In a World of Mythology as the Best

In a dark alley, sirens and the commotion of countless civilians ringing out through the night like a horror movie, a boy stared with a shocked expression at the female before him.

The two of them, standing within a barrier, stared at each other.

'Grandpa's the only person in this world who knows my name. Does she know him?'

Illian had no answers, therefore, he decided to ask.

"Who are you?"

The female kept an expression of indifference.

"I am Monroe the Witch and I've come as an executioner of evil. That is all you must know." Monroe replied, taking a step forward.

Choosing to ignore the peculiar way in which she spoke, Illian furrowed his eyebrows.

'Damnit, I'm trapped. Am I the evil she's talking about? What the hell did I do?!' 

Illian knew he was no Saint, especially after today, but Monroe made it seem as though he'd committed genocide.

Nothing was making sense.

"But before that…your last name. Hale. Is it…" 

Monroe paused, staring as though she was contemplating something.

"Nevermind, it can't be." 

Isaac paid no mind to her mumbling, not understanding it.

Keeping his eyes on the female and remembering what happened to his previous bullet, he felt reluctant to shoot carelessly once again.

However, in the next second, Illian took a deep breath, calming himself as he formulated a plan.

"It's just my luck to meet a psychopathic tyrant while taking a stroll through the city," Illian grumbled in dissatisfaction.

"Psychopathic tyrant?" Monroe paused, repeating what she heard.

Illian nodded inwardly, seeing the reaction he'd hoped for. 

He was no mind reader, but there was a type he could notice from a mile away.

'The Prideful type.'

"It only took the completion of my third scenario and my new Perk, Fortune Teller, to see the threat you pose to my home. For that reason, I shall take it upon myself to prevent that." 

A Perk.

Abilities and skills handed down to Inheritors from their Legends. 

One usually needed to prove themselves to unlock a Perk.

"I've heard enough. Don't move."

Behind Monroe, a voice spoke as Illian was able to catch a figure.

"Spencer."

He let out, noticing the blond-haired man pointing his firearm at the back of the female's head.

Though Illian wondered how Spencer was able to pass the barrier, his question was answered soon after.

"I only had time to form a barrier to trap things inside but that doesn't mean you're welcome to interfere," Monroe spoke, turning to Spencer as if she could read Illian's mind.

"You're an unknown Inheritor brandishing illegal use of their Perks. I'm authorised to shoot first and ask questions later." 

Spencer threatened, his gun never steering from Monroe's skull.

"I do not have any qualms with you, Policeman. There doesn't need to be more than one death today…" 

-BANG

Despite pulling the trigger and feeling the jolt of the shot, Spencer witnessed the bullet travel only a few feet before coming to an abrupt stop and hovering before Monroe.

Upon her eyes meeting with Spencer's, Monroe swung her staff with wild eyes, so fast no regular human could replicate.

-TAP

However, rather than the smash that was expected upon seeing the heavy swing, instead, the staff tapped onto the still bewildered Spencer's chest.

"Witch's Clutches."

Upon this chant, Spencer let out a struggled breath, his eyes widening as his heartbeat thumped so loud it was audible to even Illian.

Drool dripping down his mouth, Spencer dropped to his knees with a THUD, grasping his throat with both hands as his face turned blue.

"Witch's Clutches. I created this with my "Curse" Perk. The symptoms are derived from real illnesses. You're lucky the Perk is only a Level Two." 

Monroe spoke, keeping her staff pressed on Spencer's chest as he writhed in pain, dropping his gun.

"KRHM!"

He let out as if he were trying to say something.

'Good, I can escape while she's distracted with him.' 

Illian thought, looking up and wondering how far up the barrier went.

'If I can get back on the fire escape I came down from, I wonder if I'll be high enough to escape its range…' 

"Kid…"

However, as Illian looked around to escape, he froze as he heard a familiar name spoken from behind him.

"R-Run!"

Spencer let out with all his strength, feeling the pain worsen as he did.

Monroe looked back to Illian, seeing him frozen, facing away from them. 

She was curious as to what his next move would be. 

She knew there was no way for him to escape her barrier, and his life had come to an end. However…

'What is the evil destined to destroy Spawn like?' 

"Who am I kidding? I'm just a guy. I can't bypass Perks from Inheritors so easily." 

Illian thought, turned around as he checked the bullets in the magazine.

'I've calculated all my options. I doubt I'll be able to escape this cage.'

'So I have to go after the source and my chances are better with Spencer alive. He's more useful as a meat shield than a corpse.'

Upon thinking this, Illian faced Monroe, his eyes fierce and his stance determined. But this wasn't what Monroe stared at.

No, something else caught her attention.

"You're…smiling?" 

She asked, seeing Illian's large grin. 

Though she was surprised by this, it was more so because upon seeing this, a memory…or rather a figure flashed in her mind.

"I tend to do so when I'm nervous." 

As he said this, Illian dashed from his position, racing toward Monroe as he held up his gun.

-BANG BANG BANG

Illian shot in succession. Despite seeing the bullet stop midair before reaching her, he continued to do so.

'You're not a hero. Survival first.'

And before he reached her, he could see the bullets turn, its point facing him.

'Crap!'

-WHIZZ

He yelled inwardly, knowing what was coming as he threw his body onto the wet ground, sliding on his buttocks as the bullets WHIZZED above him.

-BANG

Illian shot once more as he passed under Monroe but witnessed the bullet once again freeze.

"How long are you planning to keep this up? Tsk, I can't believe I've needed to use all four of my Perks to find and kill you." 

Monroe spat, seeing Illian make his way to his feet, her staff still pressed against Spencer's chest.

Despite her words, Illian paid it no mind as he dashed toward her once again, shooting once with a BANG and closing the distance.

