《Strings Of Domination》


 Chapter 1 - Right In The Face!

    In the vast and boundless cosmos where infinite number of stars and planets were present, a single little planet was lonelily drifting around a huge sun that was in the middle of an unknown star system.


    The planet itself was small, almost half the size of Earth''s, yet its outer appearance was ten times as alluring as that.


    Its surface was completely blue, akin to an oversized piece of azure gem thanks to the huge amount of blue crystals piercing out from its surface, high above the skies!


    Each crystal seemed to be taller and wider than any known building and brighter than any well-polished jewel on Earth!


    As for what kind of crystals they were or what purpose they held, it was unknown; or at least it was for those that mined these crystals on that planet...


    "Move your fucking asses faster or I''m gonna slaughter all of you!"


    A huge and muscular creature with a pair of huge wings on its back was swinging a large sword behind a group of people, forcing them to walk toward a dark cave filled with blue crystals.


    The people differed in age and gender from young to old and men to women. All wore ragged black clothes akin to robes which were in complete contrast to their complexions that seemed paler than a sheet of paper!


    Each was walking like an undead, wavering here and there in a slow manner, their eyes hollow without any sign of hope. The only thing that seemed bright was the futuristic-looking item in their hands, similar to that of a mining pickaxe.


    Only a boy in the very middle seemed to look better than the rest as his face was still round, his sky blue eyes yet to lose their firmness and hope. His straight posture held great confidence whilst his dark black hair that was still short fluttered in the gentle breeze in the air.


    The boy''s name was Nash, a 19 years old boy who was transported from Planet Zero onto this one as he was forced to mine minerals on various globes since tha age of 9!


    About a thousand years ago, humans accidentally discovered a mysterious gate about a thousand miles below Earth''s surface.


    The finding shocked everyone around the world but beliefs of its origin differed for all.


    People first belived it was just an archaic door that was somehow buried deep into the ground through the passage of time, but once its doors had been opened, everything changed.


    The Ancient Path was no simple gate as it not only was a path into another dimension where other races already coexisted, but it also granted humanity a power, known as the Legacy!


    However, even before they could have had the chance to figure out how they should use it, chaos emerged.


    Earth''s surface was flooded with creatures and beasts from the other side of The Ancient Path, destroying their future once and for all!


    They couldn''t do anything about it as all the creatures wielded inhuman powers that mortal technology couldn''t even hope to rival, not even in the slightest!


    Before their strength continents split, oceans dried out while all humans, let it be young or old, rich or poor, men or women, every single one of them was enslaved and brought away in less than a day!


    Ever since that day, humans were forced to follow orders that seemed crueler than torture and worse than death itself, but unfortunately, humans couldn''t do anything about it.


    Anyone that tried to struggle or showed any sign of rebellion was killed on the spot without mercy!


    And because their Legacy was sealed away, they were just mere ants before towering elephants, waiting to be smashed into pieces at any given moment!


    "Hey! Human! Come here!"


    As Nash thought back just how his fate as a human became the worst, a roar howled from behind him, causing him to turn around and watch as the creature stared right at him with a piercing glare.


    Obviously, it talked to him thus Nash halted his movements and waited patiently, his eyes still holding their firmness.


    The creature seeing this became a level angrier and slammed his blade powerfully into the ground, causing all the humans around Nash to flinch abruptly.


    "I. Said. Come. Here!" hissed the creature through its clenched teeth, seemingly angrily, indicating Nash to do what he was told or he will die.


    ''...''


    Approaching the creature with steady steps, Nash stepped before the creature and stared up at it in silence.


    He was 6''4, about 194cm tall, yet before this creature who seemed to be above 3 meters, he was nothing but small. He even could be considered as tiny!


    The creature had raven black skin with a pair of blood-red wings on its back. Its facial and physical features were similar to that of orcs, but with the sole exception that they seemed way more robust!


    Through his years on several planets, Nash learned that these types of creatures such as this one before him was from a race called Sky Beasts, one of the many races that existed on the other side of The Ancient Path.


    They had exceptional physical strength and their Legacy let them fly in the sky as though they were birds!


    They were hazardous assailants in close combat and great predators in the skies!


    The creature stared down at Nash in silence and after murmuring unknown words he spit on his face and sneered, "Kneel."


    ''...'' without wiping off the saliva from his face, Nash glanced at the creature for one last time before beginning to lower his body to kneel.


    He understood way too clearly that if he didn''t follow this order he will die no matter what. That is why, even if he had to swallow his pride right now, he must do whatever he was told.


    When the creature noticed as Nash decided to kneel before him instead of talking or throwing a tantrum like many others would have, a kind of irritation flashed in its eyes, causing the creature to kick Nash powerfully in the face.


    "Piece of shit... Go back and begin to mine before I cut your ugly head off its place!"


    Wiping the mixture of saliva and blood from his face, Nash stood up and went back to where he originally was, and continued to walk forward.


    Once they reached the cave, the Sky Beast began to roar that sounded as loud as thunder, "You will mine this area in the following 4 years every single day! Food and rest will be given once you complete your daily dose, but if not, don''t even dream about seeing daylight ever again!"


    After he said that, the Sky Beast sat down comfortably onto a huge piece of crystal on the side and began to sleep.


    Nash however wasn''t a fool to be tricked by such a simple facade as he had already seen this type of trick a thousand times. It was a great act to trick those that thought escape was still a possible feat, but unfortunately, it couldn''t fool him.


    Instead, he put his pickaxe onto his shoulder and walked deep into the cave as he knew that the deeper he went, the more efficiently he will be able to mine crystals.


    "Perfect spot," exclaimed Nash with a nod as he glanced at the numerous small azure crystals on the walls, each with the size of a human fist.


    "Mine all this here and go to the next spot," said Nash and swung his tool.


    Clang!


    With a metallic sound, the first crystal broke off relative easily before vanishing into a black vortex that appeared around the tip of his pickaxe.


    It was a kind of separate space that Nash summoned once he pressed a button on the tool, avoiding him from carrying the mined crystals directly on his body.


    "At least they helped us with only this much..." sighed Nash and proceeded on mining, filling the whole cave with sharp metallic sound the very next second.


    -


    Hours have passed slowly, and about 14 hours of straight mining later, Nash finally stopped and wiped the sweat off his forehead.


    "Done..." said Nash, ready to leave and hand in the crystals, when suddenly his steps halted while his brows tightened gently.


    Glancing around here and there seemingly confused, Nash turned around but seemed to notice nothing out of the ordinary, except for a sole thing...


    "It''s silent." thought Nash as he discovered that his surroundings was quieter than it should have been.


    Crack!


    "?"


    But just as he was about to ignore and proceed on leaving, suddenly white cracks began to form in the air, forming a wide and huge hole akin to a portal inches away from his face!


    "What the hell is th-" began to ask Nash, but his sentence was abruptly cut by an object piercing him right in the forehead!


    Even before Nash could have responded, an intense pain flooded his mind, causing his body to collapse onto the ground in a flash before a strange sound appeared inside his head!


    [Analyzing Body Str...]


    [Failed! Legacy has been sealed!]


    [Initiating unsealing!]


    "ARGH!!!" with a loud cry Nash felt as though his body was pierced with hundreds of swords, causing his body to shiver like crazy!


    [Legacy has been successfully unsealed!]


    [Analyzing Body Structure!]


    In a flash, the pain inside his body vanished and what replaced that feeling was an immense amount of blaze, making him feel as though his bones, flesh, and skin were set on fire before being thrown into boiling lava!


    [Analysis successful!]


    [Body Structure reached requirements!]


    [Physical Status reached requirements!]


    [Legacy reached requirements!]


    Immediately after that, Nash felt that the unbearable warmth inside his body began to lessen, causing his body to start relaxing.


    However, just as he thought everything was finally coming to an end, the voice sounded inside his head once again.


    [Initiating engraving!]


    "Wait... What? No, do-, AARRRRGGHH!" screaming up once again as pain, several times sharper than the previous two pierced into his brain, his vision turned dizzy and slightly blank in a blink!


    The pain was so great that any human would have fallen unconscious, yet, for some reason, Nash was incapable of that. It was as though some strange power made him stay awake, not letting him fall asleep!


    And just as the pain began to turn unbearable, almost to the point where Nash wished to die, the voice appeared again, but this time with a much majestic tone.


    [Engraving successful!]


    [Congratulations! You have successfully learned ''Domination Art: Strings Of Domination''!]

 Chapter 2 - Accidental Encounter

    Nash felt as his body was engulfed with a strange yet warm sensation, washing the pain away inside his body completely as if the previous torture didn''t happen at all.


    "Wh... What happened?" with a dizzy complexion as though he had just woken up from a deep slumber, Nash subconsciously raised his hand to hold his face, only to touch something he wouldn''t have expected.


    "Good Lord... What in heaven''s name is this?" touching the item that was sticking out of his forehead, giving him an appearance like some kind of unicorn, Nash grabbed its end and began to pull it.


    "Ouch!" once pulled the whole thing out, Nash lowered his hand and examined the object.


    It was a small item with a similar appearance as an injection needle; a long, hair-thin needle on one of its ends, with a see-through exterior in its middle and a flat surface on its other end.


    Staring at the item with a blank gaze, Nash raised his gaze onto the white portal that was still hovering before him in the air ever so gently and frowned.


    If it wasn''t for these two things, he would have thought he just fell asleep and had a weird dream, but considering everything that he saw and felt it seemed excessively real!


    After pondering over the things that transpired with him, Nash stood up to examine the portal in greater detail but who would have thought something would emerge, smashing him right in the head once again!


    "Ouch... Tsk, I shouldn''t have jumped into the portal like an idiot. Such a reckless move from this goddess."


    A girl with otherworldly features massaged her head gently as she felt her head hit something exceptionally hard and huge akin to a huge boulder.


    It made her head feel a little dizzy, but luckily nothing dire happened to her.


    Swish!


    Lowering her palms to support herself before standing up, suddenly her expression changed and her eyes shot wide open abruptly.


    "Huh? A human slave? Strange, I''m pretty sure I made sure to teleport onto a deserted planet." mumbling in a low voice, the girl stood up and kicked Nash gently on the side.


    "Hey, Slave, wake up! Which planet is this and what are you doing here? This is a d-" realizing something abruptly, the girl''s complexion paled and her hands immediately jumping into her pocket.


    "No, no, no, this can''t be true. I swear I put it here before escaping. Where is it? Don''t say it was..." searching her pocket with an ashen expression, suddenly the girl''s eyes caught something in Nash''s palm, causing her complexion to stiffened in a blink.


    "Impossible..." quickly snatching the item away from Nash''s hold, the girl glanced at the needle only to cause her complexion to darken even more.


    "It''s... Empty..."


    "Argh... Why does everything love to hit me right in the face nowadays? It hurts for god sake!" groaning with pain, Nash gradually pushed himself up from the ground and opened his eyes.


    Though, when he did, his body hardened like sculpture and cold drops of sweat began to appear on his back from nervousness.


    Right before him, a little girl in crimson red clothing similar to a wrap style dress was standing motionlessly, her blood-red eyes staring daggers at him like someone who just discovered their parents'' murderer!


    Her presence and eyes were twice... No! Thrice as scary and intimidating as the Sky Beast outside this cave!


    She held a way greater and majestic aura, something he has never seen before!


    "Wait... A little girl?" exclaimed out loud Nash as he noticed it was in fact a little girl who stood before him, but soon realized just how big a mistake it was for him to say that out loud.


    As his gaze shifted from the girl''s outer appearance onto her eyes, his face turned ashen, and subconsciously stepped several meters backward as though he just saw a ghost.


    "Out of the many possibilities I had to meet with someone from the Thousand Blood race? Just how terrible could my luck really be today?"


    ''Little... Girl?''


    When the girl heard this her anger skyrocketed above the heavens, her body and eyes emitting suffocating presence and killing intent in a flash!


    It was obvious that right now, she didn''t want anything more but to kill Nash without a second thought! It seemed his previous statement damaged her pride that she could only heal if she slays him!


    "!?"


    Noticing as he became a target for the girl, Nash knew he had to escape or he will be sliced up into thousands of pieces!


    However, just as he was about to think for a solution, out of nowhere several sentences popped up in his line of right, shocking him quite deeply!


    [Target''s {Anger} reached Critical Level!]


    [Attaching {Life String} on target now possible!]


    "Eh? Critical level? Life String? What?"


    Confused what that should mean, Nash watched as a long and thin white thread appeared before his eyes, its other end attached to the girl''s head seemingly invisibly.


    "A thread? Why did this appe-" confusion emerged on Nash''s face, but his thoughts were abruptly cut as he noticed the girl summon a sword into her hand and raise it above her head ready to attack.


    "Fuck!" not knowing what he should do, Nash extended his arm toward the thread that seemed to be only visible for him, and grabbed it.


    And when he did...


    Swish!


    With white light, the string attached itself onto his finger, causing a strange sensation to sweep through his body formed right at that instant.


    It felt like he had grown another limb but couldn''t see; the feeling was weird and mysterious!


    [Successful attachment!]


    "Huh? That''s it? Just a simple sentence and nothing else?" thought Nash with shock and watched as the girl swung her sword toward his neck at a frightening speed.


    "STOP!"


    Swish!


    ''...''


    Watching as the sword stopped only inches away from his nose whilst the gust of wind blew his hair backward slightly, Nash stared at the girl with widened eyes, hardly believing she really halted just because he asked her.


    "What... What did you do to me?" asked the girl, seemingly confused that she was unable to move.


    Then, like throwing her into cold water as the sudden realization hit her, her delicate little face paled, fear flickering in her small eyes right away!


    "You... Did you just use the Skill Fluid? You were able to learn the Domination Art?"


    "Huh? Domination Art? What are you talking about, I have ne-" halting in his answer as though he remembered something, Nash''s gaze shifted to the small capsule in the girl''s hold and closed his mouth tightly shut.


    So that thing was a Skill Fluid, a liquid that can allow any being to learn any Domination Art in a blink of an eye!


    An extremely rare item or it could be said a priceless treasure that could cause war between races and even dimensions!


    And he not only obtained it but accidentally consumed and learned it too! This was the worst-case scenario ever!


    "Now I''m in trouble..."


    "So you really did." hissed the girl with anger and wanted to push her sword forward, but unexpectedly, failed to do so.


    Nash watched the girl''s struggling figure and his face immediately changed, "Can''t you just please calm down and lower your weapon? I can explain it I swear!"


    Swish!


    And to his surprise, immediately after his voice fell the girl lowered her sword and stood straight with a calm gaze, waiting for him to speak.


    However, her eyes didn''t seem to be calm as they held an insane amount of tremor that caused her white pupils to tremble like crazy.


    She... She did exactly what she was told and even her behavior calmed down as he asked! This was simply impossible, a fact that she couldn''t accept!


    "I..." shocked to see just how obedient the little girl was, Nash stepped back another few meters and glanced at the string in the air that was still connected with his finger and the girl''s head.


    "So this power allows me to control her? Can I control others too or do I need to do something special to activate this ability? How can I use it?"


    As though the previous voice waited for this exact question, a sentence popped up before his line of sight, making his face changed abruptly.


    [Opening context of ''Domination Art: Strings Of Domination''!]


    Swish!


    [Domination Art: Strings Of Domination]


    ? Description: Absolute power that seeks, collects, and wields the lost strings between all that exists and those that are not!


    ? Domination Class: Absolute Domination Class


    {Abilities}


    ¡ã Chance String: a string that can have the chance to control any living being for a limited degree once one of their 4 emotions reached the Chance Level! (Does not require attachment to use!)


    ¡ã Life Strings: A lost string that can be collected and attached to any living being once one of their 4 emotions reached the Critical Level! (Limit: Infinite)


    ¡ã Death String: A lost string that can be collected and attached to any non-living being! (Limit: 0/5)


    <Any being, living or dead, once attached by a lost string shall obey the Dominator as every order given to them is absolute!>


    {Passive Abilities}


    ¡ã Indicator: Shows all being''s feelings and emotions in a hundred meters radius. Helps Dominator to use Chance Strings with greater success!


    ¡ã Reaper: Once a being attached by a Life String dies, their Legacy will be reaped by the Dominator! (Limit: Infinite)


    <Further abilities can be unlocked once reached higher Ranks!>


    "Oh..." was the only thing Nash could say, as the row of information before his eyes were way more than what he had expected!


    It seemed the girl wasn''t willingly doing whatever he asked but was forced to do it! This newfound power of his forced the girl to follow his orders in an absolute power!


    This power... wasn''t this a bit too.... outrageous?

 Chapter 3 - Dimension Refining Physique

    Silence descended between the two as Nash stared at the line of texts in the air, unknown how he should react.


    On the other hand, while he was reading the text that was only visible to him, the girl before him clenched her little palm into a fist as her blood-red eyes began to shake with great tremor.


    "He can really see them... Impossible! He is just a slave, a lowlife! No one should remain alive once consumed that Skill Fluid! This must be a terrible joke!"


    The girl''s thought became chaotic as she couldn''t admit the fact that Nash truly learned the Domination Art that other races and beings were incapable of accomplishing!


    "How... How did you do it?" asked the girl after a brief moment of silence, seemingly hesitant to ask her question.


    She knew exactly just what kind of power did trap her eternally, thus she tried to act as calmly and speak as carefully as much as she could.


    If Nash wanted to, he could now easily end her life with a single word or even worse... Humiliate her without her doing anything about it!


    That''s why she must speak each of her words as much caution as she could. One wrong step and her life could end right there and then!


    Nash who was reading the information in the air shifted his gaze at the girl and remained silent. His calm stare caused the girl to flinch slightly and lower her gaze, fearing that she must have asked something she shouldn''t.


    Nash obviously understood her fear and sighed, "You mean how I was able to survive?"


    Raising her head, the girl pondered for a while and nodded, "Un."


    Nash guessed this would be the source of her curiosity but before answering her, he glanced toward the way where the cave''s exit was and asked, "Before answering you, can you prevent others to detect us from outside? Though, I wouldn''t be surprised if they didn''t notice us several minutes ago thanks to your killing intent."


    "Huh? Oh, that. You don''t need to worry about it as when I opened the portal I made sure to seal the proximity for about an hour. No one will be able to detect us, not even if you blow this whole place up if you wish."


    "Blow... Up..." Nash seemed shocked as he didn''t expect her to look at him in such high regard, but whatever.


    Instead, after pondering for a while he glanced at the girl again and began to speak, "So..."


    "Erys. My name is Erys," said Erys as she knew Nash didn''t know how to call her.


    Nash upon hearing this nodded and continued, "I see, so it''s Erys. Then about the question you just asked, my answer is quite simple- that was nothing but a huge accident."


    Explaining to her what happened, Nash told everything to Erys from start to end, obviously leaving out the part where his Legacy was unsealed.


    Maybe he could control Erys with commands, but just as she already showed it, he can''t stop her from talking and telling others about him. Or at least he didn''t test it yet to know he could stop her.


    Of course, he can decide to kill her if he sees her about to spill the beans, but that only worsens his situation. So far, only she was influenced by his power, hence only she could help him figure out more about this Domination Art in greater detail.


    Thus, until he does not comprehend a better understanding of his newfound power and see what his Legacy could do, he won''t tell her. Or at least not until he can trust her enough.


    "Now that I think about it, because my Legacy was sealed away I don''t even know what it was about. Can I access it or it works on instinct?"


    And just like what happened previously, a voice appeared in his head, following several pieces of information that popped up before his face like some kind of hologram screen.


    [Opening context of ''Personal Status''!]


    Swish!


    {Personal Information}


    ? Name: Nash Skyfield


    ? Age/Life Span: 19/120


    ? Race: Human


    ? Rank: Mortal (Level 3)


    ? Legacy: Dimension Refining Physique


    {Legacy Information}


    ¡ã Dimension Refining Physique: Power given by The Ancient Path that allows the body to be tempered, consume the Essence of Dimensions willingly, and break beyond the limit.


    ¡ã Legacy Rank: Level 3 Mortal (Lower-Phase)


    "Dimension Refining Physique? Sounds powerful." thought Nash as he read the description, but slowly his face turned into a frown.


    "Level 3 Mortal?" Nash understood that each race''s Legacy differed and the way they could strengthen varied too but this...


    Each Legacy had a sole thing in common and that was their Ranks.


    Infant, Warrior, Warmaster, Soul Devourer, Overlord, and Pure Legacy Holder Rank with Infant Rank being the starting point and the weakest whilst Pure Legacy Holder on the end and the strongest.


    Reaching each Rank differed by Legacy as some were easy to rank up while some were exceptionally hard. There were even a few Legacy that requested special ''enlightenment'' to reach the next Rank which was extremely hard to achive.


    However, exactly those types of Legacy were the ones that were the most powerful as once races with such a Legacy reached the top, they will be able to dominate and conquer anything they wanted!


    Though, Nash never heard about a Legacy that had different Ranks such as this one, hence glanced at Erys who was still mulling over his previous story, and decided to ask her a question.


    "Erys, what Rank are you currently on?"


    "Why should I tell y-," suddenly realizing her situation and who she was talking to, Erys coughed awkwardly and said, now in a way sweeter tone than previously, "I''m only on the Warmaster Rank. Why?"


    Seeing her curious gaze Nash pondered for a while and shrugged, "I was just curious."


    However, deep inside his heart Nash was shocked beyond belief. Warmaster! She was on the Warmaster Rank!


    What did that mean? It meant she had the power to demolish a sole planet only by herself! And with her Legacy that was even more feasible!


    Beings from the Thousand Blood race had a Legacy that let them copy other''s Legacy through drinking other race''s blood hence each being from the Thousand Blood race held different powers, making them one of the worst enemies one can wish for!


    The only weakness they had was their Legacy''s time limit which let them use other''s powers only for a few hours at the utmost before becoming defenseless, forcing them to drink blood once again.


    However, in their hands, the other being''s Legacy was 10 times as disastrous as it originally should be, hence that few hours were more than enough for them to end a battle!


    "Thank God I was able to restrict her just in time..." sighed Nash inwardly, thanking his fate he was able to avoid his demise with this miraculous power.


    After pondering for a while, Nash averted his gaze from the screen onto Erys and scratched his cheeks, "But in truth, what should I do with her now. Wait, I don''t even know why she came onto this planet."


    As the suspicion why someone from the Thousand Blood dared to venture to this mining planet all by herself, Nash locked his gaze with Erys and said, "Though, what I don''t understand that when you appeared out of that portal you said this planet should have been deserted. But every race knows that this planet in truth is mining the globe in the Human Dimension, hence your statement doesn''t make sense at all. It made me confused."


    When Erys heard this her eyes lowered, her lips tightly shut against each other, visibly not wanting to say how she got onto Planet Azure.


    Nash seeing this remained silent and sighed. Although he doesn''t like to stick his nose into things that were not his business unless he had no other choice, this was the perfect time to test out his newfound power.


    Hence without hesitation, his eyes turned firm, even flashing with a profound glint, and said, "Tell me. Now."


    As soon as his voice fell, Nash was able to feel a strong gush of power pour into the string that connected him to Erys, and a second later watched as her body jerked and began to talk like a disciplined little girl before her scolding parent.


    The only thing that didn''t seem right was her ashen complexion together with her trembling eyes that shook like crazy, seemingly in great fear that she couldn''t stop herself from talking.


    "The Skill Fluid you have just consumed would have been originally a gift to my father from the Berserker race and I should have been the one handing it over him. Yet, just before I could have done so and deliver him this exceptionally dangerous Skill Fluid, that not even the strongest beings were able to learn as their body would explode right away after injection, we were ambushed."


    "Ambushed? By whom?" asked Nash that immediately forced Erys onto speaking even though he didn''t order her.


    "By the Jade Vampires."

 Chapter 4 - Chance String

    "Jade Vampires? You mean the Jade Fangs?" Nash seemed startled as he knew just what kind of race the Jade Fangs were.


    Jade Fangs were one of the greediest races out of the hundreds of races whilst their Legacy put fear into all beings'' hearts as they could turn their victims'' flesh into a jade-like substance just by a single bite!


    "Yes. They ambushed us thus I was ordered to take the Skill Fluid away where they can''t find it. But who would have thought..." Erys seemed helpless as she couldn''t believe a human, a slave was able to consume it.


    The Domination Art was simply too powerful for anyone to withstand once injected, let alone understand. Even her father wanted just to keep it in a safe place, far away from evil beings, yet his wish was destroyed in a blink!


    Not only was the Domination Art obtained and learned by a mere human that everyone looked down on, but even his daughter was caught in its power, no longer able to escape!


    She failed miserably, without any more chance to correct her mistake ever again! Or at least in this lifetime of hers that was sure...


    Though, knowing this was not the right time to grieve about things she can''t change, Erys sighed deeply and asked, "Anyway, what do you plan to do now?"


    Nash thought about this problem and already thought about a solution, but he first needed to clarify a few things.


    "Do you have any way to leave this planet?" with a sharp gaze Nash asked Erys, causing his power to play its role once again.


    With a cold shudder, Erys flinched and she began to talk the truth without hesitancy, "No, I don''t have any. I have a few Domination Arts that is capable of teleportation, but I can''t leave this planet no matter what."


    "I see." nodded Nash and proceeded on asking, "And do you have any means to get in touch with the outer world, for example, your race?"


    However, upon this question, Erys seemed hesitant to answer, but an invisible force still appeared, forcing her to speak the truth.


    "I indeed have. I have a World Grade treasure that is capable of revealing my location, no matter if I''m in the Ancient Dimension or somewhere else."


    "World Grade? Such a powerful item and only the World Grade? That is the weakest one among the rest!" thought Nash but still said, "Give it to me."


    "!?"


    Erys eyes widened with fear, but no matter how hard she tried to stop herself from moving she felt akin to a puppet that was controlled through the string without any hope to resist.


    "Is it at least First Class or Fifth?" asked Nash as he took away the ring and inspected it.


    "First..."


    "I see. How unfortunate..." sighed Nash and without hesitation crushed the ring into debris relative easily as the item was only a World Grade treasure.


    Crack!


    "Now then..." patting his palms together to wipe the clutter off his hand, Nash turned around and walked away.


    "You stay and hide here until I don''t come back. If you try to escape and take more than 5 steps from where you stand, commit suicide right away."


    "!?"


    Feeling as an itching feeling appeared in the middle of her palm and a numb sensation around her neck too, Erys'' face paled, her body trembling like leaves in a cold autumn night.


    She could do nothing but wait in this dark and cold cave, with the crystals the only things that illuminated this place from the darkness.


    Nash obviously knew this too but didn''t care, not in the slightest. Erys was from one of the many races that tortured and humiliated the Human race, demolishing their future right from the start, thus he definitely won''t let her off the hook that easily.


    Maybe he will even kill her once he doesn''t find her useful as her Legacy can be obtained through his power.


    Also, now that his understanding about this newfound power deepened a level after testing with Erys, thus he was dead sure she can''t and won''t leave.


    As far as he could understand it, his power worked in an absolute way if he attached a Life String on his targets. Let it be a simple request or an answer he wanted to know, the individual will answer and do what he asked no matter what!


    He didn''t even have to say ''do it'' or ''say its'' as once he wants something from the other party they will have to do and act as he wishes!


    "I''m curious if I can order her with a single glance or not. I will make sure to find that out once I come back." smiled Nash as he finally got the chance to take revenge on every being that enslaved and destroyed his and every human being''s future for hundreds of years!


    However, when he set foot outside the cave he was welcomed by a sight he wouldn''t have expected to see and... Hear.


    [Target''s {Sadness} reached Critical Level!]


    [Attaching {Life String} on target now possible!]


    ...


    [Target''s {Sadness} reached Critical Level!]


    [Attaching {Life String} on target now possible!]


    ...


    [Target''s {Sadness} reached Critical Level!]


    [Attaching {Life String} on target now possible!]


    ...


    [Target''s {Sadness} reached Critical Level!]


    [Attaching {Life String} on target now possible!]


    ...


    [Targets...]


    "What the... hell?" Nash watched as tons of white strong floated before him in the air, each end attached to a single individual''s head in the distance.


    And each of them was the humans he came here to mine with!


    "This..." Nash seemed confused and hesitant first he should attach Life Strings to them, but decided not to.


    "Until it is not a must, I won''t influence humans. They were tortured and humiliated enough through the years, it is finally time to give them hope."


    With that solid thought and a sharp flash inside his eyes, Nash shifted his gaze toward the creature in the distance and began to walk toward him.


    But this time his gaze wasn''t fixed on the Sky Beast but the sight above him that was his Domination Art''s passive ability, the Indicator.


    {Emotion Levels}


    ? Happiness: Neutral - 12%


    ? Sadness: Neutral - 7%


    ? Fear: Neutral - 0%


    ? Anger: Chance Level - 81%


    As Nash saw the 81% and the word ''Chance Level'' above the creature''s head in the manner of a hologram, Nash frowned.


    "81%? Wait, now that I think about it what is a Chance String and how can I use it?" raised a question Nash inwardly, causing the answer to appear in his line of sight once again.


    [Opening context of {Passive Ability} ''Indicator''!]


    Swish!


    [Indicator]


    ¡ã Indicator: Shows all being''s feelings and emotions in a hundred meters radius. Helps Dominator to use Chance Strings with greater success!


    <Dominator can use Chance Strings once the Chance Level (51%-99%) had been reached!>


    {Chance String Effects}


    ? Happiness (51%-99%): Chance for Request Domination!


    ? Fear (51%-99%): Chance for Death Bid!


    ? Sadness (51%-99%): Chance for Emotion Alteration!


    ? Anger (51%-99%): Chance for Reverse Order!


    <The chance for success is depending on the % of the Chance Level!>


    <Warning! If Dominator failed to use a Chance String, a 1-hour cooldown will occur!>


    Immediately after Nash read the information his face turned complicated, but because he reached the Sky Beast''s side his face turned back to normal once again.


    He even put on an exhausted facade the creature could send him back to mine twice the amount he did if he noticed he was not tired!


    "Finished already?" obviously discovering his approach the creature opened his eyes, holding deep disgust in them as he stared at Nash.


    "Yes..." nodded Nash and showed the number on the side of his pickaxe that was the proof about the amount of crystals he mined.


    "Hmph!" standing up with a cold snort, the Sky Beast waved his hand, and soon a white portal manifested before him.


    "Hand your amount in and you will have 1-hour rest. Once it''s over you will be brought back here." said the creature toward Nash as he stepped to the side.


    Nash however just nodded and stepped inside the portal, but before his vision could have turned black, he took a quick glance at the Sky Beast''s Indicator for one last time.


    But when he did, an unnoticed smile formed on his face right away, making his mood grow higher a bit than it was before.


    ? Anger: Chance Level - 84%

 Chapter 5 - Prove It!

    Swish!


    A white portal with a radius of three meters arose out of thin air and soon Nash''s indifferent figure could be seen stepping out of it.


    He was currently standing in the middle of a huge cabin with several Sky Beasts equipped with different kinds of weapons on the side, each of them staring at him with a piercing glare.


    The walls behind them were made out of some silver alloy with a rigid surface akin to diamond, while on the ceiling several cameras could be seen shifting slowly from side to side, obviously for security means.


    However, what caught Nash''s attention was not those things as he had already seen this sight millions of times before, but the holograms above each creature''s head.


    "It seems all the Sky Beasts love to be angry all the time." thought Nash as he saw each Sky Beast''s Anger reached the Chance Level without a sole exception.


    "Step forward." suddenly a cold voice sounded before him, making him know he should move or else he can easily find himself in trouble.


    "Name?" asked the Sky Beast with extremely similar features as the rest, its eyes staring with deep disgust at Nash.


    {Emotion Levels}


    ? Happiness: Neutral - 21%


    ? Sadness: Neutral - 12%


    ? Fear: Neutral - 2%


    ? Anger: Chance Level - 64%


    Taking a quick glance at the creature''s Indicator before putting his pickaxe onto the table, Nash averted his gaze and said, "Nash Skyfield from Section D."


    The Sky Beast glared at Nash before grabbing his pickaxe and after checking the amount he mined, a cold sneer escaped its mouth.


    "1032... Not shabby for a mere slave." after pressing a button on the pickaxe that caused the mined crystals to fall onto the table, the creature threw the tool back and pointed toward the side, "You have 1-hour rest from now on. Once it''s over, you will be brought back to your area immediately."


    Without saying anything, Nash was dragged to the portal on the side and with a powerful tug, he was pushed inside.


    Swish!


    In a blink, the scenery before him changed once again. The room filled with security and creatures now changed into a huge open place filled with humans sitting or walking slowly here and there as none of them had the reason to live any longer.


    There were chairs and tables in a few places where one could sit down and eat while there were a few trees on the side where people could go and sleep.


    All in all, the area was like a small grass field mixed with a tiny forest and a prison restaurant.


    "Little Ash, it''s you? Hell, it is really you! I can''t believe my eyes, you are still alive? I thought you have died!" as Nash was examining the sight before him that was filled with numerous white threads, suddenly an energetic voice sounded from his side making a grin form on his face subconsciously.


    "Well, thanks. It''s also nice to see you too, old geezer," said Nash, his gaze already fixed on the man before him.


    "Old geezer... that hurt..." answered the man, acting like his heart was just pierced, but when he noticed Nash''s indifferent gaze he laughed awkwardly and opened his arms wide, "You little brat never change, haha! Come, give this uncle of yours a big hug!"


    "I am not a little kid anymore..." Nash rolled his eyes as though he felt annoyed, but couldn''t help but smile and proceed on hugging the man who called himself his uncle.


    After a big hug, Nash''s uncle who seemed to be in his forties with a long black beard, hair, and great physical features stepped back a bit and scanned Nash from up to bottom with his green eyes that were in complete contrast to all humans present; it seemed firm, determined and it still held hope that was rare to see.


    "If your father were here, he would definitely be proud of you. Under these hard times, you not only have grown stronger but matured as well," said Nash''s uncle, his eyes a bit teary from the memories and feelings that began to arise onto the surface even though he tried to hide and push them back.


    Nash remained silent and listened patiently as he clearly understood just how hard it was for his uncle. He lost everything he had; his wife, his brother, his parents, and two of his daughters for more than 20 years so far!


    The only person that he still had was him, his only nephew who he could only meet twice every year and even that amount was a huge exaggeration!


    He could only meet him twice a year as some Sections were not allowed to rest even after several days of mining and even if they were allowed, their location to rest wasn''t occasionally here but somewhere else!


    Thus meeting with him was an extremely rare occurrence, even could be considered as a blessing from above!


    Waiting for his uncle to calm down, Nash looked around and said, "Uncle Ben, come with me. I need to tell you something."


    Grabbing his uncle by the wrist and pulling him into a faraway corner where no one was able to hear nor see them, Nash looked around, and only after making sure there were no cameras did he start speaking.


    "Uncle, my Legacy had been lifted from its seal! And what''s more, I have a way to get us out of this rotten place!"


    "Haha, nice joke kid, you are funny." laughed Uncle Ben with a grin, but once he noticed Nash''s dead serious expression he frowned, "You really telling me the truth?"


    "Yes, and what is more..." glancing around again and even leaning a bit closer to his uncle, Nash told him everything that happened with him a few minutes ago.


    "You either try to fool me or think I''m an idiot! Did you go insane or what? Your story is simple bullshit!" Uncle Ben seemed to be angry as he didn''t like the way Nash played with his emotions especially not with his hope.


    {Emotion Levels}


    ? Happiness: Neutral - 26%


    ? Sadness: Neutral - 21%


    ? Fear: Neutral - 1%


    ? Anger: Chance Level - 52%


    Noticing that his uncle seemed to be angry but also showed hidden signs of happiness, Nash sighed but his eyes remained firm, "Uncle Ben, I am dead serious! What is more, If I want, I can control almost everyone inside here!"


    "Hmph... Then prove it!" snorted Uncle Ben calmly, his anger level going up from 52% to 54% while his happiness dropped at the same time.


    "I..." began to say Nash, but watching his Uncle''s serious eyes, he knew he won''t believe him until he proves his story.


    "Okay, but make sure you remain calm." with that, Nash glanced around and making sure no cameras were recording them at the moment, he fixed his gaze on a guy in the distance that had a white thread floating above his head.


    [Target''s {Sadness} reached Critical Level!]


    [Attaching {Life String} on target now possible!]


    In a flash, the white string that drifted in the air now began to grow and soon reached and floated before his face.


    Uncle Ben glanced at Nash with a calm gaze and even crossed his arms before his wide chest, and watched as he extended his arms and grabbed something in the air.


    "So, when will you sh-"


    "Come here."


    "?" hearing Nash''s whisper, Uncle Ben seemed confused and wanted to ask something when suddenly a guy appeared before them, seemingly confused about how he got here.


    "Sit."


    "!?"


    Like pushed down by an invisible force from above, the guy watched with terrified eyes as he sat down even though he didn''t want to.


    Not understanding what was happening, he was about to open his mouth to ask for help, but this act of his was stopped in the following second.


    "Just stay silent and remain motionless."


    ''...''


    Doing exactly what Nash told him, the guy felt as his mouth was shut tightly, while his body stiffened up, not daring to move even a single inch!


    "This... How?" asked Uncle Ben, hardly believing what he just witnessed.


    However, instead of answering, Nash noticed as a security camera was about to turn toward their direction, thus simply said, "Stand up and walk away."


    Immediately as his voice fell, the guy did exactly that and walked away, but his eyes still held disbelief as he tried to figure out what just happened to him.


    Once the guy was far away Nash turned to look at his uncle, only to be welcomed with a gaze that stared at him as if he was a ghost.


    "What? You told me to prove it. Here, I proved it.." smiled Nash, enjoying the pleasant surprise he caused to his uncle.

 Chapter 6 - Plan

    Silence was the only thing between the two at the moment and only after a while later did Uncle Ben ask, "So, what you said about your Legacy was..."


    "True."


    ''...''


    Uncle Ben remained silent, his face changing between different kinds of emotions from time to time.


    On the other hand, Nash just simply stared at the indicator above his head, watching as his anger level rapidly fell below 5% while his happiness reached the Chance Level, almost reaching 90%!


    "It looks like out of the 4 main emotions other feelings can influence the levels too." thought Nash calmly, noticing that Uncle Ben''s happiness rose not because of happiness but hope!


    Obviously, hopefulness was a part of happiness, but at least Nash''s knowledge about this newfound power of his deepened a level more once again.


    After thinking over all the things Nash told him again but this time with greater gravity, Uncle Ben nodded, "I''m listening. How do you plan to get out of here?"


    Nash smiled as finally his uncle was willing to listen, hence stepped closer and began to tell him his plan.


    Time ticked quite fast and after telling his uncle everything he had in mind, Nash crossed his arms and asked, "So? What do you think?"


    On the other hand, Uncle Ben didn''t look shocked nor stupified but instead was deeply in his thoughts. After several minutes of heavy silence, he raised his gaze and mumbled, "What you just said can be done indeed, but I seem to find a few problems."


    "Go on."


    "First of all, how do you plan to fight the Sky Beasts? I mean, I don''t think you can control all of them without a specific condition. I''m quite sure your ability has its own limits too."


    Nash nodded mildly and said, "That is true. This Domination Art has its own borders too but I already thought about this matter. I will increase my Legacy''s power and only after that will I begin my plan."


    "Yeah, your Legacy. I didn''t think about that," muttered Uncle Ben but the next second frowned, as if something troubled his mind, "And you think your Legacy is strong enough to fight with those Sky Beasts once things go awry? I hope you know that the only one capable of fighting will be you."


    Nash, however, this time didn''t answer right away but glanced at his palm, and only then did he nod.


    "Yeah, I am pretty sure I can."


    "What makes you say that?"


    "Instinct and solid confidence that appears whenever I think about my Legacy." Nash''s answer held an indescribable assurance, his eyes flashing with firmness at the same time.


    Uncle Ben wanted to ask something else but couldn''t as suddenly a Sky Beast in the distance stepped out of the portal, its gaze already fixed on them.


    "Hey, trash from Section F! Your rest time is over, get back to work, now!"


    Uncle Ben stared at the Sky Beast then at Nash and quickly hugged him before walking back to his Section.


    Nash watching this clenched his fingers tightly into a fist, shoving his nails deep into his skin.


    "Just wait for me uncle... I will get us out of this hell, I promise!"


    After eating stuff that was similar to crap instead of food, Nash was brought back to his area, forcing him to continue mining crystals for the rest of the day.


    "I''m back," said Nash, glancing at Erys who glared daggers in his direction from the ground where she was sitting ever since his departure.


    "What?" Nash''s gaze immediately turned ice-cold, causing Erys to shudder subconsciously.


    "I-Its nothing..." muttered Erys, losing all her previous arrogance as though it was just blown outside the cave.


    ''...'' Nash stared firmly at Erys who''s gaze was lowered but the hatred in them never left, instead, they became even greater.


    But he didn''t care, not even in the slightest. She was his slave now and whatever he wanted her to do she will fulfill without objection, like it or not.


    But thanks to the fact he was not a monster like the rest and he had at least a bit of moral, he won''t do anything unnecessary until he has to, thus Eris was safe... For the time being.


    Raising his pickaxe and swinging it as he started to mine, Nash focused his gaze on the crystals while asking, "Did anyone come or tried to come here?"


    "No."


    "Perfect. Also, from now on make sure to hide your presence as much as you can. I don''t wish for needless trouble because of you attracting unwanted attention."


    Erys''s eyes twitched upon hearing this, but just as every time Nash said something, she couldn''t help but watch as her body did exactly what she was told.


    Mining crystals in silence, Nash watched the number grow on his pickaxe with each minute, but once he reached 500 after 8 hours of straight mining an unexpected sight popped up in his line of sight.


    [Successful Breakthrough!]


    [Mortal Rank Legacy has reached Level 4!]


    Nash halted his movements and watched as the muscles inside his body began to twitch as if someone moved them from the inside then stopped them the next moment.


    "Huh? I leveled up?" thought Nash with surprise and opened the information about his Legacy.


    ¡ã Legacy Rank: Level 4 Mortal (Middle-Phase)


    "Just like that? Swinging my pickaxe for a few hours and I already leveled up? Isn''t that a bit fast?"


    Nash seemingly surprised but satisfied by this sudden notification before him, proceeded on swinging his pickaxe only to notice that his speed and strength have improved by leaps and bounds!


    "Power given by The Ancient Path that allows the body to be tempered, consume the Essence of Dimensions willingly, and break beyond the limit, huh? Now that I think about this, this concept feels kind of familiar."


    Nash began to ponder why did his Legacy''s description sound so familiar but he didn''t have to think for too long as his eyes brightened like stars in the sky.


    "That''s right! Isn''t this similar to cultivation? Temper the body, consume the energy that exists in all universe and break the shackles of the mortal body to become an immortal! Sounds quite the same, right?" thought Nash, his arms slightly accelerating from the excitement.


    When he was on another planet, he could remember other races talking about the Legacy and how it was not given randomly. It was said, that once a race opened The Ancient Path in their Dimension, the gate will bestow them the power they craved for the most inside their soul!


    And what was humanity''s greatest wish before they opened The Ancient Path?


    Nash seemed to realize that every human wanted to become stronger thanks to their survival instinct, obtain everything because of their unwavering greed, and become immortal as they feared from death!


    And it seemed their Legacy granted this wish of theirs! To become a powerful existence that reached heights no one else could and live as long as they desired!


    As Nash thought about this he couldn''t help but feel a powerful but pleasant sensation sweep through him, making all hair on his body stand on end!


    "So first, I need to temper my body. But it would be foolish to think only by swinging this toy I will be able to level up." thought Nash, and subconsciously a smile formed on his face, "It seems I will have to work out a bit!"


    Meanwhile, somewhere on a faraway planet that seemed to be not in the Human Dimension, a humanoid creature seemingly as calm as an ancient pond was standing in the middle of nowhere, thousands of sliced-up corpses surrounding its blood-covered body.


    The creature had blood-red hair, while its deep red eyes stared emotionlessly at the body that lied before its feet with a slit open chest and face that still held great terror even after its death.


    "My King, we killed all the invaders. None of them had been left alive." a creature with similar features that of the one standing appeared out of thin air, ignoring the fact that it was currently kneeling in a huge pond of blood on the ground.


    ''...'' the creature that was just called as King averted his gaze from the corpse and asked in a terrifyingly low voice, "My daughter... Was she able to escape safely?"


    "Yes, my King. I escorted her to the portal personally, but because the enemy has outnumbered us I was only able to send her onto a safe but deserted planet."


    "Where?"


    "She must be somewhere in the Human Dimension, My King. Let me see, maybe I can pinpoint her exact loc-"


    Seeing that the creature''s expression suddenly froze up, the King frowned and asked, "What''s the matter? Did you found her?"


    However, that question only made the creature''s face turn ashen while his hands began to tremble like jelly.


    "The signal... I can''t see Young Miss'' signal... It... vanished..." stuttered the creature, his gaze slowly rising to look at the King who''s body began to leak a dreadful aura.


    BOOOM!


    Watching as the King waved his sword with suffocating anger and cut a planet in the clear sky into two as if it was a piece of paper, the creature''s body began to tremble in fear and kowtowed right away.


    "I did a grave mistake... It was my fault! I will do everything in my power to find and bring back Young Miss! I swear on my life!"


    "Hmph!" with a cold snort, the King stared at his servant with a deep glare and hissed, "You have 1 week. If you won''t bring my daughter back together with the Skill Fluid, don''t even dream about seeing daylight ever again..."


    "This lowly servant does not even dare to. I will bring Young Miss back, I pledge it on my life!" said the creature and without saying anything else, flashed away, leaving the King alone once again.


    ''....''

 Chapter 7 - Eat Or Die

    "497... 498... 499... Aaannnd... 500!"


    Paff!


    Panting heavily on the ground as his arms and legs were spread out, Nash stared at the ceiling with a sweat-soaked body while his chest heaved up and down from the previous exercise he just did.


    ''...'' Erys who was still sitting on the side stared at Nash like a complete idiot, not understanding what he was doing.


    Ever since he came back from his rest hour, he mined crystals and once he reached the 4 digits he began to do drills like push-ups, squats, jumping, and a lot more like a complete maniac.


    All this craziness happened about a week ago and it only got crazier and crazier. First, he started with 50 then 100, and now 500!


    Of course, such a task to do 500 push-ups for someone like her, who was on the Warmaster Rank was nothing; it could be even said she was able to do that with one hand on her pinky, but as she was lazy she won''t do it.


    What''s more, she was presently under a power that prohibited her from moving, thus doing ridiculous exercises like what Nash was doing was out of the question!


    "Pathetic..." snorted Erys deep inside her heart, her eyes holding a deep grudge whenever she looked at Nash.


    "Just wait until my father finds me. Hehe, then you will kowtow before my feet and beg for my mercy!"


    Nash lied on the cold and rigid ground, and once his breathing stabilized he pushed himself up and sighed inwardly, "One week and still no change. I didn''t level up not even one level even though I feel my body becoming stronger!"


    Nash stared at his arms that now held shaped and sharp muscles that could be seen to be filled with great vitality and strength ever since he started to do work out.


    Obviously, he was not naive to think that a few days of working out could do such a miracle, as he clearly understood it was all thanks to his Legacy.


    Ever since his Legacy was unsealed, Nash was able to feel that every time he did a physical exercise, the muscles inside his body would bulge, grow a bit and get stronger!


    The feeling was indescribable but at the same time just as phenomenal!


    "I wonder how much time do I need to reach the 5th Level," murmured Nash, but his thought process was suddenly stopped by a strange growl.


    "Grrrrr~"


    "Huh? A creature?" immediately raising his guard Nash tightened his grip around the pickaxe, ready to use it as a weapon!


    "Grrrrr~"


    But soon his frown turned a level deeper as he realized that it was not a creature but the sound that came from... Erys'' stomach...


    ''...''


    Staring at her in silence, Nash lowered his mining tool and asked, "You hungry?"


    "Yes," replied Erys, even though she just wanted to say no, thus her face turned beet red in a flash.


    Nash stayed silent for a bit, but after thinking about it in more depth, it was natural. While he was able to eat ''food'' every time he successfully completed his dose, Erys didn''t, thus hearing her hungry was normal.


    Or not as Nash knew that Erys was a princess of a powerful race, thus she got perfect food every single day; it could even be said it''s a miracle she survived this long without showing any sign about her hunger.


    "I will get you something so try to bear it until then." sighed Nash as even though he despised Erys he didn''t want to see her starve to death.


    He wanted to use her once he gets out of this place, hence keeping her alive was a must and utmost priority for him.


    After taking a break and a quick nap, Nash went outside the cave and handed in his mined crystals.


    Once he was inside the rest zone, he went to the area where they gave the food that looked much more than shit, and once no one was looking he put it into his robe.


    As taking food out was strictly prohibit and even was a punishable sin, Nash could only take things like rotten-looking bread or apple, as they were things he could easily hide without anyone noticing it.


    Once his rest-time was over, he was brought back to his Section, and just like always forced him to start mining.


    However, when he went inside the cave, this time he didn''t see as the Sky Beast''s gaze was fixed on him, seemingly deep in its thought. But luckily, after a brief moment of silence later it just snorted coldly, cursed something under its nose, and continued pretending to sleep.


    "Here, take this. I could only take this much, but it is perfectly enough for you not starving to death," said Nash, handing 2 pieces of bread with a bit of green shade and an apple that had black spots on its surface.


    "What is this disgusting trash?" asked Erys, her face holding a tremendous amount of disgust, almost to the point where she was about to throw up.


    "This?" asked Nash coldly, his eyes even flashing with a sharp glint, and continued, "The ''food'' you bastards give me and my people through the hundreds of years! While you eat fancy and delicious meals in your warm and comfortable place, we here almost die thanks to these!"


    Erys'' body began to subconscious tremble as she felt Nash''s ice-cold glare on her skin, her neck shrinking in size in a wink!


    "I... didn''t know this," muttered Erys, but this didn''t make Nash calm down, not even a bit, but simply made him snort even colder.


    "No matter if you knew about this or not, your race and every other is the cause of all this. All the deaths, the humiliation, and the torture we had to go through the past years, centuries, and decades thanks to you bastards, can''t be washed away by a simple ''Sorry, I didn''t know''. Soon everyone will know what real hell is, including you too..."


    Erys couldn''t help tremble from pure fear, even though she wouldn''t be shivering in such a situation if it were in the past. She knew she felt scared not because Nash was intimidating nor did he leak killing intent or a powerful aura, but the Domination Art made her feel like that!


    It made her feel scared even though she wasn''t!


    ''...'' staring down at Erys with a sharp glare, Nash turned around and began to mine crystals, not caring at all if Erys will eat or not.


    He gave her the chance to stay alive, now it only remained her choice if she really wanted to stay alive or not. But of course, if he sees she refused to eat, he can use his Domination Art and force her to eat it, no matter if she liked it or not.


    Time flowed in silence and while Nash mined the crystals with relatively fast and strong movements, Erys stared at the ''food'' in her hand and her eyes showed a hint of sadness.


    "I really didn''t know about this..." thought Erys and shifted her gaze at Nash, her eyes now holding a myriad of emotions and confusion.


    "Eat it or die. I hope you choose the former one instead of the latter," said Nash without looking back, as if he noticed her gaze on him.


    Lowering her gaze at the two pieces of greenish bread and the apple with black spits, Erys swallowed her disgust and raised the bread before her mouth.


    "If you think that it is something way delicious, it''s not that bad really," exclaimed Nash, his eyes secretly examining Erys.


    ''...'' taking a look at Nash before putting her eyes back at the bread, Erys nodded gently and took a bite.


    But when she did, and the bread appeared in her mouth, a taste that she never tasted before appeared, causing her complexion to pale and almost throw up.

 Chapter 8 - Punch Me Hard!

    Clang!


    "1874... Even though I just leveled up only by one, my physical strength truly jumped." thought Nash as he stared at the number on the pickaxe after pining for 8 hours straight.


    Ever since his Legacy broke through Level 3 and reached Level 4, he was able to mine almost twice as many crystals as before!


    "But..." however, his mood quickly got destroyed as almost 10 days have passed since his first ''official'' breakthrough, yet he was still on Level 4!


    Nash mined crystals day by day and even did a crazy amount of physical training, doing 750 pieces from each drill, let it be push-ups, jumpings, or squatting!


    If it were before, he couldn''t even do 100 much less 750! Yet, he was still unable to break into the next Level...


    "I must be doing something wrong..." Nash began to ponder what he was doing wrong, yet no matter how hard he tried to think he couldn''t come up with a solution.


    He was strengthening his muscles on all parts of his body; his legs, arms, stomach, back, shoulder, ass, and even tried to bolster the muscles in his neck, no matter how ridiculous it sounded!


    Still, none of these help him at all. Hell, he felt that his muscles growth in power stopped accumulating about a day or so ago which made his guess feel more and more right.


    "I must discover what I should do to become stronger!" Nash''s eyes turned firm, but just as he was about to continue mining, suddenly a loud shout came from the cave''s entrance.


    "HEY, TRASH IN THERE! GET YOUR ASS OUT OF THERE! NOW!"


    ''...'' halting his swinging motion just above a blue crystal, Nash glanced toward the entrance before shifting his gaze at Erys who sat motionlessly in the dark corner.


    "Stay here and lower your presence as much as you can. Do not dare to speak nor move until I say so."


    As Erys body stiffened rock-solid thanks to Nash''s order, Nash put his pickaxe onto his shoulder and walked toward the exit, his eyes holding confidence as ever before.


    "What are you doing all the time inside there?" asked the Sky Beast coldly once it noticed Nash''s approach.


    It was the creature that was in charge to oversee their work in Section D ever since day 1, therefore came to check on Nash out of curiosity as it saw him going into the cave day after day.


    Except for handing his amount in day after day, it didn''t see him coming out to mine elsewhere, not even once.


    "I''m just mining crystals as I have to," answered Nash, even showing the amount he mined.


    "1874? You are really a hardworking one, huh?" asked the Sky Beast, causing Nash to smile slightly upon hearing that.


    However, it seemed that was a mistake. The very moment he smiled, Nash noticed that the Sky Beast''s Anger skyrocketed, going from 84% all the way to 93%!


    "Oh, fu-" but even before he could have finished talking, Nash watched as the creature moved, following a sharp piercing pain into his waist the next second.


    BOOM!


    Debris flew and dark blood splattered as Nash''s body exploded into a huge boulder in the distance like a cannonball, sending dust and pieces of crystals into the air right as if a bomb had been just detonated.


    "Bleargh!" vomiting out a mouthful of blood, Nash felt as his chest side turned numb whilst the world in his eyes began to spin like crazy.


    "F... uck... this..." Nash put his palm on the spot where the creature just kicked him but found it surprising that except for a sharp pain, he was doing perfectly fine.


    Maybe a broken rib or two, but except that he was as good as a newborn, even though he should have been dead by long ago thanks to that assault!


    "What the hell? I''m still alive?" wondered Nash, but soon a voice appeared inside his mind, shocking him even more.


    [Successful Breakthrough!]


    [Mortal Rank Legacy has reached Level 5!]


    "What?" now Nash felt even more confused but discovered with pleasant surprise that the spot he was hit began to be gradually filled with warmth, and soon all the pain vanished from his body.


    The numb feeling disappeared, no more blood came up from his mouth and even his vision turned clear once again, maybe even clearer than it was before!


    "Falling into the abyss just to reach the peak?" thought Nash, but his thoughts were cut as he noticed the Sky Beast''s figure before him.


    His anger was exactly on 98%, only 2% from reaching the Critical Level!


    When Nash saw this he turned happy but soon erased that feeling as he knew it was still not the time. He could make this creature angry and trap in his power as easily as lifting a finger, but he wants to do that later.


    Everything had its own timing and when that will come, he will make sure to savor it, as he wants to surprise this bastard before him real well.


    And the things he will do with him once he enslaved it will be 100 times more savage it did with him and other humans.


    "Oh? You are still alive?" asked the Sky Beast with a hint of surprise, but soon his eyes flashed with disgust and spit on Nash.


    "You are worse than a cockroach." snorted the creature coldly and threw the tool that was dropped by Nash when it kicked him, "Now go and proceed on with your task, or I won''t be as gentle with you as I was just now."


    ''...''


    Picking up the tool but seeing as the number on it was 0 instead of 1874, Nash glanced at the creature, only to see it grinning back at him mockingly; it was way too obvious it was the one stealing his crystals.


    ''...'' swallowing down the words he wanted to say out loud, Nash stood up and walked back into the cave, completely ignoring all the stares on him from other humans as he knew they didn''t matter at all.


    However, what he didn''t notice was the Sky Beast''s strange gaze as it wondered how he was still alive even doe it kicked him quite powerfully.


    As for the answer, it couldn''t come up with one not even after thinking for a long time.


    Walking back into the cave, Nash noticed that Erys was still stiff as a rock thus sighed and waved his hand, "Relax, everything is fine."


    "W-what happened just now? I felt a great tremor about a few minutes ago." Erys seemed hesitant to talk as she guessed something must have happened, but her curiosity won over her.


    Nash glanced at her than subconsciously reaching his side he pondered for a while and put his pickaxe down.


    "I can easily mine 1000 under 4 hours so I''m still in time, but before that, I want to test out something." thought Nash and glanced at Erys.


    "What?" asked Erys as she noticed Nash''s sudden change of behavior.


    "Stand."


    "!?"


    Swish!


    Jumping onto her feet with record speed that was faster than blink Erys seemed confused and stared at Nash with widened eyes while her body didn''t listen to her command at all.


    Nash saw this nodded in approval and stepped before Erys, whose eyes seemed confused but at the same time trembled as she feared he wanted to do something with her.


    ''Is he mad? Did he get beaten up out there and now he wants to vent his anger on me? Or...'' Erys'' thoughts became chaotic and couldn''t help but close her eyes. But when she felt nothing, not even a hit or touch on her body, she gradually opened her eyes and glanced at Nash.


    Nash stood exactly a meter away from her, and once he saw her opening her eyes, he extended his arms to both sides and talked.


    "Hit me! Punch me hard, but make sure not to kill me!"

 Chapter 9 - Initiating Plan!

    BAM!


    Swish!


    BOOM!


    Like a football that was kicked away with extraordinary power, Nash''s body crashed into the cave''s wall on the side, burying his body under debris and crystals.


    "Cough... That... really could have killed me just now..." blurted out Nash from below the stones while from the corner of his mouth blood could be seen dripping slowly.


    When the Sky Beast outside heard the slight tremor from the cave, its eyes showed great confusion but then it gradually turned into a mocking grin; he believed the interior of the cave has collapsed, killing Nash without him the chance to scream for help.


    This only made his mood turn for the better and even close his eyes while the grin on its face became wider.


    "Argh... that hurt damn it, but at least it worked!" celebrated Nash merrily, enjoying the warm sensations in his body and muscles that mixed with the sour pain.


    Standing up from the debris among painful groans and moans, Nash walked before Erys and said, "Do it again, but this time with a bit less strength."


    Erys stared at Nash like he was a complete idiot, but her eyes at least gleamed with happiness again for the first time after a long time ago.


    Even if Nash wouldn''t have used his power to control her and would have asked the same question, then she would gladly punch him as many times as he wanted!


    But unfortunately, she no longer was in charge here and she could obediently follow every order Nash told her. However, this didn''t mean she won''t enjoy this moment to its fullest!


    BAM!


    With a powerful swing, Erys punched Nash in the chest again, sending his body the fly away and crash back into the previous debris he just stood up.


    "Argh... Is this what ''with a bit less'' means to you?!" gasped Nash loudly, but after he thought about it in greater detail, it was.


    For a being like her, that could demolish planets with a flick of her finger as she was on the Warmaster Rank, compared to the previous strike this one was truly just a bit.


    "But at least this way it works," mumbled Nash as he felt his muscles and even his bones starting to get stronger.


    The feelings as his bones got tempered, his muscles bolstered, and his skin hardened made Nash feel pain but ecstasy at the same time. It was quite hard to describe the sensation, but Nash couldn''t care less; the most important thing was that he could continue growing stronger!


    But before that, he had to rest as just those two punches alone made him feel on the verge of collapsing.


    "And I still have to mine crystals thanks to that bastard..." cursed Nash inwardly, his eyes flashing with a hint of coldness right as he thought about the Sky Beast.


    But what was so surprising was that things like this were only natural and occasionally. Maybe not exactly with him, but he saw tons of time how other races did similar things, pushing numerous humans onto the edge of death!


    As it was said before, if a human didn''t hand in their daily dose in time, they won''t get rest nor things to eat and even will be forced to do an extra shift! And because of this, hundreds of humans die all around the several Dimensions day after day in either suicide or starvation!


    But now that he could finally start his very own path with his Legacy together with this heaven-defying Domination Art, Nash will make sure to change all this.


    "Humanity will rule on the top once again soon, just you wait and see!" Nash swore with determined eyes in his heart and picked his mining tool up.


    "I still have a few hours before the deadline." thought Nash and glanced at his hand that held the pickaxe, "With my physical strength, I should be done easily."


    -


    Outside the cave, the Sky Beast opened his eyes and stood up, "It''s time trashes! If you have finished your dose step forward but those of you that did not continue mining!"


    People one by one began to walk toward the creature with hollow gazes, and steps that held no hope whilst some remained where they were. Those eyes became even sunken as it seemed they were unable to finish mining enough crystals in time.


    "Just this much?" sneered the Sky Beast as he examined the ones before him.


    "A total of 7 out of 38? Pathetic!"


    "I''m here too... Sir..."


    Suddenly a voice came from the side, surprising the Sky Beast that was about to open the portal.


    "You?" the Sky Beast seemed startled upon seeing Nash, but shortly its eyes turned into disgust and said coldly, "Truly a cockroach, annoying and disgusting!"


    Spit!


    Watching as the creature spit again, which seemed to like doing all the time, Nash stayed silent and stepped into line.


    "Hmph!"


    Nash watched as the creature snorted and opened the portal whilst its Anger level that was just about to reach below 50% skyrocket back way above 80%!


    However, Nash couldn''t help but form a hidden smile upon that sight as he knew trapping this creature will be a piece of cake.


    Stepping through the portal that was created by the creature while also feeling the sharp stare on his skin, Nash went and handed his mined amount in then got a bit of rest.


    After spending his 1 hour in the rest zone he was brought back to his section, but the moment he stepped through the portal he found something strange.


    The Sky Beast was nowhere to be seen which was quite confusing as it should be somewhere outside checking and surveying everyone.


    This made Nash feel that something was amiss, but soon that feeling turned more solid as a thought came into his mind, causing his eyes to widen.


    "Fuck!" without a second thought, Nash ran toward the cave, ignoring the confused stares on his skin from others from the sides.


    However, not even running for a few steps, Nash''s complexion turned shocked than merry as he found a great change; he became faster!


    Before he could hardly run, yet now he runs like lightning. He reached the cave that was about 50 meters away from him in 2 seconds at the utmost, while he felt his speed getting accelerated with each step!


    The feeling was amazing and refreshing that Nash never felt before.


    "Only on Level 5, yet my physical strength changed this much. I can''t wait to see what will happen once I reach Level 10!"


    Soon, that was less than 15 seconds or only a bit more than that, Nash arrived where he used to mine, but to his surprise only found Erys in the corner, where she used to sit all this time.


    "Did I just overreact?" thought Nash, but soon frowned as Erys before him stared at him with a calm gaze that he didn''t see before.


    Her eyes even flashed with... Anticipation?


    "!?" feeling that something was truly not right Nash was about to turn around but changed his mind as his neck turned slightly numb while a gentle breeze came from behind.


    Swish!


    BAM!


    TREMBLE!!


    Smashed debris and dust flew in the next second whilst a huge blade was shoved into the ground where Nash stood a moment ago.


    "Tsk... I thought I lowered my presence enough but seems I was wrong. How unfortunate..." mumbled the Sky Beast and tore his blade out of the ground before shifting its gaze at Nash on the side.


    "You are truly the worst. I was confused how you were able to mine so many crystals under such a short amount of time, but now I understand..."


    Spit!


    Spitting onto the ground to show disgust, once again, the Sky Beast raised its sword and pointed it toward Nash, who was staring back at him just about a few meters away.


    "Don''t you feel any shame at all you made a little girl work instead of you, fucking trash!"


    Nash watched as the Sky Beast pierced daggers at him with his cold stare, but couldn''t care less as he noticed something even greater than that.


    ? Anger: Chance Level - 97%


    When Nash saw the Indicator above the creature''s head couldn''t help but smile and even let out a small chuckle which pushed the previous 97% up to 98% right in that instant!


    "HUH? What is so funny? Do you think dying is that funny? If so, I am more than glad to send you to the other world right this instant!" snorted the creature, now even leaking a dense amount of killing intent toward Nash.


    However, even this was unable to stop Nash from laughing but made his eyes brighten even more, and only when he calmed down did he stay silent, his gaze fixed firmly on the creature.


    "Is that so? You want to die this much, huh? Then I will grant your wish right away!" sneered the Sky Beast and swung his sword that seemed to be a cold flash in the eyes of others, but strangely enough not for Nash.


    To his surprise, even though the strike just now seemed fast, something told him he will be able to dodge it without losing a limb and this calmed his heart beating down even more than before!


    "DIE!!" yelled the creature, its wrath-filled eyes beaming with great anticipation as it couldn''t wait to see Nash''s guts fell and his blood spill!

 Chapter 10 - Rescue

    The strike fell toward him like the final verdict from heavens but Nash seemed as calm as an ancient pond.


    Thanks to his improved physical strength and the invisible confidence that came from both his Legacy and Domination Art, Nash knew that he will win this clash no matter what.


    Bam!


    With a slight push with his feet to the side, Nash avoided the Beast''s assault with a surprisingly swift move and watched as the huge blade crashed into the spot where he just stood a second ago!


    "What?" the Sky Beast seemed stunned that his target, that was only a mere slave without any power, was able to evade his assault, hence shifted his gaze at Nash who smiled back at him calmly.


    "Considering that you are just an oversized chicken, your speed and power are truly exceptional."


    ''...''


    Both Erys and the Sky Beast stared at Nash with a blank face, but soon the latter''s complexion turned ashen while thick veins popped up on its neck and forehead one by one.


    "Oversized... Chicken... Haha! HAHAHA!"


    BAM!


    In a wink, the muscles on the Sky Beast''s body bulged and exploded with terrifying power, while its body began to leak suffocating killing intent together with a strong presence.


    "I will fucking skin you alive!" hissed the Sky Beast with a hint of coldness flashing in its eyes whilst its sword was already withdrawn from the smashed ground.


    Erys on the other hand upon seeing this didn''t seem delighted at all but instead her eyes widened as she knew this was very bad news!


    And just as she has thought, the worst-case scenario happened as Nash''s mouth suddenly curved into a smile and his hand moved.


    [Target''s {Anger} reached Critical Level!]


    [Attaching {Life String} on target now possible!]


    "DIE, YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT!"


    With a swing that was twice as strong as the previous one that even twisted the air visibly, the Sky Beast stared at Nash with bloodshot eyes, wishing nothing more right now but to kill Nash brutally.


    Yet, just as its blade could have reached its target, slicing him up into two equal half, Nash suddenly waved his hand as if he wanted to grab something and opened his mouth.


    "Stop."


    Swish!


    In the very instant as Nash''s voice fell, the weapon froze just an inch away from his face while the airwave carried by the blade blew Nash''s face hard, even forming slight scratch marks on his cheek that began to bleed gently.


    The Sky Beast''s eyes shook from tremor as it was incapable of understanding why his body suddenly stopped moving forward; it felt as if an invisible wall was forbidding it from doing so!


    "What... did you do to me?" asked in a hoarse voice the creature, struggling to move its weapon but only in vain!


    "This scene... how familiar." thought Nash as he stared at the blade before him while the image of Erys doing the same appeared in his mind.


    "Answer me you prick! What did you do to me!?" roared the Sky Beast, now angrier than ever before!


    If the Beast could have killed with a simple stare then it would have sliced Nash up a thousand times a very long time ago!


    Nash however just simply looked at the creature''s face coldly and said, "Kneel."


    "!?"


    The Sky Beast wanted to sneer upon hearing this, but suddenly watched himself doing just as he was told! His body lowered and kneeled before Nash, his face in one level of Nash''s!


    "What? How is this possible?" asked the creature with thick sweat forming on its forehead, knowing that something must have happened with his body, and glanced at Erys on the side.


    Though, when it saw her gaze that now had no hope and even showed pity toward it, the Sky Beast turned toward Nash and hissed, "Let go of me n-"


    "Shut up."


    ''...''


    With a quick move, the Sky Beast''s jaw closed tightly together powerfully where even the sound as its teeth smashed together could be heard, turning the surroundings silent right away.


    Nash stared at the kneeling creature before him and began to ponder while a smile began to form gradually on his face.


    "Now that I have these two powerful beings in my arsenal, I should start my plan."


    After seeing that with his Level 5 Legacy he was able to avoid attacks with ease, Nash knew he no longer needed to fear that his plan would fail to work.


    With Erys and this creature, Nash was way too sure he can succeed with his plan no matter what.


    "Both of you, stand up and follow me in silence," said Nash and walked toward the exit, Erys and the creature followed him closely.


    Outside the cave, the slow and sharp sound of mining could be heard, while the air was filled with lost hope and grief.


    Once out, Nash glanced around and clapped his hand, causing everyone to halt in their movements and glance at him with confusion.


    "Everyone, come here!" shouted Nash, but instead of approaching him, every person remained still, their fear-filled eyes fixed on the Sky Beast behind him.


    Nash understood right away what was happening so talked without even turning around, "Call them here."


    The Sky Beast seemingly still struggling to resist Nash''s power wanted to say ''fuck you'' but what came out of his mouth was something completely else.


    "Everyone! Here, now!"


    The deafening roar that put fear into all human''s hearts whenever they heard it made every people''s body flinch, but knowing they will be punished if they won''t do what they were told, they had no choice but to move.


    Soon, every human stood before Nash, confused and curious why he seemed so calm and why they were called together during their work as they knew there was still time before the deadline.


    "Perfect, it seems everyone is here." nodded Nash, and after glancing at each individual before him with a serious gaze ha talked, "Get ready, we are going to leave this place and start our new life!"


    ''...''


    However, instead of cheers and shocked gasps what Nash saw were doubtful eyes, some even laughing quietly because of the lost hope as they found Nash''s statement funny.


    Nash obviously anticipated this reaction thus waved his hand and the Sky Beast stood next to him.


    "?" everyone looked at this sight in confusion, but soon all of their expression changed one hundred and eighty degrees!


    "Cut off your left thumb."


    Swish!


    When the Sky Beast heard this its face paled but couldn''t help but move according to the order and cut off its left thumb without a second thought!


    "You... mother... fucker..." groaned the creature like some kind of animal, but was muted by Nash the next second, giving it the only option to stare at his finger on the ground in silence and with deep hatred in its eyes!


    Erys on the side seemed pale as she knew if Nash wanted to, he could have done the same thing with her too, but luckily he didn''t.


    Witnessing all this, people one after another began to stare at Nash like he was some kind of ghost, but with the sole exception that their eyes now held a bit of... hope and faith!


    Moreover, the Indicator above their heads began to change too as their Level of Sadness began to drop drastically while their Happiness rose with record speed!


    Upon seeing this, Nash couldn''t help but nod with a slight smile and ask, "So? Will you follow me and get out of this hell or do you want to stay here, remaining a slave until your very last day?"


    "The choice is yours."

 Chapter 11 - Death String

    Once Nash''s voice fell, many began to murmur between each other, but they were still hesitant about what to do.


    Nash, however, did not seem to be impatient nor anxious. He knew clearly just what kind of hell these men and women went through, so it was only normal they still felt suspicious and uncertain.


    That is why he waited. Waited for them to realize there was indeed hope and they can truly start a fresh new life once they decide to follow him.


    One of the men in the front, who had a long grey beard and hair, glanced at Nash and asked in a low voice, "And how do you plan to get out from this place? There are way too many Sections and Stations in the proximity, each having several hundreds of Sky Beasts as guards. We cannot fight as our Legacy had been sealed, who will protect us?"


    Nash glanced at the man and understood his thinking was reasonable thus nodded and pointed at the mountain in the distance, "Can you see that mountain in the distance?"


    "Eh? Well... yeah. Why?" the man seemed to be confused, just as many of the rest around him.


    Nash however just nodded and waved his hand, "Destroy that mountain."


    Everyone seemed even more uncertain what Nash tried to do, but to their surprise, the little girl behind him moved and swung her sword that appeared in her tiny hand out of who knows where.


    Swish!


    KA-BOOOM!


    The silver crescent arc that was visible no longer than a flash, reached the mountain in a blink and like detonating an atom bomb it demolished the whole peak, leaving nothing but dust.


    ''...'' every human seemed speechless by this sight and slowly shifted their gazes at Erys, not daring to imagine she was this powerful.


    Nash however just smiled and ask, "If you follow me, I promise none of you will lose your life. Until you see me alive, there always will be hope for you!"


    The moment his voice fell, every human felt like they didn''t look at a 19-year-old boy, but instead a God that came for their rescue!


    "I''m in! I will follow you!"


    "Me too! I want to get out of this place now!"


    "I''m coming too!"


    "Count me in!"


    People one after another began to collect their courage and accept Nash''s help, soon none of the deciding to remain a slave; they have been humiliated for way too long and they wanted to be free too!


    Erys and the Sky Beast seeing this appeared to be alarmed, knowing that chaos will soon emerge and they could do nothing about it!


    "Perfect, follow me then. Let''s get out of this place finally!" smiled Nash and turned toward the Sky Beast, who could only flinch once seeing the pair of cold eyes glaring at it.


    "Show the way to Section F!"


    -


    -


    -


    Clang!


    "Can''t you mine faster, old fart? It''s been 9 hours yet you didn''t even reach the four digits! Do you even want to rest?"


    Somewhere in this long mountain range where thick and huge pillars of blue crystals were towering high above the clouds, a Sky Beast was standing next to Uncle Ben, constantly scanning every of his move and mocking him whoever the chance came.


    "Your moves are so sluggish and soft, even a sloth could move better than this!"


    Uncle Ben just ignored all the toxic comments that came his way, and waited for the moment when his nephew arrived, saving him and everyone else from Section F from this hell pit as fast as he could.


    "Just how long do you want this old man to wait? I hope he didn''t get busted and he is okay." sighed Uncle Ben inwardly, swinging his pickaxe a bit faster.


    And almost like the heavens have just heard his pleading, a huge explosion occurred from the side, sending huge chunks of debris and crystals everywhere into the air.


    "What the hell is going on?" the Sky Beast next to Uncle Ben turned around and squinted its eyes.


    "Revio? What the fuck are you doing here? Shouldn''t you survey Section D?" the Sky Beast yelled at its comrade who was seemingly called Revio.


    However, just as he could have anticipated an answer, a figure appeared next to Revio on the hill, saying something to him.


    "A... human?" mumbled the Sky Beast, but the following second its eyes widened, and what it was able to see was a cold flash before the world around it began to spin with the only exception that it was able to see its lower body still standing on the ground!


    "What... happ...nened..." mumbled the creature before everything turned black, never getting to learn the answer to his question.


    "Nash? You here and you brought everyone from your section!" said Uncle Ben merrily once Nash stood before him, with humans and two beings behind his back.


    "Uncle Ben!" Nash hugged his uncle with a warm smile and wanted to say something but couldn''t as a voice suddenly appeared inside his head.


    [Target''s body has decayed!]


    [Target''s {Soul} has been freed!]


    [Attaching {Death String} on target now possible!]


    "Hm?" Nash watched with curious eyes as a black string began to grow out from the corpse on his side, its end gently floating before his face.


    [Successful attachment!]


    Bam!


    Once the announcement vanished from his head, Nash and everyone else watched with widened eyes as abyss black mist began to arise from the corpse and slowly solidify, right back into the appearance of the Sky Beast that was just killed a few moments ago!


    "This..." Erys'' eyes trembled in fear, realizing the power Nash has accidentally obtained was way more scarier than she or even her father initially believed at first!


    Nash stared at the creature before him and smiled, but soon that smile turned into a frown and asked, "Where are its wings? They vanished?"


    [Any being that was killed and got a {Death String} attached to their {Soul} lose their Legacy]


    "What?" exclaimed Nash out loud, but immediately after realizing his mistake as everyone glanced at him in confusion, cleared his throat and asked, "Then can it even fight? I mean, how will it be onto my use if it has no powers?"


    [Once a {Soul} was attached with a {Death String} its ''physical'' strength and Rank remains, this it can still fight!]


    "But without its Legacy."


    [Yes]


    When Nash heard this he nodded and thought, "So basically, I will be able to have super-soldiers without any special powers. Interesting."


    After pondering for a while, a question appeared in his mind, and asked, "Wait, these Souls... Can they even die?"


    [Yes]


    "How?"


    [If you die]


    ''...'' now Nash truly felt that whoever created this Domination Art was nuts and this power in wrong hands could mean the end of all worlds!


    "So they are basically immortal? Without any weaknesses or limitations?"


    [They have limitations]


    "Really? What?" asked Nash, curious to hear the answer.


    [Currently, you can only attach 5 {Death Strings} from which you have already used 1]


    ''...'' Nash seemed to be stupified as he wouldn''t say that was a big weakness, but even before he could have asked any more questions, Uncle Ben touched his shoulder and asked, "So, what is your plan now?"


    Snapping back to reality, Nash glanced around only to see several more people standing before him, their gazes holding curiosity, excitement, faith, and fire as they were staring at him in silence!


    It seemed they have already guessed what was transpiring, sparing Nash from explaining them again and proceeding on with his plan without any dilemmas!


    Nash seeing this began to ponder, and glanced at his Uncle, "I think we should go to the closest Space Station if we want to escape without any casualties."


    "And what about the other Sections? There are also humans we can save you know that right?!" asked a guy from the crowd, but Nash shook his head.


    "We can''t save them at the time being, it''s way too risky," said Nash and proceeded on saying, "Even though we have these three here to protect us, but if we decide to save everyone, I can''t promise that everyone will leave this planet with their lives still intact."


    "And you want to leave them all behind? Don''t you feel shameless?" asked the same guy, his face holding great arrogance.


    "Tsk... you give them an inch and they immediately want a mile..." sighed Nash helplessly in his heart and talked, but this time with a lower voice, "I neither feel shameless nor do I plan to leave my race behind. However, because of the current situations, and the lack of power I... we have, this is the best choice."


    After saying this, Nash looked at everyone and said, "Let''s go, we don''t have a lot of time. I''m pretty sure the Sky Beasts have already noticed our escape so we should get going."


    Turning around, Nash was about to ask Revio to show the way toward the closest Space Station, when suddenly the guy sneered and spit on the ground.


    "This is bullshit! You just want to save your own ass! If it weren''t for your dogshit uncle there, you wouldn''t even have bothered to come here and save us!" hissed the previous guy, making a few around him halt their steps and look at him and his uncle with suspicion.


    On the other hand. Nash just simply stopped in his track and slowly turned his face around, revealing an expressionless face.


    "Say that again?"

 Chapter 12 - Space Station

    Nash turned around slowly, his gaze flickering with a cold glint upon hearing what the guy just said.


    "Say that again..."


    Everyone around turned pale by Nash''s serious and terrifying gaze, except the guy that just talked; he not only seemed unfazed but even appeared to be angry with deep disdain gleaming in his gaze!


    "Say again what? I will say it just as many times as you wish!" spat the guy before his feet with disgust and continued, "You and your dogshit uncle are just rats that only care about themselves! If it weren''t for him being here, you wouldn''t even bother to come and sa-"


    Swish!


    "!?"


    Even before the guy could have finished talking, Nash appeared before the man and with a strong hit, punched the guy powerfully in the stomach, sending his figure flying into the distance!


    "Bleargh!"


    Crashing into a huge boulder and turning its surface into several pieces of debris, the guy coughed up a mouthful of blood and stared at Nash with a wide-open mouth.


    "You... cough... cough... You have gone insane..." muttering among painful groans and blood-filled coughs, the guy struggled to get up but found out he was incapable!


    The pain in his stomach and chest was so great that he was unable to stand up! Hell, maybe a few of his rib bones were broken inside his chest too!


    Every person that saw this scene breathed in a mouthful of air, while they felt their backs soak with cold sweat in the next second.


    None of them were able to see what happened as everything occurred in a split second, almost as if time skipped forward a few seconds!


    ''...'' walking slowly before the guy who still struggled to get up, Nash crouched down and glared deeply into the guy''s eyes with a pair of ice-cold eyes!


    "Haha... See? You are no different than that piece of shit! If you don''t like the truth or the way things go, you all jump and use force on others! Pathetic, both of you!" with a grimace that was filled with hatred, the guy spit right at Nash''s feet and laughed.


    Nash however this time didn''t turn angry but simply raised a brow as he didn''t really understand why the guy said what he did; it seemed this man and his uncle had a past he didn''t know about yet.


    After pondering for a while, Nash stood up and looked at everyone around him. He saw that even though they seemed scared and hopeful they could survive, almost all the people that were from Section F seemed to stare at him with anger which made him feel that there seemed to be something below the surface.


    Thus, he glanced at Uncle Ben for a second before shifting his gaze back at the guy, "You are right, I wouldn''t have come here if my uncle would have been elsewhere while violence does not always solve things either."


    The guy hearing this snorted coldly but soon watched as Nash''s gaze turned sharp while he proceeded on speaking, "But there are some occasions where it''s inevitable, especially when someone is trying to hinder you and many others from leaving this place. So you either shut up and follow me or you can decide to stay behind and continue mining for the rest of your life. It is your choice."


    "And what about the other humans? You admitted if it weren''t for your uncle, you would have left us behind too! Then will you leave them all here just like this?"


    Nash shook his head and said, "I won''t. I will definitely come back and save them too, but with my current strength and the responsibility on my shoulder to keep all of you protected, I can''t risk it now. I hope you can at least understand this..."


    The guy opened his mouth to say something but soon realized Nash was right, thus could do nothing but nod.


    "You promise?"


    "I don''t know when or how, but I am a man of my own words. I will definitely save them." this time Nash seemed extremely serious, making the guy''s and everyone else''s anger and suspicion lessen by a notch right away.


    After saying that, Nash extended his arm toward the guy and said, "Now let''s go, we really don''t have time for this circus."


    The guy glanced at Nash''s hand, and only after a moment of silence later did he nod and accepted Nash''s help.


    "I hope you do keep your words because if not..."


    Nash this time just ignored the guy''s light threat and after turning toward Revio he said, "Lead us to the closest Space Station."


    -


    -


    -


    In this huge open field where nothing but small hills made out of the blue crystal could be seen in the distance, a massive facility was built with several futuristic space ships stationed around it.


    "So this is it, huh?" asked himself Nash as he inspected the huge building in the distance.


    "How do you plan to get inside there?" suddenly Uncle Ben stepped to his side, while the rest of the people were patiently waiting for Nash''s next move from behind a large boulder.


    After pondering for a while, Nash turned toward Revio on his side, and asked, "How can we get inside without getting caught?"


    Revio hearing this sneered inwardly and wanted to reply nohow, but his voice told otherwise once he talked, "Because this is a deserted planet and only humans are here, the security is not really outstanding. Except for a few Sky Beasts, there is nothing you have to fear."


    "Eh?" Nash however seemed to be shocked upon learning this and frowned, "Then what about the security system, the guards, and the guns before and inside the Rest Area?"


    "Those just fake objects to intimidate humans."


    "What? Really?" asked Nash, hardly believing that statement.


    "Hmph... You really thought you humans, whose Legacy had been sealed and could die by a mere creature without any Rank could escape even if there were no security? Don''t make me laugh!" this time Revio talked without being manipulated, and even laughed coldly at Nash''s naive thinking.


    "Is that so?" mumbled Nash, but if he thought about it more, Revio was right. Why would anyone waste money on high-tech security if the ones they want to imprison were just mere mortals?


    Just a simple fence and a few gadgets that seemed to be extremely intimidating were enough and it seemed to be just the case!


    "Now that I think about this, the Sky Beasts... what is their Rank?"


    Once Revio heard the question his laugh halted and soon his chest was pushed out with pride and grinned.


    "Infant Rank! Including myself, every Sky Beast here is on the Infant Rank!"


    "Pft..."


    Suddenly from the side, a slight chuckle could be heard, making both Revio and Nash together with Uncle Ben to glance at Erys, who seemed to struggle to hold back her laugh.


    However, the moment she noticed the confused gazes on her skin, Erys took a deep breath and said, "I am sorry, I just... couldn''t help myself. It was just way too funny."


    "HUH? Funny? What do you mean funny? We, Sky Beasts, can rank up extremely hard even if our Legacy seems to be simple! For us to be on the Infant Rank, even if it''s the bottom, it means a lot to us!" exclaimed Revio with a hint of anger, but soon his eyes narrowed while his gaze looked up and down on Erys''s body.


    "But considering you are from the Thousand Blood race, it doesn''t mean shit to you. Hell, did you even trigger your Legacy to laugh at me, little girl? Because as far I can see from your size, you don''t even look older than 14!"


    ''...'' the moment Erys heard what Revio said, it was as though the air turned chilly, dropping several degrees in a blink!


    "When I heard rumors about your race I didn''t really want to believe them at first, but now I realize they were indeed true. Sky Beasts are truly the dumbest race out of all!" hissed Erys, ready to summon her sword and skin Revio alive, when Nash''s abrupt voice interrupted her.


    "Shut up and sit down, both of you!"


    Swish!


    Watching as both Revio and Erys sat down in silence, both of them staring at each other in deep hatred, Nash shook his head and turned back toward the Space Station.


    After thinking for a while, he pointed at the closest spaceship to them and asked Revio, "How about that one? Do you think you can pilot it?"


    Revio who stared deeply at Erys turned to look at the medium-sized space shuttle and after pondering a bit even though he didn''t want to, nodded.


    "It wouldn''t pose a problem, yeah."


    "Perfect, then...." turning around to face the humans if they were ready, Nash nodded and said, "Let''s get out of here."

 Chapter 13 - Unkillable

    Inside the Space Station, atop a watchtower, two Sky Beasts were sitting before a wide table, each holding several cards in their hands, seemingly playing a card game.


    "Ha! Dragon''s Roar, your defense had been reduced by 40% and your next attack will be weakened by 20%!" laughed the Sky Beast with a longsword attached to his waist.


    The other Sky Beast before it seemed to be in trouble, but soon sighed and grabbed a card, "You always celebrate too early, Nara."


    Bam!


    Slamming a red card onto the table, the Sky Beast glanced at his companion named Nara and smiled, "And this is why you can never beat me."


    Nara stared at the red card with wide-open eyes, completely oblivious by the fact his cards had fallen onto the ground as he didn''t hold them firm enough!


    "B-Blood Moon!? How do you have that card again!? You have already played that before in the previous round!" yelled Nara angrily but soon his eyes narrowed and glared at the Sky Beast with a cold hint in his eyes.


    "You son of a bitch... You have cheated! YOU HAVE FUCKING CHEATED AGAIN YOU SHAMELESS BASTARD!"


    Listening to the angry yells of Nara, the Sky Beast put his left pinky into his ear and said with an innocent face, "I don''t know what you are talking about. My luck is just simply too good that is why you can''t win."


    "YOU!!!"


    Nara was about to curse and slam his companion right in the head when suddenly both froze up as a black figure appeared out of thin air between the two, with a mining pickaxe in both hands.


    Nara and the Sky Beast stared at the black creature that had facial features terrifying similar to a Sky Beast, and wanted to move, but alas, they were too slow.


    Swish!


    Swish!


    Even before the two could have reacted in time, the creature swung both of his weapons and with a clean hit, pierced the sharp tip into both Sky Beasts'' heads, sending blood and brain matter into the air.


    "You... what..." started to mumble Nara, but once the creature yanked the mining tool''s tip out of his head, his vision turned black and his body fell limply onto the ground.


    "Great job." a voice suddenly sounded from behind the creature, and a young man with 2 other creatures and an old man behind his back appeared at the door.


    [Target''s body has decayed!]


    [Target''s {Soul} has been freed!]


    [Attaching {Death String} on target now possible!]


    ---


    [Target''s body has decayed!]


    [Target''s {Soul} has been freed!]


    [Attaching {Death String} on target now possible!]


    Nash listened to the notifications inside his head while two black strings appeared before his face, each attached to one of the corpses before his feet.


    Seeing this Nash grabbed both strings, attaching each to his fingers and soon black mist broke out from the dead bodies, and two creatures, similar to the one that killed them solidified and appeared before him.


    "With these two now I have 3." Nash thought to himself merrily, but in contrast to him, Revio and Erys didn''t seem to be happy at all. Instead, they looked at this sight with deep fear as they were scared they will end up with fate such as those two that now became the puppets of Nash eternally!


    Uncle Ben on the other hand seemed nonchalant by this and stepped to the watchtower''s edge and looked around.


    "Five on the North, seven in the south, and a few more in the west. No matter how I look at this, there is no way we can approach the spaceship without getting noticed."


    Nash walked next to his uncle and glanced at the places he pointed at before shifting his gaze at the humans below him that were hiding below him, next to the watchtower''s walls.


    "What do you plan to do now?" Uncle Ben asked him, seemingly troubled too by what their next step should be.


    Nash pondered for a while then glanced at the three Souls and soon a scary smile emerged onto his face, shocking Uncle Ben deeply.


    "If we can''t avoid being stealthy, then let''s make a little bit of chaos."


    Quickly turning around, Nash looked at Erys and Revio and asked, "Do you have any weapons?"


    Both seemed to be hesitant to reply to Nash, especially Erys, but because of the invisible power they have no chance to fight against, they talked right away.


    "I have two World Grade weapons, each on the 4th Class while I also have one Luminary Grade which is 2nd Class," answered Erys, her tiny fists firmly clenched into ext her body.


    "I only have a World Grade weapon that is on the lowest Class, the 5th Class..." replied Revio, seemingly ashamed he only had such a weak weapon.


    Nash nodded and said, "Give me the three World Grade weapons."


    Without any chance to resist, Erys and Revio waved their hands, summoning three different-looking weapons onto the table before Nash.


    The first one was a normal longsword with a beautiful hilt and a blade seemingly made out of some kind of black steel.


    The middle one was a curved dagger with a blade that was jagged and a hilt that looked extremely comfortable to hold thanks to the red fur that was acquired from some kind of creature.


    As for the last one, it was an extremely long weapon with thing core but wide and exceptionally sharp tip; it appeared to be a spear, but because of the cracks on its surface it seemed quite fragile.


    Nash examined each weapon and then nodded before handing one to each of the Souls that stood motionlessly on the side.


    "Here. Can you see those creatures there?" asked Nash and even pointed at the Sky Beasts in the distance, "Kill them."


    Swish!


    Without waiting for anything else, all three Souls moved, each targeting different groups to slay!


    Nash seeing this nodded and glanced at his uncle before turning around and saying, "Let''s go to the spaceship. Those three will take care of the rest."


    "Huh? O-okay..." nodded Uncle Ben as he still seemed to be shocked by Nash''s previous action and followed him from behind together with Erys and Revio.


    Once he was descended the watchtower, Nash led the human toward the closest spaceship, but not even after they walked 10 meters, loud sirens sounded together with screams and yells in the distance.


    "Who are you! Identify yourself!"


    "ARGH! MY ARM! YOU BASTARD, YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS!!!"


    "Call for help, we are under attack!"


    BOOM!


    A huge explosion shook the whole ground, causing many humans behind Nash to halt their steps because of shock and stare at the commotion in the distance.


    Hundreds of meters, even a mile away from where they stood, buildings were burning in flames while several Sky Beasts were fighting against creatures that were made out of nothing but solid black mist!


    But even though there were a ton of Sky Beasts against only 3 of these black creatures, the Sky Beasts were the ones at a disadvantage, even dying rapidly!


    However, they were slain not because their enemies seemed to be exceptionally powerful, but because they were... immortal!


    Every time a Sky Beast avoided their attacks and successfully cut off either their arms or head, under a split second their lost body parts would regenerate back, leaving the Sky Beasts no chance for survival at all!


    To put it simply it was a one-sided massacre with no probability for the Sky Beasts to come out of this battle alive!


    "Don''t stand there like a bunch of fools, run to the spaceship! Now!" Nash''s voice snapped all the humans back to reality and they began to run toward the spaceship while ignoring the chaos not far away from them.


    However, even though everyone started to run to board the ship, Nash stood in one place and glanced at the tip of his fingers, where 3 black strings were extending into the 3 Souls in the distance.


    "This feeling... Why do I feel as if my power is sucked away ever so often?" asked Nash himself.


    [Every time a {Soul} regenerates it absorbs your {Essence}!]


    "Essence? What is that?" asked Nash, but soon several letters and sentences appeared before his eyes, dumbfounding him deeply.


    [Opening context of ''Character Status'' and ''Special Character Status''!]


    Swish!


    {Character Status}


    ? Rank: Mortal (Level 5)


    ? Physical Strength: 54


    ? Agility: 56


    ? Speed: 51


    ? Mental Strength: 500


    ? Vitality: 100


    ? Essence: 432 -> 422


    <With every new Level and Rank, your Character Status will improve too!>


    {Special Character Status}


    ? Special Legacy: None


    ? Special Bloodline: None


    ? Special Blessing: None


    ? Special Character Attribute: None


    <Each Special trait can be obtained by challenging The Ancient Path!>


    Nash stared at the sentences in his line of sight and turned silent, but still couldn''t help to let out a shocked gasp.

 Chapter 14 - Escaped!

    Nash stared at his Character Status with shock plastered all over his face, while his gaze caught a glimpse of something quite shocking.


    ''Essence: 432''


    ''Essence: 422''


    ''Essence: 412''


    ''Hell, it''s reducing rapidly!'' thought Nash to himself and raised his gaze.


    Watching as now everything was in flames with severed body parts and blood all over the place, Nash remained indifferent and commanded the Souls back.


    Swish!


    Not even a second later he did, the three black Souls appeared right before him, each grasping their blood-covered weapons firmly and staring at him in unnerving silence.


    "Let''s go," said Nash, but suddenly a deafening roar halted his steps, shifting not only his, but every other humans'' gazes from the spaceship toward the skies above.


    "There they are! Get them! None of them are allowed to escape!" a loud roar reverberated through the atmosphere, shaking not only the air but even the ground below Nash''s feet!


    "Nash! Quick, come! We have to go!" yelled Uncle Ben as he watched the hundreds of Sky Beasts flying toward them, both carrying armors and weapons that were seemingly crafted for battle!


    However, for some strange reason Nash didn''t move nor panicked, but simply waved his hand.


    "What are you doing?! We need to g-, huh?" Uncle Ben shouted at Nash to come, but before he had the chance to finish talking a figure stepped forward from behind him and walked next to Nash.


    "That girl? What is he trying to do with her?" questioned Uncle Ben inwardly, hardly imagining what a little girl like her could do to assist him.


    Though, those humans that came from Section D together with Nash seemed to understand what was about to happen, thus their gazes immediately brightened with anticipation!


    When Erys arrived at his side, Nash crossed his arms before his chest and asked in a calm, but kind of ice-cold voice, "Can you kill them?"


    "Yes."


    "Then do it."


    Although Erys didn''t like the fact he was controlled, unfortunately, she couldn''t do anything against him and summoned her sword in her grasp.


    ''A sword? What is she trying to achieve with a single sword from the ground alone? She can fly?'' many from Section F had this question in mind, especially Uncle Ben, but soon all of their complexions changed drastically.


    Once Erys hand was extended next to her side and a gentle white light enveloped her blade, Erys swung her weapon horizontally, sending a ridiculously long and huge crescent arc toward the group of Sky Beasts that radiated like the sun itself!


    Whoosh!


    BOOOOM!


    Like an oversized firework, the entire army of Sky Beasts in the sky exploded into bits, turning their body into nothing more but ash without the chance to even scream up!


    "This..." Uncle Ben seemed deeply shocked by this spectacle, not knowing what he should say.


    ''...'' Nash stared at the huge dust cloud in the sky with a nonchalant gaze, but soon his eyes caught a glimpse of another wave of Sky Beasts in the distance, but this time with a stronger presence, thus he had no chance but to turn around and run.


    "Are you sure you can pilot this thing?" once inside this shuttle cockpit that was extremely large and filled with hundreds of buttons, Nash asked Revio, a bit skeptical if he truly could pilot such a complicated-looking thing.


    "I can." nodded Revio even though he didn''t want to and without hesitation pressed several buttons on the panel before grabbing a lever on his side.


    Swish!


    Pushing the lever up, Nash and every human watched as the spaceship truly started to ascend into the air, and it wasn''t long before they were hundreds of meters above the ground!


    "Haha, let''s get out of here!" said Nash, and without further ado, commanded Revio to drive the spaceship away.


    And exactly as he did, the engines of the spaceship exploded with tremendous power, and with a speed that was surprisingly faster than light, the spaceship flashed into the unknown.


    ''...''


    After a few minutes that they escaped, the army of Sky Beasts, each wearing armors and weapons, arrived at the Space Station, every one of them looking at the chaos that emerged in split seconds.


    A Sky Beast wearing crimson armor and a crimson sword glanced at the exploded buildings and the corpses below its feet before shifting its gaze at the sky.


    "How did this happen?"


    After many minutes later, the Sky Beast asked in a low and cold voice, but when no one replied it turned around and roared, "HOW IN THE HELL DID THIS HAPPEN?"


    Every Sky Beast trembled in pure fear, but because they were scared that their leader''s wrath will fall on them if they won''t answer, a Sky Beast in the front stepped forward and began to speak.


    "Sir, it looks like some of the humans had escaped and were the ones causing this chaos!"


    ''...''


    The Sky Beast in crimson armor slowly glanced at its subordinate with a rock-solid complexion and asked, "Really?"


    The subordinate obviously misunderstood his leader''s question and even nodded with a wide smile, but it seemed that was his biggest mistake in his entire life.


    Whoosh!


    With a speed that seemed to be teleportation, the Sky Beast in crimson armor flashed before its subordinate before swinging its arm that twisted even the air itself, and punched the Sky Beast right in the face!


    BAM!


    With a thunderous eruption that carried the sound of many breaking bones in the air, the Sky Beast''s body was blasted into the ground below, forming a several meters deep and wide crater as if an asteroid exploded there just now!


    "!?"


    Every Sky Beast seeing this sight and the motionless body of their comrade whose life was unknown sucked in a mouthful of cold air, their body soaked with cold what in an instant!


    "Any other remarkable idea or suggestion about our current situation or what could have happened here? I''m listening..."


    The terrifyingly calm tone of the Sky Beast made everyone froze up, none of them daring to utter a word any longer.


    "Hmph!" with a cold sneer the Sky Beast pointed at several of its subordinates and then told, "Go and check all the Sections and see how many escaped. You and you, go and see if there are any survivors and if there are any, bring them to me! As for the rest, search the whole planet and search for clues about how those low-life slaves escaped! Video feeds, all pieces of information about the escaped captives, and documents! I want to know everything, even the slightest detail!"


    "Now scram!"


    "YES, SIR!"


    With boisterous roars, every Sky Beast proceeded to fly away, only leaving the leader alone in the sky, his gaze now firmly fixed on the spot where the spaceship has vanished.

 Chapter 15 - A New Start

    In the vast cosmos where colorful stars and planets were visible almost everywhere where the eye could see, a spaceship with a size no bigger than a soccer stadium was roaming freely, its aim unknown.


    "WOOHOOOO!! WE ARE FINALLY FREEE!!"


    Loud cries and whistles sounded from the spaceship''s interior, all humans hugging each other in joy or crying their eyes out on seats from relief that appeared once the immense weight fell off their shoulders after years of slavery.


    "After 37 years of humiliation and detention, I am finally free! I can finally do whatever I want!"


    "37? Just that much? I have lived and survived in that shithole for close to 60 years! It seems not giving up was really worth it!"


    "Haha! I still can hardly believe we really escaped, it feels like a dream..."


    People talked merrily among tears and laughs about their past experiences, feeling indescribable happiness as they were ultimately free from their past shackles.


    "It''s all thanks to you, kid. If it weren''t for you, this couldn''t have happened." Uncle Ben stepped next to Nash, his palm gently rested on his shoulder.


    Nash nodded, but soon he shook his head, "We are still far away from saying that we are completely free. We still are and will be chased and have to live in the darkness for who knows how long."


    After taking a brief moment to appreciate the sight before him, Nash sighed then continued, "Also, we need to find a good place to hide where no one will find us and we can survive. And let''s not talk about the fact that your Legacy is still sealed, so we need to do something about that too in the hope to get stronger and free more humans."


    Uncle Ben understood what Nash tried to say and agreed with him, "I know, but at least we can finally start our lives with no restraints on us. Without you, this could have been impossible Nash! You saved lives my nephew, you are a hero!"


    Nash listened to this and after pondering for a while just shook his head and turned to look at three Souls that stood motionless on his side.


    ''I did nothing, I just simply acquired a power I shouldn''t have through sheer luck.'' thought Nash and continued, '' As for these guys... Even though they helped us if I leave them here, because of their appearance as Sky Beasts they will definitely cause a ruckus or at least uneasiness among humans..."


    As if knowing what he tried to say or at least wanted to know, the voice inside Nash''s head appeared once again and spoke.


    [Do you wish to collect and store the {Souls}?]


    ''I can?''


    [Of course, you can.]


    Nash turned happy hearing this and didn''t hesitate to ask, ''Yeah, I want. But how?''


    [Just imagine pulling the {Death Strings} toward you without moving.]


    Nash did as he was told, and the moment he did visualize pulling the black strings that were attached to his fingers toward him, the Souls unexpectedly moved!


    In a blink, all three Souls turned into black mist and under no time at all, they manifested and solidified around his index finger in the shape of an abyss black ring!


    "Woah!" Nash couldn''t help but exclaim out with shock, surprised to see he could even do this.


    However, to his disappointment, the weapons they held were dropped to the ground as they couldn''t have been brought into his ring. How unfortunate...


    ''Well, I shouldn''t complain too much as this power is already too fucking strong. Just imagine summoning tons of Souls, each clad in a full set of armor and weapons. Just that alone would be ridiculously overpowered...''


    Uncle Ben seeing Nash staring at mere air just remained silent and turned to look at Revio who was still piloting the spaceship toward who knows where.


    "Do you know a planet where we can land without others finding us?"


    Revio turned to look at Uncle Ben and sneered coldly, visibly ignoring his question.


    "Answer him." Nash''s abrupt voice sounded from behind, causing Revio to talk obediently.


    "There are indeed a few as we are currently in the Human Dimension where things are still not discovered completely, but there is no planet where you can hide eternally. Sooner or later, they will find you and if they do, you won''t be able to escape as easily as this time."


    "Then bring us as far away as possible. The further the better" answered Nash and Revio did exactly as he was told.


    When Nash saw this nodded mildly but before turning around and discuss the future plans with the rest, he questioned, "Is there any way other races can track us?"


    As soon as Revio heard this his eyes widened while several lines of curses appeared in his head while his mouth began to talk the truth.


    "Yes, there are. There are several nanochips in the mining tools that can show their positions, while this spaceship has a Stellar Tracking Device installed in them that can also reveal your current location."


    "Anything else?" asked Nash, completely calm even though they were tracked right at this moment.


    "There is none."


    Nash nodded and looked at Uncle Ben, "Can you pilot this thing until we come back?"


    "Yeah, it should be fine now that I saw how that bird operated things on the panel."


    "Bird!?"


    Ignoring Revo''s angry yell, Nash nodded before glancing at Erys and Revio, "I will need both of your help to destroy the tools and the tracking device, so follow me."


    ''Fuck!'' both Erys and Revio cursed inside as their final hope for survival and help had been just thrown out right into the space.


    Meanwhile, somewhere on a completely different planet than Azure Planet, inside a huge and spacious hall, several Sky Beasts were sitting around a large and circular table, all of them staring at the footage in the air.


    On the recording, the sight of 3 black creatures with similar features to a Sky Beast was fighting and killing other Sky Beasts, putting the whole scenery into complete chaos in no time at all!


    However, the only difference was that the creatures had no wings, and whenever they were cut or believed to be killed, they regenerated their injuries and continued their massacre without mercy.


    After several minutes later, toward the end of the tape, every Sky Beast in the hall watched as the three black creatures stepped before a young human boy, almost as if they were waiting for his command.


    But soon, an even greater sight transpired as a little girl with crimson hair appeared with a sword in her grasp, and with a single slash demolished hundreds of Sky Beasts miles away from her from the sky!


    After that, both the human boy and the little girl together with the three black creatures boarded the spaceship and vanished into space, ending the video not long after the second wave of Sky Beasts arrived at the scene.


    Once the video ended and the hologram vanished from the air, the entire hall turned even more silent, almost as if no one dared to utter a word from either fear or shock.


    Only after several minutes of silence later did a Sky Beast in a silver armor lean forward and talk in a terrifyingly calm voice, "How did this happen?"


    As if someone just dropped them into the bottom of a cold ocean, every Sky Beast in the hall felt a suffocating presence descend on their body while their body began to form cold sweat on their backs almost subconsciously!


    When the Sky Beast in silver armor seem to hear no answer turned to look at the one standing on his side, who appeared to be the leader of the second army from the video, the one wearing the crimson armor!


    "Do you wish to tell us in greater detail what we have just witnessed on the footage, Crimson Wing?"


    The Sky Beast''s calm voice sounded like thunder in Crimson Wing''s head and without hesitation as he didn''t dare to waste any more time began to tell everything he knew and saw.


    Once he reached the end of his story after 1 hour straight of talking that included everything, even minor details that he obtained from his subordinates, Crimson Wing kneeled onto the ground and lowered his head.


    "That is everything I know, no less and no more. I do not have any idea how that human obtained that power but I will make sure to catch him even if that is the last thing I have to do! As for my punishment..."


    "I will accept any form of punishment from your Majesty!"


    ''...''


    Silence filled the entire hall as everyone stared deeply at Crimson Wing with different gazes, but still none of them daring to talk openly as that would mean the end of their lives!


    The Sky Beast stared at Crimson Wings with a glare that could almost pierce a hole into anyone''s soul, but soon averted his gaze and lowered his arms.


    "Can we locate their position?"


    "Yes, your Majesty, we can. I will do it right away!" shouted a small Sky Beast not far away from the table, but as soon as he began to search on his device in the hope to find the escapees, his face paled, and raised his head.


    "Your Majesty... the signal... it... it has been lost...."

 Chapter 16 - Setting Rules

    Crack!


    "And... this is the last one, right?" breaking and throwing the smashed tools together with the Stellar Tracking Device into a gap on the wall, Nash pushed a button on the side, sending the junk into space.


    "Yes, there remained nothing else." Revio nodded even though he didn''t want to.


    Nash nodded and walked back to Uncle Ben who was piloting the spaceship without any visible issues.


    "You back already? It was fast." Uncle Ben told Nash but still give his seat to Revio who guided them further away from Azure Planet and the Sky Beasts.


    Once everything seemed to go perfectly, Nash turned to look at Uncle Ben and said, "I will go and talk with the rest now. Can you stay here and make sure they don''t do anything fishy?"


    Uncle Ben seemed surprised that Nash asked him to stay, but as he kind of knew why he nodded and even smiled, "Sure, leave it to me."


    Nash nodded and turned around before leaving the cockpit to talk with the rest of the humans. However, exactly as his figure vanished, Uncle Ben''s smile gradually vanished while a mixture of worry and sadness replaced his complexion.


    "Everyone is here?" entering one of the biggest rooms in the spaceship where several people were still talking merrily among one another, Nash stood atop a platform and remained there for a few seconds.


    His figure caused everyone in the room to quieten down significantly, while their gazes this time held nothing but burning and deep respect toward him.


    No matter if there were 1, 10, or even 50 years difference between them and Nash, what he did for all of them simple words can not describe. Saving them from that hell, from that shithole that made even death seem as salvation in contrast, made them feel nothing but genuine gratitude!


    When Nash saw this, a profound glint flashed in his eyes and after taking a deep breath, he began to talk.


    "I am really glad that we all escaped safely and broke out from our shackles, but even though everything seems to go fine at the moment, you all need to know things will only get harder from now on."


    The words Nash spoke made many turn serious as they understood what he meant, thus knew that it was indeed not the time to celebrate... yet.


    Nash remained silent and made sure everyone comprehended what he tried to say, and only after then did he start talking again, this time in a more relaxed manner.


    "As you may have noticed this so far, we have no place to stay except this spaceship, which sooner or later will be found by other races if we decided to roam freely in space. That is why, our first objective is to find a decent planet that is far away from the Sky Beasts, which can help us survive for a while, whilst also not conspicuous too much."


    "And what will we do once we find a planet? Our Legacy has been sealed so we are basically helpless against normal beasts much less creatures that underwent evolution after The Ancient Path has opened." a hand suddenly emerged from among the crowd, shifting Nash''s gaze at the owner.


    ''Even though I have thought about this previously, I still can''t find the proper answer for that. Except myself, everyone here is still a mere mortal that can die just by getting hit by a rock alone. What should I do?'' Khal began to deeply ponder, but it wasn''t long before the voice appeared in his head.


    [Erasing sealed Legacy can be done if you attach {Life Strings} on Targets!]


    ''...''


    Nash turned silent once he heard this, and after a moment of silence he just simply closed his eyes before he sighed inwardly.


    ''Is there any other way except that one? For example, a Domination Art that can unseal their Legacy?'' Nash asked from the voice as he didn''t want to attach his power to other humans for specific reasons.


    [I do not have the answer to that question.]


    ''I see...'' Nash nodded and turned to look at the guy who asked the question.


    "You indeed have a point, but unfortunately, I can''t answer your question as even I don''t know what we should do," replied Nash, ignoring the fact that he had the means to unseal their Legacy, but as that would open up further problems in the future, he just decided to lie.


    "Then how do you have inhuman powers than the rest of us? Isn''t that your... our Legacy? How did you unseal it?" another guy suddenly raised the question from the side, causing many to stare at Nash suspiciously.


    Nash however just simply shook his head and said, "That power is not my Legacy. It''s an ability I have obtained through sheer accident and maybe luck."


    And after taking a deep breath, Nash proceeded on telling everyone how he received his Domination Art, obviously skipping the part where he could have explained how this newfound ability of his was working on others as he didn''t want everyone to know about this heaven-defying power.


    Once he reached the end of his story, everyone in the room turned silent, each having complex emotions written on their faces; some were shocked, some were speechless and there were a few that had envy in their eyes too.


    Nash naturally noticed these, especially because everyone''s Indicator changed drastically, but he just simply ignored them and said, "And that is why, until we do not find a solution to unseal our Legacy, we must do everything with ten, even a hundred times more caution than before. Understood?"


    "Yes!"


    "Perfect. Now let''s start the main purpose of this ''meeting'', shall we?"


    He then proceeded on saying, "First and foremost, as we will work together to remain alive and even rescue other humans once we get strong enough, thus our numbers will hopefully increase by the day, we must set a few principles to avoid unexpected problems and unwanted arguments in the future."


    The rest of the people listening to this nodded in agreement, approving Nash''s idea. As all of them knew, maybe freedom was an essential aspect of life and a wish that everyone wanted, without rules, even freedom could turn into chaos, hence a few basic principles that everyone agreed with was a must.


    "I will tell you the ideas I had in mind and once I finished talking, I insist to hear all of your viewpoints. Of course, you can come up with other ideas but keep in mind it must be favorable for everyone in this room. Ridiculous ideas or rules that no one wishes to agree with will be dismissed without question." Nash said to everyone in an unquestionable tone, and after taking a deep breath he proceeded to talk.


    "Rule number one! No killing, fighting, stealing, or violence is allowed and strictly prohibited among us humans. We have been tortured and seen way too much of that, so I hope you won''t lower yourselves under morals such as the other races did. I hope we can support each other and become stronger together, just like a family!"


    "Rule number two! If you are in immense danger or find something that can be a threat for all of us, you must notify either me or my uncle about the matter without further ado. As you know, currently only I have the power to protect us, thus if you don''t inform me about problems in time, not only yours, but everyone else living here can come to a definite end!"


    "Just as myself, all of you have to take responsibility for your actions as the slightest mistake can lead right into our demise!"


    Watching as everyone was nodding in agreement Nash nodded too and continued, "Rule number three! Everyone must contribute to this community, let it be with cleaning, cooking, or something entirely different. I know all of you want to rest, which you will definitely have the chance as you deserved it, but you must understand we need to help each other!"


    "And rule number four, if any of you refuse to accept the previous principles, especially the first two..." as he reached this point, Nash''s eyes suddenly flashed with ice-coldness while his stare held a hint of killing intent too!


    "I will make sure to personally take care of the individual, though, if I do, that will most likely be the very last time you will ever see daylight again."


    Right at that instant, the air in the room seemed to drop several degrees at once, while almost every person before Nash felt their backs soak with cold sweat from nervousness!


    Even their Fear Level began to increase rapidly, which Nash naturally noticed, thus closed his eyes and took a deep breath.


    Once everything calmed down and turned back to normal, Nash opened his eyes once again and said, now in a way calmer tone than before, "So far I had only these basics in mind.. Now it''s time to hear your thoughts and ideas."

 Chapter 17 - A Gate That Changed Everything

    Once Nash finished talking and everyone collected their bravery to think properly, a hand gradually raised into the air after several minutes of silence.


    "I have no objection toward any of the rules you have listed and mentioned, but I would like to add another one."


    Nash nodded and gestured to the man, who seemed to be in his early thirties, to proceed on talking.


    The man seeing this took a deep breath, making his Fear Level decrease slightly, and started to talk.


    "I would like to add a voting rule, a method that allows us to decided over things the majority of us want."


    When the rest heard this, almost everyone nodded in agreement, as this idea seemed quite a promising one and could save a lot of trouble in the future while also pushing them toward a path where no one''s command decided but the voice of the plurality.


    However, when others saw that Nash didn''t talk nor answered for a long time, even though the idea was great and made sense, the crowd became a bit confused.


    After a few seconds, when the atmosphere seemed to turn tense, Nash raised his gaze and asked, "And how will this voting system work once all of us unlocks their Legacy? What will happen if one disagrees with the rest while also having bigger strength and decides to force his or her ideal on us? I hope you understand if that ever happens, then chaos could easily emerge."


    Nash''s question silenced the entire crowd in a blink, as those issues were indeed troublesome and difficult to overcome.


    Nash watched as everyone tried to think of a solution, but the more they did, the deeper their unrest and the more obvious their helplessness became.


    After many minutes later, Nash could do nothing but sigh, and say, "Then how about this? We will hold a meeting at the beginning of every month where everyone must attend, and I will supervise everything to avoid any unnecessary problems."


    And then he continued, "And also, if I ever fail to protect what the majority of you want, I will make sure to be the very first one to spill those blood that tried to force something they shouldn''t have!"


    Once Nash finished talking, his gaze already turned cold and indifferent, showing that right now, he was more than dead serious about his decision.


    Even if the sky collapsed onto his body or the ground cracked below his feet, Nash expressed his determination that only a few could!


    And what was even more shocking, that no one dared to laugh at his bold statement at all! Everyone present knew and understood way too well that Nash had more than enough validity to support his declaration no matter what.


    Controlling two terrifying creatures and three corpses'' souls, killing an army of Sky Beasts, and rescuing more than a handful of humans under less than half a day from a place where hope seemed to perish... He was more than qualified to oversee all the gatherings.


    And soon, when everyone reached this point as they have all recalled what kind of amazing and terrifyingly unbelievable feats Nash achieved all alone, several hands raised high up into the air, each of their owner holding a firm and solid assurance!


    "I have no objection with that!"


    "Me neither!"


    "I would be more than glad about that!"


    "Me too!"


    People one after another agreed with Nash''s idea, as they knew this was the least they could do except giving him their deepest respect and gratitude after what he has done for them!


    Nash nodded and after confirming a few more things with the rest while also adding some minor rules that the majority had agreed on, he went back to the cockpit to his uncle and watched as Revio lead them to their new home that meant their fresh new start in this harsh and cold reality.


    -


    -


    -


    About a thousand years ago, when The Ancient Path had been opened, not only humans were the only ones that were affected, but the whole cosmos, or to be more precise, the entire galaxy that existed in the Human Dimension.


    Almost every animal, insect, or other living beings that existed inside the Human Dimension acquired extraordinary powers, changing and throwing the logical sense that humans have believed in right into the trash!


    Some creatures obtained element affinities while some evolved to the point, where they could rule over entire regions that people called countries in the old world. There were even those few beasts that developed and grew so much that they have become the sole monarchs of entire planets with no competitors that could rival them much less threaten their lives!


    And it wasn''t only the Human Dimension that seemed to undergo such changes, but every other that opened their Ancient Path in their own dimension, including the central dimension where all Ancient Paths led and all races coexisted with each other, the Ancient Dimension!


    There, not only were beasts and creatures that controlled entire galaxies instead of a few planets, but also races that rivaled with their strength for further and better resources, while killing those that were weaker than them!


    In the Ancient Dimension, and almost inside every other dimension which has been acquired by another race, only the strong commanded while the weak bowed their heads with no question!


    And unfortunately, every human inside the Human Dimension fell into this situation where the strong devoured the weak, while the weak had no chance to resist at all!


    But luckily not for Nash and the small number of people he was able to save, as they have escaped from Azure Planet a long time ago, exactly a month ago to be more precise.


    Ever since day one, they have been in space, fleeing as far away as possible with their stolen spaceship, looking for a planet that met the requirements for normal survival.


    And thanks to the insane amount of food and drink supply that was held on the ship, they had no problem remain alive.


    However, because there was a lot of human and the stock was obviously not infinite, Nash knew that they had at least a few more weeks, about two at most, before they run out of food and drink completely.


    But as they still had time to finally find a habitable planet, Nash decided to concentrate on improving his Dimension Refining Physique with the help of Erys.


    BAM!


    "Cough!"


    Inside this huge and spacious room that seemed to be a practice cabin, planned for Sky Beasts to fight and refine their combat skills in, Nash''s body crashed into one of the walls on the sides, while blood could be seen flowing out of his mouth because of the powerful impact that could have killed any other human with ease.


    "That... will be enough for today," Nash exclaimed in a hoarse voice toward Erys in the distance as he wiped the blood off his mouth, and once he struggled onto his feet, several texts manifested in his line of sight.


    [Successful Breakthrough!]


    [Mortal Rank Legacy has reached Level 6!]


