"Yeah, I heard about him in the Trial of Body, but it can't be to this level, right?"
There was some silence. These kids were tired and bleeding in various places on their bodies.
Captain Waltz spoke, noticing the boys' faces:
"Don't frown too much, kids. And don't ever compare yourselves to him. You guys completed only the Trial of Body, right? You'll learn more about him in the Trial of Mind. He is a Creator—which only a handful of people can attain."
Phil asked,
"Right, we know he's a Creator. But the title God Killer... how could someone attain that?"
"You guys are a really motivated bunch, huh? Okay, it's time for a small lesson."
As Captain Waltz said those words, the five kids—who had been weeping and cowering—turned their full attention to the captain's words. Noting the change in their demeanor, a small smile appeared on his face. He thought to himself: Maybe at least a small number of kids take this peaceful world as a challenge. Because there's no way a lot of people are gonna complete the Trial of Truth—so they wouldn't know how cruel the peace we're living in now is.
He told everyone to look at Levize.
"You see his katana there? It's a God-Etched Weapon. Now, time for a question: How many of these God-Etched Weapons are known to our kind?"
Everyone had a confused expression. With a bit of hesitation, Drake said, "Six."
Hearing him say that, the other four were very surprised. Even the captain laughed in excitement.
"Kid, you're something! How did you know about it? Even if you finished the Trial of Body, there's no way you could know this."
Drake was silent for a moment, then said,
"I attempted to clear the Trial of Mind."
The surprised expressions on the others turned into incomprehensible shock for Evan and Phil. The other two seemed to be twins—their names were Jike and Pike. They were mostly identical. Those two might have passed out if not for the continued healing stimulation in their bodies.
Captain Waltz said,
"Well, well... guess you know your stuff, ah? Good. And coming to the question—he's right. There are six God-Etched Weapons available in eternity. In our world, there is only one, and that one is possessed by Levize."
He stopped for a moment and asked the kids,
"Now, another question: How does one come into possession of a God-Etched Weapon? There's only one way to obtain it. Any ideas?"
The other four turned their heads in perfect sync to see Drake, who sat at the corner of the group. Drake said with an unsatisfied expression on his face,
"What? I didn't clear the second trial or something. There are a lot of things I don't know."
The others turned to the captain with casual looks on their faces. Captain Waltz chuckled.
"Well, there's no way you can know all of that. You know, Being aware on the existence of such a thing is in and of itself an achievement. And don't ever disclose this information to anyone—knowing more than what you need to know is not good for marching forward in life. So you should learn the details by properly attending the trials. Even I have things to know by completing the third trial. Don't go around spilling this information easily. And it might not be easy for you to hear it—you could pass out even before hearing it, or you'll forget it once we get near the tribe."
Suddenly, everyone tensed and stiffened their bodies with determination.
Captain Waltz opened his mouth, and the surroundings became a little foggy and unclear. The twins passed out. Even Phil, who usually wore a composed face, seemed to be struggling to maintain composure. Only Evan and Drake could slightly hear what the captain was saying:
"The only way you could obtain a God-Etched Weapon is only by—ki—ll—in—g th—e an—ci—en—t on—e—"
Evan couldn't stand the words and coughed up some blood. Phil and the twins were already passed out, but Drake was aware of them:
An—ci—ent—o—ne... Ancient One? Wait... an Ancient One?
Everything was coming together now. Drake had a troubled grin on his face. Looking at Levize, he said,
"That crazy guy—God Killer—that man... he is the one who killed the god of this world. So his title isn't just because he's strong. He... he actually killed a god. The Ancient One of this world!"
And he too passed out like the other kids. Captain Waltz thought to himself:
I need to control my actions now. I need to explain this to the queen.
The thought of explaining himself to the queen made him tremble a little.
"Ahh, she's the queen after all."
Just while thinking of the queen, the captain suddenly felt a gaze—deep and unbearable—fall upon him. It came from the Cleaver. It didn't have any bloodlust, but a deep emotion of dissatisfaction from the person who unleashed it. Waltz knew clearly who it was:
He might have found out that I enclosed sensitive information to the kids and showed his intent. Well, that itself almost made me pass out. I am a Writer*. Even though he is only one class higher than me, he is so vast—to simply put in class and division.*
Looking back—slightly turning his head—the grey hair flowing in the air above him, almost to his shoulders.
"He never learns, does he? When will we arrive at the tribe?"