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Chapter 58
Northern Snowfield – Edge of the World
A desolate land where even the wind freezes.
For centuries, foreign tribes had lived here. Among them, the largest and most powerful was the Nanuk clan.
Despite the harsh environment, they survived through shamanism and unique traditions, eventually building their own civilization.
And among them, one talent shone brighter than the rest.
His name: Rakshan Kurgh.
A prodigious shaman.
He grasped complex theories at a glance, mastering high-level spells that would take others years to comprehend in mere days. The Grand Shaman hailed him as his finest disciple and lavished him with affection.
“Rakshan is a child born under the stars. A miracle of the Nanuk.”
Yet Rakshan was not satisfied with such praise.
‘Just a shaman of this frozen land? I am not meant to rot away in this small world. My power must reach higher, greater heights.’
For him, shamanism was not an end—it was a tool. A means to overthrow and dominate the world. And he awaited the day he could make that ambition reality.
One day, he discovered a sealed altar beneath the northern ice canyons. Behind the stone door lay an ancient tome stained in crimson, inscribed with a single line:
[Offer noble blood to open the Rift of Darkness.
Then the god beyond the shadows will choose you.]
As he read it, a name surfaced in Rakshan’s mind.
The prophesied child.
The vessel to host Aibanu.
The “divine container” the Grand Shaman had spoken of.
Rakshan’s eyes twisted.
That night.
A figure stealthily infiltrated the chieftain’s home.
With goat’s blood, he traced a magic circle on the floor and whispered the forbidden incantations of dark magic.
Everything was ready.
Once the child entered, the god would awaken. The world would fall into his grasp.
But before the altar could be completed, an unexpected presence arrived.
“Wh-what is this?!”
The child’s parents—the chieftain and his wife.
Eyes wide in shock, faces frozen, screams erupting.
They shouted, tried to flee, tried to stop him.
But Rakshan whispered his dark spell without hesitation. Crimson light filled the room. With ripping screams, blood scattered like petals.
Moments later, a small footstep creaked the door open.
“Mom… Dad…?”
A small child entered. He knelt beside the bloodied corpses of his parents, shaking them, crying out loud.
“Wake up… please…”
The child’s shoulders trembled, his sobs echoing. Behind him, Rakshan spoke calmly.
“Useless beings have defiled the magic circle. This won’t do. More noble… fresher… yes. A child like you.”
The child slowly raised his eyes, crossing the man standing in the center of the blood-red circle.
With lavender eyes.
The child was Ishanka.
“Ugh…!”
Nana gasped, collapsing onto the floor.
‘What… was that just now?’
Her confused eyes scanned the room.
The royal library.
Bookshelves still lined the space before her. The hot-pink hardcover remained in her hands.
Then—
Ding!
The familiar system alert sounded, and a semi-transparent message window appeared.
<Main Quest: “The Truth Is Always One!” Completed.
5,000,000 Gold and a large amount of EXP have been granted to Aidrien Logiton.
Bonus: Fragment of Hidden Truth acquired. Partial information on Hidden Character “Rakshan Kurgh” now accessible.
※Use skill [Hawk’s Eye] to view in real time.>
Nana stared at the window in silence before sighing.
‘So it wasn’t just a hallucination.’
It wasn’t manipulated footage. Not a system performance.
It was someone’s real memory.
Blood. Screams. A crimson magic circle. And a boy with lavender eyes, crying.
That boy was undoubtedly Ishanka.
Only then did everything click.
Why Ishanka despised dark magic.
It wasn’t something that could be explained away. It was the shadow of an inescapable memory carried by a child.
Nana bit her lip.
Then—
“Aidrien?”
A familiar voice echoed through the library.
Startled, she lifted her head. Through the shelves, Ishanka was peeking in.
Nana immediately looked away, reflexively.
Ishanka hesitated, then approached carefully.
“Are you alright? Did a book fall?”
His tone was calm, gentle, as always.
