/
Crunch.
“The power I’ve already obtained resides in my body, and I don’t know how to remove it. Shouldn’t I risk it rather than feeling uncomfortable?”
“What would you do if that power causes any problems?”
“I would stop using it’s power.”
If it’s dangerous, he should stop.
‘To be honest, the last power was not very helpful to me.’
The first thing to do was to find out who and their purpose for leaving those words.
“Is the power near here?”
“Yeah, it’s very close.”
Ruel looked around the room and pointed to a small statue decoration on the fireplace.
“
do you mean it’s there?”
Cassion asked in amazement.
This room was his own.
That statue was one of the heirlooms of the descendants of the ice castle from generation to generation.
He was going to throw it away, but had held the urge.
“Can I break it?”
“No, that bastard has to come. Until then, that statue is yours
”
Leo gazed at the window, his ears twitching.
—Th-that smell!
Cassion’s brow wrinkled.
He didn’t feel any signs.
‘You came early.’
Ruel grinned.
Through the slightly open window, Ruel could hear the snow breeze and the voice of an angry woman.
“Hey, you idiot! I even took the risk and kindly wrote to instruct you, but you came all the way here to still gain power? Shit! Why can’t I open it?”
The window was hard to open as it was frozen.
“Pft.”
Ruel managed to hold back his laughter.
“Open it, Cassion.”
Cassion smiled despondently and opened the window tactfully.
“Oh, thank you.”
She paused before skillfully passing through the window frame.
“What?”
She ran quickly towards Ruel staring.
Cassion blocked her in front of her.
“Just til here. Please step back.”
“Thank you for opening the window, but move out of the way for a second.”
Despite Cassion’s spirit, she pushed Cassion casually aside and approached Ruel.
“What is this
?”
She looked at Ruel and cried as if she was about to shed tears.
“Why do you have that mark on your body?”
“Can you see that?”
“Where is the rest? Why did they leave you until you were like this!”
“Who?”
“Those who protect you.”
Ruel inhaled Breath.
He needed to think for a moment what she could be talking about.
‘There were people who protected Ruel? But not now.’
Where did he die? Ruel answered first.
“I don’t know. Who are the people who protect me in the first place?”
“
 No way. Wait, wait. I will ask you questions one by one.”
The most confusing thing here was Ruel, but she was also very embarrassed.
“Ask as many as you want.”
“You’re a Setiria, aren’t you?”
How does she know me? Ruel answered first.
“Yes.”
“Since when has this mark been planted?”
“Since five years ago.”
“Five years ago, five years ago
 I went to Setiria seven years ago, so what about Trino Setiria?”
Probably referring to Ruel’s father.
“He passed away.”
The calm sound staggered her mentality for a moment.
“
what? They’re all dead?”
From her reaction, it seemed that five years ago, Ruel’s father and those who protected him died in the case of his kidnapping.
He had no impression of the situation; he had never seen their faces in the first place.
Before thinking too much about that, he finally heard clues on the woman’s identity who acted like she knew him.
“Since it’s our first time meeting, why don’t you introduce yourself first?”
“Well. You were a little kid at the time, so you don’t remember me, I
”
She stopped talking and saw Cassion.
A statue popped out of his pocket.
“
!”
“It’s him!”
She grabbed Ruel’s hand urgently.
Cassion reacted almost simultaneously.
Squeez!
Something repelled Cassion and forced him back.
Bang!
A chill came through the broken wall.
Cassion rose right from the floor, but Ruel had disappeared.
“What are you talking about
 Where did Ruel-nim go?” Aris’ voice did not reach Cassion.
He lost him right in front of his eyes.
In response, Cassion raised daggers in both hands and unleashed his killing intent.
Aris shuddered at the aura.
—It’s okay, Cassion, Ruel is over there.
“
what?”
Every word was full of fire.
—It’s there, but it’s not there, so I can’t see it. This body still smells Ruel and his presence.
“Do I just have to wait?”
As Leo nodded, Cassion calmed down and stared at the bed.
Leo was always the first one to make a fuss when Ruel disappeared.
Such a calm Leo was rare.
“Alright, let’s wait a minute.”
As his heated head gradually subsided, Cassion remembered the last words she said.
“It’s him
!”
‘Him? Did you run away from him? Who the hell is he? And this statue
?’
Cassion fumbled through his pockets and hesitated.
There was nothing inside the broken statue.
***
‘I found it! I finally found it!’
The man got up from his seat.
He felt like he was about to burst into laughter.
A fool fell into a trap created by one of his powers, created while he was waiting for the day to gather his power.