    ---


    {Character Status}


    ? Physical Strength: 61


    ? Agility: 61


    ? Speed: 61


    ? Mental Strength: 600


    ? Vitality: 100


    ? Essence: 600


    <With every new Level and Rank, your Character Status will improve too!>


    ---


    {Special Character Status}


    ? Special Legacy: None


    ? Special Bloodline: None


    ? Special Blessing: None


    ? Special Character Attribute: None


    <Each Special trait can be obtained by challenging The Ancient Path!>

 Chapter 18 - Danger Is Always Lurking

    Nash inspected his Character Status in silence and couldn''t help but form a satisfied grin.


    ''Under one month of straight hell, I somehow succeeded in reaching the sixth level, but...''


    But Nash quickly realized that the last month was indeed a straight hell, could be said torture, as he had to withstand Erys'' insane punched and attacks that pushed his body closer and closer to the peak.


    However, what Nash also realized was that this method became more and more useless as every time he would get hit, kicked, or punched, the effect would become weaker thanks to his body becoming more and more stronger.


    He even was bold enough to ask Erys to use a bit of her Warmaster strength, but that was barely enough to push him into the Sixth Level which was crazy! Even Erys looked stupified by the results, starting to realize that the human race was way scarier than they initially belived it.


    What would have happened if the human race did get enslaved and let them grow stronger? Just being on the Infant Rank alone makes Nash strong enough to resist a punch from a Warmaster that was never heard before! Then what will happen if he will succeed in reaching the Warmaster Rank or worse, the Overlord Rank?


    She doesn''t even dare to think about it at all...


    Nash obviously noticed the changes in Erys'' eyes, but simply decided to ignore them as he knew that like this, it was only a matter of time before Erys help will become ineffective wholly, thus it was time for him to search for other means.


    "Brother Nash, good news! It seems we have finally found our planet!"


    A guy about a few years older than Nash suddenly appeared at the door, his emerald green eyes shining like stars from great excitement and anticipation.


    About a month have passed since they have escaped from Azure Planet, and maybe they were doing perfectly fine, they still felt kind of bored, itching to set their feet onto the solid ground once again.


    Hence, it was no surprise to see the guy talk about this news with such enthusiasm, almost as if he was a little boy who just woke up on Christmas morning, ready to open his presents!


    "So it''s finally time, huh?" Nash stood up, and once he patted his clothes he glanced at the guy, "Let''s go, I can''t wait to see this planet we will call our new home."


    Sometime later, when Nash reached the cockpit, he was surprised to see that everyone was crowding next to the windows on the sides, each of them staring at the planet outside with joyful complexions!


    "Ah, you are finally here! Thank you, Paul, you have saved me a lot of time." Uncle Ben looked at the guy who stood behind Nash, with a calm smile plastered over his face.


    "It was nothing at all." Paul smiled and remained standing on the side.


    In fact, the reason why he was the one sent to bring Nash was that he was the one that spent the most time with him when he wasn''t inside the training room with Erys.


    Also, as there were just way many buttons on the panels, he didn''t want to leave Revio alone as he feared he would try and do something funny. Even though Nash commanded him not to try to do anything that could reveal their location, he still made sure to monitor him all the time.


    In his opinion, the devil never slept so he didn''t want to risk anything; better safe than sorry as others would say.


    "Anyways, come, take a look at this beauty. Isn''t she a real gem?" Uncle Ben gestured toward the window in the front, indicating Nash to take a peek outside.


    ''She?'' Nash raised a brow upon hearing that statement but decided to ignore it as he knew his uncle sometimes was rather... strange.


    Taking a few steps forward, Nash stood beside Revio who had quite an ugly look on his face and stared at the planet before him with wide eyes.


    "Woah..." Nash became speechless once he got a greater look on the planet which was way bigger than he first thought.


    He could remember hearing rumors about the size of the original planet where The Ancient Path has opened about a thousand years, Earth, but compared to those rumors this planet was considered massively huge and even that would be a hefty underestimation!


    Compared to Earth, this planet which looked like a perfectly polished emerald with ocean blue spots on its surface here and there was almost five, if not six times larger!


    "So you say we can hide on this planet without getting caught by the Sky Beasts or other races?" Nash directed his question toward Revio even without taking his eyes off the planet.


    "Yes. Even though we are still in the region where we Sky Beasts have long ago discovered the majority of planets and solar systems, this planet is among our Crimson List so no one will assume you will lie low here."


    "Crimson List? What is that?" Nash raised a brow and now turned to look at Revio who had no chance to remain silent but to answer.


    "The Crimson List is a book where we record planets that we evaluate as trivial to excavate as it has nothing valuable to mine at all. It is a simple, deserted planet."


    "I see, then it is really the perfect place for us to remain for the time being." Nash nodded and commanded Revio to navigate the ship onto the planet.


    Nash, Uncle Ben, Paul, and every other person on the spaceship watched with gawking eyes as they approached the new planet, and slowly but surely, a completely new sight emerged before their eyes.


    The black space and colorful stars were replaced by greenish colors, that turned out to be enormous greenish mountains, dense forests with trees as huge as skyscrapers, and vast grass fields as the closer they got to the ground level.


    And about 5 minutes, Revio controlled the spaceship atop one of the mountains, which seemed neither large nor small, and with graceful movements, landed the ship carefully onto solid ground successfully!


    "Let''s go and take a look outside, shall we?" Nash turned around, and with everyone else following him from behind with excited complexions, walked all the way to the other side of the ship.


    Once he reached it, Nash took a deep breath and with determined eyes pushed the button on the side, making the metal door before him open gradually.


    ''...''


    Everyone watched the sight in silence and gazes filled with different emotions, their Happiness Level even skyrocketing all the way to 97%!


    And the moment the entire wall opened fully, everyone was about to run outside when suddenly Nash raised his arm, stopping everyone in their tracks at once.


    "You guys stay here, I will go and take a look first."


    However, this made some confused, thus Nash had no choice but to explain, "Even though everything seems peaceful at first glance, we can never know what lurks around, especially if we are talking about an unknown territory where no creature has ever set foot before."


    When the crowd heard Nash talk, suddenly everyone took a step back, even cold sweat flowing down on their backs and forehead as they realized Nash was indeed right.


    Currently, they were on an unknown planet with unknown dangers hiding who knows where. It could be even possible that a beast was waiting for them right in the closest bush, ready to rip their bodies apart once they took a single step outside.


    Just now, if it weren''t for Nash stopping them, they would have easily run out and cheer merrily without even considering the dire consequences of their rushed decisions.


    And thus, once this thought reached every person''s mind, their level of respect and gratitude toward Nash deepened a level more.


    Nash nodded when he saw everyone stayed still and after commanding Erys and Revio to follow him, he walked outside.


    However, not even a second after they set foot outside that looked like Eden itself because of the emerald green environment, suddenly two figures emerged from the shadows, each having the appearance of an oversized lion. The sole exception however was that they had six legs instead of four and two heads rather than one, while their aura that covered their entire body was filled with unmistakable bloodlust!


    When the people inside the spaceship saw the terrifying Beasts they began to stagger backward in fear while their complexion paled as they realized they could have really died just now!


    However, Nash seeing the two creatures, that could have turned his legs into jelly if it were a few months ago, just smiled and raised his hand that had an abyss black ring on his finger.


    "GRRR!!"


    This behavior of his kind of angered the creatures, however, it was exactly then as Nash''s smile vanished and what replaced it was a complexion completely void of any emotions.


    "Come forth."

 Chapter 19 - Domination Quests

    The very moment Nash''s indifferent voice fell, a gentle breeze appeared in the almost still environment, and suddenly three black figures emerged before the two creatures right out of thin air.


    "GRR!?"


    And exactly because of these three Soul''s appearance, suddenly the two beasts that in truth were only on the bottom of the Infant Rank, took several steps behind, their Fear Level gradually growing.


    Nash however seeing this couldn''t care at all as he crossed his arms before his chest and talked with a nonchalant complexion, his voice cut off from any emotions.


    "Kill them."


    Immediately, following the simple order that they were given, the three Souls moved and leaped at the two lion-like creatures with their bare hands that barraged their bodies with powerful punches with no mercy!


    "ROOARR!"


    Both creatures howled up with both pain and anger once the Souls attacked them, even swinging their claws at them, splitting their bodies apart, but alas, that was only a meaningless attempt. Thanks to Nash, they were able to regenerate almost instantly and continue their frenzy as if nothing happened at all!


    And because both creatures were still on the Infant Rank, the three Souls, that were on the peak of the same rank, had no problem dealing with them. Thanks to their difference in size and powers, the three Souls literally massacred the two creatures, ripping their limbs off with bare hands, reaping their lives like breathing the air in!


    ''...''


    Nash watched the unfolding sight with an indifferent gaze, but this couldn''t be said about the people behind him. As this was their first time seeing such slaughter in person, they all held pale complexions while their legs started to turn jelly.


    If Nash would have had a pair of eyes on the back of his head, he would definitely be surprised to see as almost everyone''s Fear Level exploded right above 85%, reaching the Chance Level with relative ease.


    "Roadfs-"


    One of the beasts wanted to growl up but was mercilessly stopped as one of the Souls grabbed both of its upper and lower jaws and with a powerful yank, ripped the pitiful creature apart as though it was nothing more but a piece of paper.


    Hot blood together with brain matter and internal organs splattered everywhere, painting the breathtakingly gorgeous emerald green environment with the color of dark but sparkling crimson.


    And soon, the second beast followed the same route as its playmate, and by the crazy onslaught of the three Souls, its body was ripped and smashed into a meat paste almost in no time.


    [Target''s body has decayed!]


    [Target''s {Soul} has been freed!]


    [Attaching {Death String} on target now possible!]


    [Target''s body has decayed!]


    [Target''s {Soul} has been freed!]


    [Attaching {Death String} on target now possible!]


    Two black strings that only he was able to discern arose from the two corpses, and floated before his face, almost as if they wanted to be collected by Nash.


    "Great work." Nash smiled with a satisfied grin and grabbed both strings, expanding his immortal army with two new beings.


    Swish!


    Swish!


    Right away, two abyss black veils of mist broke onto the surface from the two corpses, and soon two creatures with the exact same appearance as the real ones emerged, standing before Nash like two lifeless puppets waiting for his command.


    [You have acquired 5 Souls, the maximum amount of Souls you can currently hold!]


    Nash listened to the voice in his mind, but before he decided to ask any further questions, he scanned his surroundings and turned to face the people on the spaceship.


    "You can come out now."


    Seeing Nash''s calm and indifferent complexion, the people on the spaceship began to walk out slowly, but once they set foot on the solid ground and saw no danger lurked thanks to Nash, they relaxed and smile plastered their faces.


    "I can''t believe it... we... really have made it!"


    In an instant, everyone broke into joy, walking around and discovering the proximity together with excitement-filled eyes, but as they still feared getting ripped apart by unknown beasts they remained close to Nash.


    Meanwhile, Uncle Ben patted Nash gently on the shoulder and smiled.


    "We... You did it. Maybe I have said this, but let me repeat myself... I still can hardly believe that we escaped and left that hell behind with almost no trouble!"


    Nash watching as everyone even fifty years old men and women acted like little kids in this new environment, closed his eyes and sighed.


    "Yeah, but we still have a very long way to go and this is only the start," Nash said to Uncle Ben and once he opened his eyes, he glanced at his uncle.


    Ever since they escaped, he had a question in his mind that he wanted to ask him, but for some strange reason, he couldn''t get himself to ask it. Even though he could have asked it during the time they were in the spaceship, he still decided to ask it a bit later when everything calmed down entirely.


    "What? You seem troubled, something happened?" Uncle Ben seemed to noticed the change of emotions in Nash''s eyes thus couldn''t help but ask.


    However, Nash just simply shook his head and averted his gaze before clapping his hands, attracting everyone''s attention to him.


    "Everyone, come here for a moment."


    Every person did as he said, and once they gathered around Nash, they waited in silence for him to talk.


    They long ago got used to him being the leader and the one talking during bigger events, and to no one''s surprise, none of them complained about it.


    Not only did Nash earn their deepest respect, but in their eyes, he was an existence akin to a God not solely because he saved them from a nightmare filled with endless agony and suffering, but because he also held power that they could hope not to rival, not even in their wildest dreams.


    Just those dark entities alone that he could summon out of thin air froze their blood in fear, while the two that followed him everywhere, Erys and Revio, made them think twice before acting or talking.


    Thus, they had no choice but to follow whatever he said, but even if they would have had other choices, they would still follow him after what he had done for them.


    Nash looked at everyone before him with an indifferent expression, or to be more precise their Indicator, and once he glanced at each at least once, he began to talk over important matters.


    -


    -


    -


    After exactly an hour later, Nash watched as everyone walked back into the spaceship, getting ready for what they have discussed earlier.


    "You sure about this? It will be dangerous, you know that, right?" Uncle Ben asked, feeling kind of worried about Nash''s safety.


    "I will be perfectly fine, I have more than enough protection to keep myself safe." smiled Nash as he pointed at the five Souls, Erys, and Revio behind him.


    "Yeah, but still..." Uncle Ben wanted to say something but realized he was unable to.


    Instead, he just sighed and waved his hand, "Just make sure to come back in one piece. You are the only hope for us and if you somehow lose your life now... Let''s not even think about what would happen with use here then."


    Nash understood what his uncle tried to say hence nodded and promised he will be careful before he turned around and began to walk away.


    "Though, I will leave Revio and one of my Souls here to keep guard if something unexpected happens to occur," Nash told Uncle Ben and after commanding Revio and one of the previous Sky Beast to remain before the spaceship, and protect the people if a dire situation arises, he didn''t hesitate and vanished between the woods with Erys following closely behind him.


    However, instead of starting his ''cleaning'' plan right away, which meant killing every creature in 10 miles as the spaceship the center, Nash stopped next to a small boulder, and after making sure no danger seemed to be around him, he glanced at the texts in his line of sight.


    ''And what exactly are you?''


    {Domination Quests}


    /Kill 10 enemies with your Souls!/


    ? Killed Enemies: 0/10


    ~Reward~


    ? 10 Domination Points


    ===


    /Kill 1 Infant Rank enemy without help!/


    ? Killed Enemy: 0/1


    ~Rewards~


    ? 20 Domination Points


    ===


    /Manipulate successfully a being through a Chance String!/


    ? Successful manipulation: 0/1


    ~Rewards~


    ? 25 Domination Points


    <Domination Quests change every 24 hours!>

 Chapter 20 - Domination Points

    Nash stared at the text with no words and pondered deeply.


    [For each completed Domination Quest, you can obtain Domination Points to further strengthen the Domination Art!]


    When Nash heard the voice in his head he raised a brow, but in all honesty, he didn''t feel surprised nor shocked as he had kind of foreseen this.


    Although he long ago suspected his belief, now that he saw the context before him in the air it seemed his hunch was right; the Skill Fluid that melted into his brain and body was no ordinary Skill Fluid.


    Skill Fluids were powerful objects that were extremely valuable, almost priceless items between all dimensions, as they could make any being learn any Domination Art in a blink after consumption as normally, Domination Arts needed to be learned from books, recordings, or ancient scrolls.


    Also, the higher Class a Domination Art was categorized, the longer time was needed to master it. For example, while a Dimensional Class Art needed only 1 week at most to comprehend, until then an Absolute Domination Class Art needed years, if not decades to understand, much less use it!


    Yet, with a Skill Fluid, no matter if the Domination Art was Dimensional Class or Absolute Domination Class, one could easily learn it under seconds with no struggle at all.


    However, Domination Art that was learned, just like any races'' Legacy, could be improved and strengthened by different means, but not in ways such as this where one needed to do quests.


    Doing so-called quests to obtain Domination Points? Just what exactly is this Domination Art''s true origin? Nash knew way too well that Domination Arts had no Character Status much less a ''feature'' where one could collect Domination Points to improve the Art.


    It was strange and weird indeed...


    ''How many Domination Points do I need to collect for the next Cla... wait... my Art is categorized as the strongest Class, so how can it get any stronger if there is no further?'' Nash appeared a bit troubled, but soon the voice answered his question.


    [Your Domination Art can attain a higher Domination Class than it is currently. Absolute Domination Class is not the apex, not even close!]


    [As for the amount of Domination Points you need to collect for the next Class is exactly 100!]


    ''One hundred? That''s not a lot considering I can get 65 just from these three quests alone.'' Nash mumbled, but soon the voice appeared in his head again.


    [Absolute Domination Class is considered the weakest among all existing Domination Classes in the Ancient Dimension and above it.]


    ''Weakest? And above the Ancient Dimension? What?'' Nash looked perplexed, as he didn''t expect such a response.


    However, no matter how long he waited for the answer, he didn''t get any but only sheer silence.


    Erys on the other hand watched him in silence from his side, her slender fingers tightly clenched into a firm fist from the frustration. She still couldn''t admit that Nash, a trash human, who even she looked at as a useless slave in the past, learned and was able to use one of the strongest and scariest Domination Arts in all existence.


    And yet, there she was, standing in one place like a hound, waiting for his command in silence. This made her feel both roaming hatred and deep helplessness in her chest, which couldn''t break onto the surface, not until Nash was killed or either she died.


    After waiting for several minutes as he maybe would get an answer, Nash sighed before proceeding on his way to start his cleaning plan in this new territory as he was the only one doing so.


    Yet, even after walking around with caution, and even sending his remaining 4 Souls to search in the proximity, Nash found no other living creatures which were weird since he met two right off the bat when he stepped off from the spaceship.


    ''Both creatures my Souls have killed were on the Infant Rank, so they shouldn''t have been the strongest ones in this area, right?'' Nash thought, but no matter how far away he went, even after walking double the mile he planned originally, he met no beasts much less any living being!


    Except for the emerald green scenery that could easily rival the legendary place from one of the human''s ancient legends, the Eden, no living or moving being could be seen!


    ''Even though this place seems gorgeous, the more I look at it, the more it feels terrifying for some reason.'' Nash thought and after glancing around for a bit more, he decided to check out the other directions.


    But just as before, the scenery didn''t change at all even if he went south, east, or west. No living animals, no existing beasts that craved for blood, and nothing. Only greenness together with the gentle breeze that caressed his face and hair ever so slightly.


    "Okay... this is weird..." said Nash, somewhat confused as he didn''t know if he should feel happy or not.


    If there were no creatures it meant he couldn''t kill and obtain Domination Points, but at the same time, it also meant his and other humans'' lives were in safety and he doesn''t have to feel worried, or at least not yet.


    Thus, after checking the whole surroundings for a second time and finding nothing, Nash could only sigh and go back to the spaceship with a kind of disappointed complexion.


    "You are ba-, huh? You look depressed. Did something happen?" Uncle Ben, who waited outside the spaceship, once saw Nash''s approaching figure became extremely happy, even sighed with relief, but his joy was completely washed away the moment he noticed his nephew''s complexion.


    "Huh? Oh! Yeah, sorry I was just deep in thought." waved Nash his hand around, showing he was perfectly fine, then after taking a deep breath he proceeded on explaining what happened.


    Once he reached the end of his story, he saw as Uncle Ben beamed with excitement and said quickly, "That is great news, no? Why do you feel depressed because of this? It''s only made our plan even easier!"


    "I know, but still..." sighed Nash and shook his head helplessly before saying, "I just thought finding and fighting with creatures would help me expand my knowledge over this power of mine, but alas..."


    Seeing his bittersweet smile, Uncle Ben quickly patted Nash on the shoulder and said, "Well, I think I know how you feel, but you need to understand that you are currently the only one who we can count on. I already said this but if yo-"


    "Eh?"


    However, just as Uncle Ben could have finished his sentence, suddenly the crimson sun on the sky turned abyss black, enveloping the entire planet in almost pitch-black darkness!


    "What is happening? Why did the sun suddenly turn black?" Nash asked loudly, but he got no answer as no one knew the answer, not even Revio who brought them onto this planet.

 Chapter 21 - Black Sun

    Darkness enveloped the entire planet and Nash watched as the only thing he was able to see was only inside a twenty meters radius, while anything outside that range would vanish in the dense, fog-like darkness.


    "Hey, what is happening here? Why did everything turn so dark?" a guy from the spaceship walked out with somewhat trembling legs, feeling kind of anxious about the sudden change of events.


    Nash turned to look at the guy and was ready to answer, but suddenly his eyes narrowed into a slit while his body moved like a flash.


    Whoosh!


    "Wha-"


    Slice!


    "!?"


    The guy watched as Nash suddenly appeared before him and pushed him right back onto the spaceship, while the place where he just wanted to step on now had three deep and wide cracks, almost as if a beast swung its claws right there!


    Yet, no matter where the guy looked at, except for the dense darkness, he saw nothing at all much less a creature that could have threatened his life just now!


    "On the board! Now!" Nash quickly yelled at the still dazed Uncle Ben, who immediately snapped back from his daze and began to run toward the spaceship.


    However, just as he took two steps, Nash noticed a slight movement right behind his uncle, causing him to quickly order, "Protect him!"


    Whoosh!


    And just a second later as his voice fell, a cold glint flashed right above Uncle Ben''s head, but just as it could have had the chance to slice him up, Erys appeared from the side, her hand already holding her sword.


    Clang!


    Like metal hitting against a steel wall, Erys'' weapon easily repealed what seemed the end for Uncle Ben, and proceeded to run behind him while continuously deflecting every attempt of the unknown beast that still tried to kill Uncle Ben from somewhere in the darkness.


    But luckily, as Erys was two whole ranks above the Infant Rank, it didn''t pose her a problem to defend Uncle Ben.


    "Are you okay?" asked Nash once Uncle Ben safely reached the board, but his gaze was still firmly fixed on the surroundings he could limitedly see.


    "Y-Yeah... I''m fine. But let''s close the entrance quickly before anything else could happen." replied Uncle Ben and without hesitation closed the gate once Revio and Nash''s Souls were all on the ship.


    However, this somewhat made Nash confused as he noticed that except for trying to kill the guy in the beginning and Uncle Ben, the unknown creature didn''t attempt to assault them again, almost as if they feared to approach or just simply waited for another chance to come.


    Furthermore, the creature only tried to kill those without power, showing that it had a level of intelligence as it seemed to realize it didn''t stand a chance against the Souls much less with Erys.


    Once the gate closed and everyone was safe, Nash pulled the guy up from the ground before he glanced at Revio with an ice-cold complexion.


    "Wish to explain yourself? And don''t even dream about telling me a lie as you can go straight to hell then!"


    "Eh?" Revio turned shocked, but as he noticed Nash''s narrowed eyes that stared daggers at him, his body began to tremble unwittingly, feeling as though he will lose his head if he gives an unsatisfactory answer.


    Thus, with an averted gaze, as he dared not to look straight at Nash, Revio forcefully gulped down the saliva in his mouth and shook his head, "I don''t know. We never recorded such a phenomenon and also this is my first time seeing it myself."


    ''...''


    Nash stared at Revio for quite a while, but as he knew he told him the truth as his Domination Art forced him to do so, he just sighed and averted his gaze no longer caring about him.


    "Go and tell the others that no one is allowed to leave the ship until I say so. We don''t know yet what this black sun is, let alone the beast that lurks out there. We will wait and se-"


    "Anna? Where is my Anna? Did any of you see her?"


    Just as Nash could have finished talking, suddenly, a woman around the age of fifty approached their group, her worried gaze continuously glancing around the place, seemingly looking for someone.


    "Anna?" Uncle Ben asked with a slightly raised brow which made the woman nod immediately before saying, "Anna, my daughter. She told me she will go away for a bit, but I can''t find her anywhere on this ship even after hours. And now that this black sun appeared... I can''t stop feeling this awful uneasiness in my chest."


    When Nash heard this, his complexion stiffened in a wink, while Uncle Ben''s face didn''t seem better at all. Both instantly understood that if Anna was not on this spaceship then the only place she could be was outside!


    "Stay here and don''t leave the ship no matter what, not even if the black sun vanishes. I will go and find her." Nash said to everyone present and was about to turn around when suddenly his arm was grabbed by Uncle Ben.


    "What are you doing? We don''t even know if she is truly outside or not! Maybe she just hid somewhere on this ship and we only need to find her."


    Hearing Uncle Ben''s statement Nash glanced at Revio before asking, "Is there any place where one can hide without getting found?"


    Revio surprisingly nodded and said, "In truth, there is one place, the vents. However, if the individual is not a 3 years old kid, it''s indeed impossible to hide on this ship without getting caught by others."


    "Then we have nothing to discuss here." nodded Nash as he wanted to step forward, but was stopped by Uncle Ben once again.


    This caused his brows to lower into a deep frown and say, now in a somewhat annoyed tone, "I hope you know that every second is extremely precious currently. I can''t waste time or else she will die!"


    "But what about the creature outside? Hell, you don''t even know how many are there let alone their full strength! And you want to risk your life? Now?"


    He then said, "Remember Nash! If you die, who will protect us? How will we survive if a hord of creatures decide to attack us? You must think before doing something so rush!"


    "Yes, I thought over these things already and not only twice, but thrice! So my decision will not change..."


    After taking a deep breath, he then continued, "I will go and save Anna. As you said, I am currently the only one capable of protecting you and everyone else here. Then tell me, who will save her if not me? You or any of the rest?"


    Pulling his arm off from his uncle''s hold, Nash walked before the button on the side and smashed it with his fist somewhat strongly, opening the gate before him right away.


    "You stay here and protect the others if anything seems to happen. As for the rest of you, follow me.." Nash told Revio with an indifferent tone before pressing the button again and once the gate was ready to close tightly shut he jumped outside with Erys and his five Souls following him closely from behind.

 Chapter 22 - Ancient Particle

    Once his feet touched the ground outside the spaceship, Nash glanced around with an already raised guard, while his five Souls waited for his command behind him motionlessly together with Erys on his side.


    Nash''s eyes moved slowly from side to side, examining the darkness around him with a sharp gaze, almost as if he tried to see through the dense fog-like darkness.


    ''Interesting... Even though I am here, without a weapon and armor, it didn''t attack me even though I am the weakest of us.'' thought Nash, his brows lowered into a deep frown.


    When even minutes after nothing seemed to happen, Nash shifted his gaze at Erys as he was about to ask her a question, but it was exactly then as a cold flash appeared from the other side, targeting his neck with insane speed.


    Clang!


    Like a ghost that manifested out of thin air, Erys appeared on Nash''s side, her sword protecting his body from being sliced up into mincemeat!


    "Eh? But why?" Erys seemed shocked by her actions as she didn''t plan to defend Nash from the attack at all! Her body moved completely out of her control, almost as if she was abruptly possessed by someone!


    Even Nash was shocked to see this as he wouldn''t have thought Erys would save his life willingly as he clearly understood she hated him deeply.


    [Your life is in immediate crisis! All beings attached by Lost Strings shall protect you at all cost!]


    ''So that''s why... I almost belived she took a liking of me, but seems I was wrong.'' Nash sighed, but couldn''t ponder for too long as another cold flash appeared, this time from the complete opposite side!


    Clang!


    [Your life is in immediate crisis! All beings attached by Lost Strings shall protect you at all cost!]


    However, his death was prevented once again thanks to Erys, who still looked shocked by her inability of taking full control over her body!


    Nash however didn''t look shocked nor startled, but instead felt great joy as this was extremely great news! It seemed whenever his life was in extreme danger that he couldn''t avoid, those that he had control over would jump and save him without him ordering them to do so!


    It was like having several bodyguards that he could not only control in an absolute way, but they even sacrificed themselves for him just for him to remain alive!


    And what was better than a bodyguard like that? An ultimate bodyguard like Erys, someone on the Warmaster Rank that could demolish planets just with her strength alone! With someone like her around, Nash had nothing to fear at all!


    Hence, his eyes turned cold, and glanced in several directions before waving his hand.


    "Find it."


    Whoosh!


    In a blink, all five Souls behind him burst forward like lightning, each approaching a different spot in the darkness, hoping to find the one that tried to kill their dominator, Nash!


    Meanwhile, Nash simply waited in one place, his gaze firmly fixed on the five strings that were attached to his fingers.


    And just as he thought, a few seconds later, Nash felt as his Essence suddenly decreased a bit, while one of the black strings slightly vibrated and turned back to normal the next second.


    "This way!" Nash didn''t hesitate and began to run where the Soul which was attacked was, while Erys followed him closely behind.


    Even the other four Souls in the far distance began to move toward his direction, even though they didn''t hear nor knew where he was!


    Running at full speed, which thanks to his Level 6 Legacy was exceptionally fast, almost four times faster than a normal human''s, Nash reached the spot where his Soul was and watched as it was in the middle of a battle with a creature he has never seen before.


    It was a beast with similar features that his Souls have killed but with the sole exception, it had six tails, each having a curved, blade-like tip that swung around the place from time to time, slicing the Soul into several pieces in seconds!


    Watching this, Nash waved his hand and the very next second four shadows leaped at the beast simultaneously.


    "ROOOAAAR!!"


    A thunderous roar resounded in the air the moment all five of Nash''s Souls plunged themselves at the beast, causing its tails to move even crazier while the trees, the bushes, and the ground around it were sliced and turned into debris in no time!


    Not even the five Souls were spared from this barrage of the onslaught, but because they were literally immortal thanks to Nash''s essence, they could regenerate their body parts without delay and proceed on killing the beast!


    However, no matter how close they got or how many angles they tried to approach it, the Souls were always pushed back, even sliced into several pieces at that time.


    "Give them the weapons," Nash told Erys, who immediately followed his order and summoned three weapons, the ones that were used back on Azure Planet to kill the Sky Beasts.


    The instant the three Sky Beast Souls noticed the weapons on their sides grabbed hold of their hilts and began to approach the beast once again.


    Clang!


    Clang!


    Clang!


    The sound of metal sounded every time the beast''s tails whacked into the weapons, causing the surroundings to become even more chaotic than previously!


    Nash watched the fight from a safe distance, but the longer he watched the fight the deeper his frown became.


    "What Rank is that beast on? It''s not above the Infant Rank, yet it can compete with five Infant Rank Souls at once?" Nash asked loudly, as the sight didn''t make sense for him.


    "That Beast is an Evolved Creature." Erys said, and when she saw Nash''s gaze she continued, "Evolved Creatures, just like their names imply, are beasts that evolved through some odd reason or simply because they were lucky enough."


    She then continued, "They could have evolved by eating a mutated plant''s seed or simply because the amount of Ancient Particle they have consumed at the moment the Ancient Path was opened caused their genes, their cells, and their whole body to alter and evolve into a far greater being among their species."


    "Ancient Particle? What is that?" Nash raised his right brow upon hearing the unknown word, his interest piqued.


    "What is an Ancient Particle?" Erys looked deep in thoughts, but in the end, just a deep sigh escaped her mouth before she shook her head.


    "Not even I, nor those that try to unearth its real purpose and origin even until this very moment really knows to be honest. The only thing that is known so far is that it is a special element, a component that could be found everywhere. Let it be in the air, in the water, in space, or inside the soil, once the Ancient Path had been opened in the dimension, one will be able to find and detect it with the required tools."


    Then, she glanced at the beast that was still in a heated fight with the Souls and continued, "Though, one thing was discovered indeed. Once the Ancient Path was opened, the whole dimension will be flooded with these Ancient Particles, causing the race or races in their universe to obtain their Legacy, while also making the animals and plants become fearsome beasts and creatures with unique and terrifying powers."


    "However, during this ''transformation'' process, where the little puppy will turn into a two meters large hound, there is this tiny chance where the number of Ancient Particles their bodies consume result in a so-called evolution or even worse, a mutation."


    "Lucky for you, this beast only happened to become an Evolved Beast, if not, and it would have turned out to be a Mutated Beast, neither you nor I would breathe right now."


    "I see, I somewhat understand now." Nash nodded and stared at the fight for a while before shaking his head.


    "Then I guess this won''t do it so go and kill it."


    ''...''


    Erys stared at Nash with an indifferent expression, somewhat feeling slightly irritated by the way he just casually ordered her around, but alas, the power she was already used to, forced her to move, and before she realized it she was already next to the creature in the very next instant!


    "ROOAAR!!"


    The beast immediately got alerted by the abrupt appearance of Erys and even swung one of its tails at her, but unfortunately, its opponent this time was far away from the level of the Souls it fought.


    "Die!" Erys said coldly as she felt disgusted that such a weak creature dared to attack her and swung her sword.


    Swish!


    BOOOM!

 Chapter 23 - Mysterious Place

    The whole surroundings were shaken by Erys'' merciless attack while the beast''s body was cleanly sliced in half as if it was tofu before hot knife!


    ''...''


    Nash stared at the place where the once mighty beast stood and couldn''t help but admire Erys'' strength once again. Just like when he first saw her demolishing an entire mountain back in Azure Planet, the sight as she killed an Evolved Beast that was feared by many as easily as it was nothing more but a mere chicken made him look forward to the future where he reaches her rank and surpasses her!


    [Target''s body has decayed!]


    [Target''s {Soul} has been freed!]


    [Attaching {Death String} on target now possible!]


    [Warning! You have reached your maximum limit! Attachment is currently impossible!]


    ''...''


    Nash remained silent once he heard the voice in his head and soon asked, "Can I replace this Soul with one of my current ones?"


    [Yes, you can.]


    ''How?''


    [Just simply grab and sever whichever {Death String} you wish to cut!]


    ''It''s that easy?'' Nash was seemingly surprised by the simplicity but still did as he was told and grabbed one of the black strings that were attached to one of the beast Souls in the distance.


    As he didn''t want to lose this chance and collect a Soul that was so powerful, he didn''t even think twice before tightly grabbing the black string and with the desire to cut it off from his finger he ripped it off!


    [You have severed your attachment with one of your Souls!]


    [Severed Soul now will be obliterated from both the living and dead!]


    Swish!


    The Soul which was unfortunately chosen by Nash quickly turned into several abyss black particles, while the blacks string that only Nash was capable of seeing, gradually faded away.


    Meanwhile, Nash waved his hand and grabbed the floating black string before his face, causing the black smoke to rise from the corpse in the distance and gradually solidify into the previous creature that Erys had killed.


    Nash watched the terrifying Soul with a brightened expression, feeling happiness over the fact he was able to collect such an absolutely scary and strong Soul.


    After inspecting it for a few more minutes, Nash turned his gaze away and waved his hand before ordering his Souls to look for a human girl.


    Whoosh!


    Once all the Souls vanished in the darkness in search of the little girl, Nash glanced at Erys who still stood beside the Evolved Beast''s corpse, but her gaze was fixed on something on the ground.


    "What happened? Did you find something?" Nash walked next to her who shifted her gaze at him before pointing at the ground where nothing seemed to be.


    "Underground... There is something below us."


    "Below us?" Nash raised his brow and glanced at the ground with no hole or gap that could indicate there was something below them.


    "How do you know it? And what is down there?"


    Erys looked at Nash with a nonchalant complexion before shaking her head and saying, "Because I am on a higher rank than you it''s only obvious my senses are much better than yours. As for what is down there, I can''t tell it except something is emitting a powerful aura."


    Nash remained silent once Erys stopped talking and glancing at the still five black strings that were attached to his fingers, he pondered for a while before asking, "How can we get down there?"


    Although he should search for Anna because of the unknown dangers, Nash knew that except for this Evolved Beast there will be no more threats as he would have been already attacked, just like how he or Uncle Ben got the very moment this Black Sun happened to emerge.


    Furthermore, a hunch told him that the Evolved Beast came up from below the surface when the Black Sun appeared as he has checked a twenty miles radius around the ship and he would have met with it, yet, he didn''t.


    As for the possibility of Anna accidentally getting lost and finding herself down there from where such a terrifying creature emerged... Nash tried not to think about it and hoped she was somewhere above the surface as his Souls can easily find her then.


    "There is only a single entrance not far away from here. Do you want me to take you there?" Erys asked Nash, but alas, even without him talking she already knew the answer.


    And just as she thought, Nash indeed nodded.


    "Yeah, please."


    -


    -


    -


    In the meantime, several thousands of lightyears away from the planet where currently Nash and the others were, a huge spaceship could be seen moving from planet to planet, with hundreds of smaller ones following it from behind.


    "Argh... Just how long are we planning on staying inside this low dimension?" a humanoid creature with crimson hair and eyes groaned with a frown, expressing his frustration to the one on his side, who seemed to be exceptionally strong thanks to his bulging muscles on his body.


    "As long as Lord Amael does not tell us to stop. You clearly know why we are here and why we do this and so do I, so quit whining and shut your mouth close if you don''t want me to help you instead!" said the other creature, its complexion rather annoyed as his companion so far did nothing but complaint for more than three weeks!


    "Of course I know the reason but that doesn''t mean we shouldn''t get at least a bit of rest a few times, right?" asked the creature with a bitter smile, which at his comrade''s eye only twitched in obvious annoyance.


    "If you have so many complaints why don''t you just go and tell them to Lord Amael straight away?" asked the creature, shifting his now narrowed gaze at his comrade.


    "Did you go fucking insane? What do you think I am? A fucking clown?"


    And just as a slight argument was ready to break out between the two, suddenly the door on the sides opened with a loud sound, and a humanoid creature with a well-built body, deep blood red hair, and with eyes akin to a pair of rubies walked in, several other creatures akin to bodyguards following him closely from behind him.


    "Lord Amael!"


    Both creatures stood up abruptly, their faces turning rock solid from the mixture of nervousness and seriousness as the one standing before them was their King''s most loyal servant, Lord Amael, an existence that had many terrifying rumors that could put fear into many of the outer race''s hearts just with his name alone!

 Chapter 24 - Underground Palace

    Both creatures stood motionlessly on the side while their forehead slowly formed sweat from nervousness.


    Meanwhile, the creature called Lord Amael glanced around the room that was filled with junk and signs of card games, sneered, and asking, "Report. Now!"


    "Yes, Sir! Right away!" the creature whose face looked annoyed just a second ago stepped forward and waved his hand.


    Swish!


    "So far we have searched 2734 planets, including ones that were recorded as desolated planets, but so far we acquired no results." the creature explained with a nonchalant face as he showed several data on a hologram.


    However, this answer seemed unsatisfactory for Lord Amael as his body quickly started to leak killing intent, which immediately caused both creatures to tremble in fear and almost piss themselves right on the spot!


    They knew, right now a single bad word could cause their demise, no question about it!


    Silence with a heavy atmosphere was the only thing that resided in the room for a long while before Lord Amael hastily calmed himself down and said, "Go back to work and continue your search! Until you don''t find her, none of you will leave this room or I will personally sever your heads off your bodies!"


    "We dare not to, Lord Amael!" both creatures kneeled onto the floor with lowered heads, their bodies shaking like leaves in a cold autumn night.


    "Hmph! Also, you have one week to get results or I will make sure you won''t see daylight ever again!"


    "Yes, my Lord!"


    Once Lord Amael finished with his talk and walked away with his men, both creatures stood up with cold sweat still covering their bodies and immediately started to work with thrice as much energy as previously!


    -


    -


    -


    On the green planet that was now engulfed in abyss darkness thanks to the black sun that appeared out of nowhere, Erys quickly moved among the woods while Nash followed her closely from behind.


    "How far are we from the entrance?" Nash asked Erys while running around the trees, but to his surprise, exactly as he asked his question they arrived before a huge cave which entrance was inside a small hill''s side.


    It looked rather average as its width was three meters while its height was a bit more than four meters.


    "This way," Erys told Nash and quickly walked forward.


    Nash, on the other hand, took a glance at the strings attached to his fingers, but as they seemed perfectly fine he sighed with relief. It seemed his doubt was indeed right, and except for that Evolved Beast that was killed, no other creatures lurked outside.


    "Just make sure to find the little girl and when you do, bring her back to me." Nash talked into thin air, but for some strange reason, he felt as a power traveled through the strings, delivering his desire to his Souls without a problem.


    After he said that, he followed Erys into the cave, quickly vanishing into the darkness.


    "It''s pretty dark in here. Do you have anything we can use as a source of light?" Nash asked Erys who nodded and took out an item from her spatial ring.


    It was a small, almost a fist-sized orb, with a yellow color. Once it was in her grasp, Erys shook it with a gentle motion which as a result made it float up into the air and became bright almost like a miniature sun!


    "What item is that? I have never seen it before." Nash asked curiously as he found this item rather useful.


    If he would have had this item during his mining time where he spent his days inside dark caves with almost no source of light, with this little orb on his side he could have been more proficient and wouldn''t have starved for days for no reason!


    "It is called Sun Crystal, a World Grade Treasure that is on the 5th Class." Erys answered and quickly added, "It can only illuminate the surroundings with its light, so it is pretty useless except for using as a torch."


    "I wouldn''t call that as useless, but whatever." Nash shook his head, and proceeded on following Erys in silence.


    Both walked deeper into the unknown without talking, and soon the scene before them expanded as they have arrived at this insanely enormous open space which was big enough to fit their spaceship in whole!


    However, they couldn''t care about something so insignificant like that, as the sight inside this massive space shocked them to speechlessness instead!


    "T-This? Didn''t Revio tell us this planet was desolated? Then how come this is here?" Nash asked loudly, his eyes wide as saucers and his jaw slightly loose thanks to shock.


    Before him and Erys, an entire building that looked like a palace stood in its full glory before them, while high above this obvious man-made palace several orange crystals shone brightly, glowing with bright orange light!


    Though, what startled Nash the most was not this, but the fact that the building was perfectly in fine condition without any cracks or damaged parts on its well-built and decorated exterior. Even green grass, trees, and bushes grew around the palace, which was in perfect shape as if they were just cut by a professional gardener about a day ago!


    Even Erys seemed to be at a loss of words upon seeing this, she too unable to find the words she wanted to say.


    BOOM!


    "!?"


    While the two were mesmerized by the sight before them, suddenly a loud explosion occurred from somewhere inside the palace, shaking the entire cave with a slight tremor!


    "What happened?" Nash quickly asked Erys who stared at the palace with narrowed eyes and a serious face.


    After a while, she tightened her grip around her sword and said, "This place... is much more dangerous than I have first thought."


    Nash looked confused, but as he saw Erys'' serious face that looked rather anxious, he knew things were indeed dire.


    Anything that could make Erys, a being on the Warmaster Rank, must be extremely terrifying without a question! Just the thought of what could reside in there made Nash swallow nervously!


    After thinking, Nash decided not to ponder any longer and ask, "What did you see? What was that explosion just a moment ago?"


    Erys wanted to remain silent and observe the palace for a little bit longer, but because of Nash''s power, she couldn''t do a thing but answer obediently.


    "This place is not only full of creatures that are on the top of the Infant Rank, but there are even a few that have reached the Warrior Rank."


    Nash raised a brow when he heard this as he didn''t understand why this was such a big deal or shocking, as for Erys, they were only mere ants.


    However, he shortly understood her worry as she quickly continued to talk.


    "Though, the most troubling aspect about all this is not those, but that sole ''thing'' in the center of this palace. I can''t quite make it out what kind of creature it is, but guessing just from its presence alone it must be on the Warmaster Rank if not above it!"


    Nash remained silent as he stared at Erys with a nonchalant look, but soon his mouth opened and the only thing that came out of it was...


    "....Say what?"

 Chapter 25 - Finding Anna

    Nash stared at the palace before him with a nervous look, not knowing what he should do.


    Though, after pondering for several minutes in deep silence, he glanced at Erys and asked, "Can you see if she is in there or not?"


    Even though he felt his body carving to know what mystery resided inside that palace except for that creature that Erys talked about a few moments ago, Nash was no fool to enter a territory where not even Erys felt safe.


    Thus why he asked Erys to see if Anna was inside the palace or not, as he could avoid risking his life for no special reason.


    After hearing his question, Erys closed her eyes before suddenly her body began to emit an extraordinary but invisible power that enveloped the entire palace akin to a blanket.


    And it wasn''t long before she opened her eyes and sighed, seemingly filled with relief.


    "Luckily, she is not in there. That place is only filled with creatures and nothing else."


    Nash seemed to be at ease when he heard Erys, but soon his complexion turned troubled once again.


    ''Then where could have she gone to?''


    After a while, Nash decided to leave the underground palace and search for Anna elsewhere.


    However, not even before he could have left the cave where they entered, one of his Sky Beast Souls stood in one place, his hand holding a little girl''s hand firmly, but not too powerfully.


    "Good job!" Nash felt joy the moment he saw that Anna was finally found and she was safe, thus he quickly kneeled before her and asked, "How are you feeling? Any injuries?"


    "Un! He saved me from a few ugly dogs, so I am okay!" grinned the little girl happily, and quickly went to clinch onto the Soul''s leg akin to a little panda to a bamboo tree.


    ''Ugly dogs? Does she mean those creatures that appeared the first time?'' Nash pondered and decided to ask, "Those ugly dogs... Where did you see them?"


    "I don''t know, but it wasn''t far away from the ship."


    ''Not far away? That should be impossible. I searched the whole proximity and found no creatures in a twenty miles radius, so how come she was attacked by one? This is weird...''


    Nash pondered in silence for several minutes before deciding to put the matter aside and turned to look at Anna with a calm smile.


    "Before we go back to the spaceship, can you tell me how did you get outside?"


    "Un! When we first departed the ship mom and I decided to play hide and seek. I told her I will hide on the ship, but in truth, I chose to hide outside so it would be more fun!"


    "However..." and as he reached this point, Anna turned angry and continued, "That black sun appeared out of nowhere and everything went dark! It ruined our fun!"


    "And why didn''t you go back to the spaceship? You know your mother was worried about you, right?" Nash asked.


    Anna, however, just smiled with embarrassment and rubbed her nose.


    "Hehe, I forgot the way back to the ship. But because my mom always told me I should remain on the spot where I got lost, I decided not to wander around and hide until someone came to find me!"


    She then continued this time with a little bit of fear in her eyes, "Then those ugly dogs appeared and almost found me. But luckily for him, I was saved, so thank you, mister!"


    Once again, Anna hugged the Soul''s leg tightly and merrily, making the Soul glance down at her with an expressionless face.


    Nash and Erys seeing Anna''s behavior looked surprised and confused, thinking that she was a little bit strange. If it would have been any other kid, then they were pretty sure they would have gotten scared from those creatures, yet she acted as though nothing happened at all. This stunned both of them deeply.


    Sometime later, Nash smiled once again before rubbing Anna''s head gently and saying, "You are quite the brave one, you know that, right?


    "Hehe."


    After that, Nash ordered the rest of his Souls back and brought Anna back to the spaceship, where her mother broke into tears the moment she finally got back her daughter, who she believed to be dead.


    "Thank you... thank you very much! I can''t express just how grateful am I for bringing my daughter back!" the mother told Nash among tearful eyes, her arms tightly hugging Anna as though she feared she will disappear again if she lets her go.


    Nash just smiled seeing this and turned to look at Revio, who looked somewhat disappointed that he was still alive.


    "You. Didn''t you tell me this planet was a desolate one? How come we have found an underground palace, which was filled with terrific creatures?"


    Nash used his power to control Revio, giving him no chance at all to tell him any lies.


    "Underground palace? I truly didn''t know anything like that was existing on this planet, I swear!" Revio turned pale when he saw Nash''s ice-cold gaze, feeling as though he was watched by not a young boy but the grim reaper himself, and his life was ready to be taken away at any given moment!


    Nash decided to glare at Revio for a little bit longer, but alas, as he knew Revio had no chance at all to lie to him, he sighed helplessly and waved his hand.


    "Whatever. But once this black sun vanishes, you will come with me to that place. Maybe you will recognize it and know a few things about it."


    After saying that, Nash turned to look at Uncle Ben and asked, "Can you please call everyone here? I have a few important matters to announce."


    Uncle Ben nodded and went to get everyone.


    After a few minutes, when everyone was gathered Nash nodded and spoke in a calm and clear voice.


    "From this moment on, none of you are allowed to leave this ship until I say so."


    He then proceeded to say how the creatures appeared like ghosts for some unexplainable reasons, and until he does not find a solution for this problem, no one is permitted to leave the ship no matter what.


    He also told them how he found a mysterious palace below the surface, which was filled with powerful creatures, one even being on the Warmaster Rank, thus telling them an even greater reason why they should remain on the ship.


    "As things are like this, a little bit more complicated than we first believed it to be, I hope you can understand why I decided to like this."


    And to no one''s surprise, everyone agreed with Nash, some even starting to look at him with greater respect than before!

 Chapter 26 - Four Emotions

    After explaining to everyone what happened, Nash decided to go back into the practice room to further strengthen his Dimension Refining Physique with the help of Erys.


    BOOOM!


    BAM!


    KA-BOOOM!


    Continuous explosions resounded from the practice room while Nash''s body could be seen flying from side to side with terrifying speed, crashing into the special metal walls on the sides with such scary force that shook the entire cabin!


    Hours went by in a blink and with each crash, Nash felt an obvious increase in his strength, but it was still not enough. He knew that this method was no longer helping him the way it helped the first time, thus he had to find other ways.


    "Let''s stop here for today," Nash told to Erys calmly before he sat down and wiped the blood off from the corner of his mouth.


    Silence filled the cabin for quite a while, before Nash glanced up at Erys. Seeing that she stood in one place without daring to move, he felt somewhat guilty, but once he remembered what he and the rest of humanity had to go through because of the other races, he quickly threw his ''guilt'' out of the window and waved his hand.


    "Go and help my uncle. I am pretty sure he needs help as he always does."


    And thus, without an objection, Erys walked out of the practice room, leaving Nash finally alone.


    "Well then... Let me see just how exactly I can use you." Nash mumbled and quickly asked, "Can you tell me in greater detail how the four emotions work when I use the Chance String?"


    [Opening detailed context of {Passive Skill} ''Chance String!]


    "Oh? There is such a thing as detailed context?" Nash looked surprised before he quickly went to read the appearing information in his line of sight.


    {Chance String Effects}


    ? Happiness (51%-99%): Chance for Request Domination!


    ¡ã Request Domination: After triggering this ability, any request from the Dominator will be fulfilled right away!


    ? Fear (51%-99%): Chance for Death Bid!


    ¡ã Death Bid: After triggering this ability, Dominator is capable of pushing his enemies into their demise with a single word!


    ? Sadness (51%-99%): Chance for Emotion Alteration!


    ¡ã Emotion Alteration: After triggering this ability, Dominator is capable of altering his Targets'' other emotion levels to a limited amount!


    ? Anger (51%-99%): Chance for Reverse Order!


    ¡ã Reverse Order: After triggering this ability, any order from the Dominator will be fulfilled in a reversed manner!


    <The chance for triggering the ability and successfully using the Chance String is depending on the % of the Chance Level!>


    <Warning! If the Dominator failed to use a Chance String, a 1-hour cooldown will occur!>


    "Hmm...."


    Nash examined the words in silence. It seemed things were much more interesting than he initially believed them to be. And the longer he read the information, the more Nash realized just how hard it will be for him to trigger this ability on others, especially on those he will fight in the future.


    ''Although now I kind of understand how each emotion work, succeeding to trigger their chances will be still a hard thing to achive.''


    Out of the four emotions, Nash found anger the easiest to influence as with simple things such as irritation or annoyance he could effortlessly increase others'' anger level.


    However, things weren''t the same when it came to sadness or fear. Both required him to do something much more complex, such as breaking his enemy''s hope or intimidating them through different means.


    Achieving the latter one could be said was way easier than the former one, but against beings that had steel stronger willpower, all of these meant nothing.


    As for happiness, Nash knew that was the hardest thing to influence. Maybe he was able to affect the other three emotions through different means or tricks, but when things came to one''s happiness he understood he had to learn what his target''s desire was in a much greater depth.


    Happiness was one''s fruit that riped from their desire. If one obtained what they wanted then they would surely become merrier than before, but for that, knowing what they were longing for first was a must.


    ''Well, considering how this power can be used, particularly during fights, it is very likely that I will only use it when it''s a must.''


    And with that thought, Nash quickly left the training room and decided to go and check on his uncle and the rest.


    -


    -


    -


    Several days have passed in a blink and the black sun has yet to vanish from the sky, thus everyone was forced to remain inside the spaceship.


    Even Nash had no choice but to stay on the ship and do nothing but play card games day and night with his uncle, who had yet to win a single game.


    "And I won again." Nash smiled cockily as he snatched a card away from Uncle Ben''s grab, leaving his uncle with only one card that had an image of a black squid.


    "One more! Play with me just one more round! I will definitely beat you this time!" Uncle Ben slammed his single card onto the desk and started at Nash with a bulging vein visible on his forehead.


    It was pretty obvious he was angry and could hardly contain his rage which was accumulating from game to game.


    Though, Nash had no reason to look at the bulging vein to realize that his uncle was angry, as the Indicator above his head told him everything.


    {Emotion Levels}


    ? Happiness: Neutral - 0%


    ? Sadness: Neutral - 6%


    ? Fear: Neutral - 0%


    ? Anger: Chance Level - 94%


    Nash took a quick glance at his uncle''s emotional levels with a nonchalant look before shifting his gaze back at Uncle Ben and nod.


    "Sure, let''s play one more. But this time, let''s make a little bet. The loser has to eat Thomas'' cooking for a whole day!"


    Uncle Ben froze when he heard Nash and even swallowed a huge from nervousness. Out of everyone who has cooked already, Thomas was the only one who successfully created food that made numerous people sick for several days.


    Not only was his cooking hell-defyingly inedible and disgusting, but it was literally poison to the human body!


    Thus the reason why he was strictly prohibited from going near the kitchen area and was given another task to do instead of cooking.


    "I-I''m in. There is no way in hell you will win this one too. I will crush you this time for sure!" said Uncle Ben after several minutes of hesitation and quickly collected the cards from the table.


    After shuffling them together and splitting them into two portions, Uncle Ben gave one piece to him and one piece to Nash.


    "Let''s start it then. Remember, we will take cards from each other in turns and the one holding the Raven Squid in the end loses."


    Nash nodded and after seeing he was lucky enough not to get the Raven Squid in his deck, he said, "Then I will start this time."


    Nash quickly extended his arm and grabbed a card from the left side before turning it around to see which one it was. However, because it was not the Raven Squid, Nash quickly tossed it to the side and said, "Your turn."


    "Tsk..." Uncle Ben clicked his tongue with dissatisfaction and quickly grabbed one of Nash''s cards and tossed it to the side too without taking a single look at it.


    "Come!"


    Nash nodded and grabbed another card, but as it was not the Raven Squid this time either he just tossed it to the side and let his uncle grab one of his cards.


    This exchange went on for several minutes, and soon both of them remained with only two cards, the Raven Squid still in Uncle Ben''s possession.


    ''...''


    Nash looked nonchalant but it was obvious he was nervous, as his next choice will determine everything.


    Silence descended between the two and none of them talked. After thinking for a while Nash swallowed quietly and glanced up at Uncle Ben, or to be more precise above his head.


    ? Anger: Chance Level - 95%


    Seeing as he had a 95% success rate for using his Reverse Order, Nash curved his mouth upward slightly and asked, "Can you please point at the black card in your hand?"


    And right as Nash said that, a thin golden string suddenly rose from Uncle Ben''s head and attached itself to one of his fingers before the familiar voice appeared in his head.


    [Chance String has been successfully caught!]


    [Reverse Order has been triggered!]


    Right after that, Uncle Ben pointed at the card on the right, making Nash smile and grab the one on the left without a second thought.


    "You have lost... again," said Nash with a calm smile and put the cards down from his hand onto the table.


    Uncle Ben, however, still stared at the sole black card in his hold just to snap out of his daze shortly after and smash his fist against the table with all his might.


    BAM!


    "This is fuck*ng bullish*t!!"

 Chapter 27 - Decision

    Uncle Ben stood up from his seat with anger and stared down at Nash with gritted teeth. It was obvious he finally reached his patience and wanted to beat Nash up real good.


    "This does not count! I want a rematch! Now!"


    Nash just looked at the old man calmly before collecting the cards before him and smiled.


    [Target''s {Anger} reached Critical Level!]


    [Attaching {Life String} on target now possible!]


    Seeing as Uncle Ben''s anger level reached the critical notch Nash shook his head and sighed, "No matter how many more turns we will play, one or a hundred, the result will be the same. Just admit you have lost."


    "YOU!!!" Uncle Ben hissed with a scarily low tone before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, calming himself down.


    Nash watched this sight with a slight smile, but deep inside he was wondering with awe.


    ''So he can''t remember I have manipulated on his decision?''


    What Nash noticed was that the moment he used his Chance String, his uncle seemed to ignore it even after many minutes. It was a weird and shocking revelation, but if it was true, it made Nash feel excited as in the future he will be able to control anyone indirectly without their suspicion!


    ''Well, just to make sure my guess is correct...'' Nash cleared his throat and glanced at his uncle before gesturing toward the chair.


    "Okay, then come. Sit down and let''s play one more round."


    [Chance String has been successfully caught!]


    [Reverse Order has been triggered!]


    Just like before, a thin golden string attached itself to Nash''s finger from Uncle Ben''s head before the voice appeared in his head, indicating the Chance String had been successfully activated.


    Uncle Ben stayed in one place as he gazed at the deck in Nash''s hand in silence before sneering and waving his hand with a rather annoyed expression.


    "You know what? I changed my mind! I don''t wanna play with something so trash, so let''s forget it!"


    ''So it''s right, huh?'' Nash felt joy by his new revelation, but pretended not to be happy and instead raised a brow before asking, "You sure? Then I hope you know that you have to eat Thomas'' food for a whole day, right?"


    Uncle Ben was silent but when he saw the sole black card on the table he snorted and turned around to leave.


    "Fuck Thomas and fuck his food!"


    Nash shook his head helplessly as he watched Uncle Ben leaving the room with outrage as if he was a little kid who couldn''t accept his defeat.


    Meanwhile, somewhere else inside the spaceship, a young man was calmly cleaning an aisle alone when his moments froze still as he felt something cold suddenly sweep through his entire body and couldn''t help but look around with a nervous complexion.


    -


    -


    -


    After winning his bargain against his uncle, Nash decided to see what his challenges for today were.


    {Domination Quests}


    /Kill 20 enemies with your Souls!/


    ? Killed Enemies: 0/20


    ~Reward~


    ? 15 Domination Points


    ===


    /Kill 3 Infant Rank enemy without help!/


    ? Killed Enemy: 0/3


    ~Rewards~


    ? 25 Domination Points


    ===


    /Manipulate successfully a being through a Chance String!/


    ? Successful manipulation: 1/1


    ~Rewards~


    ? 25 Domination Points


    <Domination Quests change every 24 hours!>


    ''The same again, huh?'' Nash sighed inwardly.


    Although it was stated that his quests will change every 24 hours, except for the amount he has to do the quests were the same. Kill creatures with and without the help of his soul while using his Chance String on someone.


    Of course, Nash kind of figured out why it was like this. Or to be honest, even an idiot would realize after a few days.


    ''Until I don''t increase my strength or my ability''s level, no newer quests will appear.'' Nash tapped on the table''s surface gently while he closed his eyes to ponder.


    Tap... Tap... Tap...


    Seconds ticked quietly before Nash opened his eyes and stood up with determination shining in his eyes.


    ''It''s decided. I will clear all the creatures from that place and make it our headquarters!''


    With that solid decision in mind, Nash gathered everyone in the spaceship to him and explained to them his plan. Of course, when he reached the end of his plan, no one looked happy but worried as just as Uncle Ben told once, Nash was the only one with the strength to protect them from the lurking dangers.


    If he dies, it meant their deaths too!


    "How sure you are about this? Are you confident in taking down that creature?" one asked the question from the crowd, which at many shifted their curious, but worried gazes at Nash.


    Nash felt slightly touched by how much the people worried about his safety and well-being, but hid that emotion deep behind a confident smile and nod.


    "Of course as I won''t fight alone!"


    Although everyone knew that Erys was the strongest among them and even saw how she obligated a whole mountain and an army with a sole swing of her sword, they could never know what the future held for them.


    As the saying went, there was always a bigger fish! But alas, as Nash has already decided on what he will do, they could do nothing but pray for the gods to help him.


    After discussing a few matters with the people, Nash told Uncle Ben he will be in charge of protecting everyone while he was away as he will take Revio with him too. If for some any unfortunate reason he would be killed, meaning anyone he controlled so far would be freed from his ability, he didn''t wish to leave Revio behind as he would definitely kill everyone in the spaceship.


    "Well then, wish me the best of luck." Nash smiled when everything was prepared and without further ado left the spaceship with Revio, Erys, and with his five Souls in the tag.


    The eight of them ran through the forest while the dark sun was still high up in the sky, enveloping everything almost into complete darkness, but except that, they met with no difficulty on their way at all.


    Once they arrived before the cave entrance, they walked inside, and was not long before they found themselves in the spacious underground area with the huge palace in the center.


    Nash examined the surroundings with a nonchalant expression and soon nodded.


    "Let''s clear the outside first before we go inside. Go!"


    Revio nodded even though he didn''t wish to, and together with the Souls, he began to fight and slaughter the Infant Rank creatures one by one.


    In the meantime, Nash began to walk toward the palace''s entrance with Erys on his side with a silver sword in his grasp which he got from Erys.


    Although it was merely a World-Grade weapon on the 2nd Class, Nash felt no reason to complain as there was no better weapon than this. And even if there would have been, he would have given it to one of his souls as in his hand they would be only a waste as he didn''t know how to use any weapon properly.


    The only thing he was able to do was swing them around as the only movement he learned to do was swinging the pickaxes from time to time without almost any rest.


    That is why, he would rather give a stronger weapon to one of his souls instead of keeping them to himself, to someone who doesn''t even know the basic movements of a weapon! Or at least, he would do this until he does not learn how to use weapons to a degree where it does not remain a stick in his hand, but a tool that could at least injure others!


    ''I should find a proper weapon and technique to master as soon as possible. I can''t just keep on depending on my Souls and the rest, I have to learn how to fight too..'' Nash thought calmly as he decided on what to do if he succeed in conquering the palace.

 Chapter 28 - Emerald Palace

    Nash walked calmly toward the palace while his eyes surveyed the happenings in the distance.


    Revio was fighting a few creatures that represented a hybrid between a dog and a lion while the tip of their tails and fur around their necks blazed with green fire. Luckily, all of them were only at the Infant Rank, thus Revio was able to kill them without much difficulty.


    The same went for his Souls too. Each of his Souls was fighting many creatures alone, while the one with the six tails slaughtered tens of beasts at the same time as if it was mowing grass!


    ''Not bad.'' Nash complimented the sight he was seeing, as this was the very first time he saw his six-tailed Soul in action.


    And what to say... It did not disappoint him at all. Just like how fierce it was against him when it was still alive, its brutal and vicious nature didn''t leave and was massacring everything it was seeing like a killing machine!


    ''Unfortunately, Souls cannot rank up, and sooner or later they will have to be disposed of.'' Nash sighed inwardly.


    [That is only true for the current you.]


    ''Huh? You mean if I reach a specific rank, my Souls will be able to rank up just like me?''


    [Correct.]


    Nash fell silent, but quickly became excited and opened his Domination Quests.


    {Domination Quests}


    /Kill 20 enemies with your Souls!/


    ? Killed Enemies: 20/20


    ~Reward~


    ? 15 Domination Points


    ''My Souls have killed 20 creatures already?'' Nash was surprised by the speed his Souls were killing the creatures, but shortly after smiled with merry and thought, ''With this 15 Domination Points, I have a total of 40. Now I only need 60 more and this ability will class up.''


    As Nash thought about this, he noticed that they were finally standing before the palace, so raised his head and gazed at the words atop the majestic gates.


    "Emerald Palace?" Erys read out loud the words and frowned.


    "You can read those symbols?" Nash turned his head toward Erys with awe as he was yet to understand what the carvings atop the gate meant.


    "Un. There are many languages all around the dimensions, but there is only one that has such a complex form, and that is the..."


    "The Archaic Symbols," Nash said in a flash before he continued, "Then does this mean this place is as old as the Ancient Era?"


    This time Erys remained silent as she fell into deep thoughts. But soon she glanced at the gate before shaking her head gently.


    "I don''t have a clue at all. According to my knowledge, beings during the Ancient Era didn''t have such developed tools where they could have built all this. What is more, we are currently inside the Human Dimension which had been opened only for a few centuries, so it seems simply impossible."


    "Then who do you think built such a magnificent place? Or you think it was made by some secret organization or perhaps was here all along, even before we have opened the Ancient Path?" Nash asked curiously.


    However, the answer to that question was quickly disregarded by Erys who shook her head and said, "I think that is impossible. I have read several records from different races, including yours too, and there it was stated while you were capable of traveling in space, your devices were not developed enough for distant travel in space."


    "Then how do you explain this place? I am pretty sure it didn''t just pop out of thin air here one day." Nash asked.


    "I have no clue at all." Erys sighed deeply, shaking her head. She knew quite a lot of stuff about many things, including events in the past and information about races, but something like this made her feel helpless too.


    Swish!


    As the two talked, the Souls and Revio eventually appeared behind Nash, seemingly finished with their task around the palace.


    "Are you sure you have killed all?" Nash asked Revio who as a reply just simply nodded.


    "Perfect." Nash then glanced at the gate before he took a deep breath and place both of his hands on it.


    "Let''s see what this place holds for us." and with a powerful thrust, Nash pushed the gates open, revealing an even grander sight.


    Jade white floor shrouded with emerald green carpet as far as the eye could see, while many thick jade pillars decorated with emerald crystals were placed on the sides that supported the ceiling. From there, huge chandeliers, made out of emerald crystals hung one after another, each emitting a faint green light that was pleasant to the eye.


    The whole place looked grand and mysterious with the sharp contrast of white and green, making Nash feel like an ant.


    "Whoever built this place was the God of Architects!" Nash exclaimed with awe.


    After examining the hall with admiration, Nash focused his attention on the surroundings and asked, "Where are the creatures? I don''t seem to see any."


    "They are all inside the center," Erys replied as her eyes were closed. It was obvious she was using some kind of power to scan their proximity.


    "How many?"


    "About fifteen, each on the Infant Rank. However..." Erys talked before going completely silent, her delicate brows lowering into a frown.


    "What?" Nash immediately noticed her expression and asked.


    Erys didn''t reply right away but decided to stay silent for a little while longer. Only when she opened her eyes did she turn to glance at Nash and talk.


    "Something is not right. I can still feel the powerful presence, but except for those fifteen creatures, I can''t seem to find any other."


    "You can detect the presence and the area where it is coming from but not the exact source? How is that possible?" Nash frowned by the revelation, finding this rather confusing.


    Erys shifted her gaze forward where the center was located, and said, "It seems we have to find it out for ourselves."


    Thus, the group proceeded to follow the path before them, and it was not long before they arrived before another huge door, that was bigger than the entrance, and was decorated even better as every inch of it was filled with emerald and white jade crystals.


    "What is written up there?" Nash pointed at a few symbols atop the gate that seemed somewhat similar but different than the ones above the main entrance.


    Erys raised her head to get a better look and after examining the symbols for a while she said, "It says, Emerald Hall."


    "I see." Nash nodded mildly and placed both hands on the entrance with a sharp and resolute expression.


    "Here goes nothing!"

 Chapter 29 - Spider Statute

    With a powerful push, Nash opened the entrance wide, revealing what was laying inside to them in the next second.


    "A... sword?" was the first thing Nash asked the moment he saw the sight inside, his fingers tightening around his sword''s hilt slowly.


    Once the doors were opened, what showed itself before Nash and the rest was a huge hall with an even grander appearance than outside. However, the biggest shock didn''t come from the majestic look of the place, but the scenery in the very center of it.


    Fifteen sculptures, each resembling different humanoid creatures, were seated in the middle, all of them facing the very middle where a circular lifted platform with a sword implanted deep in it could be seen. However, because only its hilt was visible from a distance, Nash and the rest didn''t know what it truly looked like.


    "Those statues are alive, be careful," Erys warned Nash, her eyes scanning their surroundings to see if there were any hidden traps or danger.


    Crack!


    And just as she said those words, all fifteen statues moved in sync, turning toward their way with obvious hostility surrounding their bodies.


    "Destroy them!" Nash ordered his Souls with a sharp gaze as he pointed forward.


    Whoosh!


    Following his order, all five Souls behind Nash moved simultaneously and began to run toward the fifteen creatures with their weapons firmly in hand.


    Swish!


    The first one to reach the front of the group of statues was the six-tailed Soul, as it immediately launched an attack at the closest statue, which looked like a hybrid between a serpent and a human.


    Nash watched the first clash with an anticipated gaze, thinking the fight will be over in seconds as although the two were on the same rank, in the end, they were in two completely different realms because of the work of evolution on Nash''s Soul.


    However, sometimes reality likes to rebut one''s expectation, and in a rather harsh way on top of that.


    Just the moment the Soul could have cut the statue into two, the statue suddenly unnaturally twisted its crystal-like body to the side, barely avoiding the lethal attack, and without giving the Soul a chance to react in time it slashed its own tail at it, piercing its body right in the very middle!


    BAM!


    Watching as his strongest Soul''s body exploded into dark matter, Nash couldn''t help but widen his eyes in shock. However, that shock lingered only for a split second before a sigh of relief escaped his mouth as the Soul materialized its body back into shape in no time at all.


    ''So the amount of my essence gets depleted according to the damage done to my Souls.'' Nash thought to himself once he checked and saw his amount of essence decrease by 20 instead of the used to 10 units.


    BAM!


    And just as he thought about this, several other of his Souls exploded into nothingness before reconstructing themselves, causing Nash to frown deeply. He knew that he must act quickly or else his essence will be depleted even before he could think twice about the matter!


    "Kill them," Nash ordered Erys with an indifferent tone of voice, but quickly added, "But make sure to leave one alive."


    Erys seemed to be confused by the last part of the order, but as she had no choice but to obey, she quickly raised her weapon and took a step forward.


    Whoosh!


    With the speed that was akin to teleportation, Erys'' body blurred for a moment before she reappeared a hundred meters away at the side of one of the statues, and with a single motion cut its body into two from up to bottom!


    Swish!


    BOOM!


    The force behind the swing was so great that a powerful ripple traveled through the air, making Nash''s Souls and the remaining fourteen statues around Erys stagger several steps backward while web-like fissures formed below Erys'' sword that spread all around the place like a virus!


    "One down, more to go," Erys told herself with a nonchalant voice and locked her indifferent gaze on her next target before vanishing into thin air once again.


    Whoosh!


    Swish!


    One by one, the statues that simply overwhelmed Nash''s Souls a second ago fell onto the ground in nothing more but pieces and debris! Erys was like a ghost, zigzagging between the statues with ridiculous speed and taking their lives away without the slightest warning!


    ''Strong.'' was the only thing Nash was able to think even though knowing Erys was killing not strong foes, but ones that were below her level by two whole ranks!


    ''I am curious to see what she could do if she decides to go all out. Especially when she utilizes her Legacy.'' Nash couldn''t help but get slightly excited for the future before him.


    ...


    After killing almost all the statues except one without breaking a sweat, Nash ordered all his Souls to come back before he himself took a step forward, his gaze filled with the will for a real battle.


    Ever since he got his Legacy back thanks to it being unsealed, he wished nothing more but to test out his strength and what he was capable of doing.


    Before, if it weren''t for the black sun outside the fact that the creature was an evolved one, a much stronger enemy than a normal Infant Rank Beast, he would have tested out his power much sooner, but alas, that''s not what happened.


    However, now that he saw what the statues were capable of doing and where their limits were, Nash knew for sure that it was safe for him to push his luck and try to kill it. Maybe this fight could make him surpass the bottleneck he was currently struggling to break now for many days.


    "Stay there and make sure nothing disturbs our fight," Nash spoke loudly to all to hear and stopped walking forward when he was closer than five meters away from the statue.


    The statue, which seemed to be a human in its entirety with the sole exception of the four pairs of spider legs coming out of its back and the ten pairs of eyes on its face gazed at Nash with a motionless body, its long sword pointing toward the ground that was held in its left hand.


    Nash examined the creature with no change in his facial expression before he raised both of his hands before him and slightly bent his knees to get a much stable stance.


    "I hate spiders...." Nash said coldly and without a second thought pushed his feet against the ground and burst forward with speed akin to a bullet!

 Chapter 30 - Terrifying Strength

    Whoosh!


    Like an iron ball that had been fired out of a cannon, Nash traveled the distance between him and the statue in a blink, and in no time at all arrived before it with his fingers already clenched into a tight fist, ready to punch forward.


    "HA!"


    Putting all of his might behind the strike that his 64 points of Physical Strength and his 62 points of Agility could provide, Nash threw out a powerful punch before hitting the statue right in the middle of the chest!


    And right as he did, a sight neither Nash, Revio, nor Erys expected to see happened.


    BOOM!


    "Wha..." Nash watched with stupified expression as the statue before he exploded into small pieces of debris before getting blasted away by the mighty shockwave that his fist carried!


    Nash stood in one place with widened eyes, hardly believing that what just transpired was true and was a bit just a hallucination.


    ''Maybe this statue was the weakest among all the rest?'' such thought flashed through Nash''s mind as he couldn''t imagine otherwise how he was able to one-hit-kill something that was previously capable of surpassing his Souls.


    ''Or maybe I was completely underestimating my strength all this time?'' Nash thought to himself as he glanced at his hand with a deep pondering look.


    All this time, although he thought he had power and had strong physical strength, he never knew just how strong he truly was as he had yet to test it out wholly. However, after witnessing what happened just now, he could say it with genuine confidence that he was strong, strong to the point where only a few on the same level as him would have the chance to compete; naturally evolved and mutated beasts were not counted!


    After staying silent and pondering for a while, Nash raised his gaze and looked around. It seemed that every statue was killed, and the whole hall was cleared out from hidden dangers and enemies.


    "And here I thought I will have a hard time dealing with this statue..." Nash shook his head helplessly and without caring about the matter any longer, he began to ascend the stairs toward the platform.


    Soon, he was standing at the very top, his eyes fixed on the weapon''s hilt that was rooted deep into the platform with only its hilt visible.


    Although only the hilt was visible, Nash couldn''t help but feel that whoever crafted was an expert beyond words. The hilt''s grip was about a foot long and was wrapped up carefully in black leather while its cross-guard and its pommel shone with a bright green color, seemingly crafted from well-polished emerald.


    However, the most eye-catching factor was not its hilt, which alone emitted the expert blacksmith''s meticulous yields, but the terrifying aura that oozed out of it from time to time. The longer Nash looked at it, the more he felt his body shake unwillingly, but at the same time also felt a kind of warm and pleasant sensation getting stronger in his chest by the second!


    ''What is this feeling?'' Nash clenched his chest with a slight frown, feeling as his heartbeat became stronger and faster without any sign of calming down.


    "This weapon..." Erys who arrived onto the platform gazed at the weapon''s hilt with a slightly shocked face, immediately giving rise to Nash''s curiosity.


    "It''s this weapon, right? The one with the aura similar to a Warmaster." Nash asked, but looking at Erys'' expression there was no reason for her to respond, he knew he was right. As a fact, he long ago suspected it as besides the fifteen statues, which were only at the Infant Rank, only the weapon was present and nothing else, so it was easy to assume it.


    Erys nodded and said with slight shock on her pretty face, "Yes, this weapon is one hundred percent the source of the powerful aura, but also, it''s an Ancient Treasure!"


    "An Ancient Treasure?" Nash was confused as this was his first time hearing such a concept, while Revio''s eyes glittered scarcely before his complexion became calm once again.


    Erys naturally understood this and explained, "Ancient Treasures, items which through unknown means underwent great changes and acquired a diminutive consciousness the moment the Ancient Path was opened, giving them the chance to get stronger just like any other race throughout the dimensions."


    "Different from normal weapons, which are categorized into Grades and Class, such as World Grade and 5th Class, Ancient Weapons are categorized into different Ranks, five to be exact, which are Hollow, Arch, Imperial, Holy and Divine Rank with the first being the lowest and the last one being the highest."


    "And what Rank is this weapon on currently?" Nash asked with curiosity as he gazed at the weapon''s hilt.


    Erys fell into silence, but soon sighed and said, "It''s currently on the Arch Rank and also at its peak."


    "Really? Then does that mean it will soon surpass the Arch rank and become an Imperial Ancient Treasure?" Nash felt excited even though not understanding fully just how strong such a weapon truly was.


    "Yes." Erys nodded, but quickly added with a bittersweet smile, "However, it will take a lot of time as Ancient Treasures consume Ancient Particles to get stronger, and while Ancient Particles can be found basically everywhere as I told you before, the density is still low, especially here. If you wish to make it promoted to the next rank, you must at least go to the Ancient Dimension, or else you have to wait decades if not centuries!"


    "I see, I will keep that in mind." Nash nodded with a serious expression and without a second thought grabbed the hilt, causing his heart to beat even faster than before while the warm feeling inside his body intensified by several degrees to the point where the blood in his veins began to boil like crazy almost as if he was immensely excited!


    ''This again...'' Nash frowned as he initially believed the sensation he felt was because of the sword''s powerful aura, but now he was sure; it was not because of it.


    However, because he felt that such a feeling was not a bad thing at all and even made him feel comfortable, Nash ignored it completely and pulled the weapon out by its hilt.


    BAM!


    An almost blinding green light broke out from the weapon the moment Nash started to pull, forcing Nash, Revio, and Erys to close their eyes. However, they only kept their eyes closed for a few seconds as the moment Nash pulled the weapon out completely the light vanished with speed as fast as it appeared, leaving Nash standing on the platform with the entire weapon in hand!


    And with a rather long one too!


    "I''m not gonna lie, I didn''t expect it to be this long," mumbled Nash under his breath as he gazed at the almost 51-inch emerald sword in his grasp with awe.


    But soon, his awe quickly turned into shock then into confusion, as suddenly the entire weapon in his hand lit up with a gentle green light while crimson symbols began to form on it one by one.


    "What is happening here?" Nash looked speechless as he felt the blood in his body boil at even greater heights than previously before a voice appeared in his head.


    [Perfect Resonance between Ancient Treasure ''Soul Breaker'' and Legacy ''Dimension Refining Physique'' achieved!]


    [Blood Contract has been formed!]


    And just as those words sounded in Nash''s head, the longsword in his grasp exploded with a mixture of green and blood crimson color, painting everything in the hall with that bloom!


    BOOM!

 Chapter 31 - Soul Breaker

    A mixture of emerald green and deep crimson color soaked the entire hall while the ones in the very center of it closed their eyes in fear of getting blinded.


    ''Blood Contract and Perfect Resonance? Just what in the deep hell is happening here?'' Nash couldn''t help but think to himself and open his eyes gently once the fulgent glow finally vanished after many long-awaited seconds later.


    However, the moment he opened his eyes and saw what he was holding, he became so speechless that his jaw loosened scarcely, his lips failing to keep inside the shocked gasp that escaped the next second.


    The longsword which previously had only an emerald green cluster thanks to the fact what it was crafted from, this time was covered with deep, blood-red colored symbols that gave its already grand look an even more eminent and ancient appearance!


    Just looking at it alone made Nash feel the majestic and domineering aura that surrounded the weapon, forcing his body to jerk ever so slightly from sheer amazement!


    "Y-You... How were you able to form a Blood Contract with it?" as Nash examined the sword in his hand with awe, suddenly Erys'' startled voice entered his ear, forcing his attention away from the weapon.


    "You know what a Blood Contract is?" Nash asked immediately, surprised to see that Erys knew what it was considering her reaction and the expression she was currently showing to him.


    What happened just now caught him off his guard completely too. Even though he just heard the voice and saw the results with his very two eyes, he was still in the dark, unknown what all of this truly meant.


    The concept of Blood Contract was something he never heard or read about in any of the books that he found on the spaceship, thus why he was confused but at the same time happy to see that Erys at least seemed to know one or two things if not everything about this matter.


    ''Well, considering her background and origin, it''s only natural to assume she has knowledge about such things, right?'' Nash thought with a bittersweet smile once he calmed down and said, "I hope you can explain to me what this Blood Contract truly is."


    Although Nash asked her like that, because of his absolute control over her body, Erys had no chance at all to remain silent and had to start talking about everything she knew about Blood Contracts.


    "Blood Contract, an ancient pact that can be formed between Ancient Beasts or Ancient Treasures when a so-called Perfect Resonance was achieved. It''s an extremely rare occurrence that cannot be forced on the other party no matter what, but even if someone accomplishes to force a Blood Contract, they will die right after."


    Then, she took a deep breath and glanced at the sword in Nash''s hand and said, "Besides, while Ancient Treasures can be wielded even without any Blood Contract and possess terrifying might when used, when a Perfect Resonance was reached and the contract was formed, the Ancient Treasure will unlock it''s hidden potential, increasing its overall strength by leaps and bounds."


    "You can consider yourself awfully lucky such a fortune fell right into your lap out of nowhere. Many wish to acquire an Ancient Treasure and form a Blood Contract with it only to get disappointed in the end and receive none throughout their entire lives!" Erys said calmly, but the slight tinge of jealousy was quite discernable from her voice.


    Even Revio looked at Nash with burning greed at the sword, thinking why a low-life creature such as Nash was blessed with such fortune while he, someone with many years of experience and hard work was not!


    ''I swear if I get out of this damned curse, I will make you regret everything!'' Revio swore this in his heart, his fingernails tightly clenched into his palm with such force that they almost draw blood.


    Nash obviously noticed this change in Revio and took a cold glance in his direction which at Revio began to tremble involuntarily, forcing him to remember he was still under his control and a single word from him could send him where not even the worst soul was after death!


    Therefore, knowing all of this perfectly Revio was caused to lower his head with a shaking body and sigh in a defeated manner before saying, "I... apologize..."


    "Hmph!" with a cold snort, Nash decided to shift his gaze back at the sword and push the matter to the side for the time being.


    He understood way too clearly what type of personality Revio had, as he had just enough time to analyze him during the time he spent with him and Erys on the spaceship. The hatred and disgust toward him and the rest of the humans were just as clear as the sun, and if he could have the ability to kill with a single glance, he would have done so way long ago, maybe even torturing him if he had the chance.


    However, the feeling was mutual, as Nash felt the exact same way as he did. The amount of humiliation he had to endure and the number of days he had to spend in literal hell because of him and every other race was uncountable and couldn''t be poured into words!


    As a fact, if it weren''t for the fact that Revio was the only one with the knowledge of how to control a spaceship and knew many things about the Human Dimension which could become handy in the future, he would have killed him quite a long time ago!


    Though, what was yet to come didn''t mean won''t arrive sooner or later. Nash was pretty sure it was only a matter of time before he finds someone or something else that will be a much greater help than Revio, and then, he will make sure to take his time making him regret the moment he came to life!


    As he thought about this and imagined the things he will do, a scary smile appeared on Nash''s face, causing Revio on the side to tremble even more even though his face was lowered!


    ''Anyway...'' after taking his time to calm down and show his usual nonchalant expression, which in truth only took him a few seconds, Nash glanced at the sword in his hold and asked, directing his question to Erys.


    "And how do I gain access to this unlocked hidden potential?"


    "Just try and concentrate on the weapon and you will see," Erys replied with honesty.


    Nash nodded and did exactly as she did and focused all of his attention on the sword. And exactly a few seconds later, Nash''s eyes opened wide like saucers as pieces of information flooded his mind and appeared in his line of sight one after another.


    {Ancient Treasure Information}


    ? Title: Soul Breaker


    ? Rank: Arch


    ? Ancient Legacy: Soul Break


    {Ancient Legacy Information}


    ¡ã Description: An ancient power given by the Ancient Path at the very beginning of the ancient era, capable of breaking and consuming any living and non-living being''s soul with the help of ancient energy!

 Chapter 32 - Jade Door

    ''Power to break and consume souls in exchange for ancient energy?'' Nash''s brows lowered into a tight frown and asked Erys while his gaze was still fixed on the sword.


    "What is an ancient energy?"


    "Ancient energy?" Erys looked surprised by the sudden question, but still fell into deep silence to ponder before replying, "If I am right, ancient energy should be the purest form of ancient particles which only existed during the Ancient Era when only a few dimensions were in connections with the Ancient Dimension and the beings in it."


    She then quickly added, "The difference between the two is like air on top of an ethereal mountain or in a city full of machinery and millions of beings. Both are the same, yet the discrepancy between the two is like that of carbon and diamond; you can''t even compare the two even though they are almost 100% alike!"


    "I see, but why only existed? Does it no longer exists or what?" Nash asked as he shifted his doubtful eyes at Erys.


    "Well, you can''t really say it''s no longer present, but it''s better to say it is extremely hard to find." Erys shook her head, causing her crimson hair to flutter gently, and said, "Because of the many dimensions that have opened throughout the centuries, the purity of the ancient energy became so polluted that now it only exists in the very center of the Ancient Dimension."


    "Hmm..." Nash looked back at the sword with a troubled expression, not knowing what he should think and do.


    If what Erys just said, then didn''t this mean this sword''s ability was simply useless as it cannot be activated? And without any ancient energy, it was more than likely that it was true and this weapon which possessed a terrifying power, turned out to be completely worthless.


    But soon, this seemingly uncertain doubt turned out to be just a ridiculous and meaningless worry. Akin to sensing the doubt in Nash''s heart, the crimson symbols on the emerald sword suddenly lit up with gentle light while a presence that shook even Nash''s very core upon sensing it broke out of it with great power!


    "!?"


    Nash widened his eyes with surprising shock, but not because of the presence that broke out of his weapon, but rather as the essence from his body began to leak out of his body right into the sword in his grasp!


    It was like a broken faucet with the water inside it pouring out in huge gushes, with him being the former and his essence being the latter!


    ? Essence: 600 -> 550


    ? Essence: 550 -> 500


    ? Essence: 500 -> 450


    "Fuck!" Nash suddenly blurted out a loud curse when he noticed the rapidly decreasing amount of his essence, and without any hesitation deactivated the sword''s power.


    Swish!


    And immediately after he did, the crimson glow weakened several degrees before it vanished completely, turning everything back to how it was originally before the unexpected event.


    "Phew... That made my heart miss a heartbeat right there..." Nash sighed with relief, but suddenly noticed something was not quite right and raised his head.


    "Huh?" looking up, Nash found with surprise that all of his Souls were shaking like leaves in a cold autumn breeze, while Revio was sitting on his butt with a fearful expression on his face, akin to someone who just saw his entire race''s extinction!


    Even Erys looked slightly pale, which made a scary contrast between her stunning ruby eyes and blood-red hair, while her hands which were clenched into tiny fists also trembled slightly, seemingly from dread.


    "This..." Nash seemed to realize something and looked at his sword, now in a wholly new light than before.


    It turned out that his Soul Breaker was not useless at all, but instead extremely valuable and terrifying too!


    ''So the essence in my body is equivalent to ancient energy? Then does this mean... Ancient energy and Essence are two, completely identical things? But how can that be?'' Nash became speechless as he felt confused by the matter.


    Although he was very far away from having a decent amount of knowledge about dimensions and their secrets thanks to his amount of wasted time inside caves, he at least got to learn from Erys quite a few things. She told him that while ancient particles were elements that existed everywhere, including the body too, they cannot stay in one place for too long as a mutation that could cause unavoidable death could happen rather fast!


    Besides, not long ago, he has also learned that ancient energy was the same as ancient particles with only their purity being the difference, meaning they too cannot stay in one place or inevitable death will appear way faster than it would happen with ancient particles!


    Yet, right now, not only did Nash use an Ancient Treasure with Essence which needed ancient energy as a fuel, but he even survived without dying, which didn''t even make sense at all!


    If his sword was able to use his essence as though it was ancient energy, then doesn''t that mean the two were the same? But if that was true, then how was he still alive without his body yet to getting evolved?


    Maybe his Essence was a type of energy that was akin to ancient energy but without its horrendous side-effect that causes certain death?


    Nash twisted his brain over the matter several times, but as he couldn''t come up with an actual answer he just shook his head and put the matter aside. What mattered for him at the moment was that his sword''s power was working and he was still alive.


    Except for these two things and a few others, Nash didn''t care about anything else at all as he knew for sure that time will answer all of his doubts later if not sooner.


    And in the exact moment as he thought about this, suddenly the entire hall around them began to tremble like crazy, forcing Nash to lower his body slightly to get a more stable stance to avoid getting fallen behind from the tremor.


    TREMBLE!!


    As the tremor continued to shake the surroundings without any sign of stopping, Nash and the others watched with widened eyes as the wall on the side suddenly began to split into two, revealing a huge jade door which was hidden all this time for who knows just how long!

 Chapter 33 - Monument Carving

    "A jade door?" Nash showed a confused frown and straightened his body once the tremor quietened down.


    Erys and Revio looked the same, but as they noticed Nash approach the white entrance with wide strides they had no choice but to follow him closely from behind.


    Once he arrived before the jade door, Nash raised his gaze to get a better look for the second time. The jade door looked completely white, as white as the purest form of snow during winter while its whole fabric felt ancient even without the touch!


    However, the most eye-catching and breathtaking aspect of it was not those things, but instead, the serpent-like concaves throughout its surface, which vibrated and pulsated with a deep green light from time to time almost akin to veins on the human body!


    ''This feeling again...'' Nash put a hand over his chest, feeling as his heart began to beat faster and harder once again, just like previously.


    ''There is another Ancient Treasure on the other side. I am sure about it.'' Nash felt as his whole body began to surge with excitement when he realized why his heart was beating like war drums, and without a second thought placed a palm atop the gate''s surface.


    But to his great surprise, when he used his strength to open the gate, revealing what resided inside, he found out with shock that the entrance didn''t budge a single inch, much less open!


    It literally felt like he was trying to push away an eternal mountain with his physical strength alone, obviously to no avail.


    "Why... does this... not move... at all?" Nash clenched his teeth together with great force and mustered all of his strength he possibly could just to make the door move.


    He even placed his weapon down to the side just to be able to use his other hand, but alas, even after that he was unable to make the jade door move much less open!


    "Come! Help me with this here." Nash growled while he struggled, his request naturally directed toward the ones behind him.


    And in the next second, five black souls, Erys and Revio pushed both of their hands against the jade door together with Nash, hoping to see the entrance open.


    "Haiii... This won''t do it at all. It''s completely stuck." Nash sighed deeply after a minute of struggle and took a step backward.


    The rest followed suit when they realized it was meaningless to struggle any longer and looked at Nash, waiting to see what his next move will be.


    Nash clearly noticed the stares on his skin and quickly shook his head before walking back onto the platform in the middle.


    "Let''s forget about it for the time being. Let''s explore this palace first and once we bring everyone here safely, we will look for a way to open it." Nash said, but soon halted his steps and glanced at the sword in his grasp.


    Although he was holding it now for quite a time, he must have to admit that it weighed quite an amount, even with his improved physical strength. If it were in the last, Nash knew for sure that he would fail to lift this blade much less carry it around like he was at the moment.


    "Unfortunately, I can''t store it away like I can with my soul neither do I wish to give it to Erys. I need to find a scabbard for it as soon as possible."


    And just as he muttered those words, like understanding his wish, the emerald blade in his hand suddenly moved on its own, startling Nash deeply.


    "Woah! It can move?" Nash blurted out as he watched his weapon tremble and pull his arm in a specific direction.


    "All Ancient Treasures have their own consciousness, so it''s only natural for them to behave like this sometimes." Erys explained to Nash once she was also on the platform and added, "But as I can see it, it wants you to follow it."


    "Yeah, kind of figured that out..." Nash rolled his eyes and let himself be pulled toward the center of the platform by his weapon.


    Once he was standing in the very middle, next to the gap from where he just pulled his sword out Nash watched with surprise as the blade in his grasp moved to go back inside the hole.


    ''What is it trying to do?'' as Nash pondered over the possible reasons why his sword was acting like that, he watched as its entire core vanished into the gap once again, leaving only its hilt visible on the surface.


    However, just as Nash believed this was all and the weapon just wished to pull a joke on him, it moved again and turned itself counter-clockwise, causing a thin layer around it to split from the rest of the platform and emerge!


    "This... a scabbard?" Nash immediately recognized the shape and appearance of the layer around the sword, and looked amazed to see that it was indeed a scabbard, one that perfectly swathed the blade in its entirety!


    Pulling it out completely to get a better look, Nash watched with starry eyes as his Soul Breaker now rested in a little bit over 51-inch jade scabbard which even had a long, snow-white hanging cord on its side!


    "To think its scabbard was there all along... Unbelievable!" Nash exclaimed with awe and without hesitation attached it onto his back diagonally as on his waist it would have looked ridiculous, especially because of its tip that would have been touching the ground all the time whenever he was walking.


    ''Yeah, much better.'' Nash nodded with an acknowledged smile, feeling a level more comfortable that he didn''t have to carry the huge sword around in his bare hand without a scabbard.


    After making sure the scabbard together with the second was perfectly on his back, Nash glanced back at Erys and the rest and gestured.


    "Come! Let''s see what this place holds for us."


    Thus, the group began to explore the place separately, looking for any hidden places or danger that could lurk around and pose a threat if the rest of the people was brought here.


    But luckily, there was none, as the whole palace was literally empty with only elegant and costly decorations all around the emerald palace!


    "Hm? And what should this be?" while walking through a long and wide hallway with huge and arched windows with many gorgeous flowers in porcelain vases on the left, Nash suddenly halted his steps and glanced at the wall on his right.


    Right on the perfectly polished white jade wall, what his eyes caught was a large and well-detailed monument carved deep into the wall''s surface, showing different things.


    As he was walking around in this huge palace for quite a while now, he already saw and examined many pictures, portraits, and statues that looked breathtakingly grand and ancient, but for some bizarre reason, Nash found this specific monument... different.


    It somewhat made him feel like he was looking at something special, something that was put there for a specific reason instead of just being there as a mean of decoration.


    "What exactly are you?" Nash narrowed his eyes as he took a step forward, examining the monument carving in great detail.

 Chapter 34 - Mysterious Individual

    The monument carving was strange, to say the least. When Nash stepped nigher and took a closer look, he realized the huge carve was forming several miniature ones, each different from one another.


    ''It''s almost like I am looking at a fairy tale engraved into the wall.'' Nash thought as he examined the monument with a curious gaze.


    Time ticked slowly, and after going through all the details several times, Nash touched his chin and hummed quietly, seemingly falling into deep thoughts because of what he has just seen.


    And precisely after an entire minute, Nash raised his gaze to look at the center of the carving, his eyes showing several emotions such as shock, surprise, and excitement.


    ''If this is valid, everything that we have known so far and believed in will lose its credibility! Everything will receive a new meaning and everyone will look us in a completely new light!'' Nash couldn''t help but watch himself getting rather delighted and feel as the blood in his veins began to boil from sheer excitement!


    According to the carvings, the past of the human race was not as simple as it seemed, and their time in the Ancient Dimension was rather long, much longer than a few centuries! As a fact, it seemed to be the case that they have opened the Ancient Path not once, but twice already, which was something Nash wouldn''t have ever thought before, not even in his wildest dream!


    As Nash thought about this with unsurpassable excitement, he extended his arm and put his palm gently atop the carvings. But who would have thought that such a simple act would trigger something unexpected and force him to close his eyes because of the blinding light that broke forth from the wall.


    "Huh? Where am I?" the moment Nash opened his eyes, he noticed that he was no longer standing in the same place but instead in the middle of darkness with nothing discernible around him.


    "So it seems the time has come, huh?"


    "What?" Nash jumped slightly when he heard the deep unfamiliar voice behind him, but when he turned around he still saw nothing and no one but darkness.


    "Who are you and what is this place?" Nash asked immediately, his guard raised as he looked around. However, although he asked such a thing which made him look like a nervous chicken, he was not scared at all; instead, he felt calmer than ever before and his mind was as clear as a pond of crystal lake.


    "Hmm... You are quite an intriguing individual." the deep indifferent voice talked once again, and after remaining silent for a while it asked, "What is your name?"


    Nash lifted a brow when he heard the question but soon replied with the same, indifferent voice, "The name is Nash. But shouldn''t you introduce yourself first before asking such a question or were you not taught about such a thing?"


    The whole place fell into heavy silence which could easily strike many with a weaker will with fear, but luckily, Nash was not such an individual and stood in one place with composure. He even showed a slight but confident smile, showing he was not intimidated by such a thing at all.


    If throughout the years of humiliation and slavery which was literally hell in itself and where he met with a greater threat than this didn''t make him lose his mind and confidence, then such a thing as this slight ''dread'' coming from this mysterious individual won''t frighten him at all.


    He needs a little bit more than something like this, but for a try it was a good one.


    "Oh? You are quite an arrogant one, aren''t you?" the voice exclaimed with slight amusement before asking, "Don''t you fear I will take your life from you right here and now because of that?


    "Why would I? Do you really think I will believe such a shitty lie after you brought me here?" Nash showed an even wider grin, completely ignoring the ever-increasing pressure on his body.


    "Also, I don''t feel any hostility coming from you neither think you wish to harm me at all." Nash quickly added as he closed his eyes, which would make anyone assume he lost his mind as he literally lowered his guard!


    "You really think I won''t hurt you if I wish so? What arrogance!" the pressure on Nash''s body exploded as the angered voice thundered throughout the darkness, forcing Nash to slightly bend his knees.


    However, that was all, and except for the slightly bent knees, nothing else happened. Nash just stood in one place with a calm smile on his face and his eyes still closed, seemingly giving zero shit about the happenings around him.


    Of course, maybe this behavior would seem like arrogance and many would misunderstand it, but in truth, Nash dared to act like this because what he said was indeed the reality!


    If the voice brought him here just to kill him he would have done so the very first second, but alas, it didn''t do it. Also, him closing his eyes and still standing in one place with his head on his shoulders further indicates his guess was correct.


    ''Besides, I cannot see any Indicator present, which means this individual is not present and communicates with me through some special method, or simply wishes to hide. But if the latter is the case, then again, if he wanted to see me dead he would have done so quite a while now.'' Nash thought to himself as he opened his eyes slowly and gazed up.


    "So? Will you keep playing the fool and try to scare me a little more or will you finally quit the crap and tell me why you have brought me here?" Nash asked calmly, his complexion as indifferent as it was before.


    The pressure on his body continued to grow for a little while longer before it vanished completely and a burst of loud laughter that caused the surrounding darkness to tremble appeared.


    "HAHAHAHA!"


    ''...''


    Nash listened to the wild laughter like he was listening to someone who just heard the greatest joke of all time, and couldn''t help but raise a brow in confusion.


    ''Was that so funny?'' thought Nash as he crossed his arms before his chest and waited patiently for the choice to calm down.


    And exactly after a minute, the voice seemed to come down from the heights where it was and sighed with relief. As for Nash, if he would need to imagine what the voice was currently doing, he was sure it was wiping the tears off from the corner of its eyes after laughing its ass off for such a long time.


    "I apologize for my misbehavior, I just couldn''t help myself as it has been such a long time since I have met someone like you. You remind me of a specific someone.." as the voice that now was filled with slight warmth talked, Nash watched with surprise as several miniature green light particles appeared out of thin air before they started to form a sole figure exactly a meter away from him.

 Chapter 35 - Soul Fragment

    As the emerald green particles moved to shape the mysterious individual, Nash watched as the abyss-like darkness around him began to gradually change into different colors, forming an entirely new and eternal scenery around him.


    The grimy ground below his feet turned green as an emerald field emerged out of literally thin space while the sight above him and in the horizon turned azure blue, filled with milk-white clouds that floated gently like huge pieces of fluff.


    Just under a blink, the chilling abyss became an endless paradise that put Nash''s mind at peace whenever he took a deep sniff from the fresh air around him!


    ''Feels like all of my accumulated problems and worries have been washed away just like this.'' Nash thought to himself with awe and looked at the individual before him with eyes filled with various emotions such as excitement, eagerness, and wonder!


    Just who could this person before him truly be to have this much power to create such a powerful area out of nowhere while also influencing his mind to such an extent? He can''t wait to find out this individual''s true origin!


    "Although I would have never imagined fate will send someone like you to my humble home, I don''t feel disappointed, not even a bit!" saying those words, the emerald particles finally formed the entire shape of the mysterious individual, revealing the owner of the voice once and for all!


    "Y-You... Just exactly who are you?" Nash asked astonished, feeling at a loss for words because of the man''s whole appearance before him that looked otherworldly, almost like he stared at not a mortal but a God!


    His long silver hair that reached the middle of his back danced in the slight breeze while his voyager-blue eyes that seemed to be as clear as a fresh pond gazed at him with mind-calming serenity. Together with his sharp and sickle-shaped eyebrows, half-moon cheekbones, and dashing smile, he had such a striking look that Nash was sure he must have been the center of attention in the past, especially among females!


    However, his most outstanding trait was neither of those, but his posture that for unknown reasons made Nash feel like he was standing before not a human but an eternal and immovable mountain that he can''t move nor climb no matter what; just like how a single ant would feel when it first meets with an elephant!


    "Haha! You ask who am I? Well, that''s quite a tricky question. A Ruler that conquered all, a King that had everything, maybe a mere mortal that achieved things the rest couldn''t, or perhaps even... a God, who in the end was destined to be betrayed. I can be anything yet nothing at the same time, so it''s rather complicated to answer that question." said the mysterious individual, his tranquil eyes filled with a dazzle of wonder over a friendly smile.


    "Then what is your name?" Nash then asked right after the man stopped talking.


    "My name, you ask?" the man frowned mildly and raised his fingers just below his chin as he began to ponder silently.


    Only after a full minute later did he curve his lips upward and say, "They gave me all kinds of names and titles, so much I can''t even count if I have to, but if you are curious about my real name, then it''s Aruer, a simple nobody, a speck of dust existing among the many dimensions, a human..."


    Nash listened silently to Aruer''s words, feeling surprised and amazed just how majestic his voice sounded even though his whole being emitted a kind of aura that felt completely peaceful!


    Never in his entire life has he seen someone like him before. Not even those powerful existences he saw during his years of slavery could hold a candle compared to his presence as it would mean total humiliation for Aruer himself!


    As Nash thought about this he couldn''t help but knit his brows together and ask, "Then the individual represented on the monument in truth is..."


    "Me." Aruer nodded with a subtle smile and pointed at the sword on Nash''s back, "And that''s there was the weapon I used when I still had my real body."


    "Was? When you still had your real body?" Nash seemingly confused asked those questions one after another before his eyes lit up with realization and looked at Aruer.


    "So you are just a... spirit?"


    Aruer showed a thrilled grin, but still shook his head gently, causing his long silver hair to sway from side to side, giving his already imposing figure an even grander image!


    "I wouldn''t call myself a spirit, as that name is only given to those that possess evil powers and retain no physical bodies. Instead, let''s say that the current myself is only a fraction of my soul, a Soul Fragment!"


    "A Soul Fragment? What is that?" Nash asked as he never heard about such a thing as a Soul Fragment.


    Aruer was about to explain to Nash what a Soul Fragment was when suddenly the earth below his feet began to shake gently, silencing him up for a while.


    The tremor continued for several seconds before quieting down completely. Only then did Aruer close his eyes and sigh deeply, seemingly feeling sad about something.


    "It seems that''s all the time we had for now."


    "Huh?" Nash, who was still confused about what just happened, was brought back by the words Aruer just said and quickly asked, "What? Wait! You don''t mean..."


    "What I mean, is that we have to go on our separate ways once again as my soul is not yet strong enough to keep this world stable," Aruer said quickly and after taking a deep breath his calm eyes suddenly turned sharp and serious, while the aura around him became heavier than before, shocking Nash quite deeply by the abrupt change of demeanor.


    "Now listen here very carefully as I can and will tell you this only once. You must reach the Second Rank with your Legacy and open the Jade Door in the main hall as soon as possible as the items in there will be crucial for you in the future."


    "Why, what can those items do?" Nash asked with piqued curiosity as he knew that whatever was behind that Jade door must be an Ancient Treasure, something incredibly precious and powerful!


    Yet, to his great astonishment Aruer just simply ignored his question and continued to talk in a calm, but serious tone of voice.


    "Once you have those items in your possession, travel to Planet Gaia and find the Hidden Library there. With the items in your possession, you will be able to find it with ease."


    Although Nash had many questions and there were even more things he didn''t understand, he decided to nod and ask, "And what should I search for there? Anything that could help me when I get there?"


    Aruer nodded but soon shook his head and said with a mysterious smile, "You don''t have to worry, you will find it without a problem. As for the rest of what you must do after that... You will get to know soon enough."


    And with those words, Aruer turned into a miniature green orb of light before flying toward Nash, melting into the sword on his back and turning the scenery around him back to where he stood initially, back before the monument carving in the hallway, somewhere inside the Emerald Palace!

 Chapter 36 - New Home

    Nash stood before the carving in silence for several minutes, his face showing a serious frown that he had quite a long time ago.


    Reaching the Second Rank, opening the Jade Door, acquiring the unknown treasures inside before traveling to Planet Gaia, a planet he has never heard before, and getting his hands on something he didn''t even know what it was or how it looked like!


    All in all, except for the first two requests he has gotten from Aruer, Nash had no fricking clue at all how he should proceed once he obtained the treasures from behind the Jade Door.


    ''I should ask Erys for help. She must have some knowledge about this planet called Gaia and how we can get the-"


    Suddenly, Nash''s thought process was abruptly halted with an immediate realization, something he did not notice until this very moment.


    ''...Wait for a second. Why do I even think about going there? I don''t recall any reasons why I should accept his request and risk my and everyone else''s life. Besides, he didn''t even tell me what benefits I would get in exchange if I do decide to help him and succeed!''


    Indeed, all those things were crucial for Nash as he was not crazy enough to risk his and everyone else''s life under his wings just for something he didn''t even know if it was worth it or not.


    Except for the first two requests, which Nash would have done even without a request, Nash found the rest way too dangerous with too many unpredictable outcomes to count, thus Aruer should have told him a solid reason why he should help him, and maybe only then would have he helped, but like this... The chances now were incredibly small.


    ''What a pity... And here I thought things will become interesting, but alas...'' Nash just shook his head helplessly together with a regretful sigh, but his eyes clearly showed the confusion he was truly feeling at the moment.


    Just now, he almost followed someone''s request he didn''t even know and almost walked straight into hell itself, bringing chaos and despair again not only onto himself but the rest of the humans he has saved!


    As he thought about this, Nash couldn''t help but tremble slightly, feeling slightly scared just how easily Aruer manipulated his actions and feelings without using any special power or techniques!


    "Next time, I must act with greater caution." mumbling those words Nash took a final glance at the monument on the wall before walking away with slow but steady steps.


    -


    -


    -


    Meanwhile, back on the spaceship, all the people were in the same cabin, neither of them talking or doing anything, seemingly too nervous to do so.


    Naturally, it was only understandable as all of them held fear from the unknown future that awaits them shortly. For them, Nash was something akin to a pillar that they could use as support, and without him, their lives were bound to collapse completely. They all knew that if he won''t come back, they will only die in a short amount of time, especially on a planet like this, and with their Legacy sealed; they will become like pigs, waiting to be slain by creatures if not by other races!


    The whole room was filled with a heavy silence, and the only thing one could hear if entered was the quiet breathings with the occasional feet tapping sounds on that further indicated just how anxious everyone was.


    Time ticked deliberately. Seconds became minutes which gradually turned into a full hour, yet even after that, there was no sign of Nash''s return. This caused many''s complexions to become whiter and heavier while the hope in their eyes began to fade away slowly but surely.


    Well, it was the case for many except for one individual, Uncle Ben. Despite his complexion that held slight distress and bothers, the confidence and faith in his eyes still lingered, like magical flames burning in the deep and cold ocean!


    However, just like how magical flames can get extinguished if they had no source of energy, the beliefs and emotions in one''s heart such as confidence and hope could easily evaporate into thin air if one''s will was not strong enough; and unfortunately, after so many years of downfalls and slavery where their will was basically destroyed to almost to their very core, it was simply impossible for the humans present to keep their ambitions alive for a long time.


    ''Just make sure you come back safely.'' was what Uncle Ben thought as he sighed before closing his eyes to get some rest.


    Again, time began to flow silently and in a blink, two more hours have passed. At that time, everyone''s complexion looked rather white while the flickering light in their eyes began to fade away; it was apparent that soon, all of them will lose their last string of hope as all of them understood that without Nash, they had no chance to survive at all.


    However, just when all things seemed to collapse and fall, a slight tremor suddenly shook the spaceship before a figure with an emerald green sword attached to his back walked through the door on the side, his face calm and indifferent.


    "Huh? What happened here?" Nash raised a brow when he saw and felt the gloomy atmosphere in the room, giving him the feeling he just walked into a burial ceremony all of a sudden.


    "H-He... He is back! Haha! He is truly back!"


    "Thank the lord!"


    "Am I hallucinating or... Hey, please hit m-!"


    Slap~!


    "H-Hey! What the fuck man!? That fricking hurt!"


    Everyone in the room expressed their happiness differently, some sighing with relief, some jumping up and down from pure joy while others even asked the ones closest to them to slap them in the face just in case they were seeing things.


    "Haha! I knew you won''t die that easily! Haha!" Uncle Ben walked up to Nash among joyous laughter and put his palm atop his nephew''s shoulder before he began to pat him firmly.


    Nash watched everyone with a rather confused expression, but as he somewhat understood why they acted the way they did, almost like people who have won the dimensional lottery on a whim, he showed a slight smile and shook his head helplessly.


    "You guys..." looking at every one of them and watching as their level of sadness decreased at a rapid rate while their happiness skyrocketed into the nineties, Nash let out a slight chuckle before turning around and waving his hand.


    "Come, we have things to do."

 Chapter 37 - Basic Cultivation Manual

    Leaving behind the spaceship with calm steps, Nash led the way to the underground palace while tens of people behind him followed closely, fearing they will get lost in the thick darkness that surrounded them from everywhere.


    However, such concerns were meaningless as Nash made sure everyone was close to him and didn''t wander away, using his Souls as guards that surrounded the group from all sides; he didn''t wish to see any accidents occur, not after he was this close to bringing everyone to steadfast safety after such a long time!


    The crowd followed Nash closely and quietly, but although they felt slightly anxious they also felt excited to see just what kind of place Nash will bring them and where they will live from this very point onward.


    But who could have guessed that the ''place'' which they thought was just a small area filled with some facilities would turn out to be a huge and majestic palace with a garden which was a literal vast green grassland filled with trees and bushes!


    The whole sight made each and every one of them feel like an ant, unworthy of being a guest of such a royal residence much less its owner!


    Walking through the main gates and arriving into the gallery with calm steps, giving rise to another shock to the humans that followed after him, Nash curved his lips gently upward before halting his steps and turning around.


    "Welcome to Emerald Palace, a place that has existed under this planet''s surface for many centuries without anyone discovering it until now. From this moment on, this shall be our home!"


    "A-Are for real? You can''t be serious, right?"


    Many doubted Nash''s words for the first time heard what he just said, but soon they had to realize that his talk was indeed valid, and such a luxurious palace will truly be their home in the future! From this moment on, they could truly live the rest of their lives just like any of those royal families from the different dimensions, in order and comfort!


    Except for the black sun which summoned the dense darkness, there was everything they needed for a peaceful life. Their home was well protected as it was built deep underground, thus they didn''t have to fear they will be ambushed! Food and drinks such as vegetables, different kinds of plants, juicy fruits, and crystal clear water were full on the outside, so they didn''t have to worry about starvation or dying from thirst.


    As for the scary beasts that could possibly threaten their lives during their time on the surface, they can be easily taken care of by Nash''s Souls!


    Nash watched the looks of many in front of him and couldn''t help but curve his lips upward a little bit more before his face became serious once again and clapped his hands.


    "Now then, everyone, please listen carefully."


    When Nash''s calm but loud voice was heard everyone quietened down and shifted their attention at him, their eyes holding the utmost respect they possibly could hold just like how soldiers would look at their commander whenever he was about to talk!


    If in the past they saw Nash as a strong leader who they could trust because of his power and feats, from this moment on they looked at him like a God, an entity who not only gave them a second chance in life but even a sheltered place which they could call as home in such chaotic times!


    In their eyes, everything he did or said was like that of a verdict, an absolute order they were glad to follow no matter what!


    Nash saw the blazing flames of respect in the eyes of the people and couldn''t help but push his chest slightly out and straighten his posture proudly; naturally, he couldn''t resist the urge to do so, like... who could? It was only expected for one to feel exultant when seeing so many people admiring them as if they were Gods, right?


    Of course, this didn''t mean Nash would think that he was a God nor that he can allow himself to be arrogant and lose his mind to power and greed, as he clearly understood that would only lead him to his death faster; he just simply savored the moment, that''s all.


    After keeping silent for a moment, Nash took a deep breath and began to talk with a relaxed tone of voice.


    "Before I let you go and attend to your own business, I must remind you that although we have finally reached a milestone after a bit more than a month, I hope none of you believe even for a second that we have completely survived and can live in pure harmony from this moment on."


    "No, as a fact, the real deal has only just begun, thus why I wish to adjust a few things in our rules and establish a new system that will be a crucial factor in our growth and success in the future. However, as for what are these changes, I will only talk about them in greater detail in tomorrow''s gathering where everyone must attend. I just wanted you to know this."


    When Nash finished talking, everyone began to talk quietly among one another, some showing confusion, others growing excited while the rest began to turn slightly skeptical about what Nash just told them. However, one thing was apparent on everyone''s faces; none of them could come up with a proper guess or idea of what he wanted to do, thus could do nothing but remain in the dark until tomorrow.


    Nash remained silent and examined everyone''s expression and Indicator in great detail, and after getting fairly enough feedback about how the people truly felt, he nodded and said, "Well then, if you have no question about other matters except this one, this is everything I have wished to tell for now."


    Thus, after seeing no one wished to raise a question, Nash nodded and walked away with slow, but wide steps toward one of the staircases on the sides while in his mind he ordered two of his Souls to stand guards in the tunnel which was the sole entrance and exit of this underground paradise.


    Walking through a long and wide hallway with nothing but majestic and beautiful emerald statues and crystal transparent windows that showed the breathtaking sight outside on both sides, Nash finally arrived before this huge emerald door which he opened without hesitation and walked inside.


    And once inside, what waited for him was a sight only a few lived to see, and even less to use!


    Emerald green carpet enveloping the entirety of the white jade floor, a small glass table which had a pair of emerald crystal chairs on the right, a long and tall bookshelf filled with not a single book on the left, and a ridiculously huge bed that could accommodate even four different sized people on it quite easily and even then a little bit of space would remain!


    Everything looked just way too royal, that just one item from this room alone would earn thousands if not millions if we''re to be sold!


    However, Nash was not impressed by such a sight as this was not the first time he saw it, hence quickly walked over to the glass table and sat down in front of it before pitting his hand into his pocket and pulling out an old scroll which had human language written on it. method


    ''Basic Cultivation Manual''

 Chapter 38 - Breakthrough!

    Gazing the old, silver-colored scroll in his hand with a calm complexion, Nash glanced at the bookshelf on the side before taking a deep breath and opening it with a gentle movement.


    "This..." Nash''s brows shot up slightly when he saw the small amount of context on the scroll, but that confusion was only short-lived as it only appeared for a few seconds before disappearing, replaced by a serious expression.


    ''Basic Cultivation Manual - Mind, Body, and Essence''


    ''Clear the mind from doubts of the past, free the body from the chains of the present, and open all the inner paths of your potential for the future!''


    ''Grasp and accomplish all three and the eternal border between the mortal soul and dimensions shall be eradicated, forging a new fate and destiny!''


    Nash read the words silently, his face never showing any sign of change, not even many minutes after he put the scroll down and closed his eyes to ponder.


    Many minutes went by like that, and one would definitely become shocked if they saw that even after a full hour Nash did nothing but sit before the scroll with a neutral complexion, his eyes still gently closed as he pondered deeply in the context he just read.


    It wouldn''t even be a surprise if one saw him now would mistake his character for someone who just fell into a deep slumber. But really... just who was capable of falling asleep while sitting in one place?


    After an hour, another hour has passed by and then quickly another, making it a total of three hours!


    In a span of a blink, three hours have flown away in a seemingly unnoticeable fashion, and only then did Nash open his eyes, revealing a pair of azure eyes that flickered with the light of enlightenment.


    it seemed he finally understood what he missed to notice all this time and what he needs to do to enter the next level with his Legacy!


    "Clear the mind from the doubts of the past... That must have been when I didn''t lose hope and continuously looked for ways to change my damned fate." Nash spoke calmly as he gently rubbed his chin with his index and thumb fingers and slowly shifted his gaze at the second piece from the first part on the scroll.


    "Free the body from the chains of the present... I am not quite sure about this, but as far as I see and understand it, the word chains must relate to the physical strength and condition of one while the term present should mean limit. ''Free the body from the physical limits'' must be what that part desire to indicate."


    Then, he glanced at the third piece from the first part and said, "And that... open the inner paths of your potential for the future... That must indicate something inside my body should be opened, allowing me to break into the next level and proceed on with my growth. About that, I am at least 99% sure!"


    As for the second part, Nash already had a hunch about what it could mean, but as he didn''t wish to assume things on a whim until they were not certain, he just pushed his guesses back into the back of his mind and stood up.


    Walking before the sole bed in the whole room, he quickly climbed atop it, and after crossing his legs into a shape similar to a lotus which he imitated from the monument carving, he put his arms on his legs and closed his eyes.


    Taking a deep breath, Nash calmed his mind down before shutting down all of his senses, starting to concentrate just on himself without a care about his surroundings.


    Of course, this was quite a risky move if it would have been on the spaceship or anywhere else, but as he knew that there was no threat on this place and that his Souls together with Erys and Revio were always surveying everything, he was confident that nothing will happen with him.


    ''Concentrate... Concentrate... Concentrate...'' inhaling and exhaling one after another while forcing his consciousness to seep deeper and deeper into his body, Nash focused on his breakthrough so much that he involuntarily lost the track of time!


    Under what felt like two or three seconds an entire four hours have slipped by, and even after that Nash showed no signs of awakening and remained sitting motionlessly on the bed!


    After another two hours, things seemed to change slightly as his sharp black eyebrows began to twitch from time to time, but alas, that was all that changed while everything else remained as it was previously.


    However, after an extra three hours, a total of 9 hours of silence and motionless cultivating later Nash finally opened his eyes while a powerful ripple erupted from his whole body at the same time, pushing all the smaller items in the room away from him by at least a few inches!


    [Succesful Breakthrough!]


    [You have accomplished to open your first Ancient Vein, breaking the shackles on your mortal body once and for all!]


