Chapter 24

[Force Lead. Child of destiny. Through the desert, the temple, and even the Demon Realm. You have grown well, just as fate decreed. You must be confused, but endure, and you will be able to break free from fate. Disconnection, emotions without definition, unbearable confusion… I will grant you stability. Come and find me.]

The message was short, but it sent chills down my spine.

I kept silent, then breathed slowly through a full circulation to calm my mind and body. In my head, an image had already taken shape—where the Sage resided.

Whoosh.

I incinerated the scroll with Threefold True Fire, reducing it to ash.

My martial arts and magic had reached a high realm, and yet foreign knowledge had been implanted in my mind. There was no resistance, no instinctive rejection—just the sudden presence of information that felt natural.

I stood still for a long time, unable to make sense of it. It wasn’t only where I was now, but also the path I had taken to reach this point—things only I could possibly know.

Was the Sage demonkin or human?

Was this some trap set by the so-called Sage?

Or someone else’s plan entirely?

Speculation poured through me in endless streams. I closed the box lid with a firm hand.

I was strong. There was nothing to fear. I told myself not to overthink.

But one fact kept gnawing at me—the Sage had come to my grandfather. That alone made me believe I had to meet him. Maybe then, with answers, the confusion would settle.

Yes. I would meet the Sage.

I told the villagers I would leave after two more nights’ rest.

“Do you already know where you’re headed?”

“I’ll find out soon enough.”

“It’s dangerous. Are you sure?”

“I’ve wandered many places. I can protect myself.”

The blacksmith uncle gave me a sharp look, then nodded.

“Your body’s well-trained. Still, take this.”

He handed me a longsword in its scabbard.

“Wear it at your waist, and most won’t dare pick a fight.”

“Take this too.”

The tailor uncle gave me a set of worn leather armor.

“It’s scuffed enough to make you look like a seasoned traveler.”

“Thank you.”

“I don’t have much, but here, take this.”

The herb-gatherer uncle handed me a map. Not of the whole continent, but a detailed layout of the surrounding area.

“Thank you very much.”

“You’re leaving because of the chief’s letter, aren’t you? Please, take care of yourself.”

“I will. Stay well. I’ll be going now.”

And with that, I left the village once more.

They had treated me like family, even though we had only spent a short time together long ago. Their kindness struck deep, and I etched the sight of the village into my heart, holding it there for as long as I could.

“Where do you intend to go?”

The Demon Realm. Inside the Demon King’s Castle, where tens of thousands of demonkin paid homage, two figures faced each other—Demon King Belephor and his son, Hiberio.

Kneeling on one knee before his father, Hiberio spoke again in an unwavering voice.

“I plan to go to the Human Realm.”

“Why suddenly? Is this because of that human?”

The Demon King’s question was inevitable.

“Yes.”

Hiberio declared the truth without hesitation. Belephor shook his head inwardly.

So fate flows as it must.

“Before becoming Demon King, seeing another dimension will be a great lesson. Go, as long as you don’t start a war.”

“Thank you, Father!”

“When you return, we’ll begin the succession rites.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Hiberio answered firmly, then vanished. One of the demonic energies that had filled the chamber disappeared with him, leaving only silence.

Moments later, Belephor whispered softly, so quietly the stillness remained unbroken, before vanishing from his throne.

“He will gain much beside the Force Lead…”

Dawn burned quickly into morning.

Splat!

Scarlet blood burst through the air, and screams split the morning sky.

“Aaagh! My arms—my arms!!”

The man screamed as both of his arms were severed, then collapsed unconscious.

“Keh-heh, that’s what you get for coming at me. And with only ten men, no less. Thanks for the warm-up. Out of generosity, I’ll let you live. Hahaha!”

Dumaine let out a crazed laugh, swinging his sword to fling the blood from its blade. By this morning, he had already killed nine. Even amidst the horrific carnage, he laughed cheerfully and strolled on.

“Well then, shall I head for the Cross Kingdom?”

The Sage Zydrint’s dwelling lay halfway up Mount Karlson. I could have reached it faster than horseback, but I wanted time to think—and I wanted to see more of how people lived.

A month had passed since I left Benjamin Village. I had passed through three or four other villages, picking up news and rumors along the way.

They were all the same: fear of war, whispers about the killer Dumaine.

Still, they were only rumors. I had yet to sense any real signs of war. Mount Karlson lay within the Cross Kingdom’s domain, but its outer reaches made it unlikely to draw many visitors.

The road to the Sage was smooth. My thoughts settled quickly—meeting him was the only way to resolve my questions and quiet the confusion. With my realm higher now, I could observe myself more clearly, which helped me face the situation.

“P-please, help me!”

As I passed a lonely hill trail, a wounded man lay sprawled on the ground. His arm was bound with torn cloth, and one leg was soaked in blood.

