Zenith Online: Rebirth of the Strongest Player

Thanks to the notification before his eyes, Kieran stared off into space, dazed by the implications of this given advantage.

A feeble exhale sounded not too far away from him as the Arcane One coughed violently, attempting to endure the pain that radiated throughout his body. Consuming this much of his remaining energy made tending to the wound on his chest challenging.

Nevertheless, despite this circumstance, the Arcane One remained steadfast in his decision. If such a young boy like Kieran could awaken a Flawed Soul, employing the Akashic Seal—and the consequences that came with it—was more than worth it.

Finally bringing his violent coughing spasm under control, the Arcane One wiped the prismatic blood from his lips and spoke. "I did what I could. The rest… will fall upon your shoulders. I've grown weary with age."

On the other hand, Kieran remained in utter shock.

'A Strengthened Soul Trait?!'

Usually, a Soul Trait couldn't be obtained until a player Awakened, but Kieran was fortuitous to have met the Arcane One. Aside from that, Kieran was also surprised by the ranking.

From weakest to strongest, there were Basic, Intermediate, Strengthened, and Apex Traits.

「 Trait Name: Vengeful Soul

Trait Type: Soul

Trait Classification: Flawed

Trait Rank: Strengthened

Strengthened Completion: 9.81%

Description: A unique trait born from an unpolished Flawed Soul. A flawed trait that grants the user extraordinary abilities. The stronger your Soul becomes, the greater the vengeance it manifests.

«Retaliatory Sense» - When in the presence of a hostile enemy or enemies, the user's sense of danger is increased by up to 300%. (The value is dependent upon the caliber and number of foes present.)

«Flaw: Vengeful» - Once enraged, the user is likely to become unhinged, increasing the likelihood of falling into a fit of wrathful depravity. The effects of this flaw may be a benefit or a detriment, depending on the circumstances.

… 」

"Hmm… so because it was awakened as a Flawed Soul, the effects are somewhat lackluster compared to what I had in mind," Kieran muttered absentmindedly.

It seemed that his expectations were unfounded. From what he could see, nothing about this Soul Trait seemed remarkable.

At least… not right now.

Kieran needed to improve the strength of his Flawed Soul first to improve the Soul Trait.

"Young man… I must warn you—the Flawed Soul you've partially awakened is a truly vile and dangerous one. You must be wary of your own wrath. One day… it could become your undoing. I don't know what it is that you wish to avenge… but that desire has been seared into your soul, and then goes even deeper than that," the Arcane One cautioned, his voice just as feeble as his body.

Given the grim tone and dire words the Arcane One used, as well as his identity as an Enlightened Being, Kieran was convinced his words could be trusted.

Thankful for the caution, Kieran gave a faint nod while dismissing the information on his Flawed Soul. 'His warning definitely correlates to the Flaw embedded in my Soul.'

"I will be careful, but I can't promise that my caution will always be enough. There are too many unknown variables in the future. I'd be lying if I said I could account for them all," Kieran answered.

The Arcane One listened to his words, but his expression didn't change. "The variables are irrelevant when you're the key. Understand self-control, gain temperance, and find a way to turn your Flaw into your greatest strength. With a soul like yours, you can obtain the greatest power—a mastery of self."

'Mastery of self. Self-control. Temperance,' Kieran thought. He had to admit self-control was never his strong suit. Once angered, he had to distribute pain equal to whatever he felt.

Despite his condition, the Arcane One lifted his hand and formed a bridge of arcane energies that connected to a forming portal in the distance. Space swiftly split open, revealing a distorted view beyond the gray horizon of this Dissociated Space.

"It is unfortunate that I'm in no condition to guide you, but you have chosen a path that'll ultimately test your mettle. So, it's safe to say you're being left in great hands. This new portal will leave you closer to the Wildes. Godspeed on your journeys, young one."

The rippling prismatic glow of the portal in the distance reflected in Kieran's eyes as he stared at it. While staring into it, Kieran felt that it was calling out to him. However, before he could leave, Kieran had a question.

"You said that you sensed kindred emotions within me, right? But… how strong would they need to be for that to be so?"

"It's difficult to say, but I'd say the resonance was similar to me standing before an individual fresh out of their First Awakening. That was before I helped you, but what I assisted you with won't deepen that feeling. All I did was crack open the path to help you harness this."

"Does this mean you require an Awakened Being? Is that how your soldiers of the Arcane Dominion are? Also… were they humans?" Kieran muttered.

"Are? Probably not. Our falling out was catastrophic, leaving them riddled with wounds just as I was. I won't go into our history until you're ready to know the story, but they're not humans. It would be more fitting to call them manifestations of Arcane Energy; the materialized form of Dormant Souls, Lost Souls, and Rekindled Souls," the Arcane One answered, coughing weakly throughout his reply.

