Ch. 671..680

Chapter 671

After some time passed and Lunara was finally letting go of more stress, another knock came from the door but Jack didn’t immediately let them in.

’Who is it?’ Jack sent out a general telepathic message, like sending a chat for the world to see.

’May I come in?’

Recognizing the voice, Jack chuckled, ’Hurry up while there’s still food!’

Raztol then entered the private abode and bowed before saying a word. ’Please, let me thank you for protecting my people.’

’There’s no need to--’

’Jack, I must do this,’ insisted Raztol, keeping his head and torso bowed. ’With humility, please accept my gratitude as the hydra head for the security and peace you’ve allowed my people to maintain during the visit of deities. It is something that we could never accomplish while so many deities have arrived to possibly threaten our existence.’

’Mom, did you get him worried too?’ Jack asked.

Raztol continued, ’No, I’m doing this of my own accord. If there is anything that I can offer you in return for your aid, please make it known. No matter the cost, I must thank you for keeping my people safe.’

’Hurry up and grab a platter!’ shouted Jack. ’If you don’t join us for some food, then I’ll kick you out.’

’... Very well...’ Sighing, Raztol sat on the opposite couch as the only one in hydra form. Despite his size, he began to carefully select small portions of a few dishes.

’That’s it?’ Jack laughed. ’I’m a human and I eat more than that. Come on! Fill up! If you’re so happy about peace at the moment, then be happy and enjoy the moment!’

Taking that to heart, Raztol chuckled and allowed himself to indulge in his hunger.

’Hey Mom, did you know we’re friends now, me and Raztol?’

Looking at her daughter, Lunara was surprised. ’Really? And why’s that?’

’When you challenged the elders, Raztol kept everyone from trying to bother me and crowd around me,’ replied Lina. ’He may be old but he’s a good guy.’

’Thank you, Raztol. I appreciate you helping Lina like that.’

’N-no, Lunara, there’s no need to thank me for that,’ Raztol nearly stammered. ’Why wouldn’t I care for her as such?’

’What do you mean?’

Realizing what he had said, Raztol backtracked, ’Well... as the hydra head how could I allow Lina to be mistreated? She may be hiding it, but she’s still a hydra, after all.’

Sensing the strange tension of the room, Jack wanted to know more. While Lina was distracted with food and Lunara was busy either chewing or conversing with Raztol, he saw an opportunity.

Silently, white illusory energy glazed over Jack’s eyes. He inspected Raztol closely for only a moment but nearly dropped his jaw on the floor as a result. Forgetting to disband the energy in his eyes, Jack was motionless as he stared and blinked at Raztol.

’Jack? What are you doing?’

Immediately releasing the spell, Jack coughed and stuffed his mouth with some fish meat. ’Hmm? What do you mean, Mom?’

’Jack...’ Lunara lifted one eyebrow and tilted her head. Staring at Jack like any mother would to a guilty toddler, Lunara asked, ’That energy in your eyes... Was that Eedaj’s spell?’

’Umm... maybe.’

’Since when did you have that? With that, you wouldn’t need to wait for me to share my memories. So why use it now?’

’Excuse me, what’s going on?’ Raztol asked, trying to understand the sudden development.

Caught redhanded, Jack shrugged. ’It’s nothing, really. I recently learned a skill that lets me read people’s minds, that’s all.’

The hydra head’s smile vanished into thin air. ’Read... minds?’

’Yup... Sorry, but I couldn’t help myself,’ Jack nervously chuckled and scratched his head. ’I didn’t think I’d get caught, so I thought it wouldn’t cause any harm if no one knew better.’

’At least ask beforehand, Jack. You know that...’ scolded Lunara. ’Can’t you at least apologize properly?’

’Yes, Mom...’ Standing up, Jack bowed to the nervous hydra head. ’I’m sorry for reading your mind, Head Raztol.’

’I get it... But please keep my thoughts to yourself, Jack... Please...’

’That’s fine. But maybe we can talk sometime later when we’re alone. Is that alright?’

’Of course, of course... Anyway, I should get going. There’s still something I must do before I retire for some rest,’ stated Raztol, getting off the couch. ’After I finish with my errand, I’ll return to--’

’Wait... We should head to Glacier Keep first.’ Jack rushed to the door and unlocked it. Holding it open for everyone, Jack waved his arm to get the others moving. ’Come on! They’re finally making a move!’

*****

The Flood Dragons were curled up and resting their heads on their tails. Kylon was the only one fully alert of their surroundings as her mind was a jumbled, restless mess. Having a nightmare now of all times would only make her shaky mental state worse, so Kylon decided not to rest until after exploring Glacier Keep. Otherwise, her conflicting feelings and orders would leave Kylon unable to lead her fellow Flood Dragons and gods.

Suddenly, Kylon’s head jolted from side to side. Bright flashes of purple light dotted the area as one figure after another teleported into the entrance of Glacier Keep.

Disappointed and worried, Kylon shouted, "What’s going on--"

A hand reached out and covered Kylon’s mouth. The same person pulled Kylon’s arms and locked them behind her back while forcing her chest into the ground. Kylon’s legs were then pinned by a strong, heavy tail.

Biting the hand, Kylon shouted, "Grixor! What are you doing?!"

"I’m sorry Kylon, but he’s just following orders," Troian spoke loudly, turning to the agitated Flood Dragons. "Don’t worry, Kylon won’t be harmed. We’re only making sure she won’t get in the way of our orders. Look, your fellow Flood Dragons are also cooperating."

Those irritated dragons then noticed the three Flood Dragon’s usually assigned to guard Kylon’s Palace. Seeing those three Flood Dragons nod and look away from Kylon in silence, those that had been waiting at the keep were speechless and confused.

 

Chapter 672

"They’re following orders. Remember, we’re under Halmut, not the lead dragon of our race," Torian stated with a straight face and empty eyes. "Trust me, it will be best that you follow orders like them and then rejoin Kylon after the fact."

"Torian... What are your orders?" questioned Kylon, perplexed as to how Halmut managed to sway the three Flood Gods to not side with her.

"... We’re to continue the attack, just as we had planned."

"But--"

"That’s why you won’t join the fight, Kylon," reasoned Tralbok. "So long as you and those seven don’t join the fray, then you’re not breaking your word. Just stay here with Grixor and his two underlings while we take care of business."

Torn, Kylon opened her mouth to shout, "This--"

"Are you sure you want to do that?"

A strange voice suddenly emerged from out of thin air, putting everyone on edge. All gods present armed themselves and prepared to strike but they saw no signs of another life form nearby.

"Are you sure you want to do that?"

The same voice repeated itself, now echoing slowly for them all to hear and getting the newer gods to tense up.

"Show yourself, coward!" Tralbok shouted with wind blades at the ready.

Next, the voice laughed, "Coming from Halmut’s voluntary lap dog, that means nothing..."

"You!"

