Mike was about to open the door when Alya suddenly spoke again, her voice returning to its usual soft and playful tone.
"Don't you think… that man felt a little different?"
Mike's hand stopped on the door handle.
Alya slowly continued,
"What was his name again… Medusa?"
Mike quietly opened the door and stepped outside.
"Everyone is different," he said calmly.
"Even you aren't like the others."
Hearing that, a faint smile appeared on Alya's face.
"…He really is different."
After that, Alya also stood up and quietly left the room.
That night—
Moonlight poured through the hospital window and spread across Sota's room like silver water.
The entire room was dyed in pale white light.
Sota lay silently on the bed with a white blanket pulled close to his face.
His eyes stared quietly into the darkness.
"Tomorrow morning…"
"…I have to prove myself."
Slowly, he closed his eyes and drifted into the calm silence of the night.
Upstairs, Medusa sat alone on his bed.
He quietly removed the bandages wrapped around his arms and neck.
The wounds had mostly healed, but faint scars still remained on his skin.
"I need to control my power…"
"…otherwise I'll never become stronger."
A black sword suddenly appeared in his hand.
The blade had become thinner than before, but its dark surface still reflected Medusa's shadow clearly.
For a few seconds, he silently stared at it.
Then—
the sword dissolved into his body like black smoke.
Medusa slowly laid back on the bed.
Moonlight fell softly across his face.
To escape the bright light, he closed his eyes—
and soon fell into a deep sleep.
Morning arrived.
The sun rose over Ottar City—
but the city no longer felt alive.
No birds sang.
No carriages moved across the streets.
Every shop remained closed.
The roads that were once crowded with people now felt strangely empty…
like a dead city abandoned overnight.
Never before had Ottar City been this silent.
Inside the dressing room of the Adventure Organization—
Mike tightened the belt around his knight uniform and adjusted the black cloth around his waist.
Then he slowly turned around.
Behind him, a young man was kneeling with his head lowered respectfully.
In a calm voice, he spoke,
"Your sword…"
"…Red Vestia…"
"…has been recovered."
At that moment—
the dressing room door opened.
An old man walked inside.
His body looked worn from countless battles fought over many years.
In his hand was a sword.
Its design was simple—
yet the blade strangely looked as if countless stars were shining across its surface.
The moment Mike saw it—
his expression changed slightly.
He slowly knelt down and raised both hands respectfully.
"…Forgive me."
"I lost it."
The old man gently placed the sword into Mike's hands.
"This sword could never truly leave you."
Then he looked directly into Mike's eyes.
"Make sure your mission succeeds."
"…Well done."
After saying that, the old man quietly walked away.
Silence filled the room once again.
Mike lowered his gaze toward Red Vestia.
The reflection inside the blade looked strangely cold.
Outside the hospital—
Medusa stood waiting quietly.
The bandages on his body were gone now, though faint injury marks still remained visible on his skin.
"Hm…"
"Sota, you're late again."
Suddenly—
Sota appeared right behind him, bending over while breathing heavily.
"Ahh…"
"That was my final checkup…"
Medusa turned slightly toward him.
"But all your checkups were already finished."
Sota scratched the back of his head awkwardly and smiled.
"Yeah…"
"But when I woke up, I came straight to find you…"
"So they did a few more tests after that."
After catching his breath, Sota straightened himself and spoke seriously.
"So…"
"Where are we going now?"
"To Numalicus City…"
"…or somewhere else?"
Medusa slowly walked closer.
"You're still not ready for Numalicus City."
"But…"
"…you are ready to search for answers."
Then he calmly spoke the name—
"Jinki Mountain."
The moment Sota heard those words—
his expression turned serious.
He stared directly at Medusa.
Jinki Mountain—
A place said to hold immense power…
and answers to every question.
But every answer demanded a price.
People said everything existed there—
truth…
power…
even forgotten secrets.
But there was also one terrifying rumor.
No one who entered Jinki Mountain…
had ever returned alive.