The Cyber Ascension Arc 5 — " The Founder of Pheonix "
Volume 5 | Chapter 43 : " The Blood "
The first rays of sunrise scattered across the ocean, painting the waves with soft gold. Jin Yuan and Rionaz rose from the cold sand, brushed snow off their clothes, and silently dragged their boat back toward the water.
The sea was calmer than last night…
but still unnaturally black.
With a final push, they set sail once more.
The wind howled as they drifted into open waters. Clouds gathered fast, swallowing the gentle colors of morning. Waves began to grow—first small, then monstrous.
Within minutes—
BOOOOM!
A tower of water smashed against the boat. The vessel shook violently.
Rionaz grabbed the edges.
Rionaz: "Oh God… seems we're in trouble!"
But Jin Yuan stood still, unfazed, steady as a stone. His cold eyes followed the waves in perfect silence, judging them, measuring them. He held the rope firmly and kept pushing the boat forward against the storm.
Another wave crashed.
Another thunder roared.
The sea became a battlefield.
The boat trembled so hard it seemed it would shatter any second.
Yet Jin Yuan's expression never changed.
But Rionaz's did.
His panic melted into a strange… smile.
A twisted smirk.
Before Jin Yuan could turn his head completely—
Rionaz attacked.
A flash of steel. A blade aimed right for Jin Yuan's throat.
Rionaz:
"Heh! Do you think I'm a heaven soldier!? NAH!"
"I'm a hell assassin sent to kill you long ago!"
"I waited… because you're skilled. Very skilled."
"But now—"
Jin Yuan finally turned his head.
Calm.
Empty.
Predictable.
He looked at Rionaz not like a betrayer… but like a boring story he already knew the ending of.
Then—
SHHHK!
Jin Yuan unsheathed his massive katana and pierced Rionaz's heart in one clean, flawless motion.
Rionaz's eyes widened.
Jin Yuan:
"Hm. I already knew."
"I just used you… to reach Queen Victoria Reona."
Rionaz's breath froze.
His lips trembled.
His body collapsed backward—
And he fell from the boat.
The black sea welcomed him like a hungry beast.
The water around him bubbled… then churned violently.
Rionaz screamed—
only for a moment.
Dozens of parasite-shaped shadows wrapped around him, pulling him under.
Warm blood spread through the water like ink.
And then—
Silence.
Jin Yuan, without a single flicker of emotion, adjusted the boat and continued rowing through the violent sea.
The storm calmed within minutes.
The sun rose higher.
And soon—
He reached the gates of Heaven again.
THE RETURN TO HEAVEN
Jin Yuan walked through the palace corridors as if he had been born there. Guards bowed instinctively. Servants stepped aside.
He headed directly for Queen Victoria Reona.
She was standing near the balcony when he entered.
Her eyes softened immediately.
Jin Yuan: "Queen Victoria. We found nothing there."
"The tree, the staircase… everything was fake. It's all nothing."
Queen Victoria Reona nodded slowly, digesting the disappointment.
But then her eyes searched behind him.
Queen Victoria Reona: "Where's him?"
Jin Yuan didn't blink.
Jin Yuan:
"He died in the forest.
A parasite killed him."
A lie.
Smooth.
Cold.
Perfect.
Queen Victoria Reona's face changed—sadness flickering, sorrow settling. But she exhaled softly, relieved at least one soldier survived.
Queen Victoria Reona:
"…Alright. Leave it. Be safe, Jin Yuan."
Jin Yuan nodded once.
But he wasn't finished.
Jin Yuan:
"Queen Victoria Reona. Is there anything more about him?"
"Any books? We didn't get enough information."
Her expression sharpened with thought. She motioned for him to follow.
The two walked through the palace until they reached her private room—quiet, incense-filled, and lined with ancient scrolls.
They both sat.
Queen Victoria Reona opened a large old book, its pages yellowed, heavy with time.
Queen Victoria Reona:
"This details the Founder of Pheonix's life."
"I'll explain shortly… because even this contains very little."
Jin Yuan nodded.
Queen Victoria began.
THE STORY — THE BLOOD OF THE FOUNDER
Queen Victoria Reona:
"The Founder of Pheonix was unbelievably intelligent."
"He was just a normal young man… until his parents died."
She turned the next page.
Queen Victoria:
"Only then he realized… every human on earth was controlled by Fate."
"Their lives, their futures—everything predetermined."
Jin Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly.
Queen Victoria:
"So he trained. Harder than any human in history."
"Developed impossible skills."
Another page turned.
Queen Victoria:
"Hell feared him. They captured one of our soldiers, corrupted him, and sent him to kill the Founder."
"But the Founder defeated him easily… and took the Phoenix Sphere from his body."
Jin Yuan's heart tightened.
Queen Victoria:
"He merged with it."
"Through sheer willpower and unmatched intelligence…"
"He obtained the most powerful Pheonix Sphere ever recorded."
She closed the book gently.
The room fell silent.
Jin Yuan leaned back slightly, a cold, calculating glint in his eyes.
The puzzle pieces were forming.
The path was becoming clear.
The blood of the Founder was calling.