Gara kept staring at the white liquid, trying to figure out what kind of impossible medicine it could even be. Something that wasn't meant to fix Stories… but could fix his if mixed the right way?
By a professional Alchemist? And with a Red Balatasia of all things?
That sounded like money—an amount of Cores he definitely did not have.
His stomach twisted.
Almost instinctively, his eyes slid toward Leif.
The blonde met his gaze and gave a small, steady nod before looking back at [White Space].
"Thank you for the help… and for the information," Leif said respectfully.
Gara followed immediately, nodding his head and mumbling his thanks as well.
He wanted to ask—should we pay for this?
It felt wrong to just accept something so valuable.
But… he knew he couldn't afford it even if he tried. He barely had enough Cores to keep himself afloat.
If anyone could, it was Leif.
So he kept quiet, letting the words die on his tongue.
Leif didn't hesitate. "If possible… I would like to pay for the vial," he said calmly. "And for the guidance you've given us."
But [White Space] shook his head immediately. "No. As I said, I was already compensated. I will not take anything from you two."
Leif understood the refusal and didn't push again—pressuring an SS Ranker would be beyond rude.
So he let it go.
Gara, however, couldn't stop himself from quietly thanking the old man again, his gratitude spilling out before he could restrain it.
[White Space] chuckled softly, waving off Gara's extra thanks. "It's alright," he said—but then his expression shifted, settling into something more serious.
"However, Gara… try not to crack your Story again. If possible."
Gara stiffened a little at the warning. Without thinking, he raised his hand like a student in class.
The old man blinked once… then nodded with a faint smile, granting permission.
Gara lowered his hand and asked, voice small but clear, "…h-how many times can a Story… crack… before it breaks completely? Like… unable to be fixed at all…?"
[White Space] stroked his long beard, thinking.
"No one knows for certain," he said at first.
But then he paused, shook his head, and corrected himself. "No—there are a few who know, but only because their Stories grant them that kind of knowledge. They are rare, extremely rare. For most, the exact number is unknown."
He leaned forward slightly. "The important part is how a Story cracks. Yours—[Root of All Things]—can be fixed with the method I've given you, yes. But if it cracks again… and the fracture happens in the same place as before, then repairing it becomes far more difficult."
His tone darkened a little. "And if it cracks a third time, in that same weakened spot… it won't crack anymore."
He tapped the side of the vial gently. "It will break."
A final, irreversible shatter.
Gara opened his mouth, clearly wanting to ask something else—but he stopped himself, lowered his gaze, and simply thanked the old man instead.
Leif caught that hesitation immediately. So he stepped in and asked the next question for him:
"Why does it matter if the Story cracks in the same place? If it's fixed… doesn't that mean it's fixed completely? Or does that mean it's actually just patched and not truly repaired?"
[White Space] stroked his beard again, eyes narrowing thoughtfully.
"No," he said. "A repaired Story is truly repaired. Restored to full function. But…"
He tapped the armrest gently. "…the Story System keeps records of every previous shape a Story has taken. Every state. Every crack. Every deformation."
He went on:
"So when a Story cracks again, the new fracture can… align with or merge into a former one, even if that old one was already fixed."
He shrugged slightly.
"I'm not entirely sure how it works. Nor why the Story System insists on preserving those past shapes so rigidly. But I have a theory."
Both boys leaned in a little.
"It is likely to prevent loopholes—prevent Players from abusing restoration methods. And to ensure that repairing a Story is always a last resort, something one only turns to when every other path has failed."
Leif nodded gratefully. "Thank you for the explanation."
Gara hesitated only for a moment before asking his next question:
If a Story cracked again—but not in the previous place—would that old crack resurface anyway?
[White Space] nodded without pause.
"Yes. It would."
Both Gara and Leif stiffened slightly at that.
The old man continued:
"Which means even if the new crack doesn't align with the previous one, you still cannot crack your Story indefinitely."
He lifted a finger as if counting invisible variables.
"How many times can it happen—assuming every new crack never overlaps the old one? There is no exact number. It depends on the size of each crack… whether they truly avoid intersecting even slightly… and many other factors."
He then added:
"But the highest number I am aware of is fifteen. A test performed long ago by a Reader."
Gara nodded and thanked him for the answer, adding:
"That makes sense… Readers can make an infinite number of Stories. We can't."
The old man nodded, then—feeling a bit curious—leaned forward.
"You're from the White Clouds, right?"
Gara nodded. "Yeah."
The old man continued, "Got any Reader friends?"
