“What are you doing here.”

Ice-cold tension drips from Park Hyun-a’s voice.

Simultaneously, magical power surged within her body.

She was preparing to cast magic at any moment.

“I’m a guest. I received a request to protect the city.”

Sara Dunphy said while sipping her tea.

It was a casualness completely out of place with the situation.

“You expect me to believe that?”

“I’m only stating the facts.”

Park Hyun-a’s aura gradually becomes more ferocious.

It was such a fierce presence that ordinary people would break into cold sweats and collapse just by being nearby.

At that moment, the servant, sweating profusely, stepped between the two.

“Hero, please calm down. What this person says is true.”

“What?”

“Ms. Sara Dunphy here is a guest invited by the lord.”

Park Hyun-a narrowed her brows and glared at the servant.

“The Lord of Milfton invited that woman?”

“Yes. He entrusted her with the city’s defense in case you failed to defeat the undead army.”

It was an interesting story.

Calling upon the undead to defend against the undead.

The lord probably didn’t know that Sara Dunphy herself was undead.

On the surface, she just appeared to be an exotic beauty with bronze skin adorned with brilliant jewels.

Given her skill, she could thoroughly conceal her demonic energy.

“Has the misunderstanding been cleared up? Fire mage, Park Hyun-a.”

“Even if that’s true, it doesn’t change the fact that we’re enemies.”

Park Hyun-a growled.

“How uncold-blooded for a mage. Well, that violence was your identity and charm.”

Sara Dunphy continued speaking with a faint smile.

“This is the land of a human lord who has nothing to do with this. Are you saying you want to fight me in such a place?”

“Tch…”

Park Hyun-a clicked her tongue and turned her head away.

In fact, she knew too.

That they couldn’t fight here.

The moment Sara Dunphy and Park Hyun-a clashed, disaster would strike the Milfton territory.

The aftermath of the battle might affect the entire territory.

This was especially true for battles between mages.

There could be thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of innocent casualties.

‘Right. If she had intended to fight, she wouldn’t have called out like this.’

Sara Dunphy had called out to the passing group who knew nothing.

Despite having plenty of opportunities to ambush them, she didn’t, suggesting her purpose was conversation.

Park Hyun-a decided to listen to what Sara Dunphy had to say.

“So what? Do you want to talk? I’m not really in the mood.”

“Today, I don’t have business with you.”

Sara Dunphy raised her hand to point at Choi Hyun-seok who was behind them.

“My business is with that warrior over there.”

Everyone’s attention turned to Choi Hyun-seok.

Choi Hyun-seok pointed at himself with a puzzled expression.

“Me…?”

“Yes. Hero with strong willpower. Would you spare me some time?”

“Umm…”

Choi Hyun-seok looked around at his companions.

It would be dangerous to accept blindly, not knowing what dangers might await.

But he couldn’t ignore it either.

He was curious about why she specifically pointed him out, and crucially, this was an opportunity to gather information about Sara Dunphy, a powerful enemy they might have to fight again someday.

“I know what you’re pondering.”

Sara Dunphy rose from her seat.

She raised her hand to her chest in an elegant motion.

“I swear on my name, Sara Dunphy, that I will not harm you.”

“With just a promise like that…”

“Though it may not seem like it, I once led countless people as a Queen of a nation. The weight of these words is not light.”

Sara Dunphy said with a serious expression, wiping away her smile.

Park Hyun-a, who had been watching, patted Choi Hyun-seok’s shoulder.

“Go ahead.”

“Is it really okay?”

“There are many fools in this world who live and die by promise.”

She glanced at Sara Dunphy and continued.

“I can tell what kind she is. She’ll keep her word.”

“I understand.”

“While you’re at it, find out what you can. You know what I mean?”

“Of course.”

Choi Hyun-seok nodded and approached Sara Dunphy.

Sara Dunphy nodded again with a faint smile.

“Shall we take a walk then? I’ve noticed while being here today that the garden is truly beautiful.”

Overwhelmed by her dignity and atmosphere, Choi Hyun-seok silently nodded and followed behind her.

