As the noonday sun blazed, the sound of hard objects colliding rang periodically in the mountain. Chi-Woo was training ardently as usual. All his recent visitors had returned to their homes, including Hawa and the three people coming to him for help. Chi-Woo was in no position to do anything for them. Thus, he tried to focus on his training, telling himself he had no choice, but his heart felt heavy every time he thought of them.

Bam! Chi-Woo slammed the boulder and let out a deep sigh, his shoulders moving up and down in tandem with his breathing.

“…” In the end, he dropped his club; he had found it difficult to focus for the past few weeks.

—You’re troubled with trivial thoughts.

Philip reprimanded him as he watched from a distance.

—I told you before. You can’t just swing senselessly. You have to focus solely on each blow.

‘…Yes, you did.’ Chi-Woo was training to kill an opponent with one swing. Thus, every time he swung, his full intention must be on cracking the whole boulder. Even Chi-Woo knew his blow just now held no blood lust. His mind was elsewhere, and he had been striking meaninglessly. If Chi-Hyun had seen him just now, he would’ve scolded Chi-Woo right away. Instead of laying into Chi-Woo, though, Philip asked him a question.

—Why? Is it because of what happened recently?

Philip knew what Chi-Woo was thinking.

—Is it because of that pretty girl?

“There’s Ms. Hawa too…ah, thank you.” Bun handed Chi-Woo water once he stopped training. He patted it and took a swig. The sensation of cool water going down his throat seemed to clear his mind a bit.

“There’s also the matter with Lady Evelyn…” Chi-Woo wiped his mouth after finishing a bottle. “It’s just all…so complicated.”

—Then, why don’t you go out?

Chi-Woo turned around and saw that Philip’s expression was serious. He wasn’t joking.

—I’m sure doing something will make you feel less frustrated.

“That’s true, but…” Admittedly, Chi-Woo had thought about it before. It was tiring to simply wait, and he could get out of this place if he really wished to. However, he couldn’t stop thinking about someone in particular; his brother would surely get furious should he act on his own, and the relationship they had recently restored would crack again.

[I believe you. This is a promise.]

Chi-Woo knew Chi-Hyun wasn’t one to believe someone who had betrayed his trust once. Perhaps Chi-Hyun knew Chi-Woo wouldn’t stay put either; that was why he told Chi-Woo he could go after cracking the boulder. At least then Chi-Woo would have the option of putting in the hard work to fulfill the condition and leaving without breaking his promise, and Chi-Hyun would have to accept that. Thus, cracking the boulder was the only way Chi-Woo would be able to see his brother with a smile after he got out. But Chi-Woo also knew that Chi-Hyun would like him to stay in the cave if possible.

“I still can’t do it though.” Chi-Woo caressed the boulder with a bitter smile.

—You already know what kind of person your brother is. He placed that condition knowing that you won’t be able to meet it in your current state.

“But I still have to try. I think I can do it.” Chi-Woo licked his lips and gripped his club. Despite his words, he didn’t sound confident at all.

* * *

A month passed before somebody visited Chi-Woo again. He was ardently batting the boulder when he saw an uninvited visitor and said in surprise, “Ms. E-Eshnunna? Did you come here alone? How?”

“I came…several times…before…!” Eshnunna barely managed to gasp out as she struggled to breathe. “I memorized the path last time. I’m not stupid enough to forget a path I’ve taken twice.” But Chi-Woo knew finding her way here must not have been an easy task, as Eshnunna’s state showed: her clothes were ripped in places, and she was soaked in sweat; it was clear she had a difficult journey.

“You…should’ve just taken your time.”

“I thought you needed to hear this as soon as possible.”

Chi-Woo thought it was a bit strange of her to think like that after all this time, but he guided Eshnunna into the cave for now. Chi-Woo handed a water bottle to her, and Eshnunna emptied it immediately.

After taking a deep breath, Eshnunna said, “Don’t go anywhere.”

“?”

“Just stay here.”

