Step by step, I walked toward the commander's office. I already knew—nothing good would come of this after my measly little stunt.
Yeah, yeah… big stunt.
But my thoughts weren't on that right now.
I glanced at Liana walking beside me, summoned here for the same reason. She caught my gaze and gave me a faint smile before looking forward again, walking steadily.
I couldn't return the smile.
Only one thought consumed me: how… how did she do it?
That golden light, that warmth—it was unmistakably similar to that element. The one so rare that only one or two people per generation could ever wield it. In the original story, only two people had it. Liana had never used it.
In the original, she was bound to die in one or two weeks—but I stopped that fate. And now… if she hadn't died as she was meant to, she was bound to awaken her power.
My thoughts were still a tangled mess when we reached the commander's door.
Liana stepped forward and knocked.
A muffled voice gave permission, and she opened the door. We both entered.
And there he was—Commander Arvel—seated behind his desk as if it were a throne, his sharp gaze fixed on us the moment we crossed the threshold.
His gaze lingered on me longer than on anyone else. It wasn't casual—he was scrutinizing me, as though he sensed something hidden beneath my skin.
"Kael… you've reached D- rank," Commander Arvell said in his usual flat tone.
The words struck like steel in the silence.
"What…?" Liana muttered beside me, her eyes widening in disbelief. The last time she had seen me, I was barely at E- rank. Her shock was natural—what I had done was impossible.
"Yes. I am now," I replied, forcing my voice to remain steady, ignoring her stunned expression.
Arvell's eyes narrowed. "How? If I remember correctly, you were E- rank before. And now… in just two days in the forest, you've advanced an entire major rank." He paused, his voice hardening. "Forgive me for being blunt, but that doesn't happen under normal circumstances."
His words cut deeper than his tone. He wasn't just questioning me—he was prying into something I couldn't reveal.
"So tell me, Kael," Arvell pressed, his stare unrelenting. "What exactly happened in the forest?"
The weight of suspicion hung in the air. He had every reason to doubt me. No one simply leapt an entire rank in three days. It only ever happened under one condition—when someone made a contract.
A contract with a demon.
A pact where the awakened offered their soul… and in return, gained power beyond reason.
Just like the Kael in the original tale. The Kael who rose to become the strongest.
And now… Commander Arvell might believe I had done the same.
It truly was a troublesome matter. I couldn't tell them the truth.
Not about Noctharion.
The world despised him. To most, Noctharion was the embodiment of evil—the one who bore the title of the darkest being to ever walk these lands. If anyone discovered my connection to him, they would see it as no different from a demon's contract.
Until his name was cleared… or perhaps never… I could not speak of him.
"Commander… I don't really know what happened, but one thing's certain—it's not what you think."
I let the words hang, searching for the right ones, though even I wasn't sure I understood it myself. "The last thing I remember… I was in the forest, fighting those hounds. I was on the verge of losing—of dying. And then… I felt it."
I touched my chest lightly, as if the memory was still burning there. "Something inside me shifted. My core felt hot, alive. My body… my mind… both were changing. It was intoxicating. The weight I carried—the fatigue, the doubt, the chains in my chest—it all burned away."
My voice dropped, steady but sharp. "For a moment, I wasn't myself. I wasn't bound by this weak body. I was… clear. Like staring into the heart of the sun—blinding, overwhelming, but impossibly pure."
The image still lingered. That searing clarity, that brief freedom.
"Next thing I knew, I was cutting through those hounds. My body moved on its own. The restraints I'd carried all this time—gone. It was as if something had finally broken inside me, and I was free… powerful."
I left it at that, the faintest edge of a smirk tugging at my lips. I hadn't lied. I had even dressed it up in the same words the so-called protagonist of this world once used to describe his enlightenment. A hint, disguised as truth.
Let's see how he takes it, I thought, laughter flickering in the back of my mind.
Commander's gaze lingered on me, heavy and searching. There was something different in his eyes now. A realization.
I didn't know what he had understood, but it didn't matter. As long as I didn't get myself in trouble.
There were always whispers about people who had touched something beyond—enlightenment. But most common folk didn't even know such a thing existed. Only those who stood at the peak spoke of it, and even then, in hushed tones.
I was certain the commander had at least heard of it. Maybe even read about it in the records.
So, I told him the only explanation I could think of.
"I gained… enlightenment."
It was believable enough. After all, if I had contracted with a demon, they could confirm it instantly with high-grade equipment. I had nothing to fear on that front.
The commander studied me in silence, his gaze sharp, weighing my words.
After a long pause, he finally spoke.
"The feeling you're describing… it might be something I've heard of."
"What is it?" I asked, forcing a hint of confusion into my voice.
"Enlightenment," he said simply.
Beside me, Liana frowned, clearly lost. I mirrored her confusion as best I could, keeping my expression controlled.
The commander's tone grew heavier as he explained:
"Enlightenment is a phenomenon very few ever experience. No one knows exactly what it is—whether it comes from the heavens, the earth, or even the gods themselves. But the records are clear: it only happens when an awakened pushes their body past its limits and shatters their own chains. When that happens, the world… acknowledges them, and grants them power."
He paused, eyes narrowing on me.
"Every single person who has experienced enlightenment went on to become a legend—one of the strongest in existence."
His words hung in the air, pressing down on me.
Then, his voice turned cold.
"If you truly experienced it, then it is a blessing. But if you're lying—be ready to face the consequences."