But Nana couldn’t meet his eyes. She shook her head slightly.
“I’m fine… just a little dizzy.”
A lie. She couldn’t think of a better excuse.
The memory of bloodied rooms, trembling eyes—those lavender eyes—were right in front of her.
Nana recalled the system message.
‘Tea Recipe…’
If it truly was a metaphor for secrets, this “tea” was no fragrant drink.
A bitter flavor lingering long after, impossible to wash away.
Once tasted, an unforgettable truth.
After Exploring the Library
Nana and Ishanka rejoined Lucas and Sam.
Judging further infiltration too risky, the four exited the palace and took refuge in a nearby abandoned house to share and organize the information.
Lucas spoke first.
“Yesterday, my lord advised that if we enter the palace, it’s best to disguise ourselves as nobles. There are many nobles in the central palace. They won’t know each other personally, so it’s easier to blend in.”
Sam and Lucas followed Brody’s advice, changed into clothes Sam had used before, and re-infiltrated the central palace.
Sam nodded.
“As expected, nobles were still staying in the central palace. Nobody paid us much attention. The familiarity made it almost eerie.”
They managed to glean several key points:
- The central palace operated as a closed space, mainly around the nobles.
- Those nobles were practically managed by the Chancellor, Arakson Lancaster.
- “His Highness holds the Life Stone. It purifies the land and water and keeps zombies away. That’s why the palace grounds were unusually intact.”
Sam’s expression darkened.
“I couldn’t accept that. I didn’t reveal my identity because something felt off. If the Life Stone truly had that power, why was the entire capital ruined? His Highness would have surely used it for the people first.”
Everyone fell silent.
Then Ishanka, quietly listening, spoke.
“How much do you trust this country’s king?”
The unexpected question sharpened Sam’s gaze.
“Are you criticizing the sovereign?”
“I’m not simply insulting him.”
Ishanka’s voice remained calm.
“I’m telling you what I personally saw. But if you’re not ready to hear it, you should stay silent.”
Sam remained silent for a moment, then sighed, loosening his clenched fists on his knees.
“…Fine. Go ahead, tell me.”
Ishanka closed his eyes, then opened them, speaking in a low voice.
“It was a few months after the continent was devastated. I felt a strange presence in the forest where I was staying.”
At that time, Ishanka had been monitoring the territories after dismantling the Jupsel Federation. Preferring firsthand observation, he had entered the forest alone to scout Helvetia Kingdom.
From afar, he noticed commotion.
He stopped and hid behind a rock.
Soon, dozens of people were seen moving in formation.
‘So many people, all in the forest? Military of the kingdom?’
Ishanka quietly followed.
When he arrived—
“The forest, once parched and dead, had turned green. Passing through, a vast, vivid meadow appeared. In the center, dozens of people were tending the land like machines under one man’s orders.”
“Wait.”
Sam interjected.
“The entire capital is contaminated. Except the palace and Nana’s farm, there’s no land left. And yet, you saw a green forest and meadow?”
“That’s why it felt strange.”
Ishanka nodded.
“Among dead woods and corrupted lands, only that spot was vividly green. Impossible under the current circumstances.”
Sam frowned.
“Strange… but how does that relate to His Highness?”
“Didn’t you see when we explored the palace?”
“…”
“The entire continent is dead and black, but the palace is intact. Who could create such a miraculous green meadow inside?”
“…No way.”
Sam’s expression hardened.
“You’re saying the royal family made that meadow?”
“Even more surprising is that you didn’t realize it sooner.”
Ishanka smirked.
Sam muttered, struggling for words.
“If His Highness had intended to use that land for crops…?”
“That’s possible.”
Ishanka nodded.
“But there was a sign at the entrance.”
He spoke clearly:
“Royal Imperial Ground.”
The moment he said it, Sam’s eyes widened.
“…What?”
He could barely breathe.
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely.”
“So the royal family had people tend a golf course?”
“Yes. That extravagant playground the nobles enjoy for leisure.”
