"How's everyone feeling?"
Kishiar, who had halted his steps to scrutinize the stone, turned to the others as though he had made some kind of assessment.
"We stopped a little further back last time. That's roughly the limit we can endure while the gods protect our bodies," General Gino answered first. He appeared calm on the surface, but as he drew closer to the stone, his movements gradually slowed. This signified that he was experiencing a pressure strong enough to restrict even a Swordmaster.
"I- Well, My skin hurts a bit, but I think I can go a bit further,"
"Same here. It feels like something is pricking my face, but I can endure it."
"I'm in the same boat."
After Kanna's response, Hinn and Gakane also chimed in. Since Hinn usually shared the same opinion as her brother, the only one left to speak was Yuder.
"Me too."
"I'm the same as you all. It's unpleasant but bearable. If all five of us are feeling the same thing, it's likely due to us being Awakeners," Kishiar said with a grin, seemingly amused. Before moving forward, he glanced toward the Red Stone and then gave a brief order to General Gino.
"General, there's no need for you to follow us to the limit. Just stay back. The Cavalry and I will return."
"...Understood."
They began to move cautiously. Now, the stone was so close that if they stumbled, they might reach out and touch it.
As they drew nearer, the prickling pressure on their skin intensified, and every step felt heavier, like forcing their way through the depths of a turbulent sea. Yet, despite the growing weight on their bodies, it wasn't so painful that they felt like they would collapse, spilling blood. It was surprisingly bearable.
"Everyone, halt."
Finally, when Kishiar declared they didn't need to proceed any further, they were only about ten steps away from the stone.
'That's the Red Stone.'
Yuder hadn't expected to see it this close. He quietly gazed down at the half-buried Red Stone and took a deep breath.
'It's just a stone... But let's not let our guard down.'
"It looks surprisingly ordinary," Kishiar said aloud, voicing what everyone was thinking as they observed the Red Stone.
"Now then... Kanna Wand."
"Yes? Uh, yes."
Startled by hearing her name so suddenly, Kanna responded awkwardly. Kishiar gave her a gentle smile.
"Do you think you can read that stone using your ability?"
At Kishiar's words, the same thought crossed everyone's mind—except Yuder.
'So that's why she was brought along.'
While the others possessed abilities useful in combat, But not Kanna. If the reason she had been chosen was to read information from the Red Stone, it made sense. It might seem impossible, but if she succeeded, they could learn something truly remarkable.
'That's right. There was hardly any known information about the Red Stone before.'
Yuder had suspected that Kishiar might ask Kanna to use her ability ever since she was selected. Even if he had been the leader, he would have made the same decision, if someone like Kanna was in his ranks.
From the beginning, Yuder had pushed for Kanna's admission into the Cavalry precisely for moments like this.
'Back then, I was woefully lacking in information. In every sense.'
By the time the past Yuder had realized something was amiss, it was already too late. The people and knowledge that had disappeared with the passage of time couldn't be retrieved, no matter what he did.
However, with Kanna, the story was different—provided she could touch and read the stone.
"I'm not sure," Kanna replied hesitantly. "If I can touch it... I think I could at least try. But whether I'll be successful..."
Her ability required physical contact with an object to read its information. But could she touch that stone, which radiated such overwhelming pressure that it stung their skin even from a distance? Could she do it without getting hurt? No one could say for sure.
And as if he'd anticipated her uncertainty, Kishiar's red eyes turned to Gakane.
"You're right. You might need some help. Gakane Volunbalt?"
"Yes!" Gakane responded loudly, looking surprised to hear his name.
"Use your shadow to touch the stone first."
'...Of course. I hadn't thought of that.'
Yuder couldn't help but admire the idea. Gakane's ability to summon shadows was typically used for communication or support in combat.
But using it to touch something as dangerous as the Red Stone first?... That was a creative and promising strategy.
Gakane, though startled by the command, quickly gathered himself and used his ability without hesitation. A black shadow at his feet twisted and distorted before rising up, forming a doll-like figure that resembled Gakane.
'This is the first time I've seen it clearly in action. He rarely uses it during training.'
Despite its versatility, Gakane seldom used this ability. When asked why, he had explained that it could be as sharp or blunt as its wielder's skill.
'Such sound judgment.'
Gakane's shadow clone moved with his will, but it couldn't exert more power than Gakane himself. Would a sword wielded by a novice be the same as one wielded by a master? Of course not. A sword in skilled hands could level mountains and split seas.
Gakane's ability was much the same. The more refined his combat skills, the stronger his shadow became. Recognizing this early on, he had focused on improving himself first. There was a reason someone like him shouldn't die young.
"I'll give it a try."
With a terse response, Gakane directed his shadow clone, which cautiously began to approach the Red Stone. It didn't take many steps for the clone to reach it. Slowly, it knelt down and extended its hand toward the stone.
The shadow clone effortlessly closed in on the stone, something even the Swordmaster couldn't do. Everyone held their breath as the shadow's fingertips hovered just above the stone.
Sizzle!
"Ah!"
The moment the shadow made contact, a blinding white light erupted.
For the first time in his life, Yuder felt an unfamiliar energy attempting to pierce through his body. Acting quickly, he used his power to create a barrier of water and air around everyone.
A fierce gust of wind blew, and gasps of surprise filled the air, but there was no time to react. The energy radiating from the Red Stone felt vast, as though it could engulf the entire world.
'This is…!'
Maintaining the barrier was no easy feat, but it was better than nothing. Yuder gritted his teeth, closed his eyes, and focused. He could feel the external energy and the barrier he created colliding, interlocking, and struggling against one another.
Despite his best efforts, maintaining multiple barriers under such pressure was a daunting task. How long could he keep it up?
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the overwhelming pressure lessened. Only then did Yuder dare to withdraw the barrier and glance forward.
Gakane's shadow clone remained where it had knelt. However, starting from the hand that had touched the Red Stone, half of its upper body had been blown apart, leaving it in a ragged state.
'Did the shadow clone explode?'
If that had been a real person—if it had been Kanna—what would have happened? And what if the invisible force Yuder had fought so hard to block had pierced his own body?
A chilling thought dried Yuder's lips. Seeing everyone's similar expressions of dread, he turned his gaze to Gakane.
"Gakane. Are you okay?"
"...I think so, yeah."
Gakane's face was pale, but he didn't seem to have suffered from the damage his shadow had taken. With a small gesture, the half-destroyed shadow returned to the ground and rejoined him.
"…Good thing we tried touching it with the shadow first. We almost had a real injury on our hands. But that barrier—what was that?" Kishiar's sharp gaze turned to Yuder, having clearly noticed the barrier despite the intense light. There was no use hiding it if he had already figured it out.
"I did it. I thought it was better than doing nothing."
"I thought your ability was to apply attributes to weapons only?"
"...It's a technique I recently discovered. I haven't fully mastered it, but I used it because the situation felt dangerous."
"What? Did Yuder do something?"
Yuder's explanation was truthful, though it sounded a bit strained. In the past, he had often stumbled upon new ways to utilize his powers in moments of desperation.
'It was fortunate I had anticipated something like this might happen.'