The rune had broken so easily.

No, seriously.

I had wanted to get a little closer to inspect it, while using the staff as a walking stick of sorts.

However, as soon as the staff touched upon the edge of the rune, it shattered into tiny fragments.

I don’t know whether it was a property of the staff, or if the rune was just that fragile.

Well, the end result was still the same. I had wanted to find a way to disable the rune, and this was as good a way as any.

The ground shook a bit after the rune was destroyed, but I didn’t think too much of it. When something with as power pumped into it as the rune was destroyed, it would feel anticlimactic for nothing to happen. The high-density mana seemed to disappear within minutes, the only thing holding it here gone. I could feel myself breathing easier, and I felt stronger than I have in a while, since the increased gravity had also gone away.

Oh—also, as soon as the rune had been broken, a golden light had flooded the bell tower room. I checked, but it hadn’t done anything to me, good or bad. It looks like the only thing I’ll get out of destroying this rune is the ability to leave this deserted place. Well, I’m assuming it’s deserted, since I haven’t seen anything other than this valley.

I got out of the bell tower fast, as soon as I noticed that there were now little cracks running along the walls, and that the floor had begun to groan alarmingly.

Looks like it had also been kept in one piece by the rune, since as soon as I had left it, running full tilt, the whole thing had collapsed into a pile of masonry.

A bit sad, considering that it had stood for only-the-gods-know-how-many years.

Well, if the flip side is that I can leave, then I have no problem with it.

Besides, my leg was healed ages ago.

Since I have no idea where I was, nor of where to go, I simply chose a direction, and started walking. By nightfall, I had made it to the base of a mountain, due to the quick pace I had set. Let me say this—Those mountains looked a hell of a lot more imposing up close.

Eh. Without stuff like a tent, others to keep me company, and a good trail to follow, this was going to be difficult anyway.

Thankfully, it looked like the clothes I had taken from the skeleton were nice and warm, as well as durable. I accidentally got the robe caught on a tree limb, and kept walking. Where other clothes would have simply torn, in this case, the limb broke off of the tree. The robe looked exactly the same as when I had gotten it, even though it had just withstood a tree branch the width of my legs. I’d seriously like to know what these clothes were made out of, but when I looked at them with〖Analyze〗, it only told me that a mage named Islea had crafted them. That should be who the skeleton had been. Maybe?

I feel like I should set up a grave for him or her somewhere, especially after realizing a few things. This Islea person had probably crafted that rune. Just that fact was impressive, but then there was the fact that it had likely killed him or her to do so. I felt a little bad for breaking the rune after realizing this, but I’d rather live life for the living, rather than dwell on the specters of the past.

Damn, that was kinda poetic of me, no?

Anyway, something surprising happened after walking trough the mountains for a few days, using the staff as a glorified walking stick.

I found people!

Well, it’s not like there were originally residents of the island, so it was still deserted in my heart. They scared the shit out of me, though.

It had seemed like two shadows just appeared before me all of the sudden, both of them screaming war cries at me.

Seemed like, until I realized that the war cries were just two people yelling stuff at me, one over the other, and that I recognized these two people.

Once they calmed down, I could understand what they were saying.

(Flavius) “Kai! We’ve been waiting for you just outside the…”

Niten looked at Flavius, conveying something to him. Flavius stayed quiet.

(Niten) “What happened to you Kai? You went through that labyrinth, no?”

I nodded, and spoke for what seemed like the first time in ages.

(Kai) “Yeah. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone else. There’s some nasty things at the bottom.”

(Flavius) “You got to the bottom? How?!”

(Kai) “The thing at the bottom wanted me there. I managed to get away through a transport rune nearby, and ended up here, heavy wounded. You wouldn’t happen to know anyone capable of regrowing limbs, would you?”

I held up my right arm, and the two of them realized for the first time that my hand was gone.

Flavius looked oddly happy about something, and was about to speak, when Niten ran him over.

(Niten) “I’m sorry, but we have more pressing matters than your hand at the moment. While you were here, did you happen to see a rune of some sort?”

I nodded, feeling confused. How did he know about that?

(Niten) “Then, I assume you broke that rune?”

(Kai) “Yeah. It had a part that generated a massive physical ward, which would prevent me from leaving. Can I assume something happened?”

Niten nodded.

(Niten) “I think you’ll want to keep quiet the fact that you broke the rune for now. It was much more important than you may realize.”

(Kai) “Why? What did it do?”

(Niten) “That rune was something that very few know about. It was called the World Seal. As the name would suggest, it sealed our three little continents from the rest of the world, to save us. It protected us from those on the main continents that would have done us harm, and shielded us from the view of the gods. They had no influence while the seal was still active, besides the random blessings given to souls entering this plane.”

(Kai) “Hm. So you’re saying that I’ve changed the very nature of our lives in the future?”

Niten nodded.

Then I shouldn’t have changed too much. I mean, if the main continents invade or something, then I’ll just go there, or explore other places. As for the thing about the gods, well, gods tend to ignore me. I’ve never understood why, but I unnerve them. Not so much that they would actively try and kill me, but enough that they don’t care what happens to me, and leave me alone.

It’s a nice balance, and one I think should apply here, as well. I mean, gods are fundamentally the same, no matter where you go, so nothing should be different in this world.

I do agree with Niten though. If this seal was so important, and people find out that the half-demon bastard child of the old elven empress broke it, I can be assured of strong opponents coming for my life in the near future. I shouldn’t flaunt this about anytime soon.

While we sat in silence for a few moments, Flavius raise his voice.

(Flavius) “While I’ve never heard about this ‘World Seal’, I do happen to know of one person who is able to fix your hand, Kai.”

I perked up, and Niten looked on approvingly, knowing that the matter weighed on my heart more than I let show.

