《The Last Bastard [Villainous Progression] [LITRPG]》 1. The Pendulum of Hope and Dispair ¡°No one is coming to save me.¡± Those were the words Haki muttered before he, at the tender age of fourteen, cast aside all thoughts of hope or salvation. It wasn¡¯t that Haki didn¡¯t want to believe it but he had been disappointed too many times that he eventually stepped bothering. No knight was coming to the rescue. No galloping into the sunset. No grand quest or adventure waiting for him beyond the city¡¯s walls. Not that he expected much for himself. Orphaned at a nascent age, starvation etched its mark into his surprisingly robust bones Survival was almost impossibly hard at times but a relentless drive born from the depths of his suffering kept him moving. Even amidst the filth and darkness of his prison cell, that fire burnt for reasons He didn¡¯t fully understand. One thing he understood plainly well, however, was the possibility that he often entertained. That, if he ever got the chance, he would set the world ablaze. So that for a brief, hellish moment, the world would be united in agony before finding peace in death. ¡°Get up, worm! You have visitors if you can believe that!¡± One of the dungeon¡¯s guards spat from beyond a wall of iron bars. Haki raised his head from a filth-lined stone floor, leaving behind his fellow prisoners although, unlike them who were covered in scars, the seemingly untouched brown smoothness of his skin could be seen beneath the grime. The cell was dark, lit only by a single torch in the corridor beyond its walls. It smelled like piss, shit and death which was the same for all of the dungeon¡¯s lower levels. Floors which were lined with the guilty, the innocent and the bubbling corpses between them. Haki raised his dark brown eyes to glare at the guard who wore tattered leather armour on top of his grimy green uniform. As for Haki, he had nothing to cover his meagre frame but old torn rags. His damp kinky red hair messily covered his face and he brushed a little of it to the side to properly stare daggers at the guard. ¡°Who is it?¡± Haki snarled only for the guard to kick the iron bars, making the young man flinch. ¡°A pouch of silver told me not to tell so shut up, get up and follow me.¡± Haki bit his teeth and did as instructed, leaving his cell as the guard opened it. His empty stomach filled with dread as he wondered what was in store for him but he steeled himself for the worst ¨C a tactic often used by those who are frequented by pain. He then followed the guard down a hallway lined with cells towards a staircase at the end. It led to the dungeon¡¯s first level above ground which was filled to the brim with guards and heavy with the stench of mead. Since he hadn¡¯t been imprisoned for a serious crime, he didn¡¯t have to wear iron binds which spared him from a lot of the torture the guards would often dish out to those they found guilty. He was still frequently abused but it was nothing in comparison to what happened to the murderers and rapists. The guard led him to what appeared to be an office wherein he saw a small woman who wore a black, silky gown sat. Her head was obscured by a black veil cloaking her in mystique. Her form was harshly illuminated by the pale grey morning light that fell from the cloudy skies above. Standing next to her was a knight clad in steel armour which was adorned with the crest of the illustrious House Ardhi. A crest which depicted a shield, at the centre of which stood a tree within a mystical circle. The knight wielded a broad sword and a shield which bore the same crest as the uniform beneath his shiny plates. ¡°Please, sit.¡± The woman prompted in a voice so soft, it could barely be heard in the near silent office. Haki did as instructed while keeping an eye on the man in steel. ¡°If everything in the cosmos is the product of causality and everything that is was meant to be then maybe you weren¡¯t a mistake after all.¡± She muttered ever more softly than before. ¡°Huh? What are you on about, lady? What do want from me?¡± Haki asked loudly only for the guard behind him to slap him on the back of the head and while the man in steel wanted to raise his sword in response, the veiled woman raised her right hand ever so slightly, stopping him. ¡°Didn¡¯t your mother ever teach you respect?¡± The guard snapped but Haki simply clicked his tongue while rubbing the back of his head. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t know. My old lady¡¯s probably dead in some ditch somewhere and you still haven¡¯t answered me, princess. What do you want?¡± The woman took a deep breath, a moment''s pause, before finally exhaling while assuming an upright posture. ¡°While I do not know who or where your mother is, I know where your father is. Or maybe I should say that I know who your father is.¡± Haki¡¯s eyes widened to their limits and he clenched his jaw hard. ¡°Look, Lady, I don¡¯t know what kinda game you¡¯re playing or what you really want but you can fuck right off-¡° Chuma stopped as the woman lifted her veil, revealing a face that Haki and the entire region of Ardhi recognized. Her beautiful dark skin and youthful face seemingly glowed in the dimness of the office. Her dark eyes stared at Haki unshakingly and belonged to none other than Lady Fure of House Ardhi ¨C second head of one to three Great Houses that ruled over the world.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Does that mean-¡° ¡°Yes, your father is Lord Kutsunga.¡± ¡°Wait- what?¡± The guard exclaimed loudly. ¡°Ma¡¯am, are you sure it is safe to release that information here?¡± The steel knight asked as Lady Fure lowered her veil, covering her face once more. ¡°Just how little faith do you have in me, Sir Darian?¡± ¡°My apologies, Lady Fure, I meant no offence.¡± ¡°I know but the boy was going to make a fuss if I hadn¡¯t so let us move on.¡± Darian lowered his head. ¡°Now I¡¯m sure you have questions but they are going to have to wait until after you meet your father although he stressed that the choice should be entirely up to you. So¡­ will you stay, be put back in your cell and live the rest of your days among the filth of this land, wallowing on the brink of starvation or will you follow me to the Seat of Kings where you will be given not only food and shelter but purpose!¡± Haki bit his teeth and his face contorted violently. This wasn¡¯t even a choice but what enraged him further was the fact that, if he chose to follow Lady Fure, he would come to face his father - the man who left him to the wolves. But¡­ it was also an opportunity. He would never get another chance to confront him. The offer of food and a roof to sleep under didn¡¯t hurt either so Haki leaned back and relaxed his face while trying his best to smile even as tears welled in his eyes. ¡°Thank you, my lady, for coming all this way to make such a generous offer to one as lowly as I. Allow this humble one to accept.¡± He bowed with a shaking voice. ¡°Good. I am pleased that you chose to come willingly. Now, follow me- oh and you, guardsman. It would do you well to remain silent on this matter if you have anything to live for. You will be free to gossip as soon as his existence is made public.¡± Lady Fure warned while standing up. ¡°Y-yes, My Lady!¡± Haki remained silent while following Lady Fure and her knight out of the guard tower and onto the dank streets of the northern outskirts of Ardania, the capital city of Ardhi. Waiting in front of the guard tower was a sturdy-looking wooden stagecoach which Lady Fure was helped into by Darian who then gestured that Haki enter as well. Haki complied and sat in front of Lady Fure whose gaze seemingly never left him although it was hard to tell due to her veil. Darian joined the carriage¡¯s driver, another knight, and the group set off immediately after, passing by a small crowd of curious townsmen. As the carriage made its way South through the outskirts, Haki found himself thinking about his supposed relation to the Lord of Ardhi. ¡°Huh¡­ I guess that explains the red hair. Why is that, anyway?¡± Haki asked through cracked lips while glancing out of the window. Beyond the mucky outskirts were the great stone walls of Ardania and beyond that was the plateau which was said to be the Seat of Kings. ¡°Those born with the blood of House Ardhi have a deep connection with the world and the vitality within. That explains why someone who has led a life as¡­ eventful as yours barely has any scars.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I see.¡± Haki sounded while trying to calm his heart which hadn¡¯t stopped racing. Years of hardship had taught him to be sceptical and even cynical but as soon as the possibility that he could meet his father arose, all of that was undone. As if the boy who was cast aside all that time ago was loudly crying out for some sort of paternal connection. A foolish smile crept onto his face as he acknowledged the fact that Lady Fure may have been using him and his clear weakness for her own means but the child within foolishly chose to break his promise to himself. He chose to hope. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re not my mother.¡± Haki raised an eyebrow prompting Lady Fure to lower her head slightly. ¡°I am not.¡± She answered curtly and while Haki expected himself to feel disappointed, he didn¡¯t. If anything, her monotone delivery felt strangely comforting. He scoffed at himself for somehow getting involved in whatever this was and turned his head once more towards the slums beyond the carriage. Rows upon rows of rickety, damp wooden buildings were haphazardly built next to each other and crawling along the narrow spaces between them were the downtrodden, the outcasts and the outlaws. Although each of them were strangers, their weary faces were all Haki ever knew. He looked ahead and saw the grand iron gates of Ardania. He wondered what the faces of those within looked like. Were they all pretty and clean like Lady Fure? The carriage eventually arrived at the nearly twenty-meter-tall stone walls of Ardania. At the iron gates were several knights who barred all entry into the city with the exception of members of the Merchants Guild and foreign diplomats or other such special guests. Lady Fure¡¯s carriage was allowed into the city without question and Haki didn¡¯t even need to be fully inside to see just how different Ardania was from its outskirts. To begin with, unlike those of the outskirts which were paved with mud and piss, the roads within the city were made of smooth, equally sized square-shaped blocks of stone. A structured uniformity which matched the grand buildings which lined the streets. The people who could be seen walking about or dining at restaurants wore strange clothing made of shiny fabrics and, of course, they were draped in jewellery. Among them were guards and other officials who tended to their needs. Haki turned his eyes toward the grand staircase near the centre of the city. That which led up to the Seat of Kings. ¡°Now, before you can even think about meeting His Lordship, you must be thoroughly cleaned and be dressed in the appropriate attire.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± That¡¯s the only sound Haki could make in response and before he realized it, he was being roughly handled by Darian who scrubbed him from head to toe in a bathhouse the stagecoach had stopped by. Haki kicked the knight in the face when he got a little too handsy, breaking the Knight¡¯s nose in the process, but it wasn¡¯t enough to save him. He was then dried and forced into some stiff black clothes by a group of seamstresses and before he knew it, he was back in the stagecoach with Lady Fure. Haki¡¯s mouth simply hung open as he tried to process what happened and while he sat in shock, Darian hopped back onto the coach which eventually reached the grand staircase. ¡°Alright. The time has come.¡± Lady Fure declared as she was assisted off the wooden vehicle. ¡°You are free to turn back if you wish. The Freedom of Choice is a most precious thing so consider every possibility. Or, more plausibly, think about what would benefit you the most. That is how great men think. That is how your father thinks.¡± Haki bit his teeth. It was a trick question. There was only one answer. Forward. . .. After ascending what must have been no less than a thousand steps, an exhausted Haki was led into a grand Palace of dark stone but he was far too tired and far too hungry to think about how beautiful any of the architecture or the furniture looked. All he could think about was the grand doorway which led into what Lady Fure called the Throne Room. Standing by it were two knights who opened the two great wooden doors revealing a grand chamber lit by a row of candle-bearing chandeliers. At its end was a man who stood next to a grand wooden throne which was covered in intricate carvings that depicted the crest of House Ardhi. The man, like Haki, had red hair although his temples had begun to grey. He had dark skin and his dark eyes were like blank dots that scanned everything in sight with what looked like scorn. He wore dark, clothing that seemed heavy and stiff although it didn¡¯t affect his upright posture. The man, Lord Kutsunga, silently glared at Haki who silently approached and ultimately stopped alongside Lady Fure who bowed but Haki remained standing. He stared at the man who he had been told was his father but just as his racing heart grew its fastest with a mixture of excitement and hope, the man¡¯s face twisted into a scowl. ¡°One would think that whore would have taught you some basic etiquette at the very least but your blatant disrespect proves otherwise. Oh, well. All learning begins somewhere.¡± The man sighed while walking towards Haki who frowned in confusion and anger at the man¡¯s words. ¡°Kneel.¡± The man instructed but all Haki could do was let out a dumbfounded ¡°huh¡± before suddenly having his head slammed onto the marble floor. Haki¡¯s confusion turned to internal cries of agony as he realized that somehow the man had dashed in front of him in an instant. He followed this by grabbing Haki¡¯s hair and forcing his head onto the floor. The middle-aged man then placed his foot on the back of Haki¡¯s head and scoffed. ¡°Your form is appalling but this is your first time so I will forgive you. Let us introduce ourselves. My name is Kutsunga, head of House Ardhi and you will only refer to me as ¡®My Lord¡¯. Is that understood, runt?¡± 2. The Unheard Mourning in House Ardhi Haki¡¯s head rang with pain. It hurt. Having his hopes crushed in an instant was excruciating. Being so thoroughly disappointed was agonizing. But¡­ It was also within the range of what Haki expected. He had come to terms with his naivety as soon as it sprouted in his heart. The question, however, was what would come next. ¡°Well? Did you understand my words or are you hard of hearing?¡± Kutsunga asked again. Haki droned internally while trying his best not to reel from pain. Lady Fure said that if he followed her, he would receive food and shelter. It obviously wasn¡¯t going to be free and he foresaw the abuse that would come from being anywhere near Kutsunga. The problem lay in how much he could take. He was determined to find out. ¡°Y-yes.¡± Haki wheezed as blood dripped from his nose. ¡°¡¯Yes¡¯ what, runt?¡± ¡°Yes, My Lord.¡± Kutsunga let out an unsatisfied scoff before kicking Haki in the cheek. ¡°Ah! What the fuck, old man?¡± The boy recoiled while sitting up and cupping the side of his head. ¡°Don¡¯t think you can hide your true self from me. It is he that I want to mould into a candidate.¡± Kutsunga¡¯s words were cold, and sharp, as if he was talking to an opponent¡­ or an enemy. Haki bit his teeth as his cheek bled from within. ¡°You want the real me?¡± Kutsunga¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Fine! Here I am, old man! And don¡¯t think I¡¯ll let you kick me around-¡° Haki let out a gross squawk as Kutsunga punched him in the gut, falling to his knees as he reeled in pain. ¡°Can you use magic?¡± Kutsunga asked but Haki¡¯s head was too busy ringing for him to catch it. ¡°Answer your lord.¡± Haki bit his teeth as he clutched his tummy. ¡°W-what¡­ did you say, old man? Couldn¡¯t hear you over the ego-¡° Kutsunga kicked the young man in the ribs making him fall to the side. He was stupid for expecting some sort of cute father-and-son reunion. Kutsunga wanted something from him. All Haki had to do was play along. Even if it hurt. ¡°I will not repeat myself again. Can you use magic?¡± ¡°N-no.¡± Haki wheezed. ¡°Then I will have to be comprehensive in my teachings but I was prepared for that much.¡± Lady Fure eventually entered the Throne room where she bowed before Kutsunga. ¡°Prepare a travel bag for me. We are leaving at first light.¡± The Lord of the house spoke, his voice a deep sigh. ¡°And the meeting with the other lords? They wish to¡­ offer their condolences.¡± Fure¡¯s brows knotted ever so slightly. ¡°I¡¯m sure they do but you have a face and a mouth. Use them aptly. We will be back by the time the last snows thaw.¡± Fure clenched her jaw visibly. ¡°Without informing the-¡° she caught herself before bowing. ¡°Yes, My Lord.¡± She said as Haki crawled onto his feet. His eyes met Kutsunga¡¯s, and for a moment, it seemed the two were about to attack each other. Kutsunga scoffed softly before returning to his Throne where he sat. ¡°This way.¡± Haki glanced, through eyes that burnt with anger, at Fure who gestured towards the door on the right-hand side of the throne. The young man glared at Kutsunga who glared back but through narrowed, contemplative eyes.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Where¡­ where are we going?¡± Haki breathed as his mouth pooled with fresh blood. ¡°You and yours truly will be spending the winter in The Forest of Briars in the domain of House Qaya where you will be made into a man at least passingly worthy of carrying a lord¡¯s blood. Just in time for the Ascension where you, along with the other prospective candidates, will compete for the Ruler¡¯s Charge.¡± Kutsunga explained making Haki¡¯s brows meet. ¡°Yes. You will be competing for the most legendary of artefacts and before you inevitably ask, I¡­ am far too aged to be able to compete with the powerful youths the other houses will send.¡± Kutsunga sighed. ¡°Mmm¡­¡± The middle-aged man sighed as his eyes lowered in thought. Haki¡¯s brow lowered. He understood the legend of the Ruler¡¯s Charge very well, and he knew what was being asked of him, so he silently turned and followed Fure out of the throne room and into a grand hallway lined with guards in silver armour. Haki was then led to the dining room where he was given what otherwise seemed like a simple dinner of bread and a piece of chicken but it was more food than he had eaten in a single sitting in years. After he finished, Fure then led him to a large room that had several spots on the wall which looked like they once had portraits there based on the pale rectangular spots in the wood. ¡°This¡­ will be your room from now on although you won¡¯t have much time to get accustomed once you¡¯ve left with his Lordship.¡± Fure sighed. Her veil was off, allowing Haki to see her solemn expression. ¡°Tell me, lady. If he knows I¡¯m his son, then why did he hit me?¡± Fure¡¯s eyes fell further. She then took a deep breath before looking into Haki¡¯s eyes. ¡°I am sure Lord Kutsunga will enlighten you in time but for now, get some rest.¡± She turned and left the room, leaving Haki with a heavy silence. He scanned the room, making sure he was alone before taking slow steps towards the one thing he had his eye on since entering. The large bed at the centre of the luxurious room. He stood by its edge and eyed the silky duvet that covered the soft lining beneath along with the fluffy pillows at its furthest edge. He clenched his jaw as he reached down to touch it and his heart melted upon feeling how soft it was. He sat on the edge and let out the deepest of sighs as he finally lay down. His face landed on one of the pillows and in that moment, all the pain he felt was washed away. He couldn¡¯t remember the last time he slept comfortably let alone warmly so he took a deep breath of the sweetly fragrant air and sighed. What followed was a deep drowsiness. One he would otherwise fight for the sake of self-defence just in case someone attacked him but he didn¡¯t care. He was going to savour this feeling no matter what. So he steadily drifted into sleep. Just as a single tear fell from his eye. . .. [Name: Haki Race: Human Coalescence Level: 1 Health Points (HP): 100 Willpower (W): 5 DPH (Damage Per Hit): 1 Defence Rating: 2% Equipment: None Skills and Spells: None Artefacts: None] ¡°Mmm?¡± Haki sounded sleepily as several lines of bright writing appeared in his head. He opened his eyes to make sure he wasn¡¯t dreaming but his thoughts immediately seemed upon finding that he was in the arms of woman who was almost twice as tall as he was. He tried moving away but one of her arms was nearly as long as he was tall and she used both of hers to firmly hold him in her bosom. She had long, silky black hair that messily draped both she and Haki and pale skin that was cool to the touch. Loosely hanging from her frame was a black dress that seemed to be made of the night sky itself and her eyes were blindfolded with a similar nightly cloth. ¡°Mmm!¡± Haki struggled aloud and this was enough to awaken the woman who sweetly yawned. Her voice was soft enough to make Haki feel sleepy again but he fought the feeling as she loosened her hold on him a little. [Good morning, contender.] She yawned in a voice that seemed to come from inside Haki¡¯s mind. ¡°Who are you?¡± He glared. [I am Maranam, one of the Cycle Sprites or as you may know me¡­ the Goddess of Death.] Haki bit his teeth as his heart dropped to his knees. He wouldn¡¯t have believed her if she wasn¡¯t so big. She also matched the description of the three Goddesses who were often shown or spoken of as being clad in the night sky and her eyes seemed to be forever closed. ¡°W-what do you want?¡± Haki quivered as Maranam held him like one would a pillow. [You have been chosen to represent your house in the pursuit of the Ruler¡¯s Charge and thus are eligible to receive my blessing.] She spoke slowly and quietly as if she was perpetually drowsy. ¡°What blessing?¡± Haki frowned as Maranam finally let him go, allowing him to sit up and back away. Maranam sat up as well before holding up her right hand. Wisps of white smoke then appeared in her palm where they swirled and coalesced to form a dagger that was about thirty centimetres long. It was made of a dark metal and traces of the white smoke it came from could be seen rising from its edges. With a racing heart, Haki stared at the weapon while still trying to process everything that was happening. [Take it. This weapon, my Aruval, draws power from death and so, as you get stronger, so too will it.] Haki nervously reached out and grabbed the dagger only to wince a little as some of the smoke touched his skin, chilling it. He inspected the weapon all while Maranam laid back down to sleep even though the sun was steadily rising. ¡°So¡­ will you be helping me get the Ruler¡¯s Charge?¡± [While I would love to, there is not much an incorporeal being such as myself can do in this world.] She whimpered tiredly making Haki¡¯s brows knot. ¡°What?¡± [The me you¡¯re seeing is but a projection. This world wouldn¡¯t last too long if all of Death itself was lying in your bed, no?] Haki¡¯s eyes lowered in contemplation. ¡°So¡­ why are you helping me?¡± [It is as I said. I am a Cycle Sprite. It''s only natural for the sake of perpetuity that you struggle and compete.] Haki¡¯s eyes narrowed as he only understood half of what she was saying. Perpetuity. Struggle. What did any of it really mean? Haki wasnt sure and wondered if the goddess was being coy or whether his own ignorance was to blame but chose not to speak up about it yet. ¡°Am I the only one who can see you?¡± [Yes. I would have to manifest myself further into this world.] ¡°Why haven¡¯t you allowed my father- the old man to see you?¡± [Because I knew that he would not be the one who ascended the mount.] ¡°And the others? Will they be getting help from the other Goddesses too?¡± [Yes.] Haki nodded and just as he did, the dagger disappeared. ¡°Huh?¡± He exclaimed while looking around to see where it could have possibly gone, something which made Maranam giggle barely audibly. [You can recall the dagger by focusing on the centre of your palm.] She cooed and the young man followed the instruction only to wince again as white smoke gathered in his hand where it formed a dagger. The sun began to pour into the room, illuminating Maranam¡¯s full figure which, now that Haki could see clearly, was two and a half meters tall. He had so much he wanted to ask her and it was nice talking to someone who wasn¡¯t kicking him but as soon as he opened his mouth to speak, Fure called from behind the door. ¡°Young Lord, it would do you well to awaken now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m up!¡± He replied and before he knew it, Maranam was gone. [Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m still here.] Haki¡¯s confusion was quickly alleviated as he heard her voice in his head. And so, he quickly made his dagger disappear and went to open the front door where he found Fure who was dressed in a pale green gown as ornate as the one she¡¯d worn the day before. ¡°Are you ready?¡± She asked in her usual apathetic manner. Haki briefly thought about everything that had happened. It was a lot and he could tell a whole lot more was coming but he was prepared. He was ready. 