The Cheat Seed

Chapter 21

"I knew you could do it, Marcus," the Flame Emperor said, pacing slowly as he balanced himself on the bamboo cane gripped in his right hand. Each step seemed to require tremendous effort, his once powerful frame now bent with age.

Marcus stared at the withered figure before him. Gone was the imposing presence that had commanded respect through sheer physical dominance. In its place stood a fragile shell, skin hanging loosely where muscle had once bulged.

"What happened to you?" Marcus asked, his voice soft with concern despite the weeks of rage he'd nursed against this man.

The Emperor's lips curved into a weary smile. "Ah, you know, Marcus, my time's up."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that." All the anger Marcus had carefully cultivated vanished like morning mist at the sight of this feeble old man. He took a deep breath and added, "I'll make sure you get a proper burial."

The Emperor stared blankly at Marcus before letting out a long sigh. He shuffled forward until he reached the young man and patted his shoulder with a trembling hand.

*Pat*

Then something unexpected happened. The Emperor's hand froze mid-pat, his head bobbing backward. His eyes widened dramatically as he stared at Marcus.

"Oh... my." He pressed his hands against his chest, face frozen in surprise.

"What happened?" Marcus asked, puzzled by the sudden change.

"What the hell did you do in there?" The Emperor's voice regained some of its former strength, though his body remained frail.

"Where?"

"In the dungeon I sent you to."

Marcus shrugged. "Oh, there? Just some casual grinding."

The Emperor's jaw hung open, his expression one of pure disbelief. "What type of 'casual grinding' did you do to become like this, you monster?"

"Huh? What are you blabbering about, old man?"

What Marcus didn't know was that the Flame Emperor possessed his own version of a Cheat System. His Appraisal skill could instantly analyze anything he touched. When his hand had contacted Marcus's shoulder, all the information about the boy's progress had appeared before him—and what he saw had left him stunned.

Marcus had broken through limits that shouldn't have been possible. The Emperor had expected great things, but this... this was off the charts. Even he, when put through the same three Guardian trials, had only achieved Infinity Break level. A flash of jealousy rose in his chest before quickly subsiding as he remembered the bigger picture.

"Ah, Marcus, what you have achieved is just magnificent and amazing," the Emperor said, his voice regaining its authoritative tone.

Marcus's ears reddened at the praise, the simple validation affecting him more than he'd expected.

"I suppose you still haven't awakened a Seed yet?" the Emperor asked.

"No," came the simple reply.

"And I have to remind you, these achievements you accomplished in these two years were unreal. I congratulate you on behalf of the other guardians."

"Yeah," Marcus rubbed his nose, looking smug.

Then the Emperor's words fully registered. "Wait... two years?" Marcus questioned, his smugness evaporating.

"Yes, two years outside and six thousand years inside."

"Six thousand... wha...?" Marcus found himself stuttering. Who wouldn't? He had spent an entire span of six millennia in the dungeons trying to escape.

"In order to help you grind, the time inside was set in a way that would only slightly affect the time outside," the Emperor explained, pinching his fingers together to indicate how little time had passed in the real world.

Marcus remained dumbstruck. He hadn't noticed it earlier, but his status window would show his age clearly.

"STATUS!" he boomed, and the system display appeared before him.

He peered at his age: 17, with "18 in a day" beside it. Which meant...

"It's my birthday tomorrow," Marcus said quietly, looking at the ground. He shifted his gaze back to the Emperor. "Tell me, old man, what do I have to do to get out of this place?"

"Oh, excited are we?" The Emperor moved closer to Marcus again.

This time, he placed his hand directly on Marcus's chest and spoke in a voice so low it was barely audible. "As I asked earlier, you still haven't awakened your Seed, right?"

Marcus's chest began to warm, a black light glowing from its center. A notification appeared before him, which he read aloud:

"Do you want to receive the Seed from THE FLAME EMPEROR?"

Shock rippled through him. This couldn't be happening.

"It's my parting gift to you, Marcus... for the hard work you've done. Please don't deny it."

Marcus couldn't refuse such a request. He accepted the Seed as instructed.

