"The deal wasn’t fair. You only want to know how unique a Zaffre Kraken is because you’re planning on copying my energy and using it."
"Tsk, you cheater!" she cursed.
"No, I wasn’t planning that. And you said deal."
"You agreed," he protested, and she stood, holding a cheeky, evil smile.
"Maybe don’t trust too easily next time. Makes you quite easy to fool, you know." Zaffree said, moving to the lab in satisfaction.
She had learned his secrets and even managed to keep hers.
It was an absolute win, but she had not taken three steps when she felt a hand grab her wrist and yank her back.
"You!" she shouted, her hands instantly shifting back into tentacles that made Ryuk’s grip slip.
The instant she was released, the tentacles coiled like whips, lashing for his face, but he dodged them at the last second, grabbed onto them, and pulled hard.
Zaffree was sent flying straight toward him, and he caught her neck, twisting her upside down.
She landed with her back against the bed, gasps escaping her lips from the intense speed.
Turning up, she found his glowing purple eyes staring down at her.
"Get off me," she hissed, her tentacles slashing once more, but they were easily pinned down to the bed.
She resisted with all her strength, trying to push him off, but ultimately failed, her chest swelling up and down from exhaustion.
He was like a mountain that couldn’t be budged.
"While I won’t try to force things onto you, a deal is a deal, and I won’t get off until you agree to it," he said firmly, eyes filled with conviction.
"Tch, fine."
Her reluctant words made him grin triumphantly as he finally backed off.
"I’ll only ever explain it once, so you’d better listen attentively," Zaffree said with a hmph as she sat upright.
Ryuk turned to her, his ears piqued.
But then, he noticed her simply staring blankly at him for a long while, and he asked
"What?"
The question seemed to snap her out of it finally. A bizarre pink shade spread across her cheeks, and she held her head, wiggling it awkwardly.
"I was just thinking of the best way to explain," she muttered.
Ryuk exhaled slowly and watched as her gaze finally focused.
"Zaffre Krakens are different from most Krakens due to one simple, but crucial thing," she began.
"Their creation line."
"Creation line?"
That was a word he had never heard before.
"Most Krakens’ creation lines drown in Abyssal entropy, which also made it that almost all of them use Abyssal energy only."
"In fact, only three lines of Krakens in existence don’t have Abyssal energy as their main source."
"Of those three, the Zaffre Krakens are one, and we were chosen by the Apex Line instead, granting us a special type of Apex energy called Oragon."
’Oragon, hmm?’ Ryuk thought, and she continued:
"As you said before, Apex energy is usually the amalgamation of elemental attributes, and Oragon is no different."
"What fuses together to form Oragonthen?" He asked curiously, and she replied:
"Three elements—Light, Space, and Primordial Soul Essence."
She leaned forward slightly, her eyes sharp as she continued.
"Imagine combining light—like a blazing sun that burns away darkness. Space—like the endless sky stretching without limits. And soul essence—the invisible life-force within every creature."
"Put them all together, and what you will get is Oragon energy."
"An energy that doesn’t just burn or freeze, it reaches directly into the soul."
"How does it even work?" Ryuk asked.
She thought quietly for a moment before saying:
"Fire burns the body. Frost lowers the temperature, causing the body to freeze."
"Oragon has nothing to do with your flesh—it touches your soul directly. Like a light shining into your soul space and pulling at it."
In demonstration, she stretched out her hand, a purple-blue glow surrounding her fingers, and reached forward toward his chest.
Ryuk didn’t flinch, though he felt quite alarmed, when he watched her glowing hand phase through his ribs.
He didn’t feel her fingers sinking into his chest, like touching against his blood or ribs, but he felt something far worse—an invisible grip latching onto him, that made his heartbeat skyrocket.
It wasn’t like being touched on a particular part of his body, but as if something grabbed at every inch of his being all at once.
"Can you feel it?" Zaffree asked, eyes boring into his.
"Right now, I’m holding directly onto your soul."
"This is only possible with Oragon, so you can imagine it as a glowing hand that bypasses your physical body and grabs straight at your soul."
She slowly pulled her hand back, and Ryuk unconsciously let out a breath of relief.
"That was terrifying," he muttered under his breath.
"If just touching your soul feels terrifying, imagine if I pulled it out of you and smashed it to pieces," she said with a wicked grin.
Ryuk instinctively sat farther away.
"I’m guessing it isn’t that easy," he replied.
In his experience, broken powers always had weaknesses to keep them in check.
"You’re right. Souls are heavy to pull out. But Oragon can be used in many ways."
"I’ll only tell you three." She said, raising three fingers.
"The first is Soul Striking, attacks go straight to the spirit, ignoring most armor or defenses, just like I did now."
"The second is Purification, darkness, curses, and corruption are instantly burned away."
"The third is Assimilation, other energies, fire, frost, void, even abyssal, can be absorbed and refined into Oragon, not in your copycat way, but more of draining out the energy from a person’s soul."
Ryuk’s eyes widened.
"To think such an energy exists, and I had no idea at all..." he mumbled.
Whenever he thought of the soul, he always connected it with Aetheris—the energy of the mind and spirit.
But to think Apex also had a branch that touched upon the soul—he had never imagined it.
"You haven’t heard of it because, while there are creatures that can use Oragon, most can’t handle it."
"Ninety percent of those who awaken it end up dying quickly, one way or another," she said coldly.
"Oh? Why is that?"
"It’s connected to the Forbidden Tittle of Oragon..."