"Now, are you sure you want to do that?"

That voice was strangely familiar yet unfamiliar. The legendary gods all thought the same thing, that the voice was being altered with magic.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" This time, the voice came from a clear direction. Everyone looked toward the exit covered in energy, spotting an illusory figure becoming visible. The sight startled some and riled up others even further.

"You dare threaten us!" Tyres shouted, leaping into action without hesitation. Lightning and wind poured over him as the Sword God charged one of the men he most despised due to recent events.

The man in a roxite helmet showed no emotion as he retrieved his rapier in silence. At that moment, the cooler-headed gods noticed that something was different. Tyres also noticed as he was a swordsman and could recognize the change in the wretched rapier he hated.

But then, the man vanished. Spatial energy covered him and seemingly shrunk him down until he was nonexistent. He then reappeared and was only caught by the muffled cry of a Quake Dragon God skewered through the throat. As the helmed swordsman retracted the blade, that was when the gods all recognized the strange feeling they had felt.

They originally thought it was merely the swordsman’s new divine energy and weapon that was somehow, inexplicably upgraded. But seeing darkness oozing out of the Quake Dragon’s fatal wound sent chills down their spines.

"Remember, as an ancient hero he has access to the same spells that many of us wield," Torian shouted, trying to calm everyone’s mind before they hesitated or flinched. "It makes sense for him to wield four magic types if Jack can wield them all."

"Right..." Tralbok sighed, regaining full control of his mind.

Tyres said nothing, sharpening his gaze while focusing his fury to the point of being calm yet ultimately aware. Alcahain and the others present did the same.

The swordsman blinked away to reappear in front of the entrance again, a dozen meters away from the halted Sword God. Holding his rapier forward with no emotion, the man asked, "Are you sure you want to do that?"

Not another word was said. Even Kylon, still braced against the ground, was speechless at the sight with conflicting emotions turbulent inside her.

Gradually swaying his head from one side to the other, the swordsman repeated, "Are you sure you want to do that?"

After a couple more seconds of thought and planning, Torian roared, "Get--"

The moment sound left Torian’s windpipe, the swordsman made his nest move. However, it didn’t involve spatial energy, or wind and lightning energies for that matter.

An eruption of darkness burst out of the helmed swordsman. Before Torian could finish his first word, everyone there was already being engulfed in complete darkness and the swordsman was nowhere to be found.

"Sillo!"

Upon hearing Torian’s shout, the lone Mage God shrouded his surroundings in holy light. Now, a bubble of holy light grew and enveloped all of the legendary gods. But Sillo was dumbfounded to see that his holy light was unable to erase any more darkness. They could now see each other but a pitch-black quilt of darkness was still surrounding his abundant holy light.

Seeing the startlement in Sillo’s face, Torian crept closer to the Mage God. "What’s wrong?"

"This..." Sillo paused and swallowed the saliva lodged in his throat. As everyone got closer to him as the light source, Sillo stated, "This is Universe of Shadows..."

"Impossible!?" Tralbok barked.

"You know better, Tralbok! You know I’m right!"

"Calm down!" ordered Torian, glaring angrily at the jumpy God of Time. "Like I said, as an ancient hero, he has access to ancient spells like us. It makes sense for him to have something like this. All we need to do is overwhelm it, which is easy with all of us."

"Are you sure you want to do that?" the swordsman asked again, still out of sight.

"Would you rather release us? I’m sure Halmut could--"

"No lapdog is allowed to speak to me."

"You--"

"Aaaahhhhhhh..."

As Grixor groaned, everyone was startled again.

"I’m fine, don’t worry about me," stated Grixor, placing a hand over his bleeding shoulder. "He barely pierced me, so it’s just a scratch."

"Grixor..." Torian was startled, not hiding the amazement on his face. The Thundering God glanced and noticed that Grixor was pushed back and Kylon was now free but still in shock. "Grixor... With a rapier, if he can puncture you, that means he can run you through..."

The thought left the gods trembling with chills. Grixor was speechless, struggling to think of a counter-argument to no avail.

"Let’s hurry up and break through the spell!" shouted Tralbok, gathering wind energy like there was no tomorrow.

"Are you sure you want to do that?"

Chapter 673

"Are you sure you want to do that?"

Just when the legendary gods began to gather energy to shatter the dark, illusory spell they were trapped in, the darkness began to hastily dissipate.

"No, no! You’re supposed to say, ’Are you sure about that’!?" shouted a new yet familiar voice without any distortion.

"Right... Sorry for ruining that," chuckled the warped voice.

The legendary gods found themselves back where they once were, just outside of Glacier Keep’s entrance. However, there were now two more people standing beside the rapier-wielding swordsman.

Assuming a portion of control over the situation, Jack sighed, "Oh well... No use in crying over spilled milk or wasted memes... I assume you all have had your fun?"

Sensing the playful yet condescending tone, Torian squinted at Jack. "So you’ve made him a god, big deal. What’s stopping us from--"

"Us four."

"... Four?"

Right on cue, another figure appeared in a subtle blink of spatial energy. All at once, a majority of the legendary gods let loose sighs of discomfort.

"Did I miss the fun?" Moranti jovially asked, wearing an enchanted wetsuit under the new legendary cloak Jack had gifted him.

Jack chuckled, "Of course not, but we did have to stop our friend from scaring them too badly. If not, who knows how many of them would be left for us to play with."

"Great!"

Lunara sighed and rubbed her forehead. "Men... Can’t we just get this over with?"

"Sorry, Mom, I got carried away." Showing a more serious face, Jack met Torian’s gaze. "So, we’ve got about a day till the keep opens yet everyone was in such a rush to get here. I’m sorry to break it to you, but we don’t have enough rooms prepared for you all with such short notice. But I think there’s plenty of room at the stables where they keep--"

"Enough nonsense!" Tralbok shouted. "Tell me, why shouldn’t we take our time enjoying your demise here and now?"

"Someone’s getting excited prematurely... I’d ask if that’s how you always were but you don’t have a woman to confirm the truth."

"You--"

"Jack, state your purpose before we spill blood," Torian interjected.

Shrugging and looking away from Tralbok, Jack replied, "Why don’t we have a ceasefire like Kylon promised? That way, we aren’t bothered by you and you remain alive to enter Glacier Keep. Sounds logical, doesn’t it?"

"And why should we accept that logic when we outnumber you, even after you call upon those hiding back in Trodar?"

Moranti answered with a wide grin, "Do you think your faction was the only one that got stronger these past few days? Or do you need another deserter to leave you for that to sink in?"

"I believe a ceasefire would be best."

"And I second that..."

Torian had opened his mouth but stopped himself from speaking after Grixor supported Kylon’s claim, caught off guard. Sensing his old friend’s mood, Torian clicked his tongue and began to rethink things.

"We’re out of range of the viewing table, right? So what are you so worried about?" asked Jack.

