Varian saw himself floating in a sea of darkness. It was a literal sea. The water was completely black.
Without any prior preparation, he fell into the sea with his limbs bound.
He struggled to float, but slowly he drowned.
The darkness filled his ears, nose, mouth, and finally—
"Haa!"
Varian gasped as the world turned bright. Disregarding the location he was in, he took plenty of short breaths.
His racing heart slowly calmed down and Varian finally felt a sense of calmness.
He expected to feel aching pain from every inch of his battered body, but to his surprise, he had never felt better.
"S-Scion?" A surprised voice sounded, alarming Varian.
"Eh?" Varian got back on his feet in an instant and looked around.
After rolling down the staircase, he arrived in what the system called an underground room.
If the prison was considered the first underground floor, then this was second. It's common sense that the things on the second floor were either more precious or dangerous than on the first.
That's why he cautiously searched for the source of that voice.
But what he found was a grand hall propped by beautiful pillars, a shining marble floor that reflected the red ceiling filled with murals.
Located equidistant from each other were three altars.
To the left was a pitch-black altar with the imprint of a palm. It gave off the feeling of both protection and restriction.
Even though its size was no greater than a foot, the palm seemed large enough to cover the entire sky.
To the right was a white altar with the engraving of a single eye. On the altar, the solar system, back when there was only one sun was inscribed.
This eye…it stood above the planets and even the sun. It's as if it was overseeing everything and everyone.
These two altars were majestic and awe-inspiring. Just with a single glance, Varian could tell they were made of celestial-grade materials.
But his eyes were glued to the central altar.
The altar was a perfect blend of black and white.
"Gulp." Varian swallowed his dry saliva as he noticed the imprint on the altar.
…A dragon.
A dragon that's a bit too familiar.
Varian closed his eyes and focused on his left wrist.
He felt an itchy sensation inside before a golden bracelet appeared on his wrist.
It was the dragon bracelet passed down as his heirloom. An heirloom his great-grandmother accidentally 'picked up' from the rubble.
Of course, she actually 'stole' it. But the Konstant family history 'corrected' the records to 'picking it up'.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
Varian's silent footsteps sounded in the empty hall. With each step he walked towards the altar, the heavier his body felt.
He was under pressure.
Pressure on every fiber of his being.
The pressure was coming from the bracelet rather than the altar.
[Host.] The System's sighing sounded in his mind.
Varian's brows furrowed but he kept walking. He was sweating buckets, but it didn't stop him.
He needed to get back up.
[The bracelet is where the system is sealed. The altar is like the command center to the seal.
The System tampered with the bracelet. So, when we're outside the ruins and even inside most of the ruins, the altar won't be able to connect to the bracelet and do its thing.]
Varian nodded lightly before forcibly lifting a foot. The feeling was similar to attaching a 20kg weight to his feet.
But he was almost there.
[The Prince's Throne Hall is one of the most important areas. The altar's influence in that area is too high. So, when you entered the throne hall, the altar began to act. When you landed on the arena, it finally clinched the opportunity and sealed the system, at least most of it.]
Tap!
Varian stood in front of the altar and took rapid breaths to calm his body. He was soaked in sweat and would be mistaken to be someone who dipped in a river.
'Enough with that. Tell me how I stop this thing.' Varian said in a blunt tone.
[…You can't completely stop it. Not now, at least. But you can reduce its range. However, it's too hard as it needs—]
The System's words were interrupted by a pleasant voice.
"S-Scion~"
Varian's body stiffened at the unexpected voice. No, he heard this voice already.
…Before he fainted from fatigue with terrible injuries.
As Varian held his breath in fear, the owner of the voice did appear in front of his eyes.
Seeing it, Varian's eyes widened and his jaw dropped. "Y-You!"
"Hehe. Am I too cute? Right? Right?~" The pair of golden wings flapped as they circled around him.
"…the fuck are you?" Varian blurted.
"I'm the successor! Successor of Heaven's Will!" The wings flapped rapidly, and its tone was filled with pride.
Varian's eyes lit up at the words 'Heaven's Will'. Rubbing his hands, he tried to hide his greedy smile as much as possible.
But in the end, he couldn't stop the stupid grin on his face. "Y-You, can you wipe out the abyssals?"
"…" The wings suddenly stopped flapping, but strangely, they were able to stay afloat.
"…Am I underestimating you too much?" Varian put on an 'understanding' expression and smiled even further.
"So, a snap would be enough for you, right? Snap them away. Oh wait, you can't snap, so flap them away! Go ahead!" Varian earnestly looked at the pair of golden wings.
"…"
The wings turned around as if showing the back to Varian and drooped.
"Wooo~ Waaaa~"
Then started crying.
"W-Wait, what?" Varian panicked.
The voice of the wings was young. So, he treated it like a child. Now he felt like a bad uncle who made a little girl cry.
"S-Stop, I didn't say anything, okay?" Varian approached the wings and gently patted them.
The drooping wings stood up as if they were enjoying his touch and the childish voice sounded.
"I…I'm just a successor. My parent Heaven's Will is supposed to train me and pass me its position. But it isn't talking to me anymore." The pair of golden wings complained.
"…So you can't do anything now? Like protecting anyone in the ruins or killing anyone?" Varian asked as his lips twitched.
The answer came immediately.
"Yes!"
'Wait, why are you saying it with pride?'
