CHAPTER 214: LESS PREPARED

[DING!]

[New Threat Detected]

[Classification: Mindless Monster]

[Note: This entity has consumed multiple Monster Cores]

[Warning: Power level unstable – Behavior unpredictable]

"Tch... still not destroyed, and now it’s giving us more trouble!" Nathan instantly leapt backward, landing beside Livia.

Both of them stared at the massive crack that had just opened in the ground.

From within the snow mist—

Heavy footsteps echoed, but the rhythm was erratic.

A tall shadow began to appear.

The figure emerged through the haze.

Humanoid in form, nearly three meters tall.

Its skin was pale bluish, with dark veins faintly glowing beneath the surface.

Its chest throbbed—three cores of different colors shone wildly, as if ready to explode at any second.

Its face... blank, expressionless.

Eyes empty, only a faint swirling light moving within them.

Livia frowned. "This wasn’t in the quest details."

Nathan glanced at her, still alert. "What do you mean?"

"The system didn’t record this. Not a quest target, not the boss of this area. This is a Mindless Monster—and it’s clearly consumed several other Monster Cores."

A system panel appeared in front of Nathan:

[Detected Cores: 3 types]

[Core Energy Conflict: 78% – Instability Critical]

Nathan let out a long breath. "So even Lilith didn’t predict this?"

"Yeah," Livia replied quickly. "There’s no data on this creature."

The figure stopped a few meters in front of them.

Its head tilted slowly, as if "recognizing" the enemies before it.

Without warning—its massive hand gripped the ice beneath, and cracks raced swiftly toward Nathan and Livia.

CRAAAKK—!!!

Cracks raced beneath their feet, the sound of ice splitting like teeth grinding against iron.

Nathan instantly leapt sideways, snow spraying around him.

Livia hopped back with a light twist, her eyes never blinking away from the figure.

A heartbeat later—

BOOM!

From the fissure, a burst of wild energy erupted, scattering sparks of three competing core colors blazing in the monster’s chest.

"Damn... that’s not just unstable—it’s a live bomb," Nathan growled, raising both axes.

The monster moved.

Not running. Not leaping.

But a single long stride cut the battlefield’s distance in half.

Its shoulders dipped slightly, and with a stiff yet lethal motion, its arm swung wide—cleaving through the air.

WHOOOSHHH—!!!

The wind pressure alone shoved Nathan two steps back.

Livia held her ground, ears twitching instinctively, eyes narrowing.

"...Pure instinct, no thinking, no mortal-like flesh, mindless."

Nathan raised an eyebrow. "So it’s not stopping until one of us is dead, huh? Just like old days?"

"More or less," Livia replied, stepping closer to Nathan, her hands poised into a stance.

The monster halted again.

Its head tilted, veins on its neck throbbing harder.

The cores in its chest flickered erratically—like they could detonate any second.

The air temperature plummeted, yet Nathan felt heat surging from his own body, ready to explode in return.

Livia shot a quick glance at him.

"If you’ve got a plan, now’s the time."

Nathan glared at the monster, his jaw tightening. "Yeah... I’ve got a plan."

Livia waited—but the only thing that came out of his mouth next was, "...Survive."

BRUUMMM—!!!

Without warning, the Mindless Monster vanished from where it stood.

Not truly disappearing—but its speed was absurd for something that massive.

Snow blasted outward, cracks in the ground streaking in its wake.

"Shit!" Nathan swung his axe toward the gust of wind’s source, but—

WHAAAMMM!!

The blow wasn’t aimed at them.

Livia’s eyes flicked to the side—and widened instantly.

The Mindless Monster had slammed straight into the still-reeling Glacivorus Rex, shattering its core.

The Tyrant’s massive body was hurled away like a toy, smashing through frozen trees behind it.

The temperature plummeted.

The three glowing cores in the monster’s chest pulsed even more wildly—each throb making the air feel like it was exploding and freezing at the same time.

Nathan swallowed hard. "...Okay, I’m starting to think we’re not his first target."

"Wrong," Livia shook her head, still tense. "He wants everything in his range. Rex was just in the way."

Rex roared, but its voice was drowned out by the blast of ice from the Mindless Monster’s next strike.

Chunks of ice and snow exploded into the air, turning the battlefield into a blinding white storm.

Livia glanced at Nathan again. "We stay in that storm, we die."

Nathan gave a quick nod. "Then we move—now."

The next ice blast nearly sent Nathan flying, but Livia had already grabbed his arm.

"We’re going to a hiding spot," she said quickly.

