Yun emerged from The Abyss of Flames, the two feathers - the White Feather and the Phoenix Feather - clutched in his hands, gifts from Phoenix Empress Ardentia.
[ Detected a new relic. Skill: Ability Extraction+ Dead is being activated.
The information about relic is being retrieved which is as follows:
Name: Ardentia
Energy Level: Black, Grade Silver
Description: Ardentia is the last Empress of the Phoenix Tribe. There were 9 more Empresses before Ardentia. Ardentia was born in the heart of a volcano, her body forged in the fiery depths of the earth. From a young age, she was destined for greatness, her powers growing stronger with each passing day. She ruled her people with wisdom and courage, leading them to victory against countless foes. Empress Ardentia vanished mysteriously ***** years ago after a brutal battle with intruders. After which the destruction of Phoenix Tribe and other beasts tribes started.
Abilities:
1. Fiery Rebirth(Locked Permanently): Ardentia resurrects herself from her own ashes, restoring her health and vitality.
2. Solar Flare: Ardentia unleashes a devastating blast of solar energy, dealing massive damage to enemies and igniting flammable objects.
3. Pyrogenic Telekinesis: Ardentia manipulates fire with her mind, creating waves of flame to scorch enemies or ignite flammable objects.
4. Fiery Transformation: Ardentia transforms into a being of pure fire, granting her increased power, speed, and agility.
5. Inferno's Wrath: Ardentia unleashes a frenzy of fiery attacks, striking multiple enemies with waves of flame and increased strength.
6. Phoenix Shield: Ardentia summons a shield of ashes, absorbing damage and protecting her from harm.
7. Ardent Blaze: Ardentia creates a massive blaze, dealing damage to enemies and healing her allies. ]
[ Abilities of the Empress Ardentia being copied except fiery rebirth. ]
[ Congratulation! Host you have learned new abilities.
Limitation: Your energy level is not enough to use the full power of Empress Ardentia. You can use only 40% of the power now. ]
He pondered, "Wait, wait, wait. Why is this Fiery Rebirth ability permanently locked, and why didn't you copy it?"
The System responded. [ It's a blessing granted only to the Phoenix Tribe. No one can use this ability except them. ]
Yun's curiosity lingered, "But you said that if someone's energy level is higher than mine, and I copy their abilities, my body may suffer from energy overload, and I might even die."
The System clarified. [ Yes, but that's for deceased creatures. However, if a living creature trusts and accepts you, you don't need to worry about energy overload. It means they've given you permission. Just like in the beginning, to copy someone's ability, you had to max out their Favourability first. ]
Yun's eyes widened in understanding, "Oh! So that's it."
[ Detected Treasures.
Description as follows:
1. The Phoenix Feather: This feather is also called by another name The Resurrection Feather. An Empress level Phoenix has 10 resurrection feathers. When Phoenix Empress is happy with someone, she gives this feather as a reward. The soul mark of the one who becomes the owner of this feather gets imprinted on it forever. Which cannot be erased. This feather cannot be destroyed. Due to being Soul bound, this feather returns back to the owner if it gets lost.
Grade: Mythical
Use: After the owner dies, he becomes alive again within 100 days.
Limitation: One Time Use Only.
2. The White Feather: This feather is the treasure of Phoenix Empress. It will help its user to find White Tiger and Black Tortoise. Apart from this, The White Feather is ****.
Grade: Earth
Use: It can be used to *****. When *** **** are **** together then one *** ***. Whoever has **** will be *** *** *** ***.
Limitation: Only ***** **** **** **. ]
Yun sighed, "Censored again. Now I have become used to it." He thought aloud, "System, you said that no one has been given the blessing of resurrection except the Phoenix Tribe. Then what does the Resurrection Feather mean? It has the ability to resurrect its owner once."
The System explained. [ Phoenix Empress Ardentia has only ten Phoenix feathers, which means she can resurrect only ten times. If she gives her permission to use this feather to others, then anyone else can also use this ability. However, other creatures can only be resurrected once, no matter how many such feathers they possess. ]
Yun's eyes widened in understanding, "So, the Resurrection Feather is a powerful tool, but its use is limited. And the Phoenix Empress's permission is required for others to utilize it." He pondered the implications, grateful for the clarification.
[ Congratulation! Host, your energy level has increased after copying Phoenix Empress's abilities:
Red, Grade Silver > Blue, Grade Silver.
As a reward you get:
+500 Years Vitality Potion
Mystery Voucher +200
Wormhole Voucher +5
Time Slow Voucher +3
Self Future Prediction Voucher +1
Mask Voucher +2. ]
Yun spoke, "System, use Self Future Prediction Voucher."