Of all the legendary gods, those that were most tense were the three Flood Dragon gods that had arrived alongside the last batch of gods. They were almost shaking but didn’t appear to be fearful of Jack’s party. If anything, their faces seemed riddled with emotions of sadness or loneliness by the look of them. Kylon and Lunara were the first to recognize this but they were uncertain as to why.

"Can we reach a ceasefire or not?" Jack asked again, lowering the temperature of his tone little by little. "It’s not every day that you can negotiate for your lives without much consequence..."

"... I’ll also agree to a ceasefire."

"Torian?! How dare you?!" Tralbok turned and grabbed the Thundering God by the collar of his robe. "You dare go against our orders?! You’re no leader!"

But Torian remained silent. He shared no reasoning. What swayed him wasn’t logic but the words Grixor had shared and the meaning hidden behind those words. It was rare that the tankiest of the gods showed genuine caution toward someone, and Grixor’s tone said it all as the Earthen Gods eyes stole glances at the helmed swordsman.

"In that case, feel free to stay here," stated Jack. "Don’t start anything you can’t handle, not while he’s here to keep watch."

Jack turned around toward the exit, patting the helmed swordsman on the shoulders. He then shouted, "You can come out now!"

A few silent seconds passed before two people entered the sacred grounds, a hydra and a human. But as that hydra carried the human woman into the entrance of Glacier Keep something happened.

Out of nowhere, a cruelly frowning individual appeared above the two people. His long-prepared wind blades were unleashed upon those two without question or hesitation.

’LINALA!’ Raztol roared and rolled onto his side as energy rushed out of his frost body. He forcibly used himself as a shield and pushed Lina off of his back while trying his best to protect her. Yet no attack reached the heroic hydra head.

Instead, three figures disappeared and reappeared in flashes of purple energy. One had retrieved a scythe and placed himself in front of the attack to counter the wind blades. Another had his rapier’s tip barely pressing into Tralbok’s neck, drawing a single bead of blood. The third had his hand gripping the top of Tralbok’s head without an ounce of mercy or hesitation.

"Tralbok!"

"Torian, will you act according to orders or not!" the God of Time shouted, trying his best to peer through the helmet of the anonymous swordsman to no avail. "Let it be known that I followed our orders, not you!"

"You..." Jack groaned through gritted teeth. "I hope you survive the keep... at least till I can see you perish with my own eyes..."

"Why not right now?" asked Tralbok, ready to cast time magic when needed.

"Who wants to call Halmut for me?" Jack questioned loudly, surprising the legendary gods. "It’s either someone contact him right now or we find out what’s faster, my friend’s rapier or Tralbok’s time magic. I’m curious who will win in the end..."

 

Chapter 674

"Halmut?"

To the surprise of the other legendary gods, it wasn’t Kylon who caved but Grixor. The bulky god had calmly taken out his contact crystal and immediately acquiesced to Jack’s demands.

"What is it?" A reply came almost immediately.

"There’s someone who wants to talk to you." Grixor then lobbed the crystal to Jack, who caught it with his free hand.

Glancing down, Jack found exactly what he had anticipated. Again, Tralbok was clenching a special amulet that was both similar and different compared to the travel amulets used by the legendary gods. Returning his attention to the situation, Jack spoke loudly into the contact crystal, "Hey runt, either there’s a ceasefire or we turn Tralbok into a living scarecrow to ward off pipsqueak Sun Dragons like yourself!"

"HOW DARE YOU?!?!"

"Take your pick," continued Jack. "The moment we all enter Glacier Keep, consider the ceasefire rescinded. Either you agree to the terms or we slaughter your precious subordinates. And thanks to this weasel, I’m not in the mood for disagreements."

"Never have I ever given into such treatment! And never will I!" Halmut roared.

"When you threaten my family, I don’t make small talk. Now answer me. Are you postponing the fight till we’re inside Glacier Keep or am I slaughtering them here and now?" questioned Jack. "Or maybe you’d prefer I come to Olympic Chateau and we can talk things out in person. But you’re not the type to show yourself until after you’ve lost subordinates, right?"

"Halmut, please consider the ceasefire," Torian added his thoughts, using his contact crystal to reach Halmut.

"Torian, How dare you--"

"We can discuss my reasoning after Jack leaves the area, but for now a ceasefire would be best," reasoned Torian.

Jack scoffed, adding, "Since you’re taking too long to decide, we’ll be holding Tralbok hostage until the keep opens. Whether you agree to the ceasefire or not determines what we do to his life and belongings."

Sensing the below-freezing coldness to Jack’s tone and the lack of jokes, Halmut tried his best to not let his temper fly while he wasn’t there to control the situation personally. Torian’s voice helped Halmut in this case, though Halmut would only use Torian as an excuse and hold him accountable for everything later.

"... The ceasefire would end after entering the keep?"

"That’s what I said, isn’t it?" Jack snarkily restated.

"I’ll only agree on my own terms. If you take Tralbok hostage, his storage is to be handed to Torian before he’s taken into your custody. Also, no scarring, crippling, or weakening is allowed to take place or I’ll personally reduce Gilga to ash!"

"I doubt your abilities to do so but I’m fine with those terms."

Halmut added, "And your gods must enter the keep at the same time as ours when the time comes. No waiting on the sidelines this time."

"Agreed, so long as the hydras will remain unharmed during the ceasefire as well. Anything else?"

"... Who of your gods are entering?"

"Why should I share that information?" asked Jack.

"If we’re discussing terms of war, it’s only logical to ask," reasoned Halmut. "I’ll also reveal who will be entering."

"If you’re desperate to know our plans, then how about we meet in person? I’ve got time to pop by and--"

"No, that won’t be necessary since we’re already plenty capable of communicating as we are now."

"... Then what else can you offer in exchange for my information? I’m uninterested in who of your subordinates enters the keep as it won’t change the end result." Then, Jack’s tone turned devilish and he finally exchanged his raging frown for a cruel grin. "But I can think of one thing that may change my mind..."

In front of everyone, Jack cast silence to cover only his head, thereby giving Halmut exclusive claim to Jack’s voice for the moment.

"Tell Kylon and your subordinates the truth of Kustram and you’ve got a deal."

"You--"

"Then again, we can’t forget to mention how you’ve twisted and contorted Kylon’s mind," continued Jack. "Tell me how you managed that right now and I’ll willingly tell you everything about my plan to conquer Glacier Keep without asking about your own plan. Go on, I’m all ears."

"..." No words were said in immediate reply but Jack could hear Halmut’s heavy breathing which was basically a series of grunts at that point. "... Consider the ceasefire official..."

That was all Halmut said before cutting off the conversation, leaving Jack hanging without another chance to verbally abuse or accuse the Sun Dragon.

Dropping the small barrier of silence, Jack tossed the contact crystal back to Grixor and sighed in disappointment, "The ceasefire is official... Moranti, you’re in charge of keeping Tralbok contained till the keep opens."

