The Achievement Junkie - 549 Kustram Wiped From the Map

“HALMUT!!!”

Though his words were cut off by Skaryn’s shouts, Halmut’s next six attacks were already falling upon Kustram. They riddled the island with craters and ruined the largest cities in seconds. The third round of attacks finished the job as the island was crumbling away. It was the fourth wave of attacks that wiped the island nation from the Kartonian map.

“HAAAALMUUUT!!!”

Ignoring his captured rival, Halmut took one last look as the raging sea rushed to cover up what was once an island nation.

“Any last words? You’ve only got seconds left to–”

“I’ll kill you!” Veins bulged from Skaryn’s forehead as the rings tightened further. “When Kylon and the others learn about–”

Cutting Skaryn off, the five rings finally finished their job. They reached their full brightness and ended with a flash. At the same time, all five of the rings dragged Skaryn to the bottom of the sea in a fraction of the second. There, the Dark God vanished upon impact. All that remained was a sealing inscription made up of five rings etched into the seafloor where Skaryn’s homeland once stood.

“Finally… That fool’s finally gone…”

Halmut sighed, letting relief overcome him. The Sun God took out a potion but found little to no results when using it to heal his chest. He then took out a contact crystal and sighed into it, sending for aid and revealing Halmut’s interpretation of the final outcome.

“So, what do you think?”

Jack and Duorda were motionless, still enraptured by the fading scene they just witnessed.

The skeletal construct was the first to speak, asking, “What item was that?”

“As you expect, it’s nothing special, at least in terms of function. It’s a sealing item crafted to handle a two-star cosmician or anyone weaker,” replied Daruun. “The only thing special about such an item is its origin. As you both know, it doesn’t come from Kartonia. What Jack doesn’t know is that such an item must be created by a three-star, if not by a genius two-star inscriptionist.”

“So…” Jack started to put his many thoughts together, “Gem Inc trusts Halmut enough to give him such a powerful item. Or do they simply want to guarantee that your plans are ruined?”

“I’d guess a bit of both,” Daruun answered.

“Then we can assume that item was part of the suicidal care package you mentioned earlier?” deduced Jack. “Do you think Halmut has more of such items?”

“And what’s his opinion of my dad?”

Smiling, Daruun sighed, “I think he fears your dad more than Moranti, though I’d label them both as threats. If Halmut would ever get the chance to see the true beast that originated Moranti’s bloodline, he would do everything in his power to kill Moranti.”

“You mean… Dominus, right?” Jack asked, trying to remember.

“Jack knows Dominus?!” Duorda shouted in question.

Daruun shook his head. “No. I merely mentioned that Moranti and the Spectral Dragons were brought to life in an attempt to recreate Dominus’s bloodline.”

“Ohhh… That’s why they’re so powerful!”

“How strong is Dominus? You said–”

“Dominus is also a six-star,” answered Daruun. “He rules District 09, the Mirror District. We’re both six-stars but Dominus was bred for battle. Don’t get me wrong, he’s incredibly intelligent but his raw fighting power is hard to come by. Though Districts 08 and 07 rank higher than the Mirror District, Dominus is regarded as the strongest district leader among the Intervals. Some might even argue that Dominus could fight a seven-star if he needed to.”

“He’s that strong… Could he–”

“No, Dominus can’t beat Silas. Don’t get any crazy ideas like that,” Daruun stated. “If Silas wasn’t stronger than Dominus, why would Dominus agree to lower on the enterprise’s hierarchy?”

“So Silas is a seven-star?” Jack deduced, staring intently at Daruun’s face for a response.

Pausing, Daruun closed his eyes and nodded slowly. “Jack, you’ll learn plenty about Silas later. For now, you need to focus on the matters at hand. You’ve now witnessed the last battle between Halmut and Skaryn, as well as the destruction of Kustram. There are many things tied to that event. And I’m sure you have plenty of questions for me, as well.”

Taking a moment to scratch his head in thought, Jack asked, “Why was Skaryn so adamant to mention Kylon?”

“You don’t remember?” Daruun chuckled. “During your time playing ‘A Hero’s Tale’, where was the best place to find Flood Dragons?”

“Easy, they… they nested under Kustram…” Catching on, Jack answered his own question. “So Halmut destroyed Kustram along with the home of the Flood Dragons, all without telling Kylon.”

“Not only was she not informed of Halmut’s actions, but Kylon was also told the opposite,” added Daruun.

“Oh… Then the destruction of Kustram was pinned on Skaryn.”

“Correct. Now, Kylon has the greatest grudge of all against Skaryn. She won’t be easy to convince otherwise, I’ll warn you of that.”

“Convince? Can’t I just defeat her?” asked Jack.

“I wouldn’t recommend that…” sighed Daruun. “Before you tackle that matter, you’ll need to decide something else first. Do you wish for Skaryn to remain sealed or not?”

“Why even ask?” Jack laughed, shaking his head. “Skaryn isn’t what I thought he was and now that I know he’s still my well-respected uncle, why shouldn’t I help free him?”

“Even if your system says to do otherwise?”

“That… I forgot about that…”

Smiling, Daruun stated, “Remember, the system has a blend of knowledge that I’ve bestowed upon it while also recognizing your feelings and motives. Depending on how loosely you allow your feelings to be, the achievements it creates will be altered. So, where do you think such an achievement came from?”