Ragna neared the city's entrance. Due to the battle that Ken was engaged in, a loud siren had started up, informing everyone to stay indoors.
As he ran, he also saw dozens of guards lining the streets, blocking off sections. None of them were attacking him, but they were all glaring and pointing their weapons. In the sky above, several airships were flying, and a few of the buildings had more of those mechanical robot suits standing atop them.
Ragna couldn't help but let out a bitter sigh. They had started off so well, being stealthy and unseen, but shit had hit the fan so quickly. He shook his head and forced his smile back on his face. "Worry not! I will get us all out of here!"
In one arm he held Biggie, and in the other he had Kim Ji-woo. Ock had shifted his sandy body and became something that looked like rope, which tied around Ragna's waist and then connected to the large crystal that Sieg was currently encased. This effectively allowed him to use his super speed to get everyone to safety!
Of course, as he did near the exit, Ragna was forced to stop. The way out of the city was blocked off by a lone figure. "Uh oh. Why did it have to be him?"
The Zyne family were quite infamous. Long ago, they used to have thick ties with the Helios family, but that all changed when a warrior from their clan battled a powerful demon known as Addon. Addon cursed the Zyne family and made it so that they would have a hard time baring children, and with every child they did have the curse would grow even stronger.
Now, the head of that family, Charles Zyne, was thought to be infertile. This was because his 'son' Rowan Zyne looked nothing like him and didn't have the same type of magic. People assumed Charles's wife cheated on him and had an affair with another noble, resulting in Rowan's birth. Of course, most people thought that was fitting for Charles Zyne had also cheated on his wife. He had been caught engaging in intercourse with a powerful cultivator woman known as Medora.
This had caused Charles's reputation to obviously fall from grace, and yet despite that, the man still remained a powerful Title Knight, with powerful Knight Gear. On top of that, despite being from the Wandering Coin guild, rumors said he was trying to secure his spot as Vice Captain of the Hydra Storm guild, since the position was still open.
Indeed, it couldn't be said enough. Charles Zyne was a dangerous man. And it just so happened that man was here now.
Ragna let out a bitter sigh when he saw Charles waiting for him at the exit. "Of course, someone like him would be the one sent out. Just my luck."
Charles, also known as the Brilliant Diamond, was a tall and imposing man. He had long scarlet hair and cold-looking eyes. He wore a set of shining silver armor that was decked out in hundreds of sparkling gems, and he wore a horned helmet that had a slit down it allowing his face to be seen as well as his hair, which dropped out of the bottom. Stabbed into the ground next to him was a massive greatsword, forged from solid diamond.
Charles's face remained expressionless as he stared at Ragna and the others. "I could hardly believe the news when I heard that several members of the Phoenix Flight guild turned traitor." The man said quietly. "After all, to be a traitor implies you were ever our teammate, and we all know not a single soul considers your kind allies."
"How harsh." Ragna still grinned, and he placed Biggie and Kim down. "Ock, get them away from here."
Kim stared pale-faced at the Knight that was ahead of them. She could feel a tremendous amount of mana radiating off the man. This wasn't just any random Knight; it was a Title Knight. A powerful foe. She glanced back at Ragna, her body shaking. "I-I thought just Squires were here."
"I thought so as well." Ragna hummed. "Or rather, they'd send just a regular Knight."
"They did send just a regular Knight," Charles spoke up. "As sad as I am to admit it, it seems that I have been demoted." The man said in his usual cold voice.
Ragna snorted. "Yeah, right. Your guild just wanted to brag that it took me down with a Titleless Knight. You're still holding onto your Knight Gear, and your power hasn't changed at all since I last laid eyes on you. As soon as this fight is over, I bet you'll be getting your Title back."
Kim's body kept shaking, and she glanced between Ragna and the dangerous foe that now blocked their path. "How are you being so calm?"
"Who said I'm calm?" Ragna winked and patted her on the head. "Seriously, Ock. Get out of here. Find some shelter."
Ock's head formed back, and the camel gave a hesitant nod, slowly snaking his sandy form over Biggie and Kim. "If you're sure."
"Hey now!" Biggie began. "I didn't agree to this! I had no idea someone like that guy would be here! Take me back to my cell-" The sand covered his head, causing him to gurgle, and Ock fully reformed into a massive camel. Both Kim and Biggie resided safely in his belly, and the crystal was tied to his back.
