Gunung Ju is not an iceberg, but its coldness is almost at the same level as an iceberg. The air there never gets warm, even during the day. At the peak, the wind blows nonstop, carrying a chill that feels like tiny needles stabbing the skin. Not only is it cold, this mountain has everything. It is very different from an iceberg.
Gunung Ju is located far from the village, right behind Desa Kahu. The villagers almost never want to go near it. They say the mountain is full of dangerous animals, and that is not just a story. People who have dared to go there never came back. Not a single one. Clearly, it is not a place for just anyone.
Luckily, because it is so far away, the villagers are not too worried about being attacked. The animals seem to prefer staying on the mountain and not coming down to the village. So for a long time, living side by side with Gunung Ju has felt like a silent agreement that is never broken. The villagers do not enter the mountain, and whatever is inside the mountain does not come out to the village.
Even so, not a single villager truly knows what the mountain is like inside. How cold the air is, how deep the forest is, or what lives there. They only know from stories passed down through generations. No one has ever felt the need to prove it themselves.
* * *
The clock showed 2:40 in the morning.
At the peak of Gunung Ju, an old house stood firmly in the middle of darkness and cold. Behind the house was a thick, dark forest. From the outside, the house looked worn out, its walls eaten away by time. But once you stepped inside, that impression changed right away. Everything was clean, neatly arranged, and very well taken care of. Too well taken care of for a house that should have no one living in it. Of course, there was an owner.
A woman lived there with her male student. They had been living on this unfriendly mountain peak for a long time. In one of the rooms, a young man named Haise had just come out of the bathroom. His hair was still a little wet, dripping slowly as he sat on the edge of the bed and dried his face with a towel. He was already dressed neatly, ready to go to work.
Haise worked at the meat market in Desa Kahu, and he had been doing it for a long time. Every day he was paid 50 Silver Coins, which was equal to one Gold Coin. His working hours were from three in the morning until ten. For most people, hours like that would be torture. But for Haise, it was not a problem. Living for years on this cold mountain peak had trained his body more than enough. Waking up early, moving in the cold, enduring tiredness — all of that had become part of his daily life.
The door to his room opened slowly. An adult woman stepped in calmly, without knocking. It was his master.
"Isn't it still too early to leave?" his master asked gently, standing in front of the door.
"Huh?" Haise turned his head. He glanced at his master for a moment, then lowered the towel from his hair. "What's wrong? Is there something you want to talk to me about?"
If his master came into his room like this, there must be something. Haise knew that very well. Ten years of living together had been more than enough for him to understand his master. His master was not the type to come to someone's room just to say hello.
Even though Haise had lived with his master for ten years, he still did not know her name. His master had never mentioned it, and for some reason, Haise had never felt the need to ask. A name is just a name. What mattered to him was everything his master had taught him, and that was more than enough.
"Because in a few days you will be leaving for Huin Academy," said his master, "it would be a real shame if you didn't see this first."
"What do you mean?" Haise frowned. "You want me to see something before I go?"
Haise had already seen many things from his master. Various amazing techniques, things that would seem impossible if you had not seen them yourself. Even now, he still had not fully mastered all of them.
"Exactly." His master nodded, her voice calm. "This time you will see something truly different. From all the techniques you have learned so far, everything you have seen, everything you have practiced — none of them can compare to this one. So, do you want to come? I can't show it inside the house."
Haise stayed quiet for a moment.
*...None of them can compare to everything I've learned so far? I've learned so many things that I think are really amazing. I still haven't even mastered all of them. And now Master says none of them compare. Just how powerful is what she's going to show me?*
"What's with that look in your eyes?" his master asked, raising one eyebrow. "Are you coming or not? If you don't want to, that's fine."
"Only a fool would refuse," Haise answered quickly, standing up from the bed. "I want to. I'm really curious about what you're going to show me."
