Ability Wielders - Chapter 126 Xirixian

“Everything in this room that are displayed are Xirixian.” Starakt asserted. “As for that particular Xirxian, her name is Umbralis. She’s a stubborn one. She has been masterless for thousands of years.”

“What can she do?” Hayden asked in curiosity. “That is quite peculiar among the Xirixian in this room.”

“It is unique even among the Xirixian, yes.” Starakt nodded. “She is the stubbornest among the Xirixian. But perhaps the most powerful as well. Alike all other Xirixian, she can be manipulated telekinetically and can even move without any of your orders when you form a contract with her. As for her powers, she can become a skin-tight armor, go into your skin for concealment, removing the need for camouflage, enhance your physical powers when worn, and when concentrated, can become a shield.”

“That’s kind of overpowered, isn’t it?” Hayden exclaimed. “Isn’t this basically the power of a summoning wielder?”

“Well, it is more one-track than the evolution of those kinds of Abilities.” Starakt explained. “A Xirxian’s power is directly proportionate to its user, howbeit, it doesn’t gain any kind of extra power. In other words, it doesn’t ‘evolve.’”

“I see.” Hayden felt that was kind of obvious. “Are there Xirixian out there that isn’t from Gaia’s or isn’t monitored by Gaia?”

“There are.” Beside them, Gaia verbalized herself. “There are plenty out there. These Xirixian aren’t actually part of me. They’re simply a product of the evolution of Earth. Although some of those Xirixian cannot be as strong as these ones. Probably.”

“I see that your observation is limited.” Hayden probed.

“It is.” Gaia didn’t hide this fact at all. “This is because my duty isn’t as simple as making sure that I am not destroyed. I have many more responsibilities. Such as the enforcing the laws of a planet. Most of my energy is spent on this. Manifesting my consciousness in this form is quite taxing.”

“Okay, you should walk around and examine every one.” Starakt said. “There will probably some that will respond to you.”

Hayden immediately walked to Umbralis. As he walked, some of the Xirixian he passed by hummed. However, Hayden has his eyes set on Umbralis, therefore, he ignored every other Xirixian.

Stopping in front of the glass case of Umbralis, Hayden put his hands behind his back. Unlike many Xirixian in the vault, Umbralis didn’t resonate with him. Hayden smiled dryly, “I guess you don’t like me, huh? I know you’re sentient. That’s why, can I ask why?”

A black-skinned woman materialized in front of Hayden. She was small, about at the height of Hayden’s chest, with red hair in a bob cut, and red eyes. She wore a red dress as well. She was half-transparent, identical to Gaia.

“What do you mean, Umbralis?” Hayden tilted his head. “Are you saying that you are a Xirxian for protecting the weak?”

“Exactly.” Umbralis nodded. “I cannot form a contract with you as you are too strong. You have the most powerful will and resolve amongst everyone I have encountered. Superior even than my previous master. You do not have any form of malicious intent to boot.”

“I see.” Hayden closed his eyes. Meanwhile, Starakt and Gaia gaped at him. Umbralis has never shown her form to anybody. This included Gaia and Starakt. “I hope you find a master soon. Must be boring here.”

“It has been boring. Quiescent for nearly 2,500 years.” Unpredictably, Umbralis sighed in a melancholic manner. “I hope you find the perfect Xirxian that will supplement your powers.”

Saying that, Umbralis dissipated. Hayden exhaled heavily. ‘You would’ve been the perfect Xirxian. Guess these Xirixian have personalities too.’

Closing his eyes, Hayden first thought of what he wanted for a Xirxian now that Umbralis has rejected him. His melee combat was already invincible, at least to Level 3 wielders. His defense was absurdly high with Indestructible Devil. And he preferred using his claws for dealing damage in melee.

‘What I lack are powerful long-ranged attacks. Especially for the late game.’ Hayden pondered. ‘In the present, I can overwhelm them with high-level skills of Essence Manipulation Arts. But skills have its limitations. Raw power is still something that cannot be bridged.’

Look at Black Devil’s mobility for example. Witnessing the power of those portals himself, Hayden was kind of envious. As a stoic though, Hayden accepted that he can’t have that. He has to make do what he has. And that’s why he needs an overpowered long-ranged attack.

