Chapter 313 – {Legend} : Of Blood and Ashes
After their short but intense conversation, Cassius and Natalia biked in silence through the remaining hours.
It wasn’t for lack of trying on Cassius’s part. He’d attempted to speak with her, trying at least to smooth things over, to help Natalia see how senseless her stance really was.
She was living in the past, yet trying to build a future out of that very same past.
It made no sense at all.
But it was no use. Natalia refused to hear any of it. She stopped answering him altogether, telling him to just enjoy the view and the ride.
He didn’t enjoy much of anything after that.
The 2-hour timer ran out on a bitter note, and they made their way back to return the bikes and rate their experience.
Cassius liked the young boy. He was fun, carefree, and genuinely passionate about biking. The way he talked about them made Cassius want to keep listening.
But when they walked in, Cassius sensed a shift in the boy’s demeanor. He was still smiling, still laughing, cracking jokes even, but something was missing.
The spark Cassius had noticed earlier was not fully there.
Something had happened, though the Last Born couldn’t say what.
Once everything was settled, and just as they were about to leave, Cassius looked at the boy and patted his shoulder repeatedly, with an almost brotherly warmth.
"You’re so young, yet you handle customers this smoothly with no stuttering, no nerves. That’s genuinely impressive." He smiled at him, "And I admire your passion for biking. Don’t ever lose that, alright?"
The boy stood stunned for a moment, not expecting that at all. But then a wide, beaming smile broke across his young face, and he nodded repeatedly:
"Thank you, sir! Thank you so much!" He bowed, eyes bright with emotion, "It means so much to me! You know, my dream is to build my own bike brand someday!"
The boy’s eyes glowed like stars against a night sky.
"Then I’ll pray for you, and wish you every success. Hold onto that passion, and you’ll definitely make it."
"Hahah? Really? Really?" The boy’s true enthusiasm surged back, overwhelmed with joy, "Sir, I’ll give you a discount next time you come, I swear! I’m only here Tuesdays and Saturdays, still have to focus on school! So don’t forget!"
Cassius waved at him, already walking away, "I won’t forget. I’m hoping for at least a 50% discount, though."
"What??? My father would kill me! 15% is good! No, wait, 10%!! Yes, 10%!!!"
"Hahah." Cassius laughed, "10% it is, kid. It beats nothing after all." Then he stepped out of the store.
"THANK YOU SIR!"
Cassius chuckled again.
Outside, Natalia waited for him, a faint smile on her face. "If you never change along the way," she said, turning to walk forward, "you’ll make a great father, Cass."
He smiled awkwardly. "Stop bringing up anything related to marriage and kids. It makes me damn uncomfortable."
Natalia rolled her eyes, "It was just a compliment. I didn’t even go as far as saying I’m excited to see you holding our ch—!"
"Queen’s breath, stay quiet and walk."
"You don’t have to walk me all the way to my room."
"Girl, just walk."
Natalia shrugged, though a small seed of happiness bloomed quietly in her chest. Still, she knew that seed would never grow and it would likely wither away soon enough.
After all, the ground it had rooted itself in was never meant to sustain it.
Still...
’The little things, Natalia. Enjoy the little things.’ She told herself, walking on ahead.
...
"Sigh, finally home."
Cassius sighed loudly before collapsing face-first onto his bed, far too exhausted to undress or shower.
Far too exhausted.
Today had been a long day, wearing him down both physically and mentally.
’Natalia...sigh, is this really how she wants to live her life? But how long can she keep this up?’
He’d agreed to the cycling trip hoping to mend things between them, but it had only made everything more strained.
Cassius now understood clearly that reclaiming their old friendship was no longer possible.
Love usually made things more beautiful. But between two friends, it could just as easily shatter that friendship forever, beyond repair.
Such a shame.
All Cassius could do was accept it, hoping Natalia would eventually find someone, or something, she loved more than she loved him.
She deserved happiness. And he genuinely wished it for her.
He pondered over the whole situation a few more minutes, before setting it aside, choosing instead to review his rewards and gather clearer information about his new power.
Rolling lazily onto his back, Cassius summoned the panels once more:
[Congratulations, you have completed your Cursed Quest.]
[Rewards: 300,000 VP; Memory Fragment of High King Trenovar; Fated Ticket.]
’Oh.’ Cassius exclaimed, surprised, ’A memory fragment? Since when do quests reward things like this?’
[It’s a Cursed Quest now.] Ananke said immediately, [Of course it’s not quite the same anymore. You now stand a good chance of receiving things beyond just VP and tickets.]
’How sweet. But what exactly is a memory fragment?’ He arched an eyebrow. ’A fragment of someone’s memory I can view?’
