Chapter 144: Unknown Guardian

The name remained inside Noah’s mind.

Irus.

He had never heard it before.

Yet when Dead Zone said it, something inside him reacted.

Not fear.

Recognition.

Noah stared at the golden moon.

"Who is Irus?"

Dead Zone didn’t answer immediately.

Its gaze remained fixed on the golden circle hanging in the darkness of the mental world.

"She is looking for you."

"That doesn’t answer my question."

"You don’t need the answer yet."

Noah’s expression hardened.

"I’m getting tired of hearing that."

Dead Zone finally looked at him.

"Good."

The mental world vanished.

Noah returned to the academy courtyard.

Laura was still beside him.

"What happened?"

"Dead Zone said a name."

"Whose?"

Noah hesitated.

"Irus."

Laura repeated it quietly.

"Irus..."

The name struck something inside her.

A flash.

A white corridor.

Golden light.

A woman standing at the end of it.

Laura’s breath caught.

"No."

Sophia noticed.

"Laura?"

Laura pressed her fingers against her temple.

"I’ve heard that name."

Noah turned toward her.

"You remember Irus?"

"I don’t know."

Her voice trembled slightly.

"I don’t remember meeting her. But the name..."

She closed her eyes.

"It feels old."

Across Hildgard, the golden moon grew brighter.

The city’s ancient markings continued appearing across buildings.

Students were being moved toward safer districts.

Nobody knew whether the phenomenon was dangerous.

Nobody knew how long it would last.

But the city officials had stopped calling it a malfunction.

Something else was happening.

Something deliberate.

Deep beneath the city, Alcris slowly stood.

The chamber had been damaged by the energy surge.

Daniella pushed herself away from the wall.

"Are you alive?"

Alcris looked at her.

"Unfortunately."

She almost laughed.

Almost.

Her expression hardened again.

"Did you hear that name?"

Alcris nodded.

"Irus."

Daniella stared at him.

"Who is she?"

"I don’t know."

"You’re serious?"

"Yes."

The three medallions hovered between them.

A golden thread connected them to the stone heart.

Alcris stepped closer.

"I’ve read references to an entity associated with the ritual."

Daniella watched him carefully.

"And?"

"They never gave her a name."

"Until now."

"Yes."

A woman’s voice suddenly filled the chamber.

Clearer than before.

Closer.

"Alcris Vannheim."

Both siblings froze.

Daniella looked around.

"Where is she?"

The voice continued.

"You have opened what should have remained closed."

Alcris stepped forward.

"What do you want?"

Silence.

The medallions began glowing.

"The inheritor."

Alcris’s expression changed.

"You want Noah."

The answer came immediately.

"Yes."

Daniella looked at her brother.

"You knew this would happen?"

"No."

For once, Alcris looked genuinely unsettled.

The voice faded.

But one final sentence remained.

"Bring him to me."

The golden light vanished.

Daniella’s grip tightened around her weapon.

"No."

Alcris looked at her.

She stepped between him and the exit.

"You’re not touching Noah."

Alcris stared at his sister.

"Daniella..."

"I mean it."

The brother and sister faced each other again.

But this time, neither reached for a weapon.

Because both understood something had changed.

This wasn’t Alcris’s secret anymore.

Someone else had entered the game.

Above Hildgard, the golden moon slowly began taking shape.

Its crescent widened.

Its light spread across the three existing moons.

Noah watched in silence.

The system appeared one final time.

[Unknown Entity Connection Detected.]

[Ragnarok Dead Zone Resonance: 12.1%.]

Noah’s eyes narrowed.

Inside his mind, Dead Zone whispered:

"She’s coming."

And somewhere beyond the golden light...

a woman opened her eyes.

Hildgard did not sleep that night.

The golden moon remained above the city.

It was still incomplete, appearing more like a luminous crescent suspended between the three familiar moons. Yet its presence changed the atmosphere completely.

The streets had emptied.

Shopkeepers closed their doors.

Academies activated defensive barriers around their temporary residences.

Even the tournament officials had stopped pretending they understood what was happening.

At Valhalla Academy, students gathered inside the main hall.

