— “Cloud.”
Silence filled the golden hall.
Even Genica, who hadn’t stopped complaining since entering the Fifth Continent, felt a slight chill run through her body.
Narquion sighed slowly and rested his head on his hand.
— “The servant of battles.”
He said it as if describing a natural disaster rather than a human being.
— “A monster wearing a human form.”
The light of the hall reflected in his golden eyes as he continued:
— “Wherever a strong battle appears… he appears.”
— “And wherever he appears… it ends in corpses.”
He lowered his voice further.
— “And worse than his strength… is his mind.”
He looked again at the fourth permit.
— “That man sees things no one else can see. Even while covering his eyes… it’s as if he perceives what lies beyond reality itself.”
Genica swallowed.
But she quickly crossed her arms stubbornly.
— “The Cloud we know isn’t like that.”
Narquion raised an eyebrow.
— “Hmm?”
She said confidently:
— “He was kind to us.”
Then she added with annoyance:
— “Even though he likes throwing people into three-month death trips.”
Narquion chuckled lightly.
Dastan simply sighed.
Lucian said calmly:
— “Honestly… he didn’t seem like a bad person.”
Narquion was silent for a few seconds.
Then said:
— “Perhaps…”
And he added in a strange tone:
— “Even monsters have people they want to protect.”
A brief silence followed.
But Genica broke it immediately:
— “I still think he’s weird. Anyone who wears an eyepatch all the time definitely has issues.”
At that same moment…
In the Fourth Continent.
[Fourth Continent — Cloud’s House]
Cloud stood quietly in his small garden.
He wore simple clothes and carefully watered tomato plants with an expression of extreme seriousness, as if they were a national treasure.
Leviathan stood by the door, watching him silently.
Then suddenly—
— “Aaaachoo!”
Cloud stopped watering.
Slowly raised his head.
— “…I feel like a lot of people are speaking badly about me lately.”
Leviathan looked at him tiredly.
— “Maybe because you’re psychologically terrifying, brother.”
— “Impossible.”
He continued watering the tomatoes seriously.
— “I am a very kind person.”
Silence.
Then he suddenly placed a hand on his stomach.
His expression changed.
— “…No.”
Leviathan turned to him.
— “What?”
Cloud looked at her with deadly seriousness.
— “Tea.”
And in the next moment—
He vanished at terrifying speed.
Two seconds later—
A loud door slam echoed inside the house.
…
Leviathan sighed.
— “He drank too much again…”
From inside the bathroom:
— “Leviathan!”
— “What?”
— “If I catch whoever is speaking badly about me… I’ll hit them.”
— “Are you threatening people while in the bathroom?”
Silence for a second.
Then Cloud’s voice came out embarrassingly:
— “…Sorry.”
— “All because of tea.”
Leviathan facepalmed in exhaustion.
[Start of Training — Fifth Continent]
After Narquion explained the plan for the Sixth Continent…
Silence filled the golden hall.
Then suddenly—
The palace doors burst open violently.
Photon entered quickly, raising her hand excitedly:
— “You called me?”
Narquion pointed at Lucian without hesitation.
— “Take this.”
Photon blinked.
— “…this?”
— “Train him in light.”
Photon placed her hand on Lucian’s shoulder.
And they vanished.
…
Genica stared at the empty space.
— “I feel like Lucian’s life is in danger.”
Dastan sighed.
— “I feel like his dignity is in danger.”
Narquion clapped lightly.
— “Now… you two.”
He pointed at Dastan.
— “I will train you myself.”
Then he looked at Genica.
— “As for you…”
He opened a small golden portal.
From it, Talia appeared, carrying a massive stack of papers as if she had just survived a war.
— “Huh? Why did you summon me?”
Narquion said:
— “Train Genica in healing and medicine.”
Silence.
Then Genica shouted:
— “Why am I medical training?!”
Narquion replied instantly:
— “Because you’re the most likely to get injured in your group due to recklessness.”
— “That’s slander!”
— “You were the first to fall in Photon’s fight.”
— “…Irrelevant details.”
Talia sighed and grabbed Genica’s arm.
— “Come before I regret this.”
