Nezuk: More Karya Than Karya

When Karya heard the name "Karya's Relic," he froze.

It was as if time had stopped. Karya's steps came to an abrupt halt. A few breaths later, he lifted his head and looked at Kiyran.

He nodded, a knowing smile spreading across his lips. "Karya's Relic. That's a fine name."

Kiyran looked at Karya and found the smile strangely familiar. He clearly remembered that when Nezuk had settled on the name "Karya's Relic," he'd worn the very same knowing smile.

In that moment, the two smiles seemed to cross the boundaries of time and perfectly overlap.

The sight left Kiyran baffled. After blinking, he finally seemed to realize that there was some uncanny understanding between the master and his student that he didn't know about.

And the ordinary-sounding name Karya's Relic was the key that had brought it to the surface.

In a sense, Kiyran's guess was right.

By normal logic, naming these devices—which had protected Ixtal for thousands of years—after Karya was undoubtedly the greatest recognition of Karya.

But in truth, when Nezuk had settled on the name, the smile on his face hadn't come from Karya's achievements or inspiration.

It had come from an entrance ceremony, long forgotten by everyone, from countless years ago, when he himself had still been a student.

Just as Karya, upon hearing the name, had immediately thought of the brash young man who'd strutted into the research institute for the first time.

In the Shuriman Empire, every Ascended believed that Nezuk was the person most like Karya.

At first glance, Karya was a smiling, graceful gentleman, the sort of noble who made people instinctively feel drawn to him. Nezuk, on the other hand, was a dark, scrawny man with an unremarkable face, perpetually furrowing his brow. He looked like someone who'd be