As the descendant of the infamous grand thief Ludwig Hanson, Spike Hanson had carved out a territory for himself even in the chaotic and lawless outskirts of the capital. While perhaps not as notorious as the Four Blackguards, everyone in the area knew better than to trespass on his land—especially during the day. Unless, of course, you were Shun Xshasi.
"Who are you?" Spike spat, his voice sharp and confrontational. He had learned never to underestimate anyone in the outskirts, particularly someone whose face was unfamiliar. Shun's attire, though not luxurious, was suspiciously clean and new—a warning sign in this part of the world.
Shun's gaze was cold, full of disdain. "Have you heard of someone named Dharma Leyndra?"
Spike and his gang froze, then erupted into laughter. It was not the wisest response, considering the legend of Dharma Leyndra—or the dangerous aura emanating from Shun.
"Dharma Leyndra, the descendant of Tyrant Kolgwyn's army commander," Spike smirked, the scar on his right cheek twisting into a grotesque grin. His tone, however, became more cautious, knowing that the boy in front of him could either be an ally of Dharma or an enemy sent to kill him. Either way, he wasn't someone to take lightly.
Shun's eyes narrowed further. "Continue."
Spike obliged, his voice tinged with a mix of respect and fear. "Dharma was one of the first to surrender, maybe even before the Crusader Army attacked. Because he was still young, he was one of the few in the Tyrant's forces who survived. When he was banished to the outskirts, people mocked and picked on him."
"But soon, all those people were brutally killed. None of them even had a complete corpse to bury. After that, everyone knew that Dharma wasn't someone to mess with."
"For a while, he ruled the entire capital's outskirts. Even the Four Blackguards feared him. But then, something happened—an accident in the capital—and he disappeared."
Shun nodded, satisfied with the answer. "I didn't realize people here were so eager to help each other."
Spike remained still, a sense of dread settling in his gut. The boy's calm, almost playful tone seemed to swallow the air around them.
Shun continued, "May I ask you one more question?" Before Spike could respond, Shun's next words cut through the air like a blade.
"Respectfully, can you kill yourself?"
In an instant, a long lance materialized in Spike's hand, his eyes burning with fury and fear. But before he could react, Shun vanished. A black spear materialized behind Spike, piercing through his back with a swift, deadly thrust. With a powerful turn, Shun plunged the spear into the ground. Countless clones of the spear erupted from the earth, impaling every member of Spike's gang.
Shun pulled the Spear of Despair from the ground. He didn't enjoy the act of killing, but the outcome was all that mattered.
[Heart Piercer]
Class: Ascended
Weapon Type: Lance
Ability Type: Special
Every wound inflicted by Heart Piercer is treated as if it struck directly at the heart.
"Every wound is fatal, even the smallest ones."
Spike hadn't become the leader of his gang just because of his lineage; his ethereal arm was indeed impressive. But in this moment, it was disappointingly inadequate compared to Shun's power.
Shun laughed, exhilarated. This was only the beginning.
"He killed Spike Hanson and his gang!"
A man shouted from a distance, his voice echoing across the area. The outskirts were vast, but this particular section was close to one of the Four Blackguards' headquarters, and it was teeming with thugs.
Before long, Shun saw a horde of people charging toward him. They weren't seeking revenge for Spike; they wanted the spoils of war. Shun grinned, casually swinging the spear over his shoulder as blood splattered onto the nearby spears, adding a grim shade of red to the desolate wasteland.
The first to reach Shun was a man who had lost half his face, likely a small-time leader in the area. "Announce your name, and we might build a grave for you in our imagination."
Shun didn't respond with words. Instead, he yanked one of the spears from the ground and hurled it at the man. The man caught it effortlessly and snapped it in half. These thugs weren't just surviving on their ethereal arms; their physical prowess rivaled that of the best soldiers in the Lordrixis army.
But brute strength wasn't enough.
Shun lowered his head and raised his arm. A brilliant flaming horn materialized, its glow reflecting the setting sun. The scarred man froze in terror, recognizing the infamous weapon.
Shun smiled, "Have you heard of the Mad Lord Vladimir Sandrea?"
"RUN!" The scarred man screamed, more terrified than he'd ever been, even when facing the Mad Lord himself. He knew the horrors that Frenzied Dream could unleash, and he would rather die a thousand deaths than become one of its monsters.
But it was too late. The grand, despairing sound of the horn echoed across the wasteland.
"He had nothing to do with me," Shun muttered, lowering his arm and watching the chaos unfold around him.
The horn vanished, replaced by Spike's long lance. Shun spent the next few minutes methodically eliminating the monsters created under Frenzied Dream's influence. Some were already killing each other or even themselves, but Shun needed to ensure that his ability remained a secret.
As he dispatched the last of the madmen, Shun sighed. Most of them didn't possess impressive ethereal arms, but one caught his attention.
[Perspective Eye]
Class: Blessed
Weapon Type: Special
Ability Type: Informational
Detects the attitudes of others toward the possessor. The closer the relationship, the more accurate the detection.
"Humans lie, and they lie about their feelings toward others more than anything else."
It was the first informational type ethereal arm Shun had acquired. The ability seemed underwhelming on its own, but paired with others, it might bring him closer to a state similar to Glynn Belkarn's—capable of reading minds.
Night was approaching, and Shun knew he needed to rest before Albert's assassination plan. If everything went as planned, he would be rewarded with a daunting complete ethereal arm.
He hadn't found the mysterious Dharma Leyndra Elysia had mentioned, but he was certain that if Spike's account was accurate, Dharma would be a powerful ally.