"Fate... Element?"

Jet's dazed eyes grew clear, his blue eyes glowed and a mysterious force emanated out of his body. The dagger was a moment's away from his neck, yet strangely, the woman lost her footing, the dagger fell downwards, slashing a better half of his chest before she fell on her face.

Even though the slash looked terrible, it, in fact, wasn't deep. Barely a long scratch.

Looking at his hands, Jet saw a stream strange energy covered in bluish-gold rotating around his arms.

"Fate?"

He muttered once again while the masked figure shuddered at the sound of his word.

'Fate?'

Slowly, the masked figure stood up, the dagger finally dematerialised while she walked up towards the tensed up Jet.

"What did you just say?"

The clear, almost sweetening voice stunned Jet but he kept his quiet. Gazing at his beautiful golden hair and bright sapphire-blue eyes, confusion flashed within the depths of the lady.

"Are... you not Jet?"

She questioned again as Jet's body grew cold. A heavy pressure emanated out of her body as she placed her gloved hand on his bloody chest.

"Have you awakened?"

Her last question finally evoked a reaction out of the indifferent Jet. His eyes grew wider and his lips twitched but he still kept his calm.

"I see..."

The lady spoke simply before taking a step back. Falling on one of her knees, she finally introduced herself. Her whole body, including her hair, was covered so Jet couldn't understand much about her and yet, the woman's words claimed opposite of her recent actions.

"My name is of no use. My only purpose is to assist you, Fated Hero, to cleanse the world from its sins.

Call me Ocean."

'Sure... I'll call you Ocean! Would Bloody Ocean suffice? 

What the hell? You just can't keep on attacking me at one moment and then kneel before me saying that you are my maid.

Calm down, Jet! She didn't say maid! You dirty bastard! Get your head out of the gutter. She is an assistant! Yes, a secretary in a tight skirt!

No, no, no, just an assistant that tried to kill you!'

As his internal struggle grew, the lade looked up, the red part of her mask that covered her eyes seemed to glow strangely before she voiced out.

"Even though my previous actions may look... ironic. It was done due to awakening your Element.

Hearing you speaking of the word 'Fate' and the strange energy that shifted my balance made me realise that my task is completed.

Hero, you have awakened yourself. Now, claim my body and heart and set out to find more comrades for your adventures!"

"C-claim your body?!"

Jet conveniently ignored about claiming her heart and dived into the important part. He wasn't a virgin. It would be weird if an ex-adventurer who had to battle for his survival would still be a virgin by now. 

But still... 

As Jet thought, his eyes fell on her bountiful breasts that were hugged tightly by her outfit. Not only her generous bosom, but her thighs looked quite enticing and her abs failed to show any extra fat. And her butt almost distracted him during the previous fight.

But that didn't change the fact that she just tried to kill him... and for a stupid reason at that.

"How... did you know that a life-death situation could awaken my element?"

Gazing at Jet, Ocean finally spoke out.

"I was informed."

Jet's thoughts were produced at a rapid speed. There were many hypotheses that he immediately came up with regarding this particular element. The first hypothesis being— He, alongside this Ocean, were being manipulated.

After all, this isn't the first time that he had faced a life-death situation. Heck, this situation wasn't even that worse. Sure, he gave up in the end, but there were many times where he gave up once again only to get saved by some of the experienced female adventurers who needed him to live.

Where was that strange voice at those times? 

And where was his unreliable element at that time?

Not only that, the lady in front of him was really intending on killing him based on someone else's words.

This behaviour gave him even more insight into Ocean whom he had just met. She was a loyal person deep down. But her loyalty did not lay with Jet or his future endeavours. Her loyalty belonged to the unknown person who asked her to commit murder if he failed to awaken his element.

With this, his heart grew even more cautious, all the lascivious thoughts regarding Ocean were thrown out of the window. 

'Forget it! There are many more girls out there. But sadly, Ocean ain't one of 'em.'

As he thought of the situation further... he felt that his admission into the most prestigious academy of the Dusk Empire would also have been the result of someone else's interest in him.