Chi-Woo hadn’t expected her to say this at all.

“I will tell you what it’s about if you promise to stay here,” Eshnunna said, confusing Chi-Woo even further.

“I can’t make a promise like that.” Chi-Woo immediately shook his head, knowing that he shouldn’t make promises he couldn’t keep. Eshnunna furrowed her eyebrows and lowered her head.

“Then I can’t tell you,” she said.

“Yes, do as you wish,” Chi-Woo nodded and said, “I guess I will have to find out for myself.”

“Ah!” Eshnunna sprang up as Chi-Woo picked himself up.

“What are you going to do now?” Chi-Woo smiled at her, and Eshnunna covered her face with both hands before letting out a long sigh.

“Why are you doing this to me?”

It made Chi-Woo even more curious that Eshnunna was trying her hardest not to tell him. And after hesitating for a long time, Eshnunna said in a quiet voice, “But…I’m worried! What if you get swept into something dangerous again…!”

It was then Chi-Woo realized what Eshnunna must be feeling. There were times when Chi-Woo requested information from Eshnunna before, and every time, that led to him risking his life. She must be worried that Chi-Woo would be in danger again.

Nevertheless, Chi-Woo said, “Why are you worrying about things that haven't happened yet? You didn’t even tell me what’s going on right now.”

Eshnunna found Chi-Woo’s carefree tone aggravating, but then Chi-Woo stated again that he would have to go out and check for himself since she left him with no choice, and Eshnunna hurriedly said, “The Abyss’s witch is currently absent from her position.”

“What?”

“That’s what those on the outside think, but she is actually missing.”

Chi-Woo’s joking demeanor immediately fell, and he straightened up as he listened to Eshnunna’s explanation. After the Demon Empire lost their war with the Cassiubia League and learned of the existence of the godly territory, they mobilized their troops immediately. They amassed an enormous army around the godly territory, and the Cassiubia League were ready to give their all to protect the territory at all costs. However, a war erupted at a completely unexpected place. The Demon Empire attacked the Abyss instead of the godly territory.

“What?” Chi-Woo gasped. Even if the Demon Empire were made up of beings who loved battle, it would be difficult for them to fight two groups at once, especially the Abyss and the Cassiubia League.

—It’s possible since every Great Demon has the freedom to declare and engage in war.

Philip thought differently. A demon empire was made up of 66 great demons. Kings and emperors were foreign concepts to them, and they moved independently from one another. Thus, it was possible that a Great Demon would forgo the conquest against the godly territory and attack somewhere else.

—Or they might have been after the Abyss all along under the guise of attacking the godly territory. In other words, their feud with the Cassiubia League was meant to lower the Abyss’ guard.

“What happened then?” Chi-Woo quickly asked.

“The Demon Empire didn’t attack the godly territory in the end, and they clashed with the Abyss.” Eshnunna’s words supported Philip’s second theory. She then continued, “The battle resulted in a draw—at least that is what is known.”

“A draw? The Demon Empire lost two great demons, and another one got critically injured. However, the Abyss lost their witch. She didn’t perish, but her whereabouts are unknown.

—Oh my, that’s hardly a draw.

“It sounds more like a win for the Demon Empire.”

—Yes, it does seem like it.

There were existences inside a group that garnered respect from their allies and fear from their enemies; effectively, they played the role of generals in their faction. From the Abyss side, there were eleven such figures, and on the Demon Empire’s side, there were sixty-six. Thus, the Abyss had lost one out of eleven, while the Demon Empire still had dozens more.

—Although one of the great demons is injured, they are going to recover soon. Two great demons are far from equivalent to the witch. She should’ve taken out at least six or seven great demons to even the numbers.

Philip, who had been nodding and talking, suddenly frowned.

—It’s strange…something smells fishy.

Chi-Woo was shocked. He couldn’t believe that a strong witch like Evelyn could be dead. ‘No, it can’t be.’ He must not jump to conclusions yet; Eshnunna had told him she disappeared, not died.