Nathan glanced back at the raging white storm. "A hiding spot? You actually have one?"

Livia shot him a brief look, her eyes sharp despite her cheeks flushed from the cold.

"Where do you think I get the ice flowers I use to preserve meat?"

Nathan’s grin spread wide. "Ohhh... the meat you fed me that time—"

"Shut up." Livia’s tone was firm, cutting him off. "Follow me."

Without waiting for a reply, she leapt toward the side of the battlefield where an icy cliff loomed, her movements swift and light despite the snow reaching up to her knees.

Nathan let out a short breath, then chased after her, axes still clenched tightly in his hands.

The sound of the two monsters clashing still echoed behind them, each impact sending tremors that dislodged chunks of snow from the cliff walls.

But Livia never looked back.

She kept her focus solely on the path ahead—toward a dark crevice hidden between massive blocks of ice.

----

LILITH’S DOMAIN

The control room was dim, lit only by the violet glow of dozens of system panels floating in the air.

At the center, Lilith stood with her back straight, her gaze fixed on one screen showing Nathan and Livia sprinting through the raging snowstorm.

[NOTICE]

[Operator Override Detected]

[Warning: Assigned Deployment Zone Incorrect]

The system’s voice resonated, flat and precise:

"Lilith. Based on initial analysis, Nathan should have been deployed to the Desert Area. Monster population there: lizards, reptiles, and the majority can be easily killed with Nathan’s current capabilities."

Lilith raised an eyebrow, a faint smile curling her lips. "Easily killed? Then what’s the point of me shaping him into a Commander?"

The system paused before replying.

"Initial protocol: ensure the subject’s survival rate. Probability of survival in this zone is only fourteen percent."

Lilith walked slowly, her fingers trailing along the transparent panel displaying Nathan’s vital data.

"Fourteen percent is enough. If he can’t conquer this zone, then he doesn’t deserve to lead."

"Lead...?"

Her eyes narrowed, lips leaning closer to the panel as if whispering a secret.

"He will become my first Commander. The only one who will lead the army before the Dimensional War begins."

The system flashed a red warning.

[High Risk of Asset Loss]

Lilith’s smile widened.

"This isn’t a risk. It’s the fastest investment to turn him into the strongest. And that war... is getting closer."

-----

Back in the Frozen Expanse

Nathan and Livia finally reached the narrow crevice in the ice wall.

The moment they slipped inside, the temperature shifted—still cold, but steady.

Inside, rows of frost flowers shimmered along the walls, casting a faint bluish glow.

Nathan gave a faint smile. "So this is the place..."

Livia only scoffed, walking deeper without looking back.

Outside, the white storm still raged—and far above, beyond an unseen screen, Lilith watched... and smiled.

The moment they stepped inside, the air within the ice cave shifted—still cold, but no longer the bone-piercing chill of the outside.

The bluish glow of frost flowers reflected off the walls, casting strange silhouettes behind Livia as she walked ahead.

Nathan, still steadying his breath, finally spoke.

"Livia... just how insane is the Dimensional War? I mean, I know that the losing dimension gets erased and its energy absorbed by the winner, but..."

He shrugged. "I’ve never heard the details from someone who’s actually lived through it."

Livia didn’t answer right away. She traced her palm along the ice wall, as if gauging the strength of its structure.

"Of course it’s terrifying," she said flatly. "It’s not just a battle... it’s annihilation. A planet that loses leaves nothing behind—no souls, no history, no name. Everything becomes pure energy for the victor."

Nathan gave a short snort. "Sounds like the biggest life-or-death gamble there is."

"It is," Livia replied. "And on every planet, only seven official Commanders lead the war. The rest are merely supporting forces... or fodder."

Nathan raised an eyebrow. "In Rabielm, how do they choose those seven?"

"Tournament," Livia said without hesitation. "Fight until one dies or surrenders. One arena, one winner. No luck, no shortcuts. Only those who can truly survive are recognized."

Nathan stared at her intently. "And... on Earth?"

Livia let out a light scoff, her gaze lowering slightly. "I don’t know. It even looks... ridiculous. Strange panels, the ’Tower,’ and... Hunters? It’s bizarre. As if your selection is pre-programmed, but... no one really loses."

Nathan fell silent. Her words itched at the back of his mind. Tower... Hunter... a programmed selection...

He looked down at the slick ice floor, as if searching for an answer there.

"...So all this time, we’ve just been playing in a training arena?"

Livia turned her head, locking eyes with him for a long moment.

"If that’s true... then Earth is far less prepared than I thought."