Chapter 312

Chapter 312
Chapter 312

—

“You have found a most peculiar child.”

The Great Elder spoke, his voice carrying a hint of genuine fascination. The guest Lyca had escorted—the sole individual he had ever brought to this place—radiated an aura that was a world away from the Lyca of decades past. Back then, Lyca had resembled a cornered, bleeding beast. He had been a ball of tension, leaking murderous intent and devoid of even a trace of serenity.

But the young man now meeting the Elder’s gaze was a different breed entirely.

‘He possesses true composure.’

It had been evident from the moment he arrived. Typically, anyone stepping into the Holy Land for the first time was inevitably crushed by its weight. They would lose themselves to the sheer pressure of the environment. This place offered a transcendent vista unseen in the mortal realm; it was only natural for a person to shrink when faced with a multitude of spirit beasts and the presence of Immortals. Until this day, there hadn’t been a single soul who didn’t buckle.

And yet…

‘He is actually wearing a smile.’

Far from being paralyzed by stress, he was more relaxed than Lyca, who had guided him here. It seemed almost impossible. Usually, one would expect the student to be rigid with nerves while the mentor remained calm. Here, the roles were flipped. The master was visibly taut, while the student carried himself with ease. What was more—

‘A calm rooted in absolute certainty. A conviction that his life is in no danger.’

Confidence practically radiated from him. One only had to observe his eyes to see it. He held a gaze that felt almost like a dare directed at the Great Elder. It was as if he viewed this sacred journey as nothing more than a casual walk.

Still, it was baffling. Unless his mind was completely fractured—and perhaps even then—hardly anyone in existence could maintain eye contact with the Great Elder so boldly. His were the eyes of an Immortal. To look into them was usually to be consumed by the infinite mysteries of the cosmos, forcing a person to realize how trivial and insignificant their own life was. It was the feeling of being a pathetic speck before the overwhelming scale of nature and the galaxy.

Because of this, even Lyca had been unable to meet his gaze for years. Whether a person was a saint or a villain, they were nothing but a grain of sand before the Great Elder’s existence. This was why the Elder remarked that Lyca had found an interesting child. He couldn’t fathom where such boldness came from, but it was clear this youth was the polar opposite of what Lyca had been as a boy. If that was the case, would his spirit be the same?

“I have no hostile intentions. Therefore, put away your thirst for blood.”

The Great Elder offered Lyca a faint smile. It appeared Lyca was under the impression the Elder intended to harm his pupil. The second their eyes had met, Lyca had begun radiating a frantic level of killing intent. It was a disrespectful display within the sanctified Holy Land, but…

‘A tragic destiny.’

This, too, was a thread of fate. It was the rhythm of a world attempting to return to its origin after completing a full rotation. Lyca was in that position now. He was following the path of his own Master, and the masters before him, stretching back through the ages. They were all fated to return to this spot at the edge of death. This was the cradle of the Eight Houses, and the Great Elder was a figure who had stood watch since the very dawn of that lineage.

So, he chose to overlook the disrespect. Ultimately, this was a life with less than ten days of breath remaining. It was the Great Elder’s duty to witness the final moments of those who carried the legacy of the Eight Houses.

‘Nothing ever shifts.’

The chronicle of the Holy Land and the Sanctuary of Honor’s judgments spanned an unfathomable amount of time. In those countless centuries, the outcome had deviated only twice. The Sanctuary tested the purity of the heart and the nobility of the soul. Consequently, simply performing good deeds did not guarantee a different verdict.

There were outliers, of course—instances where an individual amassed a truly staggering, superhuman level of honor. But achieving that within the confines of a human life was nearly impossible. Nor was it a status one reached simply by surviving for many years.

‘Honor is a fragile thing, easily chipped away.’

A long life was often just a long list of errors. And honor could be eroded by a single, minor lapse in judgment. As a person’s power grew and their duties became more significant, the impact of those errors grew accordingly. This was why the results had only changed twice in all the years the Holy Land had stood.

