As the small boat drifted further along the current of the river, the mist thickened in the air, slowly swallowing parts of the river and the cavern walls. The fog grew so dense, it became nearly impossible to see through it.
The walls took on a deep crimson hue, as if they'd been soaked in blood—and the farther they traveled, the deeper that color grew.
It was as if the cave had drunk the blood of the entire world.
Kalm sighed, eyes fixed on the river's dark surface.
*"What a horrifying image… And yet… it's true. It really *has* drunk it. What a cruel joke fate is."*
He rested his chin on his hand, staring off in quiet reflection—contemplating the bitter absurdity of everything happening to him.
Kalystra had revealed only fragments of the truth, refusing to say more under the pretense that too much knowledge would corrupt him.
That led him to a dangerous theory he had been trying to avoid:
That this was not an Awakening Trial at all… but something else—something far stranger.
When Kalm first entered the rift, he'd felt that strange calling in his chest… the sense that he *had* to pass through the gate.
Almost as though he'd already done so once before.
But the oddest part was what the voice of the World had said.
At first, it had spoken plainly:
**\[Challenger Kalm, you will now be transferred into the trial.]**
But later—after what must've been about a minute, though time was strange in that black void—it had returned.
And this time, it asked:
**\[Tell me, Kalm… what is your dream?]**
Now that he thought about it... wasn't that a strange question?
What could that possibly have to do with all this chaos?
It almost felt as if the World itself was searching… for someone.
And since Kalystra had revealed he carried the legacy of "the Lost One"—a name he had never even heard before—and considering this same "Lost One" was the very person who *created* the World's Voice for some unknown purpose…
Could it be that the Lost One was looking for someone who bore his legacy?
Or… was he seeking someone worthy enough to *inherit* it?
Kalm had to filter the little he *did* know.
Earlier, when he sat with Kalystra and she teasingly called him "soft," she also mentioned there was only one thing she truly feared for him: the *title* of the Lost One.
Was there a deeper connection between that name… and the strange force behind everything?
If he strung the clues together, and pushed his thoughts as far as they would go, one conclusion rose to the surface:
This wasn't an ordinary Awakening Trial like the ones children in his world undertook.
This was something else entirely—something far deeper.
Something whose roots reached back into the past… and possibly into the future as well.
And then there was the Curse of the Lost One—its traits, its price.
A world offered in sacrifice… to awaken them.
*"Haaaah… for the love of the void, can I *please* just get a moment of peace..."*
Kalm gave a tired, crooked smile and leaned back against the edge of the boat.
It glided smoothly over the water, without a single shudder. The vessel was well-built, making his seat surprisingly comfortable.
As he let his thoughts drift, Kalystra's voice reached his ears once more.
"Kalm... would you like a small piece of advice? It may serve you well after you finish your trial."
Kalm straightened, eyes lighting with interest.
"Definitely. I doubt I'll ever get the chance to sit like this again with a woman as wise—and beautiful—as you, Kalystra..."
Her lips curled into a playful smile, her eyes twinkling with mirth.
"Oh my... That's quite the charming line to feed a lonely woman.
I'd say you might become a dangerous weapon to the hearts of lovely ladies one day..."
Kalm rubbed the back of his head, clearly flustered.
"So… the advice?"
Kalystra laughed softly before continuing.
"Awakened ones are a valuable resource, Kalm. No matter what alignment they carry—or how far they've advanced—they are regularly sent into danger.
Sometimes to handle issues in cities… sometimes into the territories of monsters… and under every kind of condition imaginable.
So let me ask you this:
Do you know the *most* important thing an awakened one needs to survive?"
Kalm blinked a couple of times, rubbing his chin.
The question seemed simple on the surface—but something told him that the answer he had in mind wasn't what a wise woman like Kalystra wanted to hear.
Still, after pressing his brain as hard as he could, only one answer came to mind.
"Isn't it strength, Kalystra?
The stronger someone is, the better their chances of surviving… right?"
Kalystra rested her head on her hand, a bright smile dancing on her lips.
"Not a wrong answer, Kalm.
Yes—if someone is powerful, they can handle most threats more easily.
Stronger fighters don't struggle as much with monsters.
But unfortunately... no one survives *just* by strength.
Not even the strongest. Especially not alone.
No one ever survives alone.
Which leads us to what survival *actually* depends on..."
She lifted her left hand, pointed at her temple, and tapped it once.
"It's the simple things.
The things most others call logistics."
