“No. The leader and the high-ranking members of the Phoenix Clan did not attack Winterclaw… They attacked the Shadow Undead of the Realm Devourer.”

Hearing Ashivor’s words, question marks seemed to appear above Evan’s head, and for a moment, his heart skipped a beat.

‘Don’t tell me… the one who killed the Phoenix Clan members wasn’t Winterclaw, but the Shadow Undead of the Realm Devourer?’

He thought to himself, feeling a bit confused. If it was the Realm Devourer’s Shadow Undead that had massacred the Phoenix Clan, then how was Winterclaw involved in this tragedy?

Seeing the puzzled look on Evan’s face, Ashivor sighed before continuing.

“With the help of the Phoenix Clan leader and many high-ranking phoenixes, Winterclaw successfully killed the Shadow Undead of the Realm Devourer. However…”

Ashivor’s expression darkened, his fists clenching tightly.

“The price of that victory was unbearably high. More than ten Rank Five phoenixes and one Rank Six phoenix lost their lives in the battle. And all the others, including the leader himself, were left severely injured.”

Evan narrowed his eyes, already suspecting what must have happened next.

“During the battle, the wife of the Phoenix Clan leader was also killed. Enraged, the leader blamed Winterclaw for everything—after all, it was because of him that the battle had taken place in their territory. Winterclaw had deliberately chosen to fight the Realm Devourer here, hoping to use the Phoenix Clan to his advantage, and as a result—”

“Another fight broke out between your Phoenix Clan’s leader and Winterclaw,” Evan finished the sentence for Ashivor.

Ashivor paused for a moment before nodding.

“Winterclaw was already injured from his battle with the Shadow Monarch, and those injuries had only worsened during his fight against the Realm Devourer. With the help of the other high-ranking members of the Phoenix Clan, our leader managed to push him into a desperate situation… And just when he was about to be killed—”

Ashivor suddenly stopped, his eyes flashing with a mix of anger and lingering fear.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, before speaking in a gloomy voice.

“Just when he was about to be killed… a strange power erupted from Winterclaw. Everyone present—including our leader and the high-ranking phoenixes—was either instantly killed or left critically injured. The power spread across the entire Vortex Peaks, and only a few lucky ones, along with those who were inside the Core Area protected by the barrier managed to survive.”

Evan and the others were stunned upon hearing Ashivor’s words. A shocked look appeared on their faces.

“Instantly killing so many high-ranking Core Evolvers…?” Sylvan muttered, his expression turning serious.

Evan, however, couldn’t help but think of the Primordial Loli.

He already knew that both Valery and Winterclaw were connected to her—they were both born from the source that Azroth had severed from her.

‘Could it be… that the power Winterclaw used back then actually belonged to her? Or, more precisely… did he awaken memories related to the Primordial Loli at that moment?’

As Evan reached this conclusion, he finally understood why this incident had been buried by Winterclaw.

If he had truly awakened memories linked to the Primordial Loli, then he must have also realized that Azroth wasn’t just any Monarch—he was the same person who had severed his source.

To avoid drawing Azroth’s attention, Winterclaw had no choice but to keep this event hidden.

‘But this is only my speculation. It’s also possible that the power he used had nothing to do with the Primordial Loli… Maybe it was just Winterclaw’s trump card, or some other kind of ability he had kept secret all this time.’

Evan sorted out his thoughts in a matter of seconds before looking at Ashivor.

“Did you or anyone else in your clan notice anything unusual when Winterclaw unleashed that power?”

Ashivor frowned, falling into deep thought.

After a few moments, something came to mind, and he spoke in an uncertain tone.

“I am not entirely sure… but our clan leader—the one who was closest to Winterclaw when he used that attack—said that for a brief moment, he saw the phantom of a small girl appear behind him.”

Evan’s eyes flashed sharply—this revelation confirmed his earlier suspicions.

At the same time, he couldn’t help but feel a bit puzzled.

“You said the clan leader was the one closest to Winterclaw and saw this phantom. But how do you know this? Wasn’t he killed by the power Winterclaw released?”

Ashivor shook his head.

“Most of the people were killed instantly, yes. But the leader… he didn’t die right away. He was gravely injured and managed to survive for a few more hours before succumbing to his wounds.”

Evan’s mouth twitched slightly at this revelation. With a strange look on his face, he asked.

“So, you’re telling me that Winterclaw severely injured him but didn’t finish him off? He just let him live for a few more hours?”

Ashivor sighed, shaking his head again.

“It wasn’t that he ‘let him live.’ He had no choice. After using that attack, Winterclaw was completely drained of his strength. If he had stayed, he would have been killed by the remaining Phoenix Clan members who had survived inside the Core Area of the Vortex Peaks. So, he had no choice but to escape.”

Ashivor paused for a moment before adding.

“That’s also the reason why the Phoenix Clan survived that day. If Winterclaw hadn’t been so exhausted and had enough strength left to continue fighting… even those in the Core Area—including me—would have been wiped out.”

“I see…” Evan nodded, his expression thoughtful.

Still, he couldn’t help but feel a little disheartened.

‘In the end… this massacre was still somehow connected to Azroth.’

He sighed deeply, feeling a sense of frustration settle over him.

‘That guy really is my nightmare…’

Shaking his head, he took a deep breath, trying to clear his thoughts.

But then, a strange thought suddenly crossed his mind.

‘Wait… The Primordial Loli is female, but Winterclaw is male…’

His eyes flickered with a strange light as his thoughts took an unexpected turn.

‘If Winterclaw really did awaken memories of the Primordial Loli… wouldn’t he feel depressed about suddenly realizing that, in his past life, he was actually a girl?’