Heron’s life couldn’t possibly end here.
But she could no longer see anything. The girl regained her senses and took a deep breath. A familiar voice echoed in her ears.
“Now, stop watching and get up.You’ve seen enough already.”
The voice woke the girl. As she came to her senses, she saw herself drenched in cold sweat.
The wolf’s form had completely vanished, and only the womb remained, glowing faintly and trembling. A voice with an unknown tone spoke. No, it wasn’t a voice—it was more like a “heart-speak.”
A sound that resonated directly from heart to heart.Was it her imagination, or did she sense a hint of playfulness in that voice?
-“So, what did you think of my childhood?”
She couldn’t find the words to respond. It felt like something she couldn’t dare to evaluate.The girl remained silent, and through the womb, the distant voice spoke again.
-“When you saw me, I saw you too. The Phylogenetic Seedling. Now I understand how you became so strong. The one behind you is far too great for me to comment on. If you had used dark magic, I would’ve scolded you harshly.”
“Instead of that, do you have any advice for me?”
The wolf, holding its throbbing head, answered bluntly.
“This might be… the last time I see you, Heron.”
-“The womb will soon be reborn, after all. Haha, you’re still so much like yourself. Is that all you have to say to your teacher on your last meeting?”
“Before you go, can’t you at least give me one helpful word?”
Roka hinted at the kind of gift she truly wanted.
“Or maybe teach me something like the Sunset Slash. I’ve been using it really well, you know.”
-“I could manipulate the heavens and the earth even while firmly believing in lies. Imagine what you could achieve if you firmly believed in the truth. How much more could you grow?”
The voice laughed.
-“What, do you still need more advice?”
Duke Ezwill, who had already become a ghost, died without knowing the heights his former servant had reached. If he had known, he would’ve fainted in shock.
Even believing in someone as insignificant as that could move the heavens. If you believe in the true truth and move forward, you might one day even pluck the stars from the sky.
“Of course. If you have anything to give before you go, hand it over.”
The girl spat out the words bluntly, but her trembling voice betrayed her.
“That way, I’ll remember you even after you’re gone.”
-“The being you seek in the Arctic was already a legend in my time. Sadly, I never met them, but I can guess what kind of existence the Demon King is.”
Whether joking or serious, Heron’s words poked at Roka’s nerves.But since they were all true, she couldn’t deny them.
-“That being is undoubtedly older, stronger, and possesses the power worthy of being called the Demon King. Perhaps they could crush you with just a finger.”
“Stop joking around.”
She had heard about the Demon King from Elder Geher. Since he had met the Demon King personally, the rumors couldn’t have been exaggerated.
“But I could probably handle two fingers, right?”
-“You could do even more. You’ve seen my past. Though it’s an embarrassing and lacking time, it will surely serve as a milestone for the path you must take.”
“Still showing off till the end.”
-“And there’s a woman named Epirna in your memories.”
The voice, about to leave, paused and brought up another topic.
-“Good. Enter the Beast King Tournament. That woman will be the perfect opportunity for you to internalize what you’ve seen and learned. Chances to fight such an opponent one-on-one are rare. No, extremely rare.”
“Wait, you’re telling me to enter the Beast King Tournament too? Did Sir Urban pay you or something?”
-“I believe the possibility of you crossing swords with the Demon King someday is quite high.”
A soft chuckle was heard. What would he even do with money?
-“When that day comes, will you cut off three fingers and still fight well enough to die proudly? If my successor dies like that, I’d be too ashamed to show my face.”
Though spoken in jest, it was sincere. He was the type to seek enlightenment without being told or needing a reason. But Roka wasn’t like that.
This child grows through real battles. Training helps, but she advances step by step through heart-pounding battles.The fight with Epirna will be a great experience.
-“You don’t look convinced. Then let’s set a condition. Fight Epirna without a sword.”
“You’re really trying to send me to the afterlife, aren’t you?”
-“If you win, I’ll transform this womb into a sword just for you. Roka, you can do it. Do you think I’d tell you to jump into a pit of fire?”
Was he telling her to hurry to the afterlife because the underworld was boring?
