Serum

Dirk made his way through the hangar. Along the way, nobody had the slightest clue that he was there. Not even the several Tier 6’s noticed him. It didn’t matter if his shoulder brushed by theirs, he was completely imperceptible. 

Soon, he arrived outside a door. This door had several locking mechanisms, and people passed through here even less than through the gate to the Sky King. After all, the mechanisms to remotely control it couldn’t be accessed by just anybody. 

And it was precisely these secure barriers that Dirk needed to use the Security Processor for. 

He reached into a pocket, taking out a large metal cube. After pressing a button, the dozens of hexagonal and triangular pieces that composed its body all shifted and unfolded, turning it into a device with several claws and platforms. 

He placed it against the door before activating it. Like that, the Processor adhered to the surface before adjusting itself and glowing with thousands of intricate runes and enchantments. 

The Processor detected the type of security formation and launched its own program to hack it. With its vast processing power, the security enchantment of the door didn’t stand a chance. 

After several seconds, the processor suddenly flashed, indicating that it had obtained clearance and could open the door. Dirk looked around for a second before confirming there was nobody around and letting it activate. 

The door then flashed and slid open. No alarms, no hassle. Just like that, Dirk had breached one of the most secure rooms in this entire complex. 

Taking the Processor off, he slipped in and observed. 

The room wasn’t large. There were three large screens on top of a control panel. And above that control panel was a large window that gave a clear view of the Sky King from above. 

Currently, the Sky King wasn’t powered. There was no need to waste energy all the time, so it was often left in standby mode. 

After Dirk entered the room, several lights flickered on while the three large screens glowed to life. After a few moments, they displayed all sorts of information about the Sky King, including the status of its systems, the mechanisms to control those systems, and the locks that restrained it. 

Dirk didn’t touch the locks for now. Instead, he looked at the list of mechanisms and flicked the power switch, taking it off of standby. 

*Whirr*

The Sky King let out a momentary fluctuation as power flowed through its body. Because it was in standby and not completely turned off, it didn’t cause a ruckus. This was one of Pandora’s plans in action, as she had long ago gotten her superiors to maintain the ship in a constant state of semi-readiness, for testing purposes. 

Either way, it was helping them now. Without attracting any attention, the Sky King was fully powered. 

At the same time, Pandora made her way into the hangar, boarding the Sky King, quickly heading to several areas within it and placing down small cubes. 

These cubes were all miniature Processors from Exos. They were limited in function and mainly acted as transmitters that connected to a Nexus which would control everything. 

Each of these transmitters were connected to secret enchantments on every crucial system of the Sky King. Pandora had planted these enchantments across many months, and now, the transmitters would activate them, taking complete control of the ship. 

Having to cross between several different levels and rooms took time though. From above, Dirk watched as the Sky King sat there silently. However, inwardly, he was counting as each second went by. 

Currently, Spyte was still dormant. He didn’t know how long she was going to take to recover, but so long as she was asleep, he would have to do things the old fashioned way. 

Pandora told him to count out 12 minutes. That’s how long it would take her to activate everything she needed to. 

And when Dirk counted the 12th minute, he immediately reached for the rest of the mechanisms and turned them on. 

Just like that, the Sky King’s dozens of systems were activated. The entire ship momentarily trembled before calming. However, the tremble was a little violent, catching the attention of many. 

Now, Dirk and Pandora were on a clock. Thankfully, half the work was done. 

After activating everything, Dirk moved towards the locks, deactivating all of them. 

However, not all the locks could be so easily disengaged. There was one lock that detached the power cores of the Sky King from the facility and placed it in a state of complete independence. Even now Dirk could see the large conduits attached to the ship. These conduits were the main tether between the ship and the facility

To get rid of this tether and completely isolate the airship would require admin-level authority, something only the overseer of this facility could authorize. That overseer was a Tier 7, and as soon as Dirk tried to disengage the lock, that person would know. 

At least, that was if he did it the normal way. Because they didn’t want to directly alert that person, Exos prepared a Scrambler. This Processor would overwhelm the security enchantment, not hacking or destroying it, but rendering it unresponsive and ineffective. It wasn’t unlike a DOS attack. 

Dirk placed that scrambler against the terminal, and the lock was targetted. 

