Zephyr was rendered speechless after Kyran completed the cottage’s improved array.
He had guessed the additional formulas Kyran added in the cottage’s array from the ingredients he used and knew that all of them were advanced formulas.
It was not surprising for someone to create advanced formulas. What was surprising was the level of the array these advanced formulas were part of.
In Array, formations were broken down into four categories: Elementary Array Formations consisted of array levels from first-tier to third-tier; Secondary Array Formations consisted of fourth-tier to sixth-tier; Tertiary Array Formations consisted of seventh-tier to ninth-tier. Then there were Higher Array Formations which consisted of the saint tier, legendary tier, and the god tier. These tiers were again broken into three classes depending on the formulas present in each calculation. A ‘Normal’ array consisted of purely standard formulas while an ‘Advance’ array consisted of purely advanced formulas; in cases where there was a mixture of the two, it was called a ‘Cross’ array.
Thus, having people create advanced formulas was not surprising because even a first-tier array level could have advanced formulas.
However, Zephyr’s speechlessness was caused by the level of the cottage’s array.
Initially, Zephyr thought the array around the cottage was at most, at seventh-tier. But while Kyran was breaking down the calculation, he realized it was a saint tier.
Zephyr almost forced Kyran to stop what he was doing. Because breaking down a saint tier array was not easy and very dangerous. If he missed even one calculation, the array would explode.
However, Zephyr changed his mind after seeing Kyran’s focused expression. If Zephyr stopped him, the energy flowing inside the array would fluctuate, and Kyran might end up suffering from a backlash.
Eventually, Zephyr decided to watch Kyran in silence until the end.
After watching Kyran work for more than an hour, Zephyr became confident in his Array knowledge. He now believed that Kyran really could improve the shrine’s array.
The shrine’s array level was also a saint tier. However, it was slightly complicated than the cottage’s array. After all, it could already be considered a pseudo-legendary tier with at least two standard legendary-tier formulas. Still, Zephyr was sure Kyran would accomplish the task given enough time.
Kyran took a deep breath as he closed the cottage’s array formation. Unbeknownst to Zephyr, Kyran had been nervous the whole time he was adding the new formulas.
It was no surprise. Since the formulas, Kyran added were mostly new formulas he created without prior trial. He wrote it to mirror some old formulas he had seen in Noir’s collection, but because there was little information about Void magic, he was unsure if it would work. He had to change quite a few runes, and when including the Void magic in his calculation, he used the rune he remembered written on the book from Stella.
‘Good thing it worked,’ Kyran thought with a sigh.
He lifted his left hand, opened his palm, and summoned his purple rings. Then he slowly added more magic into it while checking if the cottage’s array would react.
Nothing happened.
Kyran smiled.
Now he could use his magic without worrying about its magic input inside the cottage, or rather within its array’s area of effect.
A thought popped in Kyran’s head, and he mentally scratched his head. Yes, he did not have to worry about his magic input when using Void magic, but he still had to be mindful of the size of his magic output. He would still destroy the cottage’s array if he summoned pure Void magic and failed to control its size.
“You… really did it,” Zephyr’s voice brought Kyran out of his reverie.
Kyran turned to Zephyr and gave a faint smile.
“Do you believe that I can improve your shrine’s array now?” He asked teasingly.
Zephyr replied with a scowl.
Kyran chuckled. He found Zephyr’s stubbornness cute.
With a sigh, he shook his head at the thought. Zephyr did look like a kid, but he might be hundred years old.
Still.
Was he really a hopeless case when it came to kids? His reaction was pretty much the same with Cyneah.
Kyran made a mental note to get to know Zephyr while they get Cyneah.
“Are you planning to leave now?” Zephyr asked.
Kyran nodded, “Yes. It will get dark soon, but it is best to move as soon as possible.”
“Um… are you planning to use your… warp ability?” Zephyr asked cautiously, his color slightly turning green.
Kyran raised his brows at his question. He did plan to warp earlier. But since it consumes too much magic energy, plus he was taking Zephyr with him, he did not want to babysit him when he fell ill all the time.
‘Or I can create transmission scrolls,’ Kyran thought.
However, as soon as he thought this, he rejected it at once. He still owed Nolan two—err three scrolls. Though he did not care about how many times he made the transmission scrolls, he knew how dangerous it was for his body to lose so much blood.
‘I can make one scroll every other day if I am well-rested. But right now, I am not fully recovered, so I can’t abuse my body and blood yet,’ Kyran thought.
“We’ll travel normally,” Kyran finally answered after a short pause.
Zephyr sighed in relief.
“Before that, can’t you change into something less… conspicuous look?” Kyran asked.
Zephyr did stand out too much. To be honest, his unusual hair and eye color would attract unwanted attention. Kyran even felt Zephyr’s look was far more eye-catching than Tyr.
“What’s wrong with how I look?” Zephyr asked with a scowl.
“Can you change or not? If not, we’ll ask godmother if she still has Glamour Potion for you to use,” Kyran replied with a deadpan tone.
He did not want to talk nonsense with Zephyr. If Zephyr could not change how he looked, they had to deal with it fast. Because they would travel normally, they would definitely take a few days to get to Hanaan.
Kyran’s suggestion to use a potion concocted by a human, regardless of how talented one was, immediately made Zephyr scoff in annoyance.
