The-Chrysanthemum-Codex：Ash's-Ascension

Chapter 5: Artifact

The narrow alleyway, barely three or four meters wide, seemed even more constricted by the presence of a crowd. The gathering was composed of robust-looking servants and retainers, their faces hardened by lives of labor and servitude. In the center of the throng, two young men, clad in the elaborate, garish attire of nobility, stood out like garish peacocks amidst a flock of crows. Their outfits—tight, ornamental, and utterly impractical—gave them the appearance of sausages stuffed into bread. These two young nobles, Chalman and Chris, were viciously assaulting an elderly couple, their laughter ringing out cruelly in the narrow space.

The old couple was a pitiful sight. The man was barefoot, his feet blackened and cracked from years of toil, while the woman’s frail frame was clad in nothing more than a threadbare burlap robe and straw sandals. Their meager belongings lay scattered around them—bruised and battered vegetables that had fallen from their overturned wheelbarrow.

This scene of aristocratic cruelty was all too common, yet it was one that Ash had never encountered in his past life. There was a strange thrill in witnessing it firsthand, a sickening satisfaction that twisted his stomach even as it fueled his determination.

As Karn Bloodfury came to a stop at the mouth of the alley, Ash patted his broad shoulder and dismounted. He could feel the weight of Karn's gaze on him, heavy with unspoken questions. But Ash’s focus was on the two young nobles and the scene unfolding before him. “Hey, Karn Bloodfury,” he said quietly, his voice carrying an edge of calculation, “do you recognize those two brats?”

Karn Bloodfury’s massive fists clenched instinctively. “It’s Chalman and Chris,” he growled, his tone laced with barely restrained anger. “They’ve been to our house before. Last time, they bullied you, and I gave them a good beating! Young Master, should I do it again?”

“Not so fast.” Ash’s lips curled into a smile that didn’t reach his eyes as he took in the boys’ fine clothes and ostentatious jewelry. His mind was already working, assessing the situation with the practiced ease of a master thief. These boys weren’t just any nobles—they were well-connected, wealthy, and likely to cause trouble if handled improperly.

“Karn Bloodfury, what do their families do?” Ash asked, his voice a model of casual curiosity.

“Chris is the son of the Minister of Finance, and Chalman… he’s the son of the Minister of Rites and a descendant of the Storm Dou Saint!” Karn replied, his voice lowering to a near whisper at the mention of the Dou Saint lineage.

Ash’s gaze sharpened as he scrutinized Chalman, a boy of fourteen or fifteen, with striking sky-blue hair and a tight-fitting orange outfit that accentuated his youthful arrogance. A descendant of a Titled Dou Saint—a noble among nobles.

“Whose position is higher, his father’s or my father’s?” Ash inquired, though he already suspected the answer.

“Lord Raymond, of course!” Karn Bloodfury answered without hesitation, pride evident in his voice. “The Deputy Chief of the Imperial Command, second only to the King and the Prime Minister!”

Ash’s mind whirred with possibilities. So, the cold and distant Raymond was the third most powerful man in the empire. This changed everything. His decision made, Ash pointed into the alley and gave a low command, “Karn Bloodfury, go in there and teach them a lesson.”

Karn’s roar echoed through the alley as he charged in, his massive fists swinging. “Chalman! Chris! The young master says it’s time for you to learn some respect!”

The impact of his entrance was immediate. Thuds and grunts filled the air as Karn’s fists found their targets, his blows precise and powerful. The retainers on the outskirts of the crowd were taken by surprise, their confident postures crumbling as they fell under Karn’s assault. Within moments, the alley was a scene of chaos, with bodies tumbling like leaves in a storm.

Ash watched with a mix of satisfaction and amusement as Karn trampled the retainers, his bare feet turning their apparent strength into pitiable weakness. But amidst the chaos, Chalman finally noticed the commotion. He turned, his eyes narrowing as he spotted Ash. “Paru? Aren’t you supposed to be dead?”

Ash met his gaze with a calm smile. “I’m not dead, Chalman. But you—descendant of a Titled Dou Saint—should be ashamed of yourself for bullying the elderly. You’re tarnishing your ancestor’s name. Let them go, or I’ll have Karn Bloodfury teach you a lesson you won’t forget.”

Chalman’s sneer deepened. “Hmph, Paru, three years ago Karn Bloodfury did beat me, but back then I was only a First Level Martial Warrior. Now…”

With a swift motion, Chalman pulled a necklace from around his neck, revealing an egg-sized metal orb. Gripping the orb tightly, he continued, “But now I’m a Second Level Martial Warrior!”

Ash’s heart sank. He had miscalculated. Chalman was a Martial Warrior, and a Second Level one at that. Ash had never encountered a Martial Warrior’s abilities before, and doubt began to creep in. He was a thief, not a hero. The memory of his past life’s sacrifice flashed through his mind, a stark reminder that he had no intention of dying here.

But Karn Bloodfury, ever loyal and ever fierce, shouted, “Don’t worry, young master! Today, I already took down two Second Level Martial Warriors at the estate!”

As he spoke, Karn had already finished off the last of the retainers and was now charging at Chalman, his expression fierce with determination.

Ash was taken aback. Could it be that the warriors who had been beaten down at St. Rudolf Manor this morning were also Martial Warriors? If so, Karn Bloodfury…

Dear gods, how much had Paru’s memories failed to tell him?

