VII

"You're maturing a little."

"I know a little girl is not telling me that."

"Hmph… I am still thousands of times wiser than you, Jiufang Ke." Jasmine retorted, shrugging her shoulders. "But… you are improving swiftly in many ways. Perhaps you just like to act slow."

"... I don't know whether or not to take that as a compliment." Rokas replied, chuckling a little. "Either way, a student's progress reflects on how effective the master's teachings are."

"I suppose so. You truly are quite lucky to have this princess as your master."

"Mhm." Rokas did not refute the fact.

…

As he approached, he recalled the Black Demon Mercenary Group and how they had tried to kidnap those two kids. Given that he'd spent those months cultivating… suddenly, he felt guilty.

'... How could I forget…' Rokas sighed, feeling angry towards himself. 'I was so focused on myself…'

[System: Are you intent on saving everyone that Yun Che saved? How about saving every stranger in general? I can tell you about every case of kidnapping, slavery, manslaughter, rape, blood sacrifice, etc… just in the Profound Sky Continent alone, there are thousands upon thousands of such cases within a year. Will having that information urge you to save every last one of them?]

'... You're right. It is impossible to protect everyone…'

Rokas clenched his fists.

'But if something wrong is happening right before my eyes and I have the power to stop it

… I will put an end to it.'

~

After realising his mistake, Rokas descended upon members of the Black Demon Mercenary Group and soul-searched them using his Profound Handle. In the end, he found no note of any children being kidnapped. Realising that the event was likely the Mirror of Samsara toying with fate, Rokas relaxed. However… that did not mean that the Black Demon Mercenary Group got off scot-free…

He hunted them all down using his true form and the beastly instincts that came with it.

Then… he finally made his way to the Phoenix Clan's Village. However, when he came too close, he was stopped by the barrier. He extended his palm against it and sighed.

'Phoenix God… please don't violate me.'

'The Golden Crow might have the more destructive flame, but you're still the hottest in my mind.'

[System: You think she can hear your flattering thoughts?]

'I mean, True Gods can read memories… so maybe?'

Suddenly, his palm passed the barrier.

'Did that actually work?'

[System: You're slowly becoming a playboy, huh. Not even the divine spirits left behind by True Gods can get away from you.]

'Tss… nah, I just got lucky for once.'

Rokas proceeded onwards into the Phoenix Clan's Village and to where the trial grounds were. Given his rather unfriendly look and towering profound strength, no one stopped him. Rokas preferred it that way, being an introvert. As for the barrier protecting the trial ground itself… it also opened.

It was pitch-black as Rokas entered… by the time he glanced back, the exit had already closed. Within an instant, two mysterious eyes suddenly opened which almost made Rokas jump. Those long and narrow golden eyes carried a certain magnificence… that of an elegant True God!

Or, well, the spirit of one.

"A dragon approaches… this great one had yet to see one of your kind in this trial ground." The Phoenix remarked, observing his figure. "Do you know what this place is?"

"Your trial ground," Rokas replied simply, looking around. "If I pass I get your inheritance. Otherwise… I get the choice of retreating or, if worst comes to worst, I'll die."

"Quite simply put! Not one for many words, are you?"

"I like to keep things simple," Rokas replied, smiling a little. "Let's get started… I'm ready for anything."

"The overconfidence of dragons… hah, it has not gone lost on even the mortals!"

Suddenly, the world of darkness turned into a hellish world of fire. The sky was filled with flames, the ground was shaky and bursts of lava would come out of it from time to time. There were mountains everywhere, too... from which flames would explode upwards. 

It was… a terrifying sight, to say the least.

In the middle of this flame purgatory, the Purgatory Flame Demon himself emerged. The dude was tall as all hell, towering over Rokas like the scarlet dragon would have. Even the horns of fire atop its head were ten metres tall! Due to Rokas' greater cultivation level, naturally, the demon scaled to him and was MUCH stronger than the one Yun Che had faced.

"That fire demon… it is in the early stages of the Emperor Profound Realm!" Jasmine warned him. "In this environment, it can also replenish its vitality and profound strength swiftly. Not only that but the fire power it can unleash is comparable to that of the middle stages of the Emperor Profound Realm!"

'Good thing I ate the Fire Seed.'

Rokas observed as the Purgatory Flame Demon opened its mouth and set out several super-sized fireballs. While he managed to dodge most of them, he was struck by one to the side of his arm. However, once it hit him, it was no more effective than a little rock being thrown at a wall. 

'Right… there's no additional profound strength damage since it's using pure fire.' Rokas remarked, grinning slightly. 'It won't be able to harm me at all. However… that doesn't mean killing it will be easy.'

Rokas channelled his profound energy, forming a flimsy spear. Using both Berserk and Star Mortal's Broken Shadow, he outpaced the Purgatory Flame Demon and stabbed right into its achilles heel. The spear dug as deep as it could… but, at the end of the day, it was just too small.

