Darian tried to stay focused. With no energy left, his mind was fighting to stay conscious.
The silhouette just watched him.
In that mont, Darian noticed sothing—he could still sense everything around him, even without power or energy. Those senses, from the rings on his wrists, guided him to sothing about a ter in front of him.
Without hesitation, he pushed his dying body one last ti.
*Bang*
With a clumsy leap, he threw himself forward, stretching out his hands. His bloody fingers dug desperately a few centiters into the ground...
...until they pulled out a small reddish orb.
He squeezed it with the strength of his last hope. It was the Red River Pact clan's supre artifact. Gregor had left it there as a trap to guarantee the target's death, but it hadn't been used.
*Buzz*
"No!"
The mont he felt a sliver of hope, the red orb moved in his hand—against his will. He gripped it with everything he had, but it slipped free and floated away.
His eyes locked onto the silhouette, who grabbed the artifact like it ant nothing.
Darian clenched his fists. All hope had been ripped from him... but his red eyes still burned, full of sheer willpower.
He had to make it out alive.
That silhouette seed to be silently evaluating him.
He tried to force his body up—failed... spat out another mouthful of blood... his vision darkened more and more... but he refused to pass out.
The silhouette sighed.
"Okay, okay... despite everything, you won," said the soft female voice. "What's your question?"
Darian froze. She was actually going to keep her word?
He stared at the silhouette and thought seriously. She clearly knew more about his curse and powers than he did. She even said he'd died twice before... had she been watching him this whole ti? And then there was that weird thing she said—sothing about "father."
Only now did he have a mont to think clearly. Two minutes passed. He looked at the marks on her wrists... and thought carefully...
Darian's heart beat like a drum as a terrifying thought hit him.
"You... your na... what's your na?"
"Oh? Finally using that brain?" the silhouette snorted. "My na is ru."
"ru... you..." Darian's eyes widened. That na—he couldn't believe his own suspicion.
"Yeah. I'm the sa one from the book you read," she confird calmly.
Darian froze. Then trembled and muttered in a shaky voice, "It was all... real..."
"Yup. Everything happened like in the book. But it's been a few million years since the final battle," she said casually, looking right at him.
"You only read a short summary my mom wrote. But she's an amazing writer. All the main points are there... well, almost. She also likes to describe in way too much detail things that should stay between a husband and wife. Most of that got cut... I hope."
Darian couldn't say a word. He'd read that story countless tis. Everything in it was massive, extre, and completely fantastical. It was a tale where life in all the universes got caught in a brutal war and insane chaos.
In the end, the protagonist defeated a being with godlike powers. He literally beca the Heaven's Will. And ru—she was his daughter, who fought by his side in that final battle.
"My mom and dad have an old karma with you."
ru spoke softly, waving her hand. Imdiately, Darian felt both rings on his wrists pulse.
"I can't say too much right now. You're too weak, and knowing too much might hurt you. But what I said before wasn't a lie. My dad made it clear: if you weren't at least sowhat capable, even after everything they gave you... I'd have to go to your universe and wipe it all out."
"H-How... how do I have karma with them?!" Darian asked, shaken and tense.
"They'll tell you one day. This isn't the ti for you to know. Anyway, let's cut to the chase." She waved her hand, and the ground around Darian split open.
Nine figures covered in a white aura, completely intact and asleep, appeared.
Darian stared at the people from his group, heart pounding. They weren't dead. So... she did all that just to seem like an enemy?
"Now you get it. They'll wake up when the ti's right," the voice said calmly. "My turn to ask. Darian, what's your goal? Why are you fighting?"
He stayed silent for a few seconds, staring at the silhouette—soone he thought was just a fictional character his whole life.
ru had a long history full of pain, but she never backed down or gave up.
But him... he spent his whole life trying to run away.
Now, it was like everything had flipped. He was fighting with everything he had, afraid of no one and nothing. Others thought he was insane or crazy... but he was just putting into practice what he'd read in that book...
Being passive, trusting others, or having any fear at all was just a recipe to get used and die fast. His life only truly started the mont his fear ended.
"I want to protect the people by my side," he said, clenching his fists.
"That's it?" she replied with disdain. "What's the point of getting strong if your ho, your whole universe, is rotting? Everything will get tainted. What, you gonna be your family's babysitter forever?"
Darian's expression turned serious. Her words hit him—harsh, but true. Then he rembered the decision he'd made earlier: he wouldn't run, wouldn't bow down, and would push through anything.
"If everything's tainted... then I'll change it." His voice ca out firm and determined.
"And how do you plan to change the world?" The silhouette stepped forward, challenging him. "You think the powerful will just let it happen?"
Darian took a deep breath, his red eyes glowing. "Earth and the other planets in my universe are all the sa. Everyone lives in a fake utopia, where only the strongest get even a shred of peace... and even that's pretty questionable..."
He paused mid-sentence, then took ten seconds to think seriously.
When he looked up again, he spoke with conviction: "Real change only happens from the inside out... this power of mine... I can use it to bring together those who are actually good."
"You do realize evil is just part of being alive, right?" the silhouette said, sounding like his words were far too naïve. "Even if you tear down the old building and put up a better one, eventually everything just goes back to the way it was. People shape the world in their own image."
Darian scoffed. "That's the cycle, right? Your dad's story shows it... for soone good to rise, they have to fall first, get dirty in the chaos, and then learn. I can't break the cycle of life."
He looked up, resolved. "I don't want to destroy the building... just level the ground. I want to build an alternative. A place where people who wanna live away from the chaos can try. The others can live however they want, but whenever soone wants out—"
She cut him off: "You're really ready to die pointlessly trying? Every ti soone shifts the power balance, they beco the world's number one enemy. Even good people get poisoned and misled. You ready to kill and kill, fight and suffer... just for a chance? Even your family might die because of you."
"Lucy and Lucius... they're my family, not so ornants I have to protect." Darian muttered, rembering the determination in both of their eyes. They definitely wouldn't stand him feeling trapped because of them.
"I'm not giving up. I'll go all the way, even if it ans dying for nothing," Darian finished, taking a deep breath. "This power of mine... maybe I'm not the most skilled guy around, but I can use it to find people who can fight beside and fill in what I lack."
"Hmm... so you wanna be the ultimate Young Master everyone rallies behind, huh?" she asked flatly.
Darian sighed. "If I wanted that, I'd have to at least be good at acting. It's easier to just be honest..."
"Yeah, you do seem like an idiot when you try to fake it." she shot back, then looked straight at him. "Alright. My dad told he used to be a real idiot too. But with enough pressure..."
Darian felt a chill run down his spine at those words.
"I'll be straight with you. This whole 'curse' of yours, those two rings, and everything else... they're mine. I created it all and gave it to you. That's why I ca here to test you myself. You passed... barely. Anyway, from today on, I'm officially taking you in as my disciple."
Darian was stunned. "What? Those marks of yours aren't—?"
She nodded calmly. "Yeah. At first I used my dad's technique, but later I made a different version that fits —and you—better. I call it the Marks of the Goddess of Karma. As for you, you received part of my power, which makes you a Devourer's Oath."
"But don't get the wrong idea. There's only one of you, and even though I built a solid foundation, you have to build everything else with your own hands. In the end, your powers will be yours alone. But right now, you're just a really weak copy of my technique. That's why I plan to teach you properly."
She finished and stared silently at Darian.
He swallowed hard, totally speechless.
"..."
"Do I really have to ask?!" she said, crossing her arms, ice cold.
He jumped up and bowed imdiately. "This disciple greets his master."
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Author's note: Check the mass release event below!
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