CHAPTER 41 — THE REAL MONSTER

# THE FALLEN LIGHT — SEASON I

## CHAPTER 41 — THE REAL MONSTER

Holar Jun had not left. At least, not yet. The records for the new Core method were ready. They were to be delivered to the three academies. And then spread throughout the entire world. However, Holar had something else on his mind. Percy's method... It had freed Galahad from his two-year wall. From Advanced 12 to Awakened 2. So what about himself? The First Awakened. The strongest in the world. Humanity's living shield. The man who had fought for centuries. Holar Jun had been stuck in one place for a very long time. Far beyond Awakened 5. Close to reaching the Interplanetary level. But that final gap... It refused to close. Percy looked at his grandfather from a distance.

"Grandpa."

Holar turned to him.

"Hm?"

"You're going to try."

It wasn't a question. Holar smiled faintly.

"Of course."

Eleanor immediately turned her head.

"Here?"

"Here."

Elizabeth Olsen stood up. The smile faded from Galahad's face. Because he knew. Even his own breakthrough had shaken the camp. If Holar Jun made a breakthrough... Nobody knew what would happen. Percy walked up to Holar.

"Grandpa."

"What is it, brat?"

"Hold back a little."

Holar raised an eyebrow. Percy looked at him dead seriously.

"Seriously."

"Your 'a little' isn't the same as our 'a little.'"

Eleanor couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"That might be the truest thing you've ever said in your life."

Holar closed his eyes. He was just about to begin. When a sound rang out. From afar. Very far away. An alarm. Olsen stood up instantly. The expression on Eleanor's face shifted. Galahad looked north. The alarm sounded again. Then, a red magic signal flared in the sky. It flashed three times. Galahad's face went completely pale.

"Mass raid."

The students fell silent.

Arthur:

"Where?"

Olsen looked beyond the lake.

"Northern defense line."

All trace of childishness vanished from Percy's face.

"How many?"

No one could answer. A second signal rose. This time, a number appeared. 251,000.

Charlotte:

"Two hundred..."

William finished the sentence.

"Fifty-one thousand."

Even Nathaniel was rendered speechless.

Marcus:

"Has the army been notified?"

Olsen:

"They have."

Galahad:

"They won't make it in time."

Eleanor was already preparing.

"We'll go."

Galahad:

"Me too."

Olsen:

"The students will stay here."

Percy stepped forward.

"I—"

Holar Jun:

"No."

A single word. Percy shut his mouth. Holar was staring toward the north.

Eleanor:

"Holar."

"Stay here."

Galahad:

"251 thousand."

"I know."

Olsen:

"You can't go alone."

Holar looked at her.

"Elizabeth."

Olsen fell silent. There was no anger on Holar's face. No fear whatsoever. Just... A man who had been disturbed. Percy noticed it.

"Grandpa..."

Holar looked down at his grandson.

Percy:

"Be careful."

Holar smiled.

"You just be a child."

Percy's own words had been thrown back at him. Holar turned around. And vanished.

The first explosion... Was heard seventeen seconds later.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

The lake's surface trembled. Everyone turned north.

Arthur:

"Is this..."

The second explosion.

BOOOOOOM!

Then the third. The fourth. The fifth. The horizon... Turned white. William narrowed his eyes.

"How far is it?"

Olsen:

"Very."

William looked at her.

"We can hear it from here."

Olsen didn't answer. Part of the clouds in the sky... Were dispersing. Nathaniel's mouth hung open.

"This man..."

Galahad:

"The First Awakened."

Another explosion. This time, the ground beneath their feet moved. Clara took Percy's hand. Percy didn't let go. A light flared on the horizon. Then it went out. Another one. And after that... Silence.

Arthur:

"Is it over?"

No one answered. Ten seconds. Twenty. Thirty. William kept staring north.

"251 thousand..."

Charlotte:

"Maybe they retreated."

Galahad shook his head.

"No."

"How do you know?"

Galahad's eyes remained fixed on the horizon.

