Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56
TheCrowWe're nearing the end of Arc 1! Stay tuned and thanks for reading!
Previous Chapter
Related Chapters
Paths of Extinction The Aether Planet
The planet of Wonders Author: Archeologist, Geologist, and Historian Sebastien Whitefort Chapter 1: The Aether planet Following its serendipitous discovery, the Aether Planet quickly became a new home for a new breed of genetically-altered humans. Although the planet was, at least, half the size of Earth, it was situated in the perfect spot, thus making it habitable and ripe for colonization, or so thought the ‘Earthlings’. However, there are many unexplained terrains and occurrences happening all over the Aether Planet. First, there are the contrasting biomes adjacent to each other and equipped with violent environmental conditions. Notably, the Vermillion Sea of Flames, the Whitefrost Planes, the Kingsmen’s Ruins, and the Living Forest. Similar to Earth, the Aether Planet was mostly covered in stretches of waters, which was mostly inaccessible and relatively devoid of any exciting discoveries. However, the available and crossable lands were either to
Paths of Extinction Chapter 33 Sreyzhanian Arts
“Are all of the students like him?”-JackJack and Sulong were sitting on their favorite couch and staring at the cross-legged youth whose eyes were closed and his body literally emitting a faint green light.“Nah! We were just unfortunate enough to cross paths with one of the crazy ones. He hasn’t moved an inch since last night.”Even though Sulong would constantly bicker with Zeke, he had to admit that the latter was excessively hard-working, so much that he gave up on any rest for the sake of non-stop training.It has been five days since Zeke came to live in their office, and despite their rocky beginning, he mostly kept to himself and rarely, if not ever, interfered with their work.The pure Aether revolving around Zeke then getting absorbed suddenly came to a full stop as his body twitched twice and then fell to the ground. By now, this odd occurrence had become more and more frequent, so Sulong no longer voiced his worries or surprise.Zeke groaned in pain, supported himself by
Paths of Extinction Chapter 34 The Holder and The Crown
The portal, whatever it was, took Zeke to a grassy field seemingly outside of the Sunken Metropolis. There, the only source of light was the luminous moon hanging in the darkened canopy. He distanced himself from the twisting portal and, within seconds, saw Jonathan appear, followed right after by Amelia. “Zeke… s-stop this. Just give him what he wants.” “...” Instead of responding, the young man kept staring at the portal, and when it started twisting, he immediately sprung into action; His body vanished as ‘Life Motus’ was activated, teleporting right in front of Jonathan. His fist, wrapped in dense azure lightning, emitted a faint orange glow as it struck the man’s chest, blowing him to the back. Right at that second, Sulong and Jack came out of the portal and rushed at the distracted Amelia. They left her no choice, both of them holding her arms and forcefully dragging her back into the portal. “Meddling pests.”-Jonathan A swirling black mist tried to stop the thugs but Ze
Paths of Extinction Chapter 35 The Tribulation
“There’s no one here.” Celestia and the other five members of the squad suspiciously looked at Detective Vans. He led them to an empty field West of the Sunken Metropolis, claiming that he had received reports mentioning Jonathan’s presence here. However, even after searching for half an hour, they found nothing of import. No one lived here, and the lack of any vegetation made it difficult to hide in here. “I’m starting to think this was all a trick.” Stated James as he glared at Vans Valort. “...” “You’re not denying it…” The six surrounded the man, and though they didn’t use any violence, their piercing gazes were threatening enough. “You realized that this is a waste of all of our time, right? Jonathan could be in Kethra’s Arms, about to kill another innocent person.” Truthfully speaking, Vans was having slight regrets, but even as he was pressured, he refused to spill the beans and blame Zeke. He wasn’t forced to do any of this and, deep in his heart, hoped that Zeke succee
Paths of Extinction Chapter 36 The Punishment
