Chapter 55: New Master

Eden knew that name very well.

’Sylvia.’

He stared at the woman kneeling before him, then slowly glanced toward the remains of the Black Knight.

For several seconds, he said nothing.

The ruined dungeon around them was almost unrecognizable. The floor had been reduced to a field of broken stone, deep craters, and scattered fragments of blackened rock. Dust still drifted lazily through the air, illuminated by the faint crimson glow of Essence lingering around Eden’s battered body.

And yet, somehow, the strangest thing in the entire room was the woman kneeling in front of him.

Eden rubbed his forehead.

"...Sylvia."

"Yes, Master."

That word again.

Eden winced slightly.

He had heard the name before in his first life.

’The Hellforge...’

Sylvia tilted her head.

Eden looked at her again.

In his first life, the key to the Hellforge had been called Sylvia.

He remembered the information he’d gathered back then. It had taken humanity years to even understand what the Hellforge was, and even longer to discover the existence of its key.

The name had appeared in countless records.

He had always assumed it referred to an object.

A literal key.

Maybe some ancient relic.

Maybe a stone tablet or some kind of magical artifact.

Definitely not...

A beautiful woman with pale blonde hair, scarlet eyes, black horns, and an unsettlingly calm smile.

Eden slowly exhaled.

"So you’re the key to the hellforge."

Sylvia smiled.

"In a manner of speaking."

"That’s..."

"Not what I expected."

"I imagine not."

"I was expecting something I could put in my pocket."

Sylvia’s smile twitched.

"I suppose that makes me a rather inconvenient key."

"Tell me about it."

There was a brief silence.

Then Eden glanced toward the Black Knight.

Despite everything that had happened, one thought was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.

He had done it.

Somehow.

Against every reasonable expectation.

He had cleared a B-Rank Gate.

As a C-Rank.

And if Sylvia truly was the key to the Hellforge...

Then he’d just obtained something that had once been considered one of the most valuable discoveries in human history.

Eden looked at his hands.

They were still trembling slightly from exhaustion.

He laughed quietly.

"I actually did it."

Sylvia watched him.

"Did what, Master?"

"Beat a B-Rank Gate while being C-Rank."

He looked around at the devastation.

"That’s usually considered impossible."

Sylvia raised an eyebrow.

"Impossible?"

"For everyone else, at least."

A tiny smile appeared on her face.

"I see."

Eden shook his head.

"Never mind that. I have about fifty questions."

"I will answer what I can."

"Good."

Eden pointed at her.

"Start with the obvious one."

Sylvia waited.

"What exactly are you?"

The woman straightened slightly.

"I am a direct descendant and servant of the Supreme God."

Eden blinked.

’...’

"...What?"

"His name is Zephyros. He is the Supreme God of the upper and lower Realms"

Eden stared.

The silence that followed was almost comical.

"Okay."

He slowly raised one hand.

"Let’s back up."

Sylvia politely waited.

"What even is the Lower Realm?"

"The Lower Realm?"

"Yes."

Eden gestured vaguely around them.

"I assuming you mean the Abyss."

Sylvia shook her head.

"No."

"The Earth, then?"

"No."

Eden’s expression became increasingly blank.

"Then what the hell is it?"

Sylvia answered calmly.

"The Lower Realm is both."

Eden stared at her.

"The Abyss..."

"And Earth."

Eden slowly lowered his hand.

"...Both."

"Yes."

"So the Lower Realm refers to the entire realm containing Earth and the Abyss."

"Correct."

Eden closed his eyes.

His head was beginning to hurt.

He took a slow breath.

"Fine. Next question. Who the hell is Zephyros?"

Sylvia’s expression became more serious.

"As I said, the Supreme God."

"I got that part."

"He Ruled the abyss hundreds of thousands of years ago."

Eden frowned.

"Hold it right there."

"As far as I’m concerned, The eight Archdukes rule the Abyss."

"They do now."

"Now?"

Sylvia nodded.

"The Archdukes were not the ones who originally ruled the Lower Realm."

Eden folded his arms.

"I’ve never even heard of a Supreme God."

"That does not surprise me."

Sylvia’s tone wasn’t condescending. If anything, she sounded almost amused by the absurdity of it.

"Zephyros was one of the Primordial Beings. More specifically, he was one of the gods who resided in Caelestia."

"Caelestia?"

"The Upper Realm."

Eden sighed.

Sylvia giggled, Her masters confusion apparently a source of amusement to her.

"There are twelve Rulers in Caelestia. They are the other Primordial Beings."

Eden’s expression hardened.

’...!’

"The Rulers?"

"Yes."

That name immediately caught his attention.

"The twelve gods who rule Caelestia. Each possesses their own authority, descendants, armies, and territory."

Eden remembered Ryuhei.

The Tomb.

The enormous sealed doors.

The words he’d heard.

The Ruler of Sorcery.

One of five Rulers who had descended into the Abyss.

His gaze sharpened.

"So Zephyros was one of them?"

"No."

Sylvia shook her head.

"He stood above them."

Eden’s eyes widened slightly.

"Above the Rulers?"

"He was their equal in origin, but vastly different in authority."

She paused.

"Zephyros was the Supreme God."

Eden stared at her.

Then he rubbed his temples.

"That explains absolutely nothing and somehow makes everything worse."

Sylvia smiled faintly.

Eden continued.

"So what happened to him?"

For the first time, Sylvia’s expression lost some of its amusement.

"The Rulers feared him."

"Why?"

"Because his power continued to grow."

She looked down for a moment.

"They could not kill him. So they betrayed him."

Eden’s expression became serious.

"They stabbed him in the back?"

"Yes."

"All twelve?"

