—

Kieran’s eyes widened as he considered the meaning behind this current phenomenon. A Guardian Invocation was the unique ability responsible for their identities as the admitted lord of a particular environment.

In Illiueta’s case, all of the available mystic nodes were triggered, activated, and manipulated to cause a disturbance throughout the Enitic Valley of Illum.

Each of the murky spheres of water carried a presence surpassing Kieran’s enhanced Blood Waves.

‘Even though I’m faster than I’ve ever been with my current abilities, Illiueta is an opponent I can’t face head-on. Fortunately, a Guardian of this caliber is still considered weak,’ Kieran thought.

Illiueta was considered weak due to the worldly law that it couldn’t break. In Xenith, true strength was regarded as the ability to overcome laws that limit normal beings. Once one could defy common worldly laws, they could be considered truly powerful.

Since Illiueta couldn’t defy the drawbacks of its immense body, it couldn’t be considered extremely powerful.

Because of its relative garbage speed, Kieran managed to survive its physical attack narrowly. Of course, even with its admittedly underwhelming speed, Kieran struggled. This was due to disparity in their level and Illiueta’s redeeming qualities.

Illiueta’s broad attack range neutralized part of its weakness, resulting in Kieran exhausting one of his life-saving abilities. Without Kieran’s class giving him access to powerful passives and items he obtained thus far, he would have undoubtedly died to Illiueta.

“I’d be lying if I said I was prepared to go against a Guardian. But, I must reach that node,” Kieran muttered to himself.

The glimmer of blue light was less than 1 kilometer away, but Illiueta’s actions also created many obstacles before him.

“You must perish! This much has become a fact!”

“Illum Prohibition: Blooming Mysteries!”

“Oh, that doesn’t sound too good,” Kieran muttered, watching all the spheres undergo a change.

The spheres morphed into what resembled a field of blossoming roses that released several mystic spores. The scene became an unsettling mix of beauty and alarm when coupled with the gloomy atmosphere.

Despite the gentle waft of the spores, Kieran’s pupils contracted, and he immediately broke his momentum, leaning backward.

‘It’s similar to the Enigma Chills but worse. This time, it doesn’t feel chilly… it feels like death,’ Kieran thought, analyzing his surroundings. As much as he hated to admit it, he wasn’t prepared to combat such a situation.

The spores practically inundated that area, leaving no route for Kieran to escape.

As he was caught in a bind, Kieran could hear the vain laughter of Illiueta up above.

“As I stated before, the Wykins are not what they once were. Invasion? Corruption? Downfall? We have erected the proper means to avoid all of such situations. If we do not grant you access, you shall not enter,” Illiueta said.

Kieran lifted his head and stood within his current zone with a silent gaze.

“Close-mindedness is the thief of advance. How will the Wykins ever progress as a race if you seclude yourself from the outside? You haven’t become the rulers of your destiny that you believe. No, what you have done is conformed to your fears.”

“Silence! I will not listen to your drivel. I’d be a fool to listen to the nonsense of a human with inconsequential life experiences,” Illiueta retorted.

“How would you know?” Kieran questioned. “Can you peer into my soul and recite my experiences? Can you delve into my soul and conjure my emotions? Are you me? Can you dictate what I will do in the future and have accomplished in the past?”

After a pause, Kieran continued. “If you can’t perform these feats, then you are in no position to question how inconsequential my life experiences have been. Though grave and unfortunate, the Wykins are not the only race suffering.”

“Fool! Your words are incorrect. What race knows as great of suffering as us unfortunate Wykins? Our fallen brothers and sisters perished for senseless reasons. There was no great cause behind it,” Illiueta shouted, pain seeping into their voice.

However, Kieran shook his head.

“That’s the problem. You disregard my truthful words as foolish because you can’t bear to accept them. Death, chaos, and senselessness plague all aspects of intelligent life as they awaken the desire to conquer. You ask what race knows your suffering? What about the innocent humans who lost their lives in the same way? Do they not matter?” Kieran questioned, noticing a slight change in his surroundings.

The Blooming Mysteries swirled around Kieran, creating a flowery veil that blocked his sight. It seemed Illiueta used this time to consolidate some of the spores in Kieran’s vicinity. However, he didn’t panic.

“All life matters, but my pain stems from my brothers and sisters. You, humans, are free to grieve your own. There is no link, nor do we welcome one,” Illiueta responded.