Yet, it was the nature of humanity to fly toward a flicker of hope like a moth to a flame. The two previous exceptions had both reshaped the world. Those who had altered the verdict had carved their names into eternity. What about Lyca? Could he truly be the third person to break the cycle?

“Let the trial of the Holy Land commence. Everyone, follow me.”

Lyca trailed behind the Great Elder, his expression tight. Suddenly, a memory surfaced of his first visit here as a young boy with his own teacher. Despite forty years passing, the Great Elder remained unchanged. His Master, and the Master before him, and those even further back—the Great Elder had always occupied this space in this exact form. He was like a living monument of the Eight Houses.

—Lyca. Never turn the Great Elder into your foe. At the very least, he is the one person you must not cross. He has walked this earth since before the world was torn asunder…

On his deathbed, Lyca’s Master had given him that desperate warning—never show hostility to the Great Elder. He told him that even if the rest of the council was against him, he must leave that man alone. Now, the reason was glaringly obvious.

‘There are no openings…’

Not a single flaw. The Great Elder was an absolute entity. He seemed so invincible that Lyca wondered if he could even stand a chance if he unleashed the Five Gates. Furthermore, if he had existed before the division, it meant he predated the moment Ruin split Pangenia into the realms of the Abyss and the Heavens.

‘The witness to the Eight Houses of the Old Empire.’

The Old Empire. The four legendary lineages that defined that era: Eight Houses, Dercian, Arhon, and Rahon. A time when those families, including the Arhon royalty, held power that rivaled the gods. The Great Elder was an ancient titan from that era, or perhaps even earlier.

However, the reason for his ties to the Eight Houses remained a mystery. Even the previous heads of the house didn’t know his true history. They only knew—

‘The guardian of the Holy Land. The one who is bound to it.’

The Great Elder was unable to leave this place. But that didn’t mean his strength was tied solely to this ground. If leaving the Holy Land was the price of his power, then that limitation would be a “gap.” A weakness is, by definition, an opening, and Lyca should have been able to perceive it through the Grain. But there was nothing. It meant that regardless of where he stood, the Great Elder was a monster without a single point of vulnerability.

‘…Regardless, the Great Elder does not command the will of the Holy Land itself.’

The spirit of the Holy Land and the Great Elder were distinct entities. The Sanctuary of Honor was a realm that weighed truth alone. Even if the Great Elder held a grudge, the Holy Land would not mirror his bias. It was said that the true essence of the Eight Houses was only unlocked upon receiving validation here. Though Lyca had perfected the Five Gates and the secret arts, he had never truly been sanctioned by the Holy Land.

‘If it were the person I am today…’

That was his hope. As a child, he had been violently rejected by the Holy Land. He had lost consciousness and woken up back in the Empire, having failed utterly.

—It doesn’t matter. You are my pupil even without the Holy Land’s blessing.
—You are the only successor I recognize.
—Lyca. Let us show them together.
—Let us prove the Holy Land was mistaken, that they were blind to your worth.
—Let us reshape the world, Lyca!

Despite the outcry of everyone else, the former Master had taken Lyca in. But his teacher had passed away shortly after. Left to fend for himself, Lyca had spent his life in a constant dance with death. He never had the chance to change the world. Still, Lyca felt he had lived with enough honor. He had spent his years cleansing the Abyss and pushing the Empire’s borders. He had built the knight order into the finest in the land. He had forged a legacy from nothing. If that wasn’t honorable, then what was?

“Now, Lyca. This is the true ‘Sanctuary of Honor.’ Surely you recall it?”

The Great Elder came to a halt. Directly ahead was the ‘Sanctuary of Honor.’ The Grail located outside was merely a hollow imitation of this site. It was a decoy meant to shield the true Sanctuary. The reason for the secrecy was obvious.

