NOVEL NEXT Chapter 326: Let me give you a name
The shard of fate belonging to Jankos, like a piece of glass, floated in midair before him.
Jankos was in such pain that his teeth clenched tightly, sweat pouring off him like rain, and the veins on his neck stood out clearly, like tangled roots.
The shard of fate suddenly transformed into countless motes of light, which began to restructure themselves once more, becoming mystical magical symbols.
Those symbols surrounded Jankos's entire body, beginning to transform him.
An image resembling an insect suddenly appeared above Jankos's head.
The image was extremely faint, as though shrouded by thick fog—only the head was visible.
It lowered its head, gazing at Jankos, its eyes filled with greed and disdain, as if it were looking at a piece of garbage.
Then, it turned into a wisp of smoke, slowly merging into Jankos's body.
"AGH!" Jankos felt even more pain, as if his body was about to explode.
He clutched his head with both hands, hoping to lessen the agony, but it was all in vain.
Fresh blood poured from his eyes, nose, ears, and mouth, drenching his face in blood.
"Huew!" Jankos suddenly opened his mouth wide, vomiting out a chunk of bright red flesh that was still moving.
Startled, he looked closer and realized it was his own stomach.
Jankos was terrified, his face twisted in utter horror, but he could not stop.
The nausea returned; he opened his mouth and vomited out all his internal organs.
The blood and flesh he spewed out formed a chaotic pile like red mud, exuding a horrific stench.
Jankos was so frightened he was in utter despair—he never imagined he would suddenly encounter something so horrific.
He half-closed his eyes, and just as he thought death was coming to claim his life, the magical symbols clinging to his body suddenly turned into a magical cocoon, wrapping around him completely.
...
At this moment, Noan naturally could not sense what the other 'Fate Holders' were experiencing.
However, in that brief instant, as the dragon-skull-shaped gate was opened, he was startled to find himself being pulled into a pitch-black space.
🔔 [You have used a listening attempt.]
Noan frowned as the notification from the System appeared before him.
He knew he still had one listening attempt left unused, but now he was being pulled into this strange space.
'It seems… I've been forced to use my remaining listening attempt,' Noan thought to himself.
Then he looked around, feeling that this place seemed somewhat familiar, and muttered, "This place is…"
"We meet again."
A feminine voice rang out—filled with allure but also with tremendous authority.
Noan recognized that voice. He sighed and said, "You've dragged me into quite a terrifying mess, Fate Hunter."
Before him stood the upper body of a gigantic woman, bound by black chains in the midst of this dark space.
Her abdomen resembled a shattered vase—not grotesque as in horror films, but radiating a high degree of artistry.
Her face was still as beautiful and flawless as when Noan had seen her before.
She heard Noan's words. Instead of anger, a gentle smile appeared on her face. "So you've figured it out?"
Noan shrugged. "Not exactly everything, but… I do know a bit. Still… I'm not certain."
"But the words you just spoke confirmed my suspicions. You really are the Fate Hunter."
The woman smiled and nodded gently. "That's right. I had no intention of deceiving you."
Noan could sense the sincerity, sadness, and weariness in her gaze.
But when her eyes met his, he caught a glimmer of hope there, like a person adrift at sea spotting a lifeboat.
"Sorry for keeping it from you," she said, her voice tinged with a hidden regret.
Noan sighed and waved his hand dismissively. "Alright, but what good is your apology now?"
"At the very least, shouldn't you offer me some sort of benefit? After all, I'm the one inheriting your will. If I don't get any perks, how can I stand against those Fate Holders?"
That gentle smile grew on her lips, her face reflecting a sense of satisfaction. "Thank you. But… I can't help you too much."
"If I intervene too deeply, those rotten gods will notice both your existence and mine."
"At that point, you'll face even greater danger."
"Ah!" Noan found this a bit odd. "So you mean… those gods still haven't noticed my existence?"
"Not exactly," the woman explained. "Those rotten gods might have sensed your presence."
"But in their eyes, you're not dangerous enough to warrant their attention."
"Besides, they're still slumbering after the previous war. As long as you don't interfere too much with their plans, they… won't intervene, nor will they bother to notice you."
"Ah." Noan nodded lightly, as if understanding. "So, in their eyes, I'm nothing more than an insignificant ant."
"Well, that's fine. It just means I'll have more time to grow. After all, I'm still far too weak right now."
The mysterious woman suddenly broke into a bright smile. "Of course, I won't let you struggle alone."
Just then, Noan's bracelet suddenly came apart, then reassembled itself into a cube.
That's right, it was the Abyss Cube.
That was both his Hero and his weapon, but he could not evolve the Abyss Cube, because the condition for evolution required an Abyss Crystal.
Of course, he hadn't been able to find such a crystal, so until now, even though the Abyss Cube had reached level 5, it was still only Rank D.
At this moment, the Abyss Cube suddenly emitted a dazzling blood-red light, with magic circles appearing and swirling around it.
A while later, the magic circles disappeared, along with the light radiating from the Abyss Cube.
Yet Noan could sense… the energy emanating from the Abyss Cube was utterly unique and strange.
It was a vast energy, like a volcano on the verge of erupting.
[🔔! Your Abyss Cube has successfully evolved.
Name: Abyss Cube
Type: Hero
Rank: B
Description: Although a Hero, Abyss Cube functions much like a weapon.
When the Lord carries it (in any form), their strength increases by 50% and they can ignore all magic or defensive equipment of rank B or lower.
Soldiers and Heroes owned by the Lord receive a 25% increase in strength and a 25% increase in their ability to bypass magic/defensive gear.
*Note: This Hero currently cannot evolve.]
Seeing the Abyss Cube's description, Noan immediately felt joy. He looked at the woman, and with satisfaction, said, "Hahaha… thank you."
"This is my duty," she replied, her voice and eyes filled with gentleness. "I'm sorry to burden you with such a heavy mission."
Hearing this, Noan sighed and waved his hand. "Alright, let's not talk about that. When I came to this world, I already knew there's no such thing as a free meal."
"I can also sense that endlessly running away isn't the best way to escape trouble. I'll face it."
"At the very least… I have someone to support me, right?"
The mysterious woman nodded, smiling, "That's right. For now, I can't tell you all the secrets of this world."
"When you become stronger, I promise I'll tell you everything."
Noan nodded and said, "If telling me now would put me in danger, then there's no need."
"For now, I just need to know who I'm fighting, who my enemies and allies are. That's enough."
"Ah! Wait! I still don't know your name."
Hearing this, a hint of sorrow flashed across her face. "I… I don't have a name."
"Heh!? How can that be…" Noan said in confusion. "You really don't have a name?"
"That's right." The woman nodded gently and said, "Though, it's not that I never had a name. It's just been so long… I've forgotten what it was."
"Everyone calls me Fate Hunter, or sometimes Betrayer."
Upon hearing this, Noan tilted his head, frowned, thought for a moment, and then said, "Then… let me give you a name."