Zenith Online: Rebirth of the Strongest Player

The Flame was prone to wicked delusions, and everything Kieran said was perverted in its strange, defiled mind.

"Significance? Why would you be interested in that when you can't wield it?"

Wielding Significance was the ability of the Masters, and though he possessed the falsely Ascended Body of a Master… Kieran wasn't one. That avenue of thought led the Flame to a sinister assumption without the help of Kieran's reply.

Beside his face, the Flame's vague manifestation thrummed with overflowing glee and devilish excitement. That corrupt delight permeated its voice, too.

"Is the Breaking about to happen?"

The Breaking — as the Flame called it — was the shattering of the Anchor, and its desire for that occurrence grew with every bit stronger Kieran became. The mightier he grew, the less of an insurmountable obstacle the titanic Anchor would seem.

Unlike Kieran, who grew with every experience endured inside the Trial, the Anchor was a static presence. At some point, Kieran's Realm would grow more potent than the Anchor. From what Kieran could tell, the Anchor was only an insignificant piece of the Oath's Significance.

Too much of it couldn't be spared… else whatever the Oath was made to restrict would break free. That outcome would defeat the purpose of the entire Trial. The Myths were the swords and shields of Xenith — the great bulwark of the Boundary.

Glancing at the Flame's poor manifestation of itself, Kieran scowled.

"At least try to hide your excitement. What happened to that cunning in your words?"

"Cunning? No, you misunderstand me, my child. I am the most straightforward to ever exist. I do not shy away from what I want. I travel a straight and narrow path."

Kieran squinted and gave the Flame a look of repulsion, mentally remarking.

'A straight path? Yeah, a straight path right down to Hell. That's where you were cast after all… down.'

The Flame idled for a moment before bobbing morosely in the air.

"Yes, I was cast down from beyond The Sky into a truly dark place. But that place was untraveled and granted me free rein to do as I please. I hated it, but I loved it!"

He had heard all this once before, so Kieran brushed it aside with noncommittal interest.

"Right, right. Father of Ruin, something, something, and the third. Power of choice. Can we get back to the topic at hand?"

The Flame whimpered and made playful, heartbroken woes before sighing.

"You are the rudest child I have ever fathered. But I love a good contest. You bring me challenge and contentment. What… what was the question?"

Kieran let out a mental groan. How could something that claimed to be a God forget things? Weren't Gods supposed to be all-knowing? Forgetting was an activity that plagued the mundane. Perhaps it was all a ruse.

'Shameless! I asked, if I want to use or influence Significance, how do I go about it?'

"Become a Master."

The Flame's answer scratched something dark and venomous in Kieran, prompting him to become a pantomime where he used hand gestures to imitate breaking and shattering something with eyes full of rage.

Unfortunately… the Flame seemed like it could not be broken.

Imitating Cardinal Weiss' earlier actions, Kieran inhaled deeply and exhaled his frustrations.

'Thank you for your… apt advice. Now, can we please have a solution tailored to my situation?'

After some moments of ponderous silence from the Flame, it answered.

"In your case, you'd need the Spirit of a Master or bear a Master's Presence. You don't need to be a Master to have it. As long as your Spirit is potent enough, even if unawoken, you will bear a Master's Presence."

'Master's Presence?'

Kieran sighed and shook his head.

'Speak to me like I'm a beginner in the Way of Ascension.'

"You are not only the rudest of my children but also the dumbest. That's okay; stupid can be fixed… hopefully. Ascension is the elevation of the Mind, Body, and Spirit — the trinity that makes up all. Presence comes from the Spirit and is the Will of the Bearer. Do you understand?"

Kieran's brow arched slightly.

The Flame had given enough insight to ignore its snide remark. When it came to understanding, that was more important than preparing a spiteful rebuttal.

Knowledge was power, and learning was training. Using the precepts of Truthseeking, Kieran found an indirect but more fulfilling way to rebuff the Flame — by making it eat its crude words.

'Literally. I will find the right words and feed them to you.'

Shaking that thought aside with rapt fixation, Kieran focused on his situation. He was in a bind, but he was in a convenient bind.

'The Spirit is the Will of the Bearer.'

Hadn't the Anchor just returned his Will to him? That meant he was complete again.

'Two parts complete. This body isn't really mine. Unless… is a Master's Body not related to the physical? Is it something else?'

The Way of Ascension was strange and abstract.

Some things that seemed direct weren't as straightforward as a Disciplined was made to believe. The twists and turns of every Ascension made for a unique journey — the accumulation of individual experience.

If Will was required to communicate or at least influence the Anchor, and it had provided it, didn't that mean it gave him tools to interact with it?

Granted, Kieran didn't know how his Will fared against a genuine Master of Spirit. Was he up to par? Was he seriously lacking? It was hard to tell.

Before the Trial, he had been a Primed Novice ready to Advance. But that had not changed because he was still a Novice. It was the body of Valdu that received all the changes. His situation was similar to a driver who changed into newly updated models of the same car without changing themself.

But Kieran also didn't doubt himself. He had grappled with being a Wrathbound since first becoming a Disciplined. Those infernal flames of wrath forged and tempered his Will so he didn't lose himself to berserk and vengeful emotions.

He still endured struggle, and he was far from perfect, but he could be considered to have a masterful Will.

Impatient and bursting with delight, the Flame urged Kieran to action.

"Don't tease me. If you're going to attempt the Breaking, do so. That thing is a deep well of power, and should you break it… I can do so much for your Mind, Body, and Spirit."

Then, the Flame fell into its usual monologuing ways, explaining what great things it could accomplish. However, Kieran disregarded all except one comment in particular.

"You should do to it… what I did to you."

Kieran squinted, and the Flame continued.

"Because it is a condensed mass of ample Significance, it is best you be gentle. Or, you'll risk shattering your Realm to irreparable pieces when it enacts a defense. Before you break it… corrupt it! With grace, though."

Naturally, Kieran didn't take that advice.

He paused and entered his Realm momentarily, then stood before the subtly groaning Anchor. The wails continued antagonizing the giant orb, but Kieran came in peace.

He approached gingerly and cautiously raised his hand to the suspended orb without sudden movement. It felt like he was sinking into a quagmire under its unimaginable weight, but he withstood it.

His Presence allowed him to do so.

Soon, the Anchor allowed him to touch it, and the Flame went berserk, vehemently urging Kieran to do its bidding.

"Corrupt it. Defile it. Absorb it. Let us have it!"

Kieran ignored the Flame.

Instead, he closed his eyes and had faith. Faith in the Anchor — in the idea that it wouldn't break him and that it was showing him the way. Once he felt its abstruse weight permeate his presence, he pulled.

Six other people jerked due to that sudden pull, as if they were flung across a room by a fantastical force.

Kieran opened his eyes atop the Wailing Sierra's second mountain and gasped, staring at his extended arm in alarm.

Six translucent chains spread into the distance, all stretching beyond the Wailing Sierra.