‘If not, it’s either something that can augment my physique, can close the gap of me and my opponents within a fraction of a second, or pure defense.’ Hayden thought.

Eyeing his surroundings, he caught sight of three things. Some kind of black greaves. A red dragon-scale longbow that has a design of what you will see in fantasy games. And for some reason, a beautiful white scarf.

He approached first the longbow. Starakt popped up beside him. “This is Halichi. A cannon bow that dishes out sheer destructive power. He is one of the Ashikza, nineteen of the most powerful Xirixian, along with Umbralis and seventeen others.”

“What are his powers?” Hayden was fascinated of Halichi.

A half-transparent white-skinned bespectacled man in a black and red butler suit materialized in front of him. He had medium-length red hair and red eyes. He bowed towards Hayden with respect.

Afterwards, he advertised himself. “Like all bow-types in this vault, I do not need arrows and can conjure them with essence energy. You can also feed me essence energy to create stronger arrows. My arrows have a natural fire affinity that belongs that of what humans call ‘dragons.’ As for my powers, first is that I can do a charged shot. The longer you draw the bowstring, the stronger my shot is. If powerful enough, a dragon will follow the arrow itself. Second is that I can lock onto specific targets through our mental link and conjure multiple arrows that will home in on the targets. Lastly, I can become a mounted ballista, a weapon of destruction. In this form, I can be manually aimed, but I am also self-sufficient.”

“Will you be willing to form a contract with me?” Hayden didn’t blink twice prior to inquiring. Halichi was suitable for his needs! Well, the second one was unnecessary for him with his Divine Perception and whatnot. However, the first and third ones alone was worthwhile!

“I am glad to serve such a master.” Halichi genuflected in front of Hayden. “I will happily form a contract with you, master.”

“First, stand up.” Hayden narrowed his eyes. “Second, this is a relationship where we benefit from each other. My Level enhances you. You strengthen my combat power. Third, you can voice out anything. Complaints. Opinions. And your own views on matters. Fourth, we will respect one another as a person. You are sentient, and I can sense that you have feelings. Fifth, do not, ever, genuflect and treat me as a master. A friend is better. As such, address me as Hayden, not master.”

When the trio heard this, they were put in a state of stupor. Nobody in the history of Foriast and Overseers did they treat a Xirxian in this way. Everybody thought these Xirixian were simple objects. Including Starakt.

Halichi stood up. Gaia and Starakt’s shock deepened when they saw Halichi smile for the first time in his existence. “I have served countless masters. I never expected to befriend one.”

With that, the golden display case of Halichi opened up. Halichi faded away. Hayden and Starakt made eye contact. Starakt nodded. Walking to Halichi, Hayden took ahold of the bow.

A ray of light escaped his white shirt from his Origin Crystal. This light went to the grip of Halichi. Everything pertaining to Halichi flowed into Hayden’s mind. ‘We are now connected, mas- Hayden.’

‘Are you not comfortable in calling me by my name?’ Hayden questioned. Halichi’s tone when he uttered his name was uncomfortable. ‘I can waive that rule if you want?’

“Thank you!’ Halichi sounded relieved. Which was honestly surprising to Hayden. ‘I have never called my user of their names. It is truly uncomfortable.’

“Okay, that settles that.” Hayden said aloud. Halichi transformed into a fashionable wrist cuff with a red dragon-scale design in his left wrist. “Captivating. Say, can I take two?”

“Well, you can…” Starakt paused in reluctance. “It’s just that… Xirixian are choosy and will turn you down if you have contracted with a Xirxian. Nobody has been, excluding me, an exception to this. At any rate, you’re welcome to try.”

“Thanks.” Hayden moved to the metal greaves. “I can sense that you are powerful, too. Tell me, what’s your name?”

A lanky man as tall as Hayden and with long black hair appeared. He wore a black feather robe with a simple black tank top underneath and jeans. He bowed, “Hello. I am Shabilo, one of the Ashikza and the sole footwear among them.”

“Nice to meet you, Shabilo.” Hayden nodded once casually. “First, let me ask if you will still be willing to form a contract with me?”

“Naturally, I am.” Shabilo chuckled slyly. “Unlike other Xirixian and Ashikza, I am not fussy. All I want is to fight.”

