Dominator!
A Dominator that dominates even his own emotions!
Completely in contrast to the beast-like nature he had shown before when taking this form, his visage was as calm as the Serene Isles.
Suddenly, he heard the clicking of heels behind him and briefly glanced at the beautiful mature woman from the corner of his eyes.
She was wearing a long-complicated black gown. Her smooth black hair was combed in a bun with braids falling over her shoulders. Her red eyes shined enigmatically. Her pale gorgeous face was as impassive as it was beautiful.
Kole's transformation came undone. The coldness vanishing to a large degree, what remained was his usual bold self with a tint of frivolity.
"Which mother bathes his adult son?" He had a broad grin etching over his face.
Faneia briefly glanced at him as she muttered, "Well, technically it was me who bathed you, but at the same time, it wasn't me who bathed you exactly…"
Kole raised his eyebrows in astonishment. What kind of excuse is this? A very clever way of avoiding the topic at hand… Interesting.
Without saying anything she stretched her hand and pulled back.
In her palm eight crystal-clear beads of Creation Seeds lay.
"This will be the last time I'm bringing you the ingredients you need. If you wish to advance further—go and find it on your own."
Kole's brows knitted together, "What do you mean?"
"I meant what I said. Don't act like you didn't hear anything."
"Why?" Although he knew it was a stupid question and also had an idea about his mother's behavior, he still asked.
Faneia averted her eyes and muttered, "Um. I don't have any more Creation Seeds."
"…" Kole could feel his eyelids twitching.
Out of Stock?... Kole chuckled inwardly.
Shaking his head to throw useless thoughts, he pushed his hand forward and retracted some training clothes from thin air.
With a low breath, Kole dressed up and suddenly asked another question, "Sure… but where can I find them? As far as I know, they are heavily restricted by the Church! Alice mentioned, even in black markets it is very rare to see one."
"Although I understand people would sell them because they are in no way ready to advance forward because of existing "corruption", it is a very rare case. It does not happen often."
"However, even if I can get one or two by chance, after reaching Tier 2-A, I'd need sixteen Creation Seeds for my next advancement. It is hard to rely on that."
Faneia smiled lightly, "How did Alice bring you, your first Creation Seed?"
"By killing a Baneful monster in the wild that she found by accident… Oh…" A look of contemplation shined in his eyes, however, when he thought deeper about it, he locked eyes with Faneia "but it's still not efficient or reliable."
"Well, there are other methods," Faneia displayed a small indiscernible smile, "Subspace!"
"Subspace?" Kole's eyes narrowed.
"Yes. Exploring the Subspace is very dangerous because nobody knows what lies in the depths of Subspace. However, from time to time, Churches would open channels to Subspace to explore and extract Creation Seeds and artifacts."
"Oookay…"Kole nodded slowly, "But I don't think I would dare to venture into that world for now… Then?"
Faneia thought for a moment as she asked suddenly, "Have you ever wondered what happens to Creation Seeds of an Ascendant after they die?"
Kole furrowed his brows. He had a foreboding about where this conversation was going but he didn't interrupt his mother.
"If an Ascendant is of higher rank, the concentrated Creation Seeds on their bodies would break down in smaller ones."
"For example, in total, you have taken seven Creation Seeds in your body and it has been condensed into one. If you die, then that one Creation Seeds will break down into seven."
Shitt… Kole could almost feel the cannibalistic meaning behind her words. Kill others. Feed on them. And Improve yourself.
However, cold water was poured on his head when he heard Faneia say:
"Most of the time, those Creation Seeds vanish into Subspace. And once they do, it is hard to locate unless you come upon them by accident."
But hearing her next words, Kole's heart brimmed with anticipation:
"However, your powers are very suitable. As long as you enter Subspace and search just after they vanish, you might be able to find them in time before they are lost in Subspace."
Faneia's eyes narrowed into slits, "This is also why, people who can use Subspace as easy as breathing are termed as extremely dangerous!"
Kole could understand where she was coming from and nodded lightly.
At the same time, he felt regret of not knowing about this before, otherwise he could've gotten almost three Creation Seeds from Mark's body.
But when he thought about it, Kole smiled bitterly.
Even if he knew at that time, he wouldn't be able to follow through the plan in his emotional turmoil where he reacted more on instincts like a beast.
Anyways, its no use crying over spilled milk... Kole calmed his turbulent thoughts.
After a moment of deliberation, Kole went through the new knowledge he has just gained from his mother.
Kole had no qualms about killing a bunch of Ascendants.
In fact, he already had a list of people forming in his mind.
They were the giant cultist who was devoted to Gradoz, and the hooded-robed man who had helped him kill Mark and praised Light.
For some reason, Kole refused to touch the Ascendants of the Church.
Maybe it was because Caroline was also a member of the Tempest Order. If possible, he didn't wish to fight her or hurt her. She has always been nice to him.
I can also think about targeting the Moores'. Since they are destined to become my enemies, I might as well take everything they have… Thinking so, Kole's lips curved up.
It was at that moment, Kole locked eyes with Faneia and muttered with a mischievous grin, "What if I come to kill you someday…"
Faneia looked at him with a dry look, "Didn't I say earlier, in order to advance after you reach a certain level of power, Creation Seeds aren't needed."[1]
"…" Kole froze.
Oh yeah… I forgot about that.
"However, if there ever comes a day when we stand at opposite sides, then I'd rather die at your hands than your subordinates or allies…"
The frown on Kole's face couldn't help but deepen as his face tightened.
Is this a red flag?... He chuckled inwardly to derail the out of control thoughts.
"Cough! Then, let's go. I also wish to know what new abilities will I gain this time…"[2]
…
[1]: Mentioned in 'Chapter 24: SACRIFICES ARE NECESSARY'. Re-Read if you forgot.
[2]: Kole is going from Tier 1-C to Tier 2-A. This is a major advancement.
A/N: I am really excited for the next arc. Kole's coming of age ceremony. Meeting more cultists(Lol), and finding ways to advance in the midst of the chaos that will ensue after a character(Mark) that didn't even get enough screen time died like an ant. Yes. The phrase 'Praise The Light' was very important and a hidden plot is about to open up. A useless character is about to bring impact to the story, even after his death… Muhaha!