Chapter 113: The Oath
The Return
When Leo opened his eyes, the heavy silence hit him first. He took in his surroundings. He was still sitting at the bottom of the pool, except the inky liquid was gone. The countless Soul Crystals that once filled the floor had vanished too. Nothing remained.
Leo stared at the empty space as realization washed over him. He had entered a trance and had only just awakened. For a moment, he just sat there, taking stock of his own mind and body.
The meditation was unlike anything he had ever experienced. It went far beyond a simple technique to strengthen his soul; it reached something much deeper. The painful memories he had carried for years—the regrets, the guilt, the people he had lost, the things he wished he could change—remained. He hadn’t forgotten a single detail. Yet, for the first time, he no longer felt chained to them. It felt as though he had finally put those memories in their proper place: behind him. He would always remember the people from his past, but now he could move forward without glancing over his shoulder.
Leo drew a deep breath.
"I guess..." he murmured. "I’ve finally made peace with it."
He closed his eyes, searching for any other changes in his soul, his Zen, or his body. Everything felt the same as before. He felt no drastic increase in strength, no overwhelming surge of energy. There was nothing obvious to note.
Leo opened his eyes with a faint frown.
"Nothing?"
He wasn’t disappointed. The meditation felt far more profound than a simple power boost. Pushing himself to his feet, Leo climbed out of the empty pool. His gaze fell right onto the mysterious man.
The man sat cross-legged nearby, his eyes shut. Leo halted. For a fleeting moment, it looked as though countless stars revolved around the man’s body. Tiny points of starlight circled him in perfect harmony, as if the heavens themselves were blessing his existence. The sight was so captivating that Leo couldn’t help but stare.
The mysterious man opened his eyes, and the illusion vanished in a blink.
"You have awakened."
Leo nodded.
"Yes."
The man studied him before letting out a sigh.
"Unfortunately, your time here has come to an end."
Leo’s eyes widened.
"What?"
The mysterious man continued in an even tone,
"You have been meditating for two years."
"Exactly two years and two months."
Leo stood frozen.
"Two years..."
He hadn’t realized so much time had slipped away. The man rose to his feet.
"Now I have to send you back."
Gill appeared beside him, the shadowy raven taking its place behind its master. The mysterious man raised a hand, and a card materialized between his fingers. He looked at Leo.
"I suppose you already know this."
"But I’ll warn you anyway."
His expression turned serious.
"No matter how much you’ve trained or how much Zen you’ve absorbed here, remember one thing."
"The person standing here..."
He pointed toward Leo.
"...is only your soul."
"Your real body is still in your world."
Leo offered a small nod.
"So don’t expect some dramatic increase in strength when you return."
"You will still be at Level Zero."
"You’ll have to train your real body step by step using everything you’ve learned here."
The mysterious man’s gaze sharpened.
"So don’t become reckless."
"Don’t return and challenge forces that are far beyond your current ability."
Leo nodded again.
"I understand."
The man paused before adding,
"I hope you survive."
"The path ahead of you won’t be easy."
"But no matter what happens..."
"Don’t lose hope."
Leo’s expression turned solemn before the mysterious man spoke again.
"There is one more thing."
"I want you to take an oath."
Leo raised an eyebrow.
"You must swear that you will never reveal anything about this place."
"Nor will you tell anyone about me or Gill."
"In short, you cannot tell anyone what happened after you arrived here."
Leo nodded.
"And don’t worry."
"After you return, the system won’t be able to hear your thoughts."
Leo blinked, surprised the man knew about the system. The mysterious man extended his hand.
"Now."
"Take the oath."
Leo didn’t hesitate. He knew there had to be a reason behind the demand, and he had no intention of revealing the existence of this place anyway. Since the oath wasn’t a poisonous or restrictive curse, he had no reason to refuse. He swore to keep everything concerning the Void Dimension, the mysterious man, and Gill a secret.
The moment the words left his mouth, a deep rumble echoed through the Void. Black lightning tore across the endless darkness above. Leo looked upward in surprise before turning his attention back to his teacher.
The man met his gaze.
"Don’t worry."
