Ability Wielders - Chapter 148 Daniel's Xirixian

“Compared to Hayden, you’re talkative.” Starakt snorted and giggled. “What do you want to talk? Just so you know, I won’t answer any of your questions till you’ve sparred with me.”

At that moment, both of Daniel’s irises transformed into green. The roots of the plants from the five meters of where Starakt was standing at shot towards him. While that was happening, both of Daniel’s eyes shifted to gray and red.

Utilizing the damp air in the surroundings, Daniel heated it up to extreme degrees, compressed the air, and shot it towards the rooted Starakt.

“Heh, sly.” Starakt chuckled. Starakt gently removed the roots that were shackling him via the power of his Ability. Before the air can hit Starakt, he disappeared from his position. A voice came from behind Daniel. “Even Hayden, the paranoid, didn’t avoid direct confrontation with me.”

Daniel changed both of his irises into peach color and teleported at the rear of Starakt. He then summoned flames of extreme heat and blasted Starakt with it. Daniel was careful not to touch any plants with the fire.

Anticipating this, Starakt was long gone from the attack range of the fire blast. He landed far away in front of Daniel. Daniel wasn’t done. He shifted one of his irises into maroon and the other at yellow.

With a singular gaze, Starakt was blinded by Daniel. Without any warning, Starakt heard the cackling of electricity. If he was a regular Level 2 wielder, he would’ve panicked. He wasn’t a regular wielder.

Consequently, Starakt moved even while blinded. He knew this place like the back of his hand. This allowed him to navigate around without bumping into any of the greenery. On top of this, he was able to calculate every movement of Daniel, dodging any arcs of electricity going his way.

‘Damn, this guy…’ Daniel’s eyes widened in shock. He was reminded of Hayden’s fighting style. ‘What is his Ability?’

A few seconds later, Starakt was rid of his blindness affliction. He grinned, “Heh, it’s my turn, Daniel.”

Starakt’s entire aura skyrocketed back up. Without a warning, Starakt materialized in front of Daniel. Daniel, reflexively shifted both of his irises into peach and teleported behind Starakt.

A loud boom sounded out behind him, the air vibrating violently. Daniel shivered at the thought of being in the receiving end of that attack.

“Good reflexes.” Starakt commented. “Still, it’s a mistake for you to show your back to me, Daniel. Well, anyone, really.”

Daniel rotated his body hurriedly. Starakt was nowhere to be seen. To his left… “Right here!”

“Frostbite? Such versatility…” Starakt muttered. He then complimented, “Your combat power is pretty high. I wonder if you and Hayden fought, who will win?”

Daniel frowned. Starakt sensed the sudden swing of Daniel’s mood. ‘It appears that I’ve hit a sore spot.’

Daniel was reminded of how he was beaten by Hayden during their Level 1 days without the use of his second Ability. Now that Daniel was told by Hayden that he was a dual wielder, there was not a single chance in hell that Daniel can ever beat him.

“Stop comparing yourself to others.” An advice of Hayden echoed in the depths of Daniel’s mind. “Not to mention that it’s an unhealthy mindset, it will destroy you. It will eat you away the more you do. Trust me, I’ve been there.”

Still, Daniel couldn’t help his feelings of inferiority. Hayden was what he envisioned to be the flawless human being. What he aspires to be. What’s worse was that it was only with Hayden that he has ever felt envious and indignant. His own best friend. It was frustrating.

Daniel closed his eyes. ‘Hayden’s always going to be the perfect one. Let’s accept this fact, Daniel. He can’t ever be surpassed by anybody. That’s his defining trait. Yes… He’s a different person with a different Ability…’

Opening his eyes, Daniel unknowingly uprooted his own worldview to create a whole new one. Starakt couldn’t help notice the nascent and immense determination that Daniel’s eyes now held.

‘This kid… His Supreme King is…’ Starakt was overwhelmed by compassion in his heart. It made him desire to warm up to Daniel. ‘Holy… Shit…’

In the world of wielders, the Innate Gift that is the Supreme King, as aforementioned, has different versions. Hayden’s divine king was that of an oppressive king that overlooks all, which is what Starakt possessed as well. Hayden’s demonic king was that of a tyrannical and oppressive king that you wouldn’t dare to cross. There was an untold amounts of variations.

