Only three Generals had emerged in the nation over the past three decades—until now. Suddenly, three new ones had appeared within a single year. Won observed the girl he had saved earlier, trying to sense whether she was truly a General-ranked Ashen. Yet there was nothing—no aura, no force—just a faint trace of weak energy radiating from her.
Far from the camp, the twins conversed quietly by a secluded beach. The rest of the group was unwinding after three intense battles against the monsters. Dinner had been a magical feast, and with Ashen magicians always around, food was never a concern.
"Still feeling dazed?" Leo asked, slumping down beside Won.
Won shook his head.
Leo popped open a beverage can and handed it to him. "Cola—a must after a heavy meal."
Won didn't quite grasp what Leo meant. He had only tasted soda two or three times in his life. Still, he accepted it with a nod and took a slow sip.
"I know what you're thinking, Won. So, let's talk about the world," Leo said, his tone quiet as he sipped his drink.
Won was intrigued, though he had no idea what Leo assumed he was thinking.
"The world's split into three nations—you know that, right?" Leo asked.
"Of course. I'm not clueless," Won replied, mildly irritated.
Leo grinned. "Lumora, Braveilla, and Niravel. Our nation, Lumora, is said to be the strongest—though we had only three Generals until recently. Now, technically, it's six. Thirty years ago, when the veyne began to appear and monsters broke loose, it led to the deaths of fifteen billion people. Only three billion survived before the Ashens began to bring some semblance of control."
"Even with Ashens in power, the world has suffered. More than half of the global population lives in unending poverty. And the Ashens—well, they can't do much about it. People cling to myths and grim prophecies. There's one that says the strongest rank of Ashen will only appear when the world is nearing its end. That's why they fear the Gravemarch, and quietly pray it never manifests."
Leo paused and glanced at Won.
Won said nothing. He stared at the ground, silently taking it all in.
"Hey! I am talking to you. Are you listening to me?" Leo asked, annoyed.
"Yeah. It's impressive how much you've read. Keep going. I am finding it interesting," Won said with a shrug.
"All right," Leo said and continued, "You might wonder why there are so few General-ranked Ashens. I used to ask the same question. Then I realized—it's probably divine design. Too many leaders lead to chaos. Maybe that's why the Gods—or God—decided not to send too many high-ranked Ashens."
"Think about it: the supreme Ashens of the world created the idea of a 'strongest rank, Gravemarch' themselves—as if to convince the world they weren't the true leaders, to lower expectations. In the end, Ashens are still human."
"When the Ashens first awakened and began fighting the monsters, any mistake or loss was blamed on them. Ashens suffered emotionally. But what could we even do? It's all a script, Won. Everything we're doing—someone or some above wrote it all long ago. We're just playing our parts now."
"But now, three new Generals have emerged in just a year. That's never happened—not even in the other two nations. I've got a bad feeling. Something's coming."
He glanced at Won again before continuing, "Earlier, I mentioned the Gods, right? Want to know why I believe there's more than one?"
He didn't wait for a reply.
"Because if there were only one, they wouldn't have understood how dangerous too many leaders can be. Even if they are Gods, regarded as supreme and almighty, they do have their emotions and opinions."
Won let out a quiet laugh, remembering something the God of Emptiness had once told him. "You're not wrong."
"I told you I'm not much of a talker. But you're not a bad listener either," Leo said as he stood. Then he looked back over his shoulder and added, "Don't just sit around. Go take a look at the veyne. It's part of the raid to have some knowledge."
"You get that from a book too?" Won asked.
"Yeah. Something like that," Leo replied with a small nod before walking away.
***
Even though Won didn't let it show in front of Leo, he too was troubled by Leo's concern. Myths and grim prophecies held great weight in their society. They had a way of giving people both hope and the fear that they might actually come true.
Now, Won sat on the sand, the waves crashing behind him as he closed his eyes. He wondered if his rank would truly bring chaos into the world.
But he doubted it too.