"Oh... With pleasure..." Moranti chuckled, retrieving a pair of shackles that Tralbok was quite familiar with. "I’ve wanted this for centuries..."

"No scarring, crippling, or weakening allowed," Jack announced the terms of the ceasefire. "Tralbok will be returned in the same condition he’s in now and fully able to enter Glacier Keep when the time comes. Until the keep opens, there will be no fighting between gods or mortals of either side, so no mistreating or targeting the hydras either. When it finally opens, both sides must enter at the same time and leave no one sidelined to enter afterward. If you don’t believe me, confirm that with Halmut.

Glancing at Tralbok, Jack spat, "Hurry up and pass your storages to Torian for safekeeping. That way you guarantee that we don’t steal your stuff."

Cautiously, Tralbok removed his storage ring and disgruntedly lobbed it to Torian. "Coward..."

"Enough talk!" Moranti shouted, eager to cuff the arrogant God of Time. As he placed the repaired shackles onto Tralbok, Moranti noticed something. "Are you supposed to give Torian your items?"

"I was told to give up my storage, not all of my items."

"He can keep that..." Jack added, clicking his tongue as Tralbok gripped the amulet tightly with one hand and a contact crystal in the other. "Knowing Halmut, he’s probably already given Tralbok orders to report anything new he learns, so make sure to teach Tralbok all about Trodan hospitality."

"Oh, I’ll happily agree to that," laughed Moranti, leading Tralbok along via the chained shackles.

Chapter 675

"We’ll leave you with some privacy," added Jack, turning his back to the legendary gods. "Well... most of us will."

Jack took off into the water passage toward the reef above, followed by everyone else on his side, apart from the helmed man. That man turned his attention to the not-too-distant trees and sauntered over without a care in the world.

The gods left at Glacier Keep were momentarily speechless, taken aback at what had just occurred.

"Torian!" A furious roar filled the god’s mind, not hiding any rage whatsoever. "How dare you fail to act!"

"Halmut, I--"

"Shut up and listen for once!" shouted Halmut. "Tralbok just told me of your failure to act and now you deny it? Would he have been placed in that situation if you weren’t such a coward?! Be glad that Tralbok can handle himself and keep calm under pressure!"

Accepting the verbal abuse, Torian kept his lips tightly sealed. Talking back right now would only make the tantrum worse, no matter how true or untrue some of the statements were.

"Since you fail to attack when ordered, you have a new assignment. Gather all the fruits on those trees and send them to me via an escort of four Flood Dragons. Can you handle that much responsibility?"

"... Sure thing, Halmut."

"What did you call me?!"

"Of course... your excellency."

"Good... Also, Tralbok will be placed in charge upon entering Glacier Keep. You’ll only focus on your small three-man team."

The conversation ended there as Halmut disconnected without offering Torian a chance to rebuttal the order.

Taking a deep breath and shaking his head, Torian looked to the three Flood Dragons that had arrived alongside him. "Sillo, heal that one. You three, take another Flood Dragon with you to collect all the fruit here and deliver it to Halmut, immediately."

"I object!"

Blinking and sighing, Torian asked, "Why, Kylon? I’ve already bent orders for you, so--"

"They can take fifteen fruits and that’s it!" shouted the goddess. "No more!"

"Kylon... Then why is he taking more than that?"

As Torian pointed out, all eyes shifted to the helmed man carefully picking fruit from the trees. He showed the utmost care and only selected those that were perfectly round with the perfect touch of firmness. In the end, the helmed man had taken thirty fruits and casually walked back to sit against the wall near the entrance.

"That--"

"How about we send him thirty fruits, as many as he took?" asked Torian, not wanting more arguments yet understanding that Halmut would be angry with him whether he delivered all the fruit or a portion of the fruit. "What’s so special about it anyway, Kylon?"

"... That..." She hesitated to speak up.

"Kylon? Well, if you won’t explain why..." Torian walked to the nearest tree and picked the first fruit within reach. After a single bite, Torian instantly understood Halmut’s desire for them all.

"These fruits spoil too quickly and can’t be preserved," stated Kylon, unable to hide much from anyone that tasted the fruit themselves. "If you take all of them, then nearly all of it will be wasted. And the best results are over long periods of time, not one day. Fifteen to twenty a day will be enough for each of us."

"Well... Thirty will go to Halmut. That proves he’ll get more than us and we’ll save some fruit. Okay?"

As Torian signaled, the three Flood Dragons began picking fruits as those that came with Kylon discussed who would go with the other three. Quickly, four Flood Dragons left the area as the one that had traveled with Kylon led the way.

The mystery man made no moves to stop the Flood Dragons nor did he acknowledge them. Surprisingly, while the others began to eat their fill of the new fruits, the helmed man kept his share of fruit stored away and didn’t bother tasting them.

But the other gods were indulging to the fullest. They were in unexpected bliss with every bite.

At the same time, Sillo poured holy energy into the corpse of the Quake Dragon god. In his fingers was a small, multi-colored crystal that was given to him for use in emergencies. However, Sillo’s growing distrust in the crystal and its effects was replaced with disbelief. "No way..."

"What’s wrong, Sillo?" Alcahain asked, pausing his next bite after seeing the bewilderment in Sillo’s eyes.

"He... He can’t be revived..."

"What?!" Torian almost choked on his current bite, along with everyone else caught up in enjoying their meal. "What do you mean?"

"Exactly that... There’s no way that I nor Halmut can revive him," answered Sillo. "Remember that black energy that oozed out of the wound? It dispersed a while ago but the amount of dark energy that had embedded into his body was absurd. Not only had it traveled through his corpse like a lightning-fast parasite, it rotted his veins and mana supply..."

"That... But that’s--"

"Want to see my sword?"

When Alcahain’s shout was interrupted, each of the legendary gods looked to find the swordsman approaching them. "Want to see my sword?" repeated the man.

The mystery man stopped in front of Sillo and retrieved his rapier. Then, he flipped it around and held it by the blade, extending it to the Mage God. "I’ll give you one minute. Return it by then or die."

Sensing the ridiculous confidence in the man’s voice, Sillo nodded. He was too curious to turn down the unusual offer.

As Sillo took the sword, he carefully inspected it.

"Mind if I--"

"I’ll give you one minute. After he’s done, you’ll be the second and final witness," stated the swordsman.

Alcahain nodded and stood by Sillo, patiently waiting his turn to confirm his doubts and thoughts.

"This... is definitely the cause..." Sillo sighed, but not out of worry. There was a sense of relief radiating from Sillo’s face as he admitted that and passed the weapon to Alcahain. "Look at the base of the hilt. You’ll find the added inscription neatly written there."

Chapter 676

"You’re right..." Alcahain agreed, also showing some signs of relief. Handing the weapon back to the swordsman, the Brawler God asked, "What side did you serve back then?"

