"So who are these kings?" Max asked as his curiosity was now piqued.
"Beats me." Kelly shrugged. "I only know that they rule this world. And anybody that defies them can be wiped out without breaking a bead of sweat."
’People strong enough to wipe out others without breaking a sweat? H... how strong are they really?’ Max gulped loudly, his throat suddenly dry as he imagined beings so powerful.
"S... so where do they live actually?" Max asked with a raised eyebrow, his voice carrying a hint of nervousness.
"I don’t really know the details. But according to rumours, they live in cities which they call ’Arcane’ or something. Each of them lives in their own cities, and they can name it after themselves while adding Arcane at the side. It’s completely different from our own cities." Kelly explained.
"Different from our own cities? What do you mean?" Max asked again, trying to milk as much information as possible before deciding what to do next.
Kelly sighed and walked to a corner of the room where she grabbed a small stool. She sat on it, facing Max with a serious look in her black eyes.
"This country is like one big world.... Actually, it is one big world. We have different tiers of cities with towns within them. Now, we have five tiers." Kelly tried to explain but Max’s brows were furrowed in confusion.
"Tiers? What do you mean? I don’t understand." Max said as his head began to ache from the flood of unfamiliar terms.
"Huh? I thought this was supposed to be general knowledge. Why don’t you know all these?" Kelly asked with a raised brow, suspicion flashing in her eyes. That was when Max knew he had made a mistake.
"Uhm... well, the thing is... when I was turned into a hybrid, I kind of lost most of my memories, so I have trouble remembering things." Max lied through his teeth, forcing his tone to remain casual.
"Oh!" Kelly muttered, although her expression showed she wasn’t completely convinced.
"So?" Max pressed, urging her to continue.
Kelly exhaled slowly, then leaned forward slightly.
"Instead of countries, we have tiers. Like I said, there are five types of tiers. The lowest tier a town can be given is a tier five. In fact, living there is equal to death. I can’t really explain it unless you go there yourself, but trust me, it’s hell."
She continued, "Then we have tier four, which is decent compared to tier five but still bad. Then comes a tier three town, which is where we live currently. You can find good buildings in the better part of town, but places —our slummy areas—are also part of it."
Max’s frown deepened as he absorbed her words.
"Tier two is next. These aren’t called towns but cities, because anyone who can afford to live there must be wealthy. Then the highest one yet is a tier one.
This is where huge corporations set up, the higher gangs operate, auction houses run freely, and great facilities are built. It’s the dream of many people to live there."
Kelly’s tone shifted slightly, carrying a note of awe. "Then lastly, we have the Arcane levels where the kings live, and no one is allowed there. Ordinary people can’t even get close."
Max took in a deep breath as he tried to sort through all the information.
’Yup! Not my world. Looks like I have been thrown into a parallel universe to mine. Same tech, same modern facilities, and everything... but the system here is totally different.’ Max thought as his head ached, and a sharp pang in his heart followed.
’So... if I’m in a different world, does that mean I won’t be able to take my revenge on Suz? Does that mean even Jack will get off scot free?
The hell is this? Damn it! I want revenge, I want to make them pay so badly! This is not the life I envisioned for myself!’ Max roared internally, his hands clenching tightly while his teeth ground together in frustration.
"Are you okay?" Kelly asked as she noticed how tense Max suddenly was, her eyes narrowing slightly.
"Yes, I am." Max replied quickly as he shook his head. "Does that mean every town and city has gangs?"
"Yup. And the higher the level, the stronger the gangs are. So strong that they can have a hybrid in their ranks. In fact, I heard that the kings are the strongest hybrids there are. So nobody can mess with them at all." Kelly added firmly.
Max remained silent, his mind racing as the weight of the revelation settled on his shoulders.
’I wonder if one of those kings are dragon hybrids. It would be crazy to fight another dragon who could easily snuff me out. Sheesh! And here I was thinking I was special or different. Oh! The only thing different in my case is that I can conquer women and I have a system.
But who knows, the others might have systems too. The thought alone is terrifying. If that’s the case, then my so-called uniqueness may not be as groundbreaking as I believed. I need to grow stronger soon if I want to survive this crazy world.
The strong rule while the weak are trampled, and right now, I refuse to be at the bottom.’ Max sighed heavily, his temples throbbing as if his head was going to explode from all the information he was trying to absorb.
"Thank you for all the information you have provided me," Max finally said as he suddenly stood up. His tone had shifted into something firm, deliberate. "But I have one more question, and I need an honest answer."
"Sure, shoot," Kelly replied as she also rose to her feet, curiosity dancing in her eyes.
"Why? Why did you really help me? And why can you so confidently trust me? On top of that, why go so far as to deliver all this information directly to me?" Max asked. His eyes narrowed, and Kelly simply shook her head with a soft smile tugging at her lips.
"I saw something in you that day. Something... or more accurately, someone who could chan—"
"No! That’s not it." Max cut her off sharply. His face had suddenly hardened, his expression far more serious. Even his irises began glowing a deep golden-yellow, radiating an aura of dominance. "Be honest."
Kelly exhaled slowly, shaking her head before smiling again, though this time there was a faint trace of nervousness on her face.
"I want you to turn me into a hybrid," Kelly confessed at last, bowing slightly as her voice carried a strange mixture of determination and desperation.
"Huh? The hell?!" Max exclaimed in shock, his voice echoing like thunder through the room.
Meanwhile, in a particular, familiar town, a strange figure walked through the streets.
His body was draped in a long trench coat, the edges swaying lightly with every uneven step. A wide-brimmed hat covered his head and cast shadows across his face, hiding his features almost completely.
His gait was odd, slow yet deliberate, and his movements seemed erratic, like a puppet barely holding itself together.
Every so often, he tilted his head toward the sky, squinting against the morning light. The sun was beginning to peek over the horizon, its warm glow spilling into the town and creeping across the rooftops.
’I...I managed to track him here, to this very town. But I still can’t pin him down. Where is he hiding? Where is the damned Dragon Vessel? The trail grows faint, and the longer I remain under this cursed sun, the weaker I become. If I linger too long, I might very well turn to ash.’ His thoughts rasped in his mind, bitter and broken.
’I...I...I need replenishment. My body is starving. My strength is fading. I need more flesh. Dragon Vessel, just know this—I will find you. Sooner or later, I’ll sink my claws into you. And when I do, you will not see the light of day again.’
His blood-red eyes flickered to life, glowing faintly beneath the shadow of his hat. With one last glance at the brightening sky, he pulled the trench coat tighter around his body and walked into the darker alleyways of the town, vanishing like a phantom.