The decision had already been made. Whether it was the wisest path or the most reckless one no longer mattered. We had reached the point where every road ahead was dangerous, and the only difference between them was whether we chose the danger ourselves or waited for it to find us.
Eventually, I extended my hand toward him.
"So...I’ll see you at the Ironhart settlement."
Gerald looked at my hand before letting out a helpless chuckle. He shook it firmly, though the concern in his eyes hadn’t disappeared.
"I still think this entire plan is insane. But I will be there soon."
"I’ll take that as encouragement."
The old man released my hand before folding his own behind his back once again.
"Billion..."
His tone became serious.
"You keep talking about these trials as though we’ve already found them."
I raised an eyebrow.
"I haven’t."
"The Twelfth Soul Current has remained hidden for longer than recorded history. No one knows where its prison lies. No one knows where the gate is located, and certainly no one knows how to reach it." He looked directly into my eyes. "How exactly do you intend to find something that generations of Saints have failed to discover?"
A small smile crossed my face.
"I have my own ways."
Gerald immediately narrowed his eyes.
I merely smiled wider.
He rubbed his beard before sighing.
"Every time I begin believing I understand how your abilities work, you casually remind me that I don’t."
"That’s probably for the best."
He nodded reluctantly.
"Perhaps it is."
Silence settled between us once more before he waved me away with one hand.
"Go then. The sooner you find that gate, the sooner we discover whether this ridiculous plan has any chance of succeeding."
I gave him a small nod.
The familiar three runes immediately formed around me. They revolved around one another before merging into a single formation beneath my feet. Unlike the first few attempts, activating Echo Reversion now felt almost natural. The countless crimson echoes appeared before my consciousness, each one marking a place my existence had touched.
I reached toward the Ironhart Settlement.
The world dissolved.
This time there was no violent tearing sensation.
No dizziness.
No blood.
My soul crossed the invisible path between echoes with remarkable stability before my body reconstructed itself almost effortlessly at the destination. When my feet finally touched solid ground, I instinctively examined myself.
Nothing. Not even a trace of discomfort remained.
A grin slowly spread across my face.
"So the body really does adapt."
Each use strengthened my familiarity with the technique. What had nearly left me unconscious the first time had already become almost effortless after only a handful of attempts.
That was... honestly terrifying.
If Echo Reversion continued improving at this rate, I couldn’t even imagine what it would look like after several hundred uses.
Putting those thoughts aside, I stepped into the settlement and immediately changed direction.
Instead of returning home, I headed toward one particular residence resting near the center of the settlement.
Compared to the other houses, it looked surprisingly ordinary. A modest stone path led through a small garden filled with colorful flowers, while climbing vines wrapped around the walls of the simple wooden home. Nothing about it suggested that the strongest Saint within the entire Ironhart Settlement lived there.
I knocked gently.
A familiar voice immediately answered from inside.
"It’s open."
Pushing the door aside, I stepped into the quiet room. The first thing I noticed wasn’t Evelyn. It was the book resting comfortably in her hands.
I stopped.
Then leaned slightly to read the title.
My Husband Is Very Lazy.
I stared at the cover for several seconds before finally looking up at the elderly woman reading it with complete concentration.
"Evelyn..."
She slowly lowered the book.
"...I don’t think you have a husband."
For several moments she simply stared at me. Then she calmly closed the book and placed it beside her.
"You’re right. They’re still entertaining books."
A laugh escaped me.
"I’ll take your word for it."
She gestured toward the chair opposite her.
"Sit."
I did.
The old Saint studied me quietly for a few moments before a faint smile appeared on her wrinkled face.
"I heard the news."
"Oh?"
"You recently killed an Eternal."
I blinked.
"News really does travel fast."
"It does when Saints start disappearing."
She nodded approvingly.
"Good job."
I couldn’t stop myself from smiling.
"Thank you."
She tilted her head.
"For what?"
"You’re the first person who’s congratulated me."
Her eyebrow rose.
"My family has done nothing except lecture me about risking my life."
That earned a soft laugh from Evelyn.
"They’re your family."
"I’ve noticed."
"They’re supposed to worry."
"I was hoping they’d admire me a little first."
She smiled knowingly.
"They simply hid that part."
I thought about my parents’ reactions over the past few days and couldn’t help chuckling.
"Maybe."
The peaceful silence settled comfortably between us before I finally leaned forward.
"Evelyn."
Her expression immediately became more attentive.
"I’ve decided on a plan."
"I assumed as much."
"It concerns the Eternals."
She nodded.
"I assumed that too."
I took a slow breath.
"What I’m about to tell you is dangerous."
She remained silent.
"Not just dangerous."
I held her gaze.
"Extremely dangerous."
Still, she said nothing.
"If you hear the entire plan, there won’t be any turning back."
The corners of Evelyn’s mouth slowly lifted into an amused smile.
"Billion."
Her voice carried the calm confidence of someone who had lived through countless impossible situations.
"I’ve learned something after spending a lifetime in the real world and another lifetime inside the Null Realm."
I waited.
"The safer a plan sounds..."
"...the less likely it is to actually change anything."
Her smile widened ever so slightly.
"The dangerous plans are usually the ones that have a chance of succeeding."
She folded her hands on the table.
"So."
The warmth disappeared from her eyes, replaced by complete seriousness.
"Tell me. I’m listening."
For the next several minutes, I explained everything.
From Gerald’s Verilux Slayer Rods. To the five-minute suppression domain. To the impossible task of deploying the rods before Varylux could react.
Finally...
I reached the Twelfth Soul Current.
With every new detail, Evelyn’s expression became increasingly serious. By the time I finished, she hadn’t spoken a single word.
She simply sat there, quietly absorbing every piece of information I had placed before her. Only after several moments of silence did she finally lift her gaze to meet mine.
She neither questioned me nor dismissed the idea outright. Instead, her fingers gently tapped the cover of the novel resting beside her while she replayed every part of the plan in her mind. I could almost see the years of experience behind those calm eyes as she weighed every possibility, every risk and every opportunity.
Eventually, she leaned back in her chair and let out a quiet sigh.
"What Gerald told you about the Twelfth Soul Current matches the stories we have preserved within the Ironhart archives."
That immediately caught my attention.
"So the Ironhearts know about it too?"
She nodded slowly.
"Not much. The records are fragmented, just as they are everywhere else, but every version tells the same story. A current unlike the other eleven, capable of crossing realities and existing between worlds. A current that eventually awakened its own consciousness and became something no one could control."
Her expression became thoughtful.
"And if your plan succeeds..."
She paused before continuing.
"...then using such an existence against the Eternals actually makes sense."
I couldn’t help smiling.
"I knew you’d understand."
"Don’t smile yet."
The warmth immediately disappeared from her face.
"The current may become the greatest weapon we’ve ever possessed."
She paused again.
"...or it may become the greatest disaster this realm has ever witnessed."
I slowly nodded.
"I know."
"No."
She shook her head.
"I don’t think you truly do."