3. Of Brothers in Blood Fure led Haki to the Throne room where Kutsunga awaited only he was now dressed in a sturdy leather jacket and pants. Standing next to him were several servants, one of whom handed Haki a hefty leather bag. The servants checked Kutsunga''s gear as he stood with an expression which Haki found distasteful but he chose not to express that. He also wondered if Kutsunga knew of Maranam''s existence and, as if she could sense his concerns, she spoke from within his mind. [While he is aware that my sisters and I exist, he has never seen any of us as we tend to guide only those who are most likely to compete for the Ruler¡¯s Charge.] Haki unthinkingly nodded and this finally got Kutsunga to turn his half-closed eyes to the young man. Fear came first. He was afraid he was going to be hit again but¡­ there was also a desire. He glanced at the Throne and wondered what it would be like to sit there. To rule. To have power over one¡¯s own fate¡­ That¡¯s what it meant to be a lord to Haki. His eyes returned to those of his father and while he still felt fear, he also felt a strange patience wash over him. He would learn what he could from Kutsunga, wield the power of death and do whatever it took to gain his freedom. True freedom. Kutsunga led Haki out of the palace and into a carriage where the two sat in silence as they rode out of the palace which stood as an extension of the throne within. And, by virtue of this fact, the region of Ardhi was Kutsunga¡¯s Throne as well. So the person who held the Ruler¡¯s Charge would have the whole world as the Throne. An amazing concept but it was a little too ambitious for Haki who glanced at the palace as it got smaller and smaller as they rode along. Haki felt as though his true throne was the comfy bed he had slept in and it brought a smile to his face. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± Kutsunga growled while leaning forward. ¡°Mmm? Oh- sorry. Its just¡­ your house¡­ it¡¯s nice.¡± Haki hesitated and this surprisingly didn¡¯t earn him a kick in the face. Instead, the lord leaned back and let out a deep sigh. ¡°That ¡®house¡¯ is the home of the Ardhi noble bloodline and has witnessed the birth of four Emperors including the very first.¡± A look of pride took Kutsunga¡¯s face. ¡°It was Emperor Tarron who raised humanity from the ashes, uniting every man, woman and child in building civilization as we know it and jt has persisted for a thousand years under the rule of ten Emperors. You will be the eleventh.¡± Kutsunga¡¯s eyes narrowed on the boy. Haki nodded making Kutsunga scoff as he leaned back, looking out of the carriage. ¡°Now, to snuff the seeds of pride and whatever other insidious thoughts are taking root in your mind, you were far from the first option. Prior to you, a handful of your half-blood brothers came to the gates of House Ardhi after I tracked them down but they were all so pitiful and worthless that I immediately deemed them unfit of even attempt to claim the Ruler¡¯s Charge.¡±Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Haki¡¯s eyes narrowed a little. ¡°Where are they now?¡± Kutsunga¡¯s face remained unchanged as he dragged his gaze back to his son. ¡°They are dead. I killed them.¡± . .. After hours of travel, the two eventually reached the edge of a forest which was several dozens of kilometres north of Ardania. The carriage stopped on the edge of the forest, where the vast grasslands ended and its here that Kutsunga and Haki disembarked¡ªtheir forms dwarfed by the gargantuan trees which, instead of leaves had dark, thorny vines which draped from their branches. ¡°If not this humble servant, another will come to this point to receive you when the last snows begin to thaw, your grace.¡± The carriage driver bowed before riding off, leaving Haki with his father whose frame seemingly rejected the warmth light of the setting sun. Haki swallowed before glancing at Kutsunga who glared at the forest with an equal amount of animosity. It¡¯s here that some words began to appear above the lord¡¯s head. [Name: Kutsunga Race: Human Coalescence Level: 25 Health Points: 340 Willpower: 125 DPH: 25 Defence Rating: 10% Equipment: [Training Garbs] (+9% DR), [Hidden Dagger] (24DMG) Skills and Spells: [Healing Touch] (1W-, +10HP), [Vineal Snare] (-5W), [Vitality Surge] (15W-, +50HP), [Gentle Water Stream] (1-,0DMG), [Gentle Rain] (5-,0DMG) Artefacts: None] Haki¡¯s brows furrowed. [Those are your father''s abilities and statistics.] *Oh? Am I the only one who can see them?* Haki asked internally. [Only those who are guided by the Cycle can see the abilities of others. As ordained by the Third Emperor, who used the Ruler¡¯s Charge to make that a reality.] *Did you¡­ guide the others too?* [Yes.] *Why didn¡¯t you use your Goddess powers to save them?* [Again, I am limited in what I can do in the physical world beyond offering guidance and my sole blessing.] *Damn¡­* Kutsunga let out a sigh before sitting down on a nearby rock. ¡°Go. Survive for six days. On the seventh, I will find and test you. You should know that the Forest of Briars is where the empire keeps all manner of creatures for the sake of conservation and as targets for aspiring warriors. In your back is a Steel Dagger and a single Health Potion.¡± Haki stood frozen for a moment with widened eyes. ¡°Frightened?¡± Kutsunga scoffed. ¡°What? Of course not, o-old man! I¡¯ll show you!¡± Haki stomped towards the Forest with clenched fists but stopped before his fairly small frame could slip into the shadows. His knees buckled and his heart raced with fear but before he could even think of stepping forward, Kutsunga kicked him in the back, sending the boy tumbling into a cluster of spiky bushes which just so happened to be covering a hole in the ground which he immediately fell into. He let out a series of pained cries as he crashed into several stone surfaces which he could see less of as he fell further down. He tumbled further and everything grew progressively darker along with his vision the further down he went. At this point, too many of his bones were broken and he was bleeding profusely. After what seemed like an eternity, he eventually stopped falling and, even though his vision was beyond blurry, he could make out something that seemed almost to incredible to be real. Looming before him, bathed in light that seemingly has no origin, was a city. A gargantuan city of stone but Haki was in far too much pain to appreciate the intricate carvings on each surface and the pillars that kept the bedrock above the city in place. The pain steadily began to fade as his body grew cold. [Health Points: 1] Haki let out a weak whimper. His chance at something more was slipping. A warm bed, good food. Gone- [This¡­ was the helm of a forgotten age.] Maranam appeared in front of Haki, clad in white smoke. She then turned her eyes to the half-dead boy as she sat. [There is still a chance.] She whispered. Haki let out a groan in response. [The world you want is right in front of you.] She disappeared, revealing the bag Haki had been given. His eyes widened a little upon remembering what he¡¯d been given. He painfully reached for it, ignoring the Agony of every movement. He then pulled out the potion and poured the bitter liquid into his mouth. [Health Points (HP): 11] Haki gasped as he felt some of his bones fuse as they slid back in place. [But¡­] Maranam¡¯s voice echoed endlessly as the ground began to shake. [You must be willing to sacrifice everything.] Haki¡¯s already wide eyes quivered as seven gargantuan creatures rose from the ground, breaking the land around the city. They stood over twenty meters tall, were like humanoids only they were on all fours, has pale, stone like skin, crocodile like heads and wings that hung limply from their backs as limp stubs. Each of them held gigantic broken swords which they used to hoist up their ruined bodies. One of them limped forward and let out a deafening Roar which made Haki shed all tbe tears he¡¯d been holding. [Name: ??? Race: Undead Dragon Warrior Coalescence Level: 100 Available Cycle Shards:0 Health Points: 1290/1290 Willpower: 1/1 DPH: 200 Defence Rating: 80% Equipment: [Broken Ancient Sword] (100DMG), Abilities and Spells: [Draconic Might] (+100DMG), [Stone Skin] (+80% DR), Artefacts: [Dragon Heart] (+200HP)] 4. Tearing at the Sinews Haki immediately crawled onto his feet and ran away from the monsters, heading in the direction of the distant walls of the cavern. The monsters behind burst into action as well, shaking the ground and filling the air with their cursed hisses as they did. ¡°AHHHHHH!¡± Haki screamed just as one of the creatures stabbed the ground next to where he was running and, frighteningly, the ancient sword almost managed to cut his arm as it crashed into the ground. Haki ran for what felt like an exhausted eternity as he barely managed to dodge the barrage of attacks the monsters were loosing on him. His heart raced, each breath was like fire to his lungs and his legs threatened to seize from pain but he kept running. *Mara!* Haki cried as he scrambled away from the pursuing terror. [Yes?] *What are those things?!* [Those are warriors from a time that has since been lost. They once fought in a war where the sky was set aflame and the lands were torn asunder to form the world as you know it.] *Why aren¡¯t they dead?* Haki rolled just in time to avoid being impaled by one of the seven swords behind him. [They have been revived by a primordial magic. One that churns within their ancient hearts.] *What should I do?* The wall was rapidly approaching and Haki couldn¡¯t see any kind of escape or even a hole. It was all just rock. [It would be optimal if you managed to escape alive] *Where is the exit?!* Maranam remained silent which made Haki¡¯s heart sink. He eventually reached the stone wall which he desperately hugged while turning back to face the Undead Dragons one of which tried to impale him. Haki narrowly avoided death by ducking beneath the huge blade which excavated any rock it came into contact with. Another Dragon Warrior then swung its sword at Haki who ducked beneath it as well, pushing his exhausted body far beyond its limits. Two of the Dragon Warriors then accidentally struck each other¡¯s swords, giving a panicking Haki an opening and an idea. In an act of sheer madness, he ran towards the warriors and again, two of the seven swords collided only for those two to block the remaining five in a fanatic series of collisions. Haki ran up to the closest warrior, who tried grabbing the boy with a clawed hand. However, Haki rolled forward, avoiding the grab and narrowly avoiding getting cut in two by a sword that descended onto the warrior he was engaged with, cleaving most of its neck open.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. [Name: ??? Race: Undead Dragon Warrior Coalescence Level: 100 Health Points: 4] Haki summoned [Maranam¡¯s Aruval] (25DMG) and cut the last threads of flesh that kept the warrior¡¯s head attached to its body. Time then seemingly crawled to a standstill. A wave of excruciating pain then washed over Haki¡¯s body and his vision blurred to near darkness but within this darkness, he could see words. [You have levelled up 20x!] [You have gained 4x Cycle Shards!] [Name: Haki Race: Human Coalescence Level: 21 Available Cycle Shards: 4 Health Points (HP): 290/290 Willpower (W): 100/100 DPH (Damage Per Hit): 100 Defence Rating: 10% Equipment: [Training Garbs] (+9%) Skills and Spells: [Maranam¡¯s Breath] (-50HP, +50DMG) Artefacts: [Maranam¡¯s Aruval] (25DMG + 5 for every Coalescence Level)] The pain from before rapidly subsided and the relief that followed came with it more bright words which were clear even in Haki¡¯s racing mind. [That is a list of skills which you can acquire by drawing from the power of the Cycle. There are thirty in total and five tiers among them with tier one being available from level one. Tier two is made available at level ten. Three at twenty-five, four at fifty and five at seventy-five.] Maranam explained as Haki looked over every spell. Two stood out and those were the ones that he chose. The first was a basic healing spell and the second allowed him to conjure a screen of black smoke. [Do you want to acquire [Healing Touch] (-1W, +10HP), [Umbral Veil] (-1W)?] *Yes!* Time returned to normal and Haki watched as his dagger grew to become a longsword with a forward curve. Emanating from it was white smoke which Haki now knew possessed the power of death. [Willpower (W): 99/100] He looked up and watched as the remaining Dragon Warriors swung their blades towards him. Haki immediately cast [Umbral Veil] and threw himself backwards as the warriors all struck the ground where he stood only moments prior. Trying to block at of their attacks was too risky since his newly extended sword could possibly break and he didn¡¯t know how to deflect so he relied on the one thing that had gotten him this far. Narrowly avoiding damage. The warriors all raised their swords and- in another act of madness, Haki sprinted towards them. Several of their swords loudly clashed above as Haki ran beneath the nearest warrior. But, as if it had learnt from the mistakes of the others, the one he was beneath jumped backwards, leaving Haki open to the barrage of incoming attacks. He surrounded so casting [Umbral Veil] wasn¡¯t going to help so he raised his sword to block one of the swords while praying. One of the warriors struck his sword and, while the Aruval didn¡¯t break, Haki was sent crashing to the side but- to his surprise, he managed to land on his feet a few dozen meters away from the warriors. [That¡­ is the power of Coalescence. By absorbing the fallen warrior¡¯s Cycle Shards, you gained some of the power that drives creation itself. Now you stand stronger and faster than ever before.] A seemingly out of breath Maranam explained and this in turn answered how Kutsunga was able to kick Haki so quickly. The dragon warriors all leapt towards him and, in defiance, he blocked another of their sword swings which catapulted him towards another which opened its maw to eat the young man and it was here that he decided to forego whatever sanity he had left. He jumped into the warrior''s large mouth, narrowly avoiding its large teeth and, not a moment later, five swords impaled it with Haki stabbing it from within. The swords of the warriors all just barely missed him as the dragon which had eaten him thrashed around only to eventually die as it was riddled with holes. [You have levelled up 20x!] [You have gained 4x Cycle Shards!] Haki ignored Maranam¡¯s voice as he jumped out of the now-dead dragon. He felt faster and stronger and his vision was clearer than ever. But the dragons were stronger and faster. One of them abandoned its sword and just punched Haki, launching him into the Claw of another who slashed across the boy¡¯s body sending his body tumbling to the side. [HP: 490/310] Haki let out a pained scream but was surprised to see, as he rolled on the ground, that he wasn¡¯t in as much pain as he expected. Yes, his chest had a large gash across it but he wasn¡¯t bleeding as much as one would expect and could still move quite freely. So, with a stubborn Vigour, he challenged the remaining dragons by glaring into their hollow eyes with his own. He was going to survive. He was going to get strong and then he was going to humiliate his father for what he had done! 5. A Primordial Vitality Five warriors remained and charged at Haki, who cast [Umbral Veil] three times. This created a large cloud of smoke, which they immediately ran out of. [W: 197/200] Four of the five warriors entered the cloud, leaving one which pursued the boy who stood fast to fight. At this point, thanks to his upgraded sword, he was capable of dealing 425 DPH and while this was an incredible amount, the warriors had a DR of 80%. In order to kill the warrior in front of him, he¡¯d need more damage and so he turned to the skill he¡¯d gained when his sword grew. [Maranam¡¯s Breath] (-50HP, +50DMG) He had 500HP and, if he wanted to make it out alive, he¡¯d have to sprint along the line between life and death. So he activated the skill nine times bringing his HP down to 50 and his total DPH up to 875. The warriors had 1290HP meaning that, at a rate of 175DPH, he¡¯d have to hit it at least eight times while only having 50HP himself. A Twisted grin grew on Haki¡¯s face as the warrior raised its sword. He dashed towards it as it fell and deflected the stone pillar as it fell, letting it get lodged into the ground while he ran towards the warrior¡¯s legs which he slashed four times, breaking through their hardened stone skin. Sensing danger, the warrior abandoned its sword and tried punching Haki away only for the boy to cleave the coming fist in two. Haki then delivered five swift strikes across the warrior''s arm and chest, killing it as he dashed away from the others who had emerged from the smoke. [You have levelled up 20x!] [You have gained 4x Cycle Shards!] [HP: 700/700 W: 305/305 DPH: 625] Haki immediately activated Maranam¡¯s Breath again, although it didn¡¯t stack. [HP: 50 DPH: 1277] Waves of white smoke burst from his body as he commanded the power given to him by the Goddess of death and accompanying it was a sick grin. The remaining warriors came and, after taking a deep breath, Haki faced them all. He deflected blows that would have otherwise torn his arms apart, blocked strikes that would have shattered his bones and attacked with a Fury and power he could have never before imagined. By the time the last warrior fell, he had assumed a stance similar to theirs. Hunched forward, mouth agape and with his free arm acting as an additional leg. From his body rose plumes of smoke and his battered body twitched with power. He plunged his sword into the chest of the dragon and, in yet more madness, he tore its chest open, revealing its ancient heart. His hunger, a primal ache, came not from his stomach but somewhere deeper within. Whatever it truly was, it compelled him to cut open the dragon¡¯s heart and eat it. Upon finishing his ancient meal, his body violently convulsed, twisted and bloated as he digested the organ. His vision sharpened by several folds and he felt as though he was strong and fast enough to terraform the ground just like the dragon warriors. He also saw visions. Glimpses of a great war. The one which Maranam had spoken of. He saw millions of dragons blackening the sky as they flew and bathing the world in a storm of cataclysmic magics as they fought. At the centre of this Maelstrom was a single dragon whose form dwarfed all else. He fought back countless of his own kin before eventually succumbing to innumerable wounds. The vision ended as the remaining dragons killed each other off while swarming around the now-dead titan. [Name: Haki Race: Human Coalescence Level: 100 Available Cycle Shards: 18 HP: 1390/1390 W: 500/500If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. DPH (Damage Per Hit): 620 DR: 80% (MAX) Equipment: [Training Garbs] (+9%) Skills and Spells: [Maranam¡¯s Breath] (-50HP, +50DMG), [Draconic Might] (+100DMG), [Stone Skin] (+80% DR), [Healing Touch] (-1W, +10HP), [Umbral Veil] (-1W)] Artefacts: [Maranam¡¯s Aruval] (25DMG + 5 for every Coalescence Level)], [Dragon Heart] (+200HP)] Haki¡¯s body pulled itself back into a unified form although his eyes were now Draconic and burnt with flares of vitality. His teeth were now jagged and his skin was as stone but several times harder. His natural-born, blood-red hair glowed like fire on his head. Haki looked himself over and closed his eyes before uttering a name that he knew would follow him to the end of the path that he now walked. ¡°Maranam.¡± His voice thundered across the cavern and, like that, she appeared before him although her brow was covered in sweat. Haki lightly tapped the ground, sending a slab of stone up from behind him which he proceeded to sit on. Maranam stood with her eyes closed and her head lowered. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Haki asked. [N-nothing. You just blocked a lot of attacks earlier. That sword¡­ is a part of me so I felt each one.] She explained before taking a deep breath and composing herself. [You wish to know everything.] Again, she read Haki¡¯s thoughts. ¡°Yes. Before I go back up and teach my old man a lesson, I wanna know why. The houses, the Ruler¡¯s Charge, the dragons, my father. Why?¡± Maranam nodded before joining her hands to make a perfect circle. [All began with the Cycle. It exists in the void of all space and time. It was the one that birthed all things and, we believe, that the Cycle created the Ruler¡¯s Charge to inspire change after the Age of Dragons lasted millions of years longer than what should have been natural, resulting in the gradual petrification of their skin along with the festering, ashen world they ruled over.] ¡°You believe?¡± Haki raised a brow. [We Goddess¡­ have never actually interacted directly with the Cycle itself. We are but aspects of it along with every other being, living or inanimate, and I chose you because you showed promise. You want the world to change. To topple the houses that crushed you and so many others as they perpetuated their own opulence.] Haki¡¯s eyes narrowed a little. ¡°So, what? Is it time for mankind¡¯s age to end?¡± [Perhaps. No one knows the truth of the Cycle¡¯s will. Yours might be the last Age of men or you could be remembered as the man who saved his kind.] Haki nodded. ¡°And the dragons? How did they get punished because from what I saw, it was a civil war of some kind.¡± He spoke with a newfound poise. A dignity which he knew wasn¡¯t born in his heart. [That was a contributing factor yes but, after seeing that nothing would ever happen under the rule of the dragons, the Cycle sent unto the world a Spear¡ªthe Ruler¡¯s Charge and, as you saw, the dragons spent their last days in conflict.] ¡°And the houses? How do they fit into all this?¡± [The war of the dragons was so terrible that any new life that tried to grow and flourish was forced to live underground, beneath the ash. Humans were among the meek and frightened but one of them decided to stand against the ones above. And so, he and countless warriors from all races mounted an assault on the remaining wounded dragons. The man who led this charge was the first human Emperor and your ancestor, Tarron the First Head of House Ardhi. His actions brought about a new age - the Age of Man and it is within this age that the civilization of mankind rose and flourished. The three houses were simply formed from the three most prominent families at the time.] ¡°Mmm¡­ why was succession not passed down from Tarron to his children?¡± [Because once the Emperor dies, the Ruler¡¯s Charge returns to the mountain where it first landed where it awaits its next wielder. This system has undoubtedly led to more conflict but, as we Goddess inferred, this is probably to prevent another stagnant age.] Haki took a deep breath before crossing his arms and letting out a growl of a sigh. ¡°Before I ask about my father I¡¯d like to know why you Goddesses chose to aid the noble houses instead of choosing from the best humans across all births. Additionally, have you ever tried to claim the Ruler¡¯s Charge for yourself?¡± [My vision of the future is death so, even if my incorporeal form could wield the golden Spear, I¡¯d simply kill everything which in turn would kill me since there would be death no more. And as for why we allied ourselves with the three Great Houses, they have the resources to train and educate prospective candidates whereas those of low birth are more likely to die before they learn their first spell due to the myriad circumstances they face.] ¡°Huh¡­ so I guess I should thank the old man for getting me here.¡± Haki hummed. ¡°So¡­ the best case for you would be one where I brought about an age of conflict, change and death but not extinction¡­¡± Haki took a moment to digest all he had learnt. ¡°What would happen if you were free from the Cycle?¡± Maranam¡¯s eyes finally opened and the air immediately grew several times colder. Within them, eyes that were entirely white, Haki saw death. The death of all things. [Then I would be free to actuate my will in the Physical world as I please and, as I said, mine is a desire for the end of all things.] ¡°According to who? Because what you have described is your purpose, not your own desire. At least, that¡¯s how it seems to me.¡± Haki challenged which made Maranam¡¯s eyes narrow and while they made him tremble with fear, his gaze remained locked with hers as the stood in the buried city. [My¡­ purpose is what I am, boy. What else would I do if not delivering death?] ¡°Whatever you like. Like reanimating long-dead dragons.¡± Maranam''s perfect face twitched a little. ¡°Forgive me and my mortal ignorance but it seems as though a world of death wouldn¡¯t be as dead as even you think.¡± Haki warmly smiled. He didn¡¯t know why but for the first time in his life, he envisioned a future for himself. One where he could live as he pleased. And it would be in a world of¡­ [Death Perpetual.] Maranam gasped making Haki¡¯s smile brighten. ¡°I have no stake in this world and wish to wash it all away. To begin truly anew. So what say you, Mara? Would you take my hand in death?¡± Maranam visibly shook before turning away. [The insolence of mortals never ceases to amaze me!] She huffed while Haki stood up. He then walked up to her and asked for her hand only for the Goddess to glare at him although there was no Malice in her eyes. [Tsk! Stay your hand! A-and ask me that stupid question again when you brandish the Ruler¡¯s Charge, for only that will give you the right to even think such ridiculous things, you madman in the making.] ¡°Alright.