Jagged handwriting.
But not unreadable.
Karl slowly read through the note.
*
If you're reading and understanding this properly, then at least one of us survived.
I am Kim Ha-yeon, Blade of Blood.
All my comrades died after a desperate struggle. I’ll be next. That’s why I’m leaving this final will, short as it may be.
Do whatever it takes to find the 'Sage of Bones' and hand him the stone in front of you.
I don’t have much ti left, so I can’t explain in detail. Once you give it to him, he’ll tell you the rest.
To my compatriot, whom I’ll never see again.
If everyone else has died, then you're the last Earthling left.
Please, don’t forget our grudge. Rember what this disgusting world did to us.
If there was one thing we all wished for in the end, myself included, it was surely bloody revenge.
*
"......"
Karl reread the note without blinking.
'...What kind of bullshit is this?'
Compatriot? Grudge? Revenge?
Nothing made any sense.
The only thing he could guess was that the person who wrote this was an Earthling — a Korean — and that others from Earth had once existed in this world too.
Another trace of Earth, after the great mage who made the Fragnt of Dinsion.
'And the Sage of Bones? Wasn’t that...'
The sa person ntioned in the main quest before he started looking for the fragnts?
Lost in thought, Karl stood completely still.
If it weren’t for Bashon staring at him, he probably would’ve stayed like that for a while longer.
"Ah, sorry. That was rude of ..."
Karl quickly bowed and apologized.
Snatching sothing out of the lord of Sky Sword Castle’s hand like that — reflex or not — was insane.
Fortunately, Bashon let it go.
"It’s fine, but what is it? You understood it or sothing?"
Karl slowly shook his head.
"Of course not. I just mistook it for a script I recognized for a second."
"Hmm..."
Bashon eyed him with mild suspicion but didn’t press further.
"Could you tell more about the ruins?"
"Like I said, it was ages ago. What exactly do you want to know?"
"Anything else you rember besides the writing where you found the stone..."
Bashon shook his head firmly.
"That I do rember. It was just sitting alone in the corner of an empty chamber."
"...I see."
"Anyway, if we’re done here, let’s get out. This musty sll is awful."
As Karl followed Bashon out of the storeroom, he sank back into thought.
His mind felt tangled, like a knotted thread.
Who was this Kim Ha-yeon? What did this world supposedly do to them? And what kind of revenge were they talking about?
'...Probably not worth overthinking.'
Karl cleared the thoughts from his head.
No matter what, his task was simple.
Gather all the Fragnts of Dinsion.
The letter said to give the fragnt to the Sage of Bones or whoever — but Karl didn’t know a damn thing about any of that, so obviously he had no plans to do so.
'Anyway, only two left now.'
A system ssage popped into his mind.
[Fragnt of Dinsion in possession: (2/4)]
[You have obtained sufficient clues from 'Bashon Hexer'.]
[Main story has progressed.]
[The third Fragnt of Dinsion is in the possession of 'Juraine Marhagel'.]
Juraine Marhagel?
Another na-only lead, but just like with Bashon, Karl could guess the identity.
How could he not?
If you knew even a little about the continents and nations of this world, you couldn’t not recognize that surna.
'That’s the royal family of the Marhagel Kingdom.'
There were five continents in Glorious Soul’s world.
Karl was currently on the largest one — the Rune Continent.
Marhagel was a kingdom located on the adjacent Mon Continent.
Apparently, the person holding the third fragnt was royalty from there.
'Goddamn it... Royalty now, after a castle lord?'
Karl let out a quiet sigh.
* * *
With the fragnt in hand, his business at Sky Sword Castle was officially done.
On the way back to the dorm from the lord’s tower, Karl spotted a familiar face.
"......"
A woman sitting cross-legged behind the tower with her eyes closed.
Akion.
Karl paused and looked at her.
Her aura felt different — intense.
When he checked her info, he was startled.
[Lv.54]
[Heir of Sky Sword Castle]
'Huh... she leveled up already?'
Just a few days ago, she had been Level 53.
She must’ve had so kind of breakthrough. The duel must’ve really lit a fire under her.
Truly absurd talent.
"...What’re you sneaking around for, peeping like a thief."
She opened her eyes and spoke.
Karl gestured at the path beside the arena.
"Just on my way back to the dorms."
"......"
An awkward silence passed between them.
Then Akion broke it.
"I’m going to get a lot stronger."
"......?"