Gara shook his head. "I know a few Readers, but… I wouldn't call any of them close. Not like friends."
"I see." The old man nodded again.
Leif then slowly raised his hand, his voice calm and flat. "Mister [White Space]… are you getting paid to give us all this information for free?"
The old man chuckled lightly and waved a hand.
"No, no. I'm telling you all this because I like the two of you. That's all."
Leif thanked him for the answer, and for all the precious information he already gave them. Gara did the same, then leaned forward.
"Do you… know the [First One Out] and the [Kid Who Never Grew Up]?"
The old man's eyes squinted with a small smile. "I know of them, yes. But I have never met the [First One Out]. The [Kid Who Never Grew Up], however… I have met."
Gara froze, breath caught in his chest.
He almost pushed for more but stopped himself and just dipped his head. "Thank you."
Leif stepped in. "Are they still alive? The [First One Out]… and the kid?"
The old man stroked his beard. "The kid is alive and well. As for the [First One Out]… I cannot answer. Not because I refuse, but because I truly do not know — the same as you."
Leif nodded. "Thank you for telling us."
Gara stared in shock at the SS Ranker, unable to speak for a moment.
His thoughts spiraled uncontrollably as the image of the [Kid Who Never Grew Up] resurfaced. A young boy with spiky blue hair, always energetic, always smiling—Kai.
He had been with the [First One Out] during the only time Gara ever met them. From what Gara could remember, Kai had been an adorable bundle of joy, and in many ways, Gara's first friend from outside his Fragment.
But ever since Gara left that Fragment, he had been unable to contact him.
Every attempt led nowhere.
Everyone Gara asked claimed they didn't know such a kid existed.
Even the Blue Trade Records, with information on practically everything, provided nothing.
Only a handful of people seemed aware of Kai at all—Leif, Marcus, and the others who knew about the Competition.
And now, apparently, [White Space].
Gara's Hero had always been the [First One Out]; he wanted nothing more than to meet him again and learn what became of him.
But if that was impossible… then at the very least, he wanted to meet the boy who had been there during their first encounter—the boy named Kai.
So hearing that [White Space] knew the [Kid Who Never Grew Up] and had even met him—and confirmed he was still alive—felt like a step closer to Gara's goal.
The red-haired young man took a deep breath and finally spoke.
"Mister [White Space]… could you tell me where the [Kid Who Never Grew Up] is?"
The old man stared at him in silence for a long moment, his expression serious as he slowly stroked his long white beard.
Then, he answered.
"Unfortunately, I cannot. Not right now, at least."
Gara's hopes collapsed instantly.
He had expected it, honestly.
The old man had already saved him twice, and now, by offering the vial that could fix his Story, this was the third time.
Not getting Kai's location… it hurt, but it didn't shake his gratitude toward [White Space].
His shoulders dropped slightly, but he nodded.
"I understand. Thank you for your answer, Mister [White Space]."
The old man looked at Gara's lowered shoulders for a moment, then spoke again.
"Once you grow much stronger than you are now… I will tell you where the [Kid Who Never Grew Up] is."
Gara's shoulders immediately shot back up, a smile breaking across his face.
"Thank you!"
He quickly glanced at Leif, who gave him a small nod.
Gara turned back. "How strong… if you don't mind me asking?"
The old man smiled warmly. "Once you become an A Ranker, I'll tell you."
Gara gulped.
A Rank?
That was way too far.
He was barely a new E Ranker right now. Before even thinking about breaking into D Rank and forming an Aspect, he had to fix his cracked Story first.
The path to A Rank… that was the level of his boss—Dante.
It was going to take a long, long time.
Thinking of Dante reminded him of the prison escape that had taken place in Third Town just yesterday—of Lavia lying in the hospital because of it.
His heart ached for a moment, and he forcefully shook the thoughts away before thanking the old man again.
[White Space] chuckled lightly. "I know it's too much. You're still just a newly advanced E Ranker. But once you're strong enough, you'll understand."
Gara nodded firmly. "I'll do my best to reach A Rank."
[White Space] chuckled again. "It's somewhat rare seeing an E Ranker strive to reach A Rank. Few seem to dream that big nowadays."
Leif spoke calmly. "I'll reach A Rank too. I'm also interested in meeting the [Kid Who Never Grew Up]."
[White Space] gave a slight nod. "With Story Names like [Root of All Things] and [Masked Threat], I'm sure you two will make it… as long as you don't crack your Stories on the daily."