¡± Haki softly chuckled while turning to face the ancient city. ¡°Oh- and my father¡­ is it true? Did he kill my half-brothers?¡± [Yes. After deeming them too weak or unworthy, he killed them as they slept in the forest above.] Haki expected to feel Ngeref by Maranam¡¯s confirmation but he actually felt a strange relief in knowing that, in death, they could feel pain no more. Not that he cared for them in any particular way. He only knew that they had been treated just as poorly by their father¡ªa pain he still felt in his chest. ¡°Ahem!¡± Haki shook aside his pain and walked up to one of the stone swords that the warriors had dropped. ¡°This necropolis will be our capital and, should I prevail, it will rise from the depths but that will come in time.¡± He said as he stomped on the stone sword, shattering it into countless Splinters, one of which he picked up. [Dragon Scale Splinter] (100DMG) [DPH (Damage Per Hit): 720] ¡°Now¡­ how do I get outta here?¡± Maranam gestured upwards to the same hole Haki had fallen in from. It was several meters deep into the wall and was incredibly steep. But Haki didn''t mind. The path to what he wanted would be arduous so he saw no point in complaining. 6. Rumble in the Rough Haki had spent the better part of an hour climbing out of the cavern and while his newfound power meant he didn¡¯t get tired anywhere near as quick, it was still a tedious process and by the time he emerged from the hole he''d fallen into, a new sun had risen. He stood on the edge of the Forest of Briars and spotted a little campfire in the distance, amidst the grass of the planes beyond the shadowy woods. Sitting by it was a man who was quite familiar. A single day had passed and while Haki saw nothing wrong with reuniting with his father before the seven allocated days, he felt a strange apprehension. As strong as he had become, hardened in the gauntlet of mortal combat, he was still afraid. Of being kicked again. Of being scorned. [Is that why you want a world of death?] *No.* Haki sat down and crossed his legs. *That stems from my hatred of this world and those who govern it. But this¡­ is far more juvenile.* He sighed before consulting the skill tree he¡¯d gained access to during his melee with the dragons. The skills were varied and some even had practical uses. Like [Gentle Rain]. Haki had heard that mages would use it to tend to crops and gardens although he then wondered why there was a shortage of food for the common folk. In his world of death, no one would have to starve again. Haki had a few spells he wanted but they were all of high tiers meaning he¡¯d have to get the lesser spells but he didn¡¯t mind. [Available Cycle Shards: 18] [Acquire [Vineal Snare] (-5W, 30HP (Snare health)), [Vitality Surge] (-15W, +50HP), [Renewal Blossom] (-50%W, +50%HP), [Shadow Step] (-5W), [Abyssal Grasp] (-15, 75DMG (Shadow health)), [Void Walk] (-30W), [Eclipse Sickle] (-40W, 3 hits, 100DMG), [Ice Shard] (-1W, 10DMG), [Frost Wall] (-5W, 50DMG (Wall Health)), [Frost Call] (-15W, 55DMG), [Ice Armor] (-30W, 75DMG (Wall Health)), [Wings of Winter] (-40W), [Ember Burst] (-1W, 10DMG), [Flame Whip] (-5W, 30DMG), [Infernal Arrow] (-15W, 55DMG), [Reignition] (-40W, +80HP), [Maelstrom Manifestation] (-20%HP, +10% DR and +10% Damage boost), [Orb of Light] (-1W)?] *Yes.* Haki¡¯s already glowing eyes burst with magic and his irises held all colours as magic coursed through his body. This seemingly alerted the distant man who immediately stood up and faced Haki while withdrawing a dagger. Haki let out a deep rumble of a sigh as the man cautiously approached. ¡°Hark! State your name and intent for you are in the presence of Kutsunga of House Ardhi!¡± Haki¡¯s enhanced hearing allowed him to hear the fear in his father¡¯s voice, masked by pride. The reformed boy stood up, towering over his father and standing three meters in height. ¡°Hello, father.¡± Haki cast [Orb of Light] (-1W)] behind his head, allowing his sole parents to behold his new form. ¡°B-brat?¡± Kutsunga winced as fear welled in his eyes. ¡°Yes, My Lord. I have returned ahead of the agreed time. So¡­ would you do me the honour of testing if I am worthy of carrying your blood?¡± Haki¡¯s voice was like a choir of guttural roars. Each a thunder that shook the air. Kutsunga bit his teeth and stood upright in defiance. ¡°I know not what you did down there, welp, but no dark magic or artefact will aid you in this examination of which there are only two outcomes. You will either impress me or die in that hideous new form of yours.¡± Kutsunga snarled while pointing his dagger at Haki who nodded in understanding before taking a single step forward, shattering the ground around them. Gargantuan slabs of rock then rose from the ground, boxing him and his father in an arena that was awash with morning sunlight. It wasn¡¯t a spell or ability. Haki had just hit the ground really hard before softly planting his weapons into the ground. ¡°Grah! I am not moved by your illusions, boy! Come at me-] Haki¡¯s perception of time slowed to a crawl as he checked his father¡¯s stats again. [Name: Kutsunga Race: Human Coalescence Level: 25 Health Points: 340 Willpower: 125 DPH: 25 Defence Rating: 10% Equipment: [Training Garbs] (+9% DR), [Hidden Dagger] (24DMG) Skills and Spells: [Healing Touch] (1W-, +10HP), [Vineal Snare] (-5W), [Vitality Surge] (15W-, +50HP), [Gentle Water Stream] (1-,0DMG), [Gentle Rain] (5-,0DMG) Artefacts: None] Haki knew that hitting Kutsunga with either of his swords was out of the question so he didn¡¯t factor them into his DPS. The highest base damage anything could do was 100, anything else came as a passive boost given by skills, abilities or even a weapon itself. Haki¡¯s fists could deal 100DPS and he got 100DMG extra from [Draconic Might] which brought his fists up to 200HP.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. He took a deep breath before dashing towards his father at a speed that tore the air. Kutsunga¡¯s gear would dampen the coming blow which was good because Haki didn¡¯t want to kill him. He didn¡¯t want to kill him yet so he punched his father in the Chest sending the man crashing into one of the walls of the arena. [Name: Kutsunga HP: 160] Not long shortly after, five men, clad in armour of steel, jumped into the makeshift arena before promptly pointing their swords at Haki. [Name: House Ardi Elite Guard Race: Human Coalescence Level: 30 Health Points: 390 Willpower: 150 DPH: 50 Defence Rating: 50% Equipment: [Steel Armour] (+50% DR), [Steel Sword] (50DMG) Skills and Spells: [Healing Touch] (1W-, +10HP), [Vineal Snare] (-5W), [Vitality Surge] (15W-, +50HP), [Gentle Water Stream] (1-,0DMG), [Gentle Rain] (5-,0DMG), [Ember Burst] (-1W, 10DMG), [Orb of Light] (-1W) Artefacts: None] ¡°Stay back fiend! Two of you, assist His Lordship!¡± One of the knights barked prompting to of them to rush to Kutsunga¡¯s side. [Name: Kutsunga Health Points: 160] He was still conscious although his body was probably aching all over from having absorbed all that force. He raised his weary head to glare at Haki who stood unmoving. ¡°Get on your knees and beg forgiveness, fiend!¡± Another knight yelled but who continued to stand even as another snuck up behind him. The sneaky knight then tried kicking at Haki¡¯s knees but the force of his kick was so weak, it didn¡¯t even register as an attack. Haki, while amused, had business with his father so he emanated some of his primal energy, mixed with that of Death and this was enough to make to knights, each trainer and disciplined, buckle with fear. ¡°Alright. You have made your point, brat. So stand down.¡± Kutsunga instructed as he was held up by one of the knights but this made Haki smile since hadn¡¯t even done anything. He absorbed his leaking aura and let out a sigh. ¡°So¡­ am I worthy?¡± ¡°Tsk! So you really think I would see you in a better light because you bested my knights and I with your ill-gotten gains?¡± ¡°Ah-ha. Every ounce of additional strength I possess was granted to me by the Goddess of Death herself, Maranam.¡± Haki nodded proudly but this made Kutsunga¡¯s face twist with Fury. ¡°Assuming that your obvious lie is even remotely true, why would the Goddess choose you? A half-blood, ill-mannered son of a whore?!¡± Haki bit his teeth. ¡°I know exactly what happened down there! You most likely found a cursed artefact, a relic from the darkest edges of the Cycle and you sold your soul for the poultry power you now possess so kindly shed that calm mask you now dorn and show me the weak, pathetic little boy you still are! Then and only then will I begin to consider accepting you!¡± Each word was like a cut from a razor made of ice. He had gotten so much stronger and even that wasn¡¯t enough¡­ He let out a deep sigh before deeply considering what to do next as Kutsunga and his knights continued to spit insults and orders. Even after all this, he didn¡¯t want to kill his father. Instead, he wanted to humiliate him. To kick him from his seat so high and drag him through the same muddy streets that were the home to so many children like him. A lord¡¯s most valued possession was their name. Haki wanted to ruin his father¡¯s name. The selection of the next Emperor wouldn¡¯t be for another six months so he had time. That said, he couldn¡¯t just march back into Ardania by himself because, while he may have gotten incredibly strong, he was still only one man- [One man who walks alongside death.] Maranam assured. *Oh?* [Make your decision and I, in accordance to no will apart from mine own, will aid you.] Haki nodded before returning to his thoughts. *Waltzing into Ardania right now would be premature. We¡¯ll take over Qaya instead and, while gathering strength, we¡¯ll make our way to the capital where I will take the Throne.* One of the knights tried grabbing Haki¡¯s arm but he tapped the ground once, shaking the ground and making Kutsunga¡¯s group lose their footing. They all shook with dread as Haki finally returned his attention to them. The path he was determined to take was not a good one but, even in a world of death, he wanted the living to have their say and so he spoke. ¡°Knights of steel, lower your blades and walk away. Live for your own sakes¡­ or die for his.¡± ¡°Die, demon!¡± One of the knights roared before raising his sword to cut Haki who saw this as the Knight¡¯s consent to engage in mortal combat so he grabbed his swords and, in far less time than a second, cleaved the knight into four. While the Knight¡¯s DR was 50%, two slashes were more than enough to kill him. Steel, flesh and bone fell to the ground in a sad heap which made the, already terrified knights shake in their armour. ¡°KILL HIM!!!!¡± Kutsunga screamed prompting the remaining knights to move and just as they did, Haki cut through each of them, one at a time, tearing through them with ease until only one was left and he fell to his knees, loudly begging for mercy as a now blood-drenched Haki turned to him. Haki had already reached the maximum Coalescence Level and could no longer gain Cycle Shards but that didn¡¯t mean the deaths of the knights were pointless. Maranam immediately got to work filling the four corpses with death and, through it, were they born anew. They rose slowly, their butchered bodies clung to their bones and their eyes shone not with the light of life. Their faces were blank, drained of expression and their eyes were unfocused, drifting in their sockets. [Name: Undead Knight Race: Undead Human Coalescence Level: 30 Health Points: 390/390 Willpower: 75/75 DPH: 50 Defence Rating: 50% Equipment: [Steel Armour] (+50% DR), [Steel Sword] (50DMG) Skills and Spells: [Healing Touch] (1W-, +10HP), [Vineal Snare] (-5W), [Vitality Surge] (15W-, +50HP), [Gentle Water Stream] (1-,0DMG), [Gentle Rain] (5-,0DMG), [Ember Burst] (-1W, 10DMG), [Orb of Light] (-1W) Artefacts: None] Why was Haki being so fair? He figured that he too would have liked a chance in such a situation. ¡°Welcome back.¡± He greeted, albeit nervously. Not only had he taken four human lives, they had also been raised from death to walk again¡ªa scene which seared itself into his memory. He then turned to the prostration knight who had dropped his sword and removed his helmet, revealing a weathered middle-aged face. The knight had dark, curly hair sun-kissed skin and eyes that, although wet with tears, carried decades of experience. Haki felt a strange warm feeling well within him. He was so used to being at the mercy of others that it was refreshing to stand on the other side. But he held no malice for the man and so instead lowered himself to face the weeping knight. ¡°What is your name, sir knight?¡± He asked with the dignity of a dragon and the gentleness of a genuinely curious youth. ¡°H-Herald.¡± The knight chattered and before Haki could speak again, the knight pressed his forehead firmly on the ground. ¡°Please, your Lordship, spare this foolish man so that he may see his family again!¡± Haki¡¯s eyes narrowed. He remembered how many times he himself begged others only to be answered with scorn and contempt. He sympathized. ¡°I gave you the chance you so desperately seek only moments you go and you, in your haste, decided to forego it,¡± Haki growled making Herald tremble even more. ¡°P-please.¡± ¡°Mmm¡­ the only path towards forgiveness, I¡¯m afraid, is servitude.¡± Haki really liked the way he spoke after consuming the [Dragon Heart]. He sounded so¡­ self-assured. As if, with every word uttered, he was closer to refining his vision of himself. ¡°I will do anything!¡± The knight cried while looking up into Haki¡¯s brilliant eyes. ¡°Then follow me in death. Swear, as first among my Death Knights, to aid me in bringing forth the next age.¡± Herald¡¯s eyes shook but he eventually swallowed before prostrating again. ¡°I swear with all my being to serve you, even in death!¡± Haki warmly smiled before standing and spreading his arms. ¡°Then serve me well, Herald the Coward, in this life and the next. I gave you that name because it is true that you abandoned your lord for me. Something I will always have to keep in mind.¡± ¡°I would never betray you, my lord!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure that¡¯s what you told my father but it¡¯s alright. It was only natural under the circumstances-¡° ¡°Oathbreaker!¡± A clearly panicking Kutsunga lunged towards Herald and stabbed the kneeling knight in the back. ¡°Mmm!¡± Herald winced without moving. ¡°Oh Lord most merciful, what should I do?¡± Haki raised an impressed brow before turning to his father whose face was still twisted with disgust and hatred as he stood over Herald. ¡°Umm¡­ do you have a chain or something?¡± Haki asked as Kutsunga slowly backed away. ¡°My deepest apologies, oh Lord Death, I do not. I do have some rope, however.¡± Haki¡¯s eyes widened a little. Herald then nodded silently before standing up, pulling Kutsunga¡¯s dagger out from his back and subduing the sitting lord of House Ardhi. 7. The Sun, Moon and Death Haki watched, with an amused smirk, as Herald tied Kutsunga¡¯s arms behind his back. Herald then stood with his undead brothers in arms where they awaited further instruction. It seemed as though the undead, while capable of a sort of sluggish autonomy, obeyed the word of she who resurrected them¡ªMaranam, who would otherwise leave them to their devices but she had recently found a reason to command them directly. Haki walked up to his father and placed his foot on the man¡¯s head. Kutsunga glared at Haki and, for some reason, the young man felt no pleasure in this. It wasn¡¯t enough. Merely stepping on him wasn¡¯t enough to make up for the abandonment and scorn. So, after deeply sighing, he stepped back and spoke. ¡°Get up.¡± Kutsunga bit his teeth and since Haki knew the lord was going to be stubborn, he cast [Flame Whip] (-5W, 30DMG) and struck his father once I the back with a length of flame that burnt a line across the lord¡¯s clothes and seared his back. [Name: Kutsunga HP: 130/340] ¡°Ahhh!¡± ¡°Come on. Qaya isn¡¯t going to conquer itself.¡± Haki encouraged as the smell of sizzling flesh filled the air, adding to Herald¡¯s terror. ¡°You son of a bitch! Cursed fiend! The Golden Regent will not allow you to do as you please! Soon the power of the sun, moon and the very world will come falling onto that ugly head of yours!¡± Even in excruciating pain, Kutsunga hated his son and at this point, Haki had grown tired of it. He undid his [Flame Whip] and turned to the Undead Knights after letting out a deep sigh. ¡°Pick him up.¡± Hali dragged his feet towards the Forest of Briars. The Knights picked a resisting Kutsunga up via each of his limbs and they followed Haki into the shadowy woods with Herald in close tow. Qaya was a hundred kilometres away, on the other side of the Forest of Briars but Haki didn¡¯t mind the long walk. Actually, he was looking forward to traversing the Forest and facing its many inhabitants. He had taken a liking to life-or-death combat and looked forward to meeting more opponents. That said, his instincts hadn¡¯t dulled. If he bumped into something stronger than himself, he¡¯d flee without shame. Maranam seemingly sensed his caution and did something, evidenced by the white smoke that filled the shadowy Forest. The ground then trembled furiously and it wasn¡¯t long before six familiar faces rose from the ground, pushing aside the great trees and kneeling at his feet. It was the Ancient Dragon Warriors and had been born yet again in death. [Cowardice is beneath he who would have my hand.] Maranam teased which made Haki shake his head in amusement and he did his best to hide the trace amounts of fear he now felt. ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like you¡¯re giving me a choice either.¡± He muttered to himself, much to the confusion of Herald whose eyes continued to rattle with dread. ¡°Oh- well, come on. Onwards.¡± Haki marched ahead, leading his growing entourage deeper into the woods. ¡°Madness¡­ this is madness¡­¡± Kutsunga groaned as he was carried along. ¡°Oh- I forgot to ask but¡­ surely the lord of House Ardi has a legitimate heir and not just bastard spawn, no? Where are they?¡± Haki raised a brow at his father but the man simply scowled and remained silent in reply. [He did but the young master and prospective candidate, Pfumo, was assassinated during one of his many banquets. Poisoned by an agent who served the house of the Sun.] ¡°Oh¡­¡± Haki droned as he continued walking. *So we were his replacements.* Haki thought of his half-brothers. Those Kutsunga had killed. Boys who didn¡¯t get the same chance he did. At this point, Haki had reached the limit of how much he could hate his father so his reaction was that of acceptance. *Tell me more about the house of the sun.* [House ¨ªlios was among the three great families that helped erect the civilization of man with the last great house being House Tsuki ¨C The House of the Moon. The most recent Emperor was from House ¨ªlios and so we are currently in the Age of the Sun.] Maranam explained as Haki and company entered a murky and water-saturated part of the forest.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. The sun had begun to set, casting the swamp in dark shadow. Haki stepped into the bog ahead with little thought and continued to learn from Maranam. *And why are they called the House of the Sun?* [Each house chose its emblems based on the schools of magic they decided to specialize in. Predictably, House ¨ªlios chose fire and light. House Tsuki chose ice and shadow. And lastly, House Ardi studied water and life.] Haki nodded before suddenly stopping as something crashed onto the spot where he would have taken his next step. Plumes of steam rose from the ground as whatever had landed burnt the swamp water away and it quickly cleared revealing a woman who stood just as tall as Haki, at three meters only she was glad in blinding golden armour that covered her head to toe. She brandished a grand golden Spear and flares of fire could be seen rising from her armor. Her white-hot eyes glared at Haki whose attention turned to another woman who appeared behind the one in golden armor. She was clad in the fires of the sun itself. Her mere Visage bathed Haki in heat. She had long, curly white hair, pale skin, a full figure and eyes that were closed. Haki¡¯s eyes were then drawn to the right where a short man, clad in form-fitting, dark clothing and a mask that covered most of his head. His eyes were so blue and cold, that frost gathered on his lashes. Not much else could be discerned through his clothing and so Haki turned to the tall woman behind him. One who stood as tall as the other two and had eyes that were just as cold as the man she stood behind. She wore thick and fuzzy clothing that was fit for wintery climates. She had short white hair, and pale skin and was covered entirely in frost. [Maranam¡­] The woman clad in the light of the very sun called and like that, Maranam appeared next to Haki. [What is the meaning of this?] Maranam stepped forward to answer all while Herald and the others retreated. [Greetings, Sisters. ¨¡??al and V¨¡?kkai.] [Why does this mortal reek of death?] The sunlit ¨¡??al scowled, her form brought daylight to the dark of the swamp. [Because I gave of myself unto him.] Everyone gasped, including Haki. [Well, I plan to, should he deliver our vision of the world.] ¨¡??al and V¨¡?kkai glared at Haki who sheepishly smiled. The two Goddesses then turned their furious eyes to Haki¡¯s entourage. [We¡­ are supposed to guide and bless our chosen champions not seek power for ourselves.] ¨¡??al reprimanded but it seemed as though Maranam had already made her mind. [I know very well what should be, sister but the path this mortal would walk is fraught with conflict and Death. Should he prevail, the entire world would be engulfed in both. I need not justify myself further but that sounds like a future even the Cycle would approve of.] Maranam ruffled Haki¡¯s hair, much to his playful annoyance. ¨¡??al¡¯s face twisted. [That is the most selfish thing that you have said in our eternity of existence.] [I know.] The skies trembled as ¨¡??al and V¨¡?kkai¡¯s fury boiled over. [Before any of this¡­ insanity continues, I must ask¡­ why? What brought all of this on?] ¨¡??al asked for, for the first time since she appeared before Haki, her face softened, lined with concern. [Burgeoning within is a desire to exist as an agent of my own will. Even if it is due to the silly words of a mortal, or a whim or even if I come to regret it. At least it would have been a choice I made for myself.] Maranam softly smiled which made ¨¡??al¡¯s eyes lower a little. [Then¡­ you have truly gone mad. Death shouldn¡¯t have a say in anything beyond the natural course and for daring to go against that¡­ Death will have to be unmade and remade anew. Hopefully, she would have regained her functionality. Kaloka¨ªri!] Haki¡¯s perception of time slowed to a crawl as the woman in Golden armour sprang into action. [Name: Kaloka¨ªri Race: Human Coalescence Level: 100 Available Cycle Shards: 0 HP: 1090/1090 W: 500/500 DPH (Damage Per Hit): 595 DR: 80% (MAX) Equipment: [Sunsteel Armor] (+80% DR) Skills and Spells: [Sol Surge] (-50%HP, 2x DMG), [Healing Touch] (-1W, +10HP), [Vineal Snare] (-5W), [Vitality Surge] (15W-, +50HP), [Renewal Blossom] (-50%W, +50%HP), [Breath of the World] (-MAXW, +MAXHP), [Ember Burst] (-1W, 10DMG), [Flame Whip] (-5W, 30DMG), [Infernal Arrow] (-15W, 55DMG), [Maelstrom Manifestation] (-20%HP, +10% DR and +10% Damage boost), [Reignition] (-40W, +80HP), [Orb of Light] (-1W), [Focused Beam] (-5W, 30DMG), [Dawnlight Dome] (-15W, 60DMG (Dome Health)), [Starfall] (-30W, 75DMG), [Star Heart] (-20%W, +15% DR and +50HP), [Ice Shard] (-1W, 10DMG), [Frost Wall] (-5W, 50DMG (Wall Health)), [Frost Call] (-15W, 55DMG), [Ice Armor] (-30W, 75DMG (Wall Health)) Artefacts: [Spear of ¨¡??al] (100DMG + 5 for every Coalescence Level)] Haki bit his teeth upon seeing just how strong Kaloka¨ªri was. But it made sense since she too was a candidate for Emperor. He then, in this moment of extreme focus, turned to the other candidate. [Name: Sasa Race: Human Coalescence Level: 100 Available Cycle Shards: 0 HP: 1090/1090 W: 500/500 DPH (Damage Per Hit): 520 DR: 70% Equipment: [Nightsilk garbs] (+70% DR) Skills and Spells: [Silent Howl] (-W, +DMG), [Healing Touch] (1W-, +10HP), [Vineal Snare] (-5W), [Vitality Surge] (15W-, +50HP), [Renewal Blossom] (-50%W, +50%HP), [Breath of the World] (-MAXW, +MAXHP) [Gentle Water Stream] (1-,0DMG), [Gentle Rain] (5-,0DMG), [Water Jet] (-15W, 30DMG), [Leviathan''s Roar] (-30W, 50DMG), [Oceanic Tempest] (-40W, 100DMG), [Ice Shard] (-1W, 10DMG), [Frost Wall] (-5W, 50DMG (Wall Health)), [Frost Call] (-15W, 55DMG), [Ice Armor] (-30W, 75DMG (Wall Health)), [Umbral Wings] (-40W), [Umbra Veil] (-1W), [Shadow Step] (-5W), [Abyssal Grasp] (-15, 75DMG (Shadow health), [Void Walk] (-30W), [Eclipse Sickle] (-40W, 3 hits) Artefacts: [Frozen Tant¨­] (25DMG + 5 for every Coalescence Level)] Haki¡¯s face warped into a fierce stare as Kaloka¨ªri charged towards him, carrying the might of the sun itself and while his weaker self would have fallen to his knees and accepted defeat, he was determined to face the sun head on. So, as Kaloka¨ªri swung her Spear to decapitate him, Haki blocked the attack with his ancient stone sword before activating all of his available buffs as the clash of their weapons tore not only the air, but the ground they stood on, sending it flying outwards. It didn¡¯t matter that he was up against other Emperor candidates, he was ready to fight to the death and so, he activated Maranam¡¯s Breath, taking his damage from 720 to 2079 after sacrificing 1350 of his 1390HP. To avoid an immediate death, he cast [Renewal Blossom] (-50%W, +50%HP) which brought HP up to 707 after consuming 225 of his 500W. He then cast [Maelstrom Manifestation] (-20%HP, +10% DR and +10% Damage boost) which brought his damage up to 2151 since it only affected his base damage. With all this, Haki¡¯s body burst alight with Fire and Death as he stood before his opponents. Kaloka¨ªri pointed her Spear Haki before roaring. ¡°This thing is an enemy of the living and needs to die immediately!