The Departure

[Empire Calendar 421, 4th Month, 29th]

I woke up knowing that today was the day.

The day I would leave home.

For a long time.

I lay there for a moment, staring at the ceiling. My mind drifted back to last night—that dream. No, it didn't feel like a dream. Sword God. Chung Yung. The Heavenly Demon. Their battle, their memories, their emotions… it felt too vivid, too real.

But now wasn't the time to dwell on it.

I got out of bed, washed up, and changed into my formal attire. If this was my last breakfast with my sister for a long time, I would at least look presentable.

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The dining room was quiet.

I sat across from my sister, Roselith, at the long wooden table. The scent of roasted meat and fresh bread filled the air, but neither of us had an appetite.

Roselith stared at her untouched plate, gripping her silverware tightly. She was trying to maintain her usual composed demeanor, but the sorrow in her eyes betrayed her.

"Leo…" she hesitated before continuing, "I'm sending you to the Dark Forest. You'll stay there until I come of age."

She didn't meet my eyes.

I slowly put down my fork. The words weren't surprising—I had already overheard her conversation with the maid last night—but hearing them from her directly still made my chest tighten.

"I understand, Sister," I said, keeping my voice steady. "Let's meet again when I return. And… don't give up."

Her eyes widened slightly before softening. She forced a smile, but I could see her fingers trembling.

"Yes… you too, Leo."

We talked for a while longer, but our conversation was mostly about meaningless things—the weather, books, training—anything to avoid acknowledging the truth.

That this was our last meal together for a long time.

Then, a maid entered the room and bowed.

"My lady, the preparations are complete."

Roselith straightened, her expression hardening into a noble's mask. Cold. Composed. Distant.

"You may go," she said.

Then she turned to me, her voice softer.

"Leo… it's time."

I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat.

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The carriage stood waiting at the estate's entrance.

Its dark wooden frame gleamed under the morning sun, reinforced with iron for added protection. The crest of House Von Aurelian was engraved on its side, a silent reminder of the name I carried.

I took a deep breath, turning back one last time.

The towering mansion. The endless gardens. The grand double doors.

Would I return as the same boy who was leaving today?

No.

I clenched my fists. I would return stronger.

My gaze shifted to the people accompanying me.

Four knights in black armor, their expressions unreadable, stood at attention. Each bore the Von Aurelian crest on their capes—a silent vow of loyalty.

One of them, a middle-aged man with graying hair and sharp eyes, stepped forward.

"Young master," he said, bowing slightly. "I am Sir Aldric, commander of this escort. We will ensure your safe arrival."

Beside him, a maid—likely my caretaker for the journey—bowed respectfully. Unlike the knights, her concern was visible in her tense posture.

I took a step forward, then paused.

Roselith stood by the entrance, watching me. She didn't say anything.

She didn't have to.

I nodded once, then stepped into the carriage.

The door shut. The wheels creaked.

And just like that—

I left my home behind.

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Inside the carriage, I lay against the seat, staring at the ceiling.

My mind drifted back to the dream—no, the memory—from last night.

Chung Yung. Sword God.

His techniques, his knowledge, his very existence was now inside my mind.

I could remember his favorite food. His sword techniques. His understanding of Qi—a power unlike anything in this world.

In his world, there was no Mana or Aura, only Qi, stored in the Dantian—a core within the body that martial artists refined to grow stronger.

Mana and Qi were fundamentally different.

Mana was an external energy, manipulated and absorbed through circles.

Qi was internal, cultivated and refined within the body.

If I could use both...

I sat up and crossed my legs, focusing on a technique from Chung Yung's memories—

Plum Blossom Qi Cultivation Technique.

I inhaled slowly, drawing in mana from the air.

Then, instead of shaping it into a magic spell, I compressed it—forcing it into my body, shaping it into something resembling Qi.

Pain.

Unimaginable pain.

It was as if every nerve in my body was being burned and reshaped from the inside out. My muscles screamed, my bones ached, but I gritted my teeth and endured.

I had to.

Minutes passed. Then hours.

Finally—

Something clicked.

A warmth spread through my body, a core forming deep within me.

Dantian…

I had done it.

I had successfully formed a Dantian—something that shouldn't exist in this world.

A rancid stench filled the carriage. My body was covered in filth, black impurities excreted from my pores. Body transformation.

Disgusting… but proof that it had worked.

I wiped my forehead, breathing heavily. Then, I tried something new.

Qi Reinforcement.

I focused, channeling the newly formed Qi into my muscles.

My skin tingled. My body felt lighter. Stronger.

For five minutes.

Unlike Chung Yung, who could sustain it endlessly, I could only hold Qi reinforcement for five minutes.

Then, the Qi dispersed, and exhaustion hit me like a brick.

I needed more training.

But this was proof.

This world's limitations didn't apply to me.

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The carriage came to a slow stop.

"We've arrived, young master," Sir Aldric's voice called from outside.

I stepped out, still feeling the aftereffects of my training.

The inn was… disappointing.

The wooden structure looked aged, the scent of damp wood and dust filling the air. Compared to the Von Aurelian Estate, it was practically a shack.

Sir Aldric walked ahead, speaking to the innkeeper to book rooms.

The knights and maid followed, but I barely paid attention.

My mind was still on one thing.

If I sleep again… will I return to Chung Yung's world?

Would I find myself in the middle of another battle?

I entered my room. It was small—a wooden bed, a desk by the window, and a chair that creaked when I touched it. The air smelled stale.

Before I went to bed.

I washed up and changed my clothes. Then,

I collapsed onto the bed.

Only one way to find out.

Slowly, my consciousness faded.

Then I slowly went to deep slumber.

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Then I woke up.

But this time…

This wasn't Chung Yung's body.

It was someone else's.

And the battlefield of corpses still surrounded me.

The air was thick with the scent of rot and blood. The battlefield stretched endlessly before me—corpses piled high, weapons scattered like broken dreams. I knew this place.

The site where Sword God and the Heavenly Demon had fought.

But if I wasn't in Chung Yung's body…

Then whose body was this?

To Be Continued.