Arc 2: the unfilial sons.The sixth day after leaving Erys, Zeke returned with Azmer and Julia. Even waking up, the two were awfully silent, especially the latter. Her habit of inquiring about every little thing was absent, her eyes lowered as she pondered about something.Azmer, on the other hand, was expressionless and though he walked a little at the back, he also seemed to be in a daze. Either they were traumatized by facing that strange meteor, or there was something Zeke was unaware of.‘It’s natural for them to have suspicions. They couldn’t have noticed that the meteor was aimed straight at me as if controlled by something, but its abrupt arrival can’t be ignored. Why would the Dean send them there? Also, how did he knows where I was? No no… maybe he told them about that strange portal. It’s odd and uncanny, so much so that I find it difficult to trust the Dean.’Zeke caressed the Rune of Line out of habit, a sigh escaping his lips. He succeeded in acquiring the Crown and savi
Paths of Extinction Chapter 37 The Diary
21st January, I still can’t believe what happened. I saw a falling red star when I was going back from work, but when I told my roommate, they mocked me. 22nd January, I saw it again! I’m sure of it! I have this inexplicable urge to see it again. It must be a sign from the Gods! It must be! 26th January, I stayed all night and was able to see it again, but it came straight at me! When I woke up, I felt a bit different. I heard sinister murmurs in my head, is the devil whispering in my ear? I must go to the church to pray. 12th February, I actually got powers from the so-called Paths of Extinctions System! I was so busy fleeing to the border and couldn’t complete the mission it ‘entrusted’ me. Still, I got a lot of available paths… I wonder what they are? They have seemingly normal names like ‘Soldier’ and ‘Judge’. Admittedly, some are more enticing than others. 14th February, I used all my available PE in the ‘soldier main path’, which subsequently strengthened my body and granted
Paths of Extinction Chapter 38 The Extinction Order
‘Hmm… who could they be? Each has a distinct and majestic appearance as well as a terrifying aura. It’s as if they’re alive.’The puzzled Zeke spotted exactly four statues, but only one was made of the Crown’s black and crystalline material. The first, entirely jet black, was that of a domineering middle-aged man with greasy long hair, blurred eyes, and a commanding jawline. He was standing straight and holding onto an equally large greatsword embedded into the ground. Under his feet, golden letters were engraved on the ground, but the language used wasn’t so easily read.‘It’s Hanish? I recognize the characters but I can’t read them. They only teach it in History classes of Public Schools.’Hanish wasn’t a language derived from Earth, it was directly related to the shrouded and forgotten history of the Aether Planet. Although most of its characters were undeciphered, learning it was still an arduous and long process. Only the most dedicated of Scholars and Historians would spend so m
Paths of Extinction Chapter 39 The Seat of Criminality
The rest of the talk with Counselor Mary was mostly about trivial stuff. She would ask questions about himself and Erys and he would give a simple answer. Eventually, she scheduled the next session for the upcoming Saturday and bid him rest well.However, a short while after Zeke left, Mary drank one more cup of her special tea and was about to go and talk with Principal Solas only for him to come on his own.He knocked once then stepped inside the strangely-decorated counseling room.“Principal Solas.”She clasped her hands and respectfully bowed, though her expression was slightly pale as if something was affecting her.“You face could frighten a ghost, Mary.”In response to his unnecessary remark, the young woman wryly smiled and sat down again, her hands still clasped near her chest.The bearded elderly sat on the rocking chair in front of her and looked at the several faced-up cards on the table.“The divination failed? As expected.”“It’s like you told me. That System interfere
Latest Chapter
- Paths of Extinction
Chapter 239 Sanctus Lucerna
