After witnessing the aftermath of Agrianos' attack, Kieran realized that the corpses of the targeted beasts were nowhere to be found. It was as if they vanished off the face of the planet. Monsters of this caliber required at least twice the peak power of one Mythical Hero to reduce it to dust successfully!
Yes, it was correct that the Mythical Heroes were mighty and at least Lv.400.
However, one of their attacks wasn't enough to annihilate a Lv.200+ Elite Champion. Their natural defenses provided enough cushion to at least receive 3 of their attacks without dying.
However, Agrianos' attack simply killed them all on the spot. Not to mention there were four of them! While the chains of blood did, in fact, immobilize them, it didn't neutralize their defenses.
An unsurvivable force simply annihilated their existence.
Gazing upon Agrianos in amazement, Kieran gulped audibly as his eyes shimmered with fervent desire. This was a state of strength he sought. If he could wield power of that caliber, his enemies would be confronted with a perilous situation!
Meanwhile, Agrianos extended his hand and retracted all of his expended energy rather than let his energy dissipate. Despite it appearing effortless, every one of Agrianos' attacks wielded cataclysmic levels of energy. It wasn't something he could willingly allow these beasts to feed off of.
The energy invested in the enormous sword of carnage and the chains of blood were sufficient to evolve an Elite Champion into a High Champion!
"Mm, damned nuisances. Not even a good challenge, yet they continue mindlessly approaching me," Agrianos huffed in annoyance. He glanced back at Kieran's astonished expression with a faint smirk. "Does this future excite you?"
"Undoubtedly," Kieran admitted with a serious look. While Agrianos appeared to be a light-hearted individual on the surface, that truly wasn't the case. There was more to him than what met the eyes, and Kieran expected as much. However, the greatest mystery surrounding Agrianos was his identity—how significant was his presence to Xenith as a whole?
If his successor was a Mythical Hero, could he have an identity surpassing these Heroes, standing at the supposed pinnacle of Xenith? These types of questions circulated in Kieran's mind, but he couldn't voice them because he doubted they would receive an answer. Instead, he would have to stumble upon this information himself.
'Would the Kingdoms and Empires have such sensitive information inside their royal libraries? I hope so… because history isn't something that should be completely lost to the effects of times. When words fail, records must persist,' Kieran thought.
In the past, he didn't devote much time to delving into Xenith's history because he saw no reason to. He wasn't one of the holders of a heroic-level legacy, nor was he intricately related to Scar. Any quests accepted in the past were strictly quests available to everyone. They maintained no exclusivity.
As a result, Kieran had no tangible connection to the Hero's Sanctuary or the War Deity Council. All of his past in-game NPC connections were superficial at best. Most of his efforts went into developing the Golden Brigade's forces. Fortunately, this time around would be different!
He was no longer restrained by the constraints and commands delivered by his "superiors." Now, he was essentially a free spirit, moving to acquire power at every turn. Unlike in the past, he was at liberty to develop his character as he pleased at the rate he wished.
After taking a moment, Kieran asked one of the questions on his mind. "Do you have any connection to the War Deity Council or Hero's Sanctuary?"
"Oh?" Agrianos' brows rose in surprise. "You have yet to even become an official member of the Guild, yet you're aware of such grandiose names? Was it Scar who divulged this information?"
"I guess. After all, Scar exposed his identity when he gave me this mission. So, I was curious if this connection was unique to Scar, or did it also extend to you?" Kieran responded.
"So he favors you that much, heh? Breaking his restriction while still inside that area. Meh, I suppose you can say I'm acquainted with the War Deity Council. As for the Hero's Sanctuary, that is Scar's sole relationship. I tend to shy away from the mundane world's issues," Agrianos responded.
However, Kieran grew increasingly curious after receiving this response. 'Mundane world? Then….'
"Do you never leave the Wildes?" Kieran asked with a weird expression.
"Why would I? I was born here, and I volunteered as its protector. Therefore, it is a duty I must carry out until the end. Outside of this calling, my jurisdiction comes to an end."
"But why?" Kieran pressed on. Although Agrianos was feeding him information, he wasn't quite quenching Kieran's thirst.
"That… I'm not at liberty to say. If you truly wish to know, become my last successor and obtain the answers from the War Deity Council yourself," Agrianos said with a cryptic yet teasing smirk. He could tell this young man was exceptionally curious, but some answers were simply beyond him.
All Kieran could do was groan frustratedly before pushing the matter to the back of his mind. Afterward, Agrianos pointed near the heart of the Wildes with a grave expression. "That is our destination."
