Chapter 7
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: Eye-Opening Ceremony (2)
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3.
The family head's command was absolute.
The Leston ducal family immediately began preparations for the Eye-Opening Ceremony.
The Azure Forest, a woodland located north of Azure Sea Castle.
It was the sacred forest where the Stone of Oaths resided, a place only direct descendants of the Leston ducal family could enter.
Leading the way was the family head, Halo, followed by Karron's uncles and father, with the family elders trailing behind.
This was the group participating in this Eye-Opening Ceremony.
The caliber of the elders was to be expected.
Karron nodded, glancing back at the rear from which he could feel no presence at all.
The elders of the Leston ducal family.
Though their identities were a mystery, Karron knew they were the guardians of the family.
-The elders are the powerhouses of the previous generations. Once your mana reserves pass a certain point, your lifespan extends, right? To put it simply, its a retirement post we set aside for the family's senior members.
He remembered Halo giving him a rough explanation about them once.
The elders were also a long-standing tradition of the Leston ducal family.
In the war 45 years ago, the elders of the Leston ducal family had played a crucial role.
They were like the family's hidden dagger.
And, at the same time, the real power that moved the ducal family from the shadows.
Of course, things might be different now.
Halo had become a great hero representing the Leston ducal family, a being who had risen to the ranks of the strongest on the continent.
No matter how strong the elders were, they couldn't possibly interfere with the great hero.
We've arrived.
It didn't take long to reach their destination.
Vwoooom.
A massive barrier shimmering with Azure Mana.
Though it was a barrier made of mana, it felt distinctly different from those created by mages.
Hed heard the Stone of Oaths itself was linked to ancient magic, so perhaps this barrier was as well.
Karron nodded and let out a light breath.
Karron Leston. The moment you step inside this barrier, the Eye-Opening Ceremony will begin. Once inside, the Stone of Oaths will guide you to a new world.
Halo looked down at Karron and slowly continued his explanation.
The world each person experiences is different. You will see a world befitting your destiny, and within it, a weapon infused with Azure Mana will be waiting for you. What you must do in that world is very simple. Use that weapon and destroy the world. Once you do, the Eye-Opening Ceremony will be over.
It wasn't a very kind explanation.
Destroy the world.
It was a vague expression, and a needlessly grandiose one at that. At least, that's how it felt to Karron.
Find the way to destroy the world on your own.
Yes, Grandfather.
You will have to overcome your fear. Do you understand?
Karron obediently nodded in response.
Breaking things was his specialty. In his past life, he'd nearly broken the very reality he lived in.
Of course, that was because of the Evil Emperor, but regardless, he was confident when it came to destroying things.
So he wasn't particularly worried.
He'd figure it out once he was inside.
Then, let the Eye-Opening Ceremony begin.
After observing his grandson's reaction, Halo removed the pendant from his neck and placed it on the ground.
Just then.
Fshaaaaa
A door glowing with blue light materialized before them. It was a small door, just big enough for Karron to pass through.
Karron slowly placed his hand on the doorknob. With his other hand, he gave a small wave to his father, who was watching from behind.
I'll be back, Father.
At his son's farewell, Peil forced a smile and waved back.
I'll be waiting here for you.
Yes.
After saying his goodbyes, Karron opened the door without hesitation and stepped inside. The door then vanished as if it had never been there.
In the end, only the adults remained.
Halo murmured under his breath.
I wonder what results that boy will achieve.
It was pure curiosity.
The Stone of Oaths didn't simply let one experience another world.
To be precise, it showed a world that the subject had to overcome.
The smaller the vessel, the more peaceful the world it showed, but for a large vessel, it would reveal a world akin to hell.
Halo recalled the hell he had seen through the Stone of Oaths long ago.
That terrible hell, which had been difficult for his seven-year-old mind to overcome.
But one thing was certain: overcoming the trial would bring about growth befitting the ordeal.
And at the same time, one could obtain a treasure steeped in the family's long history.
While it was a family taboo to speak of what one saw and heard, it was possible to gauge the size of a child's vessel by the weapon they brought back.
What I brought back was the founder's sword.
What, he wondered, would that peculiar grandson of his obtain?
Halo's lips curled into a slight smile as he gazed at the barrier. His first and second sons watched their father's expression and frowned slightly.
Hes already taken a liking to that boy.
This is not good. Not good at all.
In the end, the only adult here who was genuinely worried about Karron was Peil.
Just come back safely.
4.
Kughh.
The moment Karron stepped through the door, he felt a scorching heat, as if his entire body was on fire.
But it was only for a moment.
Vwoooom.
The Azure Mana that naturally flowed from his body soothed the burning sensation.
And the light that had blinded him quickly faded.
Karron slowly opened his eyes. And then, the 'new world' Halo had spoken of revealed itself.
Hah.
No, this wasn't a 'new world'.
This was a world Karron already knew. Not just knew, but one in which he had existed.
A hellscape unfolded, with corpses strewn in every direction.
A place impossible to forget.
His past life. The place where Kain Rator had met his end.
The Imperial Palacespecifically, the grounds before the main hall where the throne resided.
Why on earth.
Why had the Stone of Oaths led him here?
Karron took a deep breath and looked around.
There were no living beings.
