Killed Me? Now I Have Your Power Chapter 460: How poetic

"I reside as the sovereign of this Echo of Warren." The Nameless Host stated with a placid smirk, peering keenly at Kaden’s reaction.

A blank look of bewilderment was all that greeted the entity, confirming that the youth possessed zero knowledge regarding the nuances of Warren.

’Not surprising. Truly, it is expected that anyone lacking the Ascendant rank would remain oblivious to such matters.’

However, as its smile began to fade, the creature mused, ’Why did I have such expectations? Ah, I anticipated recognition, yet now I find myself disappointed by his ignorance. A being endowed with such singular powers should be well-informed, as awareness represents a vital edge for survival.’

Though it was equally true that knowledge often acted as a heavy burden, that had been the way of the world since time immemorial.

Right and Wrong. Radiance and Shadow. Existence and Extinction.

Everything possessed its inverse. For every fortune bestowed upon you, a corresponding misfortune either lay concealed within or was destined to manifest later in an alternative guise.

Such manifestations often transformed into seeds of profound terror.

’A pity,’ the creature ruminated, shaking its head gently as it turned back to Kaden, who had finally regained his composure.

"Am I meant to comprehend what a Warren is?" Kaden queried, his brow furrowing as he scanned his surroundings. His intuition warned of imminent peril.

He never imagined this entity could be the steward of such a ghastly realm. How could such a thing be possible? And why did this domain—a Warren, as it was called—harbor such an endless, nightmarish conflict?

"You were indeed meant to know," Nameless replied. "Alas, you do not, and my circumstances prevent me from enlightening you."

Kaden scowled. "You could simply explain it to me instead."

"That I will not do." Nameless swayed slightly. "I refuse to shoulder such a weight. You shall discover the truth when the moment arrives; for your own sake, pray that it is not too late."

"You withhold answers, yet demand my cooperation as if I owe you something." Kaden growled, shifting his position instinctively to stand closer to Rea. "That is not how negotiations proceed, dear host."

The creature emitted a dry, humorless chuckle.

"I am offering you a reward far more essential than mere knowledge at this juncture," Nameless explained. "I offer you the means to vacate this realm, whole and unharmed. Trust me, Kaden Warborn, you have no desire to endure the oncoming wave of battle. It is a war beyond your understanding and beyond your survival, regardless of your unique gifts. You would perish and eventually join their ranks.”

’Them?’ Kaden wondered, feeling a wave of unease.

Nameless shifted its focus to the stitched wound encircling Rea’s throat. "The next instance will be vastly more harrowing, and you have a companion to safeguard. Will you prevail? Permit me to answer: you will not."

It lifted both hands, palms facing its obscure visage.

"Behold the arrangement: you accept my proposition. I receive the title I crave,” it lowered its right hand, “and you secure your exit, free to pursue your noble quest to save the suffering princess." It dropped its left hand.

It grinned before pressing its palms together in a mocking prayer.

"A story truly worthy of being told over ale beside a fire. I only wish I could bear witness to it all."

Kaden offered only silence. Logically, the Nameless Host was correct. He doubted he could survive that war while simultaneously shielding Rea.

Death was an inevitability, but that posed a secondary problem. He lacked the infinite currency required to permit himself to die so frequently in such a place.

The previous time Forbidden had claimed his life, the cost had been so staggering it defied belief. That sacrifice alone measured the stature of Forbidden, further fueling his rage toward the architect of this wretched predicament.

His features twisted into a mask of icy fury. "Who trapped me—trapped us—here?"

"Oh?" Nameless breathed. Kaden’s query stirred memories from the macabre library held within its mind. Its gaze clouded, drifting to a distant epoch... a time when a young man stumbled upon its decrepit remains, succeeding where countless others failed by restoring its full sentience.

The man had demanded its name, revealing that it no longer possessed one. It was neither He nor She, but an It—at least until a moniker could be bestowed.

It begged that man for a name, recognizing in him an ambition and talent seldom seen in history—he was a Prodigy of the highest echelon. Coming from him, it carried profound weight.

His response had been profoundly underwhelming.

"A name you seek?" He mused, teasing his grey tresses as the sunlight bathed his bare back. "I would not object to granting you one, truly. But no, nameless entity. I am not the one."

"The one?"

"Another shall bestow your name."

"But when? Who?"

"Two fascinating inquiries!" The man erupted into joyous laughter. "The answer is that I do not know. It could span years, months, or even centuries. Yet the truth remains: a day will come when you receive your name from the one destined to give it."

"How can you be certain?" it had asked then, craving a name. "Are you a Seer? Does your Warren have a god?"

"I worship no god, nor am I a Seer," the man said, crouching to inspect it more closely. "Ah, I did possess one once, but I broke free from his corrupt grip. Regardless, before departing, I held a brief discussion with our glorious Divine Seer."

He barked a laugh, gesturing to his eyes—which now shifted and glowed like sentient runes. "I ensured I walked away with a well-earned boon. My runic eyes are one of a kind now."

"You defied your god?" Nameless had asked, horrified.

"Indubitably," the man chirped.

"How could you?" it asked, scandalized. "The punishment for such defiance is absolute. Did he—!"

"I received my sentence," he interrupted. "I was stripped of my Original Epithet and branded the Forbidden Alchemist. That god is a fool, isn’t he? I embrace this title. I survive solely because I dared to disobey. I flourish because I accomplished what no other dared. Do you grasp what I realized afterward?"

"...What?" it whispered, terrified of the man’s audacity.

"Existence only truly commences with that singular Forbidden act," he grinned. "I have sampled that forbidden fruit, and I crave more. Today, I shall perform yet another forbidden deed."

"What are you—!"

"Listen closely, Nameless One. Relay this to whoever eventually grants you a name." The Forbidden Alchemist placed his hand firmly upon the head of the Nameless.

Lost in the echoes of the past, the Nameless Host opened its lips, the voices of its memories and its present self merging into a chilling chorus as it recited the command to Kaden.

"A Warren sits within the domain of gods. What occurs when a mortal claims it? What happens when a mortal becomes the master? I wonder... oh, how I wonder! And do you not feel the wonder also?"

Kaden sat upright, recognizing the sinister cadence of the Forbidden hidden within the Nameless host’s words.

"Wonder no more, Chosen One. An Echo of Warren is placed in your lap. Accept it, commit this singular Forbidden act, and..."

His breath hitched.

"...take hold of your destiny, free from all outside interference."

A brief, suffocating silence followed.

"I present to you, Chosen One, the Echo Warren of the fallen God of Death."