Monroe witnessed the gun nearing her face but stared at it with indifferent eyes.

This was because…

-CLICK

"Out of bullets." Monroe commented with Illian standing before her.

But similarly, Illian didn't show any sign of dissatisfaction.

"Am I?" 

Though not directly seeing it, Monroe's eyes widened as she felt an object held in Illian's free hand, drawing closer to her chin.

'When he slid below me…he grabbed the policeman's gun.'

Illian's grin widened, the emotions of excitement and nervousness running rampant inside him.

He was prepared.

He'd heard killing wasn't easy and that a human life couldn't be so easily taken away, no matter how many times it was done.

A human's life was sacred.

However, perhaps it was because his life was threatened or the adrenaline made it so he wasn't thinking straight.

But for some reason, despite it being his first time, Illian's thoughts on the matter were simple.

'I don't give a fuck!" 

With this, he pulled the trigger.

"Death's Certainty!"

-BANG

For a second, silence prevailed in the dark alleyway.

-THUD

Illian dropped to his knees, the gun falling to the ground as his grin faded, his eyes glued onto his hands.

'What…did she do?'

Illian grit his teeth, resisting the urge to scream as his hands experienced pain he'd never felt before. 

The last thing he could remember was the staff tapping both his hands before the pain began. 

He drooled, his pupils dilating as his thought process lagged.

"AGHHHHH!!!"

As he coiled his body around his hands, failing to keep quiet, he watched as his veins turned black, the life seeming as though it was being sucked out of it as they paled.

"You bastard!"

Monroe, she too on one knee, hissed as she gripped her eye, blood gushing from it.

'I was barely quick enough to curse him and dodge, but the bullet still hit.' 

"I want nothing more than to see that Curse torture you till death. But unfortunately, I can't." 

Monroe spoke, making her way to her feet, staring at Illian writhing in pain as he barely shifted his gaze to her.

He was clinging onto the last string of consciousness he had left, trying his best to endure the unimaginable pain that made his very nerves vibrate.

Monroe raised her staff, prepared to end it. At least, Illian thought.

"Earth." 

-GRRR

-BANG

Like a torpedo, the earth from below shot up, striking Spencer in the gut as he failed to stab her from behind.

Vomiting blood, Spencer shot toward the barrier, crashing into it with a BANG as his buttocks hit the ground.

"Be glad my Elemental Control is only at level one. Otherwise, I'd have burned, drowned, suffocated and crushed you all at once." 

Monroe spoke to the seemingly unconscious Spencer.

"The best…"

Monroe turned back to the mumbling Illian, on his knees as his grotesque hands rested on his lap.

With his head lowered, he continued to mumble.

"Have you finally gone mad?" 

Monroe asked, seeing the boy's peculiar behaviour.

"I…just wanted to be the best. To stand at the top." 

Since the previous night, ever since Illian had made this oath, he didn't want to admit it…

But it was painfully clear now.

"I doubted I could do it. A random street kid who wasn't even an Inheritor standing at the top? Even to me, it sounded like a joke." 

Monroe stared, quiet as even Spencer, with the shred of consciousness he had left, listened.

"He…Grandpa said…that no one gets to tell a Hale what they can do. That we do whatever the fuck we want." 

Illian raised his head, seeming as though he was holding back tears as he struggled to make it to his feet, the life in his eyes faded.

"So I don't care who doubts me, even if it's myself. I will make it to the top, the best the world has ever seen…no…" 

Illian's eyes revealed a glint as Monroe felt her heart leap and eyes widen.

'Those eyes…it can't be…' 

-GRRR

As Illian moved his lips to say his next words, he failed to notice the bones in his jaw vibrate slightly as his teeth grew sharper, more refined and animal-like.

"I'll be greater than that. I'll be someone greater than anything this universe can offer." 

[Assimilation Complete!]

Illian's eyes shone with a bright Golden Colour, shining in the dark alleyway.

It was then that Illian felt something. 

It was as if a part of him was fueled with more life he'd ever thought possible.

That part of him…his Ambition.

His Ambition Flourished.

"I'll be Equal to the Heavens, damnit!"

[Sun Wukong, the Monkey King has woken from his Slumber]

[A Fragment has been Unlocked!]

[A National Treasure has found its master]

-TING

Illian froze, his eyes widening in surprise. Everything was happening so fast.

From the handful of screens appearing before him to the long black staff with golden linings in a pattern that fell at his feet, ricocheting off the ground as its tip faced Monroe.

'I know this…'

Spencer stared with an expression of astonishment despite his pain. He'd already seen something like this before. Or rather, he'd felt it.

'He's awakening!'

He was sure.

"Your name…your eyes… it's no mistake, you're one of them." 

Monroe muttered, barely noticing the staff as she stared. Soon gritting her teeth as she swung her staff.

"Just die!" 

Despite the wooden staff being pointed at him, Illian wasn't…scared.

Instead, he stared at the staff that appeared before him.

He didn't need to know.

He didn't need to know what it was or who it belonged to.

He didn't even need to know its name.

Because for some reason, he felt as though…he'd known it all his life.

"Ruyi Jingu Bang…"

Illian muttered.

The pain, the emotions and the worries. Everything had gone. At that moment, he had one word in his mind.

"Earth, heed my call!"

"Expand."

-BOOM!!!

-SHATTER!!!

At that moment, for the first time in all of history, every eye on earth stared at the colossal black pillar that suddenly appeared in the sky.

Whether it was night or day, whether the people were awake or asleep, everyone could sense the sudden presence over them, the same one you'd feel with someone standing over you.

The pillar stretched out so far it was impossible to tell where it ended, casting a shadow over the earth.

At that moment, in the face of such pressure, the earth felt so…feeble.