Chapter 361

Raiding the Star of Hegon (V)

The start of the second phase was quite a mess--both Emma and Kramer struggled to solo-tank without any healing, while the panic began to escalate as U’nul slowly charged her energy. All abilities from the first phase persisted, causing Emma to realize they didn’t need more than 1 Pylon in the first phase, as it looked like she’d summon more Pylons anyway in the 2nd phase.

As Kramer took aggro, she took a moment to reevaluate their position--U’nul had 76% health left and had charged up 22 energy, 1 skill cast away from using ‘Symmetry in a Blaze’. All healers had, at maximum, 40% Mana left, while very few still had any defensive cooldowns. While it would likely be possible to struggle and persist through the first cast of the ‘Symmetry in a Blaze’, there was no need.

“Everyone, start moving toward the exit!! We’re retreating!!” her call seemed to have shaken everyone out of fearfulness, as though she had given a parched man a glass of water. Everyone began to retreat while Kramer and her continued to shuffle the boss. Strangely enough, halfway through the arena, the boss stopped following them--and even attacking--as though it was letting them go.

She glanced at the spear-wielding behemoth once before sprinting out of the boss room and into the open world. By the time she arrived, she found most of the raid group collapsed on the ground, sweating, panting, and shuddering. Glancing at Cain, her look seemed to ask ‘should I have risked it’? All she got as a reply was a shrug and a smile, as though he was telling her to figure it out herself.

“It was a good call,” Kramer said after drinking a whole bottle of water. “It’s pointless if we barely scramble through the ability. Our first priority should be to master the first phase. We’ve made too many mistakes, both in the 1st phase as well as while transitioning into 2nd.”

“Yeah,” Emma nodded, taking out a bottle of water as well. “There’s a lot of shortcomings to fix. Alright, everyone!” she hollered, drawing attention to her self. “Five minute break, a raid-wide meeting after!”

While everyone was still recovering from the raid and wondering how well they did, Cain snuck away from the group and into the raid room once again. Everything had already reset, with U’nul waiting by her altar, alarmed that he’d entered suddenly. She grasped her sword, ready to fight.

“I’m not here to fight,” Cain quickly said, walking up to her and glancing at the roaring flames that powered the room. “You were promised this as a reward, I suppose?”

“... yes,” U’nul replied. “Who are you?”

“Just a traveler, I suppose,” Cain replied. “Why did you go easy on them?”

“...”

“They need this,” Cain added. “The baptism of fire. Don’t worry too much about it. I won’t let anyone die. So just go all out, too--vent all your frustrations on them.”

“Should you really be asking me that? Aren’t they your friends?”

“They’re my family.”

“Then--”

“And that’s why you need to beat them senseless, until they learn,” Cain said, chuckling lightly.

“... they are very talented,” U’nul said after short silence, putting down her sword. “Far more talented than most end up being when they first come this far. You have taught them well.”

“I pushed ‘em, is all,” Cain said. “It won’t be long now,” he added. “Before you’re free.”

“Time is inconsequential,” U’nul replied. “I have lived for 6 Cycles. Spent most of them searching for the Heart of Fire. Waiting a few decades... is nothing.”

“... if you join me,” Cain suddenly proposed. “I’ll give you something better than the Heart of Fire.”

“W-what?” U’nul exclaimed softly, shocked by his sudden words.

“I’ll give you a star.”

“--!! You... yes. No wonder I sensed something familiar within you. You... you are an Starbringer. But... how? The Codex has not selected an Inheritor in so long most have started believing it had vanished from the annals. All the same--even if I wanted to join you, I couldn’t. I am bound by the Laws.”

“I’ll break them for you,” Cain said casually. There was a moment of silence before the entire arena shuddered and shook.

“T-they will punish--”

“They are blind to this conversation,” Cain said, smiling lightly as Te’gha and Domin suddenly appeared on his shoulders, curiously examining the giant woman in front of them. “Why’d you guys come out?”

“Great Te’gha is great at convincing stupid things!”

“Great Domin is even greater at doing it!”

“Hiss! Stupid thing! Go away!”

“Stupid cat, you go away! Master only needs Domin!”

“Anyway, ignore them,” Cain said. “Star of Hegon... most assume the title means that you are simply heralded on the world called Hegon.”

“...”

“Few, if any, Conquerors or otherwise, realize... the title is quite literal.”

“!!” though U’nul was half-expecting it, her heart still shook. The mortal man was right--there wasn’t supposed to be anyone that knows. But... of course, he would know. After all, he was the Starbringer. “Indeed, I am a Star. I am surprised you could see through me, still. Pardon my transgression, but despite being stronger than me... you are still a child Starbringer.”