"You better be ready. Since that duel, I’ve already made progress. At this rate, I’ll catch up to you soon."
Her voice didn’t carry any resentnt or vengeance.
If anything, she sounded... excited.
The taste of defeat was bitter — but discovering a goal she’d never had before? That was even more exhilarating.
"Yeah, well... good luck with that."
Karl said and walked past her.
As he felt her eyes burning into his back, he muttered:
"She’s weird too."
* * *
Another day passed. Morning ca.
Ti to leave Sky Sword Castle.
"Travel safe now."
Under the farewell of Bashon and several other martial artists, Karl and the Altius mages left through the castle gates.
"Co visit again soti. My daughter looks like she wouldn’t mind, either."
Bashon’s parting words, said with a sly grin.
Karl awkwardly smiled and said maybe if he got the chance.
Once outside the castle, he glanced back.
She hadn’t co to see them off earlier, but now he saw Akion standing on top of the castle wall.
They locked eyes.
Karl waved his hand.
She flinched — then hesitantly wiggled her fingers.
Looked like she was debating whether to wave or not. In the end, she didn’t — just turned around and walked off.
"Charming."
Karl smirked and turned back.
He briefly wondered how much this experience would change her future.
Maybe she’d reach the level of Sword Saint even faster. She’d already made progress.
Whatever the case, he hoped it pushed her in a better direction.
She was soone ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) who’d play a major role in the future chaos.
Descending the Blade Mountains was just like the way up — Sky Sword Castle’s martial artists helped again.
After returning safely to the Asition branch, Karl imdiately prepared for his next destination.
"You’re leaving already?"
Hurst and a few others ca to see him off.
Hurst looked a little disappointed.
He’d hoped Karl would at least return to the main campus with them.
Karl’s abilities were too valuable to keep wandering outside the school.
"Yes. Thank you for everything."
Of course, Karl had no intention of doing that.
The destination didn’t line up — going back to HQ would just waste ti.
"How long are you planning to keep drifting like this?"
That was Sharon, also visibly reluctant.
Before Sky Sword Castle, she looked at him like an enemy — but after training together, her tone had softened.
Karl didn’t answer. Just gave a slight smile.
"Just wait. By the ti I’m back at HQ, I’ll be stronger than you."
Surprisingly, even Remic was here to see him off.
His words were similar to Akion’s — but sohow they felt way more annoying.
"Yeah, sure. Good luck."
Karl replied dryly. He wasn’t planning on seeing them again anyway.
Ti to hit the road again.
To the Mon Continent — to the Kingdom of Marhagel.
* * *
The Mon Continent sat just south of the Rune Continent.
From the southwestern edge of the Settern Kingdom, you could take a ship across.
After traveling endlessly south, Karl finally reached the port city of Baros, at Settern’s border.
Without even resting, he went straight to the docks.
He had no idea how often ships left for Mon — had to check imdiately.
A voyage between continents wasn’t exactly easy to catch.
If he missed the timing, the wait could be brutal.
And sure enough, his bad feeling ca true.
"Mon Continent? Those ships left three days ago. Barring sothing unusual, you’ll be waiting months."
"......"
Months?
A sailor, lazily coiling rope, answered casually — and Karl’s face twisted in disbelief.
"Not a single one? Nothing?"
"Didn’t I just say that? You think anyone’s insane enough to sail intercontinentally in those tiny boats over there? Forget the ti it’d take — you’d be lucky not to sink."
The sailor cackled and jerked his chin toward the opposite dock.
There, massive warships were anchored, looking like floating fortresses.
"Unless it’s at least half that size, no ship’s crossing the sea in one piece."
Karl tilted his head.
"Then where are those headed?"
"...Huh? You from way out of town?"
The sailor gave him a look — then nodded.
"Figured as much. Well... technically, they’re headed to the Mon Continent too. But they’re stopping sowhere very nasty along the way. Plus, those are warships. Not for public boarding."
"Warships? What are they doing here..."
"You know about the Stemic Archipelago?"
Karl nodded.
He didn’t know much about Settern — but that was infamous.
It was ho to 'Lugesium', one of the largest and worst prison islands on the continent.
The sailor pointed back at the warships.
"Those ships are transporting high-level criminals to the Stemic Archipelago. In a few days, so of the kingdom’s nastiest bastards’ll be loaded onto that fleet. You’re in a hurry, sure, but would you want to ride with them? Even if they let you, I wouldn’t board that thing for all the gold in the world."
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