Kalm's mouth dropped slightly, caught off-guard by the word.
"Logistics…?"
Kalystra nodded.
"How to find food and water in various environments…
How to sleep in ways that help your body recover quickly…
How to stay alive in harsh, unfamiliar conditions—when food runs out and water is scarce...
Knowledge of the stars, navigation, building rafts and sails, camping, ancient languages…
Understanding the behaviors of both humans—and monsters..."
She gently ran her fingers along the boat's edge and looked back at him.
"Those little things no one bothers to care about…
They're what keep everything running.
I remember once…
I had to fight a seventh-tier beast by myself—while protecting the man I loved.
He was building a boat out of the bones of a fifth-tier creature...
And if he hadn't known how to craft it back then,
I wouldn't be here today."
Kalm stroked his chin, a flicker of deep understanding lighting up in his eyes.
"Logistics…"
Of course—what she'd said was absolutely true. Take his current situation, for example.
Even if he were as strong as Kalystra, crossing this cavern would still require much more than brute force.
The first—and most critical—was knowing how to properly cook the flesh of the vile creatures here.
Even if he managed to kill them, he would need to know where their toxins were, which parts were edible, and which should be discarded.
Otherwise… he'd be dead of starvation in a matter of days.
It seemed so simple on the surface, yet it was the very boundary between life and death—not only for beginners, but even for the powerful.
Even the boat they were sailing on… the behavioral patterns of the monsters within this cave… how they reacted under different circumstances…
*"It truly *is* an important piece of advice…"*
Had Kalm been left to his own instincts, he would have gone straight for sharpening his blade and focusing solely on power, thinking it would make everything easier.
But now… his eyes were open to something else—something just as vital.
"Thank you, Kalystra. I'll take your advice to heart."
The gentle woman closed her eyes with a soft laugh.
"No need to thank me. I truly wish you the best, Kalm. I'm sure you'll accomplish great things in your world."
Kalm scratched his head with a shy smile, touched by her words, then lowered his gaze toward the river.
Since their journey was nearing its end, he decided to ask her something that had been weighing on his mind.
He cleared his throat.
"Kalystra, may I ask you something?"
Her lips curled ever so slightly.
"Of course."
He took a breath, as if the words were difficult to form.
"You really are an extraordinary person—strong, wise, calm, and grounded in reality.
You must've been through so much to become who you are…
What's the hardest moment you've ever faced?"
To reach a level like hers… one must have endured more than most.
No one is born strong or wise—it's life's trials, its wounds and awakenings, that shape people and push them forward with greater clarity and maturity.
No one in this vast world is inherently special—only a fool, pitiable in his delusion, believes himself a grand figure in a universe so massive.
And Kalm was certain Kalystra believed the same.
Her life had surely been filled with both brutal trials—and beautiful moments.
Kalystra leaned back slightly, her gaze drifting to the ceiling, eyes half-lidded in reflection.
After a few seconds, she released a delicate laugh tinged with nostalgia—like someone brushing their fingers over long-shelved memories.
"Your question brings back so many memories, Kalm…
But the hardest moment? Hmm…
It was when my beloved and I entered the Tomb of Lies.
Everything there—from the sky, to the ground, to time itself—was nothing but a web of horrific illusions spun by a wretched entity."
She paused, drawing in a deep breath.
"There was an island there, strange beyond words—where even death meant nothing.
Even *dying* was just another illusion.
The worst part? You don't realize that until it's already far too late.
On that island, I died… more than a thousand times.
But that wasn't what broke me.
It was watching the one I loved die—right in front of me."
Kalystra gave a bittersweet smile, resting her head back on her hand.
"I never minded dying, really.
The end of my life, and its return—those didn't scare me.
But watching him die while I stood there powerless…
It nearly drove me mad.
I cried until my heart burned. I bit my lip until it bled.
And once…
I even took my own life just to return to him faster.
That… without question…
was the hardest moment of my life."
Kalm lowered his gaze toward the river, guilt twisting in his chest for stirring such painful memories within her.
Emotions are humanity's greatest gift—and its most dangerous vulnerability.
Kalystra, a woman of immense strength and wisdom, had nearly been broken by the weight of her love.
Her love for that man…
It must have been stronger than anything else in her world.
Kalystra chuckled gently.
"No need to worry, Kalm.
Hard moments are like patches of mud in the river of life—it always flows forward, regardless.
In the end, we overcome all of it.
That's the strength of humans…
and the bitter taste of life."