“Source…”
As I stepped out of the room, my mind lingered on the conversation I had just had. Above all, my thoughts kept returning to this so-called “source.”
What in the world was it…?
‘Based on the way he spoke about it, whatever this source is, it has to be something incredibly important.’
…The difference between a god and a regular human.
I pressed my lips tightly.
This entire concept was new to me, and while I wanted to spend more time musing over the concept, I understood that it would just be a waste of time.
I was also sure that hardly anyone knew about this concept, and that asking would only lead to more trouble.
‘If things eventually progress as they should, I should be able to learn more about that power. For now, I should focus on something more important.’
Like…
Finding a way to merge my two domains.
Even after reaching the sixth tier and spending half a year refining my domains, I still struggled to merge the two. In fact, it almost became clear to me that it was impossible for me to merge them.
Transitioning between them, and even mixing them, was possible, but merging…?
It almost felt impossible.
No matter how hard I tried, my attempts to merge them always ended in failure. This seemingly simple task… felt like something that the world rejected.
And yet, even though I knew this and understood it, I continued to try.
I just needed to find the right opportunity.
That was really all there was to it.
“Are you done?”
Not far from the room, the guard who had escorted me here stood waiting. I looked past him to see the Cardinal standing in silence and gave a slight nod.
“Yes, I’m done.”
Something about the way the Cardinal looked at me felt unsettling, but I chose to ignore it.
I simply walked past him, waiting for the Cardinal to be escorted back into the room before making my way out of the strange place.
I didn’t want to stay here for a second longer.
This place…
…It felt extremely eerie.
So, when I finally stepped outside and breathed in the fresh air once more, I felt a sense of liberation.
Things were far from over.
But… for now, I at least didn’t have to worry too much.
***
Clank—!
“…..”
The Cardinal entered the room, his gaze immediately locking onto the figure seated at the far end of the table. Jackal’s expression was completely blank—cold, detached, almost unreadable—as his fingers interlaced in front of him.
The Cardinal’s footsteps came to a halt.
The silence between them stretched like a tight wire. He stood still, waiting. Waiting for Jackal to speak, to acknowledge his presence. How long had he stood there? A minute? An eternity?
Finally, Jackal slowly raised his head, his eyes meeting the Cardinal’s with unnerving calm.
And then—without warning—the world turned white.
“….!?”
The Cardinal’s expression shifted, his face unable to hide his shock.
‘This…’
His heart thumped as realization quickly dawned on him. This white world… it was no regular white world. No, this was Jackal’s mind space, a place he controlled completely. For Jackal to be able to bring him here…
The Cardinal’s breath caught.
‘He’s ready. He’s more than ready to absorb the remaining blood.’
Before he could gather his thoughts, Jackal’s voice cut through the blinding white.
“He’s arrogant…”
Arrogant?
The Cardinal raised his head, confused.
“For a mere fake, he’s quite arrogant.”
A thin line of irritation appeared at the corner of Jackal’s mouth, but he quickly hid it away.
This didn’t go unnoticed by the Cardinal, who looked surprised.
‘It seems like something went down during the meeting between the two.’
For the usually calm Jackal to show signs of irritation…
Just as the Cardinal’s lips parted open to respond, Jackal’s voice came again, sharper this time.
“There’s a lot more I want to say, but I’ll keep it to myself for now. Let’s not drag this out. My body’s ready to take in the missing blood. Make sure everything’s in place when the Congress ends.”
“What?! But—
“There’s no need to worry about how the Empires or Haven will react,” Jackal interrupted, his tone turning colder, more annoyed. “By the time I’ve fully absorbed the blood, their stance will be irrelevant.”
Jackal clenched his fist, his knuckles slowly turning white as he locked eyes with the Cardinal.
“So get everything ready…”
His voice grew hoarse with each subsequent word that came out of his mouth.
“…I’ll be the one to deal with the aftermath.”
***
Congress, day two.
Given the events that unfolded on the first day of the Congress, security had naturally been tightened even further.
Today was the day of the Aetheria Empire to express their viewpoints on the Mirror Dimension and how to tackle the current situation.
In general, nothing eventful occurred during this day.
Even the ‘reporter’ who had previously been present was missing.
And with the tighter security, everything flowed smoothly.
“That went a lot better than expected.”
“…We still have three days left, and knowing that you’re here, something will happen one of these days. I put all my money on the last day.”
“Hey…”
Leon quickly poured cold water over me.
Leon’s comment hit a little too close to home. The worst part? I couldn’t find anything to argue with. In fact, I knew he was right.
‘It’s probably going to be those fanatics from the Church of Oracleus, or the ones behind the plot to assassinate the Emperor.’
Just the thought made me depressed.
“Don’t worry too much.”
As if understanding my worries, Leon pressed his hand over my shoulder.
“I’m here. As your kni—”
“Oh, fuck… I’m fucked, aren’t I?”
“Eh? No, I said—”
“When have you ever been useful? You’re just a salary thief at this point.”
“That’s not my fault.”
“That you’re a salary thief? Then give me the money that you make for me. I’ll take it.”
“….”
“See? Thief.”
Leon reached out for his sword and gripped it.
Leon reached for his sword, gripping it as if contemplating how best to strike me down. His face said it all.
I clicked my tongue then.
“What? You’re trying to kill your boss because they called you out for stealing money?”
“I am…”
Leon’s face twisted in discomfort. He clearly struggled to find the right words to argue against me, but the more he tried to think of something, the more his expression seemed to break down.
See?”
“Fine.”
Leon eventually let go of his sword and sighed.
I was just about to throw a few more shots in, but Leon raised his hand to stop me while beckoning me with his finger.
“Follow me.”
“Uh?”
I looked around me.
“Don’t tell me that you’re trying to silence me in priv—”
“No, I’m not.”
Leon cut me off before I could finish my words.
I watched, half-exasperated, as he walked away, heading in a different direction. His serious demeanor left me no choice but to follow.
‘Where is he bringing me?’
I looked around me.
We had been walking for the past ten minutes around the city, and as I questioned him about where we were going, he’d only reply to me with, ‘Just wait. We’re almost there. You’ll see soon.’
Never once did he give me a proper answer, and just as I was about to get fed up, his steps finally came to a pause.
“Huh?”
Similarly, I stopped and raised my head to examine the square-shaped building ahead. It had a modern feel, its exterior made of sleek metal, with several large windows that offered a clear view inside.
And it was through such windows that I understood where Leon had brought me.
“A gym?”
“….Yes.”
Leon answered with a nod, casually walking into the building and heading towards the reception desk.
“Wait, why are we in a gym?”
“Like I said, I’ll show you.”
“What?”
I stopped and looked at him. I was actually joking about that before, but seeing how serious he looked, I could tell that he was serious about whatever he was trying to pull.
And it was for that reason that I stopped questioning him.
After waiting for him to pay for the room, we were eventually led to a large empty space reserved just for the two of us.
“Considering the strength of both of you, this room should be able to withstand most of the power from your attacks and spells. That said, please try not to go overboard. We can’t guarantee that the walls will fully hold up against the full force of your strikes.”
After a brief warning from the staff in charge, we were left to our own devices. Leon casually walked to the other end of the room, tossing his blazer aside as he did.
Thump!
He then jumped a couple of times and did some stretches.
I just stood in silence, watching him.
I was still not fully sure of what he was trying to show me.
“There are two things that I want to show you.”
Finally finished with his stretches, Leon rolled up the sleeves of his shirt. Clenching and unclenching his fists, he turned to me, his expression extremely serious.
“I want you to attack me with everything you have.”
“What? You want—”
“Just attack me,” he cut me off. “Don’t use your emotive magic. That would defeat the purpose of what I’m trying to show you.”
“But what are you trying to show me?”
“Stop talking and just attack me.”
He beckoned me forward.
I opened my mouth, but something in his gaze stopped me.
Sighing, I relented.
“Alright, fine. I’ll entertain you for now.”
Without hesitation, I flicked my finger, and dozens of threads shot toward Leon.
Xiu!
The threads moved with incredible speed, faster than the eye could follow. Just as they reached him, I flicked my wrist again, sending the threads shooting upward.
Nothing.
Leon remained completely still, not even flinching. This was surprising since I half-expected him to react by now. My brow furrowed as I clenched my fist.
“Are you trying to be dramatic?”
The threads split rapidly, interlocking with one another before branching out into sharp, needle-like strands.
“Get ready,”
I warned him, my voice coming out lower than I expected.
In a blur, the needles rained down on Leon from all directions.
Xiu, xiu, xiu!
‘This should do it.’
I wasn’t going all-out, but this was still a powerful attack—one that even Caius had to take seriously.
And yet…
Leon didn’t move.
His expression was unreadable, his gaze locked on me, completely focused.
My heart skipped a beat. This was weird.
And my gut almost leaped out of me as I saw him remain still once again.
“Leon?!”
I suddenly called out, feeling my lips grow dry.
The needles were mere moments from hitting him, and still, he didn’t react.
‘What’s going on? Why isn’t he moving?’
“Wait—!”
Xiu! Xiu! Xiu!
The needles slammed into his body. Blood sprayed across the room, staining the floor.
I froze. My mind blanked.
No way. Is he…?
Leon stood motionless, his body pierced by countless needles. The ground beneath him was soaked in red.
I couldn’t move. I could only stare in a daze.
“What… What just happened?”
I whispered, staring in disbelief.
But just as I started to rush to him, Leon raised his hand, stopping me in my tracks.
He didn’t speak. His eyes locked onto mine, cold and focused.
That’s when I saw it.
The wounds on his body… they were healing. Rapidly.
What in the world…?
