Viciousness

It was already deep into the night, and throughout the Aurora Town, the only sounds that lingered were the wails of those who had lost their loved ones. Pure sorrow and fury were etched onto every grieving face, reflected in countless tear-filled eyes. None of them could accept what had happened. The war had been bloody, and the aftermath was so horrific that even now, the ground remained stained by the blood of the fallen.

Augustus and Caesar kept their eyes fixed on Finn, who still knelt unmoving. They could sense the storm of emotions raging inside the young man. Neither dared to speak to him right away. Instead, they silently moved to help their wounded comrades. More than half of their people had perished—a devastating blow to them all. Over five Profound Rank Elders had died, and nearly everyone left alive was gravely injured.

--

"Father… It's all my fault… If only… If only I hadn't left, if I'd just stayed and protected our clan, none of this would have happened," Finn choked out, still kneeling, still weeping.

Despite his failing strength, Creed forced himself to smile and speak.

"N-No… it isn't… your fault… If not for you… our clan would have long been destroyed…" he rasped, before a fit of violent coughing wracked his body and he spat out another mouthful of blood. His breaths grew ragged, his life hanging by a fragile thread. But even so, it was clear he was still fighting to stay alive.

Seeing this, Finn immediately stood. He retrieved a High-grade Recovery Pill and, with trembling hands, helped his father swallow it. Channeling his own soulforce, he guided the pill's effects carefully through Creed's broken body.

As he worked, Finn noticed the blackened arms, veins burst and ruined beneath the skin. A tight pain squeezed his chest at the sight of what had become of them. Just from looking, he could tell his father's arms were beyond saving—crippled forever, drained of all energy.

This was the consequence of wielding an Epic Armament while only at the 6th Level Profound Rank. Everyone with any knowledge or experience knew that Epic Armaments existed only for Sky Ranks to bear. But Creed had forced himself to wield such a weapon, and this was the price: his life now balanced on the edge of death, and his arms left irreversibly shattered.

Once again, regret welled up in Finn's heart. He had never imagined things would end up like this. He hadn't foreseen that his absence—just over three months—would lead his clan to such devastation.

Everything he had done, he had done to protect the Azure Wood Family and their future. He had joined the Cloud Soaring Sect to secure their protection. He had fought in the Seven Great Faction Games to earn recognition among the most influential adventurers. He had believed this would be enough to make the Nine Ice Family wary of him—of his rising fame and talent. But he had been wrong. Instead of deterring them, it had only made them more aggressive, driving them to spark this bloody war.

And in his disappearance, it was as if everyone who once admired his potential had simply… stopped caring.

He hated himself for this. He hated how blood had once again drenched their land. He loathed the Nine Ice Family and all those who had schemed to bring about this slaughter. He was furious at the Cloud Soaring Sect for breaking their promise. He wanted to ask Noah and Marcus why they had failed to act on what they had sworn. Back when he'd been recruited into the Soaring Seven, their leaders had promised to safeguard the Azure Wood Family from Nine Ice Family's predations. Yet now, looking around, there was no trace that any member of the Cloud Soaring Sect had ever come.

And beyond that, he wanted to demand answers from the entire Royal Clan. Why had they allowed this? Hadn't they forbidden clan wars because of the neighboring kingdom? How could they stand by and watch Nine Ice Family destroy everything? His family was a Noble Clan too—so why had no one come?

Countless questions churned in his mind. He longed for all the answers. But for now, he knew where his duty lay: to his people. Too many had died. Too many had been left broken. They needed him, and they needed him now.

His gaze softened a fraction as he watched Creed's breathing finally begin to steady. His father had fallen unconscious, but his pulse and breaths were no longer fading. Even if he was safe from immediate death, the wounds he had sustained were immense.

After a few moments of silence, Augustus and Caesar stepped toward Finn.

"Finn… I still can't believe you're alive. Elder Creed was right… You really did come back," Augustus said gently. He didn't know whether he should feel relief or sorrow. So many of their Elders were dead, their bodies incomplete, their lives lost to this senseless carnage. Even if they'd survived, how could they feel anything but grief?

Finn raised his gaze to meet Augustus's eyes.

"Family Head Augustus… Elder Caesar… I'm deeply grateful. You never abandoned us. You never turned your backs on our clan… I will never forget what you've done," he said, his voice ringing with quiet sincerity. No matter how much he'd once helped the Golden Lion Family, he had never expected them to repay him so completely. He was profoundly thankful that, even knowing a calamity was coming, they had stood their ground and fought like true lions.

Augustus sighed, pain flickering in his tired eyes.

"We only did what we promised, Finn. All that we have now… it's because of you. Without your help, we'd never have come this far." He swept his gaze over the battlefield, voice lowering. "But it's heartbreaking… so many lost, so many maimed."