    [Mortal Rank Legacy has reached Level 7!]


    Listening to the familiar voice in his head he heard quite a while ago, Nash couldn''t help but curve his lips upward in satisfaction and raise his right hand, gazing at his right thumb with flickering eyes.


    "Ancient Vein... Such a mysterious yet wondrous thing the human body can possess." mumbling in a low but astounded voice, Nash rotated his hand from left to right to get a better view of his finger from different angles.


    While one would think he was a complete fool for showing such a strange behavior which was almost akin to someone who just woke up after finger surgery, seeing their fingers perfectly intact, Nash felt no reason to consider himself a donkey as he had a perfect reason the act like one.


    He felt startled not because he realized he had a thumb all this time, but because at the moment he was able to inspect the interior of his hand, or if he wanted to be more precise, the inside of his right thumb!


    Yes!


    At the very moment, the perception he had was completely different from those that watched him from the side or from a distance as he could perfectly examine what lay below his skin and flesh, almost like he had the ability to see through things, including his body with ease!


    But in truth, he originally didn''t have the power to do something so ridiculously powerful nor did he acquire anything similar, as it was simply his consciousness and focus that was honed and practiced to such a degree that allowed him to do something so absurdly compelling!


    And thanks to all that continuous concentration, he now was able to seep his consciousness into his body so deep, that he was allowed to see things he and anyone else normally couldn''t observe, much less feel!


    At last, he was able to perceive and form a connection with those golden veins deeply hidden inside his body which he failed to see and feel until this very moment!


    He finally obtained the ability to unlock all of his sealed Ancient Veins in his body!

 Chapter 39 - Changes

    Inside a spacious room where everything was and felt royal, a young man wearing casual clothes sat in a lotus position atop the middle of a bed, his moon-shaped eyes gently closed while his chest moved up and down whenever he inhaled or exhaled a deep breath.


    This young, naturally, was Nash, who did nothing but cultivate for hours without rest since he opened his very first Ancient Vein in his body, inducing his Legacy to take a major leap in growth and reach the 7th Level after a month!


    [13th Ancient Vein successfully unsealed!]


    "Sigh..." exhaling a huge amount of turbid air, Nash opened his eyelids slowly, revealing a pair of sky blue eyes that flickered with firm confidence and determination!


    "I was able to unseal thirteen Ancient Veins under a bit more than a day... not bad!" Nash praised himself with a satisfied smile, feeling rather happy with the result he reaped after sitting in one place for almost a day without doing literally nothing!


    Jumping off the bed to stretch his sore body parts which resulted in his bones cracking quietly instead, Nash picked up his sword from the side and after putting it behind his back he smiled and walked toward the door with confident steps.


    "Let''s get down to business then!"


    -


    -


    -


    The Emerald Palace was quite lively and peaceful even though people have been there only for a bit more than a day. Some were sitting in the grass, chatting with each other, some walked in pairs examining and exploring the palace with curiosity while some were doing simple chores such as cooking from the remaining food they had from the spaceship or cleaning the already immaculate statues, relics, and artifacts.


    There were even a few young ones that ran around the place with joy-filled smiles, seemingly happy that after many years of desperation where they thought about suicide many times, they finally had moments of freedom such as these!


    Seeing these things as he walked through the hallways of the palace, Nash couldn''t help but curve his lips upward in delight, seemingly happy with what he was seeing. However, if one looked closely, one would be able to tell that his eyes held heartfelt sorrow and rage that gradually turned into a burning desire and ambition!


    ''Soon, every human will be freed and they will be able to enjoy such a life like this. Soon, all those races that held us as slaves and tortured us for decades will know what true despair truly is! Soon, they will all know what we humans felt throughout our lives and will regret the very day when they made an enemy out of us, I swear on that!''


    While thinking about these things, Nash noticed Uncle Ben''s figure in the distance, hence quickly surpassing his surging emotions that threatened to break onto the surface, he hid them behind an indifferent face and walked over with slow but long steps.


    "Oh? You are finally here! I thought you will never come! Haha!" noticing Nash''s approach, Uncle Ben turned to face his nephew, his face holding a wide grin that was always present whenever he talked with him.


    "I am sorry, I was rather busy dealing with a few things." Nash showed an apologetic smile, knowing that he was slightly late.


    Uncle Ben seemed to be a little curious to know what Nash meant under the word ''busy'', but as he didn''t wish to ask it straight away as it was rather ill-mannered he just kept his own guesses in his head and asked, "So? When will we start our meeting?"


    "Now, so please gather everyone in the center hall," Nash answered immediately and after taking one final glance at the scenery outside through the window in front of him, he turned around and began to walk toward where the center hall was located.


    "Leave it to me." Uncle Ben nodded and without hesitation began to walk over the people around him one after another, telling them to gather in the center hall.


    And shockingly, let it be those that were inside the palace or outside, just under a few minutes everyone has gathered inside the center hall, which was in fact the room where the sealed jade door and the raised platform were established.


    ''Well... that was fast.'' Nash felt a bit startled by the speed how everyone reacted and arrived.


    But in truth, he couldn''t help but feel satisfied as this only showed just how great his influence was among the humans present; even without his strings attached to them, they obeyed his words as if they were orders!


    This made Nash ponder if he were to ask them to do something a little bit more challenging, would they accept willingly or refuse?


    ''Well, we will know it soon enough'' thought Nash to himself with a small and barely noticeable smile which was both worried but also excited, and cleared his throat which immediately silenced the crowd.


    "Okay, it seems everyone is here and no one is missing, perfect." opening his speech with those words, Nash looked at every face present in the hall from the lifted platform, his gaze sharp and fearless like a sword.


    Since he was the one saving everyone present today, he was well aware of who was who and what their respected names were. Actually, remembering their names and faces under a bit more than a month, especially when their numbers didn''t even reach the hundred mark, 83 to be exact including his uncle too, was not a challenge for him at all.


    In fact, since his Legacy was unsealed, Nash found it with surprise that the things he saw and read were way easier to remember than they were in the past and his memories remained much clearer in his mind than ever before!


    After staying silent for a while, making sure everyone was focusing on him and was listening with attention, Nash took a deep breath and began to talk once again.


    "As mentioned yesterday, I wish to make slight changes in the rules we have set, or to be more specific, in a single one, in the third one."


    Immidieatly, a slight murmur broke out between the people present when they heard Nash''s words, but only for a few seconds before everything turned silent and all eyes focused back onto Nash''s figure once again, sought to hear what these ''changes'' will be.


    "As we have agreed on, Rule Number Three states that everyone present must contribute to this community in one way or another, let it be cooking, cleaning, or something else, right?"


    "However, I wish to give it a slight change."


    Taking a deep breath, Nash opened his previously closed eyes that still held their firmness and sharpness, and said with confidence, "I wish to form a new system in our numbers, a structure where each and every one of you will be placed into a so-called Department which is the most suited for you and your talents, and where you can contribute the most for everyone!"

 Chapter 40 - Departments & Problems

    "Departments? What is that?" many looked confused and lost as they didn''t the words Nash just told them.


    However, it was not a huge surprise at all. Since all of them lived in darkness, collecting ores and minerals without rest without the slightest glimmer of hope in their every day, it was no wonder they didn''t understand the term Departments even though they were basic knowledge for others.


    Even he himself would be oblivious of their meaning and purpose until this very moment if it weren''t for Erys, or to be more precise for his ability to force her to tell him.


    It happened during the time when they were still in space, where he pondered about the rules they have set. At that time, he somewhat realized that although they have set rules that can be followed, things could become really troublesome in the future rather quickly if they don''t have a proper structure where those rules can be obeyed!


    It was like building a base that was not solid enough and could be easily destroyed under a short amount of time and a little bit of a force, especially when their numbers will grow into the four digits and all of their Legacy will be unsealed completely in the near future!


    Thus, changing a few things was a must, like it or not.


    "First, let me explain to you how things will work from now on." Nash talked calmly and took a deep breath before continuing.


    "From tomorrow onward, each and every one of you must undergo training under my and Erys'' supervision every single day at least for two hours. I know, a lot of you may ask why or for what reason, but believe me, there are plenty of reasons."


    As he said those words, a slight murmur broke out among the people and filled the hall, but was quickly quietened down by Uncle Ben and a few others.


    Seeing the doubtful and muddled gazes on him, Nash didn''t feel embarrassed nor nervous as he somewhat expected such reactions. In fact, if he were the one told he has to train daily after all the shit he has gone through, he would have acted the same way too, maybe even caused a ruckus.


    He wished for a peaceful life after the many years of torture and hell, yet someone told him to train and fight daily? What joke was that? Training? Was that something you could eat?


    He would have definitely let out a great and hefty laugh, no matter if the one telling him that was his parents, godparents, or someone who saved his life from the pit of hell!


    However, now that his Legacy was freed, giving him a brief understanding of how the seal worked and how the Legacy could be improved even if it was sealed away, Nash knew he must do everything he could do to help everyone''s Legacy to grow below the seal before it was shattered and erased once and for all!


    As for the other reason, which in truth was quite a major one too, Nash wished to teach every human, let it be old, young, woman or man, to protect themselves in the future, hence basic fighting methods were a must to learn!


    Like, what kind of a future and what kind of a peaceful life would they wish to live if they couldn''t even defend themselves properly much less their loved ones?


    Nash made sure to make everyone in the hall understand these issues as clearly and calmly as he possibly could, which luckily only took him a little bit more than 15 minutes of talking and answering different questions from those that were harder to convince than the rest and still had doubts or thought otherwise.


    Naturally, he did not use any force nor did he influence them through dirty tricks as he made sure to do things the ways he and everyone else promised; if there were changes taking place or decisions to make, the majority''s voice decided not the strongest individual''s!


    Of course, because he was the sole being in the hall with real power and because he saved their lives many times over, it was only obvious they will agree with his words more than anyone else''s, but that was something Nash wished not to use to his absolute advantage if it was not a must.


    "Well then, now that all the doubts have been cleared and everyone now understands the great importance behind my decision, let us get to the main point of this gathering, the purpose and the usage of the Departments."


    Looking at the many faces in front of him that looked either curious or slightly nervous, Nash took a deep breath and began to speak.


    "For now, there will be a total of four major Departments, three that will immediately be formed and one that will be revealed once all of your Legacy had been unsealed."


    "Foremost, the first major Department will be the Chore Department. Just as the name suggests, everyone that is a part of this branch will work on chores around this palace such as cooking, cleaning, washing, and so on."


    "The second central Department will be known as the Manufacturing Department. This Department will be a little bit more complex than the rest as its branches spread into different fields such as crafting, smithing, building, and others."


    "The third Department, on the other hand, will be one without any special branches and will be the most simple out of all, the Harvesting Department. Those that will work in this department will have only one job, and that is to collect and bring back materials from the outside back here that can be later turned into tools or items by the Manufacturing Department."


    "As for the last Department, it will be the greatest pillar out of all the major Departments present and is one of the main reasons why I have chosen on making all of you learn martial arts and fighting methods! However, as I have said before, I will reveal only further information about it if all of your Legacy had been unsealed as, without it, it has no meaning to create that Department, thus there is no reason for me to explain it."


    As Nash said those words on the platform, everyone''s faces in the huge hall changed, some showing burning curiosity to hear what the final Department will be while some showed disappointment.


    "And what benefit will we get from joining each Department?" suddenly, as Nash examined everyone''s expression in silence, a calm but clear voice sounded from the crowd, immidieatly attracting many eyes, including Nash''s too!


    This individual was a young and beautiful girl, her age about the same as Nash''s. She had silky raven hair, tied into a long ponytail that almost touched her waist behind her slender back. With that and her flawless milky skin that seemed smooth to the touch together with her pretty face and shining silver eyes which showed nothing but serenity, her entire figure emitted great composure and maturity which was an extreme rarity among her age!


    Except for her and Nash, there was no one else with the same age in the current numbers who could match her in both poise and beauty even though there were still a few who looked just as old as her.


    However, although she looked like a fairy, her words were exactly like a snow avalanche, which caused many in the hall to realize a small, but great problem, which is the reason behind each Department.


    Despite having been told by Nash that creating Departments was a must if they wished to contain order and avoid future trouble, but what benefit would they get from it?


    Like, what was the difference between joining the Chore Department or becoming a part of the Manufacturing and Harvesting Department? Why would they join the last two Departments and do harder and more exhausting works such as carrying heavy stuff, crafting, and smithing different kinds of tools which made one''s body itch with pain just over a few hours, if they could just simply join the first one where the only job they have to do was cooking, cleaning, and washing?


    It made no sense currently to join those two Departments, hence they need a solid reason, something that made them feel it was more than worth it to join those Departments instead of the others.


    As these kinds of thoughts reached the heads of everyone in the hall almost in an instant, several gazes have been shifted onto the sole figure in the hall who could answer their questions, Nash.


    Nash, who remained silent until this very moment and whose eyes were fixed on the girl in the crowd, just showed a calm smile and said, "Your question is indeed a fair one, hence let me answer it right away."


    Immidieatly saying those words, Nash put his hand into his pocket before pulling it out, revealing an object that caused many to turn confused for a short moment and become stunned in the very next!


    "T-That''s.... G-Galaxy Jade Crystal?! B-But how?" a loud and astounded shout emerged from the crowd, forcing the rest to follow suit and look at Nash with eyes filled with different kinds of emotions such as awe, envy, and greed!

 Chapter 41 - 64 Ancient Veins: Level 10!

    Galaxy Jade Crystal.


    An extremely rare crystal that is the second most valuable currency among all the four currencies present in all the existing Dimensions, including the Ancient Dimension too!


    Space Jade Crystals, Gold Jade Crystals, Galaxy Jade Crystals, and Ancient Jade Crystals, with the first being the most common out of the four and the last being the rarest!


    One could literally buy over a month worth of food from a single Galaxy Jade Crystal and would still stay with a few Space Jade Crystals from which they could easily buy a few other things such as World Grade armaments, weapons, or items and tools!


    And such a precious thing that could change anyone''s life easily from hell to heaven was right now in the very hands of a young boy who didn''t even look older than twenty!


    "That is definitely a Galaxy Jade Crystal! I have seen one before and it looks exactly like that one from my memories!"


    "Yeah, that colorful rainbow-like glow whenever the light falls on it... There is no doubt about it. It''s definitely a Galaxy Jade Crystal!"


    Everyone in the hall turned excited and the burning desire to obtain and hold one in their hands rose in their hearts with crazed pace! Some were even bold enough to take a step closer to get a better look but were obviously stopped by Uncle Ben and the few others; they were naturally the few individuals that Uncle Ben befriended with back on Planet Azure.


    As for thoughts like how Nash obtained one or why did he not share them sooner if he already possessed a few, never appeared in their heads at all. Despite feeling slightly envious of him for different reasons, including the Galaxy Jade Crystal too, they were not stupid enough to bite the hands of the one who helped them escape from the pit of hell and made them survive until this very point.


    Although they were humans, they still had a bottom line, which after the many years of humiliation and slavery, was improved quite a lot where they understood and learned the value of several things, including loyalty too.


    Also, let''s not forget the fact that among all of the people present in the hall, Nash was the sole individual who possessed inhuman powers, thus he was more than suitable to keep those crystals in his possession, and anyone else that thought otherwise can go and screw themselves before Nash will!


    Only a fool would start a ruckus and demand him to hand over the crystals, especially after knowing what kind of feats he did until this very day!


    Feeling the burning gazes on his skin and the smooth texture of the small crystal in his hand, Nash curved his lips upward and while still staring at the girl in front of him, said, "This crystal is indeed a Galaxy Jade Crystal, and this will be the reason for you and everyone presents here to join the other Departments. And as a fact..."


    As he reached that part of his speech, Nash waved his hand casually, and Erys behind him stepped forward and touched the silver ring on her finger, causing several cube-shaped objects to fly out of it and to float into the air before falling onto the platform with a loud ''BANG'' sound.


    "T-This..."


    The hall immidieatly quietened down to almost dead silence, and everyone watched with slacked jaws as several boxes with a size thrice as large as a human body, appeared before their eyes, each of them filled with finger-sized crystals!


    While everyone gaped at the boxes with stares where their eyes seemed to be threatened to fall out of their sockets, Nash grinned even more and touched one of the many boxes on his side.


    "As you can see, there are quite a lot of crates here, each of them filled with hundreds of thousands of Space, Gold, and Galaxy Jade Crystals that are waiting to be used by us."


    As Nash said those words, he waited for everyone to burn the crates'' image in their minds before ordering Erys to put them back into her storage ring.


    "N-No! It disappeared!" many became agitated when they noticed that the crates filled with an immense amount of wealth vanished into thin air right before their very eyes, some even falling onto their knees with a pale complexion as if their biggest dream has been shattered.


    Watching as more than three-quarters of the people in the hall had their Sadness Level increase rapidly, Nash nodded slightly and showed a calm, but serious smile.


    "Remember, if you wish to see those crystals again and even hold them in your possession, you need to make sure to contribute to this community as much as you can with whatever you can, let it be something big or small. Of course, this does not mean you have to force yourself to do something you don''t feel comfortable with, but keep in mind that the harder and riskier work you choose to do, the greater the rewards you will get and the finer your life will be in the future!"


    What Nash tried to say with those words was quite obvious and everyone with a little number of brain cells would be able to understand him without a problem. He wished to tell everyone present to work hard and do their best now without any type of limitations so they could accumulate a great amount of wealth with which they live a better life in the future where the Human Race will not be looked down upon any longer!


    He wished everyone to live a life of great fortune and wealth, but for that, he first need to make them work for it, or else they will never get to learn the weight of things, particularly when their Legacy will be unsealed and their lives will become much harder than now.


    If you wish to obtain something and have a brighter future, make sure you work for it harder than anyone else, even if it means you have to spill your own blood as a result!


    That was something Nash heard only once but always kept in mind, as it was something that indeed held a true meaning; only through hard work will one have the chance to live a better life as nothing came as a free meal.


    Thinking about this and seeing the many gazes that now were filled with burning resolve, Nash nodded and said, "Well then, now that these things have been cleared, do you have any questions?"


    Immidieatly as he said those words, several hands were raised high into the air, showing the many questions they wished to know.


    Nash, naturally answered all of them, such as the works they can choose, the different amounts of payment they can get from them, and in what way they can use the crystals now.


    Many questions were asked in haste, but no matter if they were complicated ones or simple, Nash answered all of them one by one.


    After almost an hour of Q&A, Nash finally saw that there were no more hands in the air, hence nodded and said, "Perfect. If there are no more questions, you are free to go. But make sure to think about which Department and Branch each of you wish to join. As said, you will have three days to decide."


    Everyone nodded and after saying their farewell with noticeable respect, the only ones that remained in the main hall were Erys, Revio, Nash, and Uncle Ben.


    "Little Ash, I am truly shaken. To think you have thought all of this out this well... It''s almost like you have been born to create and rule!"


    Hearing his uncle''s voice, Nash showed an awkward smile and shook his head, "That is not true at all. I was able to come up with such a great system and ideas were all thanks to Erys."


    "If you say so..." Uncle Ben muttered quietly while he stared at Erys with an indifferent face.


    "Anyways, uncle I need your help with something." Nash suddenly said, surprising Uncle Ben for a moment before he nodded and showed a wide grin.


    "Sure, tell me what I need to do and I will try my best!"


    -


    -


    -


    After discussing his plan with Uncle Ben in great detail and ordering Revio and Erys to help him and do whatever he asked them to do, Nash decided to go back into his room and continue to unlock his Ancient Veins.


    Sitting down onto the bed after closing the door so no one can enter, Nash closed his eyes and seeped his consciousness into his body, forcing it to search and find all the Ancient Veins hidden deep in his flesh and bones.


    Seconds flowed away with each tick, slowly turning into minutes then hours, and then days!


    Three entire days have passed in an almost unnoticeable manner, and under that time, Nash''s concentration and level of proficiency to unlock his Ancient Veins became so high that every time he unlocked one, the amount of time needed for the next one decreased dramatically!


    Hence, in just under three days, he has unlocked all of his Ancient Veins in his body, forcing his body to break into the peak state of the Mortal Stage, finally reaching Level 10 after weeks of hard work!

 Chapter 42 - Dimension Essence!

    [Successful Breakthrough!]


    [You have successfully unsealed all of your Ancient Veins and stepped through the immortal border that mortals cannot pass!]


    [Mortal Rank Legacy has reached Level 10!]


    Whoosh!


    Immidieatly as those words appeared in his head, Nash suddenly noticed as his body became drastically lighter while a strange sensation he has never felt before began to fill his body or to be more exact his Ancient Veins bit by bit!


    ''What is happening?'' opening his eyes slowly, Nash raised his hands to get a better look, but the exact moment he moved, the unknown energy that filled his Ancient Veins suddenly halted while his body turned back to its normal weight once again.


    ''Huh? It stopped?'' Nash raised a brow and decided to put his hands back into their original position, but even then, the feeling he felt moments ago didn''t appear neither did his body weight become lighter.


    ''Maybe I need to concentrate?'' thinking about that possibility, Nash quickly closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm his mind down.


    And to his great surprise, it worked!


    The instant he closed his eyes and focused his attention on his body, the peculiar sensation in him appeared again while all the Ancient Veins inside his body began to glow with a gentle golden light which could be glimpsed only in his mind.


    ''Woah... Truly like those stories I heard when I was little!'' Nash looked elated when he felt his body getting filled with the unique energy, causing his body to become lighter and stronger by every passing second!


    ''So this energy must be the ''Essence of all Dimensions'' that I have read in the Legacy''s Information. Dimension Essence, huh?'' Nash remained motionless on the bed as he consumed the surrounding Dimension Essence in the room without stopping, filling his Ancient Veins in his body at a pace that was neither slow nor fast; if an example should be brought up, he was currently moving with a pace that was neither running nor walking but jogging.


    After consuming Dimension Essence for an hour at least, Nash gave a deep sigh, letting out a huge amount of turbid air, and opened his eyes slowly.


    ''Amazing. Only a fraction of my body has been filled with the energy, but it already replenished my body so much that my sight has turned sharper and clearer. I can even see the small details on the walls which I have didn''t notice now!'' jumping out of the bed and moving his body around, Nash showed a satisfied smile glanced at the emerald sword on his side.


    "I wonder just how much my strength has grown."


    {Character Status}


    ? Physical Strength: 99


    ? Agility: 99


    ? Speed: 99


    ? Mental Strength: 999


    ? Vitality: 100


    ? Essence: 999


    <With every new Level and Rank, your Character Status will improve too!>


    "99?" Nash raised a brow by the sight in his sight, feeling rather confused.


    So far, whenever he broke into a higher level, his traits would follow suit too, improving by at least 10 if not more than that.


    For instance, when he was still at Level 6, all of his traits were between 61 and 69, none of them surpassing the 70 mark. However, when he finally broke the bottleneck and became a Level 7 Mortal, all of his traits increased dramatically, each of them entering the 70''s, staying between 70 and 79, but none of them exceeding the 80 mark!


    Thus, now that he was a Level 10 Mortal who surpassed Level 10 by unlocking all of his Ancient Veins, shouldn''t his traits also surpass the 100 mark?


    This made Nash feel confused, but only for a moment as he immediately understood what was happening, thus calmed down really quickly.


    "A bottleneck, huh? Well, not like this is the first time, right?"


    Indeed, he has met with a bottleneck back when he was at Level 6, thus it was not a surprise he met with another one, particularly when he was at the peak of the Mortal Stage, half a step away from reaching the next Stage!


    "I am sure I will be able to overcome this too, so there is no need to panic." by saying those words, Nash picked up the sword from his sides and after looking at the room for one final time he unlocked the door and walked out.


    -


    -


    -


    Somewhere in the Human Dimension, on an unknown planet.


    The sun shone brightly on the clear starry sky, bathing the entire scenery below it in a bright glow, including the majestic palace on top of a great mountain that stood proudly in the middle of a huge crystal clear lake, which should be called a small ocean instead because of its size, and which tallest towers pierced the white clouds above!


    Inside this great palace where hundreds of guards in crimson armor were patrolling with a solemn face, there was a grand hall with a huge circular table in its very center with several figures sitting around it, each of them seemingly hailing from different races.


    "UNACCEPTABLE!!!"


    BOOOM!


    With a powerful slam, one of the six beings present in the hall smashed his tightly clenched fist onto the table, causing several cracks to appear around and below his hand on the table''s surface from the force and impact.


    "Lord Ozran, please restrain your rage. We still have guests here." a soft voice sounded behind the being who in reality was the leader of the Thousand Blood Race, attracting almost all the other beings'' attention instantly.


    The King, who was just called Lord Ozran by the beautiful crimson-haired maiden, took a deep breath and leaned back into his chair with a stiff expression.


    "I am sorry, Clavellina. My emotions got out of control just now." Lord Ozran sighed deeply and opened his closed eyelids, revealing a pair of deep red eyes that looked incredibly firm, but held hidden danger.


    Clavellina closed her beautiful ruby-like eyes without saying anything else and straightened her petite figure a little bit more, displaying her hot and alluring curves for all the other five creatures to see in the hall.


    Seeing as all the five creatures present looked at Clavellina with lustful gazes, Lord Ozran''s face turned colder than ice while his crimson eyes turned razor-sharp, emitting a threatening aura that was hard not to notice.


    "!?"


    "L-Lord Ozran... There is no need to be so serious. As a fact, you should feel proud to have such a great and beautiful daughter like her." one of the beings sitting in the hall began to speak after a hard swallow, making the other four around the table nod in agreement with haste as if their lives were on the line.


    "No need to be serious? One of my daughters was kidnapped by a lowly human more than a month ago without any news about her while the other one is currently eyed by a bunch of horny monkeys before my eyes! Do you really think there is no reason for me to be serious?!" a suffocating pressure fell on the five creatures the very next second he finished speaking, forcing them to lower their heads and pray not to get crushed by the heavy force soon.


    "Lord Ozran... Manners..."


    Hearing Clavellina''s soft voice in his ear once again, Lord Ozran''s face softened slightly before a cold snort escaped his mouth and withdrew his aura that almost choked the five creatures to death.


    "Weaklings."


    After muttering those words under his breath, Lord Ozran shifted his gaze at the creature sitting closest to him and said coldly, "Tell me everything you have just said from start to end again. If you dare to miss out on even a single detail, I will make sure to skin you alive and feed your flesh to my dogs!"


    "Y-Yes Lord Ozran! R-Right away!" a creature clad in crimson armor and with a pair of huge wings on his back jumped onto his feet, towering over two meters in height when he straightened his back.


    His name was Crimson Wings, a Sky Beast who was once a well-known and respected unit leader back on Planet Azure, but ever since the getaway of several human slaves there, his position and rank plummeted so much that even his past subordinates looked down on him now!

 Chapter 43 - Greater Than Anticipated!

    Crimson Wings stood up and straightened his back, but although he tried to act brave and confident in front of the leader of the Thousand Blood Race and the other four creatures in the hall, his pale face and lackluster eyes told everything no matter how hard he tried.


    "As Your Highness already knows this, the human who helped about a hundred slaves escape from Planet Azure a month ago and capture the Young Princess was a young human boy, no older than 19 years." as Crimson Wings spoke those words with scarcely shaken voice, a hologram image appeared in the middle of the table, attracting all eyes in the hall.


    Dark hair, firm sky blue eyes, light bronze skin, and straight posture that held great confidence in oneself. It was an image of Nash when he was still a slave back on Planet Azure.


    "His name is Nash Skyfield, a Grade E+ slave that mined on several planets such as Planet Zero, Planet Kalko, and Planet Azure. According to his records, he is an only child with both of his parents already dead and the only relative he has is his uncle, who was freed from Section F with the rest of human slaves there."


    Seeing as Lord Ozran remained silent and didn''t speak but simply stared at Nash''s image with eyes as sharp as a sword, Crimson Wings took a deep breath and changed the image into a video feed.


    The recording then began to show several sceneries such as the killing and slight argument in Section F, the slaughter in the space station caused by those black unkillable creatures, and how Erys used a single attack to demolish an entire unit of Sky Beasts in the sky just to help the humans escape.


    From start to finish, all the creatures in the hall remained silent, and even after several seconds when it has ended neither of them spoke but waited for Lord Ozran to talk. Of course, it was not because they felt the urge to show respect with such behavior, but because they dared not to speak in fear they could no longer see daylight ever again!


    The threatening aura that surrounded Lord Ozran right at this moment and the sharp gaze filled with obvious killing intent with which he stared at Nash''s figure on the paused tape told them it was better if they remained silent and did not talk.


    "Is that truly... Erys?" Clavellina asked with a slightly doubtful tone, hardly believing what she just saw was indeed her little sister.


    Ever since he knew herself, Clavellina knew the best just what kind of personality did Erys have as she was her older sister who spent the most time with her since she was born. She was a little arrogant and fierce tigress that obeyed no one except their mother, but if left alone, she was a shy little girl that loved to play with her toys and change clothes almost every minute just out of fun.


    Thus, seeing that she killed hundreds of Sky Beasts with a single strike and showed not a bit of change of emotions on her pretty face, made her assume that something was definitely off; almost like it was not even her on the video but a completely different individual disguised as her!


    Lord Ozran examined Erys'' image for several minutes in silence before narrowing his eyes and saying quietly, "She is Erys, no question about that, but she is under that ability''s influence."


    When Clavellina heard her father speak widened her eyes gently and asked, "Da... Lord Ozran, you mean, that thing you would have gotten as a gift from the Berserkers? That thing has been learned and used on Erys?"


    Lord Ozran nodded and the more he stared at Erys emotionless figure the more he felt he was right, hence the grimmer his complexion became.


    Just how would he, the leader of the Thousand Blood Race not know what kind of power did that Skill Fluid held that originally should be in his possession? He was way too clear about the fact that it was something that no one before was able to learn, not even the greatest minds in the Ancient Dimension, yet a human boy who was not even 20 succeeded in learning it!


    What is more, he even used it to enslave his daughter and force her to do things she didn''t wish! What was this if not throwing salt into his open wounds?


    ''It''s all because of those darned bloodsuckers! I swear I will make them regret the day when they decided to attack us!'' taking a pledge in his heart he will forever remember, Lord Ozran shifted his cold gaze over the figures of the five creatures in the hall and said calmly but loud enough for all of them to hear, "Listen here carefully as I will only say this once. Tell the following to your Masters..."


    -


    -


    -


    "You did quite a great job, not gonna lie. To think you have truly done everything I have asked just under a few days..." Nash looked shocked as he walked outside the palace and looked at the sight around him.


    About three days ago, the sight between the palace''s entrance and the underground tunnel was nothing but a stone pavement, emerald green grass, and well-kept bushes with a few trees in the distance. However, this sight changed completely in just a few days of time, startling Nash deeply as he didn''t expect his request to be finished so fast.


    Several stalls next to each other on both sides of the stone pavement, small but different sized buildings far behind them that were seemingly constructed from various colored and well-polished stones that gave out not a bit of uncivilized and crude ambiance but were in great consonance with the grand palace instead.


    There were even many increased platforms behind the buildings in the far distance, seemingly for the sole purpose for people to fight and practice on as there were a few that contained several human-shaped training puppets crafted out from wood and leaves!


    The whole scenery before him became like a completely different place, almost like he was just teleported away only to find himself in front of a small but civilized village or something!


    Such a sight made Nash unable to hold back his smile, completely satisfied with the way things had been designed and carried out! Everything looked simply perfect, just the way he asked his uncle to do it.


    "Haha! Surprised, huh?" Uncle Ben laughed merrily and placed his hands on his waist while he pushed his chest out with pride as he stared at the scenery in front of him with pleased eyes like has just done the best piece of art in his life!


    "Although it was quite the hard work, in the end, we have done it and maybe even better than I have anticipated. Of course, without you giving me the bag of Space Crystals with which I was able to gather several people willing to help and your Souls that protected us outside in the wild and also helped us in the construction, this couldn''t have been done this fast. At least a week would have been needed if not more!"


    Listening to Uncle Ben''s explanation Nash nodded and took a sideways glance at Erys and Revio on his side. Although Erys maybe not, but it was obvious from the shaky legs and pale face that Revio felt and was totally exhausted; he didn''t know what his uncle ordered him to do, but he was more than glad to see Revio in such a state.


    At least now he had a small taste of what he and all the humans were going through since now!


    After taking a few moments to savor Revio''s exhausted and afflicted complexion with joy, Nash turned to look at Uncle Ben and said, "I will go outside for a while. Until then, can you please collect everyone''s choice regarding the Departments?"


    "Of course, leave it to m-"


    "There is no need for that. I have already done that." suddenly, a soft but indifferent voice that seemed familiar for a reason appeared behind Nash, abruptly interrupting Uncle Ben''s sentence.


    Turning around with a slightly raised brow but an indifferent face, Nash watched as a girl wearing nothing but a casual blue T-shirt and short black jeans stood before him with a device in hand, her calm and attractive face and eyes gazing into his in silence.


    One calm and one indifferent; none of them speaking nor moving but only staring into each other''s eyes with thoughts completely unknown from one another!

 Chapter 44 - Let Me Come With You!

    Nash examined the girl in front of him and couldn''t help but admire her beauty in his heart secretly.


    Despite remembering her figure and look from the gathering three days ago, at that time she left no deep impression on him as he didn''t pay attention to her except for a few seconds. However, now that she was standing exactly a meter away from him and looked at him with her calm but firm eyes, he must say she was indeed a cutie that was in her own league.


    There was hardly anyone else currently he knew or remember who could compete her in quality of charm and look.


    As the two stared at each other without saying a single word, Nash crossed his arms before his chest and asked calmly, "And you must be...?"


    "Just call me Amy," Amy replied without hesitation before she extended her hand which held the device that looked similar to a tablet and said, "As for what I just said, there is no reason for your uncle to ask the people around for their choices as I have already done it."


    "You have done it?" Uncle Ben raised a brow and reached out for the device in Amy''s hand, but was surprised to see Amy pull her hand away and look at her with a cold gaze.


    "Just what do you think you are doing?"


    "What?" Uncle Ben felt startled by the look and tone of voice with which Amy just treated him, but soon showed a deep frown and his eyes flashed dangerously.


    "Hmph." Amy just sneered quietly seeing the threatening gaze directed toward her and shifted her gaze back at Nash while extending the device to him once again.


    "Here. I have collected all the data of everyone''s choice."


    Looking at the device then at Amy and his uncle, Nash decided to ignore the previous quarrel as it was only remote and accepted the device from Amy''s hand together with a thankful nod.


    ''...''


    Inspecting the data on the screen in silence, Nash couldn''t help but widen his eyes scarcely and look at Amy from time to time, feeling deeply shocked by her skilled way of execution.


    "You did this all by yourself?" Nash asked after a small while, his voice holding his shock.


    "Yes. Although it was somewhat a challenge at first, once I have gotten used to how to operate the things on it, everything went rather smoothly."


    As Nash listened to Amy''s voice, he couldn''t help but scroll through the many things noted in the device and feel awe. Everything was so well organized and detailed that he couldn''t help but raise his gaze at Amy and look at her in a slightly different light than before.


    "Thank you. I really do." Nash showed a gentle smile and without a second thought took out a deep black crystal from his pocket and he handed it over.


    Amy''s eyes brightened up like stars by the sight of the Space Jade Crystals, and even without the need to hear why Nash was giving it to her, she took it away, and after giving it a glance she put it into her pocket.


    "As for this device, I hope it won''t be a problem if I give this to my uncle for a few days, right?" Nash asked Amy once she put the Space Jade Crystal away.


    Amy raised her head and glanced at Uncle Ben with a pondering look, she nodded and said, "Until he keeps his hands away from the data on the device, I am fine with it. Well, it is not like I won''t notice if he tries to do something dubious or something, but it''s better safe than sorry."


    Nash raised a brow upon hearing those words and couldn''t help but wonder just what kind of things did his uncle do to deserve such words and treatment. First, a man who mined in the same Section as him back on Planet Azure and now her; if initially he thought that there was something odd, now he completely understood that there were indeed a few things he was not aware of.


    ''Once I am back, I definitely need to talk with him.'' Nash thought to himself as he handed the device toward his uncle and said, "Now that we have got this thanks to Amy, selecting heads for each branch will be much easier. Do you think you can do it?"


    Glancing at Amy coldly for a moment before averting his gaze and looking at Nash, Uncle Ben took the device away and took a peek at it. Yet, when he too saw just how detailed the information was, he too failed to contain his awe and widen his eyes as a result.


    However, his shock was rather short-lived as he quickly calmed down and asked, completely ignoring Amy''s mocking smile on his side, "I just need to find a few candidates that seem to be the best choice to become the head of the Branch they have chosen to join?"


    "Yes. But those that have been chosen need to be the best among the rest, so make sure you test both their skills and knowledge. I will lend you Revio too so things will be easier." Nash said and ordered Revio to help his uncle in this matter.


    "Sure, leave it to me." Uncle Ben showed a thumb up with a wide grin, which surprisingly made Amy sneer with disgust for no apparent reason.


    Nash noticing this knitted his brows into a small frown, but decided not to say anything. Until he did not understand the core of the things he wished not to judge and act blindly, let it be his uncle or someone else.


    Instead, he looked at his uncle and said, "Thank you. Then make sure once you have selected all the candidates you notify me."


    "I will." Uncle Ben nodded then giving a cold look at Amy he waved toward Revio, who was still trying to recover from his exhaustion, and walked away slowly.


    Watching as his uncle''s back vanished among the palace walls together with Revio, Nash let out a quiet sigh and said to Erys, "Let''s go."


    However, just as he was about to take a step forward, suddenly Amy''s voice appeared in his ear, forcing him to halt his steps abruptly.


    "Can I come with you?"


    Turning around to see a pair of silver eyes calmly looking at him from a rather close distance, Nash raised a brow and asked, "You want to come with me? I hope you know I am not going sightseeing, right?"


    "Yeah, I figured that out already." Amy nodded calmly and added, "But still, I want to go with you."


    Nash remained silent for a while and pondered. Although he had no clue why Amy wished to go with him, he was more than aware clear that the possibility of dying out there in the unknown was rather high, especially for her who''s Legacy was yet to be unsealed.


    "And your reason is...?" Nash asked after a few seconds, his complexion turning rather serious all of a sudden, which was understandable if one thought about it a little.


    Although he had the ability to protect anyone from danger and even death to a limited degree, even outside of this underground place, he couldn''t deny the fact that there were simply too much he has yet to understand about this planet and its environment, thus he couldn''t just let Amy come with him; the risk was just too great.


    However, the reason Amy just told him the very next second caught him completely off his guard.

 Chapter 45 - Forgotten City

    The sun was high up in the clear blue sky as it shone brightly and washed everything below it in its brilliant light thanks to the black sun''s disappearance a long time ago.


    The green leaves on the trees together with the bushes below them flickered with an emerald hue as they swayed to and fro gently whenever a calm breeze appeared from the west, blowing a few off and into the air with their destination unknown.


    However, if one thought such a sight was akin to the scenery in paradise they would soon need to face the harsh reality as such a thing was only hallucination and real threat always lurked below the seemingly beautiful surface all the time.


    Ever since the opening of the Ancient Path, let it be the wildlife or nature, everything has changed so much to the point where even a single strand of grass could end one''s life in almost no time at all.


    Even the emerald green leaves on the trees proved to be life-threatening as whichever surface they crashed into, let it be another tree''s trunk or a boulder, they would always leave behind a small scratch showing just how terrifyingly sharp they were!


    Of course, they were only harmful to existences that possessed no Legacy and underwent no evolution or simply had a weak physical defense to resist the sharpness of their edge.


    As for beings such as Nash, who was walking next to Amy and Erys in the dense forest with vigilant eyes, these leaves held simply no threat to him at all. Thanks to him being on the 10th Level of the Mortal Rank, his skin was akin to rock and was solid enough to withstand any type of ordinary weapons'' attack much less these leaves that were akin to butter knives to him!


    Walking through trees with calm steps, Nash gave a sidelong glance at Amy and asked, "How far away are we from that place? Are you even sure it''s this way?"


    Amy, who made sure to remain not more than a meter away from Nash as he was the only one who could protect her if a beast appeared, scanned her surroundings with her indifferent gaze and nodded.


    "Yeah, this is the right way. And I am pretty sure we are quite close to it."


    Upon hearing those words Nash shifted his attention to the path in front of him and narrowed his eyes, seemingly with the hope to peer through the towering trees and see the sight far behind them. But of course, such a wish was meaningless as he could not see through solid things nor had a technique to do so.


    Or wait...


    As Nash thought about something he looked at Erys and asked, "Hey, Erys. Back when we were searching for Anna''s whereabouts, how did you find the underground palace? Did you use some kind of special technique or what?"


    Erys felt the familiar power that always forced her to do things she didn''t wish to appear in her body once again and sighed in her heart helplessly before opening her small mouth to speak.


    "Yeah, I have used a Domination Art called Seventh Sense. Despite being a Divinity Class Art, it is a rather weak and useless Art though, as it can only allow me to see things in a mile radius when I don''t move."


    "In a mile radius? And you call that weak and useless?" Amy asked with a raised brow, feeling pretty confused why a powerful ability such as that was called weak.


    Just thinking about the many possibilities such an Art can provide to her, Amy felt her life would become much easier for sure. She no longer needs to feel anxious if she is lost or could not find what she wished to find.


    As a fact, she could finally go and find the bracelet she has lost about two days ago somewhere inside the palace with no signs of it finding it ever since then.


    How great would that be?


    Naturally, if Erys would have heard her thoughts she would have definitely looked at her with eyes filled with contempt as that was not the right way Domination Arts must be used!


    "Yeah, it is indeed a weak ability. You need to practice it for weeks to master it yet what it gives you in exchange for literally nothing! It doesn''t even give you the tiniest of help in a fight as you don''t even have the time to activate it!" Erys nodded, completely ignoring the ''are you stupid or what?'' look from Amy on her side.


    As Nash listened to what Erys just said, his eyes brightened up slightly, and said, "I hope you can teach me that Art once we go back. That would be great!"


    Erys wished to bare her fangs at Nash and say go and fuck yourself, but what came out of her mouth instead was a ''naturally'' together with a warm smile!


    It was obvious she had no choice in regards to this matter much less to express her thoughts.


    As the three walked through the forest while talking, from which only Amy and Nash talked and Erys was forced to answer, suddenly the number of trees began to lessen around them while a white path began to form in the distance in front of them.


    "We are close!" Amy''s eyes lit up brightly as she saw the jade path and her little feet began to quicken up their pace slightly.


    From behind, she looked exactly like an excited little girl who was brought to a great waterpark in the middle of the summer and wished to go down the very first slide in her life after a long-awaited lasting!


    The sight made Nash''s eyes flicker with different emotions for a while before they turned back nonchalant once again, and as he wished not to see her suddenly dying by the claws of an unknown beast''s ambush he too quickened his steps to catch up with her.


    As for Erys, she had no choice but to do the same even though she didn''t want to and her face was as cold and threatening as someone who just saw their parents'' murderer for the second time after several years.


    The three followed the white jade path without any arising problems and after a few minutes they arrived before this huge wall with a single arched gate in its center, that was seemingly crafted out of the same material that of the walls of the palace in the underground area!


    "Archaic Symbols?" Nash knitted his brows gently when he saw that above the opened doors of the gate there were a few carvings, seemingly being the same ones as the ones above the palace entrance.


    "What? Archaic Symbols? What is written there?" Amy asked immideatly when he heard Nash''s words, seemingly interested to study and learn what the different carvings meant.


    However, Nash instead of answering just looked at Erys and silently ordered her to translate as he has yet to know the meaning of each Archaic Symbol.


    "It says nothing but two words, Forgotten City." Erys quickly explained, making Nash and Amy raise a brow and ponder silently.


    But they couldn''t think for a long while as suddenly Nash felt as he became anxious for no apparent reason and his right arm began to itch.


    ''What is this feeling? Why do I feel so unease all of a sudden?'' Nash wondered as he raised his guard in a flash and glanced around.


    "Something is coming," Erys said calmly as her eyes were fixed on the sight behind the gates and watched as a second later a figure holding a white longsword appeared on the horizon, his destination obviously them as he walked toward their direction with steady and firm steps.


    * * * * * *


    A/N: Hope you enjoy the story so far! Make sure to leave behind your thoughts in the comment section or review <3!

 Chapter 46 - Guardian

    Nash narrowed his eyes scarcely at the sight of the being''s sudden appearance on the horizon and subconsciously raised the sword in his hand higher as he stepped before Amy who seemed to be rather anxious and even looked a little bit pale.


    As for Erys, her complexion became white as a sheet of paper as she noticed something that Nash definitely didn''t; and it was the creature''s aura which despite being surpassed she could easily detect that it was on the Warmaster Rank, on the same Rank as her!


    "That creature... is at the Warmaster Rank. Although it tries to conceal it, I can sense it."


    "WHAT?" both Nash and Amy snapped their heads toward Erys with widened eyes, feeling as if they have just misheard what she has just said. However, when seeing her grim face together with how her little hands trembled slightly, Nash realized she was not lying and what she just told was indeed the truth!


    "We need to get out of here now!" Amy quickly grabbed the sleeve of Nash''s clothing, pulling it toward her with stress as she tried to make him budge and move.


    But to her great surprise, Nash was akin to a huge and heavy boulder that was impossible to push or pull much less move around, hence the only thing she could do was to anxiously wait and hope that he won''t try to do anything stupid.


    "We need to go now if you want to keep living. That creature is not something you can defeat, not even with me on your side. If it comes any closer than that, we are all doomed for sure." Erys said calmly, but just like how Amy, she too was dependent on Nash as she couldn''t just decide and run away as she wished.


    At the very end of the day, despite her hatred toward the human on her side, she was still under the influence of his power and whatever he decided to do she must follow and obey with ''loyalty''. The only thing that was given to her was to give him advice and hope he will listen to her and do not plan to eat something he couldn''t even chew!


    Of course, Nash knew what the two on his side were thinking and he was clearly aware of the fact that they stood no chance against that creature before him, but then...


    ''Why do I have this strange feeling inside my chest?''


    In the beginning, he was able to feel like his body to its very core became unease and even slightly worried, but once the strange creature that represented a skeleton appeared with bones shining with an emerald green cluster, the feeling in his body began to change, gradually becoming something completely different, something he has never felt before.


    It was almost like something deep inside him told him not to move and even trust the skeleton in front of him as he won''t regret it.


    "Nash...?" Amy''s grip on Nash''s sleeve tightened when she saw Nash stay silent even after a full minute, her face turning paler by the fraction of the second as the creature came closer and closer to them.


    Nash clenched his teeth when he heard Amy''s slightly shaky voice and without further hesitation took a step forward as he said, "Erys, protect her no matter what."


    Erys looked at Nash''s back with widened eyes and while her body was forced to move next to Amy, she thought to herself mockingly, ''He is definitely digging his own grave. What a fool.''


    While Amy watched with widened eyes as Nash ordered Erys to protect her, Nash walked several meters forward, and when he was just below the gate he stopped moving with his gaze fixed on the creature that already arrived in front of him, and stood exactly five meters away from him.


    And from such a distance, Nash could clearly see that the creature before him was true, without a question a skeleton, built up from nothing but green bones and nothing else. There were no flesh, organs, or veins, but only bones that moved around just as perfectly as they would with muscles and tendons!


    "So you have decided to remain even after knowing the threat. No wonder fate has chosen you in the end."


    "?!"


    Nash''s eyes widened the moment he heard the unfamiliar voice in his head which was neither feminine nor masculine even though he saw as the skeleton''s jaw didn''t move and simply stared at him with its empty eye sockets.


    "You... can speak?" Nash asked after a bit of hesitation and raised his gaze slightly to see if the skeleton had any Indicator above its head or not. But to his great surprise, it did not have, confusing him even more.


    "I can speak indeed, but the biggest question here is not that, but instead the reason why did you have stepped through the Forgotten Gate." the voice appeared inside Nash''s head once again, sounding rather mysterious but peaceful.


    "Me? What do you mean by that?" Nash asked with a slight frown but soon realized something was wrong and took a glance behind him. And to his horror, the walls and gate which he was below a second ago vanished, together with Erys and Amy too!


    "This... What is happening here?" Nash turned around and looked at the forest around him, only to find out it was not the forest from where he just came from with Amy and Erys, but a completely different one.


    "Because you have stepped through the Forgotten Gate, now your soul has stepped into the Forgotten Lands."


    "Forgotten Land? Forgotten Gate? What the hell are you talking about here you pile of b-, Eek!" Nash seemed to become angry when he heard the many unknown things, but quickly calmed down and even let out a slight scream when he turned back around and saw as the skeleton was now only an inch away from his face, and its eyeballess face staring deeply into his eyes quite creepily.


    ''Just when?'' Nash swallowed nervously when he realized he could have just died now without knowing when the skeleton got behind him, and subconsciously took a few steps back to increase the distance.


    "Don''t worry, if I would have wanted to kill you I would have done so already." the skeleton''s voice sounded in Nash''s head and straightened its posture, "Or at least, I could have if we were still outside and not in the Forgotten Lands. But now, things have become slightly different."


    Nash remained silent with a deep frown on his face, and after pondering for a while and realizing that the skeleton meant no harm for him, took a deep breath and asked, now with a seemingly relaxed attitude than before, "Can you tell me more about what this place truly is and how can I get out of here? Also, who are you, and how did you get here? According to the records, this planet should be desolate."


    "Desolate?" the skeleton let out a slight chuckle when he heard this, giving Nash a kind of illusion as if it was smiling even though it was impossible, and said, "The Paradise will never be a desolated planet, no matter how many millennials went and will go by.. As for who am I, let''s just say that I am this ''desolated planet'', this Paradise''s Guardian, and I have waited for your arrival quite a long time now."

 Chapter 47 - Forgotten Path

    "You... have waited for me?" Nash looked confused when he heard what the skeleton just said and raised a brow.


    "Yes, I did." the skeleton gave a scarce nod as a response and turned around before walking away with the same slow but firm steps it has walked with a few moments ago.


    "W-Wait! Where are you going?" Nash extended his hand toward the skeleton almost as if he wanted to grab his shoulder, but realizing it was not a great idea he halted in mid-air and let his hand remain frozen there.


    The skeleton, however, just simply continued to walk forward without stopping in its track and said, "Follow me. Your trial will begin soon."


    "Trial? What trial?" Nash asked with a puzzled face, but as he got no answer to his question and neither did he plan to remain where he was alone, he cursed quietly under his breath and followed the skeleton hurriedly.


    "Where are taking me and what kind of trial did you just talk about? Also, you have still yet to answer my previous questions about this place." after walking through a vast grass field then a dense forest in complete silence, Nash couldn''t contain his curiosity inside any longer as questions one after another flooded out of his mouth like water from a broken tap.


    Of course, it was somewhat understandable, as currently, the only one that can give answers to his seemingly annoying questions was the emerald skeleton in front of him, who acted all so mysterious ever since the first moment they met.


    And as Nash thought, just like how he failed to get any response during his first time, he failed to get one this time too as the only thing the skeleton did was to turn his head toward him before shifting his attention back on the road on the front once again and proceeding walking in silence.


    "So I''m invisible to you at this point? Ok, that''s cool, understandable." Nash shrugged casually as if he didn''t care being ignored, but after another hour of walking without talking and getting any answers to his questions, his face became slightly annoyed and his eyes narrowed scarcely.


    "I never knew this before, but now I slowly get to realize that I indeed hate being ignored. Maybe I should throw a brick in your face, huh?"


    And to his great surprise, just as he said those words the skeleton in front of him finally decided to halt its steps and turn around to look at him while crossing its seemingly fragile arms before its rib bones.


    "So you do wish to die just to know what this place is?"


    "Yes... Wait, what? No! Why would I want to die for a little bit of more knowledge?" Nash nodded before he quickly shook his head once he understood what the skeleton just said to him.


    Although he wished to know what this place truly was and how he could get out of here as many lived depended on him outside this Forgotten Lands, he did not plan to leave the living behind and die here, sith he just began his journey on his new life a little more than just a month ago!


    The skeleton seemed obvious about Nash''s thoughts, hence shaking its apparently hollow skull gently it turned back around and once it began to walk again, said, "Then keep your pointless questions for yourself and follow me. We don''t have much time to waste. We need to reach the Forgotten City as soon as possible or you will die."


    ''And another thing to raise many other questions, cool...'' Nash''s mouth twitched with slight annoyance as he thought about this in his heart, but just as he was about to follow the skeleton he saw it suddenly halt its steps once again and turn toward him.


    "W-What?" Nash asked with hesitation once he felt the sudden change of atmosphere around him, even feeling as his back began to sweat profusely almost as if he was in great crisis.


    The skeleton remained silent for a few seconds before it said calmly, but its voice held coldness that almost felt freezingly real, "Nothing, just make sure you don''t act rashly or don''t blame me for being rough on you."


    "Huh?" Nash seemed to be confused for a split second before the sudden realization hit him like a truck and fast nodded his head after swallowing hard.


    ''It seems I got a little bit comfortable and got carried away. Next time I need to be more careful.'' taking a serious note in his heart after understanding his mistake, Nash apologized to the skeleton quietly, and without asking or saying anything else he followed it in silence.


    -


    -


    -


    The wind blew the leaves on the thick and tall trees and the strands of grasses that reached up approximately a foot from the ground, while two figures, one emerald skeleton, and one human boy walked next to each other seemingly in silence.


    Neither of the two talked nor tried to speak but simply walked forth with steps that were both calm and firm that showed just how confident they were in themselves.


    Nash and the skeleton walked about three days and nights without any rest, but even after such a long time which would make any normal living human fall onto the ground and crawl because of physical exhaustion or thirst, Nash felt no change in his body at all and felt just as energetic as ever before.


    He didn''t even feel the slightest sign of hunger despite eating nothing for three whole days straight, which made him wonder deeply if it was because of what the skeleton have just told him and he was currently in a form of a soul, hence it was understandable why things such as hunger and thirst didn''t apply to the current him.


    However, the most shocking and at the same time confusing thing about his current condition was not this, but the fact that they didn''t even encounter any beasts on their way much less attacked by one!


    At first, he thought it was because of the skeleton''s aura which was on the Warmaster Rank, but after considering several things about this matter for a while longer, he realized it was not completely right to assume it was thanks to the skeleton.


    Logically speaking, beasts below the Warmaster Rank won''t dare to approach them because of the skeleton, but after seeing that there were not even the slightest trace that beasts are lurking around them or at least were around before running far away in fear of getting killed by the skeleton, Nash realized that there were more to this than met the eye!


    As Nash tried to figure out why there were no beasts around, suddenly he noticed as the skeleton on his side stopped walking and remained motionless, while its hollow eye sockets gazed at the white staircase in front of it that led the way toward the massive green mountain''s peak that vanished among the white clouds above the blue sky.


    "We have arrived. Now it is time for you to ascend and complete your trial." the skeleton said calmly as he took a step to the side and sat down, clearly indicating that Nash will climb the stairs all alone without it following him.


    "Huh? The trial is up there?" Nash''s eyes widened as he looked at the staircase and followed its route until he could not see it any longer as it disappeared among the clouds above.


    ''Like a fierce dragon curling and twisting around an eternal mountain...'' was what popped up in Nash''s mind as the scenery in front of him gave exactly an image such as that.


    "The trial is not up there, it is already before your eyes.." the skeleton responded calmly and added, "Now go and ascend the Forgotten Path to complete your trial once and for all."

 Chapter 48 - Special Blessing: Soul Eye

    "Forgotten Path?" Nash raised a brow as he shifted his attention from the skeleton onto the staircase and touched his chin as he asked, "So I simply need to ascend the mountain and we are all done? We can finally leave this place?"


    "Yes." the skeleton responded cooly, giving Nash the feeling as if it was sitting in one place with closed eyes and was meditating, something which was rather strange to see as it had no eyelids and its hollow eye sockets still gazed into the distance in silence.


    "Seems easy enough." Nash, however, didn''t care about it and just simply shrugged casually before taking a step forward and placed his right foot onto the first staircase gently.


    "So... What is this trial all abou-" feeling as nothing happened when he placed both feet onto the first step, Nash was about to say something when suddenly a peculiar sensation swept through his body for a split second and vanished the next, startling him greatly.


    "That... Was strange..." Nash patted his chest to see if anything strange happened to him, but finding there was nothing he raised a brow and glanced at the skeleton.


    Feeling the gaze on its bones, the skeleton didn''t move but began to talk, "If I were you, I would not waste my time pondering on useless things. Everything in the Forgotten Land will vanish soon, so if you don''t hurry up and reach the peak both of us will be earesed from existence... or at least our souls as far I am aware."


    TREMBLE!!


    "Huh?" as Nash listened to the skeleton''s words, a slight tremor shook the ground below his feet, forcing him to raise his head and widen his eyes upon a sight he could hardly believe could happen.


    The small hill in the far distance together with the trees and all the other plants on it bit by bit began to turn transparent, gradually turning imperceptible as nothing but whiteness engulfed and replaced the previous emerald green scenery!


    "You have only one hour." the indifferent voice of the skeleton sounded in the air, snapping Nash out of his daze and forcing him realize that things truly seemed more dire than he initially believed them to be.


    "Wait... One hour?! Are you trying to pull my leg or what?" Nash blurted out somewhat loudly, but seeing as he was getting the cold shoulder from the emerald creature once again he shifted his gaze back onto the serpentine staircase with a now slightly stiff complexion.


    "Is this for real? One hour won''t be enough time for me to reach the peak!" Nash said seemingly to no one, but once he glanced back and watched how the scenery in the far distance gradually vanished, he had no choice but clench his teeth and finally move.


    Pushing his feet against the staircase, Nash kicked off and began to run, passing several steps in a blink and even more after a few more seconds. During this short amount of time, the strange sensation appeared once again and swept through Nash''s body just like previously, but with the sole difference that with each step the volume grew by a pinch!


    At the start, it was like akin to a feather tingling one''s skin here and there a few times, but the higher Nash ran and the more steps he took, the stronger the sensation became and the more piercing the feeling turned to be!


    After the 100th step or so, the tingling sensation became stabbing, almost like small and thin needles were punctured into his skin through his pores which were pushed deeper and deeper into his flesh! By the time he reached the 200th step this piercing became so painful that he could literally swear he could feel his bones getting stabbed by invisible powers, driving him almost to the edge to stop and scream!


    But somehow feeling that if he does stop now it was very likely he won''t be able to proceed on any longer and even try to go back down if not stay there with contemplating thoughts what he should do, he just bit his lips and continued to run, which slowly but surely began to turn into jogging than walking the higher he went.


    "Fuck... This starts to become unbearable..." cursing out loud as he kept his gaze firmly on the steps before him, Nash tried to keep his focus away from the almost skin peeling pain that washed throughout his body by counting the steps he passed.


    "4436... 4437... 44-, cough!" raising his hand to cover his mouth, Nash lowered his eyes slightly and watched as deep red blood dripped down onto the ground before his feet through the small gaps between his fingers.


    Even the taste if bitter iron lingered in his mouth, making Nash know he was indeed not hallucinating and what he was seeing was indeed his blood!


    "Souls can... bleed too?" asking himself with surprise as he wiped the blood away from the corner of his lips, Nash raised his gaze and showed a bittersweet smile.


    "Almost halfway through and I have less than thirty minutes. I need to hurry up." without looking behind to see what the scenery in the distance looked like, Nash kicked his feet against the ground and while suppressing the urge to cry out from the pain, he began to run once again; of course, it was more than like a jogging than running, but he definitely was moving faster than he previously did.


    After a minute later, Nash finally passed the halfpoint and he was already high above the clouds, revealing the peak for him in its full glory below the clear blue sky! However, despite being such a holy sight in front of him, Nash was incapable of savouring the moment to stop and enjoy the scenery as he forced his body to move forward even though blood flowed down the corner of his mouth and his complexion was paler than a sheet of paper!


    Another ten minutes later, roughly seven to nine minutes before everything will be decreased and be engulfed in everlasting whiteness, Nash finally reached the final hook in the serpentine staircase and the only thing that severed him from reaching the peak was a few steps and...


    "Bleargh!" throwing up a huge amount of blood once again that formed a small pond in front of him and flowed down on the steps behind him, Nash fell onto his knees as the pain in his body was literally torturing.


    Every muscle, every tendon, every bone and even every organ in his body felt almost like they were pierced, cut, twisted and squeezed, making his blood to flow not only out of his mouth but even out of his nose and eyes, giving him a rather horroristic appearance at the moment.


    "How much more?" Nash raised his ghostly face gently and with a blurry vision through his barely open eyelids he began to count the number of steps he still needed to take to finally reach the top.


    "24... huh..." Nash showed a smile filled with relief, but that smile quickly turned into a painful grimace the moment he attempted to raise his body and move once again.


    ''Argh... Come on! If I have already reached this point why would I fall now? Move... MOVE!'' roaring in is heart to make his body budge, Nash bit by bit raised onto his feet and while enduring the pain in his body raised his foot and began to walk once again.


    First step... Second step... Third Step...


    After reaching the fifteenth step after four full minutes of struggle, Nash fell onto his knee once again but quickly raised his body up and continued to ascend while drawing extra will and strength from parts of his body he did not know even existed before!


    And after another four minutes later, when Nash finally placed both of his feet onto the last step and reached the peak, making itjust in time before his body would have been engulfed by the spreading whiteness that was only inches away from his body behind him, time seemed to freeze and a blue light with a size of a human fist appeared in the air and floated in front of Nash.


    "What... is thi-" Nash was about to ask a question, but was rudely interrupted as the blue light suddenly flashed and with a great force akin to a bullet that bent his head backward crashed into the middle of his forehead, almost forcing him to tumble back and fall into the whiteness behind him!


    [Trial of the Forgotten Path successfully completed!]


    [Because your Soul has not been engulfed by the Forgotten Light nor did it crumble under the Forgotten Pain, you will be given a Blessing according to your Soul!]


    Whoosh!


    In the next second as sounded, Nash felt as the torturing pain in his body began to vanish and slowly what replaced it was a warm and refreshing feeling while something deep within his right eye began to get hotter and hotter by the fraction of the second!


    "Argh!" quickly raising his hand to cover his right eye that now made Nash feel almost like it was burning, Nash was on the verge of losing himself and tear his eye out, but luckily the burning sensation quickly vanished, almost like it wasn''t even there to begin with!


    [Congratulation! You have acquried Special Blessing: Soul Eye!]

 Chapter 49 - Soul Eye; A Power To See The Unseen!

    In front of a huge wall that stood proudly in the middle of nothing, separating a grand forest from a vast grassland from each other, Erys and Amy watched as Nash walked toward the creature and stopped walking when he was right below the curved gate of the wall.


    At first, they believed he was simply waiting for the emerald skeleton to arrive, but when they noticed as the skeleton halted its steps the very moment Nash did, silently staring at Nash with its hollow eye sockets, the two thought maybe a huge clash will soon follow, but their hope didn''t occur at all; they just simply stood where they were without none of them moving even an inch.


    "What... is happening now?" after more than five minutes of nerve-racking silence which felt more than that, Amy was incapable of resisting the urge to open her mouth and ask her doubts with a rather confused expression.


    Erys closed her previously scarcely open mouth upon hearing the question, her deep crimson eyes akin to rubies scanning both Nash''s and the creature''s figure in front of her.


    ''Nothing seems to be out of place as I still feel his control on me and neither of their life forces looks to be depleting. But then why does neither of them try to move?'' Erys showed a pretty deep frown, making her somewhat adorable face look rather cold and scary all of a sudden.


    As for Amy, she now looked completely calm maybe because she was protected by Erys, a being that reached the Warmaster Rank and was capable of destroying mountains with a single swing of her weapon too!


    Time ticked by again, and seeing as none of them wished to move, Erys started to feel that things were not as simple as they seemed and slowly began to examine the wall before them.


    At first sight, everything seemed to be normal with nothing out of the ordinary, but when Erys squinted her eyes and took a closer look at the surface of the wall, especially at the parts closer to the gate, she noticed several smaller carvings with a similar appearance akin to the bigger ones on the top were engraved, each of them holding a different meaning from the rest!


    "There are even more Archaic Symbols all over the wall''s surface!" Erys spoke out loudly, making Amy on her side look startled and ask, "Can you translate them?"


    Erys gave a sidelong glance at Amy, feeling slightly irritated by her casual behavior with her, but as she too was curious what the symbols meant she just took a deep breath and once all calm and steady, began to read the ancient texture.


    "Although I cannot understand every part as my knowledge about the Archaic Symbols are still at a beginner''s level, as far as I can understand it, it talks about a land... a city that existed during the Ancient Era and was a place where..."


    Amy listened to Erys''s explanation in silence and her ears perked as she was curious to hear what she was saying, but when she heard that she suddenly stopped talking she glanced at Erys and showed a slight frown.


    "Where? A place where? Why did you suddenly stop talking?"


    However, her question was simply ignored by Erys as her complexion stiffened and showed disbelief while her thoughts also became slightly chaotic at the same time.


    ''No... Something is definitely wrong here... We are currently inside the Human Dimension so this must be impossible! Maybe I had an error while I was trying to translate, let''s see...'' thinking that she mistranslated the Archaic Symbols, Erys quickly focused on the carvings once again and began to translate everything word by word, making sure she does not make a mistake once again.


    But alas, even after attempting to translate them for the fifth time, the results were all the same. She even went so far that she activated one of her ''useless'' Domination Art to enhance her sight to see if she didn''t accidentally mix the carvings together, but in the end, she always got the same result, something she could hardly accept even after the fifteenth attempt.


    ''Impossible... According to the records, the human race only opened their Ancient Path less than a thousand years ago! There is no way in all hell this must be real! Someone definitely tries to play a prank here and I won''t fall for it!'' with that thought in her head, Erys sneered coldly in her heart and without caring about the matter any longer she turned away and focused her attention on Nash and her surroundings instead.


    As for Amy, she observed everything from the side in silence and with an indifferent face, looking to and fro between Erys and the walls from time to time. But as she had no knowledge of what the carvings could have meant nor did she have a clue why did Erys'' complexion change between so many emotions so fast and why her eyes showed doubt all the time, she could only keep her guesses to herself as she was pretty sure she would not get any answer if she tried to ask her.


    ''Once Nash comes back, I am pretty sure everything will be answered.'' Amy comforted herself with such thoughts as she shifted her attention back at Nash''s figure, only to see something unexpected.


    Thud!


    "N-Nash?" Amy''s eyes widened once she saw Nash''s body fall onto the ground like a piece of ragdoll and her complexion got only paler when she noticed the trickle of blood flowing down the corner of his mouth for no apparent reason!


    As she wished to run up and see if Nash was still alive, Erys suddenly grabbed her shoulder firmly, pinning her down with a force that didn''t hurt but neither did it let her move; she was simply pinned down without any chance to lift her feet off from the ground!


    "Let me go! Something obviously happened with him, we need to go and help him!" Amy turned to look at Erys with a cold glare, but the only thing she saw was a pair of indifferent crimson eyes, showing no sign of letting her go.


    "You-" Amy wished to say something, but just as she was about to open her mouth, an almost blinding white light broke out from the direction where Nash was, forcing both girls to close their eyes hurriedly.


    "Argh... My eye... Argh... It hurts..." a weak and hoarse voice sounded the moment the light began to fade, revealing as Nash who was once on the ground began to stand up slowly, his palm covering his face which now held a painful grimace.


    "Nash? Are you okay? What happened?" Amy upon hearing the familiar voice opened her eyes and once she saw that Nash was alive she run up to him and looked him up and down with visible worry.


    Nash obviously didn''t notice the worried look on her pretty face nor the concern in her soft voice, as his vision and mind were too blurry to catch such minor details and instead shifted his attention at his surroundings to see where he was.


    "I am back? So un the end I have succeeded, huh?" as different thoughts flashed through his mind almost at the same time, Nash looked at the spot where the creature was before his soul was transported to the Forgotten Lands, but to his great shock it was nowhere to be found, its body vanished almost like it was not even there to begin with!


    "Where did the skeleton go?" looking at Amy who was the closest to him, Nash asked calmly while slowly lowering his hand as the piercing pain in his eye began to dissipate bit by bit.


    Upon hearing Nash''s question, Amy looked surprised which quickly turned into confusion as she too noticed that the creature indeed vanished and couldn''t be seen anywhere no matter where she tried to look. As as¨® matter of fact, not even Erys was able to locate its aura even with her powerful Domination Art, meaning it must have escaped and was already more than a mile away from them!


    As Amy and Erys were looking around to see if the skeleton was indeed far away and was not trying to hide in the shadows just to ambush them, Nash decided to focus his attention on something else, on the description of his newly acquired ability, the Soul Eye!


    [Special Blessing: Soul Eye]


    ? Description: A simple but powerful ability acquired by challenging, surviving, and completing the seemingly impossible trial of the Forgotten Path!


    ? Blessing Class: Unclassified


    {Ability}


    ¡ã Soul Eye: A power capable of seeing and tracking the soul of everything and anything in existence in exchange for ancient energy once activated!


    {Passive Abilities}


    ¡ã Soul Light: An inactive ability to measure the density of one''s soul!


    <Further abilities can be unlocked once reached higher Class!>

 Chapter 50 - Mysterious Soul Eye

    The words in his line of sight made Nash feel both perplexed and muddled, which was somewhat understandable because of many reasons.


    First and foremost, his soul, something he until this very moment thought could only exist solely in his body, was teleported or at least pulled into an unknown separate world known as the Forgotten Lands, a place where the only living beings were him and the skeleton!


    Secondly, he had to travel three days and three nights straight without rest through different landscapes just to climb a ridiculously huge mountain with a crazily long serpentine staircase on it as a trial, which as a bonus, inflicted an almost unbearable amount of imperceptible pain and torment on him, which almost drove him to the edge of insanity if it were not for his sheer will to keep going and keep focused.


    As for the eerie and seemingly eternal light which consumed and erased everything and anything it had engulfed around the Forgotten Lands, Nash could only shake his head helplessly and try not to think about it as it only made him feel an aching headache instead of comfort.


    No, what he tried to figure out the most at the moment was something he so far thought was impossible; the way he acquired his newly found power, his Soul Eye!


    According to the description inside of his Special Character Status, all of his four special powers that had been yet to be gained could be obtained by challenging The Ancient Path only! Yet, for some unknown reason or because of a miracle, he acquired one of these special powers through a trial in a place which was not even The Ancient Path!


    All these things made Nash so baffled that he couldn''t even talk or move for more than five minutes as he had to digest and clear his mind as a result!


    Only after five entire minutes, when his mind was tranquil once again with all the previous doubts placed into the back of his mind could he take a deep breath and take a closer look at the description of his Soul Eye.


    ''A power to see the unseen? What should that even mean?'' Nash touched his chin as he immersed himself into his thoughts, but as he couldn''t come up with a reasonable explanation he just sighed in his heart and decided to activate his Soul Eye to find out the truth.


    Whoosh!


    Immidieatly, a strange tingling sensation that was neither painful nor comfortable appeared in his right eye while the scenery around him seemingly remained the same as it was.


    ''Strange... Except for this scarcely irritatable sensation in my right eye, there doesn''t seem to be any change at all. Not even my sight got sharper or my vision larger, maybe it is a defective ability?'' as such thoughts emerged in his mind, suddenly he felt a soft tug on his arm, making him shift his attention to the side, only to see as Amy looked at him right in the eye with her pretty silver eyes akin to two silver stars.


    "We need to go. It seems several beasts on the Warrior Rank are approaching our location, their numbers rather high according to Erys." Amy said calmly with her indifferent face, but when she saw Nash showing no sign of moving or reacting to her words, she frowned and raised her hand to see if he was even listening or not.


    However, just the moment she raised her hand, Nash suddenly moved too and grabbed her by the wrist, catching her completely off her guard!


    "N-Nash? W-What... What are you doing?!" Amy stuttered with widened eyes as she watched Nash intensely staring at her hand, almost akin to someone who just saw another being''s hand for the first time.


    Nash on the other hand didn''t reply to Amy''s question as he simply was too immersed in the sight in front of him and just held Amy''s hand in his hold while turning it here and there slowly.


    "No... Something is not right. I could swear I saw it so why can''t I see it now?" Nash muttered quietly under his breath as he loosened his grip on Amy''s wrist and after pondering for a while he said calmly, "Can you please move your hand again?"


    Amy seemed hesitant at first but seeing as Nash''s attention was solely on her hand without caring about her previous warning, she clenched her teeth and quickly waved her hand from side to side.


    "This..." Nash''s eyes immediately widened and watched with stupefaction as every time Amy''s hand moved, another hand with the same shape but in a half-transparent state as hers materialized out of her hand, moving before her real arm in the same direction!


    But the greatest part was not that, but the moment where the translucid hand suddenly stopped moving and began to change directions while the real hand followed suit in the very next second and tracked the translucent hand''s route almost like it was dragged on a string or something like that!


    Only when the half-transparent hand stopped completely next to Amy''s side and the real hand caught up with it did everything go back to normal, but even then only for a split moment as the next one Nash saw something that shook him to the very core!


    Observing everything with his right eye, Nash watched as a second Amy with an identical shape and look but with a translucid form got separated from Amy''s real body and moved backward, only to be followed by her real body and merge in the next second!


    "Nash... Are you feeling... okay?" while Nash watched all this with a somewhat stupefied expression, Amy asked with a slightly anxious face, thinking that Nash was acting slightly creepy ever since he regained his consciousness, especially with his intense stare and eerie silence.


    "Huh? What? Yeah, I am feeling great, why?" Nash snapped back to reality when he heard Amy''s question and quickly deactivated his Soul Eye to avoid the essence in his body getting depleted.


    "So you finally decided to come back from your daze, huh? Great, now we can go." as Amy and Nash looked at each other in silence, suddenly Erys'' figure appeared between them out of thin air, her crimson eyes peering into the distance with slightly squinted eyes.


    "Amy said a few beasts are approaching us. Why didn''t you take care of them already then? With your strength, it should be child''s play, no?" Nash asked as he shifted his gaze toward the direction where Erys looked at, but alas, as he had no power to see through the dense forest in the distance he could only shake his head and glance at Erys instead.


    "A few?" Erys showed a cold smile when she heard this and said indifferently, "There are more than a hundred beasts in less than a mile away! Although they move rather slowly, if we won''t move now, they will definitely reach us about in ten minutes! If you think that I can fight against a hundred while protecting the two of you at that time even though I am a full Rank above them, you think too highly of me."


    When Nash heard Erys, he looked slightly surprised but once he thought about it and realized she was right, he quickly regained his calm and indifferent complexion before nodding, "I see, then we should get going. We will come back later."


    Thus, without wasting any more time as he already wasted a lot until now, Nash began to run with Erys and Amy following him closely from behind and the three didn''t stop until they have finally arrived back at the palace.


    "Welcome back! How was the trip outside? Found anything useful?" once the three arrived back at the underground palace, Uncle Ben waited for them at the entrance with a wide smile that made Nash smile slightly but made Amy''s small lips form a grimace like she just saw a gross cockroach crawl out of a hole on the ground.


    "Not really, or at least at the moment I don''t know if I should consider what we have found outside something as a good thing or not," Nash said with a shrug and as he looked around, asked, "Anyways, did you succeed with what I have asked you to do?"


    Ignoring Amy''s disgusted look on his skin, Uncle Ben nodded with the same smile and said, "Although there are still two more branches, I am mostly done, yeah. You won''t be disappointed in the candidates."


    "Perfect." Nash showed a thankful look when he heard his uncle''s words and quickly said, "Erys will help you with the rest so don''t be shy to use her help. "


    "Haha, I won''t." Uncle Ben showed an even wider grin and after exchanging a few more words with Nash he walked away with Erys on his side while Nash did the same, but instead of following his uncle his destination this time was his room; too many things happened today and he had to clear his mind before attempting to proceed on.


    As for Amy, she just merely stood where she was, her eyes flickering with different emotions from the many unknown thoughts in her mind as she watched Nash''s figure disappearing among the walls of the palace in the distance.

 Chapter 51 - Second Rank: Ascender!

    Inside of his room, on top of his huge bed, Nash sat calmly in a lotus position with eyes closed and hands resting on his laps gently, his chest moving up and down ever so slightly.


    One would think he was meditating, but if one were to get a closer look at the airflow around his body which moved around his body like a vortex with his body being the center, one would realize he was not meditating but cultivating instead, something that currently only he was capable of doing!


    Thanks to his Legacy which was freed way back on Planet Azure, Nash was capable of surpassing the limits of the human body and starting his journey finally on the path akin to cultivation by consuming unique energy throughout the air, known as the Dimension Essence!


    In the very beginning, he had no clue at all what this extraordinary type of energy''s true nature was, but the longer he consumed it and filled his Ancient Veins with it, the more he realized that it was not something one should look down on!


    Not only did it enhance his senses such as his hearing, touching, vision, and smell, but even his physical appearance underwent small but visible changes the more he consumed this so-called Dimension Essence!


    His skin became smoother, his hair turned silkier, his bones and muscles became more solid and firmer while his masculine features gradually developed more than he previously thought they will!


    Of course, these changes were little and almost imperceptible, but still, just under a week of constant cultivation, Nash''s body underwent so much change both internally and externally that it was hard to believe he was still the same person!


    ''I am almost there, just one final push and I can break into the next Rank...'' as time flowed in a seemingly undetectable manner, Nash forced himself to consume the Dimensional Essence around him at a much faster pace than before, making the airflow around him to become more chaotic while his Ancient Veins were filled to the brim with Dimensional Essence!


    [Successful Breakthrough!]


    [You have consumed enough Dimensional Essence to help your body break the invisible border that hindered your breakthrough until now!]


    BAM!


    A great power that surprised even Nash himself broke out of Nash''s body the moment all the notifications sounded in his head, sending all the smaller and medium-sized items and furniture in the room flying at the corners of the room in an instant!


    [Mortal Rank Legacy has successfully become Ascender Rank, Level 1!]


    "Finally!" a satisfied sigh escaped Nash''s mouth after the next second, his eyelids slowly opening and revealing a pair of azure eyes that flickered continuously with a bright glow that was not there a week ago.


    Looking around his room and examining everything with a perceptive gaze, Nash couldn''t help but let out a satisfied hum and raise his hands before his face.


    "I can hardly believe my senses have been enhanced so much just by reaching the next Rank. It''s almost like I am not even in my own body! The difference is just too much!" Nash said to himself quietly as he moved his hand here and there slowly, while even touching himself to feel his skin as if it was something brand new!


    "But what makes me the most curious is still this..." Nash showed a wide grin as he moved his consciousness and opened his statuses.


    -----------------------------


    {Character Status}


    ? Physical Strength: 101


    ? Agility: 101


    ? Speed: 101


    ? Mental Strength: 1,001


    ? Vitality: 200


    ? Essence: 10,000


    <With every new Level and Rank, your Character Status will improve too!>


    -----------------------------


    {Special Character Status}


    ? Special Legacy: None


    ? Special Bloodline: None


    ? Special Blessing: Soul Eye


    ? Special Character Attribute: None


    <Each Special trait can be obtained by challenging The Ancient Path!>


    -----------------------------


    After breaking through the bottleneck and reaching the next Rank, all of his traits from his Physical Strength all the way to his Mental Strength broke the barrier and increased by two points, each of them reaching 101 points in total!


    However, the biggest satisfaction that brought to him was not those but the sight of his Vitality''s and Essence''s tremendous amount of growth, and even from those two, the latter was the one that developed so much that it cannot be compared to how it was previously.


    If an example must be brought up, it was like comparing a small bowl filled with water to a pond in nature! The difference in quantity was just simply too vast and there was no reason to differentiate the two from one another.


    "With this much Essence, I won''t need to fear for a while that my Souls will get killed during a fight. I can even use my Soul Breaker and Soul Eye at the same time for a short amount of time!" as those words left Nash''s mouth, a sudden thought appeared in his mind, forcing his body to move and jump onto his feet with lightning speed.


    Crack!


    "Huh?"


    As the sound of something breaking into several pieces sounded in the room Nash raised a brow and lowered his head, only to see the jade floor below his feet cracked into several parts, his feet sunken into the solid jade floor at least three inches if not more!


    "Maybe those three acquired points in my Physical Strength grant more than I believed?" Nash murmured under his breath quietly as he pulled his feet out of the pit and moved his limbs around with caution.


    "Yeah, definitely." Nash nodded in realization and once he was sure he was used to his recently improved physical strength, he picked his sword up from the side and put it onto his back.


    "It''s finally time..." saying those words with a tone that held a slight hint of excitement, Nash opened his door and walked out of his room, his target being the grand hall in the center of the palace where he destroyed one of the fifteen statues and obtained his Soul Breaker.


    "No! Not like that! You need to hold the sword like this and trust like this! Yeah, exactly! Now repeat that motion on that puppet for 1,000 more times!"


    "What are you doing? Why are you punching your partner like a pussy? Hit harder! Hit him like you mean it!"


    "Lower your stance a little bit more or you will stand no chance to react in time against a real opponent. Nice, now swing your spear as I showed you 500 times before repeating the previous two moves 3 more times!"


    Nash walked through the gallery and watched from the corner of his eyes as outside on the several platforms in the distance that were built during the three days when he was unlocking his Ancient Veins, everyone was working hard to learn the basics of fighting under the serious leadership of Erys and Revio; of course, they helped the people not out of their free will but were ordered to do so by Nash a week ago without a chance to refuse.


    Naturally, Nash didn''t care about what they thought as what mattered for him the most was results, and so far, he must have to agree that their job was well done. Let it be old or young, male or female, everybody showed promising potential as everyone practiced with their chosen wooden weapons that were crafted by the members of the Manufacturing Department.


    Even his uncle was swinging his wooden sword in a seemingly smooth form, showing he was greatly talented when it came to fighting with swords in contrast to many behind him that swung their weapons in a rather awkward but adequate manner.


    ''I need to ask Erys to teach me a few sword techniques when I finish with my current task. Particularly that attack which she used to kill the army of Sky Beasts. If I can learn that and use it together with my weapon''s ability, I am pretty sure even a Peak Warrior Rank beast will fall under my strike!'' as such thoughts appeared in his head a small smile appeared on his face and his feet began to move a little bit faster.


    And exactly a minute later, Nash reached the center hall, standing before the jade door with a calm but eager complexion while the unique sensation he felt before he acquired his emerald sword emerged in his heart once again.


    "Let me see what you have hidden behind these doors, Aruer," said Nash calmly as Aruer''s image popped up in his mind for a split second before he placed his palm atop the jade door''s surface.


    * * * * *


    A/N: Hi, everyone! Hope you are liking the story so far! If you have any thoughts or questions, or simply wish to chat, make sure to join my discord! Link at the end of synopsis! <3

 Chapter 52 - Opening The Jade Door

    Placing his palm atop the smooth surface of the jade door in front of him, Nash felt as his skin turned slightly warm while an also bizarre but comfortable sensation swept through his body before vanishing completely almost like it was not even there a few moments ago.


    "Let''s find out what you have hidden behind these doors, Aruer," Nash curved his lips upward as he said those words, and with the previously mentioned individual''s image in mind, he exerted a little bit of his strength as he pushed his hand against the gate.


    Rumble!


    With a clamorous and somewhat scraping sound which was akin to when a massively huge boulder was pushed through a plane marble floor, the white jade door opened slowly, revealing the sight at the other side for Nash to see!


    "It''s quite dark in here..." Nash squinted his eyes when he took a few steps inside, but as everything around him except the small area around the entrance from where he just came in was dark, he wondered if he will be able to find the things inside as he initially believed.


    Although his senses, including his vision too, had been enhanced after reaching the next Rank and after consuming quite a lot amount of Dimensional Essence, it did not mean he was able to see things in the darkness. Yes, he could indeed see things in the dark with greater clarity than anyone else from his race, but that didn''t make him have the ability akin to night vision.


    But his worry seemed completely meaningless as the very moment he took another step forward inside the darkroom, emerald flames lit up abruptly one after another on both sides of the walls and on the white jade pillars that were hidden in the murk all this time, washing everything around him in the emerald green light!


    "This place is... huge!" Nash let out a shocked gasp when he witnessed just how ridiculously large the hall he was standing inside in reality was once everything became visible to him.


    Just the distance from the jade doors to the other side of the hall was more than 200 metes while snow-white jade pillars as thick as four or even five adult humans standing next to each other stood proudly next to each other with at least ten meters between two, giving the whole hall a grand and ancient feeling.


    The floor was made from white jade too with emerald symbols and details embedded into it while from the milky ceiling large chandeliers hung one by one, the candles on them glowing with the same gentle viridescent light.


    As Nash walked deeper into the hall with an awestruck complexion, discovering small details around the hall such as the monuments carved into the middle of each pillar or the different landscapes and images engraved into the walls on the sides, the sensation in his body grew more and more intense, indicating he was slowly but surely approaching the thing that resonated with him in the same manner as his weapon did in the smaller hall.


    And soon enough, when he already walked more than a hundred meters from the entrance, his attention was slowly attracted from the sight around him to a specific point in front of him, his eyes immediately brightening like stars on a night sky after dusk!


    In front of him, about a bit less than a hundred meters away, Nash watched as three small circular pillars stood next to each other with a height of no more than a meter, each of them holding a single item that emitted an ancient aura that could be felt even from where Nash stood!


    "So these are the items he was talking about, huh?" Nash murmured slightly as he stepped before the three pillars, his gaze inspecting each of the items one by one without touching.


    The one on the right was a small and thin needle that was crafted out of a seemingly blue ore that Nash was rather familiar with, Sky Mithril. It was a rather unique ore that can only be found on planets where the environment and weather underwent such drastic changes thanks to the Ancient Path that instead of rain, Sky Mithrils fall.


    Of course, such globes where ores fell from the sky instead of rain were extremely rare to discover as the amount of time a planet needed before its ecosystem was changed completely to such degrees was by no means small; at the very least a thousand years were needed and even that amount was diminutive!


    Thus, having this knowledge about the ore and knowing just how hard it was to acquire a Sky Mithril from which one could craft an item or object without wasting it, Nash knew the needle in front of him was definitely a priceless treasure, particularly because it was resonating with his body in the same manner as his Soul Breaker, indicating it was also an Ancient Treasure!


    After examining the needle for a while, Nash directed his gaze at the pillar on the left and examined the second item on top of it with a rather curious glint in his eyes. It was a piece of emerald jewelry, a dangle earring to be more specific with a small piece of wand-shaped emerald crystal as its decor. However, what caught Nash''s attention the most was not its breathtaking appearance, but the fact that just like the blue needle on the right, it too resonated with his body!


    It was also an Ancient Treasure, just like his longsword and Sky Mithril Needle!


    As for the item in the middle, Nash just ignored it for the time being as it was not an Ancient Treasure but a small capsule filled with some kind of greenish liquid.


    "Two Ancient Treasures... I wonder what kind of powers they have once the Blood Contract will be formed!" as Nash said those words, he didn''t even hesitate for a second and decided to grab the needle from the right, making him feel the same sensation he once felt during the time he obtained his longsword.


    Whoosh!


    [Perfect Resonance between Ancient Treasure ''Sky Sealing Needle'' and Legacy ''Dimension Refining Physique'' achieved!]


    [Blood Contract has been formed!]


    With a gentle blue light that made Nash squint his eyes slightly as it was rather blinding, the connection between Nash and the needle was formed for once and for all, making Nash acquire his second Ancient Treasure in a short amount of time.


    "Let''s see then..." with excitement flickering in his eyes, Nash moved his consciousness and watched as rows of text one after another appeared in his line of sight, each and every one of them being his newly acquired item''s status.


    -----------------------------------------


    {Ancient Treasure Information}


    ? Title: Sky Sealing Needle


    ? Rank: Holy


    ? Ancient Legacy: Sky Sealing


    {Ancient Legacy Information}


    ¡ã Description: An ancient power given by the Ancient Path at the very beginning of the Ancient Era, capable of sealing and unsealing anything with the help of ancient energy, let it be on the earth or in the sky!


    -----------------------------------------

 Chapter 53 - Ancestry Art: Soul Shattering Grab

    Nash examined the appearing words in his line of sight in silence and was unable to hold back a dumbstruck gasp escaping his mouth once he reached the end of the rows of text.


    "Is this... for real or am I hallucinating? I must be seeing things for sure, it cannot be true..." Nash closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm his slightly fast-beating heart down, but once he opened his eyelids again he had to realize he was not fantasizing and the description of the Sky Sealing Needle was indeed true!


    "Sealing and unsealing anything... If I think what it is, then the Human race will be freed sooner than I have thought!" Nash mumbled under his breath as he stared at the blue needle in his trembling hold with a serious face.


    Just how many years have passed since the time the Human race opened the Ancient Path and was forced into slavery? Way too many to know it was not deserved!


    Just how many days have passed with nothing but hours filled with suffering, humiliation, and anguish? Unmeasurably lot, to the point where one would wish to be dead more than anything instead of continuing with her or his current life!


    There were billions of humans out there in the seemingly uncountable Dimensions, each and every one of them waiting for the ostensibly never coming moment where they can finally be freed from the shackles that all the other races have put on them without their will.


    Hence, seeing that a treasure, an Ancient Treasure at that which was stated that it was capable of unsealing anything made Nash''s hopes to be raised to greater heights than ever before and feel that the future of humanity could be brought back into life from the abyss where it has been kicked into at a millennium ago!


    With this needle in his possession, every human can finally unseal their Legacies and start their path to fulfill their destiny which was meant and carved into stone at the very moment they have opened the Ancient Path for the first time!


    "Wait... Let''s not lift my hope for no reason only to be destroyed in the end." Nash took a deep breath to clear his mind and let out a deep sigh the next moment, clearing his mind completely.


    "First and foremost, let''s check out the other two items." with those words said, Nash shifted his attention at the second Ancient Treasure on the other pillar and after pondering for a while extended his hand to grab the earring.


    Whoosh!


    [Perfect Resonance between Ancient Treasure ''Protean Jewel'' and Legacy ''Dimension Refining Physique'' achieved!]


    [Blood Contract has been formed!]


    -----------------------------------------


    {Ancient Treasure Information}


    ? Title: Protean Jewel


    ? Rank: Hollow


    ? Ancient Legacy: Shifting Shape


    {Ancient Legacy Information}


    ¡ã Description: An ancient power given by the Ancient Path at the very beginning of the Ancient Era, capable of changing its shape to anything simple and not complex at the will of its owner in exchange for a small amount of ancient energy!


    -----------------------------------------


    As Nash watched the description of the Protean Jewel with great curiosity, the emerald earring flew up into the air and attached itself to his right ear, giving him a rather great appearance that invisibly boosted his already enhanced image by another notch.


    "Can change shape at my will? How? I just simply need to imagine what I want it to become?" Nash raised a brown and decided to give it a try.


    Closing his eyes, Nash visualized the earring in his mind, and after a small while he imagined it as it took the shape of a bracelet.


    Whoosh!


    "W-Woah!" Nash opened his eyes abruptly when he felt as a small portion of his Essence was sucked away from his body before the earring on his right ear began to turn slightly hot and fly onto his right wrist in the shape of a beautiful shining emerald bracelet.


    "It worked! It really worked, haha!" Nash began to laugh with joy when he saw that his earring indeed changed shape and now rested around his wrist in the shape of a bracelet in the exact same appearance he has imagined it to be!


    "And how much Essence was needed for it to change shape?" Nash pondered and quickly opened his status to see just how much his essence in his body decreased.


    ? Essence: 10,000 --> 9,990


    "Just ten units, huh?" Nash mumbled quietly and made the bracelet change back into its previous form.


    ? Essence: 9,990 --> 9,975


    "Oh? So the amount of essence it needs depends on the form of the shape and its complexity I make it to change into? Quite interesting." Nash nodded and after experimenting with the jewel for a little while longer, changing its shape into items such as a ring, a necklace, and a mask, he nodded and showed a small smile.


    "This Ancient Treasure will definitely help me in many ways in the future." as he said that, Nash directed his attention at the final item on top of the middle pillar and touched his chin.


    "Although I have seen it already, I still can''t understand what''s this capsule''s use could possibly be. Should I eat it to figure out?" taking the small capsule into his hand which had the size of a thumb and had an emerald green liquid fused inside it, Nash pondered what he should do next.


    But he didn''t think for a long time before he just shrugged casually and without a second thought or worry in the world, he swung his hand and tossed the capsule into his mouth.


    Gulp!


    Swallowing the whole thing down in its entirety, Nash licked his lips gently and waited patiently for a change to happen to him. However, even after waiting for several minutes in silence and without moving, Nash felt nothing, not even a remote itch on his skin or pain inside his body.


    "Maybe I shouldn''t have swallowed i-, eh?" Nash said with a now small hint of worry, but just as he was about to finish his sentence suddenly his vision turned blurry and like someone just punched him straight in the head, he fell to the ground!


    Thud!


    "Argh... This feeling... just like that time!" Nash struggled with clenched teeth and fist on the ground with a rather pale face, feeling like his body was currently burning both internally and externally without any signs of stopping!


    [Analyzing Body Structure!]


    [Analysis Successful!]


    [Body Structure has reached requirements!]


    [Physical Status reached requirements!]


    [Legacy reached requirements!]


    [Special Blessing reached requirements!]


    [...]


    Hearing as notifications one after another appeared in his mind akin to a flood without stop, Nash felt like his bones, muscles, and internal organs were being tormented with pain almost worst than the one he felt back on the Forgotten Path; just after a few seconds later he buried his fingernails deep into his palm to resist the urge to scream up, causing blood to flow out the wounds almost instantly!


    Time flew by second after second, and although just a few minutes have passed in reality before the pain began to dissipate, Nash felt like he was tortured for several hours straight if not days!


    [Congratulations! You have successfully learned ''Ancestry Art: Soul Shattering Grab''!]


    "Argh..." groaning with a deep frown on the ground, Nash felt as if his body was run through by hundreds of bulls at the same time, leaving every part of his body all numb and sore filled with nothing but lingering pain.


    "Ancestry Art? What the hell is that?" Nash mumbled with a weak voice as he pushed himself up from the ground onto his somewhat shaky and weak feet and forced his consciousness to open his newly acquired power''s context.


    -----------------------------------------


    [Ancestry Art: Soul Shattering Grab]


    ? Description: A terrifying power created by the Strongest Human to shatter the souls of his enemy with a single grab!


    ? Ancestry Class: Absolute Ancestry Class


    {Abilities}


    ¡ã Soul Shattering Grab: In exchange for a tremendous amount of ancient energy, you can grab and shatter your enemies'' souls under a single motion!


    <This ability is only functional with ''Special Blessing: Soul Eye'' and a minimum amount of ancient essence of 1,000!>


    {Passive Ability}


    ¡ã Soul Shaking Punch: In exchange for a small amount of ancient energy, you can cause your enemies'' souls to shake with a single punch!


    <Further abilities can be unlocked once reached higher Class!>


    -----------------------------------------


    ''...''


    Nash stood in one place without talking, his jaw slightly open from the pure shock he was currently feeling. Only when he reached the bottom of the rows of text in his line of sight did he let out a startled gasp, a much deeper one than the one he let out after he read what his Sky Sealing Needle could do.


    * * * * *


    A/N: Hello everyone, hope you had an amazingly beautiful new year''s eve and a happy start to the new year! Also, hope you like the story. If you do, then make sure to vote, so I will upload more!


    Again, happy new year to every one of you and stay safe! <3

 Chapter 54 - Unexpected... Accident?

    What was the soul in reality? Although many tried to figure out this ancient question while also there existed many guesses all around the Dimensions, at the end of the day no one really knew the answer.


    While a few considered a being''s soul as a nonexistent state of one''s mind that cannot be touched or perceived by any means, others refused to believe in that statement and feel as the soul was like a second form of one''s life, but instead of being physical, it was spiritual.


    Hence why there was quite a few around the Dimensions that believed in those seemingly absurd legends and myths about ghosts or entities that lurked in the dark that only a few could perceive, as many of those individuals considered them as souls, the second form of life that could give them the hope that life after death indeed existed!


    But of course, those were only beliefs and in reality, no one really met with a real ghost, much less exemplified what the mythical soul was in true essence!


    Even the Ghost Race that existed around the many Dimensions were not considered as real ghosts, as only their Legacy''s made their bodies seemingly elusive, but with some proper treasures or unique abilities, they too can be killed in the end.


    Nash was one of those many who believed in souls, maybe not on a level where he considered ghosts being equal to souls, but he definitely had faith in the concept of souls existing.


    Well, he would be a fool and a total moron if he wouldn''t after the many things he saw and felt in the past few days, to be completely honest. Like, about a week ago his soul has been trapped in a mysterious place known as the Forgotten Land where he obtained the ability to perceive others'' souls like no one else!


    Furthermore, now that he also acquired another ability with which he could kill others by shattering their souls with a simple grab, he would be retarded not to believe in the existence of would! Just what else did he need to know or see to acknowledge the fact that souls indeed existed in reality and was not only a theory?


    Nothing else, obviously.


    After examining the Ancestry Art for a small while longer, Nash closed his eyes and immersed himself inside his thoughts.


    "So you are here. Wondered if I have been just hallucinating when I saw you walk through the hallway from outside not a long time ago, but seems I was not." as Nash pondered in silence, suddenly Uncle Ben emerged at the other side of the hall, his curious gaze looking around the massively large hall.


    "This place looks pretty huge! You could have informed me before opening the doors, you know that, right?" Uncle Ben walked toward Nash as he talked, but his steps came to an abrupt halt when his gaze finally fell on his nephew''s image and watched him turning around, revealing him his face that seemed to be completely different from the time he saw it a week ago!


    "You... What happened with you?"


    Nash looked at Uncle Ben''s stupefied complexion calmly and after pondering a while he showed a small grin and crossed his arms before his chest, "Surprised, huh?"


    "W-Well of course I am. Your whole aura is different from the last time I have seen you and even your look has changed too! Although it''s just a small shift compared to what you have looked like previously, it''s definitely there!" Uncle Ben replied honestly and as a sudden realization hit him, he asked, "You have succeeded in breaking into the next Rank?"


    "Haha, I am glad it''s that evident." Nash chuckled and nodded gently, "Yes, I indeed have reached the next Rank. What''s more, I have also acquired something that could finally unseal yours and everyone''s Legacy!"


    As Nash said those words, he raised his hand before his face, holding the thin azure Sky Sealing Needle with his thumb and index finger at its middle.


    "YOU HAVE WHAT?!" Uncle Ben blurted out loudly and after realizing his mistake he cleared his throat and said, "I mean, congratulations for your breakthrough, but still... say what again?!"


    Nash kind of anticipated that his uncle will react this way and without hesitation walked before his uncle and showed him the needle while also explaining to him what it can do.


    "This... Are you sure it can really unseal our Legacy? Hope you are not trying to play a prank on me, you little brat." Uncle Ben said with a deep frown but at the same time flickering eyes, and gazed at the needle in Nash''s grasp with an almost drooling mouth; it was obvious he wanted nothing more than unseal his Legacy and obtain powers like his nephew!


    "Well, I had no chance to try it out yet, so..."


    "Try it on me then!" Uncle Ben replied with almost lightning speed and his face turned extremely serious.


    Upon seeing his resolute face, Nash didn''t know how to react before he glanced at the needle and touched his chin with his other free hand, "Are you sure? I have never used it before, so I don''t even have clue how its powers work. Hell, it''s not even sure I will succeed if I try!"


    "Then exactly how do you wish to see if it works or not?" Uncle Ben frowned and pointed at the needle, "You said it yourself, that needle became your own after that Blood Contract or whatever has been formed, so I am pretty sure if you wish to make it work, it will definitely work."


    He then smiled and laughed while adding, "Also, giving it a try won''t hurt, right? Like, in the worst-case scenario what will even happen with me? You will seal my already sealed Legacy away? Haha!"


    "True." Nash nodded in agreement when he heard what his uncle said and after looking at the needle for a small while longer his eyes turned sharp and raised his gaze.


    "Then are you ready?"


    Uncle Ben showed a wide grin and even extended his arms to the side to show his trust and confidence before he said somewhat loudly, "Give it to me!"


    Although Nash felt that his uncle''s pick of words was somewhat off in this kind of scenario, he still nodded and without any hesitation activated the needle''s ability.


    ? Essence: 9,985 --> 9,485


    Whoosh!


    "Eh?" as Nash felt a great amount of his essence leaving his body right into the Sky Sealing Needle he felt slightly surprised, but when he saw as the Sky Sealing Needle lit up with a gentle blue light and floated before his face, that surprised turned quickly into shock and astonishment.


    ''It can fly too?'' Nash thought with awe, but his amazement was rather short-lived as the next second he watched with horror as the needle shot out toward his uncle, targeting the middle of his temple with a terrifying speed akin to a bullet!


    "Watc-! Nash wished to warn his uncle to move to the side as he felt his control over the needle getting lost, but as the treasure was way too fast for him to mutter even a single word, he could only watch with shrunk pupils as the needle crashed and pierced his uncle''s temple with lightning speed, pouncing his head back with sheer brute force!


    BAM!


    * * * * *


    A/N: Hope you liked it! If you wanna read more, make sure to vote for more! <3

 Chapter 55 - A Second Jade Door Emerges!

    BAM!


    A great explosion broke out the moment the Sky Sealing Needle crashed into Uncle Ben''s temple, sending a somewhat powerful ripple to all directions with his body as its epicenter!


    "Uncle!" Nash cried out with horror when he saw his uncle''s body fall back onto the ground and without hesitation dashed over, appearing next to his uncle''s falling body and catching him in a split second!


    "U-Uncle Ben? Come on, open your eyes, you old geezer!" Nash said in a shaky voice as he held his uncle''s body and watched as crimson blood trickled down from the small spot on his forehead where the Sky Sealing Needle pierced him.


    And to make things even worse than they already were, the Sky Sealing Needle was almost completely buried deep inside the middle of his head, only a few millimeters visible from its end out of the whole needle! It was pretty obvious his brain had been stabbed by the needle, hence why he was not reacting.


    "Fuck!" Nash cursed out loud when he saw no reaction from his uncle, feeling as if he was currently inside the worst nightmare he currently could dream of.


    Clenching his teeth in both anger and self-blame, Nash felt the urge to pull the needle out of his uncle''s forehead and break it into thousands of pieces, but just as he could have moved or said anything else, the needle inside his uncle''s head suddenly lit up with an even brighter blue light than before and slowly but surely it began to push itself out!


    "Argh... Damn... That hurt, you little rascal!" suddenly Uncle Ben groaned out loud as he sat up slowly and massaged his forehead with a painful grimace and glanced at Nash on his side with a rather angry stare.


    "Did you want to kill me or what? I thought I was done for there just now!"


    Nash seeing as his uncle had no problem moving nor talking and was still breathing, a deep sigh of relief escaped his mouth before he stood up and extended his arm forward.


    "My bad. Hope it didn''t hurt that much." Nash said as he helped his uncle up and asked, "Anyways, did it work or not?"


    Hearing his nephew''s apology, Uncle Ben just shook his head helplessly before he showed a wide grin and without saying anything, he threw out a quick and powerful punch to the side.


    Swish!


    BAM!


    "So? What do you think?" Uncle Ben asked with a somewhat arrogant smile as he watched the air vibrating in front of him in a small area, giving a sideways glance at Nash who watched everything in silence.


    "So it worked, huh? And it seems you have currently at Level 5 of the Mortal Stage." Nash said calmly as he inspected his uncle''s punch and its results, but if one looked close to his eye, one would realize he was currently feeling an immense amount of excitement.


    Like, why wouldn''t he? He just happened to find out that his Sky Sealing Needle indeed had the ability to unseal the Legacy of all the humans and without any aftereffects at that! The strange thing currently would be if he wouldn''t be feeling any joy or happiness!


    "Oh? How did you know I was at Level 5?" Uncle Ben raised a brow with piqued curiosity as he asked.


    Nash, however, just shrugged casually and said, "Dunno, it was just a strong hunch that I got when I have looked at you and felt your aura."


    "Felt my aura?" Uncle Ben touched his chin as he narrowed his eyes and examined Nash''s figure in front of him.


    "Yeah, now that you say it, I can feel your aura too, but it is much denser though. This must be because you have already reached the next Rank, right?"


    "Must be because of that, yeah." Nash nodded and picked up the needle from the ground before he said with a smile, "Let''s gather everyone. It is finally time for their Legacy to be unsealed!"


    "Wait!" watching as Nash was about to leave, Uncle Ben suddenly called out, stopping Nash from walking any further than he did.


    "What?" Nash turned to look at his uncle with a rather confused gaze, pondering what he wanted to say. However, when he saw his somewhat troubled look, he knew something must be bothering him hence said calmly, "Just say whatever is in your mind."


    Uncle Ben looked at Nash in silence, and after thinking for a while his face turned serious and asked, "Don''t you think we should unseal only a few people''s Legacy at first and only when they have reached higher Levels will we unseal the rest? Like that, we can avoid the current balance to suddenly collapse if someone decides to abuse their powers on the rest."


    Upon hearing his uncle''s words, Nash looked surprised before his face turned serious too and began to ponder.


    Indeed, if he were to choose to unseal everyone''s Legacy at the same time, there was the risk that those that suddenly gain strength and reach higher Levels faster than the rest will use their powers to abuse the ones below them.


    Naturally, they have already created rules that stated such things were prohibited from happening and anyone that tries to do such a thing will be executed without a question. But Nash must admit that there was still the possibility of such a thing to occur, especially during the time when he was not around.


    However, when Nash thought about it a little bit more in-depth, he just shook his head calmly and said, "No, such a thing will never happen."


    "Huh? But..." Uncle Ben looked shocked when he heard Nash''s answer and didn''t know how he should react.


    Nash, on the other hand, just showed a confident smile and asked, "Did you maybe forget? I have the power to control those that I want to, including the souls of those that have been killed too! And I already have 7 under my control, two out of them are also terrifying beings, so I have more than enough to keep the possibility of something such as abuse of power out of question!"


    When Uncle Ben heard Nash''s words he shut his mouth and swallowed back the words he wished to say next while a small amount of disappointment flashed in his eyes that was hard not to notice.


    Unfortunately, what Nash said was the truth and he indeed forgot about the fact that his nephew possessed the ability to control several immortal Souls that couldn''t be destroyed even if one cut their limbs and head off. Furthermore, he even had Erys under his control, a Warmaster Rank being who alone was capable of killing every one of them with a single wave of her hand!


    Hence, his previous idea, in the end, seemed to be completely meaningless and useless.


    "Anyways, you don''t have to worry about those kinds of things as I am pretty sure my Souls and I will be able to take care of things if someone tries to cause a mess. No, I am one hundred percent confident in that!" Nash said with a confident smile and was about to walk toward the entrance when suddenly the whole hall began to shake like crazy.


    "What is happening? An earthquake?" Nash looked alerted when he felt the ground below his feet quaver abruptly, even having a strange thought that maybe they have been found by the Sky Beasts after hiding for such a long time.


    "Eh? Look over there! The wall is moving on its own!" just as Nash was about to dash out and see for himself if they have been indeed been found or not, suddenly Uncle Ben''s voice appeared from the side, making him follow his uncle''s finger where it was pointing at.


    And just as Uncle Ben said, behind the three small pillars where Nash acquired his three items, the wall split into two in the middle and each of its sides moved gradually to the left and right, revealing a white gate with a similar appearance to the first one that Nash has already opened!


    It was another Jade Door!


    * * * * *


    A/N: Hope you liked it! Vote for more chaps! <3

 Chapter 56 - Approaching Disaster

    The entire hall shook like crazy as the wall behind the three pillars separated and moved to the sides, revealing a second Jade Door with the same appearance as the first one at the other end of the great hall.


    "What is happening here? Why does a second Jade Door appear now?" Nash seemed confused by the sudden change of events while Uncle Ben looked at the emerging gate with a dumbstruck expression, his jaw slightly open from the sudden shock.


    TREMBLE!


    The tremor continued to shake the whole hall for about three minutes before coming to a complete halt, turning everything back to normal once again. However, even then, Nash and Uncle Ben remained silent, and only when they looked at each other and saw the shock together with the confusion in each other''s eyes did the two finally move and walk before the Jade Door.


    "Do you think you can open it?" Uncle Ben asked from Nash once they arrived before the white gate, scarcely hesitant if he should touch the door or not; for some strange reason, something deep inside him told him to avoid getting into touch with the Jade Door.


    As for Nash, he didn''t get a sensation akin to Uncle Ben''s. As a fact, he even felt the urge to touch and push the door open as soon as possible which surprised even himself.


    ''I don''t think there are even more treasures behind these doors as I don''t feel any resonance. Strange...'' Nash thought to himself as he extended his arm and placed his palm onto the smooth and cold surface of the Jade Door.


    [You have the appropriate Rank to challenge the Ancestor''s Trial!]


    [Do you wish to challenge the Trial?]


    "What?" Nash''s eyes widened as the rows of texts appeared in his line of sight, but he quickly regained his calm and studied the words keenly.


    Seeing as Nash remained silent, Uncle Ben felt his curiosity getting piqued, hence asked, "So? You can open it?"


    Nash didn''t reply instantly but fell into silence. Only when he thought over the thing properly did he pull his hand back, watching as the words in front of him blurred and vanished as if they were not even there to begin with.


    "It seems there is a trial behind these doors and I was given the chance to open it or not," Nash explained without keeping anything away from Uncle Ben as a secret.


    "A trial?" Uncle Ben touched his chin, immersed into his own thoughts, and asked, "Then why don''t you try and see what kind of trial is behind these doors? It can''t be anything dangerous, can it?"


    ''It can''t?'' Nash showed a bittersweet smile in his heart in response.


    If his uncle would know that his soul was almost erased from existence a week ago in another trial, would he say the same thing? Nash pretty much doubted it, but as his uncle didn''t know the truth about that story yet, Nash was not surprised to hear such a question.


    As Nash thought about this he gave one final glance at the Jade Door before he turned around and began to walk toward the exit with calm steps.


    "Huh? Wait, where are you going? You won''t open it and see what kind of trial is behind that door?" Uncle Ben felt surprised by Nash''s sudden leaving and quickly followed him.


    "I will, but not now. First, let''s unseal everyone''s Legacy. Their desire deserves to be first than a mere trial, right?" Nash asked with a calm smile and without waiting for his uncle''s reply he hastened his steps.


    "Yes, but..." Uncle Ben seemed to say something, but once he remembered his nephew''s character and personality, he just sighed helplessly and followed him from behind while spending his time examining his status that only he could see in silence.


    -


    -


    -


    Somewhere inside the Human Dimension, on an unknown planet where a single but majestic castle stood solely on a seemingly eternal mountain, a Sky Beast clad in crimson armor ran through the hallways of the palace with an excited expression.


    Bam!


    "Lord Ozr-! Your Highness! Good news! We have finally found the escapees and hopefully the princess too!" slamming the door into the main hall wide open, Crimson Wings raced inside, his armor''s chest plate moving up and down in haste showing just how fast he has run to deliver those few words.


    Lord Ozren, who was sitting behind the huge circular table with Clavellina sitting closely on his side, when saw that someone burst into the hall without his approval turned furious but quickly calmed down and jumped up onto his feet when he heard the words spoken.


    "WHAT? Where are they?"


    Crimson Wings nodded and without a second thought took out a small object from his pouch on his waist before placing it onto the table. Soon, a hologram with a diameter of about ten meters appeared in the air, showing a single emerald planet in its very center.


    "About a week ago, we have caught a bizarre energy motion coming from this deserted planet which we were unable to identify. At first, we believed it was only a beast''s aura sweeping through the cosmos, but after looking deeper into the matter, we have found this." as Crimson Wings said those words, he zoomed the image onto a specific point on the planet, revealing a spaceship which was half hidden among the dense woods.


    When Lord Ozren and Clavellina saw the spaceship which was obviously the one seen on the first tape where the humans escaped, both of their eyes lit up with excitement and increasing killing intent.


    "As Your Highness can see, that is the spaceship with which the humans escaped. Even the type and appearance matches with descriptions that had been hijacked from Planet Azure." Crimson Wings explained everything with enthusiasm, feeling this was the perfect opportunity for him to gain his lost respect back.


    ''If I play this right and can capture those dogs without Lord Ozren''s doing a single thing, I can not only get my status back but even advance one, if not two positions forward! Haha, this is the best! Truly a blessing in disguise!'' Crimson Wings laughed merrily in his heart and waited for Lord Ozren to speak, which happened almost instantly he finished talking.


    "Now I got you. Amael!" Lord Ozren grinned scarily before shouting a name loudly despite it was only him, his daughter, and Crimson Wings standing in the hall; apart from the three of them, there was no one else.


    But to Crimson Wing''s greatest shock and terror, a figure with a majestic and handsome face stepped forward from right behind his back and kneeled, showing his respect to Lord Ozren at the other side of the hall.


    ''W-When?!'' Crimson Wing felt his legs turn to jelly when he realized he failed to notice the creature''s aura behind him all this time, indicating he could have been killed just now without him knowing what took his life away!


    ''H-He... Was he all this time behind me? But how? I didn''t even feel his presence, he appeared like a ghost!'' Crimson Wings stared at Amael on his side with sweat covered face while trying to control his body not to fall back from the sheer fear it was currently coursing through it!


    "Did you call me my Lord?" Amael asked in a calm voice as he lowered his head, almost like he felt unworthy of seeing Lord Ozren''s face.


    "Yes, go and assemble a team. Once you have everyone you need, take him with you and capture that human who kidnapped my daughter and bring him back to me, alive." Lord Ozren said coldly, his gaze as sharp as a razor and it was obvious he was already imagining the things he will do with Nash once he gets him between his finger.


    "Understood. And what about the rest of the fugitives?" Amael asked, his gaze still fixed on the ground before his feet.


    Upon hearing the question Lord Ozren just showed a chilling and somewhat devilish smile, and said coldly, "Just kill them. All of them. Their lives are akin to trash, meaningless."


    "I see. As you wish, my Lord." Amael nodded and stood up, shifting his gaze at Crimson Wings on his side and with a stare that felt like had the ability to freeze one''s blood, said calmly, "Follow me."


    Crimson Wing nodded nervously when he saw the piercing stare on his skin and after bowing at Lord Ozren and Clavellina with greater respect than before, he quickly followed Amael out of the hall on seemingly shaky legs.


    Once they left and the door was closed once again, Clavellina looked at his father and after placing her hand gently on his tense shoulder, asked, "What will you do with that human once he will kneel before you?"


    Lord Ozren upon hearing his daughter''s question snorted coldly and said, "Isn''t that already obvious?"


    "You will kill him?" Clavellina asked curiously, but to her surprise, Lord Ozren shook his head and said with a scary smile, "No, that would be no fun for me after all the things he had done. I will turn his life into such hell where he will wish he was never even born!"


    After saying that and remaining silent for a while, he turned to look at his daughter and asked with a slightly raised brow, "Why do you ask anyway?"


    Clavellina, however, just shrugged casually, and after standing up to stretch her sore body parts, displaying her sharp curves more than normally, she smiled and said, "For no reason, I was just curious, that''s all."


    * * * * *


    A/N: Hope you liked it! Make sure to leave your thoughts behind! <3

 Chapter 57 - Breaking Seals

    Under the surface of a beautiful green planet, Nash stood calmly before everyone before the entrance of the Emerald Palace, his handsome face holding a confident smile as his calm but sharp gaze swept through each and everyone''s face present.


    Shock, happiness, doubt, and excitement; everyone held various emotions on their faces, hardly believing what they have just heard from Nash was the truth or not.


    "Are you really telling us the truth? Can our Legacy really be unsealed?" the one asking this question was Dray, a young man with a fit body and slightly above average appearance who was also only four years older than Nash.


    He was currently part of the Smithing Branch and although the items he crafted were still primitive because of the materials he could work with, he showed great potential as almost all of the weapon''s appearance and structure used during practice were designed by him.


    At Dray''s question, many looked at Nash curiously, waiting to hear his answer and show some proof to clear his doubt.


    Naturally, Nash anticipated such reactions and without saying anything else took out his Sky Sealing Needle and raised it before his face. At first, everyone seemed confused about what Nash wanted to do with a single needle, but what happened next stupefied all of them.


    Swish!


    Bam!


    In a single flash, the needle in Nash''s eyes flashed with blue light before reappearing before Dray''s face, piercing his forehead with just enough force to make his head tilt backward.


    "?!"


    As everyone looked at this sight with widened eyes and loosened jaws, Nash calmly flickered his finger, causing the needle that was buried almost completely into Dray''s skull to suddenly lit up with a bright azure glow and with slow motion fly back to him!


    "Argh... My head... Wh-What did you do t-, huh?" Dray was about to raise his palm to feel his forehead when his arm halted abruptly and his eyes widened like saucers.


    "This... It worked... Haha! It really worked! My Legacy has really been unsealed!"


    Watching as Dray jumped up and down with a clenched fist that punched empty air before him like an excited little kid who just got his best present for his birthday, everyone else looked dumbstruck before all of their expression brightened and looked at Nash with burning gazes.


    "Please, let me be the next! Unseal my Legacy!"


    "I beg you, please!"


    "Lord Nash!"


    Under a mere second, everyone began to beg Nash to unseal their Legacies, some even going so far as to address him as Lord Nash, Savior, or my Lord in the hope to get on his good side and get their Legacies unsealed before the rest. However, despite the fact that they were desperate to get their Legacies unsealed, none of them dared to get close to him more than two meters as they feared causing a ruckus; what''s more, the two beings'' complexion standing behind him, Erys and Revio looked terrifying grim, giving them an even greater reason why not to attempt to get closer to Nash than they already were.


    But what they didn''t know was that Erys and Revio looked menacing not because they tried to keep them away from Nash, but because they attempted to suppress their emotions that threatened to break onto the surface.


    They couldn''t accept the fact that a mere human boy, who was not even 20 years old, not only turned them into his slaves but even succeeded to acquire an item that had the ability to erase the Ancient Seal in their bodies, something that should be impossible!


    ''Impossible! This is just a bad dream! This is not real!'' Revio thought in his heart as his fingers tightened into fists, so tight that blood started to drip from the wounds onto the ground below.


    As for Erys, she was bearing slightly better but even she looked to be struggling in her mind as her whole body trembled continuously from different surges of emotions, hardly accepting the fact that humans that were nothing but mere slaves little more than a month ago now were getting their Legacies unsealed, opening them the path to becoming stronger and something more than what they were currently!


