Chapter 76: Planting a Heroic Seed
Floating outside the Spatial Palace was Kyren in his human form as he dusted himself off from his rampage caused by Dragon's Anger. Loads of steam that could instantly melt any human mortal was coming off of his naked body in heavy and dense streams. As soon as his body and mind calmed down some, he used [Auto Equip] to put on his casual clothes.
He stretched his muscles a bit after a nice and stress-releasing exercise. Then he used [Teleportation] to leave the asteroid and space filled surroundings to arrive at his palace. His figure appeared on one of the many protruding platforms on the sides of the main structure and he casually walked towards the entrance of his palace at a leisurely pace.
"*Sigh* It feels good to have my mouth and jaw free. It gets tiresome when I always have to wear a goddamn mask... but at least it keeps me safe."
His mask and hood were the only things unequipped because he didn't need them in his Personal Dimension. Pretty much nothing here had any value because it was all created by him, meaning it was all partially fake or just for show. There was also no one around so he wasn't afraid of attracting unnecessary attention, therefore, his hood was also unnecessary.
Since this was the first time in a while that he's seen himself without any equipment to block his godlike appearance, he couldn't help but go slightly slack-jawed while he noticed his reflection on the polished floors below him. He halted his steps and crouched down to get a better look.
"Has my hair gotten longer? And are those whiskers on my chin?"
<That is correct, after all, you are a living being. At least you don't frequently use your dragon form, otherwise, you would need to worry about maintaining your horns, spikes, and claws along with the occasional molting or shedding. Periodically, even your spikes will fall out so new ones—>
"Alright, alright, too much information there."
<Hmph, it's just apart of my job. Anyways, would you like me to fix up your hair?>
"You're also a barber? How will you accomplish that? Will you take over my body to pull off such a feat?"
<No, I can't do that unless you have certain abilities. I could utilize [Dimensional Creation] to actually do stuff similar to a barber, but anything made using this ability can't do anything to you because everything isn't real, only for decoration. You need to be in the Celestial Realm for things you create to actually be somewhat real. Maybe if you had a complete affinity For the metal element...
The method I'll use will directly target the problem permanently unless you wish to stop it of course. I'll restrict bodily resources and energy distribution, while using death mana on parts of the hair so it stays the same, still growing but dying once it gets beyond a specific point. More specifically, once it gets past this certain point where it affects your hairstyle even by the slightest, that segment of the hair strand will wither and immediately fall—>
"Seriously, do you not know the meaning of 'too much information'?"
<Well, do you not know the meaning of 'it's apart of my job'?>
"Haha, touché."
His head felt slightly tingly for a split second as the tips of all the hairs that got too long just vanished and reverted to the perfect length. The hairstyle that was slightly warped from his previous growth slowly cleaned up magically.
Kyren turned his head around to chillingly glance over the destruction he caused due to his curse.
Asteroids had unnatural holes and deep claw marks while some were blown to bits. Void radiation at a lethal level flowed like the currents of calming and seemingly harmless winds or mist as it corroded the still intact asteroids from existence. If this were a futuristic movie with battleships and mechs, this would perfectly depict the aftermath of a historically devastating intergalactic battle, but without any wreckages or corpses floating around from an actual battle.
He easily learned that Elder Dragons were seriously no joke when they get pissed. It even gave him, who's been through reaper training and seen some pretty bad things, an icy chill run through his veins.
His deep and stunning eyes were as cold-looking as his blood felt while seeming vacant and uncaring. His diamond/kite-shaped pupils were similar to that of a viper in both shape and aura, making him seem more beastly and inhuman.
He shoved his hand into his pockets while he turned away from the mayhem. The mess behind him immediately began repairing itself upon Leo's command after he interpreted Kyren's silence as the go-ahead. He walked down the platform, or dock, as he casually entered his home.
While he walked, Leo displayed the happening of the outside world on a transparent hologram in front of him. Since he didn't have any observation abilities yet, an ant-sized [Gate] was constantly open in the plaza where he once was. Leo extended his sense through the portal and created this screen for him to watch.