"I trust you'll come find us." Ock gave a half bow and then took off running as fast as he could. Sadly, camels weren't exactly known for their speed.
As the spirit ran, Charles pointed his sword at it and spoke. "Row Gem Spear." Jagged rocks and crystals formed out of his blade and fired toward Ock, but Ragna threw himself in front of the attack and kicked up with his prosthetic leg. Greenie's body changed, and the wooden limb turned metal and shifted into a blade-like form that was shaped like a glaive. The blade sliced through the crystal and split it in two. Charles finally showed a bit of a reaction and raised an eyebrow. "Oh? It seems even with your missing leg, your power also hasn't changed at all. Good."
"Good?" Ragna shot the Knight a look.
"Yes." Charles nodded and began to walk forward. "This is very good. After all, the last time we did battle together, I won!" He reached Ragna with a Mana Step and brought his greatsword smashing down, but it never even reached Ragna, who simply twisted his body and kicked out again, slicing the sword apart with one strike.
Ragna's eyes met Charles's, who widened with surprise. "Our last match was a friendly spar," Ragna said coolly. "Don't get cocky." He stabbed his blade leg into the ground, raised himself up, and then brought his other leg down in a brutal axe kick.
"Vil Gem Shield." Charles's look smoothed out once again, and a shimmering ruby that was nearly a foot thick appeared before him. It cracked and nearly shattered when Ragna's foot met it, but it did the job and blocked the attack. Ragna winced as he felt the backlash dance through his ankle. "You're right." Charles hummed and ran his hand along his broken greatsword. It took only a single spell to repair the diamond blade. "We did spar last time, so I guess it's only natural that you don't know what happens when I cut loose."
Ragna growled and used the ruby to kick off it and spin around. He winded his punch up and rammed it straight into Charles's face, shattering his helmet and cracking several of the Knight's teeth, but the Noble didn't stop and pressed a hand to Ragna's stomach.
"Ril Gem Flash!" And the entire city block lit up with a brilliant flash of light, which then exploded, shattering every window around them and cracking the ground.
Ragna screamed as the explosion overtook him, and then everything turned white.
***
Sieg blinked, trying to process what he just heard. "I'm sorry? What did you just say?"
The blue-haired girl smiled, and she snapped her fingers. Suddenly, the space around them changed once more. The ocean vanished, and instead it became a stretching field of grass with a single tree atop a hill. From that tree, two rope swings hung from above, and the woman casually took a seat.
She glanced up at the stunned Sieg and nodded toward the other one. "Well?"
"I'd like an answer," Sieg grumbled out, but he listened and took a seat next to her. "You said your name was Awed-Rivkah. As in the name of our planet? I hope you aren't expecting me to believe you're actually the planet itself."
The woman let out a laugh. "Well, that's not exactly far off, but no. I am not fully the planet."
Sieg sighed. "Explain. So far this is sounding far-fetched, and you haven't even said anything yet."
The woman giggled again. "You live in a world of magic. You're slowly becoming a dragon. Your brother can control shadows and light, and you fought a God of the Sea, yet you're confused by my existence?"
"Can you blame me? You still haven't explained anything!" Sieg pointed out.
"Fair." A strong gust of wind began to blow through the field, and the woman started to softly swing back and forth. "I guess it's a little hard to explain, but I'll do my best. Haven't you ever wondered where your title comes from? Every being has one, and each nation has a method to look at its people's titles. Well, that process comes from me." The woman smiled and looked at him. "I'm also the one who decides what Core everyone gets and what values their Core will be."
Sieg's frown expanded. He knew that something decided it, but he had never thought too hard about it. When a baby was born in a country, they were given the Core of that country or a Peasant Core. Sometimes, however, you'd get weird cases like Davi, where their parents came from different nations. Also, there was the matter of Titles.
His first Title had been something, but he forgot what it said. Eventually, he gained a new Title, which was wielder of the Behemoth's Might, which appeared when he mastered the Embodiment of the Behemoth. In Mordheim, they would use this special paper and drop blood onto it to get their title, which was how he knew his had first changed, but even back then he never really considered why the change happened.
