Chapter 407: The Secret of the Thousand-Year Ice Cave (2)

“In front of all these people?”

Hearing Karyl mention the Thousand-Year Ice Cave out loud, Gordon Fabian gestured around themselves, as if to ask Karyl if he was serious.

“We may have found it by chance, but up until now, we’ve never spoken of that place’s secrets to anyone—not even to the emperor, who now lies in his tomb.”

“And?” Karyl shot back.

“What do you mean,

and

...?”

“Why are you acting like this is some crucial secret that needs to be buried at all costs?”

“Huh?”

The three people standing there couldn’t help but look bewildered.

“Karyl, the secret of the Thousand-Year Ice Cave is the axis that holds this world together. That’s why the northern tribes allowed only the Great Warrior to enter.”

“That’s your problem.”

Alteman clamped his mouth shut at Karyl’s blunt dismissal.

“Keeping it hidden won’t solve anything. This is about the fate of the world, about what’s going to transpire on this very land. So why are you hiding it and trying to let a select few deal with it alone?”

Karyl slowly scanned the crowd.

“Or is there something you’re trying to cover up?” he went on, his gaze settling on Alteman.

“The fact that the immigrant tribes are descendants of the Godslayer, the first Blader, isn’t something to be ashamed of anymore, is it Alteman?”

“...!!!”

“...!!!”

Every person in the Celestial Fortress looked at each other wide-eyed.

“Of course. Now that the divide between the empire and the immigrant tribes has crumbled, the word

heretic

should disappear as well. People need to start accepting the truth.”

Karyl gave a nod.

“Exactly. And as you said, those kinds of things are minor details we can gradually address over time. There’s something much more important right now. We can’t keep hiding it. We can’t let just a handful of leaders try to handle it by themselves.”

Everyone stared intently at Karyl.

“War is upon us, and it’s not just any war. This is going to be the war that goes beyond the continent, one that will determine whether our world, as we know it, will survive.”

All sorts of people had gathered in the square of the Celestial Fortress. The stage beneath the tower where the Four Archangels had once stood resembled a courtroom, meant to deliver judgment.

“It’s tedious, but to begin, we must go back to the very origins. Though it’s not recorded anywhere, a fragment of this tale remains in the doctrines of the Church. Mael.”

Karyl invoked the Master Key.

“There was a time when a primordial dimension existed. The story goes that by dividing it, the gods started fighting each other, trying to conquer one another’s realms.”

“What exactly do you want me to say?”

Wuuuuuuum...

As Karyl raised his hand, the blue serpent manifested above it.

“...”

The three people stood in silence, simply watching him.

“It’s simple. Everything you know.”

“Always giving me the bothersome tasks...”

Mael flicked his long tongue toward Gordon and Kuwell as he spoke.

“So here’s the gist: as Kaye Aesir’s companion over there may already know, there are multiple gods. They interlock like gears, each with strengths and weaknesses against the others, like opposing forces.”

Mael looked Karyl over from head to toe.

“That’s why things like the Lycanthrope’s Will, held by that big woman over there, or a Master Key, like me, exist. Their purpose is to aid those who challenge the gods. Of course, for humans like you, this must all feel like some fairy tale, no?”

Mael’s tone was dripping with reluctance.

“Anyone who possesses a key of divine rank like mine wields formidable power, yet only a chosen one can access it. Such is the bloodline of the Blader who walked the path of the Godslayer.”

Mael fixed his gaze on Kuwell.

“And you’re aware, aren’t you, that this bloodline belongs to the northern tribes? You confirmed it in the hidden Thousand-Year Ice Cave.”

Mael flicked his tongue repeatedly, as if to mock them.”

“Yula, Lakshmu, Xect-Mut... There were many gods, each ruling their own dimension. Those who survived ascended to the Divine Throne, and the passage of time has not weakened their essence. They still wage wars, striving to seize each other’s dimensions.”

Pop...! Pop, pop...!

Mael’s form dissipated, leaving a few radiant orbs shimmering like stars within a haze of blue smoke.

“But like the primordial war, gods cannot engage directly in battle. If they did, their dimensions would collapse.”