"Skaryn. I like his simple leadership style and hands-off approach to let his followers do as they wished," answered the man. "Hence my adaptation of his skills, such as Universe of Shadows and the creation of this sword."

"Right..." Alcahain nervously chuckled, turning his attention back to the fruits.

The Brawler God, as well as all the other gods, felt both relief and caution upon learning about their newest foe. Considering the last person they saw use such attacks was Skaryn himself, it was a little jarring at first to see the swordsman go all out. And knowing that the swordsman had hidden his strength during the last great battle, they felt the necessity to be even more cautious around him.

But their nerves were gradually relaxed with help of the scrumptious fruits they continued to devour. Very quickly, they discovered that Kylon’s words were true.

Torian noticed that his seventeenth fruit left him with a much weaker sensation of bliss than all before it. And the eighteenth fruit was only worse. Siding with Kylon’s earlier opinion, Torian decided not to partake in a nineteenth or twentieth fruit as he didn’t think they would offer him anything but a possible withdrawal when compared to what he felt moments earlier.

The others wound up doing the same, stopping after noticing the drastic change of consuming one too many fruits. After that, each god claimed their own space and either meditated in silence or chatted quietly in small groups, oblivious to the virtually invisible man by the passageway.

*****

Once they exited the passageway and reached the reef on the outside, Jack stopped and telepathically shared his thoughts and orders, ’Lina, I think it’s about time you returned home. Moranti will take you back.’

’Jack, shouldn’t we let Moranti have a share of fruit before leaving?’ asked Lunara.

’Right... sorry, I almost forgot that...’ Shaking his head, Jack continued, ’Moranti, you’ll go with Raztol to their storehouse and procure one sample of each plant they have. I’m sure your wife will be excited about that.

’Afterward, Moranti and Lina will go pick thirty fruits since his bloodline should be able to handle it. Then, Moranti will take Lina and the hostage to Trodar and Raztol will come see me so that we can talk like we mentioned earlier. Is that alright?’

’Of course, Jack. It’s the least I can do in return for protecting my people,’ replied Raztol.

’And thank you for protecting me!’ Lina leaned against the hydra head’s neck and hugged him tightly.

’I didn’t. If Jack and they hadn’t--’

’Either way, thank you for the effort,’ Lunara added. ’I’m very proud to know that our people are in your caring and capable hands, Raztol.’

’I... Thank you... Lunara...’

’When we’re done talking, I assume Raztoll will want to speak with Lunara and ask her opinion on how to handle segregation more properly among the hydras. Right?’ Jack pushed the conversation along.

’YES! I would very much appreciate that!’ stated Raztol, regaining his usual demeanor.

’Then it’s settled. I look forward to tomorrow so don’t have too much fun, Moranti.’

With that, Jack hurried away toward Glacial Palace along with Lunara. Moranti joined Lina on Raztol’s back as they left for the hydra storehouse filled with underwater flora and fauna of all kinds. They were all excited for what would come next.

*****

’Hmm... With both illusory and spatial energy surrounding it, I doubt entering via teleportation would work... But summoning should still be fine...’

Behind locked doors and within a barrier of silence, Jack paced around the room while thinking out loud via telepathy. He was trying to go over his plan and look for necessary adjustments while there was no one there to judge his means of meditation.

’God’s Eye didn’t work from the outside, but will it work inside... That can make everything more difficult...’ Jack sighed, picking up a mug of fresh, hot coffee, available thanks to his reclaimed, in-game inventory. Taking a seat for the dozenth time, Jack leaned forward with elbows on knees and chin on fists.

KNOCK! KNOCK!

Dispersing the silence spell, Jack shouted, ’Come in!’

After the usual clicking sounds, Raztol made his way into the room and sat across from Jack. ’Is something the matter? You appear to be stressed?’

Chuckling, Jack replied, ’Don’t worry about me. I just overthink things sometimes and can use a moment alone to help me put things into perspective. Now, onto business... Why haven’t you told Mom that you’re my grandfather?’

’Umm...’ Raztol was caught off guard by Jack’s unusual wording, stunned at being called a grandfather right off the bat.

’You should tell her.’

’I know...’

’Like, tonight.’

’But that--’

Jack shook his head and insisted, ’Look, we both know that she’s not exactly attached to this place, and for good reason. However, I’m sure she’s matured a lot over the years and I think now would be the best opportunity for you. If you wait too long, you’ll lose your chance.’

’What do you mean?’ asked Raztol, sensing a strange urgency in Jack’s words. ’Why now and not after your time in Glacier Keep?’

’That wouldn’t be the worst time to do it, I guess... But sooner is better in this case. You don’t know this but there’s a whole universe beyond Glacier Reef, beyond the land above, and beyond this entire planet. I’ll be taking the entire family through that universe very soon, and that includes Mom,’ explained Jack. ’So, if you even want a chance to be a part of the family tree, then you need to make sure to tell her ASAP.’

’What’s... ASAP?’

’Just tell her as soon as possible, okay? You already know that Lina would love it, so why hide it?’

Sighing, Raztol teetered his head back and forth, ’It’s just... I know you’re right. But I feel terrible confronting this before finally solving the issue of discrimination among our people.’

’Then why not start by asking her opinion on the matter?’ suggested Jack. ’Now go on, go find her while you have the chance!’

’B-but--’

’Go! Before I kick you out for real!’ laughed Jack.

Rising to his feet, Raztol bowed his head. ’Thank you, Jack.’

’Anytime, Grandpa. Now let me think in peace.’

The hydra head left is a quickened pace, locked the door behind him and letting Jack cast silence to resume his paced thinking.

But before Jack could continue where he left off, a flash of purple light appeared in the room. The moment Jack noticed Moranti and the straggling, red-faced hostage he dropped the silence barrier.

’What’s--’

Moranti immediately shouted via telepathy, ’WHO IS RYN?!’

Chapter 677

After collecting samples from the hydra storehouse, Moranti said his momentary goodbye to Raztol. Lina gave the hydra head one last hug before she and Moranti were teleported back to the entrance of Glacier Keep to pick fruits and then to the guild property they knew so well, along with their chain-led hostage who received no fruit.

Reappearing inside the guild strategy room, the few gods that were lounging there immediately noticed something they hadn’t expected. Seeing Lina come back was anticipated but seeing Tralbok dragged behind Moranti in the very chains that Tralbok had used to contain Moranti was priceless.

"What are you doing?!" shouted Hadurt.

"I would normally tell you to calm down, but tonight is going to be wild!" Moranti laughed, yanking Tralbok’s chain forward. "Aside from injuring, scarring, and killing him, tonight we can do anything we want to the pestro we all despise!"

"Well... I’m excited to take you up on that offer!" howled Kori, eyeing Tralbok with fangs bared.

The news of Tralbok’s momentary hostage situation was virtually announced to the entire guild. While Lina left the room to go tell Maura, Eliza, and Daliea all about Glacier Reef, all gods hurried into the strategy room for a night-long party.

