Duke Yuma and the Mullen Tribe, along with the White Night Clan, all returned to the island riding on Sylvyria.
“Damn, I’m exhausted.”
After greeting his companions, Yuma immediately fell into a deep sleep.
And after sinking into a deep slumber, he opened his eyes again.
As always, the morning after killing a powerful foe was filled with a status screen.
[You have achieved an accomplishment far beyond your capabilities.]
[Rewards are being granted!]
[No growth potential exists.]
[As a reward for your accomplishment, your stats will increase.]
[Name: Yuma
Lv.100
Disposition: Good (善) Personality Trait: Calm
Strength: 110 Health: 125 Defense: 110 Agility: 130 Growth Potential: 0
State: Commoner (凡人) – You can transcend from being a commoner by elevating your physical rank to the transcendental level.]
Level 20 went up, and overall stats also rose by 20 each.
Still, it seemed like he’d only reached the beginning of Sword Master level.
“I have to break free from being a commoner.”
That way, he’d be able to truly make use of the stats acquired from this accomplishment.
“Plus, I need to prepare for the possibility that an event might happen when I’m not ready.”
He had no idea when the moment would arrive when he wouldn’t be able to use [Parrying].
After all, the enemies he was facing were gods.
He needed to break free from being a commoner, master swordsmanship, and gather ki.
[You have acquired all obtainable stats from achievement.]
It seemed that the maximum level achievable through accomplishments was 100.
This meant he still needed to break free from being a commoner to achieve physical growth.
The notification continued.
There seemed to be some skills he acquired as well.
New!
[Supreme Concentration—Void (沒我): An evolved skill of the existing ‘Supreme Concentration’ skill. In a fleeting moment, you can penetrate the essence of everything that swiftly passes by.]
New!
[Spirit Barrier (魁甓): A passive skill in the mental barrier category. You are not affected by demonic spirits, mental-type magic, or any mental-type authority.]
Originally, [Noble Dignity] had mental barrier-like power. It could withstand mental-type magic solely by virtue of [Noble Dignity].
“Is it because of the appearance of the gods?”
It seemed the status screen was saying so.
He didn’t have to worry about being consumed by a god.
Normally, the notifications would end here.
However, a few more sentences appeared before Yuma’s eyes.
[You have eliminated the minions of the Evil God (惡神). Your path is not wrong. Trust yourself.]
…This jerk is unexpectedly being all sweet.
[Break free from being a commoner (凡人). Only then will we be able to fully face each other.]
The removal of the Eight Evil Gods.
This one clearly had his own goals when wanting something from Yuma, yet didn’t seem to want to reveal his identity easily.
“Breaking free from being a commoner.”
He was already planning to do that. He needed to do everything possible in preparation for any situation.
Organizing his thoughts, Yuma slowly rose from his bed.
He had achieved his primary goal of making the Mermaid Tribe an alliance.
So, he didn’t have any particular reason to stay in the Mullen Sea.
“Still, I guess I’ll leave in about four days.”
Stabilization.
He wanted to observe the Mullen land stabilize a bit.
After all, this place was an environment where Cloney and Bell could grow, and it didn’t come easily.
Because it was the environment.
—
With a thud─
As Duke Yuma opened the tent of his quarters, everyone’s gaze was fixated on him.
Yuma felt that their stares were rather intense.
Looks of awe.
After all, from their perspective, he was the one who had instantaneously killed the being that had oppressed them for months.
And also, he was the one who had parted the sea.
Yuma walked toward the ocean.
Unlike yesterday, he could see numerous Mullen Tribe members advancing into the sea.
Glance!
Hiding behind a giant tree, Yuma noticed a small group of merfolk boys and girls staring at him intensely.
“What’s this?”
At Yuma’s quiet remark, a boy spoke up.
“What should we do?!”
“What do you mean, ‘what to do’? Give it to him!”
As a girl nudged him, the boy hurriedly approached.
“God of War, thank you!”
The boy clasped his hands together, offering something.
It was a bracelet intricately woven from small shells that blended pink and purple.
“Thanks.”
As Yuma donned the bracelet on his left wrist, the boy disappeared with a proud smile.
