"Depends," DEVA gave a curt response as Kyorin frowned, "You know, I hate being tested." He spoke out his dislike, aware that DEVA was purposefully testing him.
DEVA, aware of Kyorin's realization of her antics, however, stayed firm in her approach. "Do not misunderstand my intentions, Subject Dan Kyorin—" She was about to clarify herself when Kyorin raised a hand, prompting her to stop.
"Do not refer to me as a 'Subject'," Kyorin stated, his tone carrying clear disapproval of being referred to as something akin to a lab rat.
"Either call me 'Master' or 'Kyorin' simply," he offered. DEVA reasoned, "Kyorin feels too close, while Master doesn't feel right either. Shouldn't I be Master since I will be guiding you?" she posed.
Kyorin simply smiled, 'Not willing to yield, huh? ' He analyzed.
After some considerations, he spoke, "Very well then, how about Resonator, and I just call you DEVA?" he suggested once more.
This was something DEVA could agree upon, "Very well, Resonator." She said before continuing her earlier words, "Resonator, I believe you must be aware that even if we have formed a pact, you haven't awakened as a Resonator."
Kyorin nodded, though he felt energy coursing through his body, he knew he was not a Resonator yet.
However, being a Resonator might be a high call for even him as he could only but show deception of emotions rather than true emotion. The only way a human can awaken as one is via emotional stress, which Kyorin did not possess.
"Is your intention to let me handle this predicament—the Fractsidus—all on my own to evoke an emotion from me?" Kyorin demanded, seeking an answer.
DEVA nodded, her tone mechanical and clear of her intentions, "Indeed. However, since you are my potential Resonator," She added.
Considering her next words, she continued. "I will not let you go empty-handed when fighting high-level Resonators as a mere human." She clarified, stating her willingness to help to some extent.
"I will be offering anything within my power and within reasonable standards to assist you, albeit it wouldn't be much." DEVA offered, awaiting Kyorin's demands.
"Companionship," Kyorin immediately requested, his tone decisive. DEVA became quizzical, "What exactly do you mean by 'companionship'? " She asked, not jumping to conclusions as she knew Kyorin also loved to play with his words.
"Be a witness to my antics," Kyorin explained simply, instructing her to be by his side until this ordeal passes.
'This human,' DEVA's circuits buzzed with static as she thought, 'I don't know whether he is fearless or an idiot.' she wondered. But what Kyorin requested was not difficult and reasonable, so she complied, "Very well."
Nodding, Kyorin went back towards Yao Ming, standing a few steps before him, facing the withered tree. DEVA understood his intention reverted the tree back to its original state and let the time tick again as her metallic body vanished into thin air.
As Kyorin felt the world moving again, he took another step, only to have his cuffs held by Yao Ming. "Do not go near the tree, little one, you may call upon bad omen," Yao Ming warned. Kyorin simply whined, eliciting a helpless sigh from Yao Ming.
As the day passed, dusk soon settled, and Kyorin headed home with an unassuming wooden gourd tied to his belt—DEVA.
He entered the house and greeted his mother, who asked about the gourd. Kyorin answered that Uncle Yao had brought it for him, and Xia accepted the reasoning.
While having dinner, Kyorin noticed a strange expression on Xia's face, which he found intriguing but did not bring up.
Meanwhile, Xia, who had once lived this life, recalled, 'This was the day,' as her gaze wandered toward the direction of the sacred tree before dismissing her thoughts and continuing to eat.
Soon, night spilled its inky veil over this side of Solaris III, smothering Yang Niu village in sleep.
Yet amid the hush, a creak sliced through the silence—a whisper of movement in the dark. A tiny figure treaded forward, gourd tied to his belt, his path flickering under the frail glow of a lantern.
Slipping past the village homes, he ventured beyond its borders. But just as he disappeared into the night, another creak answered, sharp and urgent, followed by the hurried thud of footsteps.