Now, here this woman was, claiming she had done it. Awed-Rivkah let out a soft laugh when she saw the look on his face. "You don't have to think about it too hard or even believe me if you don't want to. I'm simply here because I have things to tell you."
"It's just weird." Sieg shrugged. "Have you done this with others? Like with Davi?"
The woman shook her head. "I have appeared a couple of times, or at least versions of me, but this is the first time since the age of Haru that I showed back up. I said earlier that I am sort of the planet, and that's true, but it's also not. You can think of me as a mix of the planet and the subconsciousness of the human race. I am a bit of everyone's soul. A crossroads of infinite inner worlds that stretch out, and I took on this form and reached out to you. Other iterations of myself did the same in the past, but each version of myself is unique since we're made of different humans each time."
"I see?"
"You still don't get it, do you?" Awed-Rivkah laughed again.
"Sorry?"
"It's fine." The woman stretched and let out a yawn. The scene changed again, and now they were in some cozy restaurant with a plate of pancakes placed before them. Casually, she began to dig in. "Typically, I don't exist, or at least my consciousness doesn't. I'm not really a thinking person. I'm more like a machine. When a child is born, I unconsciously place a Title upon them and give them their destiny and fate. This is how the Lord of Order programmed me to behave. I'm kind of like a conjured spell that he made, and through him I place and grab a possible future from the infinite timeline and meld it into a person's very being, thus giving them their Title. Of course, every now and then, you have a case where a person will need a new Title. Recently, your brother got one."
"Do you know if Davi is alive?" Sieg suddenly leaned forward. "I just realized if you're the planet and its people, you must know, right?"
Awed-Rivkah's smile faded, and she speared another set of pancakes. "Sorry, but I honestly can't tell you. Davi was alive, and then he left."
"Left?"
"Left the planet," Awed-Rivkah explained. "I can't detect him or speak to him if he isn't in the world. If he returns, I could, but by then I'd be a machine again. I'd slumber and not be aware of anything. The only reason I took notice of him is that he recently broke his fate and needed a new destiny to be placed upon him. That act stirred me a bit, and then I was able to notice something. Something that caused me to wake up and manifest once more."
Sieg flinched when he saw her look become serious. She gazed at him with a hard stare, and he began to sweat. "What do you want with me?"
"I need your help."
"Seriously?"
She gave a nod. "I only manifest when certain conditions in the world are met. The Lord of Order likes keeping the world the way it should be, but every now and then some beings will try to alter it or change it. This can result in a 'glitch' or a false outcome, and should this happen, the birth of a Raid Boss, or, as we call it, a "Virus," is inevitable. The Lord of Order made it so that if such a thing were to happen, I would manifest just as I am now, and I would be selected to find an individual and request their help." The restaurant faded, and Sieg found himself once again standing next to the lake, back in his village. Awed-Rivkah held her hand out to him. "Sir Sieg Hawker, son of Orion Hawker, son of Kiyohime Vega, Candidate for the one who brings Salvation, won't you please help me save everyone?"
Sieg was completely stunned, and he stumbled back. Candidate for the one who brings Salvation? That sounded like a new Title, and it was one he definitely didn't want. After all, that sounded like something a superhero or savior would have. It'd be better suited for someone like Davi who wanted to save everyone, not him.
"What are you doing?" Sieg demanded.
"A Raid Boss has been created," Awed-Rivkah stated in a blunt tone. "The world is in danger. That is why we need a new bringer of Salvation. Raid Bosses are like what you call Demons. Though their power isn't on the same level as a Demon, they're still glitches and can only be slain by those who hold the title of Saint or the title of Salvation. Salvation is a lesser form of the Saint Title, which can in turn be evolved into the Saint Title; however, many people skip past this process and go straight to Saint. If you accept, you'll be one of two people who have ever held the title of Salvation, and in the future it'll be possible you could even become the next Saint."
Sieg shook his head. "Why me?"
"Because a Raid Boss has been-"
"No! I get that a Raid Boss is out there in the world, but why the hell are you picking me?" Sieg demanded. "Why not anyone else? I'm a Mutant. I don't have much longer to live, and I'm not some good person! I don't have a right to call myself a Saint! I'm on a quest for revenge!"
