Along the route leading to the capital of Harijoh, a carriage was passing through."You truly plan on going against your own family, brother?""I lost my brother the day you let your hatred for artifacts turn into an obsession."Yuri was driving the carriage with his brother tied and seated behind him."I plan on conveying the truth to the king: that it was you who shared letters with the enemy and framed Sasha." He carefully maneuvers through the bumpy road."I will bring you to justice; that shall be my repentance."Just as he was about to finish, an arrow flew in their direction.'Tsk. Ambush!?'He avoided most of the arrows that aimed for them. Eventually, he couldn't dodge an exploding arrow that sent them crashing into a tree.Yuri burst into tears as his vision got blurry. He could see the silhouette of a woman standing in front of them, with a dozen archers behind her.He sneered at the sight of the woman untying his brother as they all looked down at him. "What do we do wi
Inside a shaggy tent in the middle of a forest, a bandaged Yuri was starting to regain consciousness. "Argh, where am I?" He sits up and holds his head, wincing in pain as he recalls the incident that transpired, which led to his current condition. Yuri clenched his trembling fists, releasing his aura in a fit of rage. He planned on having his brother return to Harijoh with him so he could face his crimes. "That mad man is loose out there, and it's all my fault." Yuri managed to eventually calm down a bit as his aura disappeared. "Caww!!" He hears the cawing of a bird outside the tent and decides to check it out. As he steps outside the tent, he sees a rainbow-colored bird flying towards him and spots an old man trailing not too far behind. "Huhuhu. It seems the youngin has finally awakened, Ada." "Woah!" Krystal and co. have completed their first trial in the Aquarius crypt and await the final test. They were currently walking in a vast hall that depicted numerous hierog
"Thank you for taking care of me, old man." Yuri bowed his head to Shambala in gratitude for saving his life and nurturing him back to health.The two stood in the middle of a junction that connects to three paths, with a sign sitting in the middle that depicts pictures of two arrows pointing in different directions with words in them."Huhuhu, take care of yourself; the path you choose to take will not be an easy one."Cawww! Ada cries as it lands on Yuri's shoulders, with Yuri petting the bird."Haha, I'm going to miss you too, Ada."Yuri waves at the duo as they take off on the path that reads "Black Seed," while he sets off towards the path leading to Harijoh."Ahh! This wine is divine," Justin comments as he chugs down his cup of wine.They all drank and enjoyed the wine that was served to them by Hydrax's attendant."I have traveled far and wide and have tasted different wines. But this tastes like heaven!" Vladimir declares as he receives another serving and chugs it down as we
In a hidden base just outside of Harijoh... "Those accursed Artifact users, Krystal, Sasha... I will make them all pay for the humiliation I went through." He slammed his fist on a desk shattering it in the process. "Commander, please calm down, if you leak your aura, the Region's sensory team might lock on to us." He took three deep breaths and walked towards the screen depicting surveillance video of their surroundings. He smirked as he noticed Yuri making his way into the Region. "Guess the little traitor managed to survive. Doesn't matter anymore with what I have in store." His phoned beeped and he pulled it out of his pocket answering the call in the process. A faint muttering voice could be heard over the phone. "Everything is ready for your arrival. You shall have what you are looking for and I shall become King." The base at that time was filled with the maniacal laughter of the former general. Inside the throne room of the Capital of Harijoh, Yuri had just arrived a
Inside the Aquarius zodiac crypt, Krystal and Hydrax have begun their battle.With a sharp thrust, Krystal swings his blade forward, only for Hydrax to sidestep him and strike his neck from behind.Hydrax jumped back a few meters to create space between them."To make it a little fair, I won't be using my abilities."Krystal clicked his tongue and charged at Hydrax once again.The crew all watched as Hydrax countered and dodged all of Krystal's attacks with zero effort.Overhead kick, countered with a sidestepped punch to the face.Leg sweep, dodged with a jump, and retaliated with a kick of his own."Damn, I can't believe I'm saying this, but the demon spawn is outmatched.""And his time is almost over; Sir Krystal hasn't gotten a single hit!""He has less than two minutes to land three hits, or it's over.""He'll win."Vladimir said this with his arms folded, concentrating deeply as the battle progressed."Ack! It doesn't look like it, Vlad. This is not a "believe in our captain" ty
Black Seed was a secluded area not belonging to any region. It was like a black market for bravery of all kinds.Artifacts, information, maps, and hidden crypts were all traded here.But today, Black Seed was going to serve as a meeting venue...Shambala walked into a dark and shaggy building; the inside looked much like a cafe, and there were six other figures in the cafe."Well, well, well, if it isn't the pacifist geezer himself." A man wearing a black hat and a blazer mocked the appearance of Shambala."Huhuhu." Shambala caresses his beard. "It's good to see you again, Dark Sage.""Shuntaaaaaaaal." A teenage girl ran up to the old man and hugged him; her eyes shone brightly as she increased her grip around the old saint."Ahh, be careful, Lela; I'm not as sturdy as I used to be."He chuckles as she lets go of the grip, and they all make their way to a round table with seven chairs.A man dressed as a waiter came over from the bartender's bar and served them each a cup of tea and s
Yusaku Ona was in deep conversation with someone from the Capital over the phone. His voice was calm and collected as he spoke, giving no indication of the sinister plot that was unfolding. "The pieces are set and everything is going as planned,"he said with a sly grin. "Ona, the king suspects nothing." As he hung up the phone, Ona's eyes gleamed with satisfaction. He knew that his plan to overthrow the king was coming to fruition. The man in front of him, dressed in a black and red mask and a long coat, nodded approvingly. "Good,"he said in a low voice. "That man's arrogance shall be his downfall." Ona felt a rush of excitement as he thought about what lay ahead. He had spent months carefully orchestrating this scheme, gathering allies and resources along the way. And now, finally, all of his hard work was paying off. But even as he reveled in his success, Ona knew that there were still challenges ahead. The king may not suspect anything now, but that could change at any mome
A week later, the crew was getting ready to set out for their next destination. Brrrrrr... Brrrr... Brrrr Vladimir's phone rang, and he picked it up after setting it to speaker mode. The voice was cracking, and everyone could barely hear the transmission. They, however, heard the last part clearly before the call cut off. What they heard sent a chill down their spines. It took a greater toll on Vladimir as his aura spiked a little and he clenched his fists. The seriousness of the matter was visible on his face as it reflected the despair within the contents of the transmission. "Yusaku Ona has taken over Ernia." The Shadow Guild is about to fight a war that will decide the fates of not one, but two nations. "Finally home..." Yuri walked into a beautiful place, only for him to be sent crashing down by the force of three children tackling him. "Big bro Rahan!" "You're back You're back, you're back!" "We missed you!" "Tell us some stories of your adventures." This was the o