Haldon moved with a single, blurred step, the death sickle aimed for Hadrian's neck.

The teen did not falter; his expression remained calm. At the last moment, Haldon came to an abrupt stop, the edge of the blade inches from Hadrian's throat.

Then, Haldon stepped back, lowered the sickle, and stood straight, a full head taller than Hadrian.

Flicking his wrist, the death sickle vanished.

Hadrian leaned back against the parapet with a slight grin. "What's the problem? I came to talk," he said.

Haldon's pupils constricted. In the next moment, like someone who'd been holding their breath and suddenly let it out, he seemed to regain control of his body.

"You pulled that same trick," Haldon said, his usual confidence in his voice.

The 'trick' he referred to was the inability to sense Hadrian, even with his spatial sense active.

Of course, that was merely the result of the Mystical Fog Shroud and Haldon's rank.

Hadrian shrugged.

Haldon took a deep breath and looked around. "How did we end up in Tahalyn?" he asked casually, as if speaking to a friend.

"We teleported," Hadrian told him. As expected, Haldon's last memories ended just before he was turned into a vessel.

"You wanted my head. What changed?" Haldon asked, his eyes focusing on the teen in front of him.

"Nothing's changed, I think I got exactly what I wanted." Hadrian said.

"A slave?" Haldon's left eyebrow rose. "So, you're no better."

"A prisoner serving a sentence," Hadrian corrected.

"What's the difference?"

"Perhaps you're right, but it will remain like this until I no longer have a use for you."

"And when is that?"

"I don't know." Hadrian shrugged a single shoulder.

The wind blew through Haldon's hair he'd cut short. Behind them, the procession was moving further away, the distance between them growing.

"Well," Haldon forced a smile, "I should be thankful you kept me alive. You're bound to make a mistake eventually, and I'll be there."

"You won't be the first." Hadrian said, remembering the old witch's threat.

Though Haldon seemed calm, Hadrian could sense the unrest churning within him.

"What now?" Haldon asked, chin held high.

"You said your 'lover' showed interest in you." Hadrian crossed his arms, still leaning on the parapet. "Did he tell you anything else? A method for you to rise in rank, perhaps?"

Haldon's eye muscles twitched at the provocation, but he did his best to maintain his composure.

"Can't you access my memories and make me tell you?" he asked, his smile fading.

"Not all of them." Hadrian shook his head. "Especially not the ones from before you

became a vessel."

To an outsider, they would look like two colleagues discussing business.

Jasmine and Haldon were both of the Space Path; Hadrian suspected Jasmine had planned to nurture Haldon as a prodigy, perhaps sharing knowledge obtained from the witches regarding advancement beyond the fifth and sixth ranks.

"No. Sorry to disappoint," Haldon said.

"Shame."

Listening to the now-distant chants under the livid moonlight, Haldon went quiet for a moment, the night breeze carrying the smell of the sea water to them.

"What happened at the battle?" He asked.

Hadrian considered him for a moment. "Jasmine won," he said. "His ritual was successful."

"Ritual?" A slight crease appeared in Haldon's brow.

"You didn't know either…" Hadrian looked amused. "Yes, a ritual. He sacrificed everyone to rise to Rank Six. If it weren't for me, you would have been sacrificed too."

Haldon looked toward the rooftop, processing the information. "What was the ritual?" he asked in a low voice.

"Do you think I would simply tell you?" Hadrian replied with a touch of contempt, shaking his head.

In truth, he didn't know either; the witch hadn't told him.

"In any case, that shouldn't concern you. We're on the other side of the continent," Hadrian continued. "While you're serving your sentence, you're going to help me with certain matters."

"What matters?"

"You'll help me find the Sisteron. You'll find methods to rise in rank without Pandemonium Realms, easier methods than consuming multiple cores. And once we find them, I'll need a test subject to ensure they work." Hadrian paused. "Which would be you."

Haldon nodded slowly, a short silence passing between them.

"Well, I should be thankful. It's an opportunity for me to grow in power," he said, that familiar grin tugging at his lips.

"One more thing." Hadrian stepped away from the parapet. "Having your right arm and torso torn off is quite… inconvenient."

Haldon's expression turned puzzled.

Suddenly, his body froze, and his right arm jerked out straight.

Hadrian took unhurried steps forward and gripped Haldon's right arm with his left and shoulder with his right.

"An eye for an eye you'd once told me." Hadrian said, then, returning partial control to Haldon and channeling Force Path essence, he ripped the man's hand clean off.

Hadrian leapt back to avoid the spray of blood. He watched as Haldon thrashed in agony, teeth gritted, his body still mostly bound by Hadrian's will.

Hadrian, however, only frowned. It didn't feel the way he had imagined. He had died in a similar manner at the hands of Truston and Haldon, and he'd thought this would feel like justice.

Instead, the scene was more pathetic than satisfying. It felt beneath him.

Before the man could bleed out, Hadrian took full control. Using Substitution with one of the large sea-bird vessel, he closed the grotesque wound, sealing it into a stump.

If he wanted to, he could use Substitution to regrow the arm entirely, just as he would for himself.

He could have used Baruch's Flesh Path essence, but at Rank One, it was incapable of healing such a thing naturally.

Gasping for air, Haldon rose to his knees in the pool of his own blood. His confidence was gone, replaced by raw fear.

Hadrian took a deep breath. "If you prove yourself useful, I might get you another arm. If not, well, you have another arm."

Haldon's pupils darted to his severed hand lying a meter away. His heart hammered against his ribs, nearly breaking out of his chest.

"How do I reach you?" He asked in a shaky voice.

Hadrian let a moment pass.

"Pray."

Next chapter will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.