[Summoning to the Extinction Order completed]

[Initiating the regular examination and evaluation.]

[...]

Zeke stood before the majestic mausoleum, in awe despite seeing it for the second time. It was unlike any building he had ever seen. Below it, the space around it, and below it was nothing but hazy clouds, floating about and obfuscating whatever was lurking below or above.

Before he stepped inside, he patiently waited for the System to finish the unexplained ‘Examination and Evaluation.’

[No malware or interference detected.]

[Evaluation of ‘Voltage Syn, Zeke’: 59.7 points.]

[A total of 20 PE will be rewarded.]

[Examination will begin in 10 minutes.]

[Summoning all available seats: Seats of Criminality and Seat of Death.]

Two rays of lights appeared next to Zeke, lasting for a couple of seconds before Sulong Braveheart and Velvet Signora appeared.

“W-what? Zeke?”

The bald and muscular man was absolutely gobs-smacked to see himself appear in an unfamiliar place. With a dumbfounded look, he looked, first spotting the towering mausoleum then Red Mask Signora.

While he was dressed in a black pants and a white tank top, the equally astonished woman was wearing a seductive black night-gown. Her well-developed body was on full display, but she didn’t seem to care as she immediately knelt down in front of Zeke.

“Master, Velvet Signora is at your service.”

“Z-Zeke? This is the woman you talked about?”

Sulong suspended his disbelief as he forcefully tore away his eyes from her alluring body.

“Stop gawking like that. Yes, she’s the Seat of Death I had mentioned.”

“Hehehe… she’s kind of hot. Not gonna lie.”

“You better look away or I’ll rip your eyes out of your egg-shaped head.”

Unlike the reverence she showed to Zeke, Signora was indifferent and even hostile toward Sulong. She gave him a venomous and cold glare that made him tremble.

However, he composed himself and quickly realized that Zeke had control over her life. Additionally, in terms of seniority, he was above her.

“I’ll have you know that Zeke and I are good friends. One word from me and you’re dead!”

“Don’t you dare utter Masters mouth with your disgusting and foul mouth. You’re a waste of air.”

“Alright, calm down you two.”

Ironically, the youngest among them had to end the quarrel and direct them on what was important.

“I didn’t voluntarily call you here, but we will be undergoing an ‘examination’... Whatever that means.”

“Yes, Master! I will help and protect you as best as I can.”

A brilliant radiance emitted from Signora’s left hand; She conjured a dome-shaped barrier that enveloped Zeke.

“O-oh! I can use my ability here.”

Sulong played with a little ball of fire as he curiously inspected his vicinity.

“Anyway, what’s this place, Zeke?”

“The Extinction Order. Don’t wander around and be ready. We don’t have much time.”

Signora and Velvet nodded in unison and mentally prepared themselves.

Despite his stoic face, Zeke was feeling a bit nervous. He wasn’t given any prior notice by the System, which was forcing an ‘examination’ on him without any explanation.

Still, since it summoned the available seats, it logically means that it wasn’t going to be easy. Furthermore, a challenge meant rewards, and the harder it was, the more generous the rewards were.

The 10 minutes passed quickly and when it was time to begin, the seat of clouds right in front of the mausoleum dispersed instantly.

Zeke, Sulong, and Signora watched a translucent silhouette that slowly became clearer.

“The hell?”

Sulong drew a deep breath as the dormant beast twitched and then awakened from its slumber. It was an oversized lion with two purple snakes protruding from its back.

As the two snakes hissed at them, Signora said,

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“That… that is a chimera, Master.”

“Whatever it is, it’s clear we’ve got to kill it.”

Voltage burst from Zeke body and transformed into a long and buzzing spear.

Velvet was the first to attack as she extended both arms and unleashed blasts of blinding light at the chimera.

Whether it was still disoriented or simply weak, it was unknown, but the chimera was hit by Signora’s powerful light and staggered to the back.

One of the snakes opened its mouth and let out a poisonous violet-colored gas, which was extinguished instantly by a huge fireball shot by Sulong.

Just as it was recovering and backing away from the crimson fire, Zeke finished empowering [Voltage Arrow] and swung his arm.

The spear, which was made of high-concentration of voltage, whistled loudly in the air as it pierced its target’s head.

Half of the lion’s gaping mouth was turned into smithereens but that didn’t stop it from lunging forward while roaring deafeningly.

“No you won’t!”

Velvet jumped in front of Zeke and drew a symbol made of light in front of her, which caused a destructive blast that sent the beast flying like a cannonball.

Sulong rushed at it and punched hard, his fist melting the skin and causing a bloody hole that only added to the chimera’s agony.

Last but not least was Zeke, who used ‘Life Motus’ thrice to get close to the target before bombarding it, specifically at its fresh wound, with a torrent of ‘Voltage Zap’.

The voltage invaded the beast’s body, rupturing its muscles, frying its nerves, and pulverizing its bones.

As blood poured down like a fountain, the still-unscathed snakes hissed even louder. One slithered in the air and tried to bite Zeke only to bump into Signora’s barrier.

The second aimed for the close Sulong but he reacted in time and raised a wall of fire.

“Master, please back down.”

Zeke didn’t act like a hero, instead following her words and teleporting to the back.

Signora grinned and tauntingly looked at Sulong, who was drenched in the chimera’s blood.

