"This will be your room."
Isaac's mansion wasn't particularly large, but it had one or two guest rooms.
"Oh? This is pretty nice. Way better than living on a rocky mountain."
Seeing the Grandmaster satisfied, Isaac nodded as well.
'I was actually planning to turn this into a study later.'
It was a room he had reserved for his personal use once everything was over, but if the Grandmaster was going to stay, he had no choice.
There were several guest rooms anyway, so he could just convert a different one into a study.
The Grandmaster sat on the bed, gently swishing her tail, and asked,
"So, how's the sword coming along?"
"It's currently in production. The finest artisans in the kingdom are working together on it, so I'm sure it'll turn out great."
"Heh, not that I ever felt my own sword lacking… but I'm a bit envious."
Despite her words, the Grandmaster's lips curled into a satisfied smile.
She was clearly pleased that her disciple was receiving the recognition he deserved.
"Well, since you're letting me stay here, I ought to give you a gift."
"Those bags from earlier weren't actually gifts, were they?"
"..."
At best, they were her own belongings. She just used them as an excuse to say what she wanted.
"I've known you for quite a long time now, Grandmaster."
"I wouldn't say I know you all that well, though."
"Compared to how long I've known you, that makes sense."
At her grumbling, Isaac gave a quiet chuckle. He briefly wondered if, counting his previous life, he might actually be older than the Grandmaster.
But since she was someone who went to great lengths to hide her age, Isaac just let the thought pass.
"Ahem. Don't try to read your master's mind like that. A true master should be lofty and mysterious, like a bottomless well, don't you think?"
"..."
If that was the image she wanted to maintain, Isaac was willing to play along.
But in that case, shouldn't she have made some dramatic entrance from the rain or something, instead of just walking through the front door?
"Ahem. Now then."
What the Grandmaster took from her robes was a root tightly wrapped in bandages.
The bits of root and leaves poking out revealed that it was some kind of medicinal herb.
"It's a precious one. I was saving it to soak in alcohol later. Kept it safe in the backyard."
"Is that… ginseng?"
"It's called 'Spirit Vein Ginseng'. But this little guy, you see… it may be a plant, but it's a nasty piece of work."
"Nasty?"
"You don't even know. It absorbs the life force around it, sure, but also mana. Even emotions! I had to carefully choose kind words every time I watered it."
"..."
Isaac couldn't help but imagine the Grandmaster choosing her words delicately while watering a plant — and found it a little funny.
"Not to mention, I only gave it the finest water. I even caught a passing mage once and used mana-infused water on it."
She wanted her disciple to understand just how valuable this root was.
It was so precious that she'd planned to consume it herself, but she was giving it to Isaac instead — and she repeated that point several times.
"One time, that idiot Damaen didn't recognize what it was and peed on it—Hey! Are you even listening to me properly?"
"Ah, well…"
Isaac could tell it was important, but his gaze remained fixed on the Spirit Vein Ginseng.
Ironically, the Grandmaster took that as a sign that he understood its value.
"Hmph, already eager to eat it, are you? You can't take your eyes off it. It's quite potent, so make sure to have some honey water ready when you eat it. You must chew it thoroughly — from root to leaf."
Then she added with a serious warning,
"If you don't, it might suck the very life out of your body. You have to chew it completely — leave nothing behind."
But chopping it into pieces would waste the concentrated essence inside, so that wasn't ideal either.
"It's that powerful?"
"Oh yes, absolutely! Now, can you finally appreciate the boundless generosity of your master—"
WHUMP!
There was no hesitation.
Isaac suddenly hugged the Grandmaster tightly in joy.
"As expected of you, Master!"
"O-Oh… I didn't expect you to be this happy."
The Grandmaster hadn't anticipated such an emotional reaction. She'd gone to great lengths to explain how valuable it was — but now that Isaac was this ecstatic, she found herself flustered instead.
"The Isaac Logan I know values what he earns through sweat and tears… not things like this."
"That's how I used to be. But right now, there's something more important than my personal beliefs."
Something that had to come first.
Hearing that, the Grandmaster smiled.
Her disciple, who had seemed to have already reached full maturity, had taken another step forward.
"Good to see. So, what now? Will you eat it right away?"
The sparkle in the Grandmaster's eyes made it clear — she fully intended to watch him eat it on the spot.
***
"..."
A reddish light reflected in the bright, glistening eyes of the Grandmaster.
Her lips were pouty, and both ears and tail drooped low.
She clearly wasn't pleased that the 'Spirit Vein Ginseng' she had given was now soaking in a vial of red liquid.
"Thanks to it, I believe I'll be able to neutralize the strong energy of the Rozelixir to some extent."
As Isaac smiled in satisfaction, the Grandmaster flicked his back lightly with her tail.
In the end, the 'Spirit Vein Ginseng' had ended up serving no greater purpose than acting as a sponge.
"If I had known this would happen, I'd have just soaked it in alcohol myself and eaten it."
Grumbling under her breath, the Grandmaster muttered, and Isaac gave a small chuckle.
"If you leave it like that, you'll eventually be eating 'Spirit Vein Ginseng' infused with Rozelixir, won't you?"
"By the time that happens, won't everything already be over?"
"..."
Isaac didn't reply.
