Chương 38: Imposter

Gray gasped for air. He recoiled from the phantom burn of a lightning bolt still searing his nerve endings, lost his balance, and toppled backward. The back of his skull slammed against the floorboards with a heavy thud. A loud crack echoed through the room. Gozen abandoned the dinner plates on the table and spun around.

"About time, kid." Gozen quickly turned back and resumed setting the table.

"That should've taken you less than a minute, not ten. Tell me you've established the soul bond, at least." Gray clutched his head.

"Yeah, I passed. It took much longer because the test had a few modifications." Gozen paused.

"Perfect. So… did you meet my master?" His voice dropped to a low whisper.

"Yes, I met Rai." Gray pushed himself up on one elbow.

"But the version of him imprinted in the Soul Blade was already possessed by Shroud." The chopsticks slipped from Gozen's grip. Their sharp clatter pierced the quiet of the room. He squared his shoulders toward Gray, fixing the boy with an intense stare.

"What makes you so certain about that, boy?" The question rumbled deep in his chest.

"At the end of the trial, he told me his name was Rai." Gray stumbled to his feet and brushed the dust from his pants.

"But then he explicitly said I would know him better as Shroud."

"That… that doesn't line up." Gozen shook his head.

"When he first challenged Tobari's trial, I was merely at the Peak rank. That was over a hundred years ago. He was the exact same person back then as he was when I first became his disciple. Even three years ago, his personality hadn't changed in the slightest. Not until he was possessed by the Primordial to take down the city of Aetherfall." Gozen clenched his fists, a bitter edge sharpening his words.

"Rai would never do such a thing of his own volition. He possessed an unpredictable nature, yes, but he would never commit a horror on that scale."

"Have you considered that people can just change?" Gray shrugged, entirely blind to the shift in the room's atmosphere.

"Don't you think you might be using this whole possession story to cope with your master's impulsive violence?" Gozen snapped his head toward the boy. A predatory glare flashed in his eyes, and trails of bright white mana flared into existence, lingering off his broad frame.

"Don't speak as if you knew him. Nothing is confirmed yet." Thick killing intent flooded the air. Gray's pupils wavered, and his bottom lip trembled.

"He left a message for you," Gray barely managed to blurt out, quickly changing the subject.

"Maybe that'll give us some hints?" Gozen's eyes narrowed into dangerous slits.

"A message?" Gray gave a slow, stiff nod, and a cold bead of sweat slid down his temple. He brought a fist to his mouth and cleared his throat.

"Yes. He told me to tell you that the path you're on might lead you astray." Gray's voice wavered. Gozen tilted his head and squinted.

"Boy, I won't condemn you. I'm fully aware of my master's personality, and you are only a messenger, after all. Tell me exactly what he said, word for word." Gray swallowed hard.

"Fine. He told you not to live your life like that, and if you don't change your path, you will end up with a fate much worse than his." A dark scowl overtook Gozen's face, yet the anger in his features slowly melted into something resembling grief. He let out a long sigh.

"That sounds like my master, alright. Always dramatic until the end. Was there anything else he needed to tell me?" Gray's eyes lit up at the golden opportunity.

"Actually, he did." Gray raised his chin and crossed his arms over a puffed-out chest.

"He mentioned that I had immense potential. He specifically requested that you train me with your utmost diligence, because you won't ever get another star pupil like me ever again." Gozen leveled a deadpan look at him, then returned to arranging the plates.

"There's one thing you should know about my mentor. In the two hundred years I've known him, he never once used the word 'potential.' He didn't believe in talent. Only results."

"Maybe that was because he couldn't use the words 'potential' or 'talent' when referring to you?" Gray offered a casual shrug, though a smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth. Without turning around, Gozen raised a single finger. A spiked mace condensed from vapor, hovered directly above Gray's head.

"Because he didn't want to spoil you with compliments! You didn't let me finish!" Gray ducked low and threw his hands up to shield his skull from the weapon. Gozen grunted. The mace dissolved into harmless vapor.

"Eat." He jabbed a finger toward the chair. Gray approached the table, and the aroma of the feast hit him hard. The air carried a mouthwatering blend of caramelized sweet soy marinade, the sharp, garlicky kick of red pepper paste, and the rich, smoky scent of charred meat. Baskets of crisp lettuce and perilla leaves sat on the side. A small tray held raw garlic cloves, resting near a three-compartment dish filled with bright red pepper paste, toasted sesame oil, and thick ssamjang.