Inside the Emperor's mind, his own system voiced concern:

[Hey, old geezer! What are you doing? Wouldn't giving him your Seed seal 60% of his true power?]

The Emperor smirked inwardly. "Yes, it will, but the way he is now, his sneeze could destroy planets. I want him to master his powers bit by bit so he can control them at will... and you're forgetting something, system."

[And what's that?]

"He still hasn't awakened HIS Seed yet!"

[Oh my... You mean, he has THAT Seed?]

"Without a doubt."

The Emperor watched with amusement as Marcus ran around in excitement, jumping fifty feet into the air and walking on clouds.

The boy was brimming with joy, now possessing the renowned Cheat Seed of the Flame Emperor. Marcus gasped when he landed without sound on a flowerbed, walking across the blooms without disturbing a single petal.

"MARCUS!" the Emperor called.

The young man appeared before him in a split second, the sudden movement almost throwing the old man off balance.

"Cool down, Marcus. Remember to be calm always—that is the only state in which you can produce wonders during intense situations."

"Yes, sir," Marcus replied respectfully.

"Then, I would also like to pass on my Familiar, my beast, TO YOU, MARCUS." The Emperor emphasized the beast but froze when he noticed part of a tattoo peeking out from beneath Marcus's kimono.

"Huh? Don't tell me you have a Beast too?" He pointed at Marcus's wrist.

"Eh?" Marcus followed his gaze. "Ah, this? This is Diablo, my familiar, the Ninety-tailed Demon Fox." He pulled up his kimono to reveal the intricate tattoo.

"Oh, and this too." Marcus closed his eyes for a moment before reopening them. They glowed brilliant blue, his canine teeth extending into fangs while his hair waved in an unseen breeze.

The Qilin appeared behind him in spirit form, massive muscular arms ending in deadly claws, fangs bared. Two goblets of fire revolved around its head, the entire apparition glowing like the noonday sun.

The Emperor's jaw dropped. He had thought he could suppress Marcus's power to some degree, but no—this boy was something else entirely, a monster among men.

Marcus snapped his fingers, and both he and the spirit returned to normal.

"You have a Beast AND a Spirit?" the Emperor asked incredulously.

"YES!" Marcus replied proudly, beating his chest.

The old man thought quickly. 'My Abyss Dragon could help suppress his power a bit more. Better to persuade him to take it too.'

"Ehem, Marcus, could you please also take care of my Drako?" The Emperor pointed to his own tattoo.

"Huh? Is it even possible to have two familiars?"

"Of course it is, Marcus, but only some high-level people could achieve this feat... like you."

"Because this is your last wish, I'll receive it with pleasure," Marcus said, barely containing his excitement.

The Emperor chuckled and approached Marcus. He placed his hands on the young man's head and began whispering. Another notification appeared, which Marcus accepted without hesitation.

The tattoo from the Emperor's arm slowly faded away, reappearing on Marcus's left arm in the same pattern as the Demon Fox on his right. The only difference was in the details—this new tattoo showed a mighty dragon spiraling toward his wrist, its tail standing upright on his shoulder.

The Emperor kept his hand on Marcus's head as one final notification appeared:

[DO YOU WANT TO BE THE GUARDIAN, Y/N]

Marcus looked at the notification, then at the old man.

The Emperor smiled. "As I said, Marcus, my time is up."

With a long face, Marcus selected Y. "I'll accept it because it's your death wish."

"BWHAHAHAHAHA!" The Emperor suddenly threw his cane into the air.

Before Marcus's astonished eyes, the old man transformed back into his muscular self. His robe changed to an open shirt with Bermuda shorts. Suitcases appeared in his hands, and a fedora cap with sunglasses perched on his head.

Marcus's jaw dropped.

"I said my time is up AS THE GUARDIAN," the Emperor explained with a grin.

"Eh?"

"It's vacation time, Marcus! I'll be going to this place called HAWAII on this other world, and the beach view there is MWHAAA!" He kissed his fingertips like a chef praising his masterpiece.

"Eh?"

"Tata!"

"Wait, you fu*kin' old geezer!"

Vanish