Kai’s heart nearly skipped a beat when the Chief made that ominous statement, though it wasn’t directed at anyone nearby. Wait—could there be Hunters lurking in the bushes, waiting to ambush him?

Thankfully, it was only a sizable, dead bird that the Chief had shot earlier. Picking it up from the grass, the old man inspected it with satisfaction.

'I really need to stop overthinking everything,' Kai thought.

Only after finding his fallen prey did the old man finally respond to Cia’s question. He lingered for a moment, then answered.

“Hmm… good question. Although I discovered the secret naturally, that’s not always the case for others. Take Alfred, for example. He would’ve uncovered it eventually with how dedicated he is, but I chose to enlighten him in advance, making sure he understood the responsibilities that come with such knowledge.” He turned to Kai with a nostalgic smile. “He was about your age when I first took him in. And now, just look at him—he’s grown into a dependable man, capable of handling village affairs on his own without my guidance. When the migration ends, I can finally pass down my role to him. A quiet retirement wouldn’t be so bad at my age.”

He sighed.

“If only Garba were that responsible, we might’ve avoided a lot of trouble. That old fool is as old as I am, but his mind has never seemed to mature. Unlike me, he took a far more… radical path to discovery, forcefully extracting the knowledge from an arrogant descendant who stumbled upon our village. Not that I’d defend the descendant—he got what he deserved—but that incident brought a lot of attention from the authorities. And to make matters worse, that scoundrel Garba had the audacity to boast about what he’d learned.” The old man shook his head in resignation, but a hint of bitter amusement tugged at the corners of his mouth.

“Since I’ve pulled you three into this, I may as well tell you everything. The descendants’ knowledge is similar to mine but includes more details—like where it originated and what the Players call it. "Leveling" Strange, wouldn't you agree, to name such a twisted law with a term like that?”

Understandably, it was indeed odd to use that word because “Leveling.” are defined as a term for balance, something flat, even, smooth in the villagers mind. However, in an age where games had woven themselves into the fabric of society like the modern Earth where he was born, he understood its other meaning all too well.

'Seriously, why are these old guys so obsessed with game terms?'

Still, the secret law indeed paralleled the leveling systems in various games. Killing—whether humans or creatures—yielded “EXP,” accumulating into strength. Transmigrators even possessed unique abilities that, combined with Leveling, justified them calling themselves “Players.” Or maybe the originator of it all had just been a game addict, whose mind was warped by the cruelty of the Realms.

'It is what it is,' Kai sighed internally, shrugging off the unchangeable.

The old Hunter continued, “As for the scope of Leveling… yes, Garba knows about that too. Turns out it’s a universal law, spanning all the Shattered Realms. In fact, it applies to every living creature across these Realms, all living being fighting for survival, gaining power to evolve their very existence.”

The Chief then tossed the dead bird to Kaiser, turning as he waved goodbye.

“That’s everything I know about Leveling. In return, would you do me a favor and deliver this parting gift to Garba? Tell him it’s the last bird he’ll get from me if he doesn’t stop being so stubborn in that tower.”

Stolen story; please report.

“Thanks.”

“Thank you, Grandpa. We learned a lot today,” Kai and Cia said gratefully as they watched him walk away. Already having a lot in there minds to ask for more.

He watched the old man’s hunched back disappear into the trees alongside Ariella, who seemed more interested in the Chief’s bow than in the lingering weight of his words.

After their conversation with the Chief, the group continued their journey. Each weighed down by the implications of the “Leveling” knowledge they had just received - except the unbothered goddess.

Kaiser couldn’t help but wonder about the power it promised and how it might shape, or burden their futures. Fortunately, Cia, with her academic sharpness, made the perfect partner to discuss these heavy thoughts. They casually talked about it along the way, sharing their own opinions and perspectives, helping each other untangle the questions that arose in their minds. Well, mostly helping Kaiser untangle the questions—Cia had already figured out almost everything in such a short time. Kai had always envied people with such gifted minds, but he couldn’t quite think of Cia in that way. Her easygoing, gentle presence drew him into their discussion, no matter how complex the topic became. More importantly, for the first time, Kai saw a glimpse of the former inspiration figure she was back then. Differ to the timid, almost lifeless blind girl devoid of any confidence Cia had become since being summoned at this new world. It was nice to see her former glory, even if it's just a fleeting moment of their conversation.

