Legacy of the Dark Sage

Though time had gradually returned in Somuli, most inhabitants had yet to have their time returned. Only those with high mage levels recovered their awareness, although they could only glean a little of what transpired. The few outsiders who did not participate in the confrontation in Armakea were also left confused.

Nevertheless, one thing all of them knew was that something big had happened.

There were two apparent reasons they believed this.

One was the falling golden runes in the sky that had yet to vanish, and last, but certainly the most apparent reason, was the colossal black and dark purple silhouette in the sky that emanated a frighteningly powerful aura that should not have been possible for any mage in Somuli to exude.

At least, the only one who could should be the plane's Sovereign. But even though they had yet to meet the Somuli's Sovereign and become familiar with his aura, he was known as the Sovereign of Bulwark. That silhouette was not something a Bulwark Sovereign could summon.

While they were all confused, at the heart of the Kingdom of Cretea, where its several-towered palace was located, the so-called Sovereign of Bulwark stood at the balcony of the central tower.

He was tall and surprisingly well-built for a Noble, wearing an all-white with gold accents robe that fitted him perfectly and accentuated his regal aura. But there was something a little off about him. While his long flowing hair was similarly blonde colored like any complete being, and his eyes were blue, like the bluest sky, they shifted at times, with the former turning light brown and the latter amber like the setting sun.

One of his subjects stood behind him, looking ahead with a glazed expression. From this, it could be seen that his time had yet to return. But if it did, he would have noticed the change in the man before him.

A slight smile tugged at the corner of the 'Sovereign' of Bulwark as his blonde hair and blue eyes finally stabilized.

Back in midair, Kyran wore a grave expression. It was not because he felt terrible about letting the Fates escape but because he could barely keep up with his act.

Yes, act.

His last attempt to show off was when he sent out that concentrated Void energy to attack one of the Fates's eyes. Frankly, he did not think it was domineering enough. If possible, he would have summoned a large Void Sphere and obliterated them instead of releasing a flimsy concentrated energy attack that would only damage one eye.

Unfortunately, Kyran did not have much choice. It would not have been a problem if he was on the Human plane, with rich magic energy. But he was currently in Somuli, and the magic energy he was burning was only borrowed, using a combination of the Void's theory to connect to the Human plane.

The two planes had different Magic Laws, which prevented Kyran from acting like a glutton and absorbing magic energy without a care. Nevertheless, if he could absorb more magic energy, he would still not absorb it like a glutton because he could end up damaging the Human plane. When that happens, the Human plane might be unable to retain its 'concealed' state and become accessible to all like the other planes in the Lower Realm.

Regulating his magic energy, Kyran reactivated Shaiha's concealment and allowed it to suppress his aura. The moment the Shaiha took effect, the colossal silhouette that wrapped him like an intangible armor withdrew back into his body.

Kyran also retracted each Void theory he unlocked to avoid taking any chances that might damage and expose the Human plane.

While this was happening, Kyran had already started to descend along with Flos's and Obstruction's bodies. He hesitated momentarily before waving his hand and taking their bodies into his space pouch. Of course, he made sure to wrap them with a barrier using Array to ensure their bodies were preserved well.

Kyran took them not because he was kind enough to give them a proper burial. Instead, he was interested in any treasures they possessed. While he could have aimed at their clothes and storage items rather than their whole body, a Sovereign's body was also a treasure trove. Kyran wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to examine them.

Kyran's action would likely stir up a commotion, with the majority seeing him as a heartless monster or a heretic, but he did not care. If he could find a way to help his people grow stronger by examining Flos's and Obstruction's bodies, he would not bat an eye and do it.

Thus far, his people's lack of strength was one of his most significant disadvantages. He would not call it a weakness because he could stimulate their strength, like the Sigil's Blessings or the Void's boost.

But what about his people who were not his Servants or Sigils?

The only two ways he could boost their strength were by means of a mark or by enhancing their items through Array and Smithing. Doing the latter might be fine in confrontations with mages of the same level. But if they were to face an enemy of the same caliber as Ruin, especially that Higher Realm mage Deus, they would die without knowing what hit them.

For the matter of being outnumbered, Kyran believed the saying 'Quality over quantity.' As long as he had enough quality people on his side, he was confident in tiding through any tribulations.

In any case, those were things for later.

Kyran canceled his armor as he landed on the ground. Before he could warp back to the underground shelter, he heard a voice sound in his head.

[Master? Is everything all right over your side?]

Filren asked, a tinge of concern in his voice.

'For now,' Kyran replied. 'But we are not done yet. I only used a temporary fix to deal with Aran's trump card and his Knights, but I can only keep them there for an hour at most.

'How about your end? What's the situation?'

[Everything is fine now...but... There is something I'd like to report.]

'Alright, let's meet up in a bit. I have to check on something first.'

[I understand.]

'Find a location away from the city where we can move around freely. Send me the coordinates, and I'll go there.'

[Yes, master.]

After that, Kyran warped to the same spot where he appeared in the underground shelter earlier.

The moment he adjusted to his surroundings, the scene of a young woman shivering in a corner with her arms wrapped tightly around her and her head buried between her knees seemed to transport him back in time, where a younger version of her was hunched down, trembling in the corner of a cave.

The scene broke his heart. But he had to suppress his emotions and keep calm.

After confirming the presence of others scattered around, Kyran approached the young woman— Cyneah.

Like him, she was unaffected by the Fates's time intervention. However, she seemed unaware of the recent events and believed she was still inside the Abyss of Despair.

For someone who had always seen darkness, Cyneah was the last person one would expect to crumble inside the Abyss of Despair. But apparently, that place affected her far more than other people.

Others would probably not understand why that was the case, but Kyran more or less could.

Cyneah was not blind per se. Prior to her learning how to use magic sense to see, she could see the lights of other beings. But in the Abyss of Despair, apart from being robbed of her magic sense, she could not see those lights.

Kyran could only imagine how she felt when she could not see those lights. She was probably convinced they died because of her, which then triggered a past memory.

She had not told him much about her past, but from what he had gleaned, she was abandoned by her uncle in that cave to die because she brought misfortune.

"Neah..."

Cyneah raised her head as soon as she heard Kyran call her name. Only then did she realize her surroundings were no longer pitch black. She could see the black and white outlines, and although it still lacked the lights, she could sense nearby presences, alleviating her despair that almost drowned her.

Kyran hesitated for a second but ultimately decided to comfort Cyneah. He meant to be gentle, but she practically grabbed his coat and pulled him close, tightly wounding her arms around his waist. She buried her face on his neck and finally let out all the pent-up fear and grief she had kept inside through muffled cries.

Cyneah's head was abuzzed with thoughts. She was sorry for not protecting everyone, even risking their lives because of the Macabre Glacier. She was also frustrated for not being strong or fast enough to support them, resulting in most of them meeting an untimely death.

But all her thoughts eased up as she held tightly onto the person before her— a person who said who would come if she called and yet did not seven years ago.

This time, he did.