"Avion, dash into that deserted alley!"
Avion sprinted into the narrow passage, clutching his injured hand. Blood streamed from Deon's mouth, and with every drop, Avion felt his strength being sapped away. After all, Deon's body was a part of him too.
"Avion, raise your hand to the sky and say, 'Rule'!"
Gritting his teeth, Avion held his hand aloft and shouted, "Rule!"
Time froze. Everything around them halted, with no movement and no sound. Avion felt as if the world itself had reached its end.
"Snap back to reality, brat!" Deon's voice cut through the stillness. "This isn't the end. It's only a temporary measure, so no one discovers what I am about to show you."
"Huh? What are you talking about? And are you even alright? You were coughing up so much blood just now."
"That was nothing serious. I just overused my powers and paid the price. Listen carefully, I might not be able to help you anymore."
"Why? Did something happen? What are you even saying? Don't just throw words around, explain it properly!" Avion snapped.
A small crimson orb slipped out of Deon's mouth, glowing faintly.
"I've spent all of my stored energy. We will meet again, but for that, you need to grow stronger. Feed this orb at least seven dragon hearts. Place it on the heart, and it will consume it. When its color turns black, it will be ready. And to replenish its life essence after using your power, place monster or human flesh on the gem, and it will absorb it."
"Listen, I understand what you're saying, but isn't it too soon to say goodbye?" Avion whispered, clutching the orb tightly in his right hand.
"Here is a farewell gift, Avion… we will meet again soon." Deon's mouth on his left hand faded away.
A phoenix erupted into the sky, its immense wings casting a shadow over the kingdom. Avion froze, mesmerized by its blazing eyes. In an instant, it shifted into a sword, a crimson gem gleaming above the hilt.
The sword landed firmly in Avion's hands. In the next instant, time resumed, and with confusion clouding his mind, he sprinted out of the dark alley.
"It looks like nothing even happened… and what's with this sword? Seriously, Deon, what is all this? I can't comprehend anything since the start of this journey. You never explained your revenge, or anything else." Avion muttered as he entered the market, the sword still in his hand.
Everyone turned their gaze toward him.
"What's up with that kid? Why is he carrying a sword in the market?" voices whispered around.
Avion's chest tightened. This is bad. If I don't do something, the guards will come. Maybe I should try using my powers.
He focused, imagining a clown's hat. In an instant, the hat appeared before him, hovering in the air. He quickly grabbed it.
"I have no idea why I summoned this hat… or what it's even for." Avion muttered to himself.
Just then, a piece of paper slipped out of the hat. He picked it up and read it.
What's this? Something was written on it. Oh… it explains its use. But why didn't the same thing happen with the juggling balls earlier?
Well, anyway, the note said it acted like a storage box that could hold any amount of items. To retrieve something from the hat, he needed to say its name while holding it down.
As he tried to understand its function, a passerby tossed a half-eaten apple into the hat.
"HEY!" Avion shouted, but the stranger ignored him.
"Piece of garbage people," he muttered in frustration. He held the hat, pointing its opening toward the ground, and said, "Apple." The half-eaten fruit popped out instantly. Then he placed the sword inside the hat and set it on his head.
Hopefully, the sword won't decide to leap out and kill me.
He continued exploring the market. The smell of food made his stomach growl with hunger.
"All I've eaten are wild fruits from the Vermok Forest, and I don't have any money."
Avion spotted a wealthy-looking man, clearly drunk, stumbling into a dark, empty alley. He followed quietly. At one point, the man collapsed, and Avion seized the moment, tossing a Carnivale at him. Particles from the Carnivale fell over the man, making him burst into pieces, leaving only gold rings and coins behind.
I thought about putting on a firework show with these Carnivale, but it would have just exhausted me. Well, whatever.
He moved through the market, sampling food from every stall and savoring each bite.
"I'm full now, but I still haven't replenished my life essence from the Carnivale I used on that rich man. No worries about that." He pulled out the remaining piece of flesh from him.
