The following morning, the gentle morning sunlight swept across the stone corridors of the convent, partially dispelling the eerie atmosphere of the night before.
A new priest had arrived in this remote town to assume control of the parish, strictly orchestrated by the Church.
In stark contrast to Malachi’s towering, profound, and overwhelmingly authoritative presence, the new priest was a small, middle-aged man whose kind face bore lines etched deeply by time and hardship.
He wore a weathered, frayed cassock, and his luggage consisted entirely of a single coarse canvas bag.
He greeted everyone with a warm, humble, and exceptionally simple voice—a thoroughly ordinary human being devoid of any overbearing aura or dark secrets.
Concurrently, the supreme office of Mother Superior was officially transferred to Sister Clara.
Before her midnight departure, Agatha had left behind an official document of appointment.
Though Clara was young and somewhat overwhelmed, her profound love for the orphans gave her the strength to wipe away her tears and shoulder this immense responsibility.
Standing in a corner of the courtyard, Kento silently watched the new priest busily arranging his workspace, before shifting his gaze to Clara, who was occupied coordinating the other sisters.
Realizing that Malachi and Agatha had truly vanished from his life, Kento felt not a single ripple within his heart—no sorrow, no emptiness.
Those fragile emotions had long been incinerated during those blood-soaked nights of training in the subterranean vault.
He was now the White Oni—a predator who looked only forward with ruthless resolve.
The Final Lesson
Over at Sensei Asuka Ren’s dojo, the atmosphere today was unusually tranquil.
The booming shouts of kata forms and the sharp clashing of training weapons were entirely absent.
This was the final training session for the three youths: Shin, Kento, and Ling Mo.
Sensei Ren stood with his arms crossed in the center of the wooden training floor, his usually sharp eyes overflowing with a blend of strict solemnity and monumental pride.
He looked at the three young men standing straight before him:
— “It feels like only yesterday when you were just timid children stepping out of the Dark Zone into this very dojo.
Yet in the blink of an eye, over these past four years, all three of you have grown into men whose shoulders are broad enough to shoulder the world.
I have drilled my finest combat mechanics, leg techniques, and Sophion control methods into you.
Now…
I have nothing left to teach.
It is time for you to spread your wings and fly!”
Shin stepped forward, decisively dropping onto one knee and bowing his head exceptionally low:
— “Thank you, Sensei, for guiding, protecting, and instructing us without complaint over these past four years.
The capabilities and lives we possess today are entirely owed to your grace.”
Sensei Ren let out a soft sigh, turning his face toward the ceiling as his voice took on a distant tone, opening up a grand, macrocosmic picture of the world beyond:
— “Sigh…
You must realize that Earth is no longer what it once was.
Following the horrific genocides of the Primal era, the human population on this planet has dwindled to a mere 1.5 billion people.
The vast majority of the population—those who wield real authority and power—have already extended their reach across the boundless cosmos.
If you remain anchored to this desolate town on a depleted planet, you will never truly evolve.
I advise you to venture out there…
The vast universe has far more awaiting your discovery than this forgotten corner!”
Shin frowned, looking up with genuine curiosity:
— “Sensei…
where did the people who left go, and how do they live?”
Sensei Ren chuckled, his eyes flashing with the brilliance of old memories:
— “We humans currently hold supreme positions within the interstellar space federations.
Scattered across the void, we have forged powerful, unified coalitions.
Remember one thing: humanity does not conquer the cosmos by relying on advanced technology, automated robotics, or hyper-modern starships like other alien species.
We reign supreme through the sheer intrinsic power of our Sophion.
And you should know, we are far from the only living organisms out there.
The cosmos is teeming with a multitude of alien races.”
Concluding his speech, he decisively waved his arm, bringing their final lesson to a close.
He stepped forward to deliver a powerful pat onto each of his students’ shoulders, his eyes bearing a silent blessing, hoping all three would survive and achieve greatness in the wider world.
On the walk back to the convent from the dojo, a quiet stillness hung between the three young men.
Suddenly, Ling Mo quickened his pace, stretching out a rough hand to lightly tug Shin’s shoulder.
Without uttering a single syllable, he silently pulled a small piece of paper and an ink pen from his pocket, swiftly scribbling a few words before presenting it directly in front of Shin:
”…” (Once we leave this place, what is it that you truly want to achieve?)
Shin halted his steps, staring at the text written by his childhood companion.
He didn’t answer immediately, instead casting his gaze up toward the evening sky as it bled into a deep purple hue, signaling the dawn of the Gen-Syndicate era.
The twenty-year-old youth’s eyes burned with a primordial, defiant aspiration:
— “I want to become strong—stronger than anyone else out there!
I want to experience and witness the absolute cruelty and grandeur of the universe.
And ultimately…
I will personally forge an Empire of my own!
It will be a sanctuary where everyone I take in will have a true home to return to, a place recognized by the entire universe.
No tragic fates, no dark pasts will ever be abandoned or left behind.
In that place, every member will be a brother bound by blood and survival, sharing both glory and flesh.”
Shin whipped around, flashing a radiant, charismatic smile as he extended his right hand toward Ling Mo:
— “And you, Ling Mo…
You shall be the foundational member of that empire.
Will you march alongside me?”
