The 9th Class Swordmaster: Blade of Truth
Chapter 442: The Spirit Realm (2)

Chapter 442: The Spirit Realm (2)

“Now that I think about it, it feels like the Golden Cross Association’s true purpose was to safeguard this journal and eventually deliver it to its rightful owner,” Darryl Harian explained, his face alight with pride.

“If the Phrael from Kaye Aesir’s dimension is here in this realm, it means the tower no longer exists there.”

Karyl quietly listened to Darryl.

“In that case, doesn’t that imply that Kaye Aesir overcame Pharel and the Divine War we are now facing?”

“What are you trying to say?”

“Some pages in this journal are inaccessible to us, but... I think you might be able to read them.”

Darryl’s eyes glimmered with expectation.

“And perhaps... the key to ending this war is written in those pages.”

“Enough.”

“...What?”

Darryl Harian was visibly taken aback by Karyl’s abrupt response.

“I’m not reading this journal. You can keep it.”

“Huh...? Wh-What do you mean? Aren’t you fighting to protect humanity? Shouldn’t you be looking for a more certain solution?”

“Maybe so, but not right now.”

Darryl still looked bewildered.

“I’m heading to the Spirit Realm to seek out the Lord of Rocks. He’s the only Spirit King hiding in that realm. Convincing him to join us won’t be easy.”

“Exactly. So why not search for a more reliable method?”

“What I need right now is not a surefire way to win the war. Rather, I need Maktuun to believe in me.”

“Are you saying... you want him to believe in you as opposed to a plan?”

Karyl offered him a faint smile.

“Exactly. I can tell this journal is the real deal. The moment you told me it was Kaye Aesir’s, my heart skipped a beat.”

“Of course. No one fights a war hoping to lose.”

“But reading this journal now might hinder my chances of gaining Maktuun’s trust. I’d end up talking about some war plan instead of proving my sincerity.”

Darryl nodded slowly in understanding. “If that’s your will, my lord, then it must be done.”

“You’re stubborn as always...” Allen grumbled.

“I’ll come retrieve the journal after I’ve recruited all the Spirit Kings. Till then, keep it safe for me.”

“Yes, sir,” Darryl assented with a bow.

“Oh, and make sure to take care of this place in my absence,” Karyl went on as he turned to leave. “We may need the strength of the Golden Cross Association for the next Calamity.”

“Consider it done.”

“Also, get that arm reattached, alright? Fighting with one hand must be inconvenient. I take it you know how to do it?”

“Thank you, my lord. I do.” Darryl offered a faint smile. “And I should tell you that I’ve also found a new goal. I will attempt to resurrect another Great Beast by the time you return. After all, that has always been one of the Golden Cross Association’s purposes.”

“Looking forward to that. I’ll instruct Anthem to give you guys all the support you need.”

Whoosh!

As Karyl finished speaking, the red wyvern took flight. He leapt onto the creature’s head as it perched atop the castle wall.

“Ghraaa...!!”

With a pull of the reins, the beast soared into the sky, heading northward.

***

Tsss...!

With a sharp spark, the dimensional gate above dissolved as Karyl landed on the ground. He briefly pressed his temples, seemingly to alleviate a headache.

“Haven’t felt like this since Pharel.”

Crossing dimensions felt akin to traversing time—undeniably different, yet sharing an uncanny resemblance.

Karyl took a moment to observe his surroundings. The dense greenery of the forested mountains and the clear, cloudless sky stood in stark contrast to the wintry plains of the north.

“Ramine, are we sure this is the right place?”

Karyl had activated the Soul Spring within the cave of the Gnome Kingdom, using the essence mentioned in the elven archives. He had done everything right, and yet unease clung to him.

[Hmm... Yes, this truly is the Spirit Realm.]

[How long has it been...?]

[Hahaha, I can’t believe we’ve returned! No, we should have come back here long ago...!]

One by one, the Spirit Kings manifested around Karyl.

Fwoooosh!

Ramine revealed his true form—that of a towering fire giant. Karyl hadn’t seen this manifestation of the Blazing King since their first encounter in Riseria’s lair.

The others—Ethereal, Psammead, Rasis, and Duaat—also revealed their true forms.

Summoning all of them at once would have been impossible in the human realm. Yet here, Karyl was surprised to find that his spirit power hadn’t been significantly drained.

“Alright, looks like we’ve come to the right place...” Karyl heaved a sigh as he observed them.

It was a strange sight, seeing the Spirit Kings express their emotions openly like this.

You’re not so different. You’re living beings, just like us... Gods, humans—they’re all incomplete, flawed entities. Spirit Kings are no exception.

Though these spirits were rulers in their own right, they also possessed emotions and weaknesses.

Rumble...

The clear sky suddenly began to darken, as though time itself had accelerated. Wisps of cloud swiftly transformed into dark, ominous harbingers of storm, casting a shadow over Karyl and the Spirit Kings.

“...What’s going on?”

“Do you remember when I said the Spirit Realm is deteriorating? This place has gradually weakened since the Mythical Era, becoming more and more unstable.”

Ramine scanned their surroundings as he spoke.

Crash! Crash!

Thunder roared, and the dark sky shifted once more, now bathed in crimson hues. The rain gave way to snow, casting an eerie, desolate hush over the land.

