The Path of Ruin

Chapter 77: Follower Ability

Just as he did before the Halve mission, Kael woke up early in the morning and went straight to meet Hakon.

When he arrived at their usual place, he again found Hakon already there waiting for him.

Once again, he had failed to arrive before him... but this time, he didn't care too much about that.

Because he was excited.

And seeing his excitement, Hakon couldn't help smiling.

"So... let's first talk about what it means to follow a Path and progress through it."

Kael nodded meekly, his ears pricked up and his eyes wide.

"You already know that a Path is determined by what one has experienced in their life and is tied to a certain concept. So following a Path requires acceptance, understanding, intimacy, and more with that concept. As you progress in these things, you progress in your Path. And at certain points, you advance in some stages."

Hakon went to the side of the room and picked up a book. He opened it and showed Kael a page.

There were seven circles on the page and small writing inside the circles. The first circle was quite small, with each circle getting bigger and bigger.

"What we call stage zero is the Bearer. Those who do not follow any Path and only have a blessing or a curse. Stage one, Follower. Those who have just started to follow their Path. Stage two, Pursuer, those who have been granted a second ability by their Path. Stage three, Seeker. Those who can increase certain powers by projecting the characteristics of their Path onto their bodies. Next are the fourth, fifth, and sixth stages. But you will learn about them later. That's all you need to know for now."

Kael was a little... disappointed to hear this. He wondered what the next three stages were.

But Hakon must have had a reason for hiding them, otherwise, he would have told him directly. So he didn't press too hard.

"Each time you reach a new stage, you not only gain a new ability, but your eon reserves, control, and physical abilities also improve. There is a much bigger difference between a Follower and a Pursuer than you might think, in short. That's why you should always avoid colliding with someone at a higher stage than you unless you have an extreme advantage."

When Kael nodded in understanding, Hakon placed the book he had been holding in his hand on the table next to him.

"There is nothing else you need to know about the Paths for now. So let's talk about your eon leaking out. What you need to do for that is simple... It is your body that cannot bear your eon. So you have to work on improving yourself physically. You will also use your eon constantly and develop the system that resembles the circulatory system you have created. It's easy to explain, but it will take some work, so don't ignore it."

He understood almost immediately what he had to do. And he certainly had no intention of ignoring it in any way.

"Now, lastly... can you explain to me specifically what your Path is and the ability you have gained?"

And they had finally reached the point they had been waiting for all along.

Under normal circumstances, the Path and the abilities were not supposed to be told to anyone. The more such information was kept secret, the more advantageous it was.

But why would he keep it from Hakon? He had no reason to... and he couldn't, anyway. Otherwise, he would be under suspicion. And he would lose trust.

So, without even thinking about it, he continued excitedly.

"It's Path of Ruin. And, well... the ability I gained is a little strange. It doesn't seem to be related to 'destruction'..."

Hakon nodded understandingly.

"It is possible. Paths only follow a 'concept'. The abilities change according to the way of thinking of the person following the Path, their life, how they fight... in short, everything. If you think about it a bit, you will realize that it somehow fits the concept of 'Ruin'. It will be more understandable if you explain the ability..."

"Well... it basically ruins the senses of the people around me."

Hakon paused for a moment, his expression thoughtful... then his lips curled upwards.

"Ruining your opponent's senses, huh. It somewhat suits your style and is also related to your Path, I guess... And it's actually a pretty useful ability. So... can you create hallucinations, or is it simply about messing with the senses?"

Kael wasn't entirely sure of the answer to that question.

But when he thought that the ability was linked to 'ruin', for some reason, he didn't think that it could create hallucinations that were basically constructions of things.

And so he answered honestly.

Hakon's answer to that, though, was surprisingly optimistic.

"The abilities you acquired in the previous stages get stronger as you advance to new stages. So even if you can't do it now, you might be able to do it in the future, who knows? But... let's give it a try first, shall we?"

Hakon put his hands on his waist and put on his rather annoying-looking smile again.

But Kael didn't even find him annoying. He was so excited to use his ability that he hardly focused on Hakon, instead pumping his eon into his body.

His eyes took on a silvery glow and his body grew stronger. But whereas most of the time Kael focused everything on strengthening his body, this time, he focused on something different... He imagined his Path, Ruin. He focused on the images and thoughts that appeared in his mind when he became a Follower. And finally, that he was using his ability.

And he chose Hakon as his target.

The eon in his body suddenly surged. The silvery glow in his eyes intensified. After a short time, his eon shot through the air and traveled towards Hakon.

Hakon didn't feel much at first. Kael, meanwhile, continued to look at him expectantly. And then...

"Oh..."

A slightly puzzled expression appeared on Hakon's face as he raised his eyebrows.

"It's hard to notice at first... but I find it hard to pick things out. I can't focus on my sense of smell, and the sounds seem to blend together."

Hakon paused for a moment.

"I feel... cold, I guess. Interesting... quite a lot. But more importantly... your ability also plays with my eon sense, Kael."

Hakon raised his hand. A very tiny, red glow appeared in his dark eyes... and then he simply moved his hand away.

His eon suddenly left his body and spread out. Kael's eon retreated, unable to resist his, and Hakon regained all his senses.

Kael felt a little... disappointed to see his ability so easily countered.

But Hakon's thoughts were very different.

"Being able to block the sense of eon... is a much bigger thing than you think. You can even cause people to misuse their eon with this ability. But I'm curious about one thing... can you choose which senses to 'ruin'? Or... 'ruin' what the senses specifically perceive?"

Kael forgot his earlier disappointment as soon as he realized what Hakon was trying to say.

"I think... I can, even in a limited way. But I see what you're trying to say. If I first block the other person's eon sense and then delete myself specifically from their sense of sight..."

"You can actively turn invisible, even make attacks that your opponent will never perceive. Your ability... is much more effective than you think, and it suits you very well. I can't imagine how powerful it will be, especially when you become a Pursuer or Seeker."

Kael withdrew his eon, his eyes returning to their usual brown. His lips curled upwards, grinning.

He could visualize the myriad uses for the ability he had acquired. There was no disappointment left in his thoughts. He was just... excited about the future and his ability.

This was only the Follower ability. What about his Pursuer ability? And when he became a Seeker, how would his body change and be affected by the concept of Ruin?

He was getting impatient.

"Your talent is good, but you are still lacking in eon and physical strength. So, for now, we will emphasize those two... and soon, I will send you on a new mission. Is that clear?"

He nodded quickly, his voice confident and loud.

"Understood!"

With that, Hakon widened his smile.

"Then... let's start training, again."

And they did...