It started with his hatred of the Supernaturals, especially the Werewolves.
Rex has been an entity that keeps on searching for ways to become stronger and eventually stumbles across the system where the real progress has finally started, he had become very strong to the point of being able to exact revenge on his birth parents' murderers.
But his journey didn't stop there, the world is in need of help and he has the power to do so.
Even if he doesn't want to help mold the world into a better place, the power that he has would not allow him to do that. Rex can try, but he knows that eventually his power would be sought by others and forces him into doing something he doesn't want to.
Just like the tragedy that happened to his foster parents, and Kyran's kidnap.
Maybe at the cost of immense power that is currently dwelling inside of him, he was forced to pay other things in return. It was fine if he was the one to suffer, but the ones suffering are those close to him.
As time passes by, he slowly began to realize that his power is dangerous not only to his enemies.
Now he has to bear the responsibility of keeping the ones close to him safe, he had already lost too much and the path of vengeance is unending. Even now he's still undecided whether he needs to kill Giana to avenge his foster parents or not.
If it was up to him, then he would've. But his mother clearly doesn't by the look of things.
Striding hurriedly through the castle's hall intending to head out, he went over to the courtyard before he brought along Delta with him towards the castle's entrance. But along the way, he met Adhara which is the last thing he wanted.
"Where do you think you're going?" Adhara looked worried as she asked.
Rex didn't bother stopping and kept on walking with Delta following behind him with the same concern depicted in her expression, "I'm going to the Elemental Stone Mine that Devo found. We're going to need a massive amount of Elemental Stones to reach the eighth and even the ninth-rank realm, don't try to stop me" he replied.
Upon hearing this Adhara was speechless, she doesn't know how to react.
On one side she knows that this is necessary as they can't be stagnant in their power progression. But on the other, she can't bear to see Rex going out in his condition that is barely half healed from the state he first got here in.
"Let me come with y-"
Just before Adhara can finish her sentence, Rex already cut her short.
Adhara was stunned when she saw Rex glancing over his shoulder and giving her a sharp glare, his eyes shows that he was not playing around this time and being very serious. "You stay... back!" he said with a loud commanding tone.
With that warning words, she was rooted on her spot and was forced to look at Rex' back.
Even though it was clear that he was in a sour mood ever since the realization that Kyran was kidnapped by the Witch of Chaos instead of the humans, this is definitely over the top. But the more she thought about it, the more she realized that it was actually not an overreaction.
Knowing that the Witch of Chaos is keeping an eye on them, it's natural for him to be like this.
It's evident now that the Humming Damned Forest or even the outside of the castle becomes even more dangerous than they already are. None of the others has any power against curses except for Rex, and he was the only one that can go outside and do the things needed to be done.
Since he has the Eternal Curse, he obviously has the power of a curse inside of him.
Leaving the castle with wide strides, he ignored the group of Supernaturals that are looking at him from below the bridge despite taking mental account that he needs to expand the castle after he got back from inspecting the elemental stone mine.
Upon reaching outside, Rex and Delta landed at the foot of the hill and stopped for a moment.
"I still have the Supernatural corpses that I put away for Gistella from the fight against Queen Catsha and King Baralt. But since she's sick now, I'll just give it to you when we get back, okay?" Rex said while rubbing Delta's back. "For now, you can wear this"
Putting the palm of his hand on Delta's back, a dark glow crawls and envelops Delta's body.
Feeling the cold touch of this dark glow makes Delta wail as she was caught in surprise, but Rex assured her by tapping her back a couple of times, "It's okay, it won't hurt you" he said as the dark glow keeps on spreading.
It didn't take long before the glow disappears once again leaving a plated armor on Delta's body.
Delta's fur was no longer visible. Instead, her white-furred body was completely encased in glossy white armor that shone with a brilliant white and golden luster that let her paws and tail peak through. Her face was also partly visible, with only the area underneath her eyes and above her forehead covered.
Fearing that they might encounter ferocious cursed creatures, he gives Delta some protection.
Rex had to pay an exorbitant 500,000 gold to the system for the Deep-white Integument of Genri armor set. However, it was worth the cost. Not only did it grant a 15% increase in all of Delta's stats, but it also offered basic protection on par with that of seventh-rank equipment and extraordinary defense against cursed energy.
Knowing the things hiding in the shadows of the Humming Damned Forest, this is a necessity.
As she can feel that her entire body was encased by this rejuvenating armor set, Delta wobbled her body a bit trying to get a feel of the armor and finds that none of her movements were restricted. She can move and stretch the same as if she was not wearing any armor.
"Do you like it?" Rex asked, trying to see if she was uncomfortable.
Her howl showed that she was not uncomfortable at all with the armor set on, and this made Rex nod his head before he pointed forward, "If that's the case, then let's go. We'll need to come back before midnight!"
