Eternal Freedom's Ascension-Chapter 122: Cursed Relic

Vulpina dumped Kaiser on the bed in one of the specially-prepared guest houses. Feeling uncomfortable, she turned to leave immediately.

However, she found herself unwilling to step out of the door. She remained still for some time, then cautiously turned back to the guy sprawled on the bed.

His expression was serene and peaceful, like a child. It looked nothing like the young man she had seen earlier. That one—

’... is a monster.’

Wasn’t he scared that she could decide to kill him at this moment? Just as she was puzzled, she realized something important.

’Kill me? The consequences outweigh the profits—so yes, you wouldn’t dare.’

Kaiser’s fearless words rang in her ears. That wasn’t just a bluff, but deep certainty.

Her adoptive father had repeatedly mentioned the Solace Clan, making her realize its importance.

’Another clan strong enough to compete with us?’

She hadn’t even heard of such a clan.

’Wait a minute. He mentioned the annihilation of our clan just from killing this guy. Does that mean...?’

Whatever the Solace Clan was, they had the ability to wipe out the Stormveil Clan cleanly.

The thought alone made her shudder. Although there were some other enormous, powerful factions all across the world, she didn’t believe any of them could wipe out the Stormveil Clan completely without suffering staggering losses.

’That must be his source of confidence—despicable.’

She once again glared at Kaiser, her fists clenched. The memory of his empty gaze made her body tremble slightly.

Closing her eyes, she regulated her breathing and composed herself. Putting on her usual stern look, she left the guest house.

.........

Yawn~!

Kaiser yawned, stretching lazily on the bed. He remained still for a while, refreshing his memories from before he went unconscious.

"Oh. This is the Stormveil Clan."

He looked around the room which only had a table mirror and a bed.

’I repeat: These people have a poor sense of reception.’

Dismissing the Asura Vest, he decided to take a bath. Thankfully, the clan offered a bathroom for their guests.

Finally taking a bath after a few days, Kaiser felt clean. He stood before the mirror, checking himself.

His skin was still as pristine as ever, without a single visible scar.

’How ironic... the number of scars I’m supposed to have now—yet nowhere to be found.’

Perhaps his physique wanted to retain his beauty, which was its reason for the full-body cleanup.

He lifted his left arm. Yesterday, half of the bones in this hand were ground to dust. Yet, it had already healed before the next morning.

’I’m appalled.’

The power of this regeneration was insane, and he seriously looked forward to its advancement as he grew stronger.

His expression turned serious.

"That aside... I should be heading to the Northern Region soon. I need to find clues about my father."

This was the most important reason he came to the Aether Skies. Rolling his shoulders, he changed into the undergarments of his armor, then stepped out of the house.

Although it was already daytime, the dark clouds of the Southern Region were only a bit brighter. The air was still dark and gloomy.

Surprisingly, there was a group outside waiting for him.

’The 12th Arc?’

There was someone also accompanying them. The man stood tall, taller than Kaiser. From his presence alone, Kaiser guessed he was an Evolved.

He had a muscular build, with defined biceps and triceps. Straight black hair flowed neatly from his head, reaching his waist.

His eyes—a pair of sharp gold orbs shone like lightning.

"Good morning, Kaiser Solace. I am Gilead Stormveil, but you may call me Sir Gilead."

He said politely, even offering a courteous bow to him.

Kaiser nodded slightly, then cocked his head. "Well, to what do I owe this meeting to?"

Gilead straightened himself and calmly replied. "This squad will escort you around the city. I’m merely here for formalities."

’Oh? A surveillance.’

Kaiser shrugged, carefree. He didn’t mind having some people tail him. As long as they didn’t meddle with his affairs, it was fine.

With that settled, Kaiser began roaming the little city. The five members of the 12th Arc kept some reasonable distance from him.

He walked around like a curious kid, trying their delicacy and even buying a few trinkets.

Finally, he made his way to his final destination—The Relic Market.

’I need to change my armor and get a few utility relics.’

Although these were available in his own clan, he decided not to use his privilege as the heir arbitrarily.

Therefore, using the soul crystals from the creatures he had personally killed, he decided to purchase these relics.

Ting~ Ting~

He heard a bell ring as he pushed open the door of a shop, stepping inside calmly. The shop was structured like a clothing mall, with the armors and weapons openly displayed on hangers.

"Welcome, err... esteemed guest."

A young, chubby guy who looked familiar appeared to attend to him. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

Kaiser studied the guy’s face a bit more, then linked it with his classmate—Charles Donald.

’Are they related in some way?’

Although curious, Kaiser lacked the energy to delve into that topic. He nodded coolly, scanning the displayed armors with keen eyes.

The young man quickly followed him, sporting a professional smile.

"We have relics ranging from Awakened ones to Ascended ones. You seem to be looking for a suitable armor. Shall I guide you?"

Kaiser agreed. The shopkeeper then led him to a corner where some special armors were hung on the wall.

Pointing to the first one; a brown chainmail armor, the shopkeeper explained.

"This is an Awakened Relic of the second tier. It has excellent defense and allows mobile flexibility. One of its—"

"This one." Kaiser cut him off, pointing at a particular armor. "Tell me about this armor."

The shopkeeper glanced at the armor, his expression becoming complicated. It was a sleek, black armor of interlocking scale-like plates, its surface matte and light-drinking with faint, hairline seams that glowed dimly.

"Err... esteemed guest." He said hesitantly, "This armor... is cursed."