"ROOOAR!"

The Purgatory Flame Demon moved its leg, almost kicking Rokas out of the stratosphere. However, he managed to get away by maximising his Berserk attribute.

'That didn't do shit!'

Rokas sighed, his eyes turning back to black as he saved up his strength.

"Is that the best damage that you can do? This princess is appalled… you might as well quit now."

"My best offensive profound art happens to be fire-based…" Rokas replied, raising an eyebrow. "What the hell do you expect me to do?"

"Use your head…"

"..."

'That golden mark on its head… isn't that the weak spot?' Rokas suddenly remembered. 'Man, I really haven't read this arc in ages.'

He took a deep breath as a raging wave of crimson profound energy rushed out of him. 

'Alright… I can do this!!'

His profound energy grew so large and violent that it easily propelled anything that the Purgatory Flame Demon threw at him. Rokas put his hands together horizontally, forcing all of his profound energy at the cusp of both of his hands. A circle of mass destruction formed.

He grit his teeth as the Purgatory Flame Demon strode forward… clearly attempting to kick him once again.

"EVERYTHING!!!"

With one thunderous roar, Rokas let out all of his profound energy at once in one frenzied wave of destruction… aiming directly for its head.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM.

He blew its head clean off, including its neck, shoulders and most of its upper body. Within seconds, the Purgatory Flame Demon vanished into nothing. Rokas took several quick breaths as his arms lowered from soreness.

[System: Really, 'EVERYTHING!!!'? Man pulled the Bardock Special with a Final Flash wannabe stance.]

'Heh… it worked.'

"Not so bad." Jasmine complimented. "You created a profound skill on the spot… although it is lacking greatly in regards to efficiency and a decent name, it did accomplish its task."

"Prepare for the second stage of this great one's trial."

Phoenix arrows started descending from the sky like meteorites, each one deadly enough to erase most Sky Profound Realm experts from existence. Rokas, however, transformed into his true form and took the flames head-on. Given his fire immunity, he wasn't harmed much. If anything, he consumed the onslaught of flames and recovered!

Eventually, the flames stopped and he was brought back into the pitch-black world with the same eyes staring at him. As such, Rokas returned to his human form.

"You have a fine body for a mortal. I suppose… that much is to be expected of a dragon." The Phoenix spirit remarked.

'... These perverted, divine birds!'

Rokas swiftly got on a new set of clothes, shaking his head. "I know a divine being wasn't moving onto me."

"Don't get ahead of yourself, dragon. Hmm, you do have quite the strange physique, however. You have the origin of the Heretic God's power but not his veins. Even so, you have attained the Fire Spirit Evil Body which has clearly aided in your victory."

"... Yeah, it certainly did. Then again, if I didn't have the Heretic God's divine power, would you have made my opponent so difficult?" Rokas inquired. "I'd hardly imagine some ordinary person in the Sky Profound Realm having to face an early throne. Unless… you simply wished for them to fail from the beginning."

"Heh… hahaha… I suppose so." The Phoenix laughed, blinking a little. "Now, let us see if you can pass the third trial... a trial where you must prove your determination for power. See, your physical advantages will not be relevant in this trial of the heart. If you lack the will to seek strength over all else, then living your life in the mundane world is also an option. Power is not everything in life, after all."

'Yeah, you're trying to spin me for a loop here. I know all about it.'

"Are you ready, young dragon?"

"Mhm…" Rokas nodded, wondering what exactly was his happiest moment.

…

Rokas opened his eyes to a place he would once step foot in every day… the bathroom. It had a bath that could also serve as a shower, a boiler, toilet, cloth drying rack, some mirrors, a window and many other small things. Immediately, he turned to the large mirror and observed the person within it.

Brown curly hair, pretty blue eyes… a bit of a chubby physique. He wasn't ugly per say, but his default indifferent expression made him look unfriendly. It worked out pretty well for him… truly, he didn't like talking to strangers. He wore a full set of Adidas; shirt, shorts and hoodie. Even his slippers were branded as Adidas!

Yet, when he looked down, he didn't look like that person at all. He was taller, leaner, muscular, more handsome… confident.

'The person that I love most is… myself? Or… is there something more to it?'

Rokas stared at the dagger in his hands, grasping it more tightly as he looked back at the person in the mirror. He sighed, dashing it to the side and walking to what was once his room. When he opened the door and took in his surroundings, he felt a wave of nostalgia rush over him. Even when the lights were off… he knew exactly where everything was.

With a flick, he turned the lights on and felt his heart skip a beat.

There they were, his Assassin's Creed figures, book collection, manga, over a hundred physical video games, his consoles, his gaming laptop…

Home… this was home.

Rokas grabbed his fallen and discarded Altair figure and dusted him off. Smiling, he did the same for the rest and helped them stand alongside each other on the top of the shelf.

"Nothing is True, Everything is Permitted."

