Bloodbound Codex: I Grow Stronger in Secret

The Dragon Emperor stepped back as Mostleon finally broke the silence.

”Zaakrax...”

The moment he spoke the name in that silence the Dragon Emperor turned toward him, Mostleon, and stared for a good while as if the name of himself spoken by his past rival felt unusual now, Mostleon also stared back at him for the same amount of time he did, then Mostleon continued again as he saw the flicker behind Zaakrax’s eyes.

”I want you to explain exactly what’s going on. You were explaining why the leaf keeps changing its color, and suddenly the conversation shifted to this Relic. What exactly is it that you are trying to get at?”

For a few moments Zaakrax didn’t move then stretched out his hand toward the black sphere lying on the ground. Just like the fallen leaf earlier, the sphere rose into the air on its own before flying back into his palm without a single fluctuation of Spirit.

He glanced at it before answering.

”This Relic is known as the ’Perceptor of Unknown’ allows the user to observe certain future events, although it mainly shows major incidents connected to whatever the user is trying to find, it’s still a Relic that allows the user to percieve into the future without any Abilities like hers.”

Zaakrax again pointed it out as he glanced toward Aurelis one before speaking again.

”I showed it to her because the reason that leaf keeps changing its color...is the person Aurelis saw inside this Relic - Inside the future specifically, I don’t know who that man is, and I also don’t know how he is connected to the leaf, but I do know one thing.”

”The cause behind the changing colors...is him.”

The moment Zaakrax finished speaking, the expressions of the other four turned thoughtfully as more questions formed in their minds.

None of them could understand how a single person could be connected to the Tree of Astraya in such a way that even its fallen leaves continuously changed color because of it. At the same time, another question also appeared in their minds. If Zaakrax knew that the cause was that mysterious man, then how could he not know the reason behind it? They couldn’t understand how he had reached one conclusion while the other remained unknown.

There were other questions as well. One of the biggest was the Relic itself, Even Garthax, the greatest craftsman among the Dwarves and someone regarded as the pinnacle of craftsmanship, had never been capable of creating anything remotely similar, yet Zaakrax had somehow created a Relic that could reveal fragments of the future.

For the moment, however, all of those questions remained unanswered as Zaakrax continued speaking.

”The person Aurelis saw...is the exact reason this leaf keeps changing its color. You’re probably wondering why it is happening because of him, aren’t you?”

He paused briefly before answering his own question.

”The reason is simple ─ That person...is a Variable, a contradiction to the rules and Laws governing both the Tree of Astraya and the whole of Eliomor.”

Zaakrax stopped speaking for a few moments and looked at the four of them. As expected, he found nothing except confusion in their eyes. None of them seemed capable of understanding what he meant by a Variable.

But what he saw in their eyes was shock too, and he knew it was because of that rule and Law part he spoke of, what wondered in their mind was disbelief, only disbelief of that word, even they couldn’t bypass or contradict those rules and Laws, hell they couldn’t even think of such a terrifying thing and they also knew Zaakrax was exception to these Laws but...even he could be restricted by those Laws if he tried to go beyond it.

Aurelis on the other hand also remained silent, She continued listening while lightly holding her forehead as the stinging pain left behind by the sudden pain through the Axon Spirit Eyes still hadn’t completely disappeared.

After letting out a quiet sigh, Zaakrax continued.

”I know it feels unbelievable, it’s completely understandable that anyone would think it’s just some assumptions but...let me tell you one thing, this Relic in my hand - It does not show false future or anything even close to that, i had accounted for it while making it myself, if you still can’t believe me you could ask Aurelis later after I finish, after all her eyes can even percieve truth or false Haha.”

He paused for a brief moment as he let them take in everything one after another, the Mostleon nodded, while he still couldn’t believe such a thing, he will have to confirm from Aurelis, but that could be done later.

”From the knowledge I received after reaching this stage of Cultivation, I concluded that...a fallen leaf from the Tree of Astraya only continues changing its color when a Variable appears, and not just an ordinary one...a significant Variable. From what I have seen, that person is an even greater Variable than I am.”

He looked down at the leaf resting in his hand before speaking again.

”After witnessing that future event myself, I decided not to involve myself any further. This matter doesn’t concern the Dragon Continent, so there is no reason for me to interfere.”

He then turned all his attention toward Mostleon alone.

”It seems this matter concerns you instead, Mostleon. I won’t explain anything further because there is nothing more for me to say, I don’t intend to involve myself in this matter any further, ask Aurelis further instead, I only explained this much because I owed you a favor since decades ago. Now that the favor has been repaid, I’ll be taking my leave.”

The moment he said about the Favour Mostleon went into his thoughts again and remembered the day that happened...as he remembered that he cursed in his mind ’Sigh if I knew he would repay it like this i would have saved it for some other important stuff, damn it!’

A faint smile appeared on his face again as he saw the slightest irritation on Mostleon’s face.

Then he spoke.

”After all...I still have to attend my son’s wedding, Hahaha!”

The moment he finished speaking and mocked them, space itself split open behind him without Zaakrax making a single movement. It was as though space had responded to his presence on its own.

Zaakrax calmly turned around, stepped into the opening, and disappeared, a moment later, the torn space sealed itself completely, leaving the four of them sitting beneath the Tree of Astraya in complete silence.

They looked at one another before quietly letting out long breaths, each of them still trying to process everything they had just heard, they all turned to Aurelis for further information about what she saw.

- - -

While that conversation came to an end in that unknown isolated place, Atlas continued flying above the forests of the Angelic Continent on his way toward the Central City, Solara.

As he looked down from the sky, his eyes slowly narrowed.

The destruction spread across the forest below left him speechless. Trees had been torn apart, the ground had collapsed in several places, and traces of battle stretched across a large area.

’So it wasn’t just me who was attacked?’

The question crossed Atlas’s mind as his eyes widened from another thought as he looked on the ground below.

Scattered across the ruined forest...lay the bodies of massacred Angels.

- - -

[A/N: I really need your support guys, even though the reader count has dropped significantly I am trying not to give up in this story but if it stays this way...i don’t know what I will do, so show some support guys...]