Zenith Online: Rebirth of the Strongest Player

Chapter 622: Great Interest



The bustle of the people thronging Aeredale City was distracting, but it was a turn in the right direction for the previously destitute city that struggled to make ends meet and risked being cut from the welfare of the Xesian Empire.

Somehow, the atmosphere felt more amiable, likely a byproduct of everyone's lifted mood. A certain level of happiness could be derived from no longer having to scrape for a decent meal or worrying if someone would come to wrest you away from your home.

Seeing this change warmed Kieran's chilled heart as he waited beside Alice, idling until Altair and the others reached the Teleportation Hall where Alexandria said she'd be arriving from. During that time, however, Kieran grew overly bored and was reminded of a few things he hadn't considered in a while - the items he obtained from the Rare Enigma Chest. Every item was classified as a Relic or belonged to a figure he had no recollection of... like Tiamat, who was said to be another Monarch.

Whether that meant Tiamat was a kind of demon as well or that Monarchs weren't exclusive to demonkind, Kieran did not know. However, he was curious and sure he'd stumble across those answers in due time.

In the meantime, he entered his own small world filled with his thoughts, where he pulled up his Inventory and analyzed it in great detail. It was emptier than he remembered, but considering he had not embarked on a journey in a long time or devoted his time to any labor, Kieran didn't find a problem with it.

He also immediately gave the Godhand Consortium every crafting material of value save for the ones he had a personal use for.

Kieran stared at the first slot with a gaze intense enough to burn a hole through it. He remembered laying eyes on the tooth and being dumbfounded. Tiamat's Broken Tooth was superior in durability, conductivity, and versatility, and it was larger and heftier than any material Kieran had interacted with thus far.

If possible, Kieran wanted to use the tooth to make more than one weapon. However, he wasn't sure what would be left of the tooth after it was refined and prepped from the forging process.

'I feel like I'm cheating on my long-time partner by having these thoughts...'

With that thought, Kieran summoned Crimson Ashrune, marveling at the blade with a guilty, sorrowful expression. He could feel the disparity between him and his weapon growing despite no change in his level. Something about rising to a new Tier caused miraculous, confounding, and subtle transformations to one's perspective.

Saddened, Kieran traced the runes engraved on Crimson Ashrune, wondering their meaning. Runes existed in seemingly endless variations, so while his horizons had been expanded, Kieran couldn't claim to be well-versed in runic knowledge just yet.

Nevertheless, Crimson Ashrune was an excellent weapon, but it would only be functional until a certain point. Then... it would have to be abandoned or fall into a state of disuse.

That thought soured Kieran's expression.

'Poor Ashrune. It isn't right.'

Kieran sighed inwardly, physically shaking his head while looking between Tiamat's Broken Tooth and Crimson Ashrune.

Being abandoned was a terrible feeling, and Kieran knew that much from experience. That reality had been forced upon him, but here he was considering doing the same to his cherished weapon.

'I'm such a hypocrite, aren't I?'

While the blade possessed no Ego like the Compendium or maybe even Ezra's Unbroken Blade, Kieran felt they shared an unspoken bond.

And it wasn't some vain bond fostered through the link of his Class. The bond Kieran felt was poignant, genuine, and honed through suffering alongside his weapon. It had been his first choice since it entered his grasp.

Perhaps it was all in his mind, and he was crazy, but he had grown attached to the weapon and hoped the feeling was mutual.

"I must be insane..." Kieran muttered. "I'm actually hoping a weapon cherishes me."

[I cherish you, child. As long as you continue to uphold the conduct of a next-in-line Truthseeker.]

'Keep the conditional appreciation,' Kieran mentally replied with a scoff.

Holding a scowl, Kieran returned Crimson Ashrune to his Inventory.

He looked at the tooth once more before remembering a conversation with Scar, who hinted only a select few could deal with materials as tricky, dangerous, and mutinous as Ancient materials.

Though Nelorias was the Land of Craft, famed for its innovation and knack for finding use in even the most inane objects, Kieran wanted to return to the root of Blacksmithing, those carrying the Blessing of the Revered Hammer - the Dwarves. Their workmanship and manipulation of metal and stone were said to be unmatched. And though this tooth was neither metal nor stone, instead bone of the absurd resilience, it carried similar proprieties. If he wanted to avoid using up all of the tooth's material, Kieran understood he had a dire need for similarly graded metals and perhaps a jewel like the one found in Agrianos' prized possession.

'Where the hell do I find Ancient or higher materials, though?!'

Kieran doubted there was any way for an Adept to procure such materials naturally. Based on the implication of that ranking, Kieran reckoned he'd have to enlist the help of someone like

Scar.

Shifting his attention from the tooth, Kieran focused on the ominous, charcoal-colored half- mask resting beside it. He willfully avoided that item when the chest opened to reveal its presence. That mask felt like death... or at least what came after it — ruin.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

If the presence wasn't off-putting enough, the half-mask looked strange, almost like a muzzle or something made to silence a person. Perhaps a torture device?

Contrary to its sleek texture, Kieran learned it was made from stone, or a stone-like material with a brittle surface.

...As if it was covered in countless layers of soot from being burned or having survived the immolation of a great, destructive flame. Either way, Kieran knew this item spelled doom. Actually, Kieran wasn't sure what he knew. But the item in his possession was called the Remnant of the Great Bane, and it was said that it was once worn by an unnamed Fallen Monarch with a Ruinous Ability.

That got Kieran thinking... what if Argexes was a second coming of a Monarch and not the original? The Hollow Body of Ruin had to belong to someone before it fused with Valdu to

become Argexes.

There was also the fact he knew little about the Failed Reckoning. Learning those things would help him decide how to approach... or discard the Remnant.

Once that thought passed, he moved to the last item that had drawn his attention... the Lost Relic: the Key of Exile. That key was responsible for opening a gate, but Kieran didn't quite understand its service because there was no indication of where to put it to use. Unless he had that piece of information... the key was quite useless.

On the subject of reviewing things that brought him great interest... Kieran's attention turned to the three items in his possession that he had yet to examine.

Due to their strange position - the Imprint of Might being engraved on his sternum, the Imprint of Tenacity being engraved on his spine, and the Imprint of Carnage being inside his mind, or more precisely, his Realm - using his eyes to gather the information was

impossible.

That left two options — either going through his Character Panel... or somehow learning how

to translate the information jammed inside their Significance. Seeing as that was seemingly impossible... there was only one real option.

'I guess it's time to learn what the hell you Imprints actually do for me.'