Black Eye.
The northern cliffs. The absolute summit, from which even the raging blizzard could be overlooked.
Before leaving the north after parting ways with Tonpe of the Ran-hu Tribe, I climbed the highest peak in the region, the Heavenly Cliff.
If I'd taken the normal route, I might have frozen to death midway, but fortunately, a hidden path known only to Black Eye and the cold resistance from my Giant's Battle Armor made it possible.
"What would you do if you became the target of multiple people?"
I asked, gazing down below.
"Does that mean there are people targeting you?"
"Yes."
Black Eye responded with what seemed like intrigued curiosity.
"Hmmm... What sort of foes? How strong are they? What weapons do they wield?"
"Who knows. It's not like they're challenging me to a duel. And only one of them has a proper class so far, so I'm not sure about the rest. But the one thing that's certain is that he's become a retainer of the Kartinin family from the Eltia Iron Kingdom."
The moment he heard my words, blue flames flickered into existence around me, dancing wildly.
"The Kartinin family... It's been ages since I last heard that name. Among the Steel Kingdom's pompous lot, they were at least somewhat useful."
I once harbored the memories of being the king of the Iron Kingdom, and I'd always believed its knights were the strongest on the continent. His words forced a wry smile from me.
"The swordsmanship of Numan Kartinin, the family head back then, was decent enough. Even my Chil-ya couldn't shatter the solidity of his Silver Sword style easily."
Black Eye spoke with evident pleasure, as if reminiscing about an old comrade.
"Couldn't shatter it easily...? Did you cross swords with him?"
"Of course."
His words reminded me once again of the power of Chil-ya.
'The Kartinin family's Silver Sword style, alongside the Iron Kingdom royal Yong-gong Geom-sik, was the continent's strongest sword art at the time.'
If Yong-gong Geom-sik was a domineering offensive style, the Silver Sword was its perfect counterpart—a purely defensive art.
'Like spear and shield, those two styles had flowed through the ages without ever settling a victor... A pathetic rivalry. There was already a sword art that had shattered Silver Sword.'
It was like rabbits squabbling over turf in a valley without tigers.
I gave a faint, embarrassed smile at Black Eye's dismissive attitude toward the Kartinin swordsmanship.
'But it doesn't matter anymore.'
The true strongest sword art was now in my grasp, even if not yet perfected.
"Numan Kartinin has retired, so his grandson, Lakan Kartinin, is probably the family head now. He'd be the captain of the Iron Kingdom's Guardian Knights too."
"Kekeke. That grandson? The little chick who could barely crawl is now captain...? Guess I've been asleep a long time. Wonder how much he's grown. Anyway, so the Kartinins are among your enemies."
"That's right. And that's not all. From the Deus Union to the duchies and the Land of Savages. Given time, they'll all come hunting me too."
"Enemies on all sides... This just got interesting."
True to his title of War God, Black Eye responded with bold enthusiasm.
"They're foes you have to fight anyway. If they come to us, all the better—we welcome it."
"You're not bothered by the possibility of other factions—excluding the north—attacking?"
"Don't think of it as more enemies."
"Pardon?"
"Heard of Energy Drain? It's a phenomenon that's existed since ancient times. Regardless of whether you're an outsider or native, everyone in Dimension World possesses a certain energy. When you experience death, a portion drains away and transfers to the killer."
I instantly grasped what Black Eye meant.
In Dimension World, killing players granted experience points just like monsters. Player-killing was never pleasant, but same-level targets yielded more EXP than mob hunts.
'That's why specialized PK clans exist.'
On the flip side, death meant losing EXP, and in severe cases, item drops or level downs. Requests to hinder specific players' leveling were common.
The Energy Drain he mentioned was simply experience points.
"Of course. I've experienced it myself."
"Have you? As expected of one aiming for great warrior status. Good. A true warrior must brush close to death."
I gave a wry smile at his response. Ironically, my first level-up had come from a PK kill.
"If it's not one-sided murder but a fair fight, then all the more welcome. In this world, duels are but one path to strength among many."
Roarrr...! The blue flames blazed fiercely.
"Countless enemies..."
He murmured in a low voice.