Guards were nervously doing cleanup in the plaza, hastily trying to get out of there. Near the tree where that disrespectful party once used to hide in the shadows, was a bloody crime scene that more guards were cleaning up. It was only enough blood for one person but the way it was spread out and painted across the floor suggested otherwise.
After Dragon's Anger activated, he made that player suffer a little before slaughtering him, or more precisely, butchering him. His transcendence and ridiculous stats in both mental energy, stamina, and mana allowed him to delay and control his curse for a decent amount of time. The killing intent he released was a little too great for him to suppress, but at least only a fourth of the city felt it so that's a plus.
The other party members who were mercifully left alive were forced to watch because they were frozen in place. They could only collect the items that dropped out of Ver's Dimensional Storage and retreat. The equipment on his body was totally mutilated but they didn't seem to care for it. What was odd though, was when they recovered the player's intact glasses, it resulted in them nearly jumping for joy if not for his presence and what they witnessed.
Ignoring the player's attitude, and while he was still in control of his body, he calmly returned to his spot in the air as he made the same cross-armed pose while slowly turning his head to observe the surroundings.
He swiftly teleported out of the suit and into his Personal Dimension while making Leo handle the rest. Draconic Animate continued to float there even to this moment as it acted the same way Kyren did.
He didn't need to actually be present in the suit to make it seem like he was still there. [Advanced Gyrokinesis] would keep the suit afloat and balanced. Due to [Draconic Animate: Possessed Movements], Leo could do the same slow environment scanning thing he previously did if he provided it enough mana for energy upkeep. Also, the suit's personal [Draconic Prestige] made it seem like he was still there. Leo would also report anything to him that needed his attention and he would teleport back into the suit.
After the ruckus was created from the cannon shot, the guards were already in a position to monitor the situation, watching it all unfold. He was given no trouble from killing the Immortal Soul mainly because of his power and the fact that he was attacked first. So it all went rather smoothly in his opinion.
.....
Before he knew it, he came before a rising staircase that leads to a grand and breathtaking doorway. This was located in the very center of the hourglass structure. It was where his personal facilities were located and the quality here was a notch above everywhere else in the Spatial Palace.
Once he entered, he soon came into his office area. He was in his Violet Dragon disguise with his hands behind his back in a distinguished and influential manner.
The layout of the office didn't have anything special, but the quality and intricacy were unimaginable.
After sitting down at the head, he leaned back and intertwined his fingers like the leader of a colossal business. He sized up the man sitting adjacent to him.
Hiroki wasn't wearing any weapons or equipment as a sign of respect, only in his casual clothes as he sat there like a scolded child in the principal's office.
"I hear you caused some trouble for a subordinate of mine..."
"Y-Yes, sir."
"It's good that you know the futility of denying it. What's your name?"
"B-BrightestSoul."
"Alright, BrightestSoul. Quite the high and mighty name you have there."
Hiroki's eyes sparkled as he visibly relaxed at the mention of the inner meaning of his name. His voice became slightly more enthusiastic as he explained a subject he felt passionate about, "Actually, I was going for how I wish to shine my brightest in the darkness of humanity-"
"Spare me the sentimental bull crap. Do you know why you're here?"
"Ehh, to receive a punishment for my wrongdoings toward your subordinate." He wasn't all that unhappy with his interruption, but more nervous about what came next.
"Wrong, you're here because my subordinate showed great interest in you."
"..."
"He was particularly impressed with how you cleverly and bravely took responsibility for something you didn't do. If you hadn't done that, your situation would be far worse and your Immortal Soul friends would've perished at least once."
"Then... thank you? But how did you know?"
"You severely underestimate the power of a transcendent being. Anyway, I was planning on using this opportunity to bind you to my organization, but I see it as more beneficial for you to choose of your own accord."
".....Why me?" His gaze became serious as he squinted at Kyren, seemingly trying to see through him both literally and metaphorically.
"You have value, although you will need to prove to me that you have talent. I'm also interested in your heroic nature and personality, which are also traits I value."
"I don't wish to join corruption or evil..."
