The room was dim, lit only by the soft golden hue of lantern light.
Outside, crickets sang, their rhythm a faint echo of peace.
But inside, the silence hung heavier, like it was still catching up to everything Nero had left behind.
The scent of herbal oil clung faintly to his skin, sharp and clean.
His bath had done its job, the grime of blood and battle was gone, replaced by lingering soreness and faint bruises across his ribs.
He sat now at the long wooden table, shoulders relaxed, posture deceptively calm.
His fingers traced the rim of an untouched steaming cup of tea.
Zen slouched across from him, arms hooked over the back of his chair.
Mu sat straighter, composed, the sharpness in his eyes softened only slightly by the flickering light.
Nero leaned forward slightly.
"How much do you two really know about the Shatterveil?"
Zen raised an eyebrow. "More than most. Less than we'd like. Why?"
Nero's fingers paused on the cup.
"It was different from what I expected. The deeper I went, the more twisted it became."
He glanced up, eyes steady.
"The situation inside is worse. Much worse. Malrik's not just hiding, he's corrupting Shatterveil itself."
Nero paused before asking. "How many portals exist to enter the Shatterveil? How often do people go in?"
Mu exhaled, slow and thoughtful.
"There are a few gateways scattered across the world. Most are unstable, shifting rifts that appear, vanish, and reappear miles away. Dangerous to find, even more dangerous to try."
He paused. "But the one you used is a different kind. A fixed point. One of only two stable entries ever found."
Zen leaned forward. "That portal may be fixed, but there's no absolute guarantee it'll be safe when you try to exit. The Shatterveil remains unpredictable, it may not always let you go when you want."
Zen continued. "And as for people going in? Not many. Most who enter are either desperate or overconfident. Small hunting teams, mercenaries, people that want to escape the wizarding world, the occasional lunatic scholar. Some make it out. Most don't."
Nero nodded faintly.
"I also assume the lack of information is not just because few people attempt to enter it, is it?"
"No," Mu confirmed.
"The Shatterveil rejects those who could threaten it the most. Legend-ranked wizards can't enter, its creator made sure of that. He didn't want anyone powerful enough to interfere with his plans. That's why information is scarce. The people who go in almost never come back. They are too weak to face the combination of the monsters lurking, Reavers, as well as Malrik and his forces. Also, there are not many strong people under the Legend rank that would willingly want to risk their life in the Shatterveil."
Nero absorbed that, filing the information away.
The Shatterveil was originally designed to keep out those powerful enough to unravel its secrets. But now, it worked in Malrik's favor more than ever.
A silence passed between them.
Then Zen cracked his neck. "So, you gonna tell us? What actually happened in there?"
Nero spoke. Slowly at first, then with more weight.
He described the cursed clan. The anchors pulsing with twisted magic.
The monsters, the Reavers, abominations, and worse.
The Shadow Hunters with eyes like void.
The battle with Malrik, and how the warlord was trying to twist the very rules of the realm.
He left out his growing ability to Apparate within the Shatterveil.
Some truths were better reserved.
Zen clicked his tongue. "Didn't used to be like that."
Nero glanced up. "What do you mean?"
Mu leaned back. "Years ago, when we were young, before Malrik, the Shatterveil was already chaos. But it was… free. Brutal, yes, but free. A lawless battlefield, one where rogues, warbands, and battle-seekers carved out territory."
Zen nodded. "No one ruled it. It was a free-for-all, where the strong sharpened themselves, and those who made it out became monsters in their own right. We knew it was dangerous, but there was always an order to the chaos. If you were strong enough, you could carve out a path."
Mu folded his arms. "But Malrik rewrote this place. Layer by layer, he buried the old rules and made new ones. We knew he had solidified his control, but not to what extent."
Zen exhaled through his nose. "We thought you'd face danger, but not of that kind."
Nero digested their words carefully.
A battlefield that once tempered warriors had become something far worse.
"That bastard's been playing the long game," Zen muttered, rubbing his jaw. "Laying anchors, shaping the environment, building a cursed army."
Nero's voice was quiet but certain. "He's confident. He's not rushing. Which means he thinks no one can stop him."
Mu's eyes narrowed. "And breaking those anchors, did it change anything?"
"It should have delayed him," Nero said. "Bought us a little more time."
He paused, then added, more quietly, "But if I were in his position… I wouldn't let something that critical be so easy to destroy. I doubt Malrik would stake everything on something so easily exposed."
Mu's gaze sharpened slightly.
"I see. It's also possible you underestimate your achievement. Not everyone could have done what you did. Or… Malrik has other fail-safes in place. Contingencies you haven't seen yet."
Zen smirked, leaning back in his chair. "Or both. You're paranoid, and you still didn't hit the real core."
Nero chuckled.
Zen added, "So what now? What's the next move?"
Nero's fingers curled against the table. "Getting stronger, of course. Strong enough to crush Malrik. And also, I need to devise a new seal that should help me try to solve the situation in the Shatterveil."
His gaze flicked to the far wall, as if looking through it. "I wasn't strong enough to defeat Malrik. I survived because he underestimated me. He didn't fight seriously, not for most of the battle. Only once he realized I was a real threat did he start going all out."
He exhaled. "Three years. That's the upper limit I'm giving myself."
Nero turned back to them, a faint, confident smile tugging at his lips.
"Not that I plan on taking three years to get there."
Mu studied him for a long moment. "That's a steep path."
"It is," Nero said. "But it's the only one."
Zen raised an eyebrow. "And if three years come and go, and you're not ready?"
Nero didn't hesitate. "Isn't this discussion the contingency? I don't plan on failing, but I'm sure no country will want something like the Shatterveil spreading beyond its borders."
Mu gave a small nod. "Then we'll trust you to succeed, and prepare for the worst, just in case."
Zen leaned back, expression unusually serious. "Yeah. We'll lay the groundwork. Just do your stuff and leave the rest to us."
Nero looked between them, gratitude flickering in his eyes.
"Knowing that you two will take action… there's no better reassurance."
He exhaled, then straightened.
"But don't worry too much. When I go back to the Shatterveil…"
A small, cold smile played on his lips.
"There will be hell for Malrik."
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50 chapters ahead on Patreon (Suiijin): Chapter 217: Advanced Sealing Theory