Finn fell silent, his expression darkening again. After a moment, he drew out an interspatial ring and held it out.

"Even if we can't bring back the dead… we can still heal the wounded. I'm entrusting this ring to you. It's filled with High-grade Recovery Pills. In just a few weeks, everyone who still draws breath should recover."

Augustus stared, momentarily stunned, before he reached out and accepted the ring. He handed it to Caesar and signaled for him to distribute the pills among the injured without delay.

Caesar obeyed swiftly, gathering the survivors who could still move and instructing them to share the precious medicine.

Once the work had begun, Augustus spoke again, voice heavy.

"I'm certain the Nine Ice Family will seek vengeance for this… and in our current state, we'll struggle to resist them."

Hearing this, Finn's expression darkened. A terrifying aura billowed off him, pressing down on everything around them. Augustus's eyes widened in fear and dawning realization. This power…

"9th Level Profound Rank!" Augustus blurted, unable to stop himself.

His jaw fell open as he sensed Finn's current realm. He tried to steady his breath, to remain calm, but his mind reeled. Only then, remembering the way Gastavo's skull had been crushed beneath Finn's boot, did he finally understand: this young man before him—barely eighteen years old—was already a true 9th Level Profound Rank.

No wonder he had effortlessly slain so many enemies.

"Vengeance?" Finn's voice was low, trembling with contained fury. "They still think they have the right to vengeance? My clan did nothing to them—nothing—and yet they never stopped coming for us!" His gaze swept over the lifeless bodies of Nine Ice warriors. "If they're so eager to die, I'll grant their wish. Nothing will change. The moment I'm done tending to my people… I will personally wipe the Nine Ice Family off the face of this world."

Augustus felt cold sweat drip down his spine as Finn spoke. Never before had he heard such pure hatred in a voice—and never before had he been so certain that those words were no idle threat.

Still, he forced himself to meet Finn's gaze.

"But, Finn… The Nine Ice Family has the Ice Feather Sect's backing… Sect Mistress Sheeha herself is a Sky Rank. And from what my son Leo told me… she isn't just any ordinary Sky Rank…"

Finn turned his cold eyes on him. "I don't care what level or rank they are. They touched my clan. They will answer for every drop of blood."

Augustus fell silent. He knew, from that tone, there was no swaying this young man.

"Family Head Augustus," Finn asked, his voice soft but hard as steel, "did the Cloud Soaring Sect send any aid while I was gone?"

Augustus sighed and shook his head.

"I see." Finn let out a bitter, hollow laugh.

He had suspected as much. But hearing the truth still felt like a blade in his chest.

Before he could say more, Augustus spoke, hesitant. "But…."

Finn frowned, puzzled by the sudden uncertainty. "But what? Please… go on."

Augustus hesitated a moment longer, then drew in a steadying breath. "But before the war began in earnest, fifteen Rogue Adventurers came to your territory, offering help without asking for payment. Five were Profound Rank, and the rest were 8th and 9th Level Scarlet Gold. There were also six mysterious Adventurers who aided us from the shadows—all of them Profound Rank. Yet… for some reason, they never reappeared once the fighting reached its worst."

Finn's brows drew together in confusion. For a moment, six figures flickered in his memory—six shadows he could not quite name. He also recalled what Kiven had told him in the Adventurers' Guild—that Lore had come to him, desperate enough to trade fifty Advance Scarlet Pills for ten Profound Nurturing Pills.

His suspicion deepened. Perhaps those six had been the Soaring Seven. But only one way remained to be sure:

He would have to go to the Cloud Soaring Sect himself and demand answers.

Still… why would Rogue Adventurers fight for free? That was something he couldn't understand. He knew what kind of people they were—mercenaries without loyalties, drifting from city to city in search of coin.

He met Augustus's eyes again, voice level. "Did any of them ever say who sent them?"

Augustus shook his head. "No. They never spoke of it. Their lips were sealed."

Finn fell into thought, then nodded slowly. "I want to speak with them."

"Of course… But for now, they must rest. Their wounds were grave. Of the five Profound Ranks, only three still live. And only two Scarlet Gold Rank remain," Augustus replied, sorrow weighing in his tone.

Finn inclined his head, gaze dropping. "Then I'll wait until they recover. For now… my clan must come first."

His eyes turned cold as he surveyed the battlefield, the severed heads and ruined corpses.

"As for the heads of these gluttonous Nine Ice Family scum… gather every last one and bring them to me. As for the bodies… Feed them all to the Vicious Beasts in the forest."

A chill swept over Augustus's heart. He had never imagined the boy with the innocent face could hide such violence beneath his skin.

'The Nine Ice Family… you've awakened a monster far more terrible than any of us could have foreseen,' Augustus thought, staring at Finn as his killing aura billowed out into the darkness, thick with hatred—and a hunger for vengeance.