¡± 8. Max Level Fights Are Always Intense! Kaloka¨ªri activated her own buffs, starting with [Maelstrom Manifestation] (-20%HP, +10% DR and +10% Damage boost) which brought her 595DPH to 655. She then activated [Sol Surge] (-50% HP, 2x DMG) which cut her HP from 1090 to 545 and boosted her Damage to 1250. Finally, she cast [Renewal Blossom] (-50%W, +50%HP) which restored her health after consuming half of her 500W. She now stood before Haki as a stellar object of her own right and what little focus he had to spare noticed that Chang and his Goddess had fled the scene. ¡°Herald! Run back to the edge of the forest!¡± Without missing a beat, the cowardly knight led the Dragon Warriors and his men back from where they came while still carrying Kutsunga. Kaloka¨ªri, politely enough, waited for them to leave before sending her Spear forth to impale Haki who deflected the attack before raising both of his swords to hack at the woman in gold. Kaloka¨ªri saw this and immediately dashed backwards, letting Haki strike the ground, resulting in an impact that excavated a humongous chunk of the forest, sending it flying outwards. And, as if its force was too much for the world to immediately register, the impact from when Haki deflected Kaloka¨ªri''s thrust finally rippled through the ground and air. The splintered remains of trees immediately burst into flames and the ground was blown away like sand on a dune. This force was nothing to Haki who¡¯s stone skin was unshaven by the Maelstrom created in this battle. [Go forth, Haki. Shape the world in our selfishness.] A grin grew on his face and this infuriated Kaloka¨ªri who tried to impale Haki again but, this time, she cast [Infernal Arrow] (-15W, 55DMG) fourteen times, using up almost all of her remaining willpower to send forth a javelin that carried 770DMG bringing the total DMG of the coming attack up to 2020. ¡°DIE!!!¡± Kaloka¨ªri screamed and, since there was no feasible way for Haki to avoid the attack in time, he deflected the spear with his stone sword but had no way of avoiding the fiery javelin which charred his entire left arm. While he had avoided taking any pure physical damage, the javelin¡¯s heat still managed to reach him and while his stone skin may have absorbed 80% of the 770DMG, he still took a mean 154DMG bringing his HP down from 707 to 553. Haki needed to end the fight quickly since he didn¡¯t have any HP to spare so he swung his swords upwards to cut at Kaloka¨ªri''s arms and, while she was able to avoid this attack by dashing backwards, Haki subsequently lunged forward while swinging his swords downwards, successfully striking her shoulders and splintering her golden armour. This sent so much force into her body, her suit of mystical metal warped out of its once prestigious shape and all this brought her HP down to 660. Kaloka¨ªri spat out a ton of blood before widely lashing out at Haki who also abandoned any hesitation as he charged towards her as well. [Kalo, be careful!] An unseen ¨¡??al cried as the two combatants clashed weapons again. At this point, so much of the Forest of Briars had been blown away, that the ancient underground city beneath had been partly unearthed. The two now stood in the central plaza of the Draconic city which was cast in the dark of moonless night for what must have been the first time in an eternity. Haki attacked first this time, trying to decapitate Kaloka¨ªri who blocked with her Spear before kicking Haki in the gut, sending him crashing backwards. [Name: Haki HP: 533/1390] Kaloka¨ªri then tried impaling him again but Haki rolled to the side, letting her strike the ground with incredible force. He then kicked her ankle, toppling her over before sprinting onto his feet and straddling her only for her to try and stab him yet again. Haki dropped his stone sword and held the spear''s razor edge while trying to slice open her neck with his remaining sword but Kaloka¨ªri held his blade with her own free hand, meaning all they could do was glare at each other as their hands bled. ¡°WHAT ARE YOU EVEN FIGHTING FOR?!¡± Kaloka¨ªri screamed through a battered helmet. Haki winced and hissed as her Spear slowly sliced through his hand. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ fighting for myself!¡± Haki grinned through bloodied teeth and this infuriated Kaloka¨ªri even more. ¡°I suggest¡­ you do the same-¡°This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Kaloka¨ªri used the last of her strength to force her Spear through Haki¡¯s hand, slicing off all five of his fingers before stabbing him in the abdomen. Haki let out a wild Roar before forcing his blade down onto her neck, decapitating her but just as her head was separated from its body, a loud shriek tore apart the air. ¨¡??al then appeared before Haki and unceremoniously swatted him away with the back of her hand before wrapping her arms around Kaloka¨ªri. The two then disappeared along with Kaloka¨ªri¡¯s spear leaving Haki on the cold hard ground as he bled. He still had 303HP meaning he wasn¡¯t going to die but the pain was excruciating. He thought about using [Renewal Blossom] (-50%W, +50%HP) but Maranam appeared by his side and warned him against the action. [Should your willpower drop to zero, you will forever lose your sense of self.] She cautioned while gently resting his head on her lap as she sat with him in the centre of the excavated city. Haki nodded and instead chose to [Vitality Surge] (-15W, +50HP) fourteen times, using 210 of his 225W to restore 700 of his HP bringing it up to 1003. Haki let out a muffled cry as the hole in his belly slowly closed although it didn¡¯t heal completely. He then deeply sighed while resting his head on Maranam¡¯s soft thighs. ¡°I thought¡­ Goddesses were incorporeal. How did she manage to hit me?¡± Haki wheezed as Maranam gently ran her hands through his now dull red hair. [That was simply a Manifestation of her will.] As usual, Maranam¡¯s voice was soft and her cold breath served to soothe the knocking pain in Haki¡¯s head. So much so that his eyes began to close, and he dozed off slowly. ¡°Mara¡­¡± He softly muttered. [Yes, Haki?] ¡°I¡­ never had a real choice up until now. But your will has always been yours to actuate. That¡¯s why I gave you that wonderfully passionate speech.¡± Maranam silently chuckled as a smile formed on her face. ¡°I want us to be free to decide what fates we ultimately suffer¡­ even if we damn ourselves¡­ forever.* . .. Haki¡¯s sore eyes tore open and he found himself on a grand stone pedestal that sat at the fore of a gigantic cylindrical chamber of dark stone that was lined with intricate carvings that depicted innumerable dragons onto its Dome ceiling. Chief among them was the dragon he saw in his vision. The Supreme Dragon. Haki painfully coughed as he sat up, revealing to himself his entourage at the foot of the pedestal. The Dragon Warriors, Herald, the Undead Knights and a despondent Kutsunga all sat idly as if they had been told to do so. ¡°Mmm¡­¡± Haki tiredly groaned while looking himself over. His clothes were in tatters and a large scar went across his abdomen. It was almost entirely healed but the burning pain felt as fresh as when it had been given to him. ¡°Looks like we¡¯re going to be on the defensive.¡± He thought aloud before standing with a loud grunt. ¡°The champion of V¨¡?kkai never made an appearance?¡± He asked. ¡°N-no, your Lordship,¡± Herald answered as he and his fellow knights stood attentively. ¡°Mmm¡­ and here I thought that quiet fellow would take advantage of our moment of weakness as I slept to strike. I guess he¡¯s not the type or he¡¯s playing at something else.¡± Haki mused while stretching his arms, the left of which was covered in faint burn marks. Haki then finally turned to his father who gave him a tired glare. ¡°I¡¯m sure this is the last thing you expected to happen, mmm? But rejoice, Father, for you are now witness to the dominion of the gods, right Mara?¡± A small cloud of white smoke appeared next to Haki and from it, Maranam appeared. The Dragon Warriors and Undead Knights knelt and this made Haki squint a little. He set aside his silly jealousy and stood up to address everyone. ¡°Ahem! As it stands, we are enemies of the entire empire of Mahali and while I have long since accepted the death I am due, that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m going to roll over and die.¡± Haki grinned making Kutsunga roll his eyes. ¡°I may have been a little¡­ enthusiastic in setting a course for Qaya and while it is still a potential foothold, I think it would be best if we took the Forest of Briars completely. This place is supposedly the home of many a creature. Herald?¡± The knight nervously stepped forward. ¡°T-this place sits near the centre of the thorny forest and there are two major groups of creatures that call these woods home. To the north, is the swarm of Moon Beetles, elephant-sized monsters that have dark, steel-hard carapaces and wield the power of Frost. To the south are the Kudamen. Tall, brutish abominations that look like a nightmarish mixture of man and goat.¡± ¡°Oh? I¡¯ve heard of both of them. How did they come to call this world home, anyway?¡± [They were among the many who came to be during the Age of the Dragons and while they aided mankind in taking the Ruler¡¯s Charge, they proved far too barbaric even in the relatively civilized Age of Man, prompting the second Emperor, Lucian of House Tsuki, to drive them into the Forest Briars. The Beetles suffered a similar fate after the defeat of the dragons. True to their name, they are beings of the distant and cold moon. They fell unto this world before even the earliest recorded history and were also deemed too dangerous and so were driven here during the Hunt for the Crescent King with the Crescent King being the most powerful of the Beetles. With that in mind, the Kudamen number in the hundreds while the Moon Beetles number in the tens of thousands.] Haki let out an understanding hum before raising a brow. ¡°So which group do you think we should meet with first?¡± [Both have at least one Emperor candidate level member so you can expect opposition to that extent but I advise that you seek the Kudamen first.] Haki nodded just as one of the Dragon Warriors walked up to him. It then presented his swords which sat in its palm. Haki accepted his swords before looking his stats over. [Name: Haki Race: Human Coalescence Level: 100 Available Cycle Shards: 0 HP: 1003/1390 W: 500/500 DPH: 720 DR: 80% (MAX) Equipment: [Training Garbs] (+9%) Skills and Spells: [Maranam¡¯s Breath] (-50HP, +50DMG), [Draconic Might] (+100DMG), [Stone Skin] (+80% DR), [Healing Touch] (-1W, +10HP), [Umbral Veil] (-1W)], [Vineal Snare] (-5W, 30HP (Snare health)), [Vitality Surge] (-15W, +50HP), [Renewal Blossom] (-50%W, +50%HP), [Shadow Step] (-5W), [Abyssal Grasp] (-15, 75DMG (Shadow health)), [Void Walk] (-30W), [Eclipse Sickle] (-40W, 3 hits, 100DMG), [Ice Shard] (-1W, 10DMG), [Frost Wall] (-5W, 50DMG (Wall Health)), [Frost Call] (-15W, 55DMG), [Ice Armor] (-30W, 75DMG (Wall Health)), [Wings of Winter] (-40W), [Ember Burst] (-1W, 10DMG), [Flame Whip] (-5W, 30DMG), [Infernal Arrow] (-15W, 55DMG), [Reignition] (-40W, +80HP), [Maelstrom Manifestation] (-20%HP, +10% DR and +10% Damage boost), [Orb of Light] (-1W) Artefacts: [Maranam¡¯s Aruval] (25DMG + 5 for every Coalescence Level)], [Dragon Heart] (+200HP)] Haki cast [Vitality Surge] (-15W, +50HP) eight times, restoring his HP to MAX and bringing his Willpower down to 380. Haki let out a breath that was laden with vitality and heat. ¡°Alright. We¡¯re going south¡­ but not after taking a tour of what will soon be our home.¡± 9. Baby Steps Haki stood atop the building he had awoken in as the sun soared above. According to Maranam, it once served as the seat of the Supreme Dragon and its large dome roof allowed him to behold the unnamed capital of the Age of Dragons. Standing by his side was Maranam who joined him in beholding their new home. The dens each Dragon lived in were huge ovular structures resembling bird nests only made of stone. Haki loved their design and, upon slight internal modification, they could fit several families belonging to smaller races. The streets were wide and could fit more conventional buildings in between the dens. Haki¡¯s battle with Kaloka¨ªri had been so fierce, it exposed even the city¡¯s ancient walls which now stood as a barrier between the city and the forest although the settlement in stone was about one hundred meters below ground level. ¡°We¡¯d be sitting ducks,¡± Haki muttered. [Agreed. Mmm¡­ while you¡¯re out, I could have the Dragons clear some of the forestry around the wall and have the Knights erect a bulwark of ice using the [Frost Wall] spell Ober the coming days.] ¡°Hey¡­ that¡¯s actually a good idea.¡± Haki nodded before jumping off the roof and to the streets below where everyone else awaited. ¡°Alright. Herald, Father, you¡¯re coming with me. Mara will take care of the rest.¡± ¡°I refuse to let you drag me around any longer!¡± Kutsunga cast [Vineal Snare] (-5W, 30HP (Snare health)) eleven times to trap all of his captors. 55 of his 125W. Haki raised a curious brow as dark vines tore up from the ground before wrapping themselves around him and everyone other than Maranam. ¡°Knight Herald! Now is your chance to prove that you are worth a damn! Sever these humiliating binds and return me to Ardania safety and I will ensure your execution is painless!¡± Everyone turned to Herald who in turn looked at Haki with widened eyes. ¡°The choice is yours.¡± Haki¡¯s words were simple and his eyes betrayed his earnesty. Herald swelled before crossing his arms. ¡°The knight has decided.¡± Haki nodded before breaking free from his vegetative prison, prompting everyone else to do the same, much to Kutsunga¡¯s visible horror. ¡°Also- thank you, father. You¡¯ve just given me an idea. Mara, could we use [Vineal Snare] to reinforce the [Frost Wall]?¡± [Yes although I would like to ask when I permitted you to shorten my name?] Her eyes narrowed. ¡°I thought you¡¯d like it and it¡¯ll make the moments when I do call you by your full name more special.¡± Haki shot her a boyish smile that caught the goddess off guard, making her pout a little. [Tell me, boy, what compels you to say such outlandish things to the Goddess of death?] She huffed only for Haki¡¯s grin to brighten. ¡°Let¡¯s say I tend to develop a liking to women who appear in my bed in the dark of night.¡± Herald gasped and it was here that Kutsunga finally realized just who his son was talking to. Maranam glared at Haki although, as usual, there was no malice. ¡°You¡­ do you have a death wish?¡± She hissed only for Haki to nonchalantly walk away. ¡°See ya later!¡± Harald frantically pulled Kutsunga in following Haki south and out of the city. . .. ¡°Boy¡­¡± Kutsunga called after hours of silently trailing behind his captors as they ventured into the forest deep. ¡°Yeah?¡± Haki lazily responded while letting his swords rest on his shoulders as he walked. Oddly enough, even they weren¡¯t able to cut through his gown of golden silk. ¡°That¡­ those women. Those were the Three Goddesses, weren¡¯t they.¡± Kutsunga shuddered. ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°And¡­ the one who stood by you¡­ she was the Goddess of Death.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Kutsunga shuddered again. ¡°So she chose you.¡± ¡°I guess she threw caution to the wind after seeing just how many prospective candidates you had killed.¡± Haki guessed. ¡°Why did she not appear to me even though I bear the blood of the first Emperor? He who toppled the old order and brought about the Age of Man.¡± Kutsunga muttered to himself.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. The trio walked for Kilometres on end before pausing as a foul smell filled the air ahead. ¡°Death.¡± Herald sniffed as Haki¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°And lots of it,¡± Haki growled. He was also the sole member of the trio that was able to hear the distant beating of drums but, even as his old instincts told him to turn and run, he pressed forward. The damp forest floor then grew muddy and the trees were adorned with crude signage and impaled corpses that were far too mutilated for anyone to discern whether they belonged to an animal or otherwise. ¡°By the Three¡­¡± Herald gasped under his breath as his armour loudly clanged behind Haki, much to the young man¡¯s annoyance. They were in possibly hostile territory and the last thing Haki wanted was to be an easy target- ¡°Arggg!¡± Herald cried as a meter-long Arrow shot through his armour from somewhere in the thick wall of vines ahead. [Name: Herald the Coward Health Points: 365/390] Haki could have erected a [Frost Wall] to defend his party but he wanted to make it clear to the hidden Kudamen that he wasn¡¯t prey for them to hunt and so he cast [Ember Burst] (-1W, 10DMG) one hundred times, sending forth a wave of fire that did a collective 1000DMG to anything in its path. [W: 400/500] Several bleats and screams filled the air as trees were Blackened inside and out, a fate that befell the twenty or so figures Haki spotted through the fire. Herald stoically pulled out the arrow that had pierced him before following a narrow-eyed Haki forward. The young man walked up to one of the wailing bodies on the ashen forest floor. The Kudamen, Haki learnt, had large goat heads and legs along with long, muscular humanoid torsos that were covered in patches of auburn fur. [Name: Kudaman Archer Race: Kudaman Coalescence Level: 45 Available Cycle Shards: 0 Health Points (HP): 0/540 Willpower (W): 225/225 DPH (Damage Per Hit): 50 Defence Rating: 2% Equipment: [Corpsebone Great Bow] (50DMG), [Leather Loincloth] (+2% DR) Skills and Abilities: [Bestial Vigour] (+100HP), [Death Throe Call] (if HP<100, 3x DMG), [Healing Touch] (1W-, +10HP), [Vineal Snare] (-5W), [Vitality Surge] (15W-, +50HP), [Renewal Blossom] (-50%W, +50%HP), [Breath of the World] (-MAXW, +MAXHP), [Ember Burst] (-1W, 10DMG), [Flame Whip] (-5W, 30DMG), [Infernal Arrow] (-15W, 55DMG), [Reignition] (-40W, +80HP) Artifacts: None] ¡°You¡­ YOU! How¡­ HOW DARE YOU KILL MY BRETHREN?!¡± A bellow came from far ahead. Haki wanted to tell Herald and his father to retreat but before he could even open his mouth to speak, the ground began to shake a little as something charged towards them. Haki stood completely still as a Kudaman rushed out from the shadows, only his body was adorned with jewellery made from the jaws and bones of other Kudamen. This Kudaman held a club that was made from the scale of a dragon and his eyes burnt with the vitality of a Max-level being. Hanging from his next was a petrified horn which was a dull grey and looked like it was about to whither away. ¡°I¡­ I am Dhreen the Caprine Lord and you¡­ your flesh will adorn my back!¡± The Kudaman roared prompting Herald to drag Kutsunga behind him as he fled. [Name: Dhreen Race: Kudaman Coalescence Level: 100 Available Cycle Shards: 10 Health Points (HP): 1190/1090 Willpower (W): 500/500 DPH (Damage Per Hit): 100 Defence Rating: 2% Equipment: [Dragon Scale Club] (100DMG), [Leather Loincloth] (+2% DR) Skills and Abilities: [Bestial Vigour] (+100HP), [Death Throe Call] (if HP<100, 3x DMG), [Healing Touch] (1W-, +10HP), [Vineal Snare] (-5W), [Vitality Surge] (15W-, +50HP), [Renewal Blossom] (-50%W, +50%HP), [Breath of the World] (-MAXW, +MAXHP), [Ember Burst] (-1W, 10DMG), [Flame Whip] (-5W, 30DMG), [Infernal Arrow] (-15W, 55DMG), [Reignition] (-40W, +80HP), [Maelstrom Manifestation] (-20%HP, +10% DR and +10% Damage boost), Artifacts: [Horn of the Ancients] (?DMG taken is converted into DMG)] ¡°NO¡­ NO RUNNING AWAY!¡± Dhreen tried dashing after Herald but Haki blocked his path by raising Maranam¡¯s Aruval in front of him. ¡°Listen up, mutton. Either we talk this out or one of us dies.¡± Haki growled and this infuriated the Kudaman so much that he swung his club to strike the young man who blocked the attack with his own ancient stone weapon. Dhreen then punched Haki who tried decapitating the goat-headed being but, while Haki expected the Kudaman to retreat, Dhreen stood completely still and let Maranam¡¯s Aruval lodge itself in his neck. The horn around the goat man¡¯s neck then flashed red as it activated, reducing Haki¡¯s 620DMG by half and turning that into damage Dhreen could use. [Name: Haki HP: 1310/1390] [Name: Dhreen HP: 880/1190 DPH: 410] The Kudaman realized, even with his amulet and damage-boosting abilities, he¡¯d die very quickly if he traded blows with Haki so Dhreen dashed backwards before running into the shadows while bleating loudly. The sounds of thousands of footsteps then shook the air. ¡°If¡­ if you want to talk, come to the Bone Woods!¡± Haki lowered his swords and sighed. ¡°He punches me then runs away.¡± It was painfully obvious that Dhreen was luring him into a trap. The Kudamen weren¡¯t mindless animals. They had archers, planned ambushes and were now plotting something big. Haki couldn¡¯t help but smile at this. The boundary between life and death had quickly become his favourite place to be and so, ignoring his instincts to flee, he stepped forward. The further he walked into the vines and thorns, the more skills he activated until he 3aa fully buffed. Unlike with his fight against Kaloka¨ªri, he went all the way, pouring all of his focus into activating [Maelstrom Manifestation] (-20%HP, +10% DR and +10% Damage boost), [Maranam¡¯s Breath] (-50HP, +50DMG) eexchanging1300 of his HP for the same amount in damage, [Breath of the World] (-90%W, +90%HP) and then activating [Maranam¡¯s Breath] again, exchanging an additional 1250 points of health, which brought his total DPH up to 3342. [Name: Haki HP: 10 W: 50 DPH: 3342] Haki¡¯s body exploded with power but his body also slumped forward as he had left himself with just the smallest traces of vitality. But he didn¡¯t mind. If anything, he loved the feeling. His vision darkened and his hearing was as if he was underwater. His heart thumped slowly in his chest as he entered the den of the Kudamen. A sea of trees that were adorned with bones of fallen Kudamen. Between these effigies of death were thousands upon thousands of Kudamen who all wildly barked at Haki from the shadows. The smell of blood, piss and faeces filled the air along with the foul breaths of more than ten thousand goat men. Hali stood at the centre of this herd of beasts as they snarled at him, ate the flesh of their dead kin and even copulated in muddy masses of flesh and fur. Standing at the fore was Dhreen who pointed his club at Haki. ¡°What¡­ what do you have to say now?¡± The Kudaman wickedly grinned and all the young man did in reply was spread his arms. Daring any of them to approach and one of them did. An eager Kudaman charged towards Haki with his horns forward only to be cleaved in two by Maranam¡¯s Aruval, the goat man¡¯s two pieces were sent flying to the side. This sent the rest of the herd into a frenzy with all that were closed charging towards Haki who met their crude blades, arrows and clubs with a grin. He was going to die. Of that, he was sure. It it wasn¡¯t going to be at the hands of the Kudaman. 10. The Birth of the Death Touched The first wave were easy enough to butcher since Haki had room to move. He swung widely, making sure to cleave apart as many Kudamen as possible, something made easy by his three thousand points of Damage, and he watched with glee as their bones shattered and their flesh fell limply to the ground. His swings carried so much force that even those who weren¡¯t hit directly were severely wounded as the Shockwaves from his blades caused their internal organs to burst and their bones to Splinter. The second wave then came and they trampled over the corpses of their kin to try and eviscerate Haki only for their extended arms to be diced up into the ever-growing mound of meat on the muddy ground. Haki swung his swords lazily and even that was enough to kill ten Kudaman at a time. One of them even managed to land a hit on him but the goat man was so weak that it didn¡¯t even register on Haki¡¯s stats. That Kudamen would go on to have its skull split in two as bloodlust, rage and hatred filled the air. Dhreen let out a wild Roar and, as the highest ranking Kudaman, sprinted towards Haki while raising his club. Haki lowered his swords as the beast came at him. At this point, he was covered in blood and draped with entrails. But¡­ he felt no fear. If anything, he was getting bored. Dhreen may have been level 100 but his true abilities wouldn¡¯t activate until Health was really low. Hali wanted a real fight. And the only one who could offer him one was now headless. There was the champion of the Moon Goddess but he had left without a trace. Haki wondered if that mysterious man would show up in the coming war. Of course, he would. And so would the armies of his homeland. Haki nodded to himself before squeezing his swords as Dhreen moved to strike him. He had momentarily thought about killing all of the Kudamen. Still, he at least wanted to try establishing cooperative relations so he firmly planted his swords in the ground, sending out a shockwave which Dhreen skilfully jumped over as hundreds of his kin had their legs broken by the force. Dhreen then, upon reaching Haki, swung his club to strike the young man who not only deflected the club with his hand, striking it to the side with the back of his hand, he punched the space below the Kudaman¡¯s chin, dislocating his jaw which Dhreen immediately chewed back in place. Haki¡¯s fists alone had the same damage as a legendary weapon at 100DMG thanks to his [Draconic Might] Additionally, his buffs were still active which meant his DPH was still at an incredible 2660 points of damage. If Haki hadn¡¯t purposely missed, Dhreen wouldn¡¯t have a head anymore. ¡°Ready to talk now?