The Path of Ruin-Chapter 102: Passing With Flying Colors

The cold was real.

The harsh, biting winds hitting his face, the snowflakes that wouldn't melt despite his body heat accumulating on his skin, the storm's intensity making it hard to see even a meter ahead, his movement restricted by the snow that felt like it was almost up to his waist...

Everything was real.

'H- how?!'

Even though he felt like he was about to freeze to death, Kael couldn't believe his eyes or any of his other senses.

Was it teleportation? In that brief moment, so quickly that he couldn't even comprehend what was happening, had the Marshal managed to transport him into the middle of such a violent snowstorm?

'Nonsense... This is absolute nonsense!'

He clenched his teeth, but his muscles were so weak from the cold that he couldn't even do that properly.

He was panicking. He was trying to find a solution, anything, but he was starting to struggle even with that. With every passing second, his body grew weaker, the cold seeping deeper into him.

How much time did he have before he died?

Not a minute, surely.

Half a minute?

He wanted to click his tongue, but he didn't want to use energy doing that either.

Was there really a way to escape from here?

'Ah, I'm really such a fucking idiot! I have to use eon!'

He was so panicked, he was in such a ridiculous and absurd situation that he had forgotten the one thing that could increase his chances of survival, even a little. The fact that his thoughts were abnormally slow was another factor.

He focused on his eon as fast as he could. He quickly strengthened his body and made it resilient. He didn't know how much it would help against such an abnormal cold, but he had no better option.

Yes, he was hopeless.

Yes, he was definitely going to die.

Yes, perhaps all he was doing was adding a few minutes to his life, which would soon fade away.

Still... he wouldn't leave without doing everything he could.

So he moved, pushing himself as hard as he could. No matter how frozen his muscles were, no matter how much each movement felt like they were shattering, he tried to take a step.

And, even though the snow up to his waist made it as difficult as possible, even though his muscles felt like they were actually tearing apart... he somehow managed to do it.

He took a small, tiny step forward.

Then...

"...?"

He paused.

"H- ha... Ha?"

His vision wasn't blocked by that fierce snowstorm now.

On the contrary, it was clear.

He could see the figure looking at him, those sharp, dark red eyes.

'I'm... back?'

He really was back.

He was in the Marshal's room again. Hakon was right next to him, in his chair.

The deadly cold he felt, the feeling that his whole body was literally about to freeze...

They were all gone.

'Was it really an illusion?'

He had experienced something impossible to grasp or comprehend. Yet he had specifically confirmed that it was not an illusion.

So, had he come to the wrong conclusion?

"With all due respect, Marshal... I didn't think you needed to use your World. Isn't that going a bit too far for a small test?"

Hakon's words made his thoughts pause. What came out of his mouth echoed in his mind again and again. After that, his thoughts returned in an even more complicated way than before.

World?

What was that?

It was clear they were talking about something different from the world they lived in, but the term 'World' was difficult to understand in such a situation.

Was it related to the Path the Marshal was following?

Or perhaps it was one of the extra abilities obtained in one of the later Path Stages?

Regardless of which one it was, a single word crossed Kael's mind.

'D- damn...'

He hadn't recovered from the impact of returning from there, but it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say his mind was actually blown.

The Marshal... was powerful.

"I wanted to be sure. Maybe he'd slip something out to save himself, maybe you lied about the boy you couldn't stop praising in your reports just to get my attention. Whatever the case, I wanted to see for myself."

This man... was even more terrifying than he had imagined. The man standing before him was the kind of man he would never want to face, no matter what the scenario.

He wasn't just powerful; he was also skeptical and intelligent. At least, that was the impression he had given Kael.

"I see... What do you think, then?"

After Hakon's question, Kael, who had regained his composure somewhat with the passing of time, refocused on the Marshal.

Even though he was the main subject, even though he felt as if he had returned from the brink of death, watching silently was what he had to do now. And that's what he did.

The Marshal shifted his gaze back to Kael as the question was directed at him.

Their eyes met.

The old man's eyes seemed much more intense and intimidating than before. Still, Kael, unlike last time, didn't panic or crumble under the pressure. He maintained eye contact. He was also curious about what this old and frightening man would say.

