Temple of the Demon Lord of Wishes-Chapter 57: Vallgorath

"Eh? Uncle!?" Reves exclaimed, his eyes widening in surprise as he dashed to the counter.

Ivaim blinked, caught off guard by the sudden recognition.

"I’ve been looking for you for months now!" Reves continued, his voice tinged with a mix of frustration and relief.

"Even Father thought you had—" He paused, his expression faltering as he pouted. "—well, he thought you were dead."

Ivaim’s heart skipped a beat.

’Months?’ He frowned, confusion creasing his brow. ’But I’ve only been here for a few days. Why would he say that?’

His mind raced, but he didn’t want to raise any questions.

’If I ask him about it, he probably wouldn’t know the answer either.’

Instead, Ivaim gave Reves a calm look, wanting to ask other relevant questions instead.

"You’ve found your father, then?" he asked, his voice steady. "What about the lady in the black clothing?"

Reves’s expression shifted, his brows knitting together in a slight frown.

"I’m not sure where that lady is," he admitted, his gaze drifting as if searching for the answers himself.

"But my dad’s doing great! He’s competing in the arenas now, and he’s climbing up the ranks. He’s gonna make it to the big leagues soon!"

Reves’s chest puffed out as he spoke, his tone filled with pride. "Everyone says he’s got a real shot at winning it all."

Ivaim couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at Reves’s boundless enthusiasm. The boy spoke about his father as if he were destined for greatness, a legend in the making.

As Ivaim listened, his thoughts drifted back to the many things he had already learned about this place.

The first thing he’d discovered was the name: Vallgorath.

He wasn’t sure if it referred to a country, a kingdom, or even an entire world, but everyone seemed to call it that.

’I still think it’s a kingdom,’ he mused, though he still had little concrete evidence to back that up.

What he did know for certain was that Vallgorath was a kingdom built on a foundation of strength, pride, and combat.

It was a land where warriors were more than just respected—they were revered. Those who proved their strength in battle gained not only fame but real power.

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Combat was deeply woven into the fabric of life here. It wasn’t just a sport; it was the way of life.

Across the kingdom, there were countless smaller arenas, coliseums, and training grounds. Each served as a proving ground for different factions, schools of combat, and warriors from every walk of life.

And then there was the ruling body—the Council of Champions.

This group of ten legendary fighters governed Vallgorath, not through politics, but through their unmatched skill in the arena.

Each council member represented a different form of combat or martial art. Their word was law in all matters related to combat and warfare.

The more Ivaim learned about this kingdom, the more he understood that power here was measured by strength and reputation.

"Why is your dad competing in the arenas?" Ivaim asked, curiosity piquing in his voice. "Has he figured out how to progress this... Fractured Reality?"

He hadn’t planned on getting involved in the arenas just yet. Not after spending days in a weak, sickly body.

Instead, he’d been focused on regaining his strength, repaying the kindness of the elderly woman, and learning more about this strange place.

But the thought of the arenas still lingered in the back of his mind, especially now that he was starting to understand how they operated.

Reves paused, clearly unsure about Ivaim’s question.

"Well... I don’t totally understand what you mean by ’progressing the Fractured Reality,’ but I do know that my dad thinks the key to escaping this place is in the Coliseum of Chosens."

Ivaim raised an eyebrow, leaning forward slightly.

"The Coliseum of Chosens?" he repeated, intrigued.

Reves nodded, his excitement barely contained.

"Yeah! It’s this massive, multi-tiered arena carved right into the side of that huge mountain we can see in the distance," he said, pointing through the window to where the silhouette of a towering mountain loomed against the horizon.

"It’s where the grand tournaments take place. Warriors from all over the kingdom come to compete for the title of Champion of Vallgorath."

Ivaim listened closely, piecing together the significance of what Reves was saying.

"So your dad thinks that becoming the Champion of Vallgorath is the way to escape?" he asked, his tone more thoughtful than before.

Reves nodded, his eyes shining with unwavering belief.

"Exactly! He believes that if he becomes the Champion, he’ll be able to find the armored man who trapped us here. That guy—he’s the key to everything." Reves’s fists clenched, as if the thought of the armored figure filled him with both fear and determination.

"I just know my dad will defeat him. He’s the strongest fighter I know. That armored scum won’t stand a chance!"

Ivaim’s lips twitched, a smile threatening to break through his more serious expression.

Just as he was about to respond, the door to the bakery creaked open, and the familiar sound of footsteps filled the room.

Neli, the elderly woman who had taken him in, walked in from the back with a basket of fresh loaves in her hands. Her eyes twinkled with a warm, knowing gaze as she wiped her hands on her apron.

"Oh? Loaf boy, I haven’t seen you around in quite a while now," Neli said, her voice light but carrying an underlying sharpness. "Ivaim, you know him?"

Ivaim smiled politely, the corners of his mouth turning upward ever so slightly, but he didn’t elaborate.

"Coincidentally, yes," he replied, choosing to leave the rest of the details unsaid for the moment.

Reves, his eyes lighting up at the sight of Neli, immediately perked up.

"Hello, Grandma Neli! Have you heard the latest news?" He grinned widely, practically bouncing on his heels. "My dad’s getting into the big league arenas soon!"

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Neli paused, her hands still as she placed the basket of bread down onto the counter. For a long moment, her gaze seemed to drift into the distance, a flicker of contemplation crossing her face.

She appeared to be processing Reves’s words, though her reaction was far from what one might expect. With a soft sigh, she shook her head, her thoughts apparently elsewhere.

"I see..." she muttered, but then, as if dismissing the topic entirely, she shifted her focus back to the bakery. Her tone became matter-of-fact, almost as if the excitement of Reves’s announcement hadn’t registered at all.

"Are you going to buy the moonrise loaf again today?" she asked, a hint of warmth returning to her voice. "We’ve got plenty in stock today, and they’ve just come out of the oven."

Reves’s excited chatter faltered for a brief moment, his enthusiasm momentarily muted by the practical shift in conversation. But he quickly recovered, eager as ever. "Yeah! I love the moonrise loaf! It’s the best thing ever! Thanks, Grandma Neli!"

He grinned at her, clearly not bothered by the change in topic.