Yuma approached the sea.
Splash—
He glanced at the man standing beside him.
It was Yeerkur, the king of the Mullen Tribe.
Yeerkur spoke while looking at the ocean.
“Duke Yuma. Thanks to you, we Mullen can once again fully dominate the ocean.”
Reconstruction of the sea.
The Leviathan had been devouring the sea along with its minions, but the Mullen Tribe was slowly reclaiming it.
“As for that Atlantis you mentioned, let’s see if we can resurrect the legendary sights this time.”
Yeerkur, now over 260 years old, wore a very enthusiastic expression.
“That’s a relief.”
Yuma directed his gaze toward Cloney and Tisha, who were diligently training in the left part of the sea.
Cloney, who had initially helped Tisha complete the mana circuit of the Mullen Tribe, was now skillfully handling magic using the sea, while Tisha was also training her magic in front of Cloney.
Yeerkur looked at the two girls with a proud smile.
“It started with my daughter being inspired by your subordinate to begin training, but it seems like the tables have turned now.”
He continued, eyes on Yuma.
“So what’s your plan? Are you thinking of returning to the Astes Empire?”
“That’s the plan. I’ll head back after the situation settles down. I’m thinking of leaving in four days.”
Yuma’s attention was also fixed on Cloney and Tisha.
“Opportunities for this kind of training don’t come often.”
Yeerkur nodded slowly.
“That’s true. Rarely does one encounter such a worthy rival.”
For some reason, Yeerkur gazed intently at Yuma as he continued.
“To anyone in this sea, you would undoubtedly be seen as a God of War far beyond mere mortals.”
Yuma couldn’t help but think, why is this old man acting like this?
From Yeerkur’s perspective, it was only natural to see Yuma as a God of War with powers that transcended even demigods.
Yeerkur turned his head back to Cloney and Tisha and spoke.
“Tisha, if you think she’s useful, feel free to take her. The same goes for anyone else.”
Yuma’s eyes lit up.
A 5-circle mage like Cloney.
Certainly a valuable asset. Unlike the Cat-Folk, who were known as the worst race for magic growth and struggled to advance like the Lion Tribe, the merfolk had an easier path to development.
Unlike humans on the land, the merfolk grow more easily.
“A companion who can grow together.”
If Cloney could be such a companion, it was definitely worth bringing her along.
Night had fallen.
Duke Yuma felt that the number of merfolk on the island had drastically decreased.
Most of them were probably going deep into the ocean to sleep now that the waters were safe.
“Why are you still at it?”
Cloney was still waving her hands underwater, practicing magic. Tisha seemed to have dived in.
“Oh, Duke Yuma.”
Cloney turned her head and looked at Yuma.
Cloney gave a shy smile.
“I think the ocean is better than I thought.”
The blue water swirled behind Cloney.
“I’m thankful for how it forms the shape of magic, just like I said.”
…Isn’t that just because you’re an exceptional genius?
The ocean doesn’t usually respond so readily to magical calls.
Yuma couldn’t bring himself to point that fact out to Cloney’s blissfully smiling face.
Cloney continued speaking.
“This race is really peaceful. Even when being oppressed by that monster. The bond of trust among each other is amazing. I even got to meet Tisha’s mother. She was really bright.”
Cloney’s golden eyes reflected the night sea.
Yuma felt a faint nostalgia in Cloney’s words.
“Let’s walk for a bit.”
Cloney smiled brightly.
“Shall we?”
Splash… Splash…
Yuma and Cloney walked barefoot on the sandy shore. Their footprints were etched side by side in the sand.
“I don’t know much about you yet.”
Cloney found Yuma’s words quite surprising.
She didn’t think he needed to know about her.
‘I want to know more about Duke Yuma, though.’
Splash…
The sand was soft. Yuma continued.
“Tell me about yourself. Like your mother.”
Witch.
Yuma only knew that Cloney’s mother was a witch.
Pressing too much for details could cause more hurt.
But they had been companions for quite a long time now. And they would have to be together for a lot longer.
Cloney looked up at the sky, taking in the tranquil beauty of the night.
