---
After a grueling week of hellish training—using many of my skills, revealing several of my trump cards, and sometimes entering my berserk state simply because I lost—much about me was exposed.
Of course, Rose was "torturing" me in the name of training, and only because Celestia had high-quality healing potions did I return to bed every night covered in bruises and pain.
And things continued like this… until the news came.
Moonshadow Arsenal had risen with a technological miracle — the first "living giant" capable of moving like a human.
Its reactions were slow, yes, but it was still only a prototype.
The news spread worldwide… and with it, the mention of the "mysterious investor" who bought more than 53% of the company's shares and funded the project to completion.
We were having dinner—cooked by Celestia, who turned out to be an excellent chef—and after washing the dishes we watched the news.
Naturally… no one cared but me.
Because the mysterious investor… was me.
How?
Let's go back one week…
---
When the first four days of the deadline I'd given the company passed with nothing happening… I did something bold.
I snuck into a black-market auction.
I pretended to sleep early from exhaustion, slipped out, and returned by nine. Rose and Celestia didn't suspect anything—they were used to me taking breaks from all the work. I was practically the one who cooked, tended the garden, trained, and studied… I had even begun learning things I never knew before.
There, I put up the World Tree Sapling's Glue for auction.
I was sad about it… it was extremely rare and valuable.
I thought about stealing it back afterward, but the system warned me: they'd suspect me or catch me before I escaped.
Especially since the one who bought it was the queen of the black market… or rather, what she would become in the future.
The price soared past eight billion.
If not for that little girl, it would've been even higher.
I invested the money in small batches to avoid suspicion, and told the system to return the money I had once stolen from the bank.
After those investments, the company stabilized, giving them time to complete their project.
And so… I became rich.
I invested in more projects, raising my estimated wealth to twenty-six billion.
Compared to the wealthy of this world?
I wasn't even a "bug"—maybe just a "flea" to their eyes.
But I didn't care.
This money was more than enough to continue my sister's treatment.
Thanks to the system, which monitored every move made by corrupt politicians and exposed them when necessary, everything went smoothly.
I felt grateful… and after all these interactions, I began trusting it again—though with a hint of doubt.
And this continued for one year and six months…
---
One day, I took the kids out into the city.
After the previous incidents, Rose had been too worried to let them go out, but after convincing her, she agreed and gave me tracking devices "in case something happened."
I took them to an old game shop—filled with games from my previous world and new parts as well.
I felt real joy… and of course, I crushed the siblings in every match.
After we left and started feeling hungry, I passed by an alley and sensed corrupted mana.
I told the kids to go into the restaurant and that I'd follow after using the bathroom—just an excuse—then slipped inside the alley.
---
Across from the alley was a hotel.
And just as I entered, a boy with long blue hair and golden eyes stepped out of the hotel door—his gaze bright and excited.
After his parents allowed him to travel the world to train for the academy, he chose the continent of Tsukinori as his first destination… because he'd heard of its exceptional fighters.
He entered every district… challenged everyone he saw… and won.
He was an awakened, and his bloodline was awakened too—making him the strongest in his stage.
While wandering the city for a worthy opponent, he heard a feminine voice inside his head:
"Caspian… you're hopeless. You don't know anything but fighting. And when you get bored? You go to the video-game store and play for hours. Which part of this is training?"
He replied, annoyed:
"Come on, Valeria… you know why. There's no worthy opponent. The only person I wanted to defeat… died saving me."
Valeria—the serpent that appeared from the pillar of light during his awakening—didn't answer.
She alone understood his old wound.
He wandered aimlessly until he reached a small ramen stall. Inside were two kids, staring at the menu as if waiting for someone.
He didn't care.
He ate his favorite meal, paid, and left.
But… while exiting, he noticed the kids still hadn't ordered anything.
And when he casually glanced toward the game shop—
Coincidentally, at that exact moment, I stepped out of the alley.
One of the kids called out:
"Brother Arthur! Come quickly!"
I turned to him immediately and went inside the stall.
Caspian turned too—but a moment too late. He didn't see my face, only the color of my hair.
Valeria sighed:
"Face it, Caspian… that man died long ago. Let it go."
He hated it… but deep inside, he wished it were him.
Still, he didn't return to check—he simply went on toward the game shop.
---
When I returned to the stall, my mind was occupied with the strange boy.
I was certain he carried the power of the Abyss.
But who was he? And why was he here?
I decided to tell Roselin when I got back.
As I left the alley, I felt a familiar wave of power.
But just as I was about to turn toward its source… the kid called me, so I went to him.
After we ate, I messaged Rose and told her we were coming home.
When we arrived, I told her what I had seen.
She took it seriously and contacted Celestia, who sent specialized members to investigate… but after three full months, they found nothing.
Still, they stayed on alert… in case the Abyss decided to act unexpectedly.
---
One night, while we were having dinner, Roselin said:
"Arthur… I've decided to accept the request to become an instructor at the academy. I'll leave with my siblings in two months. You may come with us—I'll continue your training there."
I finished my meal and replied calmly:
"There's no need, Lady Roselin… I think it's time for my own journey until academy registration. Besides, I need to return for my little sister… she's still in a coma."
Rose understood… but she felt sadness for my refusal.
As for the siblings—they were devastated.
They begged me to come with them, but I only gave them an apologetic smile and promised I wouldn't be gone long—just a single year.
And after the three months passed… the time for farewell arrived.
But before that…
I stood before Roselin, both of us holding our weapons.
She said:
"This fight will determine whether you're ready… or not."
---