Chapter 18
The City of Sunlight
This world was different from Earth in many ways; there was no such thing as teamwork as we once knew it. In the Celestial Realm, the Higher Division, a single person could wipe out an entire village brimming with humans within mere minutes.
There was no need for gathering or forming groups—individual strength was enough.
You alone were enough to shake mountains.
You alone were enough to split heaven and earth.
You alone were enough…
...
At that moment, Einver sat beneath a colossal tree, towering high as though it had witnessed countless centuries. Its roots sank deep into the earth, and its fallen leaves carried the fragrance of history, as if they whispered hidden tales no mortal had ever heard.
Three full days had passed in his journey. He had only paused to give his horse brief rests or to close his eyes for a few hours before drowning once again in thoughts about the mysterious strength of this world that had suddenly invaded his life.
Night fell swiftly, and Einver sat back beneath that ancient tree. He pulled out a map that the old man Moon Fai had given him so he wouldn't lose his way. The map was astonishingly detailed, drawn with care beyond description. It contained the Little Moon Village and the surrounding towns and villages—ten great cities and five small villages—alongside towering mountains, sprawling seas, and vast forests. Yet, even then, this map did not represent half of this section of the world!
Its size was great, but its order and precision were breathtaking.
Einver closed his eyes, then laid his hand over the map. Suddenly, he felt a strange energy seeping from it into his palm—living energy, flowing lightly like a thread of light weaving into his body. Soon, a dazzling white radiance spread over the map's surface, flooding into his hand, climbing upward until it reached his mind.
Two full hours passed as he remained seated, eyes shut, immersed in deep concentration. When he finally opened them, half the map was gone—its markings fading into blank white before crumbling into ash, carried away by the wind.
That was exactly the way Moon Fai had explained it: the one who created such a map would place a portion of his own energy within it. All the reader had to do was merge his own energy into the map, and after effort and focus, the energy would stream into him, carved permanently into his mind and memory.
But such a feat was impossible for ordinary humans; only Einver could achieve it, for he possessed power equal to those of the "Earth Realm – Initial Division." That alone was a miracle unseen before. Yet he still had not uncovered the true nature of this energy, nor its source, for he had not dedicated himself yet to studying it.
From Moon Fai, Einver had learned the fundamentals of strength in this world: a person must first create a spiritual sea before climbing the ladder of martial arts. But until now, Einver had not done so—for one simple reason.
He had not gathered enough spiritual energy to attempt it.
Yes, he already had strength comparable to those in the Earth Realm's Initial Division. But in terms of spiritual energy? He had none.
He possessed that dark killing aura, yes.
But spiritual energy?
No—not yet.
He had tried over the past three days, but could only gather a small amount. And he needed far more to form his own spiritual sea.
For that reason, his past three days were focused on three things:
First, to head toward the nearest resting place from Little Moon Village, which he had already marked as his destination.
Second, to completely consume the map so he could fully understand this world's geography. Without knowledge of the path, how could he move forward? He could not simply wander aimlessly—otherwise, he might stumble into disaster or a battle he did not wish to face. Thus, he avoided strange, unknown areas along the way, following the map toward his chosen destination.
And third, he quietly sat and absorbed spiritual energy from the world around him, little by little, managing to gather a small amount.
So three days passed like this.
Now he had succeeded in imprinting half the map firmly into his memory, while carefully folding the other half and placing it in his bag.
Then he sat cross-legged beneath the tree and closed his eyes, opening his "spiritual sea." There, inside, the blinding white light returned once again. He looked around, and all he saw was white stretching infinitely across the horizon. When he raised his head, he saw the map absorbed completely within his spiritual sea.
Lowering his gaze, Einver focused on a small orb of energy floating before him.
It was a sphere, no larger than a palm, shimmering sky blue tinged faintly with dark crimson.
This was the spiritual energy he had managed to gather so far.
Einver smiled faintly, calmly, before exiting his unformed spiritual sea. Closing his eyes, he allowed himself to drift into slumber beneath the vast shade of the giant tree.
...
But his dreams were far from peaceful.
"All because of you! You're the one who killed us!"
"And now you live your life in peace and ease!"
"Damn bastard!"
"Do you think our lives meant nothing to you?!"
"Wretch! You will pay with your life! We will never leave you!"
"We will haunt you, and we will have our revenge… Don't forget it, do you hear?!"
