In a harrowing forest, where the cluster of old aged trees gather, evoking a haunted and horrifying atmosphere in the whole place.
At somewhere in the corners of the forest, a small base was situated. An unknown base that hides itself from the eyes of society, silently awaiting for the day to cause mayhem.
A man with charming mature features walked out from the base, his scarlet red cloak getting dragged as he moved. In his back, two people that were covered by the same scarlet red cloak followed him.
"Are they not here yet?" Aza calmly asked, as he continued to walk forward.
"Not yet, Lord Aza." The two people spoke simutaneously, their head bowed as they answered with respect.
"I see, how dissapointing." Aza hummed in response. In restrospect, he should have known that, however the excitement he was feeling was shrouding him to think clearly.
"If you wish Lord Aza, we should deliver the prisoners to your esteem self." One of the followers spoke.
"No, no." Aza waved his hand with a smile. "I can control myself, don't worry."
He wasn't going to forsake such things for merely temporary pleasure. It wasn't worth it.
"Besides," Aza spoke as his eyes glinted while looking at the distance, "The prisoners are our gift to 'It'."
Suddenly, the cult leader and his followers stopped. Arriving at an altar where incomphrensible runes were inscribed to the corners.
"Ah, this where 'It' will descend, or maybe appear?" Aza spoke with undisguised fascination. He wasn't entirely clear of how 'It' will appear, the records he had found were tarnished to the point of no recovery.
There was only one thing he knew for certain. It's descent was equal to utter chaos, 'It' will spread mayhem with no bounds and restraint.
And when that happens, he wanted to know if it was the answer he was looking for all along...
A large smile crept unto Aza's face as his eyes distantly looked at the altar. All of those days of countless hard work and preparation was going bear fruit the answer he was so desperate of.
Aza looked up at the sky as he asked his two followers, "When will those lowlife's arrive?"
"Most likely tonight, Lord Aza." One of the followers answered immediately.
"What should we do to them afterwards, Lord Aza?" The other follower asked in curiousity.
"What else?" Aza rhetorted as he chuckled, his laughter echoing at the forest, "Kill them of course."
"Is it not better to give them as a sacrifice?" The follower asked in confusion.
"Those lowlives as a present to 'It'?" Aza asked darkly, his eyes redirecting to the follower as he stared at the cloaked person intently, "Are you proposing to tarnish the reverend's meal by adding such lowlives?"
The tension suddenly rose as the atmosphere descended into an unnerving silence.
"N-no..." The follower staggered in fear, immediately kneeling as he hit his head on the ground, "Forgive me, Lord Aza..."
Aza stared at the follower for several seconds as the unnerving silence amplified the tension. Suddenly, he smiled as he spoke, "You are forgiven."
"W-what...?" The follower asked in surprise as he raised his head to look at his lord. His eyes glimpsing at something utterly unfathomably holy.
He saw a smile. An otherworldly smile. Filled with calmness and serenity. It held no evil and intent to harm. It was not devilish, but the opposite.
It was monstrously angelic.
In that instant, he felt something within him that urged him to grovel in respect the man out of fear and humility. It was like the whispers of his God fell into his ears.
And then he realized, the man, Lord Aza was their—no, the Messiah. The one, who would bring them to the destined place of their God.
"You can rise up now." Aza spoke as he turned his back to the altar.
While he was silently looking at the altar, he remembered something. The vision of the possible future. A vision where he would encounter a brown haired man along with two kids and be defeated by their obstruction.
"No one can stop me now..." Aza muttered darkly as the wind blew his cloak, revealing his maddened eyes. "Everything is slowly coming into pieces. Tonight, everything would finally start."
—
In a large and empty training room, a shirtless young man held a sword as he focused intently. His snowy white hair poured sweat down to his well defined body.
"Wait for it..." Arcuied muttered as he kept his eyes closed. Follow the rthym of the wind. Achieve harmony with the sword.
"The—" Arcuied shouted as he opened his eyes, however he was suddenly distracted by a loud ringing from besides the wall.
The ringing was too loud to ignore. He reluctantly approached the ringing sound as he complained in his mind. He forgot to silence off the calls and disturbance.
In his defense, there really weren't many people that called him. In fact, the people that knew his number were less likely to call him. So who was the caller?
