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Frost Country, Underground Ruins.

Thorns suddenly woke from the nightmare. Pain stabbed into her brain, as if someone had split her head down the middle.

In fact, in the nightmare, Thorns had already been struck in the head by an axe twice in a row.

"Your vital signs are abnormal."

A distorted, grating voice sounded beside Thorns's ear. She immediately stood up and looked around.

There was no corridor, no bathroom. For the first time, Thorns found the ruined, dilapidated scenery of the relics—enough to make anyone's skin crawl—so... reassuring.

She collapsed onto the ground, drained of strength, and gulped down fresh air. Mother had someone push her wheelchair over beside Thorns and Chains Father.

Chains Father was still unconscious and had yet to awaken, so she could only focus her attention on Thorns.

"What happened in the Consciousness Space? Heart Lock's Source Crystal Stone core nearly went berserk."

"A monster."

After returning to the real world, Thorns felt much better. At the very least, the suffocating fear in her heart was gone.

Mother did not press Heart Lock any further, because three floating "ghosts" appeared in the center of the ruins.

It was a long-distance communication spell, but one listed as forbidden, because every casting required the sacrifice of three human lives.

The three faceless ghosts drifted before Thorns.

"Thorns... you have failed," one ghost said in a deep voice.

"Bishop, there was an unimaginable monster in the Consciousness Space. It simply wasn't—"

Just as Thorns tried to defend herself, she was roughly interrupted again.

"Gaineko Bishop and his followers will take over and complete this great mission for you," another ghost said regretfully.

"Complete it? You have no idea what's in there!"

Hearing the casual way they spoke, rage rose within Thorns. She stood up and loudly argued