[AELION POV]
The door closed behind him with a soft click, but to Aelion, the sound echoed like a thunderclap. His heart felt heavy, his steps dragging under the weight of what he’d done.
As he stepped into the forest, the cool night air wrapped around him, but it couldn’t soothe the storm churning in his chest.
He stopped at an ancient oak, his fingers brushing against the rough bark. The tree stood tall and unyielding, a reminder of everything that remained rooted while he moved on, leaving yet another piece of himself behind.
The hum of mana vibrated faintly in the air around him, as constant as the wind. It had always been a comfort. Tonight, it felt like a quiet rebuke.
Was this the right choice?
The question clawed at him, relentless. He couldn’t shake the image of Ray’s face, those piercing eyes shadowed with confusion, hurt—and something else he hadn’t expected. Not anger, not defiance.
No, it was the quiet acceptance that cut the deepest. Ray hadn’t fought him. He hadn’t begged or yelled. He’d simply stood there, shoulders squared but trembling, and let Aelion go.
“It’s for his good,” Aelion said aloud, his voice low and gruff. The words rang hollow, even to him.
Above, the sky stretched endlessly, broken by the jagged peaks of distant mountains. It should have made him feel small, grounded.
Instead, it just reminded him of the vastness of what Ray was up against—what they were all up against. He had spent centuries fighting for his people, his kind.
Wielding powers that could reshape the world. And yet, for all his strength, standing here now, he felt utterly powerless.
Ray was special. Not just in the way a mentor might flatter their student, but in a way that terrified Aelion.
He was a force waiting to be unleashed, a beacon that would draw the Celestials and the Demons like moths to a flame. Staying with him would have made them both targets. It was better this way. It had to be.
But knowing that didn’t make it feel like a victory. It felt like failure.
The trail ahead was narrow, overgrown in places, but Aelion knew it well. It was a path he’d walked many times in his years of exile.
The crunch of leaves underfoot filled the silence, but it didn’t quiet his mind. Every step carried him further away, but Ray was still there—etched into his thoughts, his memory.
He’s stronger than he knows, Aelion thought. Stronger than I ever was at his age.
But strength was never enough. Aelion knew that better than anyone. Strength could save, but it could also destroy.
He had learned that lesson in blood, in the wreckage of wars fought in the name of peace. He’d seen what happened to those who burned too brightly, who carried too much. The burden crushed them, or worse—it twisted them.
He stopped in a small clearing, where the last light of the sun spilled through the trees, painting the world in shades of amber and gold. The beauty of it should have moved him. Instead, it felt like a mockery of the ache in his chest.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.
“I’m sorry but there was no other choice,” he whispered, though the words sounded weak and thin against the vastness of the forest.
But the weight in his chest didn’t lift.
For the first time in centuries, Aelion felt like a coward. Not for leaving a battlefield or retreating from an enemy, but for betraying the trust.
He took a deep breath, the kind that felt like it could break you in half. Then, with a final glance at the sky, he turned and walked on.
Every step forward felt heavier than the last. The hardest battles, he realized, were the ones you fought with yourself.
***
[Ash POV]
The Next Day
I woke up early because I had decided to leave this place—not because I disliked it here, but because I had resolved not to trust anyone. I didn’t want any variables in my life.
I’ve seen in many manga and novels that even family members betray each other for power. I might have trusted Aelion if he hadn’t left me. No one can guarantee he won’t be threatened in the future and end up revealing everything about me just to save himself.
From what he said about the war starting because of him, I don’t know the full details, but still—if he were truly that compassionate, he would’ve been ready to give his life.
Yet, like anyone, he must value his own life. And I don’t believe he left all the treasures he’s collected over the years to just a kid he met two years ago.
Even if I were in his place, I wouldn’t hand over my belongings to a stranger I barely know.
When I thought about it rationally, I finally pinpointed the crux of the problem: emotions can turn even a great sage into an idiot.
But I had already created a variable by letting Aelion know my face. Now, I guess I have to do something about it.
That day, I learned a valuable lesson. If not for the skill I created yesterday, I would still be crying over spilled milk.
***
Skill Name: Cold Soul (Active)
Description:
The Cold Soul skill enables the user to temporarily suppress overwhelming emotions, allowing for calm and logical thinking in high-pressure situations. Negative emotions such as fear, anger, guilt, and despair are muted, creating a mental state of clarity and focus.
***
After creating the skill and thinking rationally, I was finally able to think clearly. Even if I have the mental age of 23 years old, it’s still very difficult to discern people’s intentions. In my previous life, I only lived up to the age of 20, and in this world, just three years.
I haven’t seen much of the world firsthand, but I’ve learned enough from novels to know one thing: never trust anyone unless you’re powerful enough that no schemes or tricks can harm you.
That’s why I decided to leave. But before going, I planned to clean this place out. It’s an opportunity, as many of the materials here are difficult to find in the outside world. I’ll take everything, as it could be highly beneficial to my growth.
To implement my plan, I created two new skills:
***
[Skill: Inventory]
Description:
This skill grants the user access to a personal dimensional storage space approximately the size of a room. This space can hold virtually anything except living Items, including dimensional storage items like space rings. As the skill levels up, the storage capacity increases, allowing for the accommodation of larger and more numerous items.
***
Even though the space was only the size of a single room, I wasn’t too worried since there were space rings in this hidden base.
The second skill I created was:
***
[Skill: Detector] (Passive)
Description:
A sensory skill that identifies active tracking spells, devices, Hidden Traps and Danger to life or marks within a set radius. It alerts the user to their presence.
***
By creating these skills, I used almost all the chances I had at the moment.
Now I only Have One chance remaining to create a skill.
I specifically created the Detector skill to check if Aelion truly intended to give me this base.
After finalizing the skills, I started filling the inventory with everything: weapons, books, beds, training equipment, various ores, alchemy bottles, food—everything. I stored the space rings inside my inventory too.
Even after scouring the entire base, the Detector skill didn’t detect anything abnormal. At least I could feel at peace, knowing Aelion wasn’t as bad as I feared.
But,
That happiness was short-lived.
When I entered my room to take the “Key” Aelion had given me for this place, the Detector skill started sending warning signals. My mood instantly plummeted.
I stood there in silence for a while, left the key in the room, and exited the hidden base.
***