Chương 342: What is the Edge

Vale wandered across the rooftops of Irea, deliberately avoiding the crowded streets below. He moved silently over weathered tiles, crossed narrow alleyways in effortless leaps, and balanced along stone walls as if they were second nature. Yet despite his graceful movements, his mind remained elsewhere, buried beneath an endless tide of thoughts that refused to settle. The Seven Sages... They had reached Kealix. They had challenged him. And they had lost. It didn't make sense.

Vale frowned as he crossed another rooftop, his eyes distant. He was almost certain now that Kealix was his Enigma, the true source of his power. Everything pointed toward that conclusion. The reason his own abilities had always seemed so insignificant was likely because Kealix had sealed away the overwhelming majority of his strength, leaving Vale with nothing more than an insignificant fragment leaking through the seal.

Even so, that tiny fragment alone had allowed him to reach heights most people could never dream of. What, then, would the original possess? He remembered the Spawn that endlessly invaded Kealix's domain. Their size alone dwarfed mountains, and each carried power that easily rivaled, perhaps even surpassed, the Crowned. Then there was the Mist. Vale's pace slowed. Unlike the others, the Mist had spoken. It had called Kealix a friend, and its strength eclipsed every other Spawn he had ever witnessed.

'Could it have been a Goliath?' He couldn't answer that. There were simply too many unknowns. Still... One memory stood above all others. The single occasion Kealix had released only a fraction of his sealed power. A mere fraction. That insignificant release had utterly annihilated an exceptionally powerful Spawn without the slightest effort. Vale drew a slow breath.

'At the very least... Kealix was comparable to a Goliath.'

'More likely... far beyond one.' By the time he reached the long bridge leading toward the Royal Library, his footsteps had unconsciously slowed. The towering structure loomed ahead, but he barely noticed it. Another question had consumed his thoughts. How had the Seven Sages even reached Kealix? They had described meeting him at the edge of existence. That meant his domain rested beyond ordinary reality, much like the countless conceptual planes described throughout history. But why his?

Why had they traveled there instead of countless others? Was it simply farther away? More difficult to access? Or was there something fundamentally different about Kealix's realm? Vale closed his eyes, letting memories drift through his mind. Kealix could summon books containing any knowledge imaginable. Death carried no meaning there. Every time Vale died, his body reconstructed itself perfectly, as though existence itself rejected permanent injury. Then there was the endless crimson ocean.

Its sheer scale made entire worlds seem insignificant. Black mountains pierced through the blood like enormous obsidian pillars... His thoughts suddenly halted. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it. Vale stopped walking. His breathing slowed.

"... Wait." The mountains held back the blood. But... What lay beneath it? He remembered enormous centipede disappearing below the crimson surface without resistance. Other creatures had done the same. Yet he never could. No matter how many times he tried, the blood itself refused him passage. Why? Did it reject him because he was Kealix's heir? No... If anything, it should have welcomed him. Unless... It wasn't reacting specifically to him.

The Spawn themselves, despite their overwhelming strength, had never descended beneath the blood either. Which meant... Whatever lay below... No one had ever reached it. Or perhaps... There was simply nothing there at all. Vale released a frustrated sigh.

"So many questions..." Without realizing it, he had already reached the massive entrance. The ancient doors groaned as he pushed them open, warm golden light spilling across polished marble floors while the familiar scent of parchment, ink, and old wood welcomed him inside. Researchers paused their work. Scholars lifted their heads from dusty tomes. Explorers scattered throughout the library all turned toward him at once. Strangely, no one spoke. Not a single whisper echoed through the immense hall.

Vale yawned lazily as his eyes wandered across the silent room before finally settling upon the obvious reason. Leaning casually against the reception desk stood Drago. The old librarian watched him without saying a word, his expression remaining unreadable. Vale spread both arms dramatically.

"What a warm welcome." His sarcasm echoed through the quiet library. Nothing. Drago merely continued staring. Vale sighed as he walked closer.

"... Come on. Is that really any way to treat your own son?" He extended a hand toward the older man. Drago looked down at it for a moment before finally chuckling.

"You did well." His voice carried unmistakable pride.

"I certainly didn't expect your curse to disappear during that fight..."

"... but I'm glad it did." Vale rolled his eyes before leaning casually against the counter.

"Yeah. I finally understand what Maximus meant." His smile became self-deprecating.

"I really was just a beast." He flexed his fingers thoughtfully.

"I had perfect technique..."

"... but only instinct guiding it." His gaze drifted toward the towering shelves surrounding them.

"Now..."

"I can actually use everything I learned." Drago nodded quietly.

"I noticed." His eyes lingered on Vale before he folded his arms.

"So..."

"You remember now?"

"Your time with Kealix." Vale smiled warmly.

"Yeah."

"I remember everything about-" He stopped. His smile vanished. His eyes widened. Slowly... Very slowly... His gaze lifted toward Drago. The warmth disappeared entirely. Alarm replaced it. Drago frowned.

"... Vale?" The young man stepped backward. One step became two before his hand slowly settled upon the hilt of his blade. His voice became cold.

"... Who are you?" The question lingered between them. Drago blinked once.

"What?" Vale's grip tightened around the sword.

"How..." His eyes never left the old man's face.

"... did you know Kealix is my Enigma?" Silence. The atmosphere inside the library shifted. Drago studied him for several long seconds before answering.

"You should get some rest." His voice remained calm.

"Those memories resurfacing all at once clearly took a toll on your mind." Vale laughed once. There was no amusement in it.

"Yeah..."

"To hell with that." He slowly drew the blade a few inches from its sheath.

"You really expect me to sleep after what you just said?" His eyes narrowed.

"I barely know anything about myself..."

"... yet somehow you already knew who my Enigma was." Drago sighed.

"If you must know..."

"The High Priestess told me." Vale scoffed immediately.

"And how did she know?"

"She knows everything." Vale's expression hardened.

"Lies." His voice remained perfectly steady.

"You know just as well as I do..."

"... that no one knows everything." He pointed the tip of his blade toward Drago.

"So I'll ask one last time."

"How do you know?" Silence settled over the library once more. Even the surrounding scholars remained frozen. Eventually, Drago pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.

"... Me and my bad habits." He straightened himself. When he looked back at Vale, the warmth had disappeared from his expression entirely.

"Listen carefully, boy."

"You do not need to know how I acquired that knowledge."

"You do not need to know why I possess it."

"And you certainly do not need to concern yourself with it right now." His voice carried quiet authority.

"What you need..."

"... is rest."

"And preparation." Vale's shoulders slowly tensed, his grip tightening around the hilt until his knuckles turned white.

"... Huh." A quiet chuckle escaped him.

"You know..." His stance lowered instinctively.

"I've always wondered just how strong you really are." A grin slowly spread across his face.

"I knew you were powerful."

"But every time we met..."

"... I was simply too weak to find out." His eyes sharpened.

"That weakness..."

"... is no longer a crime I'm guilty of." The floor cracked beneath his feet. In a single explosive movement, Vale vanished. A shockwave tore through the library as he launched himself toward Drago, sword already drawn, the gleaming blade cutting through the air with terrifying precision.

"Let's find out."