Two decades had passed since that fateful day. The young boy, whom Kalli named Valiance, was now a determined man in his late 20s who, despite many years, still followed the old man in his travels.
Throughout his journey as the old man's son—he still hated to admit it—he came to know many different wonders of the world. He met a lot of people: mages, warriors, magic swordsmen, and even demons. Along those endless journeys, Kalli made sure to teach him about many things, including magic, although he didn't really understand why he did that despite Valiance having no magical core. Wasn't he just wasting his time, then?
As Valiance took his time on the way to the house they were currently renting, his mind wandered to the past. He remembered what Kalli said when they first met and that fateful moment when his name, Valiance, was bestowed upon him.
In their travels, as Valiance met people who could use magic, envy always rose within him. They had the power to change their status and fate, while he, Valiance, remained under Kalli's care. He was extremely useless, not having a weapon to protect himself in this merciless world.
He remembered the time when he got severely injured after getting involved in Kalli's fight against a powerful evil mage. He just wanted to kill himself, but the old man didn't let him. Instead, the old man whispered words that inspired him yet left him deeply confused and doubtful: "Don't be jealous of mages; they're a bunch of fools who follow a linear path. You have a gift of your own too, even if you haven't discovered it yet."
Those very words remained in his heart, yet after so many years, he still hadn't discovered the gift. Was it true? Did he truly have a gift? Why did Kalli even adopt him? Kalli would've been happier if he had adopted that certain kid from the church who was more proficient in magic instead.
There was also one thing about Kalli's personality that he couldn't forget: his deep disdain for mages and magic scholars alike. He often said not to follow these idiots because they just kept fooling themselves. They always used magic in a fundamentally wrong way when there was a more proficient and versatile way to use it.
"The mathematically correct usage of magic," the old man often called it.
Whenever he and the old man had leisure time, Kalli always made sure to teach him his wisdom as a man who had lived two lives: this world and the world he came from, called Earth (he still didn't believe this nonsense). He taught him the principles of his mathematically correct path, often comparing it to the usual magic, or what he coined as wrong magic. More often than not, Kalli demonstrated it by using the same spells with the mathematically correct path and the wrong magic to let him see the difference. After demonstrating, he would often say with a smug smile, "See that? Your old man is better than most mages!"
Valiance wouldn't deny it—old man Kalli was indeed powerful. Yet no matter what, the feeling of doubt lingered within him, no matter how hard Kalli tried to prove it or impress him. It was probably due to the fact that he couldn't use magic.
Valiance sighed at the thought, a smile slowly creeping onto his face. No matter how much hardship he faced throughout this journey, where he realized the true face of people and humanity's inherent evilness, he was still grateful Kalli had given him the opportunity to see the world and experience things he might never have if he had remained an orphan for long. He would have eventually been banished from homes as he got older.
"I guess I should make him a cake for his upcoming birthday," Valiance mused, planning what to do. Just a week from now, that weird old man would turn one hundred—a feat most people could only dream of achieving.
Bump!
Valiance was shocked as he collided with someone while thinking absentmindedly. Instinctively, he took a step back, looking at the person in front of him.
It was a man who looked younger than him, with long black hair tied in a ponytail. The young man wore a black robe, and at his side hung a peculiarly shaped sword in its scabbard.
"Is he from the Nation of Taiyo?" Valiance muttered under his breath, inspecting the young man. He looked exactly like people from that region, with distinct facial features. These were the people who referred to mana as Chi and relied on martial arts, much like the people of Yue and Byeol.
"Excuse me," the young man began, "have you seen an old man named Kalli?"
"Oh?" Valiance's eyebrows rose at the mention of the old man's name. It seemed like this young man was one of Kalli's acquaintances, though Valiance didn't remember meeting him before. Well, even though he had traveled with Kalli, the old man sometimes wandered off on his own while leaving Valiance in safe places. That was probably the case here.
"I know an old man named Kalli," Valiance admitted with a nod.
"Great!" The young man's eyes widened, and a huge grin crept across his face. Valiance wasn't sure if he was imagining it, but something seemed off about the overall vibe radiating from the young man.
Whatever. The old man's friends and acquaintances were as weird as him.
Thinking this, Valiance finally said, "Follow me; I'll lead you to him."
"Greatly appreciated," the young man said, bowing deeply in gratitude.
"Eh… no need for that," Valiance chuckled awkwardly, feeling uncomfortable with the gesture. Bowing wasn't the custom around here; a simple handshake would suffice. Still, it was probably related to Taiyo's culture, and he let it slide.
After saying that, Valiance began leading the way along the stone path that meandered past rows of houses. A few minutes later, Valiance glanced behind him, noticing the young man's face had turned extremely pale.
"Weird," he muttered to himself.
Another minute passed, and the house finally came into view. It was a small wooden structure surrounded by fences. Valiance walked toward it and saw the old man sitting on a large rock, gazing into the distance.
"Old man!" Valiance called out enthusiastically.
Kalli turned to him, a pleasant smile spreading across his face when he recognized him. "Brat, you're finally here."
