โWhat is that?โ
In the bright midday sun, the Whissen Castle stood tall.
Thud thud thud thudโ
As the half-broken carriage sped towards the main gate, kicking up clouds of dust, the guard knights gripped their swords.
โStop right there!โ
At the command of a knight who had drawn his sword, the coachman quickly pulled on the reins.
Neighโ
The horses pulling the carriage reared up high and snorted.
The knights spoke threateningly to the elderly coachman who had dismounted from the driverโs seat.
โIdentify yourself.โ
โUhโฆ umโฆโ
Just as the bewildered coachman hesitated under the stern gazes of the knights,
โI am Baron Etvan Jerfelt, lord of the Jerfelt territory.โ
The lord, Etvan, descended from the carriage and presented an identity badge emblazoned with his family crest.
โI have urgent business, and though I know itโs an imposition, I must see the head of the Dark Order immediately.โ
โGreetings, my lord.โ
The two knights exchanged glances after paying their respects to Baron Etvan.
โCould he have come to ask for the commanderโs personal intervention?โ
โIt seems so. He looks like heโs been through hell to get here.โ
Secrets eventually leak out.
Though Belkan had issued a strict gag order to the knights involved in previous failures, it was nearly impossible to silence everyone in the Whissen Castle, despite his immense power.
Thus, the troubles in the Jerfelt territory had become an open secret among the knights.
โYou must have had a hard journey, my lord. It seems urgent, so I will inform the commander immediately.โ
As the knight looked at the baron with a sympathetic expression and started to run towards Belkanโs quarters,
โNoโฆ thatโs not it.โ
โWhat?โ
โIโm here to thank the knights you dispatched for resolving the issue.โ
When the baron gestured towards the carriage, two individuals in trainee uniforms of the Royal Guards got off.
The knights, seeing them, tilted their heads in confusion.
โWho are they?โ
โFirst time seeing them. Are they new? They seem familiar, thoughโฆโ
Ignoring the murmurs, the two ran to the back of the carriage and started dragging something out.
Thudโ
With a cloud of dust, a massive chunk rolled onto the ground. The knightsโ faces changed when they saw the bisected corpse of a Silverback.
They instinctively realized that this was the beast that had been tormenting the knights.
โI will fetch the commander immediately!โ
Without waiting for a signal, the knights turned and sprinted towards Belkanโs quarters.
โBaron Jerfeltโฆ did I hear correctly?โ
Belkan, who had arrived like the wind upon hearing the news, stroked his thick beard.
Baron Etvan nodded repeatedly.
โIndeed. If thereโs even a sliver of falsehood in my words, I will accept any punishment.โ
โSo, putting everything else aside, that man inside the carriage split the Silverback in two with a single strike?โ
Though the method of luring it was more important than the strike itselfโฆ
Baron Etvan swallowed his words and added something else instead.
โIt wasnโt a single strike. According to what I heard, it took three strikes. The first one the Silverback dodgedโฆโ
โThatโs not the point. You two, answer me. Did Jin really split that creature in half with one blow?โ
Belkanโs voice had lowered significantly. The shoulders of the two trainees kneeling before him trembled.
โYes, thatโs correct.โ
โI saw it too. Hisโฆ I mean, Jinโs sword flashed, and the massive Silverback was split in two. It was hard to believe, even seeing it with my own eyes.โ
When the trainee responded hurriedly, Belkan approached the corpse and ran his hand over the beastโs abdomen, from which its entrails were spilling out.
His hand was stained with its congealed blood, but that didnโt matter at the moment.
โThis isโฆโ
A corpse holds a lot of information.
This wasnโt merely a matter of using mana to cleave it with strength.
It might be a misjudgment.
But if his suspicion was correct, this was an unprecedented event.
โThis isnโt something I can judge alone. Who wouldโve thought heโd hide something like this?โ
โYes, yes? What do you mean by that?โ
Startled by Belkanโs muttering, Baron Etvan stuttered, but before he could finish, Belkan had already vanished.
โWhat in the world is happeningโฆโ
As Baron Etvan awkwardly looked around, Belkanโs booming voice echoed throughout the Whissen Castle.
โNo matter the cost, open the warp gate connected to the main house immediately!โ
After the battle with the Silverback,
Jin, who had fallen into a deep sleep, was dreaming. It was a dream from when he was holed up in an inn in the Jerfelt territory a few days ago.
โHooโฆโ
In Idrianโs mental domain.
Exhausted, Jin plopped down, panting heavily.
In front of him were piles of monster corpses, stacked like mountains.
They were all summoned by Idrian to match Jinโs current level.
As Jin, who had finally defeated them all, slumped, Idrian shook his head.
โAn ordinary person would have had their mind shatteredโฆ To think you could withstand this. Youโve exceeded my expectations.โ
โIโve always had a knack for hard work.โ
Jin bragged. As Idrian, at a loss for words, was about to snort, Jin added a word.
โOld man, I have a question.โ
โMaster!โ
โOuch!โ
Thudโ
Idrianโs iron fist struck Jinโs head. Idrian had a particular obsession with the title of โMaster.โ
Jin, who screamed and rolled on the ground, was in so much pain that he almost cried.
โโฆMaster, I have a question.โ
โAlright, what is it?โ
Finally satisfied, Idrian met Jinโs gaze.
โIโve roughly understood mana. But, about the mental domain you mentionedโฆ what exactly is this โvesselโ? It doesnโt seem particularly usefulโฆ It just sits there in the core and feels rather bothersome.โ
โThe mental domain, huh. Thatโs a very good question.โ
Idrian grinned with his wrinkled face and spoke to Jin, whose eyes were shining.
โI wonโt tell you for free.โ
โWhat kind of master are you?โ
โNothing in this world is free. At your age, you should know that by now.โ
Taken aback by the unexpected response, Jinโs jaw dropped.
