Chapter 35: I Only Need One

Nolan's eyes almost popped out of its sockets when he saw Kyran being wrapped by a purple disc, then in the next instant, he had stepped out of the fissure blocking the main entrance.

'Did he just warp?' He wondered, unable to control his excitement.

It has to be said that warping and teleporting are different. Teleporting is done by shortening distances using space magic while warping is distorting space itself that can only be used with void magic. What makes warp better than teleportation is it can travel at a greater distance and at a more specific location.

When he directed Kyran's escape back at the Mercenary Hall, this was what he was trying to achieve. His target was to make Celine think Kyran already had higher attainment in Void magic.

After all, Nolan believed that eventually, Kyran would be able to learn it. He did not know that this kid could already do it!

'The f*ck kid, why did you not tell me?' Nolan cursed, but he was grinning like an idiot. From the time he had first seen Kyran used his magic, Nolan had been drawn to his potential But now, his magic usage clearly defied common sense.

Kyran only started learning about his magic and yet he was able to do a lot of the known ability of Void magic. Nolan really could not gauge Kyran's level!

"Since I told you my plans, you think I'd just let you leave without any insurance?" Kyran's voice had turned cold. "You said you will talk to the President, but how will I know that you will not sell me out to the Royal Army?"

"We won't! The President really wants you to know that the Mercenary Hall-."

"You keep on saying the President. What, you can't even say your own opinion?"

"No. I mean. Of course, the President's words are absolute. I just think it is better that you are aware there is a higher man up our Hall that is really on your side."

Kyran sneered, "From wanting to help me, to being on my side? Are you such an inconsistent person?"

Dante took off his greatsword and directed it at Kyran.

"You! Stop disrespecting the Hall Ma–!"

Before Dante could finish his sentence, Kyran suddenly moved, he struck the dull side of the greatsword using his left hand, forcing it on the ground while shifting his weight on his waist as he turned and punch Dante's side torso.

"Gwah!"

Dante spat a mouthful of blood as he barely activated the armor he got from the Mercenary Hall before Kyran's punch fell.

This armor was a simple leather tunic he wore beneath his usual armor. In normal circumstances, without activating the armor's effect, because of its special material, it should have been able to withstand any physical attack. But Dante was shocked to find that Kyran's strength seemed to have gotten stronger compared to when he fought him at the Mercenary Hall.

Dante was thrown to the side and he coughed out more blood as he crashed on the wall. He lost grip on his greatsword as he fell on the ground and the wall crumbled down on him.

"Dante!" Celine was shocked.

She knew Dante was wearing a high-grade leather tunic from the Mercenary Hall's armory. It was also imbued with great magic and physical resistance. For him to still get hurt, just how powerful was Kyran's physical strength?

"Uninvited guests should keep their mouth shut," Kyran told Dante indifferently.

Celine urgently urged her magic and aimed it at Kyran, "Stop. Don't hurt him!"

"It's you who should stop," Kyran said and turned to face Celine. He glared at her fiercely, "I hate how you've been using your magic to invade my senses since earlier."

Celine took a sharp breath. It was true that she had used 80% of her magic just now, but for Kyran to realize she had been using it even with less than 1%? Was his magic sense also powerful?

"Alright. I'll stop. But don't hurt Dante. He is only here as an escort. We don't have any intention of fighting you... please," she pleaded.

This time Celine no longer cared about keeping appearances. She had come to really fear Kyran. When he came out of the fissure, she actually thought she was looking at death.

Back at the Mercenary Hall when Kyran used his magic to escape, they thought it was a simple teleportation skill. Clearly, what he did just now, was not simple teleportation.

It was the infamous warp ability of Void magic.

How many nations had fallen because of this particular ability of the Dark Sage during the Chaos Reign era?

If Celine doubted Kyran's magic before, now she was 100% convinced.

Kyran's glare eased up, but he did not let down his guard. Most females he had met outside the Regis Estate were treacherous and two-faced. Once you showed a lenient attitude, they would take advantage of you and bleed you dry.

"You should have considered that before coming here," he told her.

"I am to blame, I was conceited to think I can convince you. I did use my magic, but only so you will listen until the end," Celine admitted while also looking at the rubble where Dante was buried. She urged her magic sense to check his condition.

Kyran felt her magic retreating and knew she was sincere enough. But he still felt two faint magic fluctuations. He knew the other one came from Nolan, but the other vaguely felt the same as Celine's magic. Then he noticed how she kept on looking at the rubble behind him.

