Chaos reigned on the snow-swept street. People screamed, fleeing for their lives—nobles and beggars alike. Death made no distinctions. Yet through the blizzard, a crimson braid whipped fiercely as a shadow darted into the fray. In a flash, she swung her longsword, cleaving three Fang Wolves lunging at me. My Mantis Blade sliced the two ambushing from below into scraps.

"Whoa, Big Sis! Your prosthetic arm is insane!"

Lilia stood back-to-back with me, sword raised. Over thirty Fang Wolves encircled us, more pouring endlessly from the Demon Realm.

"Let’s end this fast," I said. "But first—magic stones from beasts I slay are mine."

"Huh? Now’s the time for that?"

"If we don’t settle it now, there won’t be a later."

"Tch… You’re such a weird one, Big Sis!"

As Fang Wolves surged in two waves, Lilia stepped forward. Her blade severed the lead wolf’s head. She spun, splitting the right-side attacker clean in half. A quick sidestep left, then an upward slash—she split the third wolf’s jaw. Fluid. Flawless. A true swordmaster.

Meanwhile, my Mantis Blade, driven by artificial muscles, flexed like living flesh. In seconds, six wolves within range were dismantled. Guided by the automaton’s sharp dynamic vision, I targeted joints and soft tissue—bypassing bone with surgical precision.

The first wave collapsed. The second charged.

We swapped positions. I faced the denser flank. My Mantis Blade wove dizzying arcs through snow and wind. Twelve wolves disintegrated in a blink—scattered meat and fur.

"Victoria, that weapon’s wild! Hook me up with one?"

"Want it?" I flexed the blade. "Just chop off your arm first. Bit of a hassle."

"Eeek! No way! Absolutely not!"

*Humans cling to flesh so stubbornly,* I mused. *If I’d known Arcane Automaton crafting in my past life… I might’ve replaced my paralyzed legs myself.*

A deafening roar shook the air. A hulking beast breached the Demon Realm’s veil—over five meters long, lion-like with a scorpion tail. Glowing green eyes burned with eerie fire.

A Manticore. Rank B monster.

Jumping straight from D to B? This Demon Realm was no joke. Though I’d never joined a raid in my past life (mostly an indoor researcher), I knew monster classifications well—handling magic stones demanded it.

"A Manticore?! No way!" Lilia paled. "Victoria, fall back! This needs the Knights!"

"Captain—!"

"Kuro, don’t come closer!"

"Gwaaah—!"

The Manticore’s tail slammed Kuro mid-air. He spun into a shopfront, twitched once, and stilled.

But he’d bought me an opening.

*Use it? Or not?*

*Use it.*

No time to hesitate. *Click.* I reset the Mantis Blade, channeled mana into the pre-set circuit. Gears whirred around the wrist frame. Runes rearranged into a complex sigil. As mana surged, every glyph ignited.

"Ice Holy Lance!"

A pale sigil bloomed in my palm. A three-meter ice spear materialized—then shot like an arrow into the Manticore’s side, piercing near its heart. It groaned in agony. Frost crept from the wound. Most monsters resist magic… but my casting was too fast.

Cost? Heavy. The automaton’s mana circuits overloaded. Temporarily immobilized until the surge settled.

"Victoria… you *are* a mage?"

"No."

"You cast wordlessly! Why deny it?!"

"Less talk. Finish it."

"Got it!"

Frost had already climbed to the Manticore’s forepaw and neck. Lilia seized the moment. Her eyes glinted crimson in the snow. She dodged the whipping tail, skidded beneath its throat, and her blade—wrapped in dense mana—sliced clean through.

Headless, the beast thrashed. My ice spear flash-froze it solid.

"Amazing! Victoria, join our house as court mage! Two thousand gold yearly—think about it?"

*Two thousand? Roughly House Rude’s entire annual income.*

*Duke’s household really rolls deep.*

"Forget that," I said, dragging my recovering frame toward the Demon Realm. "We must erase this Realm."

It had stilled—no new monsters—but was siphoning ambient mana for the next eruption. Street lanterns flickered wildly: a clear sign of massive mana drain. Left unchecked, disaster loomed.

"Lilia," I reached into my Item Vault. "Clear upfront—the Realm’s core is mine too."

"Eh?! You’re solo-clearing it? It’s unranked! No scouts mapped the labyrinth! It’s suicide!"

Clearing a Demon Realm was the only way. Inside lay a pocket dimension—a maze with a boss. Slay it, and the Realm vanished, condensing all stored mana into a massive magic stone: the "core." Worth 5,000 to a million gold, depending on size.

"Enter? Unnecessary."

I pulled out a metal sphere. Lilia blinked, puzzled. *My Arcane Fusion Bomb—originally meant for House Rude. Never used.*

"Activate! Ten-second delay!"

*Click.* Control rods ejected with a hiss. Mana fusion spiraled out of control. Blue light pulsed from within the casing, intensifying. I hurled it toward the Realm. It rippled the dimensional membrane—and vanished inside.

"Big Sis, that’s dangerous! You’ll die!"

"Lilia. Step back."

"Wait—"

The ground trembled. Radiant energy erupted from the Realm, rippling outward. Seconds later, it began collapsing—shrinking rapidly, as if vanishing.

*Think it’s over? Wrong.*

It suddenly swelled again. *Thud.* A half-meter-wide magic stone core crashed onto the street, shattering cobblestones.

The Realm was gone.

"Wha—what just happened?!" Lilia grabbed my hand, eyes sparkling. "Please! Join our house! Four thousand gold monthly! We can spar together!"

"Apologies, Knight. I already have a master."

Her cheerful face fell—nothing like her formal portrait. She seemed like an earnest, fiery kid.

"I’ll cover your severance fee—"

"It’s not about fees." *I just want to run.* "Per our deal… the stones and core are mine. Agreed?"

Lilia stared at the massive core. Hesitated. Then grinned brightly.

"Of course! We promised!"

She directed cleanup. Knights carried Kuro from the rubble—his armor saved him. The sobbing girl from the carriage was rescued, tear-streaked but unharmed.

I offered no help. Only followed the current.

*My goal is the magic stones.*

I whispered the lie even I didn’t believe, walking toward the core gleaming at the street’s center. Size and weight? Easily 100,000 gold. But such a rare core deserved better than being shattered for coin.

Just as I reached for it—hoofbeats thundered. A cavalry unit stormed the scene.

"Lilia." The lead officer lifted his helmet. "Report."

*Freud?!*

"Husband, you’re here~~"

"Call me Commander!"

"Yes, Commander!" Lilia saluted. "Abyss Cult terrorists created an artificial Demon Realm here—but that maid Big Sis eliminated it! Hey, don’t slip away! Let me introduce my husband—"

I’d been caught. *Ugh. Him again.* In my past life, we clashed constantly. This life? He’s why I went two weeks without a hot meal. I’d hoped never to see him again.

*Clip-clop.* Hooves closed in. I turned.

His eyes locked onto the automaton’s face—and widened in shock.

"Jenny? No… impossible!" He recovered instantly. "Miss Victoria. We meet again. Though… you look rather different from months ago. Should I say… long time no see?"

*What?*

*How does he know I’m the one piloting this automaton?*