Upon receiving the bestowal of power, Kieran noticed a few things he couldn't do while under the influence of this power-up skill.
One, he couldn't inspect the temporary skills, nor could he bring up the Crimson Juggernaut Mantle's explicit details. Since this was temporary, the system didn't allow him to search deeper into this matter.
However, he did receive knowledge regarding the usage of each skill and its general effects. This information emerged as a cinematic picture in his mind which soon faded away, leaving Kieran with a deep-rooted fascination.
In addition to being unable to obtain in-depth information, Kieran could no longer place his Unassigned Attribute Points and Skill Points. Their respective interface symbol was grayed out in Kieran's view. It was as if his current stats experienced a hard cap.
Had Kieran known this, he would've used the UAP in his possession to increase his Strength or Agility. Because, in the end, there was no way for him to tell if his current condition guaranteed success.
After briefly considering the conditions of the quest and the Crimson Juggernaut Mantle that could forcibly empower his stats and skill arsenal to this degree, Kieran realized he overlooked a particular quest type mentioned on the forums in the past that had no official label.
'This must be an emulation quest!' Kieran inwardly exclaimed.
Emulation quests were also referred to as false trials. In short, someone who wished to accept a "successor" would arrange a task of a certain standard to test their aptitude. In testing their aptitude, they would receive a temporary and mild version of this potential class, legacy, or practice and be tasked with completing the master's test.
Usually, these false trials could only be arranged by Enlightened Beings since its required an astonishing amount of energy to safely instill power into a weaker individual. It was essentially a test of the master's understanding of their fundamentals.
Should their understanding suffice, they could move more forward with the invocation.
Meanwhile, this action appeared to be as simple as breathing for Agrianos. This fact alone made Kieran understand one thing. 'Even calling him an Enlightened Being would be wrong. He's much more terrifying. What's his level? Also, did that sub-quest say he dealt with this every ten thousand years? How… old is he then?'
Every thought birthed thousands of questions that Kieran simply didn't have the answers to. However, he felt it could be acquired with time as long as he performed well. Perhaps he could even come across information that set his path on a tangent from all others!
After setting aside his endless supply of questions, Kieran paid attention to his current state. At a glance, it was evident he was given the potential of a True Berserker, albeit a watered-down version in terms of its capabilities. All authentic Intermediate Classes possessed passive, which his current form lacked.
Of course, Kieran wasn't complaining because the monstrous amplification more than justified the trade-off.
"With this power, you will now prove your worth alongside me," Agrianos abruptly said, awakening Kieran from relishing in this change.
"Understood," Kieran nodded while immediately withdrawing the Scarlet Steel Greatsword. However, to Kieran's surprise, Agrianos lip turned up in disgust.
"Put that hideous weapon away. Do you want that paperweight to shatter in one swing? You'll be pinned against demonic creatures; that's not something a mundane weapon can handle. Use this instead," Agrianos said indifferently.
Without a shred of hesitation, Agrianos tossed his exquisite weapon to Kieran. While midair, it shimmered with a silvery and crimson brilliance that cut through the darkness. However, that marvelous sight was soon torn to shred when Kieran grasped the blade's grip.
Since he didn't know what to expect, Kieran's arm was nearly forced to the ground under the immense weight of the weapon. Fortunately, his current Strength surpassed 13,000! So, when he realized the issue, he immediately put more power into his arm, leveling out the blade before it could cause a shocking explosion.
'My god! And this man waves it about as if it's weightless? Calling this guy a monster is an understatement,' Kieran thought to himself. Despite his shock, Kieran still marveled at how perfect the weapon in his hands was.
It was just a shame that he only held the right to use it temporarily because once the Crimson Juggernaut Mantle dissipated, Kieran would lose all qualifications to even lift the weapon, let alone wield it.
"Wait… what about you? What will you use to fight?" Kieran questioned. Truth be told, he felt this weapon was more practical in Agrianos' hands than in his own. But, Agrianos's following words made Kieran realize how thoughtless his question was.
"Kid, my whole body has been honed into a weapon. Besides, I much rather my fist," Agrianos shrugged with a light chuckle.
Afterward, he thrust both of his hands forth. While two air cannons fired forth due to the punch pressure, two gauntlets forged from Agrianos' own blood coated his hands until they appeared no different from a demon's sinister claws.