I'm not strong enough to end the world… right?
I need to understand what I'm capable of first.
He summoned his Codex Map screen to see the upgraded results. He hadn't checked it since he'd passed out after the second battle.
Boons: Sense 16
Bearings: Sensari
Bearing Rate: 18
Vitality: 44
[You have killed an Armored Tyrant]
[You have received the magic heart of the Armored Tyrant]
[Do you wish to check its functions?]
He narrowed his eyes and reread the message.
Is this some kind of mistake? he thought grimly.
I didn't kill the Tyrant. I only destroyed a few drones and forced the rest back to their hideout.
"Woco?" he called.
"Yes, Ashen Won. I know what's on your mind. The Armored Tyrant was a beast of intelligence, leading a formidable pack of drones. Its strength was bound to its swarm. By using your cognidominance, you made the drones abandon and betray their master, fleeing to their hideout. In essence, you defeated the Tyrant."
"It does not make sense. I didn't fight! Just share the reward with everyone. I cannot take it alone," Won spoke bewildered.
"Sharing is possible only within 5 minutes after you defeat the monster."
Won sighed, suddenly feeling the weight of it all, running a hand through his hair.
"This power—cognidominance—it scares me. I fear it won't allow me to grow, to become strong on my own."
"Ashen Won," Woco replied, "you might think this power will always bring down any monster instantly, which is both true and not. It won't always affect stronger and more formidable foes. For example, today, your cognidominance had no effect on the Tyrant itself. It only influenced the lesser drones—those on par with your current strength."
"But the master during my first mission—I killed him, didn't I?" Won asked.
"Yes, but your cognidominance targeted his duplicates, not the master directly. The same happened during your encounter with the thrips."
"So how can I use this power effectively against stronger beasts? I know I'll need it eventually."
"That depends entirely on the battle itself—and on how well you adapt. You will feel the moment when you can use it, through the sensari," Woco answered.
Snapping Won out of his thoughts, a voice called, "Your friends aren't with you?"
Friends? I have friends? Won thought bitterly before turning toward the source of the voice.
It was the General-ranked healer. In the dim light, her eyes seemed to glow, like they held the blue ocean within them. Her blonde hair danced in the breeze.
Won nodded, brushing off her question. "I heard you healed me earlier. Thanks."
"Seems like we're even now. You saved me from that drone too," she said, sitting beside him.
Won chuckled at her remark, wondering, Is she trying to hide her powers too? Like I do?
"I'm Aviva Brown, by the way. And you're Won—Flintshade, right?"
Won nodded with a faint smile.
Is she really a General? he wondered.
"Your body," Aviva began, "it responded when I healed you."
"Responded? What do you mean?" Won asked, furrowing his brow.
"When a healer treats someone, we usually heal until we know there's no longer any risk of fatality—not completely, since full recovery drains a lot of energy. I awakened at age seven—a rare thing. So I've been healing people for a long time."
She paused, her expression turning reflective.
"But this time was different. I heard your voice while healing you. It pleaded for more—more healing."
Won listened intently, wondering if that voice had been the God of Emptiness himself. Everything suddenly felt like it was unraveling around him.
"It was strange," she added. "I felt like I was being pulled in. And when your voice finally said 'that's enough,' my body gave out. I couldn't heal anyone else. Usually, I can handle 10 to 15 people in one go. But after you, I couldn't heal even one."
"And yet, you're a top-ranked healer," Won muttered. "If I'm ever injured again and pass out—don't heal me. Don't let anyone heal me. Wait until I wake up."
"Why? That's too dangerous—"
Won cut her off. "I have my reasons. Just don't do it."
A scream pierced the air from the direction of the camp.
Won and Aviva turned sharply.
"Oh my god!" Won was already on his feet, sensing the surge of fear around them.
"What is it?" Aviva asked, horror in her voice.
"The Tyrant Drones. They're back. With someone…" He paused, eyes narrowing.
"…The Boss. A shapeshifter."