Karl stood silently, his gaze fixed on the tiny golden droplet hovering just above his palm. At first glance, it appeared unremarkable—no violent magical fluctuations, no dazzling brilliance that would attract attention from afar. And yet, the moment one focused on it, a strange sensation emerged. It radiated a gentle warmth, pure and steady, like sunlight condensed into a tangible form. Within that warmth was a faint but unmistakable vitality, something that felt both ancient and sacred.
This was not ordinary energy.
It was something far more refined—something closer to divinity.
Karl's lips curled upward, unable to suppress the satisfaction welling inside him. For the first time in nearly two months, a genuine smile appeared on his face.
"Ha…"
The quiet exhale carried exhaustion, relief, and pride all at once.
"Nearly two months of sleepless nights… pushing my body to its limits… draining and refilling solar energy hundreds of times a day…"
His voice trailed off as he studied the droplet more closely.
"All that effort… and now, finally…"
His eyes sharpened slightly.
"It's no longer just an intangible aura."
"It has taken form."
The golden droplet trembled faintly, as though responding to his awareness. Compared to the divine power he had previously manipulated, this was fundamentally different. Before, his power had been diffuse—like mist, scattered and difficult to grasp. Now, it had been compressed, refined, and elevated into something far more cohesive.
A qualitative leap.
This was not just accumulation—it was transformation.
What pleased Karl the most, however, was not merely the density of the energy, but its behavior.
He relaxed his control slightly, observing.
The droplet did not dissipate.
Instead, it remained stable—quietly absorbing the surrounding sunlight. Even without deliberate guidance, it drew in solar energy from the environment and slowly converted it into more of its own kind.
It was subtle. Slow.
But it was autonomous.
Karl's eyes flickered with recognition.
"This… is the real breakthrough."
Before this moment, everything had depended entirely on his active effort. If he stopped, the process stopped. But now—
This droplet could sustain itself.
Grow on its own.
Even if only at a minimal rate, the implication was enormous.
From zero to one.
A foundation had been established.
And yet, the smile on his face faded almost as quickly as it had appeared.
Karl slowly lifted his gaze toward the sky.
The sun hung high above, vast and eternal, radiating endless light and heat. Compared to that celestial body, the droplet in his hand felt almost laughably insignificant.
A single grain of sand beneath an infinite desert.
"…At this rate…"
A trace of frustration crept into his expression.
"Two months… just to condense something this small."
His fingers curled slightly as he continued staring at the sun.
"How long would it take to reach the level of those beings in myths and legends?"
His thoughts raced.
"Decades?"
"Centuries?"
"Or something even longer…?"
Karl was not naïve. He understood that true power—especially power that transcended mortal limits—could not be rushed. Every step forward required time, discipline, and relentless effort.
But understanding something logically did not make it easier to accept emotionally.
Not when time itself felt like an enemy.
A faint chill passed through his mind as he recalled the looming threats—the frost, the calamity hidden behind that mysterious "door."
The future was uncertain.
And potentially catastrophic.
Against such forces, slow progress was a luxury he could hardly afford.
Still, Karl did not allow frustration to consume him. His mind had been tempered through countless trials, and he quickly regained his composure.
Even now, in the midst of his concerns, he could feel something new within himself.
Something subtle.
Something different.
A faint sense of authority.
It was not overwhelming. Not even particularly noticeable unless he focused on it.
But it was there.
A connection to the sun.
Karl narrowed his eyes slightly, experimenting.
Almost unconsciously, he allowed that connection to extend outward.
The effect was immediate.
The sunlight around him began to shift.
At first, it was barely perceptible. But within moments, the light in his vicinity grew stronger, more concentrated—like a localized intensification of the sun's rays.
It was not blinding, nor was it chaotic.
It was controlled.
Refined.
The air itself seemed warmer, infused with a gentle radiance that made everything feel more vivid.
Karl observed the phenomenon carefully.
"This isn't passive…"
He muttered softly.
"I'm influencing it."
It wasn't deliberate—not entirely. More like an instinctive reaction, as though his presence alone subtly altered the environment.
A domain, albeit an extremely weak one.
"…So this is what it means to step onto this path."
After a moment, he withdrew his focus.
The change was immediate.
The intensified sunlight gradually dispersed, returning to its natural state. The warmth faded, and the surroundings settled back into the soft, subdued glow of dusk.
Karl exhaled quietly.
"At least…"
A faint hint of resolve returned to his expression.
"I'm moving in the right direction."
With a simple thought, he recalled the golden droplet.
It sank gently into his palm and merged back into his body without resistance. Instantly, he felt a steady stream of energy flowing through him—subtle, but constant.
A foundation had been established.
Now came the real challenge.
Accumulation.
Endurance.
And perhaps… finding ways to accelerate the process.
