CHAPTER 24: The Truth and the Awakened

Inside the white mansion. Shen, Kyle, and Isaac headed inside since it's early in the morning and Cellica invited Shen to have breakfast together with them. Once reaching the dining room, a wooden dining table is situated in the middle of the room, and a Lexium chandelier is attached to the ceiling while plates, silverware such as spoons and forks, and table cloth are laid on the table and facing the chairs. A row of maids is standing beside the dining room as Cellica is sitting in the front chair while eating a piece of steak without minding anyone staring at her.

She slowly chews the food before staring at the 3 of them standing in front of the door before focusing back on the steak she's eating.

"Um..this heavenly one greets the heir of the Venir family" Shen bows with his fan hiding half of his face before staring at Cellica.

"You can sit whenever you like" Cellica says with a smile as Shen awkwardly sits in the right far south of the table while Kyle sits beside Cellica and Isaac sits on the left beside cellica. The maid quickly brings food domes in front of each of them as they removed the cloche revealing different kinds of food. The food for Kyle is a steak just like Cellica while Shen's food is a clear soup with chicken and different vegetables inside it. For Isaac, his food is a barbecue rib steak with mashed potato on the side.

"Can you clear the room?" Kyle asked for Cellica as she nodded and all the maids except for Melissa leave the room before closing the door. Kyle surveyed the area before nodding to Isaac. Noticing this, Isaac activated his eye of truth and gazed at each corner of the room only to find something on top of a chandelier.

[Surveliance Orb]

An item used by the nobles to spy on each other created by the genius magician and the founder of magical engineering Herald Gozwin. This is created by using a golem and enchanting it with the spell Sense enhance, allowing the controller to see and hear the conversations and the movement of the people inside the range of the orb.

Isaac takes a minute to read the description before coughing three times and pointing to the chandelier. Cellica hears the coughing as she manipulated the air towards the chandelier and slowly created a drill to pierce the stone orb lodged in the chandelier as the pieces of the golem fall on the table.

"Nice work team!" Kyle cheerily says

"We should make a group just like the Shadow" Kyle suggested but all of them ignores him as they continued eating.

"No, seriously. My goal isn't to become rich or powerful, it's far more important than wealth and power. It's….." Kyle surveyed the room once more before he chanted something as a black fog surrounded the people on the table. Shen winces in fear while both Cellica and Melissa widened their eyes while they readied themselves for a battle as they eyed Isaac and Kyle suspiciously.

"To kill the goddess of light Ahlena and the god of fire Kenel together with their army of saints and other gods" Kyle says seriously as both Cellica and Melissa dashes towards him while aiming their weapons at his neck before stopping just centimeters away from his neck.

"You do know what you're saying is heresy right? i have the authority to kill you right now as the heir of the Venir family you know" Cellica says with a smile but it's clear that she's hiding her extreme anger. While Melissa appeared emotionless, with no emotions such as anger or disgust, it's like she's just following order or what she's doing is a common thing to do.

"That's not gonna happen~ we already signed the contract" Kyle cheerily says with a bright smile. This angers Cellica more as she really wanted him dead but she just breathes in and out to calm herself. The duo seems to have an innate ability to anger anyone is what she thought while glaring at both Isaac and Kyle.

"Hear me out, your gods are quite greedy. So greedy that even the human kings are the only thing that can compare to them in terms of greediness" Kyle chuckles but Cellica pushes her rapier towards Kyle's neck as blood slowly drips out of the small wound.

"Once again, Cellica pushes her weapons to anyone's neck just for angering her without even hearing the reasons. Amazing! Maybe you, Cellica tops the gods in terms of discrimination and only second to humans living here. " Isaac's words tug Cellica's heart as her anger transferred to him immediately. Meanwhile, Isaac looked at her with an impassive and uncaring expression while eating in the middle of staring at each other.