"And you probably won't find that here. Believe it or not, I have my own morals and ethics. I don't treat those under me poorly unless they warrant it.
You're the first soul I'm telling this to, but I have some bad past experiences with corruption..." Kyren leaned back even more as his gaze trailed off into space, reminiscing about some true past experiences.
Hiroki noticed this and a moment of connection with this unfathomably high existence passed through him like a gentle breeze. His opinion of him rose greatly and the thought of joining a faction didn't leave an unpleasant feeling in his heart like it usually did. After witnessing the hierarchy of the weak and strong in this world, he fully disdained to join any factions in fear of becoming apart of the corruption he loathed.
"May I have time to decide."
"That's alright with me. You and your friends wouldn't even join for a long while. I wish to see where you end up a few months from now when we start taking in Immortal Souls in bulk.
But I do have a job for you if you're interested. I wish to see if you have the talent and potential to match your value. Just know that the bar is raised high for my expectation of you. You will also be fairly compensated for your efforts."
As he explained what he wanted him to do, Hiroki got a new mission notification. When he saw the reward, his eyes bulged and his heart stopped. He wasn't one to curse, but the joy and surprise surging through him were trying to betray him.
There were also some other notifications saying he completed two of the harder objectives for the event. One was to discover the event's sole instigator and the other was to obtain contacts/connections with the hidden organization. His participation score also rose by a large chunk from [Bad] straight to [Above-Average].
He thought a horrible fate awaited him through that portal he walked through earlier, but instead, he made monumental gains. For someone who preferred helping people other than the rewards, like the superheroes in the stories from when he was young, he couldn't help but falter at the incredible rewards.
.....
Hiroki exited through another portal and he was met by the familiar sight of the pub that he and his friends were previously taking living in. The owner was letting his party take shelter there despite it not being a hotel out of the kindness of his heart. So long as they helped around a bit.
'He sent me here on purpose?! I guess I really did underestimate the capabilities of Transcendent Realm individuals a little bit...'
He scanned the bustling and harmonious, yet slightly drunk crowd and found the people he was looking for on the corner of the bar. They were moping and heavily hammered with strong smells of alcohol as the atmosphere around them was depressing. They all looked like they each got simultaneously rejected by their high school crush which made him amused at their childishness.
A light chuckle escaped him as he approached his party who returned to home base after hopelessly admitting that they couldn't save their party leader.
"What's with all the sadness in the air? Someone's grandparent pass away?"
Each of them perked up and turned their head around so fast that the alcohol made them slightly dizzy. They cried out in joy as they lunged and tackled him to the ground. It was without a doubt a group hug, but it seemed more like a dog pile to him who was the victim suddenly getting crushed.
The pretty ladies in his party refused to let go of him like before as they bashfully but seductively snuggled into him. The males either ruffled his hair or playfully greeted him in violent ways. Typically, the male party members would get jealous of the "special" attention he got from the girls, but this time they set that aside and welcomed him back wholeheartedly.
These friends of his felt like his closest family members as the atmosphere changed from depressing to cheery. They overly adored him for some odd reason and it sometimes bugged him when the ladies showed him too much love and attention, but he didn't mind it this time around.
"Hehe, c'mon guys, we've got work to do so go sober up!" He used his natural skills to wiggle out of their grasps and ignore their questioning stares as he [Auto Equipped] his gear and readied himself to immediately fill out his newest mission.
He looked over the footage he captured of the recent events with a pleased look on his face, 'Looks like I got some exceptional content for my adventure log in this game. I was just planning on checking this place out for a couple of months, but now I'm hooked!'
His intrigue with the storyline and the people of this world reached new heights. He was more ready than ever before to devote himself to this world for a long time to come.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
TitanicApex711
TitanicApex711 I still owe you guys two more chapters. I’ve learned from past mistakes not to promise something I’m not confident in going, especially with what’s going on IRL.
They might come along with the next release on Friday, but don't get your hopes too high.
Wow, I'm tired! Did you know that giving me your voting stones will give me some more energy? You should try it... Like right now!
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