‘I’m sure she’s still alive.’ He was certain of it since her broom was found at the capital. Chi-Woo barely managed to come back to his senses and gnaw on his lower lip. Then he asked, “Is that why you told me not to go? Because of the war?”

“No, the war is already over.”

“Then why…?”

“Do you remember the people who came here recently with Mr. Ru Amuh?” Eshnunna was referring to the two heroes who came rushing here to save their friend, Abis. Their visit was hardly recent to Chi-Woo since it had already been over a month, but Chi-Woo didn’t correct Eshnunna. “Yes, I remember. What about them?”

“The place they went to, where the hero named Abis ended up like that…” Eshnunna continued with a serious expression, “Is the same place where the witch went missing.”

Chi-Woo’s eyes widened.

“It’s true. I confirmed it recently and quickly came here.” There was not a trace of artifice in Eshnunna’s words. “Since they were active outside, I approached them to verify the information I discovered, and the information I had matched their experience.”

“What…no, wait a moment. Did you ask them just now?”

“Yes? Ah, yes. It hasn’t been long. I was surprised, so I came here immediately after hearing their story.”

“They’re still in the capital?” Chi-Woo thought it was strange because it had sounded like they were going to set out after a few days of searching. “Has it been resolved?”

“…What do you mean?”

“Abis’ condition.”

“No, I think nothing’s changed.”

Chi-Woo fell into confusion, and then Eshnunna realized there was something off about their conversation.

Chi-Woo cried out, “No way. It’s been a month, and her condition is still the same?”

“A month?” Eshnunna looked puzzled. “What do you mean, a month? It’s only been three days since you last met them.”

The revelation was completely unexpected. While he didn’t know the exact date, he was certain he’d experienced more than three day-night cycles. “A month… Three days?”

While Eshnunna looked at him strangely, a theory popped into Chi-Woo’s head. ‘Perhaps…’

—Why are you so surprised?

Philip nonchalantly interjected.

—You’ve gone through the same thing at the Salem Academy. Compared to that, this place is nothing.

Judging by how he was talking, Philip seemed to have already been aware of the different passage of time. Chi-Woo recalled a previous conversation he had with Chi-Hyun.

[You said you’d come back in a day or two. Why did you come so late?]

[It’s been two days.]

[What the hell are you talking about? It’s been three weeks.]

[Two days passed.]

Chi-Hyun hadn’t been arguing for no reason; no—this wasn’t the important part. Chi-Woo needed to focus on what Eshnunna was telling him.

Eshnunna asked, “Anyway, do you now understand why I told you not to go?” She continued with a nervous expression. “It’s too weird to be a coincidence. It’s as if you’re getting pushed to go there…”

* * *

After Eshnunna left, Chi-Woo did not resume his training. He fell into thought as he sat alone in the cave, conflicted. As Eshnunna said, it was all too coincidental. It was hard to dismiss all recent events as coincidences when they had happened in a row.

‘Again…’ It wasn’t the first time that something like this happened, either. At the Salem Academy, Chi-Woo defeated Andras and saved a girl. The choice that he made to save the girl by using holy water resulted in the revival of Kabal, and consequently led to the creation of a holy territory while he and his fellow heroes saved the eighth recruits. If Kabal hadn’t been there, if he hadn’t saved Balal, and if he had turned a blind eye to the Salem Academy, Chi-Woo might not have survived to this day. The situation he was currently in was reminiscent of that time.

Before Kabal was revived, Balal had kept trying to lead Chi-Woo to Kabal. And now, multiple incidents had happened around him to lead him to a certain place again. One native had disappeared, a woman named Abis had gotten her neok taken away, and now, the witch had disappeared at the same place that Abis collapsed.