“Oh, even calling me a child is pushing it,” Cain chuckled awkwardly. “I don’t have a single star to my name. Wouldn’t I be more akin to a babe who’s yet to speak its first word?”

“...” U’nul smiled lightly at his words. “It is rare to find like you among these skies. Very well. If you have means of absolving me from the Laws... I will join you, Starbringer. I will become your First Star.” she extended her hand in order to summon a contract, but Cain shook his head.

“What worth is the Tower’s contract? We’ll set it on fire soon enough, anyway. There’s one way you can prove to me you’re serious.”

“And that is?”

“Beat the living shit out of those kids tryna’ raid you.”

“...”

“No wonder we couldn’t find you outside,” Quinn’s voice suddenly interrupted the silence, causing U’nul to reach for her sword yet again.

“Don’t worry, she’s a friend,” Cain shook his head. “Why are you here? Weren’t you exploring?”

“Well, there’s only so much to explore in the first 19 floors,” Quinn shrugged, walking up to U’nul and him, the twins lagging slightly behind. “Hmm... she’s fairly strong for the 20th Guardian. They’ll struggle for a while to defeat her.”

“That’s the plan,” Cain shrugged. “Anyway, she’s my new follower. Say hi to her.”

“... ‘s that why you came in here?” either Nature or Harmony asked. “To swindle the boss on your side? Damn.”

“T-t-t-hey... they are... thrice Awakened...” U’nul mumbled.

“Yea, I stole them from another world,” Cain chuckled. “What do you think about our new friend? She has potential, no?”

“Yeah,” Quinn nodded. “Once she fuses with the Fire, she should be close to the fourth Awakening. Well, if the Tower allows her.”

“That’s not gonna be a problem,” Cain said. “So, if you don’t wanna be left behind, you best get to awakening for the 4th time as well.”

“...” everyone, including U’nul shot him an ugly look, rolling their eyes.

“Ah, so it’s begun,” Cain sighed. “What’d I do wrong?” he asked.

“Fourth Awakening,” Quinn replied. “Is akin to becoming a Demigod. The Fifth Awakening is akin to becoming a quasi-Divine. Fourth Awakening, effectively, is a plateau for 99% of everything. Most spend hundreds of Cycles chasing after it. Comparatively, reaching the 3rd Awakening is fairly easy--especially for Conquerors, since the Tower assists you and guides you. The only surefire way to reach the Fourth Awakening is to Conquer the whole Tower. But those cases are rare. After all, a raid group of thrice-Awakened need to defeat a Demigod. And there’s a rift between the 3rd and 4th Awakening that most can never overcome. Not everyone’s like you Cain, accustomed to fighting well above their means. Most of us never fought a thrice-Awakened as a once-Awakened brat. And by most, I mean no one.”

“Well, I am pretty special...”

“Beat it,” she swiped the back of his head gently.

“Let’s go out, then,” Cain said. “And remember U’nul--beat the shit out of them. Don’t hold back. Make them feel like they’re being punished for their sins in hell.”

“W-will do,” U’nul responded.

“Good,” Cain nodded as he moved toward the exit, Quinn and the twins following him. “But seriously, where did you three go off to? You didn’t really just explore?”

“What’s wrong with that?” either Harmony or Nature spoke, though both shrugged. “We haven’t left the Primal World in too many years. And in that place, even people like us weren’t able to simply relax and do nothing. It felt nice, being able to simply laze about and not worry.”

“... well, I sure can subscribe to that thought,” Cain chuckled. “There’s nothing more tempting than poppin’ open a cold bear on a hot day and just melting into the couch while watchin’ your favorite TV show. No worrying about the work, the bills, the kids, anything. Just you and the loving silence.”

“... nah, that’s just you who likes being lazy,” Quinn said. “Don’t put us in the same basket.”

“Yeah, keep us out of your horrid delusions.”

“... all three of you can go fuck yourselves,” Cain grumbled like an old man. “You don’t understand the simple joys in life. Fuckers.”

“Stop projecting, you lazy bum.” U’nul’s eyes held a strange look as she escorted the four figures with them from her hall. Though she felt somewhat uneasy about her choice... she was also confident. A primal part of her, the one that stood in the root of her sentience, was drawn into Cain’s gaze. The Starbringer... for some reason, she felt, he could turn her into something that she could never become on her own. And she wanted to try, wanted to see that future, no matter what the cost.