Chapter 16 | Arc I

*Spoiler Warning*

The waves are crashing, the sun is setting and hot golden sand is finally starting to cool down.

The weather is calming, everything around was quiet. The only sounds that are made are waves crashing against the beach and whistles of the wind.

No soul, absolutely no one was here to witness such a great scenario.

The atmosphere was relaxing till some presence could be noticed. Silhouette was descending from the sky.

This silhouette had the shape of a lion with wings. It slowly landed on the beach, it could be clearly seen what was that creature.

It was black, with blue glowing wings.

After landing on the beach, it looked around. After confirming if there was no one who could it, another black matter materialized from it.

Another silhouette now formed, who had a blue glowing horn on his forehead. the black humanoid figure was emitting a large amount of mana and it could probably scare any normal person.

"My king, we reached our destination." The humanoid figure said and waited.

[Shadow Exchange]

Deep, calm, and commanding voice could be heard. Humanoid figure sink in shadow and flying creature remained.

Soon after the humanoid figure sink into shadow, slowly another figure raised from shadow.

The new figure was a human with short auburn hair and blue eyes. Someone would think that person is the only teen, but the aura around a boy would tell them otherwise.

Figure made the first step.

"I feel the presence of fragments." Figure narrowed his eyes and said.

Ashborn Leywin who only a few days ago went on his journey came to a new continent of Alacrya and did his first steps on unknown land.

"Everyone disperses." He said in the air.

Instantly a whole lot of shadows flew out and went in different directions.

(Ashborn's POV)

I came to this continent to learn if they pose danger to Dicathen. It's obvious that they do have ill intent, but that doesn't mean that they can go against another continent.

This is why I came here.

Unexpectedly, I felt the presence of fragments. Fragments of Reincarnation Cup to be exact, and it seems that there are few of them.

Without wasting time I sent my soldiers to learn about much as they can from this continent.

I already have premonitions that the journey on this continent will be long. I have to find fragments before they will be in hands of the wrong person.

I was sitting on the beach. I was receiving a colossal amount of information.

Alacrya is a way more advanced continent than Dicathen. Magic of Alacryans, are different from Dicathen.

From my soldiers, I could feel the mana that was in many people. This means that count of magicians in Alacrya is higher, Dicathen won't even compare.

But Magic is utilized by marks/runes. I suspect this is the doing of Vritra's that those Alacryans worship. Unfortunately, these marks do have limits.

Quantity is high, but the quality is low.

From what I heard from my Alacryan servant, Alacrya is divided into five regions. Or dominions that they call.

First is Truacia, the northern dominion.

Sehz-Clar, the southern dominion.

Etril, the eastern dominion.

Vechor, the western dominion.

Central Dominion, which is located in the central region of Alacrya.

I never had the intention to explore this continent fully, but now I don't have a choice since there are fragments.

Also, there were places that my shadows for some reason couldn't enter. I have to see those places myself.

"It's time to start the action."

[Shadow Exchange] (I never mentioned this before, he doesn't have a time limit of usage.)

Dominion of Etril. From the information gathered I can say that this place is popular for some travelers.

I don't want to make bloodbath anywhere. So my appearance here shouldn't be strange, and I could avoid fights.

Beru already managed to memorize most of the towns and dominions. He will be able to guide me without any problems.

Then Alacryan servant of mine is also here. He told me about one more interesting thing that I'm concerned about.

It seems there are some Relictombs and people called Ascenders are ascending through them. But the main reason for my interest in them is that, those Relictombs were places that my shadows couldn't enter.

"Where are exactly those Relictombs?" I asked my servant previously Alacryan.

"They are underground ecosystems, They have teleporters. My king, I think the reason, why we can't enter Relictombs, is because Relictombs itself is declining us."

"I will do it myself. Everyone return." As I commanded soon every shadow who was searching for information returned back to me. (They didn't instantly return. Ashborn had to wait some time)

"Beru, which Relictomb you will recommend first?" I asked my first in command.

"My liege, Your lowly servant thinks that we should first go to nearest Relictomb. I'm sorry my liege I couldn't open up the barrier myself If only you could open it for me, I would quickly end everything." He materialized and started bowing his head on the ground and apologized.

"Then we'll go to nearest Relictomb. Hawky come out." Hawky came out and I jumped on him.

We flew towards the nearest Relictomb. There should be one in this dominion and I'll have to check all of them. There were four places where my shadows couldn't enter.

'If they were able to stop my shadows from entering with a barrier. That means that they were created by someone who has vast knowledge about mana. but maybe there is something different?' Nonetheless, I have to see everything myself.

While flying over the towns in Etrill, I could see that people here were living just like people in Dicathen. In other words peacefully.

"My liege, entrance of that place was guarded by people. Should we clear the road for you?" Beru meant that he wanted to kill everyone who was guarding the entrance.

"If I wanted to kill everyone here, I would do it way earlier."

"Your lowly servant apologizes for his misunderstanding, my liege." Sometimes I wonder who was the person who Beru devoured.

"My king, the entrance of Relictombs is mostly guarded by Kingdom officials." My Alacryan servant intervened.

I could just kill them. That was the easiest way to avoid any trouble, but knocking them out would be much better.

"My liege, this is the place." Beru said when we reached the entrance of Relictombs.

