Chapter 33 - Old Empire (10)

"Oi, wake up." Trynda's voice rang in my head, jolting me awake. I blinked, the haze lifting, and remembered—ah, I was still on this throne. "What... how long was I out?" My back ached from leaning against the cold stone, but it felt like nothing compared to the disorientation swirling in my head.

Jane was sprawled across my lap, fast asleep, her breath soft and steady. Peter, on the other hand, had collapsed to his knees beside me, arms limp, his head resting against the seat.

Both of them looked as if they had fought through hell itself.

"How long was I out?"

I murmured, rubbing my eyes. My body ached, and there was a heaviness that clung to my thoughts, as though I'd been dreaming deeply.

[Do you want to replay what happened?] Trynda's voice echoed in my mind, sounding both amused and insufferably smug.

"A replay, huh?" I raised an eyebrow. "Sure, Great Sage, show me what I missed." I was still half-convinced I was hallucinating

[Great Sage? I mean, come on.]

But Trynda didn't waste a moment, conjuring a blue screen into the air, shimmering faintly.

I watched as scenes from the past month flashed by, moments of brutal combat, relentless training, and that final, bloody showdown with the darkness incarnate.

The both of them didn't give up which didn't go exactly as I planned.

It played out everything.

"A whole month?!" I almost shouted. The weight of it crashed down on me.

[You didn't just doze off. Your body was literally shutting down from exhaustion. I'd say it's a miracle you stayed upright this long.]

"A month… I really thought I was invincible." The replay continued, showing battles, insane training sessions, and Jane and Peter pushing beyond their limits in ways I hadn't even expected. Watching them fight brought a strange sense of pride.

"My Disciples are doing well huh?"

[Your soul synchronization with Josephine is still unstable. Until it stabilizes, your full power can't manifest.]

"What? But I remember all her memories, her feelings, her skills… shouldn't that be enough?"

[Remembering isn't the same as understanding. You know what she did, but not always why. That's why the synchronization remains incomplete. You're viewing everything from Kim Yoo-ra's perspective, not Josephine's. You need to fully embrace her emotions, her motives, to truly wield her power.]

I frowned, processing Trynda's explanation. "So, I'm not seeing things through her eyes… that's the missing piece."

I looked back at Peter and Jane. "Still... they leveled up. Jane's an 8th tier assassin now, and Peter... when did he hit 10th tier?"

I wasn't one to get sentimental, but seeing them now, exhausted beyond words, it struck a nerve. They looked unbreakable in battle, yet here they were, totally spent.

[They've reached their limits, but they pushed through, thanks to you. And for that, they'll need time. A lot of it.]

I leaned back, pulling Peter up onto the throne next to Jane. "You both have done enough. Now rest." I patted their heads gently, brushing Jane's hair aside. They'd taken my orders and run with them. It wasn't easy to find loyalty like that.

The barrier I'd set up was still holding. Through it, I could see the hordes, pressing against the edges of my protection, clawing, desperate to get through. But none of them made it, disintegrating before they even touched the glowing edges

This was only meant for a test of loyalty

But to think that they'd take this seriously…

I bit my lips in frustration.

"Alright, Trynda. Show me your human form. I know you've got it in you."

Trynda hesitated, their voice tinged with surprise.

[A human, ordering me? How presumptuous. And how did you even know I had a human form?]

Josephine smirked, the hint of a challenge in her eyes. "I'll treat you to a dessert buffet when we get back. Now, get to it."

In an instant, Trynda's form morphed, condensing into a blinding light before taking on a humanoid shape. They held their hands out, their palms glowing as waves of light shot through the skies. The light obliterated the remaining dark spawns, reducing them to dust with a force that resonated across the old capital. As the light faded, Trynda's humanoid form reappeared, their face showing the faintest hint of satisfaction.

Trynda was stunning in the kind of way that just wasn't human, almost painfully so. Their features were impossibly perfect, ethereal, and too flawless to be placed neatly in one category. They had a beauty that felt like it belonged to another realm entirely, a face that could be both feminine and masculine depending on how you looked at it. Their eyes were large, piercing, and a shade of violet that almost seemed to glow, like twin amethysts catching the first light of dawn. Their skin was smooth and unblemished, with an almost otherworldly sheen, and their hair—long and silken—was as white as freshly fallen snow. They seemed to radiate a gentle yet formidable presence, as if they were constantly teetering on the edge between serenity and a destructive storm.

