Killed Me? Now I Have Your Power

Histories were usually shrouded in a thick fog of time that refused anything, or anyone, the right to know as much as they wished.

But legends existed. And though they might not be the truth, there was always something to ponder upon.

And one particular legend was one people often questioned the legitimacy of.

And rightfully so.

Legend says that the Celestial Empire was not always the powerhouse it became. Back in the days when the first Emperor, Vesper Asterion, conquered the land and drove away the one most called the Enlightened Monster, the Empire was nothing more than a small piece of land, one the surrounding powers sought to devour like ravenous beasts.

But they never succeeded.

Vesper Asterion always found a way to evade the fate of being annexed by others, and the fate of complete annihilation.

It was as if he were guided by something invisible, something none of them could perceive.

In those days, rumors spread of Vesper praying every night beneath the stars, his head bowed, his voice low, his faith unwavering. Soon, the people began to whisper that the stars guided him, that it was the stars themselves that revealed paths through danger and misfortune, allowing his people to lay the foundation of what would one day become their world.

Those who believed and prayed to the stars began to rise in status and devotion, worshipping them as divine symbols of fate and guidance. Yet, the more time passed, the fewer stars could be seen in the night sky, and the weaker Vesper Asterion became.

Sensing his near end, he eventually took three wives from among his companions and founded three different families.

One took over the Empire, bearing the rightful name Asterion, as commanded by Vesper, The Knower of Stars.

Another chose to remain in the shadows, a silent supporter known as the Moonborn, the lover of the moon.

And the last one…

That family was different. No one knew much about them except that their members were called the Vessels of Stars… the Starborn.

Together, the three became the foundation upon which the Celestial Empire was built. And in time, that fragile piece of land grew into the great powerhouse known across history.

But as centuries passed, and as Vesper's legend faded into myth, the truth of the stars and their worship began to vanish. The Starborn slowly disappeared from the world, for some reason. The descendants of the Worshippers of Stars abandoned the legacy of their forefathers, letting their knowledge dissolve into children's tales and bedtime myths.

Everyone forgot, except for one family.

The family that embodied the time when the stars shone their brightest…

The Moonborn.

They still believed in the stars' guidance, and how could they not?

"I hope the Starlight Shard I stole from our family heirloom wasn't for nothing… and that the stories my mother cherished weren't lies," Mahina said, clenching her fists until the sound of cracking bones echoed through the air.

She stood high above the sky of Asterion, unseen by all because of the blue light cloaking her body, looking down at the bustling city with lips pressed into a thin line, struggling to steady her emotions.

She had just felt her intent being used, which could only mean one thing.

The boy was awake.

The boy who, according to the Starlight Shard she had used, was destined to be the key in this game of thrones.

How ironic, that the only path she sought to avoid bloodshed among her children was through the intervention of a child born into a barbaric family whose members cared only for war and battle.

But maybe that was exactly why.

'That boy was different… his Will was high. Yes, it must be possible. If the stars said so, then it's him.'

Only she wasn't sure. The Starlight Shard she had was incomplete, meaning the path it revealed was not whole…it was something that could bring unnecessary consequences.

And what the stars said at that time was only:

"Starlight Shard. Mad Sun Emperor. Last born of one… the fragmented bloodline of ****, Warborn."

It was cryptic, but Mahina studied everything she could to reconstruct the missing information. She thought the words meant for a Warborn to obtain the Starlight Shard from the Mad Sun Emperor's remains.

That was all she could conclude, and she decided to bet on it.

It was a path she discovered fifteen years ago, the day Sora was born and she recognized her Sun inheritance, the day she knew battle among her children was inevitable.

Still…

'I hope there will be no Warborn aside from him, and that boy Dain did not lie to me. And I hope I'm not making a mistake… otherwise all of this would be for nothing.'

And she hoped… she hoped the legend of the Starlight Shard was true.

She was just hoping, the one thing she hated most to do. But she had done everything she deemed necessary, even going against the Asterions' iron rule to not invoke a foreigner outside their empire in their game of thrones.

She broke the rule, something Luminary would never allow. But she had no choice. Her son wanted the throne, believing it was his destiny, and her husband wanted the Sun to rule, forcing her daughter to stand against her brother.

Luminary was too optimistic if he thought this would end without bloodshed and bitter feelings between the children.

And that outcome was something she would not accept.

So here she was, making choices for her family. Questionable ones, perhaps. But sometimes there were no other choices except those deemed bad.

Mahina sighed and raised her head to the blue sky above, staring at the golden sun with a hard wistfulness. "You better be the one, boy."

"Or not only your brother will die. But you too," she added coldly.

If he failed, she would erase the Warborn brothers so that her actions would remain unknown.

So he better be the one…

Otherwise she would annihilate the entire Warborn line, all in the name of justice for stealing their mythical artifact.

And the world would allow it.

The moment that thought formed in her mind, the world paused completely. Nothing moved, not even molecules budged.

Mahina herself hung like a statue in the air, shrouded in blue light, and the reason was simple…

Kaden had died.

…

"Did I just get killed by intent?" Kaden muttered, his expression blank with disbelief. He never thought a day would come when he'd face an intent strong enough to kill him outright.

In fact, for him, it wasn't even supposed to be possible.

Arrogance or ignorance? Sometimes the line between the two blurred.

But now Kaden knew it was possible, and by knowing that, he also realized something else: it had been far too long since his intents had grown in proficiency.

His Crimson Sword Intent and Herald of Death Intent had both reached the True Intent stage. He thought that was already impressive for his level…and it was.

But when you constantly clashed with powers far older, deeper, and more terrible than yourself… being above average was never enough. You had to go higher. Far higher.

And that was perfect.

"What better way to train my intent than in a place overflowing with it?" he muttered, a faint smile curling his lips.

Only then did Death spoke…

[You have been killed. At what time do you wish to return?]

"Hm…" Kaden hesitated, tempted to go back before all of this happened. But curiosity gnawed at him. He wanted to know what the Starlight Shard truly was and who exactly the Mad Sun Emperor had been.

And if he was right… if the Mad was a myth…

…then this might just be his next path to Grandmaster.

He couldn't miss this opportunity.

So he smiled. "This looks like a treasure chest to me. So much intent and even a possible myth… sigh… I knew the gods loved me. They were just too shy to show it openly. The contrary would've been unrealistic."

He was a good child, after all. True, he didn't worship any of them but hey, he wasn't cursing them either, right?

Always better to see the bright side of things.

Decision made, Kaden gave his command to Death.

"The moment I wake up in that place," he said calmly. "And stats, please. I need stats first."

He had around 368 stat points right now, enough to surpass three stats. He needed more. And considering the massive gulf between the Mad Sun Emperor and himself, just in terms of intent alone…

…he had high hopes.

[DING! As you will.]

[You were killed by the intent of The Mad Sun Emperor. You have obtained 200 neutral stat points.]

Kaden smiled. One more death, and he'd have everything he needed. And after that… if he kept dying?

Maybe he could get something else out of it.

Origin. Bloodline. Trait. Information.

'Hm, so many options,' he thought, his smile widening. 'But I need to pay attention to my Death Coins. I'm about to enter a Grandmaster-level quest with a mystic stone if I am right… I can't afford a true death.'

And yet, Kaden also knew he could allow himself some small indulgences.

He smirked faintly.

"Isn't that what the wise always said? If you're using someone… be prepared to be used as well, right?"

By the time he left this place, Mahina would regret ever sending him here.

His decisions made, he spoke with calm resolve:

"Revive me, Death."

[Cost: 500.]

Tick—!

Time moved backward.

And the paused world began to move once again.

—End of Chapter 296—