His master gave a small nod, the corner of her lips lifting slightly. "Then get ready. And one thing is for sure — when you see it later, you might not be able to move for a while."
"...?"
* * *
What his master said turned out to be true.
Haise stood like a statue. He did not know how long his feet had stopped moving — maybe a few seconds, maybe longer. His breath was caught without him realizing it, and his eyes stayed wide open, staring at the sky above as if he could not believe what he had just seen.
They were at the foot of the mountain. In front of them stretched a lake, its water clear but looking dark under the night sky. A gentle wind blew, brushing aside Haise's long bangs and revealing a pair of golden eyes that were usually hidden behind them.
The stars that had been scattered across the sky earlier had all disappeared. Not a single one remained. All that was left was a vast, empty blackness, silent and without a single point of light. Every star, every small dot that had filled the sky as far as the eye could see, had vanished in the blink of an eye. Only the moon still hung there.
*What did I just see...? What kind of power was that...?*
*I saw it with my own eyes. Right in front of me. But my mind... my body... everything seems to refuse to believe it. Its destructive power is insane. The sound was incredibly loud, thundering inside my chest. And the color of that technique... beautiful, but in a way that feels unnatural...*
*The technique was shot toward the sky. And the sky answered with emptiness. I can't even imagine what would happen if that technique was aimed at the ground. I really can't.*
"What you just saw is called the Sky Destroyer Technique." His master's voice broke the silence. Her tone was flat.
"As the name suggests, that technique is not suitable to be used on land. Only toward the sky. You already know the reason yourself, just from seeing it once." Haise did not answer. He was still staring at the empty sky.
His master continued, "To create this technique, you need a huge amount of power. To release that huge amount of power, you must truly become one with three different realms." His master paused for a moment. "In short... your mind must be in that realm..."
Haise finally spoke. "Become one with the realm? The mind must be in that realm?" He furrowed his brow. "I really don't understand. Honestly, I don't understand at all. And why do we have to become one? All this time we could draw power from the realm without doing that. We can borrow it because every human body has natural energy inside, right? That's what lets us use it. So what's the difference?"
"What's the difference, you ask? Like you said, humans are born with natural energy and inner energy in different amounts. The two energies are connected inside our bodies. With natural energy, we can borrow power from the realm." His master looked at him. "But do you think... power that is borrowed will ever be the same as the original power?"
Haise fell silent. Then something in his head started moving like puzzle pieces suddenly falling into place.
"Ah—" He almost whispered. "So... when we truly become one with the realm, the power that comes out is no longer borrowed. The level is different. Because we are no longer borrowing from the realm — the realm itself becomes our power. We and the realm... become one and the same."
"Correct." His master nodded slowly. "And that is why the amount of power that comes out is different... far different. The technique you just saw was created from three natural powers at once: Wind, Fire, and Lightning. To create it, you must become one with all three." His master let out a soft sigh. "Of course... that is not an easy thing. Even entering just one realm feels like a matter of luck. No one can say for sure when you will be ready, or when the realm will accept you."
"You are still far from there. You haven't even finished mastering everything I've taught you so far. Ten years of training, and what you've mastered is only around cutting techniques..."
"Never try to force this technique before it's time. If you recklessly use it while you are not yet one with those three realms, the technique that forms will be uncontrollable." His master looked straight at him. "Remember when you learned the Lightning Web? It's like that. But much worse."
* * *
As soon as he finished watching everything, Haise turned around and ran. His destination was Desa Kahu.
If traveled by normal walking, the journey from the peak of Gunung Ju to Desa Kahu could take two to three hours. But Haise was not a normal person. His legs moved at an unnatural speed. The long distance became much shorter than it should have been.
Desa Kahu was already busy even though the sky was not fully bright yet.
There stood a large warehouse that served as the center of the meat trade, the place where Haise worked every day. It was big enough to hold many workers, because it was impossible for all the work there to be handled by just one or two people.