***

Choi Hyun-seok and Sara Dunphy walked through the garden in silence.

After a few minutes passed.

Unable to bear the awkward silence, Choi Hyun-seok spoke first.

“What is your business?”

At that moment, Choi Hyun-seok, who was about to say ‘What do you want’, used more polite language.

Although he had consistently used informal speech with enemies, Sara Dunphy emanated an inexplicable aura that made it difficult to address her casually.

“I was very impressed watching you in the last battle. Your spirit and fighting will to face strong opponents without shrinking back. Your strong willpower too. You possess all the virtues of a warrior.”

“Compliments won’t get you anywhere special.”

Choi Hyun-seok said with a slight smile.

Sara Dunphy smiled back and slowly shook her head.

“I’m not particularly trying to win your favor. I’m just saying what I saw and felt.”

As they talked, the sunset had completely faded.

The sunset glow had disappeared and blue darkness was descending in the sky.

Along with this, the garden’s magical lamps began to shine brightly.

While the sunset-dyed garden was nice, he thought the night garden illuminated by lights was beautiful too.

“Actually, there was one more thing that truly impressed me.”

Sara Dunphy stopped and turned around.

Her golden eyes reflected Choi Hyun-seok’s face.

“Though briefly, I saw it. You handling a mysterious power.”

“Mysterious power?”

“I’ve investigated this era in my own way. An era where magical power, demonic energy, and holy power coexist. But the power you wielded was different.”

“…”

“That purple energy you used. That elegant yet mighty power instantly captivated me.”

Now he could understand what Sara Dunphy was talking about.

‘She saw the Nobilrace.’

The fighting technique Nobilrace that combines magical and demonic energy.

When using it, purple energy emanates.

It seemed Sara Dunphy had seen that.

“Was it this kind of power?”

Just then, purple energy was released from Sara Dunphy’s fingertips.

Choi Hyun-seok’s eyes widened, and he shouted without realizing it.

“How!?”

The purple energy of combined magical power and demonic energy.

This power, which Choi Hyun-seok jokingly named ‘Original magical power,’ isn’t something just anyone can handle.

No, nobody should be able to handle it.

Because it was impossible to possess both magical power and demonic energy simultaneously in the first place.

The prerequisite itself was something no one but Choi Hyun-seok had achieved.

Naturally, there couldn’t be anyone else who could combine the two.

“How can you handle that power? Don’t tell me the undead can handle both magical power and demonic energy simultaneously?”

“Hmm, what are you talking about?”

Sara Dunphy tilted her head slightly.

The purple energy at her fingertips dispersed like smoke.

Choi Hyun-seok continued with an urgent expression.

“Isn’t that power something that can only be used by combining magical power and demonic energy!?”

“What are you saying? This power isn’t anything like that.”

“What…?”

Sara Dunphy and Choi Hyun-seok looked at each other with expressions of mutual incomprehension.

Sara Dunphy was the first to break the silence.

“This isn’t just energy combined from magical power and demonic energy. It’s something higher than that. A power closer to the origin.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Could it be… You didn’t know?”

Choi Hyun-seok unconsciously nodded.

It was natural.

It was a power that appeared when combining magical power and demonic energy.

There couldn’t be any other case.

“Then… By forcibly gathering two powers with different properties, you naturally ascended to their origin… So that’s how it happened.”

Sara Dunphy, who had been muttering something to herself, nodded as if understanding.

“Interesting. Truly remarkable luck and talent.”

“Wait. This is too much to follow, please explain.”

The goal of extracting information from Sara Dunphy had long since disappeared.

Right now, Choi Hyun-seok’s mind was completely filled with thoughts of needing to know about the purple energy.

Fortunately, Sara Dunphy seemed to have no intention of hiding anything about it and began explaining.

“This is literally the power that is the origin of everything. I learned about it thanks to you.”

“By origin, you mean…?”

“The power before it split into magical power, demonic energy, and holy power. You could call it pure energy.”

Choi Hyun-seok asked again as if trying to confirm what he had heard.

“So. Magical power, demonic energy, and holy power all started from this purple energy. Is that right?”

“That’s right.”