As Chalman prepared to face the charging Karn, he clasped the metal orb between his hands and held it to his chest. A burst of green light emanated from his hands, quickly absorbed by the orb. Then, like a mechanical transformation, the orb began to change shape, its components shifting and rearranging until, in the blink of an eye, it had become a small golden ram’s horn hammer.

“Transformers!?” Ash blurted out, his mind reeling from the unexpected transformation.

Karn Bloodfury also shouted, “Young master, he’s got an Artifact! I’ll take him on!”

Artifact… Artifact… Ash’s mind raced as the term echoed within him. He vaguely remembered someone mentioning to little Paru that a Dou Saint’s power was composed of three key elements: their Dou Qi, their Divine Beast, and their Artifact.

Whether or not a Dou Saint possessed an Artifact had a significant impact on their strength. It was becoming increasingly clear that the two Second Level Martial Warriors Karn had defeated earlier had not used their Artifacts.

This was a serious miscalculation—a reminder of how much Ash still didn’t know about the Dou Saint world. He silently vowed to never make such a mistake again. The next time he decided to do a good deed, he would take into account not only the opponent’s background but also their Dou Saint level and whether they possessed an Artifact or Divine Beast.

The battle between Karn Bloodfury and Chalman intensified. The ram’s horn hammer in Chalman’s hand glowed with green light as he swung it with growing confidence. Despite his lack of refined technique, his strikes were disciplined, a testament to his training. Karn Bloodfury, however, fought with wild, unrefined aggression. He didn’t dodge or evade, allowing the hammer to strike him directly. Each time he was hit, he merely gritted his teeth and pushed through the pain, counterattacking with his iron fists and massive feet. Chalman, wary of Karn’s brute strength, was hesitant to press his advantage.

A trained Martial Warrior and a wild brute were evenly matched!

Ash’s lips curved into a smile. There was still hope for this good deed after all.

But then, Chalman’s voice rang out with sudden authority. “Chris, I’ll keep Karn Bloodfury busy. You take care of Paru!”

Chris, who had been tormenting the elderly couple, responded without hesitation. “Understood!” He too removed a metal orb from around his neck, transforming it into a short metal rod. “Paru, let me show you the power of Chris, a First Level Magic Warrior! Waterlight Wave!”

In an instant, a pale blue water bolt shot from Chris’s metal rod, streaking through the air toward Ash.

It’s all my fault! Ash’s mind raced with regret. Why hadn’t he learned more about the Dou Saint world before attempting this good deed?

The water bolt came fast, but Ash was quick to react. He pushed off the ground, nimbly dodging the first attack. But the second bolt was already on its way.

Ash was forced to dart and weave, his movements agile and precise, a testament to the physical gifts bestowed upon him by the Chrysanthemum Codex. Despite the relentless onslaught, he managed to avoid the worst of the attacks.

“You dare attack the young master? I’ll crush you!” Karn Bloodfury roared, his voice echoing through the alley like thunder. In a sudden burst of speed, he leaped high into the air, his massive frame casting a shadow over Chalman before he slammed into him with the force of a falling boulder. With two swift kicks, he sent Chalman sprawling. Then, without missing a beat, he charged at Chris.

Chris barely had time to react before Karn Bloodfury was upon him. A Magic Warrior caught off guard by a wild brute… it was a recipe for disaster!

Smack! Thud! “Ow, gods above!” Chris’s cries of pain echoed through the alley as Karn’s fists found their mark.

Ash finally allowed himself to relax. Karn Bloodfury truly was the perfect enforcer. In mere minutes, he had taken down a dozen men, including two Martial Warriors. Not bad at all.

Ash strolled forward, his steps leisurely as he approached the two defeated young lords. By this time, both Chalman and Chris’s Artifacts had reverted to their orb forms. They clutched them tightly, refusing to let go even in the face of defeat.

“Chalman, Chris,” Ash said with a grin, his voice smooth and condescending, “today, Young Master Paru is teaching you a lesson: it’s wrong to bully the elderly. Do you understand? Hehe, Karn Bloodfury, that’s enough. Let them go.”

Chalman struggled to his feet, his grip on the metal orb tight as he stuffed it back into his coat. He glared at Ash with open hatred. “Paru, I admit defeat today. Chris, let’s get out of here!”

As Chalman pulled the groaning Chris to his feet, Ash couldn’t help but notice the burning look in his eyes—the look of someone who wasn’t done yet. Would it be safer to eliminate him now, to prevent future trouble?

The thought flickered in Ash’s mind, but little Paru’s memories quickly reminded him that Chalman was a descendant of the Storm Dou Saint Aruba. Punishing him was one thing, but killing him would be another matter entirely. Executing a Titled Dou Saint’s descendant required a trial by the Holy Church (Holy Saint Church), or else the penalty would be death by the stake!

In that case, another form of punishment would have to do.

Ash smiled, rubbing his nose as he quickly stepped forward and patted Chalman on the shoulder. “Young Master Chalman, make sure you remember—don’t bully the elderly again!”

Chalman’s glare was filled with venom as he shoved Ash’s hand off his shoulder and turned to leave. “I lost today, so say whatever you want!”

“Well then, I won’t see you out!” Ash said, raising an eyebrow and flashing a bright, sunny smile.

But behind that smile, Ash had one hand hidden behind his back, holding a metal orb—the one belonging to Chalman.

That’s right! While saying his farewells, Ash had deftly stolen Chalman’s Artifact!