And after that... the corners of the Marshal's lips lifted slightly.

"Most people would accept death. When the things they tried failed one after another, they would fall into despair and eventually give up. But he didn't do that. On the contrary, even in that ridiculous situation, he forced himself to take steps forward. I can say he passed with flying colors. He definitely has potential... more than enough, in fact."

Kael's eyes sparkled with understanding as he heard this.

So that was the test.

To see if he would give up, to observe if he would take that step.

'An interesting test, for sure...'

"I liked his mentality. That aside, the amount of eon he has is also abnormal for a Follower. At first, I thought he was a Pursuer and you were trying to hide it. But I can see that's not the case. There's no doubt he's talented. A truly interesting young man."

Being praised felt good. It was a nice feeling for sure.

However, he really wasn't sure how he should react in this situation.

Should he maintain his silence as he had done so far, or should he thank him? Would that be disrespectful?

Fortunately, he didn't have to keep thinking about it.

Because the old Marshal asked the long-awaited question.

"Kael. I want you to tell me everything you've experienced, from beginning to end."

Not to Hakon, but to him personally.

And with that, Kael couldn't help but swallow hard.

'We're finally starting, huh…'

Until now, they hadn't told Marshal any lies. The report was largely accurate, except for a slight exaggeration about himself. So why had he and Hakon concocted lies before?

Well, for this very moment.

For the moment when he would tell the story himself.

"Thank you for your hospitality and your praise, Sir Marshal. As for what I have to say on the matter, it was two months ago, if my memory serves me correctly. A simple mission to the Barony of Ghran-"

"Ah, no."

Kael abruptly stopped speaking. Not only did he stop, but a slight panic enveloped him, though he didn't show it outwardly.

What, had he done something wrong?

The Marshal seemed quite calm, not irritated or disturbed by anything.

Then what was the problem?

"I want you to start from the beginning."

...

Kael opened his mouth, but then closed it. For a moment, he couldn't help but show his surprise at the thought that had just crossed his mind. He just stared at the Marshal with an expression that showed he didn't understand what was going on.

'Wait... no, it can't be... can it?'

"I want you to start even before this matter. I want you to start even before you began working for General Loukan and Hakon."

"..."

'Really?'

This was one of the very few things that hadn't been discussed in all his conversations with Hakon.

It was the last thing they wanted, an unexpected development.

The Marshal had made a request from a point they had not worked on before, and now... 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

"I want you to tell me in detail why and how you got to where you are now."

He was in a difficult position. A very difficult one.

His lips parted slightly in surprise as he glanced at Hakon.

Hakon... was calm.

He showed no emotion outwardly. Although he had revealed his surprise at the Marshal's request in a very minimal way, with a professional demeanor, so as not to arouse suspicion, his expression was as if there were no problem at all.

But despite this, Kael did not miss the look of discomfort in his eyes. He was in a difficult situation, just like Kael. This wasn't part of the details of their planned meeting. But now, here, standing right in front of the Marshal, there was no chance for any missteps.

What could he do?

How could he overcome this 'minor' problem?

He put his mind to work. He had to think fast, not just think at all. After all, the person in front of him was one of the two marshals of the vast Empire. If he made a mistake, this was someone who would notice it.

And... before much more time passed, he managed to decide on something.

Kael, acting hesitantly as a normal person his age would, continued to look silently at Hakon. It was as if... he was asking for a sign, for permission.

Hakon quickly noticed this. Then he understood what Kael was trying to do.

He assessed the situation as quickly as possible, then put a small smile on his face.

"You can go ahead, Kael."

Kael looked at Hakon as if begging him, as if he didn't really want to say anything. His expression was such that Hakon wondered for a moment if he had misunderstood him. Still, just in case, he continued to go along with it.

"There's no need to be afraid."

Finally, Kael took on an even more uncomfortable expression. Still, he took his eyes off Hakon and turned them back to the Marshal.

He took a deep breath, as if preparing himself.

Then the first words came out of his mouth.

"I was... a slave."

Well, sure. He was going to lie.

But the best lies were undoubtedly those mixed with truths.