They all stood apart from each other. Hao had managed to pull himself up, but he was still so stunned by the shock of what he had just witnessed that his hands were trembling.
Ellis, on the other hand… his face was buried in his palm, his thoughts in utter disarray:
‘Shit shit shit shit, just what is this guy… how? How can he copy someone’s talent ability?!’
It made no sense to Ellis… Talent abilities were not something that could be replicated so effortlessly; they were deeply rooted in the drifter’s soul core.
They originated from that point as ‘talents,’ therefore what was always observed was merely an extended manifestation of the talent ingrained in a drifter’s soul core.
He had never heard or seen someone who could flawlessly mimic this ‘extended manifestation.’
‘Just when I think he’s out of surprises… he shocks me again. Dark Terror, a clone, using a rift monster as a pet…I honestly don’t know what to think anymore. Just kill me at this point.’
Ellis was certain Northern harbored many secrets… he didn’t know what the guy’s talent was, but he was sure it was one hell of a complicated one.
Because it defied logic how someone could be so formidable.
It simply made no sense… it didn’t make any sense, and not being able to unravel the reason left his entire being utterly frustrated.
Finally, with those trembling hands, Hao pointed at Northern, his voice quivering as he asked:
“H-h-how? How are ya able to do that?”
Northern scoffed and smiled, “It’s a long story, really, but it has something to do with my attribute. You wouldn’t even understand if I told you about it.”
Hao’s face crumpled with horror. Northern looked so casual about it… this should infuriate him, but instead, it filled him with profound fear.
It was as if the pieces were beginning to fall into place in his head.
‘First, he can withstand my strikes, and he can copy my talent ability? Has he finally been sent to us… the one that will deliver us from this predicament we find ourselves in?’
Hao believed in a prophecy, although many had forgotten; he was one of the few natives that still clung to such beliefs.
The last oracle before Terence uttered her last words, and it said:
“A time shall come, and a messiah shall be sent, a being cloaked in dark and devilish carapace, they will hold the reins of destruction and ride on fate like a gale of wind.”
Of course, at first, it made little sense, but to them, they saw it as the coming of the one who would liberate the dark continent.
It was first believed to be the last prince of Lotheliwan; he too had donned dark armor. But he never succeeded.
Years and years passed, and no messiah in dark carapace arrived.
He was growing old and had given up on the prophecy.
Instead, he focused solely on surviving to the best of his ability.
Although this man was not wearing a dark carapace.
His uniqueness and strength tempted Hao to believe he might be the one the prophecy spoke of. That he is their messiah.
Because, even among the party leaders, he had not encountered someone who could impress him so profoundly.
‘Well… except that girl… but she’s a girl…’
Hao tended to favor masculinity over femininity. Yeah, he was that kind of person.
After the whole idea settled in his mind, he sighed and calmed down a little.
Then he spoke:
“Who are ya, and why are ya here?”
“Ah! Finally!” Ellis exclaimed; he bowed once again to Hao and spoke:
“My friend and I have come to—”
“I wasn’t talking to you,” Hao cut him off before he could finish and turned his eyes to Northern, “I’m talking to you. Who are you, and why are you here?”
Northern looked at Ellis with an arched brow; the latter nodded his head.
Then Northern bowed towards the short man and responded with his gruff voice:
“My friend and I have come to see the auction house.”
Hao’s brows drifted upwards slightly.
“Oh oh? Is that so?”
Northern nodded, “Yes, sir.”
Hao raised a brow, ‘He sounds respectful now, what was all that about earlier…’ he was tempted to ask but chose not to.
Instead, he responded to Northern, saying:
“I hope you came with a lot of soul cores.”
Northern looked at Ellis, who immediately stepped closer and joined their conversation.
“We are here for the item exchange section.”
Hao placed his hands on his waist, “Item exchange, eh?” He moved one hand away and began to caress his short beard.
“Then I suppose ya came with a lot of items in ya souls.”
His face was stony and square, his eyes firm and grinning, and his hair brunette colored and braided to the back, the sides left bald like a typical viking.
“Oh, yes sir, we do… a lot,” Ellis answered, beaming with a cute and innocent grin.
He nodded happily at Northern as the man turned and led them into the tower.
Hao said as he opened the door, “Since ya going to the auction house, we’re going down, not up.”
He entered, then began stomping the ground.
‘Huh… the heavy tremors are gone,’ Northern noted.
After a while of stomping, Hao exclaimed softly, “Found ya.” He bent and dusted the sands and debris off its surface, grabbed a handle, and pulled it up.
There was the door that led them down. Behind it were whirling stairs.
He turned to look at them and glanced at the stairs. “The auction house is down there.”
“Ah… I see…” Northern nodded slowly.
“What are ya waiting for?! Move them skinny legs!” Immediately, he shouted, and Northern and Ellis hastily entered into the ground, then Ellis followed.
They took the stairs down, then met another metallic door.
Hao walked to the gate and crouched. He grabbed the door—
There were marks of being gripped on it, so all he needed to do was place his grip in those carved marks—and slowly, with a powerful and strained groan, began to lift the door up.
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[A/N]
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