Becoming stronger feels like climbing uphill. The higher one aims, the steeper the incline becomes. And when they finally reach a level of strength beyond the norm, the road ahead is no longer sloped but level.

They must walk on solid, even terrain.

There's no end in sight nor any sense of progress.

Without any guidance, they won't know if they're heading in the right direction, and they will inevitably grow weary.

Despite such hardship, if they persist on the path and luck is on their side, they will encounter it.

A set of stairs.

A wall.

"Over here. Hurry!"

"Lain…?"

"Karuna, did you bring her?"

"Yes, Sir Lain."

"Where was she?"

"She was hiding in the servant's lodging, sleeping."

"To think she'd skip afternoon training and keep everyone waiting! Karen!"

'Huh…? This place…'

Her mouth was moving on its own.

"Group training…? Lain… This is too outdated."

"You rascal! To think you'd train on your own!"

"I don't understand your point…"

"That's something you can do at any time! There are ten Guardians! Our goal is for all ten to become one."

"Ugh… lame."

"Cherish the time we can spend together while you can…"

Lain's face showed a hint of regret.

For some reason, Karen thought he looked a bit sad. Why didn't she notice back then?

Karen whispered to Karuna.

"Karuna, let's just wait for Lain to get weaker. We just need to hold out a little longer until he's old."

"…"

"You brats! Stop chattering! This won't do… I, Lain, shall begin today's training while playing the villain."

At the mention of the villain play, the other knights spoke out in agony.

"No!"

"Anything but the villain play… Please…"

"Karen! Kneel! No—prone neck bridge!"

Lain twirled his beard around his finger and laughed.

"Haha… Prepare the formation. I'll move in exactly thirty seconds."

"Damn it! Everyone, get ready!"

"Karen! You'll pay for this!"

There was a strange training method exclusive to the Montra Guardians, the so-called 'villain play.'

During villain play, the Guardians are split into two teams.

The strongest among them becomes the villain and faces off against the other knights.

And Lain was always the villain…

He always volunteered to play the villain because he was far stronger than anyone else.

Soon, thirty seconds had passed.

Lain shouted and drew his greatsword, "A Knight is the sword of the Empire! The shield of His Majesty, the Emperor! I am a ruthless villain who came here to defeat you! The Black Sun, Lain!"

The Guardians clenched their teeth.

Anyone who saw Lain's antics would probably find them ridiculous. But those who had actually faced him believed that his behavior only made him more terrifying.

Karen shouted, "Lain! Why am I always the knight? Let me be the villain! I want to be a villain too!"

"Fufufu… A traitor? However, it's still too early for you! Karen, you aren't worthy of being a great villain!"

"Ugh… Why not?"

"Because you're weak! Villains must be strong! Tsk… Let's stop wasting time with words. Here I come!"

Bang—!

Why did it sound like a cannon firing when it was just a person moving?

"Stand firm! Or you might get hurt!"

"Aren't you going to hurt us anyway?!"

"Was I found out?!"

BOOM—!

"Ah…"

The first Knight who clashed with Lain was sent flying with a thunderous noise.

"I should adjust my strength a bit."

Usually, the first to collide with Lain never ended up in one piece. That's why everyone instinctively backed away.

Fights of one against many often created dramatic situations when one's ability was extraordinary.

Clang—!

Clang—!

Clang—!

"Ugh…"

"Fall back!"

BOOM—!

"Ugh…"

The Black Sun of Montra charged relentlessly through the Guardians.

His strength and movements, which made the impossible possible, served as a massive challenge to the knights who were facing the villain.

"Kneel before me, Montra Guardians! Is this the limit of your justice?!"

"Captain, your malice is too great!"

"Silence! Because I'm an old-fashioned leader, I tend to ignore my subordinates' opinions! That's also a form of malice!"

Karen faced Lain's overwhelming presence as it surged like a tidal wave.

She was staring blankly at the scene.

The Karen here was the Karen from a distant future—the one who had endured countless hardships and had reawakened after the fall of the Montra.

That's why she could observe Lain's movements in more detail.

Things she didn't know or realize back then.

Lain was like an encyclopedia for knights. How to move. How to deceive others with movements. How to flow from those deceptive movements into a strike. With sheer, unbelievable force, he hammered all of this directly into her head.