Genica screamed as she was dragged:
— “Dastan! Lucian! If I die, tell them I was amazing!”
Dastan replied immediately:
— “We won’t.”
[Lucian’s Training — City of Light]
Lucian appeared in a massive white arena.
Everything here was made of light.
Even the ground itself glowed.
He looked around cautiously while Photon circled him slowly.
— “So… you’re the light user Cloud talked about.”
Lucian sighed.
— “Is everyone here obsessed with Cloud?”
She replied instantly:
— “Of course.”
Then she stepped directly in front of him.
— “The difference between you and me… is that you use light.”
She raised her finger toward the sky.
Light exploded everywhere.
— “I… am light.”
Lucian’s eyes widened slightly.
And in the next moment—
Photon vanished.
Then—
A direct strike to his stomach.
The air was knocked out of his lungs.
Before he could fall—
She appeared behind him.
Another strike.
Then above him.
Then in front.
He was being hit from every direction without even seeing her.
He collapsed to the ground, gasping.
Photon crouched in front of him.
— “Your speed is terrible.”
— “Th-thank you for the emotional support…”
She smirked.
Then suddenly grabbed his face with both hands.
— “But you have real talent.”
Her golden eyes lit up.
— “I will teach you how to make light part of your body.”
A week passed…
Lucian was beaten every day.
But gradually…
He began disappearing for brief moments.
He started moving like a flash of light.
And in one attempt…
He vanished.
Then reappeared behind Photon.
Silence.
She slowly turned her head.
And for the first time…
She actually smiled.
— “Flash.”
Lucian raised his head, panting.
Suddenly—
Photon slapped him hard.
— “But you’re still slow.”
— “Was the slap necessary?!”
[Genica’s Training — Talia’s Lab]
— “Don’t touch that.”
Explosion.
— “I said don’t touch it!”
Black smoke filled the lab.
Genica walked out coughing.
— “How did you know it would explode?!”
Talia facepalmed.
— “Because it literally says: explosive material.”
Genica looked at the vial.
— “…oh.”
Over the next days…
Genica learned basic healing.
Stopping bleeding.
Making medicine.
Mixing aura with treatment.
Even reducing pain using precise gravity control.
But the problem…
Genica was a walking disaster.
Once she made a sleeping drug that knocked herself out.
Another time she destroyed half the lab.
One day…
Talia was treating a minor wound on Genica’s hand.
Suddenly—
Genica leaned closer, narrowing her eyes.
— “Wait…”
Talia tensed.
— “What?”
— “You’re strangely terrified of Cloud.”
Talia froze.
Silence.
Then she said quietly:
— “…because I saw him fight once.”
Genica stopped joking.
Talia continued, staring at the ground:
— “And since that day… I haven’t been able to sleep normally.”
[Dastan’s Training — Golden Palace]
Dastan stood in a massive golden arena.
Narquion sat on a high throne drinking tea elegantly.
— “So you use darkness.”
Dastan nodded.
— “Yes.”
Narquion smiled.
— “Boring.”
…Silence.
— “Huh?”
And in the next moment—
A massive pressure crashed down on him.
Dastan’s knees hit the ground instantly.
His eyes widened.
Even breathing became difficult.
Narquion stood slowly.
— “Your power is decent.”
Behind him, dozens of golden weapons appeared floating in the air.
— “But your endurance is terrible.”
The weapons shot toward him.
Real training began.
Days passed…
Combat.
Pressure.
Pain.
Falling.
Standing.
Falling again.
Until Dastan’s body began to change.
Stronger muscles.
Faster reactions.
One day…
He stopped a golden spear with his bare hand.
Narquion finally smiled.
— “Now you look like a real fighter.”
But suddenly—
The door burst open.
Photon entered dragging Lucian by his collar.
Her face slightly bruised.
Hair messy.
Lucian… smiling calmly in a terrifying way.
Dastan slowly looked around.
— “…what happened?”
Photon said immediately:
— “He hit me.”
— “Because you harassed Genica again.”
Silence.
Narquion calmly sat back down and sipped his tea.
— “Continue.”
“What will happen to the trio after finishing training?”