    She couldn''t accept! She couldn''t!


    Erys opened her eyelids, revealing a pair of hatred-filled eyes, and was ready to risk it all and kill every and each of the human slaves here today before they could grow any further! However, even before she could have moved a single inch, she watched as a needle floated inches away from her, ready to pierce into her right eye and blind her once and for all!


    "Don''t even try to do anything funny. Although I have spared you until now, don''t forget I still have the power to turn your life into a complete and miserable nightmare under a single second." as Nash''s cold voice appeared in her ear, the needle moved a millimeter closer to her eye, threatening to reach her ruby eye and carve its way into her brain.


    Naturally, Erys wished to move to get further away from the needle, but no matter how hard she struggled to move, her body was frozen in one place, and could only watch the needle stop only a single millimeter away from her pupil!


    As for Nash, he was just coldly staring at Erys like he was looking at an insect instead of an intelligent being, and without saying anything else he waved his hand and made the needle fly back into his hand before turning back toward the crowd, giving not even a second glance to Erys.


    Even a retard would understand that although Nash let her go this time, it was the final warning for her; if she does anything suspicious from now on, she could definitely say goodbye to her life. As Erys thought about this, she could only clench her teeth in both anger and helplessness, remaining silent and accepting her fate.


    "Anyways, I must say that using this treasure cost quite a lot of energy, hence I can only use it eight times before needing the time to recover. I hope you can understand this." Nash said calmly, completely ignoring the confused gazes on his skin.


    Upon seeing no one reacted even after ten full seconds, Nash nodded and continued, "Perfect, then let me describe just how we will proceed on with the unsealing process."


    After saying those words, Nash began to explain the whole process for everyone to clearly understand. First and foremost, he explained to everyone that at the start only those with a leading position in each Branch will get their Legacy unsealed while everyone else must wait for their turn until then.


    After that, everyone else will get their Legacies unsealed, but in an order that will be determined by Nash and the amount of contribution one has given to the community.


    This was important because not only could he push everyone to work harder and contribute greater to the community in the future, but also force them to strive for more if they want to gain more, to become stronger by each day!


    Once Nash finished explaining the details to everyone, he swept his gaze through the faces of the people in front of him and with his hands crossed before his chest, asked, "Any objections?"


    Everyone remained silent upon hearing his voice, no one raising any objection at all no matter just how much they wished to complain. Although there was many that didn''t like Nash''s idea because they wished to be among the first ones who get their Legacy unsealed, they were not idiots either to cause a ruckus over something so minor like this; like, didn''t Nash tell them that they will have their turn sooner or later, it was only a question of a few days? If that was the case they were more than glad to wait a few more days than start a mess, especially with the one to whom they owe their lives!


    As everyone thought about this and thought back to how he helped them all the time without a single time disappointing them, they could only remain silent and accept his decision, once again.


    "Perfect, then those of you that hear your name, please step forth." Nash nodded and proceeded to call names one after another.


    In about a minute, eight figures stood in a line before Nash, each of them the leaders of each Branch such as the Crafting Branch, the Material Harvesting Branch, or the Smithing Branch.


    Giving one glance at each person in front of him, Nash nodded and without saying anything else used his Sky Sealing Needle on each individual, breaking the hidden seal in their bodies with lightning speed.


    Swish! Swish! Swish! ...


    One by one, all the eight individual''s foreheads were pierced by the blue needle, forcing their faces to jerk into painful grimaces before slowly turning into utter shock than into unsurpassable joy in an almost incessant manner.


    One by one, all of their Legacies had been unsealed, pushing them back onto the almost forgotten path that was meant for them since the very moment the Ancient Path had been opened!


    * * * * *


    A/N: Hope you liked it! Make sure to vote for more!<3

 Chapter 58 - Challenging The Ancestors Trial

    Nash watched with a calm expression as the eight individuals before him looked thrilled the moment their Legacies had been unsealed, some even going so far as to throw out several punches one after another, causing the air in front of their fists to shake and vibrate slightly.


    "Haha! I can indeed use my Legacy! This is the best!"


    "Dimension Refining Physique... What a magnificent name for a Legacy!"


    "Indeed, it sounds so cool! But why is it that it has a different name for Rank and even has this thing called Level? Shouldn''t our Legacy be on the Infant Rank?"


    As that question sounded, everyone that had their Legacy unsealed stopped doing whatever they were doing while their complexion changed in a flash. Meanwhile, the rest that still had their Legacies sealed could only remain silent and listen intently to learn the most they could.


    "True, I heard every races'' Legacy has the same ranking system such as Infant, Warrior, and Warmaster. Then why is that our Rank is not Infant but named as Mortal instead?" a woman in her early thirties asked the question, her seemingly unfocused gaze looking into thin air.


    Her name was Arya, the head of the Chore Branch. She had silk smooth blond hair with a pair of azure eyes together with a tall frame which was not too towering, only about 5''6 feet in total which was equal to 167 in centimeters. However, despite being such a tall woman compared to the rest, the curves and shapes on her body were just as big, giving her a rather mature and tempting appearance that was hard to ignore even if one was a female!


    Though, although out of the few Branches that currently existed the Chore Branch was the easiest and least paid work one could choose from, no one really looked down on Arya as in everyone''s eyes she was like a mother figure, an angle who helped everyone as much as she could.


    Hence, in everyone''s eyes, including in Nash''s too, she was the best candidate out of all those that wished to become the head of the Chore Branch, no question about that.


    "Yeah, I noticed that too. Do you have any idea why it is like that Nash? I mean, your Legacy had been unsealed much longer than ours, so you must have a few ideas." Uncle Ben''s voice followed suit after Arya''s, making everyone''s gaze to fell on Nash in that right instant.


    Nash remained silent for a few seconds when he saw and felt the many stares on his skin and after showing a calm smile, just shook his head, "Although it must sound weird, even I do not have a single clue why our Legacy has a different Ranks than the rest."


    "And how can we increase our Ranks? What do we need to do to become stronger and reach the next Rank?" this time the one asking the question was Dray, who all this time remained silent as he was just too engrossed with the fact that he gained superhuman powers.


    "As for that question, I can answer that with relative ease." Nash''s smile widened even more upon saying those words, and without keeping any secrets, he began to explain to everyone how they can increase their Levels and become an Ascender.


    He even showed them the scroll he found in his room that day and told them how it helped him gain insight into his growth and how he was able to unlock all the Ancient Veins inside his body.


    Once he finished talking, he examined everyone''s complexion one by one, watching as different emotions emerged and vanished on everyone''s face one after another.


    "I will make sure to help all of you as much as I can, but you need to understand that surpassing each Level is solely on you, hence no matter what I say or do, only you can break the shackles on yourself, not me." as Nash said those words, everyone''s face turned serious, determined to become stronger.


    "Well then, as promised, from this day onward, I will unseal eight people in total per day. Also, because now that you will be not defenseless as you were until now and will have greater strength to protect yourself, I wish to expand the number of Branches in the current Departments by a few."


    Immidieatly as Nash said those words, everyone fell into silence, eager to hear what the other Branches will be and what kind of role they will serve.


    -


    -


    -


    After explaining everything to everyone for an hour straight while also deciding on who will be the head of those branches, Nash walked back to the second Jade Door and stood before it.


    Behind him, Uncle Ben and even Amy, who choose to follow him after the meeting stood in silence, staring at his back with calm gazes.


    "You will challenge it now?" Uncle Ben couldn''t hold his question back any longer and asked when he saw Nash standing before the Jade Door for a straight full minute.


    Upon hearing his question, Amy shifted her attention onto the beautiful white jade door in front of Nash, and although she didn''t wish to ask, she still asked, "Challenge? Challenge what?"


    "Behind this door, there is a trial," Nash explained once he noticed his uncle didn''t want to and touched the surface of the gate.


    [You have the appropriate Rank to challenge the Ancestor''s Trial!]


    [Do you wish to challenge the Trial?]


    When those words appeared in his line of sight, Nash remained silent for a second before taking a deep breath and nodded, ''Yes, I want.''


    Whoosh!


    "Huh? V-Vanished? Where is he?" both Uncle Ben and Amy look shocked when they saw Nash''s figure suddenly getting engulfed in white light before disappearing into thin air, leaving the two behind in the hall alone.


    Meanwhile, in a completely separate space, on the very top of a huge rock pillar with nothing but dense white clouds floating around its core, Nash''s figure materialized out of thin air before dropping onto the center of the pillar with a gentle ''thud!'' sound.


    "What is this place?" Nash looked around curiously, wondering if the scenery around him was just a mere illusion or if his soul was teleported into a different space akin to the time when he was teleported into the Forgotten Lands.


    While he pondered on this question and glanced around with piqued interest, suddenly a green light that represented a small blaze appeared above him, attracting his attention right away.


    ''It looks somewhat similar to the Soul Fragment that entered my Soul Breaker after Aruer said his farewell.'' as Nash wondered about this, the green flame descended from the sky and under a few seconds appeared before his face.


    ''Warm... Feels like it is soothing my mind and washing all my troubles away.'' Nash felt like closing his eyes and enjoying the pleasant feeling that was currently sweeping through his body, but as he didn''t know what the trial he didn''t dare to lower his guard by doing something so foolish as to that.


    Instead, he grabbed the hilt of his longsword on his back, and after pulling it out of its scabbard he began to scan his surroundings with a sharp pair of eyes.


    [Congratulations! You have successfully completed the First Trial, Firm Mind.]


    "Eh?" Nash looked stupefied when he heard the notification in his head.


    Did he really complete the trial? Just like that?


    Wait... First Trial?


    When Nash realized that there was the word ''first'' in front of the Trial, he raised a brow and looked at the green ball of flame before him that began to vanish from his sight by each fraction of the second.


    ''Firm Mind... Could have it been that if I let my mind get consumed by the pleasure I would have failed this trial right away?'' as such a thought emerged in his head, Nash felt his palm getting slightly sweaty as everything happened just way too fast.


    If it weren''t for his luck and tense mindset of not letting him enjoy the previous pleasure, he could have failed this trial as easily as that without even knowing what the consequences would be!


    ''Now that I think about it, is there any consequence if I fail this trial? I still don''t know if everything here is an illusion or a real-world such as the Forgotten Lands!''


    As Nash thought about the possibility of a hidden threat around him, suddenly the scenery around him darkened, forcing him to raise his head and look above. However, when he did, his pupils immediately shrunk to the size of a needle before his jaw dropped down next to his knee from pure stupefaction.


    Right above him, a giant meteorite with a diameter of at least a mile if not two began to fall from the sky with a scalding front, generating crimson flames around its massive body as it descended toward him with a speed that would obviously wipe out an entire country on any planet with ease!


    "Are you... Are you fucking kidding me?!"


    * * * * *


    A/N: Hope you liked it! Make sure to vote for more!<3

 Chapter 59 - Firm Mind, Vigorous Body, And Thousand Enemies! (1)

    "Are you... Are you fucking kidding me?!" Nash blurted out loudly with a stupefied expression, feeling the urge to find someone and slap them right into their death!


    Right before him, a meteorite... No, a huge asteroid with the width of a mile capable of wiping out entire continents was falling on him with speed faster than a bullet! No matter how he looked at it, the chances of him stopping that giant flying rock was almost equal to zero!


    "Is this some kind of joke? Do I really need to stop that thing? But how?" Nash muttered with widened eyes as he watched the asteroid falling down on him without any sign of halting or slowing down!


    As Nash watched the whole sight above him with a somewhat perplexed face, his gaze gradually fell on his sword in his hand, wondering if he could use its Soul Breaker power to slice the huge rock into two or not.


    ''I think it deserves a try at least.'' Nash thought in his heart and was ready to activate his longsword''s ability when suddenly the sword in his hand flew away and remained floated in the far distance, high above in the air!


    [During the second part of the trial, you are not allowed to use any kind of


    technique or Art!]


    "What?!" seeing the rows of text in his line of sight, Nash''s face darkened before turning dead serious and looking at the meteorite high above him.


    "I see, so you want to play like this..." Nash said calmly and without saying anything else took up a firm sideways stance, one from where he can exert the most strength of his body without fearing to lose his balance.


    Closing his eyes to calm his mind, Nash took a deep breath and opened his eyelids slowly, only to see as the asteroid was now only a few meters away from him. The flames that covered its massive body forced the temperature around Nash to rise dramatically while the invisible pressure that pressed down on his body akin to a huge palm made the ground below his feet show small signs of cracking even though it has yet to crash into it!


    If before not, now Nash was absolutely aware of the fact that the huge rock in front of him was, without a doubt, a real giant asteroid, hence he was given another reason why to give his best!


    ''I will smash it into hundreds of chunks!'' Nash thought with firm determination in his heart and without daring to hesitate even for a second more, pushed all of his essences in his Ancient Veins into his right fist and with all his might threw out a powerful punch right at the flying rock!


    "HA!"


    Nash''s fist blurred for a mere second before it appeared right in front of him, and the moment it got into contact with the meteorite that was now less than a meter away from crashing into him, time seemed to halt for a split second before starting to flow again together with a thunderous sound that grew in pitch by every fraction of the second!


    KA-BOOOOOOOOM!


    With an earth-splitting blast that would be enough to wipe out entire cities on any planet, huge and wide cracks spread across the massive meteorite''s body, and not even after a second later it exploded into millions of pieces with sizes smaller than gravel!


    Just under a mere second, what seemed to be a gigantic and apocalypse level threat for any living being now was rendered into nothing but dust and fragments of rocks that couldn''t even kill an insect much less a human!


    "I... I did that?" Nash raised his hand before his face with a dumbstruck complexion when he witnessed what a single punch from him was capable of achieving; once again, he was utterly shocked to realize just how great his physical strength was, especially now that he was an Ascender!


    [Congratulations! You have successfully completed the Second Trial, Vigorous Body!]


    Whoosh!


    Once the second notification appeared in his sight, Nash watched as his sword that floated in the distance all this time now finally appeared before him, having this seemingly eager aura around it that told him it wanted him to go and hold it once again.


    "Trying to be apologetic now, huh?" Nash narrowed his eyes when he saw this, but still went and grabbed the hilt of his weapon as it was an essential asset to his overall strength; there was nothing that would make him leave his sword behind, not even in another thousand years!


    As a fact, he was pretty sure there was not even a second weapon out there in the many Dimensions that was as easy and comfortable to wield as his Soul Breaker or if there somehow indeed was one, then it must be only somewhere in the Ancient Dimension.


    After holding his longsword in his hand, Nash looked around and asked calmly, "What will be the next trial?"


    However, although he just asked that question, deep in his heart he hoped there was no next trial as at the moment his body, especially his right arm felt extremely sore, seemingly because of him controlling and pushing almost all of the Dimension Essence from his Ancient Veins right into his fist.


    Nash waited silently to see if there were any changes taking place around him, but after one full minute when nothing happened he raised his brow and lowered his weapon.


    "That was all? Really?"


    One minute... Two minutes... Five minutes...


    Even after ten full minutes, nothing happened at all confusing Nash greatly, thinking maybe the trial have gotten some kind of error during the process and maybe he shouldn''t have been able to beat the second trial. Or it was even possible that there was not a third trial at all, that is why no changes have taken place around him even after one-sixth of an hour.


    ''...''


    Standing in one place with a calm complexion, Nash was about to see if he could leave the trial or not, but just as he began to move the space in front of him suddenly began to twist and turn while several emerged, each with a different appearance.


    ''Enemies?'' Nash asked in his heart, but soon his brows fell into a tight frown as he discovered that the creatures before him kind of represented the few statues from the great hall where he obtained his Soul Breaker.


    Some represented the spider statue, some looked like hybrids between two different animals such as crossbreeds between a bull and a horse, and there were even a few that looked like real dragons but with a rather humanoid appearance.


    Each represented a different race, which surprisingly Nash failed to recognize despite having a lot of knowledge about quite a few Dimensions and their ruling races.


    "Well, whatever... There are just 15 from them and each of them are only at the bottom of the Infant Rank." Nash raised his weapon as he said those words and with strong press against the ground with his feet, he dashed forward.


    Whoosh!


    Less than a single second, Nash crossed the distance between him and the creatures, and without wasting even a single second more he swung his sword at the creature he reached, using no special technique or power, only his physical strength!


    Swish!


    With a speed that was akin to lightning, Nash''s sword sliced the first creature that represented a hybrid between a human and a cat, cutting its body into two perfect halves from top to bottom.


    Thud!


    Whoosh!


    Without even giving a glance at the corpse that painted the ground below into the color of deep red with the flowing blood and sliced organs, Nash appeared next to the next creature, and with another swing, he sliced that into two too, increasing his kill count to two under two seconds!


    Swish! Swish! Swish!...


    A creature represents a mutated bat, a beast with a head of a wolf, and another being that had four arms and two heads; each and every one of them were slashed into two or three pieces, none of them having the ability to resist Nash''s attack for more than a single second!


    Under less than 15 seconds, all the 15 creatures fell onto the ground into several pieces, filling the ground around Nash with the sight of slashed corpses and the air with the gentle smell of iron.


    "Hmm..." Nash waved his sword as he pondered if this was all, but soon the space around him twisted once again while several creatures with the same appearance akin to the previous 15 emerged.


    "Even more will appear once I kill them all? Interesting." Nash spoke calmly as a small grin appeared on his face, having a brief idea of just what kind of challenge this trial wished to give him.


    "However, although their numbers have doubled, their strength only increased by a small margin. If I should need to compare them to our Leveling system, they are barely reaching Level 4. This is nowhere near to be called a challenge!"


    And with those words Nash dashed forward again, swinging his sword around with great power and speed, slicing all the creatures he appeared next to into several pieces without mercy!


    * * * * *


    A/N: Hope you enjoyed it! Stay safe until the next chap! <3

 Chapter 60 - Firm Mind, Vigorous Body, And Thousand Enemies! (2-Last)

    Whoosh!


    Swish!


    Thud!


    The sound of wind blowing and bodies falling sounded everywhere where Nash''s body moved, his sword vanishing and reappearing from time to time as it sliced the creatures into halves without much less of a struggle!


    His body was like a panther, moving to and fro between the hord of creatures whose number now reached the hundreds, and with seemingly lightning speed he claimed their lives from their blind spot without showing the slightest of mercy to them!


    Swish!


    "And that was number five hundred and forty." severing the last creature''s head of its body, Nash exhaled a great amount of turbid air to calm his slightly fast-beating heart down and looked around.


    Sliced corpses on top of each other formed small piles, deep crimson blood flowing around and down at the edges of the rock pillar in an almost stream-like manner while the air was filled with the putrid and irony smell everywhere all around him.


    Currently, the whole place felt like scenery from somewhere hell, making Nash''s face form a somewhat disgusted look; no matter how strong one was, seeing the sight of a real slaughter for the first time was something no one could avoid to feel sick about. And if somehow there really was, that someone was just simply too sick in the head or went through so much that seeing a few corpses and sliced organs could not move them by the least.


    Tremble!


    While Nash watched the hellish scenery around him with a disgusted grimace, the space before him began to tremble once again before another hord of creatures emerged, circling him from all directions.


    ''150, each of them pretty close to Level 9, huh?'' Nash thought in his heart once he evaluated the strength and numbers of the creatures in front of him with a few glances.


    Each creature had the same appearance as the original 15 statues at the start of the trial, the only difference was their numbers and their strength, which was barely away from getting on the same level as Level 9 Mortal.


    However, although their numbers were so big and maybe others would feel it was completely hopeless to survive if all of them attempted to attack them at the same time, Nash was pretty confident in his strength to emerge as a victor even with such a seemingly great disadvantage!


    Hence without wasting any more time, Nash tightened his grab on his Soul Breaker, and with a powerful push with his feet on the ground, he dashed forward, starting his rampage for the 9th time in about a bit less than an hour!


    Whoosh!


    Swish! Swish! Swish!...


    In less than 10 minutes later, the small army of creatures finally fell before Nash, and although there were a few times where one or two creatures were able to dodge or repel his attack, in the end, each and every one of them fell before his sword, all of them ending up as dead that increased the number of corpses on the rock pillar even more!


    [Congratulations! You have successfully completed the Third Trial, Thousand Enemies!]


    Nash felt joy when he heard the notification in his head, but even before he could have had the chance to celebrate the following happened;


    [Proceeding to choose your opponent according to your performance in the first three trials!]


    [Choosing...]


    ''Huh? Choosing an opponent?'' Nash felt confused by the sudden change of events, but soon the results emerged, giving rise to a shocking gasp to escape from his mouth.


    [Selection has been completed!]


    Tremble!


    Once the final notification vanished, Nash watched as the space in about four to five meters away from him on a single point began to crack and split, slowly growing in a size from which a huge and humungous being appeared with steps that shook the entire ground below his feet!


    "That thing..." Nash immidieatly seemed to recognize the emerging creature as it had the exact same appearance as one of the main statues that were destroyed back in the main hall.


    It was a massive and humungous beast with a towering height of four meters. Its skin was a deep raven, as dark as ink while under its seemingly rock firm skin where even its jutting veins were struggling to remain visible, bulging muscles twitched every time it moved!


    But the most terrifying trait of the creature was not its bulging muscles that threatened to explode like swollen balloons filled with water or the bestial face that could cause a heart attack to the weak-willed, but the fact that it had six arms, each holding different weapons such as a giant hammer, a massive greatsword, a huge dagger, a ridiculously long spear, a scythe, and a whip!


    Each weapon was so massive and terrifying-looking that Nash was pretty sure that with just one alone that creature would be capable of wiping out an entire army, much less with six different, each granting different benefits to its holder when used!


    [Soulfragment of the Alpha from the Wielder Race, Latael, the Ancient Fifth desires to challenge you!]


    [Final Trial, Against The Ancient, now begins!]


    Whoosh!


    Immidieatly as those words were said, the scenery around Nash changed, turning the rock pillar he was standing on into a vast and seemingly endless green grass field with the only thing visible on the horizon being the blazing sun!


    As for the piles of corpses and rivers of blood, all of them have vanished, leaving only Nash and the beast named Latael alone with nothing else around them! Even the irony smell was replaced by fresh air, making Nash''s body feel refreshed whenever he took a deep sniff through his nostrils!


    "ROOOAAARR!"


    TREMBLE!!!


    "Argh..." Nash grimaced painfully when he heard the great roar that shook even the land around him and was about to blink when his pupils shrunk to the size of a needle and without a second thought moved.


    BOOOM!


    The ground shook fiercely a second later when Nash jump away, and the spot where he just stood a moment ago now turned into a deep pit with a diameter of twenty meters, with Latael standing at its bottom with its huge greatsword pierced deep into the center!


    ''He is fast!'' Nash felt as cold sweat appeared on his back when he witnessed just how ridiculously fast and powerful Latael''s previous movement and strike really was!


    If it were not for him already being at the Ascender Rank, Nash was pretty sure that right now he would have been turned into meat paste without the chance of remembering what hit him just now!


    ''Soulfragment of the Alpha from the Wielder Race... the Ancient Fifth... Wait... Soulfragment? Can it be that there exists a real Latael somewhere in the other dimensions just like Aruer?'' when such a thought hit Nash his whole body trembled upon the tiny possibility that a creature such as Latael truly existed somewhere in the other dimensions!


    ''No, that is impossible. If there were, I am pretty sure I would have heard about such a terrifying existence even if I was doing nothing but mining day and night! But then why did the voice say Soulfragment?''


    Nash tried to think about an answer to the many questions that suddenly appeared now in his mind, but alas, he was not given the time to think for a long while. As a fact, even before he could have thought about anything else, he watched as Latael''s figure in the crater blurred and reappeared on his side with his spear already trusting toward the center of his head with tremendous force!


    He moved with such brute force and so much momentum that the very moment his muscular feet touched the ground, the earth split and shattered into debris, forming a huge pit below him almost instantly!


    However, this time Nash was not caught by surprise but even anticipated such a thing to happen, hence instead of dodging he quickly raised his weapon and pushed his feet to the side to take up a solid stance!


    ''Although he shows terrifying strength and speed, his aura is still on the same level as mine, so I will be able to take his atta-''


    Just before Nash could have finished his line of thought, the spear already struck his weapon with a force that felt at least twice as heavy as the meteorite he has smashed into pieces in his second trial, and without him having the chance to resist even for a single second, his body was sent flying like a cannonball!


    BAM!


    Nash''s body flew through the air with speed akin to a bullet and in just a split second he already traveled several miles before slowly starting his descent and hitting the ground several times prior to coming to a complete halt!


    BOOOOOM!


    Dust and debris flew everywhere in a ten-meter radius where Nash''s body just crashed into, while Nash himself struggled to stand up from the deep crater he was just laying in a second ago, blood flowing down his skin from the wounds on his body and the corner of his mouth!

 Chapter 61 - True Strength Of The Soul Eye!

    Nash wiped the blood away from the corner of his mouth once he was on his feet and with a somewhat pale face gazed into the distance from where he just ''came'' from moments ago.


    "This is no joke at all... I really could have died there just now!" Nash muttered with a slightly weak tone of voice and glanced down at his emerald weapon that saved his life just now.


    "If it weren''t for my Soul Breaker consuming some of the force behind that attack, I am pretty sure my bones in my arms would have been turned into dust just now!"


    Indeed, the one that Nash can thank this time was no one but the longsword in his hold that sparkled just as brightly as ever before without any indication of it being on the verge of breaking even after taking such a powerful strike head-on!


    It seemed Ancient Treasures were indeed different from normal treasures as Nash was pretty sure if it would have been any other weapon, they would have been broken into thousands of fragments without the chance to resist even a single second under Latael''s strike!


    "But still... How should I deal with that thing?" Nash pondered quietly as he raised his gaze and watched as Latael''s humungous figure emerged on the horizon, his figure leaving behind a dense cloud of dust and chunks of debris as he approached him with ridiculous speed.


    From the speed alone with which Lataeld ran, Nash was convinced it would take him less than 1 minute to reach him, hence his time to figure out a plan against that terrifying beast was rapidly declining.


    "What should I do? In both strength and speed, I am way too inferior to him despite being on the same Level! I bet even his skin is as hard as steel, hence without any powerful techniques it''s simply impossible for me to kill him. Only if I could use my Domination Art..."


    Suddenly, as Nash was about to think for a way with which he could kill Latael, he realized that despite he was weaker and for some reason, he was pretended from using his Strings of Domination, he possessed quite a few methods to deal with him even if he couldn''t actually compete with him with physical prowess!


    Soul Eye, Soul Breaker, and even his newly acquired Soul Shattering Grab!


    Each of those techniques was powerful enough to help him balance the current disadvantage he had and maybe if he played his cards precisely at the right moment he could even emerge as the victor in the end!


    The only downfall, however, was that out of his three Soul Techniques, two required a tremendous amount of his essence to activate and use, hence he could only use them once or twice before getting completely weak, leaving him as vulnerable as a rabbit before Latael''s earth-shattering assaults!


    "I can only try and hope for the best!" seeing as Latael was already before him and his whip was lashed at him, Nash clenched his teeth and without hesitation activated his Soul Eye while jumping backward.


    Swish!


    BOOOOM!


    In that very instant as Nash jumped backward, the whip bashed into the spot where he just stood a second ago, creating not only a pit with a width of five meters but even caused the earth to crack and split, forming several fissures with a hundred miles length that spread to almost all directions!


    ''...''


    Nash watched with a calm expression the destruction taking place before his eyes from mid-air, and couldn''t help but wonder what kind of doom would fall on this land if Latael decided to strike not with his whip or spear, but with that huge hammer in his other grasp; the sight would be devastating, there was no doubt about that.


    ''However...'' as Nash watched just how absurd Latael''s power was, his eyes brightened at the same time with excitement as he could clearly see how a half-transparent Latael suddenly melted out of his real body and moved toward him with its spear holding hand already lunged at him with seemingly great force!


    ''I can see it! I can see what he will do next!'' Nash looked excited when he watched as the next second Latael''s body moved in the exact same manner as his semi-transparent form, thrusting his spear at his chest with the intent of piercing his heart!


    It turns out, his Soul Eye''s true strength lay in seeing the movement of the souls of others, giving him the advantage to think a second ahead of his enemies and plan accordingly!


    It was an ability akin to witnessing the future a second earlier before it even happens!


    Such an advantage could not be underestimated as under a single second many things could happen, especially if one was a powerful existence with a superb movement technique!


    However, although it was a power that could assist anyone against existences even a whole Rank above them for a small amount of time, Nash had to realize that his Soul Eye, unfortunately, was only a frailer version of the true Fortune Telling Eye. In the end, it seemed he was still unable to perceive the movements of things such as the weapons in Latael''s grasp, as they had no souls, or so that is what Nash was thinking.


    As for if he was right or not, Nash had no clue at all as he had no time to think any longer. Instead, he quickly shifted his body to the side, smoothly evading Latael''s spear strike before raising his Soul Breaker above his head and swinging it downward with all his strength!


    Swish!


    CLANG!


    "What?" just as Nash thought he succeeded in delivering his attack, a metallic sound resounded in the air while below his weapon a dagger appeared out of nowhere, halting his strike just in prior he could have cut Latael''s arm off!


    Upon seeing as his onslaught failed, Nash, however, didn''t feel shocked at all as he understood it was only natural for him not to notice Latael''s dagger, as again, he was unable to perceive it as he could with his soul.


    ''I need to focus even more.'' Nash thought in his heart and watched calmly as Latael''s soul moved once again, this time seemingly attempting to use his greatsword to strike him from above!


    * * * * *


    A/N: Hope you liked it and also thank you very much for all of your votes! <3


    An extra chapter is coming!! :)

 Chapter 62 - Final Trial... Completed!

    Nash watched the descending greatsword above him with a clear mind, and without the slightest panic in his movements, he quickly jumped to the side, avoiding being crushed into a meat paste just in time!


    Whoosh!


    BAM!


    With terrifying power that split the earth once it reached the bottom, Latael pierced the spot where Nash stood a moment ago but had to see with surprise that his strike missed, for the second time under a few seconds at that!


    "?"


    Watching as Latael became confused and turned his head to look at him, Nash''s lips curved and quickly swung his Soul Breaker at the back of Latael''s thigh. However, this time he made sure to focus on his entire body without blinking, so he can perceive every bit of his soul''s movement with ease!


    Latael feeling as his leg was targeted from behind became enraged and after letting out a loud bestial roar he quickly swung his lowest right hand that held the scythe backward, hoping to serve Nash''s head off his neck once and for all!


    Nash, however, didn''t feel any shock or surprise when he noticed Latael''s attack going for his neck as he had already seen it coming way before he started moving thanks to his Soul Eye! Hence, he quickly pulled his weapon back, and with a strong push against the ground''s surface below his feet, he thrust himself backward, safely avoiding death''s scythe!


    Whoosh!


    Once Nash was back on the ground again, he quickly seized the opportunity while Latael was still confused and mad over his inability of killing him, and closing the distance between them in a mere instant he swung his Soul Breaker for the third time!


    And this time, his attack finally succeeded in reaching its target, striking Latael''s leg from the side with great speed and power!


    Clang!


    "Huh?"


    However, when Nash''s Soul Breaker hit Latael''s skin, the anticipated sword cutting flesh and bones cutting sound didn''t appear, and instead what rang in the surroundings was the sound of metal clashing against metal!


    Nash watched with slightly widened eyes as his weapon was unable to penetrate Latael''s skin, and even felt like he wished to cut not a living being''s flesh but a steel alloy instead!


    ''I thought his skin will be hard, but I didn''t expect it to be this hard!'' Nash thought with deep shock in his heart as he pulled his sword back and avoided another strike from Latael''s scythe.


    Whoosh!


    Swish!


    Clang!


    The sound of air splitting, earth breaking, and metal clashing against metal sounded all around the vast grass field, creating total chaos whenever Nash and Latael tried to kill each other by swinging their weapons around with all their might. However, no matter what they tried to do or just how strong they attempted to strike, none of their assaults were able to reach the other much less injure or kill!


    One was incapable of hurting the other because their opponent''s skin was way too tough for them to cut while the other one failed to hit their target as it moved almost as if it knew where he wished to strike!


    Like this, the two stood in a stalemate for quite a long while, none of them able to acquire the advantage over the other because of the incapability of breaking the other''s defense!


    However, if one were to spectate the fight between the two and would take a closer look, one would realize that the fight was slowly approaching its end as one of the two seemed to be reaching his limit.


    And unfortunately, this someone was none other than Nash, who was not only just sweating like crazy almost as if he just ran a marathon, but his complexion even looked slightly pale from exhaustion.


    ? Essence: 1,470 --> 1,420


    Although Nash''s essence was not depleting fast as it only gets less by 50 with each passing minute, the time since they started to fight was so prolonged that his essence had been depleted quite the amount.


    Furthermore, he was no machine with infinite stamina, hence fighting against Latael for a little more than an hour straight without rest was quite taxing on his body and it was no wonder he was finally reaching his limit.


    As a fact, it was already a complete miracle that he was able to remain alive until so long without dying under Latael''s crazy barrage of attacks; if it would have been anyone else, it was pretty much a sealed deal that they wouldn''t be able to sustain more than a few seconds before getting smashed into a meat paste by one of Latael''s deathly strikes!


    ''It''s no use. I can''t hurt him!'' Nash clenched his teeth as he avoided a whip slash from Latael and swung his sword with a small amount of his essence fused into his weapon''s blade.


    Swish!


    CLANG!


    "Tsk!" seeing as his attack failed to cut through the firm skin of Latael once again, Nash clicked his tongue in irritation and quickly distanced himself from Latael.


    ''I have struck him hundreds of times on the same point, but failed to cut him. Even tried to use my Soul Breaker ability, but it seems it has a long preparation time before I can use it.'' Nash thought and took a deep breath before his eyes turned firm and quickly put his longsword back into its scabbard.


    ''Then I only have one last option left.''


    "ROOOOAAAARR" with a thunderous roar that shook the earth, Latael leaped high into the air, and with his giant Warhammer raised above his head, he descended toward Nash like a meteorite.


    Seeing the terrifying speed with which Latael was descending toward him, Nash couldn''t help but swallow nervously and think back at the sight that happened about ten minutes ago. With the same move, Latael literally changed the landscape in a mile radius around them into a cracked wasteland that was filled with nothing but seemingly bottomless fissures with a width of a few meters!


    At that time, he jumped high into the air to avoid getting smashed into a lump of meat paste or getting buried alive, but this time Nash decided not to and stood firmly on his feet without moving!


    ''Let''s hope it will work...'' Nash prayed in his heart and extended his hand toward Latael and with his Soul Eye still active, he waited patiently.


    And it was not long enough when Latael''s soul finally reached the tip of his fingers, giving Nash a tingling sensation on his skin where he was in contact with Latael''s soul.


    ''NOW!'' Nash''s eyes flashed with a sharp glint and without daring to hesitate even a second longer, he clenched his fingers into a tight fist!


    ? Essence: 1,420 --> 420


    Crack!


    A huge portion of Nash''s remaining essence vanished the moment he activated his Soul Shattering Grab, but at the same time his fist also lit up with a bright blue light, painting Latael''s entire Soul with the color of azure before getting shattered into millions of tiny fragments.


    The sight was pretty much similar to a fragile glass getting dropped from high above, having no chance at all to survive the landing in one piece upon landing!


    "ROOOAA-!!"


    Tremble!


    And soon enough, Latael''s eyes turned hollow with his body no longer moving in mid-air, and like a ragdoll, he fell down from the sky right before Nash''s feet with a loud ''Thud!'' sound, shaking the ground below its humungous body akin to a minor earthquake!


    [Congratulations! You have successfully beat Latael, the Ancient Fifth!]


    [You have successfully completed your Final Trial, Against the Ancient!]

 Chapter 63 - Collecting Rewards

    [Congratulations! You have successfully defeated Latael, the Ancient Fifth!]


    [You have successfully completed your Final Trial, Against the Ancient!]


    Nash was still surprised by the results of his Soul Shattering Grab and failed to react to the words displayed in his mind. Only when Latael''s body began to turn into small fragments of green particles and began to fade did he move and let out a shocked gasp.


    "So this is the true strength of an Ancestry Art? This is terrifying!"


    Although Nash has kind of guessed such results when he first saw the title of the Ancestry Art, in truth, he didn''t fully expect it to be this brutal. He literally shattered Latael''s soul without him having the slightest chance of resisting! He literally turned him into a vessel without any soul, a cripple that had no consciousness but had a body!


    Nash felt shocked, but at the same time also satisfaction. This was because despite his Ancestry Art being kind of brutal, it was pretty straightforward and until he can touch his enemies'' soul, he can instantly gain victory!


    The only downfall about this ability was that it required a huge amount of his essence, and currently, he can only use it at the most 9 times, as with his Soul Eye active 10 times was impossible.


    However, although 9 times seemed a small amount, especially if he was fighting against a horde of creatures like he did in his third trial, against a single enemy such as Latael, it was the finest ace that could be up to his sleeve and also being a great lifesaver!


    "Unfortunately, I couldn''t activate my Soul Breaker and see what it can do. It seems it needs a rather long time to get its ability triggered completely, and against Latael, it was simply not fast enough." Nash sighed as he touched gently the hilt of his sword on his back.


    "Anyways, how can I get out of here? I thought this was the final trial, so how come I am still here?" Nash wondered with a mild frown when he saw he was still in the middle of the vast domain and glanced around.


    Split earth, bottomless fissures with lengths of several hundreds of meters, huge chunks of debris with a size of a human lying everywhere, and craters with a width of tens of meters. The whole landscape was changed from the previously beautiful emerald grass field into a wasteland filled with nothing but destruction!


    Just thinking about that this all happened because of a single existent that was only at the bottom of the Warrior Rank made Nash feel his body tremble scarcely, and wonder just what kind of hell would get loose if Latael would have been even stronger!


    Nash was pretty sure he wouldn''t have had such an ''easy'' time against Latael, that was for certain!


    "Do I need to do something to get out of here or what?" after waiting for an entire minute and seeing nothing happened, Nash asked with remote impatience and was about to do something when suddenly a figure appeared before him all of a sudden.


    Silver hair that shone brightly under the sunlight, voyager-blue eyes that seemingly held deep and complex emotions that only a few could understand, flawless skin together with a striking look that could make even the coldest women feel hot instantly, and a firm posture that made one feel as though he was an immovable mountain that supported the nine heavens above!


    The one that appeared before Nash, was no one else but Aruer!


    "It seems you have succeeded in completing my trial and sooner than I have anticipated, haha! Maybe I should have made it a bit harder..." Aruer said with a calm smile, his serene gaze fixed on Nash''s figure in front of him.


    ''Harder?'' when Nash heard that single word, he almost coughed up blood from both shock and anger.


    Could have made the challenge stronger than it already was? Was he just joking or what?


    Although he had the ability to overcome the first three trials with relative ease, the final trial was a completely different matter altogether! Not only did he have to concentrate with every bit of his willpower to avoid getting crushed and killed, but he even had to fight against Latael even with that small amount of fighting knowledge he had!


    One had to point out that despite Nash was fighting like someone who has practiced for months already with the sword, in fact, it was all because he had seen and ''practiced'' how to wield the sword way back when he was still back at Planet Zero.


    Different from Planet Azure where only caves and mines existed filled with minerals, Planet Zero was a planet where one of the many military quarters were located of the Sky Beast and there, it was not rare to witness how the Sky Beasts practiced with different weapons such as the sword!


    And because he has spent a rather long time there, Nash had more than enough time to inspect the way the sword was wielded while also trying to imitate it in secret during his small amount of free time, if he had any at all.


    Hence, despite having a small amount of knowledge and experience in the way of the sword, Nash was far from being a sword expert and his time against Latael could be said as a struggle, thus hearing Aruer said he could have made the trial harder was a little shameless!


    "Anyways, you have successfully done what you had to do, so let me hand you your rewards."


    Whoosh!


    Nash watched with surprise as several items, three to be exact appeared out of thin air in front of him, each having a different shape than the other; unfortunately, none of them were Ancient Treasures, thus Nash could only sigh with slight disappointment and proceed on inspecting the three times one by one.


    The first item on the left was an ordinary small ring with an oval shape and a deep black color. On its top, a symbol Nash didn''t recognize was seen, representing a triangle with a small circle in its middle, each top of the triangle connected to the edge of the circle with a single straight line!


    The second item on the right was a small orb with a size around a human fist and a color of white. Except for those two, it emitted neither a unique aura nor did it have any other special characters, so Nash didn''t inspect it for any longer than a few seconds before averting his gaze at the third item in the middle which looked way more interesting than the previous two by a huge margin.


    It was a small floating flame with a color of green that emitted a warmness that made not the body warmer and relaxed, but one that made the mind loosen instead! It was the little flame that challenged him during the first trial!


    "These three will be your reward for successfully completing my trial," Aruer spoke calmly and with a wave of his hand he all three items flew before Nash, waiting to be collected by him.


    "The ring is a Dimensional Ring, a 1st Class Luminary Grade treasure capable of storing a huge amount of objects in it in exchange for a little bit of your essence. The orb, on the other hand, is a 3rd Class Solar Grade treasure and is called Dimensional Orb. It is quite useful if you wish to navigate in any existing dimensions and find worlds that are either already discovered or still undiscovered."


    "As for that little flame..." Aruer showed a small smile when his gaze fell on the little green orb of flame and said, "You will find it out once you take it."


    Nash listened carefully when he heard Aruer explaining each item''s name and Grade, and couldn''t help but feel shocked upon hearing their Class and Grades!


    World, Luminary, Solar, Galaxy, and Dimension Grade treasures with the first being the weakest and the last being the strongest! Furthermore, each Grade was categorized into smaller Classes with 1st Class being the superior and 5th Class being the inferior!


    With this knowledge, hearing that he got two top items Nash couldn''t help but feel ecstatic and tremble with excitement. As for the little flame, Aruer told him he will find it out once he takes it, thus he couldn''t help but feel eager to find it out.


    "This is the best! It turns out it was well worth completing this trial!" Nash said with a joyful smile plastered on his face as he placed the ring on his right ring finger and for a small essence, which was only 1 Essence in total, placed the orb into his ring.


    "Haha! It really works!" Nash laughed merrily and without hesitation touched the green orb of flame in front of it.


    Swish!


    A warm feeling swept through Nash''s body the moment the green flame melted and vanished into his body, making his body relaxed almost as if he just stepped and slumped into a hot spring all of a sudden!


    [Congratulation! You have acquired Special Bloodline: Soul Flame!]


    * * * * *


    A/N: Hope you liked the chapter! If you want more make sure to vote! :)


    Also, thank you very much to those of you that vote! If we can reach 250 power stones, I will release an extra chapter!

 Chapter 64 - Crisis

    ''Huh?'' Nash felt shocked once he heard the words in his mind and couldn''t help but gasp before looking at Aruer.


    "Haha, surprised?" Aruer laughed mildly and waved his hand as he quickly said, "I know what you think right now. How can that be that you were able to acquire a Special Bloodline and a Special Blessing despite not challenging the Ancient Path, right?"


    Upon hearing the words of Aruer, Nash closed his mouth and nodded slightly.


    Indeed, what Aruer just said was the truth. According to the words in his Character Status, the only way for him to obtain his Special Traits can be only through challenging the Ancient Path. Yet, through some miracle, he obtained two Special Traits even without challenging the Ancient Path, which left him confused and lost.


    And it seems Aruer knew perfectly well that he tried to figure out the reason, hence when Nash heard the words Aruer was saying he remained silent and listened intently to learn the truth. However, the following words destroyed all of his hope in a single instant...


    "Well, if you wish to learn the truth, go and find the Hidden Library on Planet Gaia. Every question you wish to know will be answered once you get there." Aruer said calmly and turned his gaze toward the sky and added with a rather serious face, "It seems you have gotten a few guests so go and take care of them. I am pretty sure you will be able to handle them."


    "Guests? What do yo-, Hey! Wait!" Nash was about to ask a question when suddenly watched as Aruer''s body turned into a green ball of flame, and just like previously vanished into his Soul Breaker completely.


    And right as that happened, his vision turned white for a moment before getting it back, but this time he was standing not in the wast wasteland nor on top of the huge rock pillar, but before the Jade Door!


    "Nash!"


    Both Amy and Uncle Ben rushed up to Nash the moment they saw he finally appeared, looking at him from top to bottom and see if he had any injury if not.


    "Where did you go? Also, what happened to you? Your clothes are dirty and ragged, there are even blood stains on you!" Uncle Ben asked with a somewhat worried tone of voice as he looked at Nash, trying to figure out the cause of Nash''s current messy state.


    Even Amy seemed surprised and if one looked close into her eye, one would notice a hint of concern in her eyes. It was, of course, hard to notice if one didn''t try to see it, but it was definitely there.


    Nash wished to answer their worry, but just before he could have spoken, the walls behind him began to move once again, getting closer and closer to each other by each second.


    "Huh? The walls are closing?" Amy looked confused, but as for Uncle Ben, who seemed to realize something, he just looked at Nash and asked, "So you have succeeded in completing the trial, huh? No wonder you look so messed up."


    Nash looked at his uncle and nodded, clearing his doubts without saying a word. Instead, he focused his consciousness and opened the description of his newly acquired ability.


    In a flash, rows of texts appeared in his line of sight.


    ----------------------------------------


    [Special Bloodline: Soul Flame]


    ? Description: An ancient bloodline dwelled in the veins of the Human Race since their existence. However, after consuming the Mind Soothing Flame, this bloodline had evolved into its current state, into the Soul Flame!


    ? Blessing Class: Unclassified


    {Ability}


    ¡ã Soul Flame: A power capable of soothing one''s soul just by looking at it in exchange for a small amount of ancient energy once activated!


    {Passive Abilities}


    ¡ã Soul Barrier: An inactive ability that automatically helps to reinforce and protect your soul from collapsing under any type of soul attack!


    <The limit of protection depends on the strength of the attack, but can be further strengthened in exchange for ancient energy!>


    ----------------------------------------


    Nash read the descriptions in silence without talking. Uncle Ben and Amy obviously noticed this and remained silent as they didn''t wish to disturb him; they waited patiently.


    Only after a few minutes did Nash finally move, but instead of opening his mouth and talking, he raised his hand instead, and under Uncle Ben''s and Amy''s confused gaze he summoned a green orb of flame atop his palm!


    Whoosh!


    "Green flame?" Both Uncle Ben and Amy raised a brow upon noticing the small flame above Nash''s palm, but soon, their gazes slowly turned unfocused and their bodies fell to the ground almost as if they have fallen asleep standing!


    "This strong?" Nash felt pleasantly surprised when he saw the results of his Soul Flame, which only required him 50 essences to activate and use; the exact same amount he needed to sacrifice when he used his Soul Eye!


    Nash gazed at the little orb of flame that danced gently atop his palm with a silent gaze, and before long he clenched his fingers into a fist, extinguishing the flame with a single motion and allowing his uncle and Amy to finally regain their senses.


    "Wha... What happened with us? Huh? Where did that little flame go?" once on his feet and touching his head with a small painful grimace, Uncle Ben looked around as he asked.


    Even Amy did the same, but her gaze gradually shifted at Nash, knowing that flame was his and there was no point in searching for it as Uncle Ben did.


    "It is called Soul Flame. It can make your soul relax and create a situation akin to where you fall unconscious." Nash quickly explained, but before he could have said anything es¨®lse, hurried footsteps were heard from the entrance, attracting Nash''s and the other two''s attention right away.


    "David?" Nash immidieatly recognized the young man running toward them as if he was chased, having a pale face that was almost as white as a sheet of paper!


    As for Amy and Uncle Ben, the two of them needed a few moments to recognize David as they only saw him once or twice during their time even though they were together more than a month already! However, once they noticed his unique appearance, they immediately realized who he was.


    His wide blue eyes that were like two pools of water and his thick, curly, medium-length hair which was the color of fine gold and was worn in a bizarre, carefully-crafted style was just way too eye-catching to not remember. Also, his very short and overmuscled build together with his white skin was something only a few had among the current people in Emerald Palace, hence remembering who he was after a few glances was not a hard thing to do.


    "What''s the matter, David? You look freaked out." Nash asked with a slim frown.


    One had to know that David was one of the three individuals that choose to join the Exploration Branch which, as its name suggested, made one explore and note down everything that can be found in the outer area.


    Of course, Nash made sure to order one of his Souls to protect David and the other two from any kind of unknown danger while they were out in the wild, but still, as the black sun has already proved it, things could go awry rather easily.


    Hence, seeing that David was freaked out could only mean a few things and none of them could hold good news.


    ''Strange, my essence hadn''t been depleted, so I don''t think they have met with a powerful creature. Then what could it be?'' Nash wondered as he watched David trying to catch his breath, feeling this unease sensation in his heart especially after Aruer''s warning.


    This was especially true as he watched as David''s Fear Level on his Indicator grew to ridiculous heights, just 7% away from reaching the Critical Level!


    "Ha... Ha... Lord Nash... We have... a huge problem! A crisis!" David spoke with sweat oozing out of his forehead, his chest heaving up and down in a rapid manner as he tried to catch his breath.


    "Okay, first and foremost, try to look here and calm down," Nash spoke calmly which at David raised his head slowly only to see a green flame atop Nash''s palm that somehow made his mind grow more relaxed than before!


    ''So I can use my flames like this too, huh?'' Nash thought in his heart as he watched David''s Fear Level decrease rapidly, almost instantly falling below 10%!


    "So? What happened?" Nash asked once he made his Soul Flame vanish, snapping David out of his daze and forcing him to reply right away.


    "Y-Yes! Right away!" David nodded as he straightened his back and as he recalled what he wished to say, his face turned pale and a small amount of fear took over his mind once again.


    "Lord Nash... We have been discovered! Soldiers from the Thousand Blood Race and the Sky Beasts are here! We are doomed!"


    * * * * *


    A/N: Hope you enjoyed the chap! Make sure to vote for more, as I will upload an extra chap if we can reach 250 power stones and even more if we can reach more!


    Stay safe <3

 Chapter 65 - A Hard Decesion

    "What did you just say?!" Uncle Ben yelled up with widened eyes, his hands subconsciously going and getting a firm hold on David''s shoulders.


    "W-What you have just heard. They have found us!" David said with a pale face, cold sweat with the size of beans oozing out of his forehead uncontrollably.


    "Are you sure it was the Sky Beast and the Thousand Blood Race and not just some space wanderers?" Uncle Ben asked, still hoping what David just said was a lie and nothing else.


    "I am one hundred percent sure the ones I have seen were not space wanderers nor some random explorers! If you don''t believe me, go and ask the rest! We were doing our usual exploring in the vicinity, drawing maps as Lord Nash ordered us when suddenly a huge spaceship entered the orbit and landed not far away from our spaceship! Sky Beasts and Thousand Bloods departed the ship too in great numbers!" David explained hastily, his Fear Level growing with each spoken word.


    Upon seeing this, Nash''s complexion became deadly serious, and asked, "How many did you see?"


    "Around a hundred, but I don''t know the exact number." David answered as he shifted his gaze at Nash and added, "We came back here in the very instant we noticed that it was the Sky Beasts, so we didn''t really have time to examine and count their numbers."


    "Did they notice you?"


    "Luckily, not. We made sure to leave their vicinity as stealthily as we could. We even went on a detour just to make sure if they somehow find our tracks then they will start their search toward the opposite direction." David said quickly.


    "I see. Great job." Nash nodded and without saying anything else walked toward the exit.


    "Where are you going?" seeing as Nash began to walk away, Uncle Ben asked while following him closely from behind.


    "Idiot, where do you think he would go? He is obviously going to take care of them." Amy scoffed at Uncle Ben coldly, which at the latter halted his steps and looked at her threateningly.


    "Brat, although I have ignored your audacity last time, I won''t do the same thing again. Know your place and the difference in our position or I will teach you a lesson or two that you will never cease to forget!"


    Amy stopped walking too, and narrowing her small eyes at Uncle Ben, she sneered coldly and asked, "Position? What kind of position are you talking about exactly? Not only do you not do a single thing except for eating and sleeping, but you haven''t even joined a single Branch to help and make everyone else''s lives here easier! If you ask me, the one who should know his place should be you, old fart!"


    "What did you just say you little sh-"


    "That is enough already."


    Suddenly, Nash''s calm but rather cold voice appeared from the side, causing the temperature to seemingly fall a few degrees in mere instants!


    "This is not the right time for your argle-bargle. We have way more important things to take care of at the moment." Nash said with a sharp gaze, forcing both Amy and Uncle Ben to fall into deep silence without daring to mutter a single word.


    Seeing this, Nash nodded, and without saying anything else he turned back around and continued to walk toward the exit.


    "You are pathetic," Amy muttered those words with a tone just enough to make Uncle Ben hear it and without saying anything else, she began to follow Nash together with David on her side.


    "You...!" Uncle Ben clenched his fingers into tight fists as he stared at Amy''s back with a gaze filled with hatred.


    Right now, if Nash would decide to turn around, he would see with surprise that his uncle''s Anger Level was currently way above the 70% mark, something which was quite a rare sight to see.


    But alas, he didn''t, hence he was completely oblivious of the change of emotions that were currently taking place inside his uncle.


    However, Nash didn''t really need to see it to know that the relationship between his uncle and everyone else, particularly with Amy, was akin to hell and heaven; they literally despised each other to the core even if they showed they were not before him.


    And how does Nash knows that? The answer was very simple; because of his ability to see others'' emotions.


    With the help of his Indicator, he is able to see and examine everyone''s emotional levels, hence there is hardly anything he cannot understand when seeing one''s Indicator.


    For instance, whenever he was talking in a gathering or simply was meeting with someone among the people, their Happiness Level would skyrocket instantly! However, if it was his uncle who they met with, almost everyone''s level of happiness would decline, and what would grow instead was their anger together with a little bit of fear!


    Nash has already asked around several people about the matter regarding his uncle, especially the ones during his time when he has chosen the leaders for each Branch, but strangely, none of them answered his question honestly as each of their replies were the same; they had no problem with him.


    This made him rather confused, but as he had no time to care about it nor did he think it was anything severe, he just let the matter slide and think time will heal the seemingly open wounds; but it seems he was wrong and they didn''t only not get healed but became even bigger than they were before!


    ''Whatever. Let''s just hope they won''t do anything stupid while I will take care of the matter outside.'' Nash thought in his heart and once he was in front of the cave entrance, he asked his uncle, "Have you succeeded in creating the second path I have asked you?"


    "Yes. Although it was a rather hard process and caused a few headaches, we were able to build a second path exactly where you have asked it." Uncle Ben nodded, which at Amy just rolled her eyes as she clearly knew Nash''s uncle did not do a single thing to say it was hard work.


    The ones who should be saying those words should be the ones that really worked and gave their best, and not him.


    "Perfect." Nash nodded, ignoring Amy''s change in complexion, and after thinking for a while, he said, "Then gather everyone there and wait for my signal."


    "Huh? No, I will come with you. I have my Legacy too, so I can help y-"


    "I said you gather everyone there and wait for my signal," Nash said with a slightly louder voice, his tone holding no room for objection or bargain.


    Seeing that his uncle remained silent, Nash waved his hand gently, and in the very next second, seven figures appeared behind his back almost simultaneously.


    "Erys, how many presences can you sense above?"


    Erys, who felt confused about the question, closed her eyes and activated one of her Domination Arts, only to snap her eyes wide open, revealing an excited glint in her ruby eyes!


    ''They are here! Dad finally found me! Haha!'' thought Erys excitedly but despite feeling excitement, she still was under the control of the human in front of him, hence she had no choice but to answer him immediately, "There are a little bit less than a hundred presences above us, seemingly searching for our location."


    "Their Ranks?" Nash asked calmly.


    "More than half are Infant Rank, but there are a handful of Warriors in their numbers too. Also, there is a single one that is at the peak of the Warmaster Rank."


    "A smaller army, huh..." Nash sighed deeply and after pondering for a while, he took down the Dimensional Ring from his finger before handing it over to his uncle.


    "A ring? Why do you give this to me?" Uncle Ben asked with a slight frown, examining the small ring with confusion.


    "That is a Dimensional Ring. You can access the things inside it with your essence." Nash said and quickly added, "Although I am confident in my ability to take care of the ones on the Infant and Warrior Rank, that peak Warmaster expert is another question."


    He then placed the ring into his uncle''s palm and said, "I will make sure you guys can escape from this planet safely, so once you hear my signal, don''t hesitate."


    "Wait, don''t tell me you are planning to-" Amy was about to say something when suddenly Uncle Ben took a step forward and grinned.


    "Okay, understood. You can leave this to me."


    "H-Hey! Are you kidding me? Do you really let him fight with a hundred enemies all alone? That is suicide! He will die!" Amy said loudly with widened eyes, feeling as though she just misheard things.


    However, Nash didn''t say anything and after nodding at his uncle and giving one final glance at Amy, he turned around and began to walk away, quickly vanishing inside the cave''s darkness together with the seven figures on his sides.


    A/N: Hi guys, hope you liked it!


    So, what do you think will happen? Curious about your opinions!

 Chapter 66 - One Against An Army! (1)

    "Come on, we need to go." Uncle Ben turned around with those words, his finger already having the Dimensional Ring Nash had just given to him.


    Amy, who was still struggling between what she should do and what she should not, clenched her fingers into tight fists and her eyes flashed through different emotions. Right at this moment, it was unknown what she was thinking.


    Meanwhile, inside the dark cave about two to three hundred meters away from the cave entrance, Nash suddenly stopped walking and sat down on the ground. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and said calmly, "Remain silent and only speak when they are approaching. Also, lower your presences as much as you can, the more the better."


    Those words were obviously directed toward Erys and Revio, the two with the ability to talk as the other five were his Souls, mere puppets that couldn''t talk even if he ordered them.


    As for the reason why he suddenly decided to sit down was not that he got tired and needed to rest, but because of this;


    ? Essence: 418


    After his battle against Latael, his essence was drastically low, to the point where except for his Soul Eye there was not a single thing he could use against the army before him. Even his Souls worked on his essence, hence if it gets below zero, that literally meant his death!


    ''I need to replenish my essence as fast as I can. Luckily, they still have no clue where we are.'' Nash thought in his heart and placed his palms on his thigh as he took a deep breath.


    ? Essence: 418 --> 423


    ? Essence: 423 --> 428


    ? Essence: 428 --> 433


    Feeling as his Ancient Veins were filled with the essence with each passing second by a great amount, Nash knew he only needed a little bit more than half an hour to completely recover all his 10,000 units of his essence.


    ''How unfortunate... I wonder if there is any technique that can allow me to replenish my essence instead of cultivating it in one place.'' Nash wondered, but as the slightest of distraction such as thinking could force his cultivation to halt, he stopped thinking and concentrated fully.


    On Nash''s side, while using her Domination Art to see if anyone was approaching their location, Erys showed a cocky grin, seemingly excited to finally see Nash''s downfall after such a long time.


    ''Just you wait. Once your cursed power will be sealed away by Amael you will wish you have never been born!'' Erys thought with ignited hate in her heart and already imagined the many sights that Nash will go through once he gets captured and brought before his father.


    In fact, she has already had a few ideas about what she will do with him once they go back home. She will definitely turn his life into something worse than hell that not even in his worst nightmare can he dream of!


    -


    -


    -


    On the very peak of a great mountain, Amael stood with his arms crossed before his chest, his crimson eyes peering into the distance akin to a hawk.


    "Lord Amael, everyone began their search as you have ordered." Crimson Wings in his usual crimson armor stood behind Amael, his tone holding pure respect.


    Amael remained silent for a while and only once a slightly stronger breeze appeared from the east, blowing his deep red hair to the side did he nod and ask, "Did you search through the spaceship as I asked?"


    "Yes, I did." Crimson Wings replied immediately and added, "However, except for a few ordinary items such as the mining pickaxes of the escapees, we found nothing. It seems they are somewhere else."


    Amael touched his chin upon hearing those words and began to ponder.


    "Interesting, it turns out this planet was not deserted in the end," Amael muttered nonchalantly after a minute, his eyes flashing with various emotions.


    "If I may, Lord Amael, what do you mean under those words?" Crimson Wings asked carefully, feeling rather confused when he heard what Amael just said.


    According to the records he made sure to study greatly, this planet was thoroughly searched by not one, but two exploring teams! Not only was this planet lacking in ordinary resources in contrast to the rest, but not even a single creature at the peak Warrior Rank existed here!


    Many concluded that when the Ancient Path had been opened in this dimension, the ancient particles were unable to travel here in great amount, hence why this planet didn''t go under a huge change except for a few minor ones.


    Amael pointed into the distance before pointing into another direction and doing this a few more times while saying, "There, there, and even there. I can sense quite a few presences close to the peak Warrior Rank. There is even a single being at the Warmaster Rank, although weak it is definitely there."


    "What? But the records stated..."


    "Stated that this planet was desolate and failed to undergo the drastic evolutions as the rest could," Amael said with indifference as he lowered his hand and continued, "However, it seems things have changed since then. Through unknown means, this planet gained enough Ancient Particles even way after the Ancient Path had been opened."


    "That is impossible. It is common knowledge that when a new dimension opens, only a small amount of particles can escape from the Ancient Dimension before the Ancient Path creates a barrier around itself, letting no more through!" Crimson Wings exclaimed with shock, not believing Amael''s words.


    "Yes, it is. Or at least was until now." Amael nodded with a still indifferent complexion and said, "Anyways, despite discovering such an important piece of knowledge, we still have a way more important matter to complete first. Things such as the eon long mystery of the Ancient Path can wait."


    "Understood. Please forgive me for distracting you from our main objective." Crimson Wings immidieatly kneeled down, acknowledging his mistake without any complaining.


    Amael just waved his hands when he heard those words and continued to scan the scenery before him in silence, watching as groups of Sky Beasts and Thousand Bloods appeared and disappeared on the landscape below him.


    In the meantime, far away from Amael and Crimson Wings, two Thousand Blood walked through the green forest that made up 80% of the whole scenery in a hundred miles around them. They were clad in silver armor with a silver sword in their hands, their eyes looking left and right as they searched the surroundings around them with sharp gazes.


    "This is ridiculous." the creature on the right suddenly said, forcing his fellow to turn toward him and raise his brow.


    "Ridiculous? What?"


    "This whole situation." the creature whose name was, in reality, Roan and was at the peak Infant Rank said quickly as he looked around and extended his arms wide.


    "I still don''t get you." Roan''s friend frowned, feeling rather confused.


    "Mate, what I mean is that it is ridiculous for moving a smaller army just to kill a few humans and capture a single one. Just Lord Amael would be enough for such a mission, why do they have to go so far as to send us here? It is ridiculous!" Roan sighed, kicking away a small rock to vent his seemingly pent-up anger down on it.


    "You know, I would have had a date with this chick I talked you about before."


    "What?" the eyes of Roan''s friend''s eyes widened before a teasing smile emerged on his face and asked with a thug, "So you have hooked her up already, huh?"


    "Huh? No... I mean not yet. But I would have if I wouldn''t have been ordered to come here!" Roan said angrily, kicking another rock away and watching as it vanished into the dark cave in the distance.


    "Haha, life truly is hard, huh?" Roan''s friend laughed loudly, completely ignoring the fact that they were currently in an unknown territory, searching for escapees that captured the princess of their race more than a month ago.


    "Hard?" Roan sneered coldly and said, "Life is not hard, life sucks!"


    Clack!


    "Huh?" as Roan was cursing with a frown and was ready to kick another rock to the side, suddenly watched with surprise as a pebble appeared from the cave on his side and hit the ground before his feet, stopping only a meter away from him.


    "A rock?" Roan picked up the small rock and after examining it just shrugged and threw it back into the cave.


    "Whatever, maybe a small tremor caused it to fall he-"


    Clack!


    ''...''


    Roan was ready to start walking again, but just as he raised his feet another rock bounced out of the cave, stopping before him just a meter away; what''s more, it was the exact same rock he just threw back!


    Roan and his friend looked at each other, watching the confusion in each other''s eyes, thus quickly grabbed the rock again and threw it back into the cave.


    Clack!


    "Are you fucking with me?" Roan frowned when he saw the rock was thrown back at him again and raised his weapon, ready to go inside and see just what kind of beast wished to play with him.


    However, not even before he took two steps forward, suddenly a figure emerged from the cave, causing both Roan and his friend on his side to halt their steps right away.


    "What kind of beast is that?" Roan''s friend asked with squinted eyes as he watched a beast with an abyss-black figure emerge from the darkness. It had a bestial look with six, scythe-like tails swinging behind its huge body.


    "Wait, isn''t it looking kinda similar?" Roan asked suddenly, but even before he could have gotten an answer he watched as a cold glint flashed in his sight before the whole scenery around him began to spin!


    ''Huh? Isn''t that my bo... dy...'' Roan thought with shock when he saw his body from above before his thought halted midway and his vision turned black.


    * * * * *


    A/N: Hope you liked it! Vote for more! (250 votes and an extra chap!)


    Also, stay safe! <3

 Chapter 67 - One Against An Army! (2)

    Thud!


    Roan''s head fell on the ground and rolled away like a bowling ball, only stopping when it arrived before his still breathing comrade on the side who was watching all this sight with widened eyes and trembling body.


    ''W-What kind of beast is that? It is only at the Infant Rank, so how can it be so fast?'' thinking those words in his heart with cold sweat oozing out of his forehead, the Thousand Blood wished to flee and ask for help, but unfortunately, he was unable to run even a meter before he was surrounded from all directions by abyss black creatures.


    "All of their bodies are made from solidified black matter? Don''t tell me..." feeling as the realization hit him like a train, the Thousand Blood snapped his face toward the cave and widened his eyes.


    "It''s you!"


    "Oh? I am glad you know me, at least we can skip the formalities and jump right to the main case." walking out of the cave''s darkness, Nash showed a cold smile while behind him Revio and Erys followed him in silence.


    "Her Highness!" the Thousand Blood''s eyes turned sharp and lethal the very moment he noticed Erys'' figure emerge and quickly glared at Nash and hissed coldly, "Let Her Highness go or else-"


    "Or what? You will kill me?" Nash let out a chuckle as he interrupted the creature, his figure still approaching him without any fear; as a fact, his whole body emitted a kind of threat that made the Thousand Blood tremble in fear despite acting he was not fazed at all.


    "You... Don''t you fear death? If Lord Amael finds you, you will be dead even before you could regret every decision you have taken until now!" th Thousand Blood said with a slightly pale face, watching as Nash approached him with a gaze that could freeze his body on the spot in any second!


    ''Lord Amael? That must be the expert at the peak Warmaster Rank, huh?'' Nash thought in his heart and when he was only a step away from the creature he shifted his eyes slightly upward.


    ? Happiness: Neutral - 0%


    ? Sadness: Neutral - 0%


    ? Fear: Chance Level - 96%


    ? Anger: Neutral - 4%


    ''Only 4% more?'' Nash was slightly taken aback by just how close he was to reaching the Critical Level, hence why he showed a devilish smile the next instant and lowered his gaze, staring deeply into the crimson eyes that were only inches away from his face.


    ? Fear: Chance Level - 96% --> 98%


    Watching as the fear level increased by two more percentages just because he looked intimidating, Nash felt joy and was ready to say something when suddenly watched as the creature in front of him moved and swung its weapon at his neck!


    Compared to someone at the Infant Rank, the speed at which the creature swung his weapon was relatively fast but in the eyes of Nash, who already reached the Warrior Rank such action was rather slow.


    "You really are oblivious, huh?" Nash muttered quietly under his breath, watching indifferently as the sharp edge of the sword approached his neck, hoping to sever his head off his shoulders.


    However, the very next second, a cold grin emerged on his face and flicked his finger.


    Swish!


    "What?" the Thousand Blood''s expression froze when he felt a sharp pain pierce his shoulder, only to see as his weapon-holding hand fell to the ground next to his feet the moment he lowered his gaze.


    "Argh... You fucking piece of shit... I swear you will pay for this!" the creature quickly grabbed his now severed shoulder to stop blood flowing out of it, and stared at Nash with a pale face.


    [Target''s {Fear} reached Critical Level!]


    [Attaching {Life String} on target now possible!]


    Hearing the words in his head, Nash showed a satisfied grin and quickly waved his finger to catch the white string, increasing the number of white threads attached to his finger to three!


    [Successful attachment!]


    "Perfect, now you can die!" Nash said with a satisfied nod, and without waiting for the creature to react, he ordered Erys to behead him.


    "Prince-"


    Swish!


    Thud!


    Watching as her sword ended one of her kind''s life without her having the chance to resist, Erys felt as her face stiffened and body trembled from great anger. As for Nash, he didn''t care about how she felt as he currently underwent a great change that caused his face to glow with both excitement and joy!


    [One of your Life String have been severed!]


    [Legacy attached to it now will be reaped!]


    Whoosh!


    The white string suddenly turned bright silver and Nash watched as it slowly began to melt into his body while a unique and strange sensation swept through his body.


    [Legacy ''Bloodline Imitation'' acquired!]


    Whoosh!


    ---------------------------


    [Reaped Legacy Information]


    ? Description: A stolen power that was obtained by consuming the lost string that was on the verge of vanishing from all existence.


    ? Legacy Rank: Infant Rank


    {Ability}


    ¡ã Bloodline Imitation: Capable of imitating other races'' bloodline for a limited amount and degree through consuming their blood! (1 drop of blood = 0.5 second)


    <The more blood you consume the longer you can use this power, but also the longer its cooldown will be once it wears off!>


    <This Reaped Legacy can be raised to the next Rank either by reaping a stronger being''s Legacy or killing and drinking the blood of 100 Infant Rank beings from the same race!>


    ---------------------------


    ''Blood Imitation... Imitating other races'' bloodlines. Wait, bloodline?'' Nash felt confused when he first read the description of his newly acquired power and began to wonder.


    According to his knowledge, the Thousand Blood Race had the ability to mimic others'' Legacy through consuming others'' blood. However, at the moment, he read they were able to mimic not their Legacy but others'' bloodlines! The two were completely different things, having completely different meanings from one another!


    For instance, let''s watch his situation as an example. His Legacy allowed him to get strong both physically and mentally while also letting him consume a so-called Dimensional Essence from the air to achieve different miraculous effects.


    However, his not long ago obtained bloodline worked differently. It was no connection with either of his body or the essence around him but was a separate power that allowed him to control others'' souls to a limited degree.


    Both gave him special powers, but their core and conception were completely different! Comparing the two would be akin to comparing a spoon to a knife; you could use both of them to dine, but in truth, you couldn''t use the former to cut a steak properly nor could you use the latter to eat soup!


    Hence, seeing as the description talked about bloodline, Nash felt something was wrong. Either has been this Legacy altered by his Strings of Domination during his time reaping it or the Thousand Blood Race had been lying all this time.


    To find out the truth, Nash glanced at Erys and asked with a cold voice, "Hey, Erys. Does your Legacy imitate other beings'' Legacy or Bloodline?"


    "Huh?" Erys flinched slightly when he heard the question asked, and although she wished to remain silent she said, "We can mimic other beings'' Legacy, but according to our ancestors once we reach the Overlord Rank, although only for just a few seconds, we will be capable of imitating others'' bloodline too."


    "Hmm..." Nash touched his chin when he heard Erys'' detailed explanation and fell into deep pondering.


    "Interesting." Nash showed a smile as he had a small idea why it was he saw ''bloodline'' instead of ''Legacy'' in his description, but alas, he had way more important things to do hence he could only put the matter aside for the time being and concentrate on the main objective before him.


    ---------------------------


    {Domination Quests}


    /Kill 25 enemies below the Infant Rank with your Souls!/


    ? Killed Enemies: 0/25


    ~Reward~


    ? 15 Domination Points


    ===


    /Kill 20 Warrior Rank enemy without help!/


    ? Killed Enemy: 0/20


    ~Rewards~


    ? 25 Domination Points


    ===


    /Reap a being''s Legacy successfully!/


    ? Successful Reaping: 1/1


    ~Rewards~


    ? 30 Domination Points


    <Domination Quests change every 24 hours!>


    ---------------------------


    Looking at the Domination Quests he didn''t look at quite a long time ago, Nash showed a delighted grin and thought, ''With these 30 Domination Points, my total acquired points increased to 70. If I can complete the remaining two, my Domination Art can finally rise into the next Class!''


    Although he didn''t know just what kind of Class will it reach or what other abilities will it unlock even after having so many heaven-defying powers already, Nash was excited to see the results.


    But for that to happen, he first needed to complete the remaining two quests and also avoid being caught and killed during the process, which was harder than said.


    ''It will be hard, but I am pretty sure with the plan I have come up with, I can do it.'' Nash thought in his heart and glanced at the seven figures in front of him.


    Five Souls, a Sky Beast, and a Thousand Blood. Including him, they were seven in total numbers, but despite having a disadvantage in numbers Nash was not worried at all as he knew their strength was more than enough to take care of the small army.


    "The best way out is always through, huh? Well, it indeed is." Nash showed a confident smile and without saying anything else began to walk forward, quickly disappearing in the distance among the trees with the other six following him from behind.


    * * * * *


    A/N: Hope you liked it! Stay safe until the next chap! <3


    Also, don''t forget, 250 votes and an extra chap will come! :)

 Chapter 68 - One Against An Army! (3-Last)

    Atop the great mountain from where everything was visible beneath, Amael stood with a straight back at the edge of the cliff, his deep crimson eyes that shone like two pairs of rubies scanned everything in the distance with a silent but sharp gaze.


    Behind him, Crimson Wings stood with a stiff body, his gaze watching the proud and wide back of Amael''s without daring to utter a single world in fear he would offend him or make him angry.


    Time passed relatively slowly and in stillness. The wind blew from time to time from all directions, filling the lungs of the two with fresh air that made their minds calmer while making their seemingly tense muscles relax a little.


    "Hm?" after remaining silent for close to half an hour, Amael''s gaze suddenly turned toward the east and his eyes narrowed slightly.


    "L-Lord Amael? Have you noticed something?" with a tiny bit of nervousness, Crimson Wings took a step forward to get a better look into the distance and followed the direction where Amael was looking at. However, except for the green scenery that lay everywhere, he saw nothing in particular hence why he asked his question.


    Amael didn''t speak and only stared quietly into the distance. Only when a slightly stronger breeze appeared from the west which blew the crimson hair of Amael''s did Amael frown slightly and ask, "Which team is currently at the far east?"


    "The far east?" Crimson Wing''s brows lowered into a small frown upon hearing those words, but still took out a device from the pocket on his side and glanced at it.


    "According to my information, it should be Team 21."


    "Team 21?" Amael raised a brow and asked, "That is the weakest team out of the rest, right?"


    "Yes, Lord Amael. Because that team only consist only two individual, one of them even having the weakest records compared to the rest, I have decided to make them search further away from the possible zone where the escapees could possibly hide."


    After saying those words, Crimson Wings felt something was not quite right, thus raising his head he asked carefully, "If I may ask, why is this so important?"


    "Because Team 21 has been decimated right at this very moment."


    "What?!" Crimson Wings yelled up with shock and snapped his head toward the eastern direction.


    "But how? Did they encounter a strong beast?"


    "They didn''t." Amael shook his head, his gaze still fixed on the spot in the distance where he felt the two weak presences suddenly vanish just now.


    "Then how? Should I send the closest team there for investigation?" Crimson Wings asked with a slightly anxious tone of voice. It was obvious he felt worried as it could be said Team 21 had been annihilated because of him, because of his decision to send them there instead of another team with a stronger overall power.


    However, just as he thought Amael would respond with a nod, he watched as the expression of the one before he turned stiff once again and shifted his gaze slightly to the right.


    ''Don''t tell me...'' Crimson Wing''s face paled, feeling as though his heart was squeezed by an invisible hand all of a sudden.


    "The closest unit to Team 21 was Team 13 and Team 19, right? Each has a total of four Infant Rank fighters."


    Upon hearing Amael''s question Crimson WIng glanced at the device in his hand and nodded.


    "I see," Amael hummed quietly and without saying anything else vanished from his spot and appeared several miles away, at the exact spot where he has last felt a strange energy fluctuation in the air.


    "Lord Amael!" after a few seconds later, Crimson Wing''s figure emerged in the sky with his wings spread wide, descending quickly when he finally spotted Amael among the dense woods.


    However, the very moment he landed next to Amael and wished to say something, his expression froze and his eyes widened by the sight that emerged before him.


    "What... What happened here?" Crimson Wings muttered quietly, sucking in a mouthful of cold air.


    Blood and organs splattered everywhere, shredded body parts lying on the ground in small pieces while some in bigger segments hung from the branches of the trees on the sides. The air was filled with the smell of iron and the whole scenery was akin to hell where a brutal slaughter have taken place without any sign of mercy!


    As Crimson Wings looked at the nightmarish scenery, suddenly Amael walked before a piece of sliced hand that lay in a huge pond of blood and picked it up.


    "L-Lord Amael?" Crimson Wings felt confusion, but before he could have thought anything Amael threw the cut limb back into the pond of blood and shifted his gaze toward the north.


    "To think his power has grown this much already," Amael muttered and quickly said, "Go and order all teams to unite into squads and raise their guards higher."


    "U-Understood!" Crimson Wings feeling the heavy atmosphere around Amael didn''t dare to ask any questions and without hesitation took off into the distance.


    When his figure was no longer visible, Amael shifted his eyes into a specific direction before he vanished and reappeared hundreds of meters away.


    "Argh! Fuck this! Why can''t we kill it? What kind of beast is this?"


    "M-My arms! H-Help me! Please, help m-"


    Swish!


    Watching as three Sky Beasts were slaughtered and shredded into pieces in a single second by a beast that had six tails and was formed out of black solidified smoke, Amael frowned.


    ''An Evolved Beast? No wonder why ordinary Infant Ranks stood no chance against it.'' Amael thought in his heart and summoned a silver sword into his grasp, swinging it horizontally at the beast.


    Swish! Swish! Swish!...


    In a flash, ten crescent sword arcs materialized in the air that cut the beast into numerous pieces, rendering its previous form into nothing but a dense cloud of black smoke! However, not even a second later, the black smoke started to move and twist, melting back into the earliest shape of the creature without showing any sign of the previous attack!


    "Truly an annoying ability." Amael narrowed his eyes when he saw this and watched as the creature glared at him coldly before dashing into the distance with the obvious idea to hunt more.


    "I don''t believe you can regenerate infinitely!" Amael sneered coldly and without wasting any more time he began to chase after the beast, his sword swinging and cutting its body into parts in flashes.


    However, it turned out his attempts were useless and he overly underestimated the beast''s regeneration capability. No matter if he cut into thousands of pieces or simply sliced into halves, the creature didn''t slow down even for a second and continued to run through the forest with great speed.


    Of course, such a speed which was slightly faster than those in the middle phase of the Warrior Rank was nothing for Amael, who already reached the peak of the Warmaster Rank and was easily able to keep up with it.


    No, what irritated Amael and what made his expression darker with each second was that the beast completely ignored him and even went to slay his men one by one!


    Thousand Bloods and Sky Beasts. Let it be at the Infant Rank or Warrior Rank, all of them were killed without much difference and chance to react before getting shredded into pieces by the beast''s tails!


    "Can it really regenerate infinitely?" Amael wondered in his heart and was ready to move his sword once again when suddenly a small explosion together with an almost imperceptible tremor carrying a different presence appeared in the far distance.


    "This..." Amael halted his chase and without thinking even for a second longer vanished from his spot and reappeared several miles away.


    "L-Lord Amael... Please help m-" lying on the ground with shattered armor and a deformed right hand from where the bone was piercing out at the spot where the elbow should be located, Crimson Wings seeing Amael''s figure looked slightly ecstatic before his words were silenced brutally.


    Whoosh!


    BAM!


    With a great explosion that shattered the ground and created a powerful ripple in the air, Crimson Wings'' head exploded into bits like a watermelon as it was stepped on by a young and seemingly handsome boy carrying an emerald longsword on his back.


    His face was indifferent even though he just extinguished a living being''s life, his blue eyes holding a hint of coldness that gradually began to form into the small seed of killing intent while his posture stood straight and proudly as if he was the king of all!


    Amael examined the human in front of him with narrowed eyes, completely ignoring the fact that just now he could have saved one of his subordinates from the grip of death.


    Feeling the piercing stare on his skin, Nash who just killed Crimson Wings as though he was just a mere ant shifted his gaze to the side and showed an arrogant smile at Amael.


    "For a being at the Warmaster Rank, you are pretty slow," Nash said coldly and pressed his leg deeper into the smashed head of Crimson Wings, smashing the remaining piece of skull and brain matter below his feet even more.


    * * * * *


    A/N: Hope you liked it! Make sure to vote for more!


    Stay safe! <3

 Chapter 69 - Using Reverse Order During Battle!

    About ten minutes earlier...


    "Go and order every team to unite into squads and raise their guards," Amael ordered coldly, turning the atmosphere around him rather chilly and heavy all of a sudden.


    "U-Understood!" Crimson Wing nodded and not daring to waste a single second set out into the distance with a powerful flap with his wings.


    Whoosh!


    Flying through the sky with great speed that created slightly powerful currents behind his wake, Crimson Wings went from location to location as he handed Amael''s news over to the teams scattered throughout everywhere, trying to find Nash''s and the rest''s location.


    "To think such a massacre took place without Lord Amael''s notice. That human is way more terrifying than we have believed. Huh?" Crimson Wings muttered under his breath when suddenly his eyes caught sight of something.


    Right below him, a group of Sky Beasts was fighting with a single creature whose body was formed out of some strange black matter akin to solidified black smoke. However, despite having the advantage in numbers, the Sky Beasts failed to overwhelm and kill the creature.


    What''s more, they have not only failed to kill it, but the ones getting slain were not the creature but the Sky Beasts instead! Before every swing of its claws, the creature the armor of the Sky Beasts'' shattered like glass before the flesh below it would be ripped apart, revealing the bones and organs in a split instant!


    Upon seeing this sight, Crimson Wings'' complexion changed drastically and without a single hesitation flashed before the creature and swung his fist.


    "HA!"


    BOOOM!


    With a punch that carried a great amount of strength capable of shattering boulders, Crimson Wing''s punch connected with the beast''s head and blasted it into pieces!


    "You all are really pathetic. Not being able to deal with a single creature..." Crimson Wings turned to look at the Sky Beasts on his side with eyes holding contempt.


    "Lord Crimson! Watch out!" one of the Sky Beast that was supporting himself against a tree''s trunk on the side shouted, his widened eyes gazing at the sight behind Crimson Wings.


    "Watch out for wha-, huh?" Crimson Wings followed his subordinate''s gaze and turned around, but when he saw that the creature he just ''killed'' a second ago was safe and sound and was already swinging its claws at him, his face stiffened and quickly jumped backward.


    Swish!


    Bam!


    The ground below the attack shattered to a small degree while four claw marks as deep as a human arm remained at the spot where Crimson Wings stood just a few moments ago!


    "What? But I swear I have seen its head explode!" Crimson Wings said with utter shock as he stared at the beast with wide eyes. But soon, a great realization hit him like a truck, turning his face darker than it already was.


    "It''s one of his puppets! The one that cannot be killed no matter how many times you kill it!" remembering the sight at the records he saw not once but at least a hundred, Crimson Wings immidieatly broke out in cold sweat and turned toward the ones on his side.


    However, even before he could have spoken, he watched with terror as all the Sky Beasts around him fell onto the ground, their heads rolling into the distance with shock still present on their faces!


    "W-What happened?" Crimson Wings stuttered and turned to glance at the creature in front of him, but found it with surprise that it has vanished into thin air who knows when!


    "Looking for me?" suddenly, as he was looking around in the hope to find the creature, a calm voice appeared in his ear forcing him to turn his head toward the source of the voice and watch as a young man walked toward him with a cold smile.


    "So you have finally decided to hand yourself over, slave." Crimson Wings said coldly, his eyes turning sharp like blades as he watched Nash''s approach.


    Ignoring that Crimson Wings'' Happiness and Anger Level increased dramatically, Nash stopped walking, his eyes disappearing from his face. What replaced it was a serious and threatening complexion that held a tingle of killing intent too!


    "Huh? Wait... Something is not right! How could this be possible?" Crimson Wings felt alarmed as the human in front of him began to emit a small amount of aura, clearly showing his Legacy had been unsealed and even reached the Warrior Rank!


    "Oh? It seems someone is scared." this time, Nash showed a mocking grin when he watched as the crimson Sky Beast''s Fear Level in front of him began to grow slightly.


    ? Anger: Chance Level - 56% --> 69%


    "Scared? Your mother is scared!" Crimson Wings blurted out with increasing anger and without hesitation appeared before Nash with a raised hand, ready to slam his fist right into Nash''s face and blast his brain right out of his skull!


    "Slow." Nash, however, was not fazed at all even when facing such a fast strike and casually tilted his head to the side, barely avoiding the lethal strike from killing him!


    ? Anger: Chance Level - 69% --> 77%


    "You bitch!" Crimson Wings became even angrier when he saw Nash''s indifferent face and arrogant words. He didn''t hesitate to pull his hand back and at the same time kick at Nash''s waist like an ax, hoping to chop him into two pieces horizontally!


    Swish!


    "H-He jumped? But how?" Crimson Wings'' eyes widened when he saw his kick getting avoided even from such a close distance and watched as Nash''s figure was descending from the sky at the spot from where he just jumped up.


    ''Chance!'' noticing as Nash was not trying to attack, Crimson Wings'' eyes lit up, and once both his legs were on the ground leaped into the air, his fist targeting Nash''s stomach from below!


    "How about this? This is slow too?" Crimson Wings asked loudly with a cocky smile as his fist blurred for a moment and appeared only an inch away from Nash''s abdomen!


    Crimson Wings already imagined the bloody sight where his fist pierces Nash''s stomach, but strangely, it was not what happened. Just before his fist could have come into contact with the human''s body, Nash''s body twisted to the side, barely avoiding the attack of his once again!


    Tap... Tap...


    Landing on the ground gently, Nash corrected his clothing and after looking at Crimson Wings who landed a little bit further away from him he nodded and said, "Yeah, it was pretty slow too."


    ? Anger: Chance Level - 77% --> 86%


    "You!!!" Crimson Wings clenched his fingers into tight fists, veins appearing on his forehead from the anger he was feeling.


    Seeing his complexion together with the changing Anger Level, Nash could almost not contain himself from blooming a wide grin. But as he wished to try something he resisted to urge and while picking up a shocked face, he asked, "Woah, look at you! Scary! Can''t you just calm down?"


    [Chance String has been successfully caught!]


    [Reverse Order has been triggered!]


    Watching as a golden string appeared and attached itself onto one of his fingers and Crimson Wings'' head, Nash felt delighted and watched as the Anger Level rose abruptly.


    ? Anger: Chance Level - 86% --> 99%


    "Calm down? I won''t fucking calm down! I will break your skull open instead! " Crimson Wings roared with bloodshot eyes and dashed forward, throwing out a punch at Nash, who although watched his attack seemed to be pondering.


    ''99%? Can it be that Chance String is incapable of rising one''s emotion to the critical level?'' Nash thought in his heart, but as he saw the fist ready to crash into him he just shrugged and threw out a punch too.


    Swish!


    Crack!


    BOOOOM!


    A tremendous amount of force exploded out of Nash''s fist the moment it got into contact with Crimson Wings'', shattering not only the ground below his feet but even the bones in Crimson Wings'' hand and half the armor on his body!


    BAM!


    Crimson Wings'' body was blasted into the distance as his blood and crashed armor flew everywhere, his body only stopping when it crashed into a thick tree which as a result cracked and fell down heavily that shook the ground gently.


    "AARRGH!!!" clenching his deformed arm that sent unimaginable pain throughout his entire body, Crimson Wings felt as a tight grip appeared on his neck that felt almost suffocating and watched as Nash lifted his body as if he weighed nothing!


    "What a crybaby," Nash muttered quietly and without saying anything else slammed Crimson Wings'' body powerfully into the ground!


    BOOOM!


    "Bleargh!" coughing up a huge amount of blood from the impact, Crimson Wings opened his eyes and wished to say something, when suddenly noticed Amael''s figure on the side, causing his eyes to immediately lit up.


    "L-Lord Amael... Please help m-"


    Whoosh!


    BAM!


    ''And all quite again.'' Nash thought indifferently as he slammed his feet into Crimson Wings'' head, splattering his skull and brain matter everywhere on the ground.


    After killing Crimson Wings, Nash remained silent for a while before turning his now serious and cold gaze at Amael on the side and saying, "For a being at the Warmaster Rank, you are pretty slow."


    At that very instant, the surrounding air dropped a few degrees in temperature and everything turned silent, exactly like before an approaching storm ready to break out at any given moment!


    * * * * *


    A/N: Hope you liked it! Stay safe! <3

 Chapter 70 - Bloodline Imitation: Feather Body!

    You can read the novel online free at novelhall.com


    The whole landscape fell into utter silence following Nash''s words. Everything was so silent that even the flies'' buzzing in the far distance could be heard as clearly as the propellers of a machine!


    Amael and Nash stared into each others'' eyes without saying a single word. But in truth, there was no reason for them to do so as their emotions and thoughts were clearly present in their faces and eyes, especially for Nash who could see the changes in the creature''s emotions in front of him!


    ? Happiness: Neutral - 49%


    ? Sadness: Neutral - 2%


    ? Fear: Neutral- 0%


    ? Anger: Neutral - 49%


    ''Zero fear, huh?'' Nash thought in his heart when he saw the numbers above Amael''s head but felt greater shock when he saw Amael''s level of anger was close to 50%.


    ''Why is that every creature I meet with has a bad temper?'' Nash sighed inwardly, but in reality, he didn''t find it as a problem but instead felt happy.


    ''At least like this, I will have an easier way to deal with him. Maybe I can even use a Life String to attach onto him once I force his Anger Level to reach the Critical Level.'' with those words in mind, Nash pulled his sword out from its scabbard and took up a stance to fight.


    But to his surprise, even after an entire minute later Amael did nothing but stand in one place, his seemingly indifferent but cold gaze staring at him silently. This made him feel a rather creepy and eerie feeling, almost as if he was stripped naked before Amael, revealing all his secrets.


    ''Something is not right!'' Nash widened his eyes when he realized he has fallen right into a trap. He wished to move, but it was already late.


    [Your life is in immediate crisis! All beings attached by Lost Strings shall protect you at all cost!]


    Swish!


    Clang!


    The sound of metal clashing against metal resounded right behind Nash''s neck, sending powerful ripples into the air that blew not only a few branches on the trees flying but even forced Nash''s head to be tilted forward abruptly!


    Whoosh!


    Jumping to the side without daring to waste a single second more, Nash turned around and watched as Erys held her sword firmly, keeping it in one place as Amael''s dagger pressed down on it with great force.


    "Amael!" Erys showed a delighted face when she saw Amael, completely ignoring she was currently defending a human against Amael.


    "Young Lady!" Amael''s eyes lit up the same way, his happiness also increasing at the same time, but soon his eyes turned sharp and vanished from his spot only to appear at the side of Nash in the very next second!


    [Your life is in immediate crisis! All beings attached by Lost Strings shall protect you at all cost!]


    Swish!


    Clang!


    "You are nothing but a coward hiding behind others'' back. If you are a real man, fight me fair and square with your own power." Amael said coldly, showing no signs of harming Erys at all. As a fact, he even made his strike less hard, knowing Erys will be forced to protect Nash no matter what.


    "Coward? Fight fair and square?" Nash sneered sarcastically and said as he retreated, "Says the one who was among the rest that sealed another race''s Legacy and destroyed their future out of pure fear. If you ask me, the only one who is the coward here is you!"


    According to the stone monument back in Emerald Palace, the Human Race was once a mighty race and was among the few races that first entered the Ancient Dimension during the Ancient Era. But because of their Legacy''s terrifying potential, they were forced back into the Human Dimension where the Ancient Path was sealed back again, and only after tens of thousands of years later were they able to open it again.


    However, when they succeeded in opening it for a second time, the humans in that era no longer had their Legacy, hence could do nothing but watch helplessly as other races from the Ancient Dimension invaded them and sealed their Legacy away on the very first day.


    If that story that Nash understood from the stone monument was genuine and truly happened, what he said to Amael was more than the truth!


    The real coward was not him, but all the other race, including them that feared they will be conquered, enslaved, and ruled for all eternity even though that was meaningless dread!


    As for the part where he should fight fair and square with his own power... Wasn''t he doing that just now? Although he obtained his Domination Art through pure coincidence and luck, in the end, he still acquired it and was his, no matter what others were saying.


    Hence, the Strings of Domination was his own power. It was a straight fact!


    "Your words are pure nonsense!" Amael sneered as he attacked Nash once again, but was forced to miss by Erys again.


    "Nonsense? Then try and learn some history dunderhead!" Nash scoffed as he ran through a forest, reaching a group of Thousand Bloods, each of them at the Warrior Rank.


    ---------------------------


    {Domination Quests}


    /Kill 25 enemies below the Infant Rank with your Souls!/


    ? Killed Enemies: 25/25


    ~Reward~


    ? 15 Domination Points


    ===


    /Kill 20 Warrior Rank enemy without help!/


    ? Killed Enemy: 16/20


    ~Rewards~


    ? 25 Domination Points


    ===


    ....


    ---------------------------


    Giving a quick glance at his quests, Nash showed a delighted smile and thought, ''With these five, I will be able to increase my Domination Art''s Class without a problem!''


    Although he didn''t know what kind of Class will it reach as it was already at the max Class anyone could reach, Nash was impatient to see the results. Also, he couldn''t wait just what kind of powers will he be able to acquire if he succeeds and finally obtains 100 Domination Points!


    ''But before that...'' Nash reached into his pocket and took out a small bottle filled with deep crimson blood.


    When Amael noticed the bottle in Nash''s hands, his brows lowered into a deep frown, confused why he took out a bottle of blood all of a sudden. But even before he had the chance to think for a reason, something completely out of his expectations happened!


    Gulp!


    With a quick flick, Nash opened the bottle''s lid and poured the crimson liquid down his throat, painting his lips red.


    "Urgh! Salty..." Nash put out his tongue with a slightly sour expression once he drank the whole bottle.


    [Reaped Legacy: Bloodline Imitation activated!]


    [100ml Sky Beast Race blood consumed!]


    [Bloodline: Feather Body now will be active for 1,000 seconds!]


    Immidieatly, Nash felt as his body became almost weightless and his muscles extremely relaxed, filling his whole body to the brim with nothing but sheer force and energy threatening him to burst out from him at any given moment!


    ''Almost 17 minutes? Damn...'' Nash thought with a shock, but still pressed his feet against the ground with a relaxed grin plastered on his face and burst forward with speed thrice if not four times faster than he originally would!


    "Impossible!" Amael was caught off guard when he saw Nash''s abrupt increase in momentum before his eyes widened slightly after realizing what had just happened.


    ''He drank Sky Beast blood to improve his body! But this makes no sense at all. Sky Beast blood can only increase one''s agility and not their physical strength, so how?'' the confusion was greatly present in Amael''s eyes but quickly regained his calm and dashed toward Nash.


    Despite having a great amount of growth in his momentum, Nash was still far from fast enough to run down him, a being at the Warmaster Rank!


    Whoosh!


    Appearing right behind Nash with his dagger raised, Amael swung his weapon downward, with a speed faster than Erys could reach him and protect Nash from death!


    "This is where your journey comes to an end," Amael said coldly but felt something was not quite right when he saw Nash turn his head slightly toward him, revealing a cocky smile.


    Swish!


    Blood and organs splattered everywhere the moment Amael''s dagger was swung vertically, but strangely, the one whose corpse fell to the ground was neither Amael''s nor Nash''s, but Revio''s instead who appeared behind Nash out of nowhere!


    "What?" Amael felt dumbfounded as although he noticed when the Sky Beast appeared before him, he failed to avoid killing him as he flew into his dagger''s trajectory on purpose!


    The Sky Beast committed suicide on purpose!


    Amael watched silently as the Sky Beast fell onto the ground in two perfectly sliced halves, but his silence and shock only grew deeper when he witnessed a sight he couldn''t have imagined would happen before.


    Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!...


    With a speed that looked like flashing thunder, Nash''s figure flickered between the Thousand Bloods figures in the distance, severing their heads off their shoulders with a clean swing of his longsword one after another.


    However, Amael''s deep shock didn''t come from the fact just how fast the human moved and killed his kind, but from the fact that there was a pair of wings behind his back and was currently floating high in the air as though it was the most common thing he could do as a human!


    [One of your Life String have been severed!]


    [Legacy attached to it now will be reaped!]


    [Legacy ''Sky Wings'' acquired!]


    * * * * *


    A/N: Hope you liked it! Make sure to vote for more! :)


    Stay safe <3


    You can read the novel online free at novelhall.com

 Chapter 71 - Captured

    Read novel online free fast updates at novelhall.com


    About ten meters high in the air, Nash looked down at Amael with a calm and seemingly nonchalant gaze, his wings behind his back flapping gently as it created just enough force to keep his body floating.


    [One of your Life String have been severed!]


    [Legacy attached to it now will be reaped!]


    [Legacy ''Sky Wings'' acquired!]


    ---------------------------


    [Reaped Legacy Information]


    ? Description: A stolen power that was obtained by consuming the lost string that was on the verge of vanishing from all existence.


    ? Legacy Rank: Infant Rank


    {Ability}


    ¡ã Sky Wings: A pair of wings specialized in low and high-altitude flight with speed akin to the wind!


    <This Reaped Legacy can be raised to the next Rank either by reaping a stronger being''s Legacy or killing 100 Infant Rank beings while using your Sky Wings from the same race!>


    ---------------------------


    Inspecting the rows of texts in his line of sight, Nash failed to resist the urge to show a delighted smile.


    ''How bad... I wished to kill him with my own two hands, but alas...'' Nash sighed in his heart upon Revio''s death, but quickly forgot it and glanced at Amael below him who was currently exchanging blows one after another with Erys.


    But before he had the chance to join the fight, a peculiar but comfortable sensation began to sweep throughout his body all of a sudden, halting his movement.


    [100 Domination Points successfully obtained! Requirements for growth have been achieved!]


    [Domination Art: Strings of Domination ready to advance to the next Class!]


    [Wish to proceed?]


    Upon hearing the words in his head, Nash felt even greater joy and without hesitation thought, ''Yes, I do!''


    [Understood! Now Domination Art: Strings of Domination will enter Advancement Phase!]


    [All abilities of the Domination Art will be unusable under the Advancement Phase!]


    [All Souls attached to Death Strings will be collected and isolated under the Advancement Phase!]


    [All beings attached to Life Strings will fall unconscious and will be uncontrollable under the Advancement Phase!]


    Nash''s joyful smile froze on his face when he heard the words in his head, but even before he could have reacted watched as the wings behind his back melted back into his skin, leaving him floating in mid-air without any support!


    "...Huh?" Nash glanced down at his feet, only to see that he was no longer high above in the air but was rapidly descending toward the earth below!


    He was falling!


    BAM!


    Landing on the ground with a loud impact that cracked solid earth below his feet, Nash''s face turned ugly, and raised his face. Then, he watched as Erys who swung her weapon at Amael suddenly froze in one place and slumped onto the ground like a ragdoll while several black flashes emerged from the woods before forming a black ring around his finger!


    All his Souls that he sent to kill the enemy were brought back to him outside his own will, leaving him completely defenseless!


    "What have you done with her?" a cold voice appeared in Nash''s ear the next moment, attracting his gaze from his finger and seeing that Amael was holding Erys'' seemingly unconscious body.


    Nash opened his mouth to say something, but as he realized things turned to the worst real quick he quickly swung his fist downward with some of his essences already channeled into his fist!


    BOOOOM!


    The whole landscape around him in at least a mile radius shook as though a powerful earthquake appeared, creating fissures deeper than five meters while the trees close to him fell to the ground one by one without any chance to remain standing!


    Amael quickly grabbed Erys'' body and vanished into the air. However, instead of retreating, he used this chance to appear behind Nash and swing his dagger at his neck with a cold flash.


    Seeing Amael''s ghost-like movement and lightning-fast speed, Nash tried to see with his Soul Eyes if he could use his Soul Shattering Grab but quickly had to realize he couldn''t.


    Not only was Amael''s speed too fast for him to turn around, raise his hand at his soul and activate his Ancestry Art, but he was simply unable to track his soul''s movement much less Amael''s real body!


    It turned out his Soul Eye can only track souls on and below his Rank and not above his!


    ''Fuck! Should I use my Special Bloodline?'' Nash thought, but as he saw that Amael''s dagger was only inches away from his neck, he knew not even his Soul Flame or the fact that his speed was enhanced with his Feather Body would be able to save him now.


    Hence, the only thing he could do now was to take a risk and bet everything on one line!


    "Do you really think if you kill me she won''t die too?"


    Swish!


    Watching as the dagger halted right next to his neck, its blade only touching his skin slightly that drew a small trickle of blood, Nash sighed a relief in his heart but still held a nonchalant face before Amael.


    Complete silence fell on the surroundings and the only thing that was heard was the slight breeze blowing from the east now and then, causing the leaves on the trees to rustle gently.


    "Do you really think I will believe your pathetic lie?" Amael asked with a cold gaze, his crimson deep eyes staring down at Nash as if he was standing on a hill.


    ''Well, you didn''t kill me so...'' was what Nash thought, but what he said indifferently was instead, "Then come and kill me. Let''s see if she will stop breathing or not."


    And to make things seem more valid, Nash showed a cocky but confident smile, even pushing his neck slightly against the dagger''s blade to show he was not playing around.


    Amael watched as blood flowed onto his dagger and remained silent. His eyes fixed on Nash''s pair of blue eyes, hoping to see if he was lying or telling the truth. But even after several minutes of staring, he saw no sign of bluffing hence he could only snort and pull his weapon back.


    Nash showed an even wider smile, but before he could have spoken, he watched as Amael swung his dagger and with its hilt pointing forward struck him powerful on the side of his head!


    Bam!


    Thud!


    Nash immidieatly fell onto the ground with a painful grimace, watching as the surroundings around him began to spin like crazy. Even a sharp pain assaulted his brain, making him believe his skull was cracked open at the very moment.


    "Arggh..."


    While Nash was struggling on the ground as if he was experiencing the worst headache in existence, Amael put Erys down and looked around.


    "So? Where are the rest of your kind?"


    Nash upon hearing the question opened his eyes narrowly, and showing a mocking but somewhat painful smile, he said quietly, "You are too late to find them even if I were to tell you."


    "What should that mean?" Ameal glanced at Nash''s figure before his feet with a frown, but soon heard a small explosion from the distance and watched as a spaceship bolted into the sky with great speed.


    "That..." Amael''s eyes widened as he watched the spaceship vanish in the sky into the vast space and looked at Nash with narrowed eyes.


    "So this was your plan all along? It seems you are not that of a fool in the end."


    "Well, I didn''t quite imagine this to turn out like this, but this was also the part of my plan. Plan B to be specific."


    "What was plan A?" Amael asked calmly.


    "What do you think Plan A was? To kill you obviously, fool," Nash said in a mocking tone, but what he got in exchange for those words was another strike on his head, forcing his vision and thoughts to turn all fuzzy and dizzy once again.


    "Hmph... Gaining a little bit of strength and you immediately think you can oppose all realms and heavens. Your arrogance truly knows no bounds!" Amael sneered coldly and quickly raised Nash by his hair.


    "But don''t worry. Exactly because of this arrogance of yours why you and all those that accompanied you will end up in hell!" with those words, Amael teleported away and appeared inside a black room with a similar look akin to a jail cell, a rather modern jail cell at that.


    "Argh!" feeling as he was thrown into the cell after his sword was taken away, Nash groaned with pain and wished to stand up while using his Legacy, but found it with shock it didn''t respond.


    ''What? Why can''t I use the essence in my body?'' Nash looked at his hand, but no matter how much he tried to concentrate, he couldn''t get his essence to move in his body.


    Although he felt it was there inside his Ancient Veins, he failed to use it!


    "I have sealed your Legacy so don''t even dream about using it," Amael said calmly before closing the door and adding, "You will stay here. I advise you to enjoy the peace here as much as you can as you won''t have the luxury to do so once we arrive back at Planet Lark."


    And after saying those words, Amael walked away with calm steps, leaving Nash in the dark and cold room all alone.


    * * * * *


    A/N: Hope you liked it! Stay safe and don''t forget to vote if you wish to see more! <3


    Read novel fast updates at novelhall.com

 Chapter 72 - Escaping Like A True Escape Artist!

    The cell was dark and cold. The walls, ceiling, and ground were black while the bars on the front were silver, seemingly crafted out of some kind of strong metal.


    Nash tried to see if he could use some force to break it. Although his essence and Legacy were sealed, some of his physical strength still remained, hence even in his current situation, he could easily shatter a small boulder into dust with a single punch.


    However, the moment his fingers got into contact with the silver bars, he quickly pulled his hand back, his face holding a painful grimace as he felt his fingers slightly go numb and cold.


    ''Lightning and frost elements... This steel is the very same ore I have found once back on Planet Zero, Thunder Icecopper.'' Nash thought in his heart as he held and massaged his numb finger.


    He could vividly remember how he mined in one of the newly opened caves on Planet Zero and how he struck a Thunder Icecopper ore out of pure coincidence, sending himself almost right into dear death''s embrace!


    But because he struck only a small portion of the ore, he was luckily able to avoid getting electrified and froze to death at the same time!


    ''To think they would use and waste such a precious ore''s potential to something like this...'' Nash shook his head for a brief moment before he slumped down slowly to the ground, supporting his body against the cold walls behind his back.


    Sheer silence filled the cold cell which brought a sense of loneliness, but to someone like Nash who was used to such a thing thanks for spending almost his entire life in dark caves, it didn''t make him feel depressed nor lonely. No, instead it made him feel even more relaxed and put his mind at ease!


    ''I can''t even use my blessing and bloodline. How unfortunate... Only if I would have my Sky Sealing Nee-, wait a minute!''


    Nash''s eyes widened upon a sudden realization and quickly put his hand into his pocket and pulled out a small and thin needle. Instantly, his face bloomed a wide grin, and almost failed to resist the urge to let out a maniac laugh.


    ''That fool. To think he won''t even take the trouble to check my pocket. '' Nash thought with increasing joy, but soon calmed down and put the needle back into his pocket.


    Although he was happy and excited to use it on himself, he knew that would be a rash decision. First, he had to wait until his Domination Art finally finished its advancement while also thinking of a perfect plan that could help him escape from this spaceship without getting caught.


    He didn''t know how far Planet Lark was and how much time it was needed before they reached it, but he could only wait patiently and pray quietly that it won''t take a long time.


    ''I can only leave this to fate then.'' Nash crossed his legs and was ready to meditate, but soon felt as someone approached his cell.


    ''Who is that? Amael?'' Nash quickly calmed his fast heartbeat and put on an indifferent facade to hide his excitement, but when he saw who the individual was, his eyes widened and his jaw dropped to his knees.


    "A-Amy?!?"


    Raven hair, milk smooth white skin, shining silver eyes, and posture that was somewhat arrogant and indifferent but at the same time was confident. The one that appeared before his cell was none other but Amy!


    But how? Wasn''t he currently inside a huge spaceship? How did she get here? She should be with his uncle, escaping from this planet as far as they could! So why?


    Nash watched stupefied as Amy looked into the cell with squinted eyes, and when she saw his figure her pretty silver eyes lit up like moons at the night sky!


    "You are alive!" Amy said with great excitement and extended her arms toward the bars.


    When Nash saw this he quickly snapped out of his daze and said, "Don''t touch it! It''s Thunder Icecopper!"


    Amy immidieatly pulled her fingers back and looked at the silver iron in front of her with slightly widened eyes.


    She was not stupid. She too knew way too well just what kind of ore the Thunder Icecopper was, hence her pretty face turned slightly pale when she realized the consequences that could have occurred with her if she grabbed it.


    In contrast to Nash, she didn''t temper her body with her Legacy nor did she have ways to resist its lightning and frost attributes. She was just a mere mortal, thus she could have easily died just now.


    "T-Thank you..." Amy blushed slightly as she said those words but quickly regained her composure and asked, "Are you feeling okay? There is blood on your face and all over your clothing."


    Blood? Nash touched his face and looked at his hand, only to see dried blood on his fingers. It must have been his blood when Amael hit him. He didn''t notice it at all.


    Shaking his head, Nash stood up and walked closer to Amy, and with a serious and somewhat angry face, asked quietly, "You shouldn''t be here! This place is dangerous! No, more importantly, how did you even get here?"


    Amy was not flustered by Nash''s words and intimidated aura nor did she feel anger upon seeing him ignoring her previous question. Instead, she showed a proud smile and said, "I knew you would end up like this, hence why I decided to sneak into the spaceship while you fought with that crimson prince!"


    Nash didn''t know whether he should laugh or cry. Did she really have so little fate in him?


    But wait, crimson prince? Oh, she must be talking about Amael. Nash realized quickly, however, still frowned and asked, "Don''t you think it was just way too risky? What if they notice you and kill you? You are just too reckless, you should have escaped with my uncle instead!"


    Amy''s smile vanished in a blink and sneered coldly, "With that trash? I would instead get myself killed than escape with him where he is the leader."


    Nash frowned deeply when he heard Amy''s words, but before he could have said anything Amy quickly added, "Don''t get me wrong, I didn''t say those words to make you angry. It''s just if you would know his true nature and the things he had done you would understand me."


    "What do you mean by that?" Nash raised a brow. He wanted to know why everyone seemed to hate his uncle, who was like a kind old man with him and it seemed he would get his answer now.


    But he was disappointed quickly as Amy just shook her head and said, "It is not the right time to chit chat. We need to get going. I heard they plan on sending another spaceship after your uncle and the rest. If we do it quickly, we can sneak up on it and escape!"


    When Nash heard this a light flashed in his eyes and asked, "How much time do we have?"


    "About ten minutes," Amy replied.


    10 minutes? Nash touched his chin and showed a troubled complexion. 10 minutes were definitely not a lot, especially not when he still had to get his Soul Breaker back from Amael.


    Amy watched silently as Nash''s face became slightly disturbed, but quickly realized his problem and said, "If you are worried about your weapon, it is right there"


    "Huh?" Nash followed Amy''s finger and found with surprise that at the very far right, an emerald weapon was visibly placed against the wall.


    It was his Soul Breaker!


    But how? Didn''t Amael take it away with him? Is he really that stupid to leave the enemy''s weapon close to his cell? No, that must not be the case. But then what?


    "I don''t know why, but I was able to see that crimson prince struggling to carry your weapon the further away he went from your cell. He even used some kind of strange glowing power, but even then failed to take it away with him, hence why he decided to leave it there." Amy explained with a casual shrug.


    So that is why! Nash now understood everything and couldn''t help but show a subtle smile. It seemed Ancient Treasures had more usage than he initially believed.


    ''Now then I only have to find a way out of here.'' Nash thought and raised his hand to scratch his head, but just as he did his fingers got hold of something. It was his earring to be more specific.


    Then, he shifted his gaze at the bars in front of him and noticed as there was a keyhole in one of the bars outside. Although it was small, it was definitely a keyhole.


    "Yeah, that could work," Nash murmured and without hesitation took the earring down and carefully handed it over to Amy through the gaps between the bars.


    "Put this before the keyhole over there." Nash pointed at the keyhole.


    Amy didn''t quite understand why but still did as she was told. Grabbing hold of the small emerald earring, Amy placed it before the keyhole.


    "And now what?" Amy asked slightly after.


    "Nothing, just keep it there," Nash said and closed his eyes.


    Although he couldn''t control his essence in his body nor was he able to use his blessing and bloodline, it didn''t mean he was unable to use his treasures. They were not part of his body, hence using them should pose no problem at all.


    And just as he thought about this, the earring in Amy''s hand began to change shape, and even before he could have thought a single thing...


    Click!


    Amy watched with surprise as the bars now opened completely, and with a casual smile on his face, Nash walked out.


    "Let''s get out of here, shall we?"


    * * * * *


    A/N: Hope you liked it! Make sure to vote for more!

 Chapter 73 - Absolute Domain Domination Class!

    The ship was rather big, about three times larger than the one Nash and the rest have escaped from Planet Azure.


    It was separated into four floors, each floor having hundreds of hallways and rooms; it was almost like a huge maze where one could easily get lost if was not careful enough.


    Luckily, the control center where one controlled the spaceship was at the very top floor while the prison cell was on the bottom, just slightly next to the storage room so Nash and Amy were able to avoid getting caught by Amael who was at the moment on the top floor, taking care of the unconscious Erys.


    "Are you sure this is the right way?" running through hallways where only a few creatures patrolled which they were able to avoid easily, Nash asked as he followed Amy.


    "Trust me, this is the right way," Amy nodded calmly, seemingly confident in her navigation skills.


    As a fact, Nash does not really know this but Amy had a very good memory, much greater than any ordinary being! She could easily remember an entire page of text with a single glance and recall it backward if she wished to!


    Hence, navigating inside the spaceship and recalling the way from where she came from was a piece of cake for her.


    The two ran sneakily through hallways, only stopping when they had to hide from patrolling Sky Beasts or Thousand Bloods. And under a few minutes, they finally reached the bay door leading into the outside world.


    As for why they were not noticed was simply because they had no presence. Thanks to their Legacy being sealed away, they were like small bugs, only visible if one noticed them with their very eyes.


    This is also how Amy was able to sneak up onto the spaceship without getting caught by either Amael or any of the creatures.


    "There it is. If we can sneak up onto that we can escape!" Amy pointed forward, showing Nash a smaller-sized spaceship not far away in the distance.


    Before it, there was a small group of creatures, their numbers barely reaching fifty.


    ''To think there was still so many even after killing a bunch.'' Nash narrowed his eyes, feeling slightly surprised that there still remained so much.


    "What should we do? We can''t just walk up there, right? We will get caught in no time at all." Amy asked with worry visible in her voice, her silver eyes looking at Nash''s handsome face in the hope to get an answer.


    Nash remained silent and pondered. After a brief moment, he glanced at the few crates on the side and said, "Can you see those boxes over there? If we can get there we can hide in there."


    "In those boxes? Aren''t they a little bit too... small for the two of us? Especially with your huge sword?" Amy asked, skeptical if they could even fit in the largest box or not.


    "We can only try and see," Nash said and grabbed Amy''s hand before pulling her after him as he sneaked toward the boxes.


    Luckily, there were many bushes and trees in the way, so they were able to get behind cover and hide when one or two creatures walked over. With the help of the constant covers of them, they were able to reach the crates with seemingly no problem.


    "You go inside first," Nash said quietly to Amy as he opened the lid of a box that had only a few pieces of garments inside, indicating her to hurry up and climb inside.


    Amy did as she was told and quickly climbed inside without creating any sound that could alert the nearby creatures; she was like a nimble cat which slightly surprised Nash.


    "Now that everything has been told, take the supplies onto the spaceship and get your asses on board! We don''t have any more time to waste here!" as Nash was about to climb in too, he heard as the leader of the creatures suddenly shouted and watched as two Sky Beasts hurried over where he was.


    ''Fuck!'' swearing in his heart, Nash didn''t care if he could fit inside with his sword or not, he jumped inside the box without hesitation and closed the lid with one smooth motion.


    "Aah?!" Amy let out a surprising pitch when she saw and felt as Nash was on top of her, his whole body pressing down on hers


    She wished to move but found it with surprise that his body was like a firm boulder, not budging even after she used her small arms to push him a little up.


    "N-Nash... your body is..." Amy wished to say something, but even before she could have finished her sentence Nash placed his hand over her small lips while signaling her with his other to remain silent.


    Although with a face fully blushed and chest fast pounding, Amy understood Nash hence closed her eyes and remained silent without daring to utter a single word.


    Seeing as Amy fell silent while the box they were in was finally picked up and moved, Nash sighed with relief in his heart and took a glance at his weapon on his back. Luckily, it was able to fit inside, but because of its top reaching the bottom of the lid above, he knew he couldn''t move no matter what or else they will be busted in no time.


    ''This is nuts...'' Nash thought to himself as he looked down at Amy. He could clearly feel her body through his as he was pressing down on her, especially at the chest part; it was really soft.


    Taking a deep breath to calm himself down, Nash closed his eyes and forced himself to concentrate on the things happening outside instead of the warm and soft feeling all over his body.


    He watched as they were brought inside the spaceship and carried through several hallways before being brought inside a room and placed down. Then the creatures walked away and came back a few seconds later, carrying several more crates before placing them down next to them.


    This went on for a few moments and after the fifteenth crate, Nash noticed that the door was closed and no creatures came inside any longer, not even after he waited 5 minutes straight.


    "It seems we are safe to go out," Nash said as he looked down at Amy, but was surprised to see her glaring at him coldly.


    "O-Oh... Sorry." Nash quickly took his hand away from her lips and after making sure there was no one else around, he opened the lid and climbed out.


    Amy, although with still a slightly blushed face, followed him out too and after neatening her clothing she looked around and asked, "And now what?"


    They were currently inside a small room, seemingly being a storage room or so with several crates and boxes except for the ones that were just brought in just now.


    The whole room was cold and dark, almost akin to the cell back in the main ship they have escaped from.


    Nash pondered for a brief moment and wished to respond, but just as he opened his mouth, suddenly several voices appeared in his head.


    [Advancement Phase has been completed!]


    [Domination Art: Strings of Domination have successfully advanced to the next Class!]


    [All previous and new abilities are ready to be used again!]


    [Souls attached by Death Strings now can be used again!]


    [Beings attached by Life Strings now will regain consciousness and can be controlled again!]


    Whoosh!


    Instantly, Nash watched as a warm feeling passed through his body while rows of texts appeared in his line of sight one by one.


    ----------------------------------


    [Domination Art: Strings Of Domination]


    ? Description: Absolute power that seeks, collects, and wields the lost strings between all that exists and those that are not!


    ? Domination Class: Absolute Domain Domination Class


    {Abilities}


    ¡ã Chance String: a string that can have the chance to control any living being for a limited degree once one of their 4 emotions reached the Chance Level! (Does not require attachment to use!)


    ¡ã Life Strings: A lost string that can be collected and attached to any living being once one of their 4 emotions reached the Critical Level! (Limit: Infinite)


    ¡ã Death String: A lost string that can be collected and attached to any non-living being! (Limit: 5/50)


    ¡ã Dominator''s Domain: A small domain where a targeted being''s Emotion Levels, let it be on or below the Dominator''s Rank, can be altered freely but without reaching the Critical Level! (Cooldown: 24 hours)


    <Any being, living or dead, once attached by a lost string shall obey the Dominator as every order given to them is absolute!>


    {Passive Abilities}


    ¡ã Indicator: Shows all being feelings and emotions in a two hundred meters radius. Helps Dominator to use Chance Strings with greater success!


