Before Kieran ended the stream, many players couldn't help but question him incessantly. They needed to know the identity of those two NPCs.
Although they appeared strong, none of the players could get a grasp on their power level.
Moreover, despite being in the presence of many players, there was a lack of a display that indicated the level and status of Zephyr and Scar.
This phenomenon led viewers to believe that they were some of the abnormal NPCs discussed on the forum.
From the way they described Kieran and Altair as successors, it didn't take the viewers very long to put two and two together. Not to mention, Kieran's last words weighed heavy on everyone's mind.
He held a class superior to Daedric.
If that were true, wouldn't that mean he possessed some unprecedented class?!
Although they no longer had an outlet because Kieran ended the stream, vocal viewers immediately shifted to the official forums to theorize and mention how it all made sense.
Aatrox possessed an ungodly Hidden Class!
This was the message plastered throughout the official forums. Even though the front page was filled in an instant, viewers didn't care. They created endless amounts of duplicate posts to ensure their points, theories, and assumptions were seen.
The madness on the official forum grew so much that it created a greater impression than the earlier stream itself.
…
Inside a luxurious building within Minence City…
Soulless gasped and dropped to his knees, clutching his head as blood pooled from his nostrils.
His eyes reddened as he clutched his head in pain, groaning nonstop.
An indescribable pain radiated from his mind, but it soon permeated his body, leaving him with overpowering chills.
'W-what was that power? I couldn't… touch him,' Soulless thought.
His eyes rattled as he struggled to fathom how Kieran suddenly dominated him at the end of their fight.
Eventually, Soulless muttered a question to himself. "Was it… was it all a game to him? Even with my ability, I failed so miserably?! Now that I think back, at the beginning of the fight, he claimed how he would add a name to his conquer list…"
The more Soulless thought about Kieran's unknown ability, the more fearful he became. He could sense it with supreme clarity—Kieran had not employed any of the phases of inhuman evolution.
This meant that his body had yet to produce the signs of transformation.
However, this thought made Soulless pale further and howl in pain. Recalling the events seemed to trigger trauma in a way that shouldn't be possible.
Eventually, a lady with long silver hair, wearing a navy skirt and blouse, walked in, instantly becoming dismayed by what she saw.
An appalling yet small pool of blood on the floor became diluted by the tears that streamed down Soulless' face.
"Make it stop…" Soulless muttered weakly.
Despite trying to get the gaze of a killer's emotionless eyes out of his head, Soulless couldn't.
When he blinked, he saw them—those gruesome eyes staring back at him.
When he tried to stop thinking altogether, he saw them.
When he referred to his progress toward the next stage of the inhuman evolution spectrum, he saw those eyes.
No… he remembered the abomination behind those eyes.
Gulp!
Soulless swallowed hard and shivered.
While Soulless panicked, rocking back and forth as he clutched his head, a ghastly chill began spilling from his body. As this aura saturated the room, his rosy skin paled, gradually becoming pasty.
Unbeknownst to Soulless, and more importantly, Kieran, the trauma and fear he instilled in this guy drove Soulless to tap into his unique evolution process.
"Vice Guild Master Soulless!" the silver-haired lady called out, shivering due to the rapidly dropping temperature.
Eventually, she gasped and covered her mouth as she witnessed the air around Soulless change colors.
Seconds later, a thin mist gradually circled Soulless' body.
Unfortunately, Soulless failed to hold on, falling into the pool of blood.
Once this happened, the silver-haired lady pulled up on a latch and pressed a red button. Soon, a blaring alarm echoed throughout the building, disrupting everyone that could be alerted by this alarm.
Within seconds, many personnel crowded the room and tended to the unconscious Soulless.
Among those people was a man wearing a strange mask resembling a straight jacket for one's face. His sharp eyes also seemed manic and psychotic as he looked at the ostensibly lifeless Soulless.
"Oh? Umbra paid so much money to secure this one. I wonder what happened to him… how unusual. Keke," the man spoke, looking around the room.
However, the strange thing about his focus was that, rather than pay attention to everyone's expression, he looked at their throats, specifically their jugular veins.
"Panic… so much paniccccc!" The man said in a euphoric and screeching voice as if he enjoyed the situation currently taking place.
As if they sensed his presence, everyone turned back. However, by the time they looked, he was gone.
Though, when they returned their attention to Soulless' body, everyone received the shock of their life. This strange individual had pulled down their mask, revealing the lower half of his face filled with gruesome scars.
