SWNOVELXO Chapter 138: Dancing in a Minefield
The Sea of Quanta froze, silent and deep, punctuated only by the gurgle of shifting energies.
Then, space tore open, and an endless black tide poured out, spreading and writhing like an invisible monster.
Gritting his teeth, Ren grasped the ice spear impaling him, shattering it with a burst of strength.
Showing no anger, he even smiled. The hole in his chest didn't bleed; the wound had instantly frozen. He turned, looking up at the descending black tide and the white-haired man within.
"Kevin."
Humanity's strongest warrior, and Ren's greatest threat. This was their first meeting.
High above, Kevin looked down at the figures on the platform. The oppressive aura of the black tide and the frigid air were suffocating, yet one person still dared to meet his gaze.
"Hand over the core." It wasn't a request, but a command. The black tide receded. He'd expected some trick from Ren, but the man seemed merely foolish.
"Cough… is that Serpent?" Bronya, freed from the tentacles, ignored her own condition, focusing on Kevin. During her time at Anti-Entropy, Gray Serpent's hacking incident had revealed the truth about World Serpent. The classified data painted a terrifying picture.
That's why she'd risked everything to enter the Sea of Quanta, to stop Kevin from obtaining the Gem of Desire and returning to the real world.
"It is. That's the power that saved Seele. I wouldn't mistake it." Supporting her sister, Seele also looked at the man in the sky, curious. She didn't know about Veliona's deal with Kevin; she only remembered him saving her.
Welt, within the core, confirmed Kevin's identity, but his focus was on the Gem of Desire. Clearly, this unknown individual had taken it, attracting Kevin's attention.
And judging by Ren's words, this "Kindred," as Seele called him, knew Serpent.
"Regardless of whether they're together, we can't let him have the Gem of Desire."
The air grew colder, yet Ren remained calm. He'd gained a portion of the Herrscher of Reason's power, quantum data, and a Herrscher consciousness from the Gem of Desire. He was ahead no matter what.
This body could be discarded.
Resigned to his fate, Ren taunted Kevin, "1,500 years sealed in the Sea of Quanta, and you've forgotten your manners? Don't you know to say 'please' when you want something?"
"..." Everyone stared at him. Was this the time for taunts?
Kevin's expression didn't change. He simply raised a hand, reaching for Ren.
Ren felt the Gem of Desire being pulled by a strange force, converting into pure energy. He'd severed his connection to the Herrscher of Dominance, using the Gem as his power source. In a way, he was the Herrscher of Wind now.
No wonder Bronya's Herrscher license had been revoked. Even Ren could barely resist this power.
With a roar, a hurricane erupted. Ren channeled the Gem's power, disrupting Kevin's attempt to take it. He wasn't a novice like Bronya. He might not be able to resist, but he could interrupt.
As Ren tried to direct the hurricane at Kevin, ice spikes struck. He didn't even see the attack before he was sent flying.
More ice spikes followed. Mid-air, Ren manipulated the surrounding airflow, encasing himself in ice.
"Adapting to a Herrscher's power so quickly… You're no ordinary human. Tell me who you are, or you die." Kevin landed, approaching Ren. His eyes were cold, murderous.
Long ago, he'd vowed to destroy the Honkai. Ren's rapid mastery of the Herrscher's power unnerved him.
Had someone, in the 1,500 years he'd been sealed, discovered a way to control the Gems?
Rising from the shattered ice, Ren spat out shards. If he hadn't blocked the attack, he'd be frozen solid. "My origins? Let me see… perhaps my name is Kosma?"
A sharp pain pierced his chest. The frozen wound tore open.
"Touched a nerve?" Blood trickled down his chin. Ren grinned. "Of course. It's the name of one of the thirteen Flame-Chasers, after all."
"Kevin, isn't it painful to watch your comrades die?"
This was dancing in a minefield. If his connection to the Herrscher of Dominance wasn't severed, if he had to worry about Kevin following him back to the real world, Ren wouldn't dare be so provocative.
"Sealed in the Sea of Quanta, forced to relive your regrets in endless bubble universes, replaying your pain. Your comrades, the civilians you protected, entire civilizations destroyed by the Honkai…"
Ren's taunts seemed ineffective. Kevin's expression remained impassive, but the black tide returned, betraying his inner turmoil.
"Finished? Then die." The terrifying shadow lunged, consuming Ren.
Offering no resistance, Ren used the opportunity to probe the nature of the black tide. He was curious about the power Kevin had gained from the Chimera Project, the power that allowed him to command this darkness in the Sea of Quanta.
Even Tlaloc was merely a pawn. Kevin's true strength remained a mystery.
The black tide corrupted Ren's body. He felt its quantum nature. His body was being quantized, dragged away by a monster within the darkness.
In the last second before losing consciousness, Ren glimpsed the monster's form.
[Mexicatl: Umbreist]
Ren vanished from the platform, leaving Bronya and Seele stunned.
The black tide dissipated, energy coalescing into a vibrant green gem.
The Gem of Desire.