This time, the Processor took an entire minute to succeed. Because the attacks of the Processor were something never before seen in this world, there were no enchantments that could defend against it. However, the power of the enchantments was still an issue, and to brute force them required more time and processing power. 

In the end though, everything worked as expected. Just like that, the lock was lifted, and the tether was detached, popping off the ship. 

By this time though, more attention had been caught. Although nothing was visible, the Sky King created very clear magical disturbances. It was like a jet booting up its engine within a closed hangar. It wasn’t exactly quiet for magical senses. 

Dirk suddenly thought that, if the overseer of this place were decisive enough, then he would likely lock down the entire facility soon.

And just as he had the thought, alarms blared.

“Alert! Alert! Unauthorized operation procedures detected! Prepare for imminent lockdown and inspection!”

A voice echoed through the facility. At the same time, all the secure doors shut and locked themselves. 

At the same time, Dirk felt the fluctuation of a Tier 7. The Overseer was here. 

“Hm, a competent leader. Time to leave.”

He let out a small breath. With all the locks disengaged and the Sky King powered up, there was nothing stopping it from flying. It all depended on Pandora’s ability to operate it alongside the Processors built to help her. 

However, Pandora was the only one on the ship. On the other hand, he was locked inside the facility. 

But he was not intending to board. Grabbing and equipping more Processors, he began to crack the forced lockdowns and make his way out. 

He also completely avoided the Tier 7 that was trying to make his way over. 

Then, he suddenly heard an explosion.

*BOOM*

The entire roof of the hangar was blasted open, revealing the bright sky above. That’s when the Sky King rose beyond the structures that rooted it to the ground. 

It took to the air, rising slowly before suddenly exploding with power and shooting out of the hangar. Several structures below it shattered as it separated from its nest. 

After that, it flew off. Dirk watched it leave before continuing out. 

“Who dares to steal the Sky King?!”

An enraged bellow erupted, shaking the entire facility. At the same time, a massive wave of air mana exploded from the Tier 7. 

With Dirk’s senses, he could clearly see the source of that outrageous mana shoot into the sky. Then, it flew off, obviously in pursuit of the airship. 

But if it could so easily be caught, then the Sky King would’ve never been worth stealing anyway. Dirk didn’t worry about it, moving to leave the facility. 

He and Pandora already had a predetermined rendezvous point. In fact, Exos was already there. He would be the last to arrive. 

The walls of the city weren’t far, but a commotion had been caused. As a result, everything was locked down. 

Of course, that didn’t stop Dirk from simply slipping through the gates. Nobody could see him, no security enchantment could stop him, so he was completely unhindered. 

However, as he was making his way out above ground, he suddenly saw a fluctuation. 

There was a faint figure hidden within the folds of space, one standing in place. 

Dirk frowned and stopped without being noticed, analyzing the mana of the person in front of him. 

He could see their figure, but no details. Instead, what he was focused on was the mana, specifically its usage. 

And the technique he saw that concealed this unknown person’s presence made his grip tighten. 

“It seems there are still rats in the city. I thought you all were eradicated by my mother. Looks like one slipped through the net.”

Dirk spoke hatefully, his Aura flowing around his fingertips unconsciously as he revealed his presence. 

After a few seconds, the concealment around that unknown figure also lifted. It revealed a middle aged man who was smiling. 

“Well, if it isn’t Harbinger 8. To think you’d show up so suddenly like this. You’ve been missing for quite a while.”

The man spoke, and Dirk saw Aura move around his arms as well. He was far more sensitive to it now, and he could instantly tell that this man was a Rank 6. His magic was at the same standard, Tier 6, which allowed him to utilize the dark concealment technique that Dirk had also once learned. 

It brought back unhappy memories from that god forsaken mountain. Of course, this man wasn’t one that Dirk knew, but that didn’t matter. 

Dirk’s shoulders rolled forward as he squared with the man. He stood taller than him who looked to be around 40. It looked like Dirk was looking down on him, and that wasn’t far from the truth. 

Then, in Dirk’s hand appeared the Sword of Dissonance. That man, the assassin, also equipped his weapon, one that spewed dark mana and blurred its figure. 

He smiled even further. 

“I’ll be glad to take you back to Asura. He’s been looking for you for a while now.”

“He’s been doing a shit job then. Well, he couldn’t even keep little poor me in his mountain, so he naturally couldn’t find me if I didn’t want him to.”

