Death... and me

"Duran Hafel?" That name only made the Soul Rulers puzzled. How come they didn't remember anyone called that? What was even more impressive was the fact that a Transition Realm Zasfin that they didn't know about existed. Of course, it wasn't like he was completely unknown.

Surprisingly, the first one to remember that name was Pankun as he said, "Duran Hafel...Duran Hafel...ah! I remember you. You and Fikin spent most of your time together, doing missions all the time. Didn't you die during an exploration over two thousand years ago? If I remember correctly, you and Fikin were ambushed by the demon beasts. "

Duran almost laughed out loud when he heard that as he thought inwardly, 'If only they knew the truth, hehe!' Of course, he didn't say that out loud. Instead, he kept his stern face before confirming Pankun's story, saying, "I'm glad you still remember me, Pankun."

Duran then looked around and could see that very few Zasfins seemed to recall his name as well. It's just that they didn't say anything. "However, we didn't die during that time. Instead, I was gravely injured, so Fikin had to hide me somewhere else. If you're asking why I didn't come back later, that was something that Fikin and myself decided."

"Why?" one of the ancestors watching the scene asked.

Duran then smiled before pointing at himself as he replied, "Because I was the only one who could match Fikin in direct combat."

*Wow!*

In an instant, the hall went alive. Everyone knew that Fikin was the strongest Zasfin for thousands of years. None of the Transition Realm Zasfins that came after him could match his strength. For Duran to say that he was as strong as Fikin was very bold.

Duran then continued, "Fikin and I found an inheritance from a senior of the Realm of Gods, and we could use it to increase our strength. Unfortunately, that inheritance was inside the demon beasts' territory in the southern hemisphere. On our way back, we were ambushed and almost lost it. After all, both of us were nothing but two Saint Realm Zasfins. There were plenty of demon beasts at our level and stronger. Fortunately, we used one of the items we found there to escape. You all probably know what it is, that silver bead."

Sure enough, everyone knew what the silver bead was since they saw Fikin using it to escape.

Seeing that the Zasfins there understood, Duran didn't waste time as he continued with his story. "Once we escaped, we understood that the demon beasts knew about us. That being said, we came up with a plan. Both would use the senior's cultivation resources and techniques to increase our strength. However, one of us wouldn't come out. Instead, he would stay in the shadows, cultivating as well."

"It wasn't hard to guess who should be doing that. I was severely injured and would take a long time to recover, so we both agreed that Fikin would be the one to reappear. As for me, I was declared dead. Since then, only a few members of my clan and Fikin himself knew of my existence," Duran explained.

"But why would one of you hide?" Naturally, they still wanted to know the reason behind that.

"Isn't that obvious? If both Fikin and I suddenly started to become too strong, it would look suspicious, especially since I lost most of my cultivation before I used that senior's resources. Also, the demon beasts knew we had found something. It was better to be safe than sorry. Or do you think everyone here is an altruist and wouldn't covet our rewards?" Duran's eyes turned cold as he asked that question.

None of the Zasfins there opened their mouths. At the same time that the Soul Rulers organization was an alliance, it also had its own struggles. It was certain that the stronger Zasfins would demand Fikin and Duran's items for themselves.

Duran then sighed as he finished it off, saying, "Last but not least, we wanted insurance."

Pankun couldn't help but ask, "Insurance for what?"

Duran then showed a sad expression as he replied, "Insurance for what just happened to Fikin. If our strongest Zasfin died, we would need someone with enough power to have things back on track. Not to mention that this someone would act as a deterrence against the demon beasts. That's why I'm here."

Suria, another Transformation Realm Zasfin, could not help but snort in response as he could not help but say, "You say that you're as strong as Fikin, but would we believe that? As far as I know, you might be the one who killed him. After all, you seem to know a lot more of his methods than us."

"Kill him?" Duran laughed out loud after hearing that. However, he didn't look the least bit happy. Instead, it was as if he was holding his rage inside. "We're at war against the demon beasts! They took a lot of our territories! Tell me, what good would it bring to kill Fikin? Doing such a thing would only pull our Soul Rulers organization down."

"As for whether or not I'm as strong as him, why don't you try it out?" Suddenly, Duran's Spiritual Sense spread out, pressing everyone in the room down. The only ones who could resist it were Zasfins at the Elemental Transformation Realm and above. However, even the Transition Realm Ancestors couldn't help but feel shocked. That's because they could truly feel Duran's Spiritual Sense affecting them.

Duran then pointed at Suria, saying, "Come. If you still think I'm bluffing, you can bring two more Zasfins to help you fight me. If you win this 3 vs. 1, I'll admit I'm not as strong as Fikin."

"That won't be necessary," Pankun said as he raised his hand. "I remember Fikin's Spiritual Pressure very well, and I can tell that yours isn't any weaker than his. Instead, I would like to ask. Do you know what happened to Fikin?"

Duran shook his head as he answered, "I spent my last week trying to pinpoint the place he teleported to. I went to our agreed location after I heard about the outcome of the war, but I found nothing there. I'm afraid that he either succumbed to his injuries or..."

"Or what?" Pankun asked back.

"Sigh...or he died to the Spatial Transfer." Duran looked up to the ceiling as he continued, "That senior's inheritance was really, really old. We weren't sure if the things he left behind were still safe for use or not. Since Fikin could escape with the Silver Bead, he should have enough resources to heal himself. The only thing I think that could kill him is an error during the displacement."

No one there knew the risks of an error during a Spatial Transfer of that caliber since the only Teleport Formations available on the planet couldn't teleport very far. They couldn't simulate the spatial fluctuations generated by a teleport of who knows how many thousands of kilometers. Considering that Fikin was seriously injured before the teleportation, if the item was really damaged, he might have died from the spatial distortions.

One point made everyone more or less accept that theory's possibility: the fact that Fikin died shortly after the teleportation. If he had been killed, then the one who did the job must have been waiting for him from the very start. That didn't seem possible since no one could guarantee that Fikin would use that item or not.

As for whether it was Duran who killed Fikin or not, no one could prove it. Besides...he was too strong for them to try to force anything out of him. Well, there was also the issue regarding the demon beasts, so having a Zasfin as strong as Fikin on their side would be of great help.