Zenith Online: Rebirth of the Strongest Player
chapter-57

"Er'shabal?" Kieran muttered to himself. Er'shabal was a name he had never heard in his life. But, the fact a real demon regarded it as the Dark One meant it held a lofty status amongst the Lemegeton.

"Er'shabal? Eh, that prehistoric thing shouldn't be an issue. At least, I don't believe it should be," Agrianos commented right beside Kieran's ear, startling him.

"Oi! Personal space. What in the hell?" Kieran exclaimed in slight exasperation. "Wait, what do you know about this Er'shabal?"

"I know that it is a presence all dark creatures worship for power," Agrianos answered truthfully.

However, this made Kieran freeze completely. Usually, the word "worship" was attributed to religion, which required a god as a foundation to direct their faith. Thus, Kieran could only voice the question in his mind, "It's... a god?"

"No comment. You have no reason to worry. You think a figure of worship is worried about you?" Agrianos laughed rambunctiously after seeing Kieran's face. But while laughing, a tinge of disgust appeared for a brief moment.

However, it was so fleeting that not even Kieran picked up on it. Soon enough, Agrianos was no longer in a laughing mood.

"Boy, you have truly outdone yourself! And for that, you have my recognition. At the same time, you also deserve some things that Scar can't bestow upon you. These are practices he has yet to master. You too are deserving of the same legacy," Agrianos said. He was incredibly proud of Kieran despite not having an official master-successor relationship.

"Even if they were to receive the blessing of a transcendent figure, not many people would have the spirit to go up against a Demon, much less an Archdemon. I must commend you for your courage," Agrianos continued.

However, Kieran's expression became odd as he looked at Agrianos. "I thought you said Archdemons weren't worth mentioning."

"Oh? When did I say that, silly boy? I believe you may need to clean out your ears. Even the weakest demon is an extreme issue," Agrianos said while denying having ever called the demons weak.

"Wh-..." Kieran blinked wordlessly. He didn't expect Agrianos to be this type of shameless individual. 'Am I being gaslighted right now? Gaslit by an NPC? No way.'

"Relax, kid. I'm just messing witcha! In reality, that entity that came through his should have 4 sets of horns. We don't know its true strength because an Archdemon is a state of being, not how demons rank their power, but that's beside the point. I have resealed the rift, so we are safe for the time being," Agrianos said.

He slowly waved his hand to display his lightheartedness.

Before Kieran could offer his opinion, Agrianos quickly changed the subject. "Anyway, you should be rewarded for your efforts. I see you've enjoyed this power, so I'll transfer it to you. Additionally, you should also have something that will present its worth in the future."

Slowly, Agrianos pointed his finger at Kieran's forehead and made contact. Kieran felt the transference of information along with a sensation that was unrecognizable and nearly indistinguishable.

〈System: You have gained Agrianos' recognition!〉

〈System: Gain the recognition of Scar's master. 1/1〉

〈System: You have received the skill «Ancient Crimson Aegis»〉

〈System: You have received a «???»〉

After a few seconds, Agrianos slowly retracted his finger from Kieran's forehead with a contented look. It had been quite some time since he found such an exemplary recipient for the Berserk Path.

Meanwhile, Kieran was perplexed that even the system couldn't identify the unrecognizable part of the information. It was something that transcended the body and branded upon his soul. As the soul was viewed as the most enigmatic part of a human, Kieran partially understood why the system had difficulty recognizing this power.

With that being said, Kieran remained curious as to whether or not Agrianos was an individual that escaped the general classification of the system. Then again, would the system create a being it couldn't quantify?

Alas, despite all his questions, Kieran felt not even Agrianos would have an answer for him. After all, Kieran doubted Agrianos would be familiar with this world's so-called "creator." Since Agrianos said it would present its worth with time, that's what Kieran would have to do—wait.

Soon enough, Agrianos extended his palm in which an exquisite letter sealed by a stamp materialized from Agrianos' blood appeared. Even if Kieran wished to open it, it couldn't be opened by anyone who wasn't trained in the Berserk Path. Besides Agrianos, only Scar had the credentials to open this letter.

"Deliver this to the one who sent you on this adventure. I suggest you don't try to open it. It's enchanted with a blood spell. I'm sure you don't want to experience the effects of a blood spell once the aegis dissipates," Agrianos warned.

"Wait… dissipates?" Kieran frowned.

"Yes, dissipates. It won't be too long until it does. I would also suggest that you not be here when that happens. Your body has yet to go through the first advancement, so let's avoid any unwanted situations, yes?" Agrianos said with a smile that wasn't a smile.

