MTLNOVEL Chapter 299
Chapter 300. The Secret of Birth (1)
Keter thought he could easily handle this request too.
If he tried to slap Alter with the intent to kill, Alter would surely get angry. If he fought half-heartedly, it might spark some will to live in Alter.
However, Alter didn’t budge. Despite attacks powerful enough to tear steel like paper, despite the humiliation of being slapped.
Stinging.
Instead, it was Keter’s palm that trembled after slapping Alter.
“Feels like I just punched a mountain made of steel.”
It was only because it was Keter that his palm remained intact. Any ordinary Transcendent Being would have had their palm shattered. That’s how insane the recoil was.
Ivan, watching Keter struggle, smiled deeper than ever and said, “Alter is a Transcendent Being from the previous era of the fallen Mage Empire, a time of endless war known as the Warring States period. You’re not someone who can handle him.”
“A living fossil, huh.”
The Mage Empire was the only empire to ever unify all continents, but it had been a fallen nation for over 1,000 years.
Keter finally understood why Alter had lost interest in this world.
‘He must have lived for thousands of years. There’s nothing he hasn’t done.’
He’d probably done everything a human could do, and even things humans couldn’t.
It might seem like there’s no chance of winning, but Keter’s competitive spirit didn’t waver.
‘If I had no attachment to this world, I’d have gone to the afterlife. But this guy didn’t. That means he still has some lingering attachments.’
Keter didn’t bother trying to present something Alter “hadn’t done before.” Even if Alter had done it, Keter thought about what could be “different.”
Ivan, watching Keter ponder, crossed his arms.
“Waking Alter is a traditional initiation rite of the Syndicate. No one has succeeded so far.”
Ivan had also failed. No matter what he offered, Alter ignored it.
“You. You’ve lived for thousands of years, right?”
“……”
Alter didn’t respond, but Keter didn’t care and started talking to himself.
“You must be incredibly strong. So strong that even I can’t guarantee victory. Even if we fought hundreds, thousands of times, the result would be the same. You’ve probably done everything, not just in combat but in other fields too.”
“…But there’s one area where I can beat you. ‘Raising Disciples.’ If the disciples you raised fought the ones I raised, it’s clear who would win. My disciples.”
Twitch.
Alter’s eyelid moved. Ivan wondered if he’d seen wrong. Keter, not satisfied, continued.
“You know why I think I have a chance? If the disciples you raised had achieved greatness, I would’ve heard of the name Alter. Even if there’s no Alter Kingdom in this world, there should be an Alter family, but there isn’t. That proves you’re terrible at raising disciples.”
“…Ah, what a shame. If I could’ve bet on this outcome, I would’ve wagered everything—my soul, my family, my relatives, even the soul of my in-law’s friend’s dog!”
Under the barrage of “You suck at raising disciples,” Alter’s eyes shot open.
It was then that Ivan realized for the first time. Alter’s pupils were black. Alter, now sitting up, stared intently at Keter.
“Raising Disciples.”
Alter only spoke those words. But Keter nodded in response.
“Twenty years from now. We’ll pit our disciples against each other. The loser will surrender everything to the winner.”
“Name.”
“Keter.”
“Keter. I’ll remember.”
Whoosh.
Alter stood up.
Ivan and Tuska, who had been watching, were frozen like statues.
“This… could be fun.”
As if moving for the first time in a long while, Alter stretched his hands and loosened his body.
Keter was momentarily speechless. Even lying down like a corpse, Alter had felt overwhelmingly powerful. But now that he was standing, that aura had amplified dozens of times.
A strength that far surpassed even the monarch of the Lilian Kingdom. Alter’s power clearly seemed to be at the level of an 8-star Irregular, the realm Keter aspired to.
‘I’m screwed.’
Even Keter, the unrivaled Keter, felt a tinge of regret. Alter was absurdly strong.
But he quickly composed himself.
‘Why am I scared? I’m not fighting him right now. I’m confident I can raise good disciples.’
Of course, he’d never properly raised a disciple before.
But during his time in Sephira, he had briefly taught his brothers, and he found the role of a teacher quite enjoyable. Keter was the type to take anything fun seriously.
Swoosh.
Alter drew a line in the air with his finger. The space split open. It wasn’t magic or any special ability. He tore space with just his finger, without any warning.
Alter stepped into the torn space. But then he paused and threw something at Keter.
“A reward for waking me.”
It was a Glass Heart, the size of a fist.
A token to signify the disciple duel had been agreed upon.
“…Lord Keter. Do you realize what you’ve just done?”
“Keter. Give that to me for a moment. Let me appraise it.”
