The Fleeting Epiphany
"You mean you gained enlightenment in that brief moment?"
Krishan, the Ice Palace Lord, was startled by Adel's words, yet a spark of curiosity ignited within her at the same time.
The desert tribes mainly use bows, as far as I know... Does that mean he's exceptionally gifted with the sword as well?
Of course, Hien, the patriarch of Ulan, wielded not just swords and bows but countless other weapons. But he was an existence beyond common sense, truly inhuman. Even the Eight Armies could only walk a single path.
Is he truly the one Hien took in?
Krishan decided she needed to see exactly what enlightenment he'd achieved.
"Intriguing. But I intended to impart enlightenment to you through Karin, as you said. Still, if you desire a duel with me..."
She spoke.
"It would be wise to wrap yourself in a God's Blessing. I don't hold back in a fight."
On the other hand, she was curious too. Just how effective would her swordsmanship be against the power of an ancient god?
"No need. It might dull the edge of my newfound insight."
"Karin unleashed her full power borrowing the Spirit King's might, and you plan to face my blade without even a blessing... How confident."
Without another word, Adel gripped Ralph's sword. Unlike the light Nazas, its weight settled heavily in his hand, so he tightened his grip.
"..."
Krishan watched him silently.
"Here I come."
At his declaration, Karin held her breath, eyes fixed on the two.
Taak—!!!
Adel kicked off the ground, slashing diagonally at Krishan. From above downward—the most basic downward strike in swordsmanship, yet the most crucial.
Impressive.
Krishan's lips twitched faintly at the sight. In just this single exchange, she felt a subtle sense of accomplishment she'd never experienced while instructing Karin or Daran.
Kaang—!! Kang!!
But she wasn't one to take such an honest blade lightly. Krishan deflected Adel's sword with her Seryl Thorn, twisting her body to target his side.
"...?!"
Expecting him to dodge as a matter of course, Adel instead twisted in that split second, countering by aiming for Krishan's waist.
"Hm."
Krishan frowned slightly. Adel's blade was longer than the reach of her Seryl Thorn, so his tip reached her first. But that was hardly enough to faze her.
Karin's swordsmanship was perfect. Yet she still fell to the Palace Lord's blade.
By stepping back and observing, Adel had objectively grasped the reason.
That was why Krishan had faced Karin instead of him.
It was because her swordsmanship was too perfect.
Ironic, but the essence of Palace Swordsmanship was out in the open. Yet it was shrouded in mystery not because of techniques or forms alone.
The Palace Lord ascended to the ranks of the Eight Armies by realizing that one must shatter the forms of swordsmanship.
That was variation.
She destroyed the foundational forms, weaving in changes to create unpredictable swordplay.
Variation must make the real seem fake and the fake seem real. Thus, it demands flexibility and softness.
That was why Daran wielded a flexible sword.
But ultimately, variation was mere deception. Yet she hadn't stopped there—she'd recently gained another enlightenment, reaching a new pinnacle.
If what I saw was right...
In that instant, the air's flow shifted.
The thrust blade tip grew heavy, while the ground that should anchor him felt light.
As his stance teetered on collapse,
"Hah!!!"
Adel shouted, reversing the suppressive force against him to launch his body backward. With the blade's weight added, his sword moved like a living thing, swift and alive.
"...?!"
Kwang—!!!
His sword, seeming on the verge of crumbling, instead precisely targeted Krishan's vital point.
Kwak—
Krishan gripped her sword tighter.
Like a lion pursuing prey—domineering—yet like a serpent stalking game—relentless—Adel's blade chased her. She struck it away with all her might.
Kwaggrgrk...!!!
The clash of blades rang out. Sandstorms whipped up in the training ground, just as when she'd fought Karin moments before.
"Impressive... Truly splendid."
Adel's sword halted razor-close to Krishan's throat. Her Seryl Thorn barely blocked it, but a thin red line traced her neck, as if his blade had just grazed it.
"Variation's deception is ultimately layered atop the foundational form. But to advance further is to completely forget the form itself."
Adel said.
"That's my interpretation of your enlightenment, Lady Krishan."
"It's called form-breaking."
Krishan nodded in affirmation.
Impossible. He wounded Mother...?
Karin, witnessing it all, stared in disbelief, as if she couldn't accept what her eyes had seen.
"But there's a higher realm beyond this. Perhaps you could reach it."
"You're too kind."
Adel smiled faintly at her and sheathed his sword.
Kang—!!!
Then it happened. Astonishingly, the blade shattered into powder as he withdrew it.
"...!!"
Adel realized Krishan hadn't merely blocked—she'd done far more.
