Historia began to continue her explanation in greater depth. There was now a glow in her eyes like that of an experienced Paragon.
"Master, everything I have told you so far is only the beginning for a Paragon. From Sequence 1 to Sequence 2, any Paragon masters their 'Nature Attribute,' meaning they strengthen their control over their fundamental power."
She paused, and amid the silence in the room, she said something heavy,
"But after that comes the real beginning, when a Paragon has the option to choose one of the 8 Beyond Pathways."
Hearing this, I fell into deep thought. Eight Beyond Pathways? I remembered that Den had perhaps told me about only five of them. What were the remaining three, and how do these pathways change a Paragon's destiny?
Historia turned the page of the notebook and revealed the names of the eight paths that could elevate a Paragon's power to a god-like level.
She flipped the notebook pages seriously and lowered her voice slightly as she began revealing the eight Beyond pillars.
"Master, listen carefully. At Sequence 3, a Paragon's true destiny is determined by choosing one of these eight paths. According to the secret library of the Royal Knights, these are the true pathways that balance the powers of this world."
Then Historia told me the name of a pathway I had already heard from Den's mouth before.
Cipher Pathway
Historia explained,
"Master, its true meaning is one who possesses knowledge of psychology. A Paragon who walks this path can directly manipulate the human mind and psychological state. They can alter memories, create fear, or cure someone's madness. This is the path of controlling the deepest layers of the mind."
Chronicler Pathway
Historia said,
"Its true meaning is one who has understood knowledge and conquered it. Paragons of this pathway are scholars of history. They can uncover every hidden ritual and secret of the world. They draw power from past events and use secrets as weapons."
Genesis Pathway
Historia again explained,
"It means complete control over elements and matter. A Paragon of this pathway can alter the fundamental structure of nature. They can turn iron into liquid or create solid weapons from air. This pathway grants the power to shape every particle of matter according to one's will."
Ravager Pathway
The moment I heard this name, I assumed it would be the most aggressive pathway, and Historia confirmed my assumption. She said,
"This pathway directly represents war and destruction. Paragons who choose this path become gods of the battlefield. Every technique they possess exists solely to destroy the opponent completely and win battles."
Magus Pathway
Historia explained,
"Paragons of this pathway possess powers related to true magic, which is why they are also called true magicians. This pathway is based on spells and pure magic. Its greatest specialty is bending 'luck.' A Magus can turn the impossible into possible through magical abilities."
Void Pathway
Historia said this pathway represents void and darkness, and its creation is connected to the moon.
"This pathway is the center of powers related to darkness and dark magic. Hiding in shadows, attacking from the void, and controlling corruptive energy are its specialties. It is as powerful as it is dangerous."
SAMRAT Pathway
Historia explained that this pathway directly represents the Sun and is the complete opposite of the Void Pathway.
"It is considered the sworn enemy of darkness. Its power shines like the sun, burning away all impurity, curses, and evil spirits. It is the path of purity and justice. Users of this pathway are also called by different names such as Sun Child or King Child, and they are associated with purification."
Mirror Pathway (Mirror World & Teleportation)
Historia described something very strange about this pathway. Very little information about it exists.
"It represents reflection and teleportation. Paragons of this pathway can use the Mirror World. Though not much is known, it is believed that this pathway was created by two forbidden gods. Paragons of this path can reflect enemy attacks back at them."
After finishing her explanation, Historia looked into my eyes and said,
"Master, now think for yourself. Your Thunder Nature can fit many of these paths. If you seek destruction, choose Ravager. If you want to rule over elements, choose Genesis."
Den narrowed his red eyes and whispered,
"Jona, the choice is yours. But remember… every pathway has its own madness. The higher you go, the greater the risk of losing your humanity."
I began repeating the eight names in my mind. SAMRAT, Void, Genesis, Ravager… these were not merely names—they were destinations where I could rewrite the rules of this world.
After learning about these great pathways in such depth, a storm of questions arose in my mind. I began weighing all eight names carefully. Though these powers appeared limitless at first glance, deeper thought revealed an interesting pattern—each pathway was the weakness of another.
None of them seemed completely superior to the others.
I reasoned internally:
"If someone becomes a Chronicler and gains immense knowledge, there exists a Cipher who can steal or manipulate that knowledge from the mind. If someone becomes Void and embraces infinite darkness, the light of SAMRAT exists to pierce and destroy that darkness."
The power system was so balanced that it greatly surprised me. But then the rational thinker within me raised a deeper question—something this perfectly balanced could not have emerged naturally. Nature is often chaotic, but this system seemed like a carefully woven net created by the Gods, where every end connected to another.
I narrowed my eyes and said slowly to Den,
"Den, Historia… don't you think all of this is too perfect? Surely there must be some reason behind the creation of these pathways. Their design divides power in such a way that no one can ever become omnipotent."
Den slowly turned his neck, his red eyes glowing like burning embers in the darkness. The room's temperature seemed to drop for a moment, and then he answered,
"Yes, Jona… your thinking is justified. This system, as stable and balanced as it appears, is not a miracle of nature but a deliberate creation by the Gods. This pathway system did not arise on its own—it was created at the end of the Discordia Epoch."
Hearing this, I fell into deep thought. What exactly was this "Discordia Epoch"? Seeing my confusion, Den said,
"It seems you should know about it."
Then he pointed toward Historia and asked,
"Historia, do you have any information related to this?"
Historia replied softly,
"I do have information related to it, but I am not yet capable enough to open the page in my notebook that contains deeper details about it. However, Captain Victoria did give me some basic information about the Epochs."
She then began explaining. According to the information she gathered from the library, this world is divided into four Epochs.
1. The First Age — The Pangeon Epoch (Epoch of Convergence)
Its greatest feature was that the Gods themselves lived on earth. The coexistence of humans, earthly creatures, and gods made this the most peaceful and greatest age.
2. The Second Age — The Discordia Epoch (Epoch of Divine Schism)
In this age, the gods themselves began fighting among each other. Historia explained that the library did not provide much information, but according to what she learned, the conflict occurred to obtain an "Ultimate Authority."
She then revealed something crucial:
"It was at the end of this age that the eight pathways were created. They were made so that when the gods left the earth, the balance of power would not collapse. If the gods departed, the 'Blessed' humans chosen by them—who possessed divine power—would begin ruling the world. Therefore, the pathway system was introduced so that every human could have an equal opportunity to obtain power according to their capability."
After finishing, Historia paused, slightly tired.
"This is all I know about that epoch."
I remained silent. So the birth of the pathways came from the war of the gods and their decision to leave the earth. But questions swirled in my mind—what was that "Ultimate Authority" for which even the gods fought? And how did that terrible war end?
To be honest, I now had so many questions about this world and its mysteries that even the silence of the night felt insufficient.