-1650- Your dad

Among the nine races, besides their ability to tame monsters and keep pets, Cait Siths have a significant advantage in both vision and hearing.

While Cait Siths have agility enhancements, they still lag behind Sylphs in this aspect. Consequently, their five senses are sharper than those of the Sylphs. In non-magical explorations, Cait Siths' vision and hearing are frequently relied upon to track enemy movements and survey the terrain.

As the leader of the Cait Sith race, Alicia Rue, while not the strongest among the Cait Siths, has enhanced her senses to ensure her safety as a leader, enabling her to detect anything unusual and respond swiftly.

Now, Alicia could distinctly hear a large group of players approaching rapidly.

"An... an attack...?!"

"How is this possible?!"

"This meeting was supposed to be secret!"

"How was it exposed?!"

Sylphs and Cait Siths alike began to panic.

Even Sakuya's face tightened. While unsheathing her great katana from her waist, she leaned over to Alicia and asked softly.

"Are you sure they're players, Rue?"

At Sakuya's question, Alicia chuckled bitterly.

"If they're not players, would they be monsters? Stop deceiving yourself, Sakuya."

Hearing Alicia's words, Sakuya gave a bitter smile as well.

Alicia said this because monsters wouldn't appear in this area.

Once inside the Valley of Butterflies, you enter the central neutral region where the World Tree is located. This neutral zone, called the Alne Plateau, does not spawn training ground monsters.

This was precisely why the meeting place had been chosen here.

And since the intruders weren't monsters, they could only be players, right?

Moreover, if Alicia identified them as a large group of players, it implied there was a significant number approaching.

With so many players coming this way, Sakuya didn't think they were here for a friendly greeting or just passing by.

Therefore…

"This is serious trouble…"

Sakuya could only sigh.

"Perhaps we should brace ourselves."

Alicia sighed as well.

The surrounding Sylphs and Cait Siths also showed expressions of anxiety, even fear.

They couldn't help it—if these hostile forces managed to kill the two leaders here, both races would be doomed. Not only would Salamanders seize massive resources, but they'd also occupy their territories for ten days, collecting taxes and raiding freely. Such an outcome would cause catastrophic losses and leave the two races unable to rival the Salamanders.

Who wouldn't fear such a fate?

"Protect the leaders!"

"Protect the leaders!"

After their initial fear, these Sylphs and Cait Siths drew their weapons, gathering around Sakuya and Alicia, as if ready to lay down their lives.

For the sake of their races, these players were willing to sacrifice themselves.

If they could ensure Sakuya and Alicia escaped, their sacrifice would be worth it.

"Hurry! Escape through the Valley and return to Cait Sith territory!"

One Cait Sith urged them.

But…

"It's probably too late by now."

Sakuya also seemed to have seen it.

She saw small dots approaching swiftly from the horizon.

That was…

"Salamanders!"

Alicia confirmed their identity.

Upon her confirmation, everyone immediately understood that escape was likely impossible this time.

Since the enemies were the Salamanders, whom both races considered their major adversaries, this battle was inevitable.

The foes were clearly targeting them.

"Prepare for battle."

Sakuya had steeled herself.

"Everyone, try not to die easily, alright?"

Alicia made a lighthearted remark, drawing her claw weapon from her waist.

One by one, everyone readied their weapons, prepared to face this deadly battle.

Until…

"Huh?"

Alicia's ears suddenly twitched, prompting her to look startled.

"What's wrong?"

Sakuya quickly asked.

"There's… something else coming! It's fast! And loud!"

Alicia couldn't help but exclaim.

Everyone froze.

Fast?

That was understandable.

But what did she mean by loud?

No one quite understood what she meant.

But soon, they did.

It was indeed loud.

"Boom——!"

Like the air exploding, with the roar of a rocket launch, a figure approached at an astounding speed.

No, to be precise, the figure wasn't approaching them, but rather the Salamanders' main force.

"That…!?"

Both Sakuya and Alicia widened their eyes.

At the same time, the owner of the figure reached the group of Salamanders.

...

On the Alne Plateau, a group of dark shadows were moving.

These were Salamanders in low-altitude flight.

They flew in groups of five, arranged in a wedge formation, maintaining equal spacing. Their precise coordination marked them as highly trained elites, resembling a fleet of fighter jets silently advancing on a target.

Leading this elite force was a tall warrior.

He had fiery red hair styled upwards like a mountain of blades, darkly tanned skin, and a face as sharp as a raptor's. His large frame clearly surpassed that of most players, and his armor, a rare scarlet hue, was undeniably top-tier.

However, more striking than his armor was the sword strapped to his back.

It was an imposing greatsword, emitting a dark red glow, its blade etched with two intertwined dragons, exuding a mystical aura.

Clad in legendary gear, he possessed an imposing presence, unlike any ordinary player.

"Hmm?"

This formidable warrior suddenly frowned.

Then, his expression changed.

"Stop!"

Without hesitation, he commanded loudly.

"——!"

The Salamanders behind him, though startled, responded swiftly and halted immediately, displaying their high level of training.

At that moment…

"Boom——!"

A shadow streaked past the front of the Salamander formation, causing the air to crack and stirring up a fierce gust.

"Ahhhhh…!"

From within the whirlwind, a girl's voice, almost like a lament, echoed from afar.

"Who…!?"

The warrior raised his hand to shield himself from the gust and demanded loudly.

The reply was simple.

"Your dad."

As the words fell, magical runes shimmered in the whirlwind, transforming into countless wind blades that shot out violently.