A Familiar Person

Long ago, when Mahendra was on the verge of losing control, the captain of The Sun saved him. But instead of just saving him, they were actually hoping for something in return. Liliana, the captain of The Sun, was a girl a year younger than Mahendra. She had a mature look with her brown hair tied in a ponytail. Her taller-than-average height also made her seem more adult.

Today, in the North Sea, Northern Region, Mahendra met her again after they had parted ways at the Magic Academy. He hadn't expected to see her again, especially since he had no intention of getting the girl involved with him again.

"Master Mahendra, how are you?" Liliana asked kindly. She walked over and sat down in front of Mahendra, who was curled up and shivering from the cold in a corner of the ship.

"I'm... fine," Mahendra said in a very soft voice.

"You don't look it."

Luck and misfortune are intertwined. Mahendra was lucky enough to be found by Liliana today and saved from the cold seawater. Meanwhile, Ningsih was busy pacing back and forth, as she usually did.

The day looked bright, but the air was quite cold. This Northern Region was known for its frigid climate, which meant its population was sparse. The Sun was an unusual ship, protected by powerful magic that didn't come from any of its crew members or even Liliana herself.

"Why are you here?" Mahendra asked.

"Just a coincidence, master."

"Impossible."

"I'm sorry, I was actually just worried. To be 

honest... my destination was east, since I know that's your destination, but I never expected we'd meet here," Liliana explained with a satisfied smile.

Besides Liliana's presence, there was another person who greatly surprised Mahendra. Their presence was unusual, and their aura shone as brightly as a saint's. The power this person possessed was immeasurable, they were undoubtedly a powerful individual.

The familiar presence heightened his curiosity, and Mahendra walked over to the person, who was leaning against the ship's rail.

"You... have we met before?" He tried to confirm, wanting to make sure he wasn't mistaking them for someone else.

The person turned, smiled broadly, and then clapped him on the shoulder with a strong hand, replying, "Of course. We met in Night City."

Luck once again appeared before him, and Mahendra's face lit up when he realized this was the person he had been searching for.

"You're Wandering King... I heard you were blind, it turns out you still recognize me. Excuse me, could we talk for a moment? There's something I need to know from you."

Wandering King. He was a man who was actually very old, but he looks to be in his early twenties. He had a slight, shaven beard. He was blind, but it didn't seem to be a complete blindness. This man was one of the four strongest legends in the world.

"What is it?"

"Do you know how hard you are to find? I'm so lucky to have had an acquaintance who knew you were here, and then we met," Mahendra complained, then chuckled softly.

"To be brief, you once called me the 'Devourer Destiny.' Who am I, really?" he added, posing the question.

The joyful expression was gone, and his face was now a little pale, whether from the cold or from the conversation. Wandering King erased his previously friendly expression, tilted his head back, and stared at the sky that he shouldn't have been able to see.

"You've come all this way just to ask about yourself?" Wandering King asked in return.

Mahendra sighed, looked away for a moment, and then nodded. "Yes," he replied softly with a confused look.

"You are the Devourer Destiny who will always be present in any world, including this Sky World. In this world, too, you are no one's match—you are the strongest being with countless enemies," he explained with a firm tone, as if he despised the person he had just described.

"Is that all you know?" His question was not fully answered. He now felt nervous, thinking that the Wandering King knew about his past lives.

"You have lived and died repeatedly with different names. For thousands of years, the gods have relentlessly hunted you. Is this enough?"

Mahendra fell silent, feeling unsatisfied with the Wandering King's answer. He still felt empty after hearing all the answers.

"Oh, what's your name now?" Wandering King asked, turning his head to look at him again.

"Mahendra."

"Hmm... an arrogant name," Wandering King said spontaneously, and then laughed.

Seeing the dissatisfaction clearly written on his face, Wandering King became a little irritated. He looked at the young man with a strange feeling, sensing that something wasn't right.

"It seems something is still bothering you."

"Honestly, I remember not being from this world." Mahendra shook his head, his forehead furrowed.

"Oh." But Wandering King didn't seem surprised by this. It was as if it were a normal occurrence.

"I remember my neck was nearly severed, but I don't know what my mistake was to deserve such a cruel punishment. I've forgotten everything, including my old identity."

Wandering King now realized that what the young man wanted to know was not his identity as the Devourer Destiny, but his identity from before he entered the Sky World.

"I had hoped you knew something about me because your language back then was the same as the language in my old world."

"I only learned it from someone. So don't get your hopes up."

Mahendra's disappointed face was very clear now.

"Alright, if you've forgotten your memories, maybe I can help you."

"Really?"

Wandering King nodded and said, "Go to the Memory Pool in the Upper Realm." He looked at the sky again and pointed to it.

"What?!" Hope emerged and then once again disappointed Mahendra.

The Wandering King was trying to send Mahendra into the enemy's den. Of course, he would be very surprised and couldn't believe the blind man's idea.

"The people in the Upper Realm are after my life, and you're telling me I have to go there? Are you crazy? Do you want to kill me?!" Mahendra protested loudly, causing everyone on the ship to turn and look at them.

"That's the only way. Remember my words: if you want something, you also have to bear the risk," Wandering King said calmly.

Everyone on the ship thought the blind man was trying to kill Mahendra. But that wasn't the case. Liliana, who had been standing guard and watching from inside the deck, was secretly eavesdropping on their conversation. Her crew was also preparing to ambush the man.

"If that's the only way, then how do I get there?" Mahendra asked, looking at the sky with a sense of disbelief and reluctance.

Liliana dismissed her crew, telling them to stop watching the pair, as she realized there had been a slight misunderstanding after hearing their conversation, which seemed to be about something else entirely.

"It turns out they were talking about the gods. I thought the blind man was here to kill Master Mahendra," Liliana thought, feeling relieved.

"Wandering King, what do you actually see? Aren't you unable to see? But, for some reason, I feel like you can see." Before getting an answer to his other question, Mahendra asked again.

"It seems you know that I can't see."

"Not really. To be honest, I don't know what your face looks like. I only recognize you from your voice and your bright aura," he answered while lightly touching the Wandering King's bright aura.

"Huh? Now it feels like you're the one who can't see," the Wandering King thought.

"This is probably because of my curse." He was referring to the black scratch marks all over his body.

"Besides me and her, I can't see their faces. Basically, I only see other people and even animals as walking skeletons with a life aura or something like that."

"Her? Who are you referring to?"

"Her...that girl." Mahendra looked back and pointed at Ningsih, who was wearing Liliana's boots.

"She's beautiful. Very beautiful," Mahendra added with a smile.

"You must be careful. That woman is full of deceit. You... who can't see living beings properly, can see that girl as a very beautiful girl. Isn't that strange?"

In his daily life, Mahendra could only see other people as walking skeletons, yet he admitted that he could see how beautiful Ningsih was. The Wandering King became very wary of the girl's existence now.