The Heart Of Chaos

Outside the ruins of the once-renowned Arcane Citadel, a small village nestled between the mountains, approximately thirty kilometers away.

Despite its modest size, most commoners found it peaceful to live there due to the abundance of food in the area. An abandoned cottage stood on the outskirts of the village, untouched and unused for years until recently.

"Orin! Go to the marketplace and fetch some food for me, will you?"

Fatty, not one to complain, headed out to get the groceries. Jane, on the other hand, carried a bowl of brewed medicine into one of the rooms.

Inside the room lay two silhouettes. A closer look revealed Abaddon and Orlan, both heavily bandaged.

Jane sighed as she looked at the two with a mix of concern and exhaustion.

"It's been two weeks, and they've shown no signs of movement. Oh, god of Healing and nature, , grant your devoted follower some blessings and save these two."

Jane bent down and sat beside Abaddon, holding a bowl of brewed medicine mixed with healing potions. She began spoon-feeding the unconscious Abaddon.

After finishing with him, she moved to Orlan and repeated the process. Just as she turned to leave the room, she stopped abruptly when Orlan let out a faint cough.

Startled, she quickly rushed to the old man, who seemed to be regaining consciousness. Overwhelmed with joy, she bowed in reverence to the deity she worshipped.

"By the gods, praise be to your name, Goddess Akrithon."

Turning back to Orlan, she saw him slowly open his eyes.

"Ahhh… My head hurts…"

Orlan struggled to rise but found his muscles unresponsive. Turning his blurry gaze toward Jane, he mumbled.

"Help me up... will you?"

Jane quickly complied, helping the old man sit upright.

"You're finally awake, old man. I was starting to lose hope."

As the blurriness in Orlan's vision faded, he focused on her.

"Is… that you, Eleanor...oh its Little Jane.?"

She nodded, grabbing his hand with relief.

"Yes, it's me. Welcome back."

A few minutes after Orlan regained consciousness, the two stood outside the cottage. Orlan spread his arms wide, embracing the fresh air and the feeling of life once more.

Jane watched him with joy as Orlan turned to her, initiating a conversation.

"Where are we, little one?"

"This is a village Fatty and I found during our escape two weeks ago."

She explained.

Orlan blinked in surprise.

"Two weeks? Has it been that long? I hope the young master wakes up soon."

"Young master?"

Jane asked, raising an eyebrow.

Orlan froze, realizing his slip, and looked at Jane with a pale expression.

"Oh… I mean my nephew. I must've hit my head harder than I thought."

"Still trying to hide the fact that Abaddon is from the House of Drakon?"

Jane teased, folding her arms.

Orlan stood stunned as he was hesitant to reply.

"It's fine."

She continued.

"I know. Fatty knows too, so there's no need to keep pretending. What I don't understand is how a noble ended up like this."

"How did you know?"

Orlan asked cautiously.

Jane smiled and took a seat on a nearby rock.

"Apart from the infamous dragon tattoo on his back...Abaddon was personally being sought out by the head of Arcane Citadel himself. That is where we heared some of the soldiers talking about Abaddon's nobility, a lot has happened these past two weeks honestly. But first, tell me—what happened to you two after we got separated?"

Orlan sighed, deciding to come clean.

"You're right; we are from the Drakon Royal Family. That makes the boy a prince of the Avalon Empire. As for your second question…"

He paused, trying to recall.

"After we split up, the myth chased us relentlessly. I remember we found a cave, but after that… everything went dark. The next thing I knew, I woke up here."

Jane eyed him suspiciously but sighed.

"I guess you two must've been knocked out cold by falling rocks. We found you both on the brink of death under the rubble."

"Rubble? When did you two return?"

"After hours of wandering through countless tunnels, we found an exit on the opposite side of the Arcane Citadel. Outside, Fatty spotted another cave. He insisted we check it out, and that's where we found you two."

She continued.

"By then, it was already morning. Luckily, the locks on our legs deactivated—probably due to the destruction of the barrier. We overheard soldiers talking about moving to another hunter post town in the northern lands and working the slaves in the spirit stone mines to death."

"Fatty and I decided to escape, as we wondered through the woods, a passing cart cart stoped to give us a ride. We carried you two along and sold the myths we captured for twenty silver crowns. It wasn't much, but it's kept us alive for the past two weeks."

Orlan smiled and bowed deeply.

"I, Orlan, head steward of the Regent Estate, humbly thank you—not just for saving me, but also for saving the young master's life."

Flustered, Jane waved him off.

"Get up! There's no need for that."

"I know he might seem cold on the outside."

Orlan said thoughtfully.

"but he has a good heart. The world's cruelty shaped him into what he is now. Still, it's rare to find such loyal friends. In all my years of life, I can say one thing with certainty: your decision to help him will be the greatest choice you ever made."

His words carried the wisdom of a saint, and Jane couldn't help but feel moved.

Just then, from behind the bushes, Fatty's voice cried out.

"OLD MAN!"

The round figure rushed forward, embracing Orlan with unrestrained emotion.

The only one left unconscious was Abaddon.

[The Soul Plane Realm]

"Where am I? Didn't that Primordial promise to return me to life? Or was he just toying with me? No… there's no reason for him to lie and offer such a generous gift."

Abaddon looked around the void.

"I guess I'm still here because the merging isn't complete yet. I'll have to wait a little longer."

Back in the village, It was already morning. Fatty and Orlan visited a potion shop to buy healing potions and food items, while Jane stayed behind to tend to Abaddon and prepare the meal for the day.