"Oh, what is this? you're gonna point your weapon at me? How suprising~" Isaac's words oozes with sarcasm that it's even hard for Cellica to ignore him. If she does what he said, then that makes his statement true and he will say another provoking thing about her but it's unbearable to hear him speak like something is itchy where she can't scratch. Annoying to the point that it's frustrating as she gritted her teeth while glaring intensely at him.

"Ok stop! The both of you! Drop your weapons first and Isaac, stop provoking her. Hear me out, there is a prophecy that i dreamt once we reached the mansion of the witch of calamity. The destruction of the world was caused by gods who grew bored of staying in their sanctuary and gazing at the mortals doing their business. In their immortal world, it's not the true name by the way but since i can't say the real name of that realm then let's just call it like that. In this immortal world, heroes and powerful people or monsters who were able to become gods still retained their mortal greed and pleasures that wars and the acquisition of godly powers emerged in this immortal world. The god of light Ahlena, who becomes high tier godhood for millennia of wars discovered that if she temporarily descended with a vessel and use those vessels to create a religion where she can bless them with powers and magic, she slowly gains power that can rival the superior gods who were created by the supreme gods themselves. With this discovery, a lot of gods descended and created their own religion. In the midst of this, she discovered that the souls inside every creature contain a lot of power but she needs to absorb the soul itself so, in the end, her hunger for power was so strong that she forcefully descended together with the other gods despite the risk." Kyle explained as everyone except for Isaac was surprised that their eyes widened and their mouths agape.

"T-there's no way that's true, i don't believe the words of a demon or a non-believer!" Cellica shouted but theirs a hint of fear and nervousness that despite her angry expression, there are signs of fear and disbelief. Seeing this, Kyle sighed. Just like he predicted, words without evidence is still not the truth that others will believe but he needs to convince them so they will be more determine and unite each other.

"Sadly, at first i was in disbelief but it's the truth. In ten years, the gods will descend or maybe sooner. The future might change so it's better that we get ready and create a godslayer group" Kyle says seriously, his eyes are full of determination while his hands never wavered. He already failed twice, he can't afford to do it again. He might have the chance of changing the doom of this world,

"B-but isn't gods stronger than anyone can imagine? literal gods, that can kill us easily just by breathing or even creating a divine judgment that will strike us in one hit" Shen trembled in fear, his eyes moving erratically like he was looking for an exit to leave these people alone. He might want a grand adventure and journey but against the demons and not to the gods themselves.

"Well, that's not really true. We might not be able to kill them unless we gained that but if they descended, they regained their mortal bodies and lose the godly powers they received. Still, it seems that the system favors them by giving them near unlimited mana and stamina" Kyle explained as everyone listened. Cellica still doesn't believe what's happening or what Kyle is saying but there are no traces of lies she can detect.

"So? Will you be the one who goes against the heavens or the one who will bend to its will?" Kyle smirked as he stretches his arm with his palm open towards Shen.

"I really want to…but i'm too weak. With my support skills, i doubt i'm gonna be useful anytime soon. It's a dream to cultivation novel addicts like me to be the protagonist on their own and goes against the heaven but those are merely dreams. I don't have a cheat nor a fruitful encounter or the will to fight. I'm merely a pebble, a background character that doesn't stand out to the rest" Shen lowers his head as he bits his lip in frustration. He gripped his hands harder as it shakes. He already obtains the dream of many teenagers and young adults like him but the sad and hard reality that despite whenever he goes. He's merely a pretty boy with nothing other than that. His death is just like the rest, uneventful and forgotten.

"Come on, don't be like that. I already said that i have a deal that you cannot refuse" Kyle said confidently despite the weapons aimed at him, he still showed a caring smile.

"Guys, can you please calm down. I need a bit of space" he smiled as he glances at both Melissa and Cellica.

"Sure, but i better receive the full details of your story" Cellica says as she returned to her chair while Melissa stood beside her.

