Moments later, Baran pushed open the hidden door and stepped directly into the secret area.
The place was strange. A heavy dampness clung to the air, and the walls were covered with bizarre drawings depicting a man fighting against six entire groups. Baran moved forward through the long corridor with cautious steps, his eyes scanning every corner.
At the end of the corridor stood two guards.
In a flash, Baran moved. He slipped past them like a shadow, unnoticed by any soul. But the moment he passed them, what he saw made him stop.
An underground prison stretched before him, drowning in oppressive darkness. Inside it were women—too many to count.
He descended to the second floor. There were even more women than on the first. He looked left and right, but saw nothing else. Their faces were empty of hope. Not a single one reacted, even when Baran's gaze passed over them.
On the third floor, he was shocked once again. The number of women here exceeded the first two floors combined.
No chains. No restraints. Just walls… and locked doors.
Baran stopped, observing the scene carefully.
"This is impossible… All these women in one place. What is going on here? Are they criminals? No… that can't be."
He stared longer, then noticed something.
All of them were in good condition. They were being treated properly.
Before he could finish his thoughts, his eyes landed on an isolated cell in the corner.
Inside it, there was a single person… bound in heavy chains.
Baran approached slowly, examining him.
"Everyone here is a woman… Why are you the only man?"
The young man's eyes snapped open.
He was handsome, with deep green eyes, short hair, and a body filled with solid muscle. Strange black symbols, like ancient seals, covered his shoulders. He looked about nineteen.
He stared at Baran with anticipation.
"Who are you? And why did you enter this prison? Did Lorina send you?"
"Lorina? Who is that?"
"How did you dare enter this place? And who are you, anyway?"
Baran tilted his head slightly, a faint smirk forming on his lips.
"Why all the anger? Tell me… do you want me to free you, or can you do that yourself?"
In the next second, everything changed.
The young man smiled calmly.
Then the chains moved on their own.
They trembled… shook… and exploded into scattered pieces.
He stood up with quiet, regal composure.
He extended his hand toward the bars of the cell—and they opened.
He stepped out and stood before Baran. They were nearly the same height.
In that moment, Baran instinctively realized that he was facing someone from the Manuscript Reader World… a Legendary-level existence of immeasurable status.
"Hmm… My name is Suleiman. And you? What's your name?"
His tone was polite, yet carried the weight of someone who knew his own worth.
"Baran. From the Kingdom of Light."
Suleiman smiled and suggested they leave the prison to talk more.
They exited and entered Baran's room. Once settled, Baran asked:
"So, you're saying Lorina is responsible for imprisoning all those women. But why did they imprison you too?"
"I was trying to steal something from her. That cursed woman is working with the King of the Poison Kingdom."
That was no ordinary statement.
To ally with a king from outside the Dark Kingdom in the Land of Darkness was a crime punishable by immediate execution.
Baran straightened in his seat.
"If the King of Poison is behind her, then she's extremely dangerous. Which world is she active in?"
"The Connected World. Beginner Level."
The Connected World was the second world.
A real shock.
"What? That's impossible."
Baran's shock wasn't empty. A king interfering meant the balance itself was at stake. Kings were absolute forces in existence. They only moved when an entire world was threatened.
For a king to be involved with someone like Lorina… in a small city like Nab King… it was truly strange.
"Anyway," Suleiman continued, "the Poison Kingdom possesses five extremely powerful poisons. Lorina controls one of them… and she wants to consume it."
He paused.
"But she needs immense energy to withstand it. So she decided to kill all those women… and turn their blood into energy."
Silence fell briefly.
"I need your help to kill Lorina. She entered the Connected World at the Advanced Level."
For those unfamiliar with the rules:
Anyone who ascends to a higher world at the Advanced Level is called a Catherine—someone weaker than those who ascend from the Legendary Level.
Baran smiled.
"So she's a Catherine? Even then… how do we kill her? She's in the Connected World. That's nearly impossible."
"True. But in this city, there are three people from the Connected World."
"The Kurion Clan has ruled this city since ancient times. It has three branches. Lorina belongs to the second branch. There are two others at her level."
Suleiman paused, then said seriously:
"The first branch leader, Diaso, wants to kill Lorina. The third branch leader, Shiro, is on her side."
"The equation is simple: Diaso vs Lorina. You and I vs Shiro."
Baran sighed, smiling lightly.
"Don't tell me all three of them are Catherines too. Hahaha."
"Of course. This is a small city, after all."
Then Suleiman added casually:
"By the way… you're from the Kingdom of Light. Which city exactly?"
Baran's expression changed.
His smile vanished, replaced by a cold, stone-like face.
He exhaled heavily.
"The City of Fire."
Three words.
Enough to freeze Suleiman in place.
The City of Fire had once been one of the three guardian cities of the Kingdom of Light.
Once.
Because the King of Light himself had destroyed it… and wiped out the Fire Clan entirely.
"What?! You're from the Fire Clan? That means… that means—"
"Yes. My goal is to kill the King of Light."
Suleiman dropped what he was holding.
Killing a king was one of the greatest taboos.
A law established by the Absolute Star Emperor—the oldest and greatest emperor in existence—five million years ago.
In all that time… across billions of lives…
The number of people who succeeded in killing a king was:
Zero.
Because a curse awaited anyone who carried such intent. It would appear unpredictably, paralyzing them, weakening their power. And the stronger they became…
the stronger the curse grew.
"You're not joking… are you?"
"Why would I joke with you? Anyway… forget about it."
Baran said it coldly, then walked away without looking back.
---
Ten days later…
Baran and Suleiman entered a restaurant and sat down to order food.
Breaking the silence, Suleiman reached for a dish.
"Do you have a friend here who's as strong as you… or stronger?"
Baran glanced at the waiter, who placed the food and left, then replied:
"Yes. His name is Narvik. He's very strong… but I can't find him."
"Of course you can't. You never actually tried to."
"Why would I? When I heard about the Kurion Clan's manuscript, I thought if you and I joined forces, we could kill Shiro… and destroy the entire clan."
Silence fell instantly.
"What?! How dare you say you can destroy the Kurion Clan?!"
The waiter was still nearby when he heard those words.
A table shattered in the corner with a single blow.
A large man stood up, his eyes blazing with fury, shouting:
"Who dares speak about the Kurion Clan like that?!"