---

“Before teaching, let’s do a thought experiment first. Imagine a room with six windows. Then, put a monkey inside that room.”

It was a sunny afternoon. Conra, who had been struggling to grasp the essence of his training, went to seek advice from his teacher, Sophia. Sophia sat Conra down and began with the above introduction.

“Then, how do you think the monkey would behave?”

Conra, deep in thought, cautiously answered with an unsure expression.

“I don’t know much about monkeys, but… wouldn’t it try to check outside through the windows from time to time?”

A room, a space disconnected from the outside. In such a room, the only way to check the situation outside is through the six windows. Even if a monkey isn’t like a human, as an animal, it would naturally try to assess its situation. That was the thought that came to Conra’s mind.

Fortunately, Conra’s guess seemed to be correct, as Sophia laughed with a clear voice and nodded.

“Hahaha, why are you being so timid? Your guess is right. The restless monkey would peek out from each of the six windows, hide, and then peek out from another window, repeating this behavior. This is because there’s no other way for the monkey to check the situation outside.”

As they walked along the path beside the canal, Conra listened intently to Sophia’s explanation. Even as the cool breeze tickled his ears, Sophia’s teachings were clearly etched into Conra’s mind.

“But let’s assume something else. What if the six windows in the room were actually illusions created by a powerful spellcaster? Then, what meaning would the monkey’s constant peeking have?”

“Huh?”

For a moment, Conra’s face went blank. Sophia’s hand roughly ruffled his hair, but Conra’s expression remained dazed.

Yes, that had happened.

Looking into one of the six “memory” windows, Conra’s consciousness let out a bitter smile. Even though five of the six windows had been completely closed, one window remained, projecting the “outside” scenery before Conra’s eyes.

It was always like this. Normally, Conra’s mind was a blur of fragmented sensory impressions, floating around without clear distinction, filled with noise in the gaps.

Human consciousness often leaves random thoughts and reactions unchecked, rather than maintaining a clear train of thought. Human thinking isn’t as organically connected as one might think. Conra only realized this after starting his training.

Attaching names to fragmented, vaguely stored concepts and treating them as if they were organically connected was merely the result of repeatedly trained consciousness.

In other words, what Conra was seeing through the sixth window wasn’t the memory itself, but rather a reconstruction of conceptual fragments gathered by his own consciousness from past experiences.

However, since Conra possessed the senses of a Druid, an Alchemist, and a martial artist, the level of detail and completeness in recreating the scene was far beyond what an ordinary person could achieve.

“Haha, both the monkey peeking through the windows and the spellcaster casting illusions on the monkey were ultimately me.”

The windows caused the monkey distress, but even the scenery seen through those windows wasn’t real. The fact that all of it was ultimately caused by “me” made Conra let out a bitter smile.

Reacting, clinging, and being swayed by the scenery projected by the five senses—that was me.

Projecting illusions onto myself, preventing me from seeing things as they are—that was also me.

Judging the truth and falsehood of what I see now—that was still me.

A clarity different from being led astray by illusions before was now etched into Conra’s consciousness. Though it couldn’t be said to transcend the senses, a clear center no longer swayed by sensations was firmly established in the vacuum between Conra’s consciousness and subconsciousness.

At the same time, Conra realized he had only just reached the starting line.

‘Controlling the body ultimately comes down to consciousness. Only when you can fully control your consciousness can you fully control your body.’

In an instant, Conra began to regain influence over his body without relying on his senses. Controlling the body with a single stream of Qi was called “御氣令身” (Yù Qì Lìng Shēn), and the mind leading the Qi was called “心生從氣” (Xīn Shēng Cóng Qì).

With his consciousness fully stabilized and his Qi following, there was no delay in controlling his body with Qi. Moreover, Conra had experienced something similar to “御氣令身” during the process of forcibly breaking through the “귀식대법” (Guī Shí Dà Fǎ). Before even a single breath could pass, Conra had fully mastered the art of perceiving the world and controlling his body without relying on his senses.

If his previous control of his body relied on innate senses and training, his current control was a stage where he harmonized his Qi and physical movements with his own established martial theory. He had finally reached a state where he could fully exercise sovereignty over his own body.