Most of the things in their house on the mountain — items that could not be harvested directly from nature — were bought with the money from Haise's work. In the past, before Haise started working, his master had handled everything herself. Almost everything in the house had been made by his master's own hands. Once, Haise had asked why his master never bought things from the village.
His master had only answered casually while not looking away from her food. *"What for? This mountain already has everything. There are fruit plants, vegetables, animals that can be eaten, and lakes and rivers full of fish. If I need money, I can just go kill a monster and sell its body in the village."*
Haise had only stayed quiet when he heard that. He was very sure his master was an extremely lazy person. But he had never dared to say it out loud. After all, his master was the one who had raised him since he was little. It would be rude to say something like that openly — even though deep in his heart, he had no doubt about it.
Haise stepped into the building with relaxed steps. The air inside was already noisy with the sound of knives, shouts of prices, and the strong smell of fresh meat. He walked straight to his table. Table number ten. As usual.
Every table was occupied by two people. Haise's job was to cut the meat. Next to him stood a girl younger than him, Hakira, the daughter of the owner of this large meat market. Her job was to check the cuts and handle transactions with buyers.
"By the way, Haise, before you got here... Did you hear that really loud explosion sound? The sound shocked everyone here... No one knew where it came from. It suddenly appeared out of nowhere."
"Explosion sound?... Yeah, I heard it. It was really strong... to the point that I could only stand frozen in one spot listening to how loud it was."
"It was that bad?... Wait, were you close to where the explosion happened? Who made that loud sound anyway? If I ever meet them, I'm going to scold them! That person is really rude. Don't they know a sound like that could kill someone with a weak heart!"
"By the way, Hakira," Haise said while picking up his cutting knife, "where's your mom? Her table is empty today. Your dad isn't here either. Where did they actually go? This isn't the first time, right?"
Hakira did not turn her head. Her hands stayed busy arranging piles of meat. "They went to Huin Academy as usual. Every year the people from that academy order a huge amount of meat from us. Dad and Mom went with the delivery group to make sure the meat really came from here and not from somewhere else."
"Ooh~" Haise nodded slowly. "No wonder they're never around every year." He started cutting, his rhythm fast and precise. "By the way, the registration for Huin Academy closes after summer ends, right? That's what I heard from the people in this village."
Hakira stopped for a moment. She turned to Haise with a slightly surprised expression. "Huh? Why are you suddenly asking about that?"
Haise did not answer right away. Hakira stared at him for a few seconds, then her eyes slowly widened. "Wait. Wait-wait-wait—" She quickly covered her mouth with both hands. "Don't tell me you want to register there?!"
"Is it really that surprising?"
"Of course it is!" Hakira lowered her hands, but her expression was still disbelieving. "You really want to register at that famous Huin Academy?"
"Yes. That's my plan." Haise shrugged casually. "That academy is really famous, right? I heard from someone — my master — that the place is perfect for improving someone's abilities and talents. That's why I'm leaving in two or three days, before registration closes. Summer is only a few days left. If I'm late, I'll have to wait another whole year. That's too long to wait." Hakira was quiet for a moment. Then, suddenly, her expression changed. Her eyebrows rose. The corner of her lips tilted to one side.
"Liar."
"Huh? What?"
"You must want to go there because there are lots of pretty girls, right?" Hakira pointed at him with her index finger. "Just be honest. That must be your real reason. All guys are the same — they enter a famous academy but in the end they just want to look at pretty girls. No shame."
Haise let out a short sigh. "What are you even talking about? Besides, what's wrong if someone likes pretty girls? That's their own business. We have no right to interfere. As long as they don't force anyone, it's up to them." He slid the pile of meat to the other side of the table.
"By the way, you've been there before, right? There's no way you haven't."
"Of course I have. I've gone there several times with Mom and Dad. Honestly, the first time I went there, I was really shocked by the place. It's so big and well guarded. I felt like I was inside a giant ring!"
