A few minutes earlier.
"Huh? Aiden's energy…?" a smooth, feminine voice echoed in the dim void. "Looks like he found another toy."
Shrouded in darkness, the sealed woman stirred as she felt a familiar presence approach.
Moments later, a gloved hand reached into the shadows, retrieving the object that held her essence—an artifact in which she had once sealed herself willingly.
The man who retrieved her… he was chosen by Aiden. The little spirit floated beside him, urgently whispering for him to flee after acquiring the artifact.
But the man hesitated.
He saw someone—someone he knew—bound tightly to a chair.
A heated argument erupted between Aiden and his host. Leave or save the friend? Despite the danger, the man didn't abandon his friend. That reckless bravery… no, that foolish resolve—it stirred something inside her.
Even after being discovered by the thug boss she despised, the man didn't stop. He kept resisting, trying to help his friend escape.
Her attention shifted. The unconscious man tied to the chair… he radiated something—an aura unlike any other. It called to her, pulling at her essence, demanding a bond. She yearned to break free and claim him as her own.
But the thug boss stood in her way.
The man who held her was being beaten within an inch of his life, yet his spirit remained unbroken. He fought, bled, and endured.
She watched it all.
When she tried to move toward the man in the chair, he suddenly rose of his own will, staggering, protecting his friend again. She could only curse inwardly.
That was the one she wanted to bond with.
That was the one worthy of returning to their original land—alongside Aiden and… perhaps the last one, if he still lived.
Why Aiden had chosen the weaker one baffled her. That man had more potential than her former master—perhaps even enough to change fate itself.
But then… she saw it.
He ran.
The man fled, activating a high-level teleportation spell and vanishing. His presence, his aura—all erased.
Her frenzy faded. And with it, shame crept in.
A coward.
She had almost chosen a coward over the one who now lay dying with no regrets.
Then came Aiden's voice.
"Hey, Zero. I know you're in there. Please… save this kid. He's the only one who can help us. I beg you."
She remained silent—but she heard him.
And she decided.
At Rey's Residence.
Jasmine and Emmy were home. Jasmine had taken leave early due to Rey's worsening health. But Rey had already left, claiming he had to meet a friend. In his hand was a peculiar bag—one she didn't recognize.
"Where did you get that bag?" Jasmine asked curiously.
"Oh, this? It belongs to a friend. I'm returning something," Rey replied with a casual smile.
Before she could probe further, Jasmine's heart clenched—an invisible weight pressing against her chest.
A bad premonition.
"Mom, when is big brother coming home?" Emmy asked with her mouth full.
"Emmy, chew first," Jasmine said softly, managing a small smile. "He'll be back soon."
But that premonition only grew stronger. She made up her mind to call him later.
Back in the Factory.
Rey's broken body lay still, unconscious.
Aiden hovered beside him, eyes filled with worry.
Meanwhile, Jacob approached, thinking to claim the artifact once more.
But as he reached out—
The artifact… dissolved.
It seeped into the boy's blood like ink into water, vanishing entirely. The blood squirmed unnaturally, drawn back into Rey's body. It coated him, surged into his veins, and invaded his core.
Then—
Thump.
His heart, moments away from stillness, jolted violently.
Thump. Thump.
Zero had acted.
A final burst of energy. A controlled shock to the heart. A gamble.
It worked.
The blood particles absorbed the damaged suit and shattered mask, repairing them—no, evolving them. Even Rey's cape was consumed, becoming part of the armor itself.
The crimson sheen faded, and the suit returned to its original color. To any outside observer, it would look as if nothing had changed.
"Looks like you finally woke up, huh?" Aiden murmured to the now-glowing suit.
"Yes… I never imagined the mighty God General would end up like this—beaten by a thug," a robotic voice echoed back.
Aiden blinked in surprise. That voice—Zero's—held emotion now. It was unnatural.
"What happened to you? You sound… different."
"It's not the time for explanations. First, we finish him off. Then, we save the boy."
"Just like old times, huh? You handle the defense, I take control," Aiden replied, slipping into Rey's body to pilot it directly.
"Be quick. He won't survive more than ten minutes."
"Three minutes is all I need."
Rey's body stirred.
