Leon opened his eyes slowly as fire blazed against Igyu's shield.
"Aaaaaah—fire! What's happening?!"
Leon screamed, completely oblivious to their situation.
"Calm down, boy."
Igyu's voice cut through the panic.
"We're simply passing through the Earth's atmosphere.
Besides, the fire can't touch us—can't you see my barrier?"
"Oh… yeah, I see it now." Leon's breathing steadied. "So where are we going, anyway?"
"We're heading to a distant planet said to be as vast as a galaxy itself. It's where the Elves, Demi-Humans, and Humans convene for their meetings."
Leon fell silent, his thoughts drifting.
What kind of meeting requires traveling this far? We already passed the planets of the elves and demi-humans—couldn't we just hold it on one of those? I've always dreamed of visiting those worlds… Well, at least I've seen them with my own eyes now.
"I know exactly what you're thinking," Igyu said, "so allow me to answer before you ask."
"Any information discussed at this meeting must remain strictly confidential—understood?"
He leaned closer to Leon's ear.
"It's. Top. Secret."
"Oww—my ears! Did you really have to shout?"
"Because you ask too many questions, kid. And before you ask this one, I'll tell you now—the planet is called Primo Stasis."
Leon's eyes sparkled.
"Wow, such a cool name! Who named it?"
Igyu sighed. "Haaa… You truly never stop, do you? The Elf King named it."
"Why is it named that?"
"Aaagh." Igyu dragged a hand down his face. "You really do ask too many questions. It's called that because it's a planet where time exists at a fixed point."
"Wait—what?! And you want to take us there ? You want us frozen in time? Unlike you, I have a full life ahead of me! I'm not following you to some stupid planet—cool name notwithstanding—just to get stuck at a fixed point in time! You got that? Now let me go—ugh!"
Leon thrashed and shouted.
"Shut up already. I can't believe you're this dense." Igyu pinched the bridge of his nose. "We won't get stuck. Weren't you listening when I said we've used it for previous meetings? And what's this about having a 'full life ahead of you unlike me'? Are you calling me old, you brat?"
Igyu smacked Leon's head.
"Oww—that hurt!"
"Alright, we're here, Leon."
Suspense coiled in Leon's chest as he gazed at the approaching world.
This planet looks rough on the outside… I wonder what it's like within.
They descended into the atmosphere—but Leon tensed in surprise when no fiery resistance met them.
The planet was dead, yet somehow still intact.
Igyu landed atop a nearby wrecked building, its structure half-collapsed as if abandoned mid-construction.
"Hey there, boys." Igyu smirked.
"Huh?"
An elf's eyes widened in alarm.
"Oh, it's just Igyu—you can relax your blade, elf."
A demi-human standing to the elf's left exhaled in relief.
"I was merely being vigilant. And you raised your blade too," the elf shot back.
"What—are you speaking to me like that, elf?"
The two descended into bickering as Leon and Igyu strode between them without breaking stride.
Igyu waved casually. "Hi there, Veylune and Threx. Long time no see."
They replied in unison: "Sup."
Wasting no time, Igyu asked, "So what's this meeting about?"
Aelthir Veylune answered immediately. "Oh, you know—the usual.
A boy who erased an entire galaxy, along with some unknown creature."
"That 'unknown creature' was a Demon Lord from the Chaos Realm," Igyu corrected. "Apparently chased here from another world. If you ask me, the boy did the right thing."
Threx Valgor folded his arms. "But how can we be certain he won't go rogue? Start abusing his newfound power?"
Igyu glanced at Leon. "Go wait outside."
"Huh? Why?"
"Because I doubt you enjoy listening to old people talk. Am I wrong?"
So he can call himself old, but when someone else does it, he gets angry?
Igyu frowned. "I heard that, Leon."
Leon's eyes went wide. "How? I said it in my mind!"
"Oh, so you just go around reading other people's minds with your 'void of thoughts'?"
"Yeah. You got a problem with that, Leon?"
Igyu knocked his head again.
"Ow—that hurt! Fine, I'm going…"
Leon stepped outside and gazed up at the alien sky.
I want to go home and continue my training.
"Alright, Veylune, Threx—I can assure you he's not a threat."
"And how do we know that?" Veylune pressed.
"I just know. Call it… a gut feeling."
Threx scoffed. "And why should we trust your stinking guts, huh?"
Igyu's aura darkened. "Say that again. I dare you."
Without hesitation, Threx repeated: "I said—why should we trust your stinking guts, huh?"
Igyu lunged.
Threx met him head-on.
Veylune darted between them, blocking both attacks.
BOOM.
The impact thundered through the chamber.
What was that?
Leon rushed back inside—only to find them seated like gentlemen, as if nothing had happened.
"So it's agreed—Leon isn't a threat, correct?" Igyu asked.
"Besides, you don't hold these meetings when a Realm Adventurer destroys things in other realms, do you?"
"That's different—that's their job ," Veylune replied.
"Yeah, Veylune's right. Who died and made this brat a Realm Adventurer?" Threx added.
"Hey—I'm going to become a Realm Adventurer someday, and you'd better believe it!
That way it won't be a surprise when I actually do it!"
Leon's eyes burned with conviction.
"Whoa, easy there, kid."