He wants to crush the heads of the bastards who made him look like this.
The man rolled up his sleeves and looked at his arms.
One of the two circle tattoos faded, becoming lighter before darkening. It continuously shifted between disappearing and appearing interchangeably with no pattern.
The man raised the corners of his mouth.
“Don’t let anyone in from now on.”
“Alright.”
The answer came from outside the door.
***
“Cough!”
Ruel couldn’t bear the sudden force and vomited blood.
Ruel stumbled in concurrent dizziness. He fell to the ground.
“A-Are you okay?”
She was startled and supported Ruel.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I couldn’t help it because he showed up.”
Her eyes twitched.
“
what do you mean
 Cough!”
Ruel was speechless due to the soaring heat again.
“He set a trap for one of his powers. I almost put you in danger without knowing.”
She wiped the corners of Ruel’s mouth with her own clothes.
“
!”
Ruel’s eyes widened as he looked at her with difficulty.
Her body faded for a moment, then she was back to normal.
“
I’m sorry. I don’t think I have time to introduce myself.”
The voice had lost its vitality, as if it would disappear at any moment.
“Listen, that power is His power. It’s the power owned by a man known as the Great One.”
“
what?”
A terrible sound resounded.
The power of the Great One.
The power of that bastard.
“Uh
”
Ruel crossed his arms and held tightly to the pain in his body that started again.
“Give it to me. My mission is to seal his power.”
If she seals the power, what will happen to him?
‘Can I live without the power of recovery?’
Ruel hesitated at the sudden question.
“It’s okay, I’ll take the mark on your body. You can live.”
She smiled brightly.
At the same time, Ruel’s eyes shook greatly.
‘I can be freed from this damn curse
?’
“You shouldn’t let him have that power. Trust me, Setiria, he’ll find this place soon. So quickly.”
She held out her hand.
When Ruel reached out his hand, the fragment appeared.
Ruel’s eyes grew bigger.
‘I didn’t even touch the fragment
?’
– He who knows the pain. You deserve me.
The fragment permeated Ruel with words that rang in his head.
“Oh, no! No. No way!”
She screamed and clasped Ruel’s hand.
“Come to me! Come to me!”
She was about to burst into tears.
“I found it.”
The voice alone gave him goosebumps.
An entity entered their space compressing the distance and walked in.
He was a black-blooded man from head to toe.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Ruel’s heart beat like crazy.
It was different from when Nintra became a black-blooded man.
He was massive and the surrounding Mana desperately fluctuated.
“It’s been a long time, you dog that enjoys hide-and-seek.”
He looked at her gloatingly.
“But I won.”
Then he saw Ruel.
His eyes were smiling.
Ruel’s body stiffened with fear rising in an instant.
“Setiria.”
She stood in front of Ruel.
“You hateful bastard.”
But his eyes never left Ruel as if he didn’t care.
“Here you are.”
“Get lost! You won’t ever be able to touch this child!”
“It was your mistake to bring Setiria here. This place is a gap in the world, where the world’s order cannot interfere.”
“It’s alright, don’t worry.”
“Cough, cough.”
Ruel looked at him with a rising cough.
“Are you, the Great One?”
“Don’t debate words with him! His mark will get stronger.”
The man laughed.
Ruel directed his middle finger at the laugh.
The shadow whispered to Ruel, tempting him.
It whispered he needed to consume the black one.
Yeah, since we’ve seen each other, we should at least say hello.
“No! That’s no good.”
As she shouted urgently, Ruel’s shadow quickly subsided.
“
?”
The shadow stopped even though Ruel’s orders were not given.
“Yes, you who are less-than-a-bug, are you also called Setiria? If you are, then show me your power!”
When he raised his hand, a mass of muddy blood came over them like a wave.
It was very sinister.
Kwang!
The bright light from her hand blocked the blood.
“Listen, Setiria. Unlike us, he can’t set foot in this world because of restrictions. So he can’t move.”
She slowly began to blur.
“Find the King.”
“King
?”
“Wake up the king and you’ll be able to hear everything. Sorry, there’s so little I can explain.”
“No way!”
The murky blood became as heavy as an awl.
Her presence dimmed every time he struck the light she had created.
“I’ll come! I will surely come back and tear you to pieces!”
“It’s alright.”
She reached out to Ruel.
Ruel took the hand.
There was no warmth.
He didn’t feel anything.
“It’s alright.”
She smiled brightly.
Like when he first came to this world, something pulled him.
She moved away.
“
it’s alright.”