Revenge: A Path of Destruction
Chapter 123: No more Hope (Flashback)

Chapter 123: No more Hope (Flashback)

As Alex stared at the floating weapon, a single thought repeated itself in his mind, circling with stubborn clarity:

What was it doing here...?

When his mother had first mentioned Trophos, the reality hadn’t fully settled in. The shock of the weapon’s identity had overwhelmed the rest—its rank, origin, and impossible power. But now, standing in front of it, seeing it with his own eyes—untouched, unclaimed—another truth began to unfold. And this one... hurt more than the last.

For Trophos to be here...

Then that meant—

His father had to have left it behind.

Dropped it.

Chose not to wield it in the final moments.

He had faced the other patriarchs—monsters among monsters—without it.

Without it.

Alex’s chest tightened. The implications rolled in like a rising tide, each colder than the last.

Fighting a Higher Clan leader bare-handed would already be a death sentence for most. But for someone like Lucian—who had fought and led with that spear for decades—it wasn’t just a choice to drop a weapon.

It was a decision.

A plan.

A sacrifice.

Alex’s gaze didn’t move from the weapon. The spear hovered upright in its compartment, impossibly balanced, its golden shaft gleaming dully under the room’s light. The runes along its length shimmered just out of focus—living, shifting when not directly watched. Even now, it emitted no pressure, no killing intent. It simply existed—quiet, divine, and eternal.

And yet, standing here, Alex felt it.

He felt it.

The stillness. The finality. The message left unsaid.

His father had left Trophos behind... for the survivor.

For him.

And if no one had survived... then it would have remained sealed here forever, hidden away from the greedy hands of the other Higher Clans. A silent middle finger to the world that had betrayed them.

It had all been prepared.

Alex clenched his fists.

His eyes burned.

His head dropped as the final weight of understanding settled over him like a burial shroud.

This was confirmation—irrevocable, absolute.

His father was gone.

His mother... gone.

His siblings... gone.

Until now, some stubborn part of him—fragile and clinging—had still hoped. It had barely been forty-eight hours. Maybe, just maybe, someone else had survived. Maybe his father was still out there, rallying the remnants of the clan. Maybe...

But seeing Trophos here, untouched and waiting—like a relic at a grave—stripped the hope from his soul.

This was a tomb.

This was goodbye.

A single tear slid down his cheek, quiet and unannounced.

He didn’t brush it away.

Didn’t look up.

Didn’t move.

He stood there, fists trembling at his sides, as the truth carved itself into his bones.

They were gone.

All of them.

And now... all that remained was the weapon.

And him.

----

Alex didn’t move.

He remained still—head lowered, fists clenched, body rigid—as the silence in the chamber stretched on. The quiet felt heavy, as though the air itself mourned with him.

A full minute passed.

Then another.

Only then did he finally lift his head.

The faint tear track had already dried against his cheek, but the weight in his chest had not eased. His eyes rose to the flickering screen just as his mother’s voice returned, softer now, stripped of its earlier steel. A rare vulnerability lingered behind her words—fragile and final.

"I’m sure that with you seeing that weapon... it tells you that none of this was a joke."

Her voice trembled slightly, just for a moment.

"That we’re gone."

A pause.

"So for the last time, let me say it..."

A beat.

"We’re sorry, Alex."

He didn’t reply.

Couldn’t.

The words weren’t unfamiliar—he’d heard apologies all his life, from caretakers, mentors, even strangers. But this... this wasn’t an apology for a mistake.

This was farewell.

Still, he stayed silent, eyes fixed on the screen, listening. Waiting.

"Trophos," she continued, "is a weapon made for destruction. With your father gone... his connection to it would have faded. Which means..."

She drew in a breath.

"...now, it will respond to you."

Alex’s gaze flicked to the floating spear.

Still unmoving.

Still watching.

"But be warned," his mother added, her tone sharpening again, if only slightly. "Trophos doesn’t allow just anyone to wield it. Even sealed, it is still a demi-god weapon at its core. Power like that has will—fury, even."

The screen pulsed faintly.

"Don’t attempt the binding with a half-baked mind," she said. "It won’t forgive you for it."

Alex swallowed hard.

He believed her.

Every word.

His gaze shifted from the spear back to the screen as his mother’s expression softened once more, her shoulders easing.

"But before we get to that," she said, "let’s talk about something else. Something important. I’m sure you’re wondering what NOVA is... and how she can help you."

Alex blinked.

Nova...

His mother offered a faint smile.

"There was a little project I started," she said, voice tinged with old pride. "A personal one. I called it the System Emulation Initiative. The goal was simple—create a system like those used in novels and comics, artificial but alive, to help people survive in a world built to destroy anomalies."

Alex leaned forward slightly.

His heart beat faster.

"NOVA was its mainframe," she said. "It’s core."

Her eyes narrowed faintly, as if speaking to the very code behind his eyes.

"I developed NOVA as an innovative learning system that thrives on growth and flexibility. A fixed script or rigid protocols do not constrain her; instead, her design allows her to adapt and evolve continuously. This dynamic nature ensures that she can learn from experiences, refine her capabilities, and remain relevant in an ever-changing environment."

Alex’s lips parted slightly.

"But there is an issue with it, the system has to be connected to one’s nervous system, through an operation."

She hesitated.

"However, the integration of the system was not proceeding smoothly. Ninety percent of the subjects died during the operation, while the remaining ten percent were left brain dead, as the integration needed to be performed within the nervous system."

Her voice dropped, quieter than before.

"So now, knowing all of that..."

A long pause.

"Will you continue, Alex?"

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.