Devourer System : Infinite Paths

Draven spoke highly of Dark because he was not only the single known entity to have left the galaxy but also returned sometime later, which was an impressive feat since no one could leave or enter the galaxy.

So, the accounts of his journey were considered among the most valued by the powers that ruled the galaxy since they gave a perspective of what the grand cosmos was like and how to reach it, the vast universe everyone at the peak of power wished to explore.

It was unknown when Dark left or returned to the galaxy since, according to Draven, from as far back as history can be dated, fragments of the Dark tablets have always existed, guiding civilizations to the path of power and teaching them everything from skills to languages.

Dark was one of the most influential figures in the galaxy's history, and fragments of his tablet were among the most desirable things, each worth more than mountains of treasures.

So finding one was extremely rare, even more so than getting chosen by a king-grade system since, by now, the majority of tablet fragments were in the hands of powerful people and empires.

The fragment they got held some knowledge they could not access, not even Draven, and only after reaching a certain level of strength would they meet the condition to learn its secret.

So, for the foreseeable future, it was not of any use to them, but still, Nero was excited, smiling ear to ear because just learning about such a legend was worth it for him.

Now having taken care of everything, they began their journey to the city of Gilded Chains, which was located in the central area of the human continent. To reach it, they first had to stop at one of the major cities and use teleportation.

Draven kept control over the body and began to make his way to the nearest city. He cut through mountains in their way using the short-distance teleportation scrolls he made, shortening their travel time by a third.

It took him just three hours to reach the city. On their way, Nero asked about their next move, and Draven explained their next target and the reason for making contact with Marchioness Marcie, a Noble of the family of Valtheron Syndicate.

The Family controlled everything related to the domain of Mining, Slavery, and Labor, and Draven's reasoning for making contact with a Marchioness of such a family was because he wanted someone specific found, a slave who would acquire a King or maybe a primordial grade system.

Nero was intrigued by his uncertainty and asked about the system and his plans for it since any system that had caught his eye would surely not be weak.

Draven explained that the system controlled some aspects of fire, and its holder was an abnormal human, a female named Mira Phoenix, who carried the bloodline of the now-extinct clan.

He himself did not know much about either the female or the system, and his plan for her was also not set in stone, but finding her was an absolute necessity, which is why he was going slightly out of his way.

She was not the only reason for visiting one of the biggest slave cities, as Draven also planned to acquire three systems. Two of them were high-end, Awakened-grade systems, one based on Slicing and the other on Vibration.

The third one was an Apex grade system that used the aspect of vector control, manipulating motion, velocity, and force to create skills that granted control over speed at a limited scale.

He did not explain any further, but Nero did not have to think hard to know that they were going to kill people and devour their systems, and while he did feel a bit uneasy, he had no problem with it unless their targets were innocent.

The teleportation transport worked by going to an official building with multiple floors, offering three grades of services, from common transport to luxury and even private. 

Once the fee was paid, the individual was given a ticket that guided them to their assigned floor and chamber. Depending on the tear, one would have to wait anywhere from a few days to a few minutes.

Each teleportation costs a lot, so in common grade, a hundred people would need to register, paying the fees upfront for the same destination, before the process could be initiated, which could take a few days to a few weeks, depending on the city.

The luxury grade required the registration of only ten individuals, while the private grade needed just one. After inquiring around, Draven was forced to purchase a private teleportation, costing him a hefty sum of six thousand gold coins.

The reason for such cost was because they were at the edge of the outer ring of the empire or lower plane, and they needed to go to the core area or the central plane, and the sheer distance between the two places was thousands of kilometers.

After a few moments of staring at the blurred distortion of space, the scene shifted, revealing a small chamber bathed in the soft glow of light crystals, with plush, cushioned sofas neatly arranged along its walls.

Once Draven left the chamber, Nero was left speechless. The floor stretched for nearly a hundred meters, housing a few dozen such chambers, and it was bustling with activity.

Dozens of individuals, both human and other, were crowding the floor, having discussions or making their way down using the four magic elevators.

It was his first time seeing Elves and Beastmen, species he had only ever read about in books, and they were as different and amazing as the text described them. But what surprised him even more than the other races were the humans. 

Individuals who, by race, were the same as him, yet they looked so different than people he was used to seeing, as their attire was intricately crafted. Their very presence carried an aura of authority and refinement that felt almost alien to him.

They were not ordinary people. They were individuals with strength, the one thing that decided one's status in this world.

Draven took the elevator down to the first floor, a place a few times larger than the floor they came from. It was a bustling hub alive with activity, with tens of elevators lining both sides of the massive hall, their doors opening and closing in a constant rhythm as people stepped in and out. 

The forefront was lined with tens of counters, each having a long line before it, with every line only having one hundred or fewer people in it, no matter if it was common or luxury, and as for private, Nero did not see any counters for it.

As Draven left the building, Nero was welcomed by the clear blue sky, dotted with flowing white clouds and packs of exotic birds he had never seen before.

The next thing he noticed was the wide road stretching before him, paved with dark marble veined with silver cracks that shimmered like starlight. Its sides were lined with intricately crafted light poles and massive stone marvels, buildings that stretched for dozens of feet.

But the real shock came when Draven turned around and looked up. Far in the distance, he saw a massive building that could only be described as a palace with its awe-inspiring grandeur.

A palace of white and starry silver, its tall spires stretching toward the sky, while intricate stonework decorates every inch of its facade, with arches, windows, and buttresses etched in mesmerizing detail.

A blend of old and modern beauty, the white marble lining its walls gleams beneath the light like a polished gem, while the silver accents trace its edges with an elegant, sparkling brilliance.

Draven moved toward the place, scanning the area as he searched for something. By this point, Nero was so absorbed in watching the city that he paid no attention to anything else.

Nero only fully came back to his senses when Draven was done booking a room in a hotel. While he had the urge to ask him what happened when he was lost in observing the city's life, he decided to first think to see if he could remember anything.

The memories were vague since he was paying less attention to what Draven did and more to the things around him. He only remembered the life of the large-scale city and observed other races up close, especially the cat lady at the adventurer store.

Once he remembered the cat lady, Nero also remembered that Draven had gone to an adventurer store and bought many items, including an Epic-grade rune pen, a new mask, a few sets of cloaths, an armor set, and a few other items.