At the same time as the telepathic invitation reached all the gods, one entered the room and smiled at the sight he found. "Tralbok... Finally getting the treatment you deserve?"

Still clutching tightly to his contact crystal and the unique amulet, Tralbok didn’t spare a word, only a glance.

"Perchet, tonight we--"

"I heard your shout and hurried here as fast as I could," replied the God of Sound, back at lv. 90 now. "I’ve got something I need to attend to later so I won’t join the festivities, but I thought I’d take out some stress on my old acquaintance before leaving..."

Before anyone else said another word, Perchet soundly reached out and slapped Tralbok across the face. The God of Time was about to be thrown through the air from the impact but Perchet’s backhand stopped that and forced Tralbok to fly in the opposite direction. And before Tralbok could get far, he reached the end of his chain and forcefully crashed into the floor unable to go further.

"Ahhh... That’s better!" chuckled Perchet. "Take care in Glacier Keep, Moranti!"

As Perchet made his exit, Dragas rushed into the room and embraced her husband. "Where are they?!"

"Calm down, honey..." Moranti sighed, holding out a storage ring. "Here they are."

Planting a kiss on Moranti, Dragas eagerly snatched the ring from his hand. And on her way out, Dragas gave the ground Tralbok a kick to the crotch.

"AAAaaahhhhh..." Tralbok groaned, unable to keep his pain from leaking past his lips.

Laughing along with Kori and Hadurt, Guuro waved his hand and spread holy energy over the groaning, chained-up god. "Don’t worry, you’ll be fine by tomorrow morning."

Forced to accept the situation, Tralbok scoffed and looked away from the four gods. He understood what would happen shortly and he was determined to pay close attention and try to learn something from his time in Trodar. Just a tidbit of information could be useful and information commonly flowed freely during joyful events, such as shaming a common enemy. This was the assignment and order that Halmut had given him, with a promise that Tralbok would be the next person to reach lv. 99.

The night progressed as expected. Gods of Trodar were the first to gather and belittle Tralbok physically and verbally. Then, the leaders and most powerful mortals of the guild were called in to enjoy the event as well. This continued until even those that were low-leveled but familiar with the gods were involved. By then, the event had relocated and dragged Tralbok to an open courtyard for the entire guild to demean and curse.

That was when the first unexpected moment of the night took place for Moranti.

"Ryn would love this!"

That short phrase caught Moranti’s ear and didn’t let go. The God of Space turned away from his divine drinking buddies and looked to the group currently surrounding the suspended Tralbok at the center of the open courtyard.

Laughing and enjoying his buzz, Zariff poked fun at the dangling deity along with his friends from Reinolt. Tridon and Tomas were there, along with Trevor and Shlad who were dragged along by Tridon, their superior officer in the Beast Corps. But Moranti was focused on Zariff, the drunkest and most boisterous of the bunch.

Zariff kept shouting, "Where’s Ryn when you need him?! With his godly strength, we could slap him across the world!"

Ignoring the questions and stares from the gods he stood with, Moranti immediately marched toward the drunk guild treasurer. The others around Zariff spotted Moranti and his crazed look but Zariff was enjoying the moment. Until he was spun around and stared face to face into Moranti’s eyes.

"Who are you talking about?" Moranti firmly questioned, being both serious yet hushed. "What god named Ryn?"

"You know!" Zariff shouted, acting like Moranti was either stupid or ill-informed. "He’s the one with the helmet! He’s a coward to hide his face but the man’s got great taste in drinks!"

At the mention of drinks, Moranti sniffed Zariff more closely and looked sternly at the empty mug in Zariff’s hand. "What did you drink?"

"Oh, that’s a secret... I don’t have enough for everyone, so--"

"What did you drink?!" repeated Moranti, shouting some sense into Zariff.

"Fine... I can spare some for someone like you. How about a toast?!" Zariff pulled out a small wooden keg from his storage and was about to pour himself another glass. However, before that, Zariff was teleported away from the party. "Hey! What--"

Casting silence around them, Moranti tightened his grip on Zariff’s shoulders. "Zariff... Where did you get that?"

"From Ryn, who else! He’s got the best--"

"Who is Ryn?!" roared Moranti, not letting the drunk evade answering.

Still able to see the party in the distance, Zariff sighed and groaned, "Fiiine... but you can’t tell anyone! It’s a secret..."

Chapter 678

’WHO IS RYN?!’

Moranti’s telepathic shout rang through Jack’s mind, not letting Jack enough room for thought.

’Jack, who is Ryn?!’ Moranti repeated, glaring angrily at Jack. ’Tell me!’

Sighing, Jack fell back onto the couch. ’Why did you bring him here? Leave him in Trodar till tomorrow. We don’t need him--’

’Tell me, Jack. Just tell me!’

’... How about we both go back to Trodar?’ Jack insisted, ’We’ll talk there.’

’Fine!’

Moranti teleported the three back to Trodar without wasting another second. They appeared just beyond the gathering that was dying down. But the moment Moranti threw Tralbok back into the open courtyard, cheers filled the air as Rikko hurriedly hung the hostage god back up for everyone to hit like a piñata.

"Now talk!" roared Moranti while casting silence around the two, showing his uncharacteristically short temper and seriousness.

Jack scratched his head and asked, "Who told you? Zariff?"

"That doesn’t matter, now talk!"

"Calm down and let me explain," reasoned Jack, waiting for Moranti to visibly start relaxing. It took a few moments but Moranti’s breathing was almost back to normal and Jack assumed that’s the best Moranti could manage without knowing more. "First off, he’s not who you think he is. He’s--"

"Is he Skaryn or not?!"

"No..." Jack sighed, seeing a lot of Moratni’s pent-up restlessness subside. "Ryn isn’t even his real name."

"Then why--"

"Because the best way to hide someone’s identity is by assuming the identity of another," reasoned Jack. "Ryn is an alias and nothing more. Should he get caught, it would be better that he falsify his identity from the get-go, that way his true self can remain hidden at all cost."

"Then... who is he really? I want to see his real face."

"Now?"

"Yes, now."

Understanding Moratni’s stubbornness, Jack teleported the two of them into his office for more privacy. "One second. Let me switch places."

Not understanding what Jack meant, Moratni was confused when Jack altered his robe to mimic the helmed swordsman’s armor. When Jack next equipped an identical helmet, Moranti was puzzled further but said nothing to stop Jack.

A flash a purple light appeared as Jack vanished yet a figure in identical clothing was left standing in front of Moranti, only a bit taller and broader.

Before Moranti could say anything, the man’s helmet was removed and revealed a dark-skinned face covered in illusory energy.

"Sk-Skaryn?" mumbled Moranti completely puzzled.

