The crowd stood amazed as the strategist vanished into thin air. The sequence of events took less than five minutes, from their eting to his vanishnt, which left them stunned. As the most experienced among them, the Matriarch and Patriarch were the first to react.
"You can already summon the Gate of Wrath, even with the flas?" muttered the two in whispers, disbelieving what their eyes told them. Arthur turned to them and then returned to his grandfather, eager to begin his training.
"Wait a second!" they called. "How did you achieve that?"
"How do you breathe?" asked Arthur back, stunning the two. How do they breathe? Does one even think of such matters? "It cos naturally, right? Can you explain how you can breathe to a fish? It's just the sa with wrath for ."
Arthur was not acting cocky, although he enjoyed rubbing it in their faces. It was indeed impossible for him to explain how he could summon the Gate of Wrath. During the seven days that he spent with Azkahar, the dragon poured its knowledge over centuries to perfect Arthur's control and give him the necessary tools.
"What have you done to him?" asked Sapphire with a sharp edge to her voice. Arthur was confused, as it was quite obvious. He had fulfilled the man's desires.
"No more than what he wanted," said Arthur with a smile. "Do you think I fooled him into entering a trap of so sort?"
"That's the only way I can see it. You might have sent him to hell for all we know," said Sapphire, squinting. "Tell what you have done to him, Arthur Netherborne. I don't care what Rain thinks of you anymore."
"I sent him to face his demons. After he is done, he might be stronger, kinder, and more forgiving." Arthur could not understand why she was making a big deal out of it. "Have I done sothing wrong?"
Sapphire was fuming at this point, and Rain had to intervene before she picked a fight with Arthur. After the pirate ca between them, Sapphire cald down and decided to leave. Rain turned to Arthur, looking at him with slight worry.
"Is he going to die?" she asked him, referring to Raheem. Arthur shook his head. He didn't think that Raheem would die under most circumstances. The kingdom of wrath was unforgiving to those who showed no remorse, while the strategist did. "That's good, then. Can you help with sothing else?"
Arthur did not even need to answer, but he still did. Rain wanted him to help her obtain more information about Valeria Storm. After asking the Clan Leaders again, they kept the sa stance on the situation. Since the princess was gone at the mont, Rain revealed her connection to the pirate, and the clan leaders decided to give her so clues after a mont of consideration.
Valeria Storm sought the Netherborne Clan for clues about a powerful device that could decide the fate of Sourna. The device itself was a thing of legends, rumored to be capable of changing the trajectory of the earth itself.
After inquiring about the reason Valeria sought such a device, the clan leaders ntioned Deluge and his plans to use that device to broadcast his powers throughout the entire world and control them using lust. It was the sa hypnosis he used on Marlin Port.
The two finally learned of the plans of Rain's twin brother. It never occurred to them that he would be seeking the device for those reasons. Arthur had to admit that even a mont of such chaos spreading throughout the world could kill millions. The scenes back in Marlin Port were enough to disgust the strongest of warriors.
"We cannot let him have it," said Rain with worry. "If he does indeed obtain the device, then he will destroy everything in this world. If lust controls people, every relationship will fall apart, and every nation will turn to ruins."
"I have seen it firsthand," said Arthur with a frown as he turned toward the Patriarch. "Does that an Valeria can find the device?"
"She believes that the device was created when the civil war of Sourna threatened to wipe out the nation from existence," answered the Clan Leader as he caressed his ashen beard. "The king at that ti decided to use the device to amplify his powers and tear Sourna apart."
"The rulers of Sourna assu that soone from your clan did that," said Rain with confusion. The Matriarch chuckled at the notion and explained the truth to them.
The Netherborne Clan was indeed part of the operation to split Sourna in two, thereby creating the two continents. However, they were just the key that disabled the barrier for the king to use the device at that ti. In order to protect them from others trying to exploit their powers, the king decided to change the story of what actually happened.
Everything made sense now, and the reason that Deluge was experinting with Marlin Port was just a way for him to test his powers on a wider range. He wanted to broadcast his powers to the entire world and control them in the sa manner.
"Then, does she know where to find that device?" asked Rain again, hoping for a more direct answer. The Patriarch looked at his wife and waited for her to nod in approval.
"Valeria is close to finding where it has been hidden. She has been traveling all around the nation to find clues regarding it, and she ca to us, hoping that we would lend her a hand when the ti cos. She also ca to warn us that Deluge might attack the clan, or infiltrate it, at least."
"Where is she now? Can you find her?" asked Rain with worry, but the knowledge of the clan heads ended there. She was heartbroken and concerned, sothing that made Arthur want to begin the search imdiately.
"We will find her," he told Rain with a hand over her shoulder. "Don't forget that we took down an empire together. A missing person is barely a challenge for us," he tried to reassure her, obtaining no more than a smile.
"You should stay here and train with Benjamin. If the ti indeed cos and Deluge seeks this clan, I would rather you be here to stop him," she told Arthur. "I will travel alone in hopes of finding Valeria. Sapphire might go back to Sourna, though."
"I have a feeling that the princess doesn't exactly approve of the Wisen," Arthur told her with a shake of his head. "If you can learn more about the politics of Sourna through the princess, it would help us understand what to do better. But our goal is obvious now: prevent Deluge from obtaining the device."
"I understand." Rain rushed to see Sapphire before she left the clan. Arthur remained with Benjamin, the Clan Leaders, and Nyx.
"We should get started, right?" Arthur ca to Benjamin, who looked confused that Arthur had chosen him for guidance. After all, he made it clear that he couldn't use wrath or any of that sort to begin with. "I don't think the clan will offer their resources for us."
"You can attend the classes like everyone else, but you will receive no special treatnt," said the Patriarch with a wave of his hand. "You are still, after all, a Netherborne. The fact that you were raised outside the clan was never your fault."
Arthur was surprised to see the man with ashen hair and cracked skin show kindness. He was sure that, in their view, he had just spent his entire life goofing around until he ca back and demanded the most precious treasure this clan could offer. His opinion of the man changed a little, and Benjamin was smiling from ear to ear.
Nyx left after telling Benjamin that their debt had been settled. From now on, she would be their enemy in the trials and the clan. Then, she disappeared off sowhere, leaving Arthur and Benjamin to be guided by the disciples to a different courtyard where they would reside.
Benjamin had a room different than his, and the two of them made themselves comfortable in their new ho. Although the clan just wanted to obtain Nightmare and keep the scroll, they did not mistreat them. If anything, Arthur felt at ho surrounded by wrath.
"There is a lot we need to talk about," said Benjamin after he ca out from his room, appearing to have washed himself and changed his clothes into black training robes. "Although I know nothing about wrath, I have studied the most about it. In theory, I am the best one."
"I will take care of applying that theory into practice," said Arthur with a smile as he stared at the courtyard. "Before we begin our training, I have to summon my partner."
"Like a sparring partner?"
"Uh, no. More like my girlfriend," said Arthur with a laugh. "You will love to et her."
"Of course! Do I also have grand-grandchildren?" asked Benjamin with a sheepish grin. Although the old man was being too much asking that of them, he was still excited because Arthur was his family.
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