Over the Black Mountains, in the dark sky filled with gray clouds, hundreds of witches in black, tattered robes flew on their enchanted broomsticks. They appeared young and beautiful, each wearing a characteristic conical hat. Their formation was arranged in groups of seven, with the foremost squadron led by a single figure whose attire was slightly more elaborate than the others.

Hajna carefully observed the landscapes below. The Black Mountains were not an ideal place for war or reconnaissance—scattered monsters and the extreme heights of the crumbling peaks had caused most of the civilized races to abandon the area after the Great War.

"Hajna, if we keep going this way, we'll reach the Empire's borders. Conflict will be inevitable, and we didn't get paid for that."

Hajna turned her gaze toward her deputy, whose eyes and hair were both brown, before returning her focus to the view ahead.

"If we don't return with solid proof of our efforts, there'll be no money, and even the nobles of the Death Plains won't hire us anymore."

"How many times have we had this conversation? We don't need to sacrifice ourselves for a few more coins and fame!"

"And what, starve to death instead? If the Empire doesn't have a green or golden dragon in its army, then we're practically safe. And if our rookies die by magic? That just means fewer mouths to feed!"

"You're impossible!"

Hajna laughed and increased her speed, but suddenly, she sensed weak magical fluctuations nearby. Her eyes scanned the ground, where, a few kilometers away, a 50-meter tower of skulls and blackened materials began to tremble. Soon after, ghostly figures started emerging from it, spreading out in all directions. More towers, seemingly hidden in the surroundings, also released their specters, which began targeting them.

"What the hell is that?""Hajna, what should we do?""These aren't Empire troops or anything similar! Fighting them isn't—"

Before she could finish her sentence, the thunderous roar of a dragon echoed through the air.

"A dragon?!""Captain, look!"

Turning her gaze, she saw a 40-meter-long skeletal dragon with two twisted horns speeding toward them at near-sonic velocity. Its aura and roar alone cast multiple curses upon them.

Hajna struggled to keep her composure as she watched her hundred-strong battalion fall from the sky like dead birds.

"Damn it!"

As she turned to flee, her black robe's collar was suddenly grabbed. With terror, she glanced back.

A figure clad in a dark purple robe stood before her—an undead being with blackened bones, golden streaks, and two long, twisted horns, a mark of power and dominance among demons.

"A… a Warlord-class being…"

"Witches on broomsticks—how fascinating!"

And with that, darkness consumed her vision.

A fortress of ice loomed over the cold, white mountains. Hajna found herself clad in gleaming white noble robes—garments she had not worn in decades.

"Why… am I in an ice castle?"

Then, a familiar voice rang out.

"Oh, Captain, you're here? The Ice Queen has summoned the Wandering Witches. You'd better make your way to the hall."

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It was Luci's voice. Her youthful, cheerful face stood before Hajna.

"Luci… can you tell me what's going on? We were supposed to be in the Black Mountains—we were—"

"What are you talking about, Hajna? The Black Mountains? That filthy land full of lowly monsters? No way—us witches would never—"

Hajna stepped forward and gripped Luci's shoulders tightly.

"This… is this time travel?"

"Time travel? Are you crazy? Even the forgotten Legendary Tier can't do something like that. You don't seem drunk, but if you want, I can attend the meeting as your deputy to keep you from messing up."

"Luci, what's today's date?"

"The 30th of the Ice Blossom Month, Year 240 after the Winterfall… Why are you asking? You're acting really weird!"

Hajna's expression darkened.

"No, no, no. Tomorrow, the Witch Battalions will be ambushed and wiped out by the Colossal Golden Dragon. We have to stop the deployment!"

She pushed past Luci, trying to rush to the hall, but no matter how much she ran in her ice-heeled shoes, it was useless. Then she turned back—only to see not Luci, but a woman with long black hair and dark eyes in a white dress, gazing at her.

"You—"

"Captain! Captain!"

Hajna's eyes snapped open.

Luci was in front of her again. The surroundings were dim—a stone underground chamber, illuminated by several flickering turquoise-blue torches, resembling a dungeon.

"Ah… I thought they'd finished you off for good!"

"What do you mean? Wait… where are we? Is this a prison?"

Hajna sat up, scanning the other cells—filled with their captured comrades.

"We've been imprisoned. Nearly half of us are missing, and the rest have broken limbs or serious injuries from the fall. Even I…"

Following Luci's gaze, Hajna saw her own broken leg.

"No—it has to be treated, or I'll die from internal bleeding—"

"We have bigger problems, Captain. And most importantly, something's been done to you, but I don't know what."

"What do you mean? What are you talking about?"

"When I woke up, everyone who's here was already here. But they just brought you in recently. And when you were unconscious, your face looked… strange. Like you were in pain or struggling for something—"

"Well, if I spent five hours running in my dreams, I probably didn't have a great sleeping expression."

Their attention was suddenly drawn to the center of the cells.

The undead they had seen before stood there, observing them with a curious gaze.

"Who are you?"

He approached the bars of the enchanted metal cell. This was a prison deep within the Demon Fortress, and Hazard was quite pleased with its effectiveness.

"That's the question I wanted to ask you, Hajna—the former wanderer of the Winter Lands!"

Hajna was shocked by the revelation of her identity, but recalling the dream she had seen, she quickly understood what had been done to her.

"You used mental magic on me."

Hazard, recognizing Hajna's sharp situational awareness, saw potential in her as a valuable piece on the board.

"Good. But now, it's time to answer my question!"

Hajna met the glowing, miasma-filled eyes.

"You already know who I am—so what other answer do you need?"

"Why were you in my domain? And do you have any ties to the Empire's knight army?"

Realizing that Hazard was likely one of the scattered remnants of the Great War, Hajna confidently stepped forward.

"You are one of Dark Prince Vlad's forces, aren't you? With your power, you must have been among the nobles during the Great War. We're mercenaries hired by Count Maximian to scout, estimate enemy forces, and assess their strength. If you ally with Count Maximian in this upcoming battle, Dark Prince Vlad will surely forgive you for your scattered exile."

Hazard pondered the new information and turned to Luci.

"You must be Luci… Tell me, do you agree with what he says?"

Hajna glanced back at Luci, who trembled in fear. The power gap was enormous—she was merely Elite Tier, while Hazard was Warlord Tier.

She had two choices: deny Hajna's words and save herself at Hajna's expense, or affirm them and let Hazard determine their fate.

"H-He's telling the truth. Dark Prince Vlad is ruthless, but for a Warlord like you, he'd surely make an exception."

Hazard, still skeptical, found himself intrigued by this Count Maximian.

"Is this Count Maximian gathering forces to fight the Empire's knights?"

Hajna hesitated briefly before answering.

"The Dark Army under Count Maximian is already marching toward the Empire's forces—to battle in the Obsidian Mine Valley."

Hazard's eyes flickered.

"The Obsidian Mine?"

Obsidian was extremely valuable among Demon Kings for its magical conductivity and durability.

"Take me and my army to the Obsidian Valley, and I'll help Count Maximian in battle. In return, I'll spare you for trespassing in my domain."

Hajna, delighted, eagerly nodded.

"Of course! Of course!"