A few figures rushed out, scanning the darkness. One of them scowled, a thought bristling in his mind—'Did that fool of a child went there? Oh no...'
As for the said fool, he wove through rustling leaves and tangled bushes until the thicket parted, revealing a clearing.
There, a lone withered tree stood, its skeletal branches clawing at the night sky. The earth beneath it seemed drier than the rest, the air thick with an odd, acrid scent—something sharp, almost metallic, lingering beneath the damp forest musk.
A few steps away, the child—Kyorin—halted. The leaves underfoot didn't crunch as expected; instead, they crumbled too easily, brittle and thin as if drained of life. His lips curled slightly.
"Hmm, here," he murmured.
He stood still, gazing at the tree as though enthralled by its dying grace. Then, a voice crackled in his mind, cold and mechanical.
"It is dangerous here." DEVA's warning buzzed through his thoughts, yet Kyorin only smiled, his eyes never straying from the withered tree.
"I implore the Resonator to leave. This area is unsafe. The Fractsidus are approaching and could attack at any moment," DEVA urged, her tone laced with programmed concern.
"That's exactly what I want." Kyorin's voice was calm, resolute.
"Wasn't your desire to be immortal? How do you plan to achieve that if you die?" DEVA's irritation flared, her logical circuits grappling with the enigma before it. 'Who does he think he is?'
"If you think proving your fearlessness makes you strong, then you're a fool," DEVA stated, her synthetic voice edged with exasperation.
Kyorin merely shook his head. "I have no interest in proving bravery," he said, his tone unwavering. "No powerless man would willingly walk into the maw of death."
"Besides," he met her gaze, his voice steady. "If you are to be the one I resonate with, I want you to understand something."
"What do you mean?" DEVA's circuits whirred, struggling to process his intent.
Without warning, Kyorin hurled the lantern toward the withered tree. Flames devoured the dry bark in an instant, climbing hungrily as the ancient relic was set ablaze.
"What's going on here?"
The Crimson Parade arrived, their eyes widening at the sight before them—a relic of ages past now engulfed in a furious inferno. The mighty withered tree, once revered, was crumbling to ashes.
Kyorin turned, his gaze settling on an old woman within the gathering. She met his stare with a knowing smile.
"Elder Tang, I'm glad you made it just in time," Kyorin said.
At that, all eyes shifted to her. Tang Yi, now under the scrutiny of the crowd, felt a weight settle on her shoulders. "What nonsense are you spouting?" she snapped.
Kyorin's smile didn't waver. "Uncle Yao told me everything—how these men came to take the tree. But I burned it, so no one could claim anything."
Tang Yi's mind reeled. They weren't here to take the tree, you fool! she screamed internally. 'They were here to destroy it—!!?'
Her thoughts cut off.
The Fractsidus members stiffened, sensing something amiss.
This was no ordinary tree. It was a sacred relic, its origins shrouded in mystery, once responsible for the inexplicable vanishing of an entire faction. And yet, this unassuming child had simply said— "I burned it."
For a moment, silence reigned. Some stepped back, others exchanged wary glances, fingers clenching around their weapons. No thunderous omen, no divine wrath—only the crackling of flames consuming what was once untouchable.
Brilliant ember-motes swirled upward, flickering between life and death—igniting one moment, vanishing the next.
A stray ember drifted onto Kyorin's sleeve. A spark bloomed, hungry for flesh.
With a single flick, he swatted it away. Effortless. Thoughtless. As if brushing off a wayward gnat.
The flames raged, devouring what should have been sacred. Yet the boy before them stood unscathed, his expression unchanged, his presence devoid of any agitation.
A mere child—no, something else.
Something beyond comprehension.
That was no ordinary tree. And yet, to reduce it to nothing as if it were—who was this child? No, what was he?
The Fractsidus turned to the Executioner, awaiting his command. But the Executioner remained still. Neither striking nor retreating.
Truthfully, with the tree reduced to ashes, their mission was complete. There was no reason to provoke an unpredictable threat. And yet, he did not move.