The System responded. [ Self Future Prediction Voucher being used. ]
Five seconds passed, and the System asked. [ What did you see this time? ]
Yun replied, "Nothing."
The System prompted again. [ Again? ]
Yun answered, "I didn't see anything this time either. There was nothing but darkness. It seems that my destiny has yet to be determined."
The System offered a cryptic suggestion, [ Maybe. ]Yun's future remained shrouded in uncertainty, leaving him to ponder the path ahead.
50 Years Later
Fifty years had passed since Yun's quest began. He had scoured half the earth, searching tirelessly for any sign of the White Tiger and Black Tortoise. Yet, despite his tireless efforts, he had found nothing. During his travels, Yun had explored more than half of the THG, uncovering an array of weapons, herbs, and treasures. However, none of them were above Epic grade.
Weary and exhausted, Yun decided to visit the SSO headquarters, seeking a brief respite from his quest. He arrived during an auction, but his jaded eyes found nothing that piqued his interest. After all, he had amassed a collection of far superior treasures.
As he turned to leave, the System halted him, whispering about a sudden movement in the White Feather. Intrigued, Yun retrieved the feather from storage, and to his surprise, it began to fly towards the north, leading him to a secret basement 100 feet beneath the auction hall.
Without hesitation, Yun followed the feather, his heart pounding with anticipation. What secrets lay hidden beneath the headquarters? He reached the secret basement, his eyes adjusting to the dim light, and discovered a mysterious chamber that seemed to hold the answers he had been seeking for so long.
Yun's eyes widened in surprise, "I didn't know there would be a place like this beneath the SSO headquarters."
The System replied. [ Host, this is a secret organization. It's only natural to have secret places and secrets. ]
The White Feather fluttered restlessly, as if sensing something. Suddenly, a dimensional door materialized, bearing the name "The Hidden Prison". Yun's curiosity propelled him forward, and he stepped inside.
Within the prison, two enormous creatures were bound by chains, their eyes blazing with fury. As Yun approached, they roared in unison, their anger palpable. On closer inspection, Yun recognized the Black Tortoise and White Tiger, the very creatures the Empress had spoken of.
The two creatures fixed Yun with a malevolent glare, as if he were their arch-nemesis. They strained against their chains, snarling and snapping, "We will kill you! We will kill all humans!" Their voices echoed through the prison, a chilling refrain that sent shivers down Yun's spine.
Despite their ferocity, the chains held fast, restraining the creatures as they repeatedly thrashed about, their rage and hatred towards humans seemingly boundless.
Yun couldn't help but burst into laughter at the sight of the two creatures struggling against their chains. "You're not exactly the most intimidating foes, are you?" he teased, his amusement only fueling their rage.
But, to his surprise, the ancient chains suddenly snapped, freeing the Black Tortoise and White Tiger. They lunged at Yun, their eyes blazing with fury, but just as they were about to attack, the Phoenix Empress's white feather appeared, conjuring a protective barrier around him.
The two creatures halted, their eyes widening in shock as they took in the sight of the feather. "Where did you get Empress Ardentia's feather?" the White Tiger asked, its voice laced with disbelief. "And why is it protecting you?"
Yun smiled mischievously, pulling out the Dragon King's scale from his system storage. "I don't just have the Empress's feather," he said, his voice dripping with confidence. "I also have the Dragon King's scale."
The Black Tortoise and White Tiger gasped, their eyes darting to the scale in awe. They exchanged a glance, and in a flash, they transformed into humanoid forms, their fury replaced by curiosity.
One of them spoke, "My name is Kurodos, and everyone also calls me Black Tortoise. This is Zephyr, the White Tiger. Since the White Feather is protecting you, you have already met Empress Ardentia, and the Empress has accepted you. But have you met the Dragon King Kaelos too? Where is he?"
Yun replied, "Kurodos, I have never met the Dragon King. I obtained this scale from somewhere else. But yes, I have met the Empress, and she has sent me to find you two and the Dragon King. The Empress could not tell me the complete truth."
Yun continued, his curiosity piqued, "Can you tell me the truth about your miserable condition? How? why? and who did this to you all? Who were those intruders, and where are they now?"
Kurodos's expression turned solemn, and Zephyr's eyes clouded with a mix of sadness and anger. The air grew heavy with anticipation as they prepared to reveal the secrets that had been locked away for so long.
Kurodos and Zephyr exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with a shared history. Zephyr's growl was low and menacing as she began to speak, "I will tell you what happened."
Yun nodded, his curiosity piqued, "S-Sure."
