Although Seong had noticed the ghost, he decided it wasn’t worth paying attention to at the moment.

    Instead, he dashed toward the shadowy figure that stood before him—an exact replica of himself.

    Moving low to the ground, Seong’s speed accelerated, almost as if he were shooting across the terrain.

    The Remnant of the Elder Shapeshifter flinched as if startled, its shadowy form trembling in response to Seong’s approach.

    The entity mimicked Seong’s low stance and began running as well, but its movements weren’t as smooth or fluid.

    It didn’t make sense.

    The Remnant had copied everything about Seong—his stats, skills, and movements.

    So why couldn’t it replicate him perfectly?

    The Remnant briefly pondered this question but quickly dismissed it, focusing instead on Seong’s teal-glowing eyes as they drew closer.

    “As expected,” Seong thought.

    While the Remnant had copied his abilities, it couldn’t replicate his essence.

    Seong carried the memories and experiences of countless ghosts—something the Remnant could never duplicate.

    As they closed the distance, almost colliding, Seong slid low to the ground and swung his sword.

    The Remnant scrambled to raise its own blade in defense.

    Clang——!

    A sharp metallic sound reverberated through the garden, sending shockwaves rippling outward.

    As the two clashed, Seong slid backward, swiftly resetting his stance.

    The Remnant, however, struggled to recover.

    The impact of the clash, combined with Seong’s rapid maneuvering, left the shadowy figure unable to react effectively.

    Seong circled behind it and swung his sword again.

    The Remnant, sensing the attack, rolled forward to evade.

    But before it could complete the motion, it caught sight of a teal spear forming mid-air, and its shadowy eyes widened.

    “He canceled his swing to use a skill?”

    The Remnant realized it couldn’t avoid the attack.

    Although it braced itself for impact, it knew from its copied knowledge that this skill was unblockable.

    The teal spear pierced through the Remnant’s shoulder.

    Thud——!

    A violent shockwave rippled through its form, shrouding it in darkness.

    [Critical Hit!] [The effect of 『One Strike!』 is activated!] [Dark damage applied.] [Partial resistance to dark damage detected.] [The 『Remnant of the Elder Shapeshifter』 experiences disorientation for 1 second.]

    Despite its resistance, the 1-second disorientation left the Remnant completely disconnected from its senses, as though it were floating in a void.

    In its dazed state, the Remnant curled its body defensively, activating a defensive skill: the Blood Veil.

    One second might seem short, but for Seong, it was more than enough time.

    The Remnant’s Blood Veil enveloped it just as Seong charged again.

    With a swift motion, Seong tore through the Blood Veil with his sword, following up immediately by summoning a barrage of Bone Arrows to rain down on his opponent.

    As the Bone Arrows and sword strikes landed, shadowy arms began to sprout from the Remnant’s form—first one, then two, and finally four.

    Seeing this, Seong swung his sword again.

    Slash——!

    The sound of the blade cutting through shadow was unnaturally drawn out.

    From behind the Remnant, a grim reaper wielding a scythe materialized, its presence radiating death.

    As the 1-second disorientation ended, the Remnant’s senses returned, and it immediately felt the overwhelming aura of death looming behind it.

    It tried to dodge but realized, with growing dread, that the reaper’s attack couldn’t be evaded or blocked.

    The Remnant also recognized the nature of the attack—it was the Mark of Death.@@@@

    The reaper transformed its five shadowy arms into scythe-like blades and swung them simultaneously.

    The scythes struck, severing the Remnant’s neck with merciless precision.

    “...!”

    Slice——!

    A surge of excruciating pain spread through the Remnant’s body.

    Though its neck wasn’t fully severed, the damage and agony were undeniable.

    The Remnant tried to counterattack, swinging its sword toward Seong, but the strike didn’t land.

    Effortlessly, Seong blocked the attack while continuing to fire Bone Arrows that hit their mark with ease.

    The Remnant attempted to retaliate with Bone Arrows of its own, but Seong’s sword intercepted every one.

    “...!”

    Unable to speak, the Remnant noticed the shadowy arms growing on its body—now totaling three.

    But then, in a firm voice, he declared,

    “I intend to seal this place. If the space is severed, even you, Fiora, won’t last long. Will you come with me? I plan to honor Lady Helena outside and build a palace for the new ruler.”

    “...”

    Fiora shook its head.

    Does that mean it wants to stay?

    The man regarded Fiora with an expression of understanding.

    “If you remain here... the severed space will consume you. You may be reborn, given your nature, but only in body. Your existence will vanish, leaving behind a new Elder Shapeshifter. Even so, will you stay?”

    “...”

    Fiora hesitated, unable to respond.

    Its gaze wandered across the garden, taking in the blooming flowers and the starlit sky.

    Despite the beauty, its eyes shimmered with unshed tears.

    The man, seemingly understanding Fiora’s feelings, spoke again.

    “I know this place holds countless memories of Lady Helena and you. That’s why I’m sealing it—to preserve it perfectly. If, in the distant future, her heir or successor appears, it will reopen. Even so, will you stay?”

    “I... I’ll stay.”

    “...I see. It was a joy to know you.”

    The man didn’t press further. He knew how deeply Fiora cherished the memories tied to this place.

    And so, the man left the garden.

    Left alone, Fiora gazed up at the sky.

    “Lady Helena... will I ever see you again?”

    With those words, Fiora felt the space begin to unravel.

    The world split apart, and the garden was displaced elsewhere.

    The once-brilliant starry sky became filled with dark clouds, and the space was severed.

    Yet, Fiora remained, crouched in the garden, staring at the now-vanished sky it once shared with its master.

    As its body began to disintegrate, Fiora transformed.

    Its burning form turned into feathers of fire, creating a brilliant, glowing bird.

    Accepting its fate, Fiora’s fiery body collapsed into ashes, which scattered across the garden.

    This was Fiora’s final act.

    Seong had watched the entire process unfold, and he understood.

    “This must be after Helena’s death.”

    He couldn’t identify the man, but for some reason, he suspected it might be the Black Star who had sent the letter from Overpalace.

    Feeling the quiet loneliness of those left behind, Seong turned away.

    There, Fiora’s ghost appeared again, fidgeting awkwardly.

    -“Ah, uh... it’s... it’s embarrassing...”

    Seong tilted his head slightly. Was it just him, or did Fiora resemble someone caught revisiting an embarrassing memory?

    Wasn’t that a deeply sorrowful and moving story?

    And yet, here Fiora was, blushing and looking abashed.

    Unsure how to respond, Seong cleared his throat.

    “Hmm.”

    -“I-I should’ve waited a little longer if I’d known the heir was coming...” Fiora mumbled, her tone tinged with regret.

    Seong reassured her.

    “If you’d like, would you come with me?”

    He extended his hand.

    Fiora’s eyes widened in surprise.

    A memory stirred within her—a long-forgotten day.

    -“Oh? What are you doing here? If you’d like, would you come with me?”

    The echo of her past master’s voice overlapped with Seong’s words.

    Tears welled in her eyes as she remembered and responded,

    -“May I really do that?”

    “Of course.” -“Of course.”

    The past and present merged as Fiora saw both Seong and Helena reaching out to her.

    Unable to hold back her emotions, she accepted his hand and spoke the same words she had once said long ago.

    -“I-I’ll do my best... Master.”

    [Through an unknown power, you have accomplished something impossible at your current level.]

    [Intelligence +10 and Wisdom +10 have permanently increased.]