Lord Of The Lost

Although anyone can drink a physical potion, the greatest benefits go to those on the warrior path.

When Forum Master, Metatron, and others tried it, they didn't find it useless—but the power they absorbed was minimal.

Why?

> A transcendent can only fully accept power that aligns with their path.

The potion directly benefits warriors but conflicts with others.

Taking too much could alter one's extraordinary nature, pushing them toward the warrior path—a form of extraordinary contamination.

This was something they had to be careful about.

---

William had 15 thief extraordinary traits from the Thieves' Rebellion.

If he refined them all, he could create 30 bottles of warrior's secret potion.

These potions could help six warrior apprentices ascend to Sequence 9.

Sounds good, right?

But…

The power contained in 4 pure-blood werewolves is worth far more than 30 bottles of potion.

If he used werewolf characteristics instead of thief characteristics, he could get an even greater return.

This led to a crucial decision:

Should William Sacrifice Werewolf Traits to Train Warriors?

Werewolves and warriors are equally strong in the early stages.

Warriors have higher long-term potential—but only if they reach Sequence 7.

Even William himself wasn't confident about reaching Sequence 7 anytime soon.

So… what's the right choice?

If he kept the pure-blood werewolf traits, who should he give them to?

Not everyone wanted to become a werewolf.

He couldn't waste time asking around.

He didn't want to create a group of ungrateful werewolves who could betray him—he still remembered the events of Witch Night.

This wasn't just about resources. It was about loyalty and control.

---

Metatron couldn't sit by the Crucible all day refining potions.

His role in the maze was far more valuable than just being an alchemist.

They had too many tasks and too little time.

This was also why Forum Master founded the [Senluo Wanxiang] Guild but didn't expand it too quickly.

> Right now, the guild only had 20 Desperate Knights.

A small but elite force—the foundation for something greater.

But they all knew: Building an empire isn't easy.

No one complained.

This was just the beginning.

---

William returned to the maze.

The first thing he noticed?

Sofia was healing well.

She looked better than expected.

Her pretty face had a brighter smile.

No signs of serious injury.

William had left her alone for 12 hours and was a little worried.

But seeing that she wasn't angry, he felt relieved.

> This little witch is hard to read sometimes… but as a teammate, she's reliable.

Metatron then handed him the refined warrior's secret potion, triggering the Sequence Game prompt.

[Name]: Warrior's Secret Medicine

[Quality]: Basic

[Description]: Contains traces of thief characteristics, refined into a potion that enhances the strength of warrior apprentices.

The next phase of their journey had begun.

A Witch's Judgment: The Flaws of the Warrior's Secret Medicine

The extraordinary traits of thieves were the main ingredients for the warrior's secret medicine.

Metatron handed both bottles of the physical potion to William, indifferent to what he planned to do with them.

For Metatron, this was just an experiment—a way to understand the process of potion refinement. Mastering different extraordinary knowledge would be invaluable in the future.

But as soon as the potion appeared, Sophia's sharp eyes locked onto it.

Sofia's Concern

"Warrior's secret medicine?" She frowned, looking at the crimson liquid.

William wasn't surprised. Witches were an ancient race, and it made sense that Sophia would recognize legendary potions.

However…

> If she knew how to refine them, she wouldn't have gone out of her way to find a witch in the first place.

Sofia's original plan was likely to use a werewolf potion to help Iris return to her prime as a Wolf Lord.

But as the witch had said:

> Once corruption sets in, it's irreversible.

Iris was no longer a pure Wolf Lord, and no potion could undo the changes.

At best, it could act as a temporary stimulant.

Even the Mott Wolf Lord (Sequence 7) could restore power by devouring the extraordinary traits of weaker werewolves.

Werewolves of the same bloodline could be absorbed instantly—no digestion required.

However, this method had serious side effects, pushing the Wolf Lord into insanity.

For a dying Wolf Lord like Mott, this temptation was impossible to resist.

---

The Wildfire Within the Potion

Sofia snatched a bottle from William's hand and inspected it.

The liquid inside was bright red, like blood, swirling in a sealed test tube.

Small golden sparks flickered inside, like wildfire dancing on a dark plain.

> These flickers were the essence of the thief's nature, restless, untamed, burning with chaotic energy.

The warrior apprentices who drank it wouldn't just gain strength; they'd inherit a part of that wild and reckless power.

Sofia scowled.

"The quality of this refinement is horrible."

---

Standing nearby, Metatron remained unfazed.

"It's my first attempt," he replied smoothly, as if he had expected the criticism.

Metatron was deeply intrigued by this cornerstone of humanoid inheritance.

He had always been curious about Sofia's bizarre and complicated lineage.

But despite her significance, no one in Border Town dared to touch her.

She wasn't just Iris's granddaughter.

She was the last witch.

The final heir of an ancient race, someone with the right to speak directly to the king—if she ever chose to.

Of course, Sofia had no interest in chatting with kings.

