Ethan had not become the strongest in a single day. Although he was powerful enough among the first years, and even many second and third years, he was still weaker compared to what he was truly capable of becoming.

But to reach that point, Ethan needed time.

Enough time to understand everything. About this world. About his light. And about himself too.

The arc Remittance of the Past had given Ethan, as well as his original partner Cyan Miller, the one thing they lacked the most.

Time.

"Evana City?" Alice repeated. She was clearly taken aback by the sudden mention.

Why would he bring up a city that did not exist anymore?

Maybe Ethan had an interest in history.

Her thoughts halted the moment she glanced at Leon.

Unlike her, he was thinking about somthing.

She knew that look. She had seen it many times by now.

He looked… invested.

'Strange.' She thought.

For some reason, she could not shake the feeling that something was going on. Something she did not understand. As if the name Evana had confirmed something for him rather than surprised him.

It irritated her.

She was the only one left out of the loop.

As those thoughts lingered, Leon finally spoke.

"You mean, the city saved by Lancaster?" he asked.

No honorifics. He said the name plainly, like it was familiar to him.

Alice's eyes narrowed slightly.

So she was right.

Ethan blinked once, then nodded.

"Correct," he said.

His voice dropped a little, enough to make it clear that this was not a conversation meant for everyone around them.

"I want your help," Ethan continued, glancing between the two of them. "Both of you."

Alice straightened. "On what?"

"This isn't charity," Ethan said. He did not answer her question and continued anyway. "I won't ask you to risk yourselves for nothing. I'll give you something valuable in return."

Risk ourselves?

Alright. One more word of puzzle and Alice was going to flip this table over his white head.

Ethan clearly saw the frustration building in her eyes.

He had the distinct feeling that if he kept her in suspense any longer, she would actually do it.

So he did not beat around the bush.

He gestured for them to lean in, lowering his voice.

And then he said it.

"I know where Evana City is."

"..."

Only Alice's mouth was wide open.

"The fuck did you just say?" she snapped with her voice lower. "Are you shitting me right now? You mean Evana? The city that got wiped out? Buried six feet under history? If this is a joke, I swear I'll rearrange your skull."

She spat all of that out, but out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Leon.

He was sitting there quietly.

Unlike her, he did not look surprised at all. As if he had already expected this.

At first, she thought they were messing with her.

But Ethan calling them here right after that duel just to pull a prank?

That was absurd.

Alice shot Leon a sharp glance.

"Why are you not saying anything?" she demanded.

Leon did not look away.

"What do you mean?" he replied flatly. "I'm as speechless as you."

Alice stared at him.

"…That's a weird way of being speechless."

Leon sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Then he looked at her, and then at Ethan.

"Let him explain," he said calmly. "I'm pretty sure he didn't drag us here right after that duel just to pull a prank. That would be idiotic no?"

Alice clicked her tongue, but she did not argue.

Annoying as it was, she was thinking the same thing.

Ethan exhaled in relief when neither of them flipped the table yet.

"I know, I know," he said quickly. "Just… let me finish."

He leaned back slightly. His expression had turned serious.

"This isn't a joke." That's what he said.

Leon understood the context. That much was clear for him

What he did not understand was something else.

'Why was Ethan involving Alice?'

This was not a decision made on impulse, and not even part of the original storyline. Ethan was not that careless that much was sure.

If it were Leon, he would not have suggested bringing her with them.

Cyan would still have been the optimal choice.

But in the end, it was Ethan's to decide. All Leon could do now was adjust the situation.

And make sure Alice did not follow them to Evana City.

"Take a look at this," Ethan said.

He reached into his coat and pulled out a small object, placing it carefully on the table between them.

It was a golden prism, roughly half the length of his palm. Its surface was etched with irregular black, crack-like patterns that spread unevenly across the metal, almost as if something had burned its way through from the inside.

Leon's eyes narrowed slightly.

Alice leaned in first.

"…What is that?" she muttered.

"Can either of you guess?" Ethan asked calmly.

Alice squinted at it for half a second. "A paperweight?"

Leon looked away, almost sneering.

