As Byron had been assuming, the guy with a missing eye was too quick to react. When Kyron's spear was lunching toward Byron, the Patriarch appeared out of nowhere, almost as if he had been there all the time.
He stood in front of Byron, his invisible powers colliding with Kyron's spear to send it back to its master. This happened too fast and too unexpected for Kyron to react in time. Soon, the spear passed past him, scratching on his right temple to leave a mark of two bloody parallel lines Kyron was never going to forget his entire life.
Kyron raised his hand to cover the shallow wound and, by then, everyone had realized that the Patriarch had arrived. That's why those in white robes bent their bodies ninety degrees, Kyron and Knox bowing to show some respect. Only Byron still stood straight, wondering how powerful was the Patriarch.
Not even a second passed, and a thunderous sound echoed around the inner courtyard, another following it. Byron knew what that sound was. How could he have forgotten about it? The Invisible Slap was nothing like he ever experienced. One of the facts he wished he would never experience it again.
"This is your big brother, you imps!"
This was not a question so both Kyron and Knox said nothing. What if it was a question? What would they say a few seconds after such a slap? For some reason, this brought a grin on Byron's face.
There were other reasons he was happy when both Kyron and Knox got slapped. First, his reputation was slowly returning. He had shown that he didn't fear both Kyron and Knox anymore, right? Second, the Patriarch had stood by his side, a sign that the man didn't play favorites. Once Byron started achieving a thing after another, he was going to gain his support.
'This is good!'
Just like that, Byron found himself behind the Patriarch, following him into the main house.
***
During a conversation, there's something a superior person does. Standing his back facing who he is talking to, his arms behind his back and his eyes focused on something else, almost as if he is talking to that thing instead of the person behind him. That's what the Patriarch had done.
Now, standing in front of a large window, the Patriarch started a conversation.
"When did it came?"
Byron was confused. He had been wandering his eyes around the lounge, red and blue colours being the hue of most of the decorations, curtains and... and everything there. This is why he took a pause to think about the Patriach's question, thinking that maybe there was something he had said before that. However much he tried to remember, he found nothing.
"Uh... sorry! What are you talking about?"
Without turning around, the Patriarch responded, "The Pigment Pot!"
Byron didn't know anything about that thing but his memories got him covered. Once one drank a god's blood, his heart would undergo certain transformations to turn into something that would control the flow of the god's Pigment and act as a nexus between one's soul and body.
"Oh!... that! I didn't know I even have it!"
To be honest, Byron only remembered receiving two Droplets of Desires. That might had been the cause for the creation of the Pigment Pot which was so confusing. Because, if he remembered correct, Almighty Interpreter had proved Byron could not withstand a god's pigment. Also, hoe could it have formed without him noticing?
'Don't stress yourself!'
That was the plan. Byron didn't have to over think it. He was sure he would know the reason soon or later.'
Meanwhile, the Patriarch was also surprised.
He didn't turn around for Byron to see it but he could feel it in the wavering of his aura.
"Really?"
"Of course I didn't know it! Uh... by the way, how did you figured it out?"
This time, the Patriarch turned around, his missing eye making Byron shift uncomfortably. He took a few steps toward him, his expression somber.
"When someone has a Pigment Pot his aura can tell it. About not knowing you had a Pigment Pot, that's impossible! I don't want to force you into telling when and where, but I know you know something I don't know. That's why I now believe that you really know where the Dungeon of Desires is located."
Byron didn't know what to reply to those words. Would he tell him about the Goddess of Beauty? About all he knew about the God of Desires? No! He would rather lie. Since the Patriarch would not force him, he changed the subject.
"Was it why you invited me here?"
The Patriarch shook his head and shouted,
"Dahlia!"
As soon as he called Kyron's mom, a mysterious scent assaulted Byron's nostrils, a woman clad in a red dress appearing in the room. Behind her, another woman in a blue dress emerged, both women carrying in their hands some things Byron couldn't describe.
"Here!" said the Patriarch as he extended his arm toward Byron. "Take this and use it to transport all small things you'll find!"
Byron could see nothing in the Patriarch's hands. However, when he touched him, he felt something magical flowing from the Patriarch's body into his. Following, an unknown voice whispered into his ears.
[You have received a Legacy, Transport Portal.]
He almost jumped.
"What's this?"
"That's a Legacy to help you transport things with ease."
Seeing the confused expression on Byron's face, the Patriarch sighed and asked, "Don't you really remember the Messenger Portal?"
Byron would have said he didn't if not for his memories. Messenger Portal was a... uh... what? A portal?
'This is getting more confusing!'
In the Patriach's study, there was a table with several shimmering runes drawn on it. Their light created a small shimmering circle above them. The Patriarch used it to communicate with both the Nexus Regions and the Flaming Realms.
Even if one could put his fist inside that small portal, it would disappear and emerge somewhere else where other runes were drawn. What was their connection to Transport Portal then?
To know it, Byron answered the Patriach's question with a question.
"What does the Messenger Portal have to do with the Transport Portal?"
The patriarch stepped backwards.
"Summon it!"
Byron's mouth fell open.
'Huh?'
To be honest, he had no idea on what the Patriarch was talking about. Even his memories didn't back him this... no! They had something to tell him.
Once with Almighty Interpreter, one would be able to have Legacies and Replicas, able to dismiss and summon them whenever he wanted. It might be what Kyron did when a spear appeared in his hands out of no where back when both he and Knox were going to give Byron some teaching.
Legacies were gifts one would receive after killing a certain Infected Monster. Some were armors from gods, weapons, charms and other different types of tools. Only lucky people received them.
Just like that, Byron thought of summoning the Transport Portal and, not long after, a mist of white sparks enveloped his right hand, a colourful quill appearing in his hand when the sparks faded away.
'Damn!'
The Patriarch started a lecture.
"The Transport Portal is the one we use to draw those runes. Unlike when the God of Desires was alive, it only creates small portals."
Byron raised an eyebrow.
His memories backed him but the Patriarch had already began explaining.
"When the gods war ended, Infection was yet to reach everywhere. Some places still had food, fruits and Normal Monsters. However, people were frightened to step out of their Safe Zones.
"That's why God of Desires created Transport Portal. He would go, look for a place with edible fruits, plants and animal and then use the portal to bring people there. Under his protection, humans would harvest those crops and use the portal to return to their Safe Zones. You can read more about it in the Legacy Description in your Almighty Interpreter interface."
With that information, Byron felt like he knew how to use the colourful quill. Some runes appeared in his mind, prompting him to step toward a table nearby and draw some.
He waited.
Soon, the runes shimmered and produced ethereal lightening blue strings, a shimmering circle weaving itself above them.
'Damn!'
He moved on to another table and did just like that. Following, he grabbed a porcelain cup nearby and inserted it into one of the shimmering circles. Despite the tables having a ten meter interval between them, the porcelain cup, together with some of his fingers disappeared and emerged from the portal circle on another table.
Byron could brainstorm uncountable things he would be able to achieve with that Transport Portal. They have even said it was the God of Desires creation. Could it mean that once Byron drank more of his blood he would be able to enhance that Legacy and bring it back to its before level? That he would be able to transport large things like humans and... houses? Maybe trees, right?
'Damn!'
The Patriarch touched Byron's hands again, gave him more things, more information and more advices, ending their conversation with,
"Good luck out there, son!"