Something rooted him there—curiosity. A nagging question: Was everything they knew about the tree a lie? And what of this child, standing unshaken amid the Crimson Parade?
Kyorin, well aware that uncertainty alone kept them frozen, looked beyond them and spoke.
"Uncle Yao."
His voice cut through the flames, through the doubt, through the silence that held them captive.
"The tree is gone. The Fractsidus won't be able to take it. Burned to nothing, it has lost all value." Like a spark in dry tinder, Kyorin's words sent ripples through the Fractsidus. Unease crept in, slow and insidious.
Something was wrong.
This all felt too natural—too seamless, as if they had been nudged into place, maneuvered into an orchestrated ambush from the very start. Had they been deceived? Was there a traitor among them? (ඞ)
"Elder Tang," Kyorin spoke.
The Fractsidus turned. The weight of their gazes bore down on her, no longer with indifference, but suspicion. Tang Yi's face paled. She had been too consumed by her own thoughts, too slow to react—standing there like a fool.
"Tang Yi?!" The Executioner's voice cut through the thickening tension.
"Wait! Executioner, you're mistaken! That child is deceiving you—" she reasoned, but the words barely left her lips.
Steel flashed.
"Heuk!"
A wet gurgle. A sharp gasp.
Blood spilled between her fingers as she clutched at her throat, but the Executioner did not stop. His second blade plunged into her chest, silencing her before she could utter another word.
He ripped it free, letting her body crumple to the dirt. A moment of silence. Then, a slow exhale. "Now that I've dealt with the pest— you."
His gaze snapped to Kyorin. His blood-stained blade pointing at him.
Though uncertainty still lingered, he had only two choices—retreat or confront. And being the maniac he was, the Executioner chose the latter.
Kyorin met his glare with an eerie calm. "Oh? You wish to fight me?"
His pale-yellow eyes gleamed under the moonlight, void of fear—only quiet amusement, as if the Executioner were a curious specimen, already dissected in his mind.
"Who said I'm the only one fighting you?" The Executioner's voice was mocking, signaling his comrades to prepare, a killing intent seeping out from them.
A clap—then another—and a third, each one ringing out in succession, sharp and deliberate.
Kyorin clapped, the sound slicing through the tension. "Splendid," he said, his voice smooth, yet it carried an unsettling weight, making the Fractsidus falter.
He raised a single finger, the motion simple yet authoritative. "Let's raise a condition for this fight, then."
The Fractsidus exchanged uncertain glances, their wariness growing. The Gunner spat, his expression hardening. "What do you mean?"
Kyorin's smile remained unchanged, too calm, too controlled. "For a fight like this, there should be a fitting stage, don't you think?"
He took a slow breath, his eyes narrowing slightly as if savoring the moment.
"Uncle Yao, now that the tree is gone, why not use the setup and make a proper ring for us?" His voice was casual, almost playful, as if they were discussing a trivial matter. "After all, I would hate to let all your work go to waste."
The air stilled. For a heartbeat, everything hung in the balance—an eerie silence that swallowed the tension. The Fractsidus exchanged uneasy glances, uncertain.
The Truster's grip tightened on his hammer, the metal groaning as he shifted his weight. "Brat, you're spouting nonsense. What are you—"
But before he could charge—BOOM!
A fiery explosion rang out, engulfing the area in a burst of heat and flame. The explosion was sharp, sudden—a ring of fire flaring up in an instant, surrounding them like a trap closing in.
"What?!" The Fractsidus members recoiled, stunned by the sudden turn of events.
Kyorin, unaffected by the heat, stood tall within the circle of flame. His voice, calm and confident, cut through the chaos.
"Now that the ring is set up, let's fight till we burn." He said toking on a stance.
The Fractsidus hesitated, glancing at one another. The fire wasn't massive, but it was enough to make them question. If they kept fighting, would it really remain contained? Would the flames spread?