The woman shrugged. "I honestly couldn't say why I decided to pick you. Though I assign fate, I cannot fully read it, nor do I know why it does what it does. The Lord of Order simply programmed me to pick the most optimal beings, and when I scanned the planet, you popped up. I followed you in the form of a storm and kept trying to connect until, finally, at last, I did."
Sieg sighed. "Well, you picked wrong."
"I don't think I can pick wrong."
"Well, you did." He glared up at her. "Let me ask you something. Does this… Title give me a power-up? I'm expected to fight a Raid Boss if I accept, right? You're saying one is running around now?"
The woman nodded. "A Raid Boss was recently created, yes. And correct. Those who have this Title will awaken rare traits and powers that only they can use. They're akin to a lesser Saint. As for if it'll be enough to defeat the Raid Boss… that depends on you."
"Can I turn you down?"
"You can. We will not force you, though to do so would be to endanger the entire planet, especially with how few Saints are left and the fact no one else would have the Salvation trait. Killing a Raid Boss would be next to impossible."
Sieg smirked and nodded. "In that case, I want to say I refuse and that you should pick Olivia."
Awed-Rivkah's gaze suddenly flashed, and her eyes narrowed. "Olivia?"
"Yeah." Sieg nodded. "Her name is Mary Olivia Lot. My brother cares about her a lot. She's a blood mage and currently stuck in prison, but if you gave her this power, I'm sure she could use it to bust out. Even a lesser Saint would rival the power of a Captain, I bet. She'd make good use of it, and she also wants to be a hero. If she can't have it, then I'd suggest my brother, and if he can't, I'd suggest Ken or any other member of the Phoenix Flight guild."
Awed-Rivkah shook her head. "Again, it doesn't work like that. Either you accept and become the host to this power or you refuse, and I leave. Either way, once you've made your answer, I'll fall asleep once again, and I'll begin to slumber."
Sieg bit his lip hard enough to draw blood. "Damn it. Well, what choice are you giving me?" He sighed. "Either I say yes, or everyone dies?"
"Most likely."
"Fine." Sieg's shoulders sagged down. "But I need to know. Will I still be me?"
"That's hard to say." Awed-Rivkah tapped her chin. "Power can change people. You'll be different, I think, but that doesn't mean worse or fully changed. Just not how you were. This power will also not stop you from becoming a Mutant, and in fact, it'll likely accelerate that process."
"Are you shitting me!"
Awed-Rivkah gave a soft smile and held up a hand. "But if you do take this power and you can master it, I think it'll be of great use to you."
"How so?" Sieg's eyes narrowed. "I guess power is power, but you're making it seem like there is more."
Awed-Rivkah nodded. "I promise you this. If you were to fully master your power and gain absolute control over it, you would be able to defeat the one you hate. Evelyn Lunar would not stand a chance."
"I'm in." Sieg didn't even think twice. "Accelerated mutation, a broken mind, or even a greatly shortened lifespan. None of that matters if I can stop Evelyn. I accept."
Awed-Rivkah let out another laugh, and she slapped him on the back. "That's the spirit. Alright then, I'll start the process." She raised her hand and pointed it at him. "To think a second human has gained the title of Salvation."
"Yeah, speaking of which, who is the first?" Sieg asked.
"She went by the title of Black Knight, but you could also call her the mentor of the Ebony Knight. As for her name, she was called Olivia Lot."
Sieg's eyes went wide, and he gasped, but he never had a chance to ask any more questions. Awed-Rivkah's hand glowed with hundreds of colors, and then the world shattered. Sieg screamed, and his head suddenly felt like it was about to explode as he fell into a world of white.
And in that infinite void, he saw hands. Massive. There were as many hands for every second the universe existed, and they stretched as far as time would allow, and he began to scream louder as they reached for him.
He had seen this before. When a monster was being promoted to a boss of a dungeon.
The hands were going to promote him.
'Congratulations! You have gained a new title! 'Candidate for the one who brings Salvation' has been created!'
'Warning, your Monster Core is growing.'
'Warning, your Monster Core is growing.'
'Warning, your Monster Core is growing.'
'Warning, your Monster Core is growing.'
'Warning, your Monster Core is growing.'
'Congratulations! You have been promoted to the boss of a dungeon.'