Inside the Godhand Bazaar…
Kieran and Agatha walked through the portal as it closed behind them.
Because Agatha had visited the building once before, even if Kieran erected countermeasures to avoid having his building forcibly entered, it was all for naught against Agatha.
If she willed it, Agatha could enter this place with little to no effort.
After all, the effects of the game system more so applied to players, not the NPCs. In fact, most NPCs couldn't even perceive the existence of such a power acting on the world.
Upon entering the Enchanter's Paradise portion of the Godhand Bazaar, Agatha waved her hand and closed the door.
A second later, she started to create a strange environment conducive to mystical manipulation.
"We don't have much time, so everything I'll teach you will be fast-tracked. It'll be up to your comprehension to determine how much of it you digest," Agatha voiced.
As she spoke, her appearance gradually began to morph into one that provided the highest benefits. Her eyes whitened as blue markings appeared across her supple skin, while her hair adopted a mystical glow.
In this state, Agatha looked no different from the other Wykins Kieran had laid his eyes upon. However, Kieran had to admit that these markings created a scene of pure resplendence.
Nevertheless, aside from appreciating the scene before him, Kieran couldn't help but sigh. "Wow… straight to the point. Not a hint of dawdling, I see."
"As I told you before, even your nap earlier was a luxury. I fear that my master giving you a mission will have ramifications that you must be prepared for. If I'm not strong enough to realize her wishes, that means you must surpass me to accomplish them," Agatha spoke.
Throughout her words, Agatha's expression grew complex as if she was coming to terms with the situation and letting bygones be bygones. "Thus, in place of my master, I'll help you become a skilled mystic. Your mastery of runes on the other hand… can't be taught. It must be studied."
"I appreciate your help, Agatha."
"Haah." Agatha sighed in response. "As your elder, it's naturally my responsibility. Now… listen very carefully, because I won't be repeating myself."
As per Agatha's order, Kieran fired up his eyes, taking the initiative to draw upon and exhaust his gather mystic energy to power his True Unveiling Eyes and Eyes of Profound Discerning.
Within a span of six hours, Agatha walked Kieran through everything he had learned inside the Ancient Rune Oasis, but in greater depth.
Then, she moved on to application.
"Since you have learned the first six syllables, you possess the means to wordmance properly. Together, these six syllables form the foundation of all mystic constructs. Any additional syllable within a cipher is merely a sign of expertise, but you can get by with what you currently have access to… if you can perfect them," Agatha said.
As she moved her hands, she then clapped and spread them apart, simultaneously conjuring the first to sixth syllable. "These characters have been spread throughout the entire room. However… I'll be destroying those wards eventually."
This revelation made Kieran arch his brow. "Why destroy it after the work you've put in?"
Aside from questioning the reason for Agatha's actions, Kieran also felt some pain in his heart. The wards placed by Agatha were excellent, creating an optimal environment.
The peace and serenity promoted the ideal circumstances to chance upon great success when crafting.
"Naturally, I'm destroying it because I intend to make you replace them. This is your place of business, no? If so, you should possess the means to enchant and enhance it. I won't let you become reliant upon my intervention," Agatha replied.
Her expression grew cold as she glared at Kieran. After all, she could "see" that he wanted to request her assistance for many menial tasks.
"Rats… I've been called out and caught red-handed," Kieran sighed dramatically, occasionally glancing in Agatha's direction to see if his farce worked.
Sadly, it was ineffectual.
Agatha continued to look at him coldly with her arms extended and her palms open and facing upward.
Several seconds later, the sound of glass shattering resounded as many cracks appeared within the ward that protected and enhanced the room they were in.
Agatha's expression lightened as she began to guide Kieran's training. "As a Mystic Runemaster, before you work in peace, you must learn how to create your peace in any circumstance. Only then will your constructs become concrete."
All of a sudden, the broken mystic fragments turned into a maelstrom.
Within seconds, the room grew chaotic while the violent mystical winds made standing or sitting in one place difficult. Due to their incredible sharpness, Kieran estimated that, if cut, he'd at least lose some Health.
'An effortless attack on par with a S Rank Skill of mine. How unbelievable…' Kieran muttered in his mind, taken aback by his current situation.
"Sit," Agatha commanded. "For now, you won't be damaged. Though, the longer it takes for you to muster enough mystical energy, the tighter I'll make the maelstrom in this room."
"Understood," Kieran remarked.
After his experiences within the Ancient Rune Oasis, Kieran had become quite confident in the rate at which he accumulated mystic energy.