"What's up with that sloppy stance?! Do you think that will stop this injustice?!"

BOOM!

"Cough—!"

It was such an overwhelming power that most couldn't even respond properly. Even Karuna had already been knocked out.

"What's this?! At this rate, Montra will be destroyed!"

"Lain, you're the one destroying it!"

"Villains only say what they want to!"

"That's just like Lain…"

Crack—!

"Cough…"

Karen tightened her grip on the sword. No matter how much strength she used, it never felt enough. She couldn't shake the doubt—could she really face that monster with just her sword?

"Ah! This feels refreshing!"

"Agh!"

Karen admired such strength.

Whenever Lain played the villain, it usually ended like this—a fleeting movement, a flicker of light, and it was over. Sparring with him filled her mind with countless abstract ideas.

Like homework she couldn’t escape. It forced her to think. It forced her to accept.

Though they felt like food that didn't yet suit her taste, he served them anyway, knowing that one day they would. It was terrifying. Lain was an unparalleled monster Montra created. He was humanity's most talented—perhaps the strongest knight in human history.

That was Lain, The Black Sun of Montra.

BOOM—!

After knocking down all the other knights, it was now Karen's turn.

Karen was last in line. She was ranked tenth among Guardians, and Lain always made her undergo long, intense training under the pretense of special guidance due to her conduct.

Whoosh!

Lain moved, and Karen realized how much could be done in such a short moment.

Lain's eyes seemed to speak.

- Karen, dodge.

Karen also responded with her own gaze.

- No…

"Guardian! Fall before evil…!"

She saw it—the huge wall coming at her.

She was seeing it.

She had to see it.

If she ever wanted to become that kind of wall herself.

'I must see it… I must…'

Screech—!

The world was pushed back and bounced away.

At the end of it, Lain praised her.

"That's it, Karen. Good eyes…"

"AGH!"

Karen once again drifted into a world without the Guardians.

"Oof… Oof…"

It felt empty.

The Lain she relied on was gone. Only Ur was watching her.

"Hmm. Are you about to break through the wall?"

"Oof… Oof…"

"We can find another way if you're unsatisfied. You don't have to go out now…"

"No. I'm almost there. I don't need more time. What I need is…"

Karen's eyes gleamed as she looked beyond the darkness.

"…resolve."

"Then, get ready."

Today, Karen would go outside.

It felt like she had spent quite some time inside the Void.

It would be a lie to say she had grown attached to this place.

Even so, it felt like if she wanted to find an answer here, it would take some time.

That's why she would go out.

Standing in a prepared stance, Karen called Seol.

- Master, can you hear me?

'Yes.'

- I'm ready. You just need to run forward.

'That's it?'

- Yes. Just focus on running. That's enough.

Karen took a deep breath and flexed her thighs. They seemed to be on the verge of exploding.

Paf—!

Seol began sprinting toward the Tohyang.

Pang—!

At the same time, Karen also sprinted forward.

Only flames were left in her path.

While watching the traces left by Karen, who disappeared beyond the darkness, Ur gasped, "How unbelievable."

Fwoosh—!

The Void Door, which was far from Karen, quickly rushed at her. That showed how fast she was moving.

Once she crossed that door, she would reach that fleeting moment.

She had fought flashes like this a long time ago too.

She was regaining her past senses.

Fwoosh—!

Light seeped in, and the sky and earth transformed.

Reality filled her lungs and heart.

Seol's body had already accepted Karen the moment she emerged from the Void door.

BZZT—!

Now, that was Karen controlling the Night Crow.

Seol's movements had become Karen's.

'In an instant.'

She could see the White Whale's movements.

'Kyaha!'

She was fast.

The opponent was a Phantom Beast.

However…

'Lain was faster…'

If she could think at the moment of impact, it meant she wasn't faster than Lain.

'I must accelerate…!'

The moment Seol and Karen's strengths merged, all the insights she had gained came rushing in explosively.

Jingle…

From the beginning, the target wasn't the sword but the bell.

Paf—!

Tsss…

She looked at the scorched red earth.

It was the path she had traveled.

"It's over."

A warmth spread through her as she assimilated with Seol—it wasn’t the heat from a fire but the comforting warmth of a home.

It was an embrace she had been looking forward to.