"But how do I restore my life essence now that Deon is gone? Wait… he mentioned something about a red gem. That sword also had a gem on it."
Avion drew the sword from the hat and pressed the flesh onto the gem. It flared immediately, sending a jolt of sharp pain through his chest.
"Uhh… this must mean my life essence is replenished. It hurts like hell, but I'll get used to it."
He placed the sword back into the hat. After choosing an inn, he went inside to rest.
[ The Great Cretor: Kingdom of Vermok ]
"It's already night, and I still haven't been able to find any clue. What happened here… and who did it?" Ion observed the area from above, hovering in the air.
"What are you talking about?" Ion asked the guards talking to each other on the ground.
"Nothing special, sir. This newbie asked about how the Silent Accord works," one of them replied.
"Hmm, is that so? Why don't I explain it to you? The Silent Accord is a world organization that keeps the world stable by any means necessary. There is also a special order within it, made up of twelve members, known as the Ascendants. I am a member of this order as well. But establishing peace isn't really my style; I prefer solving mysterious cases like this one."
"Thank you very much, sir," one of the guards replied.
"I can't find anything here. Let's search in the nearby kingdoms." Ion decided to go to Eterion to get answers to his questions.
"Sir, what is Eterion like?"
"Huh… wasn't my explanation about the organization enough for you to feel comfortable asking questions?"
"I am very sorry, sir," the guard replied, his face twisted with horror.
"Well, what can be done? When you're this dumb, how did you even manage to pass the test for our organization?" Ion shook his head, then began to explain about Eterion.
What's up with this guy… son of… the guard thought angrily.
"Hey, before I brief you about Eterion, let me tell you something. I can hear your thoughts, so be careful what you think."
Both guards froze, horrified, their throats suddenly dry. Ion broke the silence with a calm look.
"Eterion is one of the nine kingdoms. There were ten when Vermok still existed. Anyway, Eterion is mainly known for the divine beasts that serve as the guards of the royal palace. These divine beasts are as powerful as a hundred orcs. Zorathis can also be seen there sometimes. They are monsters resembling humans but with three eyes and horns on their heads. It's a peaceful kingdom with stable politics. That's all the information you need to know."
By morning, Ion and his guards arrived at Eterion. Ion entered alone through the northern gate, unaccompanied by his guards. No pass or ID was required. All twelve members of the Ascendants are well known around the world. Even a single Ascendant entering a kingdom is treated as an event of utmost importance, for each holds the power to obliterate an entire realm alone. The king and other political figures welcomed Ion personally.
"We are very delighted by your visit, Sir Ion. We have arranged a room for you in the palace," the king said politely.
"There's no need for all this. I am here on a task, and let me tell you, if you try to place spies on me or interfere with my work, the price will be paid with lives. So be careful." His words were enough to make the guards drop to their knees. Ion left for the market.
"I can use my summon, Divine Light, to find the strongest person, or one who has killed millions." He summoned a small orb of light that only he could see. It drifted above people's heads and displayed two numbers: their power level, and their kill count, if any.
[ Divine Light
Type: Summoned Orb
Origin: Wielder's Life Essence
A floating orb that manifests from the wielder's life essence. Its glow intensifies according to the power level of the target it scans. The orb hovers silently above individuals, revealing two key metrics: power level and kill count. While it does not harm unless commanded, its presence alone can intimidate even the strongest opponents. The orb remains active until dismissed or until its wielder loses concentration. ]
Ion slowly followed the orb as it floated across the market.
"What should I do today?" Avion muttered, roaming among the stalls.
Suddenly, he noticed a glowing ball speeding straight toward him. Panic surged through him.
"Huh… what the hell is that? It looks dangerous, the way it's coming at me."
He summoned several Carnivales and launched them at the light, but nothing happened. The orb continued its rapid approach. Avion drew his sword just as the orb was about to reach him. Ion, moving along with the orb, noticed Avion holding the blade.