“What happened to you?”

I approached him. In that instant, his eyes shifted, and he pulled a dagger from his coat to lunge at me.

“Well, well, so there are still naïve fools like you out here?”

More men jumped out from behind rocks and trees, armed and sneering. Bandits, judging by their rough clothes and savage expressions. They surrounded me with cruel grins, flashing their weapons.

“Lucky us, such a fine catch for our first haul. As our first customer, we’ll spare your life. Grateful, aren’t you? Then pay your thanks—hahaha!”

“Keheheh!”

“You did well, the act was convincing.”

“Didn’t I tell you? I should’ve joined a theater troupe! Keh-heh—huh?”

I condensed my energy and struck, slicing clean through the dagger-wielder’s arm. The severed limb dropped to the ground with a thud. Blood spurted, and his scream tore through the air.

The others hadn’t even realized what happened. With another sweep of my hand, I severed the arms of the two bandits in front. Then I turned to each side and did the same.

“Wh-what the hell?! Run, run away!”

At last, they realized the danger and stumbled backward, trying to flee. But their legs barely moved, shackled by fear.

I lifted my hand again and calmly cut off the rest of their arms.

“Please, spare us! We were wrong! Have mercy!”

The hillside was littered with severed arms, screams mixing with desperate pleas. Some bandits fainted outright and lay unmoving.

I offered not a single word, only cast one last look at the blood-drenched slope before turning away.

“Hm.”

The moment I turned, a familiar and unsettling energy made me halt. Looking back, I saw someone climbing the hill from below.

A man with considerable mana. The first true powerhouse I had encountered since returning.

His presence was coarse, unpleasant—killing intent radiated from his entire being.

“Khh… I came chasing a delicious scent, but it was just blood.”

The man had gray hair and an ageless face. His eyes gleamed with murderous intent, lips twisted into a crooked grin. But beneath his mana, I sensed the energy of a Dragon Heart.

“Well, well! You’re strong! Out of the way, weaklings! Move aside!”

“Gaaah!”

“Ugh!”

“It’s… it’s D-Dumaine!”

Dumaine? The name snapped into my memory.

“So you’re the killer?”

At my words, Dumaine’s eyes went wide. He didn’t stop, though—his blade kept cutting the bandits down. Blood sprayed, and the air grew heavy with death.

“As I thought—you’re strong! Heh-heh, excellent, excellent! Will you cross blades with me?”

The bandits were all dead before I knew it. Dumaine turned toward me, stepping slowly closer. Then, suddenly, he burst into booming laughter, tightened his grip on his sword, and charged.

He was fast. Nearly on par with a Death Knight.

Sword aura?

From his silver blade, sword aura flared.

I slid back quickly, dodging. My afterimage remained behind, and he struck it instead. In the same instant, I shot forward and drove my fist into his abdomen.

Thud!

His body lifted clean off the ground.

I followed with another palm strike to his midsection.

Boom!

With a sound like a drum exploding, Dumaine flew back. He slammed into a tree, snapping it in half.

“Guhh…”

In just two blows, he lost his grip on his sword and coughed up blood. He had only just barely reached the stage of drawing out sword aura. The gap between him and me, who had reached the Realm of Transformation, was insurmountable.

“Cough… Strong, aren’t you… heh, heh-heh.”

This one wasn’t sane.

Should I kill him? Or let him crawl away?

But before that, I had a question.

“The Dragon Heart. How did you absorb it?”

For the first time, his eyes went sharp and wide.

“You came from the Empire, didn’t you? Heh-heh. Ahh! You must be one of the Empire’s Three Great Knights! Though I don’t recall any with your look… heh.”

I pressed my foot down on his abdomen.

“Gaaah!”

He spat blood, trembling violently.

“Answer me. How did you get it?”

“Hehh… Tell me how you grew stronger, and I’ll tell you.”

Yes, he was definitely insane.

I struck the air, channeling my internal energy into his vital points.

“Gk! Gaaahhh!”

He screamed, body writhing in agony.

After about five minutes, I struck his meridians again, returning his body to a functioning state. But the damage was deep—bones and muscles alike twisted. He’d need long rest before he could even think of recovery.

“Wouldn’t it be a shame to die in pain, without even growing stronger?”

I smiled as I spoke, and Dumaine laughed back.

“Heh-heh-heh! Exactly. I can’t die before becoming stronger…”

He fell silent for a moment, then began spilling everything—where he had obtained the Dragon Heart. Whether it was truth or not, I couldn’t be sure. But when he mentioned the Demon King’s Temple, I was shocked inside.

Judging from the timing, he and his kind must have arrived not long after I had been dragged into the Demon Realm.

What a coincidence. No—too much of a coincidence.