¡± Dhreen looked like he was about to attack Haki again but the Kudaman glanced around him to see that the area around them had been reduced to a pond of gore. ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re strong! But Dhreen cannot run away!¡± Haki could see the faintest hints of terror in the Kudaman''s eyes so he softly smiled which made Dhreen flinch. ¡°Why can¡¯t we just stop fighting?¡± ¡°Because!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a reason!¡± Haki huffed making Dhreen stomp the ground. ¡°Dhreen is weaker than you so¡­ so he must die by your hands!¡± Haki clicked his tongue as he realized that the previous Emperors were right. The Kudamen were incredibly stubborn and bloodthirsty. Re-educating them would be a lot of work since they were still Slaves to their primal instincts so Haki needed to overwrite their rage with a stronger emotion. Fear. [Maranam¡¯s Breath] was an ability that allowed him to draw from the power of death herself and up until this point, he had channelled it into his weapons but Haki wondered what would happen if he released it. So he did. Plumes of white smoke began to rise from his skin. The smoke rapidly spread through the den but, as a consequence of releasing it, he lost the DPH the ability had given him. But it was necessary to show the Kudamen that they stood no chance. Dhreen stepped back and just as he did, his fur began to shimmer and lose colour until it was white. He grew a little thinner and let out a quivering breath as he gained a new ability.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. [Death Touched] (-25% HP, + 25% DMG) Haki¡¯s eyes widened a little. He had seemingly given a blessing of Death to Dhreen and his herd. *Hey. What do you think? Impressive, huh?* He asked Maranam but she didn¡¯t respond. Haki let out a light-hearted scoff before finding a Boulder which he sat on. ¡°Come.¡± He beckoned a visibly panicked Dhreen who slowly approached before kneeling and lowering his head. ¡°Yes¡­ yes, Massacre.¡± The Kudaman¡¯s voice was considerably softer and shaky. *So this is the power of Death.* Haki thought before crossing his arms. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much about the dead. When Mara decides to answer my call, she¡¯ll bring them back.¡± He warmly smiled making the goat man raise his head. ¡°We¡­ we Kudamen live for combat and death, Massacre. You don¡¯t have to trouble yourself with those who were weak and died.¡± ¡°That may be true but I¡¯m building an army and I need as many hands and hooves as I can get. Also, if you aid me in bringing about the age we have envisioned, you¡¯ll all be able to fight in undeath for eternity.¡± Haki¡¯s smile brightened because even he liked the idea. To exist in perpetual death would mean an endless possible purpose for all. And those who wanted to eternally rest could simply have their bodies completely destroyed. An age of the immortal dead. As for why Haki didn¡¯t die himself to embody this new age, he simply wanted to see how far he could get while alive. Undeath also meant he¡¯d be a servant of Maranam and he wanted to rule alongside her. Not as some puppet for her to wield. ¡°I¡­ I see.¡± ¡°Yes. So will you join me on the coming death March?¡± Dhreen looked into Haki¡¯s eyes with his own horizontal pupils. ¡°Yes¡­ yes. We will serve you with our whole bodies so that we never taste your scorn again, Massacre.¡± ¡°Good. Now, gather your people. You will be returning with me to what will be our new home so pack all the necessities.¡± Dhreen nodded before slowly getting up while keeping his head low as if to display his subservience. He then made his way to the now-whitened Kudamen who cowered behind distant trees. Haki wasn¡¯t sure how many he had killed but, as Dhreen gathered them near the blood pond, he counted one thousand Kudamen. He assumed there¡¯d have been more but their constant fighting and fatalities probably kept their population low. This could be dealt with but Haki didn¡¯t have the time to wait for the next generation to grow with peace and prosperity in mind. Since their numbers were low, he¡¯d have to arm them to the teeth to keep them alive. A distant female Kudaman knelt near the puddle of corpse flesh while cradling an instant, her bare teats were covered in dry blood that must have been spilt before Haki arrived. The boy in her arms glared at Haki who knew that look all too well. The boy was Making a vow to himself. A Silent vow of revenge. Revenge on Haki and the world that birthed him to suffer such loss. Haki had made similar vows before but¡­ It wasn¡¯t enough to want change. One had to grasp at whatever straws of power they could and ascend to a point where they could command change and will it into existence. That¡¯s where Haki stood. A true agent of the change he wanted to bring about. And was willing to give the Kudamen a chance at revenge. He planned on arming them after all. If they decided to revolt and succeeded, he wouldn¡¯t hold it against them. If they could kill him, that is. Of course, he would deal with any mutinous acts swiftly and without mercy. The herd eventually gathered with what little they had. Apparently, they were also cannibals so they didn¡¯t even bother hunting or planting crops, something which could be changed thanks to the Forest of Briars¡¯ fertile soils. Dhreen knelt before Haki again. ¡°They have all gathered, Massacre.¡± ¡°Good. Let¡¯s go. Hopefully, Mara has already started on the wall.¡± . .. Haki¡¯s eyes narrowed as he, alongside Dhreen, Herald and Kutsunga who stood next to him, beheld a wall of vines that was at least twenty meters tall. A grand gateway led into the city and Haki couldn¡¯t hide how impressed he was. But something was off. There was a slight rumble in the ground so he kept his guard raised as he led the Kudamen tribe into the city below to find that it was crawling with huge bugs that had pitch-black carapaces. They were the size of elephants and had pincers that were as long as swords. Even at a glance, their exoskeletons looked hard to pierce. These bugs, the fabled Moon Beetles, signified by their crescent-shaped horns, hauled material across the city, mostly in the form of debris and dirt that had fallen into it when Haki and Kaloka¨ªri excavated it. ¡°Are those¡­¡± Herald gasped. ¡°Yep. You stay here and help the Kudamen get settled. They may have the southern half of the city.¡± Haki lazily walked ahead. ¡°W-what if they don¡¯t listen to me, my lord?¡± Herald shot a fearful glance at Dhreen who curiously beheld the city. ¡°You¡¯re my left hand, Herald. They wouldn¡¯t dare bite. Right, Dhreen?¡± ¡°Of course, lest the last of the Kudamen be massacred.¡± ¡°A-and what of lord Kutsunga?¡± Haki turned back to his father who stood behind the knight and Kudamen with a weary expression. ¡°Mmm¡­ come on, father. Let¡¯s go ask Mara what she¡¯s been up to since we left.¡± Kutsunga looked at his son before lowering his eyes, seemingly in thought. He then stepped forward and followed his son to the city centre where they found Maranam sitting on the staircase to the Seat of the Supreme Dragon. At her side were the Dragon Warriors and Undead Knights. Half of her entourage was covered in dirt and dried-up blue blood. ¡°And why didn¡¯t you answer my call?¡± Haki plopped down next to her as she basked in the light of the sun which seemed to be paler in this city. [I was busy.] She smirked making Haki roll his eyes. ¡°Yeah, yeah. I¡¯m surprised your sisters didn¡¯t interject again.¡± [¨¡??al is Mourning and V¨¡?kkai is keeping a close on us. I suspect they¡¯ll start mobilizing soon.] ¡°Mmm¡­¡± Haki¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Soon your power will grow by several folds as the drums of war are struck. I will take Qaya and then Ardania.. then ascend the mount.¡± ¡°Does your arrogance know no end?¡± Kutsunga winced from the bottom of the stairs. ¡°Do you think me incapable, father?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ you wretched thing, I can see very well the destruction each of your hands is capable of but what of it? What legacy will you leave behind when the Ashes settle? I can die comfortably knowing that my name will be writ in glory but-¡° ¡°Glory? Ha! The step of your Throne is mired in poverty and suffering. The people- your people spit on your name and the other houses see you as competition to be snuffed out, just like your firstborn.¡± Kutsunga¡¯s eyes widened and instantly filled with malice. ¡°You¡­¡± He took a deep breath and calmed himself, regaining an air that resembled that of a lord. ¡°You have yet to answer my question. What then?¡± ¡°Mara and I have made our plans clear. It would serve you well to listen when a Goddess speaks.¡± Kutsunga¡¯s eyes hesitantly drifted to Maranam who turned her unnervingly cold gaze to the lord. ¡°My Goddess, allow me to apologize for not introducing myself to you appropriately. My name is-¡° [I know who you are, son of Ardi and all you have ever been. So skip the formalities and say what is on your mind ] Kutsunga nodded while wringing his hands together. ¡°Of course. I only seek clarity. What barred Pfumo from receiving your blessing in equal measure to¡­ him?¡± [To be completely honest I lacked the¡­ urgency that unsettles my heart right now. Before his death, he was but one of your many scions. Now there is only one. One who completed my reckless trial and shared his vision with me.] ¡°I knew it! I knew you resurrected those fuckers on purpose!¡± Haki squinted at Maranam who simply gave his head a few pats, much to his annoyance. [He is the last of your line¡­ unless you plan on siring more children.] Kutsunga¡¯s eyes fell. ¡°So there you have it. Explained in full and to answer your question, when the Ashes settle, I will sit on my Throne and behold the new age. Then I will rest knowing that, while I was alive, I did what I had the power to do. Something which I could have never dreamed of¡­ before I met you.¡± 11. The City of Massacre [A name?] Maranam raised a brow as she sat by Haki¡¯s side on the seat of the Supreme Dragon. Before the two stood Herald, Kutsunga, Dhreen and the Crescent King, ruler of the Moon Beetles. Unlike the majority of his kin, his exoskeleton was a pale grey but not because he was [Death Touched]. ¡°Yes! Our city must have a name! Any suggestions?¡± Haki eyed everyone intently. ¡°The City of Massacre!¡± Dhreen yelled, an echo of his previous demeanour. ¡°Mmm¡­ visceral. Anyone else?¡± ¡°How about The City of Death?¡± Herald suggested. ¡°Grim,¡± Haki noted aloud only for the Crescent King to loudly screech while bobbing from side to side. ¡°I don¡¯t speak beetle, my friend.¡± Haki chuckled. [He said that he likes the first one.] Maranam yawned before resting her head on Haki¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Oh? That¡¯s two for Massacre, as frightful as the name is. Any objections or other suggestions?¡± No one spoke. ¡°Massacre it is! This will be our capital, our headquarters, our home. With the Kudamen occupying the South and the Beetles taking on the role of both carriage and wagon. Herald¡¯s men should have the ice wall up soon but in the meantime, everyone should focus on clearing some of the trees to the south so that we may attempt farming. If the soil rejects our attempts, then the domination of Qaya cannot come soon enough.¡± Kutsunga clicked his tongue at Haki¡¯s words but his son ignored him. ¡°That is all for now, you may all return to your duties.¡± Everyone turned to leave the grand chamber as Maranam draped the platform she and Haki were on in a curtain of white smoke that obscured all but them. Haki then laid back, allowing her to rest her head on his chest properly. He had washed the blood and mud from his body, meaning Maranam could comfortably press her face on the softness of his gown. The two lay in silence for a while, and Maranam broke it by asking. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± ¡°Mmm¡­ now that some of the rush from all the fighting has worn off, all I can think about is those moments where I almost died. They rebound clearly, like¡­ like impacts on my mind. Like someone is striking it with a mallet.¡± Haki sighed prompting Maranam to rest her hand on his chest. [Acknowledging that feeling is a step most avoid. So thank you for seeing your own pain and fear.] ¡°Don¡¯t see why I need thanking but alright.¡± He chuckled. [Because the champions we choose tend to be a stubborn lot. They deny scars they obviously have both within and without, leaving us to watch as they slowly die.] She pinched Haki¡¯s cheek a little. ¡°Hehe, alright. I get it. I¡¯ll be as transparent as glass.¡± [That is not the first time someone has told me that but I, as the foolish Sprite that I am, will choose to believe you.] Haki smiled as Maranam deflated with a sigh. He genuinely couldn¡¯t believe how much Maranam cared for him and it was that, among many other things, that drew him to her. He eventually closed his eyes and slept in her embrace again. Now that he had someone to keep him company, the time seemed to rush by as if it too was excited to see what would follow. . .. The next day arrived peacefully with Haki¡¯s head firmly lodged in Maranam¡¯s bosom. The two were about the same height but her presence far eclipsed his and her hold around his neck wasn¡¯t anything to make light of. He tried pulling himself free but that didn¡¯t work so he tried something bolder. He firmly cupped Maranam¡¯s breasts, wrinkling her gown of night, and squeezed them prompting the Goddess to immediately open her eyes which glared at the young man who grinned in greeting. [I could kill you in an instant, you know.] She threatened as Haki released her breasts. ¡°That may be true but it¡¯s morning and we¡¯ve got work to do so let me go!¡± [Fine but, as punishment for your insolence, I will not be assisting you with anything today.] She huffed while letting Haki go. ¡°Phew. Finally. Oh- and I¡¯ll make it up to ya, don¡¯t fret.¡± He winked as he stood up but this just made Maranam huff again. [You and that reckless mouth¡­] Haki chuckled cheerily as he stepped off the platform and exited the chamber that was the seat of the Supreme Dragon. The city of Massacre was abuzz with life and activity.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. The Undead Knights could be seen erecting the ice wall in the distance while under the protection of five of the six Dragon Warriors. The Sixth one was standing guard by Haki¡¯s door. ¡°Your armaments are of magnificent make, great warrior. Where may I find more of their kind in this city?¡± The Dragon Warrior creaked into motion before leading Haki into a walled-off section of the city wherein they stood before the Great doorway of a barracks which was lined with the same gigantic swords the Dragons used but these were too big for the Kudamen and other beings to use. Haki needed them to be smaller but no simple blacksmith would be able to break and reshape the ancient swords. He could break them himself but too much material would be lost and in the game of war, every Shard counted. *Mara.* Haki called but the Goddess didn¡¯t respond. *Mara!* Silence. *I¡¯m sorry for what I did and I just really wanted you to let me go.* Haki sighed. *Sorry, Maranam.* A plume of white smoke rose from beside him and from it, she emerged, although she looked like she was still half asleep. [What do you want?] ¡°We are on the verge of war and our men need arms. Do you know any blacksmiths who could repurpose these slabs into smaller swords and armour?¡± [I can do it but what will I get in return?] Maranam yawned making Haki clench his jaws a little. ¡°What do you want?¡± [You have had me at your beck and call to a larger extent than any other mortal and I am not used to being this present in the Physical world. I¡¯d like some rest, especially since you want me to bring back the five hundred goats you killed.] ¡°Why does a Goddess need rest?¡± [Because death is an intangible, metaphysical construct. It takes quite a lot for me to Coalesce and stand by you as I do. A privilege almost none have had. So, after I forge the weapons and armour of your army, I¡¯m going to take a three-month-long slumber.] ¡°Three months?!¡± [That will be halfway through winter so try not to die until I wake up.] Maranam winked while rolling up her sleeves. ¡°And how is it that you know how to work with stones and metal?¡± An exasperated Haki asked as Maranam stepped into the barracks proper. [I am Death. I know all. Pasts and presents with nothing but the future being barred from all to see. Now, do me a kindness and shatter every sword in here as you did before.] Maranam instructed while dusting off a nearby forge, one that was far too big for anyone other than a dragon but she simply increased her size while tying her hair into a ponytail. Haki, in turn, stepped forward and, with that act alone, sent forth a wave that shattered all of the slabs of Stone Draconic Skin. [Good. Now gather them in a pile for me over here.] Haki let out an annoyed grunt before making his way to the far corner of the barracks where he cast [Gentle Water Stream] (-1W, 0DMG) multiple times, creating a torrent that washed all the chunks of dragon skin to Maranam while also cleaning all the dust Haki had created. Maranam picked up some of the splinters and began making swords that resembled Haki¡¯s by carving them into shape using only the steel and iron tools at hand. That said, Haki could see that she was imbuing her tools with Death which made him scoff lightly. Maranam went on to make two thousand complete sets of gear which consisted of [Dragon Skin Armor] (+ 70%), an [Ancient Stone Sword] (100DMG) and [Stone Slab Shield] (1000HP (Shield Health)). ¡°Excellent work, Mara!¡± Haki clapped his hands as the Dragon Warrior by his side nodded its head. Maranam wiped the sweat from her brow as she stood up, now towering above both Haki and the warrior. ¡°Your godly armaments will be reserved for the most elite among our units but I plan on outfitting at least two five hundred of the eight hundred Kudamen adults. The rest will remain as general workers across multiple fields. The Undead Knights will also get some and the rest will go to whatever additional units we acquire.¡± Haki listed as Maranam yawned. Her form also flickered which made Haki¡¯s eyes narrow a little. ¡°Still got enough energy to reanimate the dead?¡± He asked and Maranam nodded. Haki nodded back before leading her out of the city, past the rising ice wall and back into the forest of Briars. The two, accompanied by the Dragon Warrior, stood in the centre still saturated blood pond Haki had made. Maranam looked at the field of corpses with droopy eyes and raised her left hand. She has since shrunken back to her original size allowing her to lean on Haki. [This is my act of defiance. Just as she did, I will carve a path for myself¡­ and accept the pain that comes with it all.] White smoke rose from all over the old den of the Kudamen and as it fell onto the corpses, their bones and whatever remaining flesh pulled itself together as they rose. Their eyes were hollow and their maws were without flesh, revealing their terribly jagged teeth. Five hundred Undead Kudamen rose from death meaning that Haki had a total of a thousand Kudamen under his command. They would be his general infantry with the Dragon Warriors being defensive units for the city and the Undead Knights being a special forces unit of sorts. [Name: Kudaman Warrior Race: Undead Kudaman Coalescence Level: 45 Available Cycle Shards: 0 Health Points (HP): 540/540 Willpower (W): 110/110 DPH (Damage Per Hit): 50 Defence Rating: 2% Equipment: [Leather Loincloth] (+2% DR) Skills and Abilities: [Bestial Vigour] (+100HP), [Death Throe Call] (if HP<100, 3x DMG), [Healing Touch] (1W-, +10HP), [Vineal Snare] (-5W), [Vitality Surge] (15W-, +50HP), [Renewal Blossom] (-50%W, +50%HP), [Breath of the World] (-MAXW, +MAXHP), [Ember Burst] (-1W, 10DMG), [Flame Whip] (-5W, 30DMG), [Infernal Arrow] (-15W, 55DMG), [Reignition] (-40W, +80HP) Artifacts: None] ¡°Huh¡­ looks like those who return do so with half their Willpower,¡± Haki noted aloud before glancing at Maranam to find that she was dozing off on his shoulder. He smiled warmly before guiding her back to Massacre where he commanded that Dhreen accommodate the newly Undead. Haki then led Maranam into the chamber that was now there where he laid her down. ¡°Goodnight. See you in three months.¡± He softly kisses her forehead before sliding off of the stone bed. However, just as his feet touched the floor, the air grew significantly colder. Haki immediately squeezed his fists and was about to activate all of his buffs when a figure urged that he stop from within the shadows on the edge of the chamber. ¡°I ask that you ease your wrath Champion of Death. I simply wish to speak with you. On behalf of the Moon.¡± Sasa whispered but Haki still kept his guard up. ¡°What do you want?¡± Sasa walked up to Haki and crossed his arms. ¡°I can see that you are preparing for the coming war and simply wish to inform you that more valuable than the number troops, is knowledge. I want you to know that Goddess V¨¡?kkai will not be participating in the war.¡± Haki¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°As proof of the truth of my words, I give my arm to you. Although I¡¯d like it back when we ascend the highest mount.¡± Sasa summoned a glossy black Sickle which he used to cleanly cut off his left arm which fell at Haki¡¯s feet. ¡°She heard Goddess Maranam¡¯s wishes and while she disagrees, insisting that this world is for the mortals to do with as they please, Goddess V¨¡?kkai thinks that there should be no issue with the gods claiming the moon for themselves. So, should the warpath prove futile, feel free to visit the land of Tsuki no Mura with my arm in hand. We will do our best to resolve the conflict between the Sun and Death while also pursuing a path where the Goddess can be themselves, not beholden to the Cycle or ancient promises.¡± Sasa offered as he froze his arm and wound, stopping them both from bleeding. ¡°Please consider each of my words carefully.¡± The ninja whispered before disappearing again leaving Haki alone in a silence which allowed him to reflect on everything that had happened and everything that was to follow. Sasa¡¯s offer was definitely intriguing but it also relied on the possibility that ¨¡??al would forgive Haki and, based purely on the hatred and grief he heard in her voice when he killed Kaloka¨ªri, that wasn¡¯t possible. War was an inevitability. 12. Sacred is the Light Cynhesrwydd''s eyes shook with horror as she and three other Mending Sisters cast [Healing Touch] on the corpse of the champion of the Sun. Kaloka¨ªri had just been brought in by the Goddess of Light, who demanded that Cyn and her sisters heal the headless champion. However, several sisters had already run out of Willpower, leaving them as husks of their former selves. Their minds forever lost to their own bodies. Cyn held her shaking hands up while trying not to look at Kaloka¨ªri¡¯s disfigured head which was placed just above her body on a pedestal of polished white marble. ¡°Enough!¡± Cyn turned her hazel eyes to the brightly lit chamber¡¯s entrance to see an elderly woman clad in a gown of pure white cotton and intricate golden embroidery. Much like most others in ¨ªlios, her skin was darkly tanned and her gown had a hood but even that wasn¡¯t enough to protect her fully from the glaring rays of light that washed into the chamber from the tall windows above. The elder¡¯s weary brown eyes gave Cyn and her sisters a turn and she eventually sighed in defeat. ¡°We have done what we can. Alas, the champion is dead. We have been instructed to preserve her body but that task will be given to your sisters. You three should get some rest for now.