As an Awakened, Zane and Cecilia have very strong endurance. They have traveled an estimate of 400 miles within three days and three night with a little rest while avoiding dangerous mountains marked on the map. Even traveling so far, they only have covered about 1/5 of the Verdant Peak forrest.
But soon both have reached their limit and in dire need of a good rest. They found a small mountain that was leading to a cave, inside the cave was an Awakened Lynx that was level 14, who was guarding the place. Cecilia and Zane merciless slaughtered the beast without hesitation, feeling tired and exhausted, they poured their anger over the original cave owner activating both of their active skill killing the beast without an ounce of mercy.
'+5231 Exp points'
Zane quickly stored the carcass to prevent other beasts from detecting the scent of the dead animal. He retrieved some large stones from the cave and used them to seal the entrance, leaving only small holes for ventilation.
Once he felt a sense of security, Zane brought out a magnificent bed that he had taken from Ezio's room and placed it in the center of the cave.
Cecilia, somewhat surprised but not bothered by Zane's actions, removed all her clothing and lay down on the bed. She covered herself with a bed quilt and soon drifted off to sleep.
Zane began to arrange various pieces of furniture, including a stone stove and a ceramic tub that he placed at the end of the cave. He illuminated the space with luminescent stones he had acquired from the Market of Capricia, casting a gentle glow across the entire room.
Despite his extreme fatigue, Zane retrieved buckets of water from his storage and took a refreshing shower before lying down next to Cecilia in the bed. Both of them fell asleep, their exhaustion overcoming any concerns about Cecilia's nakedness.
---
Meanwhile, back in Capricia, when the Rune barriers ceased their operation, millions of slaves seized the opportunity to escape. The noble houses had no choice but to seek aid from the higher echelons. After half a day had passed and the smoke and dust had settled, five Ascendants with grave expressions stood before the shattered castle, observing the severed head of Ascendant Ezio, with only his upper body remaining intact.
One of the cloaked man radiating immense aura spoke,"Find the ones responsible for his death. The Vermilions would surely loose it, once they found out one of their Ascendant is dead."
--
Simultaneously, a woman with a cruel glint in her eyes held a whip. Beside her stood a towering man with muscular features. They had gathered thousands of recently captured slaves, including some from Zane's and Gerax's groups. The group of slaves trembled with fear, surrounded by the gruesome remains of hundreds of mutilated corpses.
"WHERE IS ZANE!?" she bellowed at the top of her lungs.
"Please, madam, have mercy! We honestly don't know where he is!"
"Don't play innocent! The information indicates that you were part of the same group! Don't test my patience like the others, or you'll suffer even worse consequences."
'They are already horribly mutilated; how could it possibly get worse?' Boza, who stood at a distance, shook his head.
Kneeling on the ground, one slave cried out, "Madam, I'm telling you the truth! Zane, along with the man with bandages, brought about 50 Blood Warriors to the castle. Their plan was to engage with Ezio while some would sneak in to disable the runes. When we found out they succeeded, everyone fled without looking back!"
"IMPOSSIBLE!" Jezebel couldn't believe what she was hearing. An Ascendant slain by a group of low-level warriors. She lashed her whip, and a mist of blood followed.
Doug opened his mouth and said, "They can't be far; he should still be in the forest. We've dispatched thousands of guards to track his trail. We'll find him soon enough."
"Do you know how important he is to us?" Jezebel looked at Doug like a devil.
"You know that boy has so much secret? I've interrogated hundreds of them. They all say that Zane provided countless potions. The infirmary tent also witnessed Zane using a unique type of medication, and that insane physician, Horus, confirmed this. We've also investigated the Market, and the potions and elixirs all point to a single source. HE IS THE ALCHEMIST WE'VE BEEN SEEKING!"
Jezebel brought down the whip with such force that it exploded into fragments, leaving a crater.
As Jezebel's enraged scream echoed, Doug couldn't help but step back. If they could bring the formulas to the Empire or even to the nobles, Ascension was practically assured. If they controlled the elixir market's flow throughout the continent, they could dominate and become a powerful conglomerate. Not just Ascension, but a higher realm was within their grasp.
