The secure room in the guildhall felt smaller than it was. Heavy stone walls pressed in on us, lit only by the flicker of a mana-lamp bolted into the ceiling. The silence weighed thick, broken only by the faint hum of its crystal.
Zareth looked pale — not just pale, but bone-deep drained. His lips parted as he echoed what I'd just told him, the words tasting like poison on his tongue.
"A… a god is trying to possess Aaron?"
His voice carried disbelief, but also something else. Shock. Terror. Realization.
The others didn't say anything right away. Orin, Zek, Araki, and Ark all looked at me, their gazes sharp. They weren't dismissing me — but they were hoping. Hoping I'd add more. Hoping I'd tell them this wasn't as bad as it sounded.
Kion, however, didn't bother hiding his skepticism. His golden eyes narrowed as he leaned forward, his arms crossing tight.
"That isn't possible," he said flatly. "There are only three gods. Everyone knows that. And none of them would—"
"There are only three 'known' gods," I cut him off, my tone sharp. "They're called that for a reason."
His head jerked slightly at my interruption, but I pressed on.
"Plenty of people believe others exist. They're just not public. Not worshipped openly. Not wearing the masks of benevolence the way the three do."
The room went quiet again.
Kion leaned back heavily, running a hand over his face. His jaw clenched, then loosened. "I'm sorry," he muttered. "But you have to understand… a god trying to possess someone is hard to believe. A demon? Sure. That, I'd get. But a god?" He shook his head. "No. They're meant to govern mortals, to protect them. Even if they can be… misguided, sometimes. That's not the same thing."
His eyes flicked back to me, searching. "And while I respect you, Jack… how could you possibly know all of this? When adventurers older and far more experienced than you — like Zareth — doubt your words?"
I turned my gaze to Zareth, lifting an eyebrow.
The man let out a shaky breath, running a hand through his hair. His voice came low, strained, but steady.
"I... think he is right," he said
Kion's head snapped toward him. "What? You can't be serious!"
"I am," Zareth said, grimacing. "I can't say much… old rules bind me. But I can confirm this much: other gods exist. And one of them wanting a vessel… isn't surprising."
Kion stared, dumbfounded. "Old rules? What do you mean?"
Zareth shook his head firmly. "I'm sworn to never say."
A faint smile tugged at my lips. "Then allow me."
Their eyes flicked back to me.
"There are thousands of gods out there," I said, my voice even. "But when Primus was created, ancient laws were written into its very foundation. Gods cannot set foot here until the world reaches a certain point in its cycle. They are forbidden. Barred."
I leaned forward slightly. "The ones you call the Three are here because of exceptions or loopholes. Like being born here as a mortal and ascending to godhood. While the ones outside," My eyes narrowed. "They're desperate to get in. Because if they're worshipped here, if their names are remembered here, they gain power. Influence. Dominion. But without a vessel…" I tapped the table lightly. Tap tap. "…they have no way in."
"They can create avatars, kind of like a spirit, to travel and either create or find a suitable vessel before trying to convince or convert them. Most try to get willing vessels, but some, like the shadow, don't want to wait and instead forcefully take someone over."
The words settled like iron.
Kion didn't speak at first. He just sat there, shoulders stiff, lips pressed in a thin line. I watched as the doubt in his eyes flickered, broke, and was replaced with something darker. Realization.
He looked at the others. Orin, Zek, Araki, Ark — every one of them wore solemn expressions, their silence louder than words. They already knew the gravity of this.
Kion swallowed hard, then exhaled. "...Alright," he said quietly. "I believe you. I don't want to… but I do."
He straightened, his gaze locking on me again. "Thank you, Jack. For explaining. But…" His voice tightened. "…can we save him? Can we save Aaron?"
I didn't answer immediately. Instead, I turned slowly toward Zareth.
The man's face was ashen, his jaw clenched, his eyes shadowed by something old and heavy.
I turned back to Kion.
I let out a long sigh, running a hand through my hair. "It's possible. We're preparing a ritual — but it'll take more time. The shadow will likely try something in two days, on the night of the full moon."
Everyone stiffened. Even Ark's tail went rigid beside me.
Zareth's eyes narrowed. "What can be done to help?"
Another sigh escaped me. "We'll need a conduit. Something powerful enough to anchor the ritual. I already have the cooperation of a dryad on the academy grounds. I can use her core… but it's risky. Too exposed. And it could kill her."
"What?" Kion shot upright, his voice sharp. His golden eyes flared. "A dryad? On academy grounds?"
The others turned to stare at me, too.
Ark's ears twitched, Orin tilted his head, Araki blinked, and Zek leaned forward. Their gazes were all variations of the same thought: When did this happen?
I shrugged lightly. "It's complicated. But yes. She's there. She owes me a favour."
Kion looked like he wanted to argue further, but I pressed on before he could. "I know a ritual that can banish a god — but it requires a secure location, and a core equal to at least an A-rank monster."
That brought the room into a heavier silence.
Zareth frowned thoughtfully, but before he could speak, Kion reached into the small earring on his left lobe. A soft shimmer of mana rippled through the room as he pulled something free.
A crystal. Deep blue, edges faintly jagged, humming with electricity.
I froze. My eyes went wide.
