“Wait.” Bayern gathered himself and asked Ketal quietly, “Are you saying you have lived that long?”0

Those who reached the higher realms saw their lifespans stretch. Myst supported the body’s functions and slowed age until the years became a loose garment rather than a chain. For a warrior who could touch the world, the march of time mattered far less. Bayern himself was past sixty, yet his face and frame were those of a man in his mid-thirties.0

However, living for centuries was another matter. The only beings who commonly lived that long were the long-lived races—elves, dwarves, and dragons—or else humans who had abandoned their humanity, like the Master of the Mage Tower. Among humans who reached the rank of Hero, the oldest might reach two hundred years.0

“Hm. Inside, there is no way to measure time,” Ketal replied. “The tribe never cared to mark it either. It is only felt time, so the reality could be shorter.”0

“R-right. That makes sense.”0

Even so, Ketal looked too young. It was hard to believe he had lived hundreds of years, or perhaps close to a thousand. The Mage Tower, which now stood as one of the pillars of the continent, had a history of only...2