"Do you even have the leisure to worry about your escort?" Kyran asked and took a step toward Celine.

Immediately, Celine took a step back. "I-I'm sorry. But Dante... he... his family... I at least had to..."

Kyran's eyes narrowed.

The look of fear, panic, and worry on Celine's face was not an act. But Kyran was not in the mood to be sympathetic. The lives of thousands of his clansmen and family were on his shoulders at this moment. Why would he care about a stranger's family?

"You're not taking me seriously, are you?" Kyran's voice deepened as he took another step toward Celine.

"T-That's not it! I just–," Celine immediately bit back the words she was about to say when she saw the murderous glint in Kyran's eyes.

"All the things I said, is it all a joke to you?"

"N-No. I just think we should not jump to conclusions. What I mean is," Celine hastily added when she sensed Kyran's mood worsen. "We should first confirm the Regis Clan's current status before deciding on the next course of action–."

"You know what I don't have right now, Hall Master?" Kyran interrupted her.

"W-What?"

"Time. Right now, my strong belief that the Regis Clan will not fall easily is the sole reason why I can hang on to my sanity. I tell myself that if the army had already taken everyone they would've used them against me by now. But they haven't. Yet. And for how long, I don't know. What I do know, it is just a matter of time. A matter of time where the army will dispatch more of their forces. A matter of time where my clan exhaust themselves. A matter of time before everyone is..."

Kyran clenched his fist.

Celine also fell silent. Although Kyran looked fierce right now, through her magic sense, she knew he was despairing.

"You said your President is willing to help by pretending the army is still in control of the situation. Because if not, the Emperor himself might be pressured by the public and will order the execution of my Clan." Kyran suddenly scoffed, "When did the public's opinion matter to the Emperor? Even if it does, would the public really want the execution of my Clan? Or mine? And who would want that? The masses or the nobles? How about those groups who had been waiting for a chance to take revenge on the army? No, make that the Royal Family. Would they want me dead? Someone who can give them that chance they are waiting for?"

Celine's eyes grew wide. He had a point. There would definitely be mixed opinions. There would be some who would want Kyran to be captured as soon as possible because his threat was larger than the Regis Clan. The majority of them would be the nobles. Because even if Kyran was a Regis, their influence among the nobles had declined after they became a recluse. Of course, there would also be people who would prefer to 'wait and see'. Or those who did not care what would happen. And then there were those who would take advantage of the situation and take revenge on the Royal Family. They were the groups Kyran had spoken of. They hated the Royal Family for their oppression of anyone who practiced forbidden magic. Celine had an inkling that the majority would fall in the latter. After all, there were those who were wrongly accused and the army almost wiped them out.

"If the Mercenary Hall will play safe and not tell the truth to the public, who will benefit the most? There is also this big question that I know you guys also thought of. Why the army does not want the public to know about me. And why they want me alive."

"T-That's..." Celine also wondered that. But because the big picture had not been clear to her, she had forgotten about it. Now that Kyran had brought it up, it made her think again. Normally, the army would want him dead, right?

"Now tell me. Do you think the decision of your President can really help me?"

Celine fell silent. After Kyran pointed all of that, she also wondered if playing along the army's scheme was the right thing to do. Wouldn't they only give the army more time to cover any loose ends or even secretly wipe the whole Regis Clan? If they exposed their scheme, the army would have to put a lot of effort in order to control the spread of the information. Then their focus on the Regis Clan would lessen. Although, Kyran himself would be exposed to all sorts of danger.

For the sake of his Clan, however, the dangers directed at him probably did not matter.

After a few seconds and Celine still did not reply, Kyran took a deep breath and said. "Let's stop here. If you can't make a decision, then don't waste my time. I'll just ask your President or your Chairman or whoever who can make a decision, by myself."

Celine finally snapped out of her thoughts and hastily said, "I-It's not like that. I can go back and talk to the President immediately. I will tell him what you think and–."

"I already told you I don't have the time."

"Then I'll bring you with me. I'll arrange for your meeting with the President o-or even the Chairman if you'd prefer that–."

"There is a much faster way to make them come find me themselves."

"Then tell me I will–."

"I only need one."

"One? Which one?"

"A Death," Kyran's reddish-purple eyes glinted ferociously as he stared straight at Celine's eyes. "If I kill you here, they will surely act, right? After all, you are a Hall Master."

Celine paled in an instance.