Two hours later, Yuta and Jiya were gathering the last of their belongings, preparing to head toward the Market of Mysteries—an event Yuta had been anticipating for a very long time.
Wednesday, July 14, 675—the scheduled opening of the Market of Mysteries. The very phrasing made Yuta want to laugh; the timing itself was bizarre: it specified "Monday, July 15," even though Monday was actually July 13, and July 15 would fall on a Wednesday.
To him, it was absurd and nonsensical. He couldn't tell if the master of the Market of Mysteries was simply insane, or if this was a deliberate ploy to sow confusion and lead people to hunt for contradictions regarding the market's arrival in their world—in which case, it had certainly succeeded. Regardless, he didn't dwell on it; his own world was already mad enough as it was.
In the midst of such pervasive insanity, something like this felt almost normal. After all, even a madman might perceive a sane person as the mad one, simply because their behavior seems strange by comparison.
They climbed into the vehicle, having first ensured that no trace of their presence remained—a precaution against potential accusations. The risk of falling victim to theft—specifically targeting the resources of students from the Farsalkin Academy—was alarmingly high. In fact, 45% of students living in areas far from the Academy end up being killed or robbed by practitioners of the Demonic Path, mercenaries, or gang members. This was precisely why Headmaster Soliver had warned them that the world outside the Academy is far from merciful.
Yet, this was not the only reason they took such precautions; After all, one never truly knows who might turn out to be an enemy.
Ultimately, anything could happen over the next five months.
As they headed toward the Market of Mysteries, Yuta glanced at Jia, who was staring out the window, lost in thought. He reached out and touched her shoulder—triggering an electric shock, just as had happened before.
Yuta was momentarily stunned, yet a faint, inexplicable smile tugged at the corner of his lips. The same was true for Jia; they had both assumed these painful shocks had ceased two hours ago, but it seemed they were merely intermittent.
She shot him an annoyed look, prompting a frustrated sigh from him. His expression, however, quickly turned serious as he fixed his gaze upon her, posing a question whose true intent remained unclear to her:
"Jia, I want to ask you something. Do you know why you lost to Stefan Telmore back in the city of Yuher Spek?"
Jia remained silent, her eyes still reflecting the irritation of that humiliating, one-sided defeat. She loathed the taste of losing—both to the opponent she had faced directly, and to the other individual whose fate remained a mystery, though, having observed Yuta, she was certain that person had perished long ago. She then spoke in a calm tone, tinged with slight annoyance, as she looked at him:
"Because I was far too weak—he was vastly stronger than I—and I wasn't able to use my trump card. Isn't that the reason I lost? There's no need for any deep analysis or scrutiny; weakness is the true cause."
Yuta closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead, his patience wearing thin. To him, Jiya's justification felt both superficial and irritating. He fixed her with a cold, steady gaze that left her taken aback.
Without giving her a chance to respond, Yuta turned to the left and said:
"The disparity in strength was only a secondary factor in your defeat, Jiya. The real reason you lost is that you are far too arrogant and prone to foolish behavior."
"Had you acted with maturity, you would have left the moment you sensed danger. Furthermore, had you taken proper care of your own body, you would have been able to wield the 'Wing of Blessing' when the time came."
"And if you weren't so stubborn about proving your own worth, you would have called for my help. Trying to fight an opponent stronger than yourself all alone—that is nothing but sheer stupidity."
"Do you understand what I'm saying, Jiya? You must develop yourself from within—in the way you think and the way you live—before you focus solely on increasing your raw power."
"A 'strong' person who fails to develop internally is merely an empty shell; it's like a house built without a foundation. A true foundation consists of a warrior who learns from their experiences and matures—someone who takes their past mistakes and uses them as a catalyst to grow stronger and move forward, rather than simply treating them as events that have come and gone." A deep sigh escaped Yuta's lips as he finished speaking. He then shifted his gaze back to the road, focusing on the difficult task of maneuvering the vehicle at such an extremely high speed.
He paid no mind to Jiya's expression, which was etched with profound shock. She couldn't bring herself to utter a single word in response—even though, deep down, she knew he was right.
An unsettling feeling had taken hold of her; something was clearly wrong. She could have easily teleported away, yet she chose not to. She could have stalled for time and quietly called for backup before being discovered.
Instead, she had decided to face the challenge head-on, without waiting for her companions—a pattern of behavior she had previously exhibited on Jeju Island and in the city of Yuspeakers. Driven by a desire to prove she could handle everything on her own, she had deliberately distanced herself from everyone, even parting ways with Yuta.