Tuska and Ivan both approached Keter at the same time. Keter pulled the Glass Heart behind his back and said, “Don’t get too close. Or I’ll punch you.”
“Lord Alter has no family, no disciples. Do you know why? Because he was betrayed by them. You’ve just poked at his deepest wound! If you lose this bet, you’ll suffer for eternity. I can guarantee that.”
“That Glass Heart. Hand it over to me. I have three of Shade’s tools. Let’s trade.”
Tuska tried to intimidate him. Ivan proposed a deal.
Keter ignored Tuska and examined the Glass Heart.
At first glance, it didn’t seem like much. Even when he touched it, he couldn’t feel how extraordinary it was.
But Ivan’s eyes were about to pop out. It was clearly no ordinary item.
‘When in doubt, just pour mana into it.’
As Keter began to draw mana, Ivan panicked and reached out.
“No! If you use that now, you’ll die, and it’ll disappear!”
“Huh?”
“Lord Ivan. What exactly is that?”
Tuska, also curious about the Glass Heart, asked Ivan.
Ivan hesitated.
“It’s… a highly valuable artifact from the Warring States period. It has astronomical historical value.”
“Tell me what it is. If you don’t, I won’t heal you. And I won’t give it to you either, so wake up.”
“Ugh, Keter. That item is too much for you. I don’t know why Alter gave it to you, but it’s… it’s…”
“Wow, isn’t this a Dragon Heart? Lord Alter must have taken a liking to you, Lord Keter.”
Kilian’s voice came from behind Keter.
Thud!
Keter reflexively elbowed Kilian in the solar plexus, but—
“Sorry for startling you. I didn’t know you were here.”
Surprisingly, Kilian blocked Keter’s sneak attack with just one finger. In the outside world, Keter could beat Grandmasters, but in the Syndicate, he was powerless.
But Keter didn’t care. Through his past life, he knew there were many Transcendent Beings lurking in this world.
“But, this is a Dragon Heart? Didn’t dragons go extinct?”
“Technically, they didn’t go extinct. Dragons chose to naturalize. At that time, they left their essences in the form of these Glass Hearts before departing. There were twelve in total. To describe their value…”
Kilian pointed at Keter’s Toban.
“Most of the materials for the Five Great Treasures are Dragon Hearts. Not only are they valuable as materials, but they also possess infinite energy. There are records that the first emperor of the Mage Empire, starting from a small country, was able to subdue dozens of nations thanks to three Dragon Hearts.”
“So, in conclusion, this one item is comparable to the Five Great Treasures?”
“Not quite to that level. A famous sword is famous because of its blade, not its hilt. Of course, that doesn’t mean the hilt isn’t important.”
“Good analogy. I get it now.”
“To put it simply, it’s worth enough to trade for one of the Five Great Treasures.”
“Hoh… So, how do I use this?”
“I wouldn’t want to take away the fun of figuring that out. By the way, you’ve already completed four requests… in less than half a day. I’m impressed.”
Kilian smoothly changed the subject. Keter decided to check it out later, as Kilian suggested.
“Talent can’t be hidden, no matter how hard you try.”
“Hoho. It’s better than fake humility. If you’re okay with it, Lord Keter, I’d like to introduce you to more clients.”
“Bring them all. What starts today ends today.”
“Well, before that, let me give you a heads-up. Actually, this is why I came to find you. This person is really dangerous.”
At the mention of “this person,” Tuska reacted before Keter.
“Lord Kilian. Are you planning to take Keter to Lord Kron? I wouldn’t recommend that. He’ll surely die.”
“Lord Kron?”
Keter had never heard of him. But just the title “Great King” made it clear he was no ordinary being.
Kilian spoke to Keter in a serious tone.
“You must never call his name carelessly. We, as members of the same organization, call him Lord Kron, but as an outsider, you must refer to him as the Mad Saint King. If you don’t, you’ll face death without a shred of mercy.”
“Whoa, that’s scary. Is he a god or something?”
“Not quite a god, but you could call him a demi-god. Lord Keter. Did you feel Alter’s level?”
“I did. An 8-star Irregular, right?”
“Did you think you could win?”
“Not at all.”
“Lord Kron is infinitely close to 9 stars.”
“9 stars…!”
A realm so high its name was unknown, 9 stars.
The term “demi-god” wasn’t an exaggeration.
“So they do exist.”
Even in his past life, Keter had never met anyone beyond 8 stars. He had wondered if such beings truly existed.
Thump, thump!
Keter clutched his chest. His heart was racing wildly. Fear and competitive spirit drove him mad.