"Yeah, i get it. Anyways, Shen or Alrich to be exact. Can i ask you Alrich? What physical enhancing spells do you have?" Kyle asked but Alrich seems doubtful if he can tell his spells. He pondered but if they wanted to kill him, they could do it easily since he can't use his support spells for himself for whatever reasons.

"Golden Dragon's Body, Black Dragon's Claw, Red Dragon's Strength, and Green Dragon's Speed. Just because they have cool-sounding names and very powerful effects. I can't activate it on myself or on others. The worse part is that i have no talent and any other spells. Actually, they have categorized as techniques and skills despite being a spell. " Alrich explained with his disappointed and sad tone. His eyes never lingered to anyone as he still gazed at the table.

"What is the name of your class?" Kyle asked

"Dragon Soul User" Alrich says

"Hmmm…This is gonna be harder than i thought but not impossible" Kyle pondered.

"Listen, i have a mantra that will allow you to control the dragon soul inside so you can use those 4 spells. Luckily, your spells have a passive and an active part to them so you will become stronger even without activating them." Kyle says with a smile.

"R-really!? What is this mantra?" Alrich gazed at him with a hopeful look on his face.

"First the contract, will you sign and agree to be my companions until we save the world?" Kyle slides a parchment detailing a contract that Alrich will never betray them and will help them if his help is needed. Lastly, there's a clause that the companions can't kill each other and hurt one other to the degree that they can't help if it's needed. For Kyle, it's detailing that he will give him information and the power to become what Alrich aspires to be.

Alrich reads the parchment before taking an ink pen from inside of his robe as he signed the contract before it glows a golden light and a bright glow appeared on their hands and a black circle with a white cross in the middle appeared in their palm before it vanished to thin air. Alrich slides it back to Kyle before he grabbed it and throwing it to the floating black cube as it absorbs the parchment. Noticing this, Alrich widened his eyes before gazing at the black cube that's circling around Kyle.

"Ignore what i just did, i'll explain first what you have to do to use your spells. Chant this mantra 3 times 'Let my soul roar and unite with thy body for it will be unparalleled in realms above and below' before stabbing your heart and chanting this last line 'I offer thee my heart for strength as i sacrifice ceaselessly for my grail'. Easy right?" Kyle says cheerily with a smile.

"What do you mean easy?! I have to stab my heart? and where did you learn this?" Alrich asked continuously with his angry but panicked tone.

"I'll explain this in another time, it's quite easy to be honest. Risk it or we null the contract and you can return where you come back" Kyle smiles as he summons the contract once again.

"Fine!" Alrich said angrily but he still has doubts on whether to trust him. He gazed at the contract and Kyle clearly stated that he will help him gain what he aspires to do. He breathes in and out before Kyle slides a small knife towards him with his cheeky smile. Alrich stands up from his chair.

"Let my soul roar and unite with thy body for it will be unparalleled in realms above and below" he says this three times before gripping the small knife. His hands are shaking and trembling that he doubts if he can accurately hit his heart. He stared at the knife as beads of sweat slowly drip from his forehead. Suddenly, a distant memory appeared in his head.

"For a pretty boy, you sure are useless. I bet you can find a job in a brothel, there should be guys that have a certain 'quicks' you know" a man laughed together with the woman he loved. The sounds of people and his first love laughing at him haunted his mind as he drills the small knife towards his heart. He shouted in pain as blood can be seen dripping from his chest and into his hands. He coughed up blood as he opens his mouth.

"I offer thee my heart for strength as i sacrifice ceaselessly for my grail!" he shouted despite the intense pain. A bright glow appeared all over his body as his eyes glowed a bright white while his hair started floating in the air. The blood stopped flowing and the time seems to have stopped. A roar of a dragon resonates from his mouth that the fog was destroyed and the room shakes and trembled.

Slowly, his trance was broken but the intense pain is still there as he collapses to the ground from the pain. A smirk appeared from Kyle's face as he muttered silently to himself.

"The future dragon emperor has finally awakened and revealed its fangs and claw."