"Well, looks like we will be going home empty-handed," Alex exhaled, his disappointment hardening into anger. "Thanks for your effort, though. I owe you for this." He gave Zahra's shoulder a light tap as he turned away.
"We are not going home empty-handed," Zahra replied, her voice calm, but an edge cut through it. "Not after coming this far. Let's discuss this with hot tea."
"WHAT… what's there to discuss?" Tygrik's voice broke into a shrill cry. His face had gone pale as a corpse, panic painted across every line. "Young Lady, I'm leaving this sea."
The panic drained from his expression in a heartbeat, replaced by cold determination. "If you wish for a ride back to land, you are welcome aboard. If not, you're welcome to make your own way."
"You are welcome to do as you please," Zahra answered, her tone dismissive, not even looking at him as she turned. Without another word, she strode toward their resting cabin.
Alex stepped into the cabin, followed closely by Zahra. Two single beds stood tucked into the right and left corners, while crystal lamps glowed faintly in each of the four corners, filling the small room with a soft radiance and warmth.
In the far-right corner sat a wooden table with two chairs pulled close, its surface made of blue crystal, the same as the spines of the chairs. At the forefront of the cabin stood a compact storage container, half of it which was designed to keep items cold, and the other side was built with a heating plate for warm meals.
Alex took a seat at the table, while Zahra moved toward the container, retrieving a box of tea mix, two cups, and a small sugar box. She activated the hot plate, set a porcelain kettle on top of it, and began preparing tea with practiced hands.
Alex sat in silence, his gaze fixed on the tabletop but his mind elsewhere. The questions filled his mind, understanding well that Zarach's presence in the rage sea was no coincidence.
Why would Zarach meet with the World Eater? Why reveal their plan?
The intent was clear enough; he did it to stop him from acquiring the Dark Slate, but the reasoning, the deeper motive, was the part that gnawed at him.
As for how Zarach knew of the Dark Slate, something Alex himself had uncovered only two days ago, it wasn't so mysterious. Zarach wielded fate as his weapon, understanding the good and bad of others, but more than anything, his own.
And beyond that, he was allied with the third hegemon, the True King.
The kettle began to whisper with rising steam. A moment later, Zahra approached, carrying two white tea cups in her hands, their rims and handles lined with blue crystal.
Steam curled upward in pale ribbons, the air filling with a deep, fragrant scent, both fresh and grounding.
Alex drew a deep breath, steadying himself, clearing his mind before he spoke. "His name is Zarach," He began, understanding he owed her an explanation. "An otherworlder tied to some great clan in the outside cosmos, and here in the Realm, he has become the ally of the True King."
"He wields fate as his element and perhaps some other as well. He also commands a great treasure called the Tesseract Collection. A treasury of artifacts that allows its wielder to claim anything, so long as something of equal value is given in return."
Alex's gaze darkened. "We dueled two and a half years ago. My legacy sword was on the line. I lost, and I was also left with no recollection of the battle itself." Orıginal content can be found at 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩⟡𝘧𝙞𝙧𝙚⟡𝘯𝘦𝘵
"We agreed to another duel, set for three years later." Alex regained his composure, "Now, less than six months remain. This time, my life within the Realm is what I stand to lose."
Zahra's silver eyes lingered on him. "From what you have told me, you don't know much about him." There was a pause that stretched for many moments. "So... are you confident in your victory?"
Alex's lips curled into a smile. "This battle has haunted me for three years. By day, it fuels my hunger to grow, and by night, it murders my sleep."
He leaned forward slightly, voice steady now. "So, am I confident in victory? Yes."
He spoke with pure confidence that didn't stem from pride or arrogance but from trust in his skills. "Reason tells me defeat is possible, but it is only one of the natural outcomes of a battle, so it doesn't scare me one bit,"
His eyes hardened. "There is not a shadow of doubt within my mind that I will not be victorious,"
"So, it's decided we are going after the Ozythar," Zahra said firmly.
"There is no need," Alex answered, his tone unperturbed. "Because more than likely that's exactly what Zarach wants."
Alex wasn't afraid of facing an Eighth Rank creature. The serpent king was almost certainly already severely injured, if not dead, and if they had to fight, then with Zahra at his side, their victory would be a real possibility.
But the reason why he didn't wish to go after the world eater was simply because right now the Serpent King's whereabouts were unknown, hidden by means that made it nearly impossible to track.
Zahra was one of the few who could, as her unique abilities suited her for the task, but the price of doing so would not be small.
And since Zarach had the ability to confirm and foil their plan, surely he had the foresight to get the item they were after, so more than likely, if the world eater was dead, then the Dark slate within his stomach was already gone.
Even if it was still within the world eater's possession, Zarach, who already had a head start on them, even though an end storm could make things difficult for him, still, he would certainly reach it before them.
And even if Alex and Zahra somehow acquired the Slate first, if it failed to grant the benefits he desired, then all of it would have been nothing but wasted effort.
"I'm sure Zarach will claim the Dark Slate," Alex said, his eyes narrowing. "He wants to plant doubt in me, that he stripped me of some great opportunity. He will surely use it against me when we meet."
His lips pressed into a hard line. "And maybe he did take away an opportunity, but that won't affect the outcome of our battle."
"I was keeping it as a surprise, but it seems I have no choice," Zahra said, her voice calm but firm. "I lied when I said that I found the Dark slate, solely searching for something linked to the Dark Ancient; in truth, I was searching for something that could greatly benefit you."
Her silver eyes narrowed slightly. "I don't know what benefits it will give, but there is no doubt in my mind they will not be small."
She took a small pause and said. "The price I paid was the equivalent of one Diamond-grade wish and one Platinum-grade wish. Probably more, but at the very least, that much."
Alex, halfway to sipping his sweet tea, nearly forgot to swallow. His eyes widened as he stared at the breathtaking woman before him. "You did what?" The words slipped out, the only ones he could find.
Why would Zahra sacrifice so much? And after doing so, why risk it further?
Instead of doing everything herself, she could have gotten help from someone stronger in her clan, like Vasticus, or gone directly to Odysseus with her discovery.
Something worth more than a Diamond-grade wish was not the kind of thing even those seats of power would take lightly, especially if it was tied to the Dark Ancient.
'Did she believe Odysseus would keep it for himself? Or... was this her idea of a gift to me?'
Alex felt his twin hearts turn cold for a moment. He had no words. In either case, Zahra had her reasoning, and it wasn't as though she could have anticipated her plan going wrong to such an extent.
She was an anomaly, certainly, but not even she could see so far ahead into the future.
"I take your silence as a yes," Zahra said at last, setting down her empty cup with a soft clink against the crystal tabletop. She rose smoothly to her feet. "I will go ask those fishmen where the kings fought."
She turned and left the cabin, leaving Alex alone with his thoughts.
He sat there, wondering if only the Dark slate would be of such great benefit to him or if it was just any other artifact linked to the Dark Ancient.
The answer that he reached was that he did not have enough experience to confirm or deny it, because he had only ever experienced two visions, once when he consumed the evolution fruit, and a second time when he went to acquire the sword of Sorrow.
The first time, the vision Alex experienced made him see Dark use two unique skills, which he unlocked as well.
The second time it was when he entered the pocket dimension to retrieve Sorrow, a blade forged by the Dark Ancient himself, and while it gave him a vision, it offered no visible growth to his physique.
But, then again, the vision was only about a sword that Dark was forging for his sister, and Alex did acquire the same sword, so he couldn't say that he didn't gain what he saw in the vision.
Still, he did not have enough experience to confirm if every artifact linked to Dark would offer a vision and if he would gain something from that vision.