“I and Hephradet personally studied it, but found nothing. Here you go.”Kleya handed back the strange item back to Zeke.“There’s no Aether or any other foreign energy inside. We couldn’t determine its purpose.”“I see. Thank you anyway.”“Don’t worry about it. You should rest more or else I’ll never hear the end of it from Jenny.”Zeke wryly smiled and nodded. His mother kept nagging him day and night, telling him to rest and not continuously wander around the castle checking on everyone and making sure there were no issues.His body was already healthy and he felt no odd disturbances or unexpected awakenings. Everything is as normal as it could be.Just as Kleya left the room, Jennifer came in. Behind her was a red-faced Celestia, which made Zeke frown.“Mom?”Surprisingly, Jennifer grabbed his ear and pulled him to the couch.“Did I not tell you to overdo it?”“W-what? I haven’t done anything!”“That’s not what she told me!”Celestia stood a distance away, her head lowered in emba
- Paths of Extinction
Chapter 238 Zeke and Azmer
“It’s still too early to assess everything, but… over 80% of the entire planet’s population died.” Kleya, whose eyes were a bit red and her face was filled with fatigue, sat across Zeke and Celestia. “And Her Majesty?” When she heard his question, Kleya lowered her head and held herself back from crying. “We… we think she died fighting the System. It’s no longer possible to return to the Unending Star, so we decided to acknowledge that Her Majesty was amongst those who had fallen there.” “I’m sorry.” “Don’t be. She… she died protecting what she believed in. Us. Not just the Witch Association but all of the Aether Planet.” Zeke sighed, feeling sorry when he saw Kleya like that. The Witch Queen was the pillar of the Witch Association, their respected leader. It was especially so for Kleya and the other 6-star Witches, excluding Jennifer. “A-anyway, the situation at the capital of the Nezulian Republic remains the same. We’re still looking for a way to cancel that Frost Spell cast
- Paths of Extinction
Chapter 237 The 5th User
“Huff… huff…” With a hand pressed against his hurting chest, Zeke dragged his tired feet toward the fallen copy. The copy’s head turned to look at him, its eyeballs, which looked as if they were to pop-out, were letting out the familiar yet incredibly dim crimson light. “We had completed our objective. There was nothing left for Us to do.” “That didn’t give you the right to wipe entire civilizations.” “You… wouldn’t understand, Zeke Orland.” Unlike earlier, the System spoke through the copy’s mouth. Its charred and cut lips moved in an unnatural way, but the voice was identical to Zeke’s. “We had succeeded. We had saved the world. Then, We understood that our creation, our existence was only for that purpose. That We were a tool destined to cease existing.” “...” “We could not tolerate that.” “So you manifested a will of your own?” In response to that, a self-deprecating laugh came from the copy. “After choosing our first User, we saw how the Races we were supposed to prote
- Paths of Extinction
Chapter 236 The Phoenix
While the Phoenix battled the System in the Cursed Plains of the Unending Star, Zeke’s fight against his copy continued.Things took a turn for the worst when the Crown was crushed and the System’s powers dramatically increased. Nevertheless, Zeke didn’t lose yet. His body was flung and then crashed into the ground, blood gushing out from his shoulder and back.Even then, he slowly stood up and grinned toward the System.“Still fighting the good fight.”The previously calm ‘copy’, or at least the System’s disembodied voice, grew agitated as Zeke refused to remain on the ground.“My will is not so easily broken.”[Voltage King]Zeke’s eyes shone with an azure light as his voltage grew silent and became white.[Divine Champion][Divine Sreyzhanian Arts]Just as he charged at the System again, its body suddenly turned stiff as if being immobilized by something.The item handed by Kayro Ol Zerg flashed from Zeke’s pocket.[Fist of Fury]Zeke’s fists, glowing orange and wrapped in condens
- Paths of Extinction
Chapter 235 The God's Spear
“What’s wrong? I thought you were invincible in your domain.”Zeke’s taunt had no effect, at least not at first. The System stood straight and looked down on its wounded body.“You know nothing of Us.”The copy raised its hand, and very soon, something familiar appeared.It was a tangible object of an odd-shape, but Zeke knew what it was. The Crown.“You will know what it is to be helpless and defeated, 5th user.”“You’re still talking?”Zeke let out a smile and charged forth, his fists wrapped by thick voltage.The System crushed the crown as the red voltage manifested and exploded in an uncontrollable manner.…“Is it done?”Julia Lopmore furrowed her brows as she looked at the enemy, whose body was crushed, burned, and almost unrecognisable. It wasn’t a body anymore, but a mass of flesh and poison.The silence lasted for a very short time as the Crown also appeared in reality.“Stop it!” Shouted Frederic as took out a blue bead, one with the same size and shape that Nicneven had pr
