Zenith Online: Rebirth of the Strongest Player

The purpose of the Fifth Syllable of Eni was not to attack nor defend, which is why Kieran chose not to conjure it to deal with the incoming attacks.

The syllable's purpose was to act as an equalizer, which meant it would regulate the inconsistencies within any structure it was applied upon.

Once Kieran understood this, he realized that the Archaic Syllabary of Eni possessed a certain affinity and some of its components were more universal than others.

This realization fueled Kieran's next actions.

'It's not creating a Mystic Cipher. What I'm doing is more so using a newly learned power to correct a preexisting one,' Kieran thought.

A moment later, he began conjuring the Fourth Syllable of Eni while simultaneously employing the principles of the Fifth Syllable of Eni.

The result was Kieran's creation gaining an overall sturdier presence.

'Whoa… The flow of energy is being corrected naturally without my help. The Fifth Syllable of Eni is truly a game changer, but it is similarly exhausting to unleash,' Kieran inwardly mused.

Compared to the fourth syllable, the fifth one required thrice the amount of energy. The higher energy consumption stemmed from the fifth syllable requiring more energy to be completed since it was so complex.

Nevertheless, Kieran felt the trade-off's results were worth the exhaustion.

Crrrr!

Kieran's Fourth Syllable of Eni shattered the incoming fifth syllable, which also confirmed that the last part of the trial was indeed different from the initial learning course.

If it followed the same rules as earlier, only the corresponding syllable could conceivably destroy the fabrication of the Inspirited Wykin Revenants.

However, because the Fabrication progress had reached 95%, Kieran extrapolated that obtaining a perfect 100% wasn't related to battling with identical characters.

Sometimes, perfection meant the ability to manipulate the available means to overcome the problem at hand.

Additionally, Kieran couldn't overlook the earlier strange variations of the first through the third syllable. The bizarre utilizations were proof that the syllables weren't held to one standard.

One could mix and meld the syllables as they pleased as long as the basic principles weren't corrupted, resulting in a saddening failure.

After shattering the incoming syllable, Kieran absorbed the Inspirited Wykin Revenant's energy, which surprisingly revitalized all of the Archaic Syllables floating within his Mystic Gate.

'Considering the principle of the fifth syllable, it's not unbelievable. As a symbol meant to emulate equality, it should distribute its refining energy equally,' Kieran thought to himself.

A few seconds later, Kieran focused his attention back on the Inspirited Wykin Revenants before him.

Unlike before, the current challenge consisted of two simultaneous syllables moving at him at alarming speeds.

Normally, Kieran wouldn't be confident enough to handle two identical syllables unleashed by Inspirited Wykin Revenants of this caliber, but for some reason, Kieran didn't feel apprehensive.

On the contrary, he felt stable and rooted. 'The symbols… they have a subtle effect on my mental state. To think the Fifth Syllable of Eni would help me remain equally stable in mind.'

Maintaining control of his emotions led to Kieran grasping more time to handle the upcoming situation. 'I understand what I'm going to face, so there's no need to focus on using the Discerning Mystic Cipher. Instead, I must use the second one that focuses on fabrication.'

With his course of action in mind, Kieran canceled the Discerning Mystic Cipher.

Less than two seconds later, a more complex Mystic Cipher appeared, gradually rotating around his hand with an enigmatic rhythm.

Whoosh!

Kieran crossed his arms and followed a rhythm eerily similar to when he unleashed a Crimson Current. As he moved his hands, the mystical energy flowing through his dual Mystic Ciphers weaved together, coalescing into two First Syllables of Eni.

It was the most practical of the syllables but its structure made it a suitable match for the incoming Fifth Syllables. When complemented by the principle of equal regulation, Kieran's two fabrications held their own against somewhat powerful.

Fwoosh!

Kieran's syllables persisted until the opposing conjuration shattered, which naturally led to Kieran absorbing a decent amount of mystic essence, further reinforcing all of the syllables in his mind.

It was reaching a point where the first syllable could be actualized by a thought. Compared to the others, his progress with the first syllable was astounding.

However, that was expected given the nature of the other syllables.

'Before leaving this place, I'll at least try to bring one syllable to perfection. As the easiest, it'll naturally have to be the First Syllable of Eni,' Kieran decided.

Though he had made up his mind, Kieran understood it was a challenge to perfect such a thing.