Sylvia nodded.

"They sealed Zephyros away within the Abyss of the Lower Realm."

Eden frowned.

"And he couldn’t leave?"

"They strengthened the World Tree using something called the Endless Void-Ocean."

’She’s throwing so many terms around... Makes me wonder if I somehow ended up stuck in a Fantasy Novel.’

"The World Tree?"

"Yes."

Sylvia spoke slowly now, as if trying to explain something impossibly old.

"The strengthened World Tree became a barrier between realms. Even Zephyros could no longer return to Caelestia."

Eden stared at her.

"So they couldn’t kill him..."

"But they imprisoned him."

"Essentially."

"And then?"

Sylvia’s scarlet eyes dimmed.

"Time passed."

Her voice became quieter.

"Thousands of years passed."

Eden’s gaze dropped.

Then another thought struck him.

"Wait."

He looked back at Sylvia.

"You said all twelve Rulers betrayed him."

"Correct, Master."

"Then why did five of them descend into the Abyss?"

Sylvia froze.

Her eyes widened.

"What?"

Eden immediately noticed the change.

"What?"

"You said five Rulers descended?"

"Yes."

Sylvia stepped closer.

"When?"

Eden frowned.

"I don’t know. A while ago, apparently. One of them was the Ruler of Sorcery. I found their tomb."

Sylvia’s expression had changed completely.

The confidence she’d carried since appearing was gone.

"Master..."

Her voice was quieter.

"What happened to the Abyss?"

Eden blinked.

"What?"

"If five Rulers descended into the Lower Realm..."

She looked genuinely worried.

"...then the Abyss should have been destroyed."

Eden stared at her.

"Well, it wasn’t."

Sylvia looked relieved for approximately half a second.

Then Eden continued.

"At least, I don’t think it was."

Her expression immediately tightened again.

"I don’t know what happened to the other four. But the Ruler of Sorcery is dead."

Sylvia’s eyes widened.

Eden hesitated.

"And there’s another one."

"Another?"

"Mendax."

The name alone made Eden’s expression change.

"I don’t know what he ruled, but he’s the reason I regressed."

Sylvia stared at him.

"He granted me his authority."

Silence.

For several seconds, Sylvia didn’t respond.

Then Eden continued.

"But the Abyss seems fine."

He gestured vaguely toward the dungeon.

"Creatures still exist. Gates still appear all over Earth. The Abyss hasn’t disappeared."

Sylvia slowly nodded.

"Then perhaps..."

She stopped herself.

Eden noticed.

"Perhaps what?"

"Nothing."

That answer wasn’t convincing.

But Eden didn’t push.

He had already learned one important thing.

There were far too many pieces to this world that he didn’t understand.

Trying to force all of them into place tonight would probably make his brain explode.

He moved on.

"Do you think there’s a chance Zephyros killed the Ruler of Sorcery?"

Sylvia immediately shook her head.

"No."

"You’re sure?"

"Absolutely."

Her voice carried genuine certainty.

"By the time Zephyros began to weaken, none of the Rulers had successfully descended into the Abyss."

Eden frowned.

"Then something else killed them."

"It seems so."

"Great."

He sighed.

"Another mystery."

Sylvia looked at him apologetically.

"I fear there are many."

"Yeah. I’ve noticed."

Eden leaned against a broken chunk of stone.

"How did Zephyros die?"

"He simply grew old."

"And you?"

Sylvia smiled faintly.

"That is a longer story."

Eden raised an eyebrow.

"I have time."

Sylvia glanced at the ruined dungeon.

"Do you, Master?"

Eden followed her gaze.

"...Fair enough."

She continued.

"When Zephyros realized his time was coming to an end, he created the Hellforge."

Eden’s attention immediately sharpened.

"He created the Hellforge?"

"Yes."

Sylvia looked toward the ruined chamber.

"It was his final great creation. Through it, he created the first generation of Archdukes."

Eden’s eyes widened.

"The Archdukes..."

"Were created by Zephyros."

’Holy shit...’

"And then?"

"Zephyros spent the remainder of his power creating this trial."

She gestured toward the dungeon.

"He wished to leave behind a successor capable of inheriting the last remnants of his authority."

Eden slowly looked at Sylvia.

"And you were left behind."

"I was."

"To find that successor."

"Yes."

Eden was quiet for a moment.

Then he scratched his cheek.

"Okay."

Sylvia waited.

Eden gave her an awkward look.

"I’m going to apologize in advance."

"For what?"

"I don’t care."

Sylvia blinked.

"About Zephyros."

Eden shrugged.

"He’s obviously important. Your old master. Ancient god. Supreme God. Upper Realm. Lower Realm. Whatever."

He sighed.

"But if you’re expecting me to suddenly care about what happens to the Abyss..."

His eyes hardened.

"I’m not going to."

Sylvia remained silent.

"I’ll kill Abyss Creatures."

Eden looked at the countless corpses surrounding him.

"Thousands, probably."

Sylvia nodded.

"I understand."

Eden looked slightly surprised.

"You do?"

"Of course."

Her expression softened.

"I deeply respect my former Master."

She placed a hand over her chest.

"But I have found a new Master."

Her scarlet eyes met Eden’s.

"Your actions are yours to decide. Whatever path you choose, whatever enemies you kill, whatever commands you give me..."

She smiled.

"I will follow."

Eden stared at her.

He genuinely hadn’t expected that.

"...You’re really okay with that?"

"I am."

He studied her for a moment.

Then looked away.

Eden felt strangely flustered for a reason he couldn’t quite name.

"You’re strange."

"I have been called worse."

That earned a tired snort from Eden.

He was beginning to like her.

Not that he’d admit that yet.