Zenith Online: Rebirth of the Strongest Player

The information came as a surprise, but it wasn't implausible nor unwelcome. Kieran had grown curious about Ezra's movements when he lost all contact with her.

Though he didn't view as a close friend like he did with Bastion and the others, she was… a valuable ally in his eyes.

She could provide advantages that would otherwise be inaccessible to him. As far as he knew, Eclipse shouldn't experience any drastic upheaval.

At least, not according to his memories.

But, then again, there was no him of this magnitude in his memories. He could no longer see things as being straightforward and adhering to a strict timeline. The tides of change and caution were surging.

The seams of the timeline were being frayed by his actions, whether inadvertently or intended.

'If she's come to visit me after all this time with no contact… it can either be an opportunity or a warning,' Kieran thought, rubbing his chin pensively. Shrugging eventually, he decided to test the waters to see where this situation led.

Passing through the busy first floor, Kieran gleaned a bevy of consumers reacting to the items on display, some even scrambling to contact what could only be estimated to be their superiors.

Solo players, nameless players, and scouts for guilds, fledgling and renowned alike, were all present.

This was a result of the enchantments being announced on the official forums.

Most players were not privy to a thing such as enchantments. It offered a slew of benefits with no real drawbacks other than the fact the quality of one's items or the accumulation of one's stats dictated the maximum amount of applicable enchantments.

A player like Kieran, whose accumulated attributes were monstrous and unbecoming of his current Tier, could apply numerous enchantments to his body. But he wouldn't.

Removing bodily enchantments was a painful process he would not enjoy. And doing so usually resulted in some undesirable aftereffects.

Besides, the Imprints opened a new path for him. He wouldn't waste time on enchantments he would eventually discard when he could engrave those Legendary Imprints on his body.

"Sir Aatrox, would you like me to accompany you?" Milana was courteous as she looked at Kieran with a fastidious glint in her eyes.

He could see why she earned her formed positions; Milana was polite, earnest, and punctilious, carrying out Kieran's missives with surprising swiftness.

Despite how quickly she handled the tasks delegated, there was no sacrifice of quality or accuracy.

'Her tenure here is limited, but her merits are undeniable. She's definitely someone worth investing time and resources into.'

Kieran declined the offer, shaking his head. "You've done an excellent job on the floor. If you're without matters requiring your immediate attention, lounge around and moderate loosely. I'm pleased with your accomplishments."

"Thank you, sir," Milana flashed a bright smile, her perfect teeth on display for a moment.

Afterward, she bowed and stepped away to perhaps follow his instruction or continue with her way of managing the business floors.

Both options worked for Kieran, and as such, he didn't pay it much mind.

Kieran paused on the production floor for the moment, giving it a thought in passing. Deciding that there was nothing pertinent to do with this floor, Kieran walked up the final flight, ambling to the conference room.

There, Kieran was met with quite a surprise.

Initially, he thought this would be a kind of personal meeting with him and Ezra, but that was far from the case.

Situated behind Ezra were Camila and Lux, two Titled Rankers on Exemplar Records. Behind them were a score of people Kieran could only assume to be members of Eclipse.

Many of them bore sturdy auras, but in Kieran's eyes, there was some infirmity, meaning there was ample room for them to be appropriately tempered.

What kind of tempering? That much remained a mystery.

There wasn't a one-fit-all method when it came to tempering an individual's temperament.

Ignoring the relatively discordant auras that filled the room, Kieran shifted his gaze back to Ezra.

"Aatrox," Ezra muttered, her tone somewhat weak, lacking the surety it usually carried in their conversation.

Before answering, Kieran swept his gaze over the gathering of people once more, coming to an apt realization. That infirmity he noticed was misplaced. It wasn't due to a lack of tempering… it was due to his presence.

'Ah, I'm about to be asked for a favor,' Kieran mused, immediately realizing the nature of this nervousness.

"Ezra," Kieran nodded, keeping his expression neutral.

Even a trained eye would find it impossible to glean what Kieran was thinking. It appeared the War Phantasmagoria had affected him more than he understood.

There was a calm to him. Like a raging sea contained by a bastion of inviolable winds, none of its violent currents leaked through the ironclad barricade.

There was a moment when Kieran's thoughts traveled back to that desolate figure—Adeia—whose blade cut him deeper than any foe to date.

Subconsciously, Kieran touched his scabbed chest, dragging his fingers across the gory wound that healed at a snail's pace.

