(Failed… attempting a restart.)
(Failed… attempting a restart.)
(Failed… attempting a restart.)
The words repeated in his vision, a relentless, glitching loop. The dense spiritual energy from Helen's grandfather formed a protective cocoon around him, shielding him from the disorienting, violent pressures of the long-distance spatial transfer. He kept thinking,
"Stop…"
"System, halt!" He tried every word or phrase he could remember to break the cycle, but nothing worked. It seemed he couldn't stop it, no matter what he tried.
Whoosh!!
All three of them appeared in a deserted ruin. No one would expect the destination of such an elaborate and expensive spatial array to be in the middle of nowhere—but that was the point. Only a few individuals knew of its existence, a secret guarded for decades. Now, for no apparent reason, it had to be discarded, along with the countless sacrifices and infiltrations made to mask its creation from the tyrannical Templar Empire.
At this moment, Helen's grandfather—Richard—stood facing Neo, his eyes glowing the deep red of his affinity. The air around him twisted with heat, a visible testament to the immense restraint he was exercising to not burn Neo to ash where he stood.
Suddenly, a voice cut through the thick tension from behind him. "G… Grandpa Richard?"
Immediately, Richard's focus snapped away. Hearing Helen's voice, he forced himself to calm, pulling his raging presence under control before finally releasing the protective spiritual energy around them. With a clearer mind, he kept Neo bound and levitating as he turned to Helen, who was trembling. He hugged her, trying to soothe her.
Letting go of the hug, he flipped his hand. A single, green seed appeared in his palm. "My sweet Helen, swallow this. I'll explain everything after."
Neo, still bound behind them, had lost count of how many times he'd swallowed hard since they'd appeared in these ruins. Helen, from her position, probably hadn't seen the murderous look Richard had directed at him earlier, but Neo knew any stupid words would lead to his immediate, unquestioned execution.
He'd read too many scenes like this to act recklessly. Even now, with Richard's attention on Helen, he didn't struggle. He stayed perfectly still, waiting for the questions—or torture—that were sure to come.
'What the hell did I get myself into this time?' he thought, grateful for Helen's presence, but acutely aware it might not protect him for long.
Helen, sensing her grandfather wouldn't listen to pleas for Neo right now, simply nodded. She swallowed the seed.
Immediately, a sharp pain lanced through her chest. It felt like the air had been stolen from her lungs. "Hggghhh… Gr…"
Richard's heart constricted at this sight, but he had to do it. There was no other way to sever the blood contract she'd been forced to sign with the Temple when she'd awakened her relic. Luckily, she'd awakened a low-rank relic and hadn't been admitted to the Academy; a more powerful soul contract would have been impossible to break. This green seed—costing several thousand spirit stones—could only sever the blood contract she'd signed instead.
Suddenly, Helen coughed, a mouthful of blood splattering the ground before she lost consciousness. Richard was ready, catching her gently and laying her on the stone floor. He watched, tense, as her breathing grew heavy and labored. Only when it began to steady did he finally stand up.
Neo, who had been appreciating the universe for Helen's presence just moments before, was now panicking heavily. But the chill forced his mind into focus, locking his fear behind a wall of icy calm. He couldn't even act out.
Then, he heard the voice that sounded like the Grim Reaper himself.
"Now…" Richard turned to face him. "Tell me why I should let you liv—"
He paused, looking at Neo's blank, expressionless face. It almost seemed like the kid wasn't scared at all. But noticing the subtle, hard swallow in Neo's throat, Richard let go of his scrutiny.
"Let's start with who you are and what you were doing in my inn. Do not waste my time in hopes that she will wake up soon. We have enough of it. But if you decide to waste it… I'm sure I have ways to make you speak."
Hearing the threat, Neo's mind, sharpened by the chill, remained clear. He began in a measured tone, unable to completely mask the tremor of fear beneath it.
"I… I'm Neo Ilyad…"
--------------------------
Meanwhile, Central Continent — The Temple of light.
'Hmm… Blackstone…'
The Golden Emperor sat upon his throne, his executioner standing before him, having just finished his report on the events in the Northern Continent, including the arrival of the First Prince on the scene.
The Emperor thrummed his fingers gently on the armrest of his throne. No one could tell what thoughts moved behind those impassive, luminous eyes. Before him, the executioner stood shrouded in his perpetual darkness, silent and waiting.
Finally, after a long minute, the Golden Emperor spoke again, his voice now carrying a subtle, almost playful edge. "I never thought that rat would ever grow the guts to stretch his hand into my empire… at least not while I still draw breath. Or do they believe that because I am occupied with war, I have grown ignorant of the affairs within my own domain?"
He paused, the silence in the vast hall deepening as he contemplated.
"Summon my children," he said, the words falling like a decree of cold stone. "It seems I have let them play at rulership for too long. They have grown… complacent."
The executioner bowed slightly, his form rippling like pooling ink. "Yes, my Lord."
In a burst of dissipating shadows, he vanished.
The Hall of the High Temple was left in absolute, weighty silence, broken only by the slow, measured tap of a golden finger upon a throne.
-------------------
Ruins
"All I did was wake up. I've been in a coma all my life, sir. Your granddaughter can confirm this," Neo spoke with a serious expression. With the chill keeping his emotions in check, he had grown more confident through the conversation, carefully omitting any mention of Earth, the system, the void, or how he got his tattoos. He started from the moment he woke up, to his brother being taken, to his mother being killed right before his eyes because of his actions, to waking in the inn. When he mentioned his mother's death at the hands of the Temple, he saw Richard's expression soften for a moment.
"Hmm… Felt like a typical relic awakening, only on a much... much larger scale. You mentioned you were tested and nothing showed on the awakening crystal?"
Neo replied, "Yes, sir."
He was still held aloft, the system's *Failed… attempting restart* notifications glitching endlessly in his vision, but he didn't let his attention waver for a moment.
"As for your brother… I'm not sure if I'd call him lucky or not. With a God Rank relic, he is destined for great heights. But the Templar Empire, and that brute on the throne… he will definitely force him to sign a soul contract, binding him to the fate of the empire forever."
Neo's expression turned sour at the thought of his brother's life resting in the hands and whims of a tyrant.
Before they could continue, a sound drew their attention. Helen was waking up.
"Ughhh… Gramps? What happened?"
Richard's voice softened immediately. "It's all right, Grandpa is here. How do you feel?"
"I feel drained. And hungry," Helen replied slowly, still adjusting.
"The seed purged the contract that bound you to the Temple Academy. Remember the one they made you sign?"
Helen hummed in acknowledgement. "Mmm… Oh, where's Neo?"
Richard's face twitched, but he kept his voice calm. "He's fine. He's right here."
Helen's eyes landed on Neo, still hanging bound in the air. Her tone turned sharp, as if reprimanding a child. "Gramps! You still have him like that? He's my patient, you know? Put him down. Now."
The sentence first scared Neo—the Grim Reaper was being addressed like a misbehaving kid—but remembering who was making the request, he felt a wave of relief. 'Saved.'