Her daily regimen was a grueling, relentless form of training—so intense that she often neglected to eat, leaving her body severely weakened. To her, this was the path to becoming stronger and demonstrating that she needed no one.
Yet, she now realized how foolish she had been. There were many who far surpassed her in raw power—even without the "Blessing Wing"—such as Beatrice, Tom, Gowther, Yuta, and Seok. Her first battle had ended in a humiliating defeat.
Winning a battle, in itself, is not what matters most; what truly counts is what one learns from the conflict and the events that unfold. It was a question that had never crossed her mind: *How much have I grown? And what is my current level?*
Exhaustion washed over her, and a weary sigh escaped her lips as she gazed out the window. She then turned her eyes toward Yuta, who was steering the vehicle with practiced skill. She spoke with a sense of surprise as she looked at him, noticing a wound on his neck that seemed all too familiar:
"Strange—how did you end up with a wound on your neck? Is there someone out there stronger than you, Mr. Yuta Caseral?"
There was a subtle, mocking undertone to Gia's voice—a tone that made Yuta look at her with an expression that suggested he'd like to toss her right out of the car.
He spoke with a tone dripping with mockery as he slowed the car, a herd of elk crossing the road ahead:
"It's not about strength; it's about intelligence. Some fool actually thinks he's the only one responsible for the consequences of his own actions."
Jia stared at him, bewildered, for several seconds—sensing, from the way he looked at her, that his words were directed at her. He continued immediately:
"You know that I am an experiment created by the 'Scorpion' organization, but what you don't know is that my body and soul were split into two equal halves. The other half is designated as Experiment No. 000002546, from Group D."
"As for that other half, it remains under the surveillance of the 'Black and White Scorpion'—the very one responsible for the Scorpion organization's attack on Jeju Island—and the 'Crimson Scorpion,' who was watching us that day on Jeju Island. He had come to check on the status of their experiment, No. 000002546, from Group D."
Jia's eyes narrowed as she listened to Yuta's words—words that were strange in themselves, and made even stranger by the fact that he had chosen to share them with her at all. Given that he was the very instrument capable of making the most dangerous organization in this fantasy world—the Scorpion organization—even more powerful, it would surely be the best course of action to either kill him or hand him over to the Empire.
After all, her own credibility far outweighed his; his reputation for infamy was far stronger than any reputation he might have for good.
Jia spoke as she rolled up the car window: As they were nearing their destination—or at least, that's how it felt:
"From what you've said, your 'other half' studies at the Farsalkin Academy, yet they remain unknown to the academy itself."
"If that's the case, why didn't you bring them along? And why choose me? Wouldn't it be wiser to protect your other half—especially since you share any damage sustained, and if they die, you die too? I imagine they're as beautiful as you are—and just as much of a vile, wretched, good-for-nothing scoundrel."
Yuta fixed her with an inscrutable gaze; it was impossible to tell whether he was amused, stunned, or simply finding the whole situation rather bizarre.
He brought the car to a halt in a vast, empty expanse—a space roughly the size of three soccer fields—leaving her thoroughly bewildered.
Breaking her train of thought, Yuta spoke:
"When the time comes, you'll find out whether I invited them or not. In the meantime, I hope you hold onto that opinion—that my other half is a vile, wretched, good-for-nothing scoundrel. It'll be quite the amusing moment for me when you finally discover who they actually are! Hahahaha!"
He stepped out of the car with an air of confidence and headed toward the open ground. Jiya followed, still puzzled as to why they had stopped there—though, deep down, she felt certain they had indeed arrived.
Yuta stopped twenty-four paces from the car, a faint smile playing on his lips. Looking back at her, he said:
"I forgot to mention—we'll likely be staying for a day. My apologies, my dear, mischievous, spirited Jiya." Jia's expression was one of clear annoyance at being called "my cute, mischievous dear." To make matters worse, this was the second time he had lied to her since the holiday began—that made two lies already. Furthermore, there was no telling what else he might be planning before the summer festival.
She nodded in agreement; after all, she was eager to leave the Market of Mysteries as soon as possible—two days felt far too long to be stuck there. Still, she couldn't help but be curious about what he wanted from this place, or what the market actually was.
What shocked her even more was seeing Yuta strike the empty air—though she heard a strange sound, like someone shattering reality itself with a clenched fist.
