Crimson Ascension

The world itself grabbed ahold of Draven, enveloping his body in a shivering cold embrace, before letting go. Light shone behind his closed eyelids, prompting him to open his eyes and look around.

"We're alive." Finn heaved a sigh of relief. "I never doubted!"

Ruins of towering buildings soared all around them, broken and decayed beyond imagination. A black and green sort of moss occupied most of the structures of a bygone era, coloring the bright world with a tone of nature.

Even the tallest of Varn'Kess spires failed to compare to the sheer magnitude of the ruined architecture. A mix of stone and glass comprised their construction, a choice that seemed impractical at first glance.

No wonder it didn't survive. Why do you need this many windows? Draven shook his head in dumbfounded amusement.

"What is this place?" he asked, more to himself than anyone else.

"The Old World," Helvan strapped two thin swords to his hip. "The place where Sovrans and miners hail from before there was ever a distinction between the two. Now it's nothing more than a wasteland that corrupts flesh."

"What in the abyss!" Finn shouted in alarm. "Where's the ceiling? Is that a… torch?"

Draven followed his gaze and looked at the unfettered sky. A pale yellow orb floated on the horizon, moving with the passaging minutes. It was not his first time witnessing the sky, but he would be damned if the sight ever got old.

"It is… beautiful," Corvanis muttered, his gaze fixed on something far in the distance. "How far have we fallen? To abandon a place like this and live in a cave is a disgrace."

"Do not let the sky and fresh air fool you. This place is not safe. Even with hexion enhancing our bodies and spirit, the corruptive nature of the Old World will twist the flesh of Reverences in a matter of months." Helvan moved, following the distant trail of people headed in the same direction. "Their minds rarely last that long."

"Great." Finn groaned.

"The breach is at one of the safest places in the Old World, but do not allow the illusion of safety—"

An ear-piercing roar shattered the glass in the buildings, shaking the ground with enough power to knock a miner off their feet. Draven's head snapped up, his gaze narrowing down on the direction the sound came.

What in the Haven… A creature flew in the sky, thousands of paces away from them. Its red scales shone in the sun, black wings blotting the brightness and casting massive shadows below. It had four limbs, a long neck, and sharp horns adorning its head like a crown.

It's like… him.

There was no mistaking it. The creature in the distance—the hexbeast—bore a striking resemblance to the form Lord Paradius had taken. It was a dragon, and judging by the sheer strength of its roar, it had to be at least an Ascendant hexbeast.

Helvan's hand shot to his blade, alarm written on his face. After a few seconds, he relaxed. The creature did not notice them. "There are ten known hexbeasts that have reached the Ascendance realm. We would do well not to intrude in their territory, at least for now."

Draven found no reason to disagree.

***

Every year, an Incursion occurred to prune the population of hexbeasts that infested the Old World. It was necessary to ensure that Varn'Kess or the Haven was not overrun whenever an outbreak occurred, but it was also dangerous. The possibility of facing an Ascendance was not something most Empyrean would risk.

Draven chuckled at the thought. With the strength he had, it meant certain death.

The Maker was not unaware of it, so he offered a reward not even the richest lords in the Haven would dare overlook. Whoever recorded the most kills into their medallion would gain entrance into the Ark'Ennir Citadel—the greatest library of Empyrean manuals in the Haven.

Second and third place guaranteed a place into Ethernatus's Hierarchy Stand, a tournament with prizes he was unaware of. Still, the mere mention of the name made other people brim with excitement.

An unknown, erratic heartbeat growing closer brought Draven's attention to the ruins ahead.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

"There's one coming our way," he whispered to Helvan.

Helvan drew his sword, but Corvanis raised a hand to stop him. "Let him deal with it. I know you doubt our training session provided enough results. The matter is handled, I assure you."

Draven circulated the hexion inside his body, augmenting his strength. He did not wait for the raven-haired Sovran's confirmation. Instead, he unfolded his Presence, sending tendrils of influence stretching on all sides.

The creature that emerged from the ruined buildings was not like the hexbeast he expected. It walked on two feet, had two elongated arms that ended with sharp claws, and a hunched back that did not look comfortable. It looked human, albeit covered in red skin and black spots.

His Presence touched the humanoid hexbeast. It's not hiding its strength. Despite its shielded astra, its strength remained unconcealed by any complex technique like the Unbreakable Veil. That allowed him to easily perceive its power.

