Chapter 92: 92. 100X feedback X Maximus

As the Mark of Comrade manifested on the souls of both William and Sunchaser, a strange yet stable connection formed between them.

The mark did not burn itself forcefully into their existence like the mark of slavery.

Instead, it settled gently, acknowledging mutual acceptance.

The moment the mark stabilized, information flowed naturally into Sunchaser’s mind.

Unlike marks that bound one side through authority or fate, the Mark of Comrade functioned on equality.

It required the consent of both parties to exist, and because of that, knowledge about its nature, limitations, and responsibilities entered both souls without resistance.

There was no deception or suppression.

Sunchaser felt the weight of it immediately as he digested the information about the new contract, but much more shocking than that was the figure of William himself.

Memories long buried beneath years of regret surged to the surface.

Fifteen years ago, Sunchaser had carried the last heir through flames, blood, and betrayal.

At that time, the sky had burned red, and the ground had been soaked in the lives of those who had sworn loyalty to the heir’s bloodline.

Sunchaser remembered the desperate speed with which it had flown, wings tearing through the air as it tried to save the last heir from a vile conspiracy designed to wipe out an entire lineage.

By the time it had reached safety, it had already been too late.

The heir’s breathing had stopped midway.

Sunchaser remembered how it had nudged him with its beak, calling his name again and again, refusing to accept the stillness of his body.

It remembered how it had screamed into the night sky, how its cries had echoed through mountains and valleys alike.

The swan had cried for days after that.

It had cried for the master it failed to save. It had cried for the family that had been erased. It had cried for its own weakness and tardiness.

When the body of the last heir grew cold, Sunchaser had made a choice.

It had abandoned the physical world and entered the astral plane, refusing to accept that fate had already been sealed.

For fifteen long years, the swan roamed the astral realm, seeking elder spirits, divine spirits, and forgotten ones that might offer even the smallest chance of assistance.

Again and again, it had been turned away by them.

It was powerless against fate.

Until one day, an elder spirit finally granted the swan an audience.

That meeting had barely begun when a strange symbol appeared beneath Sunchaser’s form. Before it could react, the symbol activated, and it was violently pulled out of the astral plane.

When it opened its eyes again, it was standing in front of a blue-haired boy.

At first, rage had overtaken him.

But then he saw the flicker of stellar fire.

In that instant, everything froze for the Sunchaser.

Looking closer now, kneeling before William, Sunchaser realized the truth it had missed earlier.

The resemblance was unmistakable. The facial structure, the presence, even the way he carried himself.

If not for that lock inside William’s body, Sunchaser would have recognized the heir the moment their eyes met.

Now, bound again through an unfamiliar mark of comrade, emotion overwhelmed it.

Tears welled up in its eyes.

William noticed immediately.

“Huh,” he muttered, tilting his head slightly. “Why is it crying?”

The heaviness in Sunchaser’s aura was impossible to miss.

[Maybe it desperately wants to save its master.]

Will stayed silent for a few moments, observing the massive swan. Then he spoke calmly.

“Mr. Sunchaser,” he said, “where is your master right now? How can we save him?”

The swan slowly lifted its head, its gaze meeting William’s directly.

For a moment, it wanted to tell him everything. It wanted to reveal the truth, to explain who he really was, and why fate seemed to revolve around him.

But fear stopped it.

Sunchaser knew William was not ready.

If the boy learned the truth too early, he would charge headfirst into danger without restraint.

So Sunchaser chose to hide it.

“My master is beyond the boundaries of Aris, my lord,” it said carefully.

“He is stuck somewhere. To save him, you must be far stronger than you are now.”

William narrowed his eyes slightly.

“Are you talking about the Prison of Gods?”

The moment those words left William’s mouth, Sunchaser gasped audibly. Shock rippled through its body.

“My lord… how do you know about that place?”

William answered without hesitation.

“Because I’ve been there,” he said. “And I saved a friend from it. Now tell me, is he there?”

The revelation shook Sunchaser to its core.

A fifteen-year-old surviving the Prison of Gods was beyond reason, beyond logic. Still, it answered truthfully.

“No, my lord. He is not there. When you grow strong enough, I will tell you where he is.”

William did not press further.

“Alright,” he said calmly. “I hope you can help me when I need you.”

“Of course, my lord,” Sunchaser replied without hesitation.

William nodded once. With a wave of his hand, he canceled the summoning. Sunchaser dissolved into light and returned to the astral plane.

With the contract complete, William could summon him whenever needed.

“Let’s see what Maximus gained,” William said, shifting his focus to the next bond.

The system responded.

[ding… Individual Maximus has received:]

[– Training in Sinclair Serpent Blade Art (Platinum)]

[– Training in darkness-based demonic spell Nightfall Suppression (Heaven)]

[– Demonic blood rank elevation pills (Gold)]

[ding… Calculating 100X rewards…]

[ding… Congratulations, Host, for receiving :]

[– 100x training in Sinclair Serpent Blade Art (Platinum)]

[– 100x training in darkness-based demonic spell Nightfall Suppression (Heaven)]

[– Demonic blood rank elevation pills (Platinum)]

William sighed as he read through the list.

“So they’ve already made contact with him,” he muttered.

The difference in training experience was obvious. The sword art training was far deeper than the demonic spell training, which meant Maximus had only recently come into contact with the cults.

The deal between Maximus and the cults was simple.

They would erase the Sinclair family.

In return, Maximus would act as their spy inside the academy.

William knew Maximus had not yet undergone demonic baptism, but that would change soon.

Once that happened, there would be no turning back. His body and soul would rot from the inside, leading to a slow and inevitable demise.

“What a pity,” William sighed. “If only he knew Lia is not dead.”

He felt no obligation to save Maximus.

In his eyes, Maximus was a coward. If he wanted his family gone, he should have grown strong enough to do it himself instead of crawling into the lap of demons.

Even with one of the strongest talents on Aris, Maximus chose the easy path.

Can’t really say anything, Host. The plot hasn’t been going the expected way recently.

“You’re right,” William replied quietly.

Then he turned to examine the gains.

The sword art could be useful. The demonic spell would likely be useful soon. The pills, however, were toxic, and he chose to store them inside the inventory for now.

“System,” William asked, “can we track Lia right now?”

[Yes, but SP is required.]

“How much?”

[The more precise the tracking, the higher the cost.]

William navigated to the Supreme System Services section. Tracking, divine messaging, and binders were listed there.

“Use five hundred SP,” he said.

[Ding!! Tracking an individual named Lia…]

[Tracing host’s blood…]

[Ding!! Tracking complete…]

[Individual Lia is back on the Aris continent.]

[Individual Lia is in the southern region.]

[The individual is in a comatose state.]

[The individual is expected to die within a year.]

[The individual is being experimented on by demonic cults…]

“What the hell!!!”

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