When the Stranger finally escaped the Silver and Tin Palace, he instinctively looked back.
The entire palace had already begun to burn fiercely... The raging flames distorted the surrounding air, while visible waves of warped heat mixed with sulfurous fumes and rushed toward him. Billowing black smoke nearly covered the sky, blending with the dark clouds overhead.
Like a passage of darkness, it descended from the sky to the Silver and Tin Palace... bringing with it doomsday and destruction.
At last, rain began to fall from the sky.
Sulfur and flames covered the ground, while dark clouds and torrential rain filled the heavens.
Fortunately, people had already begun evacuating, so they had not been crushed into a mass and caused a horrific stampede.
The scene of doomsday was right before their eyes.
The Stranger could not help but tense up.
He could not tell whether his mentor, "Bruzwick," had escaped... much less whether he had any confidence in controlling the Balrog.
More importantly—
—Where were his teammates?! Why had they disappeared again?!
His mentor from his own world line, the real Mr. Bruzwick who had entered the Promotion Ritual alongside him in the capacity of an "advisor"... and his junior apprentice, Aurora, code-named "Grape"—where were they now?!
The Stranger felt utterly lost.
Just moments ago, he had been seriously investigating his identity and working hard to play this role. He had originally planned to rest for a night and begin searching for his companions the next day... But only a few hours had passed, and the situation had taken a sharp turn. It had already fallen entirely into an unknown realm beyond his control.
"What exactly is that, Master Nobel?!"
A somewhat trembling voice came from beneath the Stranger.
The young man was equally confused and frightened by the terrifying