The orbs fell to the ground, transforming into smoky figures of numerous creatures that began clashing.

“And so they devised a plan. Not just humans, but elves, dwarves, gnomes... even demons and other creatures of the dark. They’ve used every race as pawns in their grand game, vying for power and constantly stealing each other’s dimensions.”

Hiss... Hisss...!

Mael’s laughter echoed through the Celestial Fortress.

Exordiar—a term that referred to the Divine War, unrecorded in human history.

“They’re greedy beings, indeed. Isn’t it laughable to call such beings gods?”

Mael’s face emerged from within the smoke.

“Lord.”

Shhh... Sshh...

His tongue darted rapidly.

“Thus, instead of calling the one who stands at the pinnacle ‘God,’ we called them

‘Lord.’ Xect-Mut was that supreme being among the gods.”

Karyl remembered how Rael had referred to the Tarak as such in the previous timeline. The fact that she, who had once followed Yula, named her fall after the highest god’s name seemed a petty jest, tinged with jealousy.

“But it hardly matters. It’s just another dimension’s affair, after all. We’ve had enough on our hands dealing with our own dimension’s issues. But here’s the thing.”

Mael wrapped himself around Karyl’s hand.

“Somehow, a fragment of Divine Power that belonged to him has been discovered here. This suggests that Xect-Mut has perished...”

A shard took shape in Karyl’s palm, emitting an emerald glow.

“Gods are born and die just like mortals. Though it’s still a mystery why this fragment containing part of his power ended up here, what matters is that with it, one could become like a god—or even surpass one.”

“That...”

Kuwell looked at the shard with a hint of dread.

“The Dimension Spiral. It’s a remnant of divine energy, or what’s often called Dimensional Power.”

“And now, you realize that what was once mere suspicion has become reality, Father.”

Hearing the word “Father” come out of Karyl’s mouth, Kuwell fixed him with a hard stare.

“...Don’t call me that. I don’t deserve it. And didn’t you say it yourself? We were enemies on the battlefield, and now... you’re the king of the continent, and I am but a knight of a fallen nation.”

Karyl gave a bitter smile.

“It’s been a long time since we spoke back in Heim. I still need the strength of the continent’s greatest swordsman, but I won’t force you to help me. I won’t appeal to our family bond, either. Just...”

As he looked at Kuwell, Karyl’s expression softened slightly.

“I simply wanted to thank you for bringing me from the north, allowing me to confront these truths. I never would’ve achieved what I have without that.”

Deep down, Karyl knew they could never return to being an ordinary family. This was likely the last time he would call Kuwell “Father,” hence the stir of sentimentality. Addressing him that way wasn’t out of gratitude for this life, but for the past one.

You revealed the secret of the Thousand-Year Ice Cave to me as part of your prophetic mission. But it wasn’t solely because of my birth father, Karliak. Because of you, I learned the history of the northern tribes and was able to establish legitimacy in the process of uniting the continent. But...

“Then let me ask you, sir.”

Karyl looked at Kuwell.

“What did you see in the Thousand-Year Ice Cave?”

After his return, Karyl had realized that the Thousand-Year Ice Cave Kuwell had spoken of in his past life was different from the one he himself had first discovered among the northern tribes.

In the life where you revealed the secret of the Thousand-Year Ice Cave to me, the cave you meant to show me wasn’t the one with the frozen seal that held the first Blader. It was something else.

“Alteman,” Karyl called out.

However, I didn’t have the information back then to realize there were two ice caves. I was blindsided. Or maybe, when you and Gordon discovered the Ice Cave, you deliberately told me about a different one.

Given that Alteman, like Gordon, was a close friend of Karliak, he was likely aware of the Thousand-Year Ice Cave known only to the northern tribes.

There were two possibilities, but they shared a common point: only Kuwell MacGovern was aware that there were two Ice Caves. However, Karyl first turned his attention to Alteman instead of Kuwell.

“You have a report for me, don’t you?”

“...”

Strangely, it seemed that the more Kuwell and Karyl conversed, the more uneasy Alteman became. It was visible on his face.

“When you arrived, I asked you, didn’t I? About what I instructed you to investigate. And you said it was as I suspected, didn’t you?”