Worthy of the North Sea's mistress.
Genuinely awed by the strike too fast for his eyes to follow.
"It seems my enlightenment still falls short of your realm."
Krishan gazed at the broken sword and said.
"No, it was more than sufficient. Your insight simply outpaced your blade."
She turned her head.
"Karin. There's a sword made from an ice whale's tusk in the Ice Palace treasury, isn't there?"
"Pardon? Ah, yes."
"Give it to him. Consider it compensation for the sword you broke."
Karin couldn't hide her shock at Krishan's words.
Ice whales were ancient beasts so rare—seen once a decade, if at all—that they were called phantoms. Their tusks were priceless beyond measure.
But more than that...
It was a sword Krishan had forged herself.
"My thanks. But if I may be so bold, might I borrow a bow as well?"
"...A bow?"
Krishan looked at Adel.
"Yes. I'm a hunter who wields the bow, after all."
"That sounds like you're saying you'd be superior with a bow."
"Exactly."
Krishan looked incredulous at his hesitation-free reply.
"It almost sounds like you'd claim the outcome would differ if you held a bow."
"Haha, nothing of the sort."
"When you bring out the Whale Fang Sword, include a suitable bow as well."
"Understood."
"My deepest gratitude for your generosity, Lady Krishan."
"Lord Adel."
Daran Samakal presented him with a peculiar sword boasting a milky-white blade.
Srrrring—
The sword slid out smoothly.
"Mother forged it herself. The tusk came from one the previous Palace Lord hunted personally—there's only one in all the North Sea."
"Fine blade."
Unlike Ralph's sword, this one forged from an ancient beast's tusk pleased even the spirits; a breeze stirred along its edge.
"And this."
He handed over a bow from the treasury as well. Unlike ordinary bows, it featured two limbs crossed in an X.
Kwadududuk...
Adel pulled back the empty string with force. Astonishingly, the string's tension was so immense his arm trembled.
Infusing divine power, it drew smoothly in that instant.
"Whoa. What is this?"
"As expected..."
Adel was more astonished by the bow Daran gave him than Krishan's Whale Fang Sword.
"It's one of the ancient relics found in a North Sea ruin. No one could draw it properly without divine power."
Adel released the string as he listened. Even without an arrow, it boomed like exploding air—more intense than Harun's Wind Bow.
"It's called the Galrae Bow."
"I like it."
He slung it over his shoulder, replying in a pleased tone.
"By the way... My sister mentioned you were looking for someone from the desert."
"Right. Know anything?"
"Yes. I ran into him once while heading to conquer a sea ruin."
"Not the Rakon Triangular Sea Area, was it?"
"No. I met him here in Ice Palace before heading to the ruin. Desert folk are rare, so I remembered."
"Hm. Good thing Brother Bin made it to Ice Palace."
"Have you heard of the White Night Lab? It's a magic lab founded by Ivory Tower sages."
"Of course. Don't tell me Brother went there too..."
Adel definitely recalled golem entries in Bin's diary.
Hm... No real reason to go there, though.
But that was for the lab's golems, not true ancient ones.
"Oh my! I know that gentleman well!! So he's your brother, Lord Adel."
Makullan Hun jumped into their conversation at that moment.
"Not exactly there—he said he was heading even farther than White Night."
"Farther?"
"Know Titan's Anvil? The stronghold of one of the ancient titans who forged the Immortality Books."
"How do you know Brother went there?"
"Well, he..."
He gave Adel an awkward smile.
"Didn't exactly say, but that's what he told me. He stopped at White Night to gather materials needed to get there."
"Yes, that's what I heard too."
"Then hitting White Night first should reveal Brother's trail. Perfect— I planned to stop there anyway."
"Be careful. Mages are unpredictable weirdos."
"No one knows their twisted minds better than I. But we've got our own match for them."
"Hehe, leave it to me."
Makullan clenched his fist triumphantly.
"Let's go."
"...Brother, this isn't something I can handle or not."
Makullan stared at the scene before them, voice trembling.
"What happened here?"
"Did we even come to the right place?"
"Whoa..."
The others who'd come along wore similarly stunned expressions.
"Where the lab should be..."
Nothing was there.
No—ruins remained. Scattered debris everywhere signaled something catastrophic had occurred.
An accident this soon? Impossible...
But as the thought crossed his mind, Adel realized he'd been naive.
The future had already changed, just like when he'd met Juwan on the train.
No guarantee White Night's disaster happened on his timeline.
Grind—
Adel ground his teeth against the creeping unease.
He scanned the surroundings.
"Ugh..."
Then—a faint groan echoed from somewhere.