Gara laughed lightly. "Thank you for everything. Once I'm stronger, I'll definitely do my best to repay you."
[White Space] passed him the white potion and chuckled. "I'll look forward to it."
Gara received the potion and slipped it into his Storage Space. When he looked up, he saw the old man lost in thought before finally speaking.
"Well… actually, there might be a way for you two to help me out even before you're that strong."
Both Gara and Leif focused immediately.
After all the times [White Space] had saved their lives, the chance to repay him mattered.
The old man continued, "When we met earlier, I told you I was after one of the students of the [Mad Scientist], right?"
Gara and Leif both nodded.
"The [Mad Scientist] only has ten Core Students," he went on, "but those students have students of their own… and those students have their own students… and so on. Do you two understand?"
The two nodded again, silent and attentive, waiting for him to continue.
[White Space] looked at them and spoke, "The Student I'm after is one of the Ten Core Students of the X Ranker known as the [Mad Scientist]. This Student is an SS Ranker, just like me, with the Story Name [Architect of Living Mistakes]."
Gara's eyes widened. "Architect of… Living Mistakes?" he repeated, almost choking on the words.
The old man nodded. "Yes. He specializes in creating new bodies and shapes—or anything living that catches his fascination at the moment. Sometimes he even tries to meddle with Fragments in the Sea of Fragments, or Story Names… and much more."
Both Gara and Leif froze when reminded of the girl from earlier.
They exchanged a glance, both wanting to ask where she was and what happened, but they remained silent, letting [White Space] continue.
"If you can track some of his students and bring them to justice, or get information from them about where [Architect of Living Mistakes] might be and contact me regarding it, I would be very grateful."
Gara and Leif stayed silent for a moment, organizing their thoughts.
Then Leif spoke. "Is there a list that mentions his students? Their Story Names… and how strong they are?"
[White Space] nodded. "I'll send you the list. As for their strength, they're all over the place. Some have students of their own, and those students also have students. Some are as weak as E Rank—or even F Rank."
He continued, "I want to eradicate them from existence—every last one of their cult‑like organization. As an SS Ranker, this is all I can do. If I were stronger, I'd go for the actual source myself."
Leif's eyes narrowed slightly. "…The source being the [Mad Scientist], right?"
The old man nodded. "Yes. The originator of all these monster scientists. An X Ranker… and holder of number 23 on the list of the Top 25 Most Evil Story Owners."
Gara couldn't help himself. "If he's that well-known… and he's even on the Top 25 Most Evil Story Owners list… is there really no one after him? No X Rankers or even Z Rankers?"
[White Space] nodded calmly. "Many are after him. But the [Mad Scientist] is slippery. He knows how to hide. And… he has allies. On top of that, he's one of the strongest X Rankers in the Story World—one of the ten most likely to reach Z Rank."
Both Gara and Leif gulped at that.
Leif spoke first. "…If the [Mad Scientist] actually reached Z Rank, what would happen?"
The old man waved a hand dismissively. "There's no way the current Z Rankers would ever allow that. Not him. And besides—" he stroked his beard, thoughtful, "—even I, an SS Ranker with a fair number of connections, still don't truly understand how someone reaches Z Rank. But what I do know is this: X Rankers usually need the approval of the Z Rankers before they can make the breakthrough, to ensure they won't interfere with the process."
Both Gara and Leif listened without blinking. None of this existed on the Blue Trade Records—at least the records they could reach.
[White Space] continued, "This rule exists because Z Rankers are simply too strong. If any organization suddenly gained a new Z Ranker overnight, it would shift the entire political landscape of the Story World. So the Z Rankers keep a very close eye on X Rankers who are on the verge of breaking through."
He stroked his beard thoughtfully. "They can't allow just anyone to reach Z Rank. That's led to disastrous outcomes before. The Shadow Circle… or the World War declared by [Revolution], who had just broken through at the time."
Gara and Leif froze.
The red-haired young man exhaled in disbelief. "I… can't even imagine what the Story World looked like during that World War…"
[White Space] looked grim as he answered. "It wasn't good. The current Story World—dangerous, violent, unpredictable as it is—is still a safe haven compared to what existed during the World War."
He sighed, "That is why any remaining followers of [Revolution] are hunted and exterminated on sight, or captured and thrown into the Infinite Prison on the Seventh Floor of the Black District, under the watch of the CEM Hunters."
Gara and Leif stayed silent.
A war caused by a newly advanced Z Ranker… a world so chaotic even this era was considered safe compared to it.
It was far beyond anything they could grasp.