"Because your grandfather..."

"Never leaves a job half-done."

A minute passed. Then the alarm in the sky faded away. Olsen's communication crystal glowed. She looked at it. And froze.

Eleanor:

"Elizabeth?"

Olsen didn't reply.

"What does it say?"

Olsen slowly raised her head.

"The attack is over."

Arthur:

"Did the army arrive?"

Olsen:

"No."

William:

"How many monsters are left?"

Olsen was silent for a few seconds.

"In fighting condition..."

"None."

Silence. Nathaniel sat down on the ground.

"251 thousand."

No one laughed at him. Because everyone was thinking the exact same thing. 251,000 monsters. One man. Minutes. Percy looked at the horizon. Then, involuntarily:

"That's my grandpa."

Eleanor:

"Don't brag."

Percy:

"I am going to brag."

This time, Eleanor didn't object.

Holar Jun returned ten minutes later. There were a few bloodstains on him. None of it was his own. The clothing on his shoulder was torn. His hair was messy. But his breathing... Was completely normal. Arthur looked at Holar. Then at the horizon. Then back at Holar.

"How?"

Holar:

"What?"

Arthur couldn't say anything.

Nathaniel:

"Two hundred fifty-one thousand."

Holar:

"Yes."

"Single-handedly."

"Yes."

Nathaniel went silent. Holar looked at Percy.

"Now we can try."

Percy's eyes widened.

"RIGHT NOW?"

"Right now."

William understood.

"The battle."

Holar looked at him.

William:

"You expended a massive amount of Orin."

"Yes."

Percy's eyes widened even further.

"And around you..."

Holar smiled. Percy rushed over. He opened his perception. And then froze right where he stood.

"Holy shit..."

Clara:

"Percy!"

Percy:

"I'M SORRY, BUT—"

He looked back at Holar.

"GRANDPA, WHAT IS THAT SURROUNDING YOU?!"

Galahad expanded his perception as well. His expression changed. Olsen tried too. And recoiled. Even Eleanor knit her brows. The Orin surrounding Holar... Wasn't a lake. It wasn't a sea. It was an ocean. The immense energy expended in battle... Had whipped the environmental Orin into a frenzy. The lingering trace of Holar's own resonance... Saturated the entire area.

Percy:

"Grandpa."

"Hm?"

"Draw it in."

Holar sat down.

Eleanor:

"Holar, wait."

Holar closed his eyes. Percy backed away.

"No, Aunt."

Eleanor looked at Percy. There was fear in Percy's eyes. But beneath it... Was curiosity.

"Let him."

Holar took a breath. And... He drew it in.

The world responded. The lake's surface... Instantly went flat as glass. The wind cut out. The birds went silent. The leaves on the trees froze in place.

Clara:

"Percy..."

"I know."

The Orin surrounding Holar began to pour inward. It wasn't slow. It wasn't small packages like Percy made. It wasn't a steady stream like Galahad produced. Holar Jun... Was devouring the world around him. Olsen involuntarily took a step back.

"This amount..."

Eleanor:

"It's normal."

Olsen looked at her. Eleanor's face remained deadly serious.

"For Holar."

The first barrier shattered.

AWAKENED 5.

Holar didn't stop. The influx of energy surged. The stones at the edge of the lake began to tremble. The earth cracked. The clouds in the sky began to swirl above Holar.

William shouted:

"The pressure is rising!"

Galahad stepped in front of the students.

"Get close to me!"

Holar's Core expanded. He reached the limit of Awakened 5. And then... He broke past it.

HALF-STEP INTERPLANETARY.

Eleanor's eyes widened.

"It has begun."

Percy:

"What has begun?"

Eleanor didn't answer. Because... Holar drew in another breath of power.

BOOOOOOOOOOM!

The entire lake surged with violent waves. Flocks of birds burst from the mountains. Miles away, beasts raised their heads in unison. Mages in the cities froze. Soldiers at the front lines stared into the sky. Teachers at the academies stood up. Everyone who possessed a Core... Felt something. Somewhere in the world... Something was changing. Half a step. One step. The density of energy around Holar became visible to the naked eye. Percy struggled to breathe.