Valiance nodded, shaking the old man's hand as though they were best friends rather than father and son. Then, stepping aside, he said, "Anyway, this guy was looking for you in the village. Seems like someone you know."
"Oh?" Kalli's expression turned to one of surprise as he turned his gaze toward the pale-faced, long-haired young man. Suddenly, his expression froze. "Y-you…!?"
"What?" Valiance was deeply puzzled by Kalli's reaction. It was supposed to be a warm reunion between old friends. What was with his expression?
"Kid, go inside," Kalli ordered, his voice filled with seriousness, hinting that something was about to unfold.
Valiance gulped, sensing he had made a mistake. This didn't seem like the normal reaction of someone meeting an old friend. He glanced at the young man, who still wore a calm smile.
"What are you waiting for? Go inside!"
"Erm? Uh, alright," Valiance stammered before scrambling inside the house. He closed the door slightly, peering outside to see what was about to happen.
"It's been many decades, and now you decide to return. Here I thought you were finally dead, Kazuko," Kalli said, breaking the silence.
Many decades? Wasn't he younger than me?
The young man, apparently named Kazuko, opened his mouth to reply. "That's impossible. I have already conquered death."
The young man's voice was so cold it gave Valiance chills. There was something threatening and dangerous about him, even if, at first glance, he seemed like an easygoing young man.
Kalli's reaction, however, was vastly different. He looked at Kazuko in horror. "You… you… don't tell me you did that thing!"
"Indeed," Kazuko revealed a cold grin, the corners of his lips stretching unnaturally, almost reaching his ears. Then his eyes turned mad as he screamed, "All of this is because of you, Kalli! If you hadn't betrayed me, I wouldn't have become like this!"
Kalli's grip on his staff tightened. "I didn't betray you. I merely made the most logical decision back then."
"You and your precious logic," Kazuko spat, his voice dripping with venom. The katana at his side hissed as he unsheathed it, black flames licking its edge. His stance shifted, taut and ready to strike. "It will be the death of you today."
Kalli's shoulders dropped in a heavy sigh. His heart ached, not from fear, but from grief. The man before him was no longer the friend he once knew. "You don't want to do this," he murmured, his voice soft yet steady, as if pleading with a long-lost brother.
Kazuko's dark eyes narrowed, a shadow passing over his face. "Shut up."
Then he vanished.
It happened so fast that Valiance, watching from the house, couldn't register the movement. One moment Kazuko stood a few paces from Kalli; the next, he was behind him, his katana slicing downward with precision so sharp the air screamed in protest.
A sickening schlunk followed as Kalli's head separated from his body, spinning through the air. Blood sprayed in a gruesome arc, painting the earth. The old man's lifeless body collapsed to the ground in a heap.
"No..."
Valiance's breath hitched as his eyes widened in disbelief. It couldn't be real. Kalli, the almighty mage, couldn't have died so easily. It wasn't possible.
But then came the voice—a voice that sent shivers down Kazuko's spine.
"If you think that's all it takes to kill me, then you've grossly underestimated me, Kazuko."
Kazuko's head snapped up, his gaze drawn to the sky. Kalli descended slowly from above, completely unharmed, his expression unreadable. The body on the ground disintegrated into ash, carried away by the wind.
"I see," Kazuko muttered, his voice colder now. "You always were a slippery one."
"And you always underestimated me," Kalli replied, his grip on his staff firm. "But since you're here, allow me to demonstrate the power of the mathematically correct path."
Kazuko's lips curled into a sneer, his katana igniting with black flames once more. "Enough of your nonsense. Let's see how your 'logic' fares against me."
The ground beneath Kazuko cracked as he vanished again, his speed incomprehensible. In an instant, he reappeared above Kalli, his katana descending like a vengeful guillotine.
But Kalli didn't move.
"Repel," he whispered.
An invisible force erupted outward with such intensity that the air warped around it. Kazuko's katana stopped mid-swing, held inches from Kalli's face by a barrier so precise it seemed to defy reality.
Kazuko grunted, trying to force his blade through, but the barrier only grew stronger.
"Now, let's see how you handle this," Kalli said, snapping his fingers.
The barrier didn't just repel Kazuko—it exploded. A shockwave rippled outward, flattening the surrounding trees and sending Kazuko hurtling through the air like a ragdoll. He slammed into the ground with enough force to leave a crater, coughing as dust and debris choked the air around him.
Kazuko rose slowly, his body trembling. A grin twisted his lips. "Impressive. But I'm just getting started."
Once again, he vanished. This time, he reappeared to Kalli's left, his katana striking out in a flurry of lightning-fast movements. The black flames roared, each swing aiming to cleave Kalli in two.
But Kalli was untouchable.
The earth trembled as he levitated higher, raising his staff. A web of glowing blue sigils appeared in the air around him, spinning and expanding outward like a celestial machine.
"Let me show you the scale of true magic," Kalli declared.