    ¡ã Reaper: Once a being attached by a Life String dies, their Legacy will be reaped by the Dominator! (Limit: Infinite)


    Dominator''s Gift: All Souls attached by a Death String can grow limitlessly through the Dominator!


    <Further abilities can be unlocked once reached higher Class!>


    ----------------------------------


    * * * * *


    A/N: Hope you liked it! Make sure to vote for more! :)

 Chapter 74 - Dominators Domain!

    The words appeared one after another in Nash''s mind while the rows of texts of his newly advanced Domination Art appeared in his line of sight one by one.


    Although Nash had no clue if all Domination Arts worked the same way as his, where he was incapable of using it once it was on the verge of raising its Class, he was more than delighted to see the end results of the Advancement Phase.


    ''Absolute Domain Domination Class, huh?'' Nash read the title of his improved version of his power and shifted his gaze over the newer descriptions that were not there in the past.


    The very first thing that Nash noticed was the fact that now the number of Souls he was able to collect finally increased and with ten times at that! Now, he was able to hold and possess 50 Souls which was an insane amount of boost to his total strength!


    However, he was not a fool not to understand the disadvantage of this great improvement. He was more than aware that with 50 Souls under his wings his essence would get depleted in greater amounts than ever before.


    To say it, it was like a double-edged sword that could turn out to be a burden on him in the long run if he was not careful enough.


    ''I wonder if there is a way for me to increase my essence.'' Nash thought in his heart, realizing that 10,000 units of essence were not that enormous in quantity.


    As he thought about ways to increase his essence, he shifted his gaze at the second thing that caught his attention; his new ability, Dominator''s Domain.


    ''To alter a single target''s Emotion Levels without reaching the Critical Level?'' when Nash read the description a surprising glint flashed in his blue eyes, thinking about something that he could hardly believe.


    ''If that is true, then doesn''t this mean I have an ability to kill anyone with a single word until they are on or below my Rank?'' Nash asked himself, but as he knew he soon will get his answer he put the matter aside for the time being and glanced at the passive abilities.


    There, he noticed two new changes. The first one was his radius with his indicator increased from a hundred meters. Although he had no clue why that was important or how it gave him an advantage, a change was a change after all.


    The second one, and also the greatest change in Nash''s opinion, was the Dominator''s Gift ability.


    ''Finally! An ability to allow my Souls to grow and reach higher Ranks!'' Nash felt delighted and formed a small smile when he imagined just what kind of terrifying army he will be able to possess in the near future.


    While Nash inspected his new Domination Art, Amy walked to the entrance and placing opening it narrowly, she said, "There is no one around. What should we do?"


    Upon hearing her question Nash came back from her pondering and said, "Isn''t that obvious? We will kill all of them."


    Amy raised a brow when she heard Nash''s sudden declaration and was ready to ask how, when she saw him taking out a needle from his pocket.


    "Isn''t that?" Amy''s eyes widened when she recognized the tiny needle and the memory of eight individuals getting their Legacies unsealed appeared in her head.


    "Yep, it is exactly that." Nash showed a grin and without hesitation pierced it into the middle of his temple!


    Swish!


    Immidieatly, a blue light engulfed the needle and the place around it before Nash grabbed it and pulled it out slowly.


    Whoosh!


    Feeling as he was finally able to control the essence in his Ancient Veins, Nash showed a satisfied smile and gestured toward Amy to walk closer.


    Amy looked confused when she saw Nash''s action but still did as he wanted and walked before him. However, her eyes still held slight fear toward the needle in Nash''s hand as it was rather terrifying to think one didn''t die even after getting pierced right in the head!


    Nash naturally understood her thoughts and showed a gentle smile, "You don''t have to worry. It feels just like an injection with literally no pain. You won''t even get to feel it."


    Amy looked hesitant, but when she saw Nash''s warm smile and confident gaze, she nodded and watched as the needle in Nash''s hand lit up with gentle blue light before getting pierced in her forehead.


    Swish!


    Piercing then pulling the Sky Sealing Needle out of Amy''s temple, Nash curled his lips and after putting his needle away, he said, "See? I told you it won''t hurt."


    But although he showed a calm smile, Nash was a little bit shocked, to say the least. It was because after unsealing Amy''s Legacy, her presence now leaking out of her body and she was currently a Level 5 Mortal!


    Not even his level was so high when his Legacy was unsealed, thus seeing she was only a single Level away from starting to unlock her Ancient Veins, he felt great awe.


    "So this my Legacy, huh. Interesting." Amy mumbled under her breath as she stared in front of her, obviously inspecting the description of her Legacy.


    Nash waited in silence for her to read everything, but not even a second later the entrance on the side opened ad two creatures, both being Sky Beasts walked inside, chatting with each other merrily.


    "I can''t believe those humans have escaped again."


    "Yeah, and I heard one even annihilated almost the entire searching units! It seems that crimson fellow was not that of a big shot, huh."


    "Haha, don''t even tell me. Those Thousand Bloods are so proud and full of themselves that they couldn''t even deal with a single human! They were all slaughtered in the end, haha!"


    "Yeah, but Lord Crimson has died too. That human was strong, I must give that credit to him."


    "Yeah, but unfortunately, he was captured and will be executed. The difference between a Warrior and a Warmaster is just too vast. I would have liked to fight with him thoug-, huh?"


    As the two talked with each other, the light in the storage room lit up, revealing Nash''s and Amy''s standing figure between the crates. The two Sky Beasts immidieatly froze still, their words stuck on their throats they wished to say next.


    "Oh? So you said you wanted to fight with me?" Nash asked with a small smile and unsheathed his Soul Breaker from his back.


    "I think now you will have the chance."


    And without waiting for either of the two to react, his body leaned slightly forward before appearing before the two with his long sword already slicing at their necks!


    "What?" the Sky Beasts widened their eyes when they saw the approaching weapon, but too bad, they were not quick enough to react and could do nothing but watch as the sight around them began to spin before everything went black.


    "Hmm... All bark but no bite, huh?" Nash muttered quietly before looking at the entrance and watching as another duo walked inside, completely oblivious by the fact that their comrades have been killed just now!


    ''I will take care of the-'' Nash was ready to behead the two just as he did now, but was shocked to see that Amy was a step ahead of him. With a fast movement that was neither loud nor stiff, she appeared before the two and threw out two punches seemingly simultaneously.


    Swish! Swish!


    BAM!


    The sound of armor breaking and bones shattering sounded in the room before both Sky Beasts were sent flying outside the entrance where they have just walked in, their eyes showing bewilderment before they lost all light in them!


    "Woah! What kind of technique was that?" Nash asked, startled as he knew that was no ordinary punch.


    "It is called Two Wind Punch. A basic punching technique of the Sky Beasts that Revio taught us." Amy said as she glanced at the two corpses outside the room and added, "Though Revio told us it was rather hard to master it fully, it doesn''t seem like that. I have learned it after a few tries but had no chance to try it."


    "I see." Nash nodded understandingly, and watched as a Sky Beast, one at the Warrior Rank walked inside, looking rather angry; it seemed it noticed the ruckus they have caused and was here to put an end to it.


    "Too bad, he won''t have the chance," Nash said quietly and when his gaze locked with the Sky Beast''s he activated his new ability.


    [Dominator''s Domain activated!]


    [Choose an Emotion Level freely to alter!]


    Nash showed a cold smile when he heard the voice in his head and without hesitation wished the Sky Beast''s Fear Level to increase to the maximum level possible!


    ? Fear: Chance Level - 1% --> 99%


    ''That much?!?'' Nash almost choked when he saw the sudden increase above the creature''s head, but soon his face became delighted and said with a hint of excitement.


    "Slit your throat."


    [Chance String has been successfully caught!]


    [Death Bid has been triggered!]


    The Sky Beast felt anger rushing through his veins when he saw his comrades'' corpses lying on the ground and was ready to kill the two humans when suddenly an immense dread engulfed his mind.


    And even before he could have thought for a single reason why he was trembling so much and feeling so terrified all of a sudden, he watched with widened eyes as his arm grabbed the dagger on his waist without his will and with one smooth motion cut his own throat open, committing suicide even though he wished not to!


    * * * * *


    A/N: Hope you liked it! Stay safe!<3

 Chapter 75 - Spaceship Thieves

    Blood flowed onto the ground in a great amount the moment the creature slit his own throat, painting the ground below in the color of deep crimson.


    "W-What happened? Why did it kill itself?" Amy''s eyes widened upon witnessing the suicidal move of the creature, her beautiful silver eyes trembling ever so slightly as she watched the now lifeless corpse falling onto the ground into its own blood.


    ''So I was right. I can truly use this power to kill with a single sentence.'' Nash felt satisfied by the result, but soon his mood turned somewhat sour.


    It was because although he had an ace up in his sleeve which could literally save him almost any given time, it had two major flaws.


    The very first was its cooldown. Of course, although a power that allowed him to kill with a single sentence without lifting a finger was terrifying and overpowered, 24 hours of cooldown was still a long amount of time. In the long run, especially against a hord of enemies that were on the same Rank as him, it had only a small use.


    However, its biggest flaw was not that, but the fact that it was incapable of influencing beings'' emotions above his Rank. For instance, if he were to fight with Amael once again, although he would stand a bigger chance than previously, he still would be unable to kill him as his Dominator''s Domain was useless in him while he still was a whole Rank below him.


    Therefore, despite having such a heaven-defying ability, if he couldn''t use it against enemies above his Rank, it had almost little to no use to him as he could literally crush anyone on the same Rank!


    ''Let''s hope once I increase its Class once again this flaw will be corrected.'' Nash said in his heart and looked at Amy calmy before saying with a small sigh, "It was one of my newly acquired abilities but turns out it has only little to no use to me in its current form."


    "Little to no use? You have literally killed him with a single sentence!" Amy said with a frown, slightly feeling the urge to walk before Nash and choke him to death.


    How could he say it had only little use to him when he literally commanded a being on the Warrior Rank to commit suicide? Was he an idiot or simply was this shameless?


    Nash, however, just shook his head and ignored Amy''s question. He was just too lazy to explain to her why he said such words thus instead glanced at the several black strings floating before his face.


    [Targets'' bodies have decayed!]


    [Targets'' {Soul} have been freed!]


    [Attaching {Death String} on targets now possible!]


    Upon hearing the voice in his head, Nash curled his lips upward and without a second thought waved his hand, catching all the black string with one single motion!


    [Successful attachment!]


    Whoosh!


    A gentle breeze appeared in the room even though there was no air-conditioning on the ceiling or walls and instantly black smoke rose from the corpses, taking on the shape of the creatures that had been just killed a few seconds ago!


    Amy watched this with a nonchalant look as she was already used to such a sight, but if one looked at her charming silver eyes from a closer distance, one would notice the lingering shock in them.


    She felt shocked as she didn''t understand just how could such a power that Nash acquired exist in the first place. The power to control others, bring the killed back from death''s embrace, and order strong beings to commit suicide with a single sentence.


    Just what else did he have up in his sleeve? Amy didn''t know, but she was smart enough to know that he had at least one or two more aces hidden in his arsenal he had yet to use or has already used against Amael but failed to witness.


    While Amy pondered with her silver eyes fixed on Nash''s face in silence, Nash showed a smile and clutched his Soul Breaker tightly.


    "Let''s go. We have to take control of this ship as soon as possible."


    Amy nodded gently when she heard Nash''s words, and without saying anything followed him closely from behind.


    -


    -


    -


    Inside a huge starship of the Thousand Blood Race which was literally as gigantic as a great mountain, Amael sat inside a luxurious room next to a huge bed that had at least three meters in both width and length. On it, Erys'' calmly breathing but the unconscious body was lying.


    "This is strange. I can''t feel any mind or body sealing technique on her nor any curse or some sort." Amael stared at Erys'' body with a pondering look, his crimson eyes examining her seemingly sleeping face.


    "What''s more, she is in a natural slumber, so it isn''t even a spell." Amael touched his chin as he leaned back into his chair, his gaze never leaving Erys'' figure even for a second.


    Bzzz!


    Whoosh!


    As Amael was thinking, suddenly a small metallic orb on his side appeared from out of nowhere before a hologram representing a powerful and domineering-looking Thousand Blood appeared.


    "My Lord!" Amael quickly jumped onto his feet and knelt down, lowering his head as if he felt not worthy to look at even the hologram of the individual in front of him.


    Lord Ozren looked indifferent when he saw Amael''s kneeling figure, but when his gaze fell on Erys'' unconscious body he frowned and asked, his voice holding a hint of anger, "What happened with her?"


    Amael nodded and without hiding a single thing he explained everything. After talking ten minutes straight without halting and leaving out a single detail, Amael lowered his head slightly and said, "And this is everything. I suspect the Young Lady is still under that human''s power even though I have just sealed all his powers."


    Lord Ozren frowned and wished to say something after a brief moment of silence when suddenly Erys'' eyes snapped open and sat up.


    "Young Lady! So you have fina-" Amael stood up and showed a warm smile at Erys, but his face changed abruptly when he watched as Erys'' figure appeared in front of him, her fist ready to blast his skull into pieces!


    Swish!


    Bam!


    With a fast movement that was akin to a ghost''s, Amael avoided Erys'' surprise attack and appeared behind her in the next second, hitting a single point on her neck with a thumb.


    Thud!


    "My Lord..." watching as Erys fell on the ground unconscious, Amael''s complexion was confused, and glanced at Lord Ozren''s hologram on his side.


    Lord Ozren help a somewhat similar complexion, but soon his face turned serious and said, "It seems that power is much greater than I have thought. Bring him back to me and I will take care of him personally."


    "And what about the Young Lady?" Amael asked as he placed Erys'' body gently back on the bed.


    "Just keep her safe and make sure she won''t cause a ruckus. While that power is still on her and influences her actions outside her will, it is better to knock her unconscious whenever she wakes up." Lord Ozren said with a small sigh.


    "Understood, my Lord. I promise on my name I will keep her safe until we arrive back at Planet Lark." Amael kneeled down immediately after.


    Lord Ozren just nodded and his hologram vanished, leaving Amael alone in the room with the unconscious Erys once again.


    Amael stood up when he saw that Lord Ozren was no longer in the room and was about to sit down to examine Erys when the door on the side burst open and a Thousand Blood ran inside with heavy breathing.


    "What''s the matter? I have ordered no one is allowed inside without my permission if it is nothing dire." Amael frowned as a tingle of anger surfaced onto his usually indifferent face.


    "Lord Amael... I know my mistake and I apologize... but we have an emergency."


    Amael frowned upon hearing those words, but when he heard the following words of the soldier his face changed abruptly.


    "The human... He has escaped!"


    -


    -


    -


    Inside the small spaceship, Nash sat inside the control room before a small-sized control panel, his fingers pressing different buttons while reading a book on his lap.


    "This is not even that hard. Everything is explained so well inside this manual that even a monkey could easily learn how to pilot a spaceship." Nash said with a calm smile, placing his palm atop a blue orb on the side which immediately caused the spaceship to drift slowly forward.


    "Well, we also got a small instruction from the previous captain of this spaceship before you decided to kill him," Amy said calmly and turned around.


    Behind her, several of Nash''s Souls moved here and there, carrying different-sized boxes and objects without stopping. Some even tore out small devices from the walls with brute force and smashed them into pieces before taking them away to who knows where.


    After inspecting the actions of the Souls that once were living beings before getting slain by Nash, Amy became bored and turned back around, her pretty but indifferent eyes shifting at Nash''s figure on her side.


    Seeing as Nash focused greatly to figure out how to control the spaceship they were in, Amy decided to remain silent and relax when suddenly the sky outside above her began to turn dark, turning her vision inside the control center rather dim.


    ''Wait... Sky? We are currently outside space with no planets or asteroids nearby so how...'' Amy realized something and quickly looked outside the window in front of her, but when she did, her pupils immidieatly shrunk to the smallest size possible and her pretty face paled!


    * * * * *


    A/N: Hope you liked it! Stay safe<3

 Chapter 76 - Dimensional Creature

    Amy''s face was void of any existing color, her pretty face as white as a ghost''s at the very moment.


    "N-Nash?" extending her slightly trembling arm toward Nash without taking her gaze away from the thing in front of her, Amy patted Nash gently on the shoulder.


    "Just a second. I am pretty close to finishing reading this manual." without raising his head to look at Amy, Nash turned a page over in the book on his lap and proceeded on reading it.


    However, when he felt Amy patting him for the second time with a slightly stronger force, he frowned and glanced at her.


    "What? I sai-, huh? Why are you so pale? You look almost like someone who just saw a ghost."


    "We... We have a problem." Amy whispered and without saying a thing stared outside the window.


    Nash felt something was not quite right, thus followed Amy''s gaze outside only to feel his complexion getting sunk and hardened.


    Right outside in sheer cold space, a massive creature with a length of about two to three hundred meters floated before the spaceship, its hundreds of golden eyes that had a size akin to entire houses staring at them with visible bloodlust!


    The creature represented something like a dragon with the sole exception that it had no scales nor skin, but its entire body was only flesh and skeleton! Its beating heart, ribs, twitching muscles, moving tendons, and everything else were visible to the bare eyes, giving it an extremely grotesque appearance.


    ''Dimensional Creature!'' Nash''s eyes contracted as he looked straight into one of the humongous golden eyes of the creature.


    Dimensional Creatures. Creatures that underwent such a great amount of change when the Ancient Path was opened that they no longer could be categorized such as Normal, Evolved, or Mutated Beasts!


    They have mutated to such a point where they were classified as a ''Special Race'' capable of possessing powers and intelligence that could easily rival and even kill any being from any Dimension!


    However, in contrast to the Ranks which were known in every dimension, Dimensional Creatures were ranked differently; they were ranked by the size of the territory they have obtained through their own powers and ruled over with their terrifying abilities!


    And when one talked about territories, one didn''t mean a small field or a domain about the size of a city, but continents, even entire planets! There were even those terrifying ones that ruled over not one, but an entire solar system, having the strength to rival existences way above the Warmaster Rank!


    "Fuck this!" Nash immidieatly took action when he realized that the creature in front of them was such an existence as only one capable of traveling through space without any external help was able to conquer planets and even entire solar systems!


    Hence, without a second thought of hesitation, he dropped the manual down from his lap and with a quick press placed his palm atop the orb on his side!


    Whoosh!


    With a speed that was by no means slow, the spaceship burst into the distance leaving behind only a line of silver light. The distant stars in the far distance turned blurry and got slightly elongated, giving one the feeling they were traveling inside a tunnel instead of space!


    "Hold on tight! We are getting out of here!" Nash said with a serious face and controlled the spaceship to get away from the creature as far and as fast as possible.


    "Watch out!" on his side, Amy suddenly shouted as she watched as a golden light beam, which was more than a pillar than a beam approached them with terrifying speed, ready to blast the spaceship into pieces upon impact!


    Nash was no fool to think that the spaceship had the means to defend against such a terrifying attack that could easily shatter entire moons with its created shockwave alone. Therefore, he quickly placed his other hand on the second orb on his other side and with one strong motion pulled both his arms downward.


    Whoosh!


    The spaceship immediately soared upward, just in time to avoid the pillar of golden light from destroying them in its entirety! However, although they have successfully avoided getting wiped out from existence with a single strike, the spaceship still sustained great damage from the powerful shockwave that followed after and surrounded the golden light beam!


    "Not good!" watching as numerous flashing red lights appeared on the panel in front of him, Nash knew that the defensive barrier around the spaceship was damaged, on the verge of breaking!


    Of course, it was only on the verge of breaking and was still able to fend against weaker attacks, but Nash knew perfectly well that it won''t be able to defend against another attack of such magnitude much less a stronger one!


    "Where is the closest planet from us?" Nash asked with a heavy tone from Amy while controlling the spaceship through an asteroid field, flying here and there with great speed that made the Dimensional Creature''s chase harder.


    Luckily, the panels had a unique feature that allowed him to control the spaceship not only with his palm but with his mind too, hence giving him an easier time to avoid crashing into the many asteroids drifting in space around him.


    As for how he was able to control the spaceship both mentally and physically at the same time, it was because his concentration have already reached a level only a few could achieve. Ever since he learned how to seep his mind into his body without getting distracted during his time unlocking his Ancient Veins, Nash could easily concentrate on one or even two things at once!


    There was hardly anything that could distract him once he decided to focus, just like this time too!


    Naturally, there were occasions when he accidentally hit or bumped into an asteroid''s side as he was no professional, but because he was a fast learner he was able to correct his errors quickly and hardly do the same mistakes twice!


    Upon hearing his question and seeing how concentrated Nash was at the moment, Amy instantly snapped out of her daze. Pressing a button in front of her, a huge hologram appeared in front of her, revealing a huge space filled with many planets and stars in the distance.


    It was a Dimension Map, capable of showing one''s location inside the cosmos and revealing the position of the nearby planets.


    Amy quickly swept through the hologram to find a planet, and soon enough, she found one.


    "I have found one!" Amy showed a delighted face before turning sour and saying, "But according to the information, it is a rare mining planet, currently under the possession of the Thousand Bloods and the Fairies."


    ''The Fairies?'' Nash looked surprised when he heard this as he knew just what kind of race the Fairy Race was.


    If his knowledge was not bad, Fairies were beings that were extremely prideful race and they extremely despised the Human Race, almost to the point where they loved cockroaches more than them!


    If they would have been given the choice to save a dying cockroach or a human slave who wished to swear his loyalty to them, Nash was pretty sure 99% of the Fairy Race would choose the former without a second thought!


    But what made them such a unique race was not their character or behavior toward the Human Race, but their Legacy instead. Because of their ability to control one of the most essential elements in existence, water, they were also known as Life Fairies too!


    Not only were they able to control water with their will and use it in different ways to fight, but once they reach the Warmaster Rank they were capable of healing others too through their water element!


    There were even rumors that once a Fairy reached the Pure Legacy Holder Rank their Legacy evolved such heights were healing a fatal strike was not a problem at all!


    Even a crushed heart or shattered brain could be healed until they had enough water under their control and energy to not get exhausted!


    Thanks to all this, many races around the dimensions wished to ally with them as their strength and support in battles were extremely useful, could be said essential, and much more valuable than using different pills, potions, or herbs!


    Nash pondered for a brief moment before he clenched his teeth and made the spaceship turn a sharp angle and burst into the distance with speed twice as fast as previously.


    Whoosh!


    Meanwhile, in the very far distance on the planet where Nash and Amy were heading with the Dimensional Creature, two Thousand Blood clad in crimson armor sat inside a room, their complexion rather relaxed at the moment.


    They were chatting idly with each other while sipping on a cup of warm tea when suddenly the panels before them turned red and a live video recording appeared in front of them.


    "Hm?" both creatures glanced at the video feed in confusion and watched as a small spaceship was chased by a humongous beast through space, shooting golden pillars of beams at it without rest!


    Wait... Beast?


    When the two Thousand Blood realized it was no beast but a Dimensional Creature, both of them spit out the tea from their mouth and quickly slammed the red button in front of them.


    Immidieatly, all the emergency sirens went off one by one, forcing everyone on the planet to stop whatever they were doing and look alarmed at the sudden change of events.


    A/N: Hope you liked it! Vote for more!:)

 Chapter 77 - Planet Nelea

    Somewhere in the unknown and vast cosmos, a planet with a bright gold color drifted around a bright blue sun while several smaller moons were moving around it with slow speed.


    This planet''s name was Nelea, a somewhat special mining planet under the supervision of the Thousand Blood and the Fairy Race.


    While many mining planets held only average ores such as Glow Adamant, Silver Steel, or Opal Gold, Planet Nelea held various rare ores such as Lunar Tin, Earth Bronze, and even raw Gold Jade Crystals in great amount!


    It was not even a question of just how precious and valuable of a resource this planet was, hence it was not a huge surprise to see many smaller spaceships and a few bigger-sized battleships patrolling around the planet in an orderly fashion.


    However, this seemingly well-organized formation seemed to become chaotic the very moment the sirens on the planet suddenly went off, forcing all soldiers on both the spaceships and on the planets to look alarmed and confused.


    "What is the meaning of all this?" a female creature with otherworldly features stormed inside the control center, her moon silver eyes staring holes at the two Thousand Blood in front of her.


    She wore silver armor that stuck to her slim figure perfectly, heightening her curves, especially her bosom significantly and enhancing her charm by a great margin. She had smooth and untied silver hair that fell behind her neck onto her shoulder like a river fall together with flawless white skin that looked extremely soft to the touch.


    Everything about her was perfect, even her style, gestures, and posture, making anyone wish to kneel down and pray for her, thinking she was a goddess that just descended onto the earth!


    "Lady Alina!" both creatures immidieatly jumped up onto their feet and saluted with respect before quickly explaining what happened.


    When Alina heard that there was a small spaceship on its way toward this planet with a Dimensional Creature in tag, her pretty face stiffened and her cherry lips pressed together firmly.


    "Do we know who is piloting that spaceship?" after a brief moment of pondering, Alina asked, her gaze fixed on the live feed that was currently playing on the panels and showing the fleeing spaceship and the approaching calamity behind it.


    "We tried to get in touch with the ship, but it turns out our signal can''t reach them. No, instead of saying it didn''t reach them I must say we have gotten no response back even after several attempts." the creature that seemed to be in charge of the control room explained, his tone filled with nothing but respect.


    "No response?" Alina frowned when she heard those words and couldn''t help but feel something was not right.


    After thinking for a while she asked, "Did you scan the spaceship using the device?"


    "If Lady Alina refers to the Life Force Detector device, yes we have already done our job." said the creature with a firm nod.


    Life Force Detector was a unique device designed and constructed by the White Dwarfs whose Legacy allowed them to create things that other Races could not even after hundreds of attempts! It was capable of detecting life force inside sealed or closed spaces in exchange for a small amount of Gold Jade Crystal, helping to determine the number of individuals inside the spaceship.


    "But according to the device, there are only two individuals on the spaceship. Also, we have used another method to see if there were any seals formed on the ship, helping us to notice if anyone else was trying to hide, but we found none."


    ''So they are no intruders nor thieves trying to get on this planet, huh?'' Alina thought in her heart and seeing as the spaceship now could arrive at any given moment with the Dimensional Creature, she waved her hand and said, "Order all units to get ready for battle and use whatever means to stop that creature to approach this planet."


    "B-But Lady Alina... That creature is..." the Thousand Blood wished to say something when he abruptly halted when noticing Alina''s cold and indifferent gaze.


    "Yes, I am well aware just what kind of being that creature is, but from its presence, I assume it has only just broken through its bottleneck hence it is only a little bit stronger than a peak Warmaster." Alina spoke calmly and added, "Furthermore, I am pretty sure with the strength we have, we can at least force it to flee if not kill it."


    Then, her previously indifferent face suddenly turned serious and cold while her tone became sharp like a sword''s, "So quit whining around and do what I said! We no longer have time to waste!"


    "U-Understood!" the two creatures saluted and were ready to inform all units to get ready for battle when they halted their moves and turned toward Alina.


    "And what about the spaceship?"


    Alina this time showed a small smile that seemed to be somewhat cunning and said, "Let it pass through our defense and land safely. I will make sure to deal with those two."


    -


    -


    -


    "We are almost there!" inside the small spaceship that was now only filled with the light of red, Amy exclaimed excitedly when she noticed Planet Nelea in the distance.


    Nash showed an excited expression too when he saw the gold planet in front of them, but soon his face sunk when he noticed numerous spaceships with the size twice as large as the creature behind them appear one by one, seemingly blocking their way!


    "Battleships? And three at that?" Amy''s eyes widened and quickly glanced at the information that was attached to the planet on the Dimensional Map. But when she reached the end, her pretty face lit up, understanding why there were so many battleships in front of them.


    "No wonder! This planet is no ordinary mining planet. It contains Lunar Tin, Earth Bronze, and even raw Gold Jade Crystals! This planet is literally a gold mine!" Amy said as she showed the information to Nash on her side.


    Nash took a quick glance at the description and could only sigh. So that is why... Now things made perfect sense.


    ''What should we do?'' Nash fell into silence while he controlled the spaceship with full focus and glanced at the panel on his side which showed the amount of energy the spaceship had. But seeing only a small amount remained, soon a chuckle escaped from Nash''s mouth as he said, "It is pretty obvious already, isn''t it?"


    With those words, he pressed firmly his palms on to of the two orbs, forcing the spaceship to move forward with a speed that was slightly faster than previously.


    Nash was ready to force his way through the blockade of the three battleships and the numerous smaller ships, but to his great surprise, when he arrived close to them none of the ships attacked them and let them through with no problem.


    There was not even a single ship that decided to follow them which made him something was amiss.


    "They let us through?" even Amy seemed confused by this sudden change of events, trying hard to find a reason.


    Nash frowned as he slowed down the spaceship''s speed and when they entered the planet''s atmosphere where the beautiful scenery below was visible, his eyes lit up and a subtle smile formed on his face.


    "So that is why," Nash quickly pressed a button on the panel, immediately activating the auto-landing system.


    "Let''s go. We are hopping out here." Nash said as he stood up and grabbed Amy by the hand.


    "H-Huh? Wait.. Don''t tell me..." Amy widened her eyes and wished to say something, but even before she f¨®could have finished her question, Nash has already brought her before the exit of the spaceship and pressed a button on the side.


    Whoosh!


    The metallic doors opened after red light flashed on the sides, forcing Amy to raise her hand before her eyes and steady her stance as the wind that blew in was rather strong.


    Furthermore, when she looked down her face became even pale in a flash as they were currently miles above the ground, slightly above the clouds! She knew if they were to jump, even if they were to be lucky to land something extremely thick and soft, their bones definitely would break as it would be similar to landing on solid ground!


    But when she saw how Nash''s souls jumped out one by one with each carrying a crate of different sizes in their hands, she knew Nash was not joking at all and he really planned to jump out!


    "Did you go nuts? We will die if we jump!" Amy shouted loudly as the wind that fluttered her hair into a mess was rather deafening.


    "What did you say?" Nash asked questioningly, but when he saw that his last Soul has jumped out too, he quickly picked up Amy in a princess style and without waiting for a response jumped out.


    "We are all gonna die!!!!" tears flowed out from Amy''s eyes when she saw how rapidly they were descending, thus tightening her hold around Nash''s neck she closed her eyes and buried her head into his chest.


    * * * * *


    A/N: Hope you liked it! Vote for more! Remember, if we can reach 250 votes and more I will upload extra chaps! :)


    Stay Safe! <3

 Chapter 78 - Suspicious Riverfall

    Amy tightened her arms around Nash''s neck in fear if she does not then she will get blown away from Nash''s hold, falling right into her inevitable demise.


    "We are all gonna die!" screaming those words with teary eyes, Amy was ready to shut her eyes tight and bury her head into Nash''s chest when she saw something that made her pretty eyes widen with shock!


    Whoosh!


    A pair of wings with a span of a meter and a half emerged from Nash''s back, extending behind him like wings akin to those of an angel! However, in contrast to an angel that had white wings with feathers as soft as silk, the wings behind Nash were pitch black in color while the feathers on it shone with a somewhat metallic luster!


    They looked extremely intimidating and sharp!


    "S-Sky Beast wings? But how?" Amy shifted her silver eyes from the wings at Nash, who looked at her with a calm smile which for some reason made her think he looked twice as charming as before.


    "Just bear with it for a little while longer." ignoring Amy''s question, Nash glanced down at the falling Souls below him, and with a powerful flap with his wings, he flew toward the ground.


    Whoosh!


    In just a few seconds Nash finally reached solid ground and gently placed Amy down onto her feet before looking up and saying, "Wait here for a second."


    Whoosh!


    With a powerful flap, Nash flew high up into the sky and with professional precision flew before each Soul and took out the crates from their hold.


    Although he knew his Souls were literally immortal and would have no problem even after falling from such great heights, the crates in their hold were not; they would literally get broken into hundreds of pieces together with the Souls'' bodies!


    Hence, using his Sky Wings, he quickly collected and brought the crates down to the ground safely and unsummoned his Souls to avoid losing his essence. Furthermore, despite the fact that his Souls were immortal and could regenerate in seconds, he still wished not to watch them dying for no apparent reason.


    ''I definitely need to find a storage ring now that I have given mine to my uncle.'' Nash thought in his heart once all the crates had been safely placed onto the ground and raised his head.


    Nash watched as the spaceship moved further and further away from them while also descending with the obvious intention of landing, Nash lowered his gaze and looked around.


    Currently, they were standing in the middle of a bamboo forest which at the same time was not a bamboo forest. The bamboos were thin and long just like a bamboo should be, but their color was not green but yellow while their surface was half transparent and shiny, almost as if they were carved out of yellow crystals!


    "Caryrpid Bamboos. They say a single Caryrpid Bamboo can be sold for an astronomical price as they are extremely essential to create powerful potions and pills! Yet there are thousands of them here!" Nash said with shining eyes, feeling a little greedy to go and collect some for himself.


    But before he could have gone and collected some, he was abruptly stopped by Amy who looked at him with an indifferent face while shaking her head.


    "It is not a wise choice and you know it yourself too."


    Nash pulled his hand back upon hearing those words and after a brief pondering, he sighed and nodded, "You are right. Although Caryrpid Bamboo is rare, it cannot be sold just by ordinary means. One needs proof of where they acquired it and the qualification to even sell it."


    Amy nodded and after crossing her arms below her perfect bosom, she added, "Furthermore, if we decide to take some with us, we will only leave behind evidence that we were here. Then, it will be a matter of time before they find us."


    "You are right, I didn''t think that far ahead." Nash sighed, but suddenly an idea flashed in his head and said, "Wait a second. I had a great idea."


    Amy raised her delicate brow in confusion, but when she saw how Nash flapped his wings and disappeared into the distance, only to appear a few seconds later with a bunch of Caryrpid Bamboo in his embrace she almost coughed up blood.


    "I know what you are thinking, but don''t worry, I know what I am doing." Nash just smiled upon seeing Amy''s ice-cold glare on his skin and quickly tossed the crystal bamboos into one of the crates.


    "Let''s go. It is better if we don''t linger here any longer. Let''s find a place where we can hide." Nash said calmly and after summoning his souls and ordering them to carry the crates he began to walk away, surprisingly to the complete opposite direction from where he has brought the crystal bamboos.


    -


    -


    -


    Several tens of miles away from the location where Nash and Amy landed, a spaceship was visible on top of a yellow mountain top with a single individual standing in front of it, looking into the distance with a tranquil look.


    This single individual was none other but Alina, the goddess from the Fairy Race.


    As Alina was zooming into the distance, watching the golden scenery in front of her with a motionless figure, a male with otherworldly features emerged from the spaceship with two Thousand Blood following him from behind.


    His name was Mitah, and just like Alina, he too was a fairy who although was not as strong as her, was proud of himself as he was at the peak of the Warrior Rank, only half a step away from reaching the Warmaster Rank!


    "What did you find?" Alina turned around when he felt the presence behind her, and looked at the face of Mitah who was considered handsome even among fairies who were born with a flawless appearance.


    "We have searched everything, and strangely, we have found nothing except smaller damages around the ship," Mitah explained with an indifferent face, his golden eyes that flickered like suns staring right into Alina''s silver eyes.


    "Nothing?" Alina knitted her delicate brows together, showing a troubled expression as she pondered. But soon, her complexion brightened and a small smile appeared on her pretty face.


    "Lady Alina, did you perhaps figure out something?" Mitah asked calmly when he saw Alina''s smile, feeling rather curious.


    "Well, kinda." Alina nodded and asked, "Did you check if the auto-landing system was active or not?"


    Mitha raised a brow and glanced at the Thousand Blood behind him, who quickly nodded as a response.


    "It seems it was. But why is that important?" Mitha asked, still confused.


    "Because it seems whoever was on that spaceship anticipated we would wait for them here and decided to use the spaceship as a decoy. They must have jumped out when they were still high in the air." Alina proceeded to explain with her smile still on her face and quickly waved her hand, "Go and gather a squad. Those two must be in close proximity."


    "Understood." Mitha nodded and without wasting even a single second he ordered the Thousand Bloods behind him to follow him and dashed into the distance.


    As for Alina, she remained before the spaceship, her eyes focusing on the scenery in the distance, her small lips curving into an amused smile.


    "Interesting..."


    -


    -


    -


    After landing inside the Caryrpid Bamboo Forest and deciding to find a place where they can hide for the time being, Nash and Amy walked through different landscapes, and after close to an hour of straight walking without rest, they finally arrived before this small pond which had a small hill on its side from where the river fell from above.


    "Let''s take a rest here," Nash said as he looked around, finding the place rather safe as it was at least twenty miles away from the closest mining section he saw when he looked around from above.


    Amy nodded and sat down to recover her strength. As for Nash, he ordered his Souls to put the crates down and look out for any trouble that may lurk around them before deciding to check out the crates in greater detail.


    However, just as he was about to open the lid of the box on his side, his eyes narrowed into a slit and shifted toward the river fall while deciding to get a closer look.


    Luckily, the pond was only a little bit more than a meter deep, hence he was able to step into the pond and reach the waterfall without getting submerged completely.


    Amy seemed to notice Nash''s strange behavior and wanted to say something, but when she saw how serious Nash looked and how a few of his Souls began to surround the river fall from all directions, she decided to swallow the words she wished to say next and remain silent.


    Nash reached the river fall and stood before it with an indifferent face, his sharp eyes hoping to pierce through the wall of water.


    ''Maybe I have just seen things?'' Nash thought when he extended his arms, only to feel that behind the waterfall there was nothing but solid surface, seemingly being the side of the mountain.


    "Hmm..." humming quietly with a small frown, Nash give a final glance at the waterfall and was about to turn around when suddenly a flash appeared from slightly above him, forcing his eyes to widen from shock.


    It was a silver arrow that appeared all of a sudden from behind the waterfall, only an inch away from piercing his right eyes and piercing his brain!


    * * * * *


    A/N: Hope you liked it! Thoughts who attacked Nash in the end? :)

 Chapter 79 - Miles

    Time seemed to freeze for a split second in the eyes of Nash when he noticed the emerging arrow ready to pierce his skull!


    The water that fell from the mountain top into the pond below slowed down, the arrow that was previously as fast as lightning now became akin to a crawling snail while at the same time his thinking speed and senses accelerated by at least twofold!


    ''Huh? What is happening?'' Nash felt confused when he saw the strange changes taking place around and inside him but when he saw just how close the arrow was from piercing his head, his eyes narrowed and a pair of black wings emerged from his back!


    Whoosh!


    The black wings immidieatly engulfed Nash''s body in its entirety and like a layer of armor, they protected him from the arrow!


    Clank!


    A sharp sound akin to metal striking another resounded in the air, but except that nothing else occurred; the arrows that were made out of ordinary silver were incapable of piercing through Nash''s wings much less harm Nash himself.


    "So I was right. There was really someone hiding behind this waterfall." Nash''s cold voice sounded and the very next second his wings flapped toward the river fall, creating a powerful shockwave that forced the falling water to halt in mid-air before flying upward!


    "And to think that someone was a human..." Nash revealed an amused grin as he watched that at the edge of the small cave that revealed itself in front of him, a human boy stood with a bow in his grasp, obviously the one that wanted to kill him just now!


    "Come, let''s have a little chat," Nash said calmly and without hesitation grabbed the boy by his collar before with a single flap soared a hundred meters high into the air, stopping just in front of the mountain''s peak.


    Although he wished to go higher to make the boy''s Fear Level go higher and influence him, Nash feared if he goes any higher than he was the possibility of getting spotted from the distance by a patrolling or searching creature could become rather high.


    But because he knew that the human boy in front of him was as fragile as a piece of glass without any Legacy to protect his body, this one hundred meters was more than enough to scare him which obviously showed on his ever-increasing Fear Level.


    ? Fear: Neutral Level - 3% --> 36%


    ? Fear: Chance Level - 36% --> 53%


    ? Fear: ...


    "W-What do you from me?" the boy upon seeing that he was several feet above the ground turned deadly pale and looked at Nash as though he was the devil himself.


    Nash upon hearing the boy''s words glanced at him and instead of answering he examined his appearance in greater detail as now he had a chance.


    Dark bronze skin filled with bruises and wounds, nut-brown eyes that had deep dark circles around its corner, messy black hair, a thin figure that looked as if it could collapse any given moment, and clothing that was severely ragged, torn, and dirty.


    It was pretty apparent from a single glance alone that this boy experienced all the nine hells back and forth!


    When Nash saw his appearance a hint of softness and anger flashed in his eyes, but only for a brief moment. The next, his complexion turned serious and slightly intimidating as he extended his arm, putting the boy further away from him and threatening to let him go.


    "I will give you only one chance, so hopefully you won''t be a fool enough to waste it," Nash spoke calmly and slightly loosened his grip on the boy''s collar, immediately gaining the awaited effect.


    ? Fear: Chance Level - 82% --> 96%


    "I-I will talk! Everything you want to know, I will tell!"


    Nash smiled when he heard this and nodded, "This is what I like to hear. Then, first and foremost, what is your name?"


    "M-My name is... Miles." Miles said with a shaky voice, his trembling hand clenching Nash''s hand with all the strength he could muster from his weak physique.


    "I see, so it is Miles then." Nash nodded again and asked, "Then Miles, why did you want to kill me? Remember, if you don''t give me a satisfactory answer or dare to lie to me, I will let go of you without a second thought."


    Nash''s words were as cold as ice glaciers and as terrifying as ghosts, making Miles''s body tremble uncontrollably while also forcing his Fear Level to increase an additional 2%!


    "I-I thought you were... A Royal Servant sent to find me." Miles replied with his eyes fixed on Nash''s face, not daring to look away.


    ''Royal Servant?'' Nash raised a brow as this was the first time for him to meet with such a title.


    When Miles saw the confusion in Nash''s eyes, he felt tense but still collecting himself he asked, "Y-You are... You are not a Royal Servant?"


    "Royal Servant? What the hell is that?" Nash asked as he began to descend slowly, knowing that Miles didn''t attack him because he wished to see specifically him dead nor because he was sent by others.


    It turns out things became slightly more complex than he initially believed.


    Watching as they began to descend toward the ground, Miles sighed with relief and his tense body began to relax. Then, he quickly began to explain;


    "Royal Servants are unique slaves of the royal family. All race has one or two royal families, and almost all of them possess Royal Servant that is usually human slaves trained to do all kinds of tasks, let it be one where the servant needs to do a dirty job or sacrifice his or her life in exchange for others."


    Nash frowned when he heard Miles'' explanation and asked, "These Royal Servants... Do they have their Legacy unsealed?"


    "No, that is strictly prohibited. They are only given special Domination Arts that they can learn and use in battle without having the help of their Legacy." Miles replied calmly and another sigh of relief escaped from his mouth when he felt solid ground with his feet again.


    "Hmm..." Nash let Miles go and once he glanced at the cave where Miles once stood, which now was hidden by the falling water again, he asked, "How did you escape? No, more importantly, how many of you have escaped?"


    A glint of sadness which was unable to escape under Nash''s watch flashed in Miles'' eyes upon that question and with a weak voice, he said, "Only... Only me..."


    "You have escaped alone?" Nash asked with surprise, but when he saw how rapidly was Miles''s Sadness Level was increasing, he seemed to realize something and showed a smile.


    "But before we continue our chat, I am starving. Let''s find a place where we can eat to our fullest!"


    "I... I can help you with that!" Miles seemed to regain his liveliness in a flash and quickly said Nash to follow him.


    Watching as Miles was running toward the river fall, Nash smiled and gestured toward Amy to follow. As for the crates, he simply ordered his Souls to help carry them as leaving them outside would be an incredibly foolish choice.


    And just like that, they quickly vanished behind the falling wall of water, without any signs they have been there just a moment ago.


    -


    -


    -


    Several light-years away from Planet Nelea, on Planet Lark, Lord Ozren and Clavellina were standing next to a bed, looking at Erys'' sleeping figure in silence, but with heavy expressions.


    Behind them, Lord Amael was kneeling, his head so low that his forehead was touching the ground. Furthermore, his body was slightly trembling, an obvious sign he was far from calm despite having a tranquil complexion.


    Silence and heavy but invisible pressure was the only thing that filled the luxurious interior of the room, and time seemed to crawl at an incredibly slow pace.


    "So you tell me, that human, that slave was capable of breaking the seal on his Legacy and even were able to fight you on the same level despite being a whole Rank below?" after an indefinite amount of time, Lord Ozren''s voice filled the room that held surpassed anger.


    "A-Although I was not using my full strength, to not hurt the Young Lady accidentally because of the unpredictable nature of that ability, yes my Lord, he was able to fight me on equal grounds," Amael said, intentionally pushing his head stronger against the ground.


    "And he was also able to escape right under your supervision without you noticing him, furthermore kill all your men on the spaceship you have sent after the rest of the escapees and escape once again? Did I understand it correctly?"


    "...Yes, my Lord. I have no excuse, I have failed miserably. Please punish this lowly servant of your as you wish!"


    ''...''


    Lord Ozren fell into silence and didn''t talk. He glanced at Erys'' seemingly sleeping face and only then did he start to speak in a cold tone, "I will decide on your punishment later. Now, you have only one thing to do which is to bring that human before my feet once and for all. Until then, don''t even dare to show your face before me!"


    "As you wish, my Lord!" Amael nodded and without daring to remain even a second longer, he vanished from the room like a ghost.


    * * * * *


    A/N: Thought about Miles? :)

 Chapter 80 - Small Spark Of Ash

    After Amael vanished, Lord Ozren Glanced at Clavellina but strangely didn''t say a single word. He only stared at her with many emotions flickering in his eyes.


    "If you have something in your mind, speak it, dad." feeling the stare on her skin, Clavellina spoke, her voice holding a kind of softness that only appears when she was alone with her father.


    Lord Ozren remained silent as he watched Clavellina''s figure on his side before he closed his eyes and sighed deeply, which seemingly held inexpressible worry and stress.


    "Whenever I look at you and your sister, she always appears in my mind. Both of you represent her in so many ways that I cannot stop thinking, what if..."


    "Dad, you don''t need to continue." Clavellina interrupted her father''s speech and with a serious face, she said, "You and I... We all know that what happened with mom was an accident, something not even you could have prevented from occurring."


    "I know, but still..." Lord Ozren began to speak, but after his fourth word left his mouth he remained silent and what escaped his lips was another heavy sigh.


    Clavellina upon seeing her father''s worried expression as he stared at Erys, softened her complexion and extended her hand to gently hold her father''s hand that felt cold to the touch at the moment.


    "I know you are worried about us ending up with the same fate as mom did, but those concerns are nothing but meaningless worries." Clavellina said quietly and added, "Furthermore, in contrast to mother''s case, we know how to cure Erys'' situation."


    When Lord Ozren heard his daughter''s words his complexion immidieatly regained its previous lively colors and akin to flames that were ignited in his eyes, he nodded firmly.


    "That is true. Thinking about what would have happened and what will occur is completely meaningless. We must concentrate on the things that are currently present as those are the only things we can control!"


    Clavellina smiled and hugged her father cutely and said, "That is right. So don''t dwell on things you cannot change but instead focus on things you can. Like that human for example."


    And as she said those words, a somewhat evil smile appeared on her seductive face and quickly continued, "Once you have him in your grasp, you can do whatever you wish to do with him and free Erys from under his wicked control!"


    Lord Ozren touched his chin and nodded, a scary smile slowly creeping onto his face as many ideas already flashed through his mind about what he will do with Nash once he gets his fingers around him.


    Clearly, those ideas of his were rather wicked, or else his complexion wouldn''t be so evil at the very moment.


    -


    -


    -


    On Planet Nelea, inside the hidden cave behind the waterfall.


    The cave was rather huge, about as big as a basketball court or even a little bit bigger than that. The temperature was cold, the interior was barely illuminated by the gently burning fire in the middle of the cave while the ground and walls were slightly wet from the continuously dripping water from the cracks on the ceiling.


    To think Miles has lived and survived all this time in such a place for who knows how long with no apparent source of food and no comfortable spot to sleep made Nash and Amy sigh helplessly.


    Life was truly unfair.


    "I can still hardly believe you were able to hide so well right under the nose of those creatures. How did you find this place?" Nash asked Miles while he observed how his Souls put down the crates next to each other on the side.


    "Well, it was not found but was mined by my... my father," Miles said quietly, his previous sadness resurfacing once again.


    "By your father?" Nash and Amy looked at each other as they seemed to slowly put the pieces together.


    ''I see... So that''s how it is.'' Nash thought in his heart and quickly ordered one of his Souls to bring over the box which contained the food and drinks.


    "Those are..." Miles seemed to be in a daze when he watched as Nash took out the precooked but slightly frozen food from the box one after another, each looking more appetizing than the previous one.


    "We need fire," Nash said as he looked around but was surprised to see as Miles extended his hand and an orb of crimson flames materialized atop his palm, dancing like tamed dragons!


    "What? Flames? But how?" both Amy and Nash seemed to be under shock as they knew it was simply impossible for a slave to have the ability to control fire at will!


    Something was not quite right here. Nash immidieatly narrowed his eyes and stared coldly at Miles who seemed to flinch the moment he noticed his cold glare.


    "I-It is only a weak Domination Art which only allows me to summon a small orb of flame... It is completely harmless and can barely have any usage to keep myself warm." Miles explained, but when he saw Nash''s cold gaze didn''t change he began to tremble unconsciously.


    "My father stole it from a merchant that visited this planet about a month ago. But unfortunately, he was discovered shortly after he gave it to me and..." when Miles reached that point he suddenly fell silent with no apparent sign to continue.


    Amy and Nash looked at each other, and once their suspicion vanished they too decided to remain silent. Without saying anything, they grabbed the food from the crate and began to warm it up with the help of Miles'' flames.


    Time passed slowly and in silence, and although the flames were weak and not extremely hot, they still served their purpose and were able to warm the food up just to perfect temperature where their aroma filled the nostrils of the three.


    "Let''s dig in!" Nash said with shining eyes and quickly grabbed a small piece of meat that had a crimson cluster before stuffing it into his mouth.


    Amy did the same but in contrast to Nash who devoured the food without any manner, she ate her food with a rather elegant style, almost as if she was in a fancy restaurant despite she had not been in any at all in her life.


    As for Miles, he started to eat just like Amy, trying to consume the food with manner, but once the many otherworldly flavors assaulted his mouth he just simply failed to resist the urge and began to stuff his mouth full of food without stopping.


    "Hey, hey, hey! Calm down buddy, you will die at this rate!" Nash almost choked when he saw the speed which at Miles ate and quickly stopped him.


    Although he was not afraid that their supplies will go empty by him as they had at least a few weeks'' worth of food and drink, he was more than worried about Miles'' well-being if he suddenly eats so much food at once after not eating properly for years!


    "I... am sorry... I just couldn''t hold myself back after living only on a single bread for years. The food... was just too heavenly!" Miles said quietly, admitting his mistakes as he slowed his chewing down and lowered his hand.


    "Just make sure you don''t rush things as it won''t do any good for your body." Nash sighed and sat back, but suddenly his gaze spotted something tilting out from Miles'' pocket.


    It looked like the tip of a cube of some sort.


    "What is that?" Nash asked as he gazed at the thing inside Miles'' pocket and bitting on a porkchop that filled his mouth with all kinds of flavor.


    "Oh, this? This is the Domination Art I have just mentioned." Miles said as he took the item out from his pocket and handed it over to Nash.


    Swallowing down the meat in his mouth, Nash cleaned his hand and accepted the object which was a small cube with strange markings carved on its surface.


    "That is a Domination Art? How do you read its context?" Amy asked from the side as she too examined the small cube with curiosity.


    "Jwust fry fo fivst if." Miles mumbled with an entire piece of meat in his mouth.


    "What?" Nash frowned upon not understanding the words Miles said, looking at him with a confused look.


    Miles seeing his mistake gulped a huge, swallowing everything that was stuffed in his mouth in one go, and said, "What I said was just try to twist it."


    "Twist it?" Nash raised a brow and after a brief moment of hesitation did as Miles said, twisting the cube in his hold with a small ounce of his strength.


    And to Nash''s surprise, when he did, the cube moved in two different directions while a strange sensation assaulted his body or to be more specific his fingers which slowly became warmer and warmer with each passing of a fraction of a second.


    [Engraving successful!]


    [Congratulations! You have successfully learned ''Domination Art: Small Spark of Ash''!]


    When Nash heard the words in his mind, he looked surprised but soon his shock turned into delight and watched as rows of text appeared in his line of sight, seemingly being the description of his newly acquired Domination Art!


    * * * * *


    A/N: Hope you liked it! Vote for more and also stay safe!<3

 Chapter 81 - Merchant Ship

    ---------------------------------


    [Domination Art: Small Spark of Ash]


    ? Description: A simple Domination Art capable of summoning a small mass of flame around the user''s palm.


    ? Domination Class: Divinity Class


    {Abilities}


    ¡ã Ash Spark: Thrown on ash, the flame''s size will increase by 150% before exploding and destroying everything around it in a great radius!


    <The scale of destruction is highly dependable on the environment and the amount of ash!>


    {Passive Abilities}


    ¡ã Warmth: The flame will boost the temperature around its close proximity by a small margin.


    <Further abilities can be unlocked once reached higher Class!>


    ---------------------------------


    Nash read the description of his newly acquired Domination Art and felt delighted. But soon, that joy slowly turned into puzzlement then into deep confusion.


    What was a Domination Art?


    So far, as much as he was able to understand it, there existed only two types of Domination Arts, one that allowed a being to learn techniques under a single second and another one which could be mastered only through months or even several years of hard work!


    For instance, his Strings of Domination was a Domination Art that allowed him to learn and obtain a heaven-defying power under a single second without the need to practice or understand its basic concept to gain mastery over it!


    His Soul Shattering Grab, although a modified version, was also such a Domination Art. He only needed to swallow the small capsule and voila... He learned a power capable of destroying anyone''s soul with a single grab!


    On the other hand, Amy''s Two Wind Punch was not in the same category as those two as it needed her to practice it for a while before gaining a basic understanding of its concept and obtaining complete mastery over it!


    Out of these two kinds of Domination Arts, it was pretty obvious from first glance that this Small Spark of Ash was categorized among the ones that were formerly mentioned.


    However, this was not the true source of Nash''s confusion as he already knew the differences between these two types of Domination Arts.


    No, what made him feel at loss was something completely else, something much more complex. Like how was he able to learn this Domination Art just now and how did he acquire suddenly the power to control fire even though his body was incapable of doing such a thing in the past?


    Furthermore, to make things even more complicated than they already were, how could beings even learn Domination Arts in the first place if they have no affinity to a specific technique?


    For example, how was the Fairy Race able to learn Domination Arts associated with other elements and other skills if their bodies were built to control only water because of their Legacy?


    It made no sense right? Yet, for some miraculous reason, they were able to master other elements and other powerful techniques through Domination Arts, and worse enough, not only them but all the other existing races too!


    It was such a seemingly complicated question that Nash failed to find an answer even after he pondered for several minutes straight without uttering a single word!


    ''The only explanation I can currently come up with is my essence. Both my Strings of Domination and Soul Shattering Grab require my essence to activate and use.'' Nash thought in his heart as he activated his newly acquired Domination Art and watched as crimson flames engulfed his palm.


    And as he thought, he indeed felt a small movement inside his Ancient Veins, indicating his essence reacted the moment he activated his technique, yet when he watched if his amount of essence decreased or not he watched in confusion that they did not. This only confused him further and forced him to ponder longer.


    "So this little cube can grant you with that Domination Art?" Amy asked with piqued curiosity as she took the cube away from Nash and twisted it in the same manner as he did.


    Soon, her palm too was engulfed in crimson flames, but in contrast to Nash he was deep in his own thoughts, her silver eyes widened scarcely and mumbled, "150% increase in size and explosion upon throwing it on ash? This power is pretty useful despite being only a Divinity Class Domination Art, just a Class above the weakest Rank!"


    "Divinity Class? 150% increase in size and explosion? What are you talking about?" Miles who seemed to finished eating asked with puzzlement, looking at Amy with a raised brow.


    "I am talking about the description of the Domination Art that your fa... that you have acquired," Amy said with a slight correction of her speech, avoiding mentioning Miles about his father.


    "Description?" Miles ignored Amy''s mistake and instead of becoming sad he became even more puzzled than before, "What Description?"


    Amy was about to explain to Miles what the description was and how he could gain access to it when suddenly a blue light flashed in her eyes and watched as a needle pierced Miles in the middle of his forehead with precise accuracy!


    "You! What are you doing?" Amy snapped his toward Nash, looking slightly stupefied by his abrupt action.


    "What am I doing? Isn''t that obvious already? I am unsealing his Legacy." Nash answered without glancing at Amy and slowly added, "Furthermore, it is useless to explain to him what a description is."


    "What do you mean it is useless?" Amy frowned and watched as the needle flew back into Nash''s hand with no trace of blood on it.


    "What I mean, is that while his Legacy is unsealed, he has no ability to check descriptions let it be his own Legacy or other Domination Arts''," Nash said calmly and once Miles sat up with a dizzy face, he said, "Try to imagine the sight of you summoning those flames in your head. Now you should be able to see the description."


    Miles was confused and light-headed when he heard Nash''s words, but still nodded and did as he was told. And soon enough, his eyes widened while his eyes quickly lit up like stars in the dark sky.


    "So this is what you were talking about! Now I see! And also this... Dimension Refining Physique... So this was my Legacy all this time?" Miles mumbled with awe, but shortly his brows lowered into a frown and asked, "Level six Mortal? What does that mean?"


    "What? You are already Level 6?" both Nash and Amy widened their eyes when they heard Miles'' words, the latter even standing up from shock as she failed to understand just how could such a fragile-looking boy possess greater strength than her!


    "Well, it says the word level and six, so..." Miles scratched his neck and raised his gaze at Amy and Nash, "Is that good or bad though?"


    "That is extremely good." Nash nodded and looking at the dish in front of him he pondered for a brief moment before putting it down.


    "We need a plan. We need to leave this planet as soon as possible."


    Amy nodded in agreement while Miles remained silent only to say a while later, "If we want to escape the only possibility is through sneaking on a merchant ship."


    "Merchant ship?" Amy and Nash asked at the same time, curious to hear more.


    "As you may have noticed this already the planet is under tight security hence no one can enter and exit freely much less escape without notice. However, once every month, a merchant ship will visit this planet to trade and take various goods back to the Ancient Dimension."


    "The Ancient Dimension?"


    Miles nodded and continued, "Yes, but because the ship can''t travel directly back to the Ancient Dimension as only Interdimensional Titan Ships are capable of doing such a feat, it will stop at Planet Gaia where the Ancient Path is located."


    "Wait, the Ancient Path is located at Planet Gaia?" surprised by this sudden revelation Nash widened his eyes.


    Although he knew the Ancient Path existed and led into the Ancient Dimension, he had no clue at all where it was located, much less how he could get there. What''s more, he didn''t even know where Planet Gaia was until this very moment!


    "Yeah, it is. Or at least that is what I have heard from two merchants. But why do you ask this?" Miles asked with a puzzled expression.


    ''So it turns out that the Hidden Library was all this time at the planet where the Ancient Path was? There is no way it had not been found already, right?'' Nash thought in his heart, ignoring Miles''s and Amy''s confused gaze on him.


    "And when will this merchant ship arrive? Also, how long will it stay here?" after pondering for a while, Nash finally asked.


    "If I am right, the last one was here three weeks and 3 days ago, so the next one should arrive about 4 to 5 days. As for how long it will stay, it entirely depends on the merchants and the duration of their trading. It can last an hour or even half a day. It always differs from time to time."


    "That is more than enough." Nash smiled, already having an idea how they will escape from this planet using that merchant ship.


    * * * * *


    A/N: Hope you liked it! Stay safe!<3

 Chapter 82 - Sneaking Onto Argon (1)

    After filling their stomachs with all kinds of delicious foods and drinks while also discussing their plan about how to sneak on the arriving merchant ship, Nash explained to Miles how he should proceed with his Legacy now that he was already at Level 6.


    Of course, he didn''t hope to see him succeed on his first try as even he needed a little more than a few tries to get the hang of it, but to his great surprise, Miles unlocked his first Ancient Veins with seemingly no struggle!


    "This... Are you a monster disguised in human skin or what?" Nash mumbled with a somewhat stupefied expression and watched speechlessly as Miles unlocked another Ancient Vein as if he was breathing!


    "I don''t think so. I have just followed your instructions," Miles replied with a casual shrug, and once his eyes were closed another of his Ancient Veins were forced open!


    ''This is interesting.'' Nash showed a smile upon seeing the talent and potential Miles had, but all of a sudden his body flinched as he felt a piercing glare on his skin.


    "Huh? Why are you sulking at me?" Nash asked with puzzlement when he turned around and saw how Amy glared at him with narrowed eyes.


    "I''m not sulking," Amy replied in an instant.


    "Then why are you angry?"


    "I am not angry either," Amy replied instantly again, and without saying anything else she quickly walked into a corner where she began to do squats, push-ups, and all kinds of physical exercises that seemingly had the purpose to increase her level.


    By the intensity and the way she was doing them, it was pretty apparent she wished to catch up with the two of them as currently, she was the weakest among the three of them.


    Nash scratched the back of his neck when he saw Amy''s behavior, but alas, as he didn''t know how her brain worked he just shrugged and let it go. Instead, he sat down into a lotus pose and closed his eyes, trying to see what he should do to increase his Level.


    As far as he could see it, normal essence consumption was not the solution he wished to seek as even after he replenished his 10,000 essences there was no sign of change in his body much less a breakthrough into the second level.


    ''If the answer is not in the essence then will it be inside the body?'' Nash wondered and as he shut his senses down, he seeped his consciousness into his body.


    Initially, he found nothing strange nor a sign which could have told him he was on the right path, but just as he was about to pull his consciousness away he found something that confused him.


    Inside one of his Ancient Veins that was located just below his right shoulder bone, a small circle with a unique symbol in its middle which he failed to recognize was visible, flickering with a gentle white light ever so slightly.


    ''A symbol? Since when?'' Nash felt muddled and quickly decided to examine the rest of his Ancient Veins but this time in greater detail.


    And to his surprise, he found an additional four symbols, each located inside different parts of his body such as his left leg, left arm, right leg, and head! Furthermore, each carving looked different from the rest while the color they were flickering with varied too!


    ''White, green, red, blue, and black. Do they have a specific meaning and purpose or not?'' Nash wondered in his heart and slowly moved his consciousness to touch the symbol with the red glow.


    But strangely, when he touched the symbol nothing happened. His consciousness just passed through it without any seeming resistance or change!


    ''Strange.'' a small frown appeared on Nash''s peaceful face and although feeling scarcely lost he didn''t give up just now. Instead, he decided to change methods, this time using his essence instead of his consciousness.


    However, it seemed to be an extremely bad idea as the very moment his essence was controlled and pushed against the symbols, an immense amount of heat overran his body, making him feel like he was torched and boiled from the inside out!


    His Ancient Veins, bones, flesh, skin, and literally every part of his body felt like it was set ablaze, giving him an experience that he until this very moment didn''t even know could exist!


    Not bearing with the torture-like pain that scorched his whole body any longer, Nash quickly pulled his essence away. However, despite the burning sensation in his body starting to diminish, it seemed that he was still a step late as blood still gushed into his mouth uncontrollably and onto the ground, painting the sight before him all red!


    "N-Nash?" Amy who had been doing sit-ups at this moment jumped onto her feet and with a speed that surprised even herself, she appeared next to Nash, ready to help him not to fall to the side.


    But when her fingers got in contact with Nash''s shoulder, a painful grimace appeared on her pretty face while her hand was pulled back as if she just accidentally touched a scorchingly hot surface.


    "Hot... Why did his body feel like broiling steel? This is not normal at all!" Amy mumbled under her breath and watched as Nash''s skin slowly started to regain its natural bronze colors that previously seemed to be crimson!


    "I... I am fine... I just had a small accident while trying to break onto the next level." wiping the blood away from the corner of his mouth, Nash showed a trim smile as he reassured Amy with a calm voice.


    ''Small accident? That was small for you? Also, did it happen while you tried to break into the next level? Just what happened exactly?'' Amy wished to ask the questions that popped up in her mind one after another, but seeing as Nash has already closed his eyes and immersed himself back to his cultivation she could only shake her head helplessly and walk away.


    As for Miles, he was so engrossed in unlocking his Ancient Veins that he didn''t even notice what happened with Nash despite him coughing up a great amount of blood just a meter away from him!


    Time passed rather quickly and five days went by in a blink. During those times many things happened.


    First, the most noticeable change was that in just under three days Miles was able to unlock all his Ancient Veins and force his level to soar from Level 6 all the way to Level 10, just one final breakthrough away from reaching the next Rank and becoming a Warrior!


    Such a speed was simply outrageous as it beat Nash''s record by a huge margin!


    The second apparent change was also Amy''s level which after continuous physical training and a little help from Nash was brought to the peak, finally reaching Level 6!


    As for Nash, while he also progressed further with his cultivation, his advance, unfortunately, was nothing similar to Miles'' or Amy''s as he didn''t reach the next level even after attempting for days and nights without rest.


    He just simply succeeded in sustaining a little while longer during his attempts to unlock the red symbol in his Ancient Vein as it seemed to be some sort of seal. Although Nash felt slightly disappointed by his results, deep in his heart he still was delighted as progression was still progression and that is what mattered to him the most.


    After filling their stomachs with delicious food, changing clothes into ones that looked rather old and dirty, and hiding their weapons in the crates, Nash looked at the two in front of him and ask, "Are you ready?"


    "Well, do we have another choice?" Amy asked as she crossed her arms below her bosom while Miles just grinned and showed a thumbs up.


    When Nash saw how casual Miles was and acted only after a few days, Nash didn''t know whether to laugh or cry.


    ''This guy... His demeanor changed completely compared to the first time they have met, didn''t it? Well, at least it was a good thing to see him smile and have life in his previously soulless eyes.'' was what Nash thought to himself before he nodded and smiled.


    "Perfect! Then let''s get crack''n!"


    -


    -


    -


    On the far northern part of Planet Nelea where the golden grass on the ground and the yellow leaves on the trees were covered with a small amount of frost, a great city with a size of at least a few miles stood proudly, surrounded by towering silver walls built from seeming hard steel!


    And right in front of this great city that was constructed a bit more than 300 years ago despite the Human Dimension having been conquered a bit more than 1,000 years ago, Alina stood next to Mitah with a tranquil expression, her eyes gazing at the descending spaceship in the sky.


    * * * * *


    A/N: Hope you liked it! Make sure to vote for more and also stay safe! <3

 Chapter 83 - Sneaking Onto Argon (2-Last)

    The spaceship in the sky was rather big, at least half the size of the city behind Alina and Mitah. It had a long oval shape and while it had many levels, five to be exact, it didn''t look fragile nor inferior to battleships despite being only a merchant ship.


    Furthermore, the Starlight Iron which the spaceship was created from looked extremely shiny and majestic, giving it an appearance that could easily attract anyone''s attention even from a far distance and get an awed gasp at least once.


    As Alina watched the spaceship, whose official name was Argon descend slowly from the sky, she asked calmly, "Any news about the trespassers?"


    Upon hearing the question from his superior, Mitah shook his head and said, "Despite finding some of their trails in the southern Caryrpid Bamboo Forest, we failed to find anything else. It is almost like the earth had swallowed them."


    "Did you try to search toward the west?" Alina asked after a brief moment of pondering.


    "Yes, we did. Although not in great detail as we did toward the east where the trails led us, I still sent a squad to search the western regions." Mitah replied with a nod.


    "The trails led toward the east?" for the first time after a while Alina frowned and said, "After leaving the Caryrpid Bamboo Forest to the east, did you find anything else?"


    "Unfortunately, we did not." Mitah shook his head helplessly.


    Alina''s frown deepened a level but when she saw how the gates of Argon opened and several beings began to walk toward them, she relaxed her muscles and said quietly, "Order four more squads to go and search the western regions as soon as possible. Even though I know they can''t leave this planet right under our watch, I still have a hunch that they went west and are trying to hide somewhere there."


    "Understood. I will go and do it right away." Mitah nodded and without saying anything else, he walked away with hurried steps.


    As for Alina, she remained where she was and after letting out a sigh quickly showed a charming smile and said, "Welcome to Planet Nelea once again. Hope you had a safe and comfortable journey."


    "Lady Alina! You are as gorgeous as ever! No, I must say you become even more beautiful the more I see you! Not even the Moon Goddess herself would be able to rival with your beauty!" a handsome creature with a seemingly flawless figure walked up to Alina, showing her a dazzling smile that was by no means ugly.


    His short silk smooth golden hair that waved in the gentle breeze, his golden eyes that glowed akin to a pair of stars in the sky, his immaculate white skin that even females would envy, and his posture that held great confidence as if he was the blessed child of the heavens. Everything on and about him was perfect, that was a straight fact!


    Furthermore, to boost his natural charisma several levels higher, he wore an azure blue robe with ancient symbols sewed all over its surface, giving him a rather ancient and royal aura that only a few could compete with.


    His name was Flake, the third prince of the Slayer Race. And like all being hailing from that Race, Flake too possessed a rather terrifying Legacy called Slayer Will, allowing him to boost his overall strength by several folds during any time in any battle!


    Enemies on the same Rank simply stood no chance against a Slayer while those a single Rank above had a really difficult time dealing with one and could even end up dying if there were more than one!


    "Please, you are flattering me." Alina''s smile widened scarcely as she looked at Flake''s handsome face and slowly shifted her gaze at the rest of the beings behind Flake.


    "Seniors... I am glad to see that all of you are safe and sound." Alina bowed slightly, giving one a feeling almost as if she was no longer a warrior and a leader of Planet Nelea, but a maid that served guests in all her life until now!


    "Lady Alina, I have heard the news about this Dimensional Creature that tried to wreak havoc on this planet a few days ago. Is that true? Do you wish me to contact my family and send some help to hunt it down so it can no longer trouble you?" a creature who was clad in silver armor and had long silver hair with a pair of silver horns on its forehead asked in a soft tone, his eyes holding concern.


    "I appreciate your and your family''s kindness, but if my memory does not fail me the Silver Dragons are currently at war with the Serpents over a newly discovered Dimension Rift. It would be selfish from my side to ask for your race''s help." Alina quickly rejected the help with a gentle and appreciated smile.


    "Selfish act? It is never selfish to ask for help, especially if the one asking is a beautiful lady such as yourself!" the creature whose name was Zoar rebutted instantly, and with a somewhat arrogant smile he added, "Also, I hope you didn''t forget why my race called the Kings of the Silver Tempest! Dealing with a newly born Dimensional Creature is child''s play, it won''t even take us a day to kill it!"


    Alina continued to smile upon hearing Zoar''s words and said, "I see, but I think we should talk about this matter at a later date. First, why don''t we go inside and start why you have all come for?"


    "That is a great idea! Let''s go!"


    Thus, all the creatures followed Alina inside the city, leaving only a few guards outside to guard the spaceship against seemingly non-existent threats.


    "Okay, they are gone. Are you guys ready?" not far away from the city and the spaceship, Nash turned around and looked at Amy and Miles behind him.


    "Ready." Amy and Miles nodded, their complexion being rather serious at the moment.


    "Perfect. Then let''s do this!" Nash smiled and after taking a deep breath to calm himself down he began to walk toward the two guards before the spaceship that at the moment were clad in blue armor and had a similar appearance to Zoar..


    "Huh?" one of the Silver Dragons immidieatly noticed the approaching three figures and was ready to raise the spear in his hand when suddenly relaxed and a confused look emerged on his face, "Slaves?"


    "What are you doing here? Shouldn''t you be mining in your Sections?" the creature asked with narrowed eyes, his voice holding disgust and contempt.


    Nash, who led the three stopped before the Silver Dragon and raised his trembling gaze. His back was slightly hunched while his body subconsciously took a step back, almost as if he was scared to even breathe much less speak!


    Furthermore, Amy and Miles behind him clung to his dirty clothes, giving the creature a sight akin to two little siblings trying to hide behind their elder brother from something extremely terrifying.


    "Haha! Look at you man! You have scared them shitless! Haha! They are trembling like rabbits!" the other creature laughed as he watched the three, earning a smirk from his friend.


    "W-We were ordered to take that abroad," Nash mumbled quietly and pointed at a single large crate on the side.


    "Huh? When did that get there?" both creatures looked puzzled when they saw the crate, but quickly shrugged it off and said, "Make it quick and get done with it."


    Nash''s eyes lit up and with Amy''s and Miles''s help picked the crate up and followed the creature that mocked them a moment ago into the spaceship. As for the second one, it remained outside, proceeding on with his guarding without a single care in the world.


    The three followed the creature through different halls and rooms before they finally arrived before a door that said ''Storage Room Number 44''.


    "We are here. Put that box inside already and scram. This is not a place you pieces of trash can linger around." the creature sneered and even punched Miles who was the closest to him in the back.


    However, when his palm hit Miles'' back the awaited sight of him stumbling and forcing the other two to fall too didn''t happen, and instead, his palm turned slightly numb almost as if he just hit a boulder instead of flesh.


    "What the...?" the creature frowned and wished to try again when suddenly a shadow appeared behind him with a silver dagger gently placed before his throat.


    "If you mutter even a single word, I will slit your throat open without hesitation." Amy''s cold voice appeared from behind the creature, earning it to shut his previously big mouth tightly because of the firmly pressing coldness on his throat.


    "Good job guys. It went more smoothly than I have believed." Nash praised the two as he looked around. Only when he made sure there were indeed no security cameras on the walls did he nod and walk before the creature, his whole body emitting a rather chilling aura.


    "As for you, you did great work too." Nash smiled and with a firm grip grabbed one of the creature''s horns, pulling his face to his a little bit closer.


    * * * * *


    A/N: Hope you liked it! <3

 Chapter 84 - Leaving Planet Nelea

    Nash firmly clenched the creature''s horns and leaned forward, his face only an inch away from the creature''s who was uncontrollably trembling.


    "Let me see... Should I skin you alive and turn your scales into a nice armor, should I cut your throat open and let you bleed to your death or..." Nash spoke slowly and as he tightened his grip around the creature''s horns, asked coldly, "Should I break everything on and inside your body, starting with these right here?"


    The creature''s pupils shrunk when he felt the pain in his horns and his Fear Level immidieatly skyrocketed.


    ''Oh?'' Nash was delighted to see he found such a weakness and without hesitation secretly activated his Dominator''s Domain.


    [Dominator''s Domain activated!]


    [Choose an Emotion Level freely to alter!]


    ? Fear: Chance Level - 42% --> 99%


    Right away, the creature''s face paled as if he just saw a ghost, and Nash''s figure gradually turned into that of a devil in his eyes, especially with that somewhat wicked and cold smile of his!


    "Now that I think about it, these horns look beautiful. Maybe I should really break them off and craft a weapon out of them. A pair of daggers would probably look extremely good." Nash spoke indifferently seemingly to himself and while his cold eyes glared at the horns on the creature''s forehead, his grip tightened, forming small but apparent cracks on it.


    And just as he did, the awaited results showed them right away!


    ? Fear: Chance Level - 99% --> 100%


    [Target''s {Fear} reached Critical Level!]


    [Attaching {Life String} on target now possible!]


    The words in his head made Nash form an even wider grin and without a second thought caught the white string that appeared and floated before his face.


    Swish!


    [Attachment successful!]


    "What is your name?" once the string was successfully attached to his finger, Nash let the creature''s horn go and gestured at Amy to take her weapon away from the creature''s throat too.


    The creature first felt confused by the sudden change of behavior of the human before him but when he saw how even the human girl relaxed and retreated he sneered coldly and was ready to throw out his fist to kill all three of them at once!


    But to his utter shock, no matter how much he wished to move his body didn''t adhere to his commands and remained where he was!


    ''What is happening with me? Why can''t I move?'' the creature''s eyes widened and his shock grew a level deeper when he watched as he suddenly began to talk even though he did not wish to!


    "My name is Gruze."


    "I see." Nash nodded and pointed in the direction from where they have just come from, "Then Gruze, go back and pretend as if nothing happened here. Also, if your friend or anyone else asks about us just think about a reason. Even though you are a bonehead, at least you can think about one, right?"


    ''Bonehead? Who the fuck do you think you are, you piece of trash?!? I''m gonna gut you alive like a fish, just you wait!'' was what Gruze wished to say, but what he did instead was stand up and without saying a word walked away!


    "Do you really think it will be alright?" Amy asked once Gruze''s figure couldn''t be seen any longer. Even Miles seemed a little skeptical, but it was because this was his first time seeing Nash''s Domination Art in action.


    "Trust me, they will have no clue that we were here. Even if they realize that we have sneaked up, it will already be too late." Nash said with confidence as he walked inside the storage room and sat down, seemingly ready to cultivate.


    Amy and Miles looked at each other, but alas, they could only trust him and see what will happen.


    "Took you a while. Huh? Wat, where are the brats?" seeing that Gruze''s figure finally emerged from Argon the Silver Dragon looked confused, trying to find Nash''s and the other two''s shadow.


    "You don''t need to worry about them any longer. They have been taken back to their Section by Lord Soaz." Gruze answered with an indifferent face, taking his position to continue guarding the spaceship.


    "Taken back to their Section? And by Lord Soaz himself?" the Silver Dragon raised a brow, but soon his eyes lit up.


    As there was only this one exit on Argon, having no other possible route outside, the creature knew that his friend was lying. However, because he was well aware of just what kind of wicked personality that Lord of theirs named Soaz had, he knew it was better to forget about those three human slaves as soon as possible.


    ''Those three, especially that female... Sigh... Well, they can only blame their bad luck for having such a bad fate.'' the creature sighed in his heart and quickly shook his head in hope to forget that he even saw those three slaves just now.


    Time passed relatively quickly and one and half an hour later Alina and the rest of the creatures finally walked out of the city, while many Thousand Blood followed them from behind, each carrying huge crates toward Argon.


    "As always, it was a great pleasure to make business with you. Also, thank you very much that you all still trust us by trading so many goods with us." Alina showed her usual beautiful smile, earning all the creatures'' admiration in front of her in a flash.


    "Please... We should be the ones thanking you instead. You have given us so many discounts on so many priceless items and ores that we can''t even thank you enough" Flake said with a warm smile, immediately earning all the other creature''s nod.


    There was no question all of them were thankful for Alina as without her they would have had to pay hundreds if not thousands more than here on Planet Nelea.


    "Little Blondie this time indeed has a point." Zoar laughed and quickly continued, "That is why, if you ever need help don''t hesitate to get in touch with me. My family will always keep its doors open before you, Lady Alina."


    Flake''s brows twitched upon hearing the nickname Zoar gave him, but as he knew it was meaningless to start a quarrel, especially before Alina, he just kept smiling and remained silent.


    "I appreciate your goodwill, really, but as you have already seen it everything is under perfect control. Of course, if I ever see I need to, I won''t hesitate to accept your offer." Alina said with a charming smile enough to melt one''s bone.


    "That is perfect then." Flake and the rest nodded and after exchanging a few words they began to walk back to Argon.


    Zoar even asked the two guards protecting the entrance of Argon if there was any problem, but as he got the answer of no from both of them he had no reason to linger around and walked away.


    When the spaceship took off into space the smile on Alina''s face instantly vanished and her previous cold and indifferent facade quickly appeared instead.


    "Did you find them?" Alina asked Mitah once she was inside the control center, her gaze fixed firmly on the monitors before her.


    "Not yet." Mitah shook his head gently, but quickly added, "But it seems Lady Alina was right. It seems they have indeed escaped toward the west as we have found several traces of them in the western region."


    "Good. Keep on searching. It is only a matter of time before we catch them." Alina nodded and left the control center, completely oblivious that the ones she was trying to find and catch had long ago left the planet with the spaceship that had just landed on its surface a few hours ago.


    -


    -


    -


    Somewhere inside a hidden corner of the Ancient Dimension where space and time were so shattered, a gigantic and ancient palace sailed in sheer space, continuously getting hit by abyss black lightning that emerged from the space cracks seemingly erratically.


    Yet, even inside this seeming death zone where even the strongest being from the current era would die without a chance to put up a fight, the palace stood and floated as proudly ever, no matter what.


    Such a sight would definitely shock even the greatest minds that were currently at the apex of the Ancient Dimension to the point where they would immidieatly reconsider if they really were truly the strongest existences among all the existing dimensions or not!


    As for what or who resided inside it, it was a complete mystery as the very second the 100th lighting struck its seemingly indestructible walls, the whole palace was engulfed in emerald green light before vanishing into nothingness, leaving behind not even a single trace at all that it was there just a second ago!


    * * * * *


    A/N: Hope you liked it! What do you think was that palace just now? Make sure you vote as if we reach 250 votes I will upload an extra chap and even more if we can reach more!


    Stay safe! <3

 Chapter 85 - Arriving At Planet Gaia

    Inside a relatively massive spaceship that almost could be called a battleship, Amael stood in the center of the huge control center and gazed outside the giant window, staring into the far and empty space with a rather indifferent face.


    As he was standing with a firm posture on top of a small platform, suddenly one of the Thousand Bloods that controlled the spaceship and managed the panels on the front turned around and began to speak, "Lord Amael, we have finally found the current location of Torrent."


    Torrent was the name of the spaceship that was sent to find the escaped humans but for some unknown reasons, just like how Nash, it too has vanished into seemingly thin air with no news about its whereabouts!


    Hence, hearing that they finally found its current location which very likely could lead them to find Nash too, a glint of delight flashed through Amael''s crimson eyes and immediately ordered the warrior to reveal further information.


    "It seems it has landed on Planet Nelea after encountering a newborn Dimensional Creature, but strangely, after searching its interior it was found empty. No one was found present on it after it has landed." the creature read the information from the small tablet in his hand.


    "No one was on it?" Amael frowned but soon a sigh escaped from his mouth and shook his head.


    It was pretty obvious that those he has sent after the escapees had been all killed by that human boy. But to think he not only was able to hijack the spaceship and gain complete mastery over its control to the point where he was able to safely escape from a Dimensional Creature... Amael felt he completely underestimated Nash.


    "Locate Planet Nelea, we are heading there right now," Amael said with indifference as he crossed his arms before his chest.


    "Understood!" all the Thousand Bloods roared in unison and after pressing several buttons on the panels, white light engulfed the spaceship before turning the whole construction into a white flash that vanished into thin space!


    And in less than an hour, they have arrived and landed on Planet Nelea with Alina and Mitah already waiting before the city''s gate with a rather stiff complexion.


    "Lord Amael! What a pleasure to see you again! What has brought you to this scrubby planet of ours?"


    Alina was slightly surprised upon seeing Amael''s sudden appearance but still bowed with respect, knowing that the one before her was the right hand of the King of the Thousand Blood Race, someone who had great fame, strength, and prestige!


    "Quit the formalities. Just tell me everything you know about the spaceship tha landed on this planet about a week ago." Amael said coldly, giving zero crap he was talking to the supervisor of Planet Nelea and a Fairy.


    The corner of Alina''s lips twitched but knowing the difference in status between her and Amael she could only bear with it and tell everything she knew.


    "Did you find them?" Amael narrowed his eyes when he heard the ones on the spaceship were hiding on this planet.


    But at the same time, he also felt that something was not quite right as according to Alina, they sensed two individuals with their device. It meant that outside of Nash there was also someone else with him, even though he knew about only Nash who escaped.


    ''Could it be that he was able to capture someone else the same way he did with Erys? That could answer how he was able to maneuver the spaceship and escape from the Dimensional Creature without dying.'' Amael pondered and said, "Tighten the security around the planet, no one can enter or leave until I say so. Also, increase the number of units scouring for those trespassers at least twice. I want to see those two before my feet as soon as possible!"


    Both Alina and Mitah felt stupefied by how seriously Amael took this situation. Especially Alina as her back was currently soaked with cold sweat as she was the one who realized that the gravity of things was much greater than she has initially believed them to be!


    "U-Understood! As you wish, Lord Amael!" the two bowed quickly, and without daring to waste even a single second more, both ran away to do as they were told.


    Amael watched the two run away and once not even their shadows were visible in the distance he looked toward the sky, unknown what he was currently thinking.


    -


    -


    -


    Argon traveled through space with unprecedented speed, giving one an illusion that they were traveling an extremely thin tunnel with the planets, stars, and asteroids in the distance being stretched with seemingly no limit!


    Since its departure from Planet Nelea, about two days have passed and even then there was no sign of it slowing down. Of course, it could have chosen to use space jump to reach Planet Gaia instantly, but then the possibility of crossing paths with a terrifying Dimensional Creature or entering a Danger Zone accidentally would increase dramatically without a question!


    But although two days seemed a long time, in truth, it passed rather quickly in the eyes of the three that currently sat in a lotus position at the bottom of the spaceship, inside one of its storage rooms.


    While Amy was unlocking her Ancient Veins with an obviously slower pace than Miles or Nash until then the two boys sat motionlessly next to each other, their faces contorting into painful grimaces from time to time. Miles even threw up a small amount of blood rarely when he failed to resist the pain any longer.


    "Damn... This is freaking hard..." Miles opened his eyes and leaned back while his chest moved up and down in a rapid manner! Furthermore, his whole body covered in sweat while his skin was also as crimson as a shrimp''s!


    Nash looked the same as him, but he at least had a slightly better complexion than Miles; it was obvious he had been attempting to unlock the first seal way longer than Miles who just became an Ascender.


    Bam!


    As Miles was trying to recollect his breath, suddenly a gentle ripple swept through the storage room and Amy opened her eyes, revealing a pair of charming silver eyes.


    "Twelfth Ancient Vein unlocked... Fifty-two more to go," she murmured quietly under her breath and was ready to close her eyes back when suddenly the spaceship shook gently, indicating they were finally slowing down.


    Nash, who all this time was silently cultivating finally opened his eyes and stood up.


    "We have arrived," Nash said calmly and looked outside through the small circular window on the side, watching as they were slowly but surely approaching and entering the atmosphere of a small planet.


    ''So this is Planet Gaia?'' Nash wondered as he watched how completely different this planet was from the rest he has ever seen before.


    The planet was small but at the same time beautiful, completely different from what he was used to. Almost its whole surface was covered with the color of blue, giving it a rather deep blue color, but the rest of it which seemingly were the continents of it was covered in the mixture of brown, green, and white with the latter only appearing at the two opposite sides of it.


    Furthermore, it even had one small silver moon drifting around it. Although many artificial cities were constructed on it that seemingly were inhabited by many creatures, it was definitely a moon.


    As the three were inspecting the planet that was surrounded by hundreds of spaceships and even a single massive interstellar spaceship, suddenly the microphones on the walls began to speak.


    "We have arrived at Planet Gaia. We will land about in 2 minutes."


    * * * * *


    A/N: Hope you liked it! <3

 Chapter 86 - City Neo

    The words made Nash immidieatly snap out of his daze and ran next to the crate.


    "Quick, wear these." after opening the lid of the crate they have brought on board, Nash pulled several armors out and handed them over to Amy and Miles.


    Both were armors that were worn by the Thousand Bloods he has killed way back when they hijacked the spaceship, so their size was almost a perfect match thanks to their time to choose from many.


    Or at least it was a perfect match for Nash and Amy, but for Miles who already had a very thin frame than the two, his was slightly big. At the very moment, he looked like a little kid trying to wear his parents'' clothes, giving him a rather comical appearance.


    "Is this for real? Is there no other armor I can wear?" Miles felt like crying as the helmet on his face occasionally slid forward, hindering him from seeing whatever was before him.


    "Just bear with it. We will buy you a new one once we get out of here." Amy said calmly, but if one looked at her face one would find it pretty obvious she wished to giggle a little bit.


    Miles, on the other hand, felt angry and wished to say something when suddenly the door on the side was opened and several creatures, each hailing from a different race entered the room, wearing differently styled and colored armors and weapons.


    "It''s okay. Just act rela-, ...H-Hey! A-Are you feeling okay?" Nash wished to tell Amy and Miles to just act calmly and naturally when suddenly he noticed the stiff and slightly trembling complexion of Miles.


    Currently, he was looking like someone whose whole face was carved out of stone!


    "Feeling okay? I am okay. I feel perfectly okay. Why? Do I look like someone who is not feeling okay?" Miles turned to look at Nash with a stiff smile, sweat oozing out of his face like a river!


    Nash opened his mouth to answer those questions, but even before he could have spoken a stern voice appeared in the room, halting him from speaking.


    "Hey, you three there! Why are you standing there like statues? Pick that crate up and take it to the entrance now! We have arrived at Planet Gaia."


    Nash and Amy glanced at the creature and seeing his cold and piercing stare they nodded and quickly picked up the crate. As for Miles, Nash had to smack him in the back of his head to move, accidentally forcing his helmet to slid down before his eyes once again.


    "Tsk, newbies. They always slack off. Should I teach them a lesson or two later?" the creature who seemingly was a Silver Dragon sneered but at the same time licked his lips before looking at the rest of the creatures behind him, "Naturally, when I said pick the crates up, I didn''t only mean them. Move your asses too! All of you!"


    "Yes, Lord Soaz!" all the creatures roared in unison, and without daring to waste a single second longer in the storeroom each grabbed a crate or two, carrying them to the entrance with hurried steps.


    "Come on, Miles! Get hold of yourself! We have been almost gotten caught because of you!" Amy whispered at Miles who was currently as stiff as a puppet.


    Nash took a glance at Miles'' Indicator silently and watching as his Fear Level slowly but surely began to creep upward he sighed and activated his Dominator''s Domain.


    [Dominator''s Domain activated!]


    [Choose an Emotion Level freely to alter!]


    "Miles, look into my eyes." Nash placed his hand on Miles'' shoulder and made him look into his eyes.


    "Just take a deep breath, and concentrate on your heartbeat."


    Miles felt a warm sensation sweep through his body and watched as for some reason his previous fear began to gradually vanish, replaced by joy all of a sudden.


    "Thank you. Now I am truly fine." after taking a deep breath, Miles showed a smile as he adjusted his helmet once again.


    Nash smiled upon seeing that Miles was no longer prim nor looked like a piece of wooden puppet and quickly looked around.


    They were currently standing in a huge room with many other creatures already waiting to depart the ship. He could even see the figures of Flake, Zoar, and the rest of the creatures that went to do business on Planet Nelea on the front, making him feel rather nervous for some reason.


    ''Well, all of them are powerful existences, no wonder I feel so unease around them.'' Nash thought in his heart and shifted his gaze at Amy who seemed to be just as anxious as him too.


    Thud!


    After a few minutes of silence, the interior of the spaceship shook gently indicating they have finally landed. And soon enough, the huge gate of Argon began to open, revealing a sight that earned the awed gasp of Nash and the two on his side even though they tried to resist the urge!


    Huge skyscrapers on every side, holograms floating in sheer air showing different things, long streets with stalls on each corner, and flying vehicles and creatures flying in the sky.


    There were even terrifying beasts that seemed to be mounted by other beings!


    Furthermore, to make the whole city even more breathtaking, all the buildings, streets, windows, and objects were covered and wrapped up in neon tubes that emitted different colors even though it was daytime at the moment.


    As for them, they were inside the very center of the city on top of a towering pillar that was constructed to let Argon and other merchant ships land there safely!


    "Take the boxes to the signaled locations!" suddenly the voice of Soaz sounded, immediately making all the armored creatures to picked their crates up and depart the ship one by one before leaving to designated zones.


    "Let''s go. Just follow me." Nash whispered to Amy and Miles as he picked the crate up and began to walk toward a point where not a lot of eyes watched but could easily run into the depth of the city if they got close enough.


    However, they didn''t even reach the edge of the platform when suddenly all three of their bodies trembled unconsciously before the sight around them darkened and a chilling voice appeared behind them.


    "I said, bring the crates to the designated areas. Where do the three of you think are going?"


    Nash, Amy, and Miles slowly turned their heads around only to see a muscular figure standing before them with arms crossed before his chest, his deep black eyes staring down at them with chilling coldness.


    It was Lord Soaz, emitting an aura almost similar to Amael''s!


    ''We are done for!'' Amy thought in her heart while Miles just stared with a stiff complexion at Soaz while his helmet slid forward, blocking his vision.


    Nash, on the other hand, looked calm and silently moved his finger, one that was attached with one of his newly acquired Life Strings!


    "I asked the three of you a question! Why the fuck are you bringing that crate over here when that crate''s spot is at the opposite side? I hope you will have a satisfactory answer or don''t blame me if I-" Soaz was about to take a step forward to pressure the three even more when suddenly a commotion halted his steps and attracted his attention.


    Clang!


    A sharp sound akin to metal clashing against metal resounded in the distance while a powerful ripple swept through the air sending those with weaker physical strength flying in an instant!


    "Hm?" Soaz turned around and narrowed his eyes, but when he saw how two Silver Dragons started a fight his eyes widened, and blurted out loudly, "The fuck? Gruze? What is that fucker attacked the prince?"


    * * * * *


    A/N: Hope you liked it! <3

 Chapter 87 - Mystic Hall Of Mastery

    Right before the entrance of Argon, Flake was talking with Zoar with a friendly smile on his face when suddenly his eyes turned sharp and a powerful aura broke out of his body.


    Swish!


    BAM!


    The sound of metal clashing against metal resounded in the air while a powerful ripple swept through the surroundings, sending those with a weaker physical strength flying without any chance to resist!


    "And what exactly do you think you are doing, if I may ask?" Flake''s voice was ice cold while his eyes stared with immense killing intent at the one who wished to severe his head just a moment ago.


    Right before Flake, a Silver Dragon that was not even at the middle stage of the Warrior Rank was pressing his spear firmly against his sword, its tip only an inch away from Flake''s head!


    "Gruze! What the fuck do you think you are doing! Did you get tired of living already?!" Zoar roared angrily when he saw how one of his men attacked the third prince of the Slayers, veins bulging out on his neck that threatened to explode at any given moment!


    Gruze glanced at Zoar with an indifferent expression and without saying a single word spun around and swung his spear, this time targeting Zoar instead of Flake!


    "Fucking courting death!" Zoar roared angrily as a huge greatsword materialized into his hand and once in his firm hold, he swung it at Gruze without any sign of holding back!


    Swish!


    BOOOOOOOM!!


    The greatsword moved with speed that was hard to track with the bare eyes and even before Gruze''s spear could have had the chance to reach its target the greatsword already appeared above Gruze''s head, smashing his whole body into meat paste!


    A deep frown appeared on Soaz''s face when he saw what happened and was ready to walk over when he suddenly noticed that the three brats he was scolding just now were nowhere to be seen!


    Even the crate they have carried has vanished, causing his face to darken tremendously, giving one the illusion the sky above has suddenly darkened.


    Meanwhile, somewhere in the far corner of the city, three individuals wearing black robes walked out from an alleyway, their faces covered by the hoodies. One of them even had an emerald mask on his face, one that had a detailed but simple design.


    "You are just way too careless! That was way too close! He could have noticed us!" as the three walked through the streets with slow steps, the one on the right who seemingly had a feminine voice said to the one who wore the emerald mask.


    "Well, he did not notice us, did he?" Nash shrugged casually and enjoyed the city''s scenery around them from behind his mask, which in fact was the Protean Jewel that he made to change shape!


    As for how they were able to escape from under Soaz''s nose, that small and ''unexpected'' ruckus by Gruze helped them jump down from the pillar and with his Sky Wings, he was able to fly away.


    ''Luckily no one noticed us or things could have gone awry real quick.'' Nash thought in his heart and shifted his gaze at the floating words in his line of sight that only he could see at the moment.


    ---------------------------


    [Reaped Legacy Information]


    ? Description: A stolen power that was obtained by consuming the lost string that was on the verge of vanishing from all existence.


    ? Legacy Rank: Warrior Rank


    {Ability}


    ¡ã Thunder Scale Body: Power capable of allowing the owner to grow silver scales capable of fending against powerful strikes with the mere body alone!


    <During a storm, the defense of the Thunder Scale Body increases by two folds!>


    <During thunderstorms, the defense of the Thunder Scale Body increases by three folds and allows the owner to control natural lightning to a given extent!>


    <This Reaped Legacy can be raised to the next Rank either by reaping a stronger being''s Legacy or tempering the body through lightning 1,000 times!>


    ---------------------------


    A smile uncontrollably crept its way atop Nash''s face and if it were not for his mask covering his face, Amy and Miles would definitely look at him like someone who lost all his screws.


    ''Another useful power in the collection.'' Nash felt delighted and slowly couldn''t help but wonder which part of his Domination Art was stronger; his ability to dominate anyone living being with Life Strings, his power to control the dead, or to steal others'' Legacy without seemingly no struggle.


    ''I can still hardly believe this power truly exists. I wonder who created and how he did it.'' Nash thought to himself and as he walked through the streets with Amy and Miles on his side his eyes suddenly caught sight of something.


    "Mystic Hall of Mastery? Isn''t that a shop where they sell Domination Arts, weapons, and a lot of other things?" Nash wondered as he halted his steps, forcing the two on his side to stop walking too.


    "Should we check it out? We have quite the amount of Space Jade Crystals, so maybe if we are lucky we can find some good Domination Arts for the two of you." Nash asked, looking at Miles and Amy.


    Although the two of them had their Legacy''s unsealed thanks to the Sky Sealing Needle, they still were sheep among a pack of wolves waiting to be slaughtered. As for the Small Spark of Ash, Nash didn''t even watch it as a true Domination Art as it was only useful if there were ash in the proximity!


    "Well, we don''t really have other things to do, so..." Amy shrugged and began to walk toward the relatively big building that had about 10 stories.


    After entering the building the three immediately froze in one place, their eyes widened from the sheer shock that the breathtaking sight around them induced!


    Currently, they were standing at the edge of a massively huge but empty circular hall with ten rather large gates standing on the sides, five on the right and five on the left. As for the center on the very opposite side, only a long desk was placed with a single being standing behind it, writing words inside a rather thick book.


    "Oh? Welcome to the Mystic Hall of Mastery, a place where you can find everything and buy anything! Of course, only if you have enough crystals in your pocket! Haha!" an old man with a long white beard and white short hair smiled toward the three the very moment they entered the building.


    Nash, Amy, and Miles shifted their gazes at the individual behind the desk the moment they heard his voice, but once they saw his face and sure, they could not help but loosen their jaws and widen their eyes even more!


    "A... A human?!?"


    * * * * *


    A/N: New Privilege Tier! Make sure to check it out! :)

 Chapter 88 - Treasure Carvings

    Right, the one before them was not a creature that hailed from a different race than them but was a human in flesh and blood!


    A muscular body that was akin to tempered steel, beard, and hair that was as white as snow, and a lively aura that was the complete opposite to all the humans they have ever seen before!


    The human man before them was even smiling at them, one that was not an act as Nash could clearly see his Happiness Level was slightly above 50%!


    "What is happening here?" Nash murmured under his breath but when he felt a slight tug on the side of his robe he turned to the side and watched as Miles looked at him.


    "What?" Nash raised a brow as he asked, seeing Miles slowly begin to turn tense just like on Argon.


    "Brother Nash... I think he is a Royal Servant." Miles said in a low voice as his eyes were fixed on the human''s figure in the distance.


    "What? A Royal Servant?" Nash immidieatly raised his guard and glanced at the man. However, even after looking at him for several seconds straight, he found nothing irregular on him and even felt how his Legacy was sealed completely.


    "Well, he is not really a real Royal Servant as his servant emblem is different, but he still has one on him," Miles said as he glanced at the right side of the man''s neck.


    Nash and Amy followed Miles'' gaze and indeed, on the right side of the human''s neck a white tattoo was visible, seemingly being some kind of symbol. However, because they were far from him and were standing not at the perfect angle, Nash was incapable of seeing the symbol properly.


    "Should we just go then?" Amy asked, her voice holding obvious signs of anxiety which was understandable.


    Nash pondered quietly but the longer he stared at the man in front of him the more he felt the right choice should be to approach him than leave.


    Hence, after thinking for a brief moment he just sighed and said quietly, "Just stay behind him and make sure he won''t see your faces. Also don''t speak no matter what."


    Amy and Miles although confused and worried, they still trusted Nash and after giving him a slight nod, they followed him closely from behind.


    "Welcome to Mystic Hall of Mastery! My name is Elfred. Oh, what a pretty mask! Where did you buy it? Was it expensive? Just you know we have the collections of our masks too!" the man called Elfred smiled widely and when he saw the three were close enough he began to ask questions one after another.


    Nash was about to refuse whatever the man was saying, but after hearing that they had masks to sell so he swallowed the words he wished to say next and in a low voice asked, "How much?"


    "Heh?" Elfred''s expression with a still open mouth froze for a split second before a light bulb appeared above his head and said, now even a wider grin, "You mean the masks? Come, let me show you my babies! I am pretty sure you will like them!"


    With a wave of his hand, several items appeared on the desk with a white flash, each being a mask with a different size, style, and color.


    "These are only a few, a teaser to show you what I have in stock," Elfred said as he picked a mask up and handed it over to Nash.


    Nash at first was confused but once he accepted several lines of texts appeared in his head, surprising him instantly. Luckily he had a mask on or Elfred would have definitely thought something was wrong with him.


    -----------------------------------------


    {Treasure Information}


    ? Title: Demon Mask


    ? Grade: World


    ? Class: 4th


    ¡ã Description: A simple but decorative mask representing a demon. It was crafted by a rather bored craftsman who didn''t have any greater idea to do.


    -----------------------------------------


    ''A description? But how?'' Nash thought in his heart, puzzled.


    He could clearly remember such a description never appeared when he inspected the items and weapons on Planet Nelea or on Planet Azure. So why was he suddenly able to perceive the status of the items he held? It made no sense!


    However, despite having a mask on, Elfred seemed to see through it and as though seeing his complexion he asked, "Surprised by seeing the treasures'' details? Then you must be a newbie here, right?"


    Nash first was surprised but as he knew there was no reason to lie he just nodded and kept staring at the masks.


    "I knew it! But you don''t need to feel ashamed, everyone that comes to this place for the first time has the same reaction, or at least those that didn''t know about Treasure Carvings."


    "Treasure Carvings? What is that?" Nash decided to ask in a slightly deep voice, his interest in the newly heard definition piqued.


    "Well, how should I say it." Elfred scratched his right cheek with his right index finger while also showing a troubled complexion, but quickly shrugged and said, "I don''t know."


    "Huh?"


    "I know, I know. It''s rather annoying to get such an answer, but this is the truth. I have no clue what Weapon Carvings really are only that they are allowing others to see its details upon contact." Elfred shrugged casually before a wide grin formed on his face once again and leaning closer to Nash, asked "Anyways, do you wish to buy one of these? They are only one Space Jade Crystals each."


    Nash looked at Elfred and his brows that moved up and down from time to time, and after letting out a gentle sigh he just placed two black crystals on the desk and took two masks away.


    "I will take these two, thanks," Nash said calmly and handed one to Amy and one to Miles.


    Seeing the two crystals on the desk Elfred closed his eyes into two crescent moons and quickly snatched them away, "It is always a pleasure to make business with ones that don''t waste time on spending money."


    After putting the crystals into his pocket and making the masks vanish, Elfred placed both his plans on the desk, and with a smile still on his face asked, "Now then, jumping onto the main reason you all are here... What do you wish to buy or at least find?"


    "We are looking for Domination Arts. We don''t have any specific idea what Class or what kind of art we are looking for, so if you can allow us we would like to inspect all of them." Nash answered as calmly as ever.


    "I see..." Elfred nodded with his fingers under his chin and quickly said, "Then you have come just to the right place as we have thousands of Domination Arts that you can choose from! And they are sold at a pretty good price too!"


    "That is good to hear. Then-" Nash was delighted to hear those words and was about to ask for Elfred''s help when suddenly Elfred pulled out a cube from who knows where and gently placed it on the desk.


    "But before everything else, as you all are new here, I need to ask you to place your hands on this device. I need to do a small test on you guys."


    * * * * *


    A/N: Hope you liked it! Make sure to vote for more! Also, Stay safe! <3

 Chapter 89 - Fate, Luck, And Talent

    "A test?" the tree standing before the desk looked at Elfred, confusion and even small worry flashing deep inside their eyes.


    "Yes, it is a must, unfortunately." Elfred nodded with an awkward smile and began to explain why it was important.


    The three listened carefully to everything he said and the more they listened the more relaxed they became. It turned out that their worry just now was completely meaningless and they pointlessly overthought things.


    According to Elfred, the test will measure three traits of theirs such as their fate, luck, and talent. Although they were skeptical about it as they could hardly believe how a little cube was able to determine one''s luck much less one''s fate, they had no other choice but to believe his words and do it.


    Also, they had no other choice as they won''t be able to enter any of the gates on the sides much less obtain a Domination Art!


    Elfred told them that each gate led to a specific level inside the building and each level contained higher Class, Grade, and Rank items.


    However, not every level was accessible to everyone. For instance, if one wanted to gain entry to all 10 gates, one had to get at least 27 points out of 30 from the three tests!


    On the other hand, if one somehow failed miserably and only was able to receive 3 points, 1 point from each test, then one could only enter the first gate without having the chance to enter the remaining 9!


    "And how does this test works? What do I need to do?" after listening to the brief but detailed explanation, Nash asked.


    "Just simply put your hand on this cube. You will feel a small tingling sensation in your palm, but that is all. The rest will happen on its own." Elfred said and did a short demonstration by placing his palm on the cube, immediately causing three numbers to be lit upon the small cube''s surface.


    "3 for Fate, 7 for Luck, and 9 for Talent. That is a total of 19 which means I can enter the first seven gates without a problem." Elfred said and quickly added with a smile, "But because I run this place, it is only natural that I can enter whichever gate I wish whenever I want."


    Upon hearing Elfred''s words Nash glanced at the small cube which was not bigger than a palm and nodded. Without saying a single word he extended his hand and placed his palm atop it in the same manner as Elfred did just now.


    Instantly, a tingling sensation akin to someone tickling him with a feather appeared on his skin before three numbers appeared on the cube.


    "Woah, kid! Calm down, calm down now! You don''t need to show off this much, my heart will stop working in the end!" Elfred laughed bluntly but from his widened eyes it was apparent he was deeply shocked!


    "9 for Fate, 9 for Luck, and 9 for Talent... It has been quite a long time since I have seen someone with such an outstanding score! Haha! What was your name again?" Elfred stroked his beard while his slightly narrowed eyes looked Nash up and down this time in greater detail.


    "Emerald," Nash replied after a few seconds, coming up with a name that just came up to his mind.


    "Emerald? But your voice... Well, whatever..." Elfred shook his head and took out a yellow medal from his pocket before handing it over to Nash, alas Emerald.


    "Here, this token will allow you to enter each gate. Furthermore, because of your exceptional potential, everything you wish to buy will be discounted by 50%!"


    "Thank you." Nash nodded and glanced at the two behind him to do the test too.


    Amy was the first to place her palm atop the cube and soon enough three digits appeared on its surface.


    "Hmm... Not bad indeed. 8 for Fate, 9 for Luck, and 8 for Talent. With such a score you can enter all the gates except the last one and also get a 45% discount!" Elfred nodded as he gave a quick glance at Amy, who now wore a white mask on her face, and handed her a white medal.


    Amy obviously was not happy that her score was lower than Nash''s by a whole gate, but alas, she could only accept it and feel happy her''s was still above average by a huge margin!


    Of course, she did not know this but almost 80% of those that come to this place first and do the test only get around 15 points on average!


    Those that were able to get more than 15 and get around 20 were even less, much less those that had tha ability to surpass that number and get more such as Amy! As for Nash''s 27 points... it was pointless to say, but his results were heaven-defying!


    His was one out of a thousand that so far only less than a hundred were capable of imitating!


    "It''s your turn now, little guy. Let me see your score." Elfred then looked at Miles who also wore a mask but with the sole difference that his was completely black.


    Miles nodded and walked before the desk and after a slight hesitation extended his hand forward and placed it atop the cube.


    Whoosh!


    "T-This..."


    "..."


    "..."


    Elfred, Nash, and Amy stared with widened eyes at the numbers on the cube, feeling like they have just eaten something funny and now they were hallucinating all of a sudden.


    "9 for Fate... 10 for Luck, and... 10 for Talent?!" Elfred mumbled in a low voice before he slammed both his hands atop the desk and yelled, "Wait what?!? That is impossible! I have never seen someone with 10 points of Luck much less Talent! Are you a monster or what?!"


    Miles took a step back subconsciously when he saw how close Elfred leaned to him and didn''t know what he should do.


    Nash, on the other hand, despite feeling just as much shock as Elfred did took a large step forward and stood before Miles, preventing Elfred from doing anything!


    Upon seeing the sudden change in the air Elfred leaned back slowly and cleared his throat with a rather awkward smile on his face.


    "I am sorry... It seems I have overreacted things even though I shouldn''t have. Please forgive me." Elfred quickly bowed, his voice holding sincere apology.


    * * * * *


    A/N: Hope you liked it! Make sure to vote for more!


    Stay safe! <3

 Chapter 90 - Flakes Curiosity

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    The whole place fell into complete silence as neither of the three thought Elfred would show such a sincere apology just because he overreacted things a little.


    But alas, Nash didn''t feel uncomfortable at all and just continued to stare at Elfred coldly without uttering a single word. Elfred seeing this could only show a bittersweet smile and took out a yellow medal which he silently handed over to Miles.


    "Now that you all have done the test, with better results than I have initially thought, you are free to go and see out lies behind those gates. I recommend you to check only the last one you can enter as the higher gate you go into the better items you can find. Of course, if you are short in money then it''s better if you only enter the first three gates."


    Upon hearing Elfred''s words Nash nodded and looked at Amy and Miles while also taking out several small pouches from the inside of his robe.


    "We can only use this much. Although I have never seen how much Jade Crystals are needed for different Classes of Domination Arts, with this much we should be able to buy two or three decent ones." Nash said in a lowered voice as he counted the crystals.


    "And what about the food and drink we need after this? If we spend all our currency here we will have nothing left, right?" Amy asked, not really happy with Nash''s idea of spending all of their crystals on Domination Arts.


    Yes, techniques and skills were essential for ones'' survival inside and outside the battlefield but were they really worth it if you starve to death in exchange? Was the ability to summon elements or having powerful physic just to die from starvation at the end of the day really worth it? Not really, right?


    Miles felt the same way but in contrast to Amy who gave voice to her thoughts, he just remained silent, only his eyes showing his true feelings; he too felt it was not a wise choice to spend all their crystals on techniques just to get stronger a tiny bit.


    Nash saw the doubt, worry, and slight anger in the faces of the two and also on their Indicator and couldn''t help but let out a small chuckle. Did they really think he was that foolish and rash in doing things that could lead them all into dire situations, maybe into death too from where there was no turning back?


    It hurt him a little but at the same time made him feel at ease. This just showed how his friends were not completely dependent on him and if somehow he made a mistake in the future that could direct them into danger they will definitely make sure to stop him or at least warn him beforehand.


    "Don''t worry, we still have about twice as much as this here. It''s only about 30% of our total wealth." Nash said with a calm smile even though his mask was hiding his facial features.


    "Oh... That changes a lot of things then." Amy nodded, now completely eager to buy a Domination Art. Her attitude changed a complete one hundred and eighty degrees in a mere instant!


    Miles, on the other hand just sighed with relief, seemingly feeling happy that he didn''t have to fear starvation happening with him again. Ever since he began to eat properly thanks to Nash, he never wished to experience what he felt during his years on Planet Nelea ever again!


    The feeling and sensation of his body getting eaten by itself from the inside with torture-like slowness was something Miles would not wish not even to his worst enemies no matter how much he hated or despised them.


    "Here. Each of us will have a fair share and will have the same amount to spend. Make sure you use them with consideration." Nash then handed one pouch to each and after saying a few more things walked toward the last gate on the right.


    Miles followed Nash closely too as he was able to enter the last gate just like him while Amy could only sigh and walk to the one next to theirs.


    However, just as the three were about to enter, suddenly several figures appeared inside the huge hall, ones that Nash and the other two immidieatly recognized. They were the ones that were on Planet Nelea- Flake and Zoar!


    "Just ignore them. We have masks they can''t recognize us." Nash said in a low voice to Miles and gestured at Amy to act calmly and proceed to enter the gate.


    The two nodded and without saying anything all three of them entered their respected gates, vanishing into thin air with a flash of white light.


    "Seniors! It is my pleasure to see your greatnesses here again! How can I help you?" Elfred showed a warm smile upon seeing Flake''s and Zoar''s figure, but to his great surprise, they seemed to ignore him. Instead, both of them stared in the direction where Nash, Miles, and Amy has vanished.


    "Who were they?" once before the desk, Flake asked calmly with his gaze never leaving the tenth gate on the right side.


    "Lord Flake... They are newcomers and just finished taking the test. And what can I say, they are true monsters!" Elfred caressed his beard with a gentle laugh and narrated the events that just happened.


    "Don''t shit with me! Each of them had above 20 scores and two of them even almost had a perfect one?" Zoar narrowed his eyes, not accepting the truth.


    One had to know that his score was 24, meaning even the weakest member out of the three had a better score than him despite his already being spectacular! For someone like Zoar whose pride as a Silver Dragon was rather high, this was rather humiliating!


    "25, 27, and 29? Are you sure your device worked properly when you took the test?" Flake raised a brow, skeptical if the results were valid or not.


    "If you don''t believe in my words, just try and see it for yourself." Elfred said calmly and took out the cube while saying, "I let the both of you do the test again. If you get a lower or higher score than your previous one, which is impossible, I will give you any item from the tenth gate for free!"


    The words of Elfred shocked the two greatly before a smile formed on their faces. How could they miss such a great opportunity? Any item behind the tenth gate was priceless and only top-notch grades and classes were found there!


    To hear they had a chance to obtain one from there for free was akin to seeing millions of Ancient Jade Crystals fall from the sky! Only a fool would not pounce on such an opportunity!


    "Haha, I like your boldness. Hope you are a man of your words!" Zoar laughed and extended his hand to place it atop the cube.


    Whoosh!


    The cube lit up and three numbers appeared on the cube''s surface. However, the very moment it did Zoar''s joyful expression froze and his complexion turned ugly.


    "A score of twenty-four. I told you." Elfred showed a mocking smile and glanced at Flake, "Lord Flake? Wish to give it a try?"


    Flake remained silent and placed his hand atop the cube, causing it to light up and show three digits.


    "Twenty-six. It is the same too." Elfred nodded as he felt rather satisfied and once he put the device, asked, "So, will you believe me now?"


    The two Warmaster Rank existence remained silent and exchanged looks with each other. Although they could hardly accept the fact that there were others with a better score than them, what they have just seen now was the undeniable truth.


    "What race are they hailing from?" after a moment of silence Flake decided to ask, feeling his curiosity to pique.


    The ears of Zoar too perked up to hear better even though his facial expression was indifferent, even showing slight indifference as if he didn''t care.


    "What race they hail from?" Elfred repeated the question before sighing helplessly and shaking his head, "I am sorry to disappoint you, but I have no clue. Their faces were covered with hoodies and masks while their bodies give away no hint at all."


    "Then what about their names? Did you ask them?"


    "I only know the name of the one with the second-best score. He said his name was Emerald, but suspecting from his voice he was a male. But it can also be that he used some voice-changing technique to disguise his gender, who knows." Elfred shrugged casually.


    Flake fell into silence when he heard Elfred''s words and after pondering for a while nodded and said, "I see, thank you."


    "Lord Flake, I was just doing what I need to." Elfred smiled and asked, "Anyway, do you need help in anything else? Do you want to buy something?"


    "Yeah, we came to buy a few materials that can be only found here, but it seems we need to wait with that for the time being."


    "Will Lord Flake wait for those three to leave?" Elfred seemed to understand Flake''s thoughts and said, "Then I shall wait patiently too. If you need anything until then I will be here."


    "Thank you." Flake nodded with a rather handsome smile and walked toward the tenth gate with Zoar following him silently.


    * * * * *


    A/N: Hope you liked it! Stay safe! <3


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 Chapter 91 - Hall Of Treasury

    After walking inside the tenth gate, Nash watched as his vision became completely white before everything before and around him changed.


    The frame of the gate from his sides and the huge hall behind him vanished and what replaced it was a massive, seemingly infinitely vast room filled with numerous tables which top was covered in a cube of glass which contained different items and objects.


    "Welcome to the Tenth Hall of Treasury. My name is Eshter and I will be your guide here." as Nash and Miles were examining the dazzling sight in front of them with loosened jaws, suddenly a creature appeared in front of them with a golden light.


    However, to their great shock, it was not a humanoid creature with an ordinary height and appearance but an extremely small creature that was about as big as a human palm with a body akin to a serpent!


    Furthermore, this little snake whose body was covered in beautiful kaleidoscopic scales possessed a pair of transparent butterfly wings flapping behind her back, allowing her little frame to float in mid-air seemingly without any struggle!


    ''Scaled Butterfly!'' Nash immidieatly recognized the creature in front of him and couldn''t help but swallow gently while a flash of thought appeared in his mind before it was forced to be pushed back to the back of his mind.


    ''Too bad... Scaled Butterflies Legacy is extremely useful. Only if I could steal hers...'' Nash sighed bitterly in his heart and shook his head.


    The Legacy of the Scaled Butterfly Race was called Dream Dust. It was an ability that let their enemies fall into a deep sleep for a limited amount of time with hardly any ways to counter it!


    Such a power not only was extremely useful and could serve as a trump card against enemies on the battlefield, but it could also be a lifesaver in critical situations! The number of possibilities such an ability can grant one in any situation was simply uncountable!


    Of course, Nash could still decide to try his luck and see if he could raise one of this Scaled Butterfly''s Emotion Levels, but the truth was that each emotion of this little snake was around 25%, each being inside the Neutral gap!


    To raise one of her Emotion Levels from literally 0% without his Dominator''s Domain was something Nash knew needed a lot of time and patience!


    ''Maybe I should still try my luck?'' Nash thought, but as he didn''t know how he should raise the Happiness Level of the creature in front of him as the other three levels were obviously out of the question, he just sighed and let it go... For the time being, naturally.


