"Useless? Stop joking!" Scarlett shouted, almost losing control. Her fists were clenched tightly, her expression serious and frustrated.
"Well I mean, it's not completely useless only if you know, you can't break creator's will! But I know you have full potential to break creator's will!" Avion said with a chuckle, looking at her with confidence.
"But you are telling that it's an Ultimate Skill. Do you even know what Ultimate Skills are? There's no way we are believing that!" Avion added as he tried to hold back his laughter.
"I think this skill is at the level of Unique Skills at best. And this is also no use to you because you are a true dragon. You are a supreme being. How can measly stat points determine your strength?" he said, before opening his status screen and willing it to be seen in public mode.
"Here, take a look at this!" he said, showing his red glowing hologram-like status screen.
Skill : Error...
Scarlett looked at Avion's status screen quietly. It was clear that his screen was different. She could tell that he was hiding his skills and not showing everything.
"He made me say my Ultimate Skill and now he's hiding his?" Scarlett's lips twitched. But more than annoyed, she was actually trying hard to stay calm despite the shock.
"14 Trillion believers? Where the hell did he get that many? Wait no! Who even worships this idiot?" Scarlett thought, her head full of questions. And not to mention his titles… they were strange too.
"I know about Primordial Demon. That's from the demon race in Hell. But what is Self Narrator? False Protagonist?" Scarlett stared at the screen and then looked at Avion, but she didn't say anything.
Because Avion was trying to show something else.
"See? I actually have no stat points! Because once you break creator's will, the system only exists in name. You'll gain complete freedom and can only rely on yourself," Avion said with a faraway look, his voice filled with a free and nostalgic feeling.
"What's the difference? Isn't the system just showing how strong you are and how you are growing?" Scarlett looked away, puffing her cheeks a little in frustration.
"You'll understand. You'll understand. That's why there's no point in telling everything to you. Instead, you should find out yourself," Lilith added softly.
"I think you got way more mystery than even I can think. Now even I'm confused about what is happening," Avion said with a small laugh as he stood up, brushing off his clothes.
"Well then, I think we should go now. And just so you know, I won't be coming back for the next few months, so don't bother trying to find me," he added, walking toward the door without looking back.
Scarlett didn't respond. She just stared at them with a blank expression.
"Did I just get scammed by them again? Who knows if they're telling the truth or just trying to scare me? Or jealous of my overpowered skill?" she thought, her heart mixed with doubt and confusion. She wasn't sure what to believe anymore.
There were things she wanted to ask. Like the strange dream she had — the dream where she met a different version of herself, and other strange things. But she didn't say a word. She stayed quiet, trapped in her own thoughts.
Just as Avion was about to leave, he suddenly stopped at the door. Then he turned around and looked at Scarlett with a calm but curious face.
"I'm curious. Where did you get that blindfold?" he asked, like he was just randomly wondering about it.
Scarlett was pulled out of her deep thinking. She blinked a few times and looked at him.
"This? It's an ancient treasure of the Dark Elves. I got it from Augustus. It helps me not lose control of my eyes," she answered, lightly touching the blindfold wrapped around her head.
Avion stared at her for a moment. His eyes didn't blink. Then after a short pause, he said something unexpected.
"I think you should not use it."
Scarlett raised an eyebrow. "And can I ask why?" she scoffed, folding her arms, not hiding her doubt.
Avion didn't laugh this time. His face stayed serious, and his voice was calm but firm.
"That thing isn't used to control powers. It's made to suck out power. You have too much vitality, so it's not easy to notice... but it'll be better if you don't wear it for too long."
Scarlett's heart skipped a beat. "Suck out power...?" she repeated in her mind. His words hit her like cold water. She didn't know if it was another one of Avion's lies, but something about his voice… and the look on his face… made her hesitate.
She let out a slow sigh and whispered, "What other choice do I have? It's better than losing control and hurting my people..."
Avion looked at her with softer eyes now. He nodded. "That's also true," he said gently, placing his palm on his chin like he was thinking.
"I met with Zephyrion not long ago. He's not a true dragon, but he is still an ancient dragon. Though he's kind of picky and annoying, he did share a few tips that might help you control your eyes."
Scarlett's eyes lit up with excitement, but she quickly held herself back, biting her lip to stop the words from flying out. She didn't want to seem too desperate, even though deep down she really wanted to hear those tips.
"Really? What is it?" she asked, trying to keep her voice calm.
Avion smiled faintly. "Not like I can explain it with just words, you know. How about we start another small training session? I'll teach you."
"Nope, not happening!" Scarlett instantly refused with a firm voice, shaking her head.
