—Report on the City of Ash— Shoun read aloud, knowing not everyone could read the document from their position. The pages inside the folder were well-preserved, without any wrinkles or stains. Shoun skipped the title, and before everyone's eyes appeared the image of a golden flower, accompanied by a large amount of text—Kinkafuzan. Its name means "Golden Flower that Grows Amidst Wind and Storm." According to legend, it is "the golden flower that binds destinies." The legend tells of two lovers who, in the midst of adversity, planted these flowers together. Their lives were not easy, but they found solace in caring for these flowers side by side. Even when time and fate itself separated them, the bond they shared through the flowers never faded... even when all turned to ash.
At this legend, everyone began to silently connect the dots, though the silence was soon interrupted by Sein's remark.
—I saw those flowers on the altar where the documents were.
—Fascinating. It seems their love was so strong that even when most of the flowers perished, some remain... How cheesy— Robin joked with good humor before urging Shoun to turn the page.
—The Garden of Beginnings. It was meant to be the starting point for building something new, for creating a new story. But it was abandoned, and its original purpose was corrupted— On this page was an image showing structures everyone had seen in the City of Ash, except instead of ash, there was an insane amount of golden flowers. Practically everywhere you looked, they were present—So... the City of Ash was just a garden? That's kind of anticlimactic.
—I was excited to find a clue about the ancient civilization right after joining you.
—There's still one more page, Shoun. Don't jump to being pessimistic just yet— Deuz pointed out. The young man listened and turned to the next page. For the first time, the page contained only text, written in a blood-red, almost dripping font that sent chills down everyone's spines. Nervously, Shoun tried to read it aloud, but his throat suddenly tightened. He began to sweat and looked away, so he turned the paper around. Everyone positioned themselves to read its contents:
Long ago, the Kinkafuzan shone like lightning in a sea of wind. Two souls planted them, promising to stay together—a promise insignificant before time... and fate.
Now, only ashes remain. The flowers, once alive, turned to dust centuries ago. But deep within the garden, something remains.
It does not breathe.
It does not feel.
But it remembers.
The promise it once made binds it, keeps it sealed. But... for how much longer will this hold true?
This was never a story of two lovers. It is the story of an anomaly that gave birth to a singularity, destined to change the world. Of the Executor that waits beneath the ruins of what is now called the City of Ash.
As they read the text, everyone froze. Nervously, they all reacted differently. Sein stood up and began pacing in circles, muttering something unintelligible. Deuz leaned back in his chair, head down. Kaze read and reread the document. Shoun held his head in his hands. And finally, Robin, who shattered any semblance of calm with a simple sentence:
—I underestimated this place— Everyone froze, turning their gazes to Robin, who was sweating profusely—Even though it was brief, I got excited thinking this would be a simple journey of discovery... I fooled myself.
—Does that mean you're going to betray us!?— Sein jumped to the worst possible conclusion due to his nervousness, but Robin quickly calmed those fears.
—No, no! Not at all... It's just that I thought this would be easy. I forgot how small we are—four apprentices and a seeker against the true power that resides in this world... Do you know how many people like us could kill an alpha brute at our level? Few. Only the most exceptional, those blessed by the heavens themselves with the right abilities, can aspire to that. But none of them, even if they all fought together, could defeat an Executor... That's why I say I underestimated the task ahead of us. Luckily, I was reminded of my place at a non-critical moment.
—Your place?— Sein asked again.
—You should know that I'm primarily a researcher. If I'm an apprentice, it's to gain my apprentice ability. I'm not that good at fighting. Even you could beat me if you didn't give me time to prepare... Though I also meant that, in general, we're weak... Is this the feeling that drives you to grow stronger?
—Yes— For the first time, Shoun regained his composure, speaking to Robin with confidence—We don't back down from the magnitude of this task. I'll ask you one last time: Are you sure you want to join us?
—...Who do you take me for? It's obvious your team needs a good scientist to watch your backs. Without me, you'll probably become statistics sooner or later, and I refuse to let my acquaintances—possibly future friends—become just another number.
—Good. Don't disappoint me. If I die because of your incompetence, I'll haunt you from the afterlife— Shoun declared finally, extending a fist toward Robin, who naturally bumped it with his own—Alright, team. It's time to move. I don't want to set foot in the City of Ash again knowing there's a potential natural disaster beneath our feet.
With those words, they set off. Sein and Robin replenished their spiritual energy and discussed their abilities and capabilities with each other, while the others mentally mapped out the fastest way to leave the City of Ash once they exited the base. After all, no one knew when the seal on the Executor beneath the city would break.
When everything was ready, the group cautiously left their only safe haven and were met with the lifeless sight of the City of Ash, almost the same as before except for one thing.
—Where's the brute's corpse?— Sein asked. When they realized this, everyone began searching for the possible thief with their eyes. Shoun, on the other hand, extended his energy detection sense, avoiding the ground for obvious reasons. Finding nothing, he pointed out the following:
—I hate losing resources, but I'd much rather stay alive! So, for the love of all that's living, let's get out of here!— Everyone agreed. Shoun hoisted Sein onto his shoulders, while Kaze carried Robin. With all their strength, they ran out of the City of Ash, with Deuz covering their backs. In the end, they all managed to leave the city without any issues—a fact they weren't sure whether to be worried or relieved about.
With more calm, they headed to the park area, where the prepared Sein and Robin would face their trial. In it, they would confront a Forsaken, a massive, decomposing corpse that seemed to emit a curse. Thanks to Sein, both were fighting well and had the upper hand, meaning it was only a matter of time before they could kill the Vestige.
—Hey, Shoun, I have a question— The masked man asked, causing the attentive young man to turn his head. Despite his companions' advantage, Shoun remained watchful of their victory.
—What is it?
—We were all scared when we found out we were near an Executor. I was scared because my abilities and tactics probably wouldn't work against it. Why were you scared? Was it for the same reason?
—Well... more or less. Executors are incredibly powerful, but it's hard to imagine or explain just how powerful unless you know exactly.
—Let me help with that— The boy with the beret chimed in with his calm tone of voice—Kaze, assuming there were no Codex bearers or anything to stop you, how much do you think you could destroy in a city?
—Hmmm... I think a few buildings, and I guess a lot of people would die in the process.
—Correct. The three of us are very powerful, capable of destroying buildings and killing people. We could devastate an entire city, but it would take a long time. For a Dominator, it would be even easier because their body is more than enough to topple buildings, but it would still take a significant amount of time... A rank 4 individual could do it in minutes.
—Really?
—Executors, in particular, are like natural disasters. Before anyone reached rank 4, nothing could stop them. Wherever they went, destruction followed. But that's not their most terrifying quality. What probably scared us the most is something very simple: their presence.
—Presence?
—Do you know how Codex bearers advance to rank 4?
—More or less. We need to find a "stigma." When we find it and overcome our trial, we can become rank 4.
—Half-correct answer. You're oversimplifying the process. It's not as easy as "finding it." It's more about earning the right to bear the stigma, to be worthy of walking the path of that stigma. There are many types of stigmas. The most common are the Warrior's Stigma and the Scholar's Stigma. Those who walk these paths are the living embodiment of them. The swords of those warriors are sharper, while the research of scholars is more thorough. For Executors, it's not so different, except all Vestiges share one. No one knows its name, but it's easy to understand: it's death itself. They seek the death of humans, elves, and demons, so their stigma manifests as death. Under their yoke, they are death itself.