"Nope..." Shaking his head, that illusory energy poured over the man’s entire body and changed the man’s appearance to an equally familiar person. "Sorry you found out this way... I just need to hide the fact I have a second body and I felt doing this was the best way to scare the other gods in the case they destroy the helmet in battle."

"I-I... It makes sense, I guess..." Moranti sighed, fumbling his words and thoughts. "I never sensed it via the seal... So it makes sense why you’re not... him."

"But you’ve got to admit, seeing that would terrify any of the other gods the moment they discover who I ’really am’, right?"

"Yeah..." Moranti weakly laughed, trying to let his pounding heart calm down. "How did you know about his obsession with colada?"

"Moranti, there was an entire brand called ’Skaryn’s’ back in the day. It wasn’t hard to learn for any ancient hero dedicated to learning Kartonian history and lore," stated Jack, ignoring the fact that it was merely the flavor text of that colada brand’s many drinks.

"Right... I guess you have a point... And you’ve seen Skaryn personally... But you really pay attention to detail!" shouted Moranti, shaking his head to try and grasp the situation through laughter. "You even got the scar hidden in his eyebrow!"

"Who wouldn’t?" laughed Jack. "Anyway... Would you mind playing along or acting like you never learned my ’name’?"

"Sure... I can call you that... But tell me... How did you know?"

"Know what?" asked Jack.

"How did you know about his last name? Or his nickname? He never shared that with anyone he wasn’t extremely close to... Not even the other Chaotic gods know about those..."

"Like I said, never doubt the information gathering ability of an ancient hero dedicated to learning EVERYTHING about Kartonia, past, present, and future," Jack stated with a sly smile and a wink. "Don’t tell me you don’t believe me? If anything, your mutual seal is the best indicator of that... not to mention my skill with space magic, something Skaryn doesn’t have..."

"You’re right... Sorry, I just wasn’t expecting a situation like this..." mumbled Moranti, getting quieter and quieter as his mind tried harder to return to reality.

"Don’t worry about it." Smiling, Jack took out a few large kegs of the best Colada he had. "Here, take this as my apology. I recovered my ancient stash after raiding my own tomb in Earthen Keep."

"Thanks!" Immediately accepting the ancient liquor, Moranti tried harder to sway his mind back to what was logical. "I guess... we can get back to the party..."

"Go ahead. I’ve got a couple of things to handle before I head back to Glacier Reef."

"Okay... thanks for the drink!" As Moranti teleported away, he waved with a sad smile and disappointed eyes.

Now alone in the office, Jack’s second body released a long sigh while scanning the room. Then, he took out the thirty sacred fruits he had picked earlier. The first bite brought a raging smile to his face. "So this is what we were missing..."

Quickly, all of the fruits were consumed and Jack’s second body blinked back into his room at the Glacial Palace. After reequipping his roxite helmet and readjusting his body to Skaryn’s proportions, another flash of spatial energy took place as the two body’s swapped places.

Now back in his room without anyone else to interrupt him, Jack cast silence through the room and started thinking aloud to continue his brainstorming.

’What are those fruits, exactly? They should be from beyond Kartonia and they help our second ascension, right?’

Chapter 679

"Grixor..." After a long period of silence among the gods at Glacier Keep, Torian finally got up and approached his long-time friend. "What’s the matter? Still got that on your mind?"

"Yeah... I can’t forget about it..." Grixor mumbled.

"Well, you don’t need to forget it but you shouldn’t get hung up on it."

Nodding, Grixor sighed and finally looked away from the mystery man, "I know... It’s just... How was it so easy for him?"

"Well, given his many affinities that compliment each other to create a single powerful thrust, it would make sense that he can deal a lot of damage. But he’s also one of those glass-cannon heroes," argued Torian, trying to cheer up his pal. "Sure, they can deal a lot of damage but they break with a single hit. That’s all you have to remember. If he attacks you, wouldn’t a trading blow be best in your case?"

"Not a bad strategy..." Grixor took a deep breath as he felt a bit better. "I’ll remember that for later."

Out of nowhere, a small purple flash caught everyone off guard. All the legendary gods turned to watch the mystery man stand up and be engulfed in spatial energy as if he were teleporting casually. But the moment the flash ended, they spotted no difference as he sat back down to lounge against the wall.

"Torian... any idea on what just happened?"

"No..."

Both Grixor and Torian were constantly going back and forth on what to believe and not to believe. After learning of Daruun’s true level of dominance, they had become the embodiment of controlled fury. Then, after learning more about Halmut’s connections and trying the stimulants they both felt a bit better about their current trajectory.

But that didn’t mean they hated how mysterious the other faction of gods was becoming. They had only seen four gods after entering the deep sea and none of them revealed anything about their level. Considering that they had definitely grown stronger somehow, the mystery of their true strength left Torian and Grixor feeling slightly hesitant and less confident. And the addition of the helmed swordsman as a god only made that worse, given that they had no clue what level he was and they felt assuming his level wouldn’t be accurate either after seeing the man injure Grixor casually.

The strange scene of spatial energy just complicated things more. They were silent again as everyone tried to keep cool and attempt to understand what the helmed man was up to. Only a few minutes later, the incident happened again with the same scene repeating itself.

"Torian! I ordered for all fruits to be delivered!"

As Halmut’s imminent roar finally arrived, Torian nodded to Grixor as they both took out contact crystals. Torian stated, "Hal-- Your excellency, know that the fruits would all spoil before their eaten and go to waste if we did that. Also, after so many--"

"I ordered you to bring them all! What else matters?!"

"You know what... lately you’ve been acting like a lunatic, Halmut," replied Torian, not in the mood to stroke the Sun God’s ego. "If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’ve gone--"

"I’M NOT CRAZY!!!"

"Halmut, just calm down and we can talk. After eating so many fruits, their effect wears off until at least a day passes, according to Kylon. This way, we can maximize their effect and--"

"I made an order and you failed to deliver yet again!" shouted Halmut, disregarding Torian’s logic.

"If you would calm down and properly assess our situation, then we can--"

"I expect you to obey without issues from now on! If you want any more stimulants, then you’d best behave!"

"I... yes, Halmut..." Surprising himself, Torian was shocked he had agreed the moment the stimulants were mentioned. For some reason, the thought of having more stimulants made his pores tingle, as if his pores were drooling and anticipating a marvelous meal.

Grixor spoke up as well, "Halmut, what about those four Flood Dragons? Will they--"

"Don’t worry about them. Focus on the keep and nothing else now! You’ve already failed me again and again so just focus on one thing for now. Getting me the treasure of Glacier Keep!" Halmut roared. "Then... and only then... will you get another batch of stimulants."

"Y-yes... Halmut..."

"Good... then don’t bother me until you’ve entered the keep!"

Pounding his contact crystal into the black-screened viewing table, Halmut snarled, "Why do they always fail me?! Are they that incompetent? Was I that terrible at choosing worthy subordinates?!"