“...Yes, that’s right.”

“Good. Now that I have your answer, let’s start piecing this puzzle together. I’m curious to see what picture will emerge,” Karyl said coldly.

Clang—! Clang! Clang!

The moment Alteman reached into his robe, dozens of sharp swords closed in around his neck.

“One wrong move, and you’re dead. “

Aidan emerged behind Alteman from his shadow, pressing the tip of his lightning-infused blade against his waist.

“You’re playing with fire,” Aidan warned calmly, though his killing intent was evident.

Alteman raised an eyebrow, a bitter smile on his face. “And here I thought we’d built some camaraderie after everything we went through at the Dragon’s Sanctuary.”

“Even if that was the case, we’re past that. Why would we trust someone like you, who just showed up out of nowhere?”

Everyone around them nodded. Aidan, perceptive as ever, had known from the moment Karyl began questioning Alteman that the conversation would shift its focus to him.

“We’re not exactly having a tea party here, are we?”

And being at the center of such a conversation was rarely a good sign.

With a weary sigh, Alteman pulled a small scroll, bound with a string, from his robe.

“It’s all right. Stand down.” Karyl nodded, confirming it, and spoke to Aidan.

“But...”

“He can’t harm me. Of course, if I choose to kill him, that’s a different matter.”

Then, Karyl lifted his gaze.

“Alteman. When I returned from the Demon Realm, I gave you a secret order to check on the Thousand-Year Ice Cave.”

“You told me to see if the seal of the northern Thousand-Year Ice Cave, where the first Blader sleeps, had been broken.”

“Yep. So?”

“The seal was intact,” Alteman answered Karyl’s question cautiously.

"Hagane."

As Karyl turned away from him and looked into the air, a dimensional gate opened before him, and from within, the Demon King emerged.

“At your command.”

Alteman’s gaze flickered with slight confusion as he witnessed the Demon King addressing Karyl with such reverence.

“When Kaye Aesir made his pact with you, he mentioned two individuals in relation to the secret of the Thousand-Year Ice Cave and his essence."

“Yes, the Platinum Dragon and Alteman. Those were the two.”

“Did he ever say anything else to you about them?”

“The Platinum Dragon had been around since the dawn of time, so I was naturally aware of him. I knew well what kind of dragon he was, so I didn’t feel the need to pry.”

“And Alteman?”

“Well... My curiosity was stirred a bit when I heard he was a companion of Kaye Aesir, but this elf... He doesn’t strike me as special. This is the first time I’ve laid eyes on him.” Hagane shook his head lightly.

“Alteman, you told me that as someone with elven blood, you were the only one among Kaye Aesir’s companions still alive, even 250 years later.”

“I did.” Alteman gave a slow nod.

“Then you’d be the most likely person among these three to know that there are two Thousand-Year Ice Caves. So why didn’t you tell me about the other one?”

“What are you talking about...?”

“Are you truly a companion of Kaye Aesir?” Karyl asked calmly. “Why did you hide it from me?”

Whenever Karyl spoke in that dry, emotionless tone, everyone knew his blade was ready to draw blood.

“I sent you to verify the Thousand-Year Ice Cave was to give you a chance to reflect on your actions. You knew I had returned from the Demon Realm, so you should’ve realized that keeping up the lie was pointless.”

Shring

—

Karyl pointed his sword at Alteman. The tension in the air was far heavier than when Aidan had previously drawn his blade on the elf.

“Gordon, Kuwell,” he called out without taking his eyes off Alteman. “He’s not the only one. I have questions for you as well. From this point on, if any of you fail to speak the truth, don’t expect to leave here alive.”

Fwoooosh—!!

Boom—!!

Karyl pulled the Freezing Talon from his waist and hurled it forward.

“...”

The icy blade embedded itself in the center of the nearby pillar.

“That goes for you too.”

Darryl Harian, nearly grazed by Karyl’s sword, didn’t even bother brushing the dust from his shoulder. He simply stood there, his expression inscrutable.

“You said things would get noisy once Gordon arrived, didn’t you? Well, what now? I’m the one stirring up a commotion, not him.”

Karyl turned his head slowly, his expression fiercer than his tone.