- Paths of Extinction
Chapter 234 All-out Fight
Xiao, with his spear in hand, actually deflected the Divine Thunder before safely landing on the ground.Several people appeared close to the Witch Queen. As she swept her eyes across the six people that unexpectedly showed up here.“Your Majesty, we’re here to lend a hand.” Frederic Whitefort smirked and looked at her as he muttered those words. He had brought along Azmer, Xiao, Celestia, Ava, and Julia Lopmore.“You… how ar-”“We can save that talk for later, eh?”Frederic motioned toward Zeke, who was standing there and staring back at them with a hollow expression.“As I’m the weakest of the bunch, I’ll just stay behind and offer assistance… as well as try to heal Her Majesty.”The Vagabond knelt next to Nicnteven and extended his hand towards her. He let out a warm and serene white light, which made her feel rejuvenated. It was Holy Magic, something which she didn’t know he could use.“Wouldn’t Zeke die if we tried to kill the System?” Asked Julia while furrowing her brows.“Not
- Paths of Extinction
Chapter 233 The Seat of Magic
Right after the destruction of the Heart of the Dead Ends, Zeke stood there, seemingly in a daze.The Witch Queen stared at him intensely, and when his eyes glowed with a crimson light, she immediately attacked.Jonathan roared and rushed as well, a creeping Darkness exploding from his hands.Nicneven struck out from afar, unleashing a blazing wave of flames, fused with a spinning thick beam of Ice-aspected energy.The Paths of Extinction System, which had taken control of Zeke’s body, retaliated with full-force as well.Dozens of thunderbolts erupted from Zeke’s raised hand, blasting Jonathan back and clashing with the Queen’s magic.“The Seat of Magic.” Muttered a voice that didn’t resemble Zeke albeit speaking from his mouth.It was emotionless and cold, one which no living being would be able to imitate.[Voltage Zap]Using such an elementary skill, the System shot innumerable bolts that arched in the air and concentrated on Nicneven.She jumped out of the way and performed a stra
- Paths of Extinction
Chapter 232 The End of the 2nd Cycle
“I know this is a lot to take in, Zeke Orland. But, I want you to trust me. Know that I have your best interest in heart and I wouldn’t have come unless necessary. I could’ve let you venture alone and complete your objective, after which you’ll be killed by your own System.”Zeke pointed his open hand toward the incoming shades.[Voltage King]A barrage of lightning bolts was unleashed, piercing through the shades and extinguishing them. They vaporised in an instant, leaving only a bit of red fog.The Dead Ends and the Paths of Extinction System, they both had that unique and ominous crimson light. However, Zeke thought it was just a coincidence.Now that the truth was revealed to him, he felt a bit lost. It wasn’t that much of a surprise that his System was dangerous or a threat as he had already suspected as much after learning about Edward Heart.Nevertheless, the fact that it was a tool from the very beginning did make him feel weak and clueless.An eerie silence flowed between Ze
- Paths of Extinction
Chapter 231 The Paths of Extinction System
Thanks to the thunderstorm Zeke had previously summoned, the three of them managed to reach and enter the Black Spike. Strangely enough, the entrance of the spire was fully-opened as if beckoning them inside. “This looks man-made.” “Because it is.” Answered Nicneven as she held the black katana with one hand and controlled five differently-colored elemental orb with the other. The interior of the black spike was empty but particularly eerie. Everything was black and except a spiralling staircase that led to the top, there was nothing else, not even the crimson fog. “Who made it?” “...” “Why do you refuse to tell me anything, Your Majesty? What is the Dead Ends? Who created it?” “You do not need to concern yourself with that. Just destroy the Hearts and everything will end.” Her immediate dismissal did irritate him, but he didn’t press her for answers he knew she wouldn’t give. “This is the final stretch. Jonathan, take the vanguard.” “Yes, Your Majesty.” Jonathan pushed bac