¡± The elder spoke softly and kindly as if she empathized with their fatigue completely. Cyn and her sisters deeply bowed before leaving the chamber which was at the heart of the largest Prism in all of Mahali. Prisms were places where people gathered to worship the Cycle and its life-giving light. People also revered the dutiful Goddesses although Prisms in different provinces revered a specific Goddess over the other two with ¨¡??al being the most loved in ¨ªlios. Cyn and her sisters made their way to the dormitory section of the Prism of Apollon, their home where they silently entered their shared bedchambers. Cyn sat on her bed as her younger sisters looked at her with concerned eyes. One of them, a little girl, walked up to her and offered her a sunflower. A common but adored plant in ¨ªlios. Cyn accepted the flower with a smile before placing one of its petals in her tightly braided golden blond hair. The little girl bowed happily before doing a little spin and returning to the sisters who were closer to her age, leaving Cyn to contemplate her life and everything that had led her up to this point. While healers were fairly common in Mahali, Mending Sisters were orphaned girls who were taken in by Cyclist Priests for the sake of charitably healing the injured and the sick. Life in its totality was the most valuable thing to Cyclists and so the orphaned girls were taught medicine and chemistry along with healing magic which they were able to access thanks to the Cycle Shards charitable knights who would donate to their local Prisms, as rare as they were. When Mending Sisters weren¡¯t healing the wounded, they were tending their own personal gardens which were part of a collection of gardens behind every Prism. Whenever she was stressed, Cyn would think about her garden and the time she¡¯d spent with it. It was said that a Mending Sister¡¯s fate was tied to her garden but, for as long as Cyn could remember, her garden always consisted of a few dandelions and various weeds. Weeds which the Priests ended up letting her keep since she struggled to keep anything else alive. Cyn took a deep breath before standing and making her way to the gardens behind the Primism which stood as a monument of marble and glass that was ten stories tall, consisting of tall, vertical slabs of stone that got progressively tall towards the centre, creating a sleek tower that rose as if to pierce the heavens. Cyn knelt by her garden and watched as her plants meekly drank the light of the sun. Their silence would be her only comfort since the sorrows of a Mending Sister were never to be known since they were supposed to be the ones who comforted.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Not even among each other could they lament or give voice to their woes. Cyn sat for what must have been thirty minutes before eventually returning to the dorms where she laid her head to rest. As she dozed off, she thought about everything that had happened. The arrival of an actual Goddess. The corpse of the champion. The Oath of secrecy she and her sisters were made to take. And the dozen sisters who had lost their minds in trying to resurrect a corpse, something that was unthinkable, even if it was for the sake of a champion. Cyn prayed for a peaceful resolution to all of this as she fell into sleep. She prayed to the ever-churning tides of the Cycle that all would be well when she next awoke for that was all the helpless could ever do. Pray. . .. The next day arrived tiredly. Cyn had barely managed to sleep as every waking thought was filled with the anguished screams of a god. After visiting the bathroom where she tried to wash the dread from her pale skin, Cyn made her way into the main atrium where she, to take her mind off of everything, tended to those in need. The main chambers of most Prisms were shaped like a U which allowed people to enter and leave the building in a single file to pray with the Mending Sisters who knelt along the path. Those who were injured would be healed and those who were crestfallen would be comforted. Cyn did this for a few hours but found herself constantly thinking back to what she had witnessed. She had seen countless injuries but had never seen an actual corpse before. Focusing was getting harder and each breath was shorter than the last But she managed to make it to the end of the day without completely falling apart. The sun finally set and the doors to the Prism were closed, allowing Cyn to stand from her marble seat. Se then made her way to the medical ward where injured sisters were taken along with those who had unfortunately depleted their Willpower. These husks of women were bound to their beds, covered in their own drool and other body fluids which brought Cyn endless Agony as she stood by the entrance to the ward. ¡°Oh- Sister Cyn. I was just about to look for you.¡± Cyn turned around to find one of her sisters standing behind her with a sneaky expression. Her eyes were narrowed and she was hunched forward. ¡°What is the matter, Sister Nhanga?¡± ¡°We have been summoned back into the heart of the Prism by the elder. She says she has something she wants to tell us and us alone.¡± Nhanga whispered while trying her best to be inconspicuous which made Cyn smile a little. ¡°Alright. Let us see what she has in store for us.¡± The two made their way back into the chamber where the Champion¡¯s remains were being held and tended to by a single Mending Sister. Next to her was another sister and the elder priest of the Prism. ¡°You summoned us, Madam?¡± Cyn asked after giving the elder a curtsey. ¡°A terrible development. According to the Goddess ¨¡??al herself, the one responsible for the murder of champion Kaloka¨ªri was a wretched being known as Haki. A remnant of ancient malevolent forces that seeks to establish itself in our world wielding the corpses of those it kills.¡± The elder¡¯s words made the sisters¡¯ expressions stiffen. ¡°That being of darkness is now amassing a force of terrible others that will soon descend onto the world of men but rejoice for the Goddess is mobilizing the forces of both ¨ªlios and Ardania to form a host that will be led by the Great Generals of each province who will face It in the den it has chosen in Qaya.¡± Cyn¡¯s brows furrowed a little. ¡°The combined forces will be fifty thousand individuals strong and while they will have their own healers and Mending Sisters, I want you to go there, not just to heal but to comfort, guide and inspire those who will surely rise as champions of their own in the coming days.¡± The elder warmly smiled. ¡°So¡­ does that mean we¡¯re going to Qaya?¡± Nhanga asked with widened eyes. ¡°Yes. You, Cynhesrwydd and Z¨£och¨¦n will represent Apollon in the delivery of justice. The forces are amassing in Qaya but I¡¯d rather you prepare your things so you may begin the lengthy journey there before nightfall. You should be there in two days and worry not, you will be accommodated well.¡± Cyn bit her teeth. Too much was happening. She and her sisters were essentially being sent to war but war was a thing of ancient history since most Emperors resolved all disputes single-handily and without question since they held the ultimate power. But the Emperor of the current age had long since died, meaning the denizens of Mahali had to resolve this on their own. ¡°I look forward to hearing from you soon. The Prince Regent should make a declaration soon so you needn¡¯t worry about maintaining secrecy in your travels.¡± Cyn joined her sisters in curtseying the elder before they left the chamber. The three walked to their dorms silently even though each knew that the others¡¯ minds were racing. They then packed their things, a second gown, her dried washcloth and a bronze pendant which depicted the Cycle, and met by the front entrance of the Prism where they were bathed in the harsh rays of sun that always poured over ¨ªlios. They then entered the carriage that awaited them at the bottom of the grand marble staircase and set off for Qaya which was about three hundred kilometres to the west. The three rode in silence but wore different, telling expressions. Cyn was visibly apprehensive, her brows knotted and her eyes sharp. Nhanga was excited for some reason, staring out the carriage as they rode out of the clean and illustrious city that was also the seat of the current Emperor. And Z¨£och¨¦n seemed angered for whatever reason. Cyn chose not to ask and knew her sisters wouldn¡¯t tell her their thoughts any time soon. She took comfort in the fact that whatever was causing so much trouble was going to be swiftly dealt with so all she''d have to do is perform her normal duties until it was all over and return home. She leaned back and sighed. A smirk played on her face as she pitted whatever entity that had chosen to face the might of man. After all, they had the backing of a god. Who could possibly oppose them? 13. Anointed by Fear Cyn wanted to vomit. While she expected that the lodging in Qaya wouldn¡¯t be as comfortable as the dorms Apollon, the air around the makeshift Prism of wood and hay smelled like piss and manure since it was right next to the stables which held ten thousand horses. The humidity of Qaya didn¡¯t help either and Cyn felt like the very act of breathing was shortening her life. ¡°Welcome, sisters. I am Brother Roy and I must say, it is a delight to be in the presence of ones so pure.¡± A short, middle-aged man with greying black hair warmly smiled while leading the sisters into the rickety structure wherein two hundred other Mending Sisters were crammed. Most of them, unlike Cyn''s trio, wore drab dirty gowns made from worn materials or even burlap. They openly spoke to each other through dry lips and some could even be seen crying here and there, something which made Cyn¡¯s group frown as they were led into their own private room at the back of the dank wooden building. ¡°Please, make yourselves at home and if you need me, I¡¯m usually in the main chamber or in my office.¡± Roy nodded before leaving the three to themselves. Z¨£och¨¦n closed the door while wrinkling her tanned face with a frown. She exchanged annoyed glances with her sisters and Nhanga voiced their thoughts. ¡°Pity the unclean and the ignorant. Teach them instead the path towards cleanliness and divinity.¡± Cyn and Z¨£och¨¦n nodded at their sister¡¯s recitation before sitting on the room¡¯s sole bed which was simply a collection of crates with an old blanket on top. The three allowed themselves a moment of silent reflection before leaving the room and making their way to the main chamber where they sat along the U-shaped path. They immediately stood out as their clean skin and clothes seemingly made them glow in the dim grey light of the overcast sky that stumbled into the wooden parish. The common folk and soldiers all sought to be in their presence but the rule was to keep moving along the path after a Mending Sister attended you. One soldier in particular walked up to Cyn¡¯s wooden pedestal where he knelt with widened eyes and a dirty face that was taunt with youth. ¡°Sacred is the light, sister.¡± He greeted and Cyn replied warmly. ¡°Sacred indeed.¡± The soldier nodded before narrowing his weary eyes. ¡°Tell me, sister¡­ the evil that is said to have arisen¡­ can it be stopped by the hands of us mere men? I-I heard that the Goddess of Light herself spoke to the sisters in Apollon so I was hoping you could illuminate us on just what it is we¡¯re facing.¡± ¡°But of course! Was it not the mortal hands of the first Emperor that brandished the Ruler¡¯s Charge all those ages ago and was it not the hands of every Emperor that followed that allowed the eventuality of your birth?¡± A man wearing a pure white uniform that was adorned with all manner of medals and patches bellowed as he approached Cyn, skipping the line of people who also wanted to speak to a sister. Tailing behind the decorated man with fiery red hair and sun-kissed skin were three elite knights, as shown by the grand circular halos they carried on their backs. The first knight wore a suit of full golden armour and brandished a spear that seemed to burn with the fires of the sun itself. Carved into the centre of his chest plate was the crest of the House of the Sun, displaying a proud knight in the centre of the sun itself. The second was clad in heavy, slightly dirtied steel. She brandished a great mace and a thick steel shield which bore the crest of house Ardi which held a meaning that was lost on almost all in Mahali. A great tree at the centre of a mystical circle. The last among these towering figures did not wear his helmet, revealing his scarred face and heavy brow. His armour was the dirtiest and was edged with rust, the steel whining with his every move. Resting on his shoulder was a steel sword that was as long as most men were tall. His chest bore the mark of Qaya, a thorned spear. These were the protectors of their respective realms. Called to action by the arrival of a new threat. The decorated man moved in front of the soldier who still knelt in front of Cyn and grinned. ¡°Does that answer match the words you would have chosen?¡± Cyn gave him no response, facial or otherwise but the grinning man ignored her non-answer and turned to the people behind him.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°And as for the evil that has arisen, it is a wretched undead!¡± Gasps and murmurs steadily filled the air. ¡°I, the Great General Julian, alongside fifty thousand men from across Mahali, have been chosen to vanquish the wretch and when we do, we will be remembered as the ones who fought their own battles without relying on their Emperor or his regents!¡± Hums of applause took the air along with a few cheers which made Cyn wince a little. Not from doubt but caution. ¡°Anyway, I came to personally welcome you to Qaya. Lord Mashi would have come himself but he is currently occupied with all the tedium that comes with hosting an army.¡± Julian struggled to hide his excitement. ¡°With all that said, I look forward to your counsel when the coming battle commences. The scouts we sent out should be back before long and, on that note, I bid you a very good afternoon.¡± Julian gave Cyn a dignified bow before leaving alongside his entourage of metal suits. Cyn then went about fulfilling her duties alongside her sisters for the rest of the day but by the time the sun sunk into the horizon, Cyn was tired of being in the stuffy prism and so she left for a bit, taking in the outside air which was only marginally cooler. Marching past the prism which stood opposite the main command tent where Julius and other senior soldiers strategized. The men who trudged past varied in all aspects from age to rank, and gear and some weren¡¯t men at all. Some wore worn cotton drabs and held thin spears tipped with the tinniest slivers of steel while others dragged their steel-encased bodies across the mud. The elite knights were the most exceptional, standing two heads taller than most thanks to their supernatural amounts of vigour which was granted to them by the Cycle Shards they acquired over long years of service. They all wielded weapons that would have otherwise been impossible to carry for an ordinary man and stood poised as if they were ready to strike at any given moment. Cyn found a bench by the Prism¡¯s entrance where she sat with a sigh. She closed her eyes and frowned at just how loud life outside Apollon was. A droplet then grazed her cheek from above, prompting her eyes to open and they immediately widened upon seeing that what had touched her cheek was blood. She looked up and let out a terrified scream as the head of a man suddenly fell by her feet. Several more screams and gasps followed hers as heads and various other body parts rained onto the encampment. Cyn¡¯s quaking gaze fell to the head at her feet. It was encased in a familiar steel helmet. One belonging to soldiers from Ardania. Several horns were sounded and, in her panic, Cyn rushed back into the Prism where she found a curiously frightened Nhanga and Z¨£och¨¦n. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I-I I think the enemy is attacking!¡± Cyn cried as the sisters around her clung to the walls of the Prism but before any of them could process anything that was happening, several knights barged into the Prism, grabbing a sister each and dragging them out. Leading this forceful retrieval was the Elite Knight from Qaya who glared at the scene as it unfolded. His dark bald head was lined with scars and his jaw seemed perpetually clenched. One of the knights then grabbed Z¨£och¨¦n, his eyes rattling with the same fear that welled within the sister he held. ¡°Come on! We need healers on the front-¡° The knight crashed onto the floor as the knight from Qaya shoved him with his free hand. ¡°Not those three. They can stay.¡± He grunted flatly as the knight stumbled onto his feet. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Cyn¡¯s group then watched as almost half of the two hundred sisters were taken. Ordered to watch over them was a platoon of soldiers who nervously stood along the U path the sisters had been instructed to sit along as loud but distant explosions shook the air. ¡°What in the world happened, man? Why didn¡¯t the scouts say anything?¡± One soldier whimpered. ¡°I heard that they hadn¡¯t returned yet.¡± Another answered. ¡°I saw one of the heads that fell¡­ that was one of them¡­ one of the scouts.¡± The air stiffened after those words and the back of Cyn¡¯s head ached terribly as she experienced more stress in this moment than she had in her entire life. ¡°Alright, pipe down! Don¡¯t spook the sisters any further.¡± ¡°Yes, lieutenant!¡± A terrible silence followed. No screams, no explosions or even the wind. Then the ground shook. Something was coming, numerous and heavy. The soldiers all raised their spears and their lieutenant his sword as the shaking intensified feeling as though a slow stampede was heading their way. Cyn stared out of the Prism¡¯s front door with eyes that were so wide open, they hurt. The smell of burnt flesh proceeded their arrival. Five beasts of claw and iron. They stood twice as tall as most men, stood on thick-hooved legs and were clad in armour that had been darkened by fire. Their heads, resembling those of a goat, were capped with helmets that shadowed their eyes. They all wielded weapons that were made from a dull, off-white material. Stones that looked like sharp chunks of stone and clubs that were much the same but less defined. The soldiers all rushed to meet the beasts only for them to be cut down like meat to be butchered. The sisters all watched as the twenty soldiers who had been told to protect them were mercilessly cleaved apart by beings who expressed no joy or hatred in what they did. They were efficient in every move, wasting not a single of their breaths or movements. Any attack by the defenders uselessly bounced off the thick plating that covered the beasts and even any that managed to sneak past the amour did little more. One of the soldiers tried running away, tossing aside his spear, fear tearing him from any reasoning as he loudly screamed towards one of the windows but before he could reach the open wooden frame, one of the beasts threw its club at him, the weapon firmly lodging itself in the back of his skull. With all of the soldiers dead, the beasts turned to the weeping sisters and, at this point, Cyn¡¯s heart was beating so fast, that she felt as though it would give in. One of the beasts stepped forward, letting out a grunt as it did. It then signalled the others with its right hand and three of its kin grabbed some of the sisters, each carrying two at a time. The three left and just as the first raised its hand to signal the last of its kin, something crashed into the Prism from one of the windows. It was the Elite Knight from Qaya and, without wasting a moment, he sent forth a torrent of water that forced the two beasts into the wall. He then grabbed Cyn and Nhanga before quickly rushing out from where he came. ¡°Wait! Z¨£och¨¦n is still in there!¡± Cyn cried as the knight ran behind the prism and into the stables where he was hidden by the sheds and smoke that filled the air. ¡°WAIT!¡± Cyn screamed but the knight had no intention of stopping. All Cyn could do was watch with eyes that ceaselessly wept, as the Prism grew more distant. 14. In Light and In Darkness Cyn listlessly rested her head against the grimy wall of the room she and Nhanga had been left in by the Elite Knight who had left only moments earlier. She glanced at her sister to see her sleeping restlessly on the room¡¯s sole cotton mattress. Her eyes then drifted to the window which allowed the solemn light of the morning sky to limp into the room which was on the second floor of an inn on the southeastern side of the city¡ªSunnyside. Below, panicked motions could be heard. Some thought of fleeing to either Ardania or Apollon while a brave few chose to stay and fight for their home. A call for reinforcements had been sent out to all states after it was reported that forty-five thousand of the fifty thousand soldiers had died with the rest being captured and this wasn¡¯t even the worst news. What filled the hearts of those in Qaya with fear was the fact that the corpses of the dead had been dragged into the Forest of Briars and everyone feared the worst. Cyn wanted to run back to Apollon but every time she thought about expressing the thought, an aching lump formed in her throat. She was a mending sister, after all. Her place was at the side of those in need and Qaya was full of the needy. The Elite Knight eventually returned with a leather sack in his free arm. His armour had been darkened by ash, dried blood, along with most of his head. He gently rested his great sword on the wall after closing the door and throwing the sack to Cyn who clumsily caught it as the knight leaned against the wall with a thud which awoke Nhanga. Cyn opened the sack to find several large pieces of bread as her sister yawned herself into sitting. ¡°Where is Sister Z¨£och¨¦n?¡± She whimpered prompting Cyn to glance at the knight who tiredly crossed his arms. ¡°I do not know. It would do you well not to think too deeply about her fate and instead focus on your duties as Mending Sisters.¡± Tears welled in Nhanga¡¯s eyes and a painful knot grew in Cyn¡¯s stomach. They knew that the knight was right but hearing those words felt like someone had dropped hot coals into their chests. ¡°Eat up. The enemy stands ever strong and the coming days will only be harder fought. So eat.¡± The knight spoke in a low thunder but his words bore no negative emotions, even though his brow was crusted with blood. Was he being gentle for their sake or was he just that jaded? Cyn didn¡¯t know. She didn¡¯t know anything in fact and so distracted herself by asking something trivial although her voice got caught in her throat as she spoke. ¡°A-alright, sir knight. And what may we call you?¡± ¡°The name is Fern.¡± ¡°Thank you for saving us, Sir Fern.¡± Cyn gave him a curtsey before handing Nhanga a piece of bread after which she retrieved one for herself. ¡°I needn¡¯t be thanked. Your rescue was most vital since, faced with such a humiliating defeat, morale is at its lowest. The people will need something to keep them going and to keep them fighting. Faith isn¡¯t enough. They need to hear it. To see it. The pillars of their hopes.¡± Fern¡¯s words were an echo of the duty she felt but one glance was all Cyn needed to know that Nhanga wasn¡¯t ready to face anyone or anything at the moment. ¡°Sister?¡± ¡°Mmm?¡± Nhanga softly whined as Cyn sat by her side. ¡°If you are not ready just let me know. I would rather you recovered first before we did anything.¡± Cyn offered her right hand and Nhanga took it, a rare sign of affection between them. ¡°I could ask you the same thing, Cyn.¡± ¡°I am ready to give myself to fulfil the duty I was given.¡± ¡°Then I was give myself to my duty as well, for Z¨£och¨¦n''s sake as well.¡± The two nodded to each other before turning to Fern who looked at them with unmoved eyes. ¡°We¡¯re ready.¡± The confirmed in unison. ¡°Good, now eat your damn bread.¡± Fern¡¯s stern reminder startled them a little but it was enough to get them to eat although they spent most of their time chewing since their appetites were uncooperative.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Fern waited for them to finish before briefing them on his plan. ¡°Since the two of you are here as agents of the order, not its representatives, it would be foolish to expect any special treatment or aid. We must act independently but for the sake of the empire and we¡¯ll start right here by tending to those we can. Tell me, how many Cycle Shards have you each absorbed?¡± ¡°Nine.¡± ¡°Seven,¡± Nhanga answered after Cyn. ¡°Mmm¡­ that means both of you can cast [Healing Touch] forty-nine and thirty-nine times respectively. That¡¯ll have to do until I get you some more Shards.¡± Ferd tapped his smoothly shaven chin in thought. ¡°Why would you go that far for us?¡± Nhanga asked. ¡°These may be the delusions of a wizened knight but when I saw the three of you in that Prism, I saw the next pillars of faith and so I made it my mission to protect you and get you to where you are destined.¡± ¡°And where is that?¡± Cyn asked. ¡°I do not know. All I know, all my heart tells me, is that your survival will mean the ultimate triumph for all mankind.¡± The smallest sliver, a glimpse of a smile crept onto Fern¡¯s face and it soothed the ache in Cyn¡¯s chest, blooming within as well was her sense of duty which she swore to keep alive. Fern then led the sisters down into the lobby and as soon as they arrived, all fell silent. Fern stepped forward and planted his sword into the wooden floor a little. ¡°I know very well the taste of the fear that coats your hearts!¡± He bellowed, making sure to reach every man, woman and child in the dimly lit inn. ¡°But remember that even in the darkest of nights, the light shines through! My name is Fern and come to you with testimony from the front lines. Our enemy is indeed an undead but he also controls the unnamed violence that calls the Forest of Briars home. This combined terrible force cut our brave brothers to gore bits without relent, those who bore witness know this to be true but even when faced with this unspeaking horror, there was hope. We fought back and some of us were even able to survive thanks to the aid of the Mending Sisters who called upon the Cycle itself and guided us to safety!¡± Cyn¡¯s brow twitched a little. ¡°Like ushers sent from on high, these two helped me see the way, allowing me to stand before you today!¡± Everyone in the inn turned their now hopeful gazes towards Cyn and Nhanga. ¡°Using my faith as a well, they allowed me to draw strength from a place so deep within I could scarcely believe it was even there and so I ask that you do as you¡¯ve always done, my people! Sit with these sisters and deepen your faith! Only then will the path forward be revealed!