[You enter the Night Crow form with Knight 'Karen, the Red Lotus Knight.']

[You absorb Karen, the Red Lotus Knight’s stats.]

[Your class is changed to Knight.]

[Shadow Hand is evolving.]

[You are able to use Burning Fixed Star.]

[You are able to use Montra's Swordsmanship.]

[You are able to use Haze.]

[You are able to use Passive: Best Friends.]

[You are able to use Passive: Inferno.]

[You are able to use Black Flame Cannon.]

[You are able to use Exceptional Skill: Sunset Draw.]

…

[Awakening! You awaken a new skill.]

[You awaken Goblin Steps.]

Translator - SCM

Proofreader - Karane

* * *

While Karen and Seol were having their long-overdue reunion, others were engaged in their own discussion.

"Where did that terrifying being come from? Shouldn't we search his pockets? What if there are more?"

"Is this your first time seeing her?"

"Yes…"

Jin Ryeo, Chi Woo, and Seol Hong all felt a deep sense of unfamiliarity toward the newly appeared woman.

And it was understandable. Unlike Jamad, she seemed to have a vibrant color. It felt as if a walking flame had appeared.

The combination of her red hue and radiant appearance felt out of place.

If she stood beside the White Whale, it would be impossible to tell which one was the Phantom Beast.

"One more time! I had my guard down…!"

"Haha… Little Kyung, are you just making excuses?"

"That's… Ugh…"

For the White Whale, this was unprecedented.

Just once. The opponent had only tried once—and succeeded.

Had the opponent tried hundreds of times before succeeding once, she wouldn't feel this way.

She was frustrated.

The White Whale whispered to the Dragon.

"There's something off about that human…"

"You mean he's extraordinary?"

"No… What I mean is, I'm sure he's the same human who entered the Celestial World last time. Back then…"

"Back then…?"

"Well…"

The White Whale couldn't continue.

'I can't say that he stopped my Daoist Spell that time too!'

That would be like confessing she had lost twice.

"Anyway! There's no way a human could be faster than me!"

The Dragon smirked, "Little Kyung, it isn't up to you to decide their limits."

"But…"

"Even I, a Dragon, haven't set their limits."

"Then who does…? Are you going to say it's up to the Gods?"

"It's themselves…"

"How frustrating…"

"I know."

Swish—!

The White Whale approached Seol while Karen stood in a strange position, watching both Seol and the White Whale.

That position irked the White Whale.

It was a position where Karen could intervene at any moment.

"Sigh… Fine. Here."

Clack…

The White Whale handed the Tohyang to Seol.

Seol reached out with both hands to receive it.

Or rather, he tried to.

Clack…

Clack…

The sword wasn't moving.

Drip…

Drip…

Water fell on top of Seol's hand.

It was tears.

"Sob… Ugh… It's so painful… To think I would have to pass on such a treasure to someone else… This has never happened before…"

"Little Kyung."

"Okay!"

- What trash!

- Snowman is trash! He made her cry!

- ???: You're making me trash now!

- She doesn't seem to be bad, hahaha. She's just a sword otaku…

Finally, Seol grasped the Tohyang.

Feeling a sense of regret, the White Whale tried to leave, but something suddenly caught her gaze.

"W-wait…"

"Huh, what…?"

"Let me ask something."

Her eyes were fixed on Karen's sword, Flare.

Given how insistent she was, Karen reluctantly unsheathed Flare to show her.

Swoosh…

"Haa…"

The White Whale inspected the blade closely. She even blew on it and rubbed it. After a while, she reached a conclusion.

"It's Orgo! This is something Orgo made!"

"Orgo…?"

"You don't know Orgo? This elegant line, this perfect balance. Orgo definitely made it."

Hamun chimed in, "That's something I made."

"You…?"

"Yes."

"You said you were Orgo's successor, right?"

"Yes…"

The White Whale walked back and forth, stroking her chin in thought. She then asked a couple of short questions.

"Is this by any chance your life's masterpiece…?"

"It's not."

"Are you secretly really old and in poor health?"

"Although I'm not certain about my remaining lifespan, I don't think I'll be turning into dust tomorrow."

"Are you perhaps this man's slave or something…?"

"That's a horrifying assumption."

As if she had reached a conclusion, the White Whale clapped her hands.