Shadows of Ascension

71. A master's legacy

Mr. Yun sighed, shaking his head. "Now that I think about it… I can’t train you either, Aiden." 

Aiden’s eyes widened in surprise. "Wait… you can’t train me? But why?" 

Mr. Yun leaned back, folding his arms. "I abandoned my hunter duties when I turned fifty-two years old after spending decades fighting monsters and protecting people. I was a mighty hunter. One of the best of my era. But I was starting to feel… old." 

"Turns out, I was wrong. I was not too old after all," he chuckled, looking at his wrinkled hands. "As I told you before, I am one hundred fifty-two years old. And I achieved this lifespan by mastering my healing skills." 

Riona’s eyes widened. "Wait… you extended your life using healing techniques?" 

Mr. Yun nodded. "That’s correct. And in the one hundred years that I’ve been retired… I’ve trained countless hunters." 

Luca crossed his arms. "And… were any of them as strong as my brother?" 

A slight smirk appeared on Mr. Yun’s face. "Few of them went on to become some of the best hunters of their time." 

Aiden narrowed his eyes. "Then why can’t I be one of them?" 

Mr. Yun exhaled. "Because… I was even one of the many masters who trained…" He paused. His eyes darkened. 

"Enrico Death." 

Silence. 

Luca took a step back. "What…?" 

Riona inhaled sharply. "You… trained Enrico Death? One of the only S-rank hunters in the entire history of the world?" 

Aiden clenched his fists. "But that doesn’t make sense! You said you can’t train me because I have an ancient ability. Enrico Death had one too! How did you train him?" 

Mr. Yun closed his eyes. "Because… I wasn’t alone." 

Aiden’s breath caught in his throat. 

"I could not have trained him alone," Mr. Yun admitted. "He was beyond my abilities. He possessed one of the five ancient skills. I knew from the beginning that my training alone would never be enough for him." 

Luca furrowed his brows. "Then… who helped you?" 

Mr. Yun opened his eyes, staring at them seriously. "There were three others." 

"The first was my friend… Fortuno Cielloni. As I told you before, he was also a holder of an ancient ability. He was a master of ancient black magic." 

Aiden swallowed. "And… he’s dead now, right?" 

Mr. Yun nodded solemnly. "Yes. He passed away decades ago." 

"The second was Nico Fellun. Another A-rank hunter," Mr. Yun’s expression darkened. "He was a man of great power and wisdom… but he too has passed on." 

Riona lowered her gaze. "So that means… there’s no one left." 

But Mr. Yun smiled. "No. There is still one." 

"The third master who helped train Enrico Death… still lives. And in fact…" Mr. Yun paused. 

"He lives in the Lawless Area. The very place you are heading to right now." 

Aiden tensed. "You mean… we can find him?" 

Mr. Yun nodded. "Yes." 

Riona stepped forward. "Who is he?" 

Mr. Yun’s expression turned serious. 

"His name is Setto Saint." 

A heavy silence filled the room. 

Aiden’s eyes flickered with excitement. "Setto Saint…" 

Luca’s face grew pale. "Wait. The Setto Saint?" 

Mr. Yun nodded. "Yes. The strongest man of my generation." 

Riona gasped. "He’s still alive?" 

"He is," Mr. Yun confirmed. "He is two years older than me… which means he is currently 154 years old." 

Aiden clenched his fists. "Then… will he be able to train us?" 

Mr. Yun gave a small smile. "Yes. But let me warn you…" His tone became more serious. 

"Setto does not like strangers. If you approach him carelessly, he might kill you on the spot." 

Riona took a deep breath. "Then… how do we convince him to train Aiden?" 

Mr. Yun’s expression softened. "Tell him… I sent you." 

Luca looked at Aiden. "So… what do we do?" 

Aiden turned back to Mr. Yun and bowed deeply. "Thank you, Mr. Yun… for everything." 

Mr. Yun nodded. "Be careful, children. The Lawless Area is… a place where hunters become monsters." 

Aiden smirked. "Well then… it’s the perfect place for us." 

With that, they turned and left the hut, stepping back into the icy blizzard, ready to continue their journey.