The main event claimed the center of the table. Bite-sized pieces of pork belly popped and sizzled on a grill, cooked to a perfect golden crisp, and marinated LA Kalbi glistened under the overhead lights on a nearby plate. Stuffed into a heavy earthen pot sat Gray's absolute favorite: braised beef short ribs, still bubbling in their thick, savory sauce. The outlier of the meal sat at the corner—a smooth half-dome of frosted glass. A thick white fog churned inside, swirling endlessly in on itself.

"What's that?" Gray pointed at the dome.

"Dessert. Red bean shaved ice." Gozen didn't look up from the grill.

"I used my cloud vapor to drop the temperature inside the glass to below freezing." If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it. Gray frowned at the swirling frost.

"Was there nothing else available besides red bean?" Gozen slowly raised his head, pinning the boy with a flat, silent stare. Gray took the hint and moved on.

"So, why are you treating me so well? First the advice, and now this massive feast. What's the catch?"

"Like I said before," Gozen said, "be grateful to Ava."

"Don't be so modest, Gozen," Ava called out. She emerged from the kitchen carrying two fresh plates: piping-hot seafood pancakes and steaming glass noodles.

"I can't force you to do anything you don't want to do, you stubborn old man. A part of you cares about the boy. You're just too proud to admit it." Gozen muttered a string of complaints under his breath. He snatched the dishes from Ava and placed them down on the table. He dropped into the chair across from his disciple. Crossing his massive arms, he leveled a glare at Gray.

"I'd better see you eat every last scrap of food here," Gozen warned.

"You have no idea how much trouble we went through trying to follow those recipes online." He turned to Ava and pulled out the chair in front of her.

"I told you we should've just ordered takeout. Why go through the trouble of cooking when there are several good Korean-style restaurants that can deliver to the sky?" Ava smoothed the hem of her dress and took a seat.

"Now, now. I know you're unfamiliar with the tradition because you've never had a disciple reach this stage before, but it is a mandatory custom for the mentor to cook the first meal for their student."

"I'm sorry to interrupt," Gray interjected, "but just how developed is this world, actually?" Ava picked up a pair of scissors and a set of tongs. She carefully snipped the savory pancakes into six even triangles. Gozen reached out to snag a piece, but Ava slapped his wrist with the flat of the tongs before he could make contact. The man winced and snatched his hand back.

"We haven't been to Earth since our summoning, so it's a bit difficult to compare." Ava lifted a piece of tender, steaming beef and laid it over Gray's bowl of rice.

"From what we've heard, Astoria has the overall edge in technological advancement. There are certain fields, however, that we chose to substitute with our powers instead of developing further. We don't have airplanes, for example, because Awakened simply use their mounts to travel." She held up a finger.

"The biggest gap is actually in the culture." Gray chewed and swallowed.

"Culture?" Ava gave a small nod.

"There is a massive drought of quality original media and entertainment in Astoria. Creative professions like acting and singing simply aren't as appealing when compared to the fame and power of becoming a Kaiser. Because of that deficit, the System migrates media from Earth to this planet." Gray's eyes lit up.

"What about video games? Do you guys have them here?"

"There is a rather popular one called Astorian Online —" A palm slammed against the wood, rattling the dishes and cutting Ava off.

"Video games?" Gozen barked.

"Where is your head at right now? You have no time to waste your life playing games. After you complete the Natural Selection, you best believe I'll be whipping you into shape." Gray grumbled at the familiar nagging tone.

"You sound like my dad. Shouldn't you Awakened find time for leisure, too? Killing monsters all day sounds exhausting. What do you two even do for a hobby?"

"Smithing is my hobby." Gozen crossed his arms and leaned back, making the wooden chair creak under his weight.

"I hone and upgrade my equipment to kill beasts more efficiently. It is far more productive than video games."

"Killing the Riftborn is my hobby." Ava flashed a wide, unsettling smile. Her gaze drifted toward the massive scythe propped against the far wall. Gray just shook his head, unimpressed by their lack of work-life balance.

"Now, eat," Gozen ordered.

