The Cyber Ascension Arc 5 — "The Founder of Pheonix" | Volume 5 | Chapter 41: "The Black Dead Sea"
The night had fallen like a velvet cloak over the palace grounds. The silver moonlight cascaded down in long, cold streaks, illuminating the polished stone corridors of the castle with a spectral glow. Shadows stretched and twisted along the walls, shifting in the dim light as if alive, whispering secrets of past wars, betrayals, and power. Jin Yuan's footsteps were soft but deliberate, each one a calculated beat of patience and cold precision. He wore the heavy armor he had taken from the fallen soldiers, the cold steel pressing against his body, reminding him of every life he had claimed, every chain he had broken to reach this moment. His katana, massive and glinting faintly under the moon, was strapped to his back like a shadow waiting to strike.
Rionaz trailed slightly behind him, still young, still wide-eyed, but his determination radiated like fire. His every movement was careful, measured—yet the nervous energy beneath his exterior betrayed the tension coiling in his chest. Jin Yuan could feel it, sense it. Fear and courage intertwining in a fragile human thread. He glanced at the boy, his sharp black eyes unreadable, as he quietly assessed their path ahead.
"Queen Victoria Reona," Jin Yuan said, his voice low and cold, slicing through the night's silence, "Rionaz and I… we leave tonight." The words were not a request, not a declaration—they were a calculated certainty. His tone carried the weight of inevitability, the kind of cold that made others instinctively obey without question.
Queen Victoria Reona's face tightened with concern. Her sapphire eyes, luminous and clear, betrayed worry beneath the composed grace she always carried. She stepped closer, her hands clenching the map with subtle tension. "Hmm… but crossing that sea at night is perilous," she said, her voice soft, almost musical, yet threaded with anxiety. "The waves… they are treacherous. Darkness hides dangers you cannot yet comprehend. For tonight, it is safer to wait until dawn."
Rionaz's eyes flickered toward her, wide yet firm with resolve. "It's alright, Your Majesty," he said, his voice slightly wavering but resolute. "We must move tonight. We cannot wait—Hell will not sleep. We must be ready before they strike again." The urgency in his tone was almost childlike, yet it carried a steel that surprised even him.
Queen Victoria Reona nodded slowly, her fingers tracing the intricate lines of the map again. "The island… lies to the north. Snow falls cover it in perpetual white, yet it is beautiful, paradisiacal, untouched by ordinary humans. But the only route—" she paused, her eyes flicking to Jin Yuan, "—the only route is through the Black Dead Sea." Her words carried weight, each syllable steeped in the history and mystery of the place. "At night, the water glows dark, almost black, concealing whirlpools and treacherous currents. Legends speak of the Founder of Pheonix's spiritual form walking upon it, awaiting the one worthy to merge or fuse with his power."
Jin Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly, calculating, assessing. Danger was irrelevant. Only the path to power mattered. He had no illusions about the heroics or dreams of others. All that mattered was the Pheonix power, and he would take it, no matter how many lives, timelines, or fates it required. Rionaz beside him, meanwhile, clenched his fists, eyes shining with youthful determination. Fear swirled within him, but so did an unyielding loyalty and purpose.
"We'll manage," Jin Yuan said coldly, his tone like frost slicing through the night. "Prepare the boat, and we leave."
Queen Victoria Reona's worry deepened, but she nodded, her hands trembling just slightly as she gestured toward the harbor. "The boat is ready," she said, her voice warm, almost maternal, contrasting with the cold steel resolve of the two warriors. "It is strong, well-built. It will carry you across safely if you remain vigilant."
Jin Yuan's mind, ever racing, never rested. I am here for the Pheonix power. Nothing else matters. After I obtain it, this timeline—these people—they are irrelevant. They cling to hope, to lies, to fragile lives. I will break the cycle, crush fate, and make myself immortal. No one matters. Nothing matters. His thoughts were a cold, precise machinery, turning every emotion into fuel, every fear into calculated risk.
Rionaz, however, seemed distracted by a different concern. He hesitated, a subtle redness brushing across his cheeks as he looked at Queen Victoria Reona. "May I… um… take a hug?" His voice cracked slightly, betraying the nervousness he tried so hard to suppress. "I… I have wanted to see you since I joined the army."
Without a moment's hesitation, the Queen enveloped him in a warm, gentle embrace. The softness of her form, the comforting weight of her presence, was almost disarming. "You may," she whispered, her voice flowing like honey, "I saw you the first day you attempted to sneak into the castle."
Rionaz's eyes widened, his small frame leaning instinctively into the comfort of her arms. Meanwhile, Jin Yuan, ever the shadow, leaned against a nearby pillar, his bag tied to a stick over his shoulder, the katana resting across his back like a silent predator. His eyes swept the surroundings, cold, unfeeling, calculating. Emotion was a liability. Purpose was survival. Power was everything.
