NOVGO.NET Chapter 848: Cross Continental Quest
Chapter 848: Chapter 848: Cross Continental Quest
Kain’s heart pounded. If that relic could pull people from the East and Central continents, then maybe… just maybe, it could be used to send him the other way.
It was reckless. Desperate. But it was also the only possibility that had ever presented itself.
And Serena’s presence became all the more crucial. He’d originally needed her to come due to her being his only ally of suitable strength that also was aware of most of his biggest secrets She wasn’t just his ally—she was one of the only other people who shared that same experience.
Now, Kain realized, that rather than being the best option, she may be the only option. If there was a slim chance of Kain being able to enter the second inheritance relic again, he’d likely only be able to do so next to others who received an inheritance. And among all of those that had an inheritance, Serena was the only ally amongst them.
Maybe, together, they could trigger it again. Maybe their inheritances were keys. Keys to open the door to a new continent.
Kain leaned back, exhaling slowly. He wasn’t confident. The relics weren’t fully understood even by the College that housed them. To think he could manipulate one into sending him across the sea was arrogance bordering on madness.
But what other choice did he have?
“Serena,” he said quietly. “Do you remember the inheritance trial?”
Her eyes narrowed, sharp with suspicion. “Of course. I remember every moment.”
“It pulled people from every continent,” Kain pressed. “East, West, Central. If it could gather them once, it can do so again. Maybe—maybe we can use that connection.”
Serena blinked. For the first time, her doubt wavered. “You mean… force it to send us to the East?”
Kain nodded. His lips pressed into a thin line. “If there’s a path at all, that’s it.”
Silence stretched between them, heavy as the ocean itself. Both of them knew the risks. Both of them knew how thin the chance was. But for Kain, it was no longer about probability. It was about necessity.
The East was waiting. Millions of abandoned lives were waiting.
And if he didn’t find a way across, they would all be lost.
———————
Surprisingly, it wasn’t difficult to get approved for an extended leave of absence. Kain and Serena were third years, and by that point in most colleges, third- and fourth-years were expected to spend more time outside the classroom than in it. Missions, expeditions, and practical experience mattered more than sitting through lectures. By their final year, many students were only on campus ten to twenty percent of the time, returning mainly for reporting, rankings, or major events.
The reranking ceremonies themselves reflected that reality. After the excitement of the first one earlier in the year—where the top five maintained their positions, though Addison had slipped from her temporary high at rank seven down to eleven—the schedule slowed considerably. That first reranking was the only one guaranteed; the next wouldn’t come until the year’s end. Smaller tournaments were held in between to encourage progress, but they didn’t officially alter placements. It was why even the previous captain, Ezra, had spent most of his fourth year away from the campus, nearly missing his final reranking entirely.
So when Kain and Serena put in for leave, the faculty barely blinked.
The tricky part was swinging access to the original trial relic from last year. Relics weren’t free toys; firing one up drained resources every time. Kain had to sell it hard.
He had leaned on the one convenient excuse he had: Aegis’s evolution. Since the relic had produced such a dramatic change in his contract before, he claimed that mastering Aegis’s new abilities required returning to the same environment where it had happened. The faculty seemed skeptical—especially about why Serena needed to accompany him—but in the end, his standing as a top-five student and likely national tournament competitor swayed the decision. The College wanted their stars shining bright, and if that meant indulging an unusual request, so be it.
After getting to first place for the first time in years, they’d do (almost) anything to maintain that ranking. And Kain getting stronger would help in that.
The relic was activated once more, its ancient runes flaring with light. Kain and Serena stepped inside together.
The experience was much as they remembered: strange landscapes unfolding one after another, tests of skill, will, and teamwork. They fought, endured, and even collected a few modest rewards. But no matter how far they pushed, the phenomenon from last year did not repeat. No sudden transfer to the other inheritance ground, no convergence of heirs from across the continents, no mysterious summoning.
They stepped out, faces tight with frustration. The relic stayed silent, like it was mocking them.
Back at the dorm, they slipped in without a word. Kain didn’t even notice the stares from the other top-fivers or Soren’s jealous glare as Serena followed him inside. To anyone watching, it probably looked sketchy, like some secret hookup. But Kain’s mind was miles away, churning over the flop.
They sat across from each other, hashing it out. “It didn’t trigger,” Kain said, rubbing his temples. “Why?”
Serena crossed her arms, thinking it through. “Maybe we’re not ready. Last time, it wasn’t random. It sensed our potential as inheritors. Now we already have the inheritances, and it may not feel it necessary to summon us again, not unless it thinks we need its help to get past any roadblocks in our inheritances. But right now that isn’t possible, we haven’t dug deep enough into what we got.”
Kain nodded slowly. It clicked. He’s been coasting on the inheritance’s passive drip-feed, relying on the World Tree in Pangea to unlock bits here and there. But to force a relic’s hand? That needed more. Active pushing, real mastery.
“We’ve got no time to waste,” Serena said, her voice firm, like back when she was the top freshman. “The Abyss isn’t waiting around.”
“One week,” Kain agreed. “Nothing else. We lock in, push harder than ever. Our leave covers us—no distractions.”
This time, he’d switch it up. No more passive waiting for knowledge to be fed to him from the World Tree. He’d grab it, force it out. Dig into the inheritance like he did with his affinity back in the earliest days of his awakening, when everything was a puzzle begging to be solved.