Mark and Rosemary checked into the tavern and requested a room with two beds. After receiving their key, they quietly made their way upstairs and entered the modest room. It wasn't luxurious, but it was clean and quiet—good enough for the night.
Rosemary set her gear down beside one of the beds and exhaled. "I'm gonna take a bath. We'll talk about our next move after I'm done."
She didn't wait for a reply, disappearing into the washroom with a weary look on her face. The weight of the Guildmaster's rejection clearly hung heavy on her.
Mark collapsed onto his bed with a grunt. He stared at the ceiling in frustration.
"What the heck is wrong with that guy? He didn't even hear us out…"
Ding.
> [It seems Miss Aurora even tried to help by sending a letter ahead of time, based on what he said.]
"Oh yeah… he did mention a letter. Too bad it didn't convince him."
Mark lifted his hand—his newly restored one—and stared at it. "And to think I lost my hand coming to this place… for nothing."
He turned his head. "Hey, system. Got any ideas on how to convince Jax?"
Ding.
> [Negative.]
Mark let his hand fall to his chest with a sigh. "Of course you don't."
A few minutes passed.
Rosemary returned from the bath dressed in fresh clothes. Her long hair was tied into a messy bun, and her skin still glistened faintly with warmth from the steam.
Mark smirked. "You look cute."
She blushed. "Thanks."
He sat up. "So… now that you're out, what do you think? Should we head to the next city tomorrow, or stay and try to convince Jax?"
Rosemary touched her cheek, thinking carefully. "I don't know… how much time do we even have before Nexus starts his war?"
Mark hesitated—but then, right on cue:
Ding.
> [Until you are captured. They require you to complete the ritual. If Nexus were confident in his own power, he would've attacked by now. However, like the last town, he may send a beast or assassin to weaken opposition—without tying the attack directly to himself.]
Mark nodded. "He needs me to complete a ritual… but he's still willing to secretly attack cities to prepare for war."
Rosemary frowned. "Then maybe it's best if we move on. Our next stop is Gilmore—the capital. And you outrank the king, remember? It might be easier to get his support."
Mark blinked. "Oh, right… the system did say that. Since I'm Flora's knight…"
His thoughts trailed off.
"Wait… shouldn't we have gone to the king directly? Couldn't he force Jax to help us?"
Ding.
> [No. While the king rules the nation, the Guild operates independently. Guilds are not under royal control and follow their own rules.]
"Tch… of course."
He muttered, "Then what about the king's army? Can't they fight Nexus?"
Ding.
> [No. While powerful, the royal army cannot stand against Nexus alone. Support from the three strongest guilds is essential.]
Mark exhaled, visibly deflated.
Ding.
> [Extra Info—The continent is known as Moonvale. It holds four nations: The Land of Iron (where you currently are), The Land of Storm, The Land of Eclipse, and The Land of Dusk. Nexus rules the Land of Dusk and seeks to conquer the others. This isn't common knowledge, so most nations remain passive unless directly attacked.]
Mark whispered, "Then maybe we can get them on our side."
Ding.
> [If we can convince them, the balance of the war will shift in our favor.]
Mark looked at Rosemary. "Think the king would negotiate with the other nations if we brought him proof of Nexus's plans?"
She shrugged. "Depends… can you get hard evidence that he's planning to attack them?"
Mark leaned closer and whispered, "System, anything we can use?"
Ding.
> [Yes. Miss Flora can provide a crystal that records Nexus's claims. If you can reach one of the gates to her pocket dimension, I can guide you there.]
Mark looked back at Rosemary. "We can get proof—but we'll need to detour to Flora's dimension first."
Rosemary's eyes lit up. "Wait—we're going to see Flora?"
"Yep," Mark replied with a grin.
She beamed. "Then let's get the proof, and go straight to the king."
They both nodded in agreement.
Tomorrow, they would set out for the gate to Flora's pocket dimension—and from there, take the fight to the capital.
For now, they lay down and closed their eyes, letting sleep take them for the journey ahead.
Mark jolted awake with a sharp inhale, only to freeze as his eyes locked onto a monstrous white spider perched on his chest. Its body was the size of a housecat, with glistening legs and a blooming rosebud where its abdomen should be. The creature reared back, venom-tipped fangs glistening, ready to strike.
"W-What the hell!?" Mark shouted instinctively, panic fueling his reflexes.
A blast of ash and mana erupted from his body. Spikes forged from solidified cinders burst outward, impaling the spider and pinning its twitching remains to the ceiling.
The corpse dripped glowing sap as its legs curled inwards.
Rosemary bolted upright from her bed, grabbing for her spear. "Mark! What was that scream?!"
Mark pointed to the mangled corpse overhead, still hanging from the ceiling. "That thing tried to bite me! It was on my chest—why the hell is it so big?!"
Rosemary's eyes narrowed the moment she laid eyes on it. Her face turned pale. "No… that's a Blossom Spider. Mark, grab your gear. Now!"
Mark didn't question her urgency. "Wait—it's just one spider—right?"
Ding.
> [Blossom Spiders travel in massive packs. Their venom has no cure. If one is here, the swarm is not far behind.]
Mark's heart dropped.
They packed in seconds, then leapt straight through the tavern window. Shards of glass shattered around them as they landed in the cobbled streets—now filled with chaos.
Screams echoed through the city.
People ran in every direction. Some stumbled, others collapsed, writhing on the ground as grotesque flowers bloomed from their skin. Their screams turned to choked gasps. Petals opened wide as if feeding, draining them dry until nothing but husks remained.
"Those flowers—are they…?" Mark asked in horror.
> [Yes. The venom of a Blossom Spider causes parasitic flora to bloom inside the body. The flowers consume the host's life force.]
"Holy crap... that's messed up," Mark muttered.
The duo sprinted toward the main gate—but just as it came into view, a dome of blue light shimmered into existence.
A magic barrier.
Mark slammed his fists against it. "No, no, no! What the hell?! We're trapped?!"
Rosemary's expression hardened. "Someone activated a full-city seal… This isn't just an outbreak—it's a setup. Someone released the spiders… and then trapped us in."
Mark's eyes narrowed. "It's Nexus, isn't it? But… I thought he needed me alive?"
Ding.
> [Correction: Your sister must remain alive for the ritual. Nexus only requires your body.]
Mark's hands clenched. "Wouldn't the venom destroy my body, though?"
> [Negative. Your dragon genes make your body highly resilient. Even in death, it will remain intact.]
"Isn't that just perfect," Mark muttered, his voice filled with bitterness.
Rosemary pulled him out of his thoughts. "Higher ground—we need visibility!"
They leapt onto a nearby roof, clambering up the shingles just in time to avoid a burst of petals erupting from a second wave of spiders crawling down the alley.
Mark landed hard and sat back, panting. "This is insane. We need a plan. Maybe... the guild?"
Before Rosemary could answer, a voice cut through the air.
"No need."
Mark's eyes darted ahead as a silver blur descended from the sky.
Jax, the Guildmaster of Regalia, landed in front of them, spear in hand. His four white wings flared, scattering blue mana like feathers in the wind.
Rosemary's expression lit up with relief. "Mr. Jax, just the man we were looking for. We need your hel—"
But Jax cut her off coldly.
"Save your breath."
He raised his spear and pointed it directly at them.
"Mark and Rosemary, you are hereby placed under arrest for the release of the Blossom Spider swarm upon Regalia."