Kieran staggered as if struck by lightning.
He stared at the zealous man with an incredulous expression because Heartsbane was a name that came to him shortly after becoming the Condemned Fiend and experiencing his Red Welcome.
Now, it was being revealed that this name related to a weapon the Cardinal of War and Flame was forging.
More than that, the weapon embodied the heart-wrenching sensation inspired by the aftermath of war and fire. It pierced Kieran's chest, lanced through his body like a heavenly spear hell-bent on destruction, and he still had trouble breathing.
It wasn't until the Cardinal reined in whatever he supplied the weapon that Kieran gasped deeply, swallowing air like a voracious fiend. He had been seconds away from passing out.
It made him wonder, though — what kind of weapon could inspire that much dread?
Not even Crimson Ashrune — the product of an expert blacksmith's consummate skill and exceptional material — could compare to the quality of his weapon.
'Is it a Legendary Weapon?'
Though his exposure to Legendary Weapons was limited, Kieran had some experience with Legendary Items in general. The Imprints were Legendary Items, which tracked considering they were all items of legend, said to have gone missing or be the product of lost technique.
But neither of those rumors were true.
The Imprinting Technique belonged to the Wykins or, more specifically, it was the Legacy of the Lineage of Ancient Wisdom, who could weave Significance and Knowledge as one and immortalize it by giving it concrete permanence.
Kieran still didn't understand how the whole thing was possible, but those strange facets of the Lineage Legacy interested him greatly. When the opportunity presented itself, he would definitely take the chance to learn more about Imprints.
There was another matter regarding the Imprints that he had yet to address.
'Right… I still need to understand that vague connection between my two Imprints and grasp Tenacity's effects. That… is a truly strange Imprint.'
Tenacity left a substantial impact upon Kieran, but before he could bask in its glory, its benefits had been stripped away by the powers that be, whom Kieran still knew nothing about.
Coming to terms with the fact he couldn't force that which adamantly chose to remain hidden to come forth, he pushed the thought to the back of his mind.
For now, he focused on the incomplete weapon before him — Heartsbane.
It was a strange weapon, to say the least.
Standing here, Kieran lost count of how many times the Cardinal of War and Flame struck the great, silver blade of unmatched sharpness and purity until it lost its red-hot luster, then returned it to that infernal crucible filled with a familiar fire.
'Isn't that…'
The fire inside the forge's furnace was crimson like the freshest, untainted blood. But there was a kernel of pristine, silvery-white light in its core. If the crimson fire represented the fiery, rage-driven carnage of a Fiend, then the pristine silver in the center must represent the purity and acceptance of that ability.
Even the vilest nature could be considered pure if it was unsullied by any other foreign disposition. Kieran had learned through the Flame that pure did not immediately mean good.
Good and evil were two sides of the same coin. Heroes could be vilified, and vile terrors could be worshiped — the Trial had taught him as such.
'I guess I could sympathize with that sentiment.'
Kieran had somewhat lived that life.
He had once been the Golden Brigade's Berserk King and helped herald an era of prosperous wealth and eminence. The competition was steep and filled with people stronger or more skilled than him, but he was triumphant because he acted with confidence.
Losing, winning — he wore the mantle of confidence all the same.
Victory was sublime, but learning in the face of defeat was more elucidating, alerting Kieran to what he lacked. That splendor was not the exclusive fruits of his labor, but he played a vital role in the advent of that massive Behemoth.
Though he despised the Golden Brigade, he couldn't discard the experience he gained by becoming a core part of their main strike force. It forged him into a better leader through pressure, hardship, and adversity, and quite frankly, he enjoyed the chaos.
The tension between Behemoths and other top forces created a stressful, hyperbolic atmosphere. In the end, however, the rising hero of the Golden Brigade had been the one to be taken advantage of and discarded once his value withered, albeit forcefully.
Kieran hadn't forgotten that the Golden Brigade was responsible for his lack of treatment. Exercising their irrefutable influence as a pillar of the new world order, they blocked every avenue Kieran could turn to.
Thinking about this angered Kieran, but not as intensely as before.
There was a dangerous calmness and chilling ferocity to his new rage. What had once been a raging inferno had become a glacial flame. It still burned, but the burn had become ghastly and icy instead.
And, it was that ghastly rage that resonated with the weapon before Kieran. His connection to the incomplete Heartsbane was deeper than Crimson Ashrune, which had remained by his side through his journey as a Novice.
Would it remain by his side as he walked a path as an Adept?
Kieran didn't know, and that made him release a wistful sigh.
It was a stark reminder of how bleak outgrowing a trusted companion could be. Because of that somber thought, Kieran was once more reminded of the questions he asked himself at the beginning of the Trial — did he truly wish to travel that lonely road to the top?
And… if so, what was fueling him to take those steps?
Rage? His desire to follow his wrath was slowly dying. The more he acquired in this life, the less he cared for what became of the Golden Brigade. He still wanted to crush them, but the Golden Brigade of today was not the one he knew in his past. It wouldn't give the same reward.
At least… not if he went about it in the way he considered before.
'This Flame… it's been a pretty amazing teacher at what not to do. It's willing to sacrifice a Boundary for its goal. And I… was willing to kill innocents to have my revenge. But, I need only target those directly responsible for my situation.'
He had been so filled with rage and anger that he desired to crush whoever the Golden Brigade employed in this life, but that was needless casualties. With what Kieran felt, it would undoubtedly spill beyond the limits of Zenith Online.
Kieran slowly lifted his hand as if wrapped around someone's fragile neck and tightened with ghastly force. He envisioned Charles' delicate neck trapped in his vice grip as he squeezed. It was all in his imagination, but Kieran's hand responded with uncanny accuracy. It tightened in a way that emulated the resistance of flesh beneath his grip.
That emulation slowed his choke.
Then, he dropped his hand, his eyes dire and leaking sinister intent.
'When I get you, I won't kill you just for the satisfaction of it. You'll watch as your heart beats in my hand, and I crush it. I'll take your heart so you may never rob someone of their glory again. Your death has been promised.'
Not too far from Kieran, the Cardinal turned his head and regarded Kieran with genuine awe.
Then, he muttered something to himself.
"Yes… he will be its wielder. The great blade has already attained resonance with the Condemned Fiend. But it is not yet done. By the end, I will have poured my everything and more into this blade."
