7:The Return of Memories

Loren said anxiously, his voice trembling:

— How do you know all this information, Ryoma?

Ryoma answered, his eyes avoiding direct contact as if tension lived in his chest:

— From the memories of the Eternal Sword.

Loren pressed his lips together and exclaimed in surprise:

— Then why didn't these memories reach us as well? Aren't a sword's memories passed on to everyone who wields it?

Ryoma raised his head, his face suddenly rigid and cold:

— Because the one who held this sword before me… was the first to stop the initial catastrophe.

Silence fell, and their faces froze at the strangeness of what they'd heard.

Loren asked, his tone laced with tension:

— And how did you obtain it?

Ryoma replied in a low, hesitant voice:

— The same way everyone else did… or so it seems.

No one disputed him; in this world, there was only one way to acquire weapons. But Loren's next question carried a different weight, as if his heart feared what he might hear:

— Do you know when the Gate will reappear?

Ryoma responded calmly, as one who understood the gravity of his words:

— I don't know exactly… but if Cain endures until the end, perhaps in five months. If he does not… it could appear at any moment.

Worry clouded everyone's faces. In their hearts, they prayed Cain would hold on, if only a little longer.

Ryoma stepped forward, stood firmly, and asked in a serious tone:

— Are you relying solely on the powers you gain from monsters? Don't you train?

One of the young men sneered:

— Why train? Power comes from killing monsters.

Ryoma shouted in uncontrollable anger:

— Fools! You haven't seen the real monsters yet!

Everyone stared at him in astonishment, as if his words had shattered the illusion they'd been living under.

Loren asked, puzzled:

— What do you mean? We've seen monsters emerge from the Gate.

Ryoma's eyes blazed with truth as he answered:

— What you saw isn't comparable to what's coming. The real monsters… just one scratch from them costs you your life. They are the size of mountains, and what you witnessed was merely the prelude to the great catastrophe.

The courtyard fell silent, fear reigning supreme. There was no choice but to face them; in this world, those who do not fight become prey.

They all withdrew into silent corners, their resolve collapsing like towers of sand. As for Ryoma, his faith in them was crushed—he had believed they would one day be stronger than him… but he was wrong.

He left with his siblings, searching for food to fill their emptiness. They entered shop after shop, and each time Ryoma quietly said:

— I'm sorry, I have no money… could you feed my brothers?

But the doors remained shut, and their hearts just as closed—until Loren arrived.

He asked Ryoma to return and brought food with them, but before they ate, Ryoma realized that this food came at a price. He asked cautiously:

— What is the price?

They all answered in unison:

— We want you to train us.

Ryoma looked at them in surprise:

— Train you? Isn't it easier for someone else to train you?

Loren stepped forward and said:

— We want you… as our leader and trainer.

Ryoma sighed, then said seriously:

— I will give you a set of daily exercises. Perform them consistently.

Loren studied him for a long moment, then asked:

— Does this mean you will leave?

Ryoma nodded:

— Yes. Not because I don't want to train you, but because I have a goal I must achieve.

Loren approached lightly and asked in a trembling voice:

— And what is that goal… if I may not be prying?

Ryoma answered without hesitation or evasion:

— My goal… is to uncover all the secrets of this world and understand its lost history.

Everyone looked at him with admiration, as if gazing upon a legend rather than a flesh-and-blood person. Out of respect, they prepared several crates filled with food and water for his upcoming journey.

Ryoma and his siblings sat down and devoured the meal greedily, their hunger unrelenting. Sylvas, Clara, and Luna watched him with respect, sensing the remarkable change in their brother Carter—it was simply an evolution of his character.

When they finished eating, they stepped outside the building and found a group of people loading a large carriage with crates.

Ryoma asked in astonishment:

— Are you going on a journey?

Loren smiled and replied:

— These crates are for you… for your long journey, hero.

Ryoma stared at the carriages in shock:

— For us?! That's far too much!

Loren said admiringly:

— Do you think we would fill them with anything but food?

Ryoma said in surprise:

— But it's an enormous amount…

Loren answered confidently:

— It will last only a few days. You will need more on your journey.

Ryoma said:

— I will not depart today… I will set out tomorrow.

Loren smiled and said:

— Then stay with us tonight.

Ryoma nodded:

— I will stay.

Ryoma did not leave the assembly building until night fell over the city of Seraphin. People extinguished their lamps, and the crimson moonlight poured through the window balconies. Loren had reserved two rooms: one for Clara and Luna, and another for Ryoma, Sylvas, and Adam. They all went to sleep… except Ryoma. His eyes remained open; he feared that if he slept, he would behold another hell.