Bang!
Agrianos sped forth with an excited yet brutal expression on his face without any prior indication.
He became a monstrous fighting machine that mowed down tremendous amounts of demonic creatures hiding in the darkness with every step. Within a few short seconds, the distance between Agrianos and Kieran widened to over a thousand kilometers.
After realizing this, Kieran understood it was no time to stand around in awe. He first waved the sword about until he gained a slight familiarity with it. He couldn't ask for more since affinity with a weapon came over time, especially one as great as this.
It didn't take long for Kieran to adapt to his current parameters since they were only 50% stronger than his prime form in his memories. Additionally, his mind was different from what it was before. He couldn't explain it, but while it wasn't as hyperactive as in his memories, it was extremely precise, filtering out the unneeded information.
Kieran's expression beamed as he stepped forward and burst with a speed that was only possible due to the increase in his constitution. While it didn't reward stats, it was even better because it was a hidden attribute intricately linked to class promotions. In fact, it was the sole reason that lower tier classes rarely emerged triumphant against higher tier classes.
Swoosh!
The darkness swooshed as Kieran sped forth while catching a clear look at the beings in the darkness. They were hideous creatures with dysmorphic bodies. Some had long arms and claws, others had disturbing thick bodies, and some even possessed features unique to distinct races like reptiles, arachnids, and insects.
'So these are the so-called demonic creatures. It seems they come in all shapes and sizes, but I don't think they're demons. They must be monsters deeply affected by the chasm's malevolent energies,' Kieran thought.
Of course, Kieran held no sympathies towards these monsters. They were an obstacle standing between him and his future. And quite frankly, an obstruction was not something Kieran would permit. Therefore, it had to be overcome.
In this case, Kieran turned towards the first temporary skill on the list—Crimson Current. He followed the information in his mind and had the mantle covering his body interact with the weapon.
A glob of viscous blood instantly formed before the sword's sharp edge. The orb had no effect on the sword's weight despite its size as Kieran struck the earth like a god decreeing their mandate.
The orb transformed into a violent surge of bloody currents that swept through the surroundings, carrying the enemies away from Kieran. Since the quest mentioned nothing about killing these creatures, he didn't waste his time trying to do so. Kieran would leave the matters of extermination to Agrianos, who could accomplish it effortlessly.
After all, Kieran knew a skill like the Crimson Juggernaut Mantle possessed a finite duration. He simply utilized the skills at his disposal to create an unobstructed path to the destination.
Following the Crimson Current, Kieran unleashed a humongous bloody arc that split the darkness for a brief moment. Naturally, this was the Blood Wave in his possession. Kieran continued to move forward, slowly closing the distance separating him and Agrianos.
After two minutes of employing these skills, Kieran caught Agrianos' back. More importantly, he came to realize that Agrianos had stopped moving altogether. Admittedly, they had reached their destination.
Only once Kieran arrived side by side with Agrianos did he stop moving. Once he did that, he laid eyes upon a shocking side. There was an immense altar in the middle of the Chasm of Apogeton!
Inside that altar was a massive rift restricted by overlapping obsidian chains that didn't appear to be forged by physical materials. They seemed to be made from pure energy. Furthermore, Kieran also noticed a large tear in the defensive formation created by these chains. From this tear leaked the energy that pervaded the Chasm of Apogeton.
Another matter that caught Kieran's attention was the orientation of the stacked-up stone socles with black and grey orbs situated atop. They were placed in such a way that while the defensive formation was a hexagonal prism, the engravings on the floor formed a six-pronged star composed of two overlapping equilateral triangles.
There were chains attached to the orbs, or rather they materialized from them.
"I suppose this is our objective," Kieran commented.
"The Sealed Nether Entrance, bound by the Nether Severing Hex-Seal," Agrianos replied with a placid expression. "My task is upkeeping this seal, prolonging its inevitable corrosion by resupplying its accumulation. This time, you'll help me."
Suddenly, the rift began to contort and release abnormal undulations. Agrianos' expression didn't change at all because this matter occurred during every visit.
A figure dropped from within the rift, slowly looking up from a half-kneeled position.
Its sinister eyes met with Agrianos and Kieran as it emitted a string of feral growls.