"That's… that's not just A-rank…" I breathed. My voice dropped lower. "That's an S-rank core. From a Lightning Dragon."
Every head whipped toward him in shock. Ark's ears shot up. Orin muttered a curse. Araki's tail thudded against the wall. Even Zareth's eyebrows rose a fraction.
I stood, stepping closer, my gaze fixed on the oval-shaped crystal. It was nearly fourteen inches in diameter, perfectly round, with faint sparks flickering across its surface like trapped lightning.
I reached out slowly and lifted it from Kion's hands.
*Hum*
The room vibrated with the sheer density of mana locked inside. My eyes flickered dark gold for just a moment as I traced the signatures coiled deep within. Ancient, proud, violent — yet contained.
My gaze lifted to Kion. "…Are you really willing to give me this?"
He nodded without hesitation. "The king ordered me to use it — to forge a weapon for myself. But this?" His jaw set firm. "This is a better reason."
For a moment, I just looked at him. Then I nodded. "I'll make good use of it." I slipped the core into my storage ring with a soft shink. "Now all we need is a location."
That was when Zek lifted his clawed hand. "What about the Labyrinth?"
I blinked. "…The what?"
The others looked equally confused. Except for Kion and Zareth. Both of them nodded almost immediately.
"That… could work," Zareth admitted.
I held up a hand. "Hold on. What do you mean, 'the Labyrinth'?"
Zek gave me a baffled look. "Wait, you don't know?"
I stared back flatly. "…Clearly not."
"The academy has an artificial labyrinth beneath it," he explained. "All academies do. They were built during construction. Students can't officially access it until their second year, but it's there. Monsters, materials, inheritances — everything. They use it to source ingredients and for exams."
I blinked again. Then turned to Zareth. "…This true?"
The older man coughed into his hand. "Yes and no. Most students never learn about it at all. Only those who reach a certain power level… or catch the academy's eye are told about it, but have to find their own way in, at their own risk as well. Your parents were among the few who entered. I suppose they didn't get the chance to tell you."
A pang twisted in my chest, but I pushed it down. I nodded slowly. "So that's where they get the exam monsters. And the rare materials."
"Correct," Zareth said. "It's monitored by me, the Headmaster, and several teachers. Hundreds of entrances across the grounds. Some areas are lost to time — old labs, inheritances, sealed chambers. Some students even claim their own personal laboratories within."
I exhaled a quiet laugh. "That'll be useful for a lot of things."
When I glanced back, the others were staring at me again.
I narrowed my eyes. "What? I can't know everything. Drop the shocked looks."
Zareth caught on, a faint smile tugging his lips. "When do you plan on acting?"
I leaned back in my chair. "…I can have everything ready by tomorrow morning. That's when we move."
"Tomorrow?" Orin asked, his brow furrowed.
"Yes," I said firmly. "But just in case things go south…" I folded my arms. "…I have another method," I said with a smirk.
Zareth and Kion nodded, and Kion said, "We will be waiting for your notice. We can't enter the academy unless it's an emergency after all."
I nodded, but paused when a thought came to mind. "Actually…"
I walked over to the table and pulled out two straw dolls and a black rock — the coal I got from the wisp yesterday.
"What are you doing?" Zareth asked, curious.
I didn't respond. Instead, I also pulled out a small hand pick and held the coal in place as I chipped off a small piece.
I pulled out a mortar and pestle and ground it into fine powder.
Then I pulled out two strands of my own hair and the bottle of holy water.
I poured the holy water into the mortar and mixed it before infusing it with spiritual energy and making a magic circle appear in front of me.
Everyone stared in shock as I worked. Curious, but also confused as to what I was doing.
The circle turned 90 degrees, then back 72 degrees before splitting into layers.
I dropped the hairs into the solution and spoke a few words.
"[ᏇᏂᎥᏕᎮ ᏇᏗᎩᎦᎥᏁᎴᏋᏒ ᎴᎧᏝᏝᏕ]"
The magic circles converged again and disappeared.
I pulled out the strands of hair, wrapped them around the necks of the two straw dolls, and handed them to Zareth and Kion.
"If the shadow is on the move or things change, these dolls will start burning in a blue fire. Let them burn, and a trail of blue flames will appear. Follow them, and they will lead you to me. Got it?"
They nodded.
We talked a bit more about the plan, and the others joined in too, rather than just being here.
Everyone talked for a bit, and the others relaxed a bit once they got to know Kion a bit. But of course, they couldn't help but ask a S-rank adventurer about his power.
Orin asked Kion, "How did you reach S rank, by the way? I always wondered how to reach it."
Kion chuckled, probably use to being asked this and said, "I have always been a leader and strategist at heart, but I am also a warrior. I can command armies and fight off powerful creatures alongside others. But if you just want power, then it's because of my sword." He pulled it out of its sheath.
It was a Katana with a long, clean, and beautiful blade.
"It has some strange enchantments, like being unbreakable, being able to light on fire, and even purify areas. I'm not sure why, but it can." He held the sword for everyone to see and turned to me, but I wasn't moving.
"Jack? Is everything alright?" he asked.
I couldn't answer.
How could I?
That katana isn't just any sword.
It's not even just some random artifact or legendary item.
It's a sword... forged by Sol.