As Conra regained control of his body, the external situation began to unfold before his Qi Sense like the lines on a palm.

The amount of information flowing in was truly immense. Previously, Conra could only fully perceive a radius of about 120 cubits (approximately 60 meters) by combining his five senses and Qi Sense. While he could roughly scan further distances, this was the limit for precisely reading real-time situations.

But now, Conra’s Qi Sense expanded to the point where he could scan the entire city in an instant. As the sun set and darkness fell, people returning home or those unwinding in night markets and taverns were vividly captured by Conra’s senses.

Of course, this wasn’t due to any noticeable improvement in his sensory organs. Qi Sense wasn’t something felt through specific sensory organs but rather a cognitive ability naturally awakened through the use of Qi manipulation. Therefore, it was only natural.

So, what had changed to make this possible? Simply put, his “processing power” had improved.

Human perception and reaction systems are often cluttered with unnecessary stimuli and processes. By optimizing this with the insights of “心生從氣” and “御氣令身,” his processing power had skyrocketed. At the same time, his mastery of Qi manipulation had also reached its peak due to these insights.

As Conra naturally handled his expanded perception and scanned the entire city, he noticed something unusual.

‘One place is the Merchant Guild and the stock exchange in this city… and the other is… huh? Here?’

The moment he realized this, his Qi Sense, which had been covering the entire city, instantly focused on the area near Strabenher Church. In a flash, Conra grasped the situation unfolding at Strabenher Church.

‘These guys…?’

The first thing that caught Conra’s attention was the strange presences that had infiltrated the church. Hostility, malice, killing intent, greed, fear, and all sorts of negative emotions mixed together like a sewer, causing Conra to frown in disgust. He soon realized that these emotions were directed at the priests, monks, and nuns of the church.

In contrast, the emotions emanating from the clergy resisting them were entirely different. A firm will to protect, readiness for self-sacrifice, righteous anger, and compassion shone like a diamond, holding their ground.

The practice of Light Power was achieved through endless self-reflection and rigorous discipline. Moreover, those who had received the Immovable King Wisdom Technique from Sophia, Conra’s teacher, were even more steadfast.

However, since these were not people accustomed to battlefields, it was inevitable that some wavering would occur during the fight. Conra couldn’t help but feel pity as he saw the clergy gradually tainted by negative emotions.

Well, it couldn’t be helped. In the process of resisting the invaders, casualties among the priests, monks, and nuns were unavoidable. It was an inevitable outcome. In a life-and-death struggle, it was impossible for no one to die.

Conra, who had been calmly assessing the situation, lost his composure the next moment.

From a room in the tower where Conra had been in seclusion, he sensed a familiar presence confronting a grotesque and oppressive aura nearby.

‘Maria!’

The presence, though on the verge of extinguishing like a dying flame, was gathering its light more intensely and quietly. Conra silently muttered her name.

If Sophia was the person Conra revered most in his life, Maria was undoubtedly the person he cherished most. In fact, Conra harbored feelings for Maria that he couldn’t quite define, even before considering her as his younger sister.

Now that he had clearly organized his consciousness, Conra finally understood what these feelings were. However, having a clear consciousness and understanding one’s emotions was different from making firm choices and taking action. He would likely continue to ponder this in the future.

But that aside.

“How dare you lay your filthy hands on my Maria.”

The sound of teeth grinding echoed. It wasn’t an unconscious action. The movements of a martial artist who had achieved “御氣令身” wouldn’t slip out of control, even by mistake. However, the flow of Qi honestly reflected the intense emotions in his heart, thanks to “心生從氣.”

As if to prove this, waves of spells and Qi fluctuations surged around the boy, accompanied by flashes of blue-white lightning, small whirlwinds, and jade-colored lights flickering incessantly.

In the next moment, Conra’s Ethereal Brain and the neural network of his Spirit Entity glowed brightly, followed by his Ethereal Muscles bulking up significantly. And then…

“―――.”

A flash of light erupted. When the light faded, the boy was no longer in the room.

+++++

An overwhelming pressure, as if the space itself was being pressed down, enveloped the area. It wasn’t just the weight of Qi, but a natural, serene pressure that seemed to stem from the disparity of existence.

