Zul'gor's eyes widened in shock. He had lived for many years, witnessed countless battles, and heard many tales, but this revelation shook him to his core.
The man who had defied the heavens, the rider who had fought against a thousand divine warriors—his son stood before him now?
The orc shaman took a slow breath, steadying his thoughts. His mind raced through the memories of that fateful day, searching for any clue, anything he might have overlooked. But the more he thought about it, the more it made sense.
The resemblance. The presence. The fire in Nox's gaze.
"…You are his son," Zul'gor finally muttered, more to himself than to Nox.
There was a tense silence for a while. Zul'gor didn't see any reason not to believe Nox's words. Even the greatest con artist in the world could never fake emotions as raw as this.
Besides, Zul'gor was very adept at reading people, so he could tell that Nox was being honest.
Suddenly, the way the orc shaman looked at Nox took on a different light. His eyes now reflected something deeper—respect, curiosity, and perhaps even a hint of reverence. Before him stood not just another human or warrior but the son of a man who had defied the heavens themselves.
Nox discussed with the orc shaman for some time more. The content of their conversation was mostly about the battle. Nox wanted to get more details about his father's supposed pursuers.
An estimate of their strength. What weapons did they use? Could he even survive a minute against them? Of course, Nox wasn't arrogant enough to think that he would win against them.
Even his father, who was fondly referred to as the Strongest Human, couldn't defeat them—so how could he?
"No, you can't," Zul'gor's voice echoed with confidence. "They are too powerful. Even their sneeze could wipe you into oblivion."
"I see." Nox let out a slow breath, his expression unreadable. He wasn't surprised by Zul'gor's words—if anything, he had expected them. The divine warriors were not mere mortals. Even the strongest human had fallen before their might.
He asked some more questions, but they were not really useful. Zul'gor had only witnessed the fight for that brief moment—he had no idea of anything that transpired after it.
Soon, their conversation came to an end. There was silence for several minutes before Nox got up and approached the dragon skeleton.
He narrowed his eyes as he pondered to himself, I was hoping I'd find its spirit, but it seems it's long gone.
He sighed, a disappointed gleam in his eyes. Suddenly, a thought struck him, and he couldn't help but turn to the orc shaman. "What level do you think this dragon was?"
"Peak Legendary-Tier," the orc shaman responded without hesitation.
Nox's eyes gleamed with interest. Peak Legendary-Tier… That meant this dragon had once stood at the pinnacle of power, just two ranks below Demi-God and Sovereign-Tier beings.
[Beast Rankings: Wildin, Intermediate, King, Emperor, Legendary, Ascended, Demi-God, and Sovereign.]
Nox walked around the massive skeleton, running his fingers lightly across the ancient bones.
The Dreadfiend Tyrant was a monstrous creature, and he had nearly lost his life fighting it. Nox was sure that if not for his Eternal Rebirth and Vengeful Retribution, both Ultimate-Tier skills, a single fire blast from this beast would have obliterated him from existence.
He had never encountered an Ascended-Tier monster, because they were rare, and quite frankly, he didn't wish to encounter one anytime soon.
His gaze lingered on the massive skull, deep in thought.
Even as a skeleton, the sheer size of the dragon was overwhelming. If this beast had reached Demi-God-Tier, it would have been unstoppable.
The only thing that could have killed it… was something even stronger.
Shaking his head, he turned back to Zul'gor. "What about its core?"
The orc shaman's expression remained steady, but his eyes held a flicker of something—hesitation, perhaps?
"I consumed it," Zul'gor finally admitted.
Nox raised a brow. "You?"
Zul'gor nodded, his fingers tightening around his staff. "I was only a peak Wildin-Tier warrior at the time. The dragon's death left its core exposed, still pulsing with energy. The divine warriors had no interest in it—they were focused on their battle. I… took the chance."
Nox folded his arms and studied the orc with a piercing gaze. "And that was enough to push you from peak Wildin-Tier to peak Emperor-Tier in one step?"
Zul'gor let out a deep chuckle. "It was more than enough. That core contained the condensed power of an Ascended-Tier beast. The moment I absorbed it, my body nearly collapsed. The sheer force nearly tore my soul apart. If not for my natural resilience and the guidance of my ancestors, I would have exploded on the spot."
Nox's expression darkened.
Even a fraction of an Ascended-Tier's power was enough to push a beast through multiple ranks. That level of energy was beyond comprehension.
But something about this didn't sit right with him.
"If that core was so powerful… why didn't it push you even further?" he asked.
Zul'gor exhaled. "Because there are limits, boy. My body, my soul, my foundation… they were not strong enough to bear more. The core's energy stabilized within me, stopping at the peak of Emperor-Tier. I did not have the potential to reach Legendary-Tier, let alone beyond. And because of my sudden jumps in rank, I have been stuck at Emperor-Tier for a while now."
Nox frowned. So even a power like that couldn't force a breakthrough past one's natural limit.
That meant if he ever found an Ascended-Tier core and fed it to his pets, simply absorbing it wouldn't be enough. They would need the capacity to contain it.
Another thing to add to my list…
"Do you regret it?" Nox asked suddenly.
Zul'gor's lips curled into a smirk. "Regret? No. That power allowed me to protect my people, to build this settlement, to prepare for the battles to come. Without it, I would be dust."
Nox nodded slowly. He could respect that answer.