‘Just how strong is someone beyond 8 stars?’
Of course, the Grand Duke might also be beyond 8 stars.
But the Grand Duke was something different. Moreover, at that time, Keter wasn’t even close to sensing the Grand Duke’s full power.
But now, he was infinitely close to a Transcendent Being. His perspective had changed, and so had what he could see. The realm beyond Transcendence, the domain of gods.
Keter felt his lips dry up. Just imagining such a being sent shivers through his entire body.
Kilian, taking Keter’s tension as natural, warned him seriously.
“Absolutely, under no circumstances, should you use informal speech in front of Lord Kron. Always use honorifics. And don’t even twitch a finger. You can only breathe if he allows it. Do everything he says, and even then, don’t show any displeasure. Even a frown could get you killed. Despite these dangers, would you still like to meet him and take on his request?”
If this were Keter from a month ago, he would have refused. He had already completed four requests and gained many valuable items. There was no reason to risk meeting a mad demi-god.
But Keter had realized something a week ago.
‘If I avoid something, it’s not the free life I envision.’
He would accept anything. Even if he had to retreat, he would first face it head-on. That was the right way.
“A Solver doesn’t discriminate based on the client’s status.”
Whether it’s a street beggar or an emperor, a request is a request.
Seeing Keter’s resolve, Kilian smiled faintly.
“That’s a relief. I was worried you might refuse. Then, let’s go right away.”
“No! If you’re going, leave the Dragon Heart behind!”
Ivan shouted from behind, but Keter simply raised a middle finger in response and followed Kilian through the door.
The Abyss.
Keter had once ventured into the deep sea in his past life. Out of pure curiosity. What could be in the deepest parts of the ocean?
But that curiosity remained unsatisfied. Around 500 meters down, the unbearable pressure crushed his entire body.
He forced himself to go deeper but eventually hit his limit at around 800 meters.
But now, Keter was feeling even greater pressure than back then.
‘I can’t even breathe even if I’m allowed to.’
It was a space where only a Transcendent Being could survive.
The person he was being introduced to—wasn’t he a god of death? Was this a trap by the Syndicate? The environment was beyond extreme.
To make matters worse, he couldn’t see anything. Not Kilian, nor the Mad Saint King.
‘No choice.’
Kilian had told him not to do anything, but if he stayed like this, he’d die.
Just as Keter was about to draw on Ain’s power—
[Are you the Solver Kilian spoke of?]
A majestic voice echoed through the dark space. The echo spread endlessly, repeating the words “Are you” infinitely.
‘……!’
Just hearing the voice made Keter’s head burn. He was experiencing tremendous mental shock.
Drip, drip.
Blood flowed from Keter’s eyes and nose. But instead of drawing on Ain, Keter relaxed it.
[I am the Mad Saint King, the watcher of this abyss. My mission is to stop the chaos trying to enter this world. Do you know what that means?]
Keter tried to answer, but his mouth wouldn’t open. The Mad Saint King didn’t even intend to listen.
[Yes, that’s right. It means I’m extremely bored. I can’t leave this place! So I asked Kilian to send someone to take my place… but I’m disappointed.]
Endless malice poured onto Keter. Keter felt the chill of death. At that moment, Toban, without Keter’s command, began to glow and protect him.
The Mad Saint King was furious.
[How dare you defend yourself without my permission? Apologize with your death.]
Kilian wasn’t wrong. Keter was on the verge of death without doing anything. But Keter wasn’t the type to die quietly.
He unleashed the power of Ain he had been holding back. The pressure dissipated, and Keter raised his head, glaring at where he guessed the Mad Saint King was.
[What?!]
Kron, who was about to “punish” Keter, was startled, and the pressure on Keter vanished completely.
‘What’s going on?’
Keter also couldn’t understand why the Mad Saint King was acting this way.
[What’s your name?]
It wasn’t that Kilian had deliberately withheld Keter’s name. The Mad Saint King had never been curious about anyone’s name before, so Kilian hadn’t mentioned it.
With the pressure gone, Keter could answer.
“Keter.”
[Keter!]
Hearing the name, the Mad Saint King was shocked again.
So much so that the abyss, as it was called, shook as if it might collapse.
“Do you know me?”
Keter didn’t know the Mad Saint King. He had just met him today, and they were on the verge of fighting.
But the Mad Saint King acted as if he knew Keter.
[How could I not know you.]
Keter felt like the Mad Saint King’s tone had softened.
[Come closer. It’s fine.]
The friendly tone made Keter even more uncomfortable, but the next words made him doubt his ears.
[My son has finally come to find me.]