Viora led them to another spacious room.
From the way she moved across the corridor—without the need to call any maid or butler, it seed this was not her first ti being in this castle. In fact, she seed to be used to the layout, knowing exactly where to go whenever she made a turn.
Rex stepped into the room and found that it was a grand guest chamber.
Its towering windows frad a warm day where the sunlight bathed distant spires.
Sapphire decadence could be seen at each and every item within the chamber that cast an air of cold regality—over the navy-blue drapes, diamond-hued carpet, and gold-trimd settees. To the side, a spectral fire crackled in the obsidian hearth.
Its bluish glow flickered against frost-rid bookshelves and an age-worn portrait of a nobleman.
One that Rex assud to be Marquess Hadrian.
At the room's heart, an enchanted, polished ebon wood table was placed neatly in the midst of high-quality sofas.
"Please," Viora walked past Rex from behind and headed for the sofas.
She didn't sit down—she only gestured for Rex to sit.
"Do you have a good relationship—with Marquess Hadrian? You seed to really know the place," Rex said—as he walked over to the single sofa and sat down. "Nobody was here, not even a single maid, and yet you know your way around"
"A Priestess of Purity like myself is stationed in each noble house as an advisor," Viora answered.
And her answer explained clearly how she seed to know her way around.
Viora was the advisor of the Aurelius Noble House.
Once Rex sat down, he couldn't help but praise the sofa as it was even more comfortable than the ones he had back in his castle. I bet Adhara would grumble if she felt this sofa. I thought all things registered in the System's shop were always the best, I guess not.
Taking the sofa beside him, Linthia also sat down and looked around the chamber.
Not that she was marveling at the regality but to see if there was any threat.
But she found nothing, there wasn't any.
Just then, however, Viora sat on her knees instead of taking a seat on the empty sofa.
Rex raised an eyebrow, "Sit down properly, I'm not that uptight"
"How can I…?" Viora smiled wryly, she wouldn't even dare to be on the sa level as Rex. "Don't be burdened by this, I'm naught but a servant. I'm more comfortable being here than sitting on the sofa. I hope you won't mind"
Since that was the case, Rex waved his hand.
Days ago, he was fretting the fact that he needed to waste ten whole days to enter the Aurelian Fortress.
He was getting more desperate by the day.
So seeing soone with Viora's background like this, he wouldn't deny the feeling inside.
It was both a relief and, in its own way, satisfying—he quite liked the treatnt.
Linthia, observing from the side, caught the fleeting curl of Rex's lips—brief but unmistakable.
Shifting uncomfortably on the sofa, she found herself in a sudden dilemma, 'Should I also sit down on the floor? His Majesty seems to favor it…' Her gaze flicked to Viora, whose reverent display only made Linthia feel more out of place. 'She's making look bad here'
Even though she wanted to go down, she couldn't.
It'd looked weird since she already chosen to sit down on the sofa.
"So, explain, what do you know about the Candidate for Invincibility?" Rex finally asked.
He was straight to the point as his curiosity was in need to be satiated.
Upon hearing this, Viora nodded and explained.
Not even pulling back any information, Viora explained everything that she knew about that title.
She doesn't know that much but certainly more than Rex.
Based on her explanation, there were only a few people who knew anything about the title.
Of course, that is other than the candidates themselves.
All of the Candidates for Invincibility, also known as the Scions of the Vertex, are individuals chosen in their own unique and mysterious ways to claim a chance at ascending to the long-vacant throne, the throne of invincibility.
Each was said to be invincible in their own way.
All of them are extrely powerful entities that were favored by the world.
All of them possessed the power to stand at the very apex.
All of them carried the air of invincibility.
Or at least, that was what Viora heard.
Identifying these candidates is very tricky without the Eyes of Fate that she possessed.
And frankly speaking, none of them wanted to be found.
Viora doesn't have concrete proof about this but this assumption was deduced from her observations.
Everyone who knew the existence of the Scions was usually very secretive and paranoid.
Due to that, it was safe to say that the Scions didn't want to be identified.
As she explained this to Rex—a realization struck her—the idea of ambushing him and boldly declaring that she knew he was one of the Scions had been a grave mistake. At the mont, she was shocked to her core to see an actual Scion in the flesh standing in front of her.
She had crumbled instantly, blurting out her confession without a second thought because of that.
Now she realized that it could've gone badly.
Rex could've killed her on the spot—knowing that kind of thing tends to get one killed.
But nevertheless, she was thankful that Rex didn't do that.
In fact, she was really fortunate that Rex seed to be a new Scion.
He doesn't know much about what he truly is and that works in her favor as she has sothing that Rex wants, information. Without it, she would have nothing, and the chances of her being killed would rise exponentially.
Oblivious to her turmoil, Rex digested Viora's explanation as best as he could.
Just as he wanted, he gained the answers to so of his questions.