"You better start gathering thousands of desserts for me," they grumbled, settling onto the throne I'd conjured up. They looked as regal as they did out of place, but somehow, it suited them. "I'll take care of the brats. You go on and do what you have to do."

I couldn't help but smirk, my own aura crackling around me as I faced them. "Got it! But you're going to help me cast some magic first."

Trynda rolled their eyes but relented, stretching out their hand to meet mine. "Fine. But remember our deal, human."

As our hands clasped, a glowing magic circle formed beneath us, expanding with an intense, blinding light. The air itself seemed to warp as we poured our combined power into the spell, creating a sanctuary that pushed back the darkness. Everything within the old capital was engulfed in holy light. Weaker dark spawns disintegrated, and the miasma shrank away from the brilliance of our magic, peeling back like shadows before the dawn.

"It's the palace," Trynda observed, sitting back again, their violet eyes narrowing as they scanned the remnants of the dissipating miasma. "I can feel it—a rift to another realm. It's faint, but definitely there."

A new notification appeared

[QUEST UPDATED!]

[Investigate the Inner Chambers of The Palace of the Mausoleum!]

We'd found the source, but I already knew that whatever lay ahead wasn't going to be simple. It was like the Archmage Cassian ordeal all over again, only worse.

I glanced around, noticing something peculiar—there was an unusual silence in my notifications, like even the gods were holding their breath.

[That's because their influence is weaker here.] Trynda's voice filled my mind.

Made sense. This place felt heavy, more like Cassian's haunt, and less like somewhere holy power could flourish. I let my thoughts drift back to Hecatia and, unsurprisingly, the gods picked up on it instantly.

[Hecatia: Oho! Does my child miss me?!!?]

[Xipe: My child! Why is it always Hecatia and never me?!]

[Hecatia: Simple. I'm better. ~]

[Xipe: You! …You old hag!]

[Trynda: Alright, cut it out, both of you. Stop bickering before you embarrass yourselves even more.]

Their usual banter continued for a bit, though they sounded distant, even slightly strained.

[Hecatia: It's as Trynda-chan says. We don't have much sway here. The energy's in conflict with another plane's power. It's compressed here, and that means we're cut off a bit.]

[Xipe: Always knew you were clever, kid.]

I felt a pang of irritation at their limitations, but I was slowly starting to piece it together. This was going to be no ordinary cleanup job; something told me this was only the beginning.

"We need to finish this quickly," I said aloud, knowing Trynda would pick up on it. "But something tells me it's about to get a lot more complicated." This miasma wasn't your run-of-the-mill dark spawn trouble.

I sighed. The truth was, while I might have raw power, my control wasn't nearly what it needed to be. I'd ascended so quickly, grasping every tier with ease, but it was all just instinct. I hadn't earned it—not really. It hit me then, a reminder of just how unprepared I was when it came to the finer points. Power wasn't everything; experience and skill mattered. I'd only been here for a short time, and the more I taught Peter, the more I realized that even he would surpass me in swordsmanship at this rate.

Sure, I could cast every spell under the sun, but understanding? That was different. I could pull off some insanely advanced techniques, but I wasn't fool enough to believe that it meant I was a master. I still had a long way to go.

At this point, I'd lose to any kind of opponent to show up, one with that same terrifying aura Cassian had. It's the only way I'm going to grow, and I'm not done growing yet. I skipped a few pages, but… I felt something fighting Cassian.

[...Love?]

I smacked Trynda on the head, snapping them out of their thoughts. "No, it's the thrill! The thrill of the fight."

[Are you a masochist?]

"No," I replied, feeling the adrenaline surge through me as I remembered. In a flash, it came back to me, my life as Kim Yoo-ra.

"I just love fighting."

I looked up at the sky, letting out a sigh.

"I'm too strong to enjoy battle now."