Kyorin's eyes flickered with that same eerie calm, almost as if he could see the uncertainty in their minds.
"There's still time before this stage reaches its full glory," he continued, his tone conversational, as if discussing something far less dangerous. "But I believe you should be able to hold it until then."
As his words echoed, The Executioner raised his fist, signaling his men to stop. He studied the fire, his eyes narrowing before a hearty laugh erupted from him. "Hahaha, foolish brat," he said, pointing at the now-ashen tree.
"We were here to destroy that tree, brat," he revealed, prompting Kyorin to be taken aback but still maintaining his stance. "To be honest, you've done our job for us."
His voice was steady, almost too smooth, as though it flowed like a river that had already reached its destination. Confidence oozed from his every word, the Fractsidus already crowned victors in his mind.
There was no need to fight, no need for risk—Kyroin was just a distraction now, a shadow in a game already won.
Upon hearing the Executioner's words, the other Fractsidus straightened, their hidden faces curling into masks of mockery. They shuffled back, like wolves retreating after a hunt, their smugness thick enough to choke the air.
"A brat who thought he could challenge us—he just made our job easier," the Gunner sneered, his voice like venom seeping from between clenched teeth.
"You thought you had a chance?" the Truster snorted, his hammer dropping with a hollow thud, as though the very weight of it mocked the idea of struggle.
Kyorin didn't flinch, his gaze locked like a stone carved into place, never faltering as the Fractsidus began to melt into the distance.
"You've achieved your objective. No reason to linger, I suppose," Kyorin's voice rang through the tension, as calm as a still pond, his words stretching out like an inevitable conclusion.
The Executioner, standing at the rear like a sentinel, gave Kyorin a long, scrutinizing glance. "We did not come here to play games, brat. You've made your move; we've fulfilled our purpose."
With a single, deliberate motion, the Fractsidus turned, their retreat as practiced and synchronized as soldiers leaving a conquered battlefield.
"We'll take our leave now. No need for further bloodshed," the Executioner called, his words resolute, carrying a tone of finality–this battle was over.
As the last of the Fractsidus vanished into the night, Kyorin stood alone in the ring of fire. Watching the Fractsidus leave.
They hadn't been defeated; no. They had simply seen no need to continue—like a puzzle solved before the last piece was even in place. Their mission had been fulfilled, and they walked away from the fight like a clock that had run out of time.
Kyorin's lips curled upward, the smile so slight it could have been a trick of the light. The darkness swallowed the last of them, and he remained, watching their retreat with quiet satisfaction.
His feet moved, headed towards the exit when DEVA's voice resounded in his mind. "There seems to be something in that old woman's cloth," she hinted.
Kyorin checked, finding a small black box hidden within the folds. DEVA offered, "Let me safekeep it for now," and without a second thought, Kyorin handed it to her. She stored it away as he stepped beyond the ring of fire.
As Kyorin crossed the threshold, he was encircled by adults and elders. Tao Zheng stepped forward, his eyes flickering between Kyorin and the ashen tree.
Finally, he spoke, his voice heavy with authority, "Dan Kyorin, you will be held accountable for this."
To be continued...
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A/N: Important Notice
I feel like my writing quality has been declining over the last chapters, and I apologize for that. After 1.4k words, most of the information I write either overemphasizes the same topic or fails to provide meaningful development.
There's a build-up of about 600 words leading to anticipation, but then there's no punchline until the end. In between, there's just too much trivial and unnecessary information.
As a result, I will be adjusting the chapter length. My exams are ongoing, but fortunately, they will be over this week, followed by a three-week gap before the next final exam beings. I believe I will be able to balance things out with around 1.5k chapters.
Once again, I apologize if the story feels boring or dragged out. On side note, do tell me about the story character development, I feel like I have developed Kyorin's character well, but what about the other side characters?
Even if their presence and roles may look insignificant, what do you think of my writing of other characters and the people of the world?
On a side note, do tell me, did you like the chapter?