[Correct. These are entirely safe, no consequences attached. It’s a method high-ranking individuals use to pass down specific knowledge and skills to their descendants.] the Queen said, [And this High King is particularly interesting.]
’How so?’
[He came the closest any king ever has to reuniting the whole Sand Silver Continent. A monumental feat, given how many races and powerful bloodlines lived there. There were even rumors he was on the verge of reaching godhood. You may not realize it, but even if it’s false, the mere existence of that rumor is remarkable.]
’Godhood? So that’s actually possible? Becoming a god?’
[It is.]
’Just by ranking up?’
[The Power System is essentially a ladder toward godhood. So yes, though you already know how few make it past the Third Rank. And at the Fifth, it’s even more rare.]
’Yeah, I can see that. Then this High King’s memory must be quite interesting.’
[Most probably.]
’Sweet.’ Cassius smiled, ’but that’s a task for tomorrow. I’m exhausted right now, and I doubt I could focus properly if I tried it now.’
[Wise choice. After everything you went through today, you don’t need to pile on more.]
Cassius nodded, smiled, then claimed the rewards and set them aside.
He then decided to look into his {Legend} before falling asleep.
’Show daddy what you can do.’
[{Legend} – Of Blood and Ashes:
A Legend is a state of being.
With this Legend, you become a being of blood and ashes, wielding elevated power over blood, fire, heat and ash.
Your ability to create a whole new category of Skills is enhanced in this state.
{Legends} grow only through knowledge, whispers, and stories told about them.
The more stories that spread, the more Skills you unlock, drawn from those very stories.
So spread your Legend.]
’This sounds so powerful, and the fact it grows with fame is perfect. I do enjoy attention.’ Cassius giggled, and ways to use this power immediately began forming in his mind.
He’d been stuck wondering how to infiltrate the Deathless Prison without revealing his identity.
But who in the world would look at a being of Blood and Ashes and think, "That’s Cassius Desdemona"?
No one.
With that settled, he felt ready to finally collect the favors both Bishop and Cassandra owed him.
"Time to heal my lovely maid with Bishop’s help. He must have plenty of connections in the Vice Dean’s faction." He whispered, closing his eyes, "and it’s about time a Desdemona received a generous invitation into the Deathless Prison."
He chuckled.
"Favors truly are the best."
And then, slowly, gripped by exhaustion, Cassius’s consciousness slipped into the dream realm.
...
BOOOOOOOMMMMM!!!!
"Argh!" Isolde groaned, barely dodging the attack, the shockwave hurling her backward, slamming her against the filthy, grimy wall of a shadowed alley.
She coughed, lungs burning, tasting blood on her lips.
’Ah...seriously, fuck.’ She cursed inwardly, worn down by the constant fighting and fleeing she’d been enduring since that call with Cassius.
She hadn’t had a single moment of rest.
’Even my phone...my phone’s destroyed. Ah...Cass must be so worried. Fuck.’
"Come on! Come on, just accept the truth and let’s get this over with!" A mocking, giggling voice echoed through the darkness.
Isolde lifted her bloodied head with effort, clothes torn and filthy in a dozen places, every muscle in her body screaming in protest.
A couple of meters ahead stood a tall, lanky man, weaving as though drunk.
Flanking him on either side were hounds.
Massive, snarling black hounds, hungry for nothing but her flesh.
But that wasn’t what caught Isolde’s attention. Her focus stayed fixed on the man’s forehead, marked with a tattoo of a crimson moon made of daggers.
’Ah...fuck.’
"It’s you, isn’t it?" The man said, giggling, pointing at her, "It’s you, Olympias of Fangs, isn’t it? Isn’t it? Isn’t it? You tried to kill Hatred, didn’t you? Oh, answer me, beautiful! It’s you, isn’t it!!"
’How the hell did they find out?’
"I don’t know what you’re talking about." Isolde said curtly, and instantly the hound at the man’s left let out a low growl.
"Oh, Brogo growled." The man said, his tone darkening, staring down at Isolde with cold, yellow eyes, "That means you’re lying. So you’re either Olympias, or someone connected to her. How perfect. Finally."
He smiled widely, revealing beastly, jagged teeth, his eyes shifting into something inhuman,
"I can finally complete my mission. Shall we end this little game?"
Isolde’s purple eyes turned dead cold. She drew her two daggers of Cristo Steel, expression flat.
"I’m not the one you’re looking for."
"You are. And even if you’re not, you’ll still die." The man said lazily, before snapping his fingers, and instantly the hounds growled, howled, and lunged at Isolde from every direction.
[Mother of Assassins watches this scene with indifference.]
Isolde closed her eyes, picturing her husband’s face for one brief moment, before snapping them open, purple eyes flaring bright, just in time to see a hound inches from her face, jaws wide open.
"Created Technique: Forgotten."
—End of Chapter 313—