“That is good.” Hayden ignored Shabilo’s personality. As long as he was useful, he’ll take him. He didn’t mind it at all. “What are your powers then?”

“First, alike all footwear-type Xirixian, I can boost your running speed up to 50%. This is called Speed Boost.” Shabilo smiled at Hayden. “If essence energy is infused, I can hasten you further. The second is called Matter Step. This allows me to make contact with any kind of matter of any kind of phase. This will aid greatly in your mobility in spite of being quite common. The last thing is Spatial Folding. I can fold the space between two points, allowing you to take one step, and appear in another. The maximum for this is ten meters, however, if you infuse purified essence energy, you can further it. This has a base cooldown of five seconds and adds a second every meter.”

“Form a contract with me.” Hayden eagerly commanded.

“Okay.” Shabilo chuckled shrewdly prior to vanishing. The display case opened. He really wasn’t fussy. Touching it, another ray of light shot out. This time, it surrounded the greaves. ‘I can turn into sneakers, boots, and my base form.’

Shabilo shapeshifted into a pair of sneakers with a black and white color scheme. It was quite stylish. Putting his shoes in one of his Space Rings, Hayden wore Shabilo. He was quite comfortable. ‘Thinking of that sentence is weird.’

Hayden tried out this so-called Spatial Fold. Activating it, Hayden stepped forward. He disappeared from his position and appeared in front of the white scarf Hayden eyed.

“That’s awesome.” Hayden whistled out. “Spatial Fold, huh? Interesting power.”

“You made a contract so effortlessly.” Starakt’s voice sounded adjacent to him. “I guess you really are this formidable. You going to try her, too? This is Rilias, a recent acquisition from Antarctica. Strangely enough, it is usually when a Xirxian is destroyed when another Xirxian forms. This one isn’t.”

“Maybe a Xirxian not in your hands was destroyed?” Hayden spoke his mind. “So, she’s a new Xirxian that hasn’t developed as much as the Ashikza.”

“Probably.” Starakt shrugged. “I say recent, but she has been acquired 50 years ago. She has refused to meet anybody at that time, merely transmitting her name to me prior to falling silent.”

“Let me try.” Hayden walked one step. “Rilias, can you hear me?”

“Ahh, finally.” A soft and elegant voice entered Hayden’s ears. A petite, about half as tall as Hayden, white-skinned woman in a white princess dress appeared in front of him. She had beautiful white-colored eyes and white hair. She carried an open white umbrella.

Hayden was irked of the white umbrella that Rilias was carrying. They were indoors, the umbrella had no use at all. “I have found someone.”

“Rilias.” Hayden slightly bowed as a show of respect. “Will you be willing to form a contract with me?”

“Yes. I am willing.” Rilias nodded. “Let me get ahead of you. My first power is Augment. Although it is a tad weaker than the regular Augment of other support-type… Xirixian… Only capable of augmenting your Ability’s effects by 20%, this can extend to other wielders. Second, is Flash of Brilliance. I can create a flash of blinding light that can stun anybody who perceives the light. This can only be used once every 12 hours. My third power is Divine Shield. This allows me to summon a flexible shield of light that can block any attack that has a force under 80% of the user’s own power. Every seven days, Divine Shield can block a singular attack that is 300% of my user’s attack power.”

“Establish a contract with me.” Hayden did what he did to Shabilo. When the contract was done, Hayden found it peculiar that Rilias’ information didn’t state from where she originated and only information regarding her powers and how it was used was conveyed.

Wearing Shabilo, Hayden turned to Starakt and Gaia. “Thank you for these wonderful gifts. I am indebted to the two of you.”

“No, you’re not.” Starakt shook his head. “You see, we cannot stop any Xirixian from who they desire to connect with. You were chosen by them. This is not a gift from us. They are the ones who thought you were worthy.”

“Nevertheless, I am grateful.” Hayden couldn’t possibly be ungrateful for receiving three fearsome weapons.

“Since you are grateful, here’s what you can do.” Gaia informed him of what he can do to repay them after he’s finished his business in Philippines.

“You really want me to do that?” Hayden tilted his head with a confused expression. “Why do you want me to do that?”

“War is coming. You’d have no problem doing this in the next 30 years even while continuing to live your life, right?” Gaia smiled in satisfaction. Hayden was that kind of person after all. Someone who disliked carrying debts.