"Where are the guards that you mentioned?" I asked. I could feel anything that was beyond this entrance. Building in front of me, indeed had some kind of barrier.

"They should be inside guarding teleporter, my king." Alacryan servant answered

I approached the building and reached out my hand to touch the invisible barrier. When I touched it something seems to push my hand back with a small explosion.

"This isn't mana." I couldn't feel any mana in this small explosion.

Steam was coming from my hand. I was always protecting myself with mana, so no serious injuries were sustained.

"My liege, this is the barrier that I was talking about." Beru said.

Breaking the barrier wouldn't be a problem, I just hope I will learn who created it.

I started channeling my mana on my palm and placed it on the barrier. I applied more force on my hand till it went through the barrier.

The barrier started shaking and small purple-colored cracks started spreading. Cracks continued spreading across the barrier, when finally barrier couldn't take anymore shattered.

"My liege, I can't stop but be amazed at your greatness." Beru's eyes shone with stars inside them.

I ignored him and continued my way inside this building. Inside the building, there weren't many people.

'Those people are ascenders, my king.' Alacryan servant told me.

When I entered the building many were looking at me, that was to be expected. I didn't feel uncomfortable or anything, why should they stare at me like that?

'How dare they glare at my liege like that?!' I could hear Beru screaming inside my shadow and other servants were supporting him.

"*Snap* I don't want to kill anyone, so go to your dreamland for now." After I snapped my fingers people started falling down on the ground.

[Sleep Inducement] (Frost Monarch was able to use this, and I think Ashborn could do it too.)

I wasn't planning to waste my time with those people. I'm merciful to humans who didn't do anything to deserve to die(Of course, he doesn't know if they did something), so I just made them sleep. I started walking forward, There was some column with runes on it.

"My king, this is the teleporter." Alacryan servant told me.

This means they also have knowledge about space. Unlike teleporters in Dicathen which people didn't know how were created. these teleporters have runes on them, learning them shouldn't be a problem for people.

"What will be your next command, my liege?" Beru asked with seriousness in his voice.

"We will teleport." I said and placed my hand on the teleporter. it didn't want to teleport me, but I infused runes with my mana and it started working.

"Whoever created teleport, doesn't want me to enter relictomb." it was obvious, all other people can enter and I can't? I'm not a person who will believe such a thing, there is a catch there.

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

I was teleported to an unknown white-colored place. Some energy was terminating from everywhere.

Especially from this thing.

I turned to the statue that was placed in front of big doors.

"Shall I destroy it for you, my liege?" Beru as always only thinks about destroying and killing something for me.

"No, just wait." I stopped him from doing anything unnecessary.

The statue that I was looking at didn't have a soul, but it had consciousness. Something like a programmed doll.

I started approaching the statue. I was waiting for what it would do, I already realized that it was protecting the door in front of me.

When I was 10 meters away from the statue it started to crack. cracks covered the whole statue and it breaks, freeing the creature inside it.

It immediately charged at me.

'Fast.' I thought while getting out of way from the creature.

Now that I think about it, it resembles the soldier of Baran. (Baran is Monarch of White Flames if you didn't know.)

Cerberus to be exact. Three-headed dog, who was the gatekeeper of Baran's castle.

'From where?' I was asking myself. From where did people even know about Cerberus? Maybe there was some myth about it?

I wouldn't be interested in it if it didn't resemble it soo much. It exactly looks like Cerberus.

While I was thinking Cerberus swung his claws at me from the side. I jumped up avoiding it, Cerberus then tried to bite me.

[Ruler's Authority]

I used Ruler's Authority to halt Cerberus.

"My liege, I will kill this lowly creature for you." Beru was ready to fly out from my shadow.

"Your intervention is not necessary." I said and he understood.

I quickly jumped towards one of the three heads that Cerberus had. It wasn't surprised but opened one of the mouths to bite me.

[Ruler's Authority]

Once again I used Ruler's Authority and pulled myself towards Cerberus's big fang and I grabbed the fang with my hand and applied force to pull it out from the socket.

It easily came out. When the dog saw that, it tried to bit me again. but I jumped from one head to another. When I landed on the left head of Cerberus I drive fang directly inside its eyes.

There wasn't any blood as I expected.

[Ruler's Authority]

I jumped down from my head, reinforced my hand, and punched Cerberus in its prosternum. A big hole appeared, but there weren't any inside organs.

Cerberus fell down on the ground.

"Your performance was brilliant, my liege." Said Beru and I could feel other servants' cheers.

I turned to doors... no, they were gates.

It slowly started opening. When it finally opened.

I saw it...

--------------------------------

Cliffhanger.

Sorry, I didn't publish the chapter yesterday. Apparently, my rest wasn't enough for me. So by recommendations of fellow writers, I decided to rest at least one more day.

Hopefully, I can continue writing without any problems. Yesterday, I had everything planned and just couldn't write. I was physically exhausted.

AND ABOUT POWERBOOST!

Well, almost everyone wanted Ash to get a power boost. I didn't expect that...

I decided to give Ash a power boost! but ofc not regaining whole his power. It would be a skill and a very useful one. in addition to this skill, he will also increase his mana-pool and of course regain his previous skills such as Creating things from mana (I think many people want Ashborn to have his black armor.)

Also not to make the story boring, I decided to give some power boost to other characters. We will learn about them later. (But Ashborn would still be strongest.)

Cya.