A rectangular fissure, resembling a gateway, tore open in the air. An eye appeared within the opening, gazing at them with a cold, detached look, before a low voice spoke:
"The password, sir—for entry into the Market of Mysteries."
A faint smile touched Yuta's lips, while Jia's face showed only confusion. Yuta leaned toward the opening, a slight smirk on his face:
"The password is <>."
As he pulled back, the fissure snapped shut. Jia stared at him, bewildered—she hadn't heard a thing. She took a step toward him, and he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye for a few lingering seconds.
Suddenly, a door-shaped rift tore open in existence, revealing nothing but a blinding, pure white void beyond. As Jia's confusion deepened, Yuta flicked her—a motion so swift that the usual spark didn't even manifest—yet Jia still felt a sharp, stinging pain in her head. As they stepped through the doorway—which vanished without a trace the moment they passed inside—Yuta spoke:
"This is the Market of Mysteries. Everything here is mysterious, and it shall remain so. The password is unknown to anyone who has ever lived or ever will. There are things in this world that are mysterious, and they shall stay that way forever. Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! As the saying goes, some doors are meant to remain closed."
Jiya offered no comment; she now understood why it was called the Market of Mysteries. Everything about it—from the way one enters to the very nature of the place itself—was shrouded in enigma.
As Yuta and Jiya wandered through the market—a silent realm filled with a colorless mist that somehow possessed a hue she couldn't quite fathom—she pressed onward.
They soon encountered a man dressed in noble attire—a blend of black and dark gray—wearing a light-brown hat. He was accompanied by two young women, both clad in dresses of a greenish-gray shade.
The man looked toward them with a faint smile—a smile so subtle that it stirred a sense of danger in Jiya. Yet, seeing Yuta's expression—calm and seemingly content—she realized there was no actual cause for alarm.
In a composed, aristocratic tone, the man addressed them:
"How do you fare, Lord Emperor—venerable master of the Sovereign's Path and the Great Creation—Yuto? It is a pleasure to welcome you to my humble realm." The head of the Market of Mysteries chose his words with great tact; yet, upon hearing them, Jiya's gaze only served to intensify the atmosphere of high-born tension.
The revelation that Yuta's true name was Yuto—and, furthermore, that he was the sovereign and master of the Sovereign Path—aroused her suspicions, especially since she had previously heard this from Vermon Solterk. But why had he not spoken to her about it? Did he view her as nothing more than a subordinate? She remained silent, however, reasoning that bringing up such a matter might prove even more humiliating than his failure to mention it to her at all.
She shifted her attention back to the head of the Mystery Market, who was observing her with an inscrutable expression. Breaking the silence, Yuta spoke, adopting a tone much like that of the market head:
"I am doing well, Mr. Stefan Telmore—and ladies, Chloe Telmore and Madeleine Telmore. You both look as lovely as ever. May your beauty and presence endure."
A faint, bashful smile crossed both women's faces. They turned toward Giya, offering her a gentle smile, and led her off to explore the Mystery Market—leaving Yuta and Stefan Telmore standing there, locked in each other's gaze for several seconds.
As he began to walk away—with Yuta following close behind—Stefan Telmore spoke in a calm, measured tone:
"To what do I owe the honor of a visit from the esteemed 'Great Creator' Emperor Yuto? Is there something you require of me? My, my!"
Yuta held his gaze for a few moments, his expression still difficult to decipher. Then, his voice turned cold, and a silver glint flashed in his eyes:
"Mr. Stefan Telmore, I am well aware that you know I am currently at a fraction of my true strength—operating at a mere 3%. Even so, there are a few things I need—trifles that would surely be simple for the illustrious 'Great Merchant of Tales,' Stefan Telmore, to provide, wouldn't you agree?"
Stefan Telmore said not a word. He acted as if he hadn't heard a syllable about Yuta using only 3% of his power; after all, with the monsters standing behind Yuta, attempting to kill him would be nothing short of sheer folly. He stopped before a charcoal-black door, twice the height of an adult, and walked straight through without a word—followed closely by Yuto.
He took a seat in his office chair, while Yuto sat in one nearby. With a flick of his hand, he conjured coffee out of thin air—literally, not metaphorically. He handed a cup to Yuto and took one for himself; Yuto accepted it immediately, remaining silent.
Stefan Telmore watched him for a few moments, sipping his own tea, before speaking with a hint of cheerfulness:
"Congratulations, the Venerable Master of Great Creation, Yuto—to you and to her. May everything flourish before your very eyes."