“Well, yes. That will be relatively easy if I must say so myself.” Hayden bobbed his head up and down. “As soon as I settle things in the Philippines, right?”

“Yes.” Gaia affirmed. “You will start in South Korea, wouldn’t you?”

“That is my plan.” Hayden didn’t deny it. “Anyhow, should I exit now?”

“No, you will be coming to the Source Heart.” Gaia talked. “There, I will bestow you two more things. The examination and unsealing of your Innate Gifts. And answers that you seek. Also, you can circulate your essence energy there, at 11 times the rate.”

…..

At the same time that Hayden was getting his Xirixian, Visayas. Somewhere around the bases of Chocolate Hills. Surrounding two hills, there was a small town of about a square kilometer.

As Chocolate Hills were forbidden from being modernized, this place was cordoned off from the public. This is the Gintong-Langit Clan’s main base.

At the entrance of the base, Scarlet and Noah stood in front of it. They donned casualwear. Sneakers. Jeans. A red shirt for Scarlet, and a black shirt for Noah.

Beside them were two men who sported a white shirt, jeans, and a white coat with golden clouds imprinted on it.

“Do we really have to go this early in the morning?” Noah scratched his head. “I mean, couldn’t we have at least went in at 6:00 AM? I’m a morning person, but, 3:00 AM?”

“I have a flight at 8:00, Kuya.” Scarlet rolled her eyes. “Also, I’ve called this in five days ago. You’ve been wandering around for a long time. Tito—Er, Sir Soaring Bird is incensed. Absolutely incensed of your disappearance.”

“Come on, do you have to terrify me?” Noah groaned in a mix of despair and exhaustion. “I already know this. You don’t have to emphasize it.”

“I have to.” Scarlet’s voice was as serious as it could be. “He might literally kick your ass with his anger.”

“I know, he’s my father.” The two walked in shoulder to shoulder. “You don’t have to tell me anything at all. Besides, you didn’t have to come. Why would you come?”

“Because I was the one who found you.” Scarlet sighed in disappointment. “Well, Hayden’s the one who found you, but he’s an outsider. We can’t bring in outsiders here unless we’re going to marry them.”

“That kid is too powerful…” At the mention of Hayden’s name, Noah shivered. “What kind of a monster is that guy? Is he really one of those Blue Agents?”

“Well, his physical power is utterly inexplicable…” Scarlet, being a previous subject of Hayden’s killing intent and overwhelming physical force, understood Noah’s sentiments. “Plus, he’s smart. Terribly smart. He can learn all things nearly straightaway.”

“And his sensitivity to danger is no joke.” Noah put his hands at the back of his head blithely, blatantly unconcerned of Soaring Bird’s rage. “He sensed through Harper’s invisibility coat. Who can do that with mere senses?”

“Him, apparently.” Scarlet snorted. “Can’t believe I’m admitting that I’m inferior than him.”

“We can’t help it.” Noah shared Scarlet’s sentiments. “In front of that kind of existence, we pale in comparison.”

By that point in the conversation, the group arrived in front of the biggest building in the village. It was two stories tall and it was what you would typically see in a medieval fantasy anime.

The two people behind them moved forward and opened the wooden door for them. A domineering and authoritative roar escaped immediately. “NOAH!”

“No need to give out a bellow, father.” Noah, appearing used to it, was slightly annoyed. “Jeez, I’ve been gone for a long time and this is how you greet me?”

Noah and Scarlet walked inside. Noah was uncaring. As for Scarlet, her walk was somewhat awkward. In spite of not being the subject of Soaring Bird’s rage, as Soaring Bird was the leader of the Gintong-Langit clan, this was natural.

Within the building, disparate to its external appearance, the place was that of an extravagant throne room. There was a regal red carpet laid down that led to a golden throne.

Sitting on the golden throne was a stoic of a man wearing a white military uniform with gold designs, black boots, and a white sash with golden clouds on it covering most of his top.

He had a black full beard. His short hair was black in color, and his eyes radiated stalwartness. A person whose appearances truly fit that of a king’s.

Around the edges of the red carpet, there stood six people, three women and three men, in white coats and the same golden cloud design.

“Son.” The man in the throne talked. He had a gloomy expression.

“Dad.” Noah had an identical unfaltering gaze.