Greater Reverence. Draven walked forward with careful consideration. Nothing to worry about.

The creature lunged at him with blurring speed, aiming a clawed swipe at his leg. Damn, it's fast! Draven sidestepped the attack, punching it in the head while activating Dyad's Vessel's new capabilities.

The hexbeast stumbled with a groan, pivoting its body, aided by the momentum of Draven's attack, and kicked at his chest. The impact pushed him back, unscathed. He could have ended the battle then and there—just one blood spike sent to its back would have done the job.

But he needed the opportunity to refine his strength, acquaint himself with the changes brought by being an Eminence. Corvanis had taught him a lot, but Draven knew the Overseer had been holding back to no end. It was not a battle to the death.

The hexbeast was different.

Without wasting another second, Draven summoned the Art stored within his Az'Tenri Circlet. The gauntlets emerged from his skin, ripping the black robe to shreds, and enveloped his arms to the elbow. His shoes broke apart as scales forged out of refined hexion adorned his skin, exchanging nail for claws.

"Neat trick." Finn whistled.

Draven dashed forward, his claws digging trenches in the black stone underneath. He pulled his arm back for a punch, while a sphere of blood struck the hexbeast in the back, cutting off its retreat.

The fist struck the beast in the face, cracking its jaw on impact as Dyad Vessel amplified the blow. But Draven did not stop there; he kicked the beast off its feet, rotating his body to deliver a devastating jab to its stomach.

This time, the humanoid hexbeast screeched. It gasped for air, eyes bulging out of its sockets. Its chest inflated as steam rose from its greeted teeth.

No! Draven realized it too late.

With a wet roar, the hexbeast sprayed a stream of yellowish liquid forward. He jumped back, raising a shield around himself and another on the path of the liquid, to no avail. The acid ate through hexion like a hot knife carving through ice and splashed on Draven's chest.

"Fuck!" He gritted his teeth as his own flesh melted. Pain almost made him tear his skin out.

Mend! He urged the trickle stolen by his heart to become a stream.

Draven supplied his body with enough hexion to stop the acid on its track, but it took more than what he expected to extricate the substance from his skin. Once he was done, once the pain had vanished, he was no longer in the mood for testing.

He had made a mistake. Again. He was stronger than the hexbeast, far stronger, but underestimating it had still cost him dearly. Draven vowed not to let his arrogance get on the way again.

Will and intent traveled through the tendrils in the blink of an eye, sending two blood spikes shooting at the hexbeast's knees. The creature tried to avoid it, but the earlier damage it had incurred took its toll.

The spikes pierced its flesh, pinning it to the ground, where it thrashed and screamed. Steam arose from the wound, corroding the hexion to a lesser effect than what its attack had.

"That's kind of embarrassing, Draves." Finn snickered. "Thought you'd wipe the floor with the thing."

Draven frowned, and a dozen blood spheres manifested above the hexbeast head before shooting it dead. Its heartbeat ceased to be, and the medallion on his chest grew colder as it registered the outcome of the battle.

One down. A lot more to go.

"A lesson indeed. Never underestimate your foes." Helvan motioned for him to follow. "You are far from the only Empyrean or creature able to fight against a stronger opponent. Never forget that."

"I won't."

Helvan produced a dagger from his Providence and stabbed at the hexbeast's head. Blood and yellow ichor sprayed out, all deftly dodged by the raven-haired Sovran. He prodded along the creature's skull, extracting a black, crude sphere after minutes of searching.

"Absorb this with your Az'Tenri circlet. It is the most efficient way to unlock the traits on your attributes." The Sovran cleaned the knife and then put it away. "Just touch it with your presence and will your Providence to activate."

Draven picked it up, and it took but a nudge of his intent to activate Dyad Vessel. The circlet hummed, creating an attracting force as it began to siphon the hexion out of the hexbeast's core.

"That's easier than I thought—"

"Mine!" A small red serpent burst out of his skin and swallowed the core in one bite. It vanished before even Helvan could react.

Helvan's lips pursed into a thin line of annoyance. "Do you still believe the matter is handled, Corvanis?"

The Overseer looked lost for words.

Draven gritted his teeth, burying his indignation as the beast inside him stole the fruits of his victory.