Chapter 413: Chapter 348: Rune (1)
Each section was clearly textured, gleaming with a metallic luster.
Upon closer inspection, one could see traces of black ash on it.
Clearly, he was the one who had just acted.
"To... to answer you, my lady, I did not see anything."
The Young Man kept his head down, his body trembling as if he were terrified of the woman.
Hearing this, the woman said nothing.
Her gaze fell upon the charred, cold corpse on the ground.
She seemed to be trying to identify something.
Suddenly, her brow furrowed slightly.
"Hm? What were you just doing...?"
But before she could finish speaking...
A black light flashed before her eyes.
Then, she lost consciousness completely.
Her body fell stiffly backward, landing on the ground.
It landed with a dull thud.
"COUGH, COUGH... Couldn’t you have just lived your life? Why did you have to seek death?"
The Young Man clutched the Black Banner in one hand while covering his mouth and coughing with the other. Thick, crimson blood seeped out between his fingers.
In that instant, his face turned deathly pale.
"As expected. Even though it has been refined by my true self, trying to wield this thing with just a sliver of its essence is still too much of a strain," the Young Man muttered to himself.
As he finished speaking, he seemed to sense something.
He glanced toward the distant horizon.
He swung the Damaged Black Banner in his hand, slashing forward.
A pitch-black rift appeared. The Young Man stepped inside.
The rift zipped shut instantly, as if it had never existed.
...
「A few breaths later.」
In the distant sky, several streaks of Flowing Light flickered.
They descended nearby.
Three figures in combat suits were revealed—two men and one woman.
"That’s His Highness, Gewel..."
At that moment, the only woman of the three looked to the side.
Her gaze froze. She hurried forward and crouched down for a closer look.
Her expression filled with shock.
Before her was a body, charred black and even emitting the smell of cooked flesh.
The corpse stared with a single, bloodshot eye, completely suffused with blood.
A Dagger was embedded in its forehead. Red blood had flowed from the wound but had coagulated on the face due to the body’s intense heat.
It was a gruesome sight; he had clearly died with his eyes open, unable to find peace.
The other two men’s expressions changed drastically when they saw this.
They had considered this possibility before they arrived.
After all, they had all witnessed the terrifyingly powerful scene from before—it was like the sky itself was collapsing.
If the three of them hadn’t been strong enough to flee the instant they sensed danger, they likely would have met their end here as well.
But this situation was different.
His Highness Gewel was one of Marshal Mukedo’s only two sons.
Although his power was average, he was a womanizer, lacked ambition, and was completely incomparable to his older brother.
But Marshal Mukedo doted on him no less for it.
Yet now, he had died a gruesome death in this place.
If he had been killed as collateral damage in the earlier cataclysm—a situation too urgent for anyone to attempt a rescue—it might have been understandable.
But this was different.
This scene clearly indicated that His Highness Gewel had survived the initial event, only to be murdered by someone afterward.
And by the looks of it, he had died very recently.
Thinking of the consequences this would bring...
Even the three of them couldn’t help but shudder.
They quickly expanded their senses to search the area.
Unfortunately, they found nothing.
Just then, the empty space to their side began to ripple like the surface of a calm lake.
Then, a figure in a black trench coat slowly stepped out from the center of the ripples.
His face was covered by an exquisitely carved mask with several silver patterns winding across its surface, giving him a mysterious and cold aura.
His exposed eyes were a deep, azure blue, as profound as the vast ocean.
"Your Highness Kaius!!"
Upon seeing the newcomer, the three of them immediately became incomparably respectful.
After the three had briefly explained the situation, Kaius stood silently in place.
The mask was like an invisible barrier, completely obscuring his expression and making it impossible to read.
Seeing this, the other three could only stand cautiously to the side, not daring to even breathe too loudly.
Although Kaius was a powerful warrior at the Celestial King level, just like them...
...there were still differences in strength among Celestial Kings.
The Kaius before them was undoubtedly one of the strongest.
The oppressive aura emanating from him alone was enough to make them feel uncomfortable.
’This feeling... His Highness Kaius has clearly grown stronger again.’
The three exchanged a glance.
A flicker of shock passed through their eyes.
Their expressions grew even more respectful.
At that moment, Kaius walked over to the body of the woman killed by the Black Banner. He crouched down and placed a hand on her brow.
A strange light flashed in his eyes.
"No physical injuries. Was her consciousness erased?
To be able to do this, the killer must be at least at the Core Casting Level. Their Ability must be related to the Spirit..."
Afterward, he stood up.
He walked over to the charred corpse and crouched down.
He looked at the corpse, which stared with one eye, unable to rest in peace.
After a moment of silence, he reached out and closed its eye.
"My foolish little brother. Though you were a disappointment, you were still my brother. Rest assured. No matter who did this, I will find them and tear them limb from limb."
Kaius’s voice was hoarse, yet carried an eerie calm.
He paused.
Then he stood up.
He turned his head to look at the three of them.
"My father, the great leader Marshal Mukedo, was injured while defeating that... thing... in the recent battle. He has now transferred full authority over all affairs to me. This is a direct order from the Marshal! I expect your full cooperation."
Having said this,