Queen Victoria Reona handed Rionaz a small ring, the delicate object shining faintly in the moonlight. She did not place it on his finger—there was no warmth in this gesture, no sentimentality. Yet, the action was deliberate, meaningful, a promise he would not care for. She leaned closer to Rionaz, her voice soft and tender. "After your return, perhaps it will rest upon your finger," she murmured.
The two warriors departed the palace silently, the night enveloping them like a protective shroud. They moved toward the harbor, the moonlight glinting across the dark waters of the Black Dead Sea. The waves slashed against the shore, black and wild, frothing like the coils of a living creature. The boat awaited—neither grand nor small, but perfect for two, its wooden frame gleaming faintly under the moonlight.
"Stay calm," Jin Yuan instructed, his voice low, a sharp edge underlying the calm tone. "Do not panic. The waves are treacherous, but we have one goal. Keep your mind clear, your movements precise."
Rionaz nodded, swallowing hard, his hands gripping the sides of the boat. Each wave threatened to tip them, each gust of wind carried the promise of doom. Yet he trusted Jin Yuan, blindly, because the man exuded a confidence that bordered on inhuman. There was no fear in him, only calculation, precision, and an unyielding purpose.
The boat rocked violently as they stepped aboard. The sea was alive, black as ink, waves clawing at the hull like monstrous hands determined to drag them under. Yet Jin Yuan's presence seemed to steady the waters around him, or perhaps it was merely his unflinching control of the moment that kept disaster at bay.
As the vessel pushed into the vast expanse, the cold saltwater spray whipped their faces. The wind roared like a beast, but Jin Yuan stood firm, the silhouette of his armor catching faint moonlight. Rionaz crouched, gripping the sides, a mixture of awe and terror in his eyes. Every moment was a test—a trial not just of skill, but of resolve. The Black Dead Sea was unforgiving, but nothing in Jin Yuan's world was.
For him, the waves were just another obstacle, another variable to calculate. His mind was already racing, thinking of the Founder of Pheonix, the power that awaited, and the methods he would employ to seize it. The fools of this world cling to sentiment. They worship, they love, they hope. I… I will rise above all of it. Freedom is not given. It is taken. Power is not earned. It is claimed. I will break fate, I will break Hell, I will break the cycle, and I will become immortal.
Rionaz's voice cut through the roaring wind, trembling slightly. "Jin Yuan… the waves—they're getting stronger. Are we… going to be okay?"
Jin Yuan's response was a cold, single word: "Focus." No fear. No hesitation. Every motion, every glance, every breath was disciplined. There was no room for weakness, and no allowance for error.
Hours passed, the boat carving through the black waters with difficulty, the waves growing ever more violent as the Black Dead Sea seemed to sense their presence. Ghostly silhouettes of strange, ethereal forms rose from the depths. Legends spoke of the Founder of Pheonix's spiritual form walking here, awaiting a worthy successor—or perhaps a fool brave enough to seek his power. Jin Yuan's eyes, unblinking and sharp, scanned the shadows. He saw every detail, calculated every risk, every possibility.
Rionaz's breaths came in ragged gasps. "I… I think I see… land…" His voice barely audible over the wind, but his tone carried hope, fragile but alive.
Jin Yuan nodded, his face impassive, yet his mind was already moving ten steps ahead. "Land does not matter. Only the path. Only the power. Only the conclusion."
As the first glimpse of the island appeared—a jagged silhouette bathed in ethereal moonlight—the wind carried the scent of snow and unknown flora, untouched and wild. Trees towered like giants, their branches clawing at the sky, hiding the mysteries within. Somewhere deep in the forest lay the massive tree, the sealed birthplace of the Founder of Pheonix. It awaited the one brave—or foolish—enough to claim its power.
Jin Yuan adjusted the cloth bag on his shoulder, feeling the weight of his katana. No hesitation. No mercy. No distractions.
The boat scraped against the shoreline, and Jin Yuan leapt onto the sand with fluid precision. Rionaz followed, stumbling slightly but recovering quickly. The snow beneath their feet was soft yet unyielding, a deceptive comfort as the wind cut through their armor and skin alike. The island was alive with danger, yet both men advanced with unwavering purpose.
Jin Yuan's final thought as they moved into the forest was clear and unrelenting: No one is important. No one is safe. I push all emotions aside. Freedom for my friends… and power for myself. The world is full of lies, but I will see the truth and seize it. Everyone is dangerous—everyone will reveal their nature eventually. Believing in anyone is the greatest foolishness of all. Only power, precision, and purpose remain.
The forest swallowed them, the Black Dead Sea fading behind, leaving only shadows, snow, and the looming promise of the Founder of Pheonix.
The true trial had begun.