"I'll triple the number of guards searching for him. We'll send all the Awakeners from our branch. I'll also offer a substantial bounty on his head across all the cities."
Jezebel's rage began to subside, but an undeniable demonic aura emanated from her.
"Zane... Zane... Zane... I will find you, and I will claw every hidden treasure from your body!" Her eyes glowed a menacing red.
...
When both Zane and Cecilia rested after a day, both have regained their senses. When Cecilia looked around, she found the place luxuriously furnished.
Cecilia pondered, 'I know he has some mystics skills, but, where in the world did he get all of these furnitures?'
Zane on the other hand was looking to his storage interface, since he was too busy running, he did not have the chance to fully looked at his invetory.
First thing he wanted to see were the books, he found in the treasure room.
'Age of Chaos, the Berserkers Foundation'
'Secrets of the Berserkers'
'Realm of Legends: The Odyssey of the Enchanted Key'
'Enigma of the Crystal Shards: Adventures in the Mystical Realms'
'Echoes of Eternity: Trials of the Mythic Guardians'
'Whispers of the Ancients: Quest...'
'System, store the information'
'System, store the information,' Zane commanded mentally. However, this action resulted in a slight headache. After a while, the discomfort subsided, but he realized that the information from the books had been added to his Interface library.
Next, Zane turned his attention to one jade scrolls and four Awakener Orbs he had obtained. As he saw the cases, excitement surged through him. He recalled that the store points were located in the Southern part, sadly, they were tightly protected by Awakened Nobles, including the Umbras such as Jezebel and Dough.
"Cecilia, come over here," Zane beckoned as he seated himself. With delight he showed her first the Jade scroll, that says Slaughter Mantra (Incomplete)
"I could not believe that the third part was with Ezio's chamber. This is the third part of our mantra. I will take this first and share it to you later."
Zane wanted to run it with the system. When he got the first Zed's slaughter mantra, it was modified and many were unnecessary lines were added. With the system, he can filter those lines removing unnecessary restrictions and side effects.
Finally, he laid out the four Awakener Orbs. Cecilia's curiosity was piqued as she examined the Awakener orbs. On the table, she saw four palm-sized circular spheres, with three of them emitting swirling blue lights and the last one adorned with a golden orb.
"Knowledge Orbs?" she inquired.
"Yes!" Zane replied jubilantly.
"How do you know what skills are stored inside?"
"I have my ways," he grinned, earning an eye roll from Cecilia.
Zane pointed to the first orb, saying, "The first one is called Fast Strike. It allows the user to execute a rapid double strike using a melee weapon."
Moving on to the second orb, he continued, "Wild Dash: This skill enables the user to execute a rapid sequence of movements, swiftly traversing to a designated destination."
Pointing to the third orb, Zane explained, "Crushing Attack: With this ability, you can unleash a potent strike upon your adversaries, dealing damage to them while also causing self-inflicted harm."
Cecilia's curiosity extended to the golden-swirled orb, prompting her to ask, "And what about the one with the golden swirl?"
Zane's smile widened, "That's an Ascendant Orb. The skill within is called Summon Flame Golem: It conjures a Flame Golem that grants you increased Damage. The Flame Golem possesses abilities such as a fiery breath, a scorching torrent of flames, a sweeping surge of fire's fury, and an explosive flame bomb."
"It's a skill reserved for Ascendants."
Upon hearing about the Ascendant Orb, Cecilia was taken aback. She hadn't expected to acquire such a valuable orb. While she didn't fully comprehend its worth yet, she had a strong inkling that it could bring unimaginable wealth.
Cecilia nodded and asked, "So which orbs should I take?"
"You'll take the three Awakener orbs, and I'll take the Ascendant Orb."
"Alright," Cecilia agreed with enthusiasm. But then she voiced a concern, "What if I struggle to master the skill in the orb?"
Zane chuckled, "Well, you better not! Otherwise, you might find yourself back in Capricia."
Cecilia cleared her throat, replying, "Hmm, I'll definitely do my best. But how about you? How can you be so sure you can reach the Ascendant realm?"
Zane's laughter filled the air as he left Cecilia with the three Awakener orbs.