Perhaps the rarest kind of Supreme King in the world was the harmonious king. The harmonious king’s effect was unique amongst all Supreme Kings. Under the influence of a wielder that possesses the harmonious king variant, one would become cordial and would want to befriend Daniel at all costs. It also induces immutable and unshakeable trust for the harmonious king.

This isn’t what makes the harmonious king variant so special. It was that the possessor of a harmonious king has one more power. It was that it was easy for them to convince an evil person to become an ally and turn over a new leaf.

What’s more, this particular form of Supreme King is one of the few iterations that is based on the personality of a person. The main prerequisite? It was that one has to have genuine desire to make the world a peaceful place, not for selfish reasons, but for the greater good.

‘Giruk…’ Starakt recollected memories of his late significant other, Giruk. A tear trickled down the side of Starakt’s face.

Daniel, seeing this, ceased his attacks. He was baffled as to why Starakt would be tearing up at this crucial juncture. Starakt wiped the tear and stared at Daniel sternly. “You pass kid. You don’t have to prove anything to me anymore. You will be a terrific ally in the future.”

“Uh…” Daniel scratched the back of his head. “Excuse me?”

“I am Starakt Jistal, the Yorixia of Foriast.” Starakt reintroduced himself. “You may address me as Le-Starakt.”

“Doesn’t that mean ‘friend?’” Daniel exclaimed. “Wouldn’t that mean that I can treat you as a friend?”

“Yes.” Starakt affirmed. “Don’t worry, Hayden calls me as Le-Starakt too. Anyhow, let us start with the giving of benefits.”

Starakt disappeared. He reappeared with a golden sphere in his hand, the Reza Hixilia. “As Hayden has recommended you for your Ability and flair for combat, I won’t hesitate on conferring you this.”

Starakt enlightened Daniel pertaining to the Reza Hixilia. Upon obtaining this information, Daniel gulped. “Such benefits… What… How… Why…?”

“You are in distraught.” Starakt snorted. “This is normal in the world of wielders. Haven’t you encountered a cognizant?”

“Well, I have seen one with my own eyes…” Daniel was sent back to the day when he was recruited by Puting Araw. “It was fantastical… It was like something that popped out of a fictional movie.”

“Then this fruit isn’t that strange, is it?” Starakt raised his eyebrow. “Just eat it. Hayden ate the exact same fruit. He even acquired some health potions and other items that should exclusively be seen in RPGs.”

“You play RPGs?” Daniel asked. “I can’t imagine a king playing RPGs…”

“Hey, when you’re an old fossil, you have to do anything to keep you entertained.” Starakt reminisced the times when there was literally nothing to abolish his boredom. “Boredom kills, Daniel. Boredom kills.”

Starakt threw the Reza Hixilia to Daniel. Daniel caught it and downed it with one bite. “Let’s move on to the Xirixian Vault, shall we?”

“Xirixian…” Daniel muttered. “I wonder what kind of Xirxian will choose me…”

“Who knows.” Starakt shrugged. He started to walk towards the entrance. “Let’s go.”

…..

“Whoa…” Daniel wallowed in the majestic sight of the Xirixian Vault. “Holy smokes. All of these are Xirixian?”

“Yes. These are all Xirixian.” Starakt answered. “Oh yes, you should think before you form a contract with any Xirxian. I suggest that the Xirxian you pick will supplement your weakness.”

Daniel was put in immediate thought. Daniel grasped the fact that his Ability can be regarded as one of the most flexible and adaptable Abilities out there. He was in no shortage of mobility powers and offense options. Defense on the other hand…

‘Well, it’s not more of defense than physical prowess.’ Daniel bit his lip. ‘I am fully confident in my power to not be hit… My physique is what’s lacking…’

“Le-Starakt, is there a Xirxian here that augments physical abilities?” Daniel queried without thinking.

“There’s none. Xirxian that boosts the physical is quite rare. Those that are here are all one-attribute enhancing.” Starakt remembered something. “There is one though… She’s an Ashikza. One of the strongest Xirxian in the vault. Ever heard of Megingjörð?”

“Megingjörð?” Daniel oriented his head to face Starakt. “Is that… What was that… From Norse mythology…”

“Thor’s belt, yes.” Starakt nodded. “Her real name is Yilturis, a belt that heightens the three main physical attributes. She’s right there.”