He climbed onto the roof of the building and carefully removed his clothes, yet the glowing mark on his back did not fade. He drew the book from its mysterious resting place and leafed through its pages, searching for symbols or letters he could understand, but he encountered only the silence of unfamiliar words.

Suddenly, Carter spoke in his mind:

— Do you still think you will understand that book?

Ryoma erupted in muffled anger:

— And do you know what this book is?

Carter responded with vague confidence:

— Yes.

Ryoma shoved the book aside violently and said:

— Fine. Goodbye, Carter.

Carter's voice trembled in faint objection:

— Aren't you going to ask me what this book is?

Ryoma replied with a mocking tone:

— I don't care. I'll figure it out myself eventually, so why chase after a pointless question?

Carter insisted with one last word:

— You're trying to deceive me.

Ryoma answered with practiced coldness:

— Why would I deceive you? You spoke of your own free will.

Ryoma composed himself, then asked more sharply:

— Fine. Tell me what this book is.

Carter hesitated, then said:

— "The Book of Ancient Secrets… the Path of Power."

Ryoma's heart jolted, and a burning desire welled in his chest to ask Carter to read it. But he feigned indifference and said:

— What's the use of just a title?

Carter went silent, and the echo of his presence vanished. Ryoma was left alone, thinking: Damn it! He revealed nothing but the name and the book's title.

Ryoma descended from the rooftop, his quiet steps leading to Clara and Luna's room; he found them peacefully asleep. Then he checked on Adam and Sylvas in the other room, gently locked the doors, and slipped into the lifeless streets of Seraphin.

Under a starry sky, Ryoma walked slowly, the weight of questions gnawing behind his eyes. How will I face the beasts of true hell? Despite his experience in his past world, his heart trembled at what was to come.

In his previous world, Ryoma's physical strength exceeded all imagination, and yet he couldn't recall the method of training or secrets that brought him to such heights. He stood near the gate he once used to cross into this world, sweat pouring as he tried to open it with his bare hands. After a quarter-hour of constant struggle, his scream echoed as he finally forced the iron open. He collapsed from exhaustion but resisted the urge to rest, quickly stood, and closed the gate again. He repeated the act over and over until he felt his body grow unnaturally light—barely straining to move it anymore.

That night, he noticed the gate had vanished, despite the crimson air and the blood-red moon. A wave of sorrow hit him as he thought of Cain—still trapped, fighting endlessly. He leaned back against the sealed gate, lost in thought, when a sharp pain pierced his head. Ryoma collapsed at the threshold, assaulted by lightning-like pain as memories from his lost world came flooding back.

In the Blue Desert, under a pale sky and a gray moon, the village burned on all sides. There stood Ryoma, holding the corpse of his adoptive father, Raven, breathing his final breaths:

— Don't leave me, Father… you were all I had.

Raven shook his head gently and spoke in a frail voice:

— Forgive me, my son… I don't think I have any time left.

Tears streamed down Ryoma's cheeks, unstoppable as he watched the death of the man who had been everything to him. With broken pride, he whispered:

— I'll make you pay… Seven Shadows, just wait for me!

He ended his vow as he hoisted Raven's body onto his shoulders, then stepped into the barren terrain, roaring with resolve:

— I will avenge you, Father… I'll show them the hell they deserve!

Ryoma returned, lying still, to this world. He woke slowly in a room where Adam's breathing swayed gently as he slept in a chair beside him, and Sylvas rested nearby. He stared at the ceiling until his mind regained some balance. Quietly, he slipped out, stumbled near the broken door, and saw Clara and Luna immersed in peaceful sleep.

As he neared Loren, curiosity spilled from his lips:

— Loren… how long was I unconscious?

Loren caught his breath before answering, worry etched across his face:

— Two whole days… everyone's been waiting for your return.

Ryoma had thought only a moment had passed, but the beating of his heart testified to the harshness of the days. Suddenly, a shout rose from behind him; a man Ryoma had never seen before stormed in, yelling at Loren. Ryoma held back his anger, seized the man's shoulder with a feverish grip, then spun with agile precision and struck him in the stomach, sending him crashing into a fragile table that shattered beneath him.

Silence fell for a moment, everyone stunned by the sheer force Ryoma had shown. Loren smiled secretly, thinking, If that rage had surfaced two days ago… I would've been the one on the floor.