A long sigh escaped his mouth, unbidden. It felt as if all the puzzle pieces were perfectly falling into place. Should he go or not? A part of him wanted to go. Considering the teachings of all his masters and his mentor, he didn’t want to turn a blind eye to those in need. He was also concerned about the witch. Since they had helped each other in time of need, he felt uncomfortable ignoring her call for help. And this wasn’t his only concern. Chi-Woo recalled what Eshnunna had said.

[Mr. Ru Amuh is going to leave with a team. He said he’ll depart as soon as he gathers his party members.]

Ru Amuh was his first star and one of the closest friends he had in this world. He was taking the lead in this mission, unable to ignore people in need of help. Chi-Woo thought, ‘I’m a little nervous about sending them out like that…’ To Chi-Woo, Ru Amuh was different from the other heroes. As soon as he entered Liber, he saved Ru Amuh with his own hands, and since then, he had been with Ru Amuh from the Shahnaz camp all the way here. If something went wrong with Ru Amuh or Ru Hiana, he would be devastated. What should he do?

“Ahhhhh—” Chi-Woo let out a groan.

–In my perspective…

While Chi-Woo rolled around clutching his head, Philip approached him and spoke up.

–I don’t think it’s a bad idea for you to go.

“I know. I know that, but—”

–For your training as well.

Only then did Chi-Woo stop rolling. Meeting Chi-Woo’s questioning gaze, Philip cleared his throat.

–You felt it too, didn’t you?

“…”

–That it’s too much for you to break that rock in one hit right now.

Chi-Woo didn’t have a comeback for that. Even though he had made progress after hitting the rock thousands of times, he was clearly feeling his limit. With his current user status, it would be difficult for him to obtain the desired result no matter how perfect his technique was. It would be akin to trying to travel 100 kilometers with only fuel for 10 kilometers. Chi-Woo was starting to realize that he couldn’t break this rock until he raised his exorcism mana to at least B rank.

Of course, since humans were not machines, there was a method for him to immediately solve this problem. Similar to how someone could unleash a powerful sword attack with less energy, Chi-Woo would be able to break the rock should he reach an awakening to make up for his low exorcism mana. However, that would be no easy feat.

[Talent is speed.]

His brother was right. Chi-Woo, who had only learned how to walk on a straight path, didn’t dare to take a shortcut; he couldn’t even see a shortcut in the first place.

–But it might be a different story if you go through an actual battle.

Come to think of it, Philip had told him that the second most important thing after thinking was a real-life experience.

–There are cases where humans exert superhuman power during times of crisis.

Philip wasn’t wrong. Just like a soldier surviving a bullet in the brain, a mother saving her daughter by lifting the remains of a large building that had collapsed in an earthquake, and a firefighter braving through a fire to save a child and immediately collapsing after—if Chi-Woo went through a similar experience and accomplished something that should have been impossible for him, he might be able to reach a breakthrough.

“Hmm…” Chi-Woo still looked conflicted.

–Well, the choice is yours.

Philip shrugged.

–But don’t forget that time is also a resource.

Chi-Woo realized his mistake. Time wasn’t on his side, considering Abis’ condition and Evelyn’s unknown fate. He didn’t know when Ru Amuh would leave, either. As time went by, the situation would turn unfavorable for him. He needed to make his decision as fast as possible.

–So what are you going to do?

It was time to make a decision. Would he stay here? Or would he move out?

‘If I succeed…’ He didn’t know what exactly he would get, but it’d probably be comparable to the establishment of a new godly territory, or something even grander. However, the risk was too great.

On the other hand, if he remained here, he could steadily get stronger with no risk.

“Ugh…” Chi-Woo struggled for a long time and tightly shut his eyes. Finally, he made up his mind. He immediately got up and searched through his bag. A seven-sided die was on his left hand. He tried not to use the World’s Milestone if possible, but he needed its help this time. Chi-Woo took a deep breath and raised his left hand. ‘What do I do at times like this? What is the right path? Please show me—the answer.’

At the same time he made his wish, he shook his left hand and threw the die into the air.

Thud! Roll… The die landed on the floor in a smooth curve and rolled.