Aoouuu!
With a light howl, Delta's body cracks with white lightning before she dashes into the forest.
Inside the forest, Rex looks up to the sky in search of Devo but he was surprised to see the shattering of the sky has become worst. The feeling of the sky would eventually collapse is getting stronger due to this sight.
'Can't the world not hold our powers? Will it break?' Rex thought with a frown, he's partially at fault.
Rex wondered for a brief moment before he shakes his head, he doesn't have the time to think about these things and needed to focus on the task at hand. If the world was about to collapse, the other forces would be quite hectic right now.
Seeing that there was no indication of ending the war, the world would probably not break.
If so then he would need to watch out for a worldwide phenomenon that would come, the world would definitely experience some changes in response to the power that lies inside of it. Especially the power that the Executor showed.
Calling for Devo, Rex finds his presence watching from the sky.
Giving a slight nod Devo then started to lead them as his body turned into black lightning and cut through the sky, he leads Rex and Delta out of the Humming Damned Forest and into the Dark Elf territory.
But instead of heading to the Dark Elf Kingdom, Devo takes a sharp left away from the kingdom.
Rex instructed him specifically to search for an Elemental Stone Mine that is not inside the territory of the Dark Elf and also doesn't have anyone occupying it, so it makes sense if Devo would lead them out of the Dark Elf territory again.
After about half an hour of quickly dashing through, the three reach a change in terrain.
The dense green forest that they have been traversing through suddenly transmuted into a dreary, rust-colored vista. Rex recalled seeing this type of terrain before, he remembered this from his travels among the Tigerman. From this, he realized that they must have arrived at the border between the Dark Elf and the Tigerman race.
Looking at the far night horizon, he can't help but wonder about something.
'Maybe I'll stop by the Tigerman race after I check the elemental stone mine, checking if King Samobas fulfilled his end of the deal or not. If not then he will be sorry' Rex thought, he then averted his gaze away and signaled to Delta to pick up her pace.
It takes another ten minutes before they arrived at the spot, Rex gets down from Delta's body.
Devo, in his thundering cloudy form, stares steadily at Rex whose face displays a mixture of shock and disbelief. "Am I missing something?" Rex stammers. "This definitely isn't an elemental stone mine" he continues while looking at the weird swirling phenomenon that is displayed in front of his eyes.
"Well, it's natural for someone with a juvenile age like you do not know" Devo commented.
But this makes Rex looks at him with a frown, "Are you looking for a fight? I can still put you back inside and suppress you, in case you forgot about it" he replied with a slight annoyance, he can just ask the system but he was just surprised by this scene.
Not wanting to continue to annoy Rex in case he got suppressed again, Devo then explained.
"Elemental Stones no matter is produced naturally by the world, the level of concentration in a certain place will determine the amount and the nature of the Elemental Stones. But ever since the world become like this, there will be an anomaly such as this where the surrounding mana mutated and caused an Eye of Elemental such as this"
Upon hearing this, Rex looks back at the phenomenon in reflex.
About a mile away from him was a purple tornado that cracks the dimension at the base inside of it. Rex also realized that the surroundings are devoid of mana, and it seems this phenomenon sucked all of the mana and convert them into Elemental Stones.
"Eye of Elemental, huh..." Rex mused while looking at the purple tornado in excitement.
Since it causes a disturbance in the surroundings, this Eye of Elemental should've been relatively new. If he was here late, then others would've probably gotten their hands on it. "I know what you're thinking, you think that you got lucky, right?"
"Am I not lucky to be the first ones here?" Rex asked back, clearly, he was lucky.
Devo then quickly shakes his head when he heard this before he explains again, "Well, yes technically we got lucky to be here first. But even if we're late a month later, the Eye of Elemental would still be here because in order to get the accumulated Elemental Stones one needs to get into the core of the Eye of Elemental"
"It's going to kill anyone below the eighth rank and be excruciatingly painful for the ones stronger. Moreover, you can only get the Elemental Stones inside the Eye of Elemental that you have an affinity with. In short, you can't take other Elemental Stones aside from Lightning and Light elements"
Even though Devo tries to explain clearly and slowly, he finds there was no reaction from Rex.
Rex is putting his finger on his chin while looking at the rampaging Eye of Elemental that threatens to shred anything that gets too close, he seems to be pondering about something. But soon, a nasty grin appears on his face.
"So you're saying that I can get all of the Elemental Stones inside of it?" Rex asked.
Upon hearing this Devo nodded his head in confirmation, "Yes, you definitely can't" he replied.
But this makes the smile on Rex's face spread even wider, he then slowly walks towards the Eye of Elemental before he said with a mocking tone, "If you really think that then let this juvenile enlightens you old fool"