Yuto remained silent for a few seconds as he set his teacup back onto its saucer. A faint smile crossed his lips, and, gazing up at the ceiling, he replied in a calm tone:
"Thank you, the Exalted Merchant of Tales, Stefan Telmore. Though, it is still a bit early for such things! Hahahahahahahaha!"
"Regardless, it is time to get to work, so let us set family matters aside. Besides, I am not here merely to buy; I am also here to sell. Things are looking quite interesting for you, Exalted Merchant of Tales, Stefan Telmore."
A look of curiosity appeared on the Exalted Merchant's face as he turned toward Yuto—who wore a faint, enigmatic smile, one that hinted at a hidden, ambiguous intent—leaving it unclear whether his motives were benign or otherwise. Yuta brought out three books, leaving the Venerable Great Story Merchant somewhat taken aback. He glanced toward Yuta, who offered a faint, subtle smile.
Reading the titles aloud in a tone of bewilderment, he remarked:
"'Lord of Mysteries,' 'Shadow Slave,' and 'Reverend Insanity.' Are you kidding me? Who hasn't read these novels? If this is a gift—assuming I hadn't already read them—then thank you. But if you're trying to sell them to me, then no; I'm afraid I must decline."
Yuta continued sipping his tea without a word, knowing full well that the Venerable Great Story Merchant, Stefan Telmore, had no intention of selling them.
In a calm, measured tone—carrying an implicit request—Yuta spoke:
"No, it's simply a gift for a fellow lover and merchant of stories. I, too, am fond of tales—and of knowing how they unfold. Wouldn't it be wonderful for one reader to converse with another?"
Stefan Telmore, the Venerable Great Story Merchant, placed the three novels into his desk drawer. Looking at Yuta, he said, quite casually:
"Wouldn't it be fascinating if we were to step into one of these three stories? You seem to have read them in their entirety—you know everything that happens within them, after all..."
Yuta held his gaze for a few seconds before replying in a quiet, steady voice:
"Abandon your rosy daydreams. You know as well as I do that you cannot even stray from the path of the 'Ruler' himself—let alone step into a narrative like 'I Am Inside My Novel,' or something even more formidable, like 'I Am the Great Outcast'?" The esteemed Great Story Merchant, Stefan Telmore, gazed on in astonishment for several seconds before speaking in a calm tone, abruptly shifting the subject:
"What is it that you wish to request or sell, the esteemed Great Creator, Yuto?"
Yuto pondered for a few moments, considering his needs. Although he had already planned his purchases, his actual requirements had shifted as events unfolded—he had originally intended to acquire the 'Void-Eating Gu' and the 'Heaven-Stealing Gu'—both now extinct—but he had already obtained them after killing Edward Briseck on Jeju Island and seizing his 'Level-Up System.'
"I require an Awakening Gem, an Evolution Gem, the Sword of Aclubis, a fruit of Nefaritas from a Challenge Realm, four vials of 'Narrative Chaos' from the River of Narrative Chaos, a 'Narrative Time' training scroll, and an 'Origin Dao' training scroll."
"As for what I am offering in exchange: 34 billion souls—spanning various narrative ranks and levels, ranging from protagonists and supporting characters to minor extras. The point is, they are exceptionally potent. I also have 44 'Level-Up Systems' that serve no purpose in my current plans. What do you think, the esteemed Great Story Merchant, Stefan Telmore? Does this trade appeal to you?"
The esteemed Great Story Merchant, Stefan Telmore, did not utter a single word; he simply remained fixed on Yuto for several seconds. The items requested were notoriously difficult to procure—training scrolls for the 'Origin Dao' and 'Narrative Time' paths were, for all practical purposes, impossible to obtain easily.
He let out a deep, heavy sigh. Ultimately, incurring the enmity of an emperor—the path Yuta has chosen—is hardly a wise move; yet, selling off some of those items would be equally ill-advised. The thing is, obtaining the souls of protagonists is an exceptionally difficult feat.
Thanks to "plot armor" and the occasional convenient intervention by the author, acquiring such souls is virtually impossible until the very end of a story. By that point, however, the protagonist has become so overwhelmingly powerful—bound by the very narrative laws of their own world—that defeating them is a monumental challenge.
[Author's Note:
The mention of the three novels—*Lord of Mysteries*, *Shadow Slave*, and *Reverend Insanity*—is not intended as an insult. You will come to understand the reason behind Yuta's response as the story unfolds.]