Stolen novel; please report.

Galahad:

"FALL BACK!"

Eleanor erected a barrier. Olsen added a second layer. The barrier... Cracked.

Arthur:

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!"

Olsen:

"NO!"

Galahad placed a third barrier. Empowered by his new Awakened 2 strength. Three layers. Yet it still trembled. Percy stared at Holar. His grandfather no longer... Looked like a human being sitting quietly. It was as if a single point on Earth... Had gained immense, terrifying weight. And then... The second threshold shattered.

INTERPLANETARY — LEVEL 1.

Eleanor gasped.

Galahad:

"He made it."

A massive grin broke out on Percy's face.

"GRANDPA!"

But Holar didn't open his eyes. Percy's smile vanished. The energy was still pouring in.

"Wait a minute."

William:

"It's not stopping."

Olsen:

"Holar!"

Holar didn't hear her. Interplanetary 1. The energy surged higher. Percy's eyes widened.

"No way..."

Galahad:

"What?"

Percy grinned.

"He's still going."

Eleanor:

"IMPOSSIBLE."

Holar's Core expanded once more. This time, the world... Truly reacted.

On distant shores, sea levels shifted by several centimeters. Magnetic monitoring towers recorded severe anomalies. Crystals in magic observation stations cracked. The Orin currents in the sky altered their course. The clouds began forming a massive spiral spanning hundreds of kilometers. In the valley where the camp was located... The ground sank several centimeters. Then it rose again. William's face was deathly pale.

"This isn't an aura anymore."

Olsen:

"No, it isn't."

Arthur:

"Then what is it?"

Eleanor stared at Holar.

"Might."

Percy heard her.

"Might?"

Eleanor:

"An Awakened carries power."

"An Interplanetary..."

"Distorts their very environment."

Galahad completed her thought.

"Their presence..."

"Becomes a physical factor."

An invisible wave radiated from Holar's surroundings. The barriers... Shattered into pieces.

Eleanor:

"KNEEL!"

No one had a choice. Arthur dropped to his knees. Charlotte right beside him. William placed both hands on the ground. Nathaniel was pinned face-down. Marcus gritted his teeth. Clara grabbed Percy's arm. Percy was on his knees too. Galahad tried to remain standing. Awakened 2. One second. Two. Three. Then he too dropped to his knees.

Olsen:

"EVEN GALAHAD..."

Eleanor was still standing. But her legs were trembling. And then... She knelt as well. Percy looked up at her.

"Aunt?"

Eleanor raised her head. She was smiling. Not with fear in her eyes... But with unimaginable pride.

"Now do you understand..."

"Who the real monster is?"

Holar's Core struck once more.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

HALF-STEP INTERPLANETARY — LEVEL 2.

Percy:

"THERE'S MORE?!"

Eleanor burst into laughter.

"THIS IS HOLAR JUN!"

And... The final threshold broke.

INTERPLANETARY — LEVEL 2.

There was no silence. Even silence itself was crushed. The Might... Exploded.

The sky looked as if it had split in two. The clouds blasted outward away from Holar. The water of the lake receded from the shore. Then returned in colossal waves. Snow masses cascaded down the mountains. The earth trembled for kilometers. Orin currents... Rushed straight toward Holar Jun. Everyone across the world who had the perception to feel it raised their heads. The academies. The armies. The cities. The front lines. The shelters. The Awakened. The teachers. The monsters. All of them. Felt the exact same Might. A single human... Had shifted his weight upon the earth. And at the center of the camp... Holar Jun opened his eyes.

The pressure cut off in an instant. Everyone gasped for air. Nathaniel sprawled out on the ground.

"I..."

"Will never..."

"Talk trash about Percy's family again."

Arthur was still staring at Holar.

"He killed 251 thousand monsters..."

"Before even reaching this state."

