Zenith Online: Rebirth of the Strongest Player

Scar's jaw hung open, and his eyes were peeled, widened due to his sheer disbelief.

"Holy shit… this aura is so dense."

Contrary to what Scar had expected… Kieran's aura had already begun to condense, and it was now vast enough to suffuse the entire throne room. Intrigued by how dense the atmosphere of blood surrounding his Successor had grown, he touched it.

"Strange. So very strange."

Scar's eyes glinted with burning curiousness, and he examined his fingers closely, noticing the thickness was a deception. After making mindful contact with it, he could feel Kieran's aura trying to invade his pores.

It was more apt to call Kieran's aura palpable rather than solid. It was relatively easy to overpower, but that much was to be expected for someone like Scar.

Still, he couldn't help but be fascinated by his Successor's absurd progress. What had he experienced to accumulate enough raw bloodlust such that this became his aura as a newly Advanced Adept?

He had only asked for the basics, but now… Scar very much wanted the entire story.

Though Kieran's aura adhered to the limitations of an Adept, growing more feeble over greater distances, its range was astonishing, to say the least. Newly born Adepts could generally spread an aura over roughly ten or so meters in every direction.

Yet, Kieran was accomplishing slightly over twice that span.

Twenty-five meters, to be exact.

Judging by Scar's expression, he clearly had some suggestions as to what direction Kieran should take his aura training.

Of course, what Scar didn't know currently was his Successor's aura was no longer purely his own but an amalgam of what he was and what is — in other words, the Bath of Carnage had fundamentally changed his aura.

The Fiend's Baptism was an Advancing that used a staggering amount of unspecified bloodshed to begin the process.

However, the Bath of Carnage was the Unique Advancing, tailored for anyone bound to Argexes with the strength of character required to withstand it. It used blood from superior sources and incorporated higher amounts of Argexes' Blood.

Kieran didn't know how many droplets that suggested or if droplets were the amount recorded used to determine the Bath's concentration. All he knew was it had woven traits of carnage directly into his Realm, transforming and evolving Blood Mania's Blood Rune until it resembled a schema of a human's blood transport system.

The mass of it converged at where the heart should be located, and that thrummed with an unquenchable bloodlust. Kieran could feel that tapping into Fiend's Carnage would open the harrowing floodgates to Madness.

That skill, after all, followed the principles Kieran carved out within the Trial.

Now that he was no longer pressed for time or being expelled by whatever forces controlled the Tapestry of Woven Time, Kieran could sift through the overlooked messages that provided greater insight into the transformation his Advancing engendered.

A few messages immediately caught Kieran's eye.

[The Records of the following skills: Torment's Benefits: Dull, Tormented Beliefs, Abhorrent Paroxysm have been dismantled and assimilated with Innate Ability - Blood Mania.]

[Threads from your new Title - Defier of Fate and massive assimilation of carnage has turned your Ability Rune into an unrefined Imprint. Your future actions shall determine the direction of its growth, for it represents you.]

[All Blood Mania abilities have been retained and enhanced to match the transformation into Fiend's Carnage.]

Kieran's reaction was identical to Scar, staring at the world painted red from his point of view.

"…Kill them. Grow strong enough, and everyone before you will crumble in your hand."

"Assert your dominance. Or are you too scared because of their powerful auras? Can't take them?"

"You'll reach their level before you reach their level. By then, who will shackle you? Ruin. Ruin is to be your only shackle… for it is why you were born. Welcome it with open arms."

The voices!

The voices had left the Trial alongside Kieran's psyche. However, they weren't the same, in his humble opinion.

The voices used to attack his inadequacy, shining light upon his weakness, but now… the voices seemed to reproach him and the world in equal measure as if they disdained both. Kieran wondered if the subtle shift in their tones had something to do with the Unique Path he had yet to study.

What kind of passive effects did it grant?

Kieran was incredibly curious and couldn't wait to delve into the rabbit hole of dissecting his power. For now… he reveled in the sheer, intoxicating carnage flowing through his veins. His heart pumped like an industrial machine, churning blood faster than any human could possibly accomplish.

Well, a healthy human.

Many heart conditions could meet Kieran's current heart rate, but the difference was that the strain on his heart was negligible, seeing as Monarch's Blood had refined his cardiovascular system. That alone pushed Kieran's physique past typical Disciplined, especially an Adept.

When factoring in his Constitution, which would increase the further he walked upon his Path…

Kieran shuddered.

'Hidden Attributes are invaluable, and my Path directly increases four of them per Tier level.

Such was the benefit of having a Unique Path. With benefits came detriments, for there was also a cost to strength — a price for everything.

While he could pinpoint the exact price now… Kieran had a sneaking suspicion that the future would illuminate what he had to sacrifice. Slowly, Kieran went through the motions of reining in his aura to improve resource management and practice energy control.

Viscid, coagulated blood poured out of Kieran's palms and forearms, confirming the enlarged Mark of the Maddened let him Bloodlet far faster than he ever could. It gushed out of him in a torrent, soon creating a great cleaver shaped from memory.

The cleaver resembled a large butcher's knife, and when Kieran slashed the weapon, a sharp blood crescent streaked through the air, giving his attacks extra range than they ought to have.

Scar angled his body to avoid the incoming aftermath of Kieran's slashes.

Curious of his Successor's strength, Scar rolled his shoulder and looked at the others.

"Might want to take a step back then."

Astraea furrowed her brows while shaking her head.

"Don't tell me you're about to do what I think you are."

Scar gave a wide, cheeky grin, nodding impishly.

"You bet your sweet tushie, I am."

Astraea groaned, hatefully glaring at Scar before clapping her hands and pressing her palms against the ground. Runes shimmering with worldly might illuminated the throne room, forming a sanctuary doubling as a barrier to contain the potential havoc this clash might wreak.

Kieran couldn't contain his excitement. It had been far too long since he moved this body of his. And what better opponent to test how far he had come along than his good ol' mentor?

Scar stomped the ground, a ring of blood appearing around him. It seethed and calmed in a cycle, waiting for him to give his command.

"Come on, twerp. Let me see what you've got. I've been waiting to know if you can finally wear those big boy pants."

Readying himself, Kieran formed an identical cleaver in his right hand, showing no intention of bringing out Crimson Ashrune.

Then, the two Blood Fiends darted at one another simultaneously. A subtle earthquake soon unsettled the room.