Ethan stared at her. "Why is that the first thing you guessed?"

"It looks heavy," she replied flatly. "Aaand… well expensive. That's paperweight energy."

"Look at the tip," Ethan said, ignoring her.

He rotated the prism slightly, twisting a narrow segment at the top.

Click–!

A soft mechanical sound echoed.

The very tip of the prism folded inward in a mechanical manner, disappearing into itself. At the same time, the black cracks across its surface lit up faintly, their dark color filling with a dim blue-silver glow.

Light was gathering.

No…

'What is that…?' Alice noticed it as well.

It was not mana, but something else.

The glow condensed above the opened tip, weaving together into a thin, translucent projection that hovered in the air.

A three dimensional landscape unfolded, stretching several meters wide, detailed down to ridges, valleys, and terrain depth into just a miniature ratio.

The projection was small, but very clear.

It looked like the view from far above the sky, gazing down upon a vast region.

Silence befall.

Even Alice did not speak this time.

Leon leaned forward slowly to get a proper view of this magnificent tech.

"…That's a map," Alice said under her breath.

Ethan nodded. "Yep."

But that was not the shocking part.

Alice noticed it immediately.

"This projection," she whispered, her voice dropping instinctively, "it's not stabilized by mana."

Leon glanced at her.

She extended a finger cautiously and touched a raised section of the projection that resembled a mountain range.

The moment her finger made contact, the image reacted alongside it.

The map zoomed in.

The mountain expanded. Rock formations, elevation lines, even faint structural outlines became visible this time.

Alice sucked in a sharp breath.

"What the hell?" she almost yelled, then snapped her mouth shut as she remembered where they were.

She leaned in closer, as her body instinctively shifted to block the projection from view as Leon and Ethan followed suit.

They formed a loose barrier around the table.

"What is this technology?" Alice asked urgently. "Where did you get it? No, who made this?"

Her voice carried genuine awe this time.

It was the kind of reaction one would have if you showed a caveman a smartphone.

Leon almost smiled looking at her.

Because the object in Ethan's hand was not only magical equipment.

It was not entirely the peak of absolute engineering. But the mixture of both.

It was actually a miniature, basic level micro computer in a fantasy world.

…

Even before the Age of Calamity, this world was never peaceful.

Conflict between races was common. Territory wars, massacres, extinction-level grudges, they were part of everyday history.

Yet, even in that era, there existed one place that stood apart.

A city untouched by hatred.

Evana City.

It was said to be a city built not by one race, but by many.

Humans, dwarves, elves, beastkin, and even species that are no longer remembered today lived together within a single massive construct.

Their resources were abundant.

So advanced that even now, centuries later, modern humanity could not replicate them.

Evana was not rich because of trade routes or conquest.

It was rich because its people built everything from nothing. They understood two realities differently.

They were the ones who first touched 'the Endless'.

The lowest realm among five realities.

They learned how to stabilize from nonexistence to something that could make sense of. They even brushed against the Astral Spectrum, far earlier than any civilization recorded in history. After conquering 'The Endless' theory even moved a realm above them. To 'Astral Spectrum', although they didn't completely grasp it, they understood the basic mechanism.

That was why Evana was so far ahead of their time, That was why they were considered dangerous.

But, even such advancement meant nothing before a Calamity.

The Nightmare Calamity, also the creator of the Dream Calamity Tower.

Dreamweaver.

He was the one who wiped Evana City off the face of reality.

Their sin was simple.

As a city that preached harmony, they let two demon children coexist among them.

But, that was what the tale said…

Leon smirked after recalling it.

In actuality, Evana City didn't get erased, instead, it got saved by Lancaster, the one commonly called 'The White Calamity'... the creator of Frost Calamity Tower.

He along with the help of Silvermoon, made the whole Evana to survive, by making them loop endlessly, till the dream ends over the last couple of centuries.

Evana still exists, and that prism in Ethan's hand was the proof of it.

.

.

[A/N: This chapter might have typos, please ignore that, I have written this entire chapter on my smartphone (I am travelling, will edit after I get back home).]

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.