As if expecting this reaction, Idrian chuckled and continued.
โHow about this? Iโm curious about something from you too, so letโs exchange questions and answers, one for one. How does that sound?โ
โWell, alright. Letโs do that.โ
Jin agreed to Idrianโs proposal without much resistance.
After all, he was the spirit fused with the Stormbringer, within his inner self.
Since there was no risk of leaking the truth, he figured there was no harm in it.
โThen let me start. That inhuman mental fortitude and resilience. Are youโฆ perhaps not an ordinary human, but a divine being?โ
โIf by divine being you mean an avatar of a god, then yes, I am.โ
โGotcha!โ
Idrian snapped his fingers in delight.
โWhy are you so happy? Donโt tell me, youโre like the spirit of Stormbringer, coveting my bodyโฆโ
Jin slowly backed away and crossed his arms over his chest.
Whackโ Idrianโs iron fist struck Jinโs nose.
โWhatโs with this creepy act!โ
โArghโฆ Master, youโre killing me.โ
โIf I wanted to, I could cut off your head here and you wouldnโt die. Want to see what itโs like to get broken a few times?โ
โNo, thanks. Anyway, itโs my turn now, right?โ
As Idrian growled, Jin quickly changed the subject.
Idrian, organizing his thoughts, slowly began to speak.
โThe mental domain isโฆ Itโs a very abstract concept, hard to explain precisely. But think of it as a small world imprinted on your soul, made up of your imagination.โ
โImagination?โ
โYes. Everything youโve experienced, everything youโve imagined, you can manifest within your mental domain. Of course, it depends on the capacity of your vessel.โ
โWait a minute. Then, the size of your vesselโฆโ
Jin looked around. The green hills and the vast ocean beyond.
Idrianโs mental domain seemed like an entire small continent.
In contrast, the โvesselโ in his inner self felt about the size of a fingertip.
As he compared their vast difference, Jin muttered in frustration.
โBut what good is a big inner world? It canโt affect the outside like mana can.โ
Perhaps due to the immense difference, he felt a competitive spirit.
Idrian smiled and began to explain.
โPatience. Itโs my turn now. You asked, and I answered.โ
โPicky, arenโt you?โ
โYouโre getting more insolent. Want to get disciplined by your master?โ
โWhat do you want to know?โ
Knowing he could never beat Idrian here, Jin obediently calmed down.
Idrian looked at him with a piercing gaze and asked firmly.
โAre you really from this world? To be exact, are you Jin Aster, the second son of the Meteor Sword Clan?โ
โNo, Iโm not. My body is Jin Asterโs, but the mind inside is not.โ
Without hesitation, Jin answered, and Idrianโs eyes widened.
โThen who are you?! Tell me. Now, quickly!โ
โYouโve had your answer. Itโs my turn now.โ
โShut up and speak! Who are you, where did you come from, and whatโs your identity? Now!โ
Idrianโs demeanor changed dramatically. His eyes burned with a fierce light, and a tangible aura emanated from his entire being.
Boomโ Boomโ
Thunderclaps and lightning strikes surrounded them as the sky darkened and storms raged.
Realizing Idrian was too agitated to communicate, Jin began to speak.
It was a story heโd have to reveal to Idrian eventually. The timing had just come a bit sooner.
โโฆItโs a long storyโฆโ
Jin began to tell his tale.
From the moment he arrived in this world, to the moment he took over the body of the wastrel Jin Aster and narrowly survived by hunting the Silverback.
โโฆSo, thatโs why I made such a request of you, Master. To eliminate even the slightest uncertainty. I donโt engage in losing battles. I will win and survive in this wretched world.โ
โHa, ha ha ha!!!โ
Idrian, who had listened to Jinโs story, suddenly burst into laughter. It was a thunderous, booming laugh.
โWhy are you laughing? Do you think my story is a lie?โ
โNo, no. I may not have seen it with my own eyes, but I believe your story is true.โ
โThen whyโฆโ
โBecause Iโm convinced our meeting wasnโt a coincidence, but fate. Yes, thatโs it.โ
Idrian muttered as he stroked his beard. His gaze was fixed not on Jin but somewhere far beyond.
โFate? What do you mean?โ
โThatโs something youโll learn in time. Now, you asked what use the mental domain has, right? Iโll answer that.โ
Idrian deftly changed the subject.
But since it was the answer Jin was most curious about, he didnโt mind.
โYour mental domain, created by the Heavenly Craft, indeed canโt affect the outside directly, as you said.โ
โThen it really is a useless ability?โ
โBut if you add mental manifestation to it, the story changes.โ
โMental manifestation? Whatโs that?โ
โItโs the technique of manifesting images created within your domain into reality. But at your current level, youโฆโ
As Jin was intently listening to Idrianโs explanation,
- Sirโฆ I mean, young master! Thereโs trouble. Wake up!
A familiar voice called out as someone shook him vigorously. His vision went black, and he came to his senses. As he slowly opened his eyes, the panicked face of Rat came into view.
โWas it just a dream?โ
It seemed like a dream about the events a few days ago had replayed while he was unconscious.
His whole body ached, likely from the aftereffects of overexerting his mental manifestation.
Struggling to move his stiff body, Jin glared at Rat.
โAnd calling me young master now? Trying to suck up because of the Ovelium I used? Want a new one?โ
โForgive me for not recognizing you sooner. Young master Jin Aster, please, Iโll do anything. Just spare my lifeโฆโ
Rat whispered in Jinโs ear, his voice filled with fear and terror.
โโฆโ
The air felt heavy.
Sensing something was off, Jin slowly turned his head.
โHow have you been?โ
Standing by his bed with a stern expression was the head of the Meteor Sword Clan.
Vergo Aster.