Under this oppressive pressure, the people in the hall stiffened as if they had made a pact, standing frozen in place.

Conra, who had been standing firmly, emitting his presence, suddenly turned to Bishop Juliana van Oranje, who was waiting near the bridge.

“Bishop Juliana, please take care of Maria.”

“Ah, yes! Leave it to me!”

At Conra’s words, Bishop Juliana, who had been frozen like the others, snapped out of it and hurriedly approached Maria. Perhaps it was the backlash of forcing herself to hold on in such a critical situation, but Maria’s breathing was ragged, as if she might stop breathing at any moment.

Fortunately, Conra had administered emergency treatment, so the immediate danger seemed to have passed, but it was only a temporary measure. Bishop Juliana, biting her lip as she examined Maria, immediately began pouring out healing spells, sacred chants, and Light Power that she had stored.

Seeing this, the other priests, monks, and nuns quickly realized what they needed to do. Those among them who were strong and swift hurried across the bridge and placed Maria, whose external wounds had been roughly healed by Bishop Juliana’s efforts, on a stretcher. They moved Maria away from the battlefield to begin additional treatment.

Despite these movements, none of the attackers stepped forward to stop them. Conra’s presence was still too threatening, squeezing their spirits.

Conra, who had been standing firmly, emitting his presence, finally began to move after Maria’s safety was secured.

The moment the boy stepped forward, spear and sword in hand, the attackers took two steps back as if by agreement. The pressure that had been weighing them down pushed them back with Conra’s step.

Though it was merely an intangible pressure, it felt as if it had mass and physical force, creating an unrealistically oppressive situation. The giant couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh.

Hearing the giant’s laugh, Conra’s gaze shifted toward him. Despite the bandage covering his eyes, the oppressive gaze made the giant break out in a cold sweat and curl his lips.

Trying not to meet Conra’s gaze while also not letting his guard down for even a moment, the giant spoke to his surroundings.

“Fall back. He’s not someone you can handle.”

It wasn’t a considerate remark. It was just that they wouldn’t be of any real help. Moreover, these people were precious sacrifices needed to replenish the giant’s depleted energy if he were to escape this place unscathed. Wasting them here would only lead to regret.

Whether he knew the giant’s thoughts or not, Conra watched as the attackers swallowed their saliva, exchanged glances, and began to retreat. The giant, holding his Demon Sword, adjusted his grip.

*Shiver…*

Suddenly, a vibration transmitted through the hilt made the giant glance at the sword in his hand. The Demon Sword, which had been brimming with bloodlust and demonic energy just moments ago, had now tightly closed its eye, which had been slowly opening to reveal a sinister glow.

The giant, baffled by the sword’s behavior, muttered to himself.

“Huh, what’s with this cowardly act?”

Despite the sarcasm, the Demon Sword’s tightly closed eye showed no sign of reopening. It merely squinted slightly, glaring at the giant before closing again and holding its ground.

Sighing, the giant tilted the Demon Sword in his right hand diagonally and moved his left hand to form a seal, chanting an incomprehensible spell.

“៩ᝠᡀʓᛮᚗᑹᏑ, ሚჀ၍໕ญϪ.”

The eerie chant, like the chirping of insects, mixed incompatible spell languages unnaturally, creating an incomprehensible sentence.

*Whoosh―――!*

A fierce, blood-red energy began to rise from the Demon Sword.

Like smoke clouds billowing from a volcanic crater, the dark demonic energy, tinged with a faint blood-red glow, rose in thick plumes, creating a sight that was more than enough to evoke a sense of foreboding.

‘Perfect timing. The priests are busy tending to that little girl, so their hands are full.’

As the blood-red energy from the greatsword formed a sword aura, pushing back the sporadic interference of Light Power and the pressure weighing down the space, the giant’s confidence began to rise.

‘Yes, with this power, I can at least establish a fight. Once the fight starts, it’s a matter of experience. Judging by his age, he’s probably only in his mid-teens. Even if he’s a genius who’s been practicing martial arts since birth, he couldn’t have accumulated much experience at that age.’

When people find a lifeline in a disadvantageous situation, their thinking tends to become overly optimistic and hopeful. They spin hopeful scenarios without considering whether they’re realistic. In other words, they deliberately ignore the possibility of things going wrong.