“More unstable than I thought...”

“But your seals have been broken. So why hasn’t the Spirit Realm recovered?”

“Unfortunately, our release has nothing to do with the Spirit Realm’s condition. This world is already under Yula’s dominion.”

Ethereal’s earlier joy had vanished completely as she gazed upon the decaying landscape around them.

“That doesn’t mean we bear no responsibility. Quite the opposite. Our absence has allowed Yula’s influence to grow unchecked, accelerating the decay of this world. This desolate landscape... In a way, we’re responsible for it.”

“Hmm...”

“Yula seeks the annihilation of the Spirit Realm.”

Karyl nodded grimly, understanding the implications.

“So that's how it is... But if Yula can exert her influence directly, why does she bother with convoluted prophecies in the human realm?”

“The Spirit Realm and the human realm are fundamentally different. Yula sees spirits as entities destined for annihilation, but she doesn’t view humans the same way. Spirits were born from the Rift alongside gods, but humans are her creations. Perhaps that’s why she cares about your kind.”

“Don’t make me laugh,” Karyl snorted. “She sees us as pieces on a game board. If all her toys are broken, she’s got nothing left to play with.”

Karyl slowly walked forward, his steps firm and resolute.

“Perhaps. Whether it’s love or simply amusement, one thing is clear. Yula doesn’t seek to destroy the human realm with her own hands. Karyl, you couldn’t possibly know the horrors we witnessed when she descended upon the Spirit Realm after losing the Great War.”

Ramine’s words cast a shadow over the expressions of the other Spirit Kings.

“I haven’t seen it firsthand, but given the scenery before my eyes, I can imagine.”

The initial warmth he had felt upon arriving in the Spirit Realm felt almost like an illusion now. The desolate, ruined landscape now bore silent witness to the ferocity of those battles.

“So this is the aftermath of the war against the gods...”

“We can’t let our world end up like this,” Allen Javius murmured.

“Of course, but...” Karyl nodded as he looked ahead. “Unlike the human realm, it seems Yula truly did destroy this place with her own hands. That thing over there doesn’t look like it belongs in the Spirit Realm.”

“...!”

At that, the Spirit Kings quickly turned to look in the direction Karyl indicated.

Rumble...

Amid the rubble of collapsed rocks stood a lone woman.

“...Y-Yula?”

Ramine stared at her in disbelief.

Tut... Tut... Crack...

As if in response to his words, the rocks at her feet crumbled away to dust.

“Why... Why is she here?”

“Impossible...”

“So we finally meet,” Karyl muttered tensely.

The woman tapped the rocks with an irritated gesture, as though she had been waiting far too long.

“I wasn’t particularly eager to meet you. Looks like I’m a bit late. You sensed the gate open and waited here for me?”

Karyl’s expression hardened as he gazed at the shattered ruins. He could sense Maktuun’s lingering energy from the rocks Yula stood on.

“No need to be so wary.”

She lightly dusted off her hands and smiled at Karyl.

“Yes, Karyl MacGovern. I’ve been waiting for you. There’s no other place where we could meet like this... I wanted to see the pitiful human who dares to rebel against the gods.”

“Spare me your nonsense.”

“Even when we first met, you struck me as a fascinating individual. You’re the first one to harbor such intense hostility toward me.”

“Let me ask you something. What gives you the right to wear such a virtuous expression while standing in the very realm you destroyed?”

Karyl realized he had instinctively brought his hand to the sword strapped at his waist. He tried to maintain his composure—as much as one could before a deity. Though he had prepared himself for a confrontation with Yula, he hadn’t expected it to unfold so suddenly, or under these circumstances.

[Oh?]

Yula’s voice echoed in his mind.

[So, is this what you want a god to look like?]

“...!!”

He felt as though all air was being squeezed out of his lungs.

“Karyl!”

In that instant, Ramine unleashed his power, erupting into a searing inferno. Simultaneously, Rasis and Duaat shielded Karyl with light and darkness, while Ethereal and Psammead hurled ice spikes and murderous winds at Yula.

Boom! KABOOM!

CRASH...!!

A thunderous roar filled the air as the Spirit Kings’ overwhelming energy surged around Yula.

“You’re still the same, even after a thousand years,” Yula remarked, indifferent to the fierce energy unleashed at her. The onslaught that would have obliterated lesser beings only caused her hair to sway gently, as though she stood in a soft breeze.

“Still the same insolent fools, eager to defy me. Have you ever contemplated why I allowed your seals to break, knowing full well you would oppose me?”

[Urgh...!]

[Gah...!!]

With every word she spoke, the Spirit Kings trembled violently, their forms wavering under her sheer presence.

“I chose to ignore you, that’s all. Consider this your courtesy call. Should you continue to test the limits of my patience, you’ll meet the same fate as this.”

From her sleeve, she drew out a small fragment of stone and held it in her palm.

“Do not interfere.”

Her voice was oppressive, stifling the air around them.

“I came to talk with you, Karyl MacGovern. And if you give me the answer I seek... I might just give you this.”

With that, she showed them the heart of stone.

“This is Maktuun’s Heart. The Lord of Rocks is not yet dead. You could still claim his power for yourself,” Yula said with a serene smile.

Karyl made no response. Instead, he unsheathed his sword and pointed it directly at Yula.