The sky was an ominous shade of red, and everyone lay dead and limp, scattered all around.
The soldiers of the Imperial Palace in their armor emblazoned with the golden lion insignia, and the rebels wearing blue sashes.
It was a hell devoid of even a single speck of life.
He knew this was all an illusion created by the Stone of Oaths, but this vision, touching upon ancient magic, was astonishingly real.
The stench of blood stinging his nostrils.
The stone ground, soaked with the blood of the dead.
Everything he saw and felt was incredibly vivid.
This feels just great.
Karron slowly raised his head and looked up the stairs.
The only staircase leading to the throne.
It was the place he had once defended with his life. The place where Halo's sword had pierced his chest, ending that damn life of his.
But now, there was no one there.
Not him, not Halo.
Hoo.
But he couldn't remain lost in sentiment forever.
No matter how real it felt, this was ultimately an illusion. He had to figure out how to get out of here.
There must be a weapon somewhere in this hell.
He just had to find that weapon and a way to escape.
Karron carefully took a step forward.
He knew instinctively where to go. If something was hidden here, it had to be at the throne.
A place he had never dared to reach in his past life.
If there was an answer, it had to be there, in that place he couldn't even dream of approaching with a disloyal heart.
Thud.
He climbed the stairs.
Corpses were piled up on either side of the staircase. Some, in particular, had died miserably with their eyes still open.
They were the faces of the comrades who had once defended this place with him.
I'm sorry.
He climbed the stairs, etching each of their faces into his mind.
Just as Halo had done long ago, he approached the throne, one sure step at a time.
He could have walked with his eyes squeezed shut, but Karron chose not to.
Even if this was all an illusion, that would have been disrespectful to his old comrades.
He continued up the stairs, chewing on the finality of their deaths.
Karron Leston now followed without hesitation the path that Kain Rator had walked.
But his destination was different.
Kain had stopped at the end of the stairs, but Karron would not.
This was the spot.
Karron stepped on the place where he had died and moved further forward. He willingly set foot in a place he had not dared to enter in his past life.
The one here now was not Kain Rator.
He was not some slave who had always been ruled by another.
He was Karron Leston.
The youngest grandson of the Leston ducal family, and a boy who would do whatever he pleased.
And so, Karron stepped over his own death and finally entered the main hall where the throne was visible.
A blood-red carpet led to the throne.
And finally, at its end, the throne, situated on a high dais, came into view.
The throne, positioned high enough to look down on everything.
The throne he had once hated so fiercely was empty. Instead, something glowing blue was embedded in it.
And at that moment, a voice echoed in his mind.
Your world is so very cruel and desolate, child of the blue wolf. The time of the covenant has finally come, and I shall fulfill the pact made with your ancestor.
At the sudden voice, Karron frowned and replied.
Are you a demon?
The blood that flows in your veins cannot be trespassed upon by mere demons. Overcome your fear and ascend to the throne. What you desire is there.
Perhaps even this voice was just another illusion created by the Stone of Oaths.
Karron walked on the red carpet toward the throne.
With each step, it felt as if he were treading through a river of blood.
Vwoooom.
But with every footfall, his Azure Mana began to resonate slightly.
A faint blue light began to flicker from the boy's body, and the mysterious voice continued to echo in his mind.
Child blessed by the cold, deep northern sea. Though your soul was lost for a time, you have finally reached this place. On behalf of the blue clan, I welcome you.
He approached the throne.
The brilliant, golden throne came into full view. And soon, he could also identify what was embedded in it.
The moment he saw it, Karron was left speechless.
A longsword, black in color.
This was not a sword Karron was seeing for the first time.
Ruin.
The treasure of the imperial family, bestowed by the Emperor himself.
And the very sword that Kain Rator of his past life had held until the moment he died.
A demonic sword.
His beloved sword.
Karron couldn't understand at all why it had appeared here.
That is your weapon. Infuse it with your mana.
Put mana into a demonic sword? Don't give me that bullshit.
It had once been like an extension of his own arm, but in the end, this sword was a demonic weapon that housed a demon's power.
It was a wicked demonic sword that fed on the user's soul to amplify its power.
But the voice in his head, as if expecting this reaction, continued smoothly.
The demonic will that dwelled within it was already annihilated by your grandfather. And the form you see now is merely a distortion cast by the demon. Awaken your sword, child. Only you can awaken it.
Could he trust this voice?
Was it possible that even this voice was a test of his endurance?
It was true that he couldn't feel any evil mana coming from Ruin.
But his body wouldn't move so easily.
This sword reminded him of his past life. A life lived as a slave, a miserable life spent as a toy.
To that time he never wanted to return to.
To that time that made him shudder just thinking about it.
But as his thoughts reached that point, Karron realized something.
Hah.
A hollow laugh escaped his lips.
He thought he finally understood, just a little, what this ceremony called the Eye-Opening was all about.
He also realized that the words Halo had uttered in passing before he entered were, in fact, another act of kindness bestowed by a grandfather upon his grandson.
-You will have to overcome your fear.
Still unnecessarily kind, aren't you, Halo.
Karron smiled faintly as he placed his hand on his old, beloved sword. And he gently channeled his mana into it.
A moment later.
Excellent.
A torrent of blue light erupted from the sword and began to swallow the entire world.