Chapter 4: Flames of the Unknown

100 push-ups, 100 squats, 100 sit-ups.

These exercises had been Scar’s routine since he was little. Isaac had insisted on it, preparing his body for the inevitable arrival of his Inheritance.

No one understood why Isaac was so certain Scar would receive an Inheritance. But when strange memories started invading Scar’s mind a week ago, he realized the old man had been right. Well, mostly right.

Still, Scar had little interest in fulfilling Isaac’s ambitions. The old man wanted him to become the strongest God Killer alive, but Scar doubted he could.

Those with an Inheritance could advance from tier-7 all the way to tier-0, each tier representing greater mastery of their power. Rumors spoke of people reaching tier-0, but even Scar’s three-hundred-year-old memories couldn’t verify that.

Those who reached tier-5 or tier-4 earned the right to become Moon Killers. They were distributed among eight districts surrounding human territory, each one standing guard to keep Scarlet Kins from breaching the walls at night.

But given their relatively low tiers, some Hostile-level and Catastrophe-level threats would overwhelm them. That’s where God Killers came in.

God Killers represented humanity’s penultimate defense. Ranging from tier-3 to tier-1, they commanded society’s deepest respect and considerable wealth.

Under ideal conditions, they could eliminate several Hostile-level threats.

This was exactly what Scar dreaded about the God Killer path. Becoming a celebrity, constantly watched, constantly despised. Worse yet, achieving that rank was essentially a death sentence.

Flames of the Unknown.

This was Scar’s Inheritance. According to his inherited memories, the ability originally belonged to Kendrick. A desperate soul who’d tried to protect humanity from the Scarlet Kins during the crisis.

Nine years after the eight Founders of Magic emerged with their supernatural abilities, Kendrick awakened as well. But strangely, he could only use this ability for two years before he was murdered by the wielder of lightning, the Ruler of Zeus.

Kendrick had no idea why the Ruler of Zeus’s wielder targeted and killed him. But the reason didn’t matter. Across every generation, those who inherited the Ruler of Zeus dedicated themselves to one goal: destroying the Flames of the Unknown.

Now in this generation, the person who wielded the Ruler of Zeus was Dain, the very person who slaughtered Scar’s parents.

There had always been wars between Inheritances, especially among the Founders of Magic. Since memories were passed down to anyone who inherited an ability, grudges, hatreds, and loyalties continued across generations.

The Precognition of Fate had always served the Ruler of Zeus, and thanks to their foresight, anyone who possessed the Flames of the Unknown would be tracked down and killed.

That’s how Scar’s parents were murdered, the wielder had seen that someone in that house would inherit the Flames of the Unknown.

It was odd, though. The Ruler of Zeus’s true rival was the Strength of Hercules, one of the eight Founders of Magic. So why did they hate the Flames of the Unknown so intensely?

Scar found himself deeply engrossed in his daily training: 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats.

His entire body was drenched in sweat when he finished, but whenever he was done, seeing his sculpted torso always made the effort worth it.

In typical fashion, he took a whiff of his armpit. The stench decided for him.

Before anything else, he grabbed a sheet of paper. He relaxed, letting his magic flow through him. A second later, his palm grew hot and the paper crumbled, decaying fragments.

Not flames as the name suggested, but it got the job done.

He sighed in disbelief.

None of his predecessors survived long enough to truly understand it. One poor bastard died days after inheriting. But they’d all shared one thing, the power to decay anything on contact.

Only one predecessor, Bianca, had managed to summon dark flames while desperately defending against the Ruler of Zeus. That depicted the title of the Inheritance “flames,” perfectly but even she couldn’t explain how.

Despite his fears, he knew he couldn’t die. Not until he’d avenged his parents and moreover, he needed to live for Isaac.

If he wanted to understand his Inheritance better than any predecessor, he needed to reach lower tiers. That would broaden his abilities, increase his magic capacity, and enhance his efficiency.

There was something else, though. Something the fourth wielder of the Flames of the Unknown, King, had tapped into…

“Oh, crap! Am I burning…”

He took a cold, chilling shower before tossing himself back onto his bed, butt naked. The cold cleared his mind. He was too distracted by his thoughts, and wearing anything felt like a chore.

“Dain… you little bastard. Your end is near. He might be strong, but that’s why I’m here. You’ll pay for your transgressions.” He muttered.

This rage wasn’t his alone, the six lives taken by the Ruler of Zeus were all with him.

“This was meant to be an endless hunt. I was meant to die, like all those before me. But I have something to live for… something far greater.”

The last-minute regrets of those who’d loathed the Inheritance completely, those who wished they’d never known their predecessors, and those who cursed their very existence. Yes, there were lingering fears urging him to hide forever…

But unlike some predecessors who were directly chosen by their forerunners to inherit the Flames of the Unknown, he was chosen by the ability itself. And besides all the inherited regrets and hatred, he had a personal score to settle.

He refused to die. He would make Dain pay for killing his family.

Scar’s golden eyes rested on the ceiling, his hand reaching for it, squeezing the air as though it were Dain’s neck.

“One step after another… If they figure me out as I am, I’m done. Smoked. I just need to stay hidden, for now. When the time is right… I’ll kill him. I’ll kill you, Dain.”

As he lay on the bed, lost in his moment, someone aggressively shoved the door open, smiling.

He peered at the door, completely unbothered by his naked ass. It was Julien.

“Hey, Scar… it’s our turn to fight. Your duel’s right after mine. Crazy, huh? I was nervous they’d pair me against you. That wouldn’t have ended well.”

A jolt of pain shot through Scar’s chest. It’d come sooner than he’d expected. Weak as he was, he was bound to be killed easily if he was figured out. But he still had people to care for, like Isaac.

Then, humph. What if Dain…?

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