While listening, Kieran absorbed this knowledge, forming a general idea of what he'd be up against. 'I guess one of the first things I must do is repay the Arcane One. Hopefully, he lasts until I'm strong enough.'

It didn't surprise Kieran that his first goal didn't relate to his own problems. A preemptive partial Soul Awakening was too advantageous not to consider helping the Arcane One.

'A high-level World Quest, specifically one with great implications. I'm sure there are other Enlightened Beings in the world, but I don't think the failure penalty and the meaning of the invasion are as simple as they seem,' Kieran thought to himself.

Amidst his thoughts, Kieran's feet eventually moved in the direction of the portal, but his gaze remained vested on the Arcane One.

"Persist for me, old man. I promise I'll return and resolve this conflict for you," Kieran promised.

"Persist? This old man has been doing so for countless years. What's a little more? As long as I see my dream realized before drawing my last breath, it would have all been worth it."

Kieran didn't respond, but he did acknowledge these words with a subtle nod.

Soon after, an array of resplendent lights suddenly rose to the sky and danced around Kieran's body as he stepped upon the bridge, nearing the approaching portal. The lights felt pleasant, seemingly there to protect him on his journey through the portal.

A few seconds later… he was gone, leaving the Arcane One to stare at the portal that closed shortly after.

"A few more years. The horizon is near. To last, however, I'll have to conserve as much lifeforce as humanly possible," the Arcane One said, his breath weak and his body toppling.

He fell onto the altar chair, closing his eyes seconds later. Due to his fall, his hood dropped, revealing his actual appearance.

A strange pair of eyes marred a handsome visage, but his appearance didn't seem human—not entirely. Utterly white in color, like the purest snow descending in a well-lit tundra, the Arcane One's eyes possessed no iris.

Additionally, a vertical slit scarred his forehead, subtle circular wrinkles appearing around it.

Contrary to what one would expect, this man didn't seem elderly.

With his head full of long indigo hair, he seemed like a middle-aged man with a thin stature. The egregious wound and unusual energies he wielded took an unavoidable toll on his body.

…

Whoosh!

Kieran wasn't sure how long it had been, but when he appeared from within the portal, he quickly discovered that the Arcane One's promises were true. Currently, he had appeared in a completely different area—a zone much closer to the Wildes.

Now, less than 100 kilometers separated him and the Wildes' border.

'With my current AGI, traveling the remaining distance on foot shouldn't take that long. It's time to meet Scar's master—hopefully… my master,' Kieran thought.

As Kieran moved, he noticed that in his current dreadful environment, his movements had become sluggish. Though, that didn't bother him too much. The current burden on his body was manageable and enabled him to keep moving.

While traversing these one hundred kilometers, Kieran recalled Scar's advice, as well as what he remembered about this Hidden Class. 'A ruthless and fierce class. I doubt the first-ever wielder of this class would tolerate anything less than a stoic menace, so I must be prepared.'

The closer Kieran drew to the Wildes' periphery, the more his Stamina Consumption increased. As it stood, Kieran estimated his current exhaustion resulted from his Stamina being exhausted four times faster than usual.

'It's the last stretch… push through,' Kieran thought, gritting his teeth as beads of sweat flowed down his face. The clunkiness of his armor was too problematic for full sprinting, so he crossed this area with nothing but the leather-like battle gear that belonged underneath his armor.

Kieran only chose to travel this way because he remembered that the expanse separating the continents and the Wildes was a dead zone.

Not a single monster, beast, or plant life could be found nearby.

It was an absolutely treacherous and desolate trench only meant for traversing when necessary.

Dragging his exhaustion-laden body through the flat valley present between several colossal ridges, Kieran arrived where the quest marker indicated he needed to be roughly three hours later.

Yet, there was nothing to be found.

Kieran waited patiently for a few minutes before his brows furrowed. "Am I too early? Or… is Scar's master simply a tardy person?"

Suddenly, a deep and menacing voice caused a subtle rumble throughout the ridge that divided this periphery. "Tardy? A young boy is commenting on my etiquette? I'm amused."

Startled, Kieran looked around, barely noticing the crimson slit in space right beside him. Stepping back in alarm, Kieran scrutinized this slit with the breadth of a zip tie.

However, that slit abruptly expanded to a 4-meter rift, from which a ferocious, primitive, and harrowing aura surged.

Soon, a man with reddish-black hair thrown wildly about his shoulders and back emerged from inside the portal.

No description was needed. Kieran instantly understood this hulking figure of a man was, in fact… Scar's master!