She understood that too much exposure would attract the attention of far more dangerous entities.

---

The Magic Kingdom had a unique political structure.

Unlike human empires, it granted fiefdoms to non-human species, as long as they acknowledged the king's rule.

For example:

Shadow Castle, once the stronghold of vampires, became a granted fief under the rule of a vampire count.

Wolf Lords were guaranteed noble ranks, at least earl level.

And Sofia?

She wasn't just a werewolf noble.

She was the sole representative of the witches, a living link to a nearly extinct race.

That made her untouchable.

Even Border Town's mayor and bishop had to greet her personally when she arrived.

---

Despite her status, Sofia didn't act like a noble.

> In this team, she was second only to William in strength.

And while the others respected her, they also feared her short temper.

Even if she was just a hot-tempered little girl, she had a wicked punch and nobody wanted to be on the receiving end of it.

Speak with strength, or get out of the way.

After all, not everyone could survive a punch from Sofia.

Metatron remained calm, unaffected by her sharp words.

But Sofia?

She casually tossed the bottle of warrior's secret medicine into the air.

> "You barely managed to refine the lowest-quality potion, and that was using the dwarf's [Crucible]. That means you have no talent at all."

She snorted and caught the bottle in one smooth motion, smirking.

The Witch's Secret and the Arrival of Reinforcements

William gave Sofia a strange look.

> Since when did this little Loli become an expert on potions?

No matter how talented she was, she was still just a ten-year-old girl. Knowledge takes time to accumulate.

Even the youngest pharmacist apprentice in Border Town was in his thirties.

Witches are long-lived, but could Sofia have really learned all kinds of extraordinary knowledge at her age?

Could she really identify the quality of a secret potion at a glance?

William narrowed his eyes.

"Then why don't you make a bottle of secret medicine on the spot?"

Sofia's smug expression froze.

Her mask slipped for a moment, then she snapped angrily—

"I'm so annoyed! I'm so annoyed! Do I have to be a pharmacist to judge a potion?!"

William blinked.

Just then, he noticed Sofia's velvet hat fluttering gently, as if something inside had shifted.

> Interesting…

He smiled knowingly.

"Alright, just give your expert opinion then. Say a few more words."

Sofia's eyes flickered.

She snorted but didn't argue further.

William had his suspicions now—

> The Black Swan's soul must have awakened.

---

Thinking back…

The witch had reappeared on the full moon night, but her soul state was too weak to fight off the werewolves.

> That's why he had to intervene and take Sofia away.

Yet, the Wolf Lord's claws had passed through William's body, piercing his [Cold Fury]…

He had hesitated for just a split second—

And then realized he was completely unharmed.

> It wasn't just luck.

It had to be the Black Swan's protection.

Even though her physical form had perished, her soul remained, watching over Sofia.

A witch who had nearly reached adulthood…

No one knew how long she had truly lived.

But one thing was certain—

Her power, wisdom, and knowledge were incomparable.

> Perhaps… not much weaker than the Witch of the Misty Forest herself.

---

Seeing that William didn't press the issue, Sofia snorted again.

> This guy always found ways to annoy her.

It was so frustrating.

William, amused, turned to the Forum Master.

"I'll go pick up Alex."

And with that, he left the ruins.

---

Following the agreed time schedule, William reached the teleportation point.

Soon, a familiar figure emerged from the golden arch.

Alex landed silently, blending into the shadows like a phantom.

Then, one after another, a small group of high-level players teleported in.

Among them were:

Hercules, who had now fully transformed into a "Giant".

The Captain and a few others—only seven in total.

William didn't greet them.

Instead, he found Alex immediately and led him back to their previously explored ruins.

---

The ancient ruins were simple yet majestic.

The architectural style resembled churches from the surface world.

Once, every god had their own church, with devoted believers.

But conflicting faiths led to bitter wars.

Believers clashed, fighting under the banners of their gods.

It was an era of endless strife.

Then, after centuries of war, they finally reached a compromise.

The polytheistic churches were established—

The Supreme Sun

The Primordial Moon

And many others…

They coexisted, uniting their followers under a single divine system.

This lasted for over two thousand years.

---

Finding church ruins in the underground maze wasn't surprising.

Every organization had its early foundations.

The dwarves, for example, once built sun temples, hoping to create a second sun on Earth.

But in the end—

All their grand structures, no matter how sacred or magnificent, were buried underground.

And at some point, a Nightmare had taken over this abandoned church, turning it into a deadly trap.

---

Unlike adventurers, the Nightmare had no desire to explore ruins.

It had no use for treasure or artifacts.

Even if it discovered powerful extraordinary weapons, it couldn't wield them.

> It's like a magician finding a warrior's battle axe, it's worthless if they can't use it.

For the Nightmare, this church was just a hunting ground.

It lay in wait, luring and killing all who entered.

Now that it was dead, the ruins were theirs to claim.