she couldn''t win didn''t mean she couldn’t cause damage.

    If Vespera suddenly decided to massacre the examinees and flee,

    The loss of so many candidates would tarnish the image of the Fixer Association.

    Unless they could be absolutely certain of stopping her, the risk wasn''t worth it.

    Understanding this well, Tempest scowled deeply and asked Vespera a question.

    "What... exactly do you want?"

    "I don''t really feel like telling you that... But don''t worry too much. I plan to withdraw voluntarily during the next task."

    "The next task... Don’t tell me, in the Sky Garden...!"

    "That''s a secret. Feel free to imagine, old man."

    Kyahaha!

    Vespera burst into laughter, genuinely amused, and turned to leave.

    When she first sensed his presence and was drawn here, she had been rather tense.

    But realizing he didn’t actually know anything made her delight impossible to hide.

    She was genuinely looking forward to what would happen in the Sky Garden during the fourth task.

    Her face twisted into the perfect image of a classic villain.

    Tempest, staring at her receding figure, fell deep into thought.

    Should he take the risk and force a confrontation now, or should he trust her words and leave her be?

    If she had been killing candidates, he wouldn’t have hesitated to eliminate her immediately.

    But the fact that no one had died so far, even though she''d certainly roughed them up, nagged at him.

    ''Damn it... Ideally, she would just vanish without causing trouble... Tsk, those careless fools at the Association. How could they not notice a monster sneaking into the test grounds?''

    In the end, his decision was to keep a close watch on her and observe the situation.

    Since she had already infiltrated deeply, any hasty action could lead to unnecessary bloodshed.

    Tempest let out a deep sigh, the kind that seemed to rise from deep within his chest.

    He slumped onto a nearby tree stump, muttering quietly to himself.

    "Tch... I guess I''ll have to put more effort into the fourth task and bolster security. Damn it, if she had been just a bit weaker, I’d have erased her without hesitation..."

    Only a select few Fixers had realized Vespera’s true identity.

    And thanks to the barrier that included a soundproofing spell, their conversation had not been recorded.

    This precaution was meant to prevent unnecessary chaos.

    All Tempest could hope for now was that no one would discover the truth until the situation was completely resolved.

    But was there really no better solution?

    As he continued to mull over his options, a certain white-haired girl flashed through his mind.

    "Hmm... Come to think of it, that girl had a rather unique aura. And being so close to Vespera... I suppose I’ll need to talk to her."

    If a certain white-haired girl had heard this, she might have jumped out of her skin.

    But with no one around to listen, Tempest’s words merely faded into the cold night air.