"Last time you didn't even teach me any cool moves or techniques. Not even a bit of sword fighting or spear skills! The only useful thing you taught me was my Battleform selection… but even that feels useless now because all my enemies are just too weak!" she scolded him, folding her arms and looking away, clearly disappointed.
But then her voice softened a little, her smile turning sly.
"I wouldn't mind if it's Ms. Lilith instead..." she added casually.
"Me?" Lilith blinked, looking surprised by the sudden mention. "Umm... I don't have a problem with that," she said with a small, unsure smile.
"But I have a problem!" Avion whined like a spoiled child, throwing his hands in the air. He turned toward Scarlett with a pout. "Do you even know what you're saying? You'll definitely regret this!" he cried, his voice full of fake worry.
Scarlett didn't even look at him. She simply shook her head with a small sigh, brushing him off like a fly.
Avion slumped his shoulders dramatically. "Fine, fine! But don't come crying to me later!" he mumbled, waving his hand as he turned toward the door.
"She'll come tomorrow to teach you. You can bring your subordinates too. Maybe her knowledge will be helpful for them as well," he said as he opened the door and walked out.
Scarlett nodded silently. She didn't say anything back.
As Avion walked away, Lilith followed slowly behind him.
"How are you feeling?" she asked softly, her voice gentle.
Avion chuckled and rubbed his stomach. "It's been a long time since I told so much truth in one day... My stomach hurts!" he laughed quietly as they disappeared down the hallway.
Back in the room, Scarlett stood quietly.
Then suddenly, her eyes widened. "Wait a minute... they didn't even answer what Unique Skills and Ultimate Skills actually do!" she muttered, realizing she'd forgotten the most important question.
"I got scammed again!" she shouted as she rushed to the door and stepped outside — but there was no one there.
Not Avion, not Lilith, not even her own subordinates.
"Tch... he got away again!" Scarlett gritted her teeth. She felt like marching straight up to Avion and slapping him — but she held back with a heavy sigh.
She walked back into her room and moved toward the window. The cold breeze touched her skin gently, pushing her long hair back. She looked out at the view of DreadHaven, her home.
"I haven't seen Reiza, Seirra, Lunatic, and the others lately..." she said quietly, but then another face came to her mind — Irish.
"...Now that's a big problem. Sooner or later, they'll meet Irish. And Irish will meet them. How am I supposed to control everyone then?" The thought alone gave her chills.
"I should've waited for Aoto to return... Maybe taken his advice. He does have more than thirty girlfriends now… There has to be some kind of secret only he knows!" she mumbled to herself, clearly annoyed at her past decision.
She looked up at the sky with another deep sigh. "I wonder what he's doing right now..."
---
Meanwhile...
Far away, near the border between the Darwitz Kingdom and Noir's territory — the domain of the Fifth Demon King — was a deep, dangerous forest. The road there was rough, full of monsters and wild demons. No transportation ever made it through, and most people avoided the place completely.
But in that exact place, a young man with sharp features, golden-blonde hair, and a handsome face was running with all his might. His legs were moving as fast as possible, and his eyes were full of panic. Tears streamed from his eyes, and in his hand, he held a flashy, glowing sword — though he didn't look confident at all.
Yes, this was Aoto.
Beside him ran a short girl with sky-blue hair and soft blue eyes. Her body looked like that of a child, but her cat-like ears and fluffy tail showed she was something much more special — likely a beastkin.
But they weren't just running for fun. Behind them, flying through the air, was a terrifying figure. A woman with pale skin, long black hair, and a stunningly beautiful face. But her beauty was mixed with danger — she had sharp black horns, bat-like wings, and her red eyes glowed with anger.
She was one of Noir's strongest subordinates–Seraphina.
"Aaaaaaaah! Someone save me!" Aoto screamed at the top of his lungs as he ran like his life depended on it — because it did.
"Why are you running?! Aren't you supposed to be a hero? Go fight her! That's your job!" the blue-haired girl shouted, trying to keep up beside him.
"Why should I risk my life for this? I'm not even married yet! What if I die here?! I still have dreams!" Aoto cried, barely dodging a fireball that flew past his face. His heart was pounding.
"Who the hell made this selfish guy a hero?" the blue-haired girl thought, almost tripping over a rock as she ran.
"You're not getting away, Hero Aoto!" Seraphina shouted behind them. "You dare to enter my lord's territory without permission?!"
"I just came to find a treasure!" Aoto cried out, looking back at her with wide, teary eyes. The he thought to himself "How the hell did it turn into this?!"