Ryoma ran out of the building, his head throbbing from the memories. Loren rushed the injured man to the receptionist to tend to his wounds, then sent Ryoma to a room to rest.

Adam darted out, terrified, searching for his brother. Loren told him:

— I saw him leave… he's okay, but he's still burning with rage.

Adam headed toward the alley he knew Ryoma would be in. When he arrived, he saw him with tears streaming down his face. Adam spoke gently:

"Ryoma, what happened to you?"

Ryoma replied with sorrow:

"I've started to remember my childhood…"

Adam, touched, said:

"I didn't know your memories were missing."

He sat beside him, wanting to ask more about what Ryoma had been through but couldn't find the words. Silence lingered between them until Adam finally broke it:

"Why were you so angry?"

Ryoma answered:

"Because of what I remembered about my father."

Adam said apologetically:

"I'm sorry… I didn't mean to ask about something so painful."

Ryoma said as he looked at him:

"Why are you apologizing? Aren't you my older brother? You have the right to know why I'm sad and angry."

Adam replied, sorrow visible in his eyes:

"It's okay, there's no need to talk if you're not ready."

Ryoma stood up, then extended his hand to Adam to help him up. Adam took his hand and stood, then asked him with concern:

"What will you tell Sylvas and Clara? You promised them you wouldn't break down again."

Ryoma was shocked, as he hadn't thought beforehand about what he would say to them, and responded:

"Damn it, I haven't thought about what to say..."

He returned to the building, and when he entered, he found his siblings waiting anxiously. They hugged him as soon as they saw him. Ryoma said with a reassuring smile:

"Don't worry, it's just that my physical health has weakened because of the poison."

They said nothing, their worry for him preventing them from speaking. He sat on the chair while his siblings stayed close to him. Sylvas asked worriedly:

"Why has your health weakened? You were fine… and now you say it's because of the poison?"

Ryoma replied:

"Yes, the poison is the reason… and I didn't want to tell you."

Then he held Sylvas and Clara's heads and looked at them, saying:

"From today, since I've told you, don't worry about me if I collapse again."

Their expressions were uneasy, but they nodded in agreement after consulting with each other.

While some of the people present looked at him with sympathy, others—friends of the man Ryoma had struck—were angry and wanted revenge.

But Loren warned them, saying that approaching Ryoma would put them in danger.

Ryoma sensed their murderous intent, so he unleashed a crushing killing intent on everyone—except Loren and his siblings.

Everyone present was overwhelmed with fear, and some even began to vomit from its intensity.

One of them, named Roel, thought to himself:

"Damn it... what is this intent? I feel like I'm going to die… Is it possible for a human to reach this level? How many has he killed? It feels like he's slain an entire army! Even our combined intent doesn't match his! I even released my intent toward him… I wish I hadn't… death would be more merciful than this feeling!"

Ryoma stopped his intent, and neither his siblings nor Loren understood why the others had collapsed. Then he stepped onto the table and said confidently:

"That was my intent to anyone who dared to direct theirs at me. You know who you are—I don't need to mention names."

Ryoma left the building, and everyone felt relieved by his departure. The carriage was ready by the door, and Loren said:

"I prepared the carriage. I knew you'd be leaving today. I have a small request."

Ryoma replied seriously:

"What's your request? If it's within my ability, I'll agree."

Loren said happily:

"I want to go with you."

Ryoma wasn't surprised, as he had expected this request, and said:

"Ask my siblings. If they agree, I have no objection."

Loren asked everyone, and their response was positive. Loren smiled and said:

"Wait for me, I'll get my bag quickly."

Loren entered the building, and those inside said to him:

"Loren, tell us… who is that monster?"

Loren was surprised; he didn't understand why they described him that way, and said:

"I don't understand why you hate him… He's not a monster, he's kind."

Roel said in shock:

"What do you mean? Didn't you feel that killing intent?"

Loren replied in confusion:

"What killing intent are you talking about?"

Roel said:

"He's truly a monster… he made us feel as if we were going to be killed! He's a professional killer!"

Loren replied firmly:

"I don't care what you say. I'm going with Carter on his journey."

Roel said:

"Fine, goodbye… just be careful not to anger him or get near his siblings, or you'll live through hell."

Loren ignored his words, took his already-prepared bag, and left the building, saying:

"I hope we all meet again alive. Goodbye, my friends."

Everyone said goodbye, but they didn't lose hope. Instead, they decided to continue training diligently.

Loren rode the carriage with Ryoma and his siblings. He was the one driving it with the horses until they exited the city gates.