Nothing had changed. She hadn’t gained more power or any special abilities. She had only seen the boyhood of a swordsman without a master.
To fight Epirna bare-handed? That was like carrying firewood into a pit of flames. Roka absolutely, definitely didn’t want to do that.
-“Do it. Otherwise, you might really die. I’m not saying this lightly. If what Geher said is true, you’d struggle to even escape from the Demon King as you are now.”
“For a last conversation, this is too harsh. What kind of teacher says this when parting with their student?”
-“Then ask anyone. What student acts like you when parting with their teacher?”
Master and student bickered till the end. Roka quietly asked.
“You’re not going to show up again after this, are you?”
-“No need. My time is already over. I just have some lingering regrets.”
“Since you have regrets, can’t you fight the Demon King for me? It seems totally possible.”
-“You do it. I can’t return there anymore.”
Somehow, a tone of longing could be heard.
-“There was a dragon among your companions, right? Tell them. Offer my condolences to the last dragon in the world. They received far greater retribution than their deeds warranted.”
“Huh?”
-“They meddled with the power of nothingness. Abusing that power, they awakened their ego. An Ancient God, one that exists yet doesn’t exist, was born—a god perpetually consumed by hunger, craving existence.”
An event from 500 years ago. It no longer matters.In that era, coincidentally, the greatest swordsman of all time lived. The Void God, who sought to devour the world, was dealt with by Master Heron, though not in the most amicable way.
-“Existing yet not existing. A paradoxical being. Because it couldn’t overcome its own contradiction, it was unworthy of being called an Ancient God. It lacked intelligence, filled only with greed and hunger. In that regard, it was even inferior to the Death God.”
Yet, such a being is immortal due to the Law of the Universe,and mortal beings cannot oppose it. The weight is different.
“Don’t lie. Are you saying you fought and defeated something like that? I know what an Ancient God is. That thing, the Law of the Universe.”
-“I never said I won. I just made it no longer a threat. If you want to completely erase it, you’ll have to do it. If you can.”
It was hard to tell if he was joking or serious. Normally, she would’ve called it a lie, but after seeing Heron’s memories, it was hard to tell.
Somehow, it felt like he could’ve really done it.
-“Don’t limit human potential. Everyone has the possibility to achieve incredible things. If you combine everything you’ve learned, you can definitely surpass Epirna.”
“Even though she’s older, has trained longer, and probably had all the best resources?”
-“That’s not for you to say, kid.”
In his youth, he had served as Duke Ezwill’s attendant for ten years and achieved enlightenment.But this kid reached his current level in less than a year. There’s no example in history of someone growing so quickly and smoothly. Who should envy whom?
-“If anything, your potential is higher. Potential isn’t just about your own strength. If you faced me from when I fought Duke Ezwill, do you think you could’ve beaten me then?”
“No…”
-“My strength back then, purely my own, was incomparably weaker than yours. Yet, I could’ve easily beaten you.”
The atmosphere now truly felt like a farewell. Roka hurriedly asked one last thing she was curious about.
“You used to call me third-tier. What about now? Am I close to first-tier?”
-“Second-tier, beginner level.”
“Come on, it’s the last time. Can’t you at least lie and say I’m first-tier?”
Haha. A laugh was heard, and the womb disappeared. It didn’t vanish but melted back into her heart. If she defeats Epirna, it will reappear as the form of a sword.
“…Take care, old man.”
Until now, apart from her parents and Kyle, this was the first person who had helped her so much. Seeing him leave like this left her with a deep sense of loss.
Roka opened her eyes. Nothing had changed, yet everything had changed.
“The womb? What happened to the womb?”
Urban’s voice didn’t reach her. Staggering, she opened the door and looked at the brightly shining sky. It felt as if magical power filled every corner of that sky.
Perhaps because she had experienced Heron’s childhood, it felt like she could reach out and grab it. It wasn’t an illusion. When she reached out, an intangible mass of magical power was pulled toward her.
‘It’s not the body, but the mind that moves magical power.’
Only now did she truly feel she had entered what Heron called the second-tier.Epirna’s mysterious power no longer frightened her.