"Damn..." Arcuied cursed as he took the watch from the ground, he pressed the answer toggle.
The watch suddenly projected a holographic image, featuring a well dressed young man in a fancy and luxurious room.
"Eugene?" Arcuied exclaimed in suprise as his eyes recognized the man.
"Arcuied, my dear friend." The well dressed young man, Eugene, nodded in response as he spoke with a smile.
"So what brought you to disturb me?" Arcuied asked.
"Surely you jest, do you not appreciate a fine greeting between friends?" Eugene asked playfully as he looked at Arcuied from the screen.
"Alright, alright." Arcuied sighed, "So what brought you to call me?"
"Fine, I will get straight to the point." Eugene spoke as he chuckled. "First and foremost, you do want to get stronger do you?"
"Of course." Arcuied nodded as he narrowed his eyes.
"Well, you see..." Eugene spoke slowly, grabbing a small cup from the table he was sitting at. "I have a way for us to get stronger."
"Go on." Arcuied said as he put his arms in his chest.
"Ooh, quite interested are we?" Eugene spoke as he sipped the cup he was holding, "I do want to ask, why are you in a rush?"
"It doesn't concern you." Arcuied responded, "And you seem to be in a rush too, would you tell yours?"
Eugene paused at that remark. His hands stopped mid-air as he stared at Arcuied silently.
The atmosphere suddenly became tense as an unnerving silence erupted between the two as they stared at each other.
"I'l get straight to the point." Eugene spoke, disrupting the silence, "This chance would be extremely dangerous."
"I'm no stranger to danger, however," Arcuied spoke, "What 'chance' are we talking about here?"
"A very tempting chance," Eugene replied positively, "A chance to rush advancing to Rank D."
"Don't tell me It's impure alchemy production?" Acruied scowled.
"No, no, It's definetely pure." Eugene affirmed confidently, "Maybe you're familiar with it. It's recorded on the treasure list after all."
"What is it then?" Arcuied asked as his eyes narrowed expectantly.
"Nascent Bead." Eugene dropped casually as he stared at Arcuied.
"Are you sure?" Arcuied asked solemnly as he heard the name of the treasure.
The treasure, Nascent Bead, was ranked as A in the Discovery Appraisal Association. It was as it name implies, a bead. It was ranked highly because of the effects it brought.
When a Miracle Invoker wore the Nascent Bead, their accumulation of magical energy towards their body would amplifyi to several levels, allowing them to rise through the beginner ranks easily.
It was also not a one time thing, the item's usability could preserve for a long time that it could be passed down to a Miracle Invoker's disciples or a noble family's heir.
It was the perfect treasure for him. He wanted to get stronger quickly after all. Even though he was quite talented to be on the verge of breaking through Rank D at the age of 16, it was not enough.
If someone heard his thoughts, they would see him as mad and impatient. However, he didn't care of what they say. How can they even fathom and know what forces him to do so?
The constant daunting nightmares that woke him up every mid night as his body shivered in terror.
The continous search for the truth he had long wish to know and see, clouded by fog like mysteries waiting to be unveiled.
All of those sparked a flare of urgency within him, like a fire being fanned, making the desire within him get stronger every passing day.
"Hey, are you listening?" Eugene asked as he narrowed his eyes while looking at Arcuied in a daze, "Arcuied?"
"Oh," Arcuied snapped out of his daze as he asked, "What did you say?"
"..Hm, nothing." Eugene spoke as he waved his hands in dismissal, "The place we're going to is at the Harrowing Lands."
"I see," Arcuied spoke, "Where at the Harrowing Lands?"
Eugene took a paper from the table as he spoke, "I'l give the data to you."
Instantly, a loud sound came from the watch, notifying a message sent from Eugene.
"Sure, at what time by the way?" Arcuied asked off-handedly as he swiped the message to read it.
"Tonight." Eugene said without offering any choice.
"That's fine." Arcuied replied immediately, "Where would we meet?"
"The Royal Capital. I will message you the exact location." Eugene responded as he put down the papers in the table.
"Okay, so the place is at..." Arcuied mumbled as he stared at the information provided by Eugene, "Silent Demon Forest?"
"I assure you, that's definetely not ominous." Eugene affirmed as he suddenly dropped the call.