Who's behind me?

Shana spun around sharply, only to see a black cat in the corner, arching its back and hissing at her.

You little rascal!

Shana stamped her foot hard, and the cat darted into the gap beneath a bookshelf.

Stifling.

Towering bookshelves stood like silent sentinels on either side of the narrow stone corridor. The air reeked of mildew from old books, a scent she found unbearable. Every step Shana took made the floor groan, as if an ancient scholar was muttering secrets of the past.

Though she saw no one, a sense of unease clung to her like a shadow. She couldn't shake the feeling that someone was following her. Could a werewolf be hiding in the dark?

Her guard snapped up. Shana scanned every inch of the tower—dim corridor, flickering candlelight, heavy bookshelves—nothing escaped her gaze.

Damned werewolf, are you finally making your move?! If you think now's the time to strike, you've got another thing coming! I've been waiting for you to show your face!

Shana's hand closed around a vial of poison, her alertness weaving an invisible net around her, ready to strike at any moment.

Strange… no werewolf here.

After a long watch, she found nothing amiss, but the unease lingered. She pondered why, and suddenly a figure flashed into her mind. Orekl! It's his actions that are making me uneasy!

Shana frowned. She still couldn't understand or let go of the Prophet locking Feto in the dungeon two days ago. The Orekl now felt like a stranger. Even if he'd lost his Holy Light Power, he shouldn't have done something so outrageous. How could he act like this? Has he lost all sense of his role as Prophet? That's the height of ridiculousness!

Shana finally understood what the Archbishop had told her before: Be my eyes, and see everything that happens on the Great Wall. The memory came flooding back.

Before arriving at the wall, Shana had passed through the Royal City. Following her master's orders, she'd visited the Crystal Temple to see the Archbishop, delivering greetings and respect from the Grand Holy Light Mage of the Mandala Palace.

The Archbishop was revered as a god in the United Kingdom, but when Shana met him, he was warm and approachable, with no trace of arrogance. He'd hosted the witch coven, treating them to a simple but cozy dinner, and answered their questions about magic during the meal.

After dinner, the Archbishop had summoned Shana privately and revealed two secrets.

First, Dreamweaver Shu was his agent. The Archbishop said he'd planted two pieces on the Great Wall: the Prophet was his obvious pawn, and Dreamweaver Shu was his hidden one. Through these two parallel intelligence lines, he'd kept full control of the wall's situation. But Shu's tragic death had left him vulnerable—like losing an arm.

Shana was still reeling from the Archbishop sharing such a confidential secret when he dropped an even bigger bombshell: There was a human spy inside the werewolf clan.

The Archbishop explained that half a year ago, during the human-werewolf war, the Great Wall Legion had gained the upper hand and ambushed the werewolves because a letter signed "Lone Maiden" had reached him before the werewolves moved. The letter detailed the werewolf army's strength, march route, and battle strategy. He'd immediately notified Orekl, who had struck first. Thanks to the precise intelligence and the humans' fierce fighting, the legion had wiped out the werewolf main force and destroyed Wolf Fort.

But since the war ended, the Lone Maiden had sent no new messages. The Archbishop suspected the spy was still embedded in the werewolf clan, and would act again if the werewolves made any moves.

He then told Shana he'd shared these secrets because he wanted her to take Shu's place as his new eyes and ears, monitoring everything on the wall. Additionally, if the Lone Maiden ever appeared, he hoped Shana would help them.

When Shana first heard this, she'd been confused. Why had the Archbishop chosen her? Even though she was a "magic genius prodigy," she was still new to the world. Why would he trust her? But confusion aside, she couldn't refuse someone of his stature. Besides, the secret mission thrilled her. So she accepted his request. At the time, she'd also wondered if the Archbishop didn't trust the Great Wall Commander—though she hadn't met Orekl yet.

After arriving at the wall, Shana had gradually understood the Archbishop's far-sightedness. On the Great Wall, the Prophet held absolute power. If other legion members had problems, he could act as a backup. But if the Prophet himself had issues, there was no one to step in. Over the past half year, murders had piled up, yet the culprit remained at large. The Archbishop could no longer trust the existing legion members; he needed an outsider to keep watch, and Shana was the perfect choice.

See through the fog, and uncover the truth.

Shana had quickly realized the wall was more complex than it seemed. The "good guys" weren't united—there were constant power struggles between civilians and holy beings, among the holy beings themselves, and between the Great Wall Legion and the Golden Knights. Lady Ray had clashed with her multiple times, but Shana had been able to tolerate that.

But after returning from the outer lands, she'd noticed a change in the Commander's temperament. Orekl had ignored the critical intel she'd risked her life to bring back, and he seemed to have "pushed" the Golden Knights to leave—she'd heard he'd had a huge argument with Lady Ray the day before they departed.

What she couldn't tolerate most was Orekl locking Feto in the black dungeon. That had crossed her line. She'd made up her mind to file a fierce complaint with the Archbishop. Don't blame me for turning on you, Ray! You're the one who went too far! I'm definitely writing that complaint letter!

Though she'd made her decision, Shana knew how serious this was. Orekl was the Great Wall Commander, Grand Holy Light Mage, and Count of Luminara—his status was no trivial matter. She had to be extra careful and objective when writing the letter, or she could harm the legion.

That's why she'd come to visit Scholar Old Ray tonight. She needed more information to ensure her letter was accurate.

But from the moment she stepped into the Scholar's Tower, an indescribable unease had followed her. And now, that feeling was growing stronger.

Is it just an illusion again? No! There's definitely someone there!

Shana spun around sharply, her eyes widening in shock.

"It's you!"