Zephyr's voice was laced with a hint of anger, "Everything was going well in those days. All the beasts were happy. The four tribes - Dragon, Phoenix, Black Tortoise, and White Tiger - maintained order and law, managing their kingdoms in harmony. Then, without warning, thousands of massive flying ships appeared in the sky, descending upon the earth. We had never seen such ships before, and we knew they weren't from our world."
Zephyr's eyes seemed to cloud over, lost in thought, "We understood that these outsiders were not from our earth, as we had never ventured beyond our planet. The Dragon King, however, had explored other worlds, but even he had never seen such ships. They were enormous, capable of holding all the beasts in just 100 vessels."
Zephyr's voice took on a tone of reverence, "The Dragon King, being the leader, approached the ships and demanded to know their purpose and to meet their leader."
She continued, her voice laced with a hint of horror, "But without listening to anything, those people started attacking the Dragon King, and he fell to the ground. Fire rained down everywhere, and explosions rocked the land. Panic spread among all the beasts."
Zephyr's eyes seemed to flash with anger, "The Dragon King got up, his power unparalleled, and destroyed one of their ships. But they emerged from the wreckage unscathed, their bodies covered in strange armor, wielding weapons we had never seen before."
Yun's eyes widened in shock, "Who were they?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Kurodos and Zephyr spoke in unison, their voices heavy with gravity, "Humans."
Yun's mind reeled in disbelief, "Shock! Humans? How? Why? Didn't humans already live on Earth?" He struggled to comprehend the revelation, his thoughts racing with questions.
Kurodos's voice was laced with a hint of nostalgia, "No, only beasts used to live on Earth. This earth belonged to us beasts. Apart from our four tribes, many other tribes also called this land home."
Yun's eyes narrowed, understanding slowly dawning on him, "Is this the reason why you started attacking me as soon as you saw me?"
Zephyr's expression turned sheepish, "Yes, because we don't know how long we've been imprisoned here. When we suddenly saw you, we lost our rationality and started attacking without thinking. We weren't in control of our actions."
Kurodos added, his voice heavy with regret, "We were consumed by our instincts, driven by a primal fear. We didn't know what you were or where you came from. Our only thought was to protect ourselves."
Yun's gaze softened, comprehension replacing his initial wariness, "I understand now. You were scared, and your instincts took over."
Yun's curiosity was piqued, "Then what happened next?"
Kurodos's expression turned somber, "We fought many battles with humans. We were winning at first, but then..." His voice trailed off, lost in thought.
Zephyr continued, "One day, the Dragon King vanished. He said he was going somewhere and would return, but he never did. We were left leaderless, and our morale began to crumble."
Kurodos's eyes clouded over, "We kept fighting, but after the Phoenix Empress disappeared too, our strength began to wane. We lost battle after battle, and eventually, we were sealed away here."
Yun's eyes widened in understanding, "So, you're saying that if I find the Dragon King, he'll have the answers to all my questions?"
Zephyr nodded, "Yes, the Dragon King knows everything. He has the blessing of omniscience, no matter where he is. He'll know what's happening on earth and what happened to us."
Kurodos's voice was laced with determination, "Find the Dragon King, Yun. He's the only one who can reveal the truth and help us break this curse."
Zephyr's voice was laced with a mix of curiosity and trepidation, "I want to ask you something. Are our species or any other beasts still alive?"
Yun's expression turned somber, "No, no one is alive right now." He paused, considering his next words carefully.
Zephyr's eyes narrowed, "You don't need to hide anything. We know we were defeated. But we're not sure what happened after the war. Did humans kill all the beasts or make them slaves?"
Yun's voice was gentle, yet firm, "It's not at all what you're thinking. Powerful beasts like you are no longer in this world. And neither are there any powerful humans left."
Zephyr's skepticism was palpable, "Are you telling the truth?" She searched Yun's face, seeking any hint of deception.
Yun's gaze met hers, unwavering, "..." His silence spoke volumes, a testament to the veracity of his words.
"It seems that a lot of time has passed since that incident. Now it is time for us to leave. We have been sealed here for a long time, our physical bodies destroyed, and only a fragment of our souls remain. We've exhausted our energy breaking free from these chains," Zephyr said, her voice ethereal.
Yun's determination was evident, "But how do I find the Dragon King Kaelos?"
Zephyr's response was enigmatic, "Just like you found us."
Yun's expression turned quizzical, "But it took me so long to find you guys. The Phoenix Empress gave me this white feather, which led me to you."
Kurodos's voice was laced with a hint of mystery, "We will give you our treasures, a part of our essence. With the combined power of the Empress's and our treasures, you will find the Dragon King more easily."
With that, White Tiger Zephyr and Black Tortoise Kurodos vanished, leaving Yun with their treasures and a renewed sense of purpose. The quest to find the Dragon King Kaelos had just begun.