Daniel followed where Starakt was pointing at and saw an iron belt in a display case. Daniel was attracted to that belt for some reason. He approached the display case. The display case opened up.

“Uh… How do I-” Daniel was interrupted when a spectral woman popped up. She wore black leather pants with a skull belt, a black leather jacket underneath a white shirt with a design of a flaming skull, and short silver hair. Her body was muscular and was more masculine than Daniel.

“Oho, you want to earn my recognition? A Level 2?” Yilturis’ voice was deep for a woman. “Interesting… All my previous owners were strong wielders. Not to mention they were women. Still, I sense something within you. I wonder what that is…”

“Nice to meet you, Yilturis.” Daniel smiled at Yilturis. “Will you grant me the privilege of forming a contract with me?”

“You’re a Level 2 wielder. You’re pretty weak too.” Yilturis treaded around Daniel slowly, sizing him up. “Your personality is too kind as well. Mhm…”

Daniel didn’t speak at all. All he wanted was a Xirxian that can help maximize his combat skills. Yilturis was the perfect choice for him.

“It’s not bad to try.” Yilturis finished scrutinizing Daniel. “I mean, all I was exposed to the past few millennia were mighty women… Why not let a fragile man handle me, eh?”

‘That’s a bit sexist…’ Daniel blinked. Abruptly, Yilturis vanished as a light came from the middle of the buckle of the belt and flew towards his Origin Crystal.

Information was transferred to Daniel’s mind. Yilturis, despite being one of the Ashikza, only had two powers. First was that she can amplify the body of a wielder up to three times. Later on, she can use ‘purified essence energy’ to increase this further.

Her second Ability was probably what made her worthy of the term Ashikza. It was that her belt buckle can fly out and grow in size to become a nigh-indestructible shield. What’s more, this shield can be manipulated with the mind. It was an incredible power.

“That is impressive…” Daniel couldn’t contain his surprise. “Uh…”

“Wear me.” Yilturis’ words invaded Daniel’s mind. “As you’ve been apprised, I can change forms, allowing you to hide me in plain sight.”

“Awesome.” Daniel changed the belt on his jeans into Yilturis. Yilturis took the form of Daniel’s previous belt. “This is nice…”

“Are there any more Xirixian that has caught your eye?” Out of the blue, Starakt verbalized himself adjacent to Daniel. “I can see that you want some kind of weapon.”

“Uh…” Daniel looked around. Timidly, Daniel asked, “Am I allowed to take home two?”

“Ask Yilturis.” Starakt deflected. “Usually, Xirixian wouldn’t want to serve a master who has set up a contract with a Xirxian already. Hayden has shattered this rule to smithereens. I don’t know whether you can, too.”

“He can.” Yilturis’ voice physically came from the belt. “Although, I don’t have knowledge of how many Xirixian that Hayden guy can take, this guy can at least house two Xirixian.”

“There’s your answer.” Starakt chuckled. “Don’t worry, the Xirxian’s the one that willingly acknowledges their master. I can’t control who they choose. Nobody can. Don’t feel guilty for seizing anything.”

Daniel bobbed his head as he observed the Xirixian in the surroundings. One specific Xirxian caught his eye. It was a golden ornate spear. “Is that… Gungnir?”

“Well, that is what is known as the Gungnir.” Starakt asserted. “His name is Hakelios (Ha-kel-yos). In spite of him not being an Ashikza, he is amongst the strongest ones here, near the power level of an Ashikza.”

“I see.” Daniel loomed in on Hakelios’ display case. An elder with white hair and flowing white beard was summoned in front of him. The man wore heavy golden armor, creating the image of a valiant knight.

“I greet thee, Daniel Luntiang-Dahon.” Hakelios’ voice was as dauntless as his outer appearance. It was obvious that Hakelios was a pure warrior at heart. “My name is Hakelios, the spear of the sun.”

“Spear of the sun, huh?” Daniel was amused by Hakelios. “I like that name. Sounds powerful. Say, Hakelios, will you be willing to form a contract with me?”

“To be wielded by a man with a pure warrior’s heart is my requisite.” Hakelios and Daniel stared into each other’s eyes. “I see that you have it. Willing to give up one’s life for the greater good, unlike the selfish Hayden. It will be my honor to serve you.”