"You don't have much time before the System pulls you back into the race." Gray didn't need to be told twice. He shoved a heaping scoop of warm rice into his mouth and reached for the braised beef. Intermission with Mentor has concluded. Initiating teleportation. Glowing blue text flashed across his vision, accompanied by a harsh electronic chime. He frantically clamped down on a rib with his chopsticks, but the slick sauce made it slip from his grip.

Abandoning the utensils entirely, Gray snatched the meat with his bare fingers and jammed it into his mouth just as the room around him twisted and warped. A rush of displaced air swept through the dining room and Gray was nowhere to be seen. Ava let out a long sigh and brushed a stray strand of hair out of her face.

"The System is just too cruel." Gozen wore a wide, satisfied smirk.

"More for me." He reached for the glistening LA Kalbi with his chopsticks. Right before the metal clamped down on the meat, the beef vanished. In a flash of a second, the pork belly, the ribs, and every last side dish were sucked into the void of Ava's dimensional ring. Gozen let out a heavy sigh.

"Do you really have to go that far?" Ava crossed her arms over her chest.

"That food belongs to Gray. The boy barely even got a taste. When you see him next time, I expect you to serve it to him properly." She pulled the silver band off her finger and slid it across the table. Gozen grumbled a string of curses under his breath, then snatched the ring and jammed it onto his massive pinky finger.

"So," Ava began, her tone shifting as they gathered the empty plates.

"What made you change your mind?" Gozen stacked two ceramic bowls on top of each other.

"Change my mind about what?" Ava paused. She dropped her pitch, perfectly mimicking his deep, gravelly rumble.

"Gray won't be living long anyway. Because if he manages to retain my class, I will kill him myself." A cough cleared her throat, returning her voice to normal.

"I was convinced you were going to slaughter the boy. But now, you've accepted the role of his mentor and you're actively pushing him toward the Top 100. Why the sudden change of heart?" Gozen scrubbed the tabletop with a damp cloth.

"Things have changed. He inherited Rai's legacy." Ava tilted her head, her gaze piercing.

"Is that all?" Gozen stopped scrubbing. A shadow settled over his face and he stared at the wood grain of the table.

"He reminds me of him. He should be right around his age by now." The vulnerability vanished in a heartbeat, replaced by his usual stoic mask.

"But my promise stands. If the kid shows so much as an inkling of violent intent with that power, I will not hesitate to end his life."

"I'm glad you finally came to your senses." Ava spoke with an even, measured tone, her hands meticulously wiping away a smudge near the grill.

"Just because someone bears a powerful, destructive class doesn't guarantee they are destined for evil. There will always be a few bad apples in every tree." Gozen rammed his fist directly into the stain, punching a hole straight through the solid oak. His aura flared to life in a burst of white, and he snatched a nearby chair and hurled it across the room. The wood exploded against the wall, raining splinters across the floorboards. Ava didn't so much as blink. She held her ground and narrowed her eyes into slits.

A thick, blood-red mist began to seep from her skin. Her own aura exploded outward, a crushing wave of pressure that slammed into Gozen's light and matched it pound for pound.

"How!" Gozen roared, his voice shaking the very foundation of the room.

"How could a mother say that about her own child!" Ava met his gaze head-on. She maintained perfect composure, yet her eyes were completely hollow.

"He is no son of mine." Gozen snapped. He drew his arm back, muscles coiling as he prepared to strike her. Ava just stared back. Her apathy pierced through his blind fury, transforming his boiling rage into a sudden wave of shame. He froze. Ava moved before he could lower his hand. She struck him hard across the jaw, and a bright red handprint blossomed against his cheek. She gave him no time to process the blow, much less retaliate. Her physical form lost its cohesion.

She melted downward, splashing onto the floorboards as a dark pool of blood—the thick crimson liquid rapidly soaked into the wood, leaving nothing behind but blood stains. Gozen let his aura die out, and the oppressive pressure vanished from the room. He stared at the pool of blood spreading beneath his feet. Seeing the reflection of his face in it, along with his chest heaving in shallow breaths, only deepened his shame. Instead of summoning a cleaning construct or a vacuum, he turned away from the table.

He trudged over to the wall where the chair lay in ruins, knelt on the floor and began to gather the shattered wooden splinters, picking them up one by one.