Aside from the scars, his lips were blue and black, as if a frostbitten corpse was wearing black lipstick. To make matters more strange, he licked the floor, lapping up only Soulless' spilled blood.
"C'est magnifique~!" the man screamed out in euphoria, clutching his face with a depraved expression as he continued to screech. "Changing! Fabuleux! He is transforming! A strong oneeee~!"
While that happened, everyone trembled after finally realizing the identity of this man.
In fear of triggering this man's psychotic tendencies, they all gulped and only tended to the task at hand, not daring to interfere with his current actions.
…
Inside Zenith Online…
Scar analyzed Kieran once he finished collecting the loot, paying attention to his eyes. "They have recovered their light…"
Curious of his current situation, Scar touched Kieran's forehead and closed his eyes, trying to sense the presence of Argexes' Blood.
It was extremely difficult at first due to the seal Hekaina placed on it, but because Scar had the same blood flowing through his veins, he ultimately picked up on the slightest trace.
"Sealed? Ah… this mystical presence. It's strange though. While sealed up, they've purposely left a small opening for you to extract power from," Scar said, gradually opening his eyes, his expression full of understanding.
'Normally, I would berate someone for trying to seal Argexes' power. However… this seal is ingenious. The purpose of its design is to promote my successor's understanding of his vitality before allowing him to wield the external power of Argexes' Blood,' Scar mused.
Argexes' Blood was merely a means to an end.
The real power of a True Berserker was the transformation that occurred with bathing in the Volcanic Ichor. Mastering the Mark of the Maddened took precedence over using the power of the blood simply because it took far too much to subdue.
Hence, Hekaina was simply pointing Kieran on the path of least resistance to prepare him for a future of great peril and struggle. Once he realized this, Scar realized that there was nothing for him to criticize.
"I'm interested in your adventure to the Wykins. If you're open to it, I'd like to learn more about what transpired and how you came to wield their innate ability," Scar voiced.
However, contrary to Scar's expectations, Kieran shook his head. "I won't tell you. Instead… we'll return to let Agatha tell you herself."
Scar squinted, looking at Kieran dubiously. "You mean to tell me the Princess of Mysteries has ventured outside of that heavily guarded valley?"
"Correct. And she's currently venturing alongside me at the behest of the Enchantress."
This time, it was Scar and Zephyr who were taken aback, staring at Kieran while at a complete loss for words.
"Given her personality… she must loathe you," Zephyr commented.
"Right. To think she'd be relegated to a mere escort. Oh, I can already picture the bratty rage of that woman," Scar sighed, praying for his successor.
Baffled by their comments, Kieran stared at these two before looking at Altair with a grimace that said: Can you believe these are our teachers?
"Ah, we're digressing! I came to ask you—how are your wounds?"
"Approximately 95% healed from what I can sense."
"Very well. Once you're 100%, I'll make good on my promise." Scar nodded.
Curious about their conversation, Zephyr shot Scar a look.
Rather than speak, Scar extended his hand and materialized a palm-sized weapon. Once it appeared, an absurd presence assailed the area within a 1,000-kilometer radius.
"Is that so?"
Zephyr didn't reveal the identity of this ability, but it was clear from his change in expression that he was aware of its unfathomable power.
Eventually, Kieran moved away from the conversation with Scar and approached Khaos. After all, they still needed to iron out the details of their deal.
Though, as he approached Khaos, Kieran noticed how tense the latter had become. Whether it was because of the power Kieran displayed, or the presence of these two NPCs, Khaos remained in shock.
"Guild Master Khaos," Kieran called out.
Roused from his stupor due to the sudden utterance of his name, Khaos looked at Kieran. "Yes, Aatrox?"
"Regarding the matter of the X-hancers, can you deliver the order to the Gamer Republic Branch in Minence City? Also, have the bill go to Allan Peters as well," Kieran said.
Despite his budding fame, Kieran decided he didn't want his presence at the facility to be known. It wasn't for his safety, it was to maintain Dr. Riley's peace of mind.
Once people caught wind of this knowledge, there would undoubtedly be press and paparazzi attempting to have exclusive interviews with him.
Kieran naturally wished to avoid this situation for as long as possible. After all, the interruptions could hinder the progress of his subordinates.
"That's all very doable. However, I'd like to tweak our deal. It might be me taking advantage of my indirect connection to you, but I'll sell you some of my personal supply of 30 to 50% concentration X-hancers," Khaos said.
Hearing that, Kieran immediately understood what Khaos was trying to do. But despite the enticing offer, Kieran didn't agree without hesitation.
He pondered.
