Episode 712

Rumble, rumble!

The melodious sound echoed in Noah’s ears, slowly bringing him back to consciousness.

“Gasp!”

As Noah sat up, he found himself face-to-face with a bird that looked like a beautiful chicken adorned with vibrant feathers.

‘What… what is that?’

The bird watched Noah for a moment before spreading its wings and vanishing in an instant.

Startled by the bird’s sudden disappearance, Noah rubbed his eyes, wondering if he had imagined it all.

Then, a memory flashed through his mind—right before he lost consciousness, a celestial being had reached out to crush him.

“Ugh!”

His head throbbed with pain, as if it were about to split open. His memories were fragmented, tangled in a chaotic mess.

One image stood out amidst the confusion: ‘The Knight with the Blue Eyes.’

He remembered that knight slicing through the celestial being with a sword.

’…But where am I now?’

Recalling the moments before he blacked out, Noah looked around and realized he was still inside a cave.

He was lying under a thick blanket, with a fire burning nearby. But instead of logs, a white flame flickered atop a brick hearth.

‘Is this magic? Or some kind of ignition device? I’ve never seen anything like it.’

Even in an age where magical devices were common, this kind of fire was new to Noah, leaving him in awe.

As he marveled at the flames, someone appeared—a knight with unruly black hair tied back with a cord. His blue eyes shone brightly between the strands.

Carrying a large bundle, the knight approached Noah.

“Looks like you’re finally awake.”

Noah was wary of the mysterious knight at first, but then he remembered that this man had defeated the celestial being.

If the knight had intended harm, Noah realized he would already be dead.

The knight set down his bundle and sat across from Noah. He pulled out a pot, placed it on the hearth, and snapped his fingers.

To Noah’s amazement, water filled the pot seemingly out of nowhere.

“Is that… magic? I’ve never seen a device that creates water on its own…”

The knight shook his head. “It’s more like spirit magic. But let’s skip the complicated explanation.”

He began preparing a meal, chopping ingredients from his bundle. Before long, a savory soup was simmering in the pot.

The knight ladled a steaming bowl of soup and handed it to Noah.

“Eat up. It’ll warm you from the inside.”

Noah hesitated for a moment before taking the bowl and eagerly digging in. The ingredients were fresh and delicious, a far cry from the bland rations he’d been eating in the dungeon.

Seeing Noah quickly finish his bowl, the knight spoke softly.

“There’s plenty more. Help yourself.”

Encouraged by the knight’s words, Noah filled another bowl without hesitation. Though he wasn’t completely at ease, the hearty meal was a welcome change after weeks of tasteless provisions.

“Ahh!”

Noah sighed contentedly, patting his full stomach after finishing the entire pot.

The knight handed him a cup filled with a brown liquid. Noah accepted it with a curious tilt of his head.

“What is this?”

“It’s called cocoa. I thought you’d prefer it over coffee.”

Noah took a sip of the cocoa and was taken aback by its rich, sweet flavor.

“Oh, wow. This is… amazing.”

The knight chuckled at Noah’s reaction.

“Seems like you enjoyed it.”

“I’ve never tasted anything like this before. It’s sweet and smooth… I’ve never had anything like it, even in the cities of Midland.”

The knight nodded. “Cocoa’s a recent discovery. It’ll take time before it becomes a common drink. And they’ll need a sugar substitute.”

Noah didn’t fully grasp the knight’s explanation, but it didn’t matter. He was completely captivated by the new drink.

The knight sipped his coffee leisurely, watching Noah with amusement.

After finishing his drink, Noah cautiously addressed the knight.

“Are you… one of the Ten Stars of the Continent?”

The knight shook his head.

“I’m not sure what the Ten Stars are, but I doubt I’m one of them.”

Noah was taken aback. “You don’t know the Ten Stars? They’re the ten strongest people on the continent… I thought you must be one of them since you defeated a celestial being with just a sword.”

“Interesting. I’ve only recently arrived in the central continent. Could you tell me more about them?”

Noah eagerly launched into an explanation.

“The most famous among the Ten Stars is Alicia Himonas, the Northern Wolf Star! Then there’s Felix, the Golden Star, the top knight of the Midland Union and current league champion. There’s also Yelin Ishtar, the White Light Star, and Reina Turn, the Flash Star. And we can’t forget Zeros Nirvana, the Five-Colored Star!”

After the Celestial War, the continent’s allied forces fought fiercely against the remaining celestial legions. The Ten Stars, with their superhuman strength, became the continent’s heroes and leaders.

Thanks to their efforts, the allied forces triumphed over the celestial armies. To heal the war’s wounds, Midland formed a union of cities, with Atlas at its center, joined by Mycenae, Pansthas, Canus, and others.

The Silver Knight, Kali, was elected as the chairperson of the Midland Federal Republic. She united Midland into a single nation and changed her name to Kali Prana, following her maternal family’s surname.

Kali Prana forged alliances with the Rom Empire, the emerging power of the Kurko Kingdom in the south, the northern continent’s Himonas, and the southern islands’ Pannotia, bringing peace to the entire continent.