"Great!" Haise looked straight at her. "So, since you've been there before, do you know the fastest way to get there? And where exactly is the academy?" Hakira looked at Haise with an expression that was hard to describe. Somewhere between disbelief and a little pity.
"You want to go there... but you don't know the way. You don't even know where it is?"
"If I already knew, I wouldn't be asking. So, do you know or not?"
"Of course I know," Hakira answered. "There are two roads to the Land of Zuri. First, the rocky road. The path is uneven, a bit hot because there are few trees, so not much shade. But it's the safest road. Mom and Dad always use that one. It's the longest road. If you leave now, you'll arrive at night — one full day to get there." She paused for a moment. "The second one is the forest road. That's the fastest way to get there."
"That sounds good. Why don't people use that road if it's faster?"
"Because it's a monster nest." Hakira looked straight at him. "There are so many dangerous monsters there. People prefer the longer rocky road rather than going through the forest that gets there faster. Only people with a certain level of strength dare to enter there." She lowered her voice a little. "So you'd better... not take that road."
"A monster nest, huh..." Haise muttered quietly.
*I suddenly feel curious. Are the monsters there stronger than the ones on the mountain? I've never seen monsters from the outside world. I really want to see them with my own eyes. Are the monsters in the outside world the same as the ones on the mountain or not? Honestly, I'm starting to get bored seeing the monsters on the mountain. They look really interesting.*
"I'll take that road."
"Hm... Did you say something?" Hakira asked.
"Nothing." Haise shook his head. "Let's focus on work."
Hakira looked at him for a moment with an expression that was not fully convinced, but she finally turned back to her table. The market became busier. Both of them sank back into their own tasks.
* * *
Two days ago.
Long before Haise watched his master erase the stars from the night sky. That afternoon, in the living room of the old house on the mountain peak, the two of them sat facing each other as usual. Since he was twelve years old, all the household chores had fallen to Haise — cooking, washing, cleaning, setting the table. He did everything. His master only relaxed.
"Oh yeah," his master said suddenly, "I just remembered one place... Huin Academy."
"...Huin Academy?"
"Right. That place is very famous. I've heard its name many times. They say the academy is perfect for sharpening someone's abilities and talents."
Haise thought for a moment. "I think I've heard that name before... but at the time it didn't seem important, so I didn't really care. Why are you suddenly talking about that place?"
"I think it's time for you to see the outside world. You've been here for ten years. Aren't you bored? This mountain, that village, mountain again, village again, over and over. At that academy you can also learn new things that aren't here. It's only right for someone your age to see more than this."
Haise frowned. "This is too sudden. Besides, I don't have any plans to go anywhere, at least not right now."
"That's why make a plan," his master answered casually. "How long do you want to keep staying here? Do you want to be a person who only knows one place for your whole life? What kind of person is that?"
Haise glanced at his master.
"...Isn't that exactly what you are, Master?"
"What did you just say?"
"N-nothing." Haise straightened his back a little.
"Just so you know," said his master, "I have lived far longer than you. I have seen many places, many things. Never compare my situation with yours, which is still young. Do you think all this time I've only been in this old house? There were times when I went out, traveled to different places. You just didn't know."
*Hmm... Huin Academy, huh...?*
Haise let out a soft sigh while twirling his spoon. He had to admit, not everything his master said was wrong. He was already twenty years old. All this time, the only places he knew were Gunung Ju and Desa Kahu. Nothing more than that. And if he was honest with himself... he really did not know much about the world outside. He nodded slowly.
"Alright. I will register for that famous academy." He looked at his master. "So... where is it?"
His master shrugged lightly. "I don't know."
Haise fell silent.
"Find out yourself. I've never been there and I've never had a reason to go there."
"HAAHHH?!"
Haise's shout filled the entire living room instantly. His eyes widened, his hands lifted slightly like someone who did not know what to do. His master did not react at all. She just continued eating calmly.