Strings Of Domination

The sky was dark with the silver moon high above together with the numerous shiny dots, the ever-glowing bodies of celestial stars that were present thousands if not millions of light-years away from Planet Gaia.

And exactly below that great moon which bathed the scenery below it with the color of silver, a massive mountain whose color was akin to blood stood proudly in the center of a huge wasteland, its peak covered in thick ashen clouds, completely concealing what resided on it from the eyes below.

"And... We are finally here!" Stormlight extended her arms to the sides once she was standing on the crimson grass, indicating she and the three behind her has indeed reached the bottom of the mountain.

Nash and the two on his side raised their gazes at the mountain which towered above them at least a few thousand miles and couldn't help but let out an awed gasp.

After taking in the sight which truly was one of a kind, Nash glanced at Stormlight and said, "Thank you for taking us here."

"Haha, it was not a problem at all. I should be the one thanking you for helping me out with those bandits." Stormlight showed a gentle smile, one that was surprisingly charming.

"Now then... I should get going." Stormlight said and quickly added, "I do not know how long you wish to stay here or where you plan to go next from here, but if you want to go back to City Neo then just go back on the path we have just come on. Though, I recommend you to wait a few days before you do as the corpses of those Gorgers must definitely have attracted many beasts from the proximity."

"I see, I will remember that." Nash nodded and was ready to bid his farewell when suddenly Amy took a step forward, surprising him slightly.

"Hm? Anything you want?" Stormlight asked questioningly, tilting her head sideways slightly as she noticed Amy was staring at her.

"Yeah, I do. Where is our refund?"

Nash and Miles looked at each other when they heard Amy's question, but soon realized she was indeed right. They have crossed paths with other creatures, ones that were close to reaching the Warmaster Rank thus their lives were in danger!

If they looked at it like that, Amy was right and they indeed have to get their crystals back together with a bonus as Stormlight promised it like that.

Though, what they got as a reply was something they did not expect.

"Although I have said we should not meet with any beasts, I did not mention with a single word we won't meet any bandits or other creatures with hostility." Stormlight still showed her calm smile on her pretty face and said, "Thus, as I have kept my promise and did not deceive you three, I think I should not refund you with anything at all."

Amy opened her mouth to say something, but once she discovered Stormlight was indeed telling the truth and did not break her promise, she could only close her lips shut and remain silent.

Even Miles sighed with helplessness before focusing back on his book, knowing this was a quarrel they cannot win no matter what; or at least not if they do not use force.

"Come," Nash said coolly as he placed a palm onto Amy's shoulder and looked at Stormlight, "We should go now."

With those words, Nash turned back around and began to walk toward the mountain with Miles on his side. As for Amy, she too began to follow them, but before that, she made sure to give one final glance at Stormlight, who still showed a calm smile.

However, once the three were far away and became three small dots on the massive mountain, the smile on Stormlight quickly vanished while her face paled and her forehead began to get oozed with cold sweat all of a sudden.

"That was close..." Stormlight mumbled on a weak voice while her slightly trembling hand which rested on her dagger's hilt on her wast lowered.

Just now, although she showed she was calm and collected, in truth she was terrified and was ready to fight.

"He definitely looked at me like someone who wished to kill me, no question about that."

Meanwhile, the one who Stormlight was talking about was silently ascending Crimson Mountain while his eyes seemed to read something that only he could see.

----------------------------------------

{Special Character Status}

• Special Legacy: None

• Special Bloodline: Soul Flame

• Special Blessing: Soul Eye

• Special Character Attribute: Murderous Aura (Semi-Special)

<Each Special trait can be obtained by challenging The Ancient Path!>

----------------------------------------

'Murderous Aura, huh? I guess this was the reason why her fear increased.' Nash thought in his heart and opened his newly acquired ability which he had no idea how he obtained.

----------------------------------------

[Special Character Attribute: Murderous Aura]

• Description: A menacing power in its slumbering state which was acquired after claiming life and threatening another in the domain of death.

• Attribute Class: Unclassified (Semi-Special)

{Ability}

° Murderous Gaze: You have to awaken this power's true state to unlock this ability.

{Passive Abilities}

° Murderous Aura: Whenever you wish to kill or threaten someone, this power will automatically activate, forcing your enemies to feel immense dread and fear toward you.

<The amount of fear and dread you can inflict on enemies is highly dependent on your state of anger and thirst for blood!>

----------------------------------------

"Holy fuck!" Nash suddenly shouted up loudly, taking Amy and Miles by his side by surprise, the former even jumping slightly unwittingly.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to." Nash coughed awkwardly, apologizing for his mistake.

"You okay? What happened?" although Amy did not see Nash's complexion, she knew that something huge must have happened from how excitedly and shocked he shouted.

"No, it is nothing." Nash shook his head and after raising his head toward the mountain peak, he asked, "Anyways, do we even know where to start?"

Although she knew Nash was hiding something and ignored her question on purpose, Amy just nodded and pointed at a specific point on the mountain, "According to the legend, there is a small pond around the middle region of the mountain. If the text was valid, blood will flow there just before the sun emerges from the east."

Nash glanced at the sky and seeing they still had a few more hours before dawn he nodded and quickened his pace, "Then we should hurry up. This mountain is huge, it is unknown how long it will take us to reach that pond."

Amy nodded and quickly followed Nash while Miles just sighed and after closing his book as he won't have time to read it, he quickly ran after the two with wide and fast steps.

The three traveled rather fast thanks to the fact that except for a few boulders and trees which were each crimson in color there was nothing that could have obstructed them from ascending the mountain.

Furthermore, there were not even insects or any form of living existence around much less beasts on and above the Infant Rank, thus they didn't even have to care about how loud and fast they were traveling.

In about two hours, the three ran more than several hundred miles with only a few minutes of rest. Naturally, it was only possible as they were able to use their essence in their Ancient Veins to recover their fatigue and physical strength and only stop when they needed to recover their essence or because Amy simply was unable to continue running and needed to rest.

After running for more than four hours straight and when the first ray of light appeared on the horizon, Nash's eyes lit up and pointed forward, "It must be there! Let's go!"

Without waiting for a reply Nash quickened his pace and dashed forward, forcing Amy and Miles to follow him with the same speed despite the former having problems doing so.

Quickly, the three traveled another mile under a few minutes and finally reached a flat circular surface with a huge vertical mountainside covering it from almost all sides!

"Yeah, this definitely is the place." Nash nodded as he stood at the edge of a crystal clear pond and gazed down into its bottom.

The pond was small and circular, about ten meters in radius at the very most. It was also crystal clear with nothing on its surface and at its bottom, thus it was very unlikely anyone has ever been here much less used it before.

"And now... What?" supporting herself on her knees, Amy asked with a rather exhausted tone of voice as she tried to calm her fast heartbeat that threatened to jump out of her chest.

While Nash and Miles were able to run several miles without breaking a sweat thanks to them being already at the Warrior Rank and having the support of their essence, she was still an Infant Rank without any essence in her body.

Therefore, it was not a big surprise to see her so exhausted.

Nash looked at Amy in silence and as he wished to reply, suddenly the sun which finally emerged on the horizon lighted his face while Miles on his side pointed toward the top of the mountainside and shouted, "There! Blood is flowing from above!"