A monumental tree stood there. In a cavern where no external light could reach, this single tree radiated its own glow. It was more vibrant and ethereal than any forest on earth.

“The World Tree…”

The legendary World Tree, rumored to exist only in the heart of the Primal Forest. It was here, within the Holy Land. The Great Elder gave a nod.

“It is the ‘World Tree of Honor.’ A magnificent sight reserved only for those of true character, those who have proven they are worthy to stand before it.”

The counterfeit Grail outside paled in comparison to the World Tree. No deity could match its majesty.

“Seek the verdict once more—to see if you are a worthy heir to the Eight Houses.”

The Great Elder smiled. This was the final chance.

*Step—*

Lyca moved forward slowly. He was incredibly cautious, his body humming with tension.

‘…I am no longer that boy.’

Lyca tightened his grip. Sweat beaded in his palms. That Tree of Honor was his greatest trauma. Because he had been denied, his Master had died in isolation. He had died without any honors. To be laid to rest under the blessing of the World Tree was the sacred rite of their house, yet even that had been stolen from him.

All because his Master had defied the Holy Land to teach him.

‘Master.’

Looking back, he realized he had rarely even called him “Master.” Young Lyca had been too full of rage toward the world. He had been trafficked and had killed his captors. He had endured unspeakable pain. Naturally, he trusted no one. He had assumed his Master had a hidden, selfish motive.

He realized the truth far too late. It was only after the man was gone that he understood his Master was the only one who truly believed in him. That was why when Hyun called him “Master,” it struck a chord. Why hadn’t he seen it sooner? He should have known much earlier. Why had he spent so long viewing the world through a lens of bitterness?

‘Master, you must have felt exactly as I do now.’

He had finally understood, right at the end. Neither his Master nor himself should have lived with such narrow hearts. But that was the human condition. The Lyca of today, however, was a different man. He knew the value of honor now. He had lived a life he could stand by. Surely, his Master would be proud.

*Step—*

Lyca crossed into the circle of the World Tree. He took a long breath and spoke.

“I, Lyca, stand here as the rightful bearer of the ‘Eight Houses.’ Acknowledge my path, World Tree of Honor!”

Accept me. Prove that my Master’s faith was justified—that I am the true heir to this name. I said, accept me!

*Rustle!*

In that heartbeat, the leaves of the World Tree began to thrash. Then—

*Boom!*

An invisible force slammed into his chest. Lyca was thrown backward, cast out of the domain.

“……”

He didn’t pass out this time. But a look of profound fury washed over his face. He was convinced he had changed. He believed he would finally be welcomed. But—

‘Are you telling me that none of it mattered…?’

It was a repeat of his childhood. The verdict remained unchanged. He was to be denied the name of the Eight Houses forever.

“A truly unfortunate conclusion.”

The Great Elder shook his head. It was the outcome he had expected. With this, the matter was settled.

“Depart in peace. This is not where you will find your rest, Lyca.”

Furthermore, he would not allow Lyca to pass away here. One who lacked the Holy Land’s sanction could not die under its protection. The Empire was the only place left for him. Take your student and go.

“As expected, the bloodline tells the story.”
“I knew it forty years ago when I first laid eyes on you.”
“How much of the world’s grime have you gathered on your soul?”
“You simply do not belong in the Immortal Realm.”

The other Elders murmured and clicked their tongues, acting as if they had known all along. A man without honor. A man unfit for the legacy.

*SHHHHHHHHH!*

But then.

“What…?”
“The World Tree?”
“What is happening?”

The leaves of the World Tree began to vibrate again, far more intensely than before. But that wasn’t the shock. The scene unfolding made even the Great Elder, who had seen everything, freeze in disbelief.

‘The leaves are…!’

Suddenly, they erupted. Brilliantly colored flowers burst forth from among the green.

*VROOOOM!*

The World Tree turned a vibrant, deep emerald, and a blinding light surged outward, flooding the entire Holy Land with its radiance.