"Wait a minute… you want to go there?" Kieran said with a deep frown.
While the Ancient Crimson Aegis continued to protect him, Kieran recalled an event in the past that ultimately spiraled into one of the worst seen World Quests. Moreover, it all started when someone failed their quest linked to the heart of the Wildes. As Kieran understood, it was a quest that should've been accomplished after at least completing a Third Phase Awakening.
Sadly, people often overestimate themselves.
The outcome was one that Kieran would never forget. It plunged Zenith Online into a state of hysteria as it became nearly impossible to level up. Regrettably, this was also around the time Kieran's illness took over, barring him from participating in the event's end.
Still, the one thing that confused Kieran was the man before him. 'Why wasn't he involved in that quest in the past? Does this have to do with the end of his jurisdiction he mentioned earlier and the quest holder's failure conditions? Then… was he the one who issued the quest?'
Alas, the past wasn't something Kieran could just ask anyone about. Because, in the end, who could hold the answer?!
"Yeah, I have a matter to take care of. Besides, it'll be a small test for you waiting in the location. Are you ready for it?" Agrianos said with a toothy grin. While Agrianos meant no harm, it was difficult not to be unsettled by how fearsome he looked.
"Anyway, you're too slow and making this difficult for me. So…"
Whoosh!
Agrianos snatched Kieran up before squatting. Absurd amounts of strength flowed through his legs as he unleashed an explosive jump.
Bang!
The ground was torn asunder as Agrianos sped forth like a shooting comet. Additionally, he moved so fast that the air surrounding him combusted. However, a blood barrier shielded both him and Kieran from being affected by it.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
This happened repeatedly. The Wildes was hundreds of thousands of kilometers wide. So, even though Agrianos crossed thousands of kilometers with a single leap, the heart of the Wildes grew close at a relatively "slow" pace.
On the other hand, Kieran held back the urge to vomit as his body was rattled slightly with each impact received upon landing. If he were a human in real life, he would have undoubtedly suffered dangerous whiplash by now.
"You're holding up pretty well there, runt!" Agrianos exclaimed.
While it sounded like he used a mocking tone, he was actually praising Kieran. The protection he gave to Kieran only absorbed 99% of the impact. Still, the remaining 1% was worse than being hit by a truck.
'Sheesh, a normal player would've been forcibly logged out by now. The mental damage received by experiencing this pain constantly would definitely trigger the emergency protocols,' Kieran thought.
If a mind received too much damage and teetered on the edge of suffering a permanent injury, the player would immediately be ejected from the game. Upon trying to reconnect, an ejected person would need to be evaluated by a doctor and then assessed by the equipment before allowing access again.
"Actually, a terrible experience. I'm not even joking," Kieran grumbled.
"Ahaha! I bet it is! But, it's over. We have arrived," Agrianos said uproariously. He landed solidly upon the ground before dropping Kieran altogether.
Kieran received a face full of damp dirt but quickly rebounded and stood up while looking around. "The heart of the Wildes…." Kieran muttered while taking in the environment.
Ghastly wails permeated the air as a demonic feeling crept up his back. However, after quickly turning around, Kieran noticed his Retaliatory Sense was firing in all directions. It wasn't a misfire—danger simply surrounded them at every turn.
"Too dark. Don't really like it," Agrianos shook his head in contempt. He then raised his sword high above his head. A viscous crimson layer appeared once again, but it spiraled around the blade like a condensed tempest.
Without any prior indication, the blade fell to the earth. The tempest-like envelopment turned into a sea of blood that split in half and cleared out the murkiness.
Once it was cleared away, it exposed a vast chasm where the end or bottom couldn't be seen. Furthermore, judging from its state, it was something that should've existed since at least the creation of this world itself.
Kieran could only turn towards Agrianos with a questioning expression.
"The Chasm of Apogeton," Agrianos said with a grave expression. However, it turned playful as he turned to Kieran. "Down we go, boy!"
Bang!
Agrianos didn't await Kieran's response as he slammed his back, forcing him down into the seemingly bottomless chasm. Immediately after, Agrianos followed with a light jump but descended even quicker than Kieran.
Before Kieran landed harshly, Agrianos grabbed his waist and hoisted him up. This allowed Kieran to notice how nefarious the energy of this place became. Without the protection delivered by Agrianos, he would die after breathing in a single breath of this place.
'Chasm of Apogeton, I have no recollection of this place but they must have emerged from this place in the past,' Kieran thought. As for the "they" Kieran referred to, it was dark races!
Not dark creatures, but races as a whole, who were powerful enough to disturb the hegemon powers of Xenith!
