Seol Jihu stood speechlessly for a while.

It would be a lie to say he wasn’t shocked.

Success had been at arm’s reach, but just as he grabbed it, it had disappeared like a mirage.

He only realized after the matter that he had failed, not succeeded.

The shock he received was even more prominent because of it.

At that moment, he felt a hand being placed on his shoulder. When Seol Jihu turned his head in a daze, he saw Philip Muller staring at him with sunken eyes.

“I don’t know how this happened… but staying here is absolutely the worst thing we can do.”

Seol Jihu’s heart sank, and he snapped back to his senses.

Now wasn’t the time to dwell on failure, not when every second was pivotal for survival.

Although Eun Yuri had managed to help everyone escape, the Parasites’ forces must be closing in even at this moment.

“Damn it…. Just what the hell is going on…?”

Hugo pressed his forehead and sighed lightly.

“We should worry about getting out of here first.”

Teresa spoke nonchalantly, but her voice was trembling.

“The enemy’s sudden change in the movement must mean Representative Seol’s plan hit the nail on the head.”

Philip Muller said after a brief moment of silence.

“Whether this was their aim or not, the Parasites’ intention is clear. They want to retrieve the last piece of the stele from us.”

That was the only logical conclusion they could come to. It was simply too difficult to think that the Parasites had orchestrated this entire move for something else— for example, to kill Seol Jihu.

Abandoning the occupation of Nur and Scheherazade, going so far as to use a hidden card like a long-range teleportation spell,...