“Is that the truth? Or is it that fear has dictated all of your actions thus far? The fear of history repeating itself has led the once flourishing Wykins to become a fable known only to those of old age,” Kieran answered.

If one asked most people on the street about Wykins, they’d respond with a clueless expression. Most of the information related to Wykins had been erased from text, and what remained painted a vague picture lacking core details.

“Whether it be fear or caution, our behavior isn’t to be judged by the likes of you. We have our Guides, and we remain aligned. Therefore, we are content. I have spoken enough. It is time for you to vanish and return from whence you came.”

Illiueta lifted both hands, intensifying the Blooming Mysteries’ vibration. The frequency of the spores seemed to want to disrupt Kieran’s focus, but he was determined.

“I have voiced my stance as a non-threat and have yet to target you, but you continued to bar my path forward.”

“That is a given. You have trespassed, so I will naturally act within my rights to remove your presence from our premises,” Illiueta answered.

“Well, if that’s the case, pardon me for becoming slightly rude then,” Kieran said back.

A moment later, the veil of Blossoming Mysteries bubbled as a sinister aura leaked from the gaps in the rotating shroud.

“Dread Culling!”

Wooom!

The Dread Circlet formed, and the moment it did so, Kieran spun and executed a rotating slash that slashed open the Blooming Mysteries. As an S Rank Skill, Dread Culling’s destructive capabilities were phenomenal.

After destroying the Blooming Mysteries within a small radius, Kieran stabbed his hand forward like a sword, which produced a beam of dreadful energy.

Kieran watched callously as the beam of dreadful energy razed a dense collection of Blooming Mysteries.

He had tried to reason with Illiueta, but it proved ineffective. The only remaining route was by force. Kieran rapidly closed the distance between him and the glimmer of light by following the path of destroyed Blooming Mysteries.

However, Illiueta controlled the nearby spore to converge at his current position.

The moment this happened, Kieran clenched his fist and enhanced the Vampiric Blood Encrustation that encased his hand in the form of a crimson gauntlet.

BOOM!

A ring of dreadful energy erupted from the ground as Kieran punched it. If one analyzed this closely, they’d realize remnants of Kieran’s Will were embedded into this frightening energy.

It wasn’t a conscious action; it resulted from him battling against the Compact Will Challenge earlier. There was some residual Will that he couldn’t reabsorb or dispel.

Kieran had only unleashed the Dread Circlet seconds ago, yet it threatened to flicker in and out of existence due to Kieran quickly exhausting three uses. Only one remained.

Fortunately, he continued to move after dealing with these Blooming Mysteries.

‘This power is undoubtedly something spoken about in our history. He must be an offspring of that thing… It’s not a normal power to be able to destroy Blooming Mysteries instantly,’ Illiueta thought.

Blooming Mysteries was a complex technique that used mystic properties to disorient and entrap enemies in a layered illusion.

One would have to target the fragility embedded in each layer to shatter it individually, but Kieran’s unusual energy forcibly destroyed the entire thing.

A tinge of apprehension surfaced in Illiueta’s mind upon realizing that Kieran had made it before the glimmering blue light. Rather than react in a panic, Illiueta’s laughter resounded.

“You don’t understand mystic sequences, so hoping to enter the gate of our hallowed land is foolish!”

“I don’t?” Kieran’s brow arched. He didn’t voice his disagreement. Instead, he proved Illiueta wrong with his actions.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

Kieran’s hands raced, tapping odd places in the air before him. After nine taps, a sort of stone doorway appeared with a cryptic exterior. The enigmatic symbols on its various rotating wheels exuded an air of mystery.

“WHAT?! Human, how do you know our mystic sequences?! Who are you?” Illiueta raged, preparing a desperate attack to stop Kieran in his tracks.

Unfortunately, Kieran had recalled the solution to the sequence before venturing here, so he didn’t waste any time trying to remember it.

Before he began, Kieran slashed his arm, unleashing the rest of his Dread Circlet.

An instant later, he began solving the several inscribed wheels until they released a melodious tune.

“!!” Panic finally set in, and Illiueta summoned a tidal wave larger than itself. But Kieran grinned and shook his head.

“To underestimate is to employ a tool of a fool,” Kieran chuckled, finally pressing his palm on the wheel.

BOOOM!

A furious bellow resounded in the Enitic Valley of Illum once the murky settled and Kieran was nowhere to be found. Illiueta had failed its role as a Guardian.