Zenith Online: Rebirth of the Strongest Player

The Order of War and Flame didn't do some routine like issue announcements when events or large celebrations were underway or approaching rapidly—they used the Flame to convey messages.

Some of the Order, after all, were Unspoken—past Champions of the Cullings. They could not speak, so their only form of communication was delivering messages through the connection they had formed through the Flame.

Kieran didn't know how that nifty system worked, but the vile Flame somehow managed to deliver a message to even him in its warded-off condition. It inundated his Realm of Self despite the enforced limitations.

That both alarmed and awed Kieran. The Equality Gate—which is what Kieran called his altered Mystic Gate for the time being—was his defense against the Flame.

It fit, considering the Supreme Letter was the Gate and the Gate was the Supreme Letter. The grand symbol had grown increasingly solid and rugged in the past months, emanating a sense of superior equilibrium.

The scope of its serene environment had also increased immensely, forcing the Flame's continued retreat into more remote areas of Kieran's Realm of Self, divorced from his integral soul space.

'Strange… I couldn't hear you before. So why could I hear your message?'

Kieran frowned while a deep desire for answers welled inside him. Could it perhaps be that because the Flame wasn't trying to encroach upon him, Equality's harmonic tune didn't neutralize the dissonance it used as speech?

Perhaps.

There was no intent to do harm weaved into the Flame's message, so maybe the symbol registered it as peaceful communication.

If that was true, however…

Kieran looked up at the suspended Equality Gate with a grave expression. The symbol was not as impervious as he hoped it to be. There were weaknesses and bypasses to exploit, and these assumptions made him realize the potential grave risk.

However, he tried to keep himself from thinking about it too much. The Flame might have been suppressed and backed into a corner, but Kieran knew the thing had still infected his mind. He wasn't sure how deep that infection reached and what the Flame could learn from his thoughts.

It was strange, though.

The Realm of Self allowed him to bring his presence within himself, which was something he had never done before. Kieran only came to learn of its existence thanks to the afflictions of this Trial and his fate as the Anchor.

He was more significant than the rest, and that significance was an advantageous burden. Was that what the voice meant by a Great Myth rather than a simple one?

'Realm of Self…'

Kieran mulled over the facts and compared them to what Agatha had told him.

The Awakened—namely the Masters, who had separated themselves from mere Awakeneds—opened themselves. Before coming to this Trial, Kieran thought Agatha had meant that in the literal sense. It wasn't too hard to believe greater beings could open their bodies and manipulate things like the absorption of Mana, etc.

But now, Kieran had a different view on the matter.

Entering the Realm of Self had changed his outlook, and the more he remained here, messing with the vague outline of his entropic soul, the more sure he felt the vacancies here were the missing links.

That guess was further reinforced by the advice the Compendium gave right before the Trial, moments after he had finished accepting the Imprint of Tenacity and assuming its embedded Significance.

'Prepare your Mind, Body, and Spirit…'

That's what the Compendium had told him.

It stood to reason that the missing vacancies were related to either Body or Mind… or maybe Spirit. Kieran couldn't tell if any of the principles had been awakened in him.

But he knew he was far from commanding the same power a Master did. Despite being able to do what a Master could spiritually—which was enter their Realm of Self with a thought—he lacked the means to utilize the Realm's potential.

Of course, Kieran was not aggrieved by this. All these things were beyond him and existed on a horizon he had yet to approach. He appreciated that his mystical legacy gave him an early insight into these impressive principles.

He stumbled upon all of this because he recognized his inability to wordmance.

Eventually, Kieran ignored the vacancies beyond his current means and stared at the Flame that continued flickering with expectant glee. It craved the moment that Kieran needed him.

But Kieran had his doubts regarding that. He had spent months getting accustomed to his body, gradually building on the minor improvements the Flame had given his body.

Vestiges of power still flowed through him. They had become dormant, but they could still be used to heighten his battle power in small bursts. Those bursts, Kieran reckoned, were enough to make him uncontested on the battlefield.

He would become the Champion of the Pit through his own ability.

The Equality Gate thrummed, and finally, the Flame was silenced. With its maddening voice once more banished from his attention, Kieran tested out his mystical reserves to see if it was enough to change his eyes.

However, all he felt was a burning sensation and the sting of failure.

'Not yet. It's not ready yet. Still not enough essence.'

The crevice from which mystical essence had seeped into his Realm of Self had not grown larger in the past months. It remained a continuous and distressing trickle. It was sufficient to power the Equality Gate's current expenditure, but the pitiful excess wasn't much to work with.

'Soon… soon.'

That's what Kieran told himself, impulsively trying to convince himself of the assured success.

According to him, he would amass enough mystical essence to fuel his Eyes of Profound Discerning to locate the truth of Trial… if possible. He needed it to be so he could discover wieldable leverage.

Then, he would use the True Unveiling Eyes to understand what he had located. He had been dissuaded from doing so to the portal that led within the Trial… but what about the Trial setting itself?

He should have recovered free reign of his abilities. And, if he managed to wrest control, that should bolster his right to enact his abilities upon this Trial. It was evidence of his progression.

How long would it take, though?

Kieran's gaze lingered on the essential Equality Gate before shifting the lion's share of his soul anchored in place. Alternating his attention between the two and then linking them together in his head gave Kieran an idea.

What if he could trigger the True Unveiling Eyes in this dormant place? Doing so shouldn't be as resource-costly because it wasn't a change to his physical body outside the Realm.

He wanted those eyes. They were practical and quite powerful.

'Shattering that titanic chain should be possible… if only I could see its weakness. But that's risky, too.'

As if understanding Kieran's thoughts, the Flame reared its previously cowering head and gave what could be construed as an elated nod of approval.

It was egging him on, urging him to find a way to shatter that titanic chain so massive it coiled around the orbs of his soul like colossal pythons.

Considering the Flame had become such a fervent advocate for him to shatter the chain, Kieran began veering away from the thought. He could never truly escape the idea, though. It remained in his mind, a persistent and inescapable temptation. In the corner of his eye, it was there. In the back of his mind, it was there.

How could you escape what was anchored in your mind? It was meant to be an unshakable nuisance.

'I can do this. Don't break it… just try to look at it.'

Somehow, Kieran started to feel even that was a bad idea. This was, however, a matter for another time because, at that moment, his doorway blasted open with fiendish vigor.

Cardinal Weiss' depraved eyes glinted with madness.

"Boy… the Culling awaits! You have some chopping to do!'