“What evidence is there…”

“The fact that I just handled that purple energy is evidence. As you said, if it were energy combined from magical power and demonic energy, shouldn’t it be impossible for me to use it?”

Currently, only demonic energy can be sensed from Sara Dunphy.

If the purple energy was a power combined from magical power and demonic energy as Choi Hyun-seok had assumed, it would create a contradiction.

There was only one hypothesis that could explain this current phenomenon.

That as Sara Dunphy said, the purple power was the origin of everything.

If so, it would also explain how she could handle the purple energy.

It was because she had discarded the properties of demonic energy and drawn out the power that was its origin.

“Everything is just speculation, but this is what I think.”

Sara Dunphy continued.

“Magical power harmonizes with humans, and demonic energy harmonizes with demons. However, holy power is slightly different – it seems to have changed its properties again to counter demonic energy, which was relatively inferior to magical power.”

“So everything started from this purple energy?”

“That’s right.”

“Then how did I come to handle that power? I was just trying to combine magical power and demonic energy.”

Choi Hyun-seok’s doubt was reasonable.

He knew nothing and was just trying to combine the two powers into one.

He could only think that the resulting purple energy was naturally a power with new properties.

Yet instead, it had traced back to the origin of both.

“The answer is simple.”

Sara Dunphy spoke without hesitation as if it wasn’t particularly difficult.

“Two powers with different properties that cannot become one ultimately discarded all their properties and returned to their original form to become one. Something like that.”

“Is that also a hypothesis?”

“Yes, but I’m convinced of it.”

“Hmm…”

Choi Hyun-seok groaned.

He wasn’t sure how much to believe these shocking words.

‘I can’t just dismiss it as a lie either.’

There wasn’t a single contradiction in anything Sara Dunphy had said so far.

Rather, she reinforced her claims by demonstrating her ability to handle the purple energy herself.

“You seem to have a lot on your mind.”

Just then, Sara Dunphy came close and placed her hand on Choi Hyun-seok’s chest.

Flustered by the sudden physical contact, Choi Hyun-seok’s eyes darted around.

‘At such an important moment… Could this be seduction!?’

Whatever Sara Dunphy’s true identity might be, she currently appeared as an attractive beauty.

The visible texture of her skin, even the sensation felt through thin clothing, all seemed human.

Choi Hyun-seok’s heart beat violently.

‘Get a grip, Choi Hyun-seok! She’s just bones! A lich!’

Choi Hyun-seok desperately tried to maintain his composure as he stepped back.

“Ahem, hem! Please step back.”

“Ah, excuse me. I was curious about how you could possess such energy and act without thinking.”

Sara Dunphy smiled and took a step back.

“Anyway, I’ve developed a deep curiosity about you. A body that can contain two different powers while also being able to handle this purple energy that is the origin.”

“…”

“Unfortunately, I couldn’t possess it. At first, I thought it was because I wasn’t human but had become undead, but no.”

Something strange lurked in those golden eyes looking at Choi Hyun-seok.

“You were simply special.”

Choi Hyun-seok swallowed hard.

Though he knew she didn’t mean it that way, after the physical contact, receiving such passionate looks made his heart race regardless of his will.

‘M-maybe it wouldn’t be so bad even if she’s not a blonde noble lady…’

Though Sara Dunphy didn’t match any part of his ideal type, what did it matter?

She was an exotic beautiful queen.

Just as Choi Hyun-seok’s fantasies were running wild.

“So about that…”

Sara Dunphy opened her mouth.

“I want to be with you from now on.”

“What…? W-w-what did you just say…?”

A flustered Choi Hyun-seok stammered as he asked again.

Sara Dunphy gave a small laugh, seemingly amused by his reaction.

“I said I want to be with you.”

“…”

It had been over a year since coming to this other world.

For the first time, Choi Hyun-seok felt that this hell-like world wasn’t all bad.

“Um… Please don’t misunderstand. I have no ulterior motives, I’m just asking out of curiosity.”

“Ask anything. I will answer sincerely.”

Choi Hyun-seok swallowed and said.

“Can the undead have children?”

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