Chapter 72: A Glimpse Of Ruin

A couple of hours had passed since the beginning of their Riki training.

By the end of it, Rexi had finally discovered that his dominant Riki type was Cognitive. Veyron had also put all three of them through several sparring sessions, and despite knowing they were still inexperienced, the instructor hadn’t gone easy on them.

Still, at least they hadn’t instantly passed out like they had during their first training session.

Arthur, in particular, had made ridiculous progress.

He had reached the peak of the Second Realm and broken through into the Third Realm, further certifying just how much of a monster he was when it came to cultivation.

After everything they had gone through, the class had finally come to an end.

Veyron had informed them that, from now on, they would begin attending regular classes alongside the rest of the cadets. They would also occasionally participate in small-scale cadet deployment missions.

Nothing serious.

The missions would be simple and completely safe, with senior officers present to oversee them.

For now, at least, they were only being given the opportunity to gain some practical experience outside the academy.

Arthur walked through the halls of the cadet dormitory, eventually arriving at his room.

He opened the door and stepped inside.

The room was noticeably different from the last time he’d seen it.

Most of the things belonging to Kladirex had been removed. Cadets who were obviously hostile toward each other couldn’t be placed under the same living arrangements, especially when doing so could lead to unnecessary violence and potential casualties.

Arthur looked around the room for a moment.

Then he sighed.

At least things were quieter now.

He walked over to his bed and sat down, letting his body sink into the mattress.

After everything that had happened today, he was exhausted.

Arthur leaned back and stared at the ceiling.

"...What a day."

Arthur stared at the ceiling for a few moments before suddenly remembering something.

"Before I forget..."

He slowly sat up.

There was something he’d been meaning to ask about ever since his cultivation breakthrough.

"Genesis."

A small figure suddenly appeared in front of him.

Genesis hovered in the air, her chibi-like figure looking toward Arthur with her usual calm expression.

Arthur looked at her.

"That second skill you unlocked earlier. What was it again?"

A small system window appeared in front of Arthur’s eyes.

?Genesis Skill: Path of Ruin EX?

Arthur leaned forward slightly.

"What does it do?"

Another system window appeared.

?Path of Ruin?

?Description: Allows the user to witness a possible future in which an unfortunate event occurs to themselves or someone they deeply care about.?

Arthur’s expression immediately changed.

"...What?"

Another line appeared.

?The future presented is not absolute. It represents a possible outcome based on the current circumstances surrounding the user and the individuals involved.?

Arthur stared at the window.

"So... it shows me something bad that’s going to happen?"

Genesis then spoke.

?Negative. Path of Ruin does not display a guaranteed future.?

?It displays a possible future in which an unfortunate event occurs.?

Arthur slowly nodded.

"And I get to see it before it happens?"

?Affirmative.?

Arthur’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"So I can change it."

?Affirmative.?

Genesis added.

?The purpose of Path of Ruin is to provide the user with an opportunity to alter the circumstances that lead to the observed outcome.?

Arthur leaned back slightly.

That sounded incredibly useful.

But there was something about the skill that bothered him.

"...How far into the future?"

The system window remained for a moment before another line appeared.

?The distance of the observed future may vary depending on the circumstances surrounding the event.?

Arthur frowned.

"So there’s no fixed limit?"

?Correct.?

Arthur rubbed his chin.

"And how detailed are these futures?"

?The information presented will vary depending on the significance of the event and the circumstances surrounding it.?

Arthur nodded slowly.

That made sense.

But the more he thought about the skill, the stranger it became.

Seeing the future was one thing.

Seeing the future specifically when something terrible was about to happen to him or someone he cared about was another.

Arthur glanced at the system window again.

"...That’s kind of ominous."

?I agree.?

Arthur blinked.

"You agree?"

Genesis nodded.

?The nature of the skill is inherently concerning.?

Arthur sighed.

"So every time the skill activates, there’s a chance I’ll end up watching something horrible happen to someone I care about."

?Potentially.?

Arthur leaned back against the bed.

"Yeah."

He stared at the ceiling again.

"That’s definitely ominous."

For a moment, Arthur remained silent.

The skill was powerful, there was no doubt about that.

But it also meant something else.

If Path of Ruin ever showed him a future involving someone he cared about...

He would have to do everything in his power to change it.

Arthur’s expression gradually became serious.

