A drop of blood fell from the sharp tip of the feather as the runes on the scroll glowed brightly, casting light on Kreyn's face.
[The seal was set.]
[You are now an Origin. You have obtained Catalyst. Your First Epos can be used through Catalyst.]
A surge of energy, a new power, rushed through Kreyn's body with the same force as blood flowing through his veins. The unfamiliar feeling immediately made Kreyn realize what advantages he received, but he needed to be sure.
A gleam ran through his eyes as he stared at Azura.
"Something wrong?" She tilted her head.
Step.
He stepped forward, grabbed her waist, and lifted her several times as if she were a weight.
"KREYN! Damn it, put me down!" Azura exclaimed, her face red as a tomato.
"I see, it wasn't my imagination, I actually became stronger." He put her back. "You know, Azura, you've clearly gained weight since the academy. We're in a state of martial law, all officers must be in shape!"
"Tsk." She crossed her arms over her chest. "That's not something you should say to a woman."
Then, her gaze turned serious as she looked at the scroll that was still hovering in front of Kreyn.
"But seriously, what the hell is going on here? We were attacked by unknown entities on a magical ship, and this thing… It's clearly not technology."
At that moment, symbols flashed across Kreyn's eyes.
[Epos – Nuclear Blast.]
[Nuclear Explosion
You used a terrible weapon against the enemy, and you did it without hesitation or doubt. It was a risky move, but it paid off, because great power always comes with greater risks.]
[Spark: Use First Epos at least once through Catalyst to learn more.]
Kreyn nodded deeply. As a child, he not only watched and read about war, but also spent a lot of time playing strategy and RPG games, which helped him quickly get used to a similar system.
'So an Epos is something like an ability, like a gun, which means a Spark is its ammunition, but I don't know what that is yet. But, Catalyst is... Well, it fully describes its name.'
Kreyn glanced at Azura. He wanted to check what his Epos was capable of, but considering the description, doing so here would be too dangerous.
"It seems that's not all, right?" Kreyn looked at the scroll, which in response flashed brightly, addressing him.
[Do you have the authority to decide for the whole world?]
"Of course I do!" Kreyn replied without hesitation.
[You have a chance to enter the Great Lands. This is the main world of the entire Global Axis.]
There was still much Kreyn did not know, sure, but he was only interested in the answer to one question:
"These Great Lands. Will I be able to fight there?"
[Yes. The Great Lands are the main world, which means they are the only place worthy of the greatest wars.]
"Then I want to get there! What do I need for that?!"
[It's simple. You must pierce the World Heart with the Overlord's Blade. Only the Connected Worlds, those that are full of energy and connected to the Global Axis, have a World Heart.]
"Wait, wait, wait. Enough of this shit. If I understand correctly, those who attacked us have this World Heart. If I destroy their world, will that count?"
[Yes.]
As soon as the fire lit up in his eyes, the next answer came.
[Still, you must possess the Overlord's Blade. That means you are responsible for that world, whether it is a Blank World or a Connected World.]
Kreyn smirked. "Come on, I think I already answered that question, didn't I?"
[Yes. That is why you must accept the Overlord's Blade.]
At the same moment, the scroll trembled, emitting a bright light that soon formed a dark ring, with a single spike pointing toward his palm.
"Is this the blade?"
Shrugging, Kreyn took the ring and put it on his finger.
He froze as an electric shock ran through his body and runes flashed across his eyes.
[The Overlord's Blade
[This is a blade that only the ruler of the world can wield. Upon absorbing a drop of the ruler's blood, the ring will transform into a blade that can destroy the World Heart. If the ring is removed, the ruler will lose all of his powers.]
Kreyn clenched his fist and turned to Azure.
"What do you say? From deputy general to ruler of the world in a matter of minutes! Now that's what I call a career ladder!"
Azura gulped. She heard everything the scroll said, though even she found it difficult to adapt to events as quickly as Kreyn.
"And? What do we do now?" She looked at the screen, watching the troops run out of the destroyed ship. "They survived even a nuclear explosion. What are we going to do now?"
Kreyn grinned as he glanced at the hills in the distance. The sea was hidden beyond them, and in the very center was the only city that had once been divided into many warring factions. That was everything, the whole world.
"Nah, I think their world is comparable in size to ours. They survived thanks to energy or something like that, but the portal is open and their world is vulnerable."
Without hesitation, Kreyn walked over to the panel, picked up the radio, and gave an order that only he had the authority to carry out.
"Are you going to destroy their world for the sake of the World Heart?"
"Yeah, I want to, but if we're going to the Great Lands, it wouldn't be a bad idea to get some allies." Kreyn rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Well, if they don't want to cooperate, then we'll go back to the original plan."
...
Crash.
A piece of rock fell to the ground as two figures appeared from behind the smoke screen.
"SHIT!" Groza exclaimed irritably as she climbed out from under the rubble. "What was that?!"
The barrier protecting them dissipated as Liam collapsed to one knee. The blue, glowing tattoos covering his hand disappeared.
"Are you alright?" Groza asked. "If it weren't for your Catalyst…" She glanced at his arm. "That explosion would have destroyed us. I can't believe they have a weapon capable of bringing our ship down to earth."
"We have to leave," Liam muttered as a trickle of blood flowed from the corner of his mouth. "The World Heart isn't here anyway. I don't know why this world has such a weapon, but if they have anything else like it, then..."
VRRRMMMM! VRRRMMM! VRRRMMM!
The sound of a wild engine interrupted him as a black bike appeared out of nowhere, deftly dodging all the debris and stopping right in front of Groza and Liam with a wide turn.
KHA! KHA! KHA!
They coughed from the dust before looking to see who dared to come out against them.
"That was some ride!" Kreyn grinned as he got off his bike. "What do you say, Azura?"
She glanced at the sky, waiting for something before nodding. "Dealing with the enemy head-on is your style. I've known that for a long time."
Groza's eyes widened as she stared at the man with thick black hair, fair skin, and predatory black eyes gazing down at her.
She threw a glance at the ring on Kreyn's hand. She had one just like it and shook her head.
"So you are the ruler of this world?"
Groza asked, even though she already knew the answer.
"If that's the case, a victory over this world will not be useless. You don't even realize that the moment you accepted this ring, you became my primary target!"
If she could kill Kreyn, it would be equivalent to destroying the World Heart. That meant she could enter the Great Lands.
Kreyn didn't know this, he hadn't figured out the rules yet, but her glance was enough for him to understand everything.
She wanted to kill him, and he was only glad to have an enemy willing to fight.
Crack. Crack. Crack.
Electric discharges ran through Groza's body as a heavy, two-handed stone sword full of lightning power appeared out of nowhere in her right hand.
"Go ahead, use your Catalyst, you arrogant bastard."
Kreyn's eyes narrowed as he looked at the runes in front of him.
[Epos – Nuclear Blast.]
[Spark: ???]
"Alright." Kreyn shrugged. "You don't even know what you're asking for! Hahaha!"
Black dots gathered around Kreyn like atoms before a bright purple flash erupted, revealing the type of his Catalyst a second later.
"Shit..." Groza gulped. "You are just like me..."