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Chapter: 24
After finishing her circulation of internal energy, Karina slowly opened her eyes.
To think that memories she believed had been buried in the distant past would resurface.
After eight years in the Black Blade Hall, the young girl had personally defeated the direct-line successors and built a faction that followed her.
She slit the throats of the old elders who made laughable claims of “legitimacy” and took the seat of Cult Leader in a baptism of blood. She unified the fractured forces through sheer power, carved the name Karina into the Demonic Cult, and made it known to the world where Namgung Hwi existed.
It had been a long journey spanning sixty years.
And within that long stretch of time, the period she spent together with Ryeong-ah amounted to less than a single year.
Perhaps what happened back then had been etched more deeply into her heart than she realized.
Shaking her head, Karina left the dormitory, intending to do some personal training before the main session.
As she habitually headed toward the open clearing behind the garden, her steps came to an abrupt halt.
At the edge of the garden, Ariel was crouched down. In front of her was a small something.
Sensing someone’s presence, Ariel turned her head and called out cheerfully.
“Karina, you’re up?”
“What are you doing?”
At Karina’s cold question, Ariel broke into a bright smile.
“This little one looked hungry, so I was giving it something to eat.”
Ariel was sharing yesterday’s untouched bread with a scruffy little puppy.
The puppy, which had been quietly picking up crumbs of bread, suddenly looked at Karina and growled.
Ariel stared at the puppy in puzzlement.
“That’s strange. It was calm just a moment ago, but it’s only growling at you.”
“……”
What an impertinent little beast.
Who do you think let you out of prison?
Frowning, Karina turned away irritably.
“Don’t feed it. If you do, it’ll keep hanging around.”
“It was hanging around even before I fed it, though?”
Glancing over, Karina felt the puppy staring at her intently, as if studying her.
That piercing gaze made her knit her brows.
“Just don’t feed it. Who knows what’ll happen if the ducal household finds it.”
“You don’t think they’d do anything to just a puppy, right?”
“Do you think the duke would simply ignore some unidentified thing roaming around his territory?”
“…….”
At Karina’s words, Ariel’s expression darkened. She waved her hand as if shooing the puppy away.
“Little puppy, this place isn’t as nice as it looks. Go find a better owner.”
Whether it understood her words or not, the puppy continued to look only at Karina.
Meeting that unwavering gaze, Karina soon turned away indifferently. Ariel hurried after her, sticking close to her side.
Her eyes kept flicking back toward the puppy.
“Looks like it’s going to stay there.”
“Don’t mind it.”
“That’s so mean. Karina, don’t you feel even a little sorry for it?”
At Ariel’s sulky voice, Karina replied in an icy tone.
“You don’t take in something you can’t take responsibility for.”
“If we all take care of it together—”
“Can you take responsibility for its death, too?”
“…….”
At that chilling question, Ariel couldn’t answer right away.
Leaving Ariel behind, Karina headed straight for the training grounds without hesitation. The puppy’s blue eyes followed her retreating figure for a long time.
The training grounds were much emptier than before. Less than half of the original number remained, waiting for the instructor.
Among them was Denian, whom they hadn’t seen for a week due to his treatment.
“Denian! You’re here today? Are you feeling any better?”
At Ariel’s worried question, Denian nodded.
But just looking at his complexion, it was clear he wasn’t fully recovered yet.
His qi and blood were twisted—ordinary treatment wouldn’t be enough for a quick recovery.
It was strange how someone with no internal energy to speak of had managed to disrupt his qi and blood in the first place, but…
Unaware of Karina’s gaze, Denian stared at his own hands for a long time, his expression dissatisfied, as if something didn’t sit right with him.
Once training began, Karina immediately noticed what was wrong with him.
That idiot…!
Someone who hadn’t even formed a dantian was trying to circulate qi.
It looked like he was imitating what she had done before, when they climbed the Darkdain Mountains and she had injected internal energy by pressing his meridian points.
But trying to hold water without a vessel was sheer stupidity.
Forcing ambient energy into one’s body without cultivated internal power could, at worst, leave him crippled—or even destroy his mind.
Unable to stand it any longer, Karina approached him mid-training and grabbed his wrist, stopping him.
Denian looked up at her with wide eyes.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
Under Karina’s murderous gaze, Denian looked back at her, clearly not understanding.
“Do you want to die that badly?”
“…….”
No wonder his qi and blood had gone awry.
Who would’ve thought he’d actually remember the path of internal energy she’d briefly forced through his meridians?
Remembering it and trying to imitate it by force—by itself, that could almost be called genius.
But a clumsy imitation would only lead to a meaningless death.
“If you imitate it half-baked, you’ll only ruin your body. No—you could die.”
Karina warned him coldly.
“If you don’t want to die, stop doing pointless things.”
As she turned away, Denian grabbed the collar of her clothes.
When she looked back, his gaze—earnest yet resolute—was fixed on her. His eyes clearly said he wanted to relive that sensation again.
“You…”
As Karina frowned at him, the voice of Eric, the training instructor, rang out.
“Hey! What are you doing, stopping training like that?!”
Only then did Denian release her collar. After casting him a brief glance, Karina let out a sigh and returned to her place.
A white carriage entered the Batius Ducal Estate. Behind it rode dozens of knights astride well-groomed, magnificent horses.
The emblem painted on the carriage belonged to none other than the southern ruler—the House of Duke Ludovico.
The servants and the head butler were thrown into panic at the unannounced visit. The commotion was noticeable even to the children at the training grounds.
“That carriage emblem— isn’t that the Ludovico ducal house?”
“The duke’s house that Count Frederick colluded with?”
“More precisely, he colluded with the dark guild Ludovico nurtured.”
“Well, same difference.”
While Ariel and Isabella whispered among themselves, Karina’s gaze turned to the knights lined up behind the carriage.
Every single one of them radiated a fierce aura—at the very least, warriors who had reached the peak realm.
Among them were also some fairly young-looking children, likely knight trainees.
One child at the very front, with golden hair and crimson eyes, met Karina’s gaze.
On Isaac’s level? No… maybe even higher.
The child stared straight back at Karina’s sharp, assessing eyes, then soon looked away.
“Duke Ludovico, what brings you here without prior notice?”
“Oh, I happened to be passing by. Haven’t Batius and Ludovico grown rather distant lately?”
Calahan, the head of House Batius, let his gaze sink low.
Frederick’s betrayal—behind it stood Ludovico.
Ludovico must already know Frederick had been exposed. And yet, here he was, boldly showing his face.
Calahan’s eyes shifted to the dignified knight standing behind Ludovico.
If the Dark Guild Adam was what Ludovico raised in the shadows, then he had another force he cultivated in the open.
The elite knight order of House Ludovico.
The Batius knight order was away from the estate, carrying out the annual monster subjugation. That was precisely why they had hired the Red Hawk Mercenary Group.
And now, of all times, Ludovico brought his knight order here. His intentions were obvious.
Calahan’s lips twisted.
It didn’t matter. He alone could crush Ludovico’s prized knights if it came to that.
Seeing the overwhelming killing intent pouring from Calahan, Ludovico smiled faintly.
“There’s no need to be so wary. I’ve come to seek instruction from House Batius.”
“What are you talking about?”
At Calahan’s sharp question, Ludovico smiled leisurely.
“The children you’re raising, and the children of the knight order I’m raising.”
At Ludovico’s words—clearly referring to Batius’s adopted children—Calahan’s brows furrowed in confusion.
“How about a friendly duel,” Ludovico continued,
“to foster goodwill between Batius and Ludovico?”
