Chapter 263: The 2 Strands of Prince Hunter's Fate
Brawlmanica in a certain special town.
There was a building seated atop a hill. It was sturdy and specially made, with magical symbols placed all over it. It was surrounded by a small army of experts dressed in the armor of Brawlmanica's royal guard. They were spread out in various directions with serious expressions on their faces. Closer to the building, there were three experts at the Early Stage Mortal Lord realm, also wearing royal armor with grim expressions. They had already received word that things were getting out of hand all over Brawlmanica as rebellions continued to crop up. All of them seemingly had the Michaels family's involvement.
Within the building was a chamber filled with dense magical symbols. Magic stones and spirit stones were placed into slots throughout the room along the floor's large diagram, leading to the center where a figure sat cross-legged on a short pillar with a meditation pad beneath him. In front of that figure was another pillar of equal height, holding fragments of what appeared to be some sort of crystal. The fragments glittered with white sparkling light, traces of lightning coursing through them. The broken pieces were slowly mending themselves together as if in the process of fusing.
The person seated before it wore a grim expression filled with concentration. Beads of sweat drenched his face as he gnashed his teeth. Power constantly flowed to and from his body at an accelerated pace, leaving no room for rest.
The person in question was none other than Brawlmanica's Crown Prince, Hunter Helmsley. He sat with nothing but a pair of shorts on his body. Since coming to this place, he had been seated before the fragments for the past six days without food or water, relying only on restoration pills to sustain himself. His saving grace was his powerful physique and cultivation at the peak of Golden Lord, standing on the brink of crossing into the Mortal Shedding Realm.
As time progressed, the flashes of lightning began to grow more numerous and intense. His bloodshot gaze glowed with power as his rapidly weakening body continued to circulate energy between himself and the fragments.
Whooooshhhh!!!
Suddenly, a brilliant white light flooded the room as a thunderous sound exploded outward, white lightning surging throughout the chamber.
"Graaaaah!!! Congeal!!"
With a roar of defiance, Hunter clasped his hands together and unleashed all of his power. Black and green energy erupted from his body as injuries rapidly spread across his flesh. Blood seeped from his skin along with dark steam. Even as his body declined, his expression remained fierce as he continued to push forward.
Booooooom!!
The room began to tremble, only for the magical symbols embedded throughout the chamber to shine brightly and nullify the quake's intensity. Moments later, all of the white lightning converged onto a single point above the pillar, releasing another thunderous roar. After a final blinding flash of white light, everything stilled as the chamber fell silent. Most of the magic stones and spirit stones in the room had lost their vigor.
At the center of the pillar lay a small, glowing white gem that twinkled like a star.
Hunter drew in deep, ragged breaths, gasping in exhaustion. He looked on the verge of passing out, with almost no energy left in his body. After a long moment of silence, a smirk slowly spread across his face before he finally lost control as joy surged through him.
"Hah… Haha… HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! I'VE DONE IT!! I'VE ACTUALLY DONE IT!!!"
He roared with laughter as he stared at what he had accomplished. Tears welled in his eyes as he laughed without restraint.
"Father, even though it's nothing like the original, I've recreated it! Something you weren't able to do yourself especially because of your sacrifices…" Hunter paused as joy and sorrow tangled in his voice. "The fragments of the White Star Gem that we recovered were not in vain. When you used it to wipe out the top powers of the Fighting Brawlman Sect, it truly set a precedent for our future. You forcibly had me absorb some of that gem's essence as a child, knowing the outcome of that war. As a result, I adapted and obtained some of the White Star's insights and talents. But…"
Hunter fell silent as memories of the past resurfaced. He recalled the tournament where he had joined the Bright Blade Subsect and first laid eyes on Elton. He had sensed something strangely familiar within him, something that left him unsettled. He later ordered secret investigations, though they proved more difficult than expected. What he uncovered was simple enough: an orphan who had lost his parents to war.
There was also Zoro. Something within him had long ago been stolen from the Helmsley royal family, perhaps a generation before Hunter's own father. Only special clan members could sense it. In truth, it was likely something only he and his older brother Hamlet could perceive now, given the drastic events of recent years. He doubted Helga could sense it, and he sincerely hoped she never would.
The Bedevilment cursed seed.