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

You can’t smith, or properly wield a katana with only one hand, after all. 

If Flavius has a solution, then I’ll gladly take it, no matter the cost.

He continued, and I grew more interested.

(Flavius) “Basically, the person able to fix your hand, she comes from the human empire, and has a great deal of potential. In fact, I had wanted for her and six others to become your first students, given their unique situation, and personalities. For now, I’ve given them a well known and respected teacher during your unexpected absence.”

I looked at him warily. The whole situation of seven people with unique experiences sounds a little too familiar to me. I asked for verification.

(Kai) “These seven people….were they summoned as heroes by any chance?”

Flavius looked shocked.

(Flavius) “Actually, yes, they were. How did you know that?”

I groaned, suddenly much less interested in the whole thing. But still…my hand…

(Kai) “Ugh. Fine. I’ll talk to the one you say is able to regrow my hand, but I’m not teaching any heroes.”

I spoke in a tone that gave Flavius no room to argue, that said that I’m only doing this much for my own gain.

And really, I’ve had some horrific dealings with heroes before, during my first life. To anyone else, it would have broken them of all trust in humanity. Thankfully, I both understood human nature quite well, and knew someone else that made up for my mistreatment.

I still preferred to have as little contact with them as possible, though.

In this case, since I have something extremely important to restore, I just have to suck it up, and meet with the one able to heal my hand. Besides, it’s normally the prim and proper ones that get the healing powers, so she should be easy to deal with. Those kind of people always are.

(Flavius) “I don’t know about that…. I think you are actually quite similar to them. Just give them a chance, no?”

I gave Flavius a look, telling him to stop talking. Given that I’ve perfected this particular look over my life times, and that it even worked while I was still a baby, Flavius shut up.

(Niten) “I’ve been wondering—Where did you get that staff, and those robes, Kai? You did not have them before.”

I looked down at the robes, and spoke the truth.

(Kai) “Ah, I got them from a skeleton near the rune—I mean the World Seal. There were made by someone named Islea?”

Niten’s jaw dropped. Apparently, he recognized the name.  

(Niten) “Those are the robes made by the Mage of Beginnings?! But then, would that staff be the Step of Time? Then, that skeleton was the fabled Sorceress of the Void, Gwendolyn?”

I shrugged. None of that made any sense to me, besides the fact that these people were apparently big deals.

Niten sighed, annoyed at my non-interest. These robes to me, are just durable bits of clothing, and the staff is a powerful stick of special wood. Also, the name of the skeleton was Gwendolyn, and not Islea, and it was a she. Unless Gwendolyn's parents had a sadistic naming sense. 

I know most mages would have purple faces from anger at my attitude towards these items, but all that matters to me, is whether or not they’re practical.

That’s why I like swords so much more—since it’s hard to make a completely impractical sword. Though, I have seen some that made me want to revise that opinion.

Anyway. We began the long process of journeying back to the academy. Niten and Flavius were stunned at the growth of my stats, in such a short amount of time. They hadn’t known that areas of high-mana density could be used to train like I did, but the knowledge would probably help them in the future.

Though, I’ve likely trained in what was the largest concentration of mana ever found on this world, so they can only have lesser effects from any other areas.

The mana density inside my body has reached shocking heights, after all. It felt like I could have frozen that island solid if I wanted to. Ascension Island, it’s apparently called.

I hope it’s an omen, of my future.

To get back to the academy, we took a boat waiting offshore of the island, and sailed to the southernmost tip of the Human Continent, which held a city called Rampart. From there, we simply hoped gates until reaching the sleepy little town near the city encompassing Silver Academy.

We walked through the gates, and I felt safe for the first time since walking into the dungeon…

Just kidding. I didn’t feel anything. Besides, I’ve felt inexplicably at peace since meditating in the high-mana zone. Like nothing small could bring a rise to my emotions.

Flavius brought me directly to his office, and went to fetch the person he claimed could fix my arm.

I waited with Niten, while sitting on Flavius’s chair. Simply because it was the most comfortable in the office. Niten had to sit in a couch off to the side, set up against one of the walls.

I was previewing the items atop Flavius’s desk, noting how old they looked, and wondering what sort of value they had to him, when I heard voices down the hall. One was Flavius’s, and the other was of a young sounding girl, whose voice I almost seemed to remember.

(Flavius) “…Found the person who was to teach you originally, but there’s been a problem. The teacher quite literally needs a hand. I was hoping that…”

I heard some haughty sounding laughter form the hallway.

(???) “Ha! Of course I’ll help, if this teacher of yours is willing to owe me a favor! As far as teaching us, well, I’ll be the judge to see if he’s worthy of that position!”

(Flavius) “No, The one I wanted to teach you is a…”

At that moment, the door to the office opened, and I looked to see who entered.

Flavius came in first, along with someone I’ve seen before.

But not in this life.

(Selina) “Oh, is this the one? He certainly looks distinguished, and has a powerful aura. But I see no missing limbs—Unless it's the one down…”

Selina Rochella, grand necromancer, immediately turned towards Niten, completely ignoring my existence in favor of the stronger one off to the side.

Niten shook his head at her, interrupting her mid sentence, and pointed at me.

As she saw me, Flavius introduced us.

(Flavius) “Selina, meet Katariah Silver, the one who was to become your teacher, before her sudden disappearance. Now, she needs her hand back.”

I smiled slyly, in a way that would instantly strike Selina as familiar.

(Kai) “Hello Selina. Just call me Kai. After all, it’s a name you should remember.”  

She looked confused for a split second, before shock etched itself across her futures. 

(Selina) "Kai!? You mean?! Hold on! You were this Kai?!"

Ah. She pulled out a reanimated corpse. 

That's kinda disgusting, you know.

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