Chapter 166: The One Who Makes Whole

Chapter 166: The One Who Makes Whole

This is somewhat problematic, Cirayus remarked, lying prone as he gazed at the creatures that swarmed in the distance.

Youre sure this is the right place? Vir asked from beside him, growing concerned at the demons tone. Until now, only the Wyrm had fazed the warrior. Cirayus hadnt shown a hint of worry as they wandered through the Ash, lost. Nor had he worried even after a week had passed in this way.

Vir, on the other hand, had worried. Quite a bit.

Lingering near the edge of the Ash had allowed him time to acclimate, yes, but restlessness had steadily built in his chest. A month had now passed in the Human Realm.

I could progress so much faster if we only ventured a little deeper.

Virs body had grown used to the surrounding prana density, and despite endless hours of casting Talents to expand his bloods prana capacity, the gains had slowed down so much that Vir wondered if it was a pointless exercise. Meanwhile, Maiyas time raced ahead.

Yet while Vir was ready to delve deeper, Cirayus was not. He refused to venture any further until hed found the Artifact hed hidden. It had taken several more days for Cirayus to locate enough landmarks to finally know where to go.

The moment came as a relief to Vir, though the giant demon seemed as relaxed about their predicament as hed been on the day theyd stepped into the Ash.

Some things cannot be rushed, hed said.

It wasnt so much the hours of silent travel that bothered him, as it was the apocalyptic scenery. The jagged peaks and blighted forests, the endless lightning storms that scorched the skies, and of course, the ash. It got into backpacks, clothes, lungseverythingthat was what got to him.

This was a place of death. A realm into which no mortal should ever set foot. It wasnt built for them. It was built for hardier things, the sort that terrorized nightmares. There were no man-made structures, no cities, no people, nor even points of reference Vir could use to pinpoint his location.

In fact, the Ashen Realm was far emptier than hed originally imagined. The stories spoke amply of terrifying beasts, and while they existed, there was so much land that Ash Beast sightings were rare. Even the weaker, more populous ones.

The terrain just kept going, forever in all directions. Or so it had seemed to Vir until Cirayus had guided them to this spot. An enormous rock cavern jutted out from the otherwise flat plains, like the maw of a shark that had been frozen in time. The den of some ancient Ash Beast.

Except, there was no beast. In its place was a skeleton, nearly buried by the ash. And there were several hundred things, lumbering around.

Humanoid figures, except dementedtheir limbs all the wrong size. There was no uniformity to their deformations, either. One had a thick right arm twice as large as it ought to be, but its left arm was completely normal.

One had an upper body which was more or less normal, but their legs were strangely oversized. To where Vir wondered if someone had cut off a giants legs and sewn them onto a human.

Most had finger and toenails that grew several paces long, and Vir wondered how they hadnt broken off long ago.

Can I ask you a favor, lad? Cirayus asked, his voice tinged with hesitation. It was incredibly unlike the normally confident demeanor.

You want me to go scout those things out, dont you?

Aye. I am many things, but subtle is not one of them. I fear Id be discovered the moment we drew close. You, however, seem built for it.

I can spy on them with Dance of the Shadow Demon. Unless they can use it too

Vir had grown so confident about the security of the Shadow Realm, the thought of anyone intruding terrified him.

Cirayus waved his concern away. Only Iksana Ghaels bearing the bloodline tattoo can wield it. I know not how you managed even a limited version of the ability without it, but I doubt anyone other than an incarnation of the Akh Nara could pull that off. Luckily, that title belongs to you, and you alone. Unless, of course, you die and reincarnate.

Of course. Vir rolled his eyes. Ill see what I can do, but theyre too far right now. I need to get closer before I can spy on them. Twenty paces is about all I can manage.

Cirayus fell silent, stroking his long, black beard. Hmm. Well, lad? What would you recommend?

Vir frowned. We know nothing of these enemies. Did they kill the beast that lived here? Or did they just move in after it died? We should err on the side of caution.

Meaning?

We wait. And observe.New novel chapters are published on

Why does that sound so familiar?

Cirayus description sounded incredibly familiar to Vir, though he couldnt quite place it. Then it clicked. The tunnels under Daha, when I ran from the Prana Swarm!

Hed been gored by one of those beasts, which had then been consumed by the swarm.

Every clan has their strengths and their weaknesses, but there is none Id rather have at my back than the Garga. I dont need to guess to know theyd give their lives serving their cause. They did exactly that, in the end.

Fighting off the Chitran?

Aye. Power mongers, the lot of them. Always been that way. Cant say it was a surprise. Just never thought theyd unite the other clans under one banner.

Why did the Chitran do that? You never mentioned it.

Surely an entire clan wouldnt have united against the Garga without due cause.

At the time, Chit territory shared the longest border with the Ash, Cirayus said, frowning. Just as with the human Realm, the Ash creeps upon the Demon Realm, consuming our lands. The Chitrans feared for their future.

Like Matali, then.

The Gargans werent willing to compromise? Couldnt they have worked together to redraw the borders?

The Garga proposed exactly that, but the Chits merely used it as an excuse for war. Never satisfied, they demanded Samar Patag, the Gargan capital. The capital! Who would give up their most prized city to a rival clan? Beyond ridiculous.

I get why the Chits might attack Garga in retaliation, but why would the other clans support them? Surely theyd never agree to such unreasonable terms?

Ordinarily, yes. The Chitran, however, can be persuasive. Their Bloodline arts all revolve around coercing and controlling others. Needless to say, they do not bear the best reputation.

Vir couldnt help but think something was off there. If they were so suspicious, why would any of the other clans have allowed them to persuade them? Wouldnt they have had countermeasures in place?

No doubt youre wondering