The giant’s reaction to the sudden appearance of an overwhelmingly powerful opponent was no different. Unlike his earlier distrust of the Demon Sword, now that he had forcibly drawn out demonic energy using the “은가이 제사술” (Silver Sacrificial Art), he was brimming with confidence and boldly stepped forward.

His inner thoughts went something like this:

‘I’ve drawn out this much demonic energy. No matter how strong he is, there’s no way a swordsman of my caliber would be completely overwhelmed, right?’

If he could just establish a fight, he might find an opportunity to escape.

With that thought, the giant stepped forward. The moment he crossed blades with Conra, he realized something was wrong.

“Guh!”

‘He’s strong!’

Just as he tried to deflect Conra’s spear with his sword, an overwhelmingly heavy force traveled through the blade and into his arm. Every movement—pushing, pulling, deflecting, and climbing—was executed with such precision that it drained the giant’s spirit.

Realizing that he was no match in terms of strength or technique, the giant had only one option left.

“Grr, Demon Sword!”

Having realized that the demonic energy drawn out through the Silver Sacrificial Art wasn’t enough, the giant had no choice but to urge the still-closed Demon Sword to draw out more energy. But the Demon Sword remained unresponsive. Naturally, the giant was experiencing a moment-by-moment drying of his mouth.

What was even more despairing was something else.

‘This brat is holding back!’

The giant’s swordsmanship, which had no equal in his homeland, and even on the continent where he had traveled for martial training, was being effortlessly countered by Conra’s spear. Conra’s spear always seemed to be one step ahead, securing advantageous positions while deliberately ignoring opportunities to deliver a fatal blow.

It was as if Conra was teasing him, bringing the spear tip close to his face, shaking it slightly, and then targeting another spot. The discomfort made the giant’s anger rise to the top of his head, but he clenched his teeth to suppress the emotional turmoil.

‘…Fine, keep underestimating me. Hey, Demon Sword. There’s no opportunity like this. If you want to escape safely, cooperate now!’

The Demon Sword responded with a creaking sound, like an old stone door being scraped. Perhaps the Demon Sword also realized that if things continued like this, it would be collected by the church and meet an unpleasant end.

Coldly thinking about it, the fact that the opponent was underestimating him could be a good thing in some situations. At least it meant he wouldn’t be instantly killed without a chance to fight back, and if he was lucky, he might even exploit that carelessness.

But Conra wasn’t actually underestimating him.

‘Hmm… in this case, can I do this much? Then next…’

To be precise, he was thoroughly controlling the opponent while carefully and respectfully testing what he could achieve at his current level.

Once a sword aura was unleashed, it could expand far beyond its previous range or contract to an incomparably dense state. Naturally, the number of possibilities that unfolded with each move was incomparable to before. Without fully imprinting this in his mind, advancing to the next stage was unthinkable.

Therefore, an opponent who could be used to test his full power without reservation was invaluable. Especially since this opponent had dared to show killing intent and malice toward Maria. He couldn’t be killed so easily.

Unaware of this, the giant used various unconventional techniques of the Silver Sacrificial Art to coax and urge the Demon Sword, finally succeeding in gaining its cooperation. He grinned from ear to ear.

“Kehehe… Gya―hahahaha――!”

The Demon Sword, forged from steel with the addition of demonic body parts through the flames of spells, and further enhanced with a massive amount of demonic energy through the Silver Sacrificial Art, finally opened its eye embedded in the hilt.

At the same time, the demonic energy, which had previously billowed like smoke clouds, became more tangible, forming intricate vine-like patterns that crawled up the giant’s body and transformed into strange sigils.

The giant’s skin color also began to change, shifting from a healthy dark brown to a somewhat faded gray. But the giant, oblivious to this, was simply intoxicated by the sense of omnipotence brought on by the power and foresight surging through his body.

‘Tsk, idiot.’

Whether Conra clicked his tongue internally or not, the giant, having roughly completed the demonic refinement through the Demon Sword, pointed the grotesque blade at Conra and spoke.

“You’ve been toying with me until now, haven’t you? This time, I’ll make you pay

 

---