Kieran shivered lightly after experiencing that eerie smile. "I've received the message loud and clear."

This warning was for Kieran's well-being.

If he were to die by that blood spell, the death penalty would be countless times worse. In the end, Agrianos wasn't a regular monster; any death that resulted from a matter linked to him could only be deemed supernatural. Even his hair could be turned into a weapon in the right hands, becoming a vicious weapon to stealthily claim lives.

Furthermore, to deter a player from grasping at absurd straws, the present Death Penalty could be manipulated once the level difference between the player and foe was more than 200 levels.

But, the repercussions grew excessively severe when it came to a dangerous power like the one Scar, and Agrianos wielded. It could even result in a character wipe or, at the very least, a character reset.

"How long do I have?" Kieran questioned.

"Mm…" Agrianos lightly rubbed his chin while walking circles around Kieran with an inquisitive expression. "It should last at least a week. Consider it your final test from me. Let's see if you withstand the trek from the chasm's beginning to your final destination."

"Agrianos… are you some type of sadist?" Kieran asked with a sour expression. A week in-game meant three and a half days in reality. With his current equipment, Kieran was incapable of playing for a week straight. He still needed to nourish his body. Not to mention a week without moving was dangerous.

It could lead to musculoskeletal issues if one was too irresponsible with their daily exercise and nourishment for too long.

"Me? Who knows. I can neither confirm nor deny your accusations. But, what I do know is that I am simply me, and I operate as I wish," Agrianos replied with a cryptic smile.

Kieran could only sigh in defeat. There was no winning against Agrianos, who had countless years of interactions under his belt. Additionally, he wasn't interested in mundane arguments. Kieran could faintly discern a desire for more hidden in Agrianos' whimsical gaze.

"Fine! How about I make a concession? I'll escort you 95% through the Wildes, and you'll continue the rest of the journey alone. Deal?"

"Deal!" Kieran extended his hand, but his smile froze when his hand was swallowed by Agrianos' gargantuan hand. 'An absolute monster.'

"Oh! My weapon, please!" Agrianos gestured, asking for his blade back. There was zero chance of him allowing Kieran to take his weapon, not that Kieran wanted it. If the realism was any more developed, Kieran would have been in a terrible predicament.

His earlier Strength was barely enough to properly wield the blade. It would undoubtedly devour his Stamina if even Stage One Hyper-Realism was present.

After accepting his weapon, Agrianos scooped Kieran up and threw him over his shoulder.

Crimson winds appeared around his legs as Agrianos jumped to the top of the chasm in one leap. While casually chatting with Kieran, Agrianos managed to regain a considerable amount of strength. He was no longer as feeble as before.

Meanwhile, Kieran steadily plotted out a plan to return to Gena Village promptly. After all, he still needed to accomplish a few matters before his appointment with Dr. Riley. Since it was a medical visit, Kieran expected it to be longer than expected.

Hundreds of thousands of kilometers separated Gena Village and his current position, so even with Agrianos carrying him most of the way, Kieran still needed to travel over ten thousand kilometers alone.

On paper, it didn't sound so bad. Still, Kieran also had to account for the fact his current Agility was an extreme limitation.

'A week to cover that much distance? I'll need to maximize my skill usage,' Kieran thought.

Soon enough, Agrianos reached the point where he would travel no further, abruptly dropping Kieran.

"Make it happen. I believe in you," Agrianos said. Afterward, he disappeared with a waft of crimson wind carrying the sweet but metallic aroma of blood. As Kieran inhaled this wind, he felt energized.

〈System: The wind carries the Tyrant's Revalitizing Blood. For 24 hours, Constitution to Tier 1!〉

'What a softy,' Kieran smirked to himself. Although this change might seem inconsequential. A Tier 1 Constitution was equivalent to obtaining an Intermediate Class since even the weakest Intermediate Class was an extensive upgrade from a human's base.

Whoosh!

Kieran took off like a speeding bullet. For the next twelve hours, not only could he run faster, but he would also be able to run much longer, saving Kieran from sacrificing the 10 Unassigned Attribute Points in his possession.

In those 24 hours, Kieran traveled over 3,500 kilometers using Charge to cross some distances quicker. After estimating his progress, Kieran found that this was essentially a third of the stretch in a day!

Once the 24 hours elapsed and Kieran ensured he made the most of the opportunity granted, he logged out to keep track of the date since he had an important meeting.