"Everything was laid to ruin in Vermok. Doesn't it stir anything in you? Weren't your parents there, Avion?"
"No. I don't have parents. They passed away long ago. So, where are we heading, Deon?"
"We're heading to the Kingdom of Eterion. It's not far from here and is known for its divine beasts. There are even rumors that a Zorathis has been spotted near Eterion's frontier."
"I have countless questions for you, Deon. But first, let's get out of this forest. We can never be sure when we might run into a monster."
Deon and Avion took the Vermok Forest path toward the Kingdom of Eterion. When adventurers and traders later reached Vermok, all that remained was a massive crater where the kingdom once stood. Shock spread among them, and after a few adventurers confirmed it was truly Vermok by inspecting the crumbling remains near the forest, fear and horror swept through everyone. Word of the kingdom's fall quickly spread across all the lands and eventually reached the Silent Accord. Their involvement soon set in motion a massive investigation.
As they were about to leave the forest, an orc suddenly appeared. Avion quickly hid in the nearby bushes, waiting for it to pass. But instead, the orc sat down right in front of the bushes where Avion was hiding.
"Seriously! Why does this always happen to me?" Avion muttered under his breath.
"Why are you hiding? Kill that pig. We don't have time to waste!" Deon shouted at him.
Avion grabbed a rock and pressed it against Deon's mouth with his right hand, trying to silence him, but the orc had already noticed them. With no choice left, Avion bolted into the forest, the orc charging after him, while he yelled back at Deon.
"Are you crazy? If you wanted me dead, why didn't you just do it from the start?"
"Brat, I'm not trying to get you killed. You don't have to run. I'm here with you. Just point your left hand at the orc."
The moment Avion raised his hand toward the orc, a beam of swirling purple and black light shot out, completely annihilating the creature along with everything around it. The recoil from the blast sent Avion flying backward, crashing hard onto the ground.
"What are you whining about, kid? If I hadn't stepped in, you'd already be dead. As for what that was, in this universe many people possess a unique power called Ashveil. It consumes the wielder's life essence in exchange for abilities, like the one you just saw. But you and I are different. We don't just possess Ashveil. We hold multiversal powers magic, Pulse, Shard, and more."
"Huh? I didn't understand a single thing you just said. I know about Ashveil, but aside from that, I got nothing. And you said I also possess powers? Can you tell me what they are and how to use them?" Avion asked with genuine curiosity.
"First, I need to make this clear. Ashveil consumes the wielder's life essence, but that's not the case for you. If you feed any monster, or even a human, into my mouth, it will serve as your energy core for Ashveil. On top of that, you will also inherit the powers those wielders once possessed."
"I get it, but you still haven't told me about my powers."
This kid is something else. He didn't even flinch when I mentioned consuming humans. Interesting.
"You are the Death Clown. That's the name of your role. Many have unique role names and abilities, just like you."
"Who the hell are you calling a clown?" Avion snapped as he shoved Deon's mouth against the ground.
"Wait, brat, don't do that! Are you deaf? Didn't you hear me? I said Death Clown. You have the ability to summon Circus Props, each with its own special power. Try imagining any prop and focus on its core."
Avion pictured a juggling ball, and in an instant, it appeared before him, hovering in midair. Deon instructed him to grab the ball and concentrate on the level of destruction he wanted.
A small house, Avion thought, and the juggling ball began to glow with a faint green light.
"Now throw it straight into the sky," Deon instructed.
Avion hurled the ball upward with all his strength. It exploded high above with a thunderous blast, scattering countless shining particles that rained down like stardust. A rabbit nearby was caught in the falling light, and in the next moment, its body burst apart in a violent explosion.
"That was amazing! I liked those particles even more than the rabbit exploding. I'll name this attack Carnivale. But… why didn't those particles affect me?"
"That's just how it works," Deon replied.
