<h4>Chapter 540 Skaryn“s Rebellion</h4>


    "The next day, Skaryn’s father beaten beyond recovery and brutally murdered after bing a useless, crippled ve. Witnessing his father’s death wasn’t heartbreaking at all for Skaryn, though," added Daruun.


    "Among the ves, the concept of parents wasn’t very present. They had all been separated at birth, only recognizing their parentster due to bearing a simr serial code engraved in their unhidden ve curses. And the parents never cared or searched for their children either. They had been drugged and forced to mate like animals in a tyrannical zoo, not allowed to show love or even understand what love is. That was the environment that shaped Skaryn."


    Seeing Jack pondering in silence and Duorda anxious to hear more, Daruun continued, "After spending years examining the crudely made curse, Skaryn inevitably learned a few tricks to weaken it. That was when he not only took the beatings withoutint but began to seek them out. Skaryn wanted to be as strong as he could, arguing with the managers to get heavier wagons and to increase the weight of each load. He wanted to get stronger.


    "An escape plot had emerged in Skaryn’s mind and he yed it out to a tee. He gained less security after years of unmatched good behavior. All the while, Skaryn chipped away at the curse each night to weaken it more and more. Physically, Skaryn had be a monster, mimicking circus elephants with their incredible strength but an unwillingness to revolt after proper training. Only it was all a ploy.


    "Skaryn had brought the curse to the limit, barely keeping it active at all so that no one would be the wiser. Finally, he was ready to execute his n.


    "After enduring two more trips, it was the third trip after having weakened the curse that Skaryn made his move. Everything went as itmonly would. Skaryn drove his massive wagon with vigor. He led the caravan like he always did.


    "On that particr route, there was a giant uphill portion. During that stretch, the vers would chain other wagons and carts to Skaryn’s. This made sure that the other weaker ves wouldn’t copse from exhaustion and let the precious cargo drop down the hill. They chained up all the cargo and let Skaryn begin the ascent. Nothing was strange or peculiar about it. Not until they were half-way up the hill.


    "Once they were at the half-way point, Skaryn acted. He had already picked the locks of his restraints, mimicking his father’s failed attempt at escape, and was wearing them casually to keep up appearances. With the perfect moment arriving, Skaryn undid his restraints and broke the handle used to pull the cart. Before hisx guards could act, Skaryn had already snuffed out the final portion of the ve curse.


    "Skaryn’s speed alone was enough to outrun anyone present but he also allowed his massive wagon to be the perfect distraction. The wagon fell back and crashed into those behind it, dragging everything to the bottom of the hill like an anchor would fall to the seafloor. No one had the time or ability to chase after Skaryn in such a situation where the lives of ves and the condition of the merchandise was at such a great risk."


    Finally, Daruun paused and waited for Jack to say something.


    Sighing, Jack asked, "Why go into so much detail? I appreciate the storytelling, but--"


    "To understand his character, you need to thoroughly understand his actions," stated Daruun. "I won’t recount you his entire life, but only a couple of key points, one being his upbringing and escape.


    "Now that you understand how crafty, patient, and calcted Skaryn can be, I can exin what he did next with less detail," reasoned Daruun.


    "After escaping, Skaryn made sure he couldn’t be tracked. Using his rudimentary understanding of dark type mana, Skaryn concealed his home in shadows to avoid magic detection. Being the first to crack the curse was also a huge help as the vers were trying to use the curse to paralyze and locate their prized ve.


    "Spending more than a year focusing on survival and step-by-step growth with magic, Skaryn finally felt confident to attempt what he wished," stated Daruun.


    "Skaryn used his shadows to sneak into his old home. He crept through the vers’ property and assassinated the vers in their sleep. Effectively, Skaryn had freed all of the organization’s ves, those in charge of crafting goods, those in charge of raising crops, those in charge of maintaining the ranch of animals for food trade, and more. If there was a viable trade in that economy, there were ves demanded to fulfill that trade’s needs day in and day out, but not anymore.


    "That act led to a revolt across Kustram and a reformation of the Kustram’s government. The more vers Skaryn killed, the more eye-opening it was for the king. When only a few major ve organizations were left, the king made the decision to side with the newly released ves.


    "The king liked the idea of an increasedbor force to boost the economy and remove the ever-growing influence the vers were gaining over his kingdom. And the thought of gaining the favor and appreciation of so many newly recognized citizens would guarantee his long-term rulership. It was a brilliant political move that Skaryn forced into y. Skaryn and the king met before they partnered up to remove the final ve organizations from the Kustram map.


    Nodding, Jack agreed, "So Skaryn changed the nation as a whole, somewhat indirectly."


    "Correct," answered Daruun. "The king was already fed up with the vers but had no means of dealing with vers. After Skaryn proved himself capable against the vers, the king was more than willing to back up and cement his influence into the nation in ce of the vers."


    "What did he do next?" asked Jack.


    "Skaryn was offered the position of Royal Captain of the Guard, but he turned it down. He didn’t want to feel burdened with responsibility, not after he had just freed himself."