"Oh, this is truly a convenient skill!"

A powerful gust of wind passed by us in an instant, revealing an iron door tightly locked with a padlock.

It seems that the technology used here isn't so advanced, but if you think about it, these kinds of places wouldn't typically have high-end automated doors. Otherwise, why are the protagonists in infiltration games so fond of using ventilation ducts?

But why did we skip a big section of climbing ladders?

Usually, this is the perfect moment to enjoy the view from below and get a glimpse of booty, a typical scenario in any adventure map.

But this time, Taishi Xi cleverly ruined it with a single sentence.

"Fir, how big is the radius of your ice totem? We can just use it as an elevator to go straight up, right?"

His reasoning was so sound that I couldn't say anything in response!

I glanced silently at the clever Taishi Xi and could only make everyone stand together and use the ice totem to lift us up.

At this point, I could only console myself that climbing the ladder wouldn't show me much anyway since everyone is wearing armor or magic robes, and the only person wearing normal clothes is wearing hot pants... With so many people, the likelihood of me being right behind her on the ladder is quite low, so I better act like a gentleman.

"This kind of elevation is nothing~"

Christina smiled faintly and took out something from her pocket that looked similar to a lipstick. She aimed it at the padlock and pressed a button at the end.

A sound, like something burning, echoed, and then the keyhole slowly turned black and turned into powder, falling down.

The padlock also clicked open... most likely all the parts inside are completely ruined.

Tossing the padlock aside, Christina smiled and opened the door, then made a gesture as if inviting us.

"Alright, this way is the exit."

Outside the door, it looked like a forest. It seems we've made it outside.

But I've never seen this place before. What exactly is it... Even if I think about it, it won't change anything, right?

I looked at everyone and started walking ahead.

However...

In the moment when I just stepped out, I felt an extremely abnormal sensation. And just as I was about to turn around, a powerful impact came from behind me, shaking me out completely!

"I..."

Numerous curse words flashed through my mind, but unfortunately, I didn't have time to say them before the overwhelming scene in front of me made me clench my teeth tightly to avoid biting my tongue.

My body felt like a kite with a broken string, bouncing around in the air. Even roller coasters don't give you this exhilarating feeling.

At least roller coasters don't make you bounce around like a pinball, and if my body defense wasn't low, I'm sure I would have bounced back to life by now.

But the HP bar, wobbling in my eyes, continues to decrease, indicating that resurrection is not far away.

"Ah!"

Finally, my body forcefully collided with something and came to a stop.

I tried to open my eyes, but all I saw was a scene tinted with blood. Perhaps my eyes were already covered by blood.

I wiped the blood off my face with my hand and looked towards the direction where the impact came from.

My eyes widened in disbelief. In the distant sky, a mushroom cloud was slowly rising, and everything in my vicinity from that direction had turned into indescribable things.

Oh my god... what...

They actually developed a nuclear bomb?

But why would they detonate it here? Are they insane?

Does it have anything to do with the previous incident?

I feel like the information in my brain is all mixed up and I can't process it anymore.

But my instincts tell me that staying here is definitely not a good choice. I quickly cast a few healing spells on myself, checked the direction on the mini map, and hurried towards the nearest village.

----------------------------------Loading storyline----------------------------------

High up in the clouds, dear World, sitting in a transparent room, suddenly stood up and looked down.

After silently watching for a long time, dear World sighed.

"Failed again? If this doesn't work, it seems there's no other way... This place will soon be abandoned, right?"

Frustrated, dear World shook his head and sat back in his original position.

"Well, it's fine like this too. After all this time, I'm used to it... Right, brother?"

Looking up at the sky, dear World smiled slightly.

"Just let me... continue to watch."

----------------------------------6 hours later----------------------------------

In the year 2448 of the White Magic Calendar.

The Gray Academy and Duoge Academy with a thousand years of history completely disappeared from the western continent.

Except for a few surviving students, everyone else forever slept beneath the ruins.

I only heard this news at the tavern in the town two hours later, dressed as an ordinary mercenary with the mercenary armor on my back and a sword.

Even if I can't deceive those from the "Snake Eyes," I at least have to deceive others' eyes.

After all... with so much happening, and the meaningless actions at the end.

The other party wouldn't meaninglessly send me out of the explosion. They must be plotting something.

After all, I am an immortal existence. It doesn't make sense to do this.

So the meaning must be somewhere else.

However, just now, something that shocked the entire continent happened outside, although I don't know if it's related to this.

The East-West continent is officially at war.

Actually, this is not something that shocks me.

According to what the "Snake Eyes" has been doing behind the scenes, their goal is this, right?

And since we know their goal is long-term, there is no possibility of stopping it.

"Boss, give me another glass of 'Frost Nightmare.'"

While taking out a silver coin and placing it on the table, I pushed my empty glass.

"Here you go! Young man, I told you my special drink is good. It wasn't just a lie, was it?"

"Well, the taste is simply amazing, definitely palace-level!"

"Hahaha, young man, you flatter me."

The owner of this shop is a 65-year-old man, his graying beard making him seem friendly.

But from his title, I know that he used to be a mercenary swordsman, level 20.

"The Cutter"

This title doesn't sound good no matter how I look at it.

"But young man, it's not the time to continue drinking here, right?"

It was probably because he felt that one silver coin was a bit too much for a drink that only cost 70 copper coins. As he was about to put the cup down, the person kindly reminded him, "The news of the war has already arrived. Don't you plan to join the army or seize the opportunity to join a large mercenary group to pursue your own career?"

"Career?"

I smiled bitterly, recalling the wanted poster of myself that I had just seen on the terminal.

"That kind of thing...it's meaningless."

"Is that so? It seems like you've been encountering a lot of unfortunate things lately, indeed. Strange things have been happening here recently. Even people from the Eastern Continent have come here and bombed our academy. It's the most terrifying thing I've heard in all my years."

"Yeah...you're right. I probably need to find something to do."

I finished the remaining drink in one gulp and stood up.

"It feels like suddenly I have a lot less unnecessary sense of responsibility."

"Huh?"

"Nothing, just talking to myself..."

I smiled while walking out of the tavern.

As soon as I stepped outside, I saw several squads of soldiers running past, followed by a unit of wolf knights and heavy knights.

The emblem on their uniform seems to be from the Ais Empire. Speaking of which, I wonder how Princess Cher is doing.

...

There's no other choice. There's only one place I can think of and go to now.

The Red Leaf!