“Please, stop trying to drown me in arrogance. You couldn’t fathom the tip of his powers, let alone evade him. Your presence here has already been reported. There’s nowhere to run. Not that you can with me here.”

The assassin walked forward with a derisive smile, as if Dirk’s very presence was humorous. He didn’t have the slightest hint of urgency. It was like he was facing a toddler. 

On the other hand, Dirk was almost fuming. He wasn’t raging at the assassin’s words. They almost didn’t register in his mind. 

He was simply hateful. Seeing this assassin, this asura, seemed to bring all the hate within him to the surface. He didn’t even realize he could be this maddened by someone. 

Unconsciously, his body heated up as mana pulsed through his veins with wild abandon. Underneath his skin, all his elements were churning, going from fire to lightning to darkness before hardening into metal and repeating the cycle. It was chaotic, but all that chaos was merely fuel for his body, like a reactor. 

And none of it could be seen beyond his skin. His Mana Body contained everything, not giving any accurate indication of his strength or the commotion going on within. 

For a while, the two were silent as they stared at each other. The only sound that could be heard was Dirk’s heavy breathing. 

Then, he let out one last breath before going completely silent. The assassin barely noticed the oddity when Dirk moved. 

He was just standing there, waiting for Dirk to make a move, when he suddenly did. Dirk’s hand twisted just slightly before moving forward. And the tip of his sword, as it sailed toward the assassin’s body, let out a glowing line of golden Aura. 

It drew a tangible streak in the air, and the mere sight of it made the assassin fascinated. He felt that it was more beautiful than anything else. 

And he didn’t feel the slightest threat from it. It was like Dirk wasn’t even attacking him. He truly felt that Dirk was nothing more than a toddler swinging a toy sword. 

And it all felt like it was in slow motion. He saw Dirk lunging toward him, but his movement didn’t look any faster than a walk. 

So he decided to move his own sword in retaliation. But when he tried, he felt like he couldn’t move at all. 

No, he could move, just that it was painfully slow. That’s when he realized what was wrong. 

At that moment, his vision exploded. 

*BOOM*

A veil of darkness enveloped him, and he felt oppressive gravity crush his body, making him several times heavier. All the dark mana in his body was exiled from the area. He couldn’t feel the slightest ability to cast magic, as if he hadn’t spent most of his life learning to be a dark mage. 

His entire body, all his senses, and what seemed like his very soul, were all overwhelmed. He felt like he couldn’t resist, and that wasn’t even considering the fact that he wasn’t able to react to Dirk’s strike. 

And he watched as the sword sailed across his body. 

*SHING*

It slashed through, Dirk stopping at the end of the strike. 

Behind him, the assassin was frozen, his eyes going empty. 

Then, his body trembled. 

*BOOM*

He directly exploded, his entire being blown into countless bits before disintegrating under the power of Dirk’s Domain. All that was left was a black streak of ash left on the floor below. 

“Hooo…”

Dirk let out a long breath of black fog that sparked with lightning. He then straightened his body before storing his sword. 

There was no need to make that man feel pain. That wasn’t enough to vent his hatred, nor did he deserve that level of effort. 

Simply wiping him from existence was enough. He would receive treatment no different from an animal, being dispatched with ease. 

Of course, Dirk wasn’t casual with that blow. It utilized just about every strength he had gained during his advancement. If he had to measure it in the amount of energy it took to do so, it would be close to around a third. 

While it was impressive for a mere Tier 5 like him to obliterate a Rank and Tier 6 with a mere third of his energy, Dirk felt like it wasn’t enough. 

That man was middle aged, probably having been stationed at this facility as a spy for many years. It was no doubt because he could provide no real value as a combatant, having reached the end of his talent long ago. Dirk knew there were others at the same level that were much stronger, ones that he might not be able to beat. 

Still, this was just a taste of his power. He still had to refine his strength, which would take time and trial. This was merely the beginning of a much longer road. 

Like that, Dirk walked off within the concealment of his Domain, not a single soul noticing him or the battle that lasted no more than half a second. 

He left the facility before making his way out of the city. The Sky King was already long gone, having left that pursuing Tier 7 in the dust. However, long gone meant that it was dozens of miles away, beyond the horizon. It would take Dirk some time to make his way over there. 