Threx rose, aura flaring from his eyes as he approached Leon. "Until then…" He leaned down, his massive frame casting a shadow. "…don't go venturing into realms.
You might just die."
Leon shivered—but only for a moment.
He looked up at the muscular figure looming over him.
"Did you hope to scare me out of becoming a Realm Adventurer? Because if you did, you failed. My mom's scarier than you."
Veylune snorted, then burst into laughter. "Pfft—hahahaha!"
"Alright, I'm out before this kid roasts me alive."
Threx clapped the other demi-human's shoulder, shattered a magical crystal, and they vanished to their home planet.
"Hey, before you go, Veylune—can I have my own crystal? Flying is exhausting."
"Oh, sure."
Veylune had already broken his crystal and grasped his escort's hand. He tossed one toward Igyu—but they teleported before it could reach him.
"Damn it. Guess I'm flying again."
Igyu sighed as they took off.
"Hey, Grandpa, why don't you like flying?"
"Because it's stressful. Can't you see I'm old?"
A Few Minutes Later
The Training Continues
Leon's Point of View
My training with Grandpa Igyu resumed—but this time, rather than combat techniques or physical conditioning, he focused on weapons.
Grandpa manifested an arsenal before me: shields, spears, bows and arrows, war hammers, crossbows, and battle axes.
He instructed me to choose.
I surveyed my options, uncertain.
Then something caught my eye—a gleaming, pristine blade. As I reached for it, my gaze drifted to the weapon beside it. Plain. Unremarkable.
Yet something about it resonated with me.
A dual blade.
The moment the thought crystallized, I seized it, smiling. It felt impossibly light.
"Alright, Leon—now that you've chosen your weapon, it's time to test it."
Grandpa conjured countless copies of himself while the real him ascended, hovering overhead.
"For your next training, you must defeat all the clones before you.
Weapons only."
I faced a wall of Igyus and charged.
One clone blocked my strike; I slashed with my second blade toward his head.
But he didn't vanish like in the comics or anime.
"Hey, kid—don't hold back out of sentiment. They aren't the real me, okay?"
My face flushed pink—equal parts anger and frustration.
I dropped into a stance: left hand lowered in guidance, right raised to strike.
A form Grandpa had taught me during our lessons on fighting stances.
I charged again, calmer this time.
A horizontal slash to my right—blocked.
Without hesitation, I thrust my left blade into the clone's stomach.
A wet, piercing sound.
Not loud, but unmistakable.
My sword sank into his abdomen.
Blood sprayed. I froze in shock—he had blood .
He spat crimson onto my face, and my stomach churned. In ten years on this earth, I had never held a sword, let alone used one to kill.
Even a clone… it felt real. The blood made it real.
He vanished smiling, dissolving into black mist.
I vomited. Then again, collapsing to my knees, clutching my stomach.
I thought it was over and sighed, but my breathing turned ragged.
Huff… huff… huff… huff…
I heaved once more, crumpling onto my back, writhing in pain.
My vision swam. I fought to stay conscious.
The last thing I heard was Grandpa's voice, distant and worried: "Leon… Leon, are you alright?"
The chair creaked. Too loud. Grandpa didn't look up from his rice.
"Ready?"
The word hung there. Ready. Like it meant something simple.
Like ready wasn't a threshold you crossed after vomiting black mist and counting corpses that smiled as they vanished.
I picked up my spoon. The metal was cold.
The fourth clone had felt cold too, after—
"Leon."
"Yeah." I scooped rice. Chewed. Swallowed.
"Ready."
I laced my shoes. The new laces were red.
I pulled. Tighter. My ankle ached.
We walked. Grandpa had money for ten cars. The sun hammered. His boots scuffed dust.
He never explained.
We arrived quickly.
"Teachers and students, please take your seats—the First Test for this year is about to begin. First-years will commence first.
The test centers on teamwork. Its name: 'Capture as Many Flags as Possible.' Yes, I know—it sounds silly, but it is what it is. As the name suggests, your objective is to capture flags and plant them at your base.
There are twenty-five bases total.
One hundred students divided by four equals twenty-five teams—twenty-five bases, four students each."
Principal Kim-Soo-Han's voice carried through every speaker across the testing grounds.
Simple enough. Easy, even—provided I was paired with capable teammates.
Or so I thought.
"Hey, guys—you heard the principal."
I looked at each of them.
"We need to communicate. Build teamwork."
Silence.
"Hey, shut up."
The guy with white cloth wrapped around his arm stopped abruptly. I collided with him and fell.
The other two glanced back. Not at me—through me. Like I was already gone.
"Get lost," they said in unison.
"Hey—can you stand?"
My third teammate, a girl, offered her hand.
"Yeah, I can. Thanks." I grasped it—then froze. She could barely lift me.
I tried to pull myself up, but she tumbled forward. Her face was close.
Too close.
Warm.
My cheeks burned.
I rose and extended my hand again. She took it.
I pulled her up. She smiled, small and uncertain.
"Let the test begin!"
The two hotheads bolted. Gone. The girl
stood there, her hand half-raised, finger curled like she forgot what they were for.
I looked at my feet. The red laces.
Tight.
Useless.
Four clones.
That was my record. Four smiling corpses.
Their backs were already distant. Dust rising where their feet had been.
"Hey." I looked up. The girl was still there. "We should—"
"Yeah." I forced my legs to move. "We should."