“Remember, Signora. If I hear anything about you getting involved in more killings…”“No, master! I swear I will follow what you told me! With this artifact, you can contact me anytime you want.”The red-masked Velvet Signora handed a precious contacting artifact to Zeke before grouping all the subordinates who had heard her summon.The grotto was dominated by a brief bout of silence as the confused silver-robed cultists stood at a corner and watched in silence.“You can go now. Keep me updated.”“Yes, Master.”She deeply bowed before leaving along with everyone else. Meanwhile, Zeke sat down and sighed in exasperation.The Ascetic Blasphemers were his mortal enemies, but the main objective was catching Red Mask Fanti Fan, possibly the only person who would know what Zeke was looking for.‘If it means consorting with the devil, then I won’t mind. Sacrifices have to be made… there’s no room for morality anymore.’Silya Hext was saved, however, all the other soldiers were brutally kille
All hell had broken loose on that once-peaceful valley. Bubbles of blood were appearing in the air and shooting at the rapidly-moving maniac, who, although cornered by several agents and Arbert, could still hold his own quite efficiently.“Hohohoho what a monster! The Blood Dawn Society sure knows its stuff!”After fighting for barely five minutes, Arbert changed from a youth to a middle-aged man, his long red hair almost reaching the ground as it danced in the air each time he moved.The magically-empowered sickles were ripping into everything coming straight at it, whether it was the nefarious Blood Magic or the agents’ enchanted bullets.Clones identical to Arbert appeared all around him, all conjured using the blood dripping off his fresh wounds.With his command, they charged at the crazily laughing assassin, trying to tackle him to the ground while the leader of the agents was completing his masterful spell.…“Where’s Arbert?”Zeke was sweating profusely and breathing heavily
“You’re refusing to speak? On the account that you’ve been caught within our territory and being implicated with the Ascetic Blasphemers, I have enough reason to execute you this very instant.”Jennifer had her arms crossed as she glared at the pale-faced Zeke sitting across from her. He was brought to her tent along with Jack and Sulong. Only Arbert, due to his injuries, was spared the Witch’s menacing eyes and threatening voice.“What do you want me to do, huh? I helped commander Hext then I left. Why are you insisting I did something wrong?”Even though he was exhausted due to over-exertion, Zeke refused to be bossed around, especially after all the trouble he went through to save Silya’s life.“Tell the truth.”“I already did! Instead of going out there and trying to minimize the damages after a whole outpost was wiped out, you’re trying to push the blame on me? Hah! I’m a citizen of the Nezulian Republic and I have no obligation to answer to you. If you want to execute me or lock
“So there’s nothing you can do?”Zeke faced the tall Silya Hext and inquired with a worried expression. He glanced at the small tent behind him, feeling guilty about entering and seeing Arbert’s current condition.The spawn of the Blood God had grown from a middle-aged man to an elderly barely capable of moving. His skin had wrinkled and his bones became fragile.Were it not for the Witches’ help and the recovery potions in their possession, Arbert’s body would have crumbled due to over-exerting himself.“With the resources currently available to us, there’s no way to treat whatever is ailing him.”She approached Zeke and patted his shoulder apologetically, “Zeke, you and I both know he’s not a normal human. The fact that he’s aging fast means he’s one of the failed ‘experiments’ of the Blood Dawn Society. I’m truly sorry.”“But…”“I know you want to help him, but there’s really no alternative. Yes, there are special kinds of monsters from which you can harvest potent healing material
Arbert, whose body turned dangerously thin and on the verge of collapse, moved his head to the side and looked at the three standing next to the bed.He focused, especially, on the tearful Sulong who was holding his hand. The local physician under Jennifer’s command had informed them that Arbert wouldn’t be able to make it past today. Instead of letting him suffer for a bit more, Sulong, after a lot of convincing, reluctantly agreed to let the Witches offer Arbert a peaceful death.Although Arbert had been with them for a short period of time, no one of them considered him strange or unworthy of sympathy and grief. “If there is a way to bring you back, we will find it.” Resolutely stated Zeke as he stared back at the hollow eyes of the red-haired old man.“N-no…”Arbert shook his head while faintly smiling. “I’m happy.”“Come on, man. You’re one of us now, surely there’s a way to get you back.”Jack turned his head to the side and stutteringly uttered those words.“I…”Sadly, Arber
“Is this truly necessary?”“...”Katrina glared at the short and slim agent with an expressionless face. He was also a special agent, one of the best in the Department of Defense. He was part of a large contingent sent to retrieve Zeke Orland and bring him back to the Nezulian Republic.The bearded and muscular agent from before was also present, but he just stood obediently at the back. In addition to the short and brown-haired agent with a cloth mask covering the lower part of his face, there were also three other high-ranking individuals who were all equipped with a power no weaker than a 4-star Witch.Since Jennifer cooperated with them, there were no unexpected complications or fights. However, whether it was the Witch commander, the other witches, or even Katrina, they all frowned in displeasure when they saw how Zeke was being treated.The moment the agents arrived, they handcuffed the youth and put chains around his ankles and neck. They even went a step further and covered h
Ironically, the Witch Association wasn’t a democratic nation; It was ruled by a monarch entity known as the Witch Queen, a woman who was presumably hundreds of years old. As a 7-star Witch, the ruler of the Witches was a merciless woman that stood at the peak of the world. She was, undoubtedly, the strongest living being on the Aether Planet, and through strength alone, her position remained unshakable and allowed her to maintain stability and peace in the country. North of the Whitefrost Planes, between a long mountain range stood the towering capital of the Witch Association. An ancient city surrounded by protective magical barriers and mountainous stone walls that rendered it impregnable. Inside the black castle overseeing the entirety of the city, precisely in a cold and relatively empty spacious hall, all the high-ranking Witches were summoned to meet their leader. Whether it was Silya Hext, Jennifer Savbra, or the other Witches. In total, there were 72 4-star Witches and 36
“You wished for a private meeting. I am listening.”A towering man with long crimson hair and a grizzly-looking face was facing Edward Orland.The man was one of the strongest people in the Nezulian Republic and the one with the highest authority in the Department of Defense.As a democratic nation, the Nezulian Republic wasn’t solely ruled by one entity like the Serey Zhan Empire or the Witch Nation, nevertheless, the man was one of the pillars holding the country together, and seldom were his decisions erroneous.“General Zhang, before I say anything, I want you to grant my brother full immunity.”“Immunity? It has already been decided that he wouldn’t be locked up. What else do you want?”Edward, although feeling pressured to be alone with General Zhang, still kept his calm and clarified,“A vocal minority might try things behind the curtains. If that were to happen, any retaliation from Zeke or I wouldn’t be viewed as treason, even if the mastermind were to be a high executive of
“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
“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
“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
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
“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
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
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
“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
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