No one answered. Because that was the truly terrifying part. Olsen slowly stood up.

"Interplanetary..."

"Level 2."

An incredulous smile hung on Galahad's face.

"Directly."

Eleanor:

"Skipping a half-step entirely..."

"Straight to the second level."

For the first time, William stopped calculating.

"I can't measure it."

Percy looked at him.

William repeated himself:

"Seriously."

"I can't measure it."

"I can't calculate the gap between us."

Clara:

"Percy?"

"Hm?"

"Your grandpa..."

Percy:

"A monster."

Holar heard him from a distance.

"Percy."

Percy immediately corrected himself:

"My beloved grandfather."

Holar:

"Good boy."

Eleanor burst into laughter. Holar stood up. And... He took a step. Just one step. The ground collapsed. Holar stopped. He looked down.

"..."

Percy's mouth hung open. Holar took the second step very carefully. This time, nothing happened.

Galahad:

"You can't control your power."

Holar looked at him.

"It's new."

Eleanor:

"For the first time in centuries..."

Holar:

"Shut up."

Eleanor smirked.

"You became a student."

Percy's eyes sparkled.

"GRANDPA!"

Holar:

"No."

"I HAVEN'T EVEN SAID ANYTHING YET!"

"I can see it on your face."

Percy ran up to him.

"I can teach you."

Holar looked at his grandson. Percy put his hands on his hips.

"Orin control."

Holar:

"Percy."

"Yes?"

"You created the method."

Percy went quiet. Holar knelt down. Now they were eye to eye.

"Today..."

"You broke Galahad's two-year wall."

Galahad watched silently.

"You helped Clara's Core..."

"In a way no one could explain."

Clara looked at Percy's hand. **[Perfect Match]**.

"And now..."

Holar looked at his own hands.

"To the method I have used for centuries..."

"You showed another path."

Percy:

"But grandpa..."

Holar shook his head.

"No."

"Listen."

Percy went silent. A soft smile rested on Holar's face.

"I reached Interplanetary 2 today."

"Not because of you."

Percy was surprised. Holar touched his own chest.

"This power..."

"Is from my battles."

"My training."

"My losses."

"My centuries."

Percy slowly nodded. Then Holar... Touched Percy's chest.

"But the door..."

"You pointed it out."

Percy's eyes welled with tears.

Holar:

"We will give this to humanity as well."

"We won't give them free power."

"We won't give them effortless breakthroughs."

"We won't do their work for them."

"We will simply..."

"Show them the door."

Percy smiled.

"And stepping through..."

Holar:

"Will be up to them."

Galahad stepped closer.

"We are spreading the method to the world."

Holar stood up.

"Yes."

Olsen:

"Percy's name?"

Holar looked at Percy. Percy shook his head.

Holar:

"Omit it."

Eleanor:

"Not famous..."

Galahad completed the thought:

"Let him be a child."

Holar smiled.

"Let him be a child."

Holar walked a few meters away. He was attempting to control his new Might. Percy watched his back. Arthur walked up beside him.

"Percy."

"Hm?"

Arthur pointed at Holar.

"I want to ask something."

"Ask."

"Are we..."

"Going to be like him in the future?"

Percy looked at Holar for a moment. 251 thousand monsters. Minutes. Awakened 5. Half-step. Interplanetary 1. And then... Interplanetary 2. Percy smiled.

"I don't know."

Arthur:

"What do you mean, you don't know?"

Percy took Clara's hand. Then he looked at his friends.

"We don't have to be like him."

William:

"Why?"

Percy kept his eyes on Holar.

"Because we don't have to follow..."

"My grandfather's path."

Holar heard this from a distance. He turned his head slightly. Percy smiled.

"We will find our own path."

On Holar Jun's face... A proud smile formed. And on that day... Humanity gained two things. A new cultivation method. And... A Holar Jun who had reached Interplanetary Level 2. The monsters had come 251 thousand strong that day. But there was one tiny detail they had miscalculated. The real monster... Was on this side of the lake.