"I—Erm… This might…" Ezra stumbled over her words, grimacing as her eyes darted to avoid Kieran's cavalier gaze. Finding the situation amusing, Kieran lifted his hand.

"Breathe. Gather your thoughts. Then speak them freely. There is no need to be so nervous. I'm just a normal person," Kieran said.

Ezra gawked and Camila rolled her eyes, astounded by Kieran's oblivious statement. Normal? The man held as many World Announcements as all of the top players combined.

Even then, he probably outclassed them still!

However, Ezra took Kieran's advice, calming her fraught nerves. Once she regained a semblance of her confidence, her words flowed with the natural aplomb of an established individual.

"Eclipse is no longer in the state that it once was. Things… are happening," Ezra sighed, her voice laden with bitter emotions.

"What things?" Intrigued, Kieran took a seat and gestured for everyone else to follow.

It wasn't Ezra that revealed the matters; Lux had resolved to accompany his good friend, so he took the lead.

"There is a shift in its upper management. They're applying absurd restrictions and the pitiful amount of freedom they're allowing is borderline criminal. Furthermore, those who don't abide by their commands have been slated to become obsolete."

"Seems like an overly drastic change," Kieran said. Again, his gaze jumped from Camila to Ezra to Lux before settling back on Ezra. "What's the reason for this drastic change? Could it be me?"

"I've always pegged you to be extremely astute despite your Berserker skill set," Lux said, his tone jocular with hints of seriousness to it. "Our smitten Guild Master here—"

Before Lux could continue, Ezra rapped him on the head with a dangerous glare, like that of a cornered and targeted large cat. "What are you saying right now?!"

"Whoa. I'm just joking. A harmless joke. Why such an intense reaction?"

"In her defense. Most jokes come from a place of truth. The best of them weave truth and amusement into an impeccable scheme," Kieran interjected, causing both Ezra and Lux to give him odd stares for differing reasons.

Ezra grew diffident and seemingly embarrassed evident by how she blocked her peripheral vision with her hands.

"As I said before I was so rudely interrupted, the board members ruled that helping you is an unprecedented detriment. But all of us here felt otherwise. The board members are complacent and take zero risks. Far too comfortable with our current position when we can strive for more. We have the potential… we're just being stifled."

"So, you've come to me to join Sanguis Requiem," Kieran nodded.

It was muted to those in front of him, but Kieran's gaze flashed with an obscure glint. Seated before him were rows of elites and elites of many elites.

This would be an addition that Sanguis Requiem sorely needed. A great boon!

But, for this to come to fruition, Kieran understood that he needed to set a clear boundary and exact tenets of order that could not be superseded. Otherwise, discord could run rampant and enable future mutinies.

Kieran's thinking was naturally extreme, but accounting for the worst-case scenario was never a bad idea even if it didn't betray a great deal of trust in allies and subordinates.

Caution, when exercised in the perfect amount, could be an incredible tool.

"Correct. We are prepared to weather the violent storm that shall be. I wouldn't mind seeing the ranks see a drastic change. Witnessing the face of those that seek to hegemonize the ranking would be hilarious," Lux professed.

"Before I answer—Ezra—why exactly did you seek out me? What do you hope to gain? What if I said I'd like to be rather… tight-fisted with what this guild earns? Wouldn't that mean there isn't much value in this transition for you?"

"Normally, yes. But I think the circumstances are more profound than most understand. I'm sure you've felt it by now. Actions of great significance here affect us in the real world. And those effects are… unfathomable yet strangely familiar and synergistic."

"Almost as if X-hancers were designed with this game in mind, yes? So what you mean to say is that you value training more than remuneration?" Kieran pressed, his gaze becoming sharp and critical as if seeking to expose any scrutable answer Ezra gave.

"You have an eye so keen it betrays your age. It's like standing before a sage of technique. I'm sure grandmasters of combat can do what you do… with time, though. That's where you shine—improvements in record time. I feel I can reach new heights under your guidance. So yes, I value your training over monetary gain because I don't know what this world will become. I must prepare myself for the unfathomable."

"Well said," Kieran noted, closing his eyes with a pleased grin. "I'm sure there'll be politics to accompany this absorption of former Eclipse members."

Following a brief pause, Kieran opened his eyes and stared at everyone. "But I feel you're worth it. It's unofficial and lackluster for the time being, but welcome to Sanguis Requiem. We'll iron out the specifics at a later date. I…"

With a weary smile, Kieran lifted his hand and initiated the Log Out process, "…need rest."