However, Kieran soon realized that he had underestimated just how chaotic Agatha had made this place. Though he wasn't being damaged, his ears continued to ring as the winds roared past, becoming sonorous.
Focusing under these conditions was far from ideal.
Whenever he almost succeeded in contacting the Archaic Verity Compendium to provide mystic energy, it was as if the winds picked up, disrupting his actions.
As a result, the structure of his Supreme Cipher continued to flicker in and out of existence.
From what he understood, to wordmance, one had to grasp the Eighth Supreme Cipher of Eni, which, unlike the First Supreme Cipher, formed eight equidistant rings around one's arms.
Fortunately, when Kieran became a Mystic Runemaster, he gained basic knowledge of all nine ciphers, so he knew how to create them.
However, compared to all of the other Supreme Ciphers, the Eighth Supreme Cipher required incredibly meticulous control over mystic energy.
It was the focal point of all meaningful mystic structures.
"Silly boy. Surely this little bit of chaos isn't disrupting you. Not after the way I praised you in my mind. Tsk tsk." Agatha began to mischievously click her tongue, taunting Kieran in a tone that sounded eerily familiar to his earlier one.
'Don't entertain her folly. Don't do it. She's merely providing additional troubles,' Kieran thought, scrunching his nose.
Unfortunately, as he attempted to ignore Agatha, she continued to tease him, walking close with a deliberate rhythm.
Each click of her heels resonated with the tempest, producing a surge of winds that passed by Kieran with a ghost-like wail.
Agatha moved elegantly, passing her hands through the air, greatly condensing the maelstrom inside the room. "Although you'll be in my care and presence, there's no guarantee that your experience within the Forest of Gardenia will be pleasant, so you must be prepared for that."
After an extended pause, Agatha revealed a charming yet whimsical smile. "So, speed it up, mister~."
"Hooh…" Kieran exhaled heavily, his breath creating a dense fog.
In response, the Archaic Verity Compendium in his mind reacted as Kieran began to greatly increase his focus, stepping into the realm of applying what he learned while testing his progress within the Inhuman Threshold.
Once his link to the True Relic was strengthened by his Hypervigilant-level focus, a small mystical tempest soon erupted around Kieran. His hair and the fur on his armor swayed wildly while the first ring of the Eighth Supreme Cipher began forming beneath his shoulder.
…
Meanwhile, on Earth…
Within a facility in Minence City…
Soulless' eyes slammed open, frantically scanning his surroundings.
However, after a while, he noticed that his chest felt tight, even breathing alone seemed difficult. After looking down, he realized he was attached to a mechanical ventilator.
Upon looking around, Soulless saw many medical staff tending to several machines. While that was happening, numerous people conversed amongst themselves.
'The last thing I remember…' Soulless muttered in mind.
The scene of his death replayed, making his eyes rattle.
But unlike before, he didn't faint or descend into depravity. Unknowingly, his mental fortitude had increased as a result of his near psychotic break. But… in exchange for that, Soulless felt incredibly weak.
As he lifted his hand before his face, Soulless realized his skin was unusually pale and almost bluish. Alarmed by what he saw, Soulless clutched at the mask on his face and pulled.
Trying to forcibly detach himself from the monitor naturally set off several alarms, which made many people rush to his side.
"He's awake," one of the lead doctors voiced. "Judging by his actions, it appears he is lucid. Responding to your questioning shouldn't be an issue."
"Good," a man in dark sunglasses replied. His wavy currant-colored hair hung down over his glasses, prompting him to comb it back. "Soulless."
"Master Mors," Soulless muttered, his eyes widened in shock.
After all, this man before him was not a member of Umbra. Though the Guild Master of Umbra was present within the room, this particular individual was of far greater renown.
"Apparently you experienced some kind of False Evolution. What happened? If my memory serves right, you shouldn't have reached that point yet," Mors said, gradually lowering his shades.
A strange pressure filled the room as Soulless opened his mouth.
"I fought with a so-called super rookie in the gaming world. It ended in my loss—a crushing defeat. As for what happened, I couldn't even begin to tell you. I still don't understand it."
"No… I do—trauma. Many forms of emotions can lead to growth. In this case, your trauma was so great it triggered a desire to grow stronger within you. Sadly, you didn't have the means to complete your actions," Mors explained.
Soon, he revisited the topic. "A super rookie, you said?"
"Yes. He goes by the name of Aatrox."
"Aatrox, huh? The name rings a bell, but nothing significant. I guess he's merely a grand character while in the game. Nevertheless… once you're healed, leave Umbra. You'll be joining Apocalypse."