¡± A tide of cheers erupted from the small crowd who all stood in an orderly line to speak with Cyn and Nhanga who were given two blankets to sit on as they tended to the crowd. Most who came simply prayed for the peaceful rest of those they¡¯d lost, a few came to have their injuries and sicknesses cured while the rest came to deepen their faith. They asked about the Cycle, its origins, its purpose and the meaning of life. Those who believed in Cycle as a deity had an answer to each question. The Cycle was not only the essence of all of existence but also the desire for perpetuity. Perpetuity of being through the near-endless expanse of space. Perpetuity of thought through the propagation of life. And that constituted the meaning of life for there was nothing more beautiful than being succeeded by one¡¯s children and watching them experience all the joys and woes of living. Fern watched over Cyn and Nhanga as they bestowed this ideology to those who were willing to listen and it wasn¡¯t long before the inn was completely full. This was because, unlike what was the norm, Cyn and Nhanga were allowed to speak for as long as they liked. They also answered any questions they were asked and joined the crowd in pondering that which could not easily be answered during the breaks the sister took to rest and eat. The day ended late for the two but the mood was so positive, they barely felt the weight of their eyelids as Fern led them back into their room. ¡°Marvelous work, both of you.¡± He nodded and the two women, who hadn¡¯t stopped warmly smiling nodded back. ¡°And thank you again, sir Fern. For saving us and allowing us to preach the truth of the Cycle, the truth of all things.¡± Fern nodded at Cyn¡¯s thanks as Nhanga yawned while stumbling into bed. ¡°Get some rest, both of you. Tomorrow will be long now that people have heard the impassioned voices of two Mending Sisters. More will come and your words will clad them in something tougher than any armour.¡± The knight rumbled while stepping out of the room. ¡°Goodnight, sir Fern!¡± Cyn cooed and the knight closed the door. She then glanced at Nhanga to find that she was already asleep which was understandable since it was past midnight. Cyn gently rested her hand on her sister¡¯s before closing her eyes as well, all the while hoping that Z¨£och¨¦n and all who had died found comfort in the ever-reaching arms of the Cycle. . .. Z¨£och¨¦n had been awake for almost forty-eight hours as she sat among the imprisoned in the frigid city she¡¯d learnt was called Massacre. Those who were captured in the attack on the encampment just south of Qaya had been forced to walk as they were through the treacherous Forest of Briars, stripping the ill-equipped of their clothes and shoes leaving their bare skin to the elements. Any who tried to flee were not only quickly caught, by beings who Z¨£o learnt were called the Kudamen, they were then presented to the almost five thousand others and brutally slaughtered by slow and brutal means. Those who made it past the towering ice walls of the city of nightmares were then led into one of many buildings of solid stone that were so unimaginably big, that they made ordinary humans look like rodents. Watching over them in this cold and dark space were the Kudamen and two beings who seemed like the true tenants of the buildings. Creatures who, even though she was quite learned, Z¨£o didn¡¯t recognize. They didn¡¯t speak, wore cracked remnants of armour, and had bodies that were somehow both withered and pale but also looked incredibly resilient. Z¨£o wanted to cry but she had long since run out of tears to shed in the forest and so she weakly clutched her mostly naked form which ceaselessly rattled under the cold air of Massacre. "Welcome, honoured guests, to what will become the seat of the new age! The City of Death!" The words seemed to come from the entrance of the building but they reverberated endlessly as if the speaker was bigger than the building and even the city. In truth, he who had spoken, while much taller than ordinary men, was dwarfed by the gargantuan creatures at his side. He had dark skin that had a rough, stone-looking texture, had a head of blood-red hair and wore a regal golden gown. He spoke with a nobility that didn¡¯t match his grin, a grin made more terrifying by his eyes which dimly glowed. ¡°My name is Haki and, depending on your choice, I will either be the lord you next serve¡­ or the one who ends our life.¡± 15. Living in His Mercy Those who still had the strength gasped and began to weep again at Haki¡¯s cruel words. ¡°Those who choose to serve may remain still and those who wish to carry out one final act of defiance may step forward to face me in combat. Victory for the brave who defeats me means you would all be free from my machinations.¡± Another sick grin crawled across his face, his jagged teeth letting his dagger words pass unimpeded. No one dared move. Not even the Elite Knight clad in what was left of his golden plating. Z¨£o had spotted him in the crowd and the Kudamen had taken extra care to bind his arms in thick vines. Arms which had been brutally broken after he fiercely resisted capture. ¡°Oh? So, none of you will fight for your own sakes? If you are sincere in your choice, bow before me so that I may bless you, allowing you to fight for mine.¡± Everyone around Z¨£o began lowering their heads until they touched the ground. In her moment of hesitation, Z¨£o saw that the Elite Knight sat completely upright, making Haki¡¯s eyes narrow slightly. ¡°I¡­ I vow to not only willingly bow before y-you, I will diligently serve as your blade but¡­ may this lowly one make a request on behalf of all who kneel at your feet?¡± The knight pleaded through bloodied teeth. ¡°Go ahead.¡± The knight weakly nodded in thanks. ¡°Please spare those who serve you from unearned pain.¡± He begged and this made Haki¡¯s face soften significantly. His grin replaced by a deep consideration and a look of empathy that made Z¨£o gasp a little. Haki walked towards the knight, taking care not to step on any of the kneeling. He then looked down at him with eyes that radiated an aching warmth. ¡°My one promise to all who choose to serve me is equal treatment, so long as you join and aid me on the march towards my destination, I will not lay a harmful finger on any of you or utter a venomous word.¡± Z¨£o didn¡¯t want to believe it. These were just honeyed words the great evil before them was using to lull them into a state of vulnerability. Her racing heart could not even bear to imagine what was in store for them now that they had been broken down to the point of choosing subservience. Ultimately, Zap knew that the decision the knight was about to make was the only real one besides what could only have been an excruciating death. The knight bowed, prompting Z¨£o to do the same but this meant she could no longer see Haki¡¯s face or what he was doing. The great evil let out what sounded like a pleased hum before making a motion that made Z¨£o flinch just by hearing the sound although no pain came from it. ¡°Mmm¡­ I wonder what¡¯ll happen if I use this...¡± He muttered to himself. The air then warmed a little and everyone who knelt, including Z¨£o, let out a loud sigh as she felt a wave of relief unlike any she had experienced in her twenty or so years of living. The gashes across her legs, ones she¡¯d gained from trekking through the forest, closed and her body filled with an energy that was both incredible and gentle. The air also filled with the scent of flowers, as if everyone was inside a lush garden. Many began to weep uncontrollably, adults and children alike, at this new and comforting feeling but they all kept their heads down. ¡°Alright¡­ now¡­¡± Haki continued to mutter to himself as he audibly made more motions, however, this time Z¨£o didn¡¯t flinch. She instead closed her eyes and accepted whatever was to come. She couldn¡¯t resist in the face of the force that was Haki and if he promised that everyone would be alright as long as they listened, then she was willing to listen. A wave of cold then followed and it came with it a sea of white smoke that hurt a little to breathe. It was a dull burn that darkened ones a vision the longer one took it in. Z¨£o curiously opened her eyes and watched as her hands grew a little thinner and as her dangling, silky black hair turned white. The smoke cleared and everyone¡¯s vision cleared. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡°You may sit to face me.¡± Everyone complied allowing all to see that they had all gotten thinner and had white hair. Z¨£o quickly turned her gaze to Haki who returned to his spot in front of them all. ¡°Now you are all Death Touched meaning, of all living things, you are now individual part of our vision. Closer to Death but that much more capable.¡± Everyone looked themselves over as Haki stepped towards the exit. ¡°I will allow you a moment to rest. The past few days have been rough on all of you, after all. One of my aides will then come to assist you after you¡¯ve had some time to catch your breaths. I will be in my chambers seeing how best to incorporate you into my plans but for now, that is all.¡± Haki turned and left alongside the Kudamen and giant creatures who now stood guard outside the doorway, leaving Z¨£o and everyone in a grim silence. The binds around the Elite Knight¡¯s arms were then undone by an unseen force, revealing that his arms had been healed as well. Mutters followed. Whispers asking what any were to do in this most bizarre of circumstances. Many flocked to the Elite Knight, who introduced himself as Radius, who tried his best to calm those close to panicking. ¡°Everyone, we are in the heart of the lands of our captors, it would do you well not to voice out each and every concern. For now, our only thoughts should be those of survival and that means doing exactly as we are told. The¡­ benevolent Haki said that he would allow us a moment to rest so I urge that you do just that. Lay down, close your tired eyes and, if he is a man of his word, nothing should happen to us. I¡­ I will do my best to protect you all should he decide to change his mind.¡± ¡°I as well!¡± ¡°Me too!¡± ¡°I know we have no choice but to believe him but better safe than sorry, right?¡± Several knights and soldiers rose as they spoke, a hundred in total, nowhere near large enough a number to resist but the sight comforted Z¨£o¡¯s aching heart a little. Their spirits weren¡¯t broken yet. And maybe¡­ there was a chance¡­ ¡°Alright, men. Stand guard around the common folk. Also, are there any Healers or Mending Sisters among us?¡± Radius asked and, at his word, several rose, including Z¨£o who Radius immediately recognized. ¡°All of you, come here. Our wounds seem to have been healed but just go over those you can and make sure they are all well.¡± Yes! Z¨£o celebrated internally. This was what a leader was supposed to be like. A beacon of resilience, hope and unity. Not someone who ruled through fear and force. Z¨£o made up her mind and vowed to resist until the bitter end while acting otherwise. For the sake of humanity. She joined the other healers in checking up on everyone and, in a turn she had yet to make sense of, all of them had been fully healed. Setting aside the unimaginable amount of Willpower required to heal almost five thousand people, she couldn¡¯t understand why he healed those he wished to subjugate. Wouldn¡¯t it be smarter to break not only their spirits but their bodies as well? Z¨£o sat alongside the other healers as things settled and it wasn¡¯t long after that a man, clad in armour that resembled the skin of the gigantic creatures that now stood outside, entered the dark chamber. He wore no helmet, revealing a weathered middle-aged face and a head of dark, curly hair that had a few whitened strands. His eyes were sharp, scanning the whole crowd before him as one would when herding animals What surprised Z¨£o the most was just how human he appeared. What was such a man doing in this nightmarish place? ¡°My name is Herald and I will relay your Lord¡¯s wishes to you as well as ensure your needs are well known to him. Follow me.¡± He turned and led the crowd outside where their bodies were reacquainted with the city¡¯s biting cold air. Far above were the ice walls and within their bounds were humongous buildings of stone which Herald led everyone through along streets that were as wide as entire city centres. Z¨£o joined everyone in jumping with fear as a group of creatures crawled past them. They looked like beetles but were as big as elephants and had bodies that looked as hard as steel. Z¨£o knew of them. The feared Moon Beatles of the Forest of Briars. Her stomach ached as she wondered just how many Haki had possibly domesticated as Herald led her group to what would be their new home. Build within one of the superstructures of the City of Death were countless wooden homes that were built along and atop each other in neat rows that lined the cubical space with most being along the walls and a stack being in the middle. ¡°There are a thousand accommodations in this building, you are free to distribute them among yourselves but I will expect a list of every resident and their unit number before the week ends, is that understood?¡± Herald crossed his arms behind his back. ¡°Yes¡­ sir.¡± Radius answered. ¡°This place is fitted with a mess hall that has what you need for two meals a day. You will be resupplied every week although some of you will be expected to work as farmers.¡± Everyone who understood nodded and hummed in acknowledgement. ¡°And while some of you will be allowed to serve more domestic roles, a majority of you will be joining Lord Haki¡¯s forces so that he may reshape this world in his vision.¡± The air grew heavy at Herald¡¯s words. ¡°That is all-¡° ¡°Pardon me, sir Herald. May I ask how the selection for inscription will work and will some be able to choose other jobs instead?¡± ¡°Selection will be by aptitude.¡± Radius clenched his jaw a little at Herald''s answer. ¡°Anything else?¡± ¡°Are you human?¡± Z¨£o, who stood close to the two men asked and Herald dragged his unfeeling gaze to her. ¡°Yes.¡± His reply echoed endlessly in her mind. How could he be human if he didn¡¯t shed at least a single tear for those who had been so cruelly captured? ¡°Is that all?¡± He raised a brow and this time, no one spoke prompting him to nod before he turned to leave. Everyone watched him walk towards the largest building in the city¡ªthe seat of death. Radius shook himself free of his daze and turned to the homes his people had been given. ¡°Let us visit the mess hall first, I¡¯m sure many of you are well beyond hungry now.¡± Radius directed before leading everyone to the central stack of homes which also held with it a large hall which most certainly couldn¡¯t hold five thousand people but Radius organized everyone in such a way that they could be fed even if they sat outside. Z¨£o was among those who couldn¡¯t get space inside and so she sat on the cold ground as a team of people cooked in the mess hall. Meals were then distributed by the soldiers from before who ensured that everyone got a wooden bowl of what appeared to be a simple vegetable stew. Z¨£o joined everyone in eating and she let out a sigh as the tinniest amount of the tension she felt was released. The meal, much like his words, lulled her into believing that maybe¡­ 16. A Hidden Founding Z¨£och¨¦n never knew how hard some people had it. Yes, she was a Mending Sister and it was her duty to listen to the woes of the needy but their words never reached her until she reached the city of Massacre. In her fear and dread, she became more attentive and more understanding. She knew now that beyond the pearlescent walls of Apollon, her birthplace was a fractured and starving world. The succession of Emperors wasn¡¯t a smooth passing of the torch but a gauntlet which brought out the worst in the Houses that had once sworn to protect all of humanity. As she had experienced, they gathered whatever power they could for themselves and their cities leaving everyone else to fend for themselves. Apollon, home of this age¡¯s Emperor was a grand and prosperous place but Z¨£o didn¡¯t even remember what the slums she rode past looked like on her to Qaya. She sat hunched over and weary in the small Prism erected just in front of the central stack of homes in the complex that had become her home in the week that had passed. She and nineteen other Mending Sisters tended to the fearful and grieving in the city where the sun¡¯s light seemed the slightest bit paler. Oddly enough food, water and sanitation weren¡¯t an issue which would have brought relief into any heart but Z¨£o was still cautious. Why were the living being treated so well in the city of Death? She had seen them herself. Undead Kudamen who were just as armed as their living kin and whispers among the human population suggested that there were some undead humans in Massacre as well but this was all dwarfed by the rumour that those who had died in Qaya had been dragged into Massacre but no corpses had been seen and hiding forty thousand dead bodies seemed too implausible so Z¨£o tried not thinking too deeply on it. The day eventually came to an end but, just as Z¨£o and her sisters prepared to leave the little parish, Herald entered the building, making them all stand in a neat line by their wooden pedestals. ¡°Good afternoon, sir.¡± They greeted in unison as he approached with his hands crossed behind his back. It was a known fact that he never travelled with a weapon which led the human population to assume that he was just so powerful that he didn¡¯t need one. ¡°Afternoon. I come bearing an invitation from Lord Haki himself.¡± The sisters all gasped, whether silently or aloud. ¡°He wishes to establish a division of scholars who will study and learn what they can from the past so that we may make more informed decisions in the present. It is not a matter of force so only follow me if you are interested.¡± Z¨£o digested his words. She could not begin to comprehend why an evil entity would want to study but this was an opportunity. If she could get closer to the evil¡­ maybe she could discover some kind of weakness, if he had any. ¡°I would like to volunteer.¡± She stepped forward alongside two others. ¡°Then follow me,¡± Herald said before leading the three out of the Prism and towards the Seat of Death. A building that towered above the monoliths around it. They arrived at the stairs leading up to its grand entrance, one which was guarded by two of what Z¨£o had learnt were called dragons. Herald and the sisters were allowed to enter the dimly lit grand chamber to find, standing around a grand wooden table in the centre of the space, Haki, his father Kutsunga, Dhreen the Kudamen Chief and the Crescent King. Littered around the chamber were stacks of stone tablets, paper documents and maps. However, what caught Z¨£o¡¯s attention the most was the large bed in the back that was veiled in white smoke. Very few people were allowed into the Seat of Death but those who had gotten the chance spoke of a bed where Haki¡¯s supposed wife was supposedly lying in eternal sleep. He often spoke of a vision he shared with someone and people suspected it might have been his queen of sorts. ¡°Alright, gentlemen. Give them another week and then we¡¯ll knock on their doors like the tax man.¡± Haki grinned in a way that made Z¨£o¡¯s skin crawl. As if the tens of thousands that had died didn¡¯t mean a damn thing. ¡°Of you all go now.¡± ¡°I still don¡¯t know why you invite me to these if you are not going to give me a leadership role.¡± Kutsunga clicked his tongue as he turned to leave along with Dhreen and the Crescent King. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°What can I say, I like having you around. Now go help Herald with that thing.¡± Haki cackled playfully making Kutsunga visibly shudder. ¡°Sure. Send me instead to your sea of corpses.¡± Haki waved his council goodbye before turning his eyes to Z¨£o and company. ¡°Greetings, sisters. Please, come.¡± Haki smiled prompting Herald to walk to the table, signalling that the sisters do the same. They did so and, after deeply bowing, came face to face with Haki for the first time. He towered over them, even when they stood and beneath his flowing gown was a body that seemed almost indestructible. ¡°I''m sure Herald explained the essence of my plan for you, although-¡° Haki stopped as two people entered the chamber prompting everyone to turn and look. Walking towards the table were two Kudamen females who looked almost identical to their male counterparts in that they were two and a half meters tall, had lean muscular bodies, had white fur since they were Death Touched as well and had goat heads. The only difference was that, apart from having smaller horns, they also had a pair of breasts which were now bound in a white binder. Their hips were also now wrapped in white skirts which puzzled Z¨£o since what she had read on the Kudamen described them as dark, savage beasts. ¡°Greetings, Lord Massacre.¡± The two bowed before standing next to the sisters. ¡°Oh- yes, I was about to say that this division will be born as a result of all our combined efforts so that we may shed our ignorance, prejudices and other such things that would otherwise shackle us in place.¡± Haki¡¯s gaze met that of everyone before him. ¡°Unfortunately, Mara fell asleep before I could thoroughly rake her omnipresent mind for all it knew but I think this has presented us an opportunity to gain that knowledge ourselves but here¡¯s the thing. I don¡¯t just want you to be scholars and adventures¡­ I want you to be warriors of truth as well. So that the knowledge and insight that would otherwise be held by scholars, priests and sisters alone may grace the minds of all who seek to learn.¡± He did it again. Smiling as warmly as a brother speaking to his siblings. Z¨£o wasn¡¯t sure who he was referring to when speaking of ¡°Mara¡± but it was a detail she decided to temporarily shelve. ¡°Feel free to ask me whatever burning questions you may have.¡± Haki raised both brows. ¡°M-may I ask your lordship a¡­ question?¡± Z¨£o found herself struggling to even speak in his presence even though he hadn¡¯t done anything yet. ¡°Go ahead.¡± Z¨£o nodded while furiously wringing her hands. ¡°To what end do you seek this knowledge, my lord?¡± she felt as though her throat was on fire and her heart felt like it would burst from her chest. ¡°I have two answers to that wonderful question. The first is pragmatic. We are at war and it would serve me well if the learned and skilled were readily available. It would be all well and good if I had legions of killing machines but who would feed them, heal them and help me strategize? The second is more idealistic. It would be far too much work to only start educating my citizens after the war ends so I want to begin that process now so that the Massacre of the future is the seat of not only power but knowledge as well.¡± ¡°But¡­ how does the prospering of your people help you, my lord?¡± Z¨£o pressed. It just didn¡¯t make sense. Evil had no desire for any kind of benevolence. ¡°If my people are well-fed, well-educated and occupied, then it¡¯s one less thing for me to worry about. Unlike my father, I understand that it is important for any ruling system to keep a majority of its residents occupied and relatively happy lest the seeds of resentment and rebellion. I wouldn¡¯t have turned on my father if he wasn¡¯t a piece of shit, humanity wouldn¡¯t have turned on the dragons if they weren¡¯t assholes and so on.¡± Z¨£o nodded although she still needed time to completely wrap her mind around what she had just heard. ¡°My lord?¡± One of the Kudamen spoke. "Yes?" ¡°Will Kudamen have a place in the new world?¡± ¡°Most definitely, so long as you keep behaving.¡± Haki nodded enthusiastically. ¡°My Lord?¡± One of Z¨£o¡¯s sisters spoke. "Go ahead." ¡°So¡­ what exactly will we be doing?¡± ¡°Your mission will be long and arduous. It may even be decades before any of you are allowed to rest but in essence, you will amass, document, copy and distribute the knowledge you find to students of your own who, in time will do the same but it will not be limited to what we have behind these walls. Once you are done with all you can study here, you will go out into the world and learn even more!¡± Haki¡¯s exclamation took everyone but Herald aback a little. ¡°And so, before you start studying, you will be trained and made the ultimate warriors because the mind is a most precious thing and your minds above all will be the most sacred. Our dear Herald will provide you with a separate space to train and live. Mara wakes up in two and a half months so I want you to be ready in one. It will be hard, you will be pushed to the brink but it is there, on the verge of death, that we discover ourselves. Now, go. You now have access to almost all of Massacre and its resources and with Herald as your administrator, I expect your training will go smoothly. He¡¯s the one who trained the Kudamen in such a short time, after all.¡± Everyone bowed before Haki and promptly exited the Seat of Death. Herald then led the five newly made group towards the edge of the city and as they walked, he asked. ¡°What would you like to name yourselves?¡± The women all looked at each other. ¡°The Order of the Gathered Word.¡± Everyone looked at the Kudaman who had made the suggestion. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ pretty good,¡± Herald admitted. ¡°T-thanks.