While the Central Kingdoms saw knights lose influence to hunter guilds, Midland solidified its federal structure around Mycenae. The Ten Stars and the Midland Federal Knights were key to maintaining this system, and even hunter guilds sought their help with high-level dungeons.

“Have you been to Mycenae? It was heavily damaged during the Celestial War, but now it’s the heart of Midland and completely transformed. The new central plaza is stunning.”

The knight nodded with a smile. “A new plaza, you say? I’m curious. Mycenae wasn’t such a large city back in the day.”

“Now it’s the largest and most beautiful city on the continent. Agamemnon Castle in Mycenae attracts thousands of tourists daily. You might even see Felix there.”

The knight’s smile turned wistful. “Felix, huh… It’s been a long time.”

“Do you know Felix, sir?”

“Yes, we were comrades once.”

Noah’s eyes widened with excitement. “Wow, you fought alongside the Golden Star Felix! I knew you were someone extraordinary!”

Noah bounced with enthusiasm, recounting Felix’s exploits and the adventures of the Ten Stars. Then he looked at the knight with shining eyes.

“But my favorite hero is someone else. Even the Ten Stars admire him.”

The knight poured himself another cup of coffee and encouraged Noah to continue.

“Your favorite hero, you say? Tell me more. It’s been a while since I’ve heard news from the continent.”

Noah tilted his head, puzzled. “You don’t know the Knight of Freedom and Salvation who defeated the evil god Metatron with the Guardians? I went to Mycenae’s plaza just to see the statue of the legendary god-slayer, Sir Zeke…”

Pfft!

The knight suddenly spat out his coffee, looking slightly embarrassed as he asked Noah.

”…There’s a statue? In the plaza?”

“Yes, a statue honoring the savior of our world. So many people come to pay their respects that it’s hard to get close. It’s customary to offer tea, so I did too.”

The knight glanced at his coffee cup, reflecting on how tastes change over time—how someone who once loved tea might now prefer coffee.

Noah continued with a wistful look in his eyes.

“I always wanted to be like Sir Zeke. But as I grew up, I realized… My family isn’t a knightly house; we’re a fallen mage family. So I thought, if I can’t be like Sir Zeke, I might as well become a hunter and make a fortune. Maybe then my family will come to their senses.”

The knight set down his cup and spoke slowly, watching Noah’s somber expression.

“You don’t need to become someone else. Just do what you can. Felix… he was the same.”

Noah’s eyes widened in surprise. “Really? Felix was like that too?”

“Yes, even the Ten Stars had their struggles at first. They grew by doing what they could, one step at a time.”

The knight moved closer and placed a reassuring hand on Noah’s shoulder.

A powerful light surged from Noah’s body.

The knight nodded, observing the phenomenon. “I suspected as much. You have an unquenchable magical flame within you.”

“In me? Really?”

“Yes, it’s an irregularity known as infinite magic—a rare talent. Why haven’t you learned magic with such a gift?”

Noah hesitated, then spoke. “Magic is old-fashioned. These days, magic engineering is all the rage.”

The knight glanced at the remnants of the mechanical devices the hunters had left behind. “That’s something that would make the dragons and wizards who created these marvels turn in their graves. Magic engineering is just a fruit of magic itself. If you master magic, you could surpass even Sir Zeke.”

Noah was startled by the knight’s words. “Sir, you shouldn’t say things like that! Even a hint of criticism against Sir Zeke could bring the Ten Stars and all the guardians from across the continent after you!”

“Is it really that serious?” The knight looked momentarily flustered, then shook his head and addressed Noah again. “If you want to return home, I’ll take you.”

Noah shook his head. “No, I want to go to Pannotia Academy. I want to become a hunter and make lots of money!”

“So you can take revenge on your family?”

Noah hesitated, his bravado faltering. Despite his words, it seemed he wanted to restore his fallen family with the money he earned.

The knight watched him for a moment, then nodded. “Then let’s head to Pannotia together. We’ve dealt with the troublemakers, so we can take a break.”

“You’re coming to Pannotia too?”

“Yes, I’m curious to see how much it’s changed. I also want to check on my old friends and mentor.”

“You must have been away for a long time if you haven’t been in touch.”

The knight nodded. “I traveled to a continent across the sea. It was a struggle to return with my strength not what it used to be.”

“Are you talking about the New Continent? I’ve heard rumors—more dungeons than the Central Continent, and cities of forgotten civilizations.”

“They call it the New Continent, but I was even further away. When I returned to the material world, I found new continents beyond it. It took time to track down the constellations hiding there.”

Noah tilted his head, puzzled. He’d never heard of continents beyond the New Continent. ‘The knight must be mistaken,’ he thought.

Noah and the knight gathered their belongings, preparing to leave the dungeon. The pretty bird that had woken Noah earlier now perched on the knight’s shoulder.

As Noah watched the bird, he asked the knight, “By the way, what’s your name? I’m Noah.”

The knight looked at Noah and spoke slowly. “My name is… not Zeke, but Rio. You can call me Rio.”

Noah repeated the name with a smile and extended his hand. “Nice to meet you, Sir Rio.”

Rio returned the smile and shook Noah’s hand. “Nice to meet you too, Noah.”