He knew she was probably right.
After all, things like ginseng were typically stored for years.
And the Transcendents weren't going to sit idle for that long.
"It's thanks to you that I'll be able to drink the Rozelixir. In a way, I could say you gave it to me."
"The Rozelixir was given to you by Helmut, Isaac."
"..."
Liana suddenly cut in.
Though it was an unwelcome intrusion, he couldn't blame her. In her current state, it was inevitable.
With arms crossed, she turned her head slightly as if pretending she hadn't said anything at all.
"I think I'll be able to drink it in about a day. Thank you, Master."
"Are you siding with him just because he's your ex-husband? Judging by how you're pretending to say nothing, the two of you really were a couple. You two match too well."
"Thanks. Isaac and I actually get along surprisingly well. We were married, after all."
"..."
With those blunt words of gratitude, Liana stepped away with slightly hurried steps. But her light gait revealed that she was in a good mood.
"Would you care for a sparring match?"
The Grandmaster, wanting to shake off her sour mood, offered a duel.
Isaac thought it was the better option and headed toward the garden.
The garden was already filled with the sound of battle. The Grandmaster had probably mentioned sparring because the commotion inside had reached even them.
"Crimson Flame Wave!"
Even as Sharen shouted and unleashed her Crimson Flame Wave, Silverna's spear didn't falter. She deftly split Sharen's incoming strike, and her spear—curved like a silver river—halted just at the base of Sharen's neck.
"You've gotten a bit better."
"You say that, but it just feels insulting coming from the winner?!"
"Heh, you've still got a long way to go if you want to beat me."
Silverna teased the grumbling Sharen.
As the two stepped aside, the Grandmaster and Isaac faced one another.
"You sure you don't need both swords?"
Only one sword, 'Baekseol', hung at Isaac's waist.
At the Grandmaster's question—asking whether one would be enough—Isaac smiled faintly.
"I'll go as far as my strength allows."
At the same moment, both placed hands over their sword hilts. Then, in perfect sync, they drew their blades—sharp, drawn-out metallic sounds ringing out as the clash forced both to take a step back.
"...!"
The Grandmaster's eyes widened, and her tail stood on end.
The cold smile on Isaac's lips wasn't just the expression of a student in training.
"Well, would you look at that?"
The Grandmaster adjusted her stance, eyes growing clearer. She had thought she knew her disciple well—but too much had happened in the meantime.
She hadn't crossed blades with Isaac since he slew the giant.
Sure, he had likely grown. He had definitely changed.
The Grandmaster had thought as much—but now realized she had underestimated him.
"My apologies to whoever took care to keep this garden beautiful."
"Karen, probably… but I'm sure she'll understand."
Isaac awkwardly readjusted his sword at the Grandmaster's remark. His arm tingled from the impact, but more than that, a thrill was rising inside him.
"This is so I don't break too easily."
No longer could the Grandmaster afford to hold back.
Her smile, now even sharper than the sword's edge, curved at her lips.
"Please understand if I strike in earnest."
Their blades clashed again.
For the first time, the thought of defeat crept into the Grandmaster's mind during a duel with Isaac.
A man who once stood no chance—had now caught up.
And so, the Grandmaster wielded her sword all the more joyfully.
"How did you grow up to be so incredible!"
"Because I had a great teacher!"
"Ha!"
Kaang!
Master and disciple's blades met again.
With a clear, ringing tone, the Grandmaster smiled brightly.
"Truly the right answer!"
***
Atop the Tower of the Abyss Realm.
Helik, who had been gazing at the silver star, slowly lowered her gaze as her companions arrived.
Though she acted like she hadn't been watching, the air around her was too unusual to fully hide it.
"Ha, staring at that star again?"
The speaker was Mugan—Mu-myeong and Grandmaster's Master, and known as the Lord of Crimson Valley.
Even at his gruff comment, Helik kept her lips tightly sealed.
"Looking at that thing just pisses me off."
"Well, it's not like I don't understand how Helik feels. But if you're going to betray us, just say it now so I can kill you."
"I'm hungry."
The primordial beings exchanged idle conversation.
For them, other transcendentals of the Primordial Era were a mixture of love and hate.
So much time had passed that it was rare not to have clashed with one another.
But for that very reason, bonds had formed.
At this point, they could barely talk to anyone except each other.
"..."
The last to enter was Kangwoo, Father of Sword Demons.
His aura was now sharper than ever before.
Even his silent presence made it clear who he was yearning to duel.
Isaac Logan.
The man who had done what even he could not—cut down Gaia.
No matter what, Kangwoo wanted to cross swords with him.
In all his life, he had never had to learn anything when it came to the sword, nor had he ever needed to challenge someone.
His blade—unlike that of Helmut, who wielded crimson aura—was forged from a different mold.
What he felt now was a deep, profound curiosity and thirst for competition that Arandel Helmut had never inspired.
"I've summoned you all for the final ritual."
Helik glanced at his severed left arm as he spoke.
The final battle required a grand-scale ritual.
And that would come at a price.
Everyone already knew this and didn't react with surprise.
Now, with the end looming, the question was:
What price would Helik demand for his final spell?
There wasn't much left they could give in sacrifice.
And so—without stalling—Helik got straight to the point.