Hakelios’ spectral form disintegrated. A streak of light shot from the handle of Hakelios towards the Origin Crystal of Daniel.

Hakelios had three powers. First, Defense Penetration is a power that can ignore 25% of the defenses of wielders. It is a common power of melee Xirixian.

Second, Multi-Piercer is rather overpowered that activates every attack. If Daniel attacks, Multi-Piercer attacks the point of target two more times with a spectral spear. The spectral spear is instantaneous, though its damage is lessened by 40%. This is the distinguishing quality of Hakelios and why Gungnir is considered the deadliest of all spears.

Lastly, Rain of Spears is an AOE technique that makes it rain spears made of solar energy. It is a lethal technique that can decimate an entire area with a radius of 25 meters. In addition, Rain of Spears can be activated by throwing the spear, making it rain from afar; and can be focused on one spot, creating a ‘ray’ of compressed solar spears.

“How are you not an Ashikza?” Daniel blinked.

“That’s because there are much stronger Xirxian than him, Daniel.” Starakt talked. “For example, Shabilo, the footwear Xirxian of Hayden. Irrespective of his Spatial Folding being weak due to its long cooldown time, if used correctly, it can allow a wielder such as Hayden to decimate the backline of an army. It can also be used to teleport behind a wall, or blindside an enemy. Remember this, a Xirxian’s power is wholly dependent on its user. The Ashikza is simply an empty title for those that has been seen to be the strongest.was u”

“I see.” Daniel bobbed his head in understanding. “I will keep that in mind.”

“Okay, let’s get you to where Hayden is.” Starakt urged. “I have a game running. For the past few days, I have been leaving mid-game. I’ll get banned in the games sooner or later.”

“You’re a gamer…” Daniel displayed his surprise. “A king of probably the greatest military power in the world is a gamer.”

“As I’ve said, you got to do what you got to do.” Starakt didn’t care for the judgement of Daniel. “Let’s go.”

…..

Concurrent to Daniel picking out his Xirxian. Philippines. 4:51 PM. Back in the hotel room of where the meeting place of the Dark Union occurred. White Hood was genuflecting and a woman was standing up next to him.

The woman was thin and was wearing an unflattering dress. Her black hair was unkempt. Her mask was a plain white geometric mask. It was admittedly cool.

“I have failed, Missus.” White Hood’s tone apologetic. “I have missed my window of opportunity, and I have messed the mission up.”

“Missus, this guy left some details.” The woman by White Hood’s side defended him. “There is an unexpected factor to why White Hood failed. It was Hayden. During the peak of the match, Hayden and Akwasi was facing off. It was then that White Hood wanted to grasp the opportunity. He fired. Somehow, Hayden predicted this shot and tackled Akwasi, the bullet narrowly missing him.”

“It was my first miss…” White Hood’s tone transitioned to sentimental. “And to think that it was in the hands of a Level 2…”

“Huh, the first failure.” The Missus finally spoke up. “Do not worry, these things happen. Well, Akwasi’s a puny Level 2 wielder. His Ability may be troublesome, but it isn’t that concerning for us. We have plenty of time to kill him. For now, we’ll send in a rookie assassin to kill him.”

The man with the green feathered mask appeared kneeling. This time, a woman in a black dress was with him, standing behind him. The mask of the woman was that of the animal, black panther’s.

“Missus.” The kneeling man greeted. He became irate, “White Hood.”

“Green Feather.” White Hood threw back the greeting through gritted teeth. “How have you been?”

“I’m good.” Green Feather dismissively said. “How about you? You failed in your mission, right?”

The two started to argue whilst kneeling. It was a comical scene for everyone in the room. Including The Missus.

“Okay, stop the antics.” The Missus chuckled. “Is Assassin Black here ready for her first mission, Green Feather?”

“She’s as ready as she’ll ever be, Missus.” Green Feather was like a friend overselling their friend to a person. “I have every confidence in her. Unless she encounters that Hayden…”

“That Hayden is really giving us a headache, huh?” The Missus expressed her sentiments. “Well, let’s be patient. Alliah will be killing him in the Philippines. Remember, this isn��t a failure. This is a victory for us. Now we know that Hayden can somehow bypass any kind of observations. Information is power. Failure is not an option.”

“And it will never be.” Everybody replied in chorus.