    ''First, let''s see what kind of Domination Arts this place can offer us.'' Nash thought in his heart and said, "We would like to buy a Domination Art. Where can we find some which can be bought from this much?"


    Eshter took a quick glance at the amount of Space Jade Crystals inside the pouch Nash held and said, "Well, as the Tenth Hall of Treasure only offers the best it is hard to tell if you will be able to find any. With a wealth of only that much maybe your best choice should be below the Sixth Hall of Treasury."


    "Is there really no Domination Arts we can buy from here?" Miles suddenly asked, his disappointment apparent in his voice.


    "Unfortunately, not. The weakest Domination Art here costs at least five times more than the amount inside that single pouch." Eshter explained and quickly continued, "But you can still go to the Fifth Hall of Treasury. You just only have to take the medal you have gotten after your tests into your hand and imagine the number five in your head."


    Nash and Miles did as Eshter told and imagined the number 5 in their heads. Immidieatly, their visions turned slightly blurry before the scenery around them changed again, but only for a small degree.


    Everything looked the same as it was before so there still were tables covered in a glass next to each other, each containing different items and objects while the room was still as massive as it was ever before.


    The only change, however, was the number of tables present; their numbers increased drastically and now the space inside the room felt more stuffed than in the previous room!


    "Woah, so by imagining which gate I wish to go to I can teleport between rooms?" Nash asked, looking at Eshter who still floated in mid-air in front of them.


    "Exactly. Of course, it only works inside the Mystic Hall of Mastery so don''t even waste your time attempting to teleport inside here from the outside." Eshter said, destroying Nash''s growing hope with that single sentence.


    "I see, how unfortunate." Nash sighed and after putting away his medal he asked, "Then can you please show us where we can find the Domination Arts?"


    "As you wish."


    Whoosh!


    Immidieatly after that, the scenery around the two changed once again and quickly found themselves standing in the center of several hundreds of tables, each containing different-sized scrolls, cubes, and books.


    "These are all Domination Arts, differing from Dimensional Class all the way up to Transcendent Class," Eshter explained in a soothing voice as she flew around Nash and Miles.


    "And how do we see what each Domination Art can do if they are sealed inside these glasses? Also, how do we know how much each cost?" Miles asked as he looked at a small blue scroll on his side.


    "You just need to touch the glass and concentrate on the item inside it. The rest will show itself in your retina." Eshter said as she stopped before Miles, her small dot-sized black eyes looking straight into Miles'' through the mask''s gaps.


    "Let me give it a try," Nash said as he placed his palm onto the glass'' surface and concentrated on the blue scroll which Miles had been looking at.


    Whoosh!


    -----------------------------------------


    {Treasure Information}


    ? Title: Water Skin


    ? Grade: Higher


    ? Class: Dimensional


    ¡ã Description: A weak but useful Domination Art capable of allowing the user to walk on water or even remain under it for a longer duration!


    ¡ã Price: 50 Space Jade Crystal


    -----------------------------------------


    Upon reading the description Nash immidieatly thought it was really a weak but useful Domination Art, just like how its description defined it. However, when his gaze fell on the Price his eyes almost fell out of their sockets from shock.


    ''50 Space Jade Crystal for this? It''s only a Dimensional Class Domination Art!'' Nash yelled in his heart and his eyes subconsciously lowered on the pouch in his hand.


    "I have told you. With your current wealth, you can at the very best buy a Domination Art around the Middle Garde of the Divinity Class." Eshter spoke, her eyes now falling on Nash''s figure.


    "I see... Though, we still wish to look around." Nash said, and without waiting for a reply began to examine each and every treasure with Miles following him and doing the same.


    "As you wish. If you need any help, just call my name." Eshter nodded her little head and without saying any extra words vanished into thin air.


    Time passed slowly, and the two examined about a hundred or so items but neither of them was to their likings. There were techniques that boosted one''s agility or physical strength, there were even that allowed them to control a specific but basic element for a limited degree once mastered, but there was none that was particularly powerful and useful at the same time.


    "Brother Nash... Over here." Miles, who walked and examined things a little further away suddenly gestured toward Nash, indicating him to go to him.


    "What did you find?" Nash asked calmly once he was next to Miles, his eyes already fixed on the item on the circular table in front of them.


    It was a book, about a few inches thick, six inches wide, and about eight inches long. Its surface was quite rigid and old-looking, but on its very middle, the words that were not Archaic Symbols but letters that they could understand were perfectly visible!


    "Esoteric Marks and Their Usage?" Nash raised a brow and placed his hand on the glass wall.


    Whoosh!


    -----------------------------------------


    {Treasure Information}


    ? Title: Thousand Esoteric Marks


    ? Grade: Lesser


    ? Class: Transcended


    ¡ã Description: A bizarre Modified Domination Art that was created through knowledge of Arrays and Symbols. It is extremely hard to learn but upon mastery, lonely imagination can stop this technique''s growth!


    ¡ã Price: 1,000 Space Jade Crystal / 100 Gold Jade Crystals / 10 Galaxy Jade Crystal / 1 Ancient Jade Crystal


    -----------------------------------------


    ''O-One thousand?! T-That is exactly twice as much as we combined have!'' Nash''s eyes widened, not knowing whether he should laugh or cry.


    Although for rich people 1 Ancient Jade Crystal was nothing, especially for those Royal Families that existed inside the Ancient Dimension, for them with their current wealth it was astronomical!


    ''How bad... I was truly curious what this technique could do, but alas...'' Nash sighed with regret and was ready to walk away when suddenly Miles grabbed the side of his robe, stopping him from walking away.


    * * * * *


    A/N: Hope you liked it! Make sure to vote for more! :)

 Chapter 92 - Space Ring

    "Hm? What''s the matter?" Nash glanced at Miles, feeling it was strange that his has stopped him all of a sudden.


    "Brother N-, Brother Emerald... I..." Miles began to speak in a low voice but after a few seconds, he just sighed and shook his head helplessly, "Nothing, just pretend I did not wish to say anything."


    Nash raised a brow when he heard what Miles said and saw how his Sadness Level began to increase toward the 70% mark and felt slightly puzzled.


    "No, I won''t pretend." watching as Miles was about to walk away Nash quickly stopped him and said, "You obviously wished to say something so don''t stop now just because you fear. What you feel in your heart should be on your mouth, remember this well."


    Nash then quickly added, "Of course, this does not mean you should tell your honest thoughts every time and to everyone as that could easily lead you into trouble real soon. But as we know each other and are friends, you can say what you wished to say without holding back."


    Miles hearing Nash''s words looked touched and glanced at the book behind the glass.


    Upon seeing where he was looking at, Nash seemed to understand his thoughts but still waited for Miles to say it himself. Nash wanted to teach Miles that he could always ask for his help, no matter how big or seemingly impossible it was and this was the perfect chance for that.


    Also, if Nash''s thoughts were on spot, he felt it would be not really a bad idea to give a starting boost to Miles and when he becomes strong it would also mean their overall strength would increase tremendously!


    "Just say it what you want. Like, what is the worst thing that could happen to you if you ask? I will kill you?" Nash asked, his arms crossed before his chest.


    Miles realized Nash was right, thus after taking a deep breath he pointed at the book, "Then I will say it. I wish to buy that book."


    "But you don''t have enough crystals for that despite having that 50% discount," Nash asked, curious how Miles will reply to that.


    "I know," Miles sighed, and with a small flash of remorse, he glanced at the pouch in Nash''s hand said, "But if Brother Emerald could help me... with his crystals... I would be able to buy it."


    "That is indeed true." Nash nodded and raised his pouch, "But then I won''t be able to buy anything. That is why I will make sure to pay your kindness back- both today''s and the time when you have helped me escape from that hell!"


    Nash remained silent and although his mask hid his facial expression, his eyes couldn''t conceal how he was currently feeling.


    ''This guy... He is truly one of a kind.'' Nash thought in his heart and extended the pouch in his hand toward Miles, "Then you are better not regret your decision or else I will kick your ass!"


    "I won''t, I promise!" Miles immidieatly bowed at Nash as he took the pouch away.


    "Nice, but before you buy. Why did you decide to choose this one?" Nash asked and as he extended his arms wide he looked around, "I mean, there were a lot of Domination Arts we have checked already and there is still a lot more waiting to be inspected, so why this one? It even said it is extremely difficult to learn!"


    Miles looked at the book after hearing the questions and after pondering for a brief moment he said, "I do not know, but something in my chest tells me I should buy it and learn it. Maybe an intuition? I don''t know."


    "An intuition? Don''t you think it is too much to spend hundreds of Space Jade Crystals just because of your intuition?" Nash asked helplessly but still trusted Miles.


    Furthermore, after seeing how high Miles'' Talent score was and how fast he cultivated, Nash somehow believed he will be able to learn that Domination Art with less difficulty than others.


    "Just make sure you won''t regret this decision of yours today," Nash said as he walked away to see what other Domination Arts there were.


    "If I said I won''t, I did mean it!" Miles said with a tone that made sure to let Nash hear it and asked Esther''s help in the buying process.


    While Miles went through the transaction and acquired his first normal Domination Art, Nash walked through the tables and checked all the items with caution.


    But even after walking for almost an hour without finding anything interesting, Nash gave up and was ready to go find Miles when suddenly his eyes spotted something.


    "This looks rather familiar," Nash mumbled and placed his palm atop the glass'' surface.


    Whoosh!


    -----------------------------------------


    {Treasure Information}


    ? Title: Space Ring


    ? Grade: World


    ? Class: 1st


    ¡ã Description: A small ring crafted from Abyss Steel. With its small Space Stone placed in its center, it allows its holder to place and store items inside its small space.


    ¡ã Price: 100 Space Jade Crystal / 10 Gold Jade Crystal / 1 Galaxy Jade Crystal


    -----------------------------------------


    "Right, this ring made me think about the Dimensional Ring I have gotten from Aruer," Nash said to himself and soon the figure of his uncle and all the others resurface in his mind, causing his face behind his mask to become slightly gloomy.


    "I hope they are safe and doing fine..." Nash sighed before his face turned indifferent again and looked around.


    Upon seeing that Miles was not around he put his hand into his robe and pulled out a small pouch.


    "What they don''t know won''t hurt them, right?" Nash mumbled and concentrated on the ring by imagining buying it.


    In contrast to Miles who didn''t have an idea, Nash knew he only had to imagine it buying while holding the respected amount in his hand. As for if he had more crystals than the price he had to pay, Nash didn''t have a clue what would happen but had a brief idea.


    But as Nash made sure to leave only 50 Space Jade Crystals in the pouch, as he too used his 50% discount, he had no choice to put his theory to the test.


    Whoosh!


    And just as he thought, the moment he concentrated on the ring with the will of buying it, the pouch in his hand vanished and was replaced by the black ring from the glass!


    "Huh? You bought that ring?" just as Nash was putting the ring onto his finger, suddenly Miles''s figure appeared on his side, both his hands hugging the book almost as if it was a toy.


    "H-Huh?" Nash was shocked to see how fast and unexpectedly did Miles appeared on his side, but knowing he cannot hide it nor did he wish to lie to Miles, he nodded, "Y-Yeah, I did. But don''t mention this to her, especially after she sees that book in your hand, or else I am pretty sure she will get mad."


    Knowing who did Nash mean under the ''her'', he showed an okay sign and after pulling it before his mouth, or at least before the mouth part of the mask he wore, he said, "Don''t worry, my lips are sealed."


    "Perfect, then let''s leave. I think we have seen everything and maybe she is already waiting for us."


    "Sure." Miles nodded and with Nash both of them teleported back to the main hall where Elfred was.


    However, the very moment they did teleport back, they had to find it with a shock that two individuals were standing just a meter away from them, both of them staring at them with a piercing glare!


    Both of them were, naturally, Flake and Zoar, the two beings from Planet Nelea!


    * * * * *


    A/N: Hope you liked it! Make sure to leave your thoughts behind!

 Chapter 93 - Invitation

    Flak and Zoar waited before the tenth gate in silence, both of them looking at the white frame of the door with complicated eyes.


    They had been waiting now for about an hour without any signs of the two individuals they have seen entering appearing, making their faces turn rather impatient.


    One had to know that both of them were royals, one the third prince of their race while the other one a brave and extremely powerful warrior who everyone looked up and respected. Both had prestige and status that only a few had in their race and never in their lives were there a single moment where they had to wait for something much less for someone!


    "This is starting to get on my nerves! Why do we have to wait for them? What if they achieved a better score than us? In the end, they are still just weak trash on the Warrior Rank!" Zoar sneered with visible disgust, his bulging arms crossed before his chest while his right index finger impatiently tapped on his left biceps.


    "Maybe you think that score is nothing but a bunch of numbers, but they hold greater meaning than you can think." Flake said with a tranquil face and continued, "While fate and luck is a thing we cannot understand nor control, talent is something we can easily apprehend; the higher one''s talent is, the brighter and vaster their future will be."


    "Furthermore, if someone possesses a great talent together with extremely high luck and strong will, that only means their lives'' potential can really be described in only one single word- limitless!"


    Zoar frowned when he heard Flake''s words and said, "Do you think I am nine years old or what?"


    "Well, mentally, with your slow comprehension ability you are no different from a nine years old child, so..."


    "You!! I dare you to say that again and try to insult me!" Zoar menacingly narrowed his eyes, his hands already lowered into tight fists.


    Flake, however, just looked as casual as ever and shrugged, "I was not insulting you; I have just described you."


    "YOU!!!" veins bulged out on Zoar''s neck and forehead. At this very moment, he looked like an angered beast that seemed ready to pounce on Flake!


    The only reason he did not jump on him and tore him into pieces was that suddenly a white flash materialized inside the gate in front of them and the two individuals they had been waiting for finally appeared!


    Both were wearing black robes which hoodies resting on their heads while a mask covered their faces, not allowing any onlookers to determine if they were either young, old, male, or female.


    Nash and Miles looked at the two creatures in front of them with surprised looks, but as they had their masks on their complexion was completely hidden!


    ''What are they still doing here? Did they find out it was us escaping from Argon and decided to wait for us?'' several thoughts appeared in Nash''s mind at lightning speed but soon he calmed down and shook his head inwardly.


    There was no way in all seven hell that they had been found out under such a short amount of time nor was it possible that they had been tracked down as he purposely checked every item and object they have stolen.


    Furthermore, from the two creature''s facial expressions, Nash was even more sure they had not a single clue who they were as there was not even the slightest suspicion in their eyes much less hostility!


    ''Whatever... Maybe they just wish to enter the tenth gate and it was just a mere coincidence that we have exited the moment they wanted to enter.'' Nash thought in his heart and gestured at Miles to follow.


    However, the very moment he wished to go around the two he was halted in his steps as the handsome Slayer stepped before him, obstructing him from going anywhere.


    "Can I help you with something?" Nash was not angry nor worried when he saw how Flake stood in his way and instead looked at him with a calm but sharp gaze.


    Flake gave a quick up and down look at Nash before his lips curved upward into a handsome smile, one that could easily steal any woman''s heart, and extended his hand forward.


    "First, let me introduce myself. My name is Flake Sargon."


    Nash glanced at the hand in front of him and after thinking for a while he extended his hand and accepted the shake, "Emerald."


    Upon hearing the brief introduction Flake''s smile widened even more but a flash of amusement flashed in his eyes as he looked into Nash''s eyes.


    ''His grasp is firm and strong. Is he really just at the bottom of the Warrior Rank?'' Flake thought with awe but just continued to calmly smile and once he let Nash''s hand go, asked, "I deeply apologize for robbing both of you of your time, but I wish to discuss something with you. Hope you can spare a little time from your schedule."


    "If it is nothing long, I do not mind listening to what the third prince of the Slayer Race wishes to say," Nash replied and gave a sideways glance at Zoar who was staring at him with narrowed eyes all this time.


    "Oh? So you recognize me?" Flake''s eyes flashed with surprise and his curiosity toward Nash piqued a level higher.


    Of course, it was not a huge shock if one recognized him as his name and figure was known far and wide, but as he rarely visited the Human Dimension and even less news reached Planet Gaia it surprised him the individual in front of him knew him.


    ''So is he someone from the Ancient Dimension? I wonder which race he is hailing from.'' Flake thought as he began to wonder.


    "Who would not recognize the bright prodigy of the Slayer Race?" Nash asked, his voice holding fake respect which was hard to distinguish from an honest one.


    "Haha, you flatter me! I am no prodigy, or at least not yet." Flake laughed gently that for some reason felt pleasant for the ear.


    As for Zoar, his complexion toward Nash turned into that of disgust, thinking Nash was licking Flake''s boots on purpose, believing he will be able to achieve something if he was saying kind words.


    Nash obviously noticed the look he was getting from the Silver Dragon but as he knew it was meaningless to comment on it he just simply ignored him and asked, "Anyways, you have said you wished to discuss something with me. What exactly?"


    Flake stopped laughing and pulled out a small orb from his pocket which immediately displayed a small hologram about a planet, "This is Planet Rover, a small planet which is in this exact same solar system as Planet Gaia. We are planning to travel there and slay a few Diamond Beasts before going back to the Ancient Dimensions."


    Nash frowned when he heard the name Diamond Beast but soon his eyes flashed with realization and asked, "And you wish us to go to that planet with you and help in slaying those creatures?"


    Flake nodded and taking a glance at Miles before shifting his gaze back at Nash he said, "Exactly. I wish to invite you to help us in our mission. Naturally, if you do accept my invitation, your help won''t be for free as I will make sure to reward your contribution greatly!"


    * * * * *


    A/N: Hope you liked it! Make sure to vote for more! :)

 Chapter 94 - Emerald, Abyss, And Snow

    The words of Nash made Zoar''s expression turn into that of an even deeper disgust and his eyes geld unsurpassable disdain; it was obvious his impression on Nash grew worse and worse the more he heard him talking.


    On the other hand, Flake''s impression about Nash was growing toward the opposite direction, feeling that Nash was a rather interesting fellow who was worth befriending with.


    Because he was the third prince of the Slayer Race, Flake so far met with people that wished to get into his good book by flattering him non-stop and giving him gifts for no apparent reasons. There were even times when they did his request for nothing in exchange just in the hope they can get closer to him and gain his family''s support later on.


    Such a special treatment at first made him feel delighted and someone special despite knowing they had ulterior motives but after many cases, that joy gradually turned into annoyance then into hate. That is why when others were flattering him although he showed he was happy and satisfied, deep inside his view toward those individuals turned into despising and dislike.


    However, people that were honest with their words and did not try to flatter him just because they wished to get closer to him made Flake feel relaxed and feel the urge to know them better, maybe even forming connections with them if the chance presented itself!


    Therefore, when he saw how Emerald, alias Nash tried to avoid him at first and even was indifferent toward him when he spoke despite knowing who he was, even only using simple flattering words that felt normal and not forced, made Flake feel the urge to know him better.


    Furthermore, also knowing how great his and his friends'' score was Flakes urge to form some kind of connections with this Emerald individual before him. As his father once said, if you have the chance always make sure to create allies, especially if they are stronger or better than you in any field!


    "I like your personality more and more, haha!" Flake laughed once again that held no insincerity and said, "Let me see... It would not be fair to give you something you don''t need to, hence why don''t tell me what you need in exchange for your help? Naturally, it should be equivalent for something like killing Diamond Creatures."


    Nash''s lips parted slightly behind his mask but soon they curved upward.


    ''This guy... He really knows how to do business.''


    It was an adamant rule that for a successful business, especially in a trade where only one party offered something to the other, it was extremely important to ask what that other party wished to get in exchange.


    For instance, if an extremely rich person wished to sell a powerful Domination Art to a royal family, why would the royal family think that person needed money? It made no sense to offer such a thing in exchange, right?


    Likewise, it made also no sense to offer and give something completely different than money to that individual. What if he or she already has what you wish to give in exchange? After all, the chances to know what the other party wished for was extremely low, or at least that was if they did not know personally the trader.


    Therefore, if you wanted to have a successful trade you had to know or at least ask what the other side wished to get in exchange! And it seemed Flake knew about this rule extremely well and this was not his first time doing things this way.


    "What do I need..." Nash mumbled as he began to think.


    As Nash was pondering, Flake looked at Miles and quickly added, "Naturally, all of you will get a reward, so you can also think what you wish in exchange. And your third friend too who went inside the ninth gate."


    Miles glanced at Nash upon hearing Flake''s words and didn''t know what he should say.


    "Think about something you want, just make sure it''s nothing exaggerated." Nash as said calmly as he continued to think.


    Miles lowered his gaze and after a bride moment he asked from Flake, "Sir, if I may... If I ask for a dagger, is that a proper wish in exchange for helping?"


    Flake was slightly taken back just how young Miles sounded, but once the meaning of the words reached his brain he couldn''t help but close his eyes and start to laugh loudly.


    Nash and Miles were surprised by the sudden burst of joy from the prince in front of them and subconsciously looked at each other only to see the confusion in each others'' eyes.


    Zoar, on the other hand, frowned deeply while his eyes examined Mile''s figure from top to bottom several times. It was unknown what things were currently running through his head.


    "D-Did I ask something funny?" Miles asked awkwardly once he saw how Flake was still laughing after half a minute, even feeling the desire to join the prince of the Slayer Race and laugh with him.


    "Said something funny?" Flake finally stopped laughing and wiping the tear away from the corner of his eyes said, "Indeed, your question was rather funny, but in a good way."


    Flake then glanced at Miles and said, "Look, if it is only a dagger you wish to get in exchange for slaying Diamond Beasts, I will gladly give you the best dagger I can give you!"


    "Brat, I do not know how old are you, but it is pretty obvious even for a deaf man to know you have zero knowledge of what a Diamond Beast is capable of doing." suddenly Zoar''s voice appeared, attracting both Miles'' and Nash''s attention.


    "He is right," Flake nodded and after forming a smile said, "That is why I laughed. To hear you only needed a dagger in exchange for risking your life and not something even more valuable made me unable to resist laughing."


    "Oh..." Miles said but still shrugged and said, "But I really don''t need anything else. I only need a dagger or at least a weapon I can use in combat."


    Zoar''s brows twitched upon hearing how casual Miles was and how he didn''t care what he just said while Flake began to laugh once again.


    "I see, then let it be like that. And you know what, once we finish with the mission on Planet Rover I will personally ask the best blacksmith I have connections with to craft a dagger to your liking!"


    "Really?" Miles'' eyes lit up, his voice holding excitement and anticipation.


    "Really." Flake nodded and raised a brow, "But how should I call you? Although I know his name, I still don''t know yours."


    "Just call me Abyss," Miles answered without hesitation, saying the name he was told to say by Nash.


    "I see, then Abyss, as promised once we complete our mission I will help you get crafted your best dagger," Flake said with a warm smile.


    "Thank you!"


    Flake just continued to smile and was about to ask Nash what he wished to ask, but suddenly noticed as an individual wearing a white mask appeared from the ninth gate and after noticing them walked over.


    Nash noticed Flake''s averted gaze and saw how Amy was approaching them, thus quickly said, "This is Snow, she will help us too."


    ''She? I wonder what kind of beauty hides behind that mask.'' Flake in his heart before he nodded and said, "I see, that is only better. Then she should think of something too."


    Amy frowned behind her mask when she heard Flake''s words but felt even more confused when she heard she was called Snow. Since when she was called Snow and why exactly Snow? It was such a lame name even if it was just an alter ego.


    Upon seeing she was not talking, Flake just laughed gently and glanced at Nash, "So? Did you think of anything you want?"


    Nash looked at Zoar then at Flake and nodded, "Yeah, I have one thing in particular I wish, but I do not know if you have it."


    "Until if it is nothing huge and ridiculous, I am pretty sure I have it." Flake smiled as he said.


    "I see, then what I want is..."


    -


    -


    -


    Inside a slightly smaller but just as amazing-looking spaceship as that of Argon, Nash sat inside a spacious room with Miles and Amy sitting on his side and in front of him. The former was reading the book he obtained back in the Mystic Hall of Mastery while the latter was sitting in a lotus position, seemingly unlocking her Ancient Veins.


    They were currently inside Flake''s personal spaceship which at the moment was bolting through space, approaching Planet Rover, the last and smallest planet in the solar system they currently were.


    They said after the Ancient Path was opened, Planet Rover not only did undergo several environmental changes but the creatures existing there evolved too, becoming Evolved Beast each!


    Furthermore, although rarely, one would be able to meet with a Mutated Beast too, and usually those moments always end up with a tragic death!


    * * * * *


    A/N: Hope you liked it! Make sure to vote for more!

 Chapter 95 - Planet Rover

    The room where Nash and the other two were currently residing was rather spacious and luxurious. It was about 20 meters with several beds, glass tables, desks, chairs, and many other luxurious things whose quality was top-notch. There was even a shelf full of wines, each seemingly as expensive as an entire royal palace!


    ''Royal families are truly something else.'' Nash thought in his heart as he examined the room which was full of gold, crystals, jewels, and many other shiny things.


    Although Nash has spent all his life in dark caves mining ores and crystals non-stop, it did not mean he was not familiar with the lifestyle of royalties and how rich they really were.


    He could even remember during his time on Planet Zero how a creature hailing from a royal family spent thousands of Ancient Jade Crystals just because he wished to buy a military technique that was not even a powerful one! He will never forget the hundreds of crates full of shiny crystals at that time, that was for sure.


    ''I wonder how long will it take for us to reach Planet Rover.'' Nash thought in his heart as he sighed and quickly sat into a lotus position, attempting to open the red seal inside his Ancient Vein.


    Meanwhile, inside another room, Flake was looking at a video feed on a small panel, his complexion showing not even the slightest hint of human emotion.


    After thinking for a while, Flake glanced at a creature with somewhat similar facial features to his but slightly more muscle on his body and asked, "Elder Brother Bane, what do you think?"


    The creature whose name was Bane and seemingly was the elder brother of FLake watched the three individuals on the video feed with a serene complexion and remained silent.


    Flake didn''t hurry his brother to reply and decided to wait patiently, his gaze shifting back onto Nash''s and the other two''s figures that were seemingly doing their own things.


    Seconds passed in silence which gradually turned into minutes, and after three entire minutes later Bane finally touched his chin gently and said in a rather deep tone of voice, "They are interesting individuals, to say the least, especially that fellow called Emerald. Although his aura feels rather young, around the age of twenty, and has great strength his demeanor also shows caution. It is obvious he does not trust us entirely yet."


    "Yeah, I figured that out too." Flake nodded and asked, "And what about the other two?"


    Bane shifted his gaze at Miles and Amy before saying, "The one named Abyss makes me slightly confused. He is obviously younger than the other two and shows slight anxiety around others, even looking rather clumsy and unmatured, he emits an aura that I have only seen and felt from beings inside the Inner Layer of the Ancient Dimensions."


    "Then do you think he is someone from the Inner Dimension?" Flake raised a brow as he glanced at Bane with puzzlement.


    "No, I hardly believe that." Bane, however, shook his head and continued, "You know perfectly well that those beings living further inside than the Middle Layer are beings that hardly leave their Layer much less leave the Ancient Dimension into another."


    "Then who he is?"


    Bane this time remained silent and only when he thought over many things did he say, "To be honest, I do not know. The only thing I can say with assurance thanks to my technique is that he possesses great talent and potential, one that could easily rival even those beings inside the Inner Layer!"


    "I see." Flake nodded and glanced at Amy, "And what about her?"


    Bane glanced at Amy whose face was covered with a white mask and asked, "Her name was Snow, right? I cannot really feel anything special about her, but for some reason, I feel she has something I do not notice yet."


    "Not even with your Golden Iris?" Flake was surprised as he knew just what kind of Domination Art was the Golden Iris his brother was using at the moment.


    Golden Iris was a Modified Domination Art of their family which allowed any being with at least a small amount of Slayer blood flowing through their veins to see and determine the amount of strength and potential one had, let it be hidden or awakened.


    Hence, hearing that Bane''s Golden Iris was incapable of determining if the girl named Snow was strong or not was something that never happened before!


    Upon seeing how his younger brother looked at him Bane just showed a smile and said, "Well, whatever. It is not like my eyes can''t determine her potential properly because she has a heaven-defying power residing inside her, right?"


    "Yeah, Elder Brother is right." Flake sighed and asked, "Then, should I attempt to approach them in the hope they will join our family?"


    "Although the chances those three will accept your invitation and join our family is extremely low, it is also a great opportunity to try." Bane nodded and quickly added, "But let''s wait first and see what they are capable of on the battlefield. Only then should we choose how seriously we approach them in this matter."


    "Understood. Then let''s change topics and discuss how we will complete our mission with the lowest casualties possible."


    "That is a great idea." Bane smiled and after giving one final glance at the panel that showed Nash and the rest he walked away with Flake following him from the side.


    -


    -


    -


    After traveling through space for close to 8 hours straight, Nash watched as they have finally arrived at Planet Rover which was a small white planet with a little less size than Planet Gaia''s moon!


    "We have arrived, let''s get going," Nash stood up from his cultivation pose, his voice holding a tiny bit of disappointment as he still failed to open the seal in his Ancient Vein open.


    On the other hand, Amy seemed energetic and happy, seemingly delighted that she was very close to unlocking all of her Ancient Veins in her body. Currently, she has unlocked 35 Ancient Veins which was more than half of the total amount!


    "Don''t just keep lying there and move. They must be waiting for us." Nash looked toward Miles who ever since they left Planet Gaia was immersed in that book he has bought.


    "Huh? Oh, coming!" Miles quickly jumped up from the bed he was lying on top and with the book in his hold ran to Nash''s and Amy''s side.


    The three walked through hallways and walked to the main hall of the spaceship where Flake, Bane, and many others were talking with each other while waiting. As for Zoar, because he had other things to do, he remained back on Planet Gaia.


    "You are here, great." Flake smiled and explained to Nash and the two on his side what their mission was in greater detail and how they will execute it.


    "Our mission is to kill 10 Diamond Beasts and collect their cores." Flake began to speak as he waved his hand and a hologram representing a Diamond Beast materialized above his palm.


    The Diamond Beast was a rather unique creature, one that Nash has never seen before. It had the appearance of a golem but with the only difference that its body was not made out of rock but seemingly transparent crystals; diamonds!


    Furthermore, his head only possessed a single crimson eye while it had four arms, each of its arms having fingers that looked more of long blades than exact fingers!


    "As you can see from their physical appearance alone, Diamond Beasts are terrifying creatures to fight against in close combat. However, their most frightening trait are not their size, strength, nor their adamant hard bodies, but their Legacy."


    "As you may know, simple beasts let it be ants or birds, each of them obtain their own Legacy once the Ancient Path in their dimensions had been opened. And just like those simple beasts, this kind of beast obtained its Legacy too, called as Ricochet Force!"


    After he said that, Flake waved his hand once again and this time began to play a video on his hologram, showing how a creature which seemingly was hailing from the Slayer Race struck the Diamond Beast''s body only to get blasted away into the far distance with blood spewing out of his mouth.


    "As you could see, Diamond Beasts'' Legacy is capable of rebounding any physical attack with at least twice as much force, giving them an extremely terrifying defensive type Legacy!"


    Nash, Amy, and Miles looked at each other upon hearing Flake''s words and felt puzzled. If a creature with an already massively high defensive capacity possessed such a scary Legacy that further enhanced its defense, then how should they kill it?


    Flake seemed to notice their confusion even through their masks and smiled, "I know what you think, but don''t worry. Just as everything in existence, this beast has its own weakness too!"


    * * * * *


    A/N: Hope you liked it! Make sure to vote for more! :)

 Chapter 96 - Diamond Beast

    Nothing in existence was perfect, even the oh-so-powerful ancient beings from the legends had their own weaknesses and shortcomings as in the end all of them have fallen and succumbed to either the clutch of time or someone else''s powers.


    Hence, if those beings from the Ancient Era who was capable of demolishing planets and creating separate domains with a single command or flick of their fingers, how would a ''weak'' Diamond Beast that didn''t even exist for more than a hundred years have no weakness?


    Nash and the rest it was simply impossible for such a beast not to have a weakness. Even if it was a small one, there definitely was one despite not seeing it at a first glance.


    "And what is this Diamond Beats'' weakness?" Nash asked, curious to know such a seemingly unkillable beast''s drawback.


    Flake smiled as he felt the curiosity in Nash''s tone of voice and quickly waved his hand. Immidieatly, the hologram that showed the Diamond Beast''s figure zoomed on the single crimson eye on its head.


    "Although Diamond Beasts possess extremely high defense which only becomes several levels scarier with their Legacy''s boost, their eyes are their sole weakness. If you can strike it perfectly in the middle, not only will it lose the ability to see but also the strength to utilize its Legacy''s power!"


    "So we just need to strike eyes and we are done? Doesn''t sound that hard." Miles who was reading the book on the side mumbled, but when he felt many eyes on him he suddenly flinched and began to tremble slightly.


    "I... I am sorry..."


    Upon hearing the somewhat scared voice that came from behind the black mask, Flake laughed gently and said, "No, you don''t have to apologize. What you have said is indeed right, but..."


    Then, Flake quickly waved his hand again and showed another video feed. This one also showed a scene where a Slayer was fighting against a Diamond Beast, but in contrast to the first one where the creature fought the beast in close combat, this one used a bow to fire several arrows at the beast.


    However, to Nash''s and the others'' great surprise no matter how perfectly did the Slayer fired her arrow, hitting the red eyes one after another with great precision, every arrow was rebounded almost as if they have hit not a hard surface but rubber!


    "As you can see, not even an expert with the bow was capable of forcing its way through the red eyes, showing it is just as hard as its diamond body."


    "Then how is its eyes its weakness?" Amy asked with a puzzled tone while her brows lowered into a frown behind her white mask.


    "Just continue to look at this and you will see," Flake said with another smile and let the three watch the replay.


    And just as he did, everyone watched as the final arrow the Slayer succeeded in piercing the eyes, allowing the Slayer to kill it with relative ease in close combat.


    "What happened?" Amy asked as she replayed the video again and again but even then failed to see what was different in that final attack than the rest.


    "She hit the same spot numerous times one after another, allowing her attack to succeed at the end," Nash said calmly after the 3rd replay.


    "Exactly." Flake praised Nash with a nod and put the device that projected the hologram away, "To kill the beast one have to strike the same spot on the eye continuously or use a powerful attack to break the eyes."


    "We have landed. Get ready." suddenly Bane''s voice resounded in the hall, making Flake to smile and gesture toward the three to follow him.


    The four quickly arrived before the exit where many creatures already stood patiently in a well organized manner. Also, from their golden hair color, which was the unique trait of the Slayers it was pretty obvious each hailed from the Slayer Race.


    ''Eleven at the peak of the Warrior Rank with Bane and Flake on the Warmaster Rank.'' Nash thought to himself as he examined the auras of the creatures in front of him.


    Miles and Amy did the same, but in contrast to Nash who was calm and seemed unfazed they were scarcely anxious. At the end of the day they were still human on the run, thus if they somehow get busted now their demise will be set in stone without a second doubt!


    "Everyone is here, perfect. Let''s get going." at the front of the group, Bane stood with a firm posture and after making sure everyone was there he turned around and began to walk away.


    The group of warriors immidieatly followed him, making Nash and the others to do the same and silently follow them from the rear. As for Flake, despite being the second strongest individual among all of them, for some unknow reason he decided to remain at the rear with Nash and the rest.


    Once the group departed the spaceship, a scenery which was neither beautiful nor unsightly arose around Nash.


    The ground that extended far into the horizon was almost perfectly flat with small hills only appearing here and there while several huge chunk of rocks were scattered everywhere almost as if they were parts of a previous explosions.


    There were no trees, no bushes, no cave entrances or high mountain peaks, only the color of white, blue, black, and grey! Even the clouds high up in the blue sky were black in color despite having no signs of storm approaching!


    "It is quite cold here..." Nash mumbled and watched as his breath appeared in a form of mist in front of him.


    "Luckily these robes are thick and keeps us warm." Amy said and glanced at the soldiers in front of her that wore nothing but silver armor, "However, I can''t imagine how they don''t feel cold despite exposing their bare skin almost in their entirety."


    "They were trained to get used to both searing and freezing environments. This kind of coldness is nothing for them." Flake explained, his eyes examining the scenery around them with a tranquil expression.


    The group walked through the vast wasteland in silence without meeting with not a single living being, but after walking for close to half an hour Bane stopped walking, forcing everyone behind him to halt their steps at the same time too.


    "Why did we stop now?" Amy asked as she looked into the distance, but after seeing that there were nothing she frowned, feeling slightly confused.


    "A Diamond Beast has appeared." Flake said coolly, but although he showed he was calm his narrowed eyes and raised guard showed he was ready to fight at any given moment.


    Nash followed Flake''s gaze and quickly noticed he was looking at a huge rock that looked exactly the same as the rest around them with the sole exception it was tremblingslightly.


    Wait... Trembling?


    Nash''s eyes narrowed too when he realized a rock should not be able to tremble on its own without an external force. Yet, it was trembling despite being no apparent earthquake in the surroundings or a slightly strong breeze!


    And just as he thought about this, the huge rock finally moved. First arms extended to the sides, two to each sides which shattered the ground the moment its blade like fingers dug into the hard surface of the earth!


    Then, two massive legs were pressed against the ground which also cracked the ground before pushing the huge frame of the body upward, quickly towering to a height of 5 meters despite its body being still slightly hunched!


    And finally, the huge head which seemingly had no neck and was attached to the body was raised, revealing a single circular crimson eye that stared at the group of creatures in front of it with visible bloodlust.


    "Get into your positions!" Bane roared loudly as he summoned two black gloves around his hands, each possessing small but sharp spikes at the regions where his knuckles were.


    "Ancient Treasure!" Nash immidieatly realized what that glove was, its aura rather similar to his Soul Breaker!


    "Oh? So you are familiar with Ancient Treasures?" Flake''s eyes flashed with curiosity as he knew perfectly that only those knew about Ancient Treasures and can differiantete them from ordinary treasures if they had met with one already or they possessed one.


    Nash seemed to realize his mistake and after clearing his throat quietly, he said, "I had a friend who showed me once an Ancient Treasure, that is why I recognized those gloves at first glance. Its aura was somewhat similar."


    "I see, no wonder." Flake smiled, but for some reason his smile was slightly different than all this time.


    Nash naturally noticed it but didn''t comment on it and instead asked while watching as the warriors in front of him has already began to attach the Diamond Beast with different skills, abilities, and techniques, "So, what should we do?"


    * * * * *


    A/N: Hope you liked it!

 Chapter 97 - A Single Gesture To Claim Lives!

    "So, what should we do?" Nash asked Flake while he watched as Bane and the soldiers coordinated each others'' attacks perfectly to fight the Diamond Beast.


    Swords flashed forming small and insignificant marks on the beast''s adamant hard body while different techniques such as fireballs, wind blades, and strength-enhancing domains appeared everywhere on the battlefield despite the Slayer Race having a Legacy that already boosted their strength to unprecedented levels!


    "This Diamond Beast is an evolved one." Flake said with a calm tone and looked into a specific direction before continuing, "Just rest for the time being. Although I have asked for your help, you don''t need to fight Evolved Diamond Beasts. Once we meet with a normal one, I will let you three take care of it."


    Nash, Miles, and Amy looked at each other and nodded without any complaining. No, they even felt delighted as they could get their promised rewards after this mission without breaking a sweat or risking their lives.


    Time passed quickly and a quarter of an hour has passed in seemingly a blink before Bane was finally able to smash his fist into the Diamond Beast''s crimson eyes, succeeding in shattering its eyes and a small part of its head!


    From then on, killing the beast was child''s play and Bane let his men take care of them.


    "Great job everyone. Let''s find the next one." after digging out a black orb with a size of a fist from the Diamond Beast''s body and putting it inside one of his pouches, Bane turned to look at his soldiers and began to walk away.


    The group quickly followed after him and began to wander around in the hope to meet with another Diamond Beast. However, this time they didn''t have to walk for a long while as after about a mile they finally met with not one, but two Diamond Beasts!


    "One normal and one evolved, each of them at the Warrior Rank," Flake mumbled quietly and glanced at Emerald on his side.


    Upon feeling the stare on him Nash nodded and while taking a step forward he said, "I will take care of it alone."


    Flake and even Bane raised a brow when they heard Emerald''s words, but when they saw how neither Abyss nor Snow, alias Miles, and Amy didn''t move nor talked, the former even reading his book without a single care in the world, they couldn''t help but feel curious what method will Emerald use.


    "You guys take care of the Evolved Beast," Bane ordered his men to start fighting the other Diamond Beast, but still remained motionless and watched Emerald''s figure with an interested gaze.


    "What do you think he will do?" Flake asked in a tone that only Bane was able to hear and watched as Emerald finally reached the Diamond Beast.


    Bane began to ponder with his fingers under his chin and said, "I don''t see any weapons or items on him that could help him so I don''t really know. But from his demeanor and brimming confidence, I am pretty sure he has his own ways."


    Flake nodded and wished to say something when suddenly the motion of his lips froze and the words in his throat stuck abruptly while his eyes widened extra large.


    Under his and Bane''s stupified gazes Emerald extended his right arm forward the moment the Diamond Beast began to move toward him and with a casual motion clenched his fingers into a tight fist.


    And the very moment his fingers closed into a tight and firm grasp...


    Thud!


    The earth shook with a small tremor as the Diamond Beast''s body fell on the ground, small cracks even forming below the gigantic body of the beast that spread in a two to three meters radius!


    "Wha... What happened just now?" Flake and Bane asked the same question at the same time with the exact same dumbfounded complexion and watched as Emerald casually walked back.


    "I think it has died," Nash said coolly once he was before the two Slayers and without saying anything else walked back to the side of Miles and Amy.


    Bane and Flake remained silent but quickly regained their composure and walked next to the now motionlessly lying figure of the Diamond Beast.


    "It... really has died... But how? I didn''t see him using any power or skills. I didn''t even feel that he would have activated his Legacy!" Flake mumbled as he examined the corpse of the Diamond Beast.


    As one should know, both Domination Arts and Legacies have their own aura upon activation, thus differentiation the two from one another was not a difficult task to do.


    However, just now, the moment Emerald clenched his fingers as though he wished to grab something in sheer empty air, they felt no aura breaking out of his body meaning he neither activated a Domination Art nor his Legacy!


    In their eyes, this made no freaking sense at all!


    "I felt a unique aura when he killed the beast, but it was nothing I have seen or felt before. What was that?" Bane mumbled with a deep frown while his gaze shifted at the figure of Emerald who now was casually talking with his friends.


    After taking the core out of the Diamond Beast and helping kill the Evolved Diamond Beast the group continued to walk onwards, searching for Diamond Beasts.


    And luckily, they didn''t have to walk far before crossing paths with another two Diamond Beasts, unfortunately, each being an Evolved Beast.


    Bane was about to split his men into two groups to take care of the two creatures when suddenly he saw how Abyss took a step forward and asked, "L-Lord Bane... Can I take care of the one on the right?"


    Bane was surprised when he heard what Abyss wished to do, but suddenly Emerald stood on his side and said, "Let him do it. If anything happens I will help him."


    Bane closed his mouth and after looking at Flake, who just shrugged he nodded and said, "Okay, but if you feel even the two of you can''t kill it just make sure you distract him until me and my men finish with the other one."


    "Sure," Nash nodded and glanced at Miles, "Go and show us what that book of yours can do."


    When Bane and Flake heard Emerald''s words their gaze immediately shifted onto the book in Abyss'' hands and their eyes quickly lit up.


    "So that book is a Domination Art? What kind of powers will it allow him to hold?"


    Under the watchful eyes of Bane, Flake, Amy, and Nash Miles walked forward, and only when he was five meters away from the creature did he stop walking.


    Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, Miles calmed his slightly fast heartbeat down which quickened every time he saw the Slayers looking at him and mumbled, "You can do it. Just follow the steps you have come up with and everything will be fine."


    With those words in his mind, Miles opened his eyes slowly, and with the book in his right hand, he raised his left, starting to draw in the empty air with his index finger.


    At first, nothing happened nor appeared, confusion Flake and Bane while making Amy and Nash slightly worried as the Diamond Beast was approaching Miles with ground shaking steps, but soon golden light began to emit from the tip of Miles'' finger and symbols appeared in the air one after another!


    ''It''s working!'' Miles thought in his heart with a mixture of excitement and joy and like someone whose spirit was enhanced he began to quicken his drawing motions, quickly drawing numerous symbols one after another!


    One... Ten... Fifty... A hundred symbols appeared before Miles in just a few seconds, each having a different shape but glowing with the same golden light!


    "Those are... Array symbols?" Flake''s brows lowered into a frown while Bane watched the golden symbols in silence.


    However, the next moment both of their eyes widened, almost the same manner as they looked like the moment they saw Emerald''s feat a few moments ago.


    Once a little more than a hundred golden symbols appeared in the air, Miles waved his hand and in a low voice said, "Six Curse of Magma... Melt!"


    Whoosh!


    Under the flick of Miles''s hand, all the symbols in front of him flew and appeared around the Diamond Beast, sticking onto its body before their golden color changed into fiery red before extreme heat burst out of each, melting the Diamond Beast''s previously indestructible body into nothing more but dissolving crystalline liquid!


    "I did it!" Miles clenched his fingers into a tight fist and boxed into the air with joy, but soon his actions froze, and slowly lowered his hand before slowly turning around and looking at Flake and Bane.


    "I-It seems... I have accidentally melted the core in the process too..."


    * * * * *


    A/N: Hope you liked it! Make sure to vote for more! :)

 Chapter 98 - Mutated Diamond Beast

    The whole surroundings quietened down and the only thing that could be heard except the constant sounds of battle in the distance was the gentle breeze that appeared from the north, carrying a small amount of chilliness that could easily make anyone tremble unwillingly.


    Yet, at this moment it seemed no one noticed the coldness their bodies were feeling as all of them were standing motionlessly in one place, their faces holding stupefied complexions that were quite an amusing sight to see.


    Flake''s and Bane''s eyes were wide as saucers and their jaws were dropped before their knees with utter disbelief as they couldn''t comprehend what they have just seen in the past short few seconds.


    As they were both at the Warmaster Rank both of them had seen many things during their lives but the sight they have just witnessed was the very first.


    They knew perfectly well that the creature that had been killed under less than 5 seconds was an Evolved Beast, a creature that not only was on the Warrior Rank with strength capable of rivaling those weaker ones at the Warmaster Rank, but it also possessed terrifying defensive capabilities!


    And if that was not enough, it also held a Legacy that allowed it to fortify its defense to such degrees that not even a Warmaster Rank existence would have the capability to kill it easily much less slay it with a single strike!


    But in spite of all these, an individual that was not even at the middle phase of the Warrior Rank just killed an Evolved Diamond Beast not just under less than 5 seconds but even using a single attack which was not even a magic spell but a technique using arrays, a skill that needed extremely long preparations and even than its results was not promised to be that effective!


    "Did he... really used array symbols to kill?" Flake doubted his eyes thus asked in a low voice, looking at Miles'' figure before the melted pool of crystalline with a complicated look.


    "It seems so... But I am not really sure about that." Bane who regained his composure a small while ago nodded and began to walk toward Miles.


    Miles, who was already anxious as he destroyed the beast''s core accidentally watching as Bane and Flake were walking toward him tensed up even more, his grip on his book tightening even more than before.


    "I-" Miles wished to apologize without finding an excuse when he saw as Bane raised a hand, stopping him from talking.


    "You don''t need to apologize. It is obvious at first sight you have only learned that Domination Art thus your control over it is not perfect."


    Flake nodded and glancing at the book in Miles'' hand asked curiously, "If you can, what Class is that Domination Art?"


    Miles looked stupefied at how calm the two Slayer was without showing any anger or hatred because he have destroyed a precious object just now, but once he saw how Nash and Amy who walked over nodded calmly indicating he can tell it, he swallowed nervously and looked at Bane.


    "I-It is only at the Lesser Grade among Transcended Class Domination Arts."


    "Such a powerful Domination Art possessing such a terrifying attacking power is only at the Transcended Class? And even only being a Lesser Grade? That makes no sense." Flake said with a slight frown but as he didn''t see Miles'' face because of his mask to see if he was telling the truth or was lying he just sighed and shook his head helplessly.


    Bane didn''t say anything either and after giving one more glance at the once-mighty Diamond Beast''s melted ''corpse'', he turned around and with great speed dashed into the distance, helping the soldiers to kill the second beast.


    Although Bane didn''t show it, from the looks of it and the way he was throwing out punches one after another like a crazy unstoppable torrent it was apparent that his fighting spirit was ignited upon seeing how Nash and Miles killed the Diamond Beasts with one single attack.


    In the end, Bane still was an existence at the Warmaster Rank who on the inside couldn''t accept the fact that two Warrior Rank beings were capable of killing beasts faster and more smoothly than he was.


    "And here we go again." Flake sighed helplessly as he quietly ordered his men to retreat and let Bane take care of the Diamond Beast alone.


    And exactly when he did...


    BOOM!


    The sound of something exploding into thousands of pieces sounded while a powerful ripple swept through the air, sending several smaller-sized boulders flying into the distance, only coming to a complete halt after a few hundreds of meters.


    "He is strong!" Nash exclaimed out loud as he watched how the Diamond Beast''s body burst into chunks like an overloaded balloon, even having the need to press his feet firmly into the ground to balance himself.


    Miles did the same while Amy hid behind the two as her strength was weaker than theirs and if it were not for them blocking the shockwave she would have definitely been pushed back.


    "Phew... I feel much better now." standing in the middle of a crater that had at least a ten-meter radius, Bane heaved a sigh of relief while picking up a black orb from among the Diamond Beast''s pile of chunks.


    After killing the Diamond Beast the group decided to continue their search and wander further away from their spaceship in the hope to find more Diamond Beasts.


    The scenery was always the same no matter where they went with only the temperature getting colder occasionally in smaller domains where the wind blew stronger than on other places.


    In the very beginning the luck didn''t seem to stand on the group''s side as they needed half an hour to find their next Diamond Beast, but after killing it with relative ease and fast thanks to the burning spirit of Bane they were able to cross paths with several others almost every five to ten minutes!


    Bam!


    Another great explosion shook the surroundings and earth as another Diamond Beast fell miserably under the great assault of Bane, allowing him to collect another black orb.


    "And with this, we have nine cores. Only one more and we are done here." Bane exclaimed his thoughts with delight and looked around only for his complexion to turn slightly disappointed.


    "But it seems we have to search for another half an hour or so before we can leave..." Bane sighed as he felt no presence in the surroundings meaning finding the final Diamond Beast won''t be that of an easy feat as he wished it to be.


    "Well, that was easy. Thought it would be harder." one of the soldiers behind Bane spoke loudly, his face holding a rather bored expression.


    Furthermore, it was not only him who looked casual and even bored but all the other Slayers too as after the first three Diamond Beasts they literally didn''t have to do a single thing thanks to Bane taking care of each and every one of them.


    Nash frowned when he heard the words of Slayer and wished to say something when suddenly everything in his eyes slowed down while his brain process began to quicken at least two folds!


    ''This... Not good!'' Nash''s eyes widened when he realized what was happening and without daring to hesitate grabbed both Miles and Amy on his side and activated his Sky Wings, allowing him to grow a pair of black wings behind his back.


    "Watch out!" was the only thing Nash was able to roar as he soared high into the sky, surprising everyone before the ground where he stood shattered and sunk, while a huge diamond hand with blade-like fingers arose, clenching together like a jaw of a beast!


    BAM!


    Flake, Bane, and the rest of the Slayers first were shocked to see how Nash suddenly grew a pair of wings out of seemingly nowhere, but once they saw how a humungous hand emerged at the spot where he and his friends stood and how the ground even below their own feet started to crack, indicating the same scene will occur with them too, all of their complexions changed.


    "Retreat! Now!" Bane roared loudly while he raised his fist high and without waiting for a reply or others to react, he slammed his fist which was covered in with his glove powerfully into the ground.


    BOOOOOOM!


    The ground split, huge chunks of earth flew high into the air while a massive crater with at least a hundred-meter radius and with Bane as its center formed the very next instant, shaking the entire earth in a few miles radius.


    Flake and the soldiers without waiting to be buried alive used their techniques to get as far away as possible while all of them watched with widened eyes as a beast with a size of at least twenty meters emerged from beneath the ground, its appearance exactly like a Diamond Beast''s!


    "I-It''s a Mutated Diamond Beast! And at the peak of the Warrior Rank!" Flake''s expression turned solemn while the others on his side who were able to escape just in time stared at the beast with slightly pale faces.

 Chapter 99 - Amys Domination Art!

    Everyone watched with tense faces as the Diamond Beast swung one of its massive hands at Bane, creating powerful ripples around its fist that traveled with a speed that didn''t lack in comparison to those attacks at the Warmaster Rank!


    Though, if one thought about how this Diamond Beast was a Mutated Beast, despite being only at the peak of the Warrior Rank it easily qualified to rival those above its Rank with ease!


    One had to note that Mutated Beasts not only possessed the strength to fight those above them in Rank with seemingly no struggle and even emerge as the victor if things favored them, but their Legacy was the stronger version of their kind!


    For instance, while a Normal and Evolved Diamond Beast''s Legacy had the ability to reflect attacks falling on them with at least thrice as much force, then Mutated Diamond Beast were capable of reflecting assaults with at least four or even five times stronger!


    What did it mean? It meant that a simple powerful punch or kick that could break bones upon impact would be not only defended against with ease but would also be reflected as an assault that had the ability to kill anyone instantly on the same Rank as the Diamond Beast or worse bring them to the edge of death where they no longer could continue fighting!


    That is why every living creature feared Mutated Beasts, especially if Mutated Beasts appeared among Dimensional Creatures, ones that could destroy planets and conquer solar systems!


    "Lord Bane!"


    "Watch out!"


    "Dodge!"


    Every Slayer roared with worry when they saw how the Diamond Beast''s fist was now only inches away from Bane''s face, ready to burst his head into pieces of skull and brain matter!


    "Dodge?" a mocking grin appeared on Bane''s face when he heard the words of his men and without hesitation threw out a punch too, one that carried the strength of his Warmaster Rank!


    "A real Slayer never evades only fend and surpass!" Bane roared loudly and with his Ancient Treasure glove on his fist punched the Diamond Beast''s fist.


    BOOOOOOOOOM!!!


    In that very instant as the two fists met each other, the whole surroundings halted for a split second before a terrifying explosion broke out with the beast and Bane as its epicenter, while a shockwave that shattered the ground and created sharp wind blades appeared, traveling into the far distance like a crazy torrent!


    Whoosh!


    BAM!


    As everyone was pushed back to further distances while forcing them to use means to defend against the strong shockwave a figure was seen flying through the sky with speed akin to a bullet and crashing into the ground with a force that created a huge crater below and around it!


    "Brother!" Flake''s face immediately changed and using one of his powerful Domination Arts, Zephyr Shift, he appeared next to Bane as if he just teleported.


    "Bleargh!" coughing up blood that contained two pieces of teeth, Bane opened his eyes weakly while glancing down at his arm that now was completely wasted; it was deformed to such angles that even an idiot would understand it was broken!


    Yet, even though his arm was broken and he lost two teeth while bleeding rivers of blood from both his mouth and wounds, Bane still showed a delighted and amused smile, one that made him look like someone whole lost his sanity.


    "To think... Not even with my Legacy was I able to kill it... Cough... Cough... It seems Mutated Beasts are truly on another level even if they are below you."


    "Don''t talk, eat this." Flake quickly took put a golden pill from his pocket and helped Bane to consume it.


    Once it was consumed, Bane''s complexion began to slowly recover but even then the crazed smile on his face never vanished and his eyes were still fixed on the Diamond Beast.


    "But at least I was able to damage it to a degree too... Haha!"


    Flake frowned when he heard his brother''s words and turned around. And when he did, he found it with shock as half of the Diamond Beast''s arm was blown off, only a small portion of its hand remaining below its shoulder!


    "But it still alive and still has three hands!" Flake said and began to think what he should do.


    Although Flake knew they had pretty much zero chance to kill it, he also knew they could not run away as Diamond Beasts were not that slow. Maybe he, Bane, and a few of their soldiers could reach the spaceship and escape, the rest would without a doubt die, something he didn''t wish to happen.


    He came to Planet Rover to kill and not because to be killed and leave behind comrades!


    "Should I just use ''that''?" Flake mumbled, but deep inside he didn''t wish to use the item he was currently thinking of. He would feel too ashamed after all this if he decided to use it that he was pretty sure many would make a joke out of him and call him pathetic.


    Flake clenched his teeth in frustration and after a few seconds of pondering he cursed quietly and said, "And then what? I would rather get used to being called pathetic than dying here!"


    Flake stood up and was ready to summon the item he wished to use when suddenly saw with shock as the figure of Emerald with his friends appeared on the Diamond Beast''s side, seemingly ready to attack it!


    "Did they go completely insane? They will die! They are not even a Warmaster, their bodies won''t be able to sustain the rebounding force if they attempt to attack it!" Flake blurted out loudly, but the next second his eyes widened extra large while his jaws loosened from the shock.


    "How sure are you that your power will work?" Nash asked Amy calmly as he stared at the humungous frame of the beast in front of him.


    Amy who stood next to Nash pondered for a brief moment before replying, "I am one hundred percent sure my Domination Art will work. The question here is how much will it weaken that beast."


    "And how much do you think can you weaken it?" Nash asked, giving another glance at the beast''s indicator which contained no levels of emotions!


    The indicator above the creature was empty!


    "If I need to take a rough guess, I would say my ability should weaken it at least 15% or at the very best 20%!"


    "If you count me in, I can raise that number to 30%!" Miles suddenly said from the side, his fingers tightly clenching the book in his hand.


    "Almost one-third?" Nash touched his chin and nodded, "Okay, let''s do it. That will be more than enough for me to kill it."


    The two on Nash''s side nodded and without saying anything activated their Domination Arts at the same time.


    Miles began to draw several golden symbols before him into the empty air, forming several complex lines of texts that no one was able to understand no matter how long they looked at it.


    On the other hand, Amy raised both of her hands while a small bracelet on her right wrist which until now was hidden under her robe lit up with white light, covering her entire body like a goddess.


    Whoosh!


    With a gentle breeze, a huge white circle appeared under Amy''s feet while a same, but several times bigger circle materialized under the Diamond Beast''s feet, covering its body with the same white light too.


    Swish!


    "Ugh..."


    The very second circle was created below each of them, which only took less than 10 seconds, white line with a width of feet grew from each circle and connected in midway, causing Amy''s complexion to pale slightly and a painful groan escape from her mouth.


    Luckily, she had her mask on hence the only ones that noticed her pain were Nash and Miles, the two that stood on her side.


    "Are you okay?" Nash quickly supported Amy in her back, fearing she would suddenly fall back.


    "Y-Yeah... I am fine... I just got dizzy all of a sudden but I am fine now." Amy blushed slightly as she regained her balance and said, "Now it is your turn."


    Nash didn''t say anything but glanced at Miles who drew his last symbol and waved his hand.


    "Mystic Restriction of Body... Chains!"


    Whoosh!


    With speed similar to the attack he used on his first Diamond Beast, all the symbols appeared around the Diamond Beast and got stuck on its skin before they connected with each other and changed shapes, forming imagines akin to chains!


    "My... power will weaken its physical defense... but only for a minute at best!" Miles said among heavy breathing, obviously because he was exhausted from using that single skill.


    "My Legacy Restriction can work until either I am inside my control formation or my power gets depleted. But from the looks of it, I can only sustain for 2 minutes at most too!"


    "That will be more than enough." Nash nodded and without wasting any more time began to walk toward the beast, with steps that were neither fast nor slow and even casual!

 Chapter 100 - Soul Breaker; A Slash To Cut Through The Soul!

    Everything was silent and the only thing that was heard was the occasional sound of wind blowing and the continuous groaning of the Mutated Diamond Beast which now was in a rather disadvantageous position.


    The beast was currently standing in a middle of a huge circle that shone with brilliant white light while its entire massive frame was covered with golden symbols that were connected with each other in the shape of golden chains.


    Also, if one looked close enough, one would also notice that the beast''s back was slightly hunched while its knees that had sizes of trucks were bent a little, indicating that not only was it under some kind of restriction power, but it was also under a spell that increased the pressure on it or maybe even created artificial gravity for a short duration!


    It was pretty apparent that even though the Mutated Diamond Beast possessed powers capable of rivaling beings above its own Rank, under the spell of Miles and the restriction domain of Amy, two beings that were not even at the peak Warrior Rank, the beast was struggling to move!


    Such a sight although was not rare inside the Ancient Dimension as many beings were able to restrict beasts above their Ranks for a short duration, it was still shocking to see how Amy and Miles had the ability to do such feats.


    "What kind of Domination Art is she using?" Bane frowned with confusion as he stood onto his feet, his gaze fixed on the bracelet on Snow''s wrist.


    "I don''t know, but the looks of it, it is some kind of restriction type Art. Must be at least at the Lesser Grade among Transcended Class Domination Arts." Flake replied calmly while his eyes followed Emerald''s figure with both curiosity and awe.


    ''I wonder what he will do. Will he try to use his grabbing power once again?'' Flake was curious to see what Nash will attempt to do while also feeling deeply surprised at how casual he was acting at the moment.


    One had to know that the beast they were currently facing was not a Normal nor an Evolved one was, but a Mutated Diamond Beast. If it were anyone else on the Warrior Rank, Flake was pretty sure they would try to run as far away as their legs could take them and not approach it, much less fight it!


    Yet, the being who called himself Emerald was approaching this beast as if he was taking a stroll in a park, casually ignoring the possibility of the beast suddenly freeing itself from its bindings and killing him with a single punch!


    Even Bane, a being at the Warmaster Rank and one who had a strong body with a high level of endurance failed to completely defend against the Diamond Beast and was even almost killed, then how would Emerald stand a chance against the beast''s attack if things suddenly go awry?


    Flake had no idea, and could only get ready to save him if things seemed to get out of hand.


    Nash walked toward the Diamond Beast with casual steps and only when he was less than ten meters away from it, almost at the edge of Amy''s restriction formation, did he come dead in his track and stare at the beast.


    He raised his head to get a better look at the creature but not even after he raised his head a few centimeters was he able to see the head of the beast, showing just how truly humungous its size was.


    Just imagining it what would it feel like the get squashed under its feet or fist alive made Nash feel a slight shudder sweep through his body. He was pretty sure the sight would be no different from a human stepping on an ant.


    "Well, at least it can''t move so I can finally see and use that," Nash mumbled and waved his hand, immediately summoning an emerald longsword into his hand.


    Although Nash knew it was risky using his Soul Breaker in public, he knew perfectly well that the only one that saw his sword from up close and could identify him with it was Amael and Erys with the latter one ordered to stay mute until he does not say so.


    Of course, he could still make Erys find a way to get back to him, but then that would only help her race to find him too which he wanted the least at the moment. That is why he has yet to order her anything despite feeling her connection with him and also seeing where her Life String was going.


    As for Amael, Nash was pretty sure that even if that being put a bounty on his head with a well-detailed description about him, he would fail to describe his Soul Breaker perfectly as he only saw it in its scabbard and now when it is unsheathed.


    However, because he summoned his longsword without its scabbard, meaning it was not entirely emerald green but had also several deep crimson lines on its surface because of the Blood Contract, even if one suspected it was the same sword that would only last for a few moments.


    "That... An Ancient Treasure? With Blood Contract?!" both Flake and Bane immidieatly recognized the sword in Nash''s hands and couldn''t help but widen their eyes in utter disbelief.


    While Ancient Treasures were not rarities as many beings at the top possessed several at the same time, ones with a Blood Contract were, on the other hand, extremely rare!


    Even Bane''s gloves were not in contract with him despite possessing them now for 9 years!


    "But how? A Perfect Resonance has to be achieved for a Blood Contract, so how? Where did he get it?" the two Warmaster felt extremely puzzled but at the same time their curiosity toward Emerald grew tremendously and if before they were not sure if they would like to approach him to join their families, then now they were.


    Anyone with an Ancient Treasure was already a powerful being let it be at the Infant or Warmaster Rank, much less a being whose Ancient Treasure was acquired through Perfect Resonance!


    ''We need to persuade him no matter what!'' Flake''s eyes burned with spirit while the previous worry of Emerald not being able to kill the beast now completely faded.


    Let alone the Mutated Diamond Beast, even if Emerald decided to attack him while he was restricted would he not be so sure if he had the means to survive! That is just how strong Ancient Treasures were!


    While everyone was mesmerized in their own thoughts, Nash finally raised his longsword above his head and silently activated his Soul Breaker''s power.


    Bam!


    A small ripple broke out from the blade of the sword the moment its power had been triggered while a mixture of crimson and emerald green slowly began to cover the entire body of the sword, bathing Nash figure in a mixture of red and green!


    "Urgh..."


    A somewhat painful groan escaped Nash''s mouth the next moment, but it was not because he got injured or sustained a backlash upon activation of his weapon''s power, but because the amount of essence it was required to use his Soul Breaker was tremendous!


    The sudden loss of 2,500 units of essences was by no means small, and from the looks of it, that amount could easily grow by at least two folds if he wished for it! The only thing he had to do was to channel his essence into his Soul Breaker and the rest would follow suit.


    As for why it was a good thing, Nash had a rough guess but he was not really sure about it.


    ''Well, it does not seem I should care about that at the moment.'' Nash thought, and after channeling only 2,500 units of essence into his sword which lasted about 3 seconds, he moved his arms and with a powerful vertical motion swung his sword.


    Swish!


    In a flash, a sharp flash of blade light akin to a wind blade appeared in the air with a mixture of crimson and emerald, and with a speed that was neither terrifying fast nor terribly slow dashed through the air and cleanly cut through the middle of the Diamond Beast''s body.


    However, in contrast to the sight when wind blades slice through bodies, Nash''s attack didn''t cut the beast into two halves but simply passed through its body and proceeded to fly away, vanishing into the far distance after a few seconds.


    Everyone felt confused upon seeing this, but the very next moment, each of them fell into sheer silence, not believing what they were seeing.


    Thud!


    Bam!


    Under everyone''s dumbfounded gaze when the symbols and the circle on and below its body finally faded away, the beast''s massive frame suddenly collapsed like a puppet whose body was no longer supported by strings, and no matter how long they waited it no longer moved!


    It was dead!


    Just like that, the Mutated Diamond Beast which possessed terrifying defensive capabilities and even shattered a being''s arm who was on the Warmaster Rank was slain with a single attack!

 Chapter 101 - Grand Library (1)

    The very moment the Diamond Beast has collapsed and shook the whole earth below and around its massive body with a great tremor, everyone around fell into complete silence.


    The soldiers on the sides widened their eyes from utter disbelief, some even having their jaws dropped down to their knees while the two Warmaster Rank Slayers in the distance stared at Emerald''s figure with a solemn expression.


    While the soldiers did not know what happened and only saw how a single attack sliced through the mutated Diamond Beast''s body until then the two leaders perfectly understood what occurred just now as they were pretty familiar with Ancient Treasures and several other types of attacks.


    "Was that... Was that a Soul Assault?" Flake mumbled as his usually calm face now showed seriousness while his eyes gazed at the sword in Nash''s hand.


    "Although it truly felt like Soul Assault, it was not," Bane replied, his complexion similar to his youngest brother''s, "Though, it was definitely something similar to Soul Assault."


    Flake closed his mouth shut when he heard his brother''s words and began to ponder.


    As far as he knew it, Soul Assault was a powerful Domination Art that only a few could master and even less could use it as it required one to have not only a strong body but also an unshakable soul!


    While every being had a soul as it was already a proven fact until then the density and solidity of their soul differed from one another and that is the real reason why there were beings that could learn Soul Assault as easily as taking a deep breath while others struggled to learn it throughout their lives only to end up failing to master it before dying!


    Naturally, Flake was also one who tried to master it but even after practicing it for a whole year with at least two hours a day, he failed to learn it. This, of course, didn''t mean he would give up as many legendary herbs could strengthen his soul, but deep inside he already knew it was only a dream.


    After all, learning Soul Assault required less than half a year...


    "There is no question about it now, we will recruit them into our family," Flake said to his brother before he walked toward Emerald, his face now holding a calm smile.


    Meanwhile, Nash stood before the Diamond Beast''s body with a slightly exhausted complexion, feeling a tiny bit weak after losing 1/4 of his total essence in a single flash. Naturally, he knew it was only temporary and he needed a few moments to recover his strength so he was not worried at all.


    "Are you guys feeling okay?" watching as Amy and Miles walked to his side Nash asked in a low voice, knowing despite not seeing their complexions that they were more exhausted than him.


    "I am fine, I just need to recover a few thousand units and that is all..." Miles nodded as he showed a thumbs up.


    "I feel okay too, but my body feels numb and weak. I think I will need to rest for at least a few hours before I can use my skill again." Amy sighed weakly, her complexion rather pale at the moment under her mask.


    As Nash examined the two before him in silence, suddenly he noticed as Flake and Bane appeared on his side, both of them examining the huge body of the Diamond Beast in front of them.


    The three watched silently as the two examined the beast''s corpse before both of them shifted their gazes at them, one holding a solemn face while the other one just simply smiled at them.


    "You all did great work, I will make sure all of your requested items will be delivered to you as soon as I can get my hands on them," Flake said with a smile and watched as Nash put his sword away into his space ring.


    After exchanging a few words to make sure everyone was alright, Flake went and scooped out the core of the Mutated Diamond Beast which was a yellow orb that shone with a gentle golden light.


    "I still can hardly believe this." Flake and Bane stared with widened eyes at the core, looking like ones that have fallen under a dazzling spell, one from where they could not escape.


    Naturally, it was because they knew perfectly well what kind of price did the small core in their hold possessed.


    While Normal Beast cores could be sold at a normal price from which one could live for a few days until then an Evolved Beast core could be sold for a price where a single individual can live almost for an entire month without fearing if they will starve to death or not!


    As for a core that came from a Mutated Beast... It was meaningless to say it was a priceless item, one that had many usages except for selling it at astronomical prices!


    For instance, if one was lucky enough to hunt down a Mutated Beast and acquire its core while also deciding not to sell it, with an expert blacksmith one could craft weapons out of it or even use the core to create powerful pills with the help of a master alchemist!


    Naturally, these were only two examples and there were way too many uses a core could be used.


    After staring at the yellow core which had a size of at least a human baby, Flake placed it gently into a separate pouch and made it vanish into one of his rings which seemed to have similar usages as Nash''s Space Ring.


    "Let''s go back. It was a long day, we should head back to Planet Gaia." Bane said and after gesturing toward his men with his only arm, he began to walk toward the east where the spaceship was.


    Walking for almost an hour straight without meeting any danger or creatures, the group finally reached their spaceship and boarded it before flying away into space.


    "Haah... That was tough!" Miles let out a deep sigh as he walked out of the spaceship after traveling for several hours and looked at the familiar scenery of Planet Gaia.


    Nash and Amy followed him from behind without saying a word while Flake and Bane walked and watched the three from the side too.


    "What are your plans now?" Flake asked, his question obviously directed toward the three.


    Nash glanced at Flake and after pondering for a while he said, "We plan to stay on Planet Gaia as we have a few things to do here. After that, we don''t really know."


    When Flake heard Nash''s first few words his ears perked with curiosity but when he heard what he said next his eyes lit up and smiled, "I see, then would you like to come back with us to the Ancient Dimension? My family is recruiting potential talents just like the three of you. Naturally, if you do decide to join, you can get many benefits, much greater than the ones you could get after today''s help."


    The three fell silent upon hearing the question, Amy and Miles even glancing at Nash for response with eyes that held complex emotions.


    Nash naturally understood their worries. He was not a fool to decide on important things such as this that could possibly influence their future so rashly, thus after humming in a low voice he replied, "I will consider your offer but right now, as I said, we have more important things to do."


    "You don''t need to answer me instantly. You can always give me a reply any moment." Flake said with the same smile he always had on his handsome face and took out a small black token with a sword engraved on its surface.


    "This is my family''s communication token. With this, we can reach each other whether you are inside this or another dimension. You just need to press the hilt of the blade on it." Flake explained as he handed the token to Nash, which in fact was a device.


    "I see." Nash nodded and after inspecting the token for a while tossed it into his Space Ring.


    "Perfect. Then once I have your items, I will get in touch with you through that." Flake smiled and after waving at the three he walked away with Bane and his men.


    "Will we accept their offer?" once the Slayers were out of sight, Miles decided to ask, his worry in his voice as clear as day.


    "Although it is not a bad thing to accept it, it is neither a good choice. It is like a double-edged sword." Nash said and after sighing, he said, "Furthermore, we still have to find my uncle and the rest. Joining another race will definitely limit our freedom so for the time being it is a definite no."


    "But anyways, first and foremost we have something way more important to do on this planet than finding my uncle or either consider whether we should join others or not!"


    "And that is?" both Amy and Miles felt puzzled but also curious to know what was more important than finding the others.

 Chapter 102 - Grand Library (2-Last)

    Miles and Amy felt slightly puzzled when they heard the words of Nash as they didn''t understand that currently what was more important than finding the others who could possibly be in danger even at this very moment as they talked.


    After all, they were humans too, ones without their Legacy unsealed thus even the weakest beast at the Infant Rank could kill them much less a Dimensional Creature if they meet with one accidentally!


    Nash, naturally, understood their confusion, and after looking around and seeing that there was no one around he began to tell the two what he has seen during his time back in the Emerald Palace and what task he was trusted by Aruer.


    He explained everything as detailed but as briefly as he could, but even like that he needed at least 5 minutes to finish speaking. And once he did, although he did not see the complexions of the two in front of him, he was pretty sure they were deeply shocked.


    After thinking for a while, Amy looked Nash straight into his eyes and asked, "And where do you think this... this library is?"


    "I do not have clue yet, but when we came out of the Mystic Hall of Mastery I noticed a huge building in the far distance. If my memory does not fail me, it was called Grand Library."


    "And you really think we can find something that was lost for thousands of years in there?" Amy asked, her voice holding both her confusion and doubt.


    Nash shrugged at that question and starting to walk toward a specific direction, he said, "I don''t. I just have this feeling if we go there at least we will be able to find a clue where to search next."


    Miles and Amy looked at each other, but as they had no other choice nor things to do they could only sigh and follow Nash quickly.


    -


    -


    -


    Neo City was the capital of Planet Gaia and while its size was not as large as most capitals in the Ancient Dimension or cities on home planets inside various dimensions, it still had a massive size, one that sprawled out over almost 7,000 square miles!


    From above one would even think it was an entire country filled with only buildings, showing just how ridiculously large and massive it was!


    The city itself was filled with numerous skyscrapers, one that had a modern and rather catchy style, one that was the polar opposite to some of the buildings in the Ancient Dimension where buildings were built out of bricks, rocks, wood, and numerous plants!


    Furthermore, although only a few came to the Human Dimension as it was still a newly opened dimension and hardly had any planets with strong creatures on them because of its uniqueness in contrast to the various other dimensions many liked to come here just to relax or either go around sightseeing.


    After all, not every race liked to kill and fight non-stop and many wished to relax and find places where they could rest and soothe their minds, and the Human Dimension was one of the perfect places for such desires!


    Therefore, many facilities such as luxurious hotels, spas, resorts, restaurants, or even places where one could fight with one another out of fun were built and even these were only a few from among the hundreds of possibilities one could choose from!


    And among these possibilities was the Grand Library, a place where tens of thousands of scrolls, books, and ancient texts resided, waiting to be read and learned by others. It was a real paradise for those that wished to fill their minds with numerous things such as history, science, alchemy, pharmacy, or something entirely different!


    "So this is the Grand Library?" Miles mumbled with awe as he stood before this humungous building which towered high above, almost reaching the clouds above!


    The Grand Library, just like 90% of the buildings everywhere inside Neo City, was a huge skyscraper. However, as every building was constructed from different material, this one was designed from other too, seemingly built out of light blue steel which Nash easily recognized; it was Sea Metal, a rather durable metal that could be shaped and forged pretty easily, allowing one to create anything out of it let it be weapons, buildings, or even different artifacts!


    Nash looked at the massive size of the building with the same awed complexion as Miles but after a few seconds, his face quickly changed back to indifference and lowered his gaze.


    "Let''s go inside."


    With those words, Nash quickly grabbed the handle of each glass door and pushed it open, immediately revealing a breathtaking interior which neither he nor Amy nor Miles expected to see!


    Although the name Grand Library indicated that one would see an enormous interior with numerous floors, each filled with hundreds of bookshelves and thousands of books and scrolls on them, this was not the case at all.


    Just like during their first time entering the Mystic Hall of Mastery, this time too when they entered the building they found themselves in a completely different space! However, this time it was not a huge hall with five gates on each side, but a vast white platform with several pillars placed in a tidy manner!


    Each pillar was at least fifty meters tall with a staircase going around it all the way to its top while on its sides several gaps filled with books, scrolls, or tablets were placed, each differing in size, shape, and color!


    "Welcome to the Grand Library dear guests, my name is Calin. How can I be of service to the three of you?"


    As Nash, Miles, and Amy glanced around with awe a humanoid creature with cat ears and a tail appeared in front of them, her yellow eyes staring at them with curiosity.


    Nash upon seeing the sudden appearance of Calin glanced at her Indicator and inspected her Emotion Levels.


    ''67% happiness? Not that high, unfortunately.'' Nash thought as he felt slightly disappointed.


    He knew that Calin hailed from the Amure Race, a humanoid race where creatures were hybrids between humans and different animals such as cats, dogs, wolves, and rabbits while having a Legacy that allowed them to tame beasts with relative ease.


    "We would like to learn about the Ancient Era," Nash said, his voice indifferent.


    "The Ancient Era?" Calin''s ears perked up when he heard the two words and said, "Yeah, we have quite a lot of scrolls and texts about the Ancient Era and even have also a few tablets that originate from that era."


    "Great, then can you please show us where we can find them?" Amy asked from Nash''s right.


    "Of course, but before I can lead you the way, the three of you need to pay three Space Jade Crystals."


    "What? We have to pay to read?" Miles asked and mumbled quietly, "That is quite the bullshit I have heard so far."


    Calin''s mouth twitched at that remark but despite her Anger Level increasing all the way to 50% she showed a smile and said, "Unfortunately, that is the rule the owner set and I cannot change it."


    "I see, then we have no choice." Nash sighed as he took three black crystals into his hand and handed it to Calin but was secretly glad that Miles was able to alter Calin''s emotion to such a degree.


    "Thank you very much! Then please follow me." Calin showed a smile that revealed her white but seemingly sharp teeth and after turning around walked away alongside with her tail swaying from side to side.


    The three followed Calin through the sea of pillars and after walking for five minutes she stood before a black pillar, one that was relatively smaller than the rest.


    "Here we are. You will be able to find anything here but if you have any questions feel free to call my name." after saying those words, Calin turned back around and walked away.


    Once she was out of sight, Nash looked at the black pillar and said, "Okay, let''s search for information."


    With those words, the trio began to ascend the stairs and read each book, scroll, and jade plates one by one.


    -


    -


    -


    Planet Nelea.


    Inside the sole city of Planet Nelea, Amael was sitting behind a small desk with several holograms displaying various recordings in front of him, each seemingly being a live feed.


    "Lord Amael, we have arrived." as Amael was watching the holograms with a nonchalant face, the door on the sides opened and two figures walked in a female and male fairy.


    "Report."


    "Yes!" Alina nodded and glanced at Mitah on her side, gesturing for him to talk.


    "As you wanted, we have increased the searching units by three-folds while we have also personally scoured the entire western, northern, and southern regions," Mitah spoke in a clear and calm voice, but if one looked straight into his eyes one would easily notice how anxious he was at the moment.


    Well, considering that he was currently standing in front of a being capable of erasing his entire existence with a single punch, it made quite the sense why he was so tense.

 Chapter 103 - Crimson Mountain & Abyss Valley

    Amael listened to Mitah''s report from start to finish with a complexion that was so indifferent that no human emotions could be spotted on it, not even if one looked at it from an inch close!


    Even Alina, who was a great expert at noticing others'' changes in facial expression thanks to her accumulated experience of dealing with merchants almost non-stop failed to spot a single shift on Amael''s face, making every piece of muscle in her body stiffen uncontrollably.


    After speaking for 10 minutes straight without rest and pause, Mitah took a deep breath which he immediately exhaled in a form of turbid air, and said, "And that is everything, leaving out no detail at all."


    Amael remained silent for a long time even after Mitah stopped talking and only when the whole room felt like it would collapse from the invisible pressure that emitted out of him did he nod and stood up.


    "I see. Then it seems they are no longer on this planet."


    In that very moment, as Amael said those two words, Alina and Mitah''s eyes widened with utter disbelief and their jaws loosened to a size where even two eggs could be fit with ease!


    "L-Lord Amael... If I may, what did you mean under your statement?" collecting herself some courage by fighting back her anxiety, Alina asked with a solemn complexion as she watched Amael slowly walking toward the door on the side.


    As far as she could remember, ever since those trespassers landed and set foot onto this planet of hers she has gotten no news about abnormal activities around any of the regions nor did she get information about a spaceship entering or leaving without any proper permission!


    Thus, hearing from Amael that those trespassers were no longer on this planet was something Alina couldn''t accept much less believe! Of course, although she had the urge to refute what Amael just said, she was not that stupid to do as she knew her head would roll on the ground any moment.


    Amael walked before the entrance of the room and just as he was about to exit he halted his steps and turned his head toward the two Fairy who stood motionlessly on the side almost as if they did not dare to move.


    "What I mean under my statement is exactly what you heard. Those two are not on this planet any longer, and if I am right they have left several days already!" the voice of Amael was calm and quiet, but from the aura that surrounded him, even a fool would know he was immensely angry!


    After all, he was currently in search of a human that possessed not only one of the strongest Domination Art that was created in all existence but also held his King''s daughter''s life in his hand which he can shatter at any given moment with a single command!


    Of course he was angry! Why would he not be? He realized that he has wasted two entire days on this planet for no reason, something that was unacceptable no matter how he looked at it!


    Alina was about to ask why did Amael think those trespassers escaped when she noticed the eerie aura leaking from Amael''s body together with the slowly increasing invisible pressure in the room and decided to swallow her words back and remain silent.


    The same went for Mitah, but in contrast to Alina who was able to contain herself, he was trembling unconsciously while bean-sized sweat was oozing out of his forehead, gradually soaking his upper body!


    "Hmph!" seeing the reaction of the two Amael just sneered coldly and without saying anything else walked out of the room, leaving the two Fairies alone in the empty room with the still lingering presence of dread!


    -


    -


    -


    Planet Gaia, inside the Grand Library.


    Among the vast majority of pillars that were at least fifty meters in height, a small pillar with a color of black stood on the white platform with a white staircase spiraling around it toward its top.


    On that white staircase, three individuals wearing black robes but different styled and colored masks could be seen standing on different levels, each holding either a book, scroll, or jade tablet that had many carvings written on it.


    "Did you find anything?" Nash who just read a book with the title of ''Myth from the Modern Era'' asked Miles who stood a few levels above him, examining a jade tablet with an intent gaze.


    "Nope, nothing." Miles sighed after a few seconds as he placed the tablet back onto its original spot with care, fearing that a single mistake can lead him to break it into numerous pieces.


    "Nothing again, huh?" Nash sighed heavily and after placing the scroll back onto its own spot inside the pillar''s gap he walked higher where Amy was reading.


    "And you? Found anything?"


    Amy was currently reading a small book with the width and length of a human palm and after reading the last page in it she turned into page 69 and showed it to Nash, "Take a look at this,"


    Nash at first was delighted as he thought Amy succeeded in finding something, but once he read the context his smile froze on his face below his mask and frowned.


    Amy seemed to notice the puzzlement on Nash despite not seeing his confused face and began to explain, "According to this book, during the Ancient Era after the harsh battle between the God of Souls and the God of War where the former emerged as the victor after a month of a straight fight, a mountain was created by the God of Souls where he hid all his treasures and knowledge before ascending into a ''Higher Realm''."


    "Are you talking about the Crimson Mountain where blood flows every time a soul perishes on this planet?" Miles stood beside Amy and asked with curiosity, seemingly already reading about the battle between the two ''Gods''.


    Amy glanced at Miles and nodded, before she said, "Yes, that one."


    "But I have read in many documents that although the place exists on the northern regions which are now ruled by scary beasts, it has no cave entrances on it much less hidden chambers or altars that the legends talk about," Miles said casually, trying to say it was nothing new and legends were indeed just legends.


    Amy, however, shook her head and after turning onto page 666 she pointed at a specific paragraph, "What you say is indeed right, but what about this then?"


    Both Miles and Nash leaned closer to get a better look, reading the words written on the page below Amy''s snow-white fingers.


    "A bottle of crimson blood of a perished poured on the very bottom of the valley opens the abyss into the hidden athenaeum of Soul?" Miles read the sentence out and began to ponder, but despite thinking for a while he still felt confused and asked, "Does this even make sense?"


    Nash, on the other hand, felt like a bolt of lightning struck him right on his head and grabbed the book out of Amy''s hand, his fingers trembling slightly.


    "Do you think it is a clue?" Amy asked as she crossed her arms below her bosom. She was not a stupid girl, from the way Nash held the book and how silent he was she was almost 100% they found what they have come for.


    Nash remained silent for a while as he read the paragraph in front of him several times and only when he was sure he has indeed understood everything right and was not hallucinating did he lower his hands and smile.


    "Yeah, this is definitely ''that'' place. No doubt about it."


    "Huh? You mean we know where to go?" Miles asked with surprise as he clearly understood what the word ''that'' meant, but quickly became indifferent, and taking out his book he nodded, "Nice, then we can finally go."


    Nash shook his head helplessly how fast did Miles change attitudes while Amy felt the urge to smack him in the back of his head real good.


    "Anyways, do we know how to get to this place?" Nash asked once he finally put the book back where it originally was.


    "According to the books I have read, the Crimson Mountain is located in the north about nine hours of walking from here." Miles began to speak even before Amy could have, his gaze still glued onto the book in his hand.


    "Nine hours?" Nash frowned when he heard the ridiculous amount of time they had to travel and asked, "Is there no faster way to get there?"


    Amy and Miles were about to answer that question with an ''I don''t know'' when suddenly a figure appeared on their sides seemingly out of nowhere, surprising each of them greatly.


    "Haha! Did you just say you want to get to Crimson Mountain fast? Leave it to me! If pay me 50 Space Jade Crystals, I will make sure that the three of you not only get there faster but also safer without crossing paths with any beasts!"

 Chapter 104 - Stormlight

    Nash, Amy, and Miles flinched scarcely upon hearing the sudden voice of an unfamiliar figure before the three of them turned around and looked at a woman who stood behind them with a charming smile on her face.


    Her hair was short and silver, skin as white as snow, and eyes azure like two pieces of sapphire. She had a petite body with her curves showing even through her silver battle armor on while her face held a typical innocent but charming smile that could easily capture any male''s attention and could even steal their heart away!


    Though, Nash was not the type of individual to fall head over heels over someone just because they smiled slightly more beautiful than others, especially if that someone was from another creature and not a human!


    No, he would instead get more cautious and suspicious than ever before. Furthermore, even if he would trust the woman, the fact that she was able to get behind them without any one of them noticing her just showed she had more to her than what she showed.


    ''What is she trying to do?'' Nash narrowed his eyes and only when he saw the woman had no weapon or showed any type of hostility which would immediately appear on her Indicator, did he ask, "You know, before you try to approach someone you should introduce yourself first. Or did they not teach you that?"


    The woman''s eyes widened when he heard Nash word''s and although she showed surprise her Anger Level increased, something that was simply impossibly to go unnoticed under Nash''s eyes.


    ''55%, huh?'' Nash thought in his heart and waited patiently for what the woman will reply.


    Before coming into the Grand Library and reaching this pillar they were currently on, Nash made sure to ask Calin about the rules they must know and learned that any form of ruckus, let it be shouting, fighting, or accidentally damaging the property of the Grand Library will be punished severely with either money or they won''t be allowed to enter the library ever again!


    Therefore, although he saw that the woman began to become angry and her eyes even held a hint of hostility, he was not nervous as he knew she can''t cause a ruckus inside here.


    Nor outside, as she was on the same Rank as him and he was pretty sure anyone on the same Rank stood no chance against him in a one against one clash.


    Silence filled the air between the two. No one talked for a long while and just as Nash thought the woman will walk away, fuming in anger and even considering how she should take her revenge, suddenly her Happiness Leve skyrocketed all the way to 79% and a beaming smile emerge onto her face once again.


    "Haha, you are right. I totally forgot to introduce myself." the woman laughed and even hit the side of her head gently, "My name is Stormlight, a simple peddler who goes from city to city helping others in need and even selling things. And you are...?"


    "Emerald." Nash said nonchalantly and after crossing his arms before his chest asked, "You said you could help us get to Crimson Mountain safer and faster than others. Is that true?"


    Stormlight''s eyes lit up and her smile widened while her happiness increased further.


    "If I tell you I can do it, then I can do it! But, of course, if you pay me the price I stated previously."


    "Sure, but before we pay the 50 crystals, I have a few questions." Amy suddenly stepped forward and asked, "First, why should we trust you? We didn''t even meet you before and could be very likely you try to bring us harm. Second, what if we indeed meet with a beast on our journey? Will we get compensated? You said the path you will take us has no beasts on. Lastly, will anyone else come with us?"


    The questions from Amy''s mouth were like bullets from a rifle, bombarding Stormlight with one question after another and only coming to an end when she crossed her arms before herself in the same manner as Nash.


    Miles, who stood behind seeing her act thought about something and stepped forward nodded, and crossed his arms too.


    ''This guy...'' Nash felt his brow twitch and had the urge to smack him in the back, but resisted the desire and waited patiently.


    Stormlight stared at the three in front of her and was unable to not think they somewhat looked like three unmovable mountains, each possessing this invisible aura on themselves that pressed down on her from above.


    Though that was only a feeling and nothing real, thus Stormlight quickly regained herself and with the same smile glanced at Amy, "Let''s see, for your first question I think this will be more than enough."


    With those words, Stormlight took out a small emblem from her pocket and showed it to the three.


    The emblem was circular and small, about the size of a palm but on its very middle, a symbol was carved something the three recognized in a mere instant; it was the symbol of the Legendary Owl, a far and wide known merchant organization that was at the very top even inside the Ancient Dimension!


    However, although it was on the top, only a few individuals were selected to be merchants for the Legendary Owl, but those that were chosen were always top-tier merchants with top-tier items to sell!


    Furthermore, the emblem was a part of the merchants'' souls. This meant it could not be taken away from them not even after they died as the emblem would gradually turn into nothing but ash!


    "To think you were one from the Legendary Owl..." Nash and the three on his side lowered their hands as they were now more than convinced Stormlight was someone they could trust.


    Stormlight felt satisfied by the reactions her emblem earned her and after putting it away she said, "For your second question if we meet even a single beast let it be a weak or terrifyingly scary one, I will not only make sure no harm will fall on you but give you back the full price you paid three folds! And as for the last one, no. Only the four of us will go."


    The words Stormlight spoke were firm and not even the slightest lie could be detected on her face, thus Nash nodded and once he took out 50 Space Jade Crystals from his pouch he handed it over.


    "When will we go?"


    Stormlight inspected each crystal with care and only when she showed a delighted smile and put them away did she clap her hands and say, "Whenever you are ready. Naturally, the sooner we start going the sooner we get there."


    "Then we can go right away." Nash nodded as neither he nor his friends had anything else to do. They have already found what they come for so there was no reason for them the stay here any longer.


    ''Though, slowly we should find ways to get crystals. Although we still have plenty left, it is only a matter of time before we stay with nothing.'' taking a mental note about what he should do in the future once they found the Hidden Library, Nash began to follow Stormlight out of the Grand Library with Amy and Miles following him closely from behind.


    -


    -


    -


    Planet Gaia, just like every other planet after the opening of the Ancient Path became a world filled with dangers and regions where one could easily lose their lives if they were not careful enough.


    The once inanimate objects such as plants and trees underwent great evolution where they gained consciousness and now were capable of hunting for prey while the various domains changed too; leaves and grass became steel sharp, the earth became almost metal solid while the various type of beasts that lurked in the wild had numbers in the four digits with strengths differing from one another!


    And to make it worst, the weather itself changed too, becoming the greatest nightmare of every living being let it be beast or creatures hailing from different races!


    Crack!


    The sound of a small and thin tree branch cracking into two sounded somewhere in a dense forest. Naturally, this fragile-looking branch could easily injure any being at the bottom of the Infant Rank and was only broken as the being stepping on it was at the Warrior Rank.


    "What did you say, how long before we reach Crimson Mountain?" glancing at the small tree branch he stepped on before proceeding to follow Stormlight, Nash asked coolly while his eyes scanned their surroundings.


    "About another five hours. We still need to walk through this forest then cross the Abandoned Bridge first and only then will we reach the northern region. From there, Crimson Mountain will be only a few miles walk." Stormlight said as she led the way, walking as though she was taking a stroll in a park.


    "Another five hours?" Nash mumbled quietly and raised his gaze toward the sky above, letting out a deep sigh that only he could hear.

 Chapter 105 - Bandits

    The group of four were walking now about five hours straight without halting and taking a brief rest. Naturally, it was all because Nash and the rest wished to get to Crimson Mountain as soon as possible as they did not want to waste their precious time.


    They were currently inside a huge and dense forest, one with a very unique appearance. The trees were about a hundred meters tall while their trunks which had a deep yellow color was more than two meters wide! The leaves that one could only see if one raised their heads completely had a swarthy orange hue with a mixture of a metallic cluster, indicating they were no ordinary leaves!


    There were also numerous plants with different weird shapes and sizes either in the distance or on the trees, but luckily they were only ordinary plants with just a small portion of consciousness and were not dangerous at all.


    As Nash followed Stormlight while scanning the surroundings, he could hear the occasional roars of beasts in the distance which made him slightly nervous, but as he saw no shadows approaching he was able to relax his scarcely tense muscles.


    ''I wonder why no beasts are lurking around this region. Is there something special about this path?'' Nash pondered as he took a glance to his left where Miles and Amy were walking, the former still reading his book without any care about the outer world around him.


    Time passed slowly, and as minutes gradually turned into hours after a little less than two hours the group finally reached the edge of the forest, arriving before this huge bridge that looked incredibly long but the same time old as it extended into the far distance above a seemingly vast sea or some sort of huge lake.


    "Here we are... The Abandoned Bridge!" Stormlight showed a smile and glanced at Nash, "Once we cross it, we will finally reach the northern region. From there, the Crimson Mountian will be only a casual jump!"


    Nash nodded and without saying anything began to walk toward the bridge.


    The bridge was about 50 feet, around 15 meters wide while its length was at least several miles as despite squinting his eyes Nash failed to see the end of it. However, the bridge was not empty as one would think as the surface of it was grown in by vines and grass while a few vehicles and items from several hundreds of years ago could be seen here and there.


    The name Abandoned Bridge was indeed a great name as it entirely described how it looked.


    "Are you sure we won''t meet any beasts?" Amy, who felt a little skeptical asked, her eyes sharply scanning both the bridge and the waters below it.


    "Don''t worry, I am pretty sure. Beasts on the lands prefer woods or caves while making sure they are as far away from lakes, seas, and oceans as possible." Stormlight explained as she began to cross the bridge.


    "Why?" Amy asked as she followed.


    "Because of Aquatic Beasts," Miles replied nonchalantly without raising his head from his book.


    Stormlight nodded with a smile and said, "Indeed, because of Aquatic Beasts. Although they have the same strength on the same Rank as any other, because of their ability to move and live freely underwater they are considered extremely terrifying species."


    Amy seemed to understand what Stormlight was talking about and took a step toward the middle of the bridge, making sure she was as far away from the edge as possible.


    Stormlight just smiled and didn''t say anything. As she was a merchant who was a member of the Legendary Owl it was only natural that she had been on many planets and seen many things, including events considering Aquatic Beasts. She even saw how a being on the Warmaster Rank got shredded into pieces by several Warrior Rank beasts just because he accidentally fell into the water.


    "Don''t worry, until you are on this bridge, you don''t have to fear neither Aquatic Beasts nor Land Beasts," Stormlight reassured Amy and quickened her pace.


    The four walked on the bridge with quick but cautious steps and only talked when Stormlight started a conversation out of nowhere. However, except that, the only thing that was heard was the constant sound of their feet getting into contact with the ground and the gentle breeze that appeared from time to time from the west, blowing their clothes and hair gently.


    After walking for an hour, the group finally crossed the bridge and what emerged before their sight on the horizon was a vast wasteland with a single, seemingly tremendously massive mountain that was covered in the color of crimson!


    "And here we are, the northern region with the Crimson Mountain in its full glory!" Stormlight smiled and was about to open her mouth when suddenly her eyes narrowed and her guard was raised.


    "?" Nash seemed to notice the sudden change of behavior in Stormlight''s behavior and he too raised his guard, but just as he thought she was wrong and beasts emerged, it turned out he was wrong.


    ''Gorgers?'' Nash thought calmly as he saw several shadows emerge from the sides, each holding different weapons and a greedy look on their faces, almost as if they were looking at not other living beings but treasures filled with wealth!


    Amy and Miles seemed to notice the change in atmosphere around them too, and when they saw how 10 figures appeared from both sides their complexion turned solemn and took a step closer to Nash.


    "Freaking bandits..." Stormlight cussed and summoned a dagger into her hand.


    However, although she showed she was brave, her complexion was slightly pale as she knew their chances of escape in one piece was very slim; each and every creature around them were either at the Middle Phase of the Warrior Rank while a single one was even at the peak, half a step away from breaking into the Warmaster Rank!


    "Kehe! Boss, it seems we finally have a catch! And it seems they are full of goods too!" a creature that had a thin frame with a height of two meters swung its bone machete in his bony hand, causing its loose skin on its body to sway from side to side while its ugly face formed a huge grin, revealing two rows of yellow teeth that seemed to be rather sharp.


    "Yeah, and not only that... They even have beauty among them too! Kehe! Boss, this is indeed your lucky day!" another creature with the same appearance nodded and glanced at the creature on its side that was slightly bigger than him.


    However, in contrast to the other 9 creatures that looked weak and fragile because of their bony appearance, this one was filled with bulging muscles while in his hand was a huge iron axe whose massive tip was pointing toward the ground.


    "Yeah, she is indeed a flower worth collecting." the creature nodded with an ugly smile and waved his hand, "Capture her. As for the rest, just kill them."


    "Yes, boss!" each creature screamed up with joy, and with bloodthirst in their eyes, they leaped at the group of four simultaneously.


    Stormlight watched as nine Warrior Rank creatures were jumping at them and began to think what she should do when suddenly a figure stepped before her with a book held gently on his right palm.


    "You?" Stormlight''s eyes widened and watched as Miles began to draw golden symbols into thin air with quite a terrifying speed; compared to the last time against the Diamond Beast, his mastery over forming symbols grew at least three folds!


    "Just kill the ones coming at us and leave their boss alive." Nash said indifferently which at Miles nodded and once more than two hundred symbols were formed in front of him he mumbled, "This should be enough. Mystic of Breeze Domain... Slice!"


    Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!...


    The sound of air getting cut appeared the very moment the symbols before Miles flew and formed several smaller circles below the creatures'' feet, their bodies getting sliced into numerous pieces by small but sharp wind blades!


    Their bodies literally became butter before hot knives in a mere instant!


    Blood, split organs and shredded bones and flesh fell on the ground everywhere, filling the air with the putrid smell of iron. The sight around the four quickly turned into one that could easily make anyone throw up from sheer disgust.


    "Great job." Nash patted Miles on the shoulder as he knew that the attack he has just performed must have drained 3/4 if not more of his essence in his body.


    "I will take care of the rest. Try to recover until then."


    Miles nodded and without caring about anything else he quickly sat down into a lotus position and began to cultivate silently.


    Stormlight was stupefied when she saw how easily did Miles kill 9 Warrior Rank beings and became even more shocked when she saw how casually did he sit down despite still having one more enemy before them!


    The way he was acting at the moment was literally saying come and kill me, my guard is completely lowered, you are free to take my head!


    ''Did he go insane or does he have so much faith in him?'' Stormlight wondered and while lowering her weapon watched as Nash walked closer to the creature with steps that held not even the bit of fear or nervousness.

 Chapter 106 - Opening The Abyss (1)

    Nash walked toward the creature with calm steps and only came to a halt when he was less than two meters away from the creature. However, when he stood in one place and raised his head, Nash found it with slight surprise that the creature from closer was much, much taller!


    Nash was not small either as he was way above 190 centimeters but in front of the Gorger, his height paled in comparison as the creature was, at the very least, two whole heads taller than him!


    Furthermore, with his huge frame and seemingly inhumanly large weapon he was like a massive mountain that no one could move much less destroy no matter how much they struggle!


    "Do you have any idea what you have done?" the creature narrowed his eyes threateningly, his gaze filled with nothing but hatred and rage.


    Though, although the creature seemed to be on the verge of going mad, even a fool would notice that it was surpassing his anger on purpose as he didn''t wish his emotions to overwhelm his rationality and force him to initiate a fight without knowing what his enemies were capable of.


    ''That brat is dangerous. If I let him recover his strength I am doomed too.'' the creature thought to himself as his grip tightened around his war axe.


    Nash watched how both the creature''s fear and anger increased at the same time and fell into a dilemma. He still had one more slot for a Soul so he can gather this creature into his collection of Souls to further strengthen his powers, but at the same time, the Gorger possessed quite a useful Legacy that he wished to obtain.


    Gorgers'' Legacy was called the Bone Straining which not only allowed the Gorgers to twist and turn any parts of their bodies as they wished but at the higher Ranks their bones gradually can be refined and tempered to a point where it is almost impossible to break them!


    Naturally, this didn''t mean they were unkillable as their flesh, skin, and organs were still vulnerable thus piercing or even slicing them up was still a possibility.


    ''Should I collect him as a Soul or obtain his Legacy instead?'' Nash pondered as he knew that he can only choose only one out of the two options.


    Unfortunately, his Domination Art was incapable of doing both of the two at the same time, but hopefully, this will change once he brings its Class to higher levels.


    Silence lingered in the surroundings as no one talked, however, it was not long before the creature got impatient and with a quick move raised its weapon and swung it at Nash''s waist.


    The weapon traveled with great speed and strength but despite it being ready to slice Nash into two, Nash didn''t move an inch and just mumbled, "I guess I will just go with that."


    "Just shut up and die!" the creature hissed coldly and put greater strength behind his, forcing it to travel faster and stronger than before!


    Swish!


    BAM!


    The sound of something fast and powerful clashing against something solid resounded in the air while a ripple that was by no means weak broke out, traveling far and wide everywhere with the creature and Nash as its epicenter!


    "W-What? How is this even possible?" the Gorger''s pupils shrunk to the smallest size possible and watched as his weapon which was capable of shattering boulders into pieces and trees into chunks was stopped with a single hand!


    [Reaped Legacy: Thunder Body activated!]


    [Your physical defense has increased dramatically!]


    Nash listened carefully to the words that appeared in his mind and watched how his arm and his whole body below his robe grew silver scales, not only boosting his defense but also filling his entire body with vitality and energy!


    Nash let out a gentle chuckle upon feeling how the sharp edge of the axe was incapable of going through his scales and without hesitation clenched his fingers around the blade firmly.


    Crack!


    In a flash, deep and long cracks appeared on the weapons surface, threatening to soon break into hundreds of pieces!


    "Bastard!!" the Gorger hissed coldly with anger and was about to pull his weapon away to avoid it being shattered when suddenly a great surge of rage filled his mind and body, immediately changing his following actions!


    [Dominator''s Domain activated!]


    Nash showed a smile as he watched how the creature''s anger skyrocketed all the way to 99% and while activating his Chance String asked, "Can''t you just calm down a little? You look rather scary at the moment."


    Nash waited with hidden joy for his Chance String to succeed and allow him to quickly collect the Gorger''s Legacy, but soon his eyes widened and his body froze as something unexpected happened.


    [Chance String has failed to be caught!]


    [1-hour cooldown now begins!]


    ''Eh?'' Nash went blank for a split second when he heard the words in his mind, but as he saw how the Gorger swung his other hand at his face turned solemn and tilted his head to the side.


    Swish!


    "Damn, having a closer look at you now, you are truly an ugly one," Nash mumbled quietly as he stared straight at the Gorger''s disgusting face while completely ignoring the fist next to his head that could have easily blasted his head into numerous pieces.


    However, this was exactly what he needed as the creature''s eyes turned ice-cold while blood-freezing killing intent broke out of his body!


    "YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT!" the creature roared loudly that shook the air in a small area and by letting go of the hilt of his weapon he swung its other arm at Nash.


    [Target''s {Anger} reached Critical Level!]


    [Attaching {Life String} on target now possible!]


    Nash showed a cocky smile and without wasting a single second grabbed the string, attaching another white string to one of his fingers. And once it was attached to him, he quickly dodged the second attack by crouching down, and with his fingers tightly clenched into a fist and his essence controlled he swung his hand upward.


    "Two Wind Punch!"


    BAM! BAM!


    Two, almost simultaneous bursts exploded out of Nash''s fist the moment it got into contact with the Gorger''s chin, cleanly blasting its head off from his shoulders and turning it into a bloody mist.


    [One of your Life String have been severed!]


    [Legacy attached to it now will be reaped!]


    [Legacy ''Bone Straining'' acquired!]


    ---------------------------


    [Reaped Legacy Information]


    ? Description: A stolen power that was obtained by consuming the lost string that was on the verge of vanishing from all existence.


    ? Legacy Rank: Warrior Rank


    {Ability}


    ¡ã Bone Straining: Power that allows the holder to strengthen their bones and joints and control them to a limited degree!


    <This Reaped Legacy can be raised to the next Rank either by reaping a stronger being''s Legacy or consuming 1,000 Gorger bones!>


    ---------------------------


    ''Consuming 1,000 Gorger bones?'' Nash raised a brow as he found this pretty amusing.


    While 1,000 bones seemed to be a lot, in truth, it was not that much if one considered that only 5 Gorger had to be killed as their bodies contained way more than 200 pieces of bones.


    Furthermore, the text did not mention anything considering Ranks, thus Nash was pretty sure Infant Rank Gorger Bones would be perfectly fine too. This also helped him increase this Legacy''s Rank higher.


    ''I should start focusing on my Legacies too.'' Nash thought and took another mental note of what he should do next.


    His Bloodline Imitation, Sky Wings, Thunder Body, and now his Bone Straining. Each required him different things to increase their Ranks, one harder than the other one.


    While Nash was deep in his thought, until then Stormlight stared at his figure with widened eyes, her lips moving up and down continuously as she wished to say something but never came a sound to her mouth.


    However, when she saw how his friends walked to his side he snapped out of her daze and a small frown appeared on her pretty face.


    ''Were those... Thunder Scales? Is he one of the Silver Dragons? But then how was he able to use the Sky Beasts'' secret military technique, the Two Wind Punch? This makes no sense!''


    As Stormlight tried to figure out the truth and guess the origin of Nash and the rest, Amy glanced at the Crimson Mountain in the far distance and said, "Let''s go, we are very close."


    Upon hearing her words, the three turned to look at Stormlight who feeling the gazes on her skin became slightly tense and coughed awkwardly a few times as she began to walk.


    "Yeah, we should go before the blood attracts unwanted attention."


    Nash, Amy, and Miles naturally understood what Stormlight meant under the words of ''unwanted attention'' thus nodded and without saying anything else silently followed Stormlight from behind.


    And soon enough, just a few minutes after they walked away several shadows of different sizes emerged around the corpses of the Gorgers, each emitting a strong and eerie presence filled with the thirst for blood!

 Chapter 107 - Opening The Abyss (2)

    The sky was dark with the silver moon high above together with the numerous shiny dots, the ever-glowing bodies of celestial stars that were present thousands if not millions of light-years away from Planet Gaia.


    And exactly below that great moon which bathed the scenery below it with the color of silver, a massive mountain whose color was akin to blood stood proudly in the center of a huge wasteland, its peak covered in thick ashen clouds, completely concealing what resided on it from the eyes below.


    "And... We are finally here!" Stormlight extended her arms to the sides once she was standing on the crimson grass, indicating she and the three behind her has indeed reached the bottom of the mountain.


    Nash and the two on his side raised their gazes at the mountain which towered above them at least a few thousand miles and couldn''t help but let out an awed gasp.


    After taking in the sight which truly was one of a kind, Nash glanced at Stormlight and said, "Thank you for taking us here."


    "Haha, it was not a problem at all. I should be the one thanking you for helping me out with those bandits." Stormlight showed a gentle smile, one that was surprisingly charming.


    "Now then... I should get going." Stormlight said and quickly added, "I do not know how long you wish to stay here or where you plan to go next from here, but if you want to go back to City Neo then just go back on the path we have just come on. Though, I recommend you to wait a few days before you do as the corpses of those Gorgers must definitely have attracted many beasts from the proximity."


    "I see, I will remember that." Nash nodded and was ready to bid his farewell when suddenly Amy took a step forward, surprising him slightly.


    "Hm? Anything you want?" Stormlight asked questioningly, tilting her head sideways slightly as she noticed Amy was staring at her.


    "Yeah, I do. Where is our refund?"


    Nash and Miles looked at each other when they heard Amy''s question, but soon realized she was indeed right. They have crossed paths with other creatures, ones that were close to reaching the Warmaster Rank thus their lives were in danger!


    If they looked at it like that, Amy was right and they indeed have to get their crystals back together with a bonus as Stormlight promised it like that.


    Though, what they got as a reply was something they did not expect.


    "Although I have said we should not meet with any beasts, I did not mention with a single word we won''t meet any bandits or other creatures with hostility." Stormlight still showed her calm smile on her pretty face and said, "Thus, as I have kept my promise and did not deceive you three, I think I should not refund you with anything at all."


    Amy opened her mouth to say something, but once she discovered Stormlight was indeed telling the truth and did not break her promise, she could only close her lips shut and remain silent.


    Even Miles sighed with helplessness before focusing back on his book, knowing this was a quarrel they cannot win no matter what; or at least not if they do not use force.


    "Come," Nash said coolly as he placed a palm onto Amy''s shoulder and looked at Stormlight, "We should go now."


    With those words, Nash turned back around and began to walk toward the mountain with Miles on his side. As for Amy, she too began to follow them, but before that, she made sure to give one final glance at Stormlight, who still showed a calm smile.


    However, once the three were far away and became three small dots on the massive mountain, the smile on Stormlight quickly vanished while her face paled and her forehead began to get oozed with cold sweat all of a sudden.


    "That was close..." Stormlight mumbled on a weak voice while her slightly trembling hand which rested on her dagger''s hilt on her wast lowered.


    Just now, although she showed she was calm and collected, in truth she was terrified and was ready to fight.


    "He definitely looked at me like someone who wished to kill me, no question about that."


    Meanwhile, the one who Stormlight was talking about was silently ascending Crimson Mountain while his eyes seemed to read something that only he could see.


    ----------------------------------------


    {Special Character Status}


    ? Special Legacy: None


    ? Special Bloodline: Soul Flame


    ? Special Blessing: Soul Eye


    ? Special Character Attribute: Murderous Aura (Semi-Special)


    <Each Special trait can be obtained by challenging The Ancient Path!>


    ----------------------------------------


    ''Murderous Aura, huh? I guess this was the reason why her fear increased.'' Nash thought in his heart and opened his newly acquired ability which he had no idea how he obtained.


    ----------------------------------------


    [Special Character Attribute: Murderous Aura]


    ? Description: A menacing power in its slumbering state which was acquired after claiming life and threatening another in the domain of death.


    ? Attribute Class: Unclassified (Semi-Special)


    {Ability}


    ¡ã Murderous Gaze: You have to awaken this power''s true state to unlock this ability.


    {Passive Abilities}


    ¡ã Murderous Aura: Whenever you wish to kill or threaten someone, this power will automatically activate, forcing your enemies to feel immense dread and fear toward you.


    <The amount of fear and dread you can inflict on enemies is highly dependent on your state of anger and thirst for blood!>


    ----------------------------------------


    "Holy fuck!" Nash suddenly shouted up loudly, taking Amy and Miles by his side by surprise, the former even jumping slightly unwittingly.


    "Oh, sorry. I didn''t mean to." Nash coughed awkwardly, apologizing for his mistake.


    "You okay? What happened?" although Amy did not see Nash''s complexion, she knew that something huge must have happened from how excitedly and shocked he shouted.


    "No, it is nothing." Nash shook his head and after raising his head toward the mountain peak, he asked, "Anyways, do we even know where to start?"


    Although she knew Nash was hiding something and ignored her question on purpose, Amy just nodded and pointed at a specific point on the mountain, "According to the legend, there is a small pond around the middle region of the mountain. If the text was valid, blood will flow there just before the sun emerges from the east."


    Nash glanced at the sky and seeing they still had a few more hours before dawn he nodded and quickened his pace, "Then we should hurry up. This mountain is huge, it is unknown how long it will take us to reach that pond."


    Amy nodded and quickly followed Nash while Miles just sighed and after closing his book as he won''t have time to read it, he quickly ran after the two with wide and fast steps.


    The three traveled rather fast thanks to the fact that except for a few boulders and trees which were each crimson in color there was nothing that could have obstructed them from ascending the mountain.


    Furthermore, there were not even insects or any form of living existence around much less beasts on and above the Infant Rank, thus they didn''t even have to care about how loud and fast they were traveling.


    In about two hours, the three ran more than several hundred miles with only a few minutes of rest. Naturally, it was only possible as they were able to use their essence in their Ancient Veins to recover their fatigue and physical strength and only stop when they needed to recover their essence or because Amy simply was unable to continue running and needed to rest.


    After running for more than four hours straight and when the first ray of light appeared on the horizon, Nash''s eyes lit up and pointed forward, "It must be there! Let''s go!"


    Without waiting for a reply Nash quickened his pace and dashed forward, forcing Amy and Miles to follow him with the same speed despite the former having problems doing so.


    Quickly, the three traveled another mile under a few minutes and finally reached a flat circular surface with a huge vertical mountainside covering it from almost all sides!


    "Yeah, this definitely is the place." Nash nodded as he stood at the edge of a crystal clear pond and gazed down into its bottom.


    The pond was small and circular, about ten meters in radius at the very most. It was also crystal clear with nothing on its surface and at its bottom, thus it was very unlikely anyone has ever been here much less used it before.


    "And now... What?" supporting herself on her knees, Amy asked with a rather exhausted tone of voice as she tried to calm her fast heartbeat that threatened to jump out of her chest.


    While Nash and Miles were able to run several miles without breaking a sweat thanks to them being already at the Warrior Rank and having the support of their essence, she was still an Infant Rank without any essence in her body.


    Therefore, it was not a big surprise to see her so exhausted.


    Nash looked at Amy in silence and as he wished to reply, suddenly the sun which finally emerged on the horizon lighted his face while Miles on his side pointed toward the top of the mountainside and shouted, "There! Blood is flowing from above!"

 Chapter 108 - Opening The Abyss (3-Last)

    The voice of Miles immidieatly attracted Nash''s and Amy''s gaze and the two quickly raised their heads toward the top of the mountainside.


    The wall which covered the small pond from almost all sides was not that tall or small, about fifty to seventy meters in height thus Nash was able to see the top from below without much problem.


    Therefore, without anything to obstruct his vision, Nash had a perfectly clear sight of how huge amounts of deep crimson-colored liquid arose from the small fissures of the mountainside and began to fall rapidly toward the crystal clear pond below!


    As Nash watched this scenery with awe as it was not an everyday sight to see blood appearing out of seemingly nowhere, suddenly Amy on his side tugged him and said, "Hey, we came here to collect the blood and not to sightsee! If we miss this chance we have to wait a whole day!"


    Amy''s words were like an alarm during a silent night which made Nash snap out of his daze and quickly pull out a small glass bottle from his pouch. This was an ordinary bottle with nothing special trait or characteristic which he bought for a single Space Jade Crystal back in City Neo before they left.


    Once the bottle was in his hold, Nash jumped into the pond and with the water reaching all the way to his chest he walked to the wall''s edge where blood was already ready to fall into the pond and with a careful move collected the blood into the bottle.


    "Done." Nash raised the now full bottle of blood in his hand before his face and looked at it.


    ''I wonder if I take a sip from this my Bloodline Imitation would work or not.'' Nash pondered but as he didn''t know if the blood was toxic or not he just shook his head and walked out of the pond.


    Maybe he will try to make others drink the blood in the future and if it shows it was consumable he will collect some here, but for the time being, he will just put the matter aside.


    It was not worth the risk.


    "And now where?" Nash asked Amy once he was out of the water, using his Small Spark of Ash to make his robe and body dry quicker.


    Amy glanced around and didn''t reply instantly. She looked toward the sky and their surroundings for several minutes before she pointed toward the north, which was also the direction where the mountain''s peak was, and said, "Several texts I have read implied there was a valley at the center of the mountain, but except for being quite deep there was nothing special about it. Maybe we should try our luck there."


    Nash''s eyes lit up as he immediately understood what Amy wished to say and without saying anything began to walk toward the north.


    The three this time didn''t run as they didn''t have to reach their destination until a specific point in time, thus Amy was able to relax while Miles was happy he could finally proceed on reading his book.


    Walking through crimson trees and red boulders of different sizes and shapes, Nash, Amy, and Miles ascended the mountain while talking and even before they could have noticed it, three whole hours have flown away in a blink before another two passed by.


    "This must be it, right?" Nash asked Amy as he stood at the very edge of a steep cliff, gazing down straight down into the black hole in front of him.


    "This is a valley? More like a bottomless pit!" Miles said with a slightly shaky voice as he unconsciously took several steps back. It seemed he didn''t really like heights that much.


    "Should I just... Pour this down?" Nash asked as he took out the bottle and continuously looked back and forth between that and the seemingly bottomless ''valley''.


    "I... Guess?" Amy said and shrugged, "If we follow what the text said, you should."


    Nash thought for a while before he nodded gently and opened the lid on the bottle. Once the lid was taken off, he tilted the bottle and poured the blood out, and watched how the crimson blood plummeted into the darkness, quickly vanishing from their sight.


    In a matter of a second or two, Nash poured half of the context of the bottle down the valley, but even after that nothing happened.


    "Maybe we should wait?" Amy asked with doubt, but once even after five minutes nothing happened she touched her chin and mumbled, "Maybe the amount was small?"