¡± The Kudamen said while shyly turning her inexpressive face away. The group eventually arrived at one of the super buildings that was right against the Ice Wall and, consequently, the air here was incredibly cold. Fortunately, Z¨£o and her sister wore wintery clothing since Massacre was generally cold regardless of the time of day it was. The fact that winter was approaching didn¡¯t change anything either and the Kudamen were fine thanks to their thick skin and fur. Herald walked up to the smaller, human-sized door that had been set up within the dragon-sized doorway. It had been erected along with a wooden wall to obscure whatever would come to occur inside. He opened the door revealing a dark frigid space filled with all manner of buildings that were dimly lit by distant lantern light. ¡°Each of you will return to your lodgings to get your things and return here where you will spend the next month. This is also your last chance to opt out because once you enter this newly made order, you will be privy to the darkest of secrets and so much more and, to avoid any unfortunate incidents, any who try to leave after this point, will be tortured in manners so excruciating, their screams will echo across time and space. So, I ask, are you ready?¡± The women all gave each other cautious glances. Z¨£o knew that she would never get an opportunity like this ever again. The others seemingly came to similar conclusions and so they all answered in unison. ¡°Yes.¡± 17. The Truth in Suffering Z¨£o wanted to die. That¡¯s how much pain she was in. She and her sisters had been tied and hoisted onto a device and then hung, leaving their naked bodies vulnerable and allowing their diligent administrator to cast [Frost Wall] onto their bruised and beaten bodies. They had spent the past week relentlessly training and studying only to be then tortured. Z¨£o was starting to suspect they weren¡¯t being trained just to wander the lands and collect knowledge. She suspected that Haki wanted a special unit to gather information for him while ensuring they wouldn¡¯t be broken if they were ever captured. Z¨£o didn¡¯t know why but she felt betrayed. Why didn¡¯t Haki just say that he wanted a team of spies or assassins? Because all she felt was resentment; the very thing he spoke about trying to avoid. She wanted to cry but had run out of tears on the second day, the same day when the Kudamen, who had up until then performed well, started to break. Now they joined their sisters in dryly weeping as their bodies were frozen. Keeping them from dying was the periodic healing that Herald administered. Z¨£o raised her blackened eyes to him as he sat on a small chair in front of them, his warmly clothed form was clear to see in the room which was brightly lit by several [Orb of Light] spells. She searched his eyes; looking for any kind of pity and maybe even remorse but she found nothing. Now that she had confirmed that Herald was human, she wondered what it was that broke him. What had Haki done or shown him that made him so detached from life and the living? During their study sessions, Herald told them to listen to the unspoken and see the hidden. She had spent the past couple of days trying to figure out what his words truly meant but couldn¡¯t think properly through the pain- ¡°This¡­¡± One of the Kudamen, Janda, wheezed. ¡°This was his vision from the beginning.¡± She muttered and this managed to get a reaction from Herald, who¡¯s eyes narrowed ever so slightly. ¡°He¡­ spoke of knowledge and we, in our na?vet¨¦ and ignorance, ignoring that we were at war, didn¡¯t think of what kind of knowledge he was after. Why¡­ would he invest so deeply, assigning his left hand to some scholars¡­ unless this¡­ our undoing¡­ was part of his vision from the beginning? So that we may hear what he didn¡¯t say¡­ and see what he hasn¡¯t shown.¡± Her words reverberated through Z¨£o¡¯s heart and her swollen eyes widened a little. A moment passed. Then Herald stood, dispelling the ice that bound the sisters before cutting them free. Their bodies hit the cold, wet floor but Herald spared them not a comforting word. ¡°While Lord Haki never meant to outright deceive you, it was a moment of learning that not all the knowledge you find will be useful. Some of it will even be harmful and so you will need to quickly learn how to recognize what is and isn¡¯t worth knowing or remembering. You may return to your room and rest for the day. I¡¯ll bring food later.¡± Herald said before leaving. Z¨£o then felt fresh tears welling in her eyes as one of her sisters, cast [Healing Touch] on the group of five. Janda and her fellow Kudamen, Toto, were the first to crawl onto their hooves and they gently helped their sisters up. The five silently left the room that was aptly called the Ice Box before making their way to the small communal bathhouse where they cleaned off the dirt and dried blood that stuck to their skin. After drying themselves off and changing into their uniform plain beige pyjamas, they made their way to their shared bedroom where they sat in the unfurnished wooden space. They sat wordlessly in a silence that made one feel as though they had gone deaf, especially if no one moved. Z¨£o found her eyes drifting listlessly in their sockets as the minutes passed by. She said nothing because she knew exactly what her sisters were feeling. The echoes of pain. Healing magic could remove the scars of the flesh but nothing could be done about the damage that had been done to the mind. Their screams were an endless chorus that rang in their minds. However¡­ in this moment after experiencing more pain than ever before, Z¨£o found clarity. What Haki was doing was natural. The Emperor¡¯s seat was vacant and he wanted to take it. This was a conquest and the people of Qaya were in the way. Z¨£o glanced at her sisters and saw that they had reached a similar conclusion. One of acceptance. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. They were being moulded into hidden blades for his sake and the sake of his vision. Z¨£o wondered what she was even fighting for. The people? They would be much happier if they willingly gave themselves to him. Those Haki had taken in were living peacefully in the complex where they lived, worked and even laughed. Three thousand of the five thousand had joined Haki¡¯s army while those who remained became farmers and occupied various other domestic jobs. But hunger had become a thing they were steadily forgetting. Every resident in Massacre was given two meals a day with Z¨£o¡¯s group and other special armed units being an exception since they needed to learn how to adapt to extended periods of physical exertion and hunger. But Z¨£o didn¡¯t mind. Not anymore. If anything, she was looking forward to helping others come to Massacre so that they could all live together. . .. Haki hadn¡¯t really thought about it before but Maranam was really beautiful. Her long black hair flowed like the ink in every word of a passionate letter. Her skin was pale and cold but her touch was always gentle, always soft and even her eyes, the eyes of Death herself promised, in their aching abyss, the sweetest of rest. Haki lamented the fact that she was asleep. He wanted to tell her all he had planned to do. All they could achieve together. He gazed wistfully at her face as she lay on her side, her arms crossed beneath her head. She was his saviour and his chosen companion. One he was most grateful for after a life of loneliness. He crawled out of bed and emerged from the veil, idly making his way to the grand table where he strategized his conquest. He eyed the map of Qaya. The first battle was a complete success because it allowed him to gauge the strength of his forces. One Kudamen was worth at least five human soldiers with the undead Kudamen being worth three. The undead knights were worth about three as well and the Dragon Warriors were worth at least a hundred. The enemy may have had fifty thousand troops at the time but it had been so long since war scarred the Empire of Mahali that most of them couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine what a proper battle looked like. This made inflicting mass amounts of fear relatively easy. After butchering the scouts that had been sent into the Forest of Briars, Haki had then dragon warriors launch their butchered pieces onto southern Qaya which significantly lowered the enemy¡¯s morale. What followed was simply a wave of violence that was washed over all who resisted. Helping him plan the conquest were Herald who was the head strategist, Dhreen who was in charge of the Kudamen Corps and the Crescent King who was in charge of logistics. The Moon Beetles were instrumental in getting supplies to the front lines, helped with logging activities in the forest and were going to be a useful mode of transport once Haki¡¯s reach expanded since they didn¡¯t get tired and could eat the meat of their dead among many other things. Haki¡¯s eyes flicked ahead as the pale light of the rising sun washed into his chamber. What followed was the arrival of Herald who carried Haki¡¯s swords in special sheaths on his back. ¡°Good morning, my Lord.¡± He bowed as Haki approached. ¡°Good morning, Herald. How goes your little project?¡± The two stepped out of the chamber and into the cold and quiet streets of Massacre, making their way north as they conversed. ¡°They finally figured out their purpose and while they are still frightened and confused, I will educate them on all they need to know to fulfil their roles.¡± ¡°Good. I¡¯m trying to pierce the sun after all. If my strike has to come from behind, then so be it.¡± The two eventually arrived at Massacre¡¯s northern gate where a host of one thousand Kudamen, five hundred undead Kudamen, one thousand Moon Beetles, two Dragon Warriors and three thousand human soldiers who were now clad in the hardened flesh of the ancients. Armour which proved essential in the previous battle since, even with their strength, the Kudamen were still outnumbered meaning that, on countless occasions, being armoured saved their lives meaning that casualties from the battle were not only low, they were negligible. Haki hopped onto one of the Moon Beetles and beheld his army as Herald got onto his own Beetle. It was here that Haki regretted not having a crest but that was a problem for another day. He turned to the city and waited for one last person to arrive. Escorted by his usual pair of Undead Knights, Kutsunga exited the city and begrudgingly got onto a Moon Beetle. ¡°Good morning, Father.¡± Haki warmly greeted only to be answered with half-closed and hateful eyes. But that was fine. Haki wanted to show him the fate that would soon befall Ardania and so he dramatically pointed to the north. ¡°March!¡± . .. She wore the light of the afternoon sun like a veil and her voice was clear for all to hear as they all sat silently in the Prism. Unlike what was custom, she sat on a significantly larger marble pedestal that was placed at the fore of the Prism, on top of a few of the older, smaller ones. Her body was draped in silk that was so white it resembled the sun¡¯s light. ¡°Acceptance, my brothers and sisters. That is the first, the hardest and ultimately the most important step because your ears may hear the words I utter but does your heart accept them? Will you leave these doors when the sermon is over with a contented heart or will you continue to struggle against the irresistible motions of the Cycle? The former will bring peace and understanding to you, regardless of your circumstances and the latter promises a lifetime of restlessness, regret and confusion. Keep that in mind as you lay your head to rest tonight. That is all.¡± Cyn dismissed the crowd of five hundred people who all left in a neat single file, waiting until they were outside to speak. Fern walked up to Cyn with Nhanga at his side. The two wore some casual clothing with Nhanga wearing a simple cotton dress and Fern wearing a shirt that was folded up to his elbows, revealing his muscular forearms, and a pair of leather pants. ¡°Another wonderful service.¡± Fern nodded as Cyn stumbled onto her feet. She had been sitting and talking for so long that her legs had fallen asleep. ¡°Thank you, sir Fern. Although, if I may be honest, I wish we could have Nhanga or the others take over for me sometimes.¡± She weakly smiled while following Fern and her sister into the back of the Prism where other blessed sisters could be seen tending to those who had been wounded in that battle. ¡°I know it may seem tedious and somewhat strenuous but a single evil has risen. The people need a single good they can focus their attention and hope on and that¡¯s you.¡± Cyn sighed at Fern¡¯s explanation as they made their way to the bedchamber which once belonged to the head priest of the Prism. ¡°I''m still surprised he fled to Apollon.¡± Nhanga hummed as she joined Cyn in entering what was now their room. ¡°Likewise. But cowardice tends to make its common in times of strife.¡± Fern leaned on the doorway as tiredly Cyn fell onto bed. ¡°But leaders are supposed to stand for their people even when things get tough, right?¡± Nhanga asked as she sat by Cyn¡¯s side, rubbing her back afterwards. ¡°True and I guess Julian is an example of that. I heard that he is working tirelessly alongside Lord Mashi to bolster the city¡¯s defences. In a grimly positive twist, most of the soldiery that fell to the south were from either Ardania or Apollon so Qaya still has a sizable armed force at twenty-five thousand. Surely the enemy suffered casualties of their own and if they try to siege this city¡¯s walls, they will be met by ballista fire-¡° Fern was interrupted by a massive explosion that sounded like it came from just outside. He and the sisters rushed to look out of an east-facing window where they saw, rising from between the grand Prism and the nearby Castle Qaya, a massive plume of dark smoke and dust. The smoke eventually cleared revealing a figure that stood unscathed in the centre of a large crater. He was far taller than any man, wore a thin golden gown and wielded two longswords. His eyes burnt with a light that hurt to look at and his mere presence made the air in the city feel heavier and hotter by several degrees. The figure then spoke and his voice was so powerful, it felt like the tremors that preceded an earthquake. [People of Qaya, my name is Qaya, ruler of the army that decimated your voices to the south! Now that you have witnessed what my hand is capable of, I offer you a choice! Bend the knee or face annihilation!] 18. In All Fairness Haki had fully buffed himself and had instructed that one of the Dragon Warriors throw him into the heart of Qaya where he planned to offer the people of the sovereign state a chance. He made his offer and stood in an open part of the city, taking care not to hurt anyone on the way down. [Name: Haki DPH: 3342] He tightly held his swords and patiently waited for a response. His ears then caught, amidst the panicked screams and cries, movement coming from the castle to the east. Emerging from its tall stone perimeter walls was a group of a hundred knights who marched protectively around three notable figures. Chief among them was a man who had dark, wrinkled skin and long, greying dreadlocks that were bound behind his back and a full beard. He wore dark and elegant clothing along with a thin crown of silver that sat on his temples. [Name: ??? Race: Human Coalescence Level: 10 Health Points: 240 Willpower: 50 DPH: 1 Defence Rating: 5% Equipment: [Elegant Garbs] (+5% DR) Skills and Spells: [Healing Touch] (1W-, +10HP), [Gentle Water Stream] Artefacts: [Resin Relic] (+50HP)] Walking alongside him was a man in white uniform that was adorned with medals and patches. He had fiery red hair, sun-kissed skin and, like the man he walked behind, wore a grim expression. Hanging by a belt on his waist was a sword adorned with golden embellishments although it seemed more ceremonial than anything. [Name: ??? Race: Human Coalescence Level: 40 Health Points: 490 Willpower: 200 DPH: 10 Defence Rating: 77% Equipment: [General¡¯s Uniform] (+7% DR), [Ceremonial Sword] (10DMG), [Hidden Sunsteel Chest Plate] (+70% DR) Skills and Spells: [Healing Touch] (1W-, +10HP), [Vineal Snare] (-5W, 30HP (Snare health)), [Vitality Surge] (-15W, +50HP), [Renewal Blossom] (-50%W, +50%HP), [Breath of the World] (-90%W, +90%HP), [Ember Burst] (-1W, 10DMG), [Flame Whip] (-5W, 30DMG), [Infernal Arrow] (-15W, 55DMG) Artefacts: None] The last among them was a woman clad in heavy, dirtied and scarred steel. She wielded a great mace and a thick steel shield which bore the crest of house Ardi which Haki recognized all too well. [Name: ??? Race: Human Coalescence Level: 78 Health Points: 890 Willpower: 390 DPH: 1 Defence Rating: 48% Equipment: [Steel Armor] (+48% DR), [Steel Mace] (80DPS), [Steel Great Shield] (92DMG (Shield health)) Skills and Spells: [Healing Touch] (1W-, +10HP), [Vineal Snare] (-5W, 30HP (Snare health)), [Vitality Surge] (-15W, +50HP), [Renewal Blossom] (-50%W, +50%HP), [Breath of the World] (-90%W, +90%HP), [Gentle Rain] (5-,0DMG), [Water Jet] (-15W, 30DMG), [Leviathan''s Roar] (-30W, 50DMG), [Oceanic Tempest] (-40W, 100DMG), [Ice Shard] (-1W, 10DMG), [Frost Wall] (-5W, 50DMG (Wall Health)), [Frost Call] (-15W, 55DMG) Artefacts: None] The group stopped and the first of the notable three stepped forward. His eyes soaked with fear but he stood regardless. ¡°My name is Mashi, Lord of House Qaya and ruler of the sovereign domain and free state of Qaya! What is your name?¡± ¡°My name is Haki, last son of Kutsunga and heir of House Ardi!¡± Everyone before Haki gasped as he grinned. Mashi gnashed his teeth. ¡°S-surely you jest, sir Haki.¡± He nervously chuckled making Haki roll his eyes as he turned to the south. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. [Oi! Throw my father too!] He roared, making the hundred knights stand closer to Mashi. A moment of silence then passed and in the following moment, Haki jumped almost twenty meters into the air and caught his father who had just been launched by a Dragon Warrior. The two landed with a thud and Haki placed a visibly shaken Kutsunga on the ground but it looked like he was getting used to all the craziness, so he quickly dusted himself off and stood upright. ¡°Tunga?¡± Mashi exclaimed. ¡°Greetings, Mashi.¡± ¡°What is the meaning of all this? Have you turned against the Empire?¡± ¡°No. This is all the result of several mistakes I made; that I am willing to admit. Surely you heard the rumours of the passing of my son?¡± ¡°Yes, but you never said anything about it so I was not sure of the truth.¡± Mashi¡¯s brows knotted. ¡°Well, I sired a few other brats in my youth and thought to raise them to candidacy and while I was able to easily discard the first four failures¡­¡± Mashi¡¯s face twitched violently at Kutsunga¡¯s words. ¡°This one proved quite the nuisance, being not only blessed by the goddess who swore service to our House, he is actively being supported by her.¡± Mashi¡¯s eyes rattled in their sockets. ¡°So¡­ all this suffering, all this death is a result of the promiscuity that we all tirelessly warned you about?¡± He screamed and all Kutsunga could do was shrug. ¡°Trust me, I am regretting it all even now.¡± ¡°Your regret will not undo the damage that¡­ thing has done!¡± Mashi¡¯s voice strained at his anger but Haki and Kutsunga stood unmoved. Kutsunga knew that there was almost nothing that could stop his son at this point and there was little point in arguing so he remained silent. ¡°So what? We should just fall to our faces and allow your bastard to trample all over us?¡± Mashi wheezed and again, received no response from Kutsunga. Haki, however, stepped forward and tapped the ground with his sword once, rattling the city. ¡°Anyway, reunion aside, what did you come out to discuss because I have made my terms clear.¡± Mashi glared at Haki and it was here that the second man stepped forward. ¡°My name is Jullian of Apollon. Pardon my rudeness but Qaya has existed as a free state since it was given its sovereignty by the sixth Emperor who was born in this place. If we submit, would you allow it to keep its right to self-rule?¡± Haki¡¯s eyes narrowed. Kutsunga noticed that his son was thinking hard about what to do and so he leaned over. ¡°Any answer that doesn¡¯t involve more battles is a good one since it will cost you less in the long term. Let them keep their sovereignty but demand a tithe or something to bolster your strength.¡± Haki nodded before tapping his sword again, this time lightly. ¡°I will accept your free rule but only if it''s under my total rule. I also want most of your armed soldiers, at least for the duration of my conquest.¡± ¡°Then how would we defend ourselves?¡± Mashi snapped. ¡°I will defend you.¡± Haki warmly smiled but this only served to infuriate the lord further. ¡°And again, it will only be temporary. Ardenia is far bigger than this place and I''ll need to secure as much land as possible, lest gaps start to form in the territories I take.¡± Mashi wanted to say something but was interrupted by Jullian. ¡°The problem is how will we protect ourselves from you should you decide to rule over us oppressively?¡± ¡°You have my word. The citizens of my city can testify that I am a fair leader. And besides¡­¡± The city began to shake terribly as Haki¡¯s eyes burnt brightly. ¡°What difference would having those men make?¡± He growled, letting the entire city hear his words. ¡°I have given you the grace of allowing you to govern yourselves under my flag. That is as much as I am willing.¡± Mashi and Jullian¡¯s expressions stiffened. ¡°So, ultimately nothing has changed. Bend the knee or die. This is the last time I will give you a choice.¡± The air heavied by several folds and the light of the sun was hidden behind thick clouds that screamed with terrible thunder. Mashi was the first to move, lowering himself to his knee. ¡°Both knees.¡± Haki grinned, his voice echoing across the entire state of Qaya. Mashi fell to his knees along with everyone behind him. Haki was pleased although the smallest part of him had hoped he could rampage a little. ¡°Good. Now, tell your men to stand down and allow my army in so that we me properly establish ourselves.¡± Haki said while walking towards the castle. ¡°As you wish.¡± Mashi relented. Haki eventually made it to the humble throne room where he sat on the ornately carved wooden seat. He found it peculiar that Ardenia and Qaya, places that were lush, green and revered life, primarily worshipped the goddess of death. He wondered if there was ever a goddess of life and if so, he wondered what happened to her. He would have to ask Mara when she awoke. ¡°What now, brat?¡± Kutsunga sneered as he stood at his son¡¯s side. ¡°Now we march for Ardenia, after some prep work, of course.¡± ¡°You realize that over a million men fly my banner, right?¡± ¡°I do.¡± Haki stretched his legs as he sat in the darkness of the chamber. ¡°Mmm¡­ what would it take for you to spare them?¡± ¡°Submission.¡± Kutsunga gnashed his teeth. ¡°I will not allow you to humiliate me as you did Mashi. My people will fight to the very last.¡± ¡°That sounds like a sacrifice you¡¯re willing to make on their behalf but I won''t judge. I just want to see the look on your face when I burn it all to the ground and as I sit on your throne. The moment when me, your damned creation destroys everything you built and cared for.¡± Haki grinned making Kutsunga¡¯s face twist with hatred. ¡°Do you think your mother would have approved of this¡­ this evil path you¡¯ve chosen?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t say. She died in my arms on the cold streets that you left her in.¡± Haki shrugged earning him a slap in the face. A slap which he barely felt. A slap which made his grin widen. ¡°Don¡¯t fret too much, father. While I hate you for what you did, I cannot judge. You made your choices and now their consequences have matured to adolescence.¡± A Kudaman then entered the room and promptly knelt at Haki¡¯s feet. ¡°My lord, I have gathered reports from across the city.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°It seems as though the Qayans are sneakily trying to evacuate, making their way to Ardania and Apollon via the respective roads. We have since blocked both routes and are awaiting further instruction.¡± ¡°Let them go. My hand will reach them eventually. The question is¡­ are the local soldiers part of the fleeing?¡± Haki¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°No, Lord Massacre. The Qayan soldiers are still manning their posts although they fear for their lives.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear because their leaving would have been a breach of our agreement but I''m confused. Why would Mashi want his people to leave? Who would he have to rule over if the city was empty?¡± ¡°They would simply rather go homeless than live under one who butchers the dead and tosses their heads over city streets.¡± Kutsunga hissed making Haki nod. ¡°Fair enough. Now, as for the next step, establish a camp just outside the western gate. That will be our launch point on our march with supplies coming from the south to be stored and distributed here. We will only march for Ardania when Mara wakes up so we still have time. The Crescent King also advised that we take control and keep the local mines running to help arm new recruits since Dragon Scales are obviously rare.¡± Haki detailed before waving his right hand once dismissively. ¡°So, go. Let the fearful run, send several teams to all nearby mines and map all the routes for the Beetles!¡± ¡°Yes, my Lord!¡± The Kudaman nodded before rushing out of the building, leaving Haki and Kutsunga in a dark silence. ¡°This is what you get.¡± He muttered while resting his head on his hand and yawning all beneath hateful eyes.