They dove into theories on Leveling’s possible mechanisms. How did it grant experience? Would it offer higher rewards for slaying stronger foes? Where was the threshold, the breakthrough point, where its power would become noticeable? And how likely souls are involved in its workings?

The world’s only saving grace from this ruthless law, they realized, was that the effects weren’t immediate. For instance, Kaiser himself had killed several beasts and even a few people but had yet to notice any clear enhancements in his strength—or was the power simply overshadowed by the inherited abilities he had received from Zara? Then again, the Chief had said he had lost count of beasts he hunted before noticing the slightest change, which became more apparent overtime. Similar to Brick's position now, still oblivious of its dept's, believing his own strength to be an innate gift worth bragging about. Given time, that immature Hunter would eventually gain profound insights and might potentially be Alfred's successor.

Kai, however, was deeply curious about Leveling’s true turning point, the moment it would bestow a tangible boost in power.

They spent time discussing all of this, deepening their understanding and passing the hours with ease. It was enjoyable, almost relaxing, and at some point, Kai realized that Cia was subtly testing his communication skills. When he asked her how he was doing, she just chuckled, telling he should smoothen his edges sometimes and be more expressive with his words, putting more emotions on his voice and the like, which he finds difficult to achieve. Kai had always been troubled at expressing emotions externally and internally.

Ariella, on the other hand, could only pout at the sidelines, jealous of their ability to chat freely while she could only listen.

But beneath the surface, Kai kept his own darker thoughts hidden. He glanced at Ariella, his thoughts turning grim.

Only he knew who Ariella truly was.

Leveling was a straightforward law, rewarding the powerful who emerged victorious by slaying countless foes. The more they killed, the stronger they became, hinting at a path of ascension—a way to transcend humanity and reach unimaginable heights. Perhaps even godhood. And Ariella, the sweet, unassuming girl who had accompanied him since his arrival in Greenland… was already a goddess, a true deity. The words of two other gods serves as testimony of that fact.

Gods were the ultimate beings, which raised the question: what had Ariella done to reach such a status? How many lives had she claimed, how many souls had she absorbed, to attain divinity?

Kai glanced her way, wondering. Had this innocent-looking goddess once slain millions, consuming souls and building her path to godhood upon the corpses of her enemies?

Sensing his gaze, Ariella meets his eyes with a bright smile and a curious tilt of her head, as if to ask, “Why?” lovingly.

Kai quickly looked away.

'Yup, I can’t picture it.'

Had she once a mischievous or righteous queen, a great and fearsome combatant or an ancient sage of mass destruction. A catastrophic force to be reckoned with.

Kaiser's brain failed to imagine the lovely lady with a playful and childish charm to be so fearsome once. She looks so delicate and graceful, pure and innocent, like a white flower meant to be kept and guarded.

Still, just imagining what Ariella’s history might entail sent shivers down his spine. Power wasn’t earned without struggle. If she was indeed a goddess, then she must have strived a merciless path for it, likely becoming the most formidable being he’d ever encountered. Well, in a sense, she's basically the most terrifying existence he knew.

'Then again, maybe I’m overthinking it.'

After all, a mere mortal like him had little to no chance of understanding the matter of gods. But what if her true divine nature ever resurfaced?

'Guess, I’ll have to be careful.'

Though her powers were sealed, he couldn’t be certain the seal would hold forever. If forced into dire circumstances, would the seal withstand her holy will? Likely, it won't. By then, he would probably witness her true form as a goddess and known to fear the gods. And met, who his goddess truly was. Kai prayed such an event would never happen, for the thought was almost too terrifying to consider.

Deciding that these concerns weren’t worth his energy right now—or perhaps that they were simply too daunting—Kaiser focused on the journey, keeping an eye out for any dangers along the way while engaging in a casual conversation with Cia.

And so, at last, the three of them made their way back to the ancient tower.