    Even Miles who usually didn''t care about anything if it was not a must, looked down into the darkness with a frown, pondering what the solution could be.


    And soon enough, his eyes lit up, and asked, "Brother Nash, do you think you can... channel some of your essences into the... blood?"


    Nash glanced at Miles with a frown when he heard the question and remained silent. Of course, he frowned not because Miles called him on his real name as he knew there was no one around thus it was not a problem, but because he didn''t know if it was possible for him to do what he was asked just now.


    "To channel some of my essences into the blood? Is that possible?"


    Although he knew he could use his essence in many ways, including to control it into any parts of his body which enhanced his strength by several folds, he never tried to channel his essence into objects before.


    Even when he used his Soul Breaker he was not pouring his essence into the sword but instead the sword was the one that sucked the essence out of his body just like the rest of his Ancient Treasures.


    Therefore, it was completely unknown to him if he was able to channel his essence into other weapons than his Ancient Treasures much less into blood!


    "I will give it a try." Nash nodded after thinking for a brief moment, and placing both hands on the bottle he closed his eyes and began to seep his mind into his body.


    Naturally, he was able to act this freely and without any fear of getting stabbed in the back because he trusted his friends and knew there was no threat around them. Furthermore, even if those two on his side decided to push him down for no apparent reason or attack him, he had several ways to save himself and take his revenge.


    After calming his mind and heart down, Nash moved his consciousness in his body and controlled the essence in his Ancient Veins toward his fingertips, attempting to see if he can do what Miles just said.


    Quickly, the essence in his body flowed rapidly and reached the tips of his fingers in seemingly no time at all, though, that was all he could do. No matter how far or how strong he pushed the essence in his Ancient Veins they failed to break out and flow out.


    "It is not working?" Miles frowned when he saw how Nash struggled and even failed, and began to ponder. Though, in contrast to the first time where his idea came to his mind almost instantaneously, this time he failed to think about anything else.


    Even Amy seemed to be thinking, but no matter what idea came up to her mind neither of them seemed to be the one they were looking for.


    Meanwhile, Nash still continued to push his essence through his body and into the bottle, but even after 15 minutes of struggle, he has gotten nowhere.


    ''Is there really no way I can do it?'' if at first Nash just wished to see if Miles idea was working or not, this time he wished to accomplish it as for some strange reason he felt it was a concept he could achieve despite falling numerous times and seemingly having no other end except failure.


    ''Maybe my Level or Rank is still not high enough?'' Nash wondered as he was ready to halt his attempts for the time being when suddenly a sharp but not too painful sensation pierced his mind, forcing him to grimace slightly.


    ''Concentrate on your Ancient Veins. Think about them like muscles and relax them.''


    ''This voice...'' hearing the voice he was extremely familiar with, Nash widened his eyes before his face became nonchalant again and nodded.


    Taking a deep breath to calm himself down, he concentrated on his Ancient Veins and tried to relax them just like the voice said.


    At first, nothing happened, but after close to ten minutes of trying, suddenly the ends of his Ancient Veins moved and formed a small gap from where his essence began to leak in small amounts! And because his essence was connected with his consciousness, Nash was able to freely control it, making it flow into the blood in the bottle!


    "It worked!" Nash snapped his eyes open as he shouted up with joy and excitement, watching how the blood in his hand began to glow up with gentle golden color.


    "How did you do it?" Miles and Amy asked with both awe and curiosity, but Nash simply ignored their question and without hesitation poured the remaining blood into the valley.


    And in the very instant the last drop flowed out from the bottle and vanished in the darkness below...


    TREMBLE!!!!!

 Chapter 109 - Abyss Vortex

    TREMBLE!!!


    The whole world seemed to undergo a massive change once the whole bottle of blood was poured into the valley below and the entire mountain began to shake almost as if a powerful tremor appeared in the hope to make the Crimson Mountain collapse!


    "Woah!" Amy, Nash, and Miles staggered several steps left and right, the latter even almost falling down the cliff down into tha abyss if it were not for the former catching him just in time.


    "T-Thank you..." Miles thanked Amy quietly for helping him, his face gradually turning red from embarrassment below his mask.


    The quake continued for several seconds and while the three tried their best to balance themselves without falling, a great sight gradually emerged before them. At the very bottom of the valley where only darkness could be seen, slowly the blackness began to twist and swirl forming a jet vortex with white light slowly rising toward the sky from its center in the shape of a thin pillar!


    And at the very bottom of this white pillar, a small horizontal golden gate was visible seemingly crafted out extremely rare ores and steels as no matter how much Nash looked at it he failed to identify their name and origin.


    Whoosh!


    As Nash watched the door with several thoughts in mind, suddenly the white pillar began to fade while the vortex began to shrink in size, slowly but surely making the gate vanish from sight.


    "It is closing! The vortex will close soon!" Amy seemed to realize what was happening and shouted in amidst the loud rumbling that still took place around them.


    And that was everything Nash needed to hear. Snapping out of his daze he quickly grabbed both Amy and Miles by their waist and leaped off the cliff.


    Miles seemed to be anxious upon feeling the planet''s gravity appearing on his body, pulling him down toward the seemingly bottomless abyss below, and closed his eyes while Amy just bit her lips to avoid screaming up.


    Though, their worry only lasted for a few seconds as not long after they have jumped down from the cliff a pair of black wings emerged behind Nash''s back, allowing them to soar through the air and toward the gate down with seemingly no problem!


    "Huh? It is not open?" once reaching the bottom of the pillar with a few powerful flaps, Nash landed on the edge of the gate and looked at it with confusion.


    The gate was square-shaped with a thick golden frame and a panel that seemed to be crafted out from emerald, one that was half-transparent with an infinite number of white and black strings swirling inside it.


    "The vortex is closing Nash!" while Nash was inspecting the door, Amy looked at the closing abyss around them with a complexion below her white mask that showed deep worry.


    It seemed that in a matter of 10 seconds or even less the vortex will completely close with their fate possibly being death!


    "Let me try something." Miles suddenly opened his book and quickly drew several hundred golden symbols in the air.


    "Mystic Restriction of Domain... Barrier!"


    Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!


    Quickly, the symbols flew around the three and planted themselves at the edges of the gate before they lit up with golden light and formed a bubble around them and the entirety of the gate, temporarily stopping the vortex from creeping any closer!


    "Just... Hurry up and open it." Miles hissed through his clenched teeth as he struggled to keep his Domination Art in work.


    Although his ability was versatile and was strong in many fields thanks to the infinite possibilities Miles could use it in, it was still just a Transcended Class Domination Art and was not strong enough yet to fight against supernatural events such as this.


    "My essence is being depleted rapidly, I can only keep us safe for at least another 15 seconds!" Miles groaned as his body trembled visibly. Even a fool would understand that what he was saying was the truth and they indeed did not have any time left.


    Nash''s face turned solemn as he heard this. He knew that they must find a way to open the gate but no matter where he looked at he didn''t see a single handle or keyhole which could help them even a bit to open this ancient gate.


    Furthermore, 15 seconds made everything even worst, and if he had to be honest he needed more time than that.


    ''What should I do?'' Nash''s brain began to work on all cylinders as he began to think, ''No handles, no holes or gaps, no carvings nor symbols. Despite having the appearance like a gate, this is more than a block of a wall than a gate!''


    Nash frowned when he realized there was indeed nothing that could indicate how he should open tha gate but suddenly like struck by a realization his eyes lit up.


    "That should work?" Nash mumbled but quickly shook his head and placed both his palms onto the gate''s surface, "I have no other choice. Let''s try it."


    Instantly, Nash closed his eyes, and concentrating on the Ancient Veins in the tip of his fingertips he quickly controlled his essence to flow out and inside the gate.


    At first, just like how during his first attempt with the bottle of blood nothing happened. However, after 3 full seconds and intense concentration, the gate''s frame seemed to light up with a gentle golden light and a thin line of slit began to appear in the middle vertically!


    "It is opening! Just keep it going!" Amy became excited when she saw how the two sides of the gate were separating, revealing a white ray through the evergrowing split!


    Nash too noticed that his attempt was working and pushed his essence even more, forcing greater amounts to flow out of his body right into the gate. And it seemed it worked as the gate began to open even more, allowing more light to escape from the other side which was almost blinding!


    "I... can''t hold on any longer!" just as Nash was about to open the gate fully suddenly Miles fell on his knees, his chest heaving up and down in a rapid manner.


    Crack! Crack! Crack!


    And the very moment Miles fell, the barrier around them began to form long and deep cracks which spread on the barrier''s surface like spiderwebs before they covered the entire barrier, breaking it into thousands of pieces like glass!


    BAM!


    Amy and Miles watched with horror as the previously slow vortex now fastened by at least three folds, ready to close on them in a matter of two or three seconds!


    ''Jump.'' as Nash was ready to use his Sky Wings to escape with Amy and Miles, suddenly the same voice he was extremely familiar with appeared in his mind while the gate in front of him began to shake gently.


    Although it was a small tremor among the great one that shook the entirety of the massive Crimson Mountain, for him whose hands were firmly pressed against the gate''s surface was something which couldn''t be gone unnoticed.


    Therefore, without any hint of doubt in his heart, Nash quickly grabbed Miles and Amy by their wrist and leaped toward the small slit which was present on the gate but was seemingly too small to fit even a single person much less three!


    "Did you go fucking insane!? We will die!" Amy who usually was collected and indifferent this time screamed up with fear, feeling as if Nash lost all screws in his head and now wished to commit suicide.


    Even Miles who felt and seemed to be exhausted from defending them against the vortex looked agitated and despite having no more strength left in his body he still wished to struggle and stop Nash from doing something so stupid!


    However, he soon had to realize that Nash''s physical strength was on a whole other level as no matter how hard he pulled, Nash''s grip on his wrist was like a tiger''s jaw, not letting go until he wished to!


    Despite being at the same Rank as him, Miles had to admit that he could struggle as much as he wants but from the firm grip of his friend, there was no way out at all!


    Like it or not, just like Amy on the other side of Nash, he too was being pulled with him and he could do nothing about it.


    "Fuck!" for the first time after a long while, Miles cursed out loud and closed his eyes, not having the courage to see his approaching death.


    Though even though he waited for the sharp pain to pierce his body, not even after several seconds later did he feel if his waist was split or his head severed hence he slowly opened his eyes.


    "Huh?" however, once his eyes opened slightly, his eyes quickly widened upon seeing the sight in front of him, something he has never dreamed about in his wildest dream much less seen one before!

 Chapter 110 - Hidden Library

    Utter disbelief and never before felt astonishment. Only these words were capable of describing the current emotions the three were feeling upon looking at the sight in front and around them.


    After Nash''s sudden seemingly suicidal action the three were able to go through the small opening of the gate and end up in a completely different place which was by no means ordinary or usual which one was used to; could be said they were in an entirely separate world!


    Right now, Nash and the two were standing in the middle of a small, square emerald platform which was around ten meters in both length and width. However, the breathtaking sight was not the platform but the scenery around it!


    Everywhere their eyes could see around the small platform, white clouds were floating in a seemingly peaceful manner while high above in the sky thousands of bookshelves crafted out of different materials were hovering, each containing millions of books, scrolls, and jade tablets akin to the pillars in the Grand Library!


    However, in contrast to the Grand Library, here, those books, scrolls, and jade tablets could be seen soaring through the sky around the whole place, flying from one bookshelf to another as if they were some kind of living beings or birds!


    Furthermore, to make the whole place even more bizarre and breathtaking, there were even several smaller islands drifting even higher in the sky, each having either a small lake on them which water fell and vanished among the white clouds below or a miniature ecosystem that was in perfect harmony with each other!


    There were even butterflies, fireflies, and birds with small bodies visible on some islands, further increasing Nash''s, Miles'', and Amy''s level of shock.


    "Did we... die? Is this heaven?" Miles couldn''t resist the urge to ask the question and asked, even raising his hand to touch his body on several points just to see if he was a ghost or spirit whose physical body was nonexistent.


    But unfortunately, despite touching his entire body twice and even taking off the mask to slap himself, he found with deep shock that the sight in front of him didn''t disappear nor was his body akin to a ghost''s!


    "Are these real clouds? Is there anything below if we were to fall?" Amy asked as she glanced at the drifting clouds around the platform but didn''t dare to touch in fear something will happen to her.


    Nash, on the other hand, didn''t hesitate even a second and with a great leap jumped into the clouds headfirst before vanishing from sight, dumbfounding the two still on the platform.


    "Did he..." Miles was ready to ask something when he saw how Nash''s figure emerged from below the ground and floated on its surface on his back almost as if he was drifting on the water.


    "It is completely safe. It is like water... Well, sort of like water." Nash said casually as he stood up and through some miracle, his body was raised until the point where he was literally standing on the clouds.


    "Huh? How?" Amy asked as she walked to the edge of the platform and crouched down to touch the clouds.


    "You just need to imagine yourself either wanting to swim or walk on it," Nash said as he repeatedly emerged and vanished among the clouds in an up and down motion.


    "W-Woah!" Amy went to try out if what Nash said was valid or not, and in the end, when she saw how she was standing on the seemingly fog-like clouds she couldn''t help but let out a shocked gasp.


    Miles was the same, but different from Amy he immediately jumped into the sea of clouds, leaping into the air before vanishing below like some kind of dolphin or some sort that enjoyed its habitat.


    After getting used to the new environment, Amy walked close to Nash and while looking around asked, "And now what? What should we look for?"


    Nash remained silent and began to ponder. According to Aruer''s words, once he reached Planet Gaia and found the Hidden Library, which he did, then he would get to know everything he wished to know.


    Though, standing in the Hidden Library even for ten full minutes already nothing happened nor does he have an idea what he should do next.


    "Let''s check out the things here first. Maybe we can find something interesting." Nash said and walked toward the closest bookshelf in the sky. And as he did, almost as if the bookshelf had its own consciousness and feeling what Nash wished to do immidieatly began to descend, reaching the clouds below the very same moment when Nash and the rest was less than two meters away from it!


    Amy and Miles were shocked at first, but seeing how Nash took down a scroll as if he didn''t see something amazing they decided not to stand around with awe any longer and quickly choose something to read to their liking.


    However, the moment they touched their scrolls, several rows of texts appeared in their line of sight before the eyes widened like saucers!


    "This... Impossible! How?" Amy was struck stupefied as she held the scroll in hand with trembling hand, unconsciously glancing at Nash.


    Miles was the same, but he quickly snapped back to senses and went to grab another scroll only to fall back into a dazed condition.


    "This and this... Even this too! What the actual fuc... I mean what the hell? How can this be even possible?" Miles fast grabbed scrolls, books, and jade tablets one after another, his complexion below his mask holding deep disbelief.


    "All of these are True Domination Class Arts? And each having either Higher or Peak Grade?!?" Miles asked as he examined each scroll and book and saw how each of them was top-notch Domination Arts!


    One had to know that while True Domination Class Arts were not overly rare as there existed quite a handful in all dimensions, they were still rare enough to be sold at an extremely high price as they were allowed one to possess extremely powerful strength upon learning them!


    For instance, among the Fairy Race, there was a royalty who after several years of hard work learned a True Domination Class Art which not only boosted her Legacy to tremendous heights but even allowed her to use a domain like power where until one didn''t get their heads severed could be revived with ease!


    Naturally, this only worked until a specific amount of time and once it was used it went into a very lengthy cooldown. After all, just like how nothing could be perfect and everything had a weakness, this power too had its own disadvantages.


    However, despite having such a disadvantage, no one can deny that it was a power that could easily determine who rises and who falls during a large-scale war or a clash between two races!


    Thus, seeing that there were not one but a dozen of True Domination Class Arts, each either at the Higher or Peak Grade was by no means an underestimation to say was mind-blowing!


    Furthermore, to make things even crazier than they already were, there were thousands of bookshelves, each containing an almost uncountable amount of books, scrolls, and jade tablets! Just the mere thought that each and every one of them was Domination Arts... was out of this world and was something that definitely needed quite a time to be consumed and digested.


    "This... Can we learn these?" Amy mumbled as she opened the scroll and began to read the text inside.


    Miles did the same by choosing one that got his liking while Nash remained motionless in one place, his hand holding a jade tablet. However, if one looked closely into his eyes through his mask''s gaps, one would realize his gaze was completely hollow almost as if he was not conscious even though his eyes moved left and right as if he was reading.


    -


    -


    -


    In an unknown place where only white clouds could be seen wherever one looked, a single but massive island floated through the sky. On this island which was covered in emerald green grass, only a single tree was visible with leaves as colorful as a rainbow.


    Below this tree''s shade which was seeming as tall as a three-story house, a handsome young man with silk-smooth silver hair lay relaxedly with eyes closed and hands behind his head. Even his right leg was gently placed over his left showing he was doing nothing but chilling without any care.


    And in front of this man who even hummed a quiet but extremely pleasant to the ear melody, an individual wearing a black robe and emerald mask appeared seemingly out of thin air; naturally, this individual was none other than Nash!


    "So you have finally arrived.." the handsome man suddenly stopped humming the melody which was capable of soothing one''s mind and soul and after opening his eyes that revealed a pair of voyager-blue eyes, he smiled gently.

 Chapter 111 - The Truth (1)

    A few moments before the opening of the Hidden Library, inside City Neo.


    The city was as lively as ever. Creatures hailing from different races, tamed beasts varying in different sizes, and other futuristic vehicles flew or walked on and above the streets, giving the whole city a kind of unusual atmosphere where the past and future seemed to be mixed with each other.


    Although such a sight was not bizarre in other dimensions and was rather common in several places inside the Ancient Dimension, inside the Human Dimension this was more than conspicuous as humans before opening the Ancient Path were more civilized than almost 95% of the races!


    Therefore, it was not a huge surprise to anyone that almost all the devices and vehicles that worked on advanced technology were invented and acquired from the Human Race!


    Naturally, other races had advanced knowledge about technology before the opening of their Ancient Path too, but it was so few that one could easily count them on their own hands! However, as every race acquired supernatural powers through their Legacy, including the ones with advanced technical and scientific knowledge, those high-tech devices and weapons that before were capable of destroying almost anything, now, except for a few, literally became useless!


    Inside one of the most luxurious and well-renowned hotel''s V.I.P room, Flake was calmly sitting on a comfy sofa with a Bane sitting on his side in another. Both of them were wearing robes sewed out of seemingly expensive silks and their hands held glasses of wine as they chatted with each other in a relaxed manner.


    Suddenly, as the two were talking about a matter that considered their family, a small circular and flat device in the middle of the room lit up and a figure in the form of a hologram appeared.


    "Lord Flake, Lord Bane..." the figure that was wearing armor and bowed in respect.


    "Did you obtain the items already?" Flake was pleasantly surprised when he saw who the individual was and placed the glass of crimson wine in his hand onto the glass table in front of him.


    Right before they went to Planet Rover to slay some Diamond Beasts, he informed his right hand to acquire the three items he promised Emerald, Snow, and Abyss. Though, despite knowing it would not take too much to acquire the items the three wanted, he still didn''t expect it would only take a few days.


    ''Well, at least I can meet those three sooner than expected.'' Flake showed a smile as he thought to himself.


    "Lord Flake, as you wanted I have each item in my possession." the soldier straightened his posture as he showed three small boxes on his side.


    "Great, then let''s meet-" Flake was ready to say something when suddenly the whole hotel began to shake like crazy, items around the room falling down one after another while even the wine on the table fell on the floor and was spilled.


    "What''s happening?" Bane whose arm was injured after the confrontation with the Mutated Diamond Beast jumped onto his feet and looked out the window on the side.


    Flake did the same with a solemn face, but seeing they were not under attack nor was there any sign of the city being bombarded, a deep frown crept its way onto his handsome face.


    However, soon that frown quickly changed into widened eyes as in the far distance a thick line of blinding light materialized around the horizon, completely engulfing the sky in an almost blinding whiteness!


    Whoosh!


    Crack!


    Abruptly, as the two were watching the strange phenomena on the horizon, a powerful shockwave appeared from the north which not only hit the window of the hotel but even made it form cracks on its surface. There were even several places on other buildings where windows were not as lucky as theirs as they immediately shattered into hundreds of pieces, injuring the individuals standing behind them right away!


    "L-Lord Flake... What was that just now?" the soldier who once looked calm and collected this time looked anxious as he was too on Planet Gaia and he too felt the previous tremor and shockwave.


    However, Flake remained silent as he watched how the white light on the horizon gradually began to fade away. Only when it completely vanished and the tremor no longer shook the ground below his feet did he quickly turn around and while taking off his robes he said, "Quick, gather everyone. We are heading north."


    "Y-Yes, my Lord!" the soldier nodded and after a quick salute vanished from sight.


    "I am coming too." Bane said as he began to change into his armor, which at Flake just nodded and didn''t say anything, It was apparent he wished to know what happened just now and they had no time to waste.


    And it was not only him who began to prepare to head out to the north but all the members of different royal families that were currently on Planet Gaia together with those creatures that were curious and brave enough to leave their safe residence and check out what that strange phenomenon was a few moments ago!


    And just under a few minutes, several hundred beings set out to the north, each armed with weapons and armors just in case they have to fight with beasts on their way or once when they reach the location where the shockwave came from just now.


    -


    -


    -


    Inside the unknown world.


    Nash was looking at the human man in front of him with a calm gaze and without any sign of being worried or scared. Of course, it was not because he was confident in his power or felt arrogant but because he knew the individual; he was Aruer!


    "So you have finally arrived." stopping humming his melody that was so pleasant to the ear that could easily soothe one''s mind and soul, Aruer opened his eyes and glanced at Nash.


    "And as I can feel it, you have reached your first real bottleneck in your cultivation."


    Nash this time widened his eyes scarcely as he didn''t expect Aruer to notice he was struggling to go further in his cultivation just by a single glance and even without any techniques!


    "You don''t have to feel shocked." Aruer smiled gently, boosting his charisma at least five folds, and sat up before he leaned back against the trunk of the tree behind him.


    "When you reach higher Ranks and becomes stronger you too will be able to tell if one reached a bottleneck or not. It is nothing but simple accumulated experience throughout the years of cultivation."


    Nash was silent as he looked straight into Aruer''s eyes. Though the longer he stared at those beautiful sharp blue irises of Aruer, the longer he felt he was looking not into a human''s eyes but was slowly falling toward the bottom of a seemingly bottomless sea!


    And after a few seconds later, Nash had to realize that at some point in time, he stopped taking a breath, and only when his brain alarmed him that his lungs needed oxygen did he snap back to reality and took several deep breathes!


    "Oh... Haha, sorry. I forgot that one of my techniques activates on their own after a few seconds when others stare straight into my eyes." Aruer showed an awkward smile and blinked quickly, instantly changing his eyes color to the same color as his hair.


    Cold sweat oozed out of almost every pore from Nash''s body as he tried to calm his fastened heartbeat down. Right now, even though Aruer did nothing he almost died! He literally forgot how to breathe for a while and almost suffocated to death!


    ''So this is the power of a being that once lived during the Ancient Era?'' Nash thought as he looked at Aruer, but feared to look straight into his eyes despite knowing he already deactivated his previous ability.


    Aruer examined Nash in silence and when he saw how fast he recollected himself and calmed himself down despite almost just meeting with death a few moments ago he nodded, secretly praising him.


    "You... You are a Soul Fragment too?" after taking a deep breath to completely regain his composure Nash asked the first question that appeared in his mind.


    "Well, kind of." Aruer nodded before quickly adding, "Though, while other Soul Fragments of mine can''t use specific abilities of my previously whole self, I possess and can use almost all my previous powers, but naturally with limit."


    "I... I see... No wonder then." Nash nodded as he understood why this self of Aruer felt so different from the other two he met previously back in the Emerald Palace. Their whole being and aura were different, feeling more real, denser, and alive!


    Watching as Nash was silent and didn''t talk, Aruer raised his head toward the sky which was partly covered by the colorful leaves of the tree, and said, "Anyways, now that you are finally here it is time for you to learn the truth and face your possibly greatest decision in your life."


    As those very words sounded from Aruer''s mouth a mild breeze appeared from the distance which blew Nash''s face below his mask, carrying a kind of feeling that made Nash feel both relaxed and pressured at the same time for some strange reason!

 Chapter 112 - The Truth (2-Last)

    The entire island was blown by a gentle breeze that felt both peaceful to the mind and heavy to the skin. As for why, no one really knew, or at least not yet.


    Nash and Aruer stared at each other for several seconds with neither of them talking, and only when the wind stopped blowing did the former moved and sat down, "I think it will be a long story so if you excuse me..."


    Aruer smiled when he saw how casual did Nash behave before him and couldn''t help but form an even wider and charmer smile on his handsome face. Just how long has it been since he met with someone who was this carefree before him, a being that lived decades and centuries and possessed enough power to conquer dimensions?


    He did not know it as he had been in his current form for far too long to remember, but he clearly remembered that during the Ancient Era only a few were ''brave'' enough to behave so nonchalantly around him.


    "Such a refreshing yet familiar feeling..." Aruer closed his eyes as he leaned more against the tree''s trunk as memories from the past flooded his mind bit by bit.


    Although Aruer''s eyes were closed and his facial expression was unchanged, Nash was somehow able to tell how Aruer''s emotions altered from one to another despite not seeing his Indicator. It was pretty obvious that he suddenly became nostalgic, but as to what made him such as was unknown.


    Nash waited patiently, not wanting to break the rare moment of Aruer who possible was sealed and imprisoned inside this mystical world for who knows how long.


    Therefore, time ticked without seemingly any notice and seconds quickly turned into minutes, and gradually a quarter of an hour has passed invisibly!


    "I really have been inside this separate world for far too long, huh?" Aruer mumbled quietly that if it not were the utter silence around the island may have failed to reach Nash''s ear.


    Nash watched silently as a hint of regret, sadness, and other negative emotions flashed through inside Aruer''s eyes for a split second the moment he opened his eyes, even letting out a deep sigh that carried a kind of weight he could not wish to understand even if he lived for a thousand years!


    However, just as things cease to vanish sooner or later with time, this hint of negativity and heaviness that currently surrounded Aruer quickly disappeared without any sign that it was there a few moments ago, and what replaced it was mind soothing calmness.


    "Well then, let''s see... Where should I start?" Aruer mumbled as he glanced at Nash and after a brief moment of pondering he smiled and began to talk, telling everything that Nash so far wished to know and understand.


    As for Nash, like a little kid who was told a well-waited story after a long while he stayed motionless and noiseless as he listened to Aruer''s voice that for some reason felt like it carried a kind of power that brought his words alive and allowing to see what happened in the past with his very own eyes!


    Aruer talked without stop and only stayed silent when Nash had questions that he had to answer. But those moments were extremely few, could be said insignificant in the amount of time.


    Hours flew in blinks and what seemed from the side as almost four hours was, in truth, in Nash''s eyes only a few minutes at the very best! He was so immersed in the way Aruer told his story that he completely forgot about everything and only concentrated on his words as if he was some kind of addict!


    There were several moments where he forgot to blink where his eyes ended up dry, showing just how engrossed he was in Aruer''s tale!


    "And that is how I ended up in this place and state, and this is why my race has to undergo so many hardships and suffering." Aruer sighed as he reached the end of his story, his seemingly solemn gaze flickering with numerous emotions at the same time.


    Upon hearing that the tale reached its end Nash closed his slightly loosened jaw which opened several hours ago and began to recall the words of Aruer.


    ''So my guess was correct. Or at least half correct.'' Nash thought in his heart with a solemn expression.


    So far, because of the stone monument which he has seen back in the Emerald Palace, he believed that the Human Race was enslaved because of other races'' fear and worry. Furthermore, he thought that the Ancient Path inside the Human Dimension was sealed for the first time because humans were prohibited from entering the Ancient Dimension or because an accident happened.


    Though, it seems all these speculations were only half right and things ran deeper than the bottom of the deepest ocean in all dimensions!


    First of all, according to what Aruer just said, the Ancient Path inside the Human Race was sealed not because the humans during the Ancient Era did something unacceptable and were prohibited from entering the Ancient Dimensions but because they were attacked by all the Ancient Races and were forced back.


    Who were the Ancient Races? During the Ancient Era when only a few dimensions were opened and connected to the Ancient Dimension, fifteen race was able to rise to the very apex and rule over the Ancient Dimension in seemingly harmony.


    Also, as each of these races had leaders, known as Alphas, there was ranking among them where their overall strength from one another was separated by simple titles such as the ''weakest'' Ancient Fifteen all the way to ''strongest'' Ancient One.


    Naturally, while their title showed their difference in strength, at the end of the day even the weakest Alpha was capable of annihilating dimensions with a portion of their strength so it was not a wise choice to underestimate them just because they were called ''the weakest''.


    As for Aruer, he, not so shockingly, was also an Alpha, and with also the title of the Ancient Second! Though despite having the title of the second, according to his tale he was just as strong as the Ancient One who he once thought abought as his own brother but in the end was betrayed.


    As for why he was betrayed by the Ancient One and the rest of the Alphas and why was the Human Race pushed back to their own Dimension where their path back to the Ancient Dimension was sealed was something Aruer still failed to understand completely.


    It was during their time exploring the Ancient Dimension''s most scary and deadly domain, The Horizon. According to Aruer''s words, the Ancient Dimension was an ever-growing dimension whose size always grew and never ceased to stop expanding, and its region where time, space, and matter seemed to be born, was exactly what was called The Horizon.


    Though, while one would think that inside this so-called Horizon nothing would be able to live as space and time were so unstable that instant death would occur for anyone that reached it, turned out to be a hidden domain where someone or at least something was able to exist!


    And after several hundreds of years of exploring, they found a massive palace that was able to oppose the primordial destruction of The Horizon! And exactly inside this palace which they succeeded to enter after another few decades of blood-shedding struggle, was the reason why he and the entire Human Race was attacked and enslaved!


    Just because of a single scroll that only the Ancient One was able to read, the whole fate of the Human Race was turned over, becoming a literal living hell!


    But thanks to Aruer''s critical thinking, unfaltering decision, and terrifying power he possessed, he not only was able to bring his race back to the Human Dimension and seal the Ancient Path away but was also able to claim four Alpha''s life in the process, unfortunately, none of them being the Ancient One.


    As for what happened after that was pretty obvious. As the Ancient Path was sealed the Human Race was unable to strengthen their Legacy any further while those that were born afterward failed to obtain their Legacy.


    Thus, once the Ancient Path was reopened, humans without any strength were like a flock of sheep before a pack of wolves, having no means to fight back against the races that invaded their dimension and sealed their fate seemingly forever.


    As Nash rethought this part of the story from time to time, the more he too felt that several things didn''t make sense. Like, why would the Ancient One decide to kill Aruer all of the sudden? Why was he the only one able to read the ancient scroll? What was inside the scroll? Also, even if something eerie was inside the scroll like a prophecy, why did all the other Alphas decide to join him instead of helping Aruer?


    All these things were questions that Nash, just like Aruer failed to understand no matter how long he tried to think or what ideas came up to his mind!


    They just simply made no sense at all! Or at least that was how they looked like from his perspective....

 Chapter 113 - Decision

    Time was flowing in silence as Aruer waited for Nash to consume the seemingly vast and huge amount of information he had just given him under a few hours of speech.


    Naturally, Aruer clearly understood it won''t take Nash a few minutes to understand and accept what he just said, and that is why he leaned against the tree''s trunk behind him in a relaxed manner and closed his eyes to take a small nap.


    After all, it was not like he just told Nash a little tale before going to bed that one could accept or refuse to believe but was the harsh reality. It was only natural that someone who was not long ago a typical human and even a slave under other races was rethinking what he just heard from time to time and even feeling deeply confused about many things.


    Like, how would Aruer, a being that lived for millions of years actually hope that a human no older than 20 years old would understand the depths of mysteries of the past only after a few hours? Even he, the past leader of the Human Race failed to completely understand the reasons behind all the things that happened as he missed several key pieces from his puzzle to see the full picture.


    Thus, it was not a huge surprise that Nash was seemingly puzzled and had many questions he visible wished to ask but didn''t know where to start as there were just too many!


    "Just take your time. You don''t have to understand everything instantly. Time flows differently here so even if you remain here for an entire week without doing anything but thinking, only a few minutes will pass in the real world." Aruer''s calm voice appeared in the air, causing Nash to nod and take a deep breath.


    Once he exhaled deeply and his mind was calm, Nash looked at Aruer and said, "I won''t ask things that I know even you can''t answer because of many obvious reasons, but let me ask you this... Where are these Alphas now? Are they still alive somewhere in the Ancient Dimension or did they die already?"


    Aruer was glad when he heard Nash''s first few words and praised him secretly once again, but when he heard his question his eyes opened slightly wide before a chuckle escaped his mouth.


    "Do you really think, if I was able to find a way to remain alive until so long then they have really died?" Aruer asked with a small smile on his handsome face.


    "But your ''body'' is only a Soul Fragment," Nash said calmly as he pointed at Aruer.


    "Oh?" Aruer seemed to realize something and after thinking for a brief moment, he said, "Well, while time indeed does not affect me entirely as I am a Soul Fragment, hence allowing me to live much longer than those with a physical and natural body, all of those bastards have reached the apex of the Ancient Dimension. I am pretty sure that while maybe not all of them, at least half of them are still alive in one way or another somewhere in the Ancient Dimension."


    "Is that so..." Nash mumbled, but then again another question appeared in his mind and asked, "But if you are so sure they are still alive and if they are really that strong, why is that I have never heard about them. I mean, of course, there are several individuals out there that reached the apex of the Ancient Dimension, the Pure Legacy Holder Rank, but neither of them has the strength to ''demolish dimensions'' like the Alphas as you mentioned."


    "Wait, what did you just say?" this time, Aruer suddenly sat up with widened eyes, taking Nash by surprise.


    "Wh-What?" Nash asked, not knowing which part did Aruer wish to hear again.


    Understanding why Nash was confused Aruer frowned and asked, "Did you just say that the strongest individual inside the Ancient Dimension was only at the Pure Legacy Holder Rank?"


    "Only?" Nash frowned but still nodded.


    "Are you for real?" as if he just heard something unbelievable, Aruer''s eyes widened before he touched his chin and fell into deep thoughts.


    "No, something is definitely not right here... It makes no sense! Did something happen afterward?"


    Nash watched silently as Aruer talked to himself and couldn''t help but ask, "Is... Is that a problem?"


    "Huh? Problem? No, it is not A problem. It''s a HUGE problem!" Aruer said and quickly explained, "When I was still in the Ancient Dimension, the Pure Legacy Holder Rank was at the bottom of the Ranks and not at the apex!"


    "What?"


    "Yeah. Those that held that Rank was considered as ants and weaklings!" Aruer nodded when he saw how shocked Nash was behind his mask and frowned, "Something must have happened after we were separated from the Ancient Dimension. But what?"


    This time, it was Aruer''s time to be confused and think about many things while Nash just watched him from the side.


    Time then slowly began to flow just like that but in contrast to when Nash was thinking for close to half an hour, Aruer just needed a few minutes to calm down.


    "Whatever... It seems those bastards did something that must have fucked everything up. Well, it is not like I have anything to do with it. Instead, it is much better than I have thought." a calm smile appeared on Aruer''s face as he leaned back against the tree''s trunk.


    "Anyways, it''s time for me to tell you the real reason why I wanted you to come here, which is to give you a choice."


    "A choice?" Nash asked, for some reason feeling slightly tense when he saw how solemn Aruer was.


    "Yes." Aruer nodded and without beating around the bush said, "I want you to go to the Ancient Dimension and collect the remaining fragments of my soul. Nine to be exact."


    "Naturally, you can refuse this request of mine as what I ask from you is extremely dangerous, but then nothing will change. Humans will remain slaves, the past mystery that brought ruin over your and everyone else''s lives will never be revealed, and you will never be able to leave peacefully."


    "But I have the Sky Sealing Needle that you have given to me. I can easily unseal all the humans I want." Nash quickly said.


    "That is true, but just how many years... No, decades would it take for you to achieve that goal? Furthermore, do you really think the other races will just simply sit idly and watch as you roam all the dimensions to free every human?" Aruer asked with a small smile that seemed as if he found Nash''s words kind of amusing.


    "Then I will just have to become strong enough," Nash replied calmly.


    Aruer this time remained silent, but soon he broke up, filling the whole island with his laughter that, if there would have been other, would definitely make them start laughing too!


    Nash watched with a puzzled complexion as Aruer held his stomach as he laughed, and didn''t know how he should react. Did he really say something that funny?


    "Hahaha! I''m... I''m sorry, I just couldn''t help myself." Aruer continued to laugh loudly, and only when he calmed down a bit and wiped the tear away from the corner of his eyes did he sigh and said, "Although what you have just said, is again, indeed true, I, unfortunately, need to disappoint you. Even if you reach the current ''apex'' of the Ancient Dimension, you will fail without a question."


    "Why?" Nash asked, now with a small frown on his face.


    "Why... You ask?" Aruer mumbled and said, "Because even if you reach a level equal to the Pure Legacy Holder Rank, against hundreds of other beings on the same Rank you will stand no chance at all. Maybe you will be able to take many of their lives, but in the end, you will be crushed too."


    ''...''


    The frown on Nash''s face gradually began to vanish and what replaced it was solemnity.


    Indeed, if he were to try to go against the hundreds of races that now inhabited the Ancient Dimension, while he had his Strings of Domination''s power backing him, one that seemed heaven-defying to the point where it can dominate entire races if given the time, against several hundreds of races and thousands of armies it still was still useless.


    However, if he were to accept Aruer''s request and collect all of his Soul Fragments, he could help him regain his past body and with his help change everything, including the rotten fate of the Human Race!


    After all, he was an existence that once lived during the Ancient Era, and even now that he was just a shadow of his past self was stronger than the strongest being in the Ancient Dimension! With his help, everything could change tp the better with ease!


    "So? What is your answer? Will you accept my request and help me give every human what they truly deserve, or reject and allow everything to proceed on as they currently are?"


    The silence after Aruer''s question was heavy and long, but surprisingly not as long as one would believe it to be as Nash only needed 5 minutes to raise his head and reply;


    "I...."

 Chapter 114 - Greatness Always Begins With Confidence!

    "I..." Nash opened his mouth to reply, and after brief thinking, his gaze turned resolute and said, "I will choose none."


    The words said by Nash were like an unexpected tidal wave that washed away the expected reply Aruer wished to say next and even caused his smile to froze on his face!


    Aruer has already thought about what he will say and do next when Nash will accept his offer as that was the most logical to do. After all, he was an ancient being that lived for countless millennia and had strength, that he found out just now, was way above the strongest existence inside the Ancient Dimension!


    Yet, despite seeing the obvious and knowing what Nash should choose, he still decided to go with something else that seemingly made no sense at all! As Aruer thought about this, like getting struck by a magic wand on the top of his head, all his previously collected thoughts vanished and his eyes flashed with confusion as he stared at Nash!


    Time seemed to freeze for that moment as the two looked at each other straight in the eyes, none of them talking for quite a while. The only thing that could be heard was the occasional rattling sound of leaves on the tree above Aruer''s head which were blown from almost all directions from time to time.


    Only after an entire minute of silence later did Aruer''s brows lowered into a deep frown and asked, "Did you just say... none?"


    The eyes of Aruer flashed with mixed emotions, but the most noticeable ones were surprisingly not anger nor coldness, but confusion and curiosity! This made Nash sigh with relief secretly in his heart as it seemed his biggest fear did not happen.


    After taking a deep breath to clear his mind Nash looked at Aruer and nodded, "Yeah, I said I will choose none. Well, to be more specific, I will choose the third option."


    The curiosity in Aruer''s eyes deepened a level and once he leaned back against the tree''s trunk he asked, "And that is?"


    Nash knew Aruer would ask that next, as it was pretty obvious, thus after he cleared his throat he said, "I will become strong enough to force each and every one of the races to their knees."


    ''...''


    The curiosity that Aruer had a few moments ago quickly faded and what replaced it was a gaze and complexion that now felt as if it was looking at a clown that lost his mind more than a rationally thinking human.


    Though, if one thought about it, Aruer''s reaction was perfectly normal. Like, didn''t he just explain to Nash that he would stand no chance at all against the races that inhabited the Ancient Dimension? Even if he would find a way to reach the Pure Legacy Holder Rank without getting slain beforehand, against hundreds of beings on the same Rank and millions of others below it with infinite numbers of powers and abilities was simply impossible to stay alive.


    However, what Aruer did not know was that when Nash said ''getting stronger'' he didn''t only mean his Rank, but his Strings of Domination''s Class!


    So far, he only strengthened and enhanced his Domination Art only by one Class, and yet it already possessed an ability with which he was able to alter other beings'' emotion level before turning them either into his Soul or puppets!


    Furthermore, since its basic level, it granted him abilities that no one else in the vast number of dimensions had; the power to collect different Legacies and build up an army that literally was unkillable!


    Yes, maybe if all the races joined hands against him he would not stand a chance, but who said he needed to face all of them at the same time? With patience, great thinking, and a little bit of help, if he pushes both his Rank and Art''s Class to greater heights he can easily achieve the impossible!


    Also, just who knew what kind of abilities will he be able to unlock in the future? What''s more, didn''t Aruer just say the Pure Legacy Holder Rank in the past was considered as the weakest Rank? Then wasn''t the possibility of finding a way to break through that Rank was still there?


    However, although all these were reasons why Nash said what he did, the real cause was something much greater; something that although didn''t look extremely obvious, was, in fact, really crucial in the matter of making his decision.


    And that was Aruer himself!


    While others would without hesitation accept Aruer''s offer as they thought his strength was essential for success, Nash thought a little otherwise. While he must admit Aruer was someone with vast knowledge and unfathomable strength, it was exactly that what made him know he must act with caution.


    After all, who promised him that Aruer didn''t have any ulterior motive? What promised him that Aruer won''t try to do anything once he regains his true strength, especially now that beings in the Ancient Dimension were seemingly much weaker than during the Ancient Era?


    Nash didn''t know Aruer nor did he know just what kind of leader he was despite saying he made everything in his power to save humans when all hell seemed to break loose. Of course, the possibility of Aruer being hostile and wanting to cause catastrophe was tiny, but the chance was still there.


    From Nash''s point of view, it was better to stay safe than sorry!


    The silence was lengthy and the gaze in Aruer''s eyes was pretty obvious thus Nash quickly sighed and said, "I will become strong enough to make all the races regret what they did even if it will take me decades or centuries! Though this does not mean I won''t need your assistance, thus I will help you regain your remaining fragments of soul. But that will be my secondary goal, of course."


    When Aruer heard the words of Nash a mysterious glint flashed in his eyes and his previous glow of ridicule and mocking in his gaze faded away.


    "You are pretty confident in your ability to achieve what you just said. It seems you have a plan, huh?" Aruer asked as his silver eyes gradually changed shades, turning into bright golden.


    Nash''s body tensed up when he felt a mysterious and ancient power envelop his body, but as he felt it was only covering his body without invading his body he remained seated and watched Aruer''s face without moving.


    And soon enough, a second later he watched as Aruer''s golden eyes changed back to silver and a subtle smile appeared on his face.


    "It seems you are really not joking. You really wish to do what you have said and with a plan at that." Aruer mumbled quietly and as he connected his gaze with Nash''s he began to ponder before he said, "How confident are you in your success?"


    The question Aruer asked slightly took Nash by surprise as he expected him to ask why he was so confident or even use some ways to unearth his secret considering his Domination Art. But at least the replies he has come up with was worthless and he could respond with certainty;


    "If I am given time while also I find a way to increase my Rank, I am almost 100% certain."


    Aruer looked at Nash with a nonchalant face but soon he broke up once again, laughing with way more delight than previously. However, this time Nash was not shocked nor surprised as he kind of expected such a reaction.


    Even he would have done the same as it was pretty funny to hear from someone, who was only at the Warrior Rank, to have 100% confidence to conquer the Ancient Dimension and force all the races to their knees.


    However, knowing that this confidence of his and his seemingly arrogant statement was backed by a terrifying ability, he knew those that laughed would find themselves facing harsh reality real soon!


    Aruer laughed for a while and once he calmed down again he looked at Nash and said, "You know, although I have lived for countless years where I met with numerous individuals, you definitely are among the few I find the most amusing."


    Then after sighing deeply and wiping away the tear from the corner of his eyes, Aruer smiled and said, "Thanks to my eyes and the accumulated experience I gained throughout many affairs, I can differentiate between individuals that are either arrogant just to fall at the end of their path, overly confident to hide their incompetence, or simply assured because they have something up in their sleeves."


    "And you are definitely keeping something deeply hidden in your sleeve, thus without asking what it is as just like me everyone has their secrets and also because I have learned how to trust such individuals, I will help you," Aruer said coolly and waved his hand, summoning different items in mid-air before Nash that quickly formed a small circle around his body.

 Chapter 115 - A Future That Is Worth Waiting For!

    Whoosh!


    With a gentle breeze that blew the colorful leaves on the tree behind Aruer and the short black hair of Nash, several items appeared out of seemingly thin air, flying before Nash and floating around his figure slowly.


    There were a total of four items, each having a different shape from one another. However, out of the four, two made Nash somewhat familiar once his gaze fell on them.


    ''Dimensional Ring and Dimensional Orb?'' Nash thought in his heart as he watched the two items that were extremely similar to the two items he has gotten way back in the Emerald Palace for completing the challenge behind the second Jade Door.


    "Just as you are guessing, those two items are indeed a Spatial Ring and a Dimensional Map. Though, in contrast to the ones you have gotten from my Soul Fragment, these are of better quality." Aruer explained and pointed at the small orb and ring.


    "The Dimensional Ring is a 5th Class Solar Grade item while the Dimensional Orb is a 1st Class Solar Grade item. The former has about twice as much space which you previously had while the latter is capable of not only navigating you in any dimension, even inside one where you have never been, but it can also locate others with a Dimensional Orb!"


    Upon hearing the last words of Aruer Nash''s ears perked up and his gaze immidieatly fell on the orb.


    "Then... I can..." Nash began to ask which at Aruer nodded and continued, "Yes, you can find your Uncle with it. However, it can only locate his Dimensional Orb if you are close enough to him, 1 light-year close to being exact."


    Nash''s joy plummeted scarcely once he heard the following words, however, he still felt delighted as with this orb he had a greater chance to find his uncle and the rest.


    ''I wonder how they are doing. Hope they are safe and doing well without me.'' Nash thought with bitterness in his heart as he placed the ring on his other ring finger while he placed the orb into it.


    "Sigh... If I would have known I would get such an item, I wouldn''t have wasted my crystals on this one..." Nash mumbled quietly as he give a glance at the Spatial Ring he has bought back in City Neo.


    "And what are these?" after a brief silence, Nash glanced at the two remaining items and examined them.


    One was a small circular talisman with a mixture color of gold and emerald while the other one was an emerald bracelet with 9 transparent small orb crystals embedded in its middle.


    "The talisman is a permanent key. With it, you can access the Hidden Library anywhere and anytime you want, though it requires time and concentration so don''t even dream about using it as a means of escape during fights." Aruer explained the use of the talisman with a calm smile before pointing at the bracelet, "As for that, it will help you find my remaining Soul Fragments and collect them."


    "I see, thank you." Nash didn''t stand on a ceremony and accepted the two items, especially the key into the Hidden Library. With it and the amount of vast knowledge inside it, he can literally learn as many top-tier skills and abilities as much as he could!


    Furthermore, if things came to the worst, he can even use it as a place where he can hide or either cultivate without worrying about any external factors!


    "Well then, it seems I have given you everything I could to help you. Also, feel free to learn whatever Domination Art you wish in the Hidden Library, they are all yours." Aruer said as he closed his eyes and lay down, enjoying the gentle breeze on his face.


    "Oh, and also, if you ever wish to talk to me again, just call my name once inside the Hidden Library. You know, if you ever feel like talking or feeling bored."


    "Thank you, I will definitely will." Nash nodded as he stood up, but suddenly something appeared in his head thus quickly asked, "Aruer, you said I have hit a bottleneck with my cultivation which is indeed true. Can you maybe help me or give a small hint what I should do?"


    Aruer opened his eyes and glanced at Nash for a split second before he closed his eyes and said, "You try to force something which will lead you nowhere. Try to approach your problems from a different angle, maybe you should take it to step by step."


    Nash felt confused when he heard the words spoken by Aruer, but just as he was about to open his mouth realization flashed in his eyes, and a smile rose onto his face.


    "I see, thank you." Nash bowed with his hands clasped before his chest. He saw this movement back on the stone monument thus decided to try it out here.


    "Haha, it seems you have learned a way to express your gratitude." Aruer laughed and waved his hand, "Well, your welcome. Just remember, if you need help you can find me anytime. Now go, I am sleepy."


    Whoosh!


    And even without waiting for a response, Nash''s body faded away almost as if he was a ghost, completely disappearing from the island without leaving behind a single trace!


    "Force them on their knees... Huh? I wonder if he indeed succeeds or not. Well, both ways, I can''t wait to see what the future holds." Aruer mumbled with a serene expression and soon he fell into a deep slumber.


    Meanwhile, back in the Hidden Library, the moment Nash regained his consciousness the first thing he did was to check if he had everything he got from Aruer.


    ''They are here. What an interesting ability.'' Nash thought to himself as he turned his head to the side and watched how Amy and Miles were examining the scrolls they have chosen.


    ''It seems about two or three minutes have passed in reality, huh?'' Nash shifted his gaze back at the jade tablet in his hand and watched as words after words appeared in his line of sight.


    -----------------------------------------


    {Treasure Information}


    ? Title: Sword Aura


    ? Grade: Higher


    ? Class: True Domination


    ¡ã Description: A powerful ancient Domination Art created by a mighty swordsman during the Ancient Era, capable of changing one''s aura to the point where one''s presence can easily cut boulders!


    ¡ã Requirement: Advanced knowledge of sword.


    -----------------------------------------


    "Oh?" Nash let out a surprised gasp as he not only found the Domination Art extremely powerful and useful, but this was his first time meeting with a Domination Art that needed requirements.


    "Not even the Arts inside the Mystic Hall of Mastery had any requirements. Domination Arts from the Ancient Era are indeed something else." Nash mumbled as he took a mental note about the title of the Domination Art and placed it back onto its original place.


    Unfortunately, although he wished to learn it greatly, as he didn''t have a basic understanding of swords much less advanced knowledge, hence this Domination Art was useless for him at the moment.


    Watching as Nash placed the jade tablet back onto the bookshelf, Amy did the same with the scroll and looked at him, "It seems these Domination Arts are requiring specific skills or knowledge before we can learn them."


    "Yeah, I saw it." Nash nodded and after thinking for a while he decided to tell his meeting with Aruer, explaining to them what he was told and what he got as a means of helping.


    And just like how he had reacted, Miles and Amy became utterly dumbfounded, their complexions showing deep confusion almost like they just heard a riddle they tried to solve but failed whenever they began to think of a solution.


    "But... This does not make any sense at all." Amy mumbled with her delicate brows firmly knitted together. Miles was the same, but soon he quickly realized there was no reason for him to solve something that not even a literal god was incapable of solving, thus he just shrugged and began to examine the rest of the Domination Arts before him.


    He found studying those Arts much more interesting than finding answers to questions that no one had proper knowledge about.


    "And what do you plan to do now?" after thinking for a while, Amy asked Nash calmly as she too put the matter of finding answers to her questions.


    "Well, how would you react if I would tell you I wish to resurrect an ancient being while also conquering the Ancient Dimension?" Nash asked with a calm but serious face as he stared deeply into Amy''s eyes.


    "Well, for the first part I would say it could be feasible so okay, but for the second part... I would say you have lost all screws in your head and you have gone made insane!" Amy exclaimed her honest thoughts as she crossed her arms below her bosom.


    "Well, then get prepared as we will do exactly that," Nash said with a casual smile and began to walk away to explore the Hidden Library in greater detail.


    "Yeah... You have gone ma-, Wait... We? What do you mean we? When did we, especially me agree to help you? You didn''t ask!" Amy''s eyes widened as she asked.


    "Well, I know you guys will help me so there is no reason for me to ask it. Right, Miles?" Nash asked as he continued to walk forward.


    "Yep." Miles nodded and without hesitation began to follow Nash while reading a specific scroll he found a moment ago.


    As for Amy, she just stood motionlessly in one place, her lips parting and closing from time to time without any sound escaping her mouth. It was pretty obvious she was struck speechless just now, particularly because of how casually Miles replied and acted, almost as if what Nash just said was nothing out of ordinary!

 Chapter 116 - True Domination Art: Eternal Dance!

    While Nash, Miles, and Amy decided to look around the Hidden Library and see if there were anything worth seeing or even learning, outside the Crimson Mountain several presences varying from the Infant Rank all the way to the peak of the Warmaster Rank began to emerge one after another.


    At first, only a few arose but as time went on more and more emerged, surrounding the massive crimson mountain almost from all directions! Looking from above, one would think an entire army emerged for the sole reason to surround and assault someone or something at the peak of the mountain!


    Though unfortunately, this was not the case, and even after two hours after these beings arrived at the foot of the mountain, none of them moved much less initiated an attack that targeted the massive peak in front of them.


    The reason? It was because even at this very moment as they stared at the mountain, the whole earth below their feet shook like crazy while a pillar of light broke toward the sky with such manner that it split and scattered the dense clouds high above in the sky!


    The whole land on and around the mountain in at least a hundred miles radius was illuminated with such bright glow that those with a sensitive sight were unable to keep their eyes open while the rest had to narrow their eyes if they wished to at least see the silhouette of Crimson Mountain!


    "For fucks sake! When will that damn pillar of light vanish? I can''t see shit!" Zoar, who was among the several that decided to check out what was happening cursed out loud as he struggled to keep his eyes open whenever he looked in the direction of the mountain.


    "Be patient. Cursing and throwing a tantrum won''t solve a thing." Flake who stood a few meters away from Zoar spoke coolly, staring at the pillar of light in the distance with seemingly no problem. His face was even nonchalant, further showing the literally blinding light was not affecting his vision at all!


    "I still can hardly believe that a mere Dimensional Class Art that only enhances your eyesight can allow you to stare straight into that shit!" Zoar hissed coldly as he shifted his gaze at Flake, blinking at him several times thanks to him staring for so long into the pillar of light.


    "Well, you have to believe it as that is the truth. Even my brother has learned it." Flake said nonchalantly as he pointed casually into the distance where Bane with his broken hand also stared at the blinding pillar of light with seemingly no problem.


    Zoar followed Flake''s finger and seeing Bane he began to ponder before asking, "That Domination Art... How much do you want in exchange for it?"


    Flake gave a sidelong glance at Zoar and seeing he was not lying and indeed wished to buy the Art he was currently using, he hummed gently and said, "Let''s see... How about 1 Galaxy Jade Crystal?"


    "Are you on fucking drugs or what? Do you really think I will buy a trash Dimensional Class Art for 1 Galaxy Jade Crystal? From that, I can easily buy a hundred and left even with enough to live for an entire month! You are fucking shameless!" a disgusted sneer escaped Zoar''s mouth as he looked at Flake like a clown.


    "Take or leave. That is my deal." Flake said with an indifferent face before adding calmly, "Furthermore, if you think about how you will be able to teach it to the rest of your men, 1 Galaxy Jade Crystal is pretty cheap. Maybe I should increase the price..."


    Zoar''s face turned ugly when he heard what Flake said, but as he realized he was telling the truth and he could indeed allow the hundreds of soldiers under his command to learn the same Domination Art in seconds, he realized 1 Galaxy Jade Crystal was indeed a cheap price.


    Thus, after pondering for a while, Zoar quickly clenched his teeth and after taking out a small crystal from his pouch he threw it to Flake, "Okay, deal. Here you go."


    Flake grabbed the crystal without turning his head that Zoar threw at him and raised it before his eyes.


    "It''s always a pleasure to make business with you." Flake smiled once he saw it was indeed a Galaxy Jade Crystal and quickly threw a small scroll to Zoar.


    "Go and drive that pleasure of yours up to your ass!" Zoar hissed coldly as he grabbed the scroll and began to read its context.


    And exactly five seconds later, a gentle white glint flashed around Zoar''s retina, allowing him to stare at the white pillar of light in the distance without any problem.


    "It works, haha!" Zoar was delighted and quickly handed it over to his men on his side to hurry them to learn it too.


    After that time quickly passed in silence, but even after another 3 hours, nothing seemed to change. The tremor, although with much weaker strength than at the start but still continued to shake the whole planet while the white pillar of light except for having a slight transparent shade was still glowing with blinding rays!


    "This is not right," Flake mumbled quietly and after thinking for a while be said something to the soldier on his side before starting to walk toward the mountain.


    "Huh? Where are you going?" Zoar asked when he saw how Flake, Bane, and all the SLayers began to walk toward the mountain.


    "We are going to go closer. You can stay here if you want until then." Flake replied and without waiting for an answer began to run.


    Zoar watching how all the hundreds of Slayers vanished in the dense whiteness in the distance clenched his teeth and shouted, "All of you! Let''s go!"


    Thus, in a flash, all the Silver Dragons began to run after the group of Slayers. And it was not only them but many others too with the ability to resist the blinding glow.


    -


    -


    -


    Inside the Hidden Library.


    Since saying his farewell to Aruer, about 9 hours have passed. Naturally, 6 hours were not a small amount but if he considered those hours that have passed with studying and even learning different Domination Arts that increased his strength and knowledge, Nash knew that those 9 hours were an extremely short amount of duration!


    "Sigh... Under nine hours I was only able to find a single Domination Art which demanded no requirements to learn." Nash sighed as he glanced at the rows of texts in his line of sight.


    ---------------------------------


    [Domination Art: Eternal Dance]


    ? Description: A powerful ancient Domination Art created by a well-renowned dancer during the Ancient Era which was born through mixing the movements of dancing with the moves of martial arts!


    ? Domination Class: True Domination


    {Abilities}


    ¡ã Eternal Dance: An ability that grants the user the knowledge of a powerful movement technique, allowing the user to avoid a barrage of attacks continuously!


    ¡ã Infinite Rhythm: An ability that activates depending on the rhythm of attacks. The more varied the assaults that wish to claim the user''s life, the more varied the movement pattern of the Eternal Step will become hence decreasing the possibility of others predicting the user''s movement!


    <It requires 10 units of essences upon activation and depletes 1 unit of essences after every second!>


    {Passive Abilities}


    ¡ã Eternal Stamina: During the usage of the Eternal Dance, the ability''s usage time will be completely dependent on the user''s essence and not stamina!


    <Further abilities can be unlocked by bringing the Domination Art to a higher Class!>


    ---------------------------------


    Nash read the words of his newly learned Domination Art in silence and even after he finished reading he failed to say a thing.


    About 8 hours ago, he found a small scroll filled with drawings about dancing figures. At that time he only saw the description and the Class of the Domination Art but as he saw it did not have any requirement and only needed him to imitate the drawings to learn it, he gave it a try.


    Though, at that time he didn''t know this Domination Art would turn out to be this powerful, especially its passive ability!


    Although with his current amount of essence he won''t be able to use this movement technique for a long duration, once he reaches higher Ranks than the Warrior Rank this will definitely become the main pillar of his strength!


    "And this ability... Infinite Rhythm. This power could literally turn me into an untouchable existence on a large-scale war!" Nash mumbled and uncontrollably a grin crept its way onto his face.


    Luckily, he had a mask on his face or else Amy who was reading a book not far away from him and giving glances to him from time to time would think he had gone insane.


    ''Anyways, I think it is time for me to make a breakthrough.'' Nash thought in his heart as he noticed how Amy and Miles were still doing their own business and without hesitation sat down into a lotus position.


    * * * * *


    A/N: If you wish to read further chaps in advance, from next month new priv chap is set, make sure to check it out! :)


    Also, stay safe! <3

 Chapter 117 - First Primordial Vein: Crimson Essence! (1)

    Amy and Miles were walking around the Hidden Library while checking out different Domination Arts one by one, seeing if any one of them were to their liking and if they could perhaps learn them.


    However, just like Nash, even though they had been walking around the eternal-like place for almost 10 hours straight while also checking and reading hundreds if not thousands of scrolls and books, they too were only able to learn 1 True Domination Class Art.


    The Domination Art that Miles was able to learn was called Motion Separation at the Lesser Grade. Though, despite being the weakest form among True Domination Art, Motion Separation was a Domination Art that perfectly aided his Thousand Esoteric Marks in various ways!


    Until so far, Miles was able to draw marks with a single finger which allowed him to draw about a hundred marks under a little less than 3 seconds. However, with this Art called Motion Separation, now he was able to draw marks and symbols with not one but all five of his fingers at the same time!


    What did that mean? It meant if he masters his newly learned Domination Art to perfection, he will be able to activate 5 separate skills at the same time without fearing he will fail!


    What''s more, if he puts his book away he can use each of his fingers, activating 10 different attacks with lethal and destructive traits at the same time! This was such a boost to his arsenal that it was simply heaven-defying!


    Though, like everything in existence, this ability had its disadvantages and unfortunately not one.


    First of all, so far he almost gets completely exhausted only after activating one skill, thus using Motions Separation to activate more than one was so far impossible with his current strength. However, even if he gets more powerful and becomes strong enough to draw several hundred symbols at the same time, the toll on his body would be extremely large without question.


    Lastly, Motion Separation pressured the mind. This meant he had to concentrate with all his will to separate his mind into different sections. And it was not something like drawing a circle with the right and a square with the left, no, it was much, much harder than that.


    "Well... at least I was able to learn basic knowledge of this Art so I am pretty sure with practice I will be able to master it completely," Miles mumbled as he moved his fingers in different patterns, trying to draw different symbols the same time.


    On the other hand, Amy''s Domination Art was something that didn''t strengthen her other Domination Art, but her strength instead.


    Walking around the Hidden Library and reading many Domination Arts, each unique from the other, she had to realize while she had her Legacy, an extremely powerful one at that, if it was sealed she was as good as dead.


    That is why, just like how Nash had his mysterious other ability or Miles who had his extremely powerful book, she too wished to learn something that boosted her overall strength without relying on either her Legacy. As for her Domination Art which surpassed other''s Legacies, it was a power that was completely useless in close combat or a one-on-one fight.


    And knowing all these things, Amy scrutinized through numerous scrolls, books, and tablets without rest, and after a little more than 3 hours of search, she found a Domination Art that was to her liking.


    ---------------------------------


    [Domination Art: Turtle Touch]


    ? Description: A unique Domination Art which was created during the Ancient Era by a genius martial artist who liked watching turtles. It allows to surpass and destroy enemies in close combat!


    ? Domination Class: True Domination


    {Abilities}


    ¡ã Turtle Punch/Kick: An ability that allows the user to create a layer of shell around either their punch or kick which boosts their attack two folds and reduces the damage received on them by 30%!


    ¡ã Turtle Mark: An ability that allows the user to form a mark on enemies'' bodies upon a successful contact in exchange for essences! Once the mark had been formed, the movement speed of the enemy will be slowed down by 0,5%! Marks can be stacked!


    <It requires 50 units of essences to activate Turtle Punch/Kick and 100 units of essences to activate Turtle Mark!>


    {Passive Abilities}


    ¡ã Mark Sensing: Those with a Turtle Mark can be sensed in a hundred meters radius. The more Turtle Mark is on the individual, the wider the radius becomes!


    <Further abilities can be unlocked by bringing the Domination Art to a higher Class!>


    ---------------------------------


    The Turtle Touch was a Domination Art similar to Small Spark of Ash and only a single touch was needed to be learned.


    Yet, while the Domination Art given by Miles allowed both Amy and Nash to learn just by holding the device, here, this was only possible because Amy reached the requirements which were to learn a surpassing-type Domination Art beforehand and have proper physical strength.


    Luckily, she had learned Legacy Limitation as her first Art while she had a strong physique thanks to her Legacy, thus she was able to learn Turtle Touch without a problem.


    However, this didn''t mean she already mastered it. She just learned the abilities, but the way she can use them during a fight was completely on her. That is why once she has learned it, she didn''t hesitate and began to search for a Domination Art that could teach her how to use martial art, or at least styles that used one''s fist and leg.


    Though, not even as she walked a few hundred meters, she found Nash sat down into a lotus position and closed his eyes, seemingly ready to cultivate.


    ''I wonder what is he trying to do.'' Amy thought in her heart as she took a scroll into her hand and while stealing glances at Nash she read the text in it.


    Meanwhile, completely oblivious that he was watched, Nash seeped his consciousness into his body and moved his essence to the red symbol which resided inside one of his Ancient Veins.


    ''You try using force despite it leading nowhere. Try to look at things from a different angle and do it step by step... Or was something like this that Aruer told me.'' Nash thought to himself and controlled the essence in his Ancient Veins to come in contact with red symbols.


    Whoosh!


    "Argh..."


    In an instant, Nash felt like he had been thrown into a sea of flames where the blaze was extremely high, making him feel as if his whole body including his interior was on fire.


    His blood was boiling, his flesh and skin were scorching, and his Ancient Veins felt like they suddenly became steel that under the flames began to get heated, becoming hotter and hotter with each passing second!


    However, in contrast to the previous time where he attempted the same thing, this time it was a level more bearable and he didn''t have to stop pressing his essence against the symbol because he felt like being burnt alive from the inside!


    No, surprisingly he was able to endure the pain despite it making him feel clearly uncomfortable!


    ''It worked! Haha!'' Nash laughed with delight in his heart when he noticed how his whole body was getting more and more used to the warmth in his body.


    Time passed in silence and an hour has passed without noticing it. And under that single hour, the previous seemingly torturous feeling vanished as Nash''s body had got used to the heat completely.


    ''I guess I can take another step.'' Nash thought and without hesitation pushed another portion of his essence against the symbol, immediately causing immense heat to fill his body.


    And when his body got used to that warmth too, Nash pushed another portion against the symbol, slowly but surely making his whole amount of essence in his body get pushed against the symbol!


    And exactly after 2 hours later...


    BAM!


    A sound akin to a metal gate getting forced open resounded from inside Nash''s body and almost like opening a dam the essence that until now pressed against the symbol flooded the newly opened vein in his body!


    Whoosh!


    "Huh?" however, just as Nash thought this was all and he succeeded, suddenly the golden essence in his body turned crimson!


    "ARgh-!" caught off guard, Nash yelled up before he forced himself to clench his teeth.


    ''It feels like lava is flowing through my veins!'' Nash thought as his whole body was covered in sweat before it turned into steam and flew toward the sky!


    "N-Nash?!" both Amy and Miles noticed the sudden change of events and ran to him, however just as they were ten meters away from him they had to stop dead in their tracks and took several steps back.


    "Hot... Why is it so hot around him?" Amy raised a hand unconsciously before her face while Miles only frowned, trying to figure out how he could help Nash.


    However, just as he was about to move, a sound he never heard before appeared in the sky, freezing his arm in mid-air completely!


    "Leave him. He is attempting to break his bottleneck.. Your help will only harm him."

 Chapter 118 - First Primordial Vein: Crimson Essence! (2-Last)

    "Leave him. He is attempting to break his bottleneck. Your help will only harm him."


    The voice was calm but at the same time stern, forcing both Amy and Miles to stop whatever they wished to do next and look around with raised guards. However, no matter where they looked, they were able to see not even a shadow much less the individual that talked.


    "Even if you would carry God''s eyes you would still fail to find me so there is no point in trying to see where I am. Just stay still and do nothing... He will succeed soon without question..." the masculine voice appeared once again, but this time with a much calmer tone almost as if the one that talked was about to fall asleep.


    "Who are you? Are you Aruer?" Miles suddenly asked his suspicion out loud, looking toward a specific direction even though there was nothing there.


    On the island, Aruer who was about to fall asleep opened his eyes wide for a split second before his calm complexion reappeared on his face and mumbled, "Interesting. Even though he can''t see a thing, his instincts are on a whole other level."


    Miles after getting no response even after waiting for several seconds frowned, but as he was almost 100% sure the individual was Aruer he knew they were safe and what they just heard was more of an aid than a threat.


    Thus, without worrying if any harm will befall them, he sat down, and like a hawk, he glued his gaze on Nash''s figure, watching what he was doing. And surprisingly, soon enough he closed his eyes too before his skin turned crimson while sweat began to appear on his forehead in small drops.


    "This guy... Haha! To think he was such a cultivation genius!" Aruer turned to his side with his left arm supporting his head and gazed into the distance, his previous sleepy complexion now completely gone.


    Meanwhile, back where Nash and the other two were, the temperature began to increase rapidly, forcing Amy back another few steps while watching Miles with widened eyes as he still continued to sit where he was, ignoring the skin scorching heat around him!


    "Don''t tell me... Is he attempting a breakthrough too?" Amy mumbled quietly as her pretty eyes were fixed on Miles'' figure with a complicated complexion.


    As for Nash, he was breathing heavily with a deep frown while slowly a crimson aura that was visible to the naked eye began to emerge around his figure, covering him in his entirety!


    From the side, currently, he was looking like someone who was set on fire with the sole exception that his skin was not burning and he was not screaming from pain!


    ''Its... Working... Just a little more...'' with teeth that were clenched together with such force that it threatened them to break, Nash endured the blazing heat inside and outside his body that made him feel as if lava was flowing through his veins!


    ''Just a little more and I succeed... I feel it!'' Nash thought in his heart as he watched how his previously golden essence slowly but surely began to turn crimson, allowing him to get better endurance against the heat in his body.


    And exactly 5 minutes later...


    BAM!


    The sound akin to a bomb detonating, the crimson aura that surrounded Nash exploded sending out a gentle ripple everywhere, blowing the hair on Miles'' and Amy''s head scarcely.


    "I... I did it!" opening his eyes slowly while letting out a turbid sigh, Nash raised both his hand and looked at them as if he wished to find something on them despite both of them being almost flawless


    [Successful Breakthrough!]


    [You have successfully unsealed your first Primordial Vein and gained mastery over Crimson Essence!]


    [Ascender Rank Legacy has reached Level 2!]


    As the words flooded into his mind one after another Nash stood up and instinctively activated the ability which previously he didn''t possess.


    Whoosh!


    The sound of something getting set ablaze sounded in the air as Nash watched with a stupefied complexion as his right palm was instantly covered in a half-transparent crimson glare while the temperature around him increased dramatically!


    [New ''Special Character Attribute: Crimson Essence'' obtained!]


    Whoosh!


    ----------------------------------------


    [Special Character Attribute: Crimson Essence]


    ? Description: An ability part of an ancient Legacy.


    ? Attribute Class: Primordial


    {Ability}


    ¡ã Crimson Essence: An ancient destructive power granting you the ability to cause destruction with your attacks alone!


    ¡ã Flame Essence: A power that grants you the ability to control fire as if it was an extension of your body!


    {Passive Abilities}


    ¡ã Crimson Strength: Upon using Crimson Essence, Strength gets enhanced passively without any side effects or requirements!


    ¡ã Flame Immunity: Upon using Flame Essence your physical resistance against the fire element gets reduced by 50%!


    <Your Crimson Essence will grow alongside your Legacy!>


    ----------------------------------------


    The word in his line of sight stupefied Nash deeply to the point where he was unable to say a word. Though, he was quickly brought back from his daze as suddenly an explosion appeared from his side while the temperature around him increased greatly!


    "Huh?" Nash shifted his gaze to the side and watched with shock as a crimson aura began to envelop Miles'' sitting figure in the very same manner as him a few moments ago.


    "But how? Was he able to figure out how to break the bottleneck just by seeing me do it?" Nash mumbled quietly but as he saw how Amy was struggling against the heat in the air he dashed to his side and waved his hand.


    Whoosh!


    "Better?" once he was next to Amy and covered both her and him in a crimson ambiance Nash asked, watching as Amy''s complexion began to relax bit by bit.


    "Y-Yeah... Thank you." Amy nodded as she felt the scorching heat around her decreasing several levels, allowing her to at least breath normally without handling the burning sensation in her lungs whenever she took a breath.


    Though, soon as though she has suddenly gotten motivation, sat down too into a lotus position and began to cultivate, surprising Nash greatly.


    "Haha! She has what it takes too! Although her talents are not as good as those two''s, with such determination she sure will be able to become an extremely strong existence in the future!" Aruer laughed gently once he saw how Amy began to cultivate instantly after seeing how Nash and Miles were breaking their bottlenecks one after another.


    It seemed she was the typical individual that didn''t allow herself to be left behind and when she saw how others worked hard she would work hard too, maybe even harder than the rest!


    "These three... Maybe what he said was indeed not a foolish declaration.." Aruer mumbled with a subtle smile as he continued to observe both Miles and Amy cultivating while Nash used his Crimson Essence to protect the latter.

 Chapter 119 - Leaving The Hidden Library

    Inside the legendary Hidden Library where the sight was literally the scenery from a fantasy novel, three figures could be seen on the vast platform of clouds. However, in contrast to the other parts of this mythical place where everything was colorful and peaceful, the area where three stood was enveloped in crimson-colored mist or some sort.


    Furthermore, if one walked closer to this crimson aura that lingered in the air one would realize that it was no ordinary aura as the moment they enter their bodies would be hit by immense heat, almost as if they have suddenly entered the middle of a volcano!


    Though, even though the heat was so scorching hot in that ''domain'', the three individuals inside it were doing just perfectly fine, two even sitting in a lotus position with closed eyes as if they were meditating.


    As for the third individual, he was calmly standing next to the one cultivating on his side while his body emitted a deeper shade of crimson aura that gently enveloped both his and the girl on his side.


    "It has been almost 3 hours now. He must be advancing soon." Nash mumbled quietly and gave a sidelong glance at Amy on his side.


    So far, Amy has unlocked about 7 Ancient Veins in her body and it was pretty obvious she only needed a few more to unlock all the 64 Ancient Veins and successfully reach the Ascender Rank.


    Time passed quickly and about half an hour later, finally, there were signs that Miles will be advancing to the next Level.


    Bam!


    A gentle ripple that carried the heat in the air broke out of Miles'' body and soon the crimson aura that enveloped the area in a hundred meters radius began to shrink until it only covered Miles'' body!


    "Sigh..." letting out a deep sigh Miles opened his eyes and stood up.


    "Congratulations on your breakthrough. You are truly something else." Nash walked before Miles and asked, "How did you figure out what you should do?"


    "I saw how Brother Nash made sure to wait until his body was used to the heat, taking everything step by step, thus I decided to try the same too." Miles said with a grin as he stood up and said, "So I should be thankful for Brother Nash that he helped me... again!"


    Nash just smiled upon hearing the words of Miles and turned around. Though, when he did, another small ripple that swept through the Hidden Library appeared, this time its center being Amy!


    "Did I... Do it?" Amy whose eyes so far were closed opened and raised her arms before her face. And soon enough, a satisfied smile emerged on her face which unfortunately was blocked from the vision of the two in the distance, or else they would be shocked to death to see just how charming Amy at that very moment truly was!


    "It seems you have reached Level 10. Congratulations." Nash walked before Amy to help her up, which surprisingly Amy accepted gladly.


    "Thank you. Now I only need to consume some essence as you have explained in the past and I will be able to reach the next Rank just as the two of you!"


    "Well, it won''t be a quick journey that is for sure as it will take you at least a week, but you can definitely do it," Nash said which Amy nodded as she was pretty aware of that fact.


    "Anyways, we should get going now."


    "Can we come back here in the future?" Miles asked, but once he saw that Nash took out a strange talisman from his pocket, he seemed to realize something and remained silent.


    "I was given this key by Aruer. If you guy want to come here to find a new Domination Art just say it and we can come back here any moment." Nash said as he channeled his essence into the talisman which immediately lit up and enveloped the three in a mixture of emerald and gold color.


    Whoosh!


    With a quick motion that made Nash''s mind go slightly dizzy, the light that enveloped them began to move the three of them toward the sky inside the Hidden Library, and even before they could have realized it they were standing at the edge of the cliff where they poured the blood down into the abyss.


    However, the only difference was that the pillar of light together with the abyss vortex and the ancient gate now were nowhere to be seen and what they were able to see was only the dark valley in front of them.


    "We... are outside? Just like that?" Miles asked with widened eyes as glanced at the talisman in Nash''s hand, but just as he wished to ask something else suddenly his body flinched turned around.


    Nash was the same and quickly spun around and stared into the distance. As for Amy, she just turned around because the two on her side did, but when she did, her expression behind her mask paled.


    Right before her, about fifty meters away from her hundreds of beings were staring at them with a sharp glare, each of them clad in armor and holding different weapons.


    "We are surrounded..." Miles whispered, his gaze scanning each and every creature in front of him.


    "Really?" Nash mumbled with sarcasm and even wished to ask how did Miles came to such a conclusion, but instead remained silent and looked at each creature one by one.


    However, when his eyes met with a specific individual, his eyes widened and asked, "Flake?"


    Despite lowering his voice when he said the name, with the senses what a Warmaster Rank being had it was simply impossible not to hear it, thus many subconsciously shifted their gaze onto a specific individual who stood at the very front.


    That individual, naturally, was Flake, who just as Nash was surprised deeply to see someone he knew.. Though, his shock only lasted for a few seconds before he regained his composure and after a mysterious glint flashed in his eyes he smiled and began to walk toward Nash and the rest.

 Chapter 120 - Accepting The Offer (1)

    The whole Crimson Mountain was silent as every creature watched with back-held breath as one of the strongest individuals among their numbers suddenly began to walk toward the three strangers at the edge of the cliff, thinking he will start a ruckus.


    The only one, however, who was not looking either confused or worried was Zoar, who instead looked surprised to see the three he met with way back in the Mystic Hall of Mastery.


    "What the hell are those three doing here? Since when have they arrived? I didn''t even feel their presence until the pillar of light vanished!" Zoar showed a deep frown and without saying anything else walked toward Nash and the other two, curious to hear what they will say.


    Naturally, several other leaders of different groups were curious too and wished to learn what happened, thus after ordering their men to stay where they were they too began to walk toward the three mysterious masked individuals.


    In a flash, more than ten creatures either at the Peak Warrior Rank or at the Warmaster Rank began to approach Nash and the two on his side, immediately causing their expression to stiffen.


    "What should we do?" Amy mumbled in a low voice, her voice clearly holding her anxiety.


    While she had achieved strength she in the past didn''t think would gain, she still felt a degree of worry when she was around other creatures. At the very end of the day, she still was a human, one that not only was a slave in others'' eyes but was also under search by the Thousand Blood Race!


    Nash naturally noticed this, especially because Miles'' hand on his side was tightly clenched, showing he too was anxious about what will happen next.


    "Calm down. Although there are many creatures, Flake is our "friend". Also, he is the strongest among their numbers, so they won''t cause any problem that easily." Nash replied quietly and took a step forward.


    "Emerald, I would have never thought we would meet this soon." Flake showed a warm smile as if he was welcoming an old friend and after glancing at Miles and Amy behind him he asked, "Though, how did you get here? I have remembered your presence since our last time so I can easily tell if you are nearby but for some strange reason I only felt your presence once the pillar of light vanished."


    Nash''s eyes widened slightly behind his mask for a split second but soon regained his composure. It seemed he had gained a very important piece of information which in the future can and will help him.


    "After we said our farewell to each other back in Planet Gaia, we decided to come to Crimson Mountain to see if the legends we read in the Grand Library were true or not. We looked around but unfortunately found nothing and were about to leave when the whole mountain began to shake and that pillar of light appeared out of nowhere. Thus, we decided to check it out." Nash replied calmly, telling some truth and some lie.


    "As for our presence, we simply disguised it as we met with a Mutated Blood Skeleton which was at the peak Warmaster Rank our way toward the peak." Amy quickly added another lie, earning Flake''s gaze.


    "A Mutated Blood Skeleton at the peak Warmaster Rank? On this mountain?" Flake asked with a puzzled look.


    According to his knowledge, ever since the battle between the God of Soul and the God of War that took place here, no creature lived here, thus it was pretty hard to believe that there was a creature much less one at the peak.


    Even Nash was confused when he heard the words of Amy, not knowing why she told something that everyone knew was simply impossible.


    Though, to his great shock, just as Flake was about to say something Amy revealed her hand below her robe and showed a small bottle filled with crimson blood that shone with a slightly black hue.


    ''Huh? When?'' Nash was speechless when he saw the small bottle of blood, not because he didn''t know what it was but because he was perfectly aware of what blood that was.


    ''Isn''t that the blood that was needed to open the gate to the Hidden Library? But when?'' Nash was stupefied, but soon his eyes flashed with understanding and a shocked gasp escaped his mouth.


    He could clearly remember the moment he filled the bottle Amy went into the small pond doing something. Though, because he was already on the move to the valley, he didn''t get to see what she had done but now it was finally revealed.


    ''Good job!'' Nash thought in his heart, even though he knew that the bottle of blood in her hand was meant to use if the first bottle failed to work.


    "What is that?" Flake gazed at the bottle of blood in confusion, but as he thought about something his eyes widened and asked, "Is... Is that... Don''t tell me... Is that the blood of the Mutated Blood Skeleton?"


    Amy smiled under her mask and without saying a thing put the bottle away. Naturally, Flake misunderstood her action and quickly said, "How much do you want for the blood of the Mutated Blood Skeleton? Just name any price you want."


    The moment he said those words, the other creatures have long ago arrived behind him and the moment they heard the words Flake said their eyes widened, and looked at Amy with greed and shock.


    "I will give you a thousand Ancient Jade Crystal!"


    "I will give you a Galaxy Grade item if you sell me that bottle of blood!"


    "Don''t listen to them! I will buy it in exchange for a True Domination Class Art! I will even give you two Transcended Class Domination Art as a bonus!"


    All the creatures became crazed as if they have just eaten some kind of drug, pushing each other left and right as they wished to get closer to Nash, Amy, and Miles.


    Naturally, the latter two became surprised by the sudden change of events and took a few steps back unconsciously, however when they noticed they were standing at the edge of the cliff their complexions paled.


    Nash upon seeing this turned ice cold and without knowing it, his Murderous Aura broke out of his body.


    Whoosh!


    "?!"


    In a split second, all the creatures came dead in their tracks and stared at Nash with widened eyes as the sudden killing intent caught them by surprise, those on the Warrior Rank even trembling slightly as their Fear level directly reached the Critical Level for a split second before decreasing it back to around 90%!


    However, for Nash who was thinking clearly and was able to see their change of emotions thanks to their Indicators above their head, how would he miss such a golden opportunity?


    Therefore, without wasting a moment he waved his hand and grabbed the white threads in front of him that appeared and was ready to vanish in the next second!


    Swish!


    [Attachment successful!]


    [Attachment successful!]


    [Attachment successful!]


    [...]


    Just under a single second, the number of his Life Strings that were attached to his fingers increased from one to seven, putting a total of six new beings under his total and absolute control!


    "Huh?" the six beings that didn''t know what happened felt a strange feeling passing through their bodies before vanishing completely, completely unaware that their lives now were no longer in their hands!


    "Okay, that is enough." Flake seeing that things have gotten slightly out of hand spoke calmly but loudly, his voice holding a hint of warning that even a fool would understand.


    Nash glanced at Flake for a second before he sighed and closed his eyes, quickly deactivating his Murderous Aura.


    Flake nodded in a way that thanked Nash for not doing anything as he knew perfectly well that if Nash wished to, he could have easily killed half of the creatures present while with the help of the two behind him the death count would have increased dramatically without question.


    As Flake has seen what the three were capable of doing against Evolved and Mutated Diamond Beasts while also finding out they have slain a Mutated Blood Skeleton which was at the peak Warmaster Rank, he felt that if the three decided to fight all these leaders here today, it was not a faraway dream for them to emerge as the victors.


    In fact, it was very likely that with their mysterious Domination Arts and with Nash''s Ancient Treasure, except him and a few others none of the beings currently standing here would be capable of living to see the following day!


    Nash seemed to understand what Flake wished to do thus nodded gently and after taking a deep breath he glanced at the creatures in front of him that now looked at him with raised guards and said, "Unfortunately, that bottle of blood is not for sale.. I hope you can understand that."

 Chapter 121 - Accepting The Offer (2-Last)

    "Unfortunately, the bottle of blood is not for sale. I hope you can understand this,"


    The words spoken by Nash were like a bucket of ice-cold water poured down on them, immediately bringing the creatures back to their senses.


    "What? Is this for real?"


    "Argh... This day can''t be any worse than this, but really!"


    "What a pity. And here I thought I can obtain something real good before going back to the Ancient Dimension!"


    Many creatures began to murmur under their breaths with visible disappointment and a hint of bitterness while there were a few that looked at Amy with pair of eyes that were filled with both anger and greed.


    Even a fool would understand why those creatures looked the way they did much less Nash who not only has seen all kinds of events during his time as a slave but also had the ability to see the emotions of the beings in front of him thanks to his Domination Art.


    ''They are up to nothing good.'' Nash narrowed his eyes as he made sure to take a mental picture of the faces and builds of each creature that could mean a possible threat to them in the future.


    Flake seeing that Nash was still alert around the creatures behind his back sighed and turned around before showing a gentle smile that startled everyone who saw him, "It seems everything has gone back to normal, thus if you have no other business with these three, I would like to invite them to a tea. Hope you don''t mind it."


    "Huh? You say that as if they have already decided to join you. What if they don''t want to drink with you and join me?" a creature with a height over three meters and a well-built body stepped forward, his eyes looking intently at Flake.


    His name was Stone and hailed from the Giants Race. He was a being that reached the peak Warmaster Rank, and in contrast to the other creatures present, he was well aware of what Flake wished to do with those words he just said.


    "You can fool others, but not me, third prince of the Sargon Family. You definitely plan to get your hands on that bottle of blood with one of your dirty tricks! You are truly a shame for the Slayer Race! No, you are worse than a human!"


    The words that Stone spoke seemed to work their own magic on the other creatures beside Stone as they immediately shifted their gazes at Flake, their eyes filled at this moment with nothing but anger and fury.


    Flake, naturally, noticed the kind of glares he got from the creatures, and the smile which was on his handsome face immediately vanished turning his complexion into a rather scary one!


    As he knew that the Slayer Race and the Giant Race were not in a good relationship with each other, could be said they were on the verge of starting a dimensional fight, it was not a surprise for him that the Giant in front of him would wish to throw dirt in his eye and taint his reputation with falsehoods.


    Though, although he kind of expected something like this to happen and prepared his heart to ignore whatever he will hear, when he heard the last words of Stone he felt that was something he could not overlook just with a simple smile as those words not only did disrespect him but his entire family!


    However, just as he was about to speak and even use some force to show he was not someone who can be poked around that easily, something neither he nor Stone nor anyone else present on Crimson Mountain expected to happen happened.


    Under everyone''s stupefied expression the person with the emerald mask behind his back suddenly walked before Stone and once he was before him he raised his head.


    At first, everyone thought that the mysterious individual would join Stone after hearing what he said, but to their great shock, he instead pointed at Stone''s head with his index finger before slowly moving his finger toward the ground.


    "Kneel."


    Whoosh!


    Bam!


    The ground cracked and the earth shook below the knee of Stone as he kneeled down and with widened eyes stared at the emerald mask that now was only a few inches away from his face.


    Nash looked straight into Stone''s eyes and after thinking for a second he turned his head slightly to the side and asked as he glanced at Flake, "Do you want his head or do you want me to cut out his tongue instead?"


    The whole mountain fell into utter silence and right now even if a pin would be dropped to the ground it was pretty much an assurance that every being would hear it as clearly and loudly as thunder!


    No one talked nor moved, but stared with widened eyes at the sole figure before Stone whose face was completely hidden behind a simple emerald mask.


    Flake''s eyes were wide the same way as the rest, but once the words that Nash spoke finally reached his brain his eyes flashed with different emotions before a grin that looked like a fox''s appeared on his face.


    "Cutting out his tongue would be too cheap of a price to pay for his insults while severing his head from his shoulder would be too much. I think you should slice both his arms off instead."


    "I see. Truly a great idea." Nash nodded and without saying anything, under the still stupefied eyes of the creatures, he grabbed Stone''s right hand with both hands, and with his Crimson Essence already activated that covered his palms, he yanked with all his strength toward the right!


    Swish!


    Squelch!


    The sound of flesh and bone getting separated from one another resounded in the air before the same sound from the left resounded once again but this time it was followed by a painful scream that sounded as if a pig was tortured!


    "AAAARRRGHHHH!!! YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT! I WILL KI-"


    "Would you shut up already or do you really want me to cut out your tongue too?" the cold voice that had a hint of annoyance in it resounded in Stone''s ear which immediately chilled the blood in Stone''s veins and forced him to remain silent despite his complexion as pale as a piece of paper.


    "Much better." Nash nodded with satisfaction and after he glanced at the two arms in both his hands, which were almost bigger than him, he threw it to the ground before Stone''s feet and said as he watched the huge amount of blood flowing out from Stone''s wounds, "You should stop take care of your wounds real quick if you don''t wish to bleed to death."


    And without caring what will Stone reply or do, Nash walked before Flake and said, "We thought about it and we will accept your offer, but only if you accept a few requests of ours."


    Flake raised a brow when he heard what Nash said, but soon his eyes flashed with realization and smiled, "I see, I see. Then shall we go somewhere more quiet to talk? I even know a perfect place not far away from here."


    "Sure." Nash nodded and gestured toward Miles and Amy before he began to follow after Flake without giving another glance at Stone or the other creatures on the side.


    As a fact, even if he would nothing would happen as right now all the creatures were frozen into one place as they followed Nash''s figure with scared complexions and watched how he walked further and further away from them.


    However, if one thought about it it was only natural for them to feel the way they were at the moment. After all, they have just witnessed a sight where a being at the Warrior Rank easily crippled another one that was not only at the Warmaster Rank but was also at its peak!


    Just what kind of Domination Art or strength did one need to achieve something similar? No, was it even possible for someone to achieve something even remotely close to something like this?


    They hardly doubted it.


    Naturally, they have already heard about rumors where one being beat another being while being a whole Rank weaker, but that was only with the help of many treasures and Domination Arts and even after a long-fought battle and not after a single gesture!


    "Boss!" suddenly, when Nash was no longer in sight as he already walked away with Flake and the Slayer Race, one of the soldiers under Stone''s command snapped out of his daze and quickly ran next to Ston and with the help of his Domination Art, he began to heal the wounds on his leader''s shoulders.


    This immediately forced the rest to get back to reality and quickly the whole place was filled with murmurs and whispers as everyone recalled what they have just seen while also wanting to find out who the person with the emerald mask was.

 Chapter 122 - Crimson Tavern

    "B-Boss... Please stay still, I''m gonna heal your wounds right away!" standing next to Stone, a Giant wearing a silver robe extended both hands toward Stone''s wounds and after closing his eyes activated his Domination Art.


    Swoosh!


    A gentle white light immidieatly covered the Giant''s palm before it extended toward Stone''s body and engulfed his whole body, instantly halting any more blood from flowing out of the gaping wounds on Stone''s shoulder.


    "Urgh..." an ugly and painful grimace appeared on Stone''s face which slowly got to relax and nodded toward his man as a form of gratitude.


    "That guy... Who was he?" once the pain became bearable and the wounds were half-closed, Stone turned toward the direction where Flake and Nash vanished, his eyes holding several emotions such as anger, irritation, and fury.


    Though, despite him feeling rage and thirst for revenge at the moment, Stone was not a fool to believe that he had a chance against that mysterious individual if he were to meet him again.


    Just now, a single word was enough to force him onto his knees without him having the slightest chance to resist! Furthermore, he could do nothing but watch with horror that both his arms were ripped off even though he was at the Warmaster Rank while his enemy was not but a whole Rank below it!


    ''Just what kind of Domination Art was that? It felt like he invaded my body and took control over it for a split second and I couldn''t do anything about it...'' Stone thought with a hint of fear in his heart as his eyes still gazed at the spot where he last saw Nash''s shadow.


    But unfortunately, his deep pondering did not last for too long as suddenly a figure appeared on his side which quickly snapped him out of his train of thoughts. However, when he shifted his gaze to see who it was, his complexion became dead serious in a flash!


    "Haha, look at you. Lost two hands in a matter of a few seconds and by an individual that was not even at the Warmaster Rank. Are Giants these days really this weak or only you have become so pathetic?"


    The one who talked was a creature with a single circular crimson eye and a rather large frame, almost as large as Stone''s but still was relatively smaller. Moreover, while other creatures wore armors crafted out of different materials and ores, this creature wore nothing but a single pant that was rather loose while his upper body was covered in a layer of green, seemingly being grass and moss.


    This creature''s name was Adan and he hailed from the Cyclopes Race, a race that had great similarities to the Giant Race even though they were two separate species!


    And exactly because of this, the Cyclopes Race and the Giant Race, just like how the Silver Dragons and the Serpents, hated each other and wished to annihilate the other one by whatever means they could find.


    Naturally, the Giants were in a bad relationship with the Slayer Race too, but at least that relationship was not as severe and heavy as the one between them and the Cyclopes!


    "Haha, you really look pathetic right now. I wonder what your elders will say and look like if they learn that you have lost to a being a whole Rank below yours!" Adan laughed with mockery and despite him having a whole head smaller than Stone, his eyes looked at Stone as if he was the one looking down at him and not vice-versa!


    Stone''s complexion at this moment was as stiff as a rock as he stared at Adan with a pair of hollow eyes, unknown what he was thinking at the very moment.


    "Haha, look at you! Grieving, are we? Well, to be honest, if I were you I would grieve too. No, I would even bury myself alive from the sheer sham-"


    Swish!


    Bam!


    A powerful breeze appeared just before Adan could have finished his speech which, strangely, carried the smell of blood in the air.


    "Huh?" Adan''s eyes widened when he felt a sharp pain pierce his chest thus slowly lowered his gaze, only to find that right now his chest, around the part where his heart was located, a leg was pierced!


    It was Stone''s leg and in a split second, it shattered all his ribs, smashed both his lungs and heart while it forced blood to uncontrollably flow out both his gaping wound and mouth!


    "Look at this. I wonder what your elders will say and look like when they find out you have been killed with a single attack by someone who was crippled." Stone mumbled coldly and with a casual but quick pull yanked his leg out of Adan''s chest, allowing the blood in his body to flow out from his wound like water from a broken tap!


    "You... Piece of... sh-" Adan mumbled with deep hatred in his eyes but as blood filled his mouth and life already vanished from his eyes before he could have finished his curse he fell to the ground lifelessly.


    "Hmph!" Stone didn''t even give a second glance at the corpse of Adan and after ordering his soldiers to move he began to walk away, completely ignoring the different stares he got from the other creatures around him.


    Meanwhile, far away from Crimson Mountain toward the east, in a small village that surprisingly looked rather futuristic, a big building with seven floors could be found.


    This place was called Crimson Tavern, a place where creatures on the move could stay for either a rest or to fill their stomachs with all kinds of unique and delicious food. However, while in the past this tavern was only visited by a few, this time several tens of creatures clad in silver and black armor could be seen standing outside, forming a perfect circle around the building.


    "Choose whatever you wish to eat. It is on me." Flake gestured toward the three at the other side of the table he was sitting at as he too picked up a piece of high-quality paper that was filled with the names of numerous dishes.


    Nash, Amy, and Miles looked at each other before they nodded and did the same. But just as Nash was about to see what kind of food they sold here, suddenly a familiar voice appeared in his head while words one after another popped up in his line of sight.


    [One of your Life String have been severed!]


    [Legacy attached to it now will be reaped!]


    [Legacy ''Artisan Vision'' acquired!]


    ---------------------------


    [Reaped Legacy Information]


    ? Description: A stolen power that was obtained by consuming the lost string that was on the verge of vanishing from all existence.


    ? Legacy Rank: Warmaster Rank


    {Ability}


    ¡ã Artisan Vision: A power that allows the holder to have a great amount of wisdom and skill about craftsmanship. It allows the holder to analyze any ore, crystal, and steel by a glance and even decrease dramatically the amount of time needed to craft any item or object!


    <This Reaped Legacy can''t be raised any further because of a missing part!>


    ---------------------------


    Upon reading the description and especially the last words, Nash accidentally let out a shocked but deeply confused gasp which immediately attracted Flake''s and Bane''s attention at the other side of the table.

 Chapter 123 - [Bonus Chapter] Ordering Without Any Shame

    "Is there perhaps a problem? Is it possible that the food served here is not to your liking?" Flake asked with a slightly worried tone of voice as he glanced at Nash.


    Upon feeling the stare on him from everyone, Nash seemed to realize his mistake and quickly cleared his through kind of awkwardly and shook his head.


    "No, not at all. As a fact, they seem to be extremely compelling, it is just their price is... pretty expensive."


    Flake''s eyes brightened in a flash once he heard Nash''s words and with a delighted smile that boosted his handsomeness to greater levels, he laughed gently and said, "I see, but as I have already said this, it is all on me this time so don''t worry about the price. Order whatever you seem the most appealing to your eyes!"


    Nash looked at Flake and after he nodded briefly he lowered his gaze onto the menu in his hands, looking at what kind of fares the Crimson Tavern could offer him while deep inside he sighed with relief that he was able to reply with a lie right away.


    ''That was close.'' Nash sighed in his heart as he currently read the ingredients of a specific soup called Dragonheart Soup.


    ''I wonder what happened. Did they begin to fight with each other right after we left?'' Nash pondered deeply as the reaped Legacy he just obtained a few seconds ago was one of the creatures he was able to put under his control. And if he was right, it was the Legacy of the creature that hailed from the Cyclopes Race.


    ''Well, although I feel bad for losing a potential soldier that could have helped me in the future, I can always acquire a new Cyclopes anytime.'' Nash thought to himself as he turned the paper in his hand over and added, ''Furthermore, it is never an issue to have an extra ability in my possession.''


    With those words in mind, boosting his mood slightly, Nash raised the paper in his hold a little bit higher and began to look over the foods with greater enthusiasm.


    After 5 minutes, when it seemed everyone finished looking through the dishes Flake waved his hand and said, "We would like to order please."


    "Right away!" a feminine voice sounded and after a few seconds, a figure appeared at their table''s side, showing a warm smile that looked rather happy, "Hi, my name is Sue and I will be your server this time. What would you like to start with?"


    ''Huh? A Human?'' Nash, Amy, and Miles were taken aback when they saw that the person standing in front of them was a human despite when they entered the Crimson Tavern they met with the boss of the place who was a creature and not a human!


    Nash became startled and shifted his gaze at Flake to see if he was showing any kind of hostility or disgust toward Sue, but to his great surprise, Flake was smiling kindly while his Happiness Level increased slowly, indicating he was not faking his smile at all!


    "Well, let''s see... I think you guys should start first." Flake looked at Nash and the two on his sides, even gesturing at them that they should say what they have chosen.


    Nash nodded as his impression of Flake deepened a little bit more, thinking he was slightly different from the other creatures out there. Though, this didn''t mean he looked at him as a friend, not even close to it, as he will definitely make sure to get rid of him once he gets everything he wanted from it, just like how the Slayer Race or any of the other race out there did and still do with the Human Race!


    "Then we would like to order a Broasted Frost Bison and a Pan-Fried Abyss Triggerfish," Nash said as he pointed at the two dishes he and Amy chose, but once he got to the point where he had to choose for Miles he stopped talking as he didn''t know what he should say.


    Miles, however, once noticing the gazes on him from both Nash and everyone else turned the paper in his hand toward Sue and quickly said, "Miss, I want this, this, this, this, and these four here. Oh, and two from this too, please. Thank you."


    ''...''


    Everyone looked at Miles with stupefied gazes and in silence, not knowing what they should say or do. Did they really just hear Miles mention about ten different dishes one after another or did they just hallucinate?


    The group of five stared with widened eyes at Miles who showed an excited smile once he finished pointing at the dishes and leaned back, looking like a little kid who couldn''t wait to get what he wished for!


    ''This guy...'' only after an entire minute later did Nash snap out of his daze and was ready to look at Flake to apologize, when suddenly Flake laughed, taking him and everyone else by surprise.


    "Haha! Sou you like to eat, huh?" Flake laughed with delight that sounded like bells ringing during spring, and after looking at sue he said, "Just forget their order, we will order everything on the menu."


    "EEHH?" both Amy and Nash looked at Flake with widened eyes while Miles''s eyes lit up like stars in the sky during the night. There was even drool flowing down from the corner of his mouth, but thanks to his mask it was covered or else others would see a pretty funny image of him apart from his silent and indifferent personality.


    "S-Sir... Are you sure about your order?" Sue mumbled with awe, but when she saw how Flake took out a pouch that was filled with crystals she knew he was not joking.


    "Here, half of the payment for the food and service for now, and the other half will be given once we finished," Flake said calmly as he handed the pouch to Sue with a smile.


    Sue''s hands trembled once she held the pouch that literally was full of hundreds of shiny crystals but as she realized what her role was she quickly bowed and said, "I see, I will bring your food as soon as I possibly can."


    "We are not in a hurry so just take your time, there is no reason to rush things unnecessarily." Flake waved his hand casually and once Sue was no longer around he shifted his gaze at Nash and said, "Well then, let''s talk about your ''requirements'' to join my family you have mentioned before, shall we?"

 Chapter 124 - Joining The Sargon Family?

    On Planet Gaia, inside City Neo.


    The sun was high up in the sky, enveloping the entirety of City Neo in its warm rays as the streets of the city were bustling. Hundreds of creatures, each hailing from a different race walked in and out of the buildings on the sides while in the sky, either on tamed beasts or objects creatures flew around, each doing their own business.


    However, while City Neo together with Planet Gaia was usually a place that many creatures liked to visit real often as a means of either doing some trade or just simply to rest thus making it an incredibly lively area, this time it was exceptionally vibrant!


    And the reason?


    "L-Lord Amael... W-What brings you here today?" a humanoid creature with ears and eyes that of a rabbit stood before Amael in the middle of a huge platform that was constructed for spaceships to land, his body visibly trembling from fear.


    His name was Heno, a peak Warrior Rank being from the Amule Race and the current manager of City Neo while also the highest-ranking official, so there was almost nothing on the planet he would not have known about!


    Furthermore, as he was the manager of the city, or could be said the literal mayor of it, he had the job to supervise everything that happened inside and around it, thus there was no way he would not know about Amael''s arrival beforehand. As a fact, he already knew about it a whole day earlier than anyone else, that is why he made sure that everything was perfect before Amael sets foot onto Planet Gaia.


    However, at that time he would have not thought that the right hand of the king of the Thousand Blood Race would literally bring an entire army with him onto Planet Gaia, almost as if he wished to take control over the planet!


    ''With such a massive number of soldiers, even a smaller scaled war could be won under a few days, much less conquering an entire planet!'' Heno swallowed nervously as the sight of Amael suddenly starting a war uncontrollably appeared in his head.


    Amael stood in front of Heno, his usual cold and indifferent face looking left and right, seemingly taking in the unique scenery around him which was not an everyday sight.


    "Bring me every data, every recording, and every document about the spaceship that arrived from Planet Nelea about two days ago." suddenly, Amael turned his eyes at Heno, who upon seeing the sharp and seemingly deadly crimson gaze flinched unwittingly and nodded hurriedly, almost like a chicken pecking its food.


    "A-As you wish, Lord Amael. R-Right away!" with a deep bow and without asking for a reason why, Heno ran to the side where another Amule creature was standing, and after telling her something and ordering her to do her job right away he ran back to Amael.


    "L-Lord Amael, I have ordered my junior and she will bring everything in a few minutes. U-Until then, maybe, do you wish to ta-"


    "I don''t have time to waste, so spare me from your useless questions." Amael interrupted Heno''s question coldly, his eyes literally staring holes into Heno''s body.


    "I-I deeply apologize!" Heno quickly lowered his head in fear if he meets those crimson eyes straight on that will be his last time seeing daylight ever again!


    Time passed slowly with neither Amael nor Heno talking and only the constant sound of the city from the distance was heard. However, after 15 minutes of silent waiting, finally, the Amule that was sent away by Heno finally arrived with a small device in hand.


    "Good job!" Heno praised the female Amule and was ready to take the device out of her hand to hand it to Amael when suddenly Amael himself moved and took it away.


    "Thank you. I don''t need anything else, so you are free to go." Amael examined the cubed device in his hand and without saying anything else turned around and walked away.


    Walking back to the spaceship, Amael went inside his room and after activating the device which created a huge hologram screen in front of him, he began to study everything in it.


    Hours have passed with him reading every article, every data, and every little detail while also checking every recording, and without him noticing it, 4 hours have passed!


    "So I have finally found you." was what Amael''s first words were after 4 hours, and his eyes narrowed into a slit as his gaze filled with killing intent stared intently at the hologram that showed Nash''s figure outside Argon together with two other humans, obviously being Amy and Miles.


    -


    -


    -


    Northeast away from City Neo, inside the Crimson Tavern.


    "Well then, let''s talk about your ''requirements'' you have mentioned before to join my family, shall we?"


    Miles and Amy looked at Nash once they heard Flake''s words, waiting to hear what those ''requirements'' he mentioned back on Crimson Mountain were as even they had no clue at all.


    Although they have already discussed the matter of joining Flake''s Family in the past right after Flake mentioned it, it was only a brief conversation with a conclusion that joining the Sargon Family was not a good choice as it was literally a double-edged sword with both benefits and disadvantages.


    Naturally, the benefits would be like things such as protection from other races, especially from the Thousand Blood Race and Amael, obtaining treasures and unique Domination Arts which can help them become stronger while they can also form various connections with other creatures that could possibly help them in the future.


    On the other hand, however, in exchange for all those benefits, their freedom would be limited from day one while almost every one of their moves and steps would be monitored by the Sargon Family 24/7!


    Furthermore, not only was there the risk of them getting busted anytime if they decide to join the Sargon Family, but even their chance of finding Uncle Ben and the others would become literally impossible!


    That is why, no matter how they looked at it, from Amy''s and Miles'' point of view, deciding to join Flake''s Family at this very moment would be extremely foolish; or at least until if he does not have a good plan.


    Nash remained silent for a brief moment as he looked into Flake''s eyes, and only after waiting a few seconds did he nod and began to speak;


    "As you have mentioned, your family is recruiting exceptional talents and they are looking for individuals just like the three of us. At first, to be honest, we didn''t wish to accept your offer because of different reasons, but after thinking about it a little while longer I had to realize that it would be not a bad idea to accept it as both you and us can benefit from it."


    "However, as I am pretty confident that there is no one else that is better in both potential, talent, and strength as the three of us, especially not on the same Rank as you have already seen it twice, I think we should get a little exception than those other recruits, which are the following."


    Upon seeing that Flake''s and Bane''s complexion didn''t change, Nash took a deep breath and continued, "First, if we join your family, we want equal freedom just like you, meaning we can come and go any place, any planet, and any dimensions as we wish. Naturally, if the Sargon Family has a mission or request for us, we will accomplish it as anyone else, but except for those, we are free to do as we want."


    "Secondly, while we help the Sargon Family in any problem and crisis, we won''t share any of our personal information such as Legacy, Domination Arts, origin, or things similar as that."


    "Thirdly, which is also the last one, we would like to keep our masks on all the time. Of course, if the Sargon Family provides us with special uniforms or clothes we will wear them, but our masks stay on us."


    Once he finished talking, Nash leaned back and crossed his arms casually before his chest before saying, "And this is all."


    The whole place fell into silence after Nash spoke his final few words, and only the occasional sound of cooking coming from the room on the side could be heard. However, while this silence was slightly nerve breaking for Miles and Amy, who felt anxious about how the two Slayers before them will react or respond to the seemingly ridiculous requirements of Nash, Nash just sat where he was with a nonchalant expression on his face and waited.


    ''Well, at the very worst-case scenario, they will just laugh at me and act as if what I have said was a good joke. I won''t lose anything with trying..'' Nash thought in his heart, knowing that whether Flake will accept his requirements or not is now completely on Flake himself.

 Chapter 125 - Welcome To The Family

    The interior of the Crimson Tavern was silent for a long while, neither Nash, Amy, Miles, Flake, and Bane talking. As a fact, right now, the atmosphere around the table was so heavy that one would think a battle will break out at any given moment!


    Amy and Miles sat next to Nash with a calm posture but if one would be able to see their faces behind their masks, one would find it with great surprise that their complexion was rather stiff and nervous while their hand below the table were clenched into tight fists!


    The same thing went for Bane at the other side of the table next to Flake, the only difference was that his facial expression was more of solemnity than nervousness while his eyes flashed with different emotions, showing he was currently thinking about many things.


    The only ones that didn''t look either nervous or solemn were Nash and Flake as the former just sat in one place with a casual and relaxed manner while the latter was looking straight into the former''s eyes with an indifferent gaze.


    Naturally, Flake''s complexion was serious this time, but it was not as serious as Bane''s on his left.


    After five full minutes, Flake finally moved and raised both hands before his face, and locking his fingers together gently he asked, "So let me get this straight. You wish to join my family but only if we can give you the freedom to go wherever you wish whenever you want, privacy that won''t question any of your abilities, skills, powers, and origin which also includes your identity, right?"


    "In short, yes." Nash nodded calmly.


    From his point of view, Nash thought all these requirements were essential for both him and his friends as like this they not only would be able to find his uncle together with the rest but he would also be given the chance to travel into different dimensions to collect Aruer''s Soul Fragments whenever he wished.


    Furthermore, with the backing of the Slayer Family, especially with the Sargon Family which he uncovered was the strongest royal family among the Slayer Race, he won''t need to fear getting offended or found out that easily while he can proceed with his plan without almost any worry!


    Also, this was a good chance for them to get stronger behind the protection of solid walls and gain possible allies from different races that through time will trust him enough to make them his puppets too! But of course, for that to happen there was an extremely long and difficult road before him, which will only start if Flake accepts his requests, thus he won''t get cocky as karma would immediately punish him for his arrogance.


    Flake looked at Nash for another minute without talking, but soon he shifted his gaze at Bane and asked, "Thoughts?"


    Bane, who was all this time silently listening and watching the body language of the three in front of him gave a small glace at his younger brother and said, "Well, if we think about it, they do have strength, talent, and potential that not even those at the Middle Layer has, and even a few possess in the Inner Layer. Maybe, and maybe if I need to exaggerate things a little bit, they have the potential to become beings that could rival those living in the Core Layer."


    "Um... I apologize for interrupting, but what is this Middle, Inner, and Core Layer you have mentioned?" suddenly, just as Bane wished to continue after taking a deep breath, Miles raised his hand like a student to ask his questions.


    Flake and Bane glanced at Miles with raised brows as they thought he was just testing them or even trying to make fun of them, but as they saw how he tilted his head in puzzlement awe flashed through their eyes.


    ''So they are really not from the Ancient Dimension?'' such a thought appeared in Bane''s mind and spoke, "Well, as you may or may have not known this, but the Ancient Dimension is separated into different regions, known as Layers. There are a total of five Layers that are the Outer, Middle, Inner, Core, and Isolated Layer. Also, there is a sixth Layer known as the Dark Layer where the known Horizon resides."


    Upon hearing the word Horizon, Nash''s ears perked up while Amy and Miles subconsciously looked at him as they too knew what kind of weight did the word Horizon carried.


    However, it seemed their reaction was completely misunderstood as Flake and Bane looked extremely flabbergasted. It seemed their guess about the three in front of them was right, and the three were never in the Ancient Dimension ever before.


    Naturally, this didn''t mean they so far only lived in the Human Dimension as there were many ways for one to get from one dimension to another without using the Ancient Path directly, but those were either extremely dangerous or extremely expensive ways thus only a few were using those methods.


    "I see, and what are the differences between each Layer?" Miles decided to ask once he got his answer.


    "Well, there are quite a few differences such as the Ancient Particle density which becomes denser toward the Isolated Layer, the number of races which becomes less the deeper one goes to the Ancient Dimension, or the evergrowing threat each beast possess toward the center. Naturally, there are many other differences, but these are the most noticeable ones." Bane explained calmly with Flake nodding continuously on his side.


    "I see, thank you for explaining."


    Bane nodded before he glanced at Nash and said, "Anyways, back to our main topic, as I and even you have said this once, you three possess both potential, talent, and strength that is extremely hard to find even in the Inner Layer. Hell, you three even killed a Mutated Diamond Beast while you alone literally crippled a creature at the peak Warmaster Rank despite you only being at the Warrior Rank."


    And after Bane reached that point in his speech, he glanced at Flake and said, "If you ask me, in exchange for their strength which can benefit both of us and our family, what they ask for is absolutely expected and acceptable."


    "So you are fine with it?" Flake asked calmly.


    "Yeah, totally. But only if you think the same." Flake nodded and leaned back in almost the same manner as Nash did about a few moments ago, showing that he had nothing else to say about this matter.


    "I see." Flake shifted his gaze back at Nash and said, "Then I think we have nothing else to talk about."


    "Then, does this mean..." Miles asked quietly.


    "This means, welcome to the family guys! You have officially become a part of the Sargon Family!" Flake showed a handsome smile.


    And exactly as he did, from the side Sue together with many other individuals appeared, each of them holding plates in their hands that contained various dishes, ones that immidieatly filled the whole Crimson Tavern with the almost irresistible aroma!


    "Look at that, what perfect timing! Let''s celebrate by filling our stomachs to the brim then, shall we?" Flake clapped his hands with delight, immediately grabbing silverware from the side and starting to eat the soup in front of him.


    Bane did the same and grabbed a huge piece of pork from his right and a huge chunk of steak from his left and with a quick and massive bite shoved them down his throat almost like a beast!


    Miles and Amy began to eat with enthusiasm too as their masks were designed in a way where eating in it won''t hinder the wearer while Nash simply used his essence to change his Protean Jewel''s shape in a way where his mask still hid his face but the same time allowed him to eat without any problem!


    "Oh? What kind of treasure is that? Looks pretty useful." bitting into a huge heart that emitted a rather spicy aroma and swallowing it down, Bane asked as his eyes looked at the emerald mask on Nash''s face.


    Nash glanced at Bane and for a while, he didn''t know if Bane either had short memory or simply didn''t mean what he meant under the words of privacy.


    ''Well, this is not a part of my abilities thus I don''t think it is a huge secret. Though, I will still lie about it.'' Nash thought in his heart after gulping down the food called Frozen Rose which made his whole body refreshed, he said, "This is a treasure I have obtained by taking the life of a creature in the past that wished to kill me. It allows me to change its shape to an extent."


    "Amazing. I wonder if I can get my hands on one too in the future." Bane mumbled in a low voice.


    "Well, if you are lucky maybe you can find something similar back in the Mystic Hall of Mastery," Flake said with a calm smile as he slowly raised the spoon in his hand and put it into his mouth; his graceful movement was truly like a royal''s, that was without a question.


    "Yeah, great idea.. Once we get back to City Neo, I will ask that old geezer if he has anything similar to that." Bane nodded and with a more elevated mood stuffed more food into his mouth, looking almost like someone who almost starved to death and now wished to eat as much as he can!

 Chapter 126 - Getting Their Rewards

    The atmosphere in the Crimson Tavern could be said was excellent. Everyone was eating with delight, filling their stomachs to the absolute limit while talking with each other about different topics and matters.


    From the side, one would even think the way the group of five was behaving before each other was akin to friends that have known each other for years and not someone that just met with each other in the past few days.


    However, the most shocking part was still not this but the way Bane and Miles were eating. The two were literally stuffing one dish after another into their mouth and swallowing them without almost any chewing! They were eating the huge food almost as naturally as if they were breathing air!


    "Just how can so much food fit in there?" Nash and Amy were stupefied beyond belief as this was their first time witnessing Miles''s huge appetite. Of course, they have seen before how much that little rascal could eat, but it was nowhere close to the current sight!


    "Haha! Brat, you really know how to eat, huh?" Bane laughed with joy as this was his first time meeting with someone who was similar to him in need of food.


    "I have met with many that tried to out-eat me, especially that silver scaled dragon named Zoar, but they all failed in the end. But it seems you are a completely different breed! Or do you perhaps use a trick?"


    "Frick?" Miles raised his head as he swallowed the huge piece of food in his mouth before pulling out the bone that was as big as one''s forearm and said, "I don''t use any trick. I just love to eat, especially if the food is delicious."


    "Haha! That is what I like to hear! Lady, please bring another round from all the dishes you have!"


    Sue, who stood on the side with a stupefied expression snapped out of her daze and quickly nodded, "R-Right away!"


    Nash opened his mouth to say something but as he didn''t know what he should say he instead closed it and turned to look at Miles, "Will you be okay? Won''t you die?"


    "I will be fine. As a fact, I feel like I except the following round I could another one."


    "HAHAHA!" Bane''s delighted laugh resounded in the Crimson Tavern and as if a spirit possessed him the way he put the food into his mouth and swallowed them began to quicken!


    As for Miles, he just continued to eat in his own rhythm while completely ignoring the challenging stares he got from Bane from time to time.


    "This..." Amy let out a shocked gasp and shifted her gaze at Flake, but seeing he was just smiling without caring about Bane and Miles, she suddenly didn''t know whether laugh or cry.


    Nash, on the other hand just shook his head helplessly and without saying a thing continued to eat the food in front of him.


    Thus, in a matter of an hour that for Bane and Miles in truth only felt for a few minutes, the five finished eating, leaving on the table several towering plates next to each other, creating a sight as if the plates were showing a maquette of a city or some short!


    "Phew... That was refreshing!" Miles let out a satisfied sigh as he leaned back into the chair he was sitting, his hand resting on his now slightly round belly.


    "BURRRP!" Bane burped in agreement as he too leaned back into his chair with a smile that was full of bliss.


    "Well then, shall we get going?" Flake asked with a smile but seeing that both Miles and Bane were sitting in their places motionless he knew they won''t be going any time soon.


    "I guess not. Well, I should pay for the food until then." Flake chuckled and turning toward Sue on his side he summoned several pouches from his ring on his finger and handed them to her.


    "There you go. Please keep the change." Flake smiled, showing a handsome smile that earned a deep blush from Sue.


    "T-Thank you very much! Please make sure to come back whenever you are close by!"


    "We will definitely will." Flake nodded and after exchanging a few more words with the owner next to Sue, he stood up and with the other four walked out of the tavern.


    "Now that you have officially become a part of my family, you are qualified to have this." once outside the tavern and sat inside the carriage with which Flake and Bane came to Crimson Mountain, Flake took out three tokens from his spatial ring and handed them over to Nash, Amy, and Miles.


    The token was pretty similar to the one that Nash have gotten after they finished their mission on Planet Rover with the same black color and sword symbol on it, the only difference was that in the middle of the sword''s hilt, a small black crystal was embedded in a very neat manner.


    "That is a Space Token. We hand similar ones to everyone that joins our family the first time. It contains three sets of uniforms that only the members of the Sargon Family are allowed to wear and a Luminary Grade 5th Class weapon which a sword." Flake explained calmly and quickly added, "However, because you have helped us kill the Diamond Beasts, I have put the items you have asked for in them too. Take a look, you just have to touch the crystal to gain access to the things in it."


    The three upon hearing Flake''s words became excited in a flash and without hesitation touched the crystal.


    The first one to take his item out was Amy who raised her item before her face, showing everyone what she got. It was a beautiful earring, seemingly crafted out of some kind of blue crystals.


    "As you have asked, I was able to get you an accessory which possesses the ability to boost one''s Domination Art while also halving the energy needed for that Art''s activation. At first, I didn''t know why you needed it, but after seeing how you surpassed the Diamond Beast now I can say with certainty that it will help you a great deal."


    "Thank you." Amy thanked Flake briefly and without wasting even a second more put the beautiful blue jewel on her left ear. Of course, Flake was not stupid and easily discerned Amy''s happiness from her tone of voice, thus he just smiled and shifted his gaze at Miles who was holding a dagger in his hand.


    "You asked for a dagger, and as I promised I have made it with the best blacksmith I know. It was crafted from Rainbow Adamant which can consume different elements to a limited degree and use them for a limited time. It is also a 1st Class Solar Grade weapon, so make sure to use it properly."


    "Woah! It is beautiful!" Miles let out an amazed gasp as he held the almost eleven inches long dagger in his hand before his face and turned it left and right to see how it shone with rainbowish color under the sun''s ray that fell on its slightly curved blade through the window on the side.


    "I am glad you like it. With your unique Domination Art that can be used in different means, I am pretty sure you can use that dagger to your advantage in various ways." Flake curved his lips slightly upward and shifted his gaze at Nash.


    "As for you... Well, I don''t know why you did ask for that when you could have asked for anything else, but I guess you have your own reasons." Flake exclaimed his thoughts with a somewhat puzzled complexion as he stared at the item in Nash''s hand.


    It was a long and thin weapon that looked rather unique. It looked like a mixture between a staff and a spear which had a length of a little over 2 meters while its middle part was thin but both of its ends were rather thick and sharp. However, the most noticeable trait of it was its outer appearance which not only was as pitch-black as ink but its exterior was also full of different-sized cogs, giving it a rather machine-like feeling.


    "According to the merchant who I have bought it from, this is also a 1st Class Solar Grade weapon, but because it is extremely hard to use no one really likes to wield it. He also said it was crafted from Heaven-touched Obsidian, thus the more one swings it the heavier it becomes, making it even harder to utilize."


    "Weight is not a problem at all while mastering it will be a matter of time. Thank you." Nash showed a satisfied smile as he felt how perfectly did the weapon fit into his hand, almost as if it was meant for him to wield it.


    ''I was right, this feeling is just like during that time..'' Nash thought in his heart as a memory from his past gradually emerged in his mind.

 Chapter 127 - Memory From The Past (1)

    About 4 years ago, on Planet Zero.


    The wind blew hard as the leaves on the towering trees swayed left and right in a manner where one would think they would soon get ripped off only to be carried away by the breeze into the far distance.


    However, even though a storm was on the verge and rain even began to fall, the sound of screams and metal clashing against metal still resounded in the air as clearly as thunder, leaving one curious what was happening in the far distance from where the sound was coming from.


    "Ha! Eat this!" A Sky Beast wearing deep silver armor swung his weapon in his hand toward another Sky Beast with a spirited look, slamming his long staff against his opponent''s longsword without any mercy.


    Swish!


    Clang!


    The sound of metal slamming into metal immediately resounded in the air while the ground below the Sky Beast''s feet which held the sword and took the assault head-on cracked into numerous pieces!


    "Weak!" the Sky Beast with the staff sneered coldly and quickly raised his weapon above his head before spinning it around and swinging it downward with twice as much strength!


    BOOOOOM!


    Broken debris, dust, blood, and a scream that was filled with pain quickly reverberated throughout the surroundings as the Sky Beast which tried to defend against the descending attack failed to protect himself in time, thus resulting in his sword shattering into pieces together with his arm which held the weapon!


    "Okay, that is enough. Nile, you have fought well." a third Sky Beast with older facial features appeared on the side as he glanced at the creature with the staff in hand.


    "Thank you, Master." Nile bowed toward the old Sky Beast and without giving even a glance at the Sky Beast that he just literally crippled turned around and walked away.


    "Great work, Brother Nile! You were just as amazing as ever!" several Sky Beasts wearing similar silver armors quickly approached Nile and surrounded him, praising him with kind words that could make anyone''s ego skyrocket in a flash!


    "Haha, you guys exaggerating things way too much." Nile laughed calmly but soon sighed and said, "Though, it is indeed true that the way that weakling battled could not even be called fighting. Hell, I didn''t even warm up properly."


    "Brother Nile, you are as confident as ever!"


    "Yeah, Brother Nile is just too good. I wonder when will Master recommend you to the higher-ups and promote you."


    "Indeed, I can''t even understand what takes them so long."


    As every Sky Beast was the bootlicking Nile with all kinds of praises, not far away from their group several individuals wearing ragged clothes and holding a pickaxe were slowly walking toward them with lowered heads.


    "Hey, look. Slaves are coming." a Sky Beast gestured toward the group of humans with his head, quickly forcing all of them to shift their gazes at the group, including Nile himself too.


    "Oh? Did they finish with their daily dose already?" another Sky Beast asked, but soon his face showed a mysterious but mischievous grin and began to whisper something into the ear of his friend.


    "What? Master will skin us alive!" the Sky Beast snapped his head toward his friend, looking slightly dumbfounded.


    "But he is not here. After Nile finished his battle he went and took that cripple to the base. We have plenty of time to do it."


    Every Sky Beast remained silent before they looked at each other and nodded. The only one that didn''t do anything even after the group of Sky Beasts began to approach the humans was Nile, who just looked at his comrades from the distance with a seemingly indifferent gaze.


    "Hey, hey, hey! Where do you trash think are going so early in the morning?" the Sky Beast on the front stood before the group of humans, his face holding a mocking grin as he examined each and every face in front of him.


    And just as he thought, the anticipated reaction arrived as all the humans'' complexion paled and their bodies began to shake uncontrollably, almost as if they were leaves during a cold autumn night.


    "Haha! Look at you! You all look like starving dogs on the verge of pissing yourselves! So pathetic!" the Sky Beast grinned, earning his comrades'' joyful laugh which quickly filled the forest they were currently in.


    The Sky Beast laughed with delight as he watched how the humans in front of him began to lower their heads one by one, some even starting to cry and sniff from the sheer depression they were currently feeling.


    However, his laugh didn''t last for too long as just after he closed his eyes to wipe the tear away from the corner of his eyes a sharp pain assaulted his lower body, forcing him to open his eyes wide and lower his gaze.


    "Eh? W-When?" the Sky Beast began to mumble once he saw how a pickaxe which was used only by slaves now was piercing his abdomen, but once blood began to flow out from his wound and mouth the creature lost consciousness and fell back onto the ground, unknown if he was still alive or have died!


    ''...''


    Silence descended on the forest which previously was filled with nothing but the sound of laughter which was carried into the far distance by the strong wind and every Sky Beast stared at the now bleeding and unconscious body on the ground, still processing what had just happened.


    But it was not long before a Sky Beast screamed up with dread and quickly ran beside the body, looking at the tool which literally was buried into the body while forcing crimson blood to flow out without stop!


    "Fucking bastards! Which one of you bitches doing was this?" one of the Sky Beasts that held a sword shifted his gaze at the group of humans, his eyes holding both immense killing intent and wrath which only can be extinguished if blood was spilled!


    The Sky Beast looked at each human one by one before his gaze halted on a young boy''s figure who was the only one that did not have any mining pickaxe in hand.


    This boy, whose stance and facial expression was the only one that didn''t look lost from any hope or depressed, was naturally Nash.


    "So it was you! Now you are fucking dead!" the Sky Beast hissed and with a swift movement appeared before Nash whose azure blue eyes were staring at the descending sword with still unwavering confidence and without any fear in his gaze!


    "Die!" with hatred filled shout the Sky Beast''s sword appeared before Nash''s face but just as it was ready to split his head into two halves the weapon stopped in mid-flight, halting just a single inch away from claiming its target!


    "M-Master! Y-You are back!" the Sky Beast''s eyes trembled uncontrollably once he saw how his weapon was stopped with a single finger, preventing it from moving even a single millimeter forward!


    "What do you think you are doing, Al?" the old Sky Beast who currently emitted the powerful presence of a peak Warrior Rank being narrowed his eyes at Al, even using some killing intent to force him backward.


    "M-Master! T-This is a misunderstanding! Look! Odis have been injured too by that bastard! Hell, it is even possible that he sustained fatal injuries and is already dead!" Al looked slightly pale before his complexion turned ice cold and shifted his gaze at Nash, "Master, I just wished to avenge my comrade! Why did you st-"


    "That is enough." the indifferent voice of the old Sky Beast resounded in everyone''s ear akin to thunder, forcing everyone to shudder with fear despite not being under any pressure or attack at all!


    This was especially true for Al, who after hearing his master''s voice lowered his gaze to the ground in fear if he raise his head and meets those two pair of cold eyes his life will be taken away from him in a split second!


    The old Sky Beast examined Al''s complexion before he shifted his gaze at the still unconscious body of Odis and said, "I have seen and heard everything from start to end, and to tell the truth, I am disappointed."


    Those words were like a basin of ice-cold water poured down on their bodies while the complexion of each Sky Beast turned ugly as if they have just eaten an insect.


    "However..." but soon the old Sky Beast turned toward Nash and continued, "This does not mean I will forgive what you have done to one of my disciples. You will be punished without a question."


    "Yes! Kill him Mast-"


    Whoosh!


    Squelch!


    The sound of flesh being torn apart sounded in the air, and even before Al could have finished talking his body was sent flying while at the spot where he stood a moment ago the old Sky Beast appeared, his hand holding a ripped arm which he quickly threw to the side with a cold face.


    "After today, you are no longer my student. If I ever again hear you calling me your Master, I won''t be as gentle as now to only rip your arm off." the old Sky Beast stared coldly at Al''s unmoving and bleeding figure in the distance which currently lay under the weight of several tree trunks and debris, unknown if his life has perished or not.


    "And this goes to all of you." the old Sky Beast then glanced at every Sky Beast on the side except for Nile before he turned his gaze at the group of humans and asked, "You, human boy, what is your name?"

 Chapter 128 - Memory From The Past (2)

    "You, human boy, what is your name?" the tone with which the old Sky Beast talked was cold and could possibly cause anyone with a weaker will severe mental damage, but for some strange reason, Nash just stood in one place without showing any hint of fear or worry.


    "Nash," Nash replied with an indifferent face, his voice holding a level of tone which compared to the rest of the humans seemed to lose no hope at all. As a fact, even a blind being would be able to see that he was filled with confidence and determination to the brim!


    "I see, so it is Nash." the old Sky Beast nodded and with narrowed eyes asked, "Then, Nash, let me ask this. Do you have any clue what you have done here today?"


    The question was simple and straight, however, when everyone including the past students of the old Sky Beast heard how those words were spoken, it felt like a huge boulder suddenly appeared on their shoulders, pressing down almost bone-shattering weight on their bodies from above!


    It was especially true for the human on Nash''s side, as one by one all of them fell on their knees with a pale expression, their lips opening and closing rapidly as if they wished to scream but somehow no sound came out of their mouths!


    Nash felt the pressure on his body too but in contrast to the rest of his kind who were unable to resist the force, although with somewhat struggle as he only had his physical strength to withstand the power, he was able to keep standing on his feet!


    Naturally, it was only possible because the old Sky Beast seemed to test him and didn''t wish to crush him, or else he would have been long ago lying flat on the ground, waiting for his demise without a chance to put up a fight!


    "I... I do." Nash forced a short reply through his clenched teeth in a form of a hiss.


    "And do you think that was the right choice to do?" the old Sky Beast asked, this time walking toward Nash with his blood-freezing stare.


    Nash remained silent as he watched how the old Sky Beast approached him, but soon he took a deep breath and nodded, "Yes, I do. Even... if I have another 100 times to... redo, I would do the same thing."


    "Oh?" the old Sky Beast was pleasantly surprised by the answer was given and after arriving before him, now only a single foot away from Nash, he asked, "And are you aware what kind of punishment will you get once you dare to injure much less kill a Sky Beast on this planet?"


    This time Nash didn''t reply immediately, but after half a minute later shook his head and said, "No... I don''t."


    "As I have thought." the old Sky Beast sighed and quickly waved his hand.


    When Nash saw the slow but the same time surprisingly swift gesture of the old Sky Beast, at first he thought it was the end for him and his head will be severed from his shoulders at that very moment, but just as he was ready to accept his fate as there was no way in seven hell he could dodge an attack from a Warrior Rank being even if it was only 0.1% strong, suddenly the old Sky Beast summoned several weapons before him and said, "Choose."


    "...Huh?" Nash was stupefied when he saw how four different weapons appeared on the ground before his feet and raised his gaze in puzzlement at the old Sky Beast.


    "Don''t look so surprised, this is your punishment." the old Sky Beast said, but his face quickly revealed an eerie grin as he said, "Everyone, including you human slaves, if break any of the rules on this planet, you are sentenced to death without question. However, in contrast to other places, here you won''t die immediately but are given one final chance to compete for your salvation, and that is a deathmatch."


    Then, the old Sky Beast gestured toward Nile in the distance, who immediately appeared on his side, and said, "Choose a weapon and fight him. You will be given 15 minutes. If you are still alive after 15 minutes, you won''t be sentenced to death, but if you lose, then you are as good as dead. Naturally, you can also die during the fight."


    "What?" Nash was shocked as this was his first time hearing such a rule, but once he saw how serious the old Sky Beast was, he gulped now with a slightly worried expression and glanced at Nile.


    ''I... need to fight him? For 15 minutes?'' Nash felt his blood running cold when he realized that he literally had zero chance to remain alive!


    ''Fuck no! This is worse than killing me right away! This is like torturing a pig before killing it!'' Nash thought in his heart, but once he felt the piercing stare on his skin, he knew he had no other chance but to obey as if he would try to run away, he will be killed even before he could raise his feet from the ground!


    ''Fuck!'' Nash cursed for the second time, as his face turned pale while his teeth and fingers clenched into a firm lock.


    Of course, this was only a natural reaction as who would not look lost in the face of their seemingly unavoidable death where they had simply no chance of survival?


    Fighting a being that had its Legacy while his own was sealed away? It was not fair at all! They could just rip his limbs off and feed his body to beasts, it would be the same too!


    And to make things even worse, when he glanced at the Sky Beast he will wight with soon, Nash saw how a mocking grin was on Nile''s face, telling him he will make sure to teach him a lesson!


    "Now choose your weapon." the old Sky Beast spoke in an indifferent voice and waved his hand, immediately causing everyone around the three of them to vanish from the spot.


    "Don''t worry, I just teleported them back to their section. Now do what I said and choose your weapon." the old Sky Beast explained when he saw Nash''s face, gesturing toward the four weapons.


    Nash remained silent but soon sighed and glanced at the four weapons floating in front of him.


    ''A sword, a dagger, a shield, and a staff?'' Nash examined each weapon, but as he saw that none of them had any special trait or look he just sighed and thought, ''Which one should I choose?''


    Although he would have liked to wield a sword because the weapon looked extremely thick and heavy he knew he had no chance at all to use it properly, as a fact, could end up dragging him down during the fight, hence pushing him into his death way faster.


    As for the dagger and the shield, while the former was easier to use and move around with while the latter provided him with great defensive capabilities, he knew none of the two were a good choice. Against Nile''s weapon, which was a staff and was able to shatter even a longsword into bits, a dagger was useless while a shield would be just way too hard to carry around, much harder than the sword!


    That is why, after considering everything, including the pros and cons, Nash found the best choice to be the staff which although looked long, was easy to wield, could be used for both defense and offense, and was not heavy at all.


    ''Well, it''s not like it will change anything, so...'' Nash sighed bitterly in his heart, and under the waiting gaze of the two Sky Beasts, he extended his hand forward and grabbed the staff.


    "Oh?" the old Sky Beast was pleasantly surprised when he saw the choice of Nash as in the past he saw way too many deathmatches, and none of those times did he see a slave choose the staff.


    Of course, the reason was obvious even at a glance. While a sword was lethal-looking, sharp, and a very common weapon until then staff in many eyes was just like that... A staff that looked like a stick that was unable to claim other lives!


    Some would even choose a broken dagger or an old and fragile-looking shield over a staff, just because they seemed to possess greater use!


    However, the old Sky Beast knew perfectly well that in the hands of an expert, a staff could become a way more threatening weapon than a sword and a far more destructive item than a spear!


    On the other hand, Nile looked at Nash with a solemn expression and even a hint of anger as in his eyes the moment Nash choose the staff it was akin to him getting looked down on!


    Though Nash didn''t notice the stare he was getting from Nile as the moment his fingers grabbed and took a proper hold of the staff, his expression became stupefied, almost as if an electric shot ran through his body all of a sudden!


    ''What.... Is this feeling?'' Nash thought in his heart as he stared at the staff in his hand as if he was mesmerized by something invisible he at the moment couldn''t comprehend!

 Chapter 129 - Memory From The Past (3-Last)

    ''What... is this feeling?'' Nash''s eyes widened once the staff was fully in his grasp, feeling as a strange sensation swept through his whole body in a single stir!


    Right now, if he had to compare the feeling he was currently feeling, then maybe it was akin to him suddenly growing an additional limb that felt as if it was always a part of his body since the day he has been born!


    The sensation was strange, so weird that Nash didn''t really understand how such a thing could possibly happen where an item he has never touched before literally made him feel as if it was an extension of his very being!


    It was like someone suddenly learned and perfected a foreign language just after hearing a sentence for the first time! It literally made zero sense or at least was so complex to explain that Nash at the moment with his limited vision and knowledge had no chance to understand how such a thing could occur!


    "Is that your final choice? Once you have decided you won''t be given a second time to change your mind." the old Sky Beast asked, his eyes flashing with various glints as he noticed the way Nash held the weapon in his hand.


    For him, who was also a wielder of the staff and wished to completely master it, it was more than obvious that the human boy in front of him had a unique connection with the staff. Even from the side, it felt like the staff was one with him almost as if he was born with one!


    "Hmph. Let''s get this over with already." Nile sneered coldly as he took up a stance, showing his will that he wished to start and end this fight as soon as possible.


    Nash shifted his gaze at the old Sky Beast before slowly directing his attention to Nile and nodded as his body moved instinctively.


    "This..." the old Sky Beast was unable to the urge to let out an awed gasp once he saw Nash''s stance, feeling as if he was not looking at a slave who only mined in the cave all his life but a real expert that perfected his stance with the staff through years of hard work!


    It even felt more perfect than his much less Nile''s who was still considered as a beginner considering that he was learning how to wield the staff for less than a year!


    "Master... Please." Nile''s eyes narrowed when he saw the stance of Nash and couldn''t help but feel rather annoyed while his thirst for victory soared to greater heights in a flash!


    "Sure. Then both of you, get ready." the old Sky Beast took a few steps back, and once he saw that both Nile and Nash were ready, he raised his hand and swung it downward quickly.


    "Fight!"


    -


    -


    -


    Inside the carriage which currently was surrounded by hundreds of soldiers from all sides and was moving slowly toward the south where City Neo was located, Nash sat silently between Amy and Miles while Flake and Bane were looking at him holding the spear in hand with closed eyes.


    This went on for an entire minute and just only then did Nash open finally his eyes. However, when he did, a sight he didn''t expect appeared in his line of sight.


    ----------------------------------------


    [Special Character Attribute: Natural Staff Wielder]


    ? Description: A talent that one was born with naturally and was brought out once the requirements were met.


    ? Attribute Class: Unclassified


    {Ability}


    ¡ã Natural Staff Wielder: Allows you to wield any staff-type weapons such as staffs, poles, spears, tridents, and any similar weapons as if they were an extension of your body and gain perfect mastery over them ten times faster than anyone else normally would!


    {Passive Abilities}


    ¡ã Weapon Boost: Any staff-type weapons such as staffs, poles, spears, tridents, and any similar weapons'' weight decrease 50% and if they have any abilities then they will increase 50% upon wielding!


    ----------------------------------------


    "Ah..." a gasp filled with the emotion of unexpectedness slipped out of Nash''s lips quietly.


    "Is there maybe a problem?" hearing the gasp which simply was unable to go unnoticed under the sharp senses of the two Slayers, Flake asked with a slightly worried expression.


    Nash quickly realized his mistake and after moving the weapon in his hold around as there was quite a lot of space around him to do so, he shook his head and said, "No, there is nothing at all. As a fact, I am deeply surprised. This staff... It feels amazingly good in my hand."


    "Haha! So that how it is." Flake laughed with relief and leaned back gently.


    Although he didn''t show it, he was the typical individual who once gifts others something then he always wants to give the best. Thus, it was no surprise that when he heard Nash''s gasp which sounded a little disappointed that he became a little tense. But luckily, his fear didn''t come true and he was overthinking things.


    "I am glad that you like it. Although I don''t understand why you need another weapon, a different type at that when you have ''that'', I am sure you have your reasons." Flake said with a calm smile.


    Looking at the staff and knowing that Flake was referring to his Soul Breaker Nash chuckled gently and asked, "Don''t you think it would be a waste to allow others to know I possess a treasure of such caliber as ''that'' one? I mean, if I use ''that'' all the time, others will easily know what to expect and how to counter, thus the element of surprise would be non-existent."


    Flake''s eyes widened scarcely upon hearing the words that Nash has just spoken and quickly a smile emerged onto his face. It was pretty obvious he understood what Nash wished to say with those words of his, and he couldn''t agree with them more.


    "Haha, I see, I see. Although I know several individuals that can wield and fight with different weapons, none of them use that talent of theirs to their advantage the way you just said."


    Nash just smiled and didn''t say anything. Instead, he just closed his eyes once again and decided to enjoy the pleasant sensation silently that he was getting from holding the staff in his hand.


    The carriage traveled through various landscapes, mostly through vast and dense forests, and finally, after 6 hours of traveling, they finally arrived before the gates of City Neo.


    "Let''s change into our new clothes, shall we?" once inside the city and out of the carriage, Nash looked at Amy and Miles on his side.


    "Take your time." Flake smiled and after taking out a badge from his pocket and handing it over to Nash he pointed at a building on the side and said, "That right there is the hotel where we have stayed over in the past few days. Just go inside and show your Slayer Badge. I am pretty sure they will give you each a room until you change your clothes."


    Nash nodded and after gesturing toward Amy and Miles he lead the way into the building. And not to their great shock, once they showed the creature behind the desk their Slayer Badge which they have gotten from Flake, they indeed got each a room where they were able to change into their newly acquired uniforms.


    "So this is the weapon? Looks pretty menacing for an ordinary sword." Nash mumbled to himself once he was alone in the room and took out the sword from his Space Token.


    It was an ordinary sword but with a unique appearance of a golden hilt and deep ink black blade whose edges were deep crimson in hue, almost as if it was painted with blood.


    "Well, at least I can sell this for a good price," Nash said with a shrug, and tossing it back into the Space Token he took out the clothes.


    There were three sets, each having the same size, style, and colors. They had a mixture of black and crimson with golden sewing all over it while the style was similar to an ancient robe but with the slight difference that the left side of the chest area was slightly revealed while the left arm was completely visible.


    "Looks great and feels extremely soft to the touch," Nash mumbled quietly, but soon his eyes narrowed and after activating his Crimson Essence around both of his palms, boosting his physical strength tremendously, he grabbed the robe and attempted to rip it into two pieces.


    "Oh? It is quite durable." Nash felt pleasantly surprised when he felt how the robe didn''t get damaged much less ripped apart, wondering what kind of material it was made out of.


    However, he didn''t think for too long as he knew he could simply ask Flake once he finished changing, thus quickly taking down his current set of clothes and putting on the new robe.


    "It fits perfectly," Nash said as he watched himself in the mirror on the side, thinking that the robe not only was comfortable but made him look good in it.. He looked just like a noble.

 Chapter 130 - Going To The Slayer Dimension!

    After changing into his new clothes and hanging the staff behind his back Nash decided not to waste time any longer and quickly walked out of the room. And just as he did, from both the left and right Amy and Miles walked out of their own rooms, wearing their new set of clothes below their hoodied robes.


    "You guys look great in those too." Nash complimented both Amy and Miles as the mixture of crimson, black, and gold truly looked good on their bodies. Especially on Amy, but it was because her clothing style was completely different from theirs.


    "Yeah, I was slightly shocked when I saw just how perfectly did it fit my body. I wonder how they knew what size they should give us." Amy nodded slightly as she followed Nash.


    However, just as they were ready to reach the exit and leave the hotel, suddenly the door in front of them opened and two figures walked inside, forcing them to halt their steps to allow those two to walk inside.


    "?!"


    However, once the three saw the face of the creature on the right their complexion behind their masks immediately stiffened and their blood ran cold!


    "L-Lord Amael! A-Are you sure you don''t want to take residence in the hotel I have mentioned earlier? That one is way more luxurious than this one and I am pretty sure you would like it more too!" a creature that hailed from the Amule race walked beside a Thousand Blood, who was none other but Amael himself!


    As for the creature on his side, he was Heno who made sure to help Amael in every need of his.


    "If you ask another question I will cut your head off." ignoring the questions of Heno, Amael talked coldly, his words resulting in Heno''s complexion paling incredibly and body trembling uncontrollably.


    "Hm?" as Amael was walking through the door that automatically opened before him he felt several gazes on his skin thus forcing him to shift his eyes toward the side.


    ''Who are... The Sargon Family?'' Amael''s eyes narrowed at first when he saw how the three were hiding their faces with masks, but when he noticed their clothes that only official members of the Sargon Family were allowed to wear his complexion relaxed, and instantly walked toward the three.


    ''Fuck! He is coming this way!'' the color from both Amy''s and Miles'' faces quickly vanished while Nash just clenched his fingers into tight fists after hiding them below his robes.


    Amael walked before the three and only came to a halt when he was two meters away from them, his sharp and crimson-colored eyes scanning the three from top to bottom.


    "Why are you three wearing masks?" after remaining silent, Amael asked in a cold tone, even leaking a bit of his presence to see how the three in front of him will react.


    However, to his great and unexpected shock, once his Warmaster Rank presence was about to reach the three and press down on them, the one with the Emerald mask on his head took a step forward while a thin layer of crimson light enveloped both him and the two behind him, preventing his presence to reach them.


    As a fact, Amael could even see how that crimson layer of light burned around the three like fire, evaporating his aura upon contact as if it was water!


    "Oh?" Amael''s right brow raised because of surprise and with piqued interest allowed more of his presence to leak out of his body.


    Or at least wished to, but just as he was ready two figures appeared on his side, forcing him to shift his gaze to them.


    "Lord Amael, what a great pleasure it is to see you again!" Flake showed a serene smile as he took a step forward, standing between Amael and Nash without using any force or ability.


    Bane did the same, but in contrast to Flake, he held a serious complexion, looking rather serious despite having an injured arm that had yet to heal completely!


    Amael looked at both Flake and Bane for a few seconds before he gestured at Nash with his head behind the two and asked, "Who are they? Especially him?"


    "Hm? Oh. You mean Emerald and his friends?" Flake opened his previously crescent eyes slightly wide and glanced at Nash before saying, "As you can see from their clothes, they are my members of my family."


    After saying that Flake turned back around and with another smile asked, "Why though? Did they perhaps offend you?"


    Amael examined Flake''s complexion silently before withdrawing his presence and walking away, no longer caring about Flake nor Nash behind his back.


    "Hmph! He is pretty full of himself." Bane sneered coldly once Amael was no longer visible around and turned to look at Nash, "What happened? Did you make something to make him start a fight?"


    "We did nothing. We were just standing here, waiting for him to pass by when suddenly he changed course and walked before us and used his presence to intimidate us. It was as if he wanted to start a fight or something." Miles replied after a sigh of relief.


    "Well, that is Amael for you." Flake shook his head helplessly as he continued, "He does pretty much everything without any logic."


    "Yeah, he is rather unpredictable and no matter how unreasonable his actions look, he will never stop once he sets something into his eyes. That is why make sure to never offend him as he will pretty much kill you." Bane nodded.


    Nash, Amy, and Miles looked at each other and even though all three of them wore masks, they could tell each of them now had a bittersweet smile on their faces.


    Try not to offend Amael? Well, unfortunately, they were quite late to say something like that.


    "Anyways, what matters is that you all are fine and ready. Anything else you wish to do before we go?"


    "Huh? Go? Go where?" Miles asked with a puzzled tone of voice.


    "Back home, to the Sargon Family, obviously."


    "Eh? Then doesn''t that mean... We have to..." Miles and Amy looked at Nash, not knowing what they should say.


    After all, weren''t their first objective to find Uncle Ben and the rest of the humans that escaped from Emerald Palace? Should they really go back with Flake and Bane, and leave the Human Dimension, unknown when they could come back?


    Nash obviously understood Miles'' and Amy''s thoughts from their stares alone, but in contrast to them, he knew something they did not really.


    For instance, while they indeed had to find his uncle and the rest as soon as possible as they could be in danger even at this moment, he knew it was easier said than done.


    Like, how should they start their search if they had no spaceship with which they could travel through space? Buy one? From what? Their small amount of Space Jade Crystals from which not even a Divinity Class Domination Art can be bought?


    But even if they would have had just enough wealth to buy a spaceship, it was very likely that the spaceship they could buy was one with an extremely weak defensive system, one that wouldn''t be able to withstand a single attack from a Warmaster Rank being much less a Dimensional Creature''s assault!


    That is why currently they have no other choice but to follow Flake and do everything from now on they could to acquire proper means to start their search. And going to the Sargon Family where they can do quests to obtain fortune was a pretty good choice.


    Furthermore, while they are inside the Slayer Dimension, it was very likely that Amael will go and search somewhere else, allowing them to stop running and take a little break even if it was only for a brief moment.


    "We can go, we don''t have anything else to do here," Nash replied after pondering for a while.


    "Perfect. Then let''s get going." Flake nodded and gestured toward the three to follow.


    Thus, Nash and the rest had no other choice but to follow Flake silently, and after climbing into the carriage that waited outside watch as they began to go toward the center of City Neo.


    "That... Is the Ancient Path?" after traveling through the city for close to half an hour and another half by descending deep underground, Nash and the others finally arrived into a huge open space where a great circular ancient gate with a white swirling vortex in its middle was visible!


    As a fact, it was so huge that once they arrived in front of it, they felt like ants before a towering skyscraper that cannot be climbed nor ascended no matter how hard they would try!


    The gate literally made them feel as if they were just no one and worthless beings before it despite it being only a gate!


    "It''s huge!" Amy said with a dumbstruck expression, feeling like the invisible aura around the Ancient Path weight down on her shoulders heavily.

 Chapter 131 - An Unexpected Encounter!

    Watching as the carriage approached the vortex inside the opened gate meter by meter, Nash and the rest couldn''t help but keep their breaths back, waiting to see how it will feel to cross the Ancient Path for the first time.


    "Don''t worry. Although crossing the Ancient Path will make you feel slightly dizzy whenever you cross it, especially for the first time, you will be able to get used to it pretty quickly." Flake said coolly as he closed his eyes in a manner as if he was ready to take a nap.


    And just as Flake said those words, the carriage finally reached the edge of the Ancient Path, and in the very next second, the vision of the five turned all white while a strange sensation swept through them.


    The sensation was strange and rather piercing which invaded each and every part of one''s body, almost as if an invisible power overrun their bodies just to learn everything about them, including all of their secrets!


    But luckily, while it was a sensation that everyone could feel and perceive let it be the weakest Infant Rank being or a peak Warmaster Rank existence, it only lasted for a single second before it vanished together with the engulfing whiteness, revealing a completely new sight outside the carriage!


    "Argh... My head..." Miles groaned with slight pain as he held his head, but once he raised his gaze and subconsciously looked outside the window on his side, his movements froze abruptly and a shocked gasp escaped his mouth.


    Colorful clouds as large as spaceships on the shining azure blue sky above while below a vast and emerald green scenery that extended into the far horizon was visible in a mesmerizing manner from the mountain peak where they currently were.


    Yes, a mountain peak, because at this very moment Flake and the rest inside the carriage were standing on top of a huge mountain''s top where the huge Ancient Path was located!


    As a fact, the Ancient Path was so big that the already massive mountain in contrast looked miniature!


    "Woah... So this is what the Ancient Dimension looks like? Then does this mean we are currently inside the Outer Layer?" Miles asked as he turned Flake, who as a reply nodded.


    Amy seemed to be shocked too and wished to see what Nash''s reaction was, but when she turned her head to the other side where Nash sat, her complexion froze and asked, "Nash... Where... is Nash?"


    "Huh?" both Flake, Bane, and Miles turned toward Amy, and when they noticed she was looking at an empty spot where Nash should have been sitting their complexions changed too drastically.


    -


    -


    -


    Inside a huge and very long hall which had huge and thick pillars in an orderly fashion on both sides, Nash stood in the center and one place with his eyes closed.


    He stood there for an entire minute before he finally opened his eyes, however, when he did his eyes widened extra large and snapped his head left and right from time to time hurriedly.


    "Guys? Where did you go?" Nash asked loudly when he turned around for the third time in a short span of a few seconds, his complexion looking slightly tense below his mask.


    "No, this is not right. Something is wrong here, this is not the Ancient Dimension." Nash quickly calmed himself down once he realized things became slightly different from the plan.


    "What is this place? Where am I?" Nash mumbled as he began to walk around with slow and cautious steps, wondering if he was still in the Human Dimension or was teleported somewhere far away.


    ''Either way, I am pretty sure I am the only one who was taken to this place.'' Nash thought in his heart as he proceeded to walk forward in the seemingly infinitely long hall.


    Nash walked without stopping while also looking left and right in the hope to see if there was anything except the pillars, but alas, not even after half an hour was he able to find a single item much less a gate or door which could lead him to another location.


    However, when he walked for another half an hour, walking a total of one hour, he finally spotted that the path was coming to an end, immediately causing his mood to elevate.


    "Hm? A throne?" Nash mumbled once he was close enough to see what the thing on the small raised platform was, however, his expression changed abruptly when he saw how on the throne an individual was sitting with its eyes staring straight at him!


    Nash''s whole body stiffened when his eyes met with the pair of golden eyes and his body started to tremble unconsciously when he felt how an ancient presence similar if not slightly stronger than Aruer''s was emitting from the individual''s body in waves!


    ''He is an Alpha!'' Nash immidieatly recognized the presence leaking out of the creature and cold sweat quickly soaked his body, but strangely, even after he stood in one place for one entire minute the Alpha didn''t move nor blinked much less talked!


    This made Nash feel slightly confused before a frown appeared on his face and decided to take a step to the side. And to his great surprise, when he did, the Alpha''s eyes didn''t move but remained fixed on the spot where he stood a single second ago!


    ''Is he dead?" Nash thought with deep puzzlement, but once he saw how the man''s chest moved up and down ever so slightly while how the presence that leaked out of his body never ceased to stop he knew his thought was rather foolish.


    ''Then is he simply unconscious?" Nash mumbled and after collecting some courage approached the Alpha.


    Golden eyes, golden long hair, flawless white skin, a seemingly perfect and handsome face that didn''t lose at all charisma to Aruer, thin but seemingly solid golden armor, and a white longsword that rested silently against the throne''s side. The Alpha in front of Nash was the real definition of a perfect and god-like entity, one that was born to rule and conquer domains with his presence alone!


    As Nash examined the being in front of him as if he was in a museum looking at relics, suddenly the Alpha''s eyes shifted in his direction and his mouth opened gently, "Did you finish looking, or do you wish me to give you a few more minutes, kin of the Ancient Second?"


    "?!" Nash''s eyes widened abruptly and he quickly jumped several meters behind, increasing his distance in a flash.


    "Hm... Despite you being only at the initial stage in your growth, your reflexes and reaction are exceptional. Though, considering that you have already got the Ancient Second''s approval, it is no wonder you possess strength greater than those at the same Rank." the man talked quietly, but even though his voice was calm and almost silent, Nash almost a hundred meters away was able to hear it as clearly as if they were the sound of thunder!


    "You... Who are you?" Nash decided to ignore the man''s words and ask the first question that bothered him quite a long time ago, despite already guessing the answer in his heart.


    The man shifted his gaze at Nash once he heard his question, and after pondering for a while he straightened his posture on the throne before leaning back in a prevailing way and asking, "Are you telling me you don''t know who am I even though you already have the answer in you?"


    The eyes of Nash trembled slightly before they turned back to normal and asked, "Then are you perhaps... the Ancient One, the one that pushed everyone in my race into misery?"


    This time, it was the Ancient One''s turn to widen his eyes slightly before bursting into laughter, filling the whole place with the sound of his ringing laugh.


    On the other hand, Nash just stood motionlessly with a dumbfounded complexion, looking at the moment rather lost. Was what he asked really that funny? No, was that even funny to begin with? That was just a simple question, one that was extremely serious without any hint of wisecracking!


    "Misery?" the Ancient One continued to laugh, but soon he began to calm down and after letting out a deep sigh he leaned forward, and with a sharp glare that looked extremely serious and had the power to freeze anyone''s blood, he said, "Tell me, oracle of the Cursed One, do you really think I did what I did just because I wished for it? If you truly think I put your race''s life into seemingly eternal suffering just because I happened to decide so, then you can''t be any further away from the truth than that."


    "Oracle of the Cursed One? Because you had no choice? What are you talking about?" Nash frowned when he heard the words of the Ancient One, feeling completely lost, especially when he heard the obscure words of ''oracle'' and ''Cursed One''!

 Chapter 132 - Questions That Remained Unanswered

    Inside the Hidden Library on the huge floating island, below the colorful tree''s shade, Aruer lay in a relaxed manner with his head supported by his hands and eyes closed, seemingly sleeping silently.


    Gentle wind blew continuously from all directions as it made the leaves on the tree and the smooth hair on Aruer''s head sway from side to side, giving a rather soothing picture to anyone that was looking from the side.


    However, this seemingly eternal scenery that was able to alleviate anyone''s mind just by simply glancing at it soon changed as Aruer snapped his eyes wide open and a hint of killing intent flashed in his eyes. At that very moment, time seemed to freeze and space seemed to crack as the air around Aruer literally solidified and the island below his body began to shake, almost as if it was on the verge of collapsing!


    "You bastard... So you have finally decided to reveal yourself." Aruer''s voice was akin to ice-cold water which was capable of freezing anyone''s blood that heard it while his eyes which currently stared into a specific direction emitted such intense bloodlust that no words were able to describe it!


    His bloodlust which he contained all this time in the deepest part of his heart right now broke to the surface and gushed out of him like an unstoppable current! At this moment, if there would have been any beast or creature in his proximity, it was very likely they would have been killed in a fraction of a second without the slightest chance of uttering a single sound much less put up a fight!


    Somewhere in an unknown space and inside an unknown location, the Ancient One who sat on the throne and stared at Nash coldly suddenly directed his gaze in a specific direction while his eyes narrowed into a slit.


    "Although I can''t feel precisely from where your presence comes from, at least after several hundreds of millennia you have finally decided to reveal yourself, Chaperone of Souls!"


    Nash watching as coldness flashed in the golden eyes of the Ancient One while deep wrath enveloped his whole body which gave him a presence akin to the devil, was forced back several steps while his complexion behind his mask paled.


    ''This... Just a simple change of emotion could force and create such chaos?'' Nash thought in his heart with a hint of fear and shifted his gaze above the Ancient One''s head to see if he had any Indicator or not.


    However, to his greatest shock, while he was able to see the Ancient One''s level of emotions, it was nothing he had expected to see at all!


    -----------------------------------


    {Emotion Levels}


    ? Happiness: Neutral - 23%


    ? Sadness: Neutral - 25%


    ? Fear: Neutral - 25%


    ? Anger: Neutral - 27%


    -----------------------------------


    ''Impossible!'' Nash''s eyes widened like saucers when he saw the numbers next to each emotion, feeling as if he was hallucinating.


    27% Anger with such dense killing intent and visible rage? No, more importantly, how was that possible that it was ONLY 27%? Furthermore, how was that even feasible that the Ancient One felt other emotions despite showing just fury and thirst for blood?


    Although he still didn''t know fully what kind of potential did his Strings of Domination had or what kind of strength will it be able to grant him once he makes it reach higher Classes, he was pretty sure that he knew quite well what the current abilities of his Domination Art were capable of doing.


    That is why, he was well aware that while his Indicator showed only four basic emotions which also contained smaller ones, it perfectly displayed how each existence currently felt without any error or mistake!


    For instance, if one was delighted and satisfied, one''s Happiness Level would increase and it would only increase even further if that emotion of delight and satisfaction deepened too!


    Naturally, this meant getting closer to the Critical Level was extremely hard by normal means as that meant Nash had to make that specific emotion overtake the individual''s body and mind, causing the individual to feel nothing except that emotion!


    However, moments where an individual showed deep emotions from the same category of level, yet the percentage of that level didn''t grow, never happened in the past at all!


    ''This makes no sense at all!'' Nash cried inwardly when he realized all this and felt deeply confused about how the Ancient One was able to show and emit such dense anger which should have made his Anger Level reach a Critical Level!


    ''Is he using some kind of powerful Domination Art which allows him to control his emotions to such degree? No, is there even such ability to begin with?'' Nash pondered silently as he took another few steps backward because of the continuous ripples in the air that broke out of the Ancient One''s body and hit his body!


    ''I will get you out of there.'' suddenly, a familiar voice that was filled with coldness sounded in Nash''s ear before an emerald green glow began to envelop his body and turn his body transparent!


    ''Aruer? What is happ-'' Nash was confused about the sudden change of events and was ready to ask what was happening when suddenly his words stuck in his throat and his complexion paled into a color which was even whiter than a sheet of paper!


    "And where do you think you are taking him?" the Ancient One, who all of a sudden appeared a single meter away from him without any sign of appearing asked out loud while his hand covered in golden gloves extended toward Nash''s neck with a speed that was literally impossible to follow!


    "Huh? So this is the power you have used that time?" the chilling voice of the Ancient One resounded in Nash''s ear who watched with stupefied expression as a hand that glowed with a slightly golden hue and was about to clench his throat passed through his body!


    It was almost as if his body suddenly became that of a ghost and no matter what one tried, it was simply impossible for normal physical attacks and assaults to touch his body much less hurt him!


    "You... will... pay... for... the... what... you... have... done..." a quiet and almost unperceivable, a voice resounded in the huge hall as the Ancient One pulled his hand back and watched as Nash''s body vanished into thin air right before his very eye.


    "Quite the bold words for someone who is hiding like a coward instead of showing his worth!" the Ancient One sneered coldly before he smiled and said, "But don''t worry. As it seems things have finally started to get on the move, I am pretty sure you will have no choice but to show yourself sooner and later. And once you do, I will make sure to finish what I failed to do last time."


    Once those words were said, silence descended on the hall as the Ancient One stood in one place without moving, his eyes that glowed with a bright golden color stared into a specific point, almost as if he was staring through the walls of the hall and attempted to find something.


    Meanwhile, inside the Hidden Library Aruer closed his eyes as he forced his emotions back to the deepest part of his heart, and only when he was calm once again did he re-open his eyelids and sighed.


    "At least I was able to act in time or else that bastard would have killed him after getting all the answers he wanted." Aruer sat back down as he previously was standing and closed his eyes, letting out another deep sigh.


    "Nash... Now that bastard has set his eyes on you, you have to be twice... No, five times as careful as you would have initially been!" as Aruer said those words he waited for a few seconds before he gently waved his hand.


    Swoosh!


    A breeze that was slightly different from the one that blew around the Hidden Library arose in the surroundings as a small emerald egg appeared above Aruer''s palm out of thin air.


    "From now on, your job is to prevent that bastard to find him. Go." with those words, Aruer moved his hand and with a motion that was akin to a swing threw the emerald egg off the island into the distance.


    At the same time, inside the Ancient Dimension on top of the massive mountain and before the great and enormous Ancient Path, Nash''s figure appeared out of thin air, allowing Flake and the rest that was searching for him to quickly spot him and run toward him.


    However, they didn''t even take a few steps when an emerald glow appeared in the sky and like a falling star descended toward the ground with great speed before crashing into Nash''s head from above, knocking him unconscious in a blink!


    Bam!


    * * * * *


    A/N: What do you guys think the emerald egg is and also any thoughts about the Ancient One?

 Chapter 133 - Abrupt Assault!

    Somewhere inside an unknown room where the walls were snow-white, seemingly built and constructed out from marble and where the furniture together with the carpets on the floor was that of high-quality pieces, three individuals could be seen, each wearing robes and masks to hide their faces.


    However, while out of the three two were sitting on the huge sofas on the side, the third individual wearing an emerald mask lay motionlessly on top of a huge bed which had four times the size in both width and length than a normal human!


    This individual, naturally was Nash while the other two on both his sides were Amy and Miles, protecting him while he was unconscious.


    It has been about two days since Nash had been knocked out cold when they entered the Ancient Dimension by something from the sky which even until now they failed to find, and since then Nash didn''t wake up.


    They were scared and shocked when they saw the sight of something akin to a falling star crashing into Nash''s head from above, but luckily, he was alive and his vitals together with his health were intact. Though, ever since then he didn''t open his eyes and remained unconscious.


    "Sigh... Brother Emerald should be waking up. We have even arrived at the Slayer Dimension and the King is waiting for us to meet him." Miles sighed as he looked up from his book in his hand.


    Amy, who was reading the scroll which she has taken away from the Hidden Library shifted her gaze at Nash''s lying figure on the bed and sighed, "Flake told us he sustained no internal damage nor is his life in danger. He simply fell unconscious and needs to rest."


    Miles nodded as he knew this too, but just as he wished to say something Nash on the bed finally moved, surprising both him and Amy.


    "Urgh... Argh... My head... Feels like it wants to split into two..."


    "Brother Emerald!" both Amy and Miles jumped onto their feet and run next to Nash, watching with widened eyes as Nash sat up and held his head.


    "How are you feeling? Any pain or discomfort? What happened? Where did you vanish once we entered the Ancient Path?" Amy began to bombard Nash with questions one after another, almost as if she wished to interrogate him.


    "I..." Nash began to speak when he opened his eyes and suddenly halted, his eyes widening as a result.


    ------------------------------------


    {Ancient Beast Information}


    ? Title: Soul Swallowing Raven


    ? Rank: Divine


    ? Ancient Legacy: Soul Swallow


    {Ancient Legacy Information}


    ¡ã Description: An ancient power that is a part of an ancient beast that ruled over the skies during the Ancient Era. Its power allows it to consume or hide souls from either soul weakened, unconscious, or dead existences!


    ------------------------------------


    Nash stared at the words in his line of sight with a stupefied complexion, trying to figure out if he was hallucinating or not.


    However, when he bling several times and even shook his head but saw that the words were still in front of him he realized he was not hallucinating and what he was seeing was indeed legit!


    He really has acquired an Ancient Beast out of nowhere and one that freaking strong!


    Soul Swallow? Consuming or hiding one''s soul? Although Nash was unaware of what a soul was and what it could do, he was perfectly aware of the fact that without a soul one was unable to keep living!


    For instance, his Soul Shattering Grab. It was an ability that allowed him to grab anyone''s soul as if they were physical objects and with a simple grab shatter them into thousands of pieces, pushing the individual into his inevitable demise in a flash!


    Literally, those whose soul was shattered died, but in a way where their bodies simply became empty vessels!


    His Soul Breaker did the same but it cut one''s soul instead of shattering it. Of course, it was able to erase others'' souls too just as his Ancestry Art, but its main purpose, in reality, was to damage the soul, rendering the enemy almost into a state where they literally became crippled beings!


    And now, next to his two almost heaven-defying powers, he acquired a companion which was able to consume souls as if they were some sort of food! Furthermore, it could even disguise one''s soul, which although until now he didn''t know just how was helpful, knew it was just as powerful if not stronger as its other ability!


    "Nash? Is there a problem?" noticing that Nash was staring into sheer empty air confused both Amy and Miles, and they suddenly became anxious if maybe Nash will fall unconscious once again.


    "Huh?" feeling a gentle tug on his arm Nash was forced to snap out of his daze and shift his head to the side, seeing as both Amy and Miles were looking at him with eyes of puzzlement, confusion, and worry.


    "Oh." realizing what happened and what they were thinking, Nash quickly cleared his throat and jumped out of the bed.


    "Don''t worry, I am perfectly fine. Instead, what is this place? Did we arrive at the Sargon Family already?"


    "Yeah, as a fact, we have arrived yesterday. You have been unconscious for 2 entire days." Amy explained everything while Miles just sat back onto the sofa and continued to read his book.


    "For 2 entire days?" Nash was shaken by the sudden revelation and wondered why did it take him two entire days to recover from his unconscious state.


    As Nash was thinking for answers and especially was recalling his encounter with the Ancient One, suddenly the door on the side opened and two individuals walked inside. They were Flake and Bane.


    "It seems you have woken up and you are fine. What a relief." Flake sighed as if a huge boulder had been lifted off from his shoulder and asked, "Do you feel anything though? If so, I can ask someone to come and check you."


    "No, there is no need for that." Nash shook his head.


    "I see. I wonder what it was that hit you. We even checked the proximity to find the object that crashed into you from above, but strangely, we didn''t find anything. We even believed it was an attack, but seems it is not the case at all."


    "Well, I am fine and feel nothing out of the ordinary, so there is no reason for you to worry. Though, I appreciate your concern." Nash nodded while deep inside he knew that the thing that crashed into him was the Soul Swallowing Raven which now was possibly a part of his body and which he could summon anytime.


    Flake nodded before looking at the three in front of him and said, "Sure, then shall we get going, or do you wish to rest for a while longer? My father wishes to meet with the three of you. He seems to be curious about the three of you after hearing your feats from me and my brother."


    "I am fine, we can go if the rest are ready too," Nash said as he glanced at Amy and Miles, who as a result nodded.


    "Perfect. Then please follow me." Flake smiled and with a gesture began to lead the way.


    Thus, the three quickly followed after Flake and Bane from behind through a lavish hallway which didn''t pale in comparison to the hallways back inside the Emerald Palace, and soon they were outside, walking through a huge garden that led the way to the main palace where according to Flake the King of the Sargon Family, their father resided and waited for them.


    "So beautiful!" Amy let out a shocked gasp upon seeing the hundreds and thousands of flowers around her, each possessing different colors, sizes, and shapes, filling the air with different scents that were pretty pleasant to the nose.


    There were even a few blossoms that were covered in different elements such as gentle flames, vaporing mist, frozen crystals, or shattered debris!


    Nash looked around with the same awed expression while Miles just give a glance at the surrounding around him before proceeding to read the book in his hand. It was pretty obvious he was not that impressed by the scenery around him.


    The group followed the paved path in silence when suddenly Nash''s eyes narrowed and his hand moved subconsciously toward Amy while he also activated both his Crimson Essence and his Thunder Body.


    Bam!


    "?!"


    Flake and Bane surprised by the sudden burst of explosion quickly spun around only to see something neither of the two expected to see!


    "And what do you think you are doing, huh?" Nash asked with a cold stare as his fingers tightened around the dagger''s blade which wished to cut Amy''s head off her shoulder a second ago but luckily was stopped just a single inch away from her neck!


    "Haha! Your reflexes are truly incredible! Just as my little brother has said!" the individual which had similar features that of Flake and Bane but looked much slimmer than the two of them laughed with joy and without wasting a single second waved his other hand toward which held another dagger!


    However, this time his target was not Amy but Nash instead, going at his left eyes with a rather swift and nimble movement!

 Chapter 134 - The King Of The Sargon Family & A Trial

    Time seemed to slow down in the eyes of Nash the very moment the seemingly first prince of the Sargon Family swung his dagger at him, hoping to cut out his left eye with the sharp and curved blade of the weapon.


    "Hmph." Nash although being surprised and confused by the reason why the first prince attacked them, in reality, he didn''t care at all!


    The first prince appeared out of nowhere and without even the slightest warning assaulted first Amy then him in an attempt where he wished to kill them! Furthermore, if it wouldn''t have been for him reacting just in time, Amy''s head would be rolling on the ground long ago without her knowing what took her life away from her!


    Thus, after all this Nash knew he had no reason to hold back at all despite currently being in the middle of the Sargon Family''s palace!


    ''Also, this is a perfect time to try that out.'' Nash thought in his heart and without hesitation used 10 units of essence to activate his Eternal Dance.


    Whoosh!


    With a quick push with his feet to the side while also using his other free arm to grab Amy by her waist, Nash pushed the dagger he held backward and avoided the strike with seemingly smooth movement before only coming to a complete halt when he was about 5 meters away.


    "You stay here." letting go of Amy who was still speechless by the sudden change of events and looked a little red by the way she was grabbed on her waist, Nash stomped on the ground gently and dashed forward without waiting for a reply.


    "Are you okay?" quickly running next to Amy to see if she sustained any injuries Miles asked with a slightly worried tone.


    He, just like Nash noticed that something was awry before the first prince emerged from the shadows, but unfortunately, he had no ability nor speed to stop the attack. Naturally, he began to draw symbols with insane speed and was ready to use attack, but strangely, Flake stopped him just in time.


    "I apologize if my brother made things a little unexpected and awkward, but please let him fight Emerald. Also, don''t worry, he won''t kill him, he is just testing his strength." Flake''s words still rung in Miles''s head and subconsciously shifted his gaze to the side where Flake and Bane stood.


    And as if he felt his gaze, Flake turned toward him and showed a calm smile together with a grateful nod, showing he was thankful for understanding what he said and not using his ability to interrupt the two''s battle.


    "Shouldn''t we help him?" Amy on the side asked with a complicated look, but once she heard what Flake did and said to Miles she looked surprised and asked, "Testing his strength? Why? Didn''t we prove already what we are capable of doing?"


    "You two maybe did, but not him." an unfamiliar voice appeared from the side and Amy and Miles subconsciously shifted their heads behind only to see two individuals, one male, and one female dressed in royal robes approaching them while from every corner of the garden creatures clad in armor and wielding different weapons stepped out of the shadows.


    "Father, mother." Flake and Bane walked over when they noticed the two individuals and bowed slightly.


    The woman who was wearing a long dress with the Sargon Family''s colors of azure blue and golden visible on it and which barely showed any skin except for her slim legs that appeared only for a split fraction of a second whenever she walked, looked extremely beautiful, to the point where she almost seemed to be a goddess!


    Long and silk smooth waist-long, snow-white hair which fell on her shoulder and behind her back like a river fall, eyes as azure blue as the clearest sky, skin flawless like a piece of gem, and an aura that demanded respect from anyone that looked at her!


    The woman was the literal definition of a piece of art that was created through passion and care by the very gods upon birth!


    As for the man next to her, he was the real definition of a warrior who fought through thousands of battles and lived through hundreds of life and death situations from which he arose as the very victor every single time!


    Tall frame, bulging muscles, and a face that was both eternally handsome but frightening from the scar that went across his left eye all the way down to the left side of his neck. His hair and eyes were the exact same as Flake, however, in the total contrast to his son, his being was not calm at all but heavy, in a way where it felt almost as if he was a crazy torrent ready to break out from his shackles in any given moment and start chaos!


    Though the scariest fact about him was still not that, his whole aura that emitted out from his whole existence, which was way above both Flake, Bane, and even the first prince together with the woman on his side, seemingly above the Warmaster Rank!


    ''Soul Devourer Rank! He is at the Soul Devourer Rank!'' Amy and Miles quickly recognized the presence which was leaking out of the King of the Sargon Family and couldn''t help but feel as their whole bodies began to tremble uncontrollably!


    Right now, they were standing before a being which with his sole existence alone was capable of wiping out an entire army while also having the ability to travel through space for a limited time without any external help and without dying!


    They could easily get crushed into meat paste from a single flick of this creature and even then that would have been a huge underestimation!


    The man whose name was Helio looked at the two in front of him and only after thinking for a while did he shift his gaze toward the direction where Nash and the first prince were fighting, exchanging blows one after another.


    "Although the two of you have shown what you are capable of doing during your time on Planet Rover, my son stated your friend named Emerald yet to show his real strength despite using an extremely powerful Domination Art and an Ancient Treasure," Helio spoke with his arms crossed before his chest.


    "Huh?" both Amy and Miles looked at each other slightly confused.


    Didn''t show his entire potential? Like, yeah, he really didn''t use his Souls or ability to replicate other creatures'' Legacy, but those were abilities that he can''t and won''t use until it was not significantly crucial.


    ''Could it be that they have discovered about his mysterious Domination Art?'' Amy wondered but quickly shook her head as that was very unlikely. But if they didn''t then why did the King of the Sargon Family state that Nash had yet to show what he was truly capable of doing?


    ''Is he perhaps hiding something even greater?'' Amy thought in her heart, but the more she thought about it the more she knew it was definitely not the case, or else she would have known about it or at least has seen him using it.


    Amy was pretty confident that apart from his mysterious ability to manipulate other beings and also collect and control souls'' of the dead through a special power, Nash possessed no other seemingly heaven-defying power which was stronger or more useful.


    ''Then what is that?'' Amy narrowed her eyes and watched with clenched fingers as Nash avoided the first prince''s daggers with movements that made him look as if he was dancing!


    "What a beautiful and powerful movement technique. I have never seen such Domination Art before. No wonder Serio is failing to land a perfect hit on him." the queen of the Sargon Family, whose name, in fact, was Ayanna and was a peak Warmaster Rank being, said with a nonchalant look, only her tone of voice showing slight admiration.


    "He indeed possesses a powerful movement technique and I am pretty confident he can beat anyone with that alone, but unfortunately, his opponent this time is Serio, a true genius when it comes to learning movement techniques!" Helio exclaimed his thoughts as he watched Serio push his dagger forward, opening a small wound on Nash''s right cheek which immediately began to bleed.


    "See? He already figured out the way that movement technique works. Now, if Emerald does not wish to lose, he has to take things more seriously." Helio said with visible pride in his tone despite only showing a serious look, but soon his face changed and a deep frown appeared on his face.


    Swoosh!


    Swish! Swish! Swish!


    "Huh? Why can''t Serio land another attack on him?" Ayanna seemed to notice what Helio and even her she seemed confused, but even before she could have gotten an answer something unexpected happened.


    Whoosh!


    Bam!


    With the sound of a breeze, Nash avoided Serio''s dagger which targeted his heart, and with a feet movement that made one feel his bones below his waist had been twisted and turned he appeared next to Serio in a flash and swung his arm, slamming his fist right into his face which contained power just enough to send him flying across the air!

 Chapter 135 - Not Yet Serious...

    Bam!


    The sound of a fist slamming against a hard surface resounded in the air which was quickly followed by a loud explosion and the sight of debris and dust flying everywhere in the distance!


    "What?" both Helio, Ayanna, Flake, and Bane looked at the sole figure in front of them with stupified expressions, their jaws slightly open upon witnessing how Serio was punched in the face and sent flying as if he was a ragdoll!


    "What kind of movement technique was that? His body literally twisted one hundred and eighty degrees right before the punch!" Ayanna asked in a low tone of voice, her beautiful eyes staring at Nash''s palm which was currently covered in both crimson flames and a layer of silverish skin that looked like scales of a snake!


    "Any idea what kind of Domination Art is that?" narrowing his eyes as he stared intently at Nash, Helio asked from Flake calmly.


    Although he has fought several thousand battles and met with all kinds of foes with various powers, for some strange reason he was unable to recognize the crimson flames around Nash''s hand which weirdly was not emitting any heat but seemingly was some sort of special ability.


    "I have no clue either, father. The only thing I was able to tell was that it allows him to enhance his physical strength to a limited degree." Flake replied with a nonchalant face and watched as in the distance Serio stood up slowly from the ground, holding his face where he was punched with a slight frown.


    "Damn... That hurt..." Serio mumbled as he moved his jaw up and down, tasting and swallowing the blood that currently filled his mouth.


    "What kind of Domination Art was that? I have never seen such movement techniques before. It was rather unpredictable too."


    "Why should I tell you?" Nash asked coldly, standing exactly at the spot where he punched Serio in the face a few moments ago.


    Though, if one thought about it, it was not a surprise for Serio not to recognize Nash''s Eternal Dance as it was a Domination Art which he learned from the Hidden Library, a place which was hidden from the mass since the Ancient Era!


    As for the final movement where he twisted his lower body in a way where he was able to avoid and get close to Serio was naturally one of his Reaped Legacy''s abilities, his Bone Straining that allowed him to move and shift his bones in his body freely to his will!


    "So cold..." Serio showed a bittersweet smile as he straightened his posture and said, "Well, considering solitude was one of your requirements for joining us, it is no wonder you won''t say anything. Though, I still hope you will share that Art with me once we get to know each other better."


    "Also..." as Serio reached this point, he pointed at the staff Nash was carrying and asked, "When will you use that?"


    Nash subconsciously went to touch the staff when he saw Serio pointing at it, but soon realized it was a huge mistake. The very moment his right hand moved to touch the staff on his back, like a ghost, Serio appeared on his right side and with a speed which was way faster than previously kicked at his waist!


    Bam!


    Even before he had the chance to react, Nash was kicked straight in his abdomen, and like a football he was sent flying through the air, only coming to a halt when his body crashed deep into the wall in the far distance!


    Amy and Miles upon seeing this clenched their fingers into tight fists and were ready to run up to Nash when suddenly from the debris Nash walked out, seemingly sustaining no injuries nor having any internal damages!


    "Considering that you are only at the Warrior Rank, you are pretty durable." Serio let out a pleasant chuckle which at Nash only frowned and pulled forward the staff from behind his back.


    Of course, the only reason he was still able to move was all because of his Thunder Body, increasing his physical defense by two folds!


    "Finally." Serio showed a smile when he saw how Nash grabbed the staff with both hands, even lowering his stance in a way where he looked like an immovable mountain!


    "What a refined stance. He must have honed his skills throughout the years with restless hard work!" Ayanna exclaimed out loud, her previously calm and indifferent gaze widening slightly from surprise.


    "Hmm..." Helio remained silent and continued to watch Nash with thoughts completely unknown to others that looked at him.


    "So you are not a swordsman? I wonder how you were able to get the approval of an Ancient Treasure." Serio said with a calm smile but just as Nash, he too lowered his stance while he raised both daggers in his hand and pointed each of their tips forward.


    And exactly a second later...


    Whoosh!


    With a glint of cold flash, Serio appeared before Nash and swung both his arms, his right targeting Nash''s neck while his left stabbing toward his heart.


    Furthermore, the way he wielded both daggers together with the different speed he was controlling them, it was pretty evident that avoiding both at the same time was rather hard, seemingly almost impossible!


    However, despite being in such a situation where death seemed to be inevitable, Nash remained calm and with a tight grip on his staff he spun it clockwise, easily whacking each dagger with each end of his staff to the side!


    Clang!


    The sound of metal clashing against metal resounded in the air as a small ripple traveled into the distance, blowing the hair on the ones standing on the side gently.


    "Oh?" Serio was surprised at first when he saw how smoothly and fast did Nash deflect both his attacks, but soon he smiled, and without saying anything else he began to quicken his attacks.


    Swish! Swish! Swish!...


    Clang! Clang! Clang!...


    The continuous whistle of the air getting split before the sharp pitch of metal crashing forcefully into metal resounded in the surroundings while the beautiful garden filled with different flowers slowly but surely became destroyed.


    Yet, despite each flower costing several hundreds of Galaxy Jade Crystals, both the King and Queen of the Sargon Family looked unfazed and watched with intent eyes as Nash and Serio exchanged blows one after another.


    "He is strong, strong to the point he can keep his ground even with a being a whole Rank above him. He definitely has the qualifications to be a part of our family." Ayanna suddenly exclaimed, earning her husband''s nod from the side.


    "Yes, but still... He still holding back."


    "Just like our son too," Ayanna said calmly, but soon sighed and asked, "Should we stop them? It is not like we want them to destroy the whole backyard and spill their blood for no reason."


    Helio gave a sideways glance at his wife and after pondering for a while raised his hand and said, "Okay, that is enough you two."


    Whoosh!


    In that very moment, as Helio''s words sounded, a figure wearing a black robe that hid his entire face arose from the shadows and stood between Nash and Serio just as their attacks were about to clash, stopping both of their weapons with his bare hands alone!


    BAM!


    However, what the unknown man didn''t expect was that while he was able to easily stop Serio''s dagger as they weigh almost nothing when he grabbed hold of the staff that descended from above, his elbow bent slightly while a quiet but easily perceivable groan escaped from the man''s mouth.


    Helio and Ayanna together with Serio, Flake, and Bane were startled as they were perfectly aware of just what kind of weapon Nash was wielding while also understanding the physical strength of the man who just stopped the attack.


    "Interesting." Helio suddenly smiled and walked before Nash, extending his hand forward once he was before him.


    "My name is Helio Sargon, King of the Sargon Family and the loyal follower and right hand of the current Slayer Emperor!"


    Nash, watching as the man who stopped his attack let go of his weapon and took a step back, shifted his gaze at Helio before lowering his eyes at the huge hand that was extended toward him.


    After thinking for a while, he decided to accept the handshake but only with his Thunder Body and Crimson Essence still active.


    A strange glint flashed in Helio''s eyes upon seeing this, but still showed a calm smile and shook Nash''s hand, even exerting some force to test the physical strength of Nash.


    But to his great shock, when he tried to squeeze Nash''s arms, it was as if he was trying to clasp a piece of steel instead of a hand built from flesh and bones!


    "The name is Emerald.. It''s a pleasure to meet with you." Nash said with an indifferent tone while his gaze never left Helio''s even for a split second despite his hand slowly getting shrunk under Helio''s strength and pain gradually filling his arm!

 Chapter 136 - First Mission & Second Primordial Vein: Silver Essence! (1)

    Standing in front of the King of the Sargon Family and holding his big hand firmly, Nash stared straight into Helio''s eyes while bearing and ignoring the piercing pain in his arm which grew by the second!


    Helio noticed that Nash was not groaning nor showing any sign of discomfort, and could not help but feel slightly surprised as he didn''t expect that not even strength equivalent to that of a peak Warmaster Rank being was enough to force at least a gasp out of Nash!


    "I have heard quite a lot about you from my son, Emerald, and to be honest, at first I was quite skeptical about you. However..." as Helio reached that point with his speech, his grasp around Nash''s hand tightened even more which immediately caused the silver scales on Nash''s skin to crack, and continued, "Now that I have seen with my very own eyes what you are capable of doing, I can''t be happier that such a great warrior such as yourself and your friends have joined my family!"


    Behind his mask, Nash''s face contradicted into a painful grimace as he literally felt how his bones began to crack slightly, however, he still remained silent, acting as if he was feeling nothing.


    But unfortunately, Helio was an existence with sharp senses thus he instantly noticed the change in Nash''s eyes despite it only happening for a split second, so after keeping his eyes locked with Nash''s he smiled and let his hand go.


    At the same time, Serio walked before Amy, and bowing slightly he said, "I deeply apologize for what I have done, hope you won''t hold a grudge because of it."


    Amy stared at Serio coldly and didn''t say a single word for quite a while. After all, what should she say? Should she maybe respond with a, ''yeah, I will forgive you for attempting to kill me as what happened in the past will remain just there... in the past.'' or something similar?


    No, she won''t as she knew perfectly well that Serio really wished to claim her life, and if it were not for Nash her head would be on the ground way long ago, rolling into the far distance like a bowling ball!


    Serio seemed to understand the thoughts of Amy and after showing a bittersweet smile he sighed helplessly and bowed once again before walking away.


    "Please don''t take it to heart. Although it must have felt like he wished to spill your blood, it was only because he was raised that way. But in truth, he was only acting that way and if your friend would have not acted he would have definitely stopped his assault in time." Ayanna standing next to both Amy and Miles suddenly spoke, her calm eyes fixed on Serio''s back.


    Upon hearing the Sargon Family''s queen speaking, Amy shifted her gaze at her before shifting her gaze back at Serio, now looking at him in a slightly different light. Though, this did not mean she has completely forgiven him as words and actions were two completely different things.


    "Father, then as you have said, will you allow them to complete that mission you have told us yesterday?" standing next to his father, Serio looked at Helio, seemingly curious to hear the answer to his question.


    "Mission?" Nash was slightly taken aback as he didn''t expect he would be given a mission to accomplish right away when he woke up and arrived at the Slayer Dimension, but still remained silent and looked at the king of the Sargon Family.


    Amy and Miles too were silent as they waited for an answer while Flake and Bane looked at each other, their eyes flashing with shock as they had a rough guess of what Serio was talking about, but they were not sure enough.


    Helio glanced at his son only to nod and say, "Indeed, I will allow them to do that mission, but before that, let them get familiar with this place a little while longer. Flake, please show them around and lead them to their residence."


    Flake hearing his father''s words nodded and gestured toward Nash and the other two to follow. Then, Nash, Amy, and Miles bowed toward both Helio and Ayanna before they quickly went after the three brothers.


    "Do you really think they have what it takes to acquire that? Even though several brave soldiers of ours failed?" once everyone went away and only the two of them remained in the garden, Ayanna hugged her husband from behind passionately and tenderly, looking completely different from the moment when Nash and the others were still around.


    Feeling his wife''s soft touch on his chest Helio raised his hand to hold Ayanna''s hand and smiled, "Do I think they can? No, I don''t, but I am pretty sure they will achieve greater results than before."


    "Then should we send our sons to he-"


    "No." Helio quickly stopped Ayanna from talking and turning around to face her, with a solemn face he said, "That place is extremely dangerous, and while I won''t care if hundreds or thousands of our soldiers lose their lives there, I won''t allow neither of our children to go there. Or at least, not until they have surpassed their current Rank."


    Ayanna''s eyes softened when she heard her husband''s words and showed a small smile that at this moment was so charming that it was enough to make any man''s blood boil!


    Meanwhile, in another location inside the Sargon Family''s domain, Flake stood before a single house that seemingly had two levels and was big enough to hold a family with six children with ease!


    "From now on, you will be living here," Flake said as he walked inside and showed each and every room to Nash, Amy, and Miles.


    "Are these... defensive arrays?" inside a room that was about 30 square meters large and had a huge comfy bed in its center, Miles squatted in one corner as he gazed at a small white symbol on the ground.


    "Yeah, it is. Each room is wrapped in a defensive array to prevent any sound from leaking out. Furthermore, it protects from getting peeked at by others from outside in secret while it can also protect the building from ordinary type of attacks to a limited degree." Flake explained as he walked beside Miles.


    "I see. No wonder it looked so familiar." Miles nodded as he took out his Domination Art to compare the symbol on the ground with the ones drawn in his book.


    After looking around for a while, Flake looked at Nash and asked, "Do you wish me to show you around, or perhaps you want to rest?"


    Nash looked at Amy and Miles, waiting to see what their reply will be.


    "If I can, then I want to rest," Amy said after a little while of thinking.


    "Same." Miles nodded, but still proceeded to walk around the house while comparing each symbol he found with the ones drawn in his book!


    "I see, then I will come back later." Flake smiled and after waving his hand he walked out of the house, leaving the three alone.


    However, instead of speaking or taking his mask off, Nash walked next to Miles and whispered a few words into his ear. Upon seeing this, Amy seemed to be confused but still decided not to say anything and wait.


    "Huh? Sure, I can. Yeah, I will do it right away." Miles nodded and standing motionlessly in one place he raised his hand forward before moving each five of his fingers in different routes, slowly and a little clumsily drawing several and various symbols simultaneously!


    "Mystic Restriction of Domain... Seal!" once close to five hundred golden symbols were summoned in front of him Miles opened waved his hand, sending each symbol flying into different points inside the house.


    Whoosh!


    "Done. As you wanted Brother Nash, I have put a seal on the whole building. Not only will anyone fail to see inside if they try, but they will even sustain minor backlash too! Furthermore, I even enhanced the defensive properties of the house to the point where even an all-out attack from a peak Warrior Rank being would fail to break through it!"


    "Great. Good job." Nash nodded with satisfaction and took his mask off, taking a deep fresh air once his face was fully revealed.


    "Eh?" Amy was shocked when she saw Nash''s face, but not because of him taking off the mask but because his face for some strange reason, became slightly more handsome than the previous time she saw it!


    "Hm? You can take off your mask too." Nash misunderstood Amy''s shocked gasp and said, "They won''t see your face now. Though, make sure to put it back on when you decide to go out."


    Amy was silent and stared dumbfoundedly at Nash''s handsome face, but her shock only grew deeper when she saw how Miles took his mask off too, revealing a face that was almost completely different from the time she first saw him and was not losing even a bit in charm to Nash!


    Nash this time seemed to notice something was wrong and followed Amy''s gaze, but when his eyes fell on Miles'' face he too froze up and widened his eyes almost as if he was struck by lightning above!


    "Huh? Why are you guys looking at me like that?" Miles feeling the stares on his skin frowned and asked.

 Chapter 137 - First Mission & Second Primordial Vein: Silver Essence! (2)

    "Why are you guys looking at me like that? Do I have something on my face?" Miles felt puzzled by the way Amy and Nash stared at him and subconsciously raised his hand to touch his face. Though, strangely enough, he felt nor found anything weird on his face, it was just as smooth as ever.


    "Huh? Smooth?" suddenly an abrupt realization hit Miles like a train and without saying anything ran before a small mirror on the side and looked into it.


    "Good Lord... I... Who the hell is this?" Miles pointed at his reflection in the mirror, looking at Nash with widened eyes that were filled with deep confusion.


    Nash, however, didn''t say anything and instead walked beside Miles, looking into the mirror too to see his own reflection. And to his great surprise, the moment he saw his face which now looked at the very least three times more handsome than previously, he let out a shocked gasp.


    ''Is this the result of our Legacy? By cultivating not only will we get stronger but also more... handsome?'' Nash wondered in his heart as he raised his hand and touched his cheeks, only to feel a smooth and soft layer of skin which upon a slightly harder push became rather firm!


    Meanwhile, outside the building, in the shade of a tree, an individual wearing a black hooded robe stood still with a small orb in hand while murmuring words as quietly as a fly''s buzz.


    However, just a few seconds later as he began to chant his spell, the individual let out a painful groan and dropped the orb in his hand onto the ground while raising both his hands before his face that began to bleed!


    "What happened?" as the man was trying to stop the blood from leaking out of his eyes, suddenly Serio emerged from the side his complexion currently as cold as ice. It was the complete opposite to the Serio who always smiled before others.


    "M-My Lord..." the man quickly dropped to his knees, ignoring that it caused his eyes to bleed even more, and said, "I tried to peek inside as you have ordered, but... I failed and even sustained a minor injury."


    "What?" a deep frown emerged on Serio''s previously cold and indifferent face before he shifted his gaze to the building in the distance and narrowed his eyes.


    "I see. So they really are serious about hiding their identity. But to think they are capable of forming such a powerful minor formation in less than a few minutes... Is this perhaps that another boy''s doing?" Serio mumbled as he tried to see through the windows, but realized his try was only futile.


    "My Lord, if I may." the man still kneeling at the side of raised his head to face Serio, and asked, "Should I go and report this to your father?"


    Serio remained silent for a brief moment, but soon shook his head and said, "There is no reason. We agreed to let them join without inquiring about their origin and privacy so forming a defensive barrier around their home could be said is only natural. However..."


    After Serio said those words, he fell into silence before shifting his gaze at the man on his side and saying, "Make sure to keep your eyes on them. Although they seem to possess no threat to us nor do they seem to wish to harm our Family, it is better to be safe than sorry."


    "As you wish, my Lord." the man lowered his head before standing up and vanishing from his spot.


    Serio didn''t say anything and after giving one final glance at the house where Nash and the others were residing he turned around and walked away with steps that were so quiet that not even in complete silence would be one able to hear them!


    "So? What will we do now?" after calming down from his shock and getting used to his new looks, Miles asked while watching as Amy took down her mask, revealing her beautiful face.


    "I will go and break into the next Rank," Amy said and after giving a glance at Nash she walked away, vanishing in the corner which led the way to the second floor.


    "And you?" Miles asked as he shifted his gaze at Nash.


    "I will try to unseal my next Primordial Vein. Do you think you can use create a seal that prevents power outbursts? You know, to prevent this building from accidentally collapsing once we break through our bottleneck."


    "Yeah, I can do that. Though, I will need more time to complete the formation." Miles replied calmly as he raised his hand and slowly began to draw several symbols into the air.


    "That is not a problem. I can wait." Nash nodded and sat down in the middle of the living room in a lotus position and closed his eyes.


    ''Let''s see... Which one should I go with this time?'' Nash pondered, but instead of choosing blindly, he decided to see which seal what kind of traits possessed.


    ''I still have the white, green, blue, and black symbols, each located inside different parts of my body.'' Nash thought and controlled his essence against the green symbol which was found in his left leg, around the middle bottom of his foot.


    And exactly as he did, a feeling akin to his whole body turning petrified swept through his whole body while even his thoughts froze for a split second!


    ''W-Woah! Th-That was scary!'' cold sweat soaked Nash''s body when he stopped pushing his essence against the green seal. But once he finally calmed down and took a deep breath he proceeded to control his essence, but this time not against the green seal but against the blue one located in his left arm, at the tip of his middle finger.


    ''C-C-Cold...'' the teeth of Nash began to chatter as his whole being felt as if he was thrown into a frozen lake, freezing his bone, flesh, and blood almost solid!


    ''Heat, petrification, and now freezing. Then the next to will be...'' as Nash thought about something he quickly controlled his essence to the remaining two symbols.


    And soon enough, the moment his essence came into contact with the white symbol in his right leg, he immediately felt as if a storm was going on a rampage inside his body while when he touched the black symbol in his head a feeling as if he was falling into an eternal and bottomless abyss without any chance of escaping took over his mind!


    ''Fire, earth, water, wind, and... darkness guess?'' Nash pondered with his eyes closed as he realized each of his Primordial Vein was a form of an element.


    ''Wait... So this means I will be able to control five different elements as if it was natural?'' this realization hit him like a train and Nash couldn''t help but feel as an exciting shimmer ran through his body.


    So far, he only had his Crimson Essence which allowed him to control fire to a limited degree, thus this meant the remaining four Primordial Veins will grant him similar abilities too!


    Furthermore, while the Crimson Essence enhanced and boosted his physical strength, it was very likely that the other four will improve his other traits such as defense, speed, stamina!


    ''Though, there is one little problem...''


    Indeed, as Nash was thinking about this and was getting slightly excited at the thought of him controlling five different elements, he happened to find a small problem. And it was which of his Primordial Vein he should unseal next as in contrast to the red symbols, the other four symbols gave him greater torture when he wished to unseal them!


    Especially the black symbol, which seemingly contained the element of darkness and made him feel as if he was imprisoned in eternal darkness where his whole being slowly but surely was engulfed and consumed by an abyss from where he could not escape no matter what!


    ''Also, there is the green symbol which makes both my mind and body feel as if they turned solid, almost as if I have been suddenly turned into a rock without the ability to move or think any longer!'' Nash thought bitterly in his heart before he added, ''So for now, this only leaves me with the blue and white symbol, element of water and wind!''


    ''Hmm....'' a subtle frown appeared on Nash''s face as he thought about which one of the two he should unseal, also considering what kind of benefit he would get from each.


    ''Unsealing the white symbols should grant me the power to increase my overall speed while the blue one should allow me to move and attack more nimbly and fluidly, or so I guess.''


    Nash thought for several minutes before he sighed and controlled his essence into his right leg where he slowly pushed his essence against the white symbol which was located just below his knee.

 Chapter 138 - First Mission & Second Primordial Vein: Silver Essence! (3-Last)

    Inside the Human Dimension, on Planet Gaia''s biggest and most populated city, City Neo.


    As always, City Neo was filled to the brim with life, millions of creatures doing either their daily activities or doing some minor tasks given by their superiors.


    However, in contrast to the previous times where everyone was doing all that with a calm demeanor, this time everyone was looking rather stiff and nervous, almost as if all of them were criminals who has done something unlawful and now were scared to be found out.


    Of course, this kind of behavior was only natural if one knew that currently, the entirety of Planet Gaia was under lockdown without anyone allowed to leave or enter either from space or through the Ancient Path! Furthermore, to make things even worse, City Neo was flooded with patrolling soldiers from the Thousand Blood Race, stopping everyone that they found suspicious and beating up those that didn''t obey their order!


    "Any news?" inside one of the tallest building''s top floor which was located at the center of City Neo, Amael was kneeling in front of a hologram that represented a majestic figure.


    "My Lord, I have sent out soldiers to scour the entirety of City Neo and even several teams to search the surrounding regions, but unluckily, so far I have found nothing, not even the slightest trace."


    "Hmm..." Lord Ozren let out a deep groan which even a fool would know was filled with unsatisfaction, but as he was mature enough to know it was pointless to throw a tantrum despite deep inside he wished to, he took a deep breath and asked, "Do you perhaps have any idea where they could hide?"


    Amael raised his lowered head to face Lord Ozren and after pondering for a brief moment he shook his head and said, "Although I am not sure as from all the information I have gathered until now I have only found out they were last seen at the eastern district, I am pretty confident they are trying to disguise themselves as others thus attempting to blend in with the crowd to avoid eyes."


    "I see." Lord Ozren nodded and waved his hand, "I know you, Amael, thus I am confident that with your abilities and experiences you will find him. However, if you make another mistake as previously, I hope you know what will wait for you."


    The words spoken by Lord Ozren were calm and collected, but for someone like Amael who heard them felt completely different. In his ears, Lord Ozren''s voice was akin to a basin of ice-cold water pouring down on him, freezing his blood almost instantly, hence forcing his body to tremble like leaves in a cold autumn night!


    "...I know, my Lord. And I will promise, I won''t make the same mistake again."


    "Good. Now go and do your job. Also, the Emperor has given me complete control for a limited time over Planet Gaia, hence you are allowed to do whatever you need to catch those three escaping rats."


    Amael''s eyes brightened like stars upon hearing his king''s words and without hesitation lowered his head in gratitude.


    "I am infinitely thankful, my Lord."


    Lord Ozren just nodded and without saying a single word waved his hand, deactivating the device which connected him to the one on Planet Gaia.


    "This makes no sense." once Lord Ozren deactivated the hologram, Clavellina who all this time sat next to Erys'' unconscious body on the bed while also caressing her little sister''s hair with affection, showed a confused frown.


    "This makes no sense. How can be that those three slaves are still on the run and Amael has yet to catch them? I mean, it is Amael we are talking about." Clavellina repeated her question, shifting her attention from Erys onto Ozren.


    Walking at the edge of the bed where he looked down at his younger daughter, Lord Ozren remained silent before replying, "While Amael indeed possesses capabilities to hunt down anyone with just a small amount of information, he is still no God. Furthermore, from how serious he had been looking, I guess this is his first time having a hard time finding someone he wished to uncover."


    "Huh? But we are talking about a human, one that until now only mined ores and crystals!"


    "Yes, and that human happened to kill several teams consisting of peak Infant and Warrior Rank soldiers while also having the ability to manipulate others, control the dead, and escape a jail which was built from Thunder Icecopper! Furthermore, it is the same human that several years ago with his Legacy still sealed crippled a Sky Beast on Planet Zero!"


    Clavellina became speechless as while she knew just what kind of abilities did the human boy named Nash had, she didn''t know he escaped from a cell which was constructed from Thunder Icecopper while also he happened to cripple a Sky Beast in the past!


    All these things were so new for her that her pretty eyes widened slightly while her crimson iris flashed gently as different emotions swept through her in a blink.


    "I hope you now understand why even someone like Amael has problems finding that human." Lord Ozren sighed with a hint of annoyance and anger before looking out of the window in the side and adding, "Though, I am sure Amael will find him and bring him back. And when that happens..."


    When Lord Ozren finished talking, his face turned into that of a wicked devil, capable of scaring anyone with a slightly weaker will to immediate death if not into a state of unconsciousness!


    Meanwhile, unknown for both Amael and Lord Ozren, inside the domain of the Sargon Family which was located somewhere inside the Slayer Dimension and not inside the Human Dimension much less on Planet Gaia, Nash was sitting in a lotus position with his eyes closed, seemingly cultivating.


    SWOOOSH!


    The constant sound of a powerful wind blowing sounded inside the building despite no windows being open while from time to time the sight of the air trembling and moving around Nash in a vortex-like pattern was seen.


    However, strangely enough, while the only thing that happened around Nash was the air moving, for some reason Nash''s face contracted into painful grimaces almost as if he was under great pain despite his body from the outside was sustaining no injuries!


    Though, if one went closer to Nash and looked at him from a closer distance, one would realize that was not entirely correct either as the muscles all over his body were twitching like crazy while his veins were bulging, almost as if they were ready to explode in any given moment!


    Miles looked at Nash''s figure from the side in silence but as he knew that Nash''s life was not in immediate crisis as he was only attempting to unseal his next Primordial Vein he sat down too into a lotus position and attempted to unseal the same symbol as Nash.


    Time passed with the two of them slowly but surely opening their white symbol and in a blink, half an hour has passed! However, despite Nash starting his cultivation way sooner than Miles, the very moment his symbol burst open, turning all his essence in his body to silver with a white hue, the same happened to Miles too thus creating two small explosions at the same time in the living room with them as the epicenter!


    BAM!


    The whole interior of the building shook the moment the two of them succeeded in opening their second Primordial Vein and even several items around them were sent flying such as chairs, mugs, and different smaller objects, but thanks to the symbols which Miles formed just beforehand the place only shook and didn''t collapse!


    "Tsk..." inside one of the rooms on the second floor, Amy opened her eyes and clicked her tongue in dissatisfaction, clearly knowing that the whole building shook because Nash and Miles succeeded in unsealing their next Primordial Veins.


    "Just you guys wait... I will catch up with you in no time." Amy mumbled as her eyes seemingly stared at something despite nothing being in her line of sight but the wall, and without saying anything else quickly immersed herself back into her cultivation.


    As for Miles and Nash, once their second Primordial Vein was formed, giving them a kind of feeling as if their muscles were feather-light and their veins were filled with electricity instead of blood, they opened their eyes only to be welcomed with the same rows of words in their line of sight.


    ----------------------------------------


    [Special Character Attribute: Silver Essence]


    ? Description: An ability part of an ancient Legacy.


    ? Attribute Class: Primordial


    {Ability}


    ¡ã Silver Essence: An violent ancient power granting you the ability to cause destruction with your speed alone!


    ¡ã Wind Essence: A power that grants you the ability to control the wind around you as if it was an extension of your body!


    {Passive Abilities}


    ¡ã Silver Speed: Upon using Silver Essence, Speed gets enhanced passively without any side effects or requirements!


    ¡ã Wind Immunity: Upon using Silver Essence your physical resistance against the wind element gets reduced by 50%!


    <Your Silver Essence will grow alongside your Legacy!>


    ----------------------------------------


    ''Just as I have thought.'' upon seeing the information of his Silver Essence, a smile gradually crept its way onto Nash''s face, making him look rather joyful at the moment!

 Chapter 139 - Lost Ruins

    "Silver Essence, huh?" Miles mumbled quietly as he stood up and quickly activated his newly acquired ability.


    Whoosh!


    "Oh?" a surprised gasp escaped from Miles''s mouth once he saw how a silver hue slowly appeared and engulfed his whole body, giving him an appearance of a holy being!


    "Interesting. I feel as if my body lost several pounds and now became as light as feather!" waving around his hand which looked incredibly fast, Miles exclaimed loudly before his eyes lit up and asked, "Wait... I wonder if that works."


    Without waiting for anything, Miles quickly extended his right arm before him and under the confused look of Nash, the white light which previously engulfed his body slowly but surely began to move onto one single point, around his right palm!


    "It works! Haha! So I can use this Silver Essence in such a way too!" Miles laughed with joy, almost like a little kid who succeeded in finding something pretty amusing for the first time.


    Right now, Miles'' fingers were moving with such speed that even Nash had problems following their trajectory and there were even times when he lost sight of them for a split second!


    "It seems, depending on the amount of essence I channel into different parts of my body, I can increase my speed tremendously!" and to show his theory was right, Miles quickly controlled his essence in his body to all over his body, not only resulting in his whole body to get engulfed in gentle silver glow once again but also causing the speed of his fingers to drop drastically!


    Nash seeing this from the side looked surprised and an idea immidieatly popped into his mind.


    ''Wait... If this is the case, can I do the same with my Crimson Essence?''


    This question was important because so far whenever he activated his Crimson Essence it only engulfed his hands and not his whole body. Of course, there was one time when the crimson ambiance covered his entire being, but it was only when he attempted to protect Amy from the scorching heat inside the Hidden Library.


    At that time, unfortunately, he only acted on instinct and didn''t think about trying out if his whole body became stronger or not. However, now was the perfect time to try out what he couldn''t previously!


    Whoosh!


    Once on his feet, Nash raised his hands and watched as both his arms got covered in a crimson glow which looked and moved in a manner as if they were crimson flames!


    ''Let''s see.'' closing his eyes, Nash controlled his essence in his hand slowly into his legs, and to his pleasant surprise, the crimson flames around his hand vanished and reappeared around both his legs!


    "It worked!" Nash exclaimed out loud and said, "Although every bit of my essence was turned into Crimson Essence, enhancing my physical strength in every part of my body equally, it seems I can concentrate all of them to different points inside my body to boost only that region!"


    "Yeah, but unfortunately... We can''t use both the Silver and Crimson Essence at the same time." Miles mumbled, showing a slightly disappointed look.


    "Hmm..." Nash let out a low hum as he too tried to activate both his Silver and Crimson Essence only to end up with neither of them activating and even causing a small pain to pierce his chest!


    "I think we are not strong enough yet." Miles sighed before he suddenly raised his hand and yawned a large.


    "Huh?" surprised by the yawn and also the fact he became sleepy all of a sudden, Miles frowned before realization hit him.


    Just when was the last time Miles was able to sleep well and without trouble? No, instead, when was the last time he has slept? Although he has taken small naps from time to time like during on the spaceship to Planet Rover or when Nash was knocked out unconscious, they were only half an hour, at the very best an hour rest!


    His last time when he properly slept for several hours was perhaps before the time he met with Nash and Amy if not even later than that!


    Nash seemed to realize this and showing a bittersweet smile he said, "Just go and sleep. It won''t do good for your body and mind if you keep staying up without resting properly."


    "And what about you?"


    "After I have been knocked unconscious and woke up my body feels pretty refreshed. I don''t feel tired much less sleepy at the moment. I think I will just continue cultivating in the meantime."


    Miles pondered silently as he was first hesitant in fear that he will fall behind if he won''t cultivate, but once another yawn forced its way onto the surface out of his will he understood he really had to sleep or else it will affect him in the future.


    "...Sure" Miles sighed and without saying anything else walked away, walking onto the second floor and into the room just next to the one where Amy was in.


    Nash upon seeing that he now was alone sat back into a lotus position and closed his eyes. Then, slowly controlled his essence in his body against the blue symbol which immediately forced him to clench his teeth in pain and stop cultivating after a few seconds.


    "This is way harder than the first two... This will be quite a challenge." Nash mumbled before he took a deep breath and went back to cultivate.


    -


    -


    -


    The sun was currently at the peak on the boundless vest azure sky, just right above a huge and majestic palace, washing the entirety of the Sargon Family''s domain in its warm and pleasant glow!


    And exactly before this majestic palace''s very entrance which was as wide as ten humans standing next to each other and as tall as an average tree, three individuals wearing robes, clothes of the Sargon Family, and different masks stood patiently.


    Obviously, those three were Nash, Miles, and Amy who after resting for one and half a day were summoned by King Helio, seemingly because of their first mission.


    "King Helio is already waiting for your presence. You may go inside." the two guards standing in front of the gate with two huge spears stepped to the side as the gate opened slowly, revealing a huge hall.


    Though, when one said the interior of the hall was huge, one didn''t simply mean it was large but instead that it was extremely gigantic, gigantic to the point where a smaller-sized spaceship could be fit in there with ease!


    Golden pillars with heights three times as tall as the gate itself stood in rows on both sides with floating candles burning with blue fire surrounding them in a ring-like shape while in the middle a wide and long azure blue carpet showed the path all the way to the other side of the hall where two thrones could be seen, each having a single individual sitting on them!


    "You three are finally here." King Helio talked loudly despite Nash and the other two walking and standing before him less than 10 meters.


    "Oh? Did you perhaps have a small breakthrough?" Ayanna sitting next to Helio looked at the three with narrowed eyes and asked, her gaze fixed especially on Nash''s figure.


    "It''s just a minor breakthrough, nothing special to boast about. " Nash shrugged casually, even his voice containing indifference despite standing before two powerful beings from one was way above the Warmaster Rank!


    Though, although he was showing he was relaxed and was not anxious, his guard was raised as he was well aware that despite seeing no one in the hall except Helio and Ayanna, at the moment the three of them were surrounded by several individuals that were by no means weak.


    ''Warmaster Rank each. They hide their physical appearance but keep their presence noticed to warn us to not do anything stupid.'' Miles noticed this too, and for the first time after a long while his expression was quite solemn.


    Helio narrowed his eyes too, but instead of being offended by the way Nash behaved he showed a smile and said, "Good, I hope you will have the same confidence in that place too."


    Nash, Miles, and Amy shifted their gaze at Helio with curiosity, but as they knew the place Helio just mentioned was in deep connection with their first mission they remained silent and waited for the King of the Sargon Family to continue speaking.


    And soon enough, Helio indeed began to speak;


    "Well then, let me explain your first mission briefly and what you will have to do. You will go to Planet Amnar and enter the Lost Ruins there.." after Helio reached that point in his speech he waved his hand and a device in front of Nash and the other two on his side lit up, projecting a hologram to them which currently showed a small pot with a little golden tree in it.

 Chapter 140 - Lost Forest

    "...A golden tree?" Miles raised a brow when he saw the small tree inside the small pot, confused as he didn''t know why the King of the Sargon Family, a powerful existence needed their aid to acquire something so... ordinary.


    King Helio, however, remained calm despite guessing the thoughts of Miles and quickly began to explain, "Perhaps you are confused and have many questions as to why you are the ones helping me even though I have others way stronger to help me, but you will understand soon enough."


    After King Helio said those words, he quickly waved his hand and made the hologram before the three to change images, now showing a huge forest which not was filled with dense fog but just a single tree alone was as thick as five humans put next to each other and as tall as the biggest building on Planet Gaia!


    "What you can see currently is a special region on Planet Amnar, known as the Lost Forest."


    "Special? Why is it special? Except for the size of the trees, I don''t see anything special about it." Miles asked his thoughts out loud, immediately earning a small and brief chuckle from Ayanna on Helio''s side.


    King Helio, on the other hand, kept his serious facade on and replied, "Indeed, the Lost Forest except for its extraordinary size shows nothing out of the place for the first glance, but once you enter it, if you can at all, then that belief of yours will quickly change for sure."


    Then, with another flick of his wrist, King Helio changed the image once again, but this time it was a short video feed. The video showed as two individuals stood next to each other at the very edge of the forest before they began to walk forward, however, once they reached the dense fog, strangely, both of them were knocked back, almost as if they have been shot by some sort of power!


    "As you can see, not everyone is capable of entering the Lost Forest as anyone that is on or above the peak Warmaster Rank will be repelled back without exception. Of course, there are unique items inside the forest that can be found and brought out with which later on those that couldn''t go inside now could, but those are extremely rare and also have a time limit on them which only allows individuals to enter the Lost Forest for only a short duration."


    Ayanna on Helio''s side nodded and quickly added, "That is true, however, this is only the start and the greatest issue starts once you enter the forest."


    "Yes, as once you enter the Lost Forest, it will be akin to entering an infinite maze where once you get lost, no hope will remain for you to escape." King Helio nodded and added, "Furthermore, inside the Lost Forest, and especially inside the Lost Ruins which is located inside the Lost Forest, unique creatures and beasts alike known as Lost Souls wander and kill anyone alive!"


    ''Lost Souls?'' Nash''s ears perked up a little once he heard the name ''soul'' and couldn''t help but ask, "These... Lost Souls, what type of creatures are they?"


    King Helio shifted his gaze at Nash and after remaining silent flicked his wrist, changing the projection into several images, each showing different creatures and beasts.


    There was an overgrown bear with claws and teeth akin to steel, a huge deer with six legs, a swarm of spiders each as small as a finger, and a floating entity that looked like a screaming ghost. However, while each and every one of them looked terrifying and different in size and look, they had one single thing in common.


    And that was their slightly half-transparent body which also glowed and emitted a gentle blue light!


    "These are... the Lost Souls?" for the first time, Amy talked and asked, but if one would be able to see her complexion, they would be shocked completely to see just how pale she looked at the moment!


    On the other hand, Nash''s eyes were shining as if they were containing hundreds of stars within while his body even trembled from pure excitement and joy!


    ''Oh? He looks pretty eager.'' King Helio narrowed his eyes once he noticed the way Nash''s eyes looked but decided not to ask and instead continue speaking, "Although we don''t know how or through what way these creatures come to life, we happened to collect just enough information about them to know that they not only have no physical bodies, hence they cannot be killed through normal means, but they also have similar powers, allowing them to kill their enemies by invading the body and destroying them from the inside."


    "I wonder if it hurts or they die instantly," Miles mumbled, resulting in everyone looking at him in silence and with complicated gazes.


    "...Anyways," clearing his throat, Helio waved his hand again and said, "Your objective will be to enter the Lost Forest, reach the Lost Ruins, and find the golden tree before leaving and bringing it back to here."


    "And how do we find the Lost Ruins and the golden tree? Also, how do we find our way back once we succeed?" Nash asked after pondering.


    "With this, you will be able to find the Lost Ruin." King Helio gestured toward the side, from where a figure wearing deep blue armor emerged with a small scroll in hand.


    "That is a map, one that we have created over the years. It will help you get to the Lost Ruins and also get out of it. As for the golden tree... You must find it on your own accord, naturally."


    "I see." Nash nodded as he accepted the scroll.


    "Well then, if you have no other questions, follow Silva. She will bring you to Planet Amnar."


    ''Silva?'' Nash, Miles, and Amy raised a brow when they heard the unfamiliar name, but it was not long before a stunning Slayer woman, just slightly less beautiful than Ayanna appeared on their side out of nowhere and bowed with respect with one hand before her chest while the other one was placed behind her back.


    "My name is Silva, it is my pleasure to meet with the three of you. Please, follow me."


    The three watching as Silva began to walk toward the exit looked at each other, but as they had nothing else to ask nodded and quickly followed Silva from behind.


    "How interesting." once the three were out of sight, Helio showed a small smile, one that was quite a rare sight from him.


    "...Dear? Did you notice something?" Ayanna on his side looked at him with a slightly raised brow.


    "Don''t you find it strange that the I mentioned the Lost Souls, Emerald''s behavior instantly changed? Also, except for asking what kind of creatures they were, he didn''t ask what their weakness is or how they should kill them!"


    Ayanna''s previously raised brow now lowered into a deep frown and after thinking for a while she nodded and said, "Yeah, now that you mention this... It is indeed strange. Perhaps they forgot to ask?"


    King Helio''s smile widened upon hearing his wife''s question, and after leaning back a little more against his throne, he said, "Who knows...."

 Chapter 141 - Entering The Lost Forest

    After they met with King Helio and Queen Ayanna inside the palace, Nash and the rest were taken to Planet Amnar on a spaceship by Silva which surprisingly only lasted for 3 hours!


    Though, despite 3 hours is a small duration of time, under just those three hours many things happened.


    First and foremost, the most noticeable change was Miles'' aura which slightly became denser. This, of course, happened because he successfully unsealed his third Primordial Vein thus pushing him to Level 3 right away! Of course, Silva and the other Slayer that were on the spaceship didn''t notice this as Miles made sure to use his Domination Art to prevent any sound, tremor, and power from entering and exiting from the room he was in!


    The second most apparent shift that happened was around Amy, who although has yet to break through her bottleneck and become an Ascender, happened to succeed in filling her Ancient Veins almost 90% which made her presence greater than ever before!


    As for Nash, in contrast to Miles and Amy who cultivated in silence, he kept staring at the map in his hand which will determine if they will be able to get to the Lost Ruin without getting lost or not.


    He literally stared at the map for 3 hours straight, trying to carve the whole context of the scroll into his brain to the point where he can navigate even without its help!


    "We have arrived." knocking on the door gently where Nash, Miles, and Amy were currently resting, Silva took a step backward and waited patiently.


    And just a single minute later, the door finally opened and the three walked out of the room. Then, with the lead of Silva, the three departed the spaceship, stepping on Planet Amnar''s surface for the first time.


    "This forest looks way bigger and way eerier than from the pictures," Miles mumbled with awe as he raised his head in hope to see the top of the towering trees, but not too surprisingly, failed to do so.


    The forest in front of the three was truly huge, huge to the point where before the trees Nash almost felt like an ant before numerous skyscrapers that from afar seemed to form an infinitely long and wide wall!


    Furthermore, to make this almost hopeless feeling even worse, the dense fog that ruled all over inside the forest like a white sea made him feel as if he was secretly watched by hundreds of eyes at the same time!


    Such a feeling was so weird and creepy that Nash couldn''t help but feel a cold shiver run down his spine, forcing all his hair on his body to stand to end!


    "As Lord Helio ordered me, I will wait here until the three of you won''t return. However, if the three of you don''t happen to emerge from the Lost Forest in a week, I will leave."


    Upon hearing the words of Silva, Nash and the other two looked at each other but didn''t say anything.


    "Don''t worry, if you follow the route on the map that Lord Helio has given to you, I am sure no problem will arise and the three of you will safely reach the Lost Ruins and safely exit it," Silva told assuring words to the three when she felt that they were a little anxious.


    "The only threat you need to look out for is-"


    "Is the Lost Souls. Got it." Nash interrupted Silva without caring if he was rude or not.


    Silva''s mouth twitched slightly once she saw how Nash cut her off in her speech, but as she knew they were on a mission that was extremely important for King Helio she swallowed the words she wished to say next and nodded;


    "Perfect, then don''t forget. You have one week." and with that, Silva didn''t wait for a reply and walked back into the spaceship.


    "Let''s go." Nash didn''t hesitate even for a second as he quickly began to walk forward.


    Miles and Amy first were reluctant but once they saw how Nash was ready to vanish inside the dense white fog they quickly snapped out of their daze and ran after him.


    "How long will it take for us to reach the Lost Ruins?" arriving next to Nash after catching up, Amy looked around and asked.


    "According to the map, it should only take us a day to reach the edge of the Lost Ruins," Nash said as he looked at the map, but soon stopped, taking by surprise the two on his side.


    "Why did we stop?" Amy asked as she saw how Nash suddenly stopped and started to turn his head left and right as if he was looking for something.


    Even Miles looked confused and raised his guard as he believed that they have already crossed paths with a Lost Soul thus they have to fight, but to his and Amy''s greatest shock that was not the case at all!


    "It should be alright to summon it now, right?" Nash muttered quietly and after a short while he extended his hand in front of him with his palm facing upward.


    Amy and Miles first were confused when they saw Nash''s strange behavior, but in two ticks their eyes widened as they watched as with a gentle green light but out of thin air a beast emerged atop Nash''s palm!


    The beast was a bird the size of a human baby and feathers as green as an emerald which gradually turned darker and darker toward its tail! Furthermore, its beak and eyes were completely ink-black, giving it a rather mysterious but ancient appearance!


    "W-What the hell is th-?" Amy exclaimed out loud with a scare, but even before she could have finished her question Nash placed a finger before his mask where his mouth was located and slowly shook his head, indicating she should remain silent.


    Amy didn''t understand the reason behind Nash''s action, but as she was well aware he had his own reasons she closed her mouth and nodded. Miles was the same, and with slightly narrowed eyes examined the beast which calmly rested on Nash''s hand, its seemingly abyss-like eyes staring at them silently!


    Nash nodded when he saw his friend''s reaction and turning his head toward the bird he carried its head gently before raising his head and saying quietly, "Go."


    The beast, which was obviously Nash''s Soul Swallowing Raven extended both its wings wide, and with two powerful flaps which were almost noiseless, it took off and in a flash vanished among the white fog above the sky!


    "Let''s go.." once Nash was unable to see even the tiniest sight of his pet he focused his attention back at the map in his hand and after gesturing to the two on his side he quickly began to walk again.

 Chapter 142 - Soul Swallowing Raven & Golden Tree (1)

    Inside the Sargon Family''s primary palace which stood as majestically in the center of their vast domain as ever, King Helio sat on his great throne with his wife sitting on his left and his three sons standing on his right.


    The five currently were looking at a video feed projected by a small device, showing the sight of the Lost Forest from high above. However, although it was a live feed that was recorded by a drone, they could only see the tops of each tree and nothing else as everything below those was completely concealed by the dense white fog!


    Though, despite only seeing nothing but a literal white sea, the five were still able to listen to the sounds from inside the forest such as footsteps, conversations, or even the rustle of leaves and the grass!


    "How long will it take for us to reach the Lost Ruins?" as King Helio and the others were staring at the projection in front of them, suddenly the familiar voice of Amy resounded in the hall.


    While listening to the conversation between Amy and Nash, Serio who stood the closest to his father asked quietly, "Father, do you really think they have what it takes to retrieve our relic from the ruins?"


    King Helio crossed his arms before his chest and was ready to reply when suddenly the three came to a halt followed by Amy''s seemingly shocking voice that was abruptly cut off in mid-sentence.


    King Helio frowned when he heard how everything suddenly became so silent and almost believed that Nash and the rest suddenly were ambushed by a Lost Soul. But luckily, that was not the case at all as it was not long before Nash''s usually calm and indifferent voice sounded, indicating the three was on the move once again.


    "What happened just now? Did they meet with a Lost Soul?" Ayanna frowned gently, a little confused about what she has just heard.


    "I don''t think so. There was no sound that could have indicated that they have been attacked while the silence only lasted for a few seconds, meaning they didn''t start a fight either." Flake on the side exclaimed his thought, his brows too lowered into a puzzled frown as he tried to think about an answer.


    King Helio stared at the projection for a moment before he gave a sideways glance at Serio and said, "Although I am not confident in their success, if I have to be honest, they have a pretty high chance to obtain the relic."


    "I see. Then let''s hope for the best." Serio nodded and without saying anything else proceeded to listen to the conversation between Nash and the other two in silence.


    -


    -


    -


    On Planet Amnar, somewhere inside the Lost Forest.


    It has been about an entire day since the three have entered the Lost Forest and walked deeper and deeper inside, but except for the occasional sound of breeze that always appeared from different direction, causing the leaves on the bushes and the grasses on the ground to sway, nothing unusual was heard much less happened.


    The only thing that was perhaps weird, was the fact that despite for walking for almost a whole day without almost any rest, the entire Lost Forest was still engulfed in thick fog to the point where it was extremely hard to tell if currently it was night or day!


    Of course, this didn''t hinder Nash and the rest at all to go deeper into the woods, and with the help of the map they have been given by King Helio it was not long before they finally saw something different than woods!


    "Look! Over there!" extending her hand toward a specific point, Amy pointed her slim and delicate looking index finger forward, right at a small building which now was only in the shadows of its previous glory as it was almost completely in ruins!


    Furthermore, there were many other buildings in similar conditions as that, the only difference were their sizes as there were ruins which previously consisted a massive and huge construction while others were only a part of a smaller buildings!


    Nash looked at the ruins in front of his with a slightly glowing eyes and after placing the map into his pocket he said, "Let''s rest for a little bit before we go inside."


    Amy and Miles nodded and without any objection they quickly sat down and took out different foods and drinks from the Slayer Token they have been given by Flake which previously had the role of containing their clothes and weapons but now was used as a food container!


    "Mrgh... This is so delicious! Feels like my tongue is gonna melt!" once everything was prepared, the three began to stuff their mouths full of food while also letting out satisfied and joyful groans.


    Or at least that was what one would think if one heard the way they were talking, but in truth, the three only acted that way while using small branches found on the ground to communicate with each other by writing!


    As a fact, they have been communicating with each other like this since Nash summoned his Soul Swallowing Raven and everything else that they were saying out loud was just an act and nothing else.


    This, naturally, was all because of Nash. He was the one who noticed that they were listened to in secret, thus allowing him to inform the rest without saying a single word out loud!


    Of course, this wouldn''t have been possible if he didn''t ''accidentally'' happen to overhear the conversation between two soldiers about small drones capable of recording any sound from a mile away and transmit them forth when he was still on the spaceship, or else their privacy inside the Sargon Family wouldn''t have lasted long.


    ''Brother Nash, that green bird... Are you sure it can kill the Lost Souls inside the Lost Forest and the Lost Ruins?'' letting out a fake delighted moan out loud, Miles moved the branch in his hand to ask his question.


    Though, even before Nash could have answered, Amy quickly answered, ''Do you really think it can''t despite meeting with no Lost Souls until now? It obviously killed every one of those creatures that tried to approach us.''


    ''Amy is right. My Soul Swallowing Raven can consume souls as if it just breathing air in. Although at first I was skeptical if it can kill these Lost Souls, now that we have met none it is pretty obvious we don''t have to worry about getting ambushed even by a single one!''


    The three continued to eat and communicate with each other through the ground while also asking pointless questions aloud just to avoid suspicion, and once their stomachs were filled they quickly packed everything away and entered the Lost Ruins.


    "Feels like we are in the remnants of a city after a chaotic battle where hundred of thousands have fought and died." Amy exclaimed her thoughts out loud as she looked left and right, looking at different ruins and trying to guess what kind of purpose they held in the past.


    Currently, the three of them were walking on a small street, or at least on its fragments which happened to still remain intact, while checking out each and every ruin in hope they will be able to find the small golden tree.


    Needles to say, as they walked Nash made sure to note down the path they were walking on, just in case of they happen to get lost know which path they should go back on.


    Time passed and although the three found nothing, at the very least they met with no enemy thus allowing them to move quite swiftly and check out every crook and canny of the Lost Ruins.


    They even found small items such as rusty swords, shield, and other armaments, indicating that their guess that this place was in the past a battlefield was indeed right!


    "I wonder what happened here." Miles mumbled quietly as he crouched next to pile of debris and picked up a small, almost entirely burnt book from the ground.


    "Just how big is this place? We have been walking around almost a whole day and we have yet to reach the other side much less find that golden tree!" Amy asked with visible annoyance, but just as she was about to turn around a corner to check out the next ruin, suddenly her body suddenly froze.


    "Huh? Is there a probl-" Miles seemed to notice Amy''s weird behavior and was ready to ask her what happened, but once he arrived next to her side his complexion and body stiffened too.


    Though, it only lasted for a second as the next his arms moved subconsciously and with a quick and swift move opened his book which was always in his hand.


    "Easy. Don''t act so rashly." just as Miles was about to form several symbols using his Domination Art, Nash''s voice resounded in his ear, quickly calming his tense nerves down.


    "I.... am sorry." Miles apologized as he gradually lowered his hand, but still, his eyes never left the creature''s figure in front of him which not only looked grotesque but also had a ridiculously huge size too!

 Chapter 143 - Soul Swallowing Raven & Golden Tree (2-Last)

    The creature that the three were currently looking at was quite weird, to say the least.


    A big frame that towered at least 5 meters above the ground, a body which was filled with various sized gaps and holes, some even filled with either sharp teeth or moving eyes, and a pair of arms that was so long that its fingers touched the ground with ease despite the creature standing perfectly straight!


    Furthermore, the creature''s physique was almost completely transparent, hence from afar it almost felt like it was one with the dense fog!


    ''How is this still alive? Didn''t you say your pet would kill any Lost Soul in our proximity?'' snapping out of her daze, Amy quickly grabbed a stick from the side and began to write on the ground.


    Nash upon seeing Amy''s question didn''t answer. No, it would be better to say he couldn''t as he had nothing he could say!


    His Soul Swallowing Raven was indeed capable of consuming Lost Souls as he clearly felt just how his Ancient Beast became stronger and stronger over time, so seeing that a Lost Soul was still alive Nash couldn''t help but become speechless.


    ''Could it be that... it has died?'' was the first thing Nash thought about, but that belief was quickly forgotten as when he closed his eyes and concentrated slightly, he was able to feel his connection with Soul Swallowing Raven just as he was able to feel his connection with his other Ancient Treasures!


    ''Should I call it over to take care of this thing?'' Nash wondered as he opened his eyes, but soon just shook his head and thought, ''No, let''s not. I am more than enough.''


    As those words emerged in Nash''s mind, Nash looked at the two and said, "Stay here. I will take care of that thing."


    Miles and Amy were surprised when they heard Nash''s words, but as they knew his personality which was only confident if he was sure to succeed, they nodded and took a step behind.


    "Finally! I thought they will never meet with a Lost Soul! I almost thought something was wrong!" inside the palace, Bane let out a deep sigh once he heard Nash''s voice.


    And it was not only him but almost everyone that heard his voice!


    Until now, they had been listening to everything the three were talking about together with the things they had been doing, and they couldn''t help but feel stupified by the fact that throughout two whole days the trio met with no Lost Soul!


    One had to know that King Helio was continuously sending hundreds of soldiers into the Lost Forest on numerous occasions but almost none of them came back alive as according to those that were lucky enough to survive, they encountered Lost Souls after almost every 100 meters!


    Yet, right now, not only did not Nash and his friends meet with a Lost Soul after almost every 100 steps but they were also able to travel all the way to the Lost Ruins and search even its interior without crossing paths with a single one!


    This was something that King Helio has never seen before and he felt extremely confused about how something like this could happen.


    However, soon, that confusion of his grew only deeper in the following seconds.


    Bam!


    The sound of something exploding and breaking into numerous pieces resounded in the hall followed by Nash''s usual indifferent voice;


    "Done. Let''s get moving."


    ''...''


    The whole palace fell into silence and none of the individuals present said a single word. Flake, Bane, and Serio stared at the projection with widened eyes while King Helio and Queen Ayanna''s expressions were as stiff as rock.


    While the first three didn''t know what happened or at least knew but couldn''t comprehend its meaning, until then King Helio And his wife were perfectly well aware of what happened just now as they were quite familiar with the sound that they have just heard.


    It was the sound of a Lost Soul getting shattered into numerous pieces!


    Though, while they were familiar with such a sound as they have already found means to kill Lost Souls, thus allowing them to replicate such a sound from time to time, they could not understand how Nash was capable of killing the Lost Soul without any former knowledge!


    "H-How did he do it? Do we really have no way to see what they are doing?" Ayanna quickly snapped out of her daze and asked.


    King Helio frowned before quickly shaking his head, "Although I wish to say we have, in truth, we don''t. The fog in the Lost Forest is not ordinary and is the ability of the relic, not only functioning as a wall that allows only those inside that are below the Soul Devourer Rank but also works as a layer of a barrier that prevents any type of skill or power to penetrate from the outside."


    "I see..." Ayanna sighed with disappointment, but her eyes remained calm as her gaze and especially her ears were firmly fixed on the projection.


    After that, time passed quickly as after killing the Lost Soul, Nash and the rest didn''t meet with a second one despite walking around the Lost Ruins for half a day!


    However, although they have met with no creature after killing the first Lost Soul with his Soul Shattering Grab, Nash finally found something.


    It was a small golden leaf with silver veins running across its surface. It was resting on the ground while several more could be seen in the distance in greater numbers!


    "This way." Nash gestured toward the two behind him and quickly began to follow the leaves.


    And soon enough, after about 10 minutes of running without encountering any danger, the three reached this small and circular empty area where the entire ground was covered in golden leaves.


    And exactly at the very center of this circular space, a small ancient black pot sat lonely with a miniature golden tree placed in it, its branches covered in the same golden leaves that covered the entire surroundings!


    "It''s the tree from the image! We have found it!" Miles exclaimed out loud with joy and was ready to take a step forward when suddenly a firm palm grabbed his shoulder, stopping him from moving.


    "Huh?" Miles was confused and thought Nash was the one who stopped him, but to his great surprise, it was not him but Amy!


    Even Nash looked at her with puzzlement, but soon enough, their confusion was answered as she pointed to the right, or to be more specific at the ground on the right and said, "Look carefully."


    Nash and Miles followed Amy''s finger, but no matter how long and hard they stared, they found nothing strange about that location.


    Or at least they thought that until the leaves did not start to move and stop on their own accord as if someone was stepping on them!


    "What is that? A Lost Soul which is invisible? No, more importantly, why is it not attacking us?" Nash mumbled quietly with a deep frown.


    "Perhaps it is not hostile?" Miles asked, guessing with a simple shrug.


    "No, that is not the case either. Look, whatever that thing is, it is walking around that tree as if..."


    "As if it is guarding it." Nash finished Amy''s words with a nod.


    "So until we don''t go too close we are safe?" Miles asked and Amy nodded before shaking her head as an answer.


    "Yes and at the same time no. Although at this very moment it seems that the thing is only guarding the tree without any hint of malice, we can''t be sure if all of a sudden it won''t go on a rampage and kill us all."


    "Then what should we do?" Miles asked as he watched the route which on the invisible creature was going, "Should I try to form a domain and see if it will help us reveal it?"


    "I don''t think that is a wise choice." Nash suddenly talked, his eyes moving slowly left and right as if his gaze was following something!


    Amy and Miles noticed this and quickly asked, "You... Can you see it?"


    "Yes, I can. Though, this thing... is a little special." Nash nodded and after remaining silent for a brief moment explained, "As far as I can see, this is not a Lost Soul. Or at least not akin to those Lost Souls we have seen before on the images and encountered with previously."


    "How so?" Amy decided to ask.


    Nash continued to stare at the creature and only after a few seconds later did he explain, "You must have noticed this, but all Lost Souls have a transparent physique with no armament, weapons, or items on their bodies. However, this creature is different. Its seemingly half-transparent body is clad in light armor, one that clearly can be touched by our hands, while it even carries a pair of daggers in both hands!"


    Then taking a deep breath, Nash said in a low voice, "Furthermore, although I can only feel it briefly, I am sure that it is currently at the peak Warmaster Rank. It''s not something we can just go and start a fight with, thinking we will be able to kill it easily.. We need a plan."