Roars echoed through the destroyed interior of Olympic Chateau. Every time Halmut was left alone the destruction would only get worse and worse.

"Such a simple task... Yet they still fail! We’re so close... Why fail me now?!" Clutching his fists, Halmut extracted energy from more stimulants as fast as his body could process it. The Sun Dragon was doing everything he could to get his next high yet he only trembled worse as took in more stimulant energy. "I NEED MORE! MORE!!"

Finally, Halmut ripped his fist through the air and down into the viewing table. As it shattered and shards of crystal spread through the room, Halmut’s lip quivered. "Just... HURRY UP ALREADY! It’s almost time... FINALLY!"

"Rest?"

Halmut abruptly stopped shaking, but for only a moment. "I should rest? Yes... I... I haven’t rested... I need rest for tomorrow..."

As a high-level god on the very brink of ascending to a two-star cosmician, Halmut was able to go for long stretches of time without rest or sleep and feel little to no effect. However, that didn’t help his mental state. Being under constant threat and feeling forced further into a corner each day would gradually chip away at Halmut, and the faux-ore was ultimately unhelpful like any overused drug would be.

Alone with no one to witness his descent to insanity, how could Halmut not feel tempted to sleep? How could he not want to pause everything and rest for once in such a long time?

Such a temptation was too hard for Halmut to overcome when he knew deep down that he needed energy and mental clarity for the next day. Otherwise, his plan would fall apart.

Such an opportunity was also exactly what Sterfen had been waiting for.

Chapter 680

Sterfen was a first-hand witness to Halmut’s mental decline. He personally saw Halmut torch his entire conference room in paranoia, albeit Halmut nearly caught Sterfen off guard with such an act. The Assassin God was astounded to see the great Sun God constantly on edge and do every little thing to guarantee his safety. Halmut’s cautiousness went far beyond extreme when there were supposedly no eyes to witness his acts, not to mention the unusual and sporadic conversations Halmut had with himself when alone.

Patient as ever, Sterfen was sure that such a decline would eventually prove useful for him and offer an opportunity. Now, Sterfen’s patience paid off.

But Sterfen wasn’t going to take Halmut’s sudden change of attitude lightly. As the best assassin would, Sterfen made sure that all his ducks were in a row before stabbing them all through the throat with a single strike. That’s how he worked and how he was trained.

Sterfen silently and invisibly followed Halmut through the chateau corridors. Whenever Halmut would pause and hesitate to accept rest, Sterfen patiently reassessed the situation. And when Halmut would turn and continue toward his bed, Sterfen would calmly follow.

Immediately after the legendary gods were sent to Glacier Keep, Sterfen combed through Olympic Chateau to verify Halmut as alone. Now that he wasn’t hiding his strength anymore, given the circumstances around Kylon, Sterfen didn’t care if Halmut learned of his abilities to enter the chateau freely like Moranti. Clearly, Halmut had already assumed that. If not, what else would be the purpose of Halmut’s paranoia?

After some time, Halmut found his room and gradually crept toward the only remaining piece of furniture in the entirety of Olympic Chateau, his bed. Not even bothering to assume his dragon form, Halmut tiptoed forward as if he wasn’t welcome in the chateau and didn’t want to get caught.

It was surreal to watch as Halmut cautiously scurried into his bed, hiding from his own shadow. This second side of Halmut, the forever-nervous, self-preserving side of Halmut that he had always hidden from the public eye, left Sterfen almost feeling sad for the dragon. But only almost.

The moment Halmut laid down and began to finally calm down his troubled mind via his long-awaited and very-much-needed rest was the moment Sterfen thoroughly inspected the bedroom. Searching for traps or latent sensory spells came first. After dispelling three stand-by alarm spells around the room, Sterfen got a little closer. He then took the ultimate level of caution. A thin layer of silence formed over Sterfen’s entire body, removing all possible chances to be heard naturally despite his incredible stealth skills.

Sterfen paused at Halmut’s bedside. A layer of illusory energy glazed over Sterfen’s pupils as he inspected the clothing and apparel that Halmut was wearing. He discovered some enchantments on his robe and even an earring to wake Halmut the moment someone came within a meter of the dragon’s body. But Sterfen didn’t fear such precautions.

Carefully, Sterfen retrieved one of his personal throwing knives. It was small and light in his hand but suddenly gained a life of its own as he lobbed it lightly into the air.

Once the knife began to float and move according to Sterfen’s will, he sent it specific orders and controlled it with surgical precision. A faint layer of energy appeared on the knife’s tip as it first neared the earring. Gently, the knife’s tip neared the small looped earring but didn’t come in contact with it. Instead, the energy around the knife’s tip effortlessly scratched through the enchantment carved into the gold ring. This process was repeated as the knife strategically sliced through specific spots on Halmut’s robe to silently destroy all of the repeated enchantments across Halmut’s outfit.

Finding no more enchantments barring him from making his move, Sterfen recalled his knife and stored it away. It was finally time.

Again, Sterfen scanned the room to double and triple-check that he was in the clear as he would never get another chance to do this. Also, Sterfen preferred attacking now before Jack and everyone was about to enter Glacier Keep as he too wanted to join them inside. But he wouldn’t leave until his target was gone and Kylon was freed from her manipulator.

The Assassin God then retrieved a second knife, one perfectly sized to puncture and disconnect a human spinal column from the front of the throat. With slow, controlled steps, Sterfen stepped into the air and hovered over Halmut’s resting soon-to-be corpse.

Holding the blade and positioning his strike, Sterfen quelled all emotion trying to overtake his mind. Though it was a rush to see such filth of a man meet his end, Sterfen’s professionalism and discipline to protocol kept him level-headed. His attention to detail was beyond anything that Halmut’s paranoia could prepare for.

Sterfen took in a single long breath and blinked three times, his small, preparatory routine before any assassination. Ready, Sterfen struck.

"W-wha..."

The blade stopped. Not even a finger’s length away from its target, the lunging knife came to a complete halt.

Sterfen tried to move but felt his arm completely locked up. Trying the same with his other arm also proved futile. To his utter disbelief, Sterfen found himself ultimately incapable of moving a single muscle apart from his face.

He didn’t understand anything but his tenacity to kill wasn’t stopped at all. A throwing knife appeared from his storage and was hurled at the side of Halmut’s neck via energy manipulation. But that too came to a halt.

"Wake up, Halmut. Take a look."

Scrunching up his face, Halmut blinked rapidly. "Wha... STERFEN?!"

The Sun Dragon instantly stiffened his spine, pushing his neck as far from the blade as Halmut’s head sunk further into the mattress.

Sterfen, however, was frozen stiff, not only physically but mentally. To his dismay, Sterfen recognized that his invisibility had somehow been dispelled, as was his silence spell. He had lost complete control of his hand-crafted throwing knife as if it wasn’t in existence to begin with. And the calm, casual tone of that completely foreign voice left Sterfen unable to understand anything.