Karl did not linger any longer. His figure blurred slightly as he descended from the sky, his presence concealed once more by a faint distortion—like a ripple in the air.
He moved silently, like an invisible breeze, until he arrived at the training grounds.
The scene before him was lively.
Dozens of knights clad in heavy plate armor filled the field. They wielded blunt training swords, striking sturdy wooden dummies with powerful, deliberate blows. Each strike was accompanied by a loud shout, their voices echoing across the area.
Sweat soaked through their garments, their breathing heavy and rhythmic.
Despite the fatigue, none of them slowed down.
Their discipline was evident.
On another part of the field, a group of younger children practiced in pairs. They held lightweight wooden swords, clashing awkwardly but enthusiastically under the watchful eyes of supervising knights.
The instructors were not masters, but they were experienced enough to maintain order—and more importantly, to ensure that no one was seriously injured.
At the edge of the field, a running track circled the perimeter.
There, Roche led a group of teenagers through endurance training. They ran in formation, their steps synchronized as much as possible despite their exhaustion.
Their clothes were drenched in sweat.
Some struggled to keep pace.
But none of them stopped.
Karl's gaze swept across the entire training ground, silently observing.
There was progress.
Not extraordinary, but steady.
And in times like these, steady progress was enough.
Finally, his attention shifted toward a quieter corner of the field.
A row of benches sat there, slightly removed from the noise and activity.
Two figures were seated side by side.
Dalton.
Philip.
Their eyes were closed, their bodies still.
But they were not resting.
Their breathing followed a distinct rhythm—slow, controlled, and deliberate. Each inhale and exhale carried a faint sense of alignment with the surrounding environment.
They were practicing.
The Sun Breathing Technique.
Karl watched them with interest.
Then—
Almost simultaneously, both Dalton and Philip's expressions shifted.
Their brows furrowed slightly, and their breathing faltered for a brief moment.
Their eyes opened.
They looked around instinctively.
Then, as if guided by an unseen force, both of them turned their heads in the exact direction where Karl stood—hidden, invisible.
There was nothing there.
At least, nothing visible.
The rest of the training ground continued as usual, with no indication that anything was out of place.
And yet…
The two exchanged a glance.
They could feel it.
The solar energy in that area was… different.
More active.
More concentrated.
As if a miniature sun had appeared within that space.
Philip hesitated for a moment before speaking cautiously.
"…Lord Karl?"
His voice was low, uncertain.
For a brief instant, nothing happened.
Then—
The air shimmered.
A faint ripple spread outward, like the surface of water disturbed by a pebble.
In the next moment, the concentrated warmth surged forward.
Karl stepped into visibility.
He looked down at the two of them, a hint of surprise flickering in his eyes.
"…You noticed?"
His tone carried curiosity rather than suspicion.
He raised an eyebrow slightly.
"You can sense me even when I'm concealed?"
"The Sun Breathing Technique shouldn't grant that kind of perception… does it?"
Dalton immediately shook his head.
"No, my lord. It's not that we can see you."
He tapped his temple lightly, then gestured toward the surrounding air.
"It's more… a feeling."
He paused, searching for the right words.
"Since we started practicing the technique, our sensitivity to solar energy has improved."
"When you were standing there just now…"
He glanced toward the empty space where Karl had been.
"The energy in that area became unusually dense. Far more concentrated than anywhere else."
"It felt like a powerful source had appeared out of nowhere."
Philip nodded in agreement, adding quietly:
"In our perception… you're like a small sun walking on the ground."
He hesitated briefly before continuing.
"The solar energy you emit… is second only to the real sun in the sky."
Karl listened carefully.
Then he nodded.
"I see."
A faint look of approval appeared in his eyes.
"It seems the technique is working as intended."
"There's a resonance forming between you and me."
He folded his arms thoughtfully.
"You can't see through invisibility—but you can sense the energy fluctuations associated with it."
"That's… useful."
Dalton straightened slightly.
"We're still far from mastering it, my lord."
Karl shook his head.
"You've already grasped the fundamentals."
"That's enough for now."
He paused, then added:
"Continue refining your perception. It will become sharper over time."
At that moment, Dalton seemed to recall something.
"My lord…"
Karl looked at him.
"What is it?"
Dalton spoke carefully.
"Lord Raymond contacted you five days ago."
Karl frowned slightly.
"Five days ago?"
Dalton nodded.
"Yes. It seemed important."
"But… you didn't respond."
Philip added:
"The adults didn't tell us the details."
Karl's expression shifted as he thought back.
Five days ago…
That was during the most critical phase of condensing the divine power droplet.
He had been completely absorbed in the process.
Completely isolated.
"…I see."
A faint tension entered his gaze.
"If it was important enough to reach out…"
He exhaled slowly.
"Then it likely can't be ignored."
The brief moment of calm faded.
Something was coming.
And whatever it was—
It would not wait.
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