He went over to his fridge and took out a bottle of cola, filling up his glass till it was half-full. Then he took a sip and turned on his laptop.

'I wonder….'

Sadly, it did not turn on.

'Bummer.'

Rokas sighed, standing up. He gently placed down the lid of the laptop and proceeded to look around. On one shelf, he saw a photo of his younger self. He looked roughly eight to ten… even then, he was not one to smile for the camera. In that same photo, his uncle was right behind him. And, unlike his nephew, he actually smiled.

'Such a serious, frowning look… yet adorable.'

Rokas chuckled, turning away from the photo. There was another, highlighting his so-called peak at school. He was rewarded with a trophy for his hard work and growth during graduation. After all, English hadn't been his first language. He had to learn it and even regarding his studies, he was extremely diligent. It was only after that year that he let it all get to his head… he truly began to think that he was naturally better than almost everyone else. Oh, how wrong was he… and he did learn that truth the hard way.

He took a deep breath, deciding to go to his parent's room. There, he sat down on the bed and realised that he was alone. Bored, he walked over to a shelf and grabbed his family photo albums. Slowly, he scrolled through them leading up to his birth.

'Those were simpler times…'

He remarked, passing by his birth. There were some silly moments in there, including one time his face was full of chocolate. He especially focused on those around him… or those who used to be around him. Seeing his mother and father, he started to feel… sorrow. Sure, his family was far from perfect. Arguments, divorce, being unreasonable grounded… it was far from perfect. But… with them gone, he realised just how much he missed them. Even his sister… to his own surprise.

'Why was I inserted with these memories in mind… what purpose do they hold other than to…'

Rokas clenched his hands as he started to get teary-eyed.

'Damn it.'

He did not realise how much he loved his mother until she was gone from his life. For all those years, she diligently took care of him. Cooked every day, worked a tedious job, did the laundry, took him to school until he could go by himself… taught him so many life lessons and loved him no matter how low he fell. And now, what could he possibly give back to her? Nothing… nothing at all. It was absolutely heart-wrenching.

Tears fell from his eyes.

"Why must you remind me… that I feel so… alone…?"

…

Eventually, he regained his composure and walked into the kitchen. He glanced to the side, noticing a plate with a tower of waffles. The waffles looked so appetising… he could practically smell their deliciousness. However, something else caught his eye more and shocked him to no end. His mother was cheffing up a pizza. She already had the dough and sauce prepared… leaving only the myriad of toppings.

'I thought I was the only one here…'

"How was school?"

'School…' 

"It was fine," Rokas replied simply, taking a deep breath as he stepped forward. When he was within arm's reach, he spread open his arms and embraced her. "Take a break for today… let me do everything, alright?" 

"... Ok, you feel like you want to be the chef today? Your father and I were great cooks… so it should be in you somewhere too."

"Hm… of course." Rokas smiled as he started to cut the mushrooms. Then the pickles, onions, the salami… afterwards, he took the grater to shred some cheese and pork. He carefully applied all of them except for cheese which would be added after the pizza went through its first oven session.

Meanwhile, his mother was vibing on her Facebook games with something comparable to a pc set-up. Except, instead of a pc, she had multiple tablets!

"Not bad… your shredding is a bit sloppy but it's good enough. Maybe you should stay around for longer instead of playing all of your games? I could teach you how to cook properly… you know, it's a good way to get with the ladies."

"I…" Rokas chuckled, starting to miss these moments. "I'd love to."

"Although I don't want to be a grandmother too soon, you should start looking for someone for you. By your age of eighteen, I already had you…"

"... I don't know." Rokas scratched his hair. "I'm too immature for that kind of thing."

"You'd grow up quickly as father, whether you liked it or not. At this rate, your sister will have a child sooner than you. How embarrassing would that be, hmm?"

"It's easier for girls…" Rokas countered, crossing his arms. "No one comes up to me asking for dates and all that."

"There are some women that do… but you'd probably chicken out."

"I wouldn't." He shook his head, smiling a little. "I'm more confident now."

"... Oh, really? Well, I look forward to some grandchildren."

"I don't know about grandchildren anytime soon… but… I won't be too shy to tell a girl I like her anymore."

'If she doesn't feel the same way, then I'll move on. It's better than waiting and waiting… until it's too late and she gets with someone else.'

"That's good, you're growing up a little."

She got up and looked at him with a smile. Once again, Rokas felt the urge to embrace her… feeling that he'd never get the opportunity again.

"I love you." He spoke from the bottom of his heart. "I'm sorry… I took you for granted. I promise to be better from now on. I'll listen to everything you say… even if it's unreasonable. I'll take life more seriously and get a well-paying job so that you won't have to work anymore. I…"

"It's alright…" She stroked his head warmly as she smiled. "No matter what… I'll always love you more."

"..."

The dagger was on the table, far from reach. However, as the trial dictated… it would be the person who he loved most that would kill him.

Stab…

His vision blurred and the vision faded.