Seeing their expressions, the old man softened and waved a hand lightly. "But anyway… this is not the time to dwell on past calamities. Do the two of you have any other questions for me?"
Gara and Leif took a few moments to steady themselves, letting everything sink in.
Then Gara spoke first.
"About the girl from earlier… how is she? Did you… fix her situation yet?"
[White Space]'s expression brightened. "I'm grateful you remembered her—and that you care enough to ask. Yes, she's well now. With the help of the Rashanz Empire, I separated her from that chimera-like monstrosity."
He continued, "I'll be taking the creature with me to study it for clues about [Architect of Living Mistakes], and the girl is currently with some Rashanz maids being tended to."
Both Gara and Leif let out a quiet breath, shoulders relaxing—as if something heavy had been lifted.
A pair of small, genuine smiles formed on their faces at the news.
Gara thanked him for answering, then thanked him again for saving the little girl.
Leif followed with his own thanks.
[White Space] waved it off lightly. "It was nothing. It's my responsibility toward her. My goal is to save as many as I can from those lunatics, especially that one called [Architect of Living Mistakes]."
Leif raised his hand. The old man gave him a small nod to speak.
"Why him in particular?" Leif asked.
[White Space] stroked his beard, his expression dipping into a deeper seriousness.
"As I mentioned earlier, the [Mad Scientist] has ten Core Students. But only one among them is an SS Ranker. Since I'm of the same Rank, naturally, he became my target. But it isn't just about Rank. Some of my friends were turned into monstrosities like that girl you saw. So yes… I have a personal vendetta against him."
Leif thanked him for the answer.
Gara spoke next. "Does Mister [White Space] work with others to hunt [Architect of Living Mistakes]? Or to hunt the [Mad Scientist] and his ten Core Students in general?"
The old man nodded with a smile. "It's not an Organization," he said. "More like an Alliance. We share information… and sometimes team up to capture or even kill some of the Students."
He paused before adding, "I've helped many of them before. Even made a few good friends along the way. One of which I'm sure you'd recognize."
Gara and Leif perked up, intrigued.
Gara leaned forward. "Who is it?"
The old man chuckled. "[Eyes That Never Sleep]."
Both Gara and Leif froze, eyes widening in surprise.
They didn't know much about the Player himself — but they did know about one of his connections.
Gara spoke the name almost instinctively. "[Last Note of Black]."
[White Space] nodded, a soft chuckle leaving him as he took in their amazed expressions.
[Last Note of Black] was a Z Ranker, ranked among the top thirty strongest in the Story World as a whole.
He was known by many titles — the Savior of the Wonderlands, the Wandering Blade of Silence, the Hero of the People, and more. Despite his status, he was famously down to earth, known to speak to F Rankers with Borrowed Stories as if they were his equals.
Leif asked next. "Have you met him, Mister [White Space]?"
The old man shook his head lightly. "Not yet. I haven't had the chance."
He then added, his tone casual, "But I am friendly with his brother."
Both of them focused instantly.
"[Eyes That Never Sleep]," [White Space] continued. "An X Ranker. And one of the people most actively hunting the [Mad Scientist] and his students."
Gara stared in fascination, his mind drifting as he imagined the figure of a grey Half-Wolf wielding three katanas, skipping through the Story World while relentlessly hunting the [Mad Scientist] and his students.
Leif, on the other hand, spoke up. "Is [Eyes That Never Sleep] also down to earth, like [Last Note of Black]?"
The old man nodded. "Yes. Very much so."
He continued calmly, saying that [Eyes That Never Sleep] had told him a lot about his other siblings as well — [Golden Scales] and [Bizarro Chef] — and, of course, about the main one, [Last Note of Black].
After a brief pause, he added that through those conversations, he had even learned some things about the Z Ranker's wife, the X Ranker known as [White Severance].
Leif, too, seemed to lose his usual calm as he listened to [White Space] speak about those legendary figures of the Story World, his gaze filled with awe.
While the [Rashanz Emperor] and the Reciter of the [Rashanz] Fragment, [Best Horror Storyteller], were also X Rankers, in terms of fame and influence they paled in comparison to figures directly connected to Z Rankers, such as [White Severance], [Golden Scales], and [Eyes That Never Sleep].
Even an A Ranker like [Bizarro Chef] felt far more compelling by comparison.
From what [White Space] knew, she had opened a restaurant that quickly became famous on the Fifth Floor of the Black District.