Outside the gates, Dirk sighed before getting ready to take off. Before he did however, he stopped and looked at a particular point in space. 

His eyes narrowed as he continued to observe. He could barely sense the faintest indicator that someone was there. It was clear that their Stealth abilities outstripped his, but this also meant that his observational abilities had risen to a shocking degree. Still, for a moment, he thought it was another asura. 

“My goodness, you can even pick me out now. It seems I truly have become complacent over time.”

With those words, Dirk saw his mother appear, and his hostility vanished. She was smiling right at him. 

It seemed his Stealth couldn’t yet fool the senses of his mother, a Rank 7. He knew her Tier was lower than her Rank, so she shouldn’t be able to sense him through mana. But the abilities of Anima were even more mysterious when taken to a higher level, so he was sure that she had methods that he couldn’t yet fathom. 

Dirk dispelled his Stealth as well, scratching his head with a smile. 

“We did it.”

“Mm, I heard. Master Sheng won’t be happy.”

“Wait, that was Master Sheng?”

Dirk’s eyes suddenly widened. Master Sheng was one of the renowned Alchemy teachers at the Academy. He was the one who created the potion that Garel stole and force-fed him. 

Master Sheng was known for being the unlucky victim of Garel’s thieving hands, and he was also known for having deep pockets. The man was supposedly rich beyond belief, but Dirk had never heard the details. 

It seems that his background was greater than he thought. Master Sheng was actually the Tier 7 Overseer of this facility. 

Well, if he had the skill necessary to create a potion that could evolve one’s blood, then he surely had the expertise to work on the Sky King. After all, not everything strictly involved enchanting. Alchemy and forging were also major parts of the Sky King’s construction. That’s what made it a marvel of magical engineering. 

Dirk could barely hold back a laugh. And then, he suddenly looked back up at the sky. 

He and his mother both reflexively activated their Stealth, disappearing from view. Then, Master Sheng appeared, flying through the air. 

Just like many years ago, he was the same short and fat man that Dirk had known. He hadn’t changed a bit. In fact, it looked like he gained more weight. Perhaps since Garel wasn’t there, he didn’t have to run around as much in fury, so he wasn’t burning any calories. 

“Dammit! I bet that slimy bastard Garel did this! Haunting me even after disappearing, huh?! Whoever you are, you will pay dearly for this! The Emperor will not let you go!”

“Ominous.”

Dirk mumbled as Master Sheng disappeared over the walls. 

“It seems you need to leave soon. I won’t keep you, but I still want a proper goodbye.”

Cecilia appeared again, as did Dirk. 

Then, she walked over and wrapped him in a hug. He was much bigger now, but he had no problem bending over a bit to return the embrace. 

They hugged like that for a while, Cecilia whispering into his ear. 

“Keep yourself safe, okay? You’re throwing yourself into deep waters. Trickery doesn’t always work, and those it doesn’t work against are people who can end you before you can even put up a fight. So please, come back to me. I don’t want to be a mother who outlives her child.”

“...I will.”

Dirk responded to her heavy words. From now on, they were entering enemy territory, intent on stealing unfathomably powerful weapons from under the noses of world powers. It would be the furthest thing from easy, because to operate at that level meant that they were liable to clash with the most powerful people in the world. They would need to play their cards perfectly in order to avoid that and choose manageable battles. 

If it were anyone other than Dirk and Pandora, they would die before they could even start. But because Dirk was confident in both his own skill and Pandora’s scheming mind, he found the risk acceptable. 

But one wrong move and everything could end in an instant. They would be riding a delicate line, which was exactly what Cecilia was worried about. 

Dirk couldn’t comfort her much. The only thing he could do was return. That was the only real assurance he could give, just as he had done when returning from Asura’s Mountain and, more recently, the Dwarven Haven. 

This time, he would probably be gone for a while longer. So he took his time saying goodbye. 

“I’ll be back.”

“I know. Just make sure it’s in one piece.”

Cecilia smiled as she separated from Dirk, combing back his hair before stepping back. 

“Go on now. I don’t want to jeopardize your plans.”

“Mm. Bye, mom.”

“Goodbye my child.”

With one last look, Dirk’s Domain activated, shrouding his figure and removing all traces of his existence. 

And after standing there for a while, Cecilia also disappeared, her face resolute.