The voices screamed from every direction, drenched in rage, hatred, and sorrow, like a chorus of cursed spirits hounding him mercilessly. They did not stop until he slowly opened his eyes—whereupon everything began to fade and dissolve.
He spoke in an icy tone:
"Cursed spirits… you will never stop chasing me, will you? Do you think you can kill me? Fools… you are nothing but shadows, weightless phantoms."
Then he let out a loud, manic laugh:
"Ha… ha… ha… ha… ha… ha… ha!"
His eyes blazed with a terrifying crimson light, like the heart of a raging inferno.
He stomped the ground, rising to his feet. He fastened both his old and new swords at his waist, secured the bow to his horse's back, tightened his grip on his bag, and set off once again.
"Well then… according to Moon Fai's map, I should reach Taiyō no Hikari—the City of Sunlight—after half a day's travel."
...
By noon, he stood before the gates of Taiyō no Hikari.
Two soldiers guarded it with stern vigilance. They wore gleaming armor that reflected the sunlight and carried long, razor-sharp spears.
The first one groaned irritably:
"Damn it! Why did they assign me to gate duty today? Why couldn't they send me to the gambling houses or the princess's quarters? There's nothing fun out here, man… damn it!"
The second guard, calmer and older, his face weathered as though he had seen much in his time, replied:
"Careful… if the captain hears you, he won't just strip you of gate duty—he'll assign you to guard the Gates of Hell themselves! Did you forget what happened to the last soldier?"
"Ohhh… you mean (Mai To)?"
The older guard's voice shifted.
"Yes… Mai To. The princess falsely accused him of spying on her. And when the captain heard… do you know what he did to him?"
The young man shuddered:
"Ughhh! Don't remind me! We heard his screams from the middle of the city all the way here at the gate! Damn that fool… why would he do something like that?!"
The older soldier shook his head, staring at his spear before saying:
"Let me tell you two things about Mai To. First—he was a kind-hearted lad. He started from the lowest ranks of the city guard, and after long, harsh training, he became one of the elite soldiers. Everything he did was for his old father, Mai Na, and his little sister, Mai Ko. Do you think someone like him would do something so disgraceful?"
The younger soldier paused, then said:
"No… like you said, I doubt he would. Fine, so what's the second thing?"
The old man's smile turned bitter.
"Anyone assigned to guard the princess… never comes back alive. They're either imprisoned, killed, or tortured to death. I don't know what she does to them, but none have ever survived."
The young man shuddered in fear.
"Eeeek! Damn it… you mean that's true?!"
The elder replied with a steady smile:
"Why would I lie? I've stood guard at this gate for a long time. I've heard all kinds of rumors, and I've seen the truth. I know well how to separate lies from reality."
The young man's face suddenly shifted.
"Then… I'm more than happy to guard the gate! Yes, gate duty is the best! I pray to the Four Great Rulers that I stay here forever!"
"Hahaha!"
The elder laughed loudly.
But his laughter stopped when he noticed something in the distance. He motioned for his companion to look.
The younger guard lifted his eyes slowly—and saw a shadow drifting with the wind, like a living nightmare, wavering between gloom and pale light. It was pure black, as though night itself had taken human form, walking forward with unshakable steps, like darkness itself had crept from the depths of the gate to swallow the world.
The closer it came, the heavier the dread.
It revealed itself—a young man clad in pitch-black garments, as if woven from the abyss of tombs. A straw hat shaded half his face in mystery. His long, dark hair flowed with the wind like waves of night. Two swords hung from his waist, promising slaughter. He rode a black horse whose breath steamed like smoke, its neigh echoing like a roar from another world—a world that knew no mercy.
When the young man lifted his head, his eyes shone—two crimson flames, burning with the fury of hell itself.
The two guards trembled, their throats parched as though the air had turned to lead, crushing down on their chests. It felt as if death itself had manifested before them, unchained, unbound by law or mercy.
Their lips cracked from dryness, their trembling fingers barely gripping their weapons. Still, the elder guard forced his head up, struggling to steady his voice as he asked:
"I… identify yourself… and state your business in Taiyō no Hikari!"
Einver lifted his head with deadly calm. A faint smile curved his lips—the smile of one who knew fear had already preceded his words.
He answered, his cold tone piercing to the bone:
"Ahhh… at last, I've arrived at the City of Sunlight."
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