Not to mention, the ideology of perfection was relative, one could only be perfect for a situation, not overall. Hence the perfection Kieran sought was relative to his current predicament.

'If I'm not mistaken, a Mage may wield several special methods which are a sign of expertise and incredible aptitude. Of those methods, Silent Casting, Quick Casting, and Multi-Casting are the most useful.'

Kieran focused on the properties of the Mage Class simply because this process of wielding mystic energy was similar to the actions of a Mage. The only difference was the source and medium, but even that was only to a certain extent.

Once a Mage began forming their Mana Circles within their body, the way they moved Mana would change, somewhat matching Kieran's current behavior. Thus, Kieran felt the useless skills of a Mage could be applied here.

'I may not have been a Mage in the past, but I was surrounded by an enormous number of them, even helping them understand Mana better while I was a simple Berserker,' Kieran thought.

Kieran calmed his mind and recalled the steps to multi-casting. Above all else, the main limiting factor was one's mental prowess. Multi-Casting meant the user would need to split their attention amongst skill Source Runes several times.

Of course, doing this with one skill was next to impossible due to the slight cooldown embedded within the Source Rune. Thus, Multi-Casting was usually employed to cast several different skills at once not the same skill repeatedly like a machine stuck on repeat.

Fortunately, the matter of cooldown wasn't a limitation within the Ancient Rune Oasis at all. As long as his Mystic Gate was filled with the required mystic energy and his mind didn't tire, Kieran could activate his Archaic Syllables of Eni infinitely.

'Multi-Casting stems for splitting one's concentration. Since I have already awakened the Focus Attribute, it shouldn't be extremely hard. Not to mention, the Mystic Gate itself has done wonders for my mental acuity. Let's try it.'

Kieran mulled over the odds of success and after finding them agreeable, he moved on to splitting the mental force required to invigorate the syllable structure. As this was his first attempt, Kieran took a cautious step, only dividing his focus in two.

After confirming that he could handle his focus being split twice, he conjured two First Syllables of Eni from one hand.

'Hmm… I think I may have made an error somewhere. Or maybe I didn't?' Kieran wondered. He initially wanted to unleash both Mystic Ciphers together, but instead, it manifested within one hand twice.

Such an outcome wasn't bad or offputting, but it did leave Kieran bewildered. It wasn't that he incorrectly unleashed the principle of Multi-Casting, his target was off, albeit negligibly.

'These ciphers aren't identical despite seeming the same, similar to how an ambidextrous person still possesses a slightly better side. I must pinpoint the incongruity in the two to separate their existences in my mind.'

When it came to mysticism, everything possessed a unique signature that couldn't be replicated.

Every time Kieran canceled and recreated a Mystic Cipher, it was, in essence, a completely different cipher due to the different energy that went into it.

After combing through the mystical emanations, Kieran found the true signature of the second cipher and conjured the First Syllable of Eni before the final incoming syllable could collide with his body.

"Excellent," Kieran remarked with a faint smile. Although his mind felt somewhat weird after splitting his attention, the unusual discomfort was bearable if it meant closing the chasm that separated a perfect and imperfect score.

Whoosh!

Kieran continued to unleash the First Syllable of Eni in an increasing amount while advancing toward the constantly shifting Veiled Arcadia Gate. The lines consisting of four, five, and six Inspirited Wykin Revenants were dealt with effortlessly.

But the antepenultimate row of Inspirited Wykins Revenant unleashed seven symbols. This was an amount that would require Kieran to quarter his focus.

Despite his unlocked Focus, Kieran wasn't sure if quartering his concentration would suffice.

'Sure the syllable has been greatly reinforced, but there is a more pressing issue. Will my mental commands survive the vicissitudes of the mystical sequences?'

The mystical sequences within the ciphers required a certain caliber of mental direction to actualize their effects. If it wasn't enough, the ciphers would fail to activate.

In his current situation, failure to activate was akin to a death sentence. Luckily for Kieran, the fifth syllable's presence kept him grounded, allowing him to soundly question his capabilities.

'If I sow the seeds of doubt in my doubt, it'll ultimately lead to me questioning my purpose. This questioning could soon interfere with my understanding of the syllabary. If I let that happen, my future with this power may well very well be corrupted. Rather than question if I can do it… I will ensure that I can.'

After a slight pause, Kieran displayed a faint smile. "After all, we have reached the final stretch…"