"...I wonder what kind of future it’ll show me."

Genesis hovered silently in front of Arthur for a moment.

Then a system window appeared before his eyes.

?Master, would you like to activate Path of Ruin EX??

Arthur stared at the notification.

He hesitated for a moment.

The thought of actually seeing a possible future where something terrible happened to him or someone he cared about made him slightly uneasy.

Still, if the skill existed for the purpose of changing such a future, there was little reason to avoid using it.

Arthur took a slow breath.

"Yes."

Suddenly, Arthur felt a sharp jolt tear through his brain.

"Ah!"

His entire body jerked violently.

Arthur immediately grabbed the side of his head, his fingers digging into his hair as another surge of pain shot through his skull.

"What the..."

His vision blurred.

A strange sound began building inside his head.

VMMMMMMMMMMMMM...

It sounded like some enormous weapon powering up deep within his skull. The vibration grew louder and deeper, drowning out everything else as Arthur’s teeth clenched.

"What the hell is happening?!"

VMMMMMMMMMMMMM...

The sound suddenly reached a deafening pitch.

Then everything went black.

VSHHHHHHHH!

The sound of static exploded through his mind.

Arthur’s eyes suddenly snapped open.

His vision stuttered.

For a fraction of a second, the world appeared frozen in black and white.

Then it gained colour and began moving.

Arthur was sitting inside the cockpit of Agis.

His hands were wrapped around the controls.

Warning indicators flashed across the holographic displays.

Beyond the cockpit glass stretched an endless desert beneath a burning sky. Golden sand covered the horizon in every direction, but the battlefield below was anything but peaceful.

The remains of what seemed to be an imperial ship vessel were all over the place, buried halfway through the sand.

Something was wrong.

Arthur could feel it before he even understood what he was seeing.

Then the voices came.

"FALL BACK!"

"DON’T BREAK FORMATION!"

"THERE’S TOO MANY!"

"CAPTAIN, THEY’RE SURROUNDING US!"

"KEEP FIRING!"

"DON’T LET THEM REACH THE WOUNDED!"

The voices weren’t coming through a communication system.

They were inside his head, a telepathic link.

Arthur froze.

His eyes widened.

"What’s going on..."

Another scream suddenly tore through his consciousness.

"AAAGHHHH!"

Arthur winced.

His vision changed.

He was no longer looking through Agis’s cockpit.

He was looking through someone else’s eyes.

An Iron Angel cadet stood in the middle of the desert, her body covered in dust, blood, and cuts. Her combat armor had been torn open across one side, exposing sections of the machinery beneath.

Her breathing was rapid.

Her muscles were trembling as she ran.

Arthur suddenly saw the full picture.

Iron Angel cadets were running across the desert.

They weren’t fighting.

They weren’t even trying to.

They were fleeing.

Some were dragging wounded comrades.

Others were carrying them over their shoulders.

A few were simply running as fast as their enhanced bodies could carry them.

Every single one of them looked terrified.

Then Arthur saw what they were running from.

Teethlings.

The creatures marched over the dunes like a living nightmare.

Their bodies were grotesquely elongated, covered in layers of pale, stretched flesh that seemed almost too thin for their massive frames.

Their limbs bent at angles that made no sense, ending in long, clawed appendages that dug into the sand as they crawled and sprinted.

But their mouths were the worst part.

Their entire heads seemed to be made for eating.

Rows upon rows of irregular teeth filled their enormous jaws, some long and needle-like, others thick and jagged. More teeth protruded from the sides of their mouths, overlapping one another as their jaws opened and closed.

CLICK.

CLICK.

CLICK.

The sound carried across the desert.

Hundreds of jaws snapping.

The Teethlings were coming.

Fast.

Far too fast.

"THEY’RE CATCHING UP!"

Arthur’s vision suddenly shifted.

He was seeing through the eyes of one of the cadets.

She was sprinting.

Her breathing was frantic.

Her vision shook with every step.

She looked behind her.

A Teethling was closing the distance.

"No..."

Her voice trembled.

"No, no, no..."

She pushed herself harder.

"FASTER!"

She looked forward.

"PLEASE!"

The Teethling lunged.

Her eyes widened.

"AAAAAH!"

CRUNCH!

The transmission erupted into static.

VSHHHHH!

Arthur flinched violently.