After that, they finally left the forest. On the way out, Avion picked up a piece of the orc Deon had defeated and fed it into the mouth. His energy instantly restored, and the two of them continued their journey.
[ Carnivale
Type: Summoned Orb
Origin: Wielder's Life Essence
A ball-type summon that materializes from the wielder's essence. Its color shifts according to the chosen destruction radius. Upon detonation, the orb bursts into a dazzling rain of shimmering particles that annihilate anything they touch. These particles linger in the air for ten seconds before fading completely. ]
On a vast floating island that drifted endlessly above the oceans stood the headquarters of the Silent Accord. The island never passed over kingdoms or cities, only seas, but whenever it glided above smaller islands it drowned them in its shadow. The Silent Accord was made up of twelve members, five women and seven men, each with a personality as distinct as their powers.
Inside a pitch-dark chamber with twelve seats arranged in a circle, a voice echoed.
"Report. Any new information on the disappearance of Vermok?"
"No, sir," another voice replied. "But today we detected an explosion within the Vermok Forest."
"Why are we wasting time on this? Why do all twelve of us even need to be here? If I'm late, my wife will be furious."
"Shut up! You always think only about yourself. Why did you even join the Ascendants?"
"The pay is good, that's the only reason."
"You son of a…!"
"SILENCE!" A dark figure's voice thundered through the chamber.
Instantly, the entire room fell quiet. The two who had been arguing froze in horror as their bodies began to melt. Within three seconds, nothing remained of them but a dark stain on the floor.
"There is no place for fools here. Now explain what you have found."
The hologram of the man standing in the center of the ring-shaped table trembled, unable to speak out of fear.
"If you stay silent, you may end up the same as those two. So speak quickly."
"Y-Yes, sir!" He stammered, then hurriedly explained the explosion they had detected in the Vermok Forest, along with the remains of a dead orc and a rabbit.
"This will be interesting. What do the remaining nine of you think?"
"Kill. And kill again."
"At last, it's my time to shine!"
""Uh… I need to relieve myself."
"Whoever did this, I'll rip out every bone in their body, grill them, and feast on them."
"I think the situation is confusing. How can an entire kingdom vanish, leaving only a crater behind? We should search the forest thoroughly to see if anyone survived this mysterious event."
"[murmurs]"
"Heh… this chaos smells delightful. I only hope their screams are as sweet as I imagine."
"Tch. All of you talk too much. Just point me to the enemy, and I'll silence them."
"What do you think, Ion?"
"Sir, I request permission to investigate this personally. I have a feeling I know who is behind it."
"Permission granted. Report back to me in a week. The rest of you, return to your assigned tasks."
Everyone vanished into thin air from their seats. Ion decided to head to Vermok and search for any clue about what had truly happened.
[ Kingdom of Eterion : Northern Gate ]
"Hey, do I need a pass to enter, Deon?"
"No. Just show them my mouth on your left hand and we're good to go."
"Are you kidding me? If I show them a mouth on my hand, they'll kill me on the spot, thinking I'm a demon."
"Just do what I said."
"Okay… but first tell me, how do you know everything I ask? First you told me about Eterion, then about powers and the universe, and now even about the pass. Who are you really?"
"Don't worry about that for now. When the time comes, I'll tell you. What matters right now is getting stronger. Avion, you'll face many powerful opponents in the future. When that time comes, I won't help you. So focus on your own strength."
"Blah, blah… you really never give a straight answer."
"Next," the guard called.
Avion stepped forward. When the guard asked for his pass, he hesitantly showed Deon's mouth on his hand. To his surprise, the guard let him through without question.
"What did you do?" Avion asked in confusion.
"I sucked out his soul and took control of his body," Deon laughed.
"That's disgusting… but whatever. Let's explore the market first."
They wandered into the bustling streets, exploring stalls and shops. But as they stopped in front of a bookstore, Deon suddenly coughed up blood, and Avion's left hand began to turn a sickly shade of blue and black.