“I am a Quilin. I don’t need human potions to change how I look. What do you think my mother’s blood running in my veins are for?” He snorted.
His horn suddenly appeared on his forehead. It glowed red, and soon, his appearance changed.
He turned into a normal-looking human.
But.
He looked like a younger Kyran.
Kyran gave him a dull expression.
“Oi. Are you messing with me?”
“What? With this look, I can pose as your younger brother.”
“Sure, pose as my younger brother if you want to end up getting chased by countless bounty hunters.”
Although the Conclave High Council knew the truth about his bounty, most of their mercenaries did not.
Zephyr frowned, “Why?”
“Because I have a bounty on my head.”
Black lines appeared on Zephyr’s head. His hope of having a decent master had been dashed at once.
“Why?” He asked accusingly.
Kyran sighed. He knew he had to explain his circumstances to Zephyr now that he had to follow him. But he did not like talking about it. Whenever he spoke of his clan, he was reminded of the night of the raid, and it always left him reeling in anger.
“I told you yesterday that I am getting the shorter end of the stick when I made you my Sigil,” Kyran started.
Zephyr nodded and said, “Because my affairs will also burden you.”
Kyran nodded.
“The word there is also. I…” He paused for a moment, trying to think of a better way to summarize his situation without giving too much information. This way, Zephyr did not have to feel burdened by knowing too much.
“I am on a run because my magic is considered forbidden nowadays. Not the magic I used to defeat you but my other magic. You know, the power of nothingness.”
Zephyr remained expressionless as he listened to Kyran. Last night, after Silas returned, he and Anette told Zephyr about most of the changes that happened in the world. Anette’s information was outdated, so Silas was the one who provided the new ones. But while they told Zephyr a lot of information, the two refrained from saying anything about his new master.
Zephyr did not pry, though. He just made a mental note to talk to Kyran himself.
“So, I have to keep my identity hidden.”
“Is that why you were wearing a mask?” Zephyr asked, remembering Kyran was wearing a mask the first time they met.
“Yes,” Kyran replied with a short nod. “Anyway, don’t worry. You will indeed get involved with my affairs whether you like it or not. But I will draw a line. At the very least, I will never put your life in danger.”
Zephyr was struck dumb after hearing Kyran’s words.
Kyran’s words did not sound impressive. But how he said it made Zephyr believe him. Zephyr’s heart even gave an involuntary skip, which annoyed him.
Was he feeling awed at his new master? Had he been lonely for too long to be awed by a human just by his words?
The thought was a little annoying.
“And your family let it happen?” Zephyr could not help but ask.
Kyran said he was on the run, but Zephyr also knew he was part of the Regis Clan. Even if his clan lost their prestige, Zephyr knew they would not let him face this ordeal alone. This trait the Regis ancestor had made the Dragon King acknowledge him. And using his blessing, this trait became ‘imprinted’ in the Regis descendants.
The moment Zephyr asked this question, Kyran’s eyes turned cold.
Zephyr flinched at the sudden coldness in his eyes, but not even a second passed, Kyran’s eyes returned to normal.
“They didn’t. That’s why they ended up…” Kyran let his voice trail off. Not because he was feeling emotional, but because he was unsure of his family’s current situation.
Silas would not tell him.
At the very least, Kyran knew they were still ‘safe’. For how long, he did not want to think about it. He had to focus on getting stronger and preparing his military power first.
“I’m not sure, to be honest,” Kyran said instead.
Looking at Kyran’s solemn expression, Zephyr fell silent. He understood how Kyran was feeling. He felt the same when he woke up and found he was alone. Since then, he had wondered and worried about what had happened to his brethren. Unfortunately, there were no clues around. He only knew there was suddenly a ruined small city made of red buildings near the shrine, and the whole place was riddled with reptilian beasts.
“I heard from your human followers that this world is now reigned by the Soul Emperor’s family,” Zephyr said.
Kyran’s brow twitched, hearing him refer to Anette and the rest as his ‘human followers’. If they all heard Zephyr, they would probably go ballistic.
“Haven’t they done enough?” Zephyr said in disdain.
Kyran stopped short as he stared at Zephyr. He belatedly remembered that dragons had a special way of passing on their memories to their descendants. Was Quilins the same? If that was true, Zephyr might know some events that happened from long ago.
Zephyr noticed Kyran’s intense gaze and was reminded of Nolan and Anette’s reaction when they found he knew things that happened a thousand years ago.
With a sigh, he said, “I know what you’re thinking. That crude guy already asked me to tell what I know, and I agreed. But I don’t want to repeat myself. I can tell you what I know with them.”
Kyran pondered for a moment. If he was in Zephyr’s shoes, he also did not want to repeat himself all the time when explaining.
“Alright,” he agreed with a nod.
Nolan and Gage were still away. Kyran was unsure where they went, but he hoped they were not trying to stir trouble.
Kyran then thought Nolan got him in trouble a few times, and he suddenly had a bad feeling.
‘Forget it for now,’ he told himself.
“We’ll leave in half an hour,” Kyran told Zephyr and made his way back to the cottage.
He belatedly remembered that he had not eaten since the day before. Not to mention he had been sweating when he was unconscious due to his fever, and he stinks so bad right now. He would need half an hour to clean up and eat before heading out.
Zephyr followed while changing his face. He retained his human face but changed his hair and eye color to black this time.