The ground below erupted violently as jagged spires of rock shot upward, forcing Kazuko to dart and weave through the chaos. The spires weren't random; they moved with surgical precision, cutting off his escape routes and driving him into the air.
Kazuko snarled, swinging his katana to destroy the incoming spires, but his movements slowed as Kalli raised his staff higher. The air grew heavy—oppressive, like a vice closing around Kazuko's entire being.
"What…?" Kazuko gasped, feeling his body stiffen.
"A gravity field," Kalli explained casually. "A basic principle magnified a thousandfold."
Kazuko's body was yanked downward with such force that the earth cratered beneath him. He roared in defiance, black flames exploding outward in an attempt to free himself, but the flames sputtered and died as Kalli's magic overwhelmed him.
And then came the heat.
A tiny, blindingly bright orb of fire appeared above Kazuko, its temperature so intense that the air shimmered around it.
"Two thousand degrees Celsius," Kalli said, almost conversationally. "Enough to reduce even you to ash."
Kazuko's eyes widened in panic. He summoned every ounce of his strength, his katana glowing with dark energy as he swung upward, releasing a wave of black fire that hurtled toward the orb.
The clash was cataclysmic. The black flames roared against the orb, but the orb didn't waver. It expanded, swallowing the flames whole before descending toward Kazuko like a falling star.
"Enough!" Kazuko roared, disappearing at the last second as the orb slammed into the ground. The resulting explosion was deafening, a blinding flash of light followed by a shockwave that flattened everything within a hundred meters.
Valiance shielded his eyes as debris pelted the golden barrier protecting him. His heart raced as he watched the battlefield transform into a wasteland.
Kazuko reappeared a safe distance away, his right eye burned and his body trembling. He clutched his katana, his breaths ragged.
"You've improved," he admitted, though his voice was laced with fury.
"And you've lost your way," Kalli replied, lowering his staff slightly. "This doesn't have to end in destruction, Kazuko. There's still a way back."
But Kazuko's grin only widened, madness dancing in his eyes. "No, Kalli. This is just the beginning."
"What...?" Kalli felt the foreboding weight of dread settling over him. His gaze shot skyward, and his breath caught as countless crimson lines streaked across the village, converging in a sinister dance. They coiled and fused, forming a massive black sphere that pulsated with malevolent energy. It loomed like a herald of annihilation, its presence oppressive enough to suffocate the air itself.
"This spell," he muttered, his voice barely audible over the growing hum of raw power. His mind raced as recognition struck him like a thunderbolt. It was an accursed incantation—Sanguinem Orbis—a spell so forbidden that even speaking of it could bring condemnation.
Kalli clenched his staff tightly. He had read about this. A centuries-old weapon of destruction, crafted by an Archmage so twisted that he had sacrificed thousands of lives to fuel it. The spell didn't just consume—it siphoned the life force of everything it touched, growing exponentially stronger with every soul it devoured. That monstrosity had wiped half the Northern Continent off the map.
And now it was here.
"That's right!" Kazuko's voice rang out, triumphant and unhinged. His wild eyes glistened as he basked in his own power. "Be proud, Kalli! You'll be the first to witness this spell's rebirth—at my hands!"
Kalli's heart pounded. He steadied himself, layers of golden light swirling around him as thousands of magic circles snapped into existence. Barriers, shields, and counter-spells formed faster than the eye could follow.
But then he saw it—the sphere wasn't aimed at him.
It shifted course, surging downward with terrifying speed, heading straight for Valiance.
"No!" Kalli's voice cracked with panic. His protective layers vanished in an instant as he propelled himself toward the boy. He conjured weaker barriers mid-flight, throwing every ounce of magic he had to reach him.
"You bastard!" he roared at Kazuko, who stood grinning like a man possessed.
Valiance froze as the shadow of the sphere swallowed the sky above him. He couldn't move, couldn't think. All he could see was death bearing down on him.
In a blur of motion, Kalli landed in front of him, his staff blazing with golden light.
"Old man…" Valiance whispered, trembling. Memories flooded his mind—of the journeys they had shared, the danger Kalli had shielded him from, and the warmth of his eccentric companionship. For years, he had dismissed Kalli's fatherly care, but now, in this moment, it was unmistakable.
Kalli turned his head slightly, his voice calm but resolute. "Don't be afraid, kid. I swore I'd protect you, no matter the cost."
The sphere descended, casting an unholy glow that bathed the village in flickering shadows. Kalli thrust his staff forward, summoning shields upon shields, each barrier thicker and brighter than the last.
The first layer shattered on contact, disintegrating instantly. Then the next. And the next. The overwhelming force of the spell devoured them one by one, each explosion reverberating through the ground like thunderclaps.
Kalli's arms trembled as he poured every ounce of his being into his defenses. "Hold... just hold!"
Until it happened.
Every layer of protection was destroyed. Valiance watched in horror as the black sphere descended relentlessly, devouring Kalli's entire figure.
He couldn't breathe. He couldn't think.
Without giving him time to recover, the sphere surged toward him.
And then—nothing.
Darkness took over.