“She wasn’t an innocent victim of witch hunts. She was definitely a witch. My mother.”
She wasn’t a false victim of a witch hunt.
She had reached the 7th circle, a wizard deserving of the title of archmage.
“My father was also a wizard. He was a 4th-circle mage. More of a scholar. He researched all kinds of magic—elemental magic, magical engineering… and even dark magic. He dabbled in anything that satisfied his curiosity about magic, even if it was a bit out of line. Of course, it seems the people around him didn’t know about that.”
Cloney and Yuma continued walking along the sandy shore.
“But it seems my father learned something he shouldn’t have known. The master of the Blue Tower in the magical city of Wollen was acting under orders from a lich. My father figured it out, but the lich caught on as well.”
Lich.
That meant at least an 8th-circle wizard.
“So, my father was killed by that lich. Eleven years ago.”
Four years old.
Cloney recalled that it was when she was four.
Her father had recorded everything. Only her mother, Vinesse, had read the record made of that mana.
“My mother, who was a free mage of Wollen, took me and ran away. And fearing that my father would track us down with dark magic using his blood, she never taught me any spells. So, we lived in hiding.”
“I spent six years living like that.”
“The year I turned ten, five years ago, that rich brat named Lemos didn’t give up for six years. Eventually, he found my location through my father’s blood. He tried to kill us both—my mother and I.”
“They are the only ones who know my identity.”
“Of course he’d have no reason to spare us from the perspective of a Lich with the power of violence as an offering.”
“He even brought along the Empire’s knights. Nearly a thousand of them… I suppose he tricked everyone into believing my mother was a witch using evidence of my father’s dark magic studies.”
“Vinesse had to face countless adversaries alone.”
“To confront Lemos, my mother resorted to dark magic. The very same dark magic my father had studied. Using life as an offering. Using talent as an offering. It was a dark magic that granted immense power beyond one’s own.”
“Black Flame.”
“That title was forged in that instant.”
“Vinesse, who originally possessed extraordinary skill in elemental fire magic, burned those who came to kill her with that power.”
“You should have stopped. She lost consciousness.”
“Dark magic takes away a person’s rationality.”
“No one who hasn’t built their vessel from the beginning using dark magic can easily block the intrusion, no matter how powerful their mental barriers are.”
“She burned everything in sight.”
“The overwhelmingly talented mage.”
“Became the mightiest witch of all.”
“Except for me. Everything around her.”
“After incinerating the Lich.”
“She even burned the Life Vessel held by the azure magic tower master.”
“Even those originally known as the 9th and 10th Knights of the Empire were engulfed in flames.”
“At that moment, Keingal, the 8th Knight of the Empire who died at the hand of Duke Yuma, met his end at the hands of the 10th Knights.”
“Cloney shook her head slowly as she walked.”
“They couldn’t kill my mother. After turning two cities into ash, they destroyed themselves in their own flames.”
“There was no lie in Cloney’s mother being a witch.”
“Only a truth hidden from others.”
Suddenly, Cloney stopped and turned to look at Duke Yuma.
“Are you disappointed? That I’m the daughter of a witch?”
Yuma gently stroked the black hair of the girl with shining golden eyes.
“I’m not disappointed in you.”
“The night wind blew fiercely.”
“Yet, Yuma’s voice resonated entirely in Cloney’s ear.”
“There’s no reason to be. The one who has the right to be disappointed is you regarding your mother.”
Tears welled up in Cloney’s eyes.
“That’s right… I should be disappointed.”
Most people had seen documents stating they evacuated thousands of times.
However, there must have been innocent people swept away too, who didn’t want to kill her mother.
Cloney slowly leaned her body against the sandy beach. Countless stars filled the eyes of Yuma and Cloney. Stars that seemed ready to pour down at any moment.
“I couldn’t be disappointed. At my mother.”
“I just missed her.”
“I was just so lonely.”
“The void left by my mother, who had trusted me unconditionally, was just too large.”
Yuma patiently waited for Cloney to gaze at the stars for a while.
“So… Duke Yuma won’t let go.”
“Right.”
Yuma and Cloney walked the beach again beneath the nighttime sky.
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