The Night's Light Devouring Church was truly a horrible bunch. The Helmsley family at most extracted certain arts and enhanced cultivation talents through it. That church, however, seemed to have gone far beyond that, using a variety of methods to create taboos in an attempt to resurrect some sort of existence. The Bedevilment Cursed Seed was only one factor, as it turned out.
Ironically, the Tatsumaki family were once a group of exceptional samurai with incredible sword arts, serving under the Helmsley royal family's banner before a certain incident took place. The fact that Zoro possessed the seed carried a strange trace of irony, or perhaps it was simply fate asserting itself through family history.
Hunter slowly waved his hand toward the star gem as his expression calmed. The star gem floated toward him with thunderous force. At that moment, a powerful voice boomed within his mind.
"Hmph! Someone has summoned this almighty Sage while coveting this Sage's power! How bold."
Suddenly, the star gem shone once more with brilliant light as thunderous energy warped the surrounding space. The power was magnificent and overwhelming, but then it sharply dimmed as a small silhouette appeared. It was an ancient figure dressed in white robes, wielding a blue sword that looked as if it contained the galaxy itself. His face was completely blurred despite his imposing presence.
"Hmm? What's going on? Have I not been reborn? Wait… the star gem is incomplete and fractured." The man spoke seriously, even as arrogance bled through his tone.
"Hahaha… Your mannerisms are very similar to a certain friend of mine when a switch gets flipped. As I suspected. So Elton has inherited the power of the White Star Sage." Hunter spoke with a knowing smile.
"…?! How can this be? You speak the truth. I can see it now through the fate plane of the White Star. My rebirth is incomplete to the point where this Sage was reborn to the era of my youth, yet with my current personality intact. What exactly happened back then… Was it him?" The Sage muttered aloud before a sudden realization struck him, completely stripping away his arrogance in an instant.
"Hmm? Who is him?" Hunter asked with a curious gaze.
"Damnit! They've sensed my presence! Damn you! If this Sage had not fallen to the Grand Master Realm because of that ambush, none of this would have happened. Especially not because of that guy who should not exist in this world! How have the Monarchs not sensed this irregularity?!"
In the middle of the Sage's furious shouting, a massive pressure suddenly engulfed the land. Outside the building, the small royal army was completely startled. Even the large force that had been gathering to attack froze in place under the crushing pressure. A streak of light, barely discernible to those present, tore through the skies and pierced straight into the building as if no obstacles existed at all.
The Sage gritted his teeth before growling defiantly. "As if I'd let you do as you please! You're in luck, kid. Accept this Sage's Will and a portion of the White Star's inheritance."
The Sage vanished as the star gem smashed into and phased through Hunter's body. Less than a second later, a blue ghostly figure with a mighty aura appeared before Hunter, its sharp gaze locking onto him. The figure moved as if to strike mercilessly, but then suddenly stopped and stood still. After a moment, it spoke.
"Understood. I will do as you wish. Kid, you are fortunate. I will take a portion of the White Star source from you, but in return I will give you something better, with greater compatibility. This is your blessing, not only for befriending and aiding the current inheritor, Elton, but also for recovering these fragments to recreate even that version of the Star Gem. Furthermore, you are a member of the inheritor's sect, which to me is the rebirth of my Blue Star Sect. Most of all, Master instructed me to leave you unharmed."
The blue entity placed a hand on Hunter's chest. Hunter was completely unable to resist as power flooded into his body.
"Ahhhhhh!!!!"
Hunter roared in pain as his body swelled with power, teetering on the brink of collapse. The entity withdrew its hand, briefly glancing at the lightning-covered white fragment it held before turning its gaze back to Hunter.
"I have placed your gift within you. I will also grant you time to digest what the White Star Sage bestowed upon you, as well as the power I have given you. Farewell."
As Hunter looked back at the entity with gritted teeth, the figure waved its hand with commanding authority.
-Chaos Convergence-
A sharp blue light flooded the room like a barrier as a storm of energy erupted outward. The entity rapidly disappeared, turning into a streak of light that vanished in the same direction it had arrived. No one noticed a thing.
After a long period of time, the large army outside stood in hesitation, uncertain of what had transpired. Eventually, they decided to proceed with their attack. The royal forces, who had witnessed the events from a distance, had already recovered from their shock and begun issuing orders as shouts to protect the prince rang out.