[Last Note of Black] was not called the Hero of the People for nothing. Almost every Player in the Story World knew of him and was fascinated by him.
Whether it was his modesty, overwhelming power, threat level, kindness, or something else entirely, there was always something to learn from Z Rankers—especially ones as exceptional as [Last Note of Black].
Both Gara and Leif completely forgot to thank [White Space] for answering their questions, becoming utterly lost in his words about the legendary figures of the Story World.
So absorbed were they that nearly half an hour passed without either of them saying a single word, only occasional breaths of awe and quiet shock escaping them as the old man continued to speak.
He told them many stories about the Hero of the People and what he had been up to over the years.
From something as simple as organizing a small cooking contest to help his little sister, [Bizarro Chef], gain recognition back when she had still been a mere C Ranker—an event that had somehow drawn Tasters as powerful as Z Rankers like the famed [Duke of Ice] and [Smile That Cuts All Things]—to his travels across the Sea of Fragments alongside another Z Ranker, [Owl].
Nor were these tales limited to him alone.
Even [Eyes That Never Sleep] was surrounded by countless remarkable stories, and the same could be said of another of their brothers, [Golden Scales], a Golden Half-Dragon whose name alone carried immense weight in the Story World.
When speaking about such figures, time seemed to pass in the blink of an eye.
Eventually, the old man stopped himself and let out a light laugh. "I feel like a grandpa recounting tales to his grandchildren at this point."
Gara flushed slightly and scratched the back of his head. "S-sorry… we kind of got carried away. Thank you, really, for telling us all of that."
Leif gave a small smile. "Yes. Thank you for sharing information that valuable." He then paused, before he added calmly, "If you'd like, I can pay for your time."
The old man waved his hand dismissively. "No need. I spoke because I enjoyed it, that's all."
Gara glanced down and opened his golden Story System Interface. His eyes widened slightly. "Huh… an hour and a half already passed since we started talking about [Last Note of Black]."
He looked back up at the old man. "Sorry for asking so many questions."
The old man shook his head with an easy smile. "Don't worry about it."
Both of them thanked the old man once more.
Leif's expression then turned a little more serious. "So… what happens now?"
The old man smiled calmly. "That's up to you two. I'll be staying the night here in the palace. Tomorrow morning, I'll be leaving the [Rashanz] Fragment."
He continued evenly, "I still need to place the little girl I saved into a suitable orphanage somewhere in the Story World. After that, I'll research the chimera monster for any clues related to [Architect of Living Mistakes]."
Gara slowly raised a hand.
The old man glanced at him and nodded. "Go on."
"Have you…" Gara hesitated, then forced the words out. "Have you saved other people before? People in situations like hers?"
The old man's smile faded. His expression turned grave as he nodded.
"Yes. I have."
He spoke slowly, each word measured. "Some were Players—old enough to thank me and continue on their journeys."
There was a brief pause.
"Some couldn't handle it," he continued. "…and took their own lives."
Another pause, heavier than the last.
"Some were taken by the Editors of the All Seeing Eye."
His eyes softened slightly. "And some were children. Those ones, I placed into orphanages. I check on them whenever I have the time."
He added, almost casually, "I have contracts with several orphanages, actually. All I need to do is choose which one would suit her best."
Gara swallowed.
Several orphanages…
The thought formed in his mind before he could stop it—how many children did he have to save for that to be necessary?
He didn't finish the thought.
—End of Chapter.
-------
The [Mad Scientist], huh.
Gara: That is one messed up guy, huh!
Leif: Agreed on that point.
Gara: And his students are just as... Tsk. Actually, since he's ranked number 23 on the list of the Top 25 Most Evil Story Owners, wouldn't that mean there are 22 others worse than him?
Leif: True, how worse could they be?
Gara: Not sure I wanna found out honestly. Also, did you know, there is a series called Blue Trade Records which gives a lot more details about the Story World for those interested?
Leif: Yeah, I know about it. It's where I found out [Eyes That Never Sleep] was also after the [Mad Scientist].
Gara: Yup, yup. There is even a series where [Last Note of Black] is the mc, isn't there?
Leif: You mean [White Severance]?
Gara: Yup, that one. There is also one about the son of [Smile That Cuts All Things], one about the prison break where Dante's the mc, one about two small kids who get saved by [Last Note of Black], and much more.
Leif: Isn't that too much for people to read?
Gara: Best thing is, they don't have to. Everything will be told here, just like we found out about the cooking contest here, I hear there will be an entire event detailing what happened there.
Leif: That's interesting, yeah.