Chapter 16

Special Tournament 5

In the mist of the arena, Ash’s irises turned a leafy green.

Shiro, worried by Myrrh’s trembling, placed a hand on his shoulder. “What happened?”

he asked, shaken. Myrrh took a few deep breaths, then looked at Shiro, his eyes wide.

“Do you know the man called Kairon Marrow?”

Shiro felt a strange familiarity but also a deep sense of hatred. Remembering his dream about the man and how powerful he was, he asked, “Does he have green eyes and brown hair?”

Myrrh smiled slightly. “Seems you’ve done your research. Yes, Kairon has those features.” Pointing at Ash, Myrrh continued, “Well, for starters, his legacy is Marrow. That means his dad is Kairon, and Kairon is currently a Divial. On top of that, Ash hasn’t appeared until now,

which probably means his dad just entered him.”

With a sigh of frustration, Myrrh gripped his chair. “His god is different too or gods. I don’t know why his god is so unique, only being a Possesser. My guess is his dad made a

god or found a stronger one and infused it into him. Or he just got lucky.”

Shiro, confused, asked, “So why was he able to join so late?”

Myrrh chuckled a little. “Because he can do anything with the help of his daddy.” He

started grabbing his chest, as if from emotional strain. Shiro laughed a little.

Wiping his eyes, Myrrh slowly got up. As he waved, Shiro asked, “Wait, Myrrh. From what I remember, Kairon was a god. So how was he able to come back as a human—even having a kid?”

Myrrh rubbed his temples. “Hmm. There have been cases where gods reformed themselves as humans, but Kairon is a different case. Some things just can’t be answered. Let the

wonders be wonders.” He chuckled. “Well, Shiro, it’s been nice, but I’ll head out. Remember, I’ll meet you later today.”

Shiro waved back. In a split second, a black aura surrounded Myrrh like a tornado. When it vanished, he was gone.

“Wow,” Shiro thought to himself, amused.

In the depth of a void stood a single figure: healthy green eyes, pale skin, and dark black

hair that faded to silver at the ends. He wore black with glowing blue armor. Talking to himself, he said, “Lust?” No response. “Lusttt?” Silence. “LUST!”

A voice echoed in his mind. “Yes, Ash?”

Rubbing his fingers through his hair, Ash asked, “How many potions do you have left?”

The voice answered, “I’m low on antidotes. Strength potions are nearly gone. Surprisingly, stamina potions are full.”

Ash frowned. “You don’t have any Fage restoration?”

“Not at all.”

Sighing deeply, Ash said, “Just give me some stamina potions.”

He opened his right eye. A faint spark shot out and faded. Ash’s iris cracked from the middle upward. From the crack, a single shard separated inside it, a black void.

Three fingers emerged from the shard, gripping the skin beneath his eye. Then an arm slid out, wiggling like a worm in dirt. A second hand followed.

The two arms wrapped around Ash’s face, using it as leverage. Black hair shot out. A head popped through short black hair fading to silver, green eyes, and a stunning face like Ash’s.

A huge smile spread across his face. “Finally!”

Using his hands, he pulled himself out of Ash’s iris. Lust stood tall, cracking his back He wore no armor—just sleek, black clothes with darker blue accents. A sleeveless top cut above the waist, revealing his torso. Two belts flowed down to his knees. His black shorts ended above the knees. A leather strap across his chest held small pouches with colored

glass vials.

Lust cracked his back again and sighed. “You’re going to waste all the potions.”

Ash crossed his arms. “I’ll use the rest for upcoming battles. No one can beat me.” He chuckled. “Did you cut your hair?”

Lust looked at Ash like he was a fool. “Of course! I wouldn’t look this stunning with long hair.” Giggling, he reached into one of his pouches.

He pulled out a diamond-shaped glass vial, ocean-colored and capped with gold and white. He tossed it to Ash.

Ash caught it, surprised by the weight. Curious, he asked, “I haven’t used this one before, have I?”

Lust clapped his hands. “Nope!”

Ash opened it. A light blue mist rolled out, smelling fresh. He took a sip, holding it above his face. In a second, he swallowed it.

It felt good. The fatigue in his body evaporated. His eyes widened as energy returned. Smiling, he said, “The flavor’s unique.”

“Of course it is! I made it.” Lust grinned, hands on his chest.

Before he could continue, a buzzing noise rang out. The metal sphere rose from Ash’s

pocket, catching them both off guard.

A screen popped up.

“Congratulations!”

The screen shifted to Ash’s history.

Name: Ash Marrow

Sex: Male

Race: Demigod

Legacy: Marrow

Foreseeing Past: Overborn

Stage One: Output

Born: Drouven

Ash and Lust both muttered, “Wow, it only reached Drouven? Can’t believe it’s missing a whole world.”

In a cramped, dark room, an ominous figure lay on a cheap bed. He had dark brown curly hair with red highlights and brown eyes.

Shiro sighed, holding the piece of paper.

He heard the door creak. Quickly getting up, he looked toward the light from the hall, which masked the person’s face. Then he smiled.

“Hello, Myrrh.”