But more questions appeared to replace them—such as who chose these Scions to be a candidate? Does all of them also have a System? How many Scions are there other than Rex? Are they hostile to each other? Do they know that they were a candidate?
An endless stream of question upon question washed over his mind.
He ca to the Spirit Realm to retain his strength and protect the others from the dangers in the future.
But he was faced with this instead.
"Is that the reason you're acting like this," Rex asked, raising an eyebrow. "Afraid of ?"
"I hope you can be understanding of why…" Viora smiled nervously.
From the pieces she heard about the Scions of the Vertex, she understood loud—and clear that anyone who wasn't involved should steer clear from their paths. Never provoke a Scion as the cost would be more catastrophic than death.
Rex doesn't bla her either, he too would act the sa if he were in her position.
As he thought, it was weird for Viora to be scared of him when she had Ferric by her side.
Soone like Rex shouldn't be a problem for her.
But turns out, she was afraid because she knew that Rex was one of the Scions.
She was wary of Rex and thought there might be more to him.
And she wasn't wrong, Rex still has tricks up his sleeves in case of an ergency.
Killing Viora wasn't an impossibility for soone like him.
Nodding his head, Rex then turned his gaze towards a piece of leather parchnt on the table.
During her explanation, she consistently—refused to say 'the Scions of Vertex' and decided to write it down and point at her writing instead. She wanted to inform Rex about the other nickna for these Candidates for Invincibility but refused to say it aloud.
Instead of telling it to Rex, she chose to write it down on this piece of parchnt.
Clearly, she was avoiding saying it aloud and Rex wanted to know the reason.
"And this…" Rex pointed at the parchnt. "Why did you write this instead of saying it aloud to ?"
"Because if soone like said it, they'd know," Viora answered, her voice laced with fear. Her gaze didn't linger on the parchnt as if looking at it for too long would summon the other Scions. "I'm a nobody. If I said it, I would be killed—they can sense it. And I don't want to die…"
Upon hearing this, Rex leaned back.
His hands turned sweaty as he stared at the ceiling.
Learning about the Scions of Vertex was very disconcerting.
He had already faced the Fifthborn, whose status as a Scion was undeniable given the System's reaction, and he almost died in that fight. Yet now, he discovered that others existed, their number was unknown, and so even ca from the Spirit Realm.
Since there was only one Highseat of Invincibility, he knew the Scions would inevitably be his rivals.
Perhaps, even enemies.
It was the most likely case as the penalty was devastating if Rex lost to a Scion.
Oh, wait… I'm the only one who has the System, that's for sure.
Recalling back when the Fifthborn was able to trick him into triggering the System Relaying Bet Quest, he recalled the third outco of the quest. Had Rex lost against the Fifthborn, the System would leave him and be transferred to the Fifthborn, making him the new user.
From that, Rex could deduce that the System is still unique to him.
Other Scions don't have the System but are undoubtedly still extrely strong.
Especially those who were aware that they were a Scion.
System, how long are you going to keep this away from ?
Is this the reason why you made stumble to that damn temple and woke the Fifthborn?
Fuck you, how do I unlock it? You got into this ss and you're keeping in the dark?!
How is that an answer? Are you only telling to get strong?
Upon exclaiming that inside his head, there was no more notification.
Rex thought that the System was back to being silent again whenever it didn't want him to know about sothing but he was wrong. The System only paused for five seconds before another notification, this ti a clear answer appeared.
Reading the notification, Rex inhaled sharply in surprise.
He wasn't expecting to gain anything from the System but surprisingly, he got a clue.
First Stage of Invincibility…? I'm not even at the First Stage?
Naturally, as he read this, the past year of absolute torture flashed in his mind. Rex couldn't believe that with all he had gone through, the pain and suffering that he sailed through, he hadn't even reached the first stage.
Just the thought of it made him shiver.
Reaching absolute invincibility as the System wanted must be extrely difficult.
For the first ti in a long ti, he dreaded the future.
As he was contemplating, seemingly digesting the information, Viora watched him attentively.
She didn't even dare to breathe, fearing that it'd annoy Rex.
"Do you know anything about the stages of invincibility?" Rex suddenly asked, tilting his head down.
"No…" Viora shook her head. "I already told your esteed self, everything that I know"
Upon hearing this, Rex nodded his head a couple of tis lightly. Then, he leaned forward toward Viora, his hands clasped together while his eyes bore into her eyes, "Everything that you know? I doubt that. You haven't told everything that you knew"
Viora clenched her fists nervously—she was avoiding Rex's gaze altogether.
A gesture of soone who was hiding sothing or worried about sothing.
"I'm grateful for the information but I had to ask," Rex whispered, his tone dropped an octave lower as a tinge of threat seeped through. "Tell , who told you all of this? Do you perhaps know a Scion? Rember, tell the truth"
"And, Viora," Rex leaned closer, this ti, his face was an inch away from hers. "If you lie, I'll know"
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