He stood up—barely stable—but with a dagger in hand and killing intent in his gaze.
Jacob, watching the bizarre transformation, scoffed.
"A parasitic artifact, huh? No matter. You're still just a brat. Sleep."
He charged.
But Rey was no longer the same.
His speed doubled. His movement sharper, instincts refined.
Jacob managed a few exchanges—but then, a sharp pain bloomed in his side. Blood trickled from a precise cut.
He staggered.
"What the hell… poison?! You coward!"
"Ah, so it is working," Aiden smirked. "Didn't think that 15% success rate was worth anything, but hey—saving us time."
The dagger's tip glistened—its poison slowly draining Jacob's stamina.
'Zero, give me a mana charge. I'm going to end this bastard properly.' Aiden called.
"Gathering now," Zero replied. "Mana density is lower than needed, but I'll manage."
Jacob, bleeding and enraged, backed off.
"Where the hell are my men?!" he roared.
"Dead. Every last one," Aiden replied coldly, hovering five meters above the ground.
Desperate, Jacob began gathering Qi, readying the same deadly strike as before.
But Rey mirrored him.
His hand glowed—almost identically.
'Another cultivator?! But… no Qi?! Just what kind of artifact is that…?'
Jacob lunged forward with a furious strike aimed at Rey's skull.
Rey twisted, evading the blow with unnatural grace.
Then—
CRACK!
A single punch to the jaw.
Jacob's head snapped back.
He crashed to the ground, his spine folding at an unnatural angle. Blood spurted across the floor, forming spiderweb cracks around the impact zone.
He twitched once—then fell still.
Aiden didn't stop.
He rammed the dagger into Jacob's throat just to be sure, then calmly surveyed the wreckage.
"AHHHHHHHHHHH!" Rey screamed, collapsing.
His body trembled uncontrollably. Bones cracked under the strain of mana flow. Blood gushed from his right arm, the one Aiden had overused. The bones—shattered.
"What's happening to him?" Zero asked, concerned.
"His body… it wasn't ready. This was his first time channeling raw mana," Aiden muttered, stepping away.
"Wait," Zero said. "Help me carry something."
She guided him to a concealed wall, pressing a hidden button. A doorway opened, revealing a room filled with glittering jewels and a sealed safe.
"Take what you can. It'll help us later."
Aiden sighed but obeyed, placing the valuables into Rey's system inventory.
"There were others here. Are we going to save them?" Aiden asked.
"The boy he wanted to save—he fled. Used a world-tier teleportation spell and vanished. The rest...?"
Zero's voice trailed off.
"And someone's going to notice the commotion soon. We need to leave."
Aiden looked at Zero."Take care of Rey, he's done enough."
Zero nodded. "Right."
She moved swiftly, appearing beside Rey and gently grabbing his arm. His breathing was faint, barely conscious.
"This… really was dangerous," she muttered.
Meanwhile, Aiden took one last look at the corpse of Jacob. Blood soaked the floor around him, his twisted body radiating the aura of someone who had fallen from arrogance into despair.
"Trash should've stayed in the bin."
Without another word, Aiden lifted his arm and sent a short-range burst of flame, disintegrating Jacob's remains into ash.
He walked back to Zero.
"We're done here. Let's move."
Zero nodded again, initiating a teleportation sequence using her relic speed.
The trio—Rey, Zero, and Aiden—vanished without a sound, leaving behind nothing but a ruined facility and the lingering trace of a massacre.
As they just disappeared from the place, several police officers barged inside the factory to find many kidnapped people, but the main suspect was already gone.
"Where are you taking him to? Shouldn't we go to a place where we can get him healed?" Zero asked as she observed his body, which was in a bad state.
"No, I am going to the place where the Third is present. We are heading to his home."
"So you mean the Third is also here and in this kid's home? Then maybe it's fate to make him our host, even though his talent is way below our expectations," she said as she was still inspecting his body.
Aiden didn't say anything as he was just using the least movement to reach his home, which was just a few streets away.
-- To be Continued...
So who is he that both are talking about?And how are both of them going to save Rey, who is on the verge of dying?
If you want to know, then stay tuned to find out.And tell me—how did you like the chapter today?
Have a good day/night, my friends.