“This is the difference between you and me.”

Right after she proudly uttered those words, she drew another symbol before closing her eyes and unleashing the real potential of her ability.

A flash of light emanating from the symbol before it transformed into a tiny radiant speck that flew at the chimera then exploded.

There was no sound, only gore, and blood that scattered everywhere. Signora had, quite literally, blown the chimera to pieces.

Even Zeke was left speechless, only now realizing that he had definitely been lucky and wise to use ‘At Death’s Door’ against her back then.

If she had used that attack on him during their first yet brief fight, he would have died on the spot.

“Are you safe, Master?”

“I am.” Zeke nonchalantly waved his hand while retracting his voltage and throwing a cursory glance at Sulong.

The man was obsessively rubbing the blood off his skin and pants while cursing under his breath, clearly feeling inferior to the Seat of Death.

“Chimeras are failed products of Alchemy, Master. I’ve faced one before but it was weaker than this one.”

“...”

Zeke looked at her but refused to comment. Moreover, with the way she was dressed, it made him feel uncomfortable staring for too long. Except for her genitals, her breasts, and a small portion of her abdomen, the rest of her body was all exposed.

She was a repulsive and bloodthirsty person, but Zeke was at the age of puberty and such a sight left him feeling a bit strange even though it wasn’t the time for that.

“Don’t get too close to me, you reek of blood.”

“Screw you. I don’t take orders from you.”

“Hmpf!” Signora turned to Zeke and said, “Master, you don’t need this buffoon.”

Zeke was about to put an end to their pointless arguments but he was stopped by the System, which appeared in front of him.

[Death Defiant, Zeke has passed the examination.]

[The Alchemy Orb has appeared.]

[The Alchemy Orb cannot be consumed by the user or any of the available Seats.]

[30 PE has been rewarded for defeating the Chimera.]

[Calculating contribution….

Seat of Criminality; ‘Flames of Dawn, Sulong Braveheart 19.4%

Death Defiant, Zeke: 28%

Seat of Death, ‘The Collector, Velvet Signora’: 52.6%]

“At least my title is better than yours!”

Sulong flipped his middle finger at Signora but she snorted and ignored him.

“The collector?”-Zeke

“Every Red Mask has a specific task, Master. I’m in charge of collecting those with a special or strong ability, so my unofficial title in the order is the Collector. Fanti Fan is the Scientist.”

“And you only tell me this now?”

“I thought it was irrelevant, Master. Please forgive me.”

“Whatever.”

Zeke sighed and walked toward the mausoleum.

Sulong kept flipping the bowing woman, who dutifully followed her ‘master’.

Unexpectedly, within the Mausoleum, Zeke’s statue was no longer ‘T-posing’. He was holding a long scythe and staring at upwards, looking as domineering as the other statues. However, it was

“Hey hey! That’s you, right?”

“Mhm.”

“What about those?” Excitedly asked Sulong as he approached the statues, inspecting them with interest.

“Probably the System holders before me? That’s my only assumption.”

Signora, probably the most knowledgeable about them, stopped in front of one particular statue.

“Master, I know this person.”

Zeke approached her and stared at the jet-black statue of a man standing majestically and authoritatively. He had greasy long hair and blurry eyes, it was the first statue Zeke had checked on his first visit here.

“This is Edward Heart, the Mad Emperor.”

“The Mad Emperor?”

Zeke had a decent knowledge about the Aether Planet’s history, but any information about Edward Heart was classified and not made public. If one wanted to know more, they either had to be a high-ranking official of the government or a renowned Scholar.

Students like him were limited to general knowledge that barely covered the tip of Edward’s rise and fall.

Signora looked at the statute with a slightly shocked expression as if she was feeling oppressed.

“I’ve only read about him when I was in Wolf’s library. Ah! Wolf is also a Red Mask, he’s the only one I’m on good terms with. From what I know, Edward Heart used the Paths of Extinction System and single-handedly founded the Sreyzhan Empire.”

“He founded it?”

“Yes. During his time, the planet was recovering from a cataclysm that almost killed everyone. Edward Heart appeared out of nowhere and invented new ways of using Aether and introduced a myriad of new arts, including Magical Formations. However, in his halcyon days, the Mad Emperor claimed to be a time-traveler hailing from planet Earth.”

“Time-traveler? I call bullshit!”

“Your tiny brain cannot comprehend the mysticism and mysteries in existence. It’s better if you keep your mouth shut.” Coldly retorted Signora while apologetically bowing to Zeke.

After pondering for a bit, Zeke pointed at the other three statues and asked,

“What about these? Recognize anyone?”

Signora scrutinized them carefully before answering, “I’m not sure about the old man and the youth. The woman in a regal dress, however, bears a strong resemblance to the Goddess of Night.”

“Goddess of Night?”

“Red Mask Wolf once told me about her. She was active before the cataclysm, or so he claimed. That’s all I know, Master.”

“You’ll go meet that friend of yours and inquire more. If we don’t meet outside, you’ll relay the information to me here and here only.”

She was about to propose a method but Zeke cut her off, “I don’t care about your ‘secretive’ communication lines. Either you’ll tell me in person or here.”

“Yes, Master.”

“I doubt I’ll find anything, but I’ll snoop around too.”-Sulong