Journey to Become the Zenith

The Hero Returns to the Hidden Cave

Niklaus was suppressing his power.

He wasn’t merely hiding his presence casually. He was actively forcing his immense aura inward, preventing even the slightest trace of his true strength from leaking into the surrounding world.

Yet there was one problem.

As long as his power did not disappear completely, Amura could still sense him.

It was faint.

So faint that she had to repeatedly adjust their direction, sometimes stopping for several minutes before determining where the lingering trace had gone.

Videl had trusted her judgment.

That was why, after two days of searching through forests, cliffs, narrow mountain paths, and stretches of land where even birds seemed reluctant to fly, they finally stood before the hidden cave.

The entrance looked almost ordinary.

Dark stone formed a natural arch between two enormous cliffs. Vines hung across its opening, swaying gently whenever the mountain wind passed through. There were no guards, no magical formations that Videl could see, and no obvious sign that anyone lived there.

That was precisely what made it unsettling.

Videl stood silently before the entrance.

Her long blonde hair moved lightly in the breeze, while her sapphire eyes narrowed as she studied the darkness beyond.

”So this is it?”

Amura stood beside her in her human form, her steel-colored hair falling over her shoulders. Her silver robe moved softly around her legs as she looked toward the cave.

”I believe so,” Amura replied.

Rika, who had also taken human form, remained nearby. Her long black hair shifted with the breeze, and her dark eyes stayed fixed on the entrance.

Videl didn’t immediately move.

She remembered her previous meeting with Niklaus.

There had been something strange about that man from the beginning.

Not merely his strength.

It was the feeling that surrounded him.

Niklaus was a hero, yet Videl had never felt as though she completely understood what kind of person he was.

He knew far too much.

He spoke about heroes, destiny, and paths that seemed predetermined.

And now Videl had returned because she needed answers.

She slowly stepped forward.

”Let’s go.”

The three entered the cave.

The temperature dropped almost immediately.

Cold air brushed against Videl’s skin, carrying the faint scent of stone and old magic. Their footsteps echoed softly against the walls, the sound disappearing deeper into the darkness.

Videl remained alert.

She didn’t know whether Niklaus was watching them already.

Probably.

Someone like him wouldn’t allow a stranger to walk into his home unnoticed.

Still, she continued forward.

The deeper they went, the quieter the cave became.

There was no sound of insects.

No dripping water.

Not even the usual whisper of wind.

It felt as though the entire mountain had fallen silent.

Then—

Someone appeared directly in front of Videl.

”What brings you back here, young hero?”

Niklaus stood there as though he had been waiting for her.

There was no dramatic entrance.

No explosion of power.

One moment the path ahead had been empty.

The next, he was simply there.

Videl’s body instinctively tensed.

Amura’s eyes narrowed.

Rika immediately shifted her stance.

For a brief moment, Videl couldn’t even tell when Niklaus had moved.

She hadn’t sensed him approaching.

Not even slightly.

Yet she quickly relaxed her shoulders.

She had expected something like this.

Niklaus had already demonstrated that his abilities were beyond anything she could easily comprehend. Being surprised by his sudden appearance wasn’t enough reason to panic.

Videl looked directly into his eyes.

”I have a question I wished to ask of you great hero,” Videl spoke as respectfully as she could.

Niklaus studied her for several seconds.

Then the corner of his mouth lifted slightly.

”I see... I knew you would come back.”

There was something about the way he said those words that made Videl’s instincts stir.

He knew.

Perhaps he had known from the moment she left.

Before Videl could ask what he meant, Niklaus raised one hand.

His fingers snapped.

The sound was quiet.

Yet the instant it echoed through the cave, the world around Videl twisted.

A wave of mana suddenly surrounded her.

Videl’s eyes widened.

”What—?”

She couldn’t move.

There was no time to resist.

The space around her distorted, and the next moment she felt herself being pulled somewhere else.

Then everything went still.

Videl found herself standing in the same room where she and Niklaus had spoken during their previous meeting.

The room was enormous.

Gold covered parts of the walls, while countless priceless artifacts rested upon shelves and stone platforms. Ancient weapons, strange relics, ornaments whose origins Videl couldn’t identify, and objects that radiated faint magical pressure were scattered throughout the chamber.

The wealth contained inside this place was enough to make even a kingdom’s treasury look poor.

Videl glanced around.

”So he brought us here again...”

She had barely finished the thought when Amura and Rika appeared beside her.

Both had followed her through the teleportation.

Amura immediately looked around, her expression becoming slightly tense.

”His control over space is still frightening.”

Rika nodded silently.

Videl couldn’t disagree.

Niklaus hadn’t even needed a spell.

A simple snap of his fingers had been enough.

Niklaus walked toward the center of the room.

He gestured toward several seats.

”Sit.”

Videl followed his instruction.

She sat down calmly, though she kept her attention fixed on Niklaus.

Amura and Rika, however, remained standing behind her.

Niklaus noticed.

His eyes moved toward the two sword spirits.

”You two aren’t going to sit?”

Amura shook her head.

”We’re fine here.”

Rika nodded.

Videl almost smiled.

They were clearly being cautious.

She couldn’t blame them.

Niklaus was powerful enough that standing close to him felt like standing beside a sleeping dragon. The beast might not be hostile, but that didn’t mean one should casually touch its tail.

Niklaus didn’t insist.

Instead, he turned his attention back toward Videl.

For several moments, silence filled the chamber.

Videl had come here with questions.

Many questions.

But before she could speak, Niklaus suddenly remembered something.

His expression changed slightly.

”So were you able to give that horn i gave you to your friend?”