Meanwhile, in the village, Fatty and Orlan were seen standing In front of a potion shop.

"Argh, mister! How can you sell a special-grade vitality potion for two silver crowns? That's daylight robbery!"

Fatty angrily yelled at the shopkeeper, who didn't seem to care.

"Like I said, all my potions are top quality. Go ahead, ask anyone in the whole village. I ship them from one of the best Herbal Towers in the city. Do you even know what that means, brat?"

The shopkeeper paused, turning to face Fatty and Orlan.

"It means I get to charge more. The risk of traveling through these woods, my safety as a merchant, and who knows what else—so shush! If you can't afford it, just leave."

"Argh, you damn scoundrel!"

Orlan, watching the two bicker, finally calmed Fatty down. Then he turned his attention to the shopkeeper.

"We'll buy it—but we'll also buy five different types of potions, all special-grade tier-two."

Both Fatty and the shopkeeper looked at Orlan in shock. Fatty, looking like his soul had left his body, asked in a trembling voice.

"Old man, what are you doing…? We'll go bankrupt!"

Nearby villagers, equally stunned, began murmuring amongst themselves.

But Orlan calmly pulled out a pouch full of money. The shopkeeper's attitude immediately shifted, a greedy smile spreading across his face as his eyes gleamed at the sight of the coins.

"You're much smarter than this brat. What types of special-grade tier-two potions do you require, elder?"

"One vitality potion, one energy-gathering elixir, a recovery potion, a blood-boosting potion, and a cleansing heart potion."

Orlan replied.

The shopkeeper's mouth dropped open at the request. After a moment of hesitation, he said.

"Elder, apart from the vitality potion, the others are extremely rare. I only have one of each in my shop. If I sell them, I'll lose customers!"

Orlan sighed and shook the pouch of coins lightly, the clinking sound forcing the shopkeeper to rethink.

"So, what's it going to be?"

With no choice, the shopkeeper grumbled and went into the back of the shop to retrieve the requested items. Fatty turned to Orlan with wide eyes, full of questions, but Orlan only smiled.

"Just wait. You'll see."

After much shuffling and the sound of objects being thrown around, the shopkeeper finally returned with the potions.

"Here you go. All items are set."

Orlan smiled.

"How much will that cost?"

The shopkeeper began calculating on his fingers.

"That will be fifteen silver crowns, elder."

Orlan stretched out his hand to give the pouch to the shopkeeper but stopped midway, leaving both the shopkeeper and Fatty confused.

"Oh, I'm sorry, what about the discount? According to your signboard, anyone who buys two special-grade tier-two potions and one elixir gets ninety percent off, no matter the other items. Right?"

The shopkeeper froze, his eyes widening as if struck by lightning. The nearby villagers murmured in agreement.

"Yes, that's what he said."

The shopkeeper stood speechless, cursing internally.

'Damn this old man! I'd completely forgotten about that stupid rule. I made it because I thought no one in this village could afford such items! But if I refuse, I might lose even more customers.'

"Sigh..."

Reluctantly, he declared.

"Fine. You'll get the ninety percent discount. Your total will be one silver crown and three copper."

Fatty's face lit up with joy as Orlan handed two silver crowns to the shopkeeper and turned to leave.

"Keep the change, and thanks for the fair trade. We'll come by next time."

Fatty smirked at the shopkeeper teasingly.

"See you soon… hehehe!"

Back at the cottage, Jane served the food with excitement.

"I can't believe you two got such potions for just two silver crowns!"

Fatty, stuffing his mouth with food, mumbled.

"I know, right? It was all thanks to the old man. He finally gave that shopkeeper a taste of his own medicine!"

After eating, the three went to where Abaddon lay unconscious. Orlan brought out the potions and handed them to Jane.

"I think it's best if you give him the potions yourself."

Orlan said.

Jane turned to him, shocked.

"All the potions at the same time? That's suicide! His body can't handle so much energy!"

Fatty nodded in agreement, but Orlan shook his head.

"Of course, if these were random potions, he'd die. But among nobles, there's a teaching about Potion Synchronization."

Confused, Jane asked.

"What's that?"

"It's the process of taking multiple potions simultaneously to trigger a special effect. The condition is that all the potions must be compatible, which neutralizes the side effects and multiplies the positive effects. However, it's rare because even the smallest mistake can lead to death. It's hard to identify which potions can synchronize, so people avoid the risk. In this case, trust me—I know what I'm doing."

Jane hesitated but eventually nodded.

"If you're that confident, old man, I'll trust you."

With a nod, Orlan gave his instructions.

"First, feed him the energy-gathering elixir to stimulate his cells and prepare his body to combat the effects of the other potions. Then, give him the blood-boosting potion to enhance blood flow, followed by the vitality potion to aid recovery. Add the recovery potion to speed up the process. Finally, give him the cleansing heart potion—it'll quicken his heartbeat for five minutes, shocking the body into full alertness and activating all his nerves."

Jane followed the steps carefully, wiping sweat from her brow.

"It's done, old man."

As Orlan predicted, a green energy surrounded Abaddon's body, gradually healing him. Fatty and Jane stared in awe as his fingers began to twitch.

"He's moving!"

Jane exclaimed in joy. Fatty nodded, his eyes wide.

Orlan, however, watched with a concerned look.

As Abaddon continued to heal, elsewhere in the soul plane, his voice echoed.

"Finally the merging is complete. It's time to return."