Ling Mo stared intently at Shin’s extended hand, then shifted his gaze to the unyielding resolve burning in his captain’s eyes.
The corners of the genius’s lips subtly curved into a minuscule smirk.
Without a shred of hesitation, he reached out, firmly gripping Shin’s hand in an ironclad handshake that served as a binding oath:
— “Agreed.”
Kento stood by, witnessing the entire exchange in silence.
He said nothing, merely turning his head slightly as he continued walking toward the convent.
A Bittersweet Farewell
The moment the trio crossed the convent gates, they were met with the sight of Mother Superior Clara tightly embracing seventeen-year-old Loona, weeping uncontrollably.
The brilliantly intellectual little sister of the past had finally packed her luggage, preparing to venture into danger alongside her brothers.
— “Oh, my sweet strawberry little sister!” Clara bawled, wiping her tears miserably.
“How am I supposed to live from tomorrow onward if you leave?
I shall miss you to death!
I won’t allow it!”
Caught between tears and laughter, Loona raised her slender hands to gently pat her adoptive older sister’s back to comfort her:
— “It’s alright, Sister Clara, I am grown up now.
I promise that once we have stabilized our situation, I will return frequently to visit you.
You won’t be lonely; you have the other sisters and an entire brood of younger orphans in this convent who desperately need your care!”
— “You must promise me that you will absolutely return to visit!” Clara sniffled.
— “I promise!
My goodness, look at the convent’s new Mother Superior acting like such a crybaby.
Your eyes are completely swollen, ruining your beautiful face,” Loona playfully teased.
Blushing, Clara delivered a playful swat to Loona’s shoulder, before an idea suddenly struck her.
She clapped her hands together:
— “How about…
before you depart, we capture a commemorative photograph together!
I will keep it by my side to look at whenever I miss you, and you can do the same!”
Loona instantly agreed.
Turning her head, she loudly called over Shin, Kento, and Ling Mo, who were standing in the distance.
—The Center: Mother Superior Clara stood right in the middle, her hands politely clasped together, her radiant smile still bearing the faint traces of un-dried tears.
—The Left Flank: Loona stood pinned to her side, playfully locking her arm around Clara’s, her head tilted slightly with youthful charm.
Standing beside Loona was Shin, posture perfectly straight, radiating the commanding aura of a future sovereign.
—The Right Flank: Kento stood adjacent to Ling Mo.
Both young men maintained stoic, quiet countenances, yet their exceptionally broad shoulders provided an unyielding pillar of support.
1…
2…
3…
CLICK!
A brief flash of light erupted from the weathered mechanical camera.
The photograph anchoring the fleeting youth and destined turning point of these five individuals was officially born.
Heading Into the Void
By late afternoon, as the final rays of sunlight dipped below the mountain ridges, Kento finalized inspecting and organizing their essential provisions into four specialized tactical backpacks engineered for long-distance travel.
Clara stood nearby, her eyes still rimmed with red as she watched the four children she cherished most prepare to depart.
Right at that moment, Sensei Asuka Ren marched through the front gates.
Dispensing with hollow pleasantries, he decisively reached into his shirt to pull out a thick, heavy leather pouch, pressing it forcefully into Shin’s palm.
It contained his entire life savings accumulated over the span of ten years.
Startled, Shin immediately tried to push the pouch back:
— “Sensei, this is far too significant.
We cannot possibly accept your retirement funds!”
Sensei Ren glared at him, his commanding, authoritative gaze causing Shin to freeze instantly:
— “Take it, you brat!
If you venture out into deep space without capital, do you expect to eat dirt to survive?
These are Sophion Coins—the universal currency refined directly from pure energy, valid across all star systems and Gen-Syndicate territories.
I am still perfectly healthy, and as long as my dojo stands, I can earn more.
Take it to fund your long-distance travels.
Farewell, kids…
In the future, when you return in absolute glory, remember to sit down and share a drink with this old man, and tell me the legendary tale of your journey!”
Clara stepped forward as well, emotionally pulling Loona into a final embrace:
— “Stay safe and healthy, Loona.
May fortune guide your steps…
Whenever you grow weary, remember that this place will always have a sister awaiting your return!”
— “Goodbye, Sensei!
Goodbye, Sister Clara!”
The four teenage silhouettes resolutely turned around, taking firm, measured strides out of the small town.
Their forms gradually blurred before vanishing completely down the winding trail leading to the outskirts.
Their primary destination now was the regional Interstellar Transit Station—a hub housing dimensional warp portals capable of liberating them from Earth’s gravitational pull to launch them into the boundless galaxy.
After traversing a considerable distance, the biting chill of the night began to envelop them.
Kento adjusted the heavy straps of the backpack resting upon his shoulders, glancing sideways at his older brother.
His White Oni eyes flickered with a spark of intense curiosity as he questioned in a low register:
— “Brother Shin…
that Empire you mentioned to Ling Mo this afternoon, what do you intend to name it?”
Hearing Kento’s inquiry, both Loona and Ling Mo simultaneously slowed their paces, curiously directing their focused gazes toward the eldest brother.
Shin did not halt his steps; he continued marching forward with an unyielding stride.
A subtle smirk curled upon his lips as his answer echoed with monumental grandeur, defining an entire future epoch:
— “Our Empire…
shall bear the name Zero Horizon!”
END OF CHAPTER 18