Eric looked toward the windows.

"Are we seriously just supposed to sit here?"

Damien folded his arms.

"That appears to be the current strategy."

"Brilliant."

Sophia glanced at Noah.

He hadn’t said anything for several minutes.

Laura noticed too.

"You’re hearing something again."

Noah looked at her.

"Not exactly."

"Then what?"

He stared at the golden moon.

"I feel like it’s looking at me."

Nobody laughed.

Luna’s expression became serious.

"Can a moon do that?"

"I don’t know."

Eric raised a hand.

"I’m voting no."

A faint tremor passed through the building.

The windows rattled.

Everyone fell silent.

Noah’s system appeared.

[Ragnarok Dead Zone Resonance: 12.4%]

The number continued flickering.

12.5%.

Noah clenched his fist.

"It’s getting stronger."

Laura stepped closer.

"Because of the moon?"

"Maybe."

Inside his mind, Dead Zone stood beneath the black sky.

The golden circle was larger now.

Noah approached it.

"You said Irus was coming."

"Yes."

"When?"

Dead Zone stared at the circle.

"When the door opens."

Noah looked at the glowing cracks spreading across its surface.

"And what’s behind it?"

Dead Zone’s eyes narrowed.

"Something that should not be here."

Deep beneath Hildgard, Alcris stood before the ancient heart.

The three medallions were suspended above it.

Their golden light had intensified.

Daniella remained several steps away.

She hadn’t lowered her weapon.

"You said you wanted Ragnarok."

Alcris nodded.

"You found the medallions for that."

"Yes."

"But you didn’t know about Irus."

"No."

Daniella watched him carefully.

"Are you still going through with this?"

Alcris looked at the medallions.

"Yes."

"Even after she told you to bring Noah?"

"Yes."

Daniella’s expression hardened.

"Why?"

Alcris was silent.

When he finally answered, his voice was quiet.

"Because I didn’t come this far to turn around."

Daniella shook her head.

"That isn’t courage."

Alcris looked at her.

"Maybe not."

"Then what is it?"

He glanced toward the golden light above them.

"Desperation."

The word surprised her.

Alcris had never admitted weakness so easily.

Before Daniella could respond, the ancient heart pulsed.

THUMP.

Golden energy shot through the chamber.

The three medallions rotated faster.

A thin crack appeared in the air above the platform.

Not in the stone.

In the space itself.

Daniella stared.

"What is that?"

Alcris slowly stepped backward.

"I think..."

The crack widened.

A faint golden glow appeared beyond it.

"...that’s the door."

A woman’s silhouette briefly appeared on the other side.

Only for a moment.

Long hair.

A flowing dress.

Something resembling a staff in one hand.

Her features remained obscured by the golden light.

Daniella’s eyes widened.

Alcris couldn’t move.

The silhouette disappeared.

The crack closed.

Silence returned.

Neither sibling spoke.

They had only seen her for seconds.

But Alcris knew one thing.

The ritual had worked.

Irus had found the path.

Above Hildgard, the golden moon brightened.

Noah suddenly felt a presence brush against his consciousness.

Not Dead Zone.

Something else.

A woman’s voice whispered through his mind.

"Inheritor..."

Noah’s eyes widened.

The voice continued.

"I can see you."

His system erupted with warnings.

[UNKNOWN ENTITY CONTACT.]

[MENTAL BARRIER DETECTED.]

[RAGNAROK DEAD ZONE INTERFERENCE.]

Noah gritted his teeth.

Inside his mind, Dead Zone stepped forward.

The golden presence immediately recoiled.

For the first time, Noah saw something that looked almost like fear in Dead Zone’s eyes.

"Not yet."

Noah stared at it.

"What?"

Dead Zone turned toward him.

"Do not let her reach the other side."

Noah’s expression hardened.

"What other side?"

Dead Zone didn’t answer.

The connection abruptly broke.

Noah staggered.

Laura caught him before he fell.

"Noah!"

He steadied himself.

The golden moon above Hildgard pulsed once.

And somewhere beyond the incomplete doorway...

Irus began to cross.