"It won’t affect you unless you’re not a man of your word."
Leo shrugged.
"Fair enough."
The mysterious man nodded.
"Alright."
"It’s time to go back."
Before the man could act, Leo dropped to his knees, lowering his head until his forehead brushed the ground. The mysterious man’s eyebrows rose a fraction. Leo spoke without lifting his head.
"I don’t know why you summoned me here."
"And I still don’t know what you want from me."
"But..."
His voice filled with sincerity.
"I can feel the goodwill you’ve shown me."
"Thank you."
"For everything you’ve taught me."
"For helping me."
"And for giving me a chance to become stronger."
Leo brought his gaze up.
"I know you’ve never acknowledged it..."
"But I regard you as my Master."
"Thank you very much."
The mysterious man’s expression softened. Raising a hand, an invisible force pulled Leo back to his feet.
"Now, don’t get all teary-eyed on me like a woman."
Leo blinked. The mysterious man stepped forward, drawing him into a brief hug, and patted his shoulder.
"Just do your best."
"Become stronger."
"And survive."
He took a step back. The card in his hand floated upward, hovering directly above Leo’s head as a strange black hole formed on its surface. At the same time, the mysterious man summoned another card and tossed it. Leo caught it.
"This is a one-time-use card."
The mysterious man’s expression grew serious again.
"When all hope is lost..."
"When you have absolutely no other choice..."
"Only then should you use it."
"It will help you change your fate."
Leo stared at him for a moment before tucking the card safely away. He turned toward Gill, who stood quiet and still nearby. A smile reached Leo’s face.
"I guess you’ll miss me the most."
"You’ll become lonely again."
"So don’t cry when I’m gone, okay?"
Gill narrowed his crimson eyes and let out a clear snort. Leo’s smile widened.
"Yeah, yeah. Keep pretending you don’t care."
Gill opened his beak. In a deep, unfamiliar voice, he said,
"TAKE CARE, FRIEND."
Leo froze, staring at the raven in sheer shock. Then a genuine smile spread across his face.
"Oh..."
"So you could talk after all."
Gill turned his head away. Leo chuckled.
"You take care too."
"And don’t keep eating those Soul Crystals like they’re candy."
"Make sure you don’t get indigestion."
The card above began pulling at Leo’s soul, the suction force growing heavier by the second. His body turned faint and transparent. A final thought flashed through his mind, and he looked toward his teacher.
"Hey!"
"I know it’s a little late to ask this..."
"But I never got your name."
The mysterious man smiled.
"I am known as..."
"The Astral Master."
Leo’s eyes widened.
"The Astral—"
Before he could finish, the force from the card spiked. With a rush of air, Leo’s soul vanished into the black hole. The card disappeared. The Void Dimension fell quiet.
The Astral Master and Gill lingered in the empty space. Eventually, the Master sighed.
"It’s going to be less interesting now that the kid is gone."
Gill looked at him.
"Master..."
The Astral Master met the raven’s gaze as Gill continued.
"Are you sure he will help when the time comes?"
The Astral Master smiled a faint, knowing smile.
"What do you think?"
Gill paused before answering.
"He’s a good kid."
The Astral Master shook his head.
"It doesn’t matter."
"When the time comes, he won’t have much of a choice anyway."
He looked out into the endless darkness.
"Besides, we’re not depending entirely on him."
"Fate simply brought us together."
"So I might as well help him a little."
He paused, letting the silence stretch.
"We’re not the kind of people who place our fate in someone else’s hands."
Gill nodded.
"Master."
A violent disturbance rippled through the distant darkness, drawing both their eyes. The Astral Master narrowed his gaze.
"Looks like our friends are causing trouble again."
He sighed.
"Why do they never learn their lesson?"
Gill shook his feathered head.
"Those guys are bird brains anyway."
The Astral Master turned his head, staring at Gill for a long moment. A faint smile finally broke his serious expression.
"Indeed."
The golden dome around them began to fade. The four cards holding it in place dissolved into nothingness, and soon after, the Astral Master and Gill vanished right alongside them. The Forgotten Battlefield was left behind in heavy, absolute quiet.