And lastly, he found out that even the strange Element that clearly showed affection for him did not actually listen to him. The activation of the Fate Element was only possible after the conversation with the strange voice inside his head and going through the memories of the village master (1) of the Immortal Valley.

Through the pictorial memories of the Village Master of Immortal Valley, Jet understood that he and Jeanne were in fact, born inside the Legendary Immortal Valley. What's more, the village master and his wife escaped the village after it was attacked and dropped both of them in the arms of Shayna, who happened across them.

Then, the village master found a job in Rising Sun Empire, the district of Kannon before his ideas opposed the white-haired devil, who at that point in time was a man. He was kidnapped while he had to go through the painful process of watching his own wife getting fucked by his enemy right in front of his eyes.

Even though Jet couldn't hear anything, he did feel the Village Master's despair at that moment. Then, after days of captivation, the white-haired devil, who now became a girl, stood in front of Village Master simply smiled as the Village Master's wife slowly crawled out from behind.

Her human skin now demonised as her holes.... sigh.

Sighing deeply, Jet could only pity the village master who saved his life. Sure, he felt rage the moment he recalled the white-haired devil, but that was for personal reasons. Even if the village master saved him and her sister, it must have been for the strange person behind Ocean, too.

Maybe, these memories were to be used as a method to rile him up against the white-haired devil. But he didn't need any more reason to kill that woman except for the fact that his family was ruined by her hand.

Although, these set of memories did help him gain a valuable clue.

Rising Sun Empire!

The White-haired devil may still be living in the Rising Sun Empire.

Looking at Ocean once again, Jet took a deep breath before smiling. It was the most natural smile he could create when acting. After all, his innocent smile turned to ashes the moment he found himself waking up surrounded by the corpse of his friends.

"Ocean... hmm. Let's do it this way. I still need to attend the classes to solidify my knowledge regarding various subjects. Can you sponsor me?

Of course, I don't mean to impo—"

"It is not a problem. As the Fated Hero, you are destined to get the best treatment. It is the lack in our hospitality that we let you stay here till now."

Hearing her words, Jet could easily speculate the family that Ocean originated from. But once again, due to all the mysteries revolving around this particular situation and his own past, he couldn't figure out if Ocean spoke those particular words carelessly or all of this was a thought out plan.

Living alone till now, Jet knew that the Devil lies in the detail and the devil he shall find.

At his nod, Ocean stood up and snapped her fingers, a blue skill chart appeared beneath her foot as her body gradually turned into water.

"Remember, Hero. I am always here to support you. I await your moment of conquest with my body bare. Please, don't make me wait any longer."

The slight despair at the end of her statement caught him off-guard but he couldn't keep up with the changes as her body completely turned into water before falling on the ground and then evaporating at a breakneck speed.

But this meeting had been quite helpful to Jet.

From this single meeting, he found out that the clue to his family's murderer lay in the Rising Sun Empire. He understood that most of the circumstances around him in the past and possibly, in the future, may simply be the result of someone else's manipulation.

Lastly, from now on, he cannot trust anyone. Even those, who pledge their loyalty to him. He cannot let his guard down and definitely, he cannot sleep with this maniac.

But slowly, a smile formed on his face. His desire for revenge erupted with even greater intensity. Not only against the devil who ruined his family. 

But also the 'saint' who let his family die without any remorse while emerging at this moment and speaking that he/she cares about Jet.

"Well... it doesn't mean that she can't be used."

Muttering, he walked out and to his expectations, not a single soul could be found near the corridors. This scenario further affirmed his doubts. But these affirmations only made it harder to accept the fact that the entities keeping an eye on him and controlling Ocean may just be far away from his reach.

Pak

Smacking both of his cheeks, Jet's eyes snapped open with clear determination.

"Don't think much. Just remember! From now on, survive! Don't shed a single tear! Don't let your guard down!

Don't let anyone pry out your true emotions!

Use any and every means possible to avenge them. Then..."

With a smirk, he moved towards his room. His gait slightly loose but his steps remained firm.