"...are simultaneously the offerings that will make you stronger."
"Offerings, huh."
I nodded at his words.
"I like the sound of that."
"A conqueror's path splits into two: death at the victor's hands, or becoming their perfect subordinate. What you need is overwhelming power that crushes even the thought of rebellion. Crush them, and your enemies become your loyal vassals."
"Easier said than done. The Iron Kingdom alone has more knights than all the northern hunters combined. If war breaks out, the fractured north would be wiped out in an instant."
And that's exactly what happened. Tribal civil wars hastened it, but the north ultimately fell and perished.
"Doubt it. War won't come as easily as you fear."
"How can you be so sure?"
Black Eye turned toward me.
"Simple. If war breaks out, it won't be them starting it—it'll be us."
Thump—
For some reason, his words—as if he knew the me from my dreams who had led the continental war—struck my heart.
"Kek..."
Absurd as it was, his matter-of-fact tone made me chuckle involuntarily.
'Indeed... War with the eight great clans. It's inevitable someday, but to lead it, I need to shape the flow.'
The eight clans each boasted over a thousand members. Starting a new clan now wouldn't match their growth.
But there was one force in this world that could overwhelm their numbers: NPCs.
'The die has been cast.'
So-called world quests in Dimension World spanned wars, religions, famines, disasters, monster waves, even demon invasions. Some were player-triggered, others by gods or beasts.
But we'd never doubted one thing: these events didn't happen in player-only zones.
Kingdoms teemed with citizens; monster wave sites housed elves, dwarves, and other demihumans.
The quest I'd given Tonpe before leaving the north confirmed it.
'Quests aren't limited to players—NPCs can undertake them too.'
That also meant NPC growth. If leveling wasn't player-exclusive, the world would change again—radically, unexpectedly.
"Whoever they are, doesn't matter. We crush anyone who dares raise a blade against us. If they challenge, we welcome it. No one's ever matched Chil-ya yet."
"We, huh."
"Of course."
I smiled faintly at his words. He couldn't know the eight clans' strength, but regardless of the foe, he declared himself my comrade without hesitation.
"So, may I make one request?"
"What is it?"
"I've wanted to say this for a while. You are my master. How about dropping the honorifics with me from now on?"
Roarrr...!! The blue flames gradually took on a humanoid form, standing before me.
"If you aspire to kingship, you'll face countless battles ahead. Many will die by your blade, but you'll protect even more."
His sudden words left me flustered. War God Gulak—even in my memories as Iron Kingdom king, he was a legend who surpassed royalty, not someone to take lightly.
"When that time comes, hordes will follow you. One who claims the throne must establish clear hierarchies. That elevates the authority of all who serve you."
Yet here he was, kneeling before me once more.
"A king must never bow his head. Not even to a god."
In that moment, I felt an inexplicable resonance.
'Why did he die and linger as a spirit? No ancient text mentions Gulak's death.'
Only Chil-ya endured. His demise and his beloved sword Baekya seemed erased from history.
'The War God pursued martial supremacy. What could defeat even him...?'
It was laughable. Knowing Dimension World's future events felt like cheating, prophetic power itself. Yet the more I knew, the deeper the maze seemed. Something profound lurked beneath.
Curious, but the time wasn't right.
'Everything has its order. Calamities or gods—before facing them, I must first claim the pinnacle of the human realm.'
I looked at Black Eye.
"Fine. We'll do it that way. Our bond is oath-bound, beyond mere lord-vassal ties. But I haven't claimed the throne yet. When I do, Black Eye, you show me a subordinate's due respect."
"Naturally."
Black Eye lifted his head, looking relieved.
"Finally... Time to leave the north."
I said to him.
"The long-awaited push to the central lands. Thinking of the chaos ahead already has me itching."
Bam—!!!
Black Eye clashed his fists together.
"Off to Sandorim Forest now?"
I shook my head. My ultimate goal was completing the world quest, but going unprepared would be pointless.
"No. You can't visit that grumpy old man in Sandorim Forest empty-handed if you want his help. I need to prepare a gift first."
"Hmmm. Destination?"
In a low voice, I answered his question.
"The White Swamp."