Chapter 66 - 64 — Rune Scroll
This fucking kid...
Nial’s jaw tightened as he reached for Zephyrion blood.
"...still too slow. Stop."
A flash of coldness suddenly passed through Zephyrion’s gaze.
"Freeze."
The blood within Zephyrion hardened, turning rigid and unyielding, resisting his control as if it were... freezing.
"...what—?"
Flames... and now freeze...
Nial’s eyes widened as realization struck.
"You can use fire and ice—!?"
Squelch!
The blade drove into his neck, then halted.
Zephyrion’s eyes narrowed. Something had stopped it from going further.
’His blood.’
"Heh... you really thought this was over?" Nial suddenly met his gaze, grinning through bloodied teeth. "Converge."
A sharp hum resonated through the cavern. In the next instant, the scattered pools of blood from the corpses surged toward them, forming an endless barrage of spikes.
Zephyrion was about to pull back when Nial suddenly seized his arm, a mad grin spreading across his face.
"You’re not going anywhere. Not until I figure out what the hell you are."
Zephyrion’s eyes turned frigid. His mind had begun to move when a piercing hum swept through the cavern.
The surging wave of blood abruptly collapsed, splattering to the ground as if crushed by an unseen force.
Ahead, the air around the Reaver’s head began to distort.
"W-what... what is goi—"
Boom!
The Reaver’s head imploded, bursting into blood and gore. At the same time, a barrier formed around Zephyrion, stopping every drop from touching him.
As he landed, he narrowed his gaze on the cavern’s entrance.
’Someone’s coming.’
Zephyrion quickly circulated fire through his body, dispelling the lingering ice and regulating his temperature back to normal.
A second passed, and a broad figure suddenly stood before him.
"...you okay?"
’Garrick.’
"...I’m fine."
Garrick’s eyes narrowed as he looked him over, checking for injuries. His frown deepened when he found none.
"This guy... he’s a—"
"Mark six."
Garrick’s eyes widened.
"...and you’re fine?"
"I am," Zephyrion nodded, expression calm. "What about the villagers?"
Garrick blinked.
"...the villagers? You’re thinking about them right now?"
"Are they okay?"
"..."
Garrick’s hand slowly clenched. He held Zephyrion’s gaze for a moment, then let out a short chuckle, shaking his head as he gave him a firm pat on the shoulder.
"...you really are something else."
"...answer the question."
"Hah... they’re fine. I passed them on the way here."
A moment of silence passed.
"...how’d you know to come back?"
"Come back... so you knew I was watching." Garrick stared at Zephyrion as though trying to make sense of him.
"A few instructors didn’t report back. I checked, found them dead. Figured something was off, so I swept the area."
Garrick glanced at the headless corpse again.
"...a mark six, huh..." He furrowed his brows briefly. "You sure you’re alright?"
"I am."
"No injuries?"
"None."
"At all?"
"No."
"Re—"
Zephyrion shot him a look, and Garrick chuckled, scratching his head.
"...alright, alright. Just making sure," He said. "I’ll check the rest of the area. Stay put."
As Garrick vanished, Zephyrion’s gaze lingered on the cavern exit.
’The gap... I’m still too weak.’
Not only had Garrick scoured the entire kilometer-wide forest in an instant, he had also crushed the head of the man he’d been struggling against without even being present.
The thought of being this weak left a bitter taste in his mouth.
Faint sounds echoed from the exit, and he frowned. Fiona and the villagers were likely on their way.
’Let’s see.’
Zephyrion crouched beside the Reaver’s corpse and began searching. A Reaver would definitely have something of value...
’Hm?’
His hand paused as he felt something concealed beneath the cloth. A moment later, he pulled it out.
A folded scroll, faintly glowing red.
Zephyrion’s gaze sharpened.
’A Rune scroll.’
Scrolls engraved with elemental runes, something every Ascendant needed to awaken and use the element. They were rare, tightly controlled by every elemental nation and house.
The red glow meant...
’Blood element.’
A faint smile formed on Zephyrion’s face.
This was a great gain. The earlier frustration faded instantly, replaced by an intense anticipation.
"Y-young lord!"
Zephyrion slipped the scroll into his cloth just as Fiona rushed into the cavern.
"A-are you okay? A-are you hurt?"
As she began inspecting him for wounds, Zephyrion let out a quiet breath.
...
"Arg... I thought I was dead..."
"Those Redmaw were insane..."
"Ark—my arm! My arm!"
A scoff slipped from Kaiden.
’Useless.’
He had just returned to the forest entrance after hearing the whistle signaling the end of the mission.
The trainees were sprawled across the ground. Some still trembled in fear, others lay clutching their injuries.
’It wasn’t even that hard.’
The mission had gone perfectly. He had covered a large stretch of the forest and killed five Redmaw.
Five!
Kaiden smirked.
He couldn’t imagine any trainee surpassing that.
’Where’s he?’
Kaiden frowned, his gaze sweeping the area as he failed to spot Zephyrion. He wondered if Zephyrion would turn out like the others, shaken, or worse, heavily injured.
’He probably couldn’t kill a single Redmaw.’
With a faintly smug look, he waited. Moments later, a group emerged from the forest.
Zephyrion and Fiona walked at the front, with a group of dirt covered men and women trailing behind them.
"Oh—look, it’s the young lord."
"He doesn’t even look hurt."
"...who are those people with him?"
"...?"
Kaiden stared at the scene with a confused expression. He had covered a large part of the forest and hadn’t encountered anyone else besides the trainees and Redmaw.
’Where did they come from?’
"Gather!"
At Garrick’s call, the trainees quickly assembled.
"I’ll call out your kills. Barren Calderalth—zero. Kosne Calderalth—zero."
The announcements moved quickly. Most names hovered around zero and one until...
"Kaiden Calderalth—five kills."
"Wait—five?"
"He took down five Redmaw?"
"That’s crazy..."
Gasps spread through the group as all eyes turned to him.
Kaiden straightened, lifting his chin slightly. He cast a glance at Zephyrion and smirked.
’Let’s see you beat that.’
"Quiet."
At Garrick’s shout, the murmurs died instantly.
"Fiona Calderalth—one kill."
A satisfied smile formed on Kaiden’s face. If his partner had only managed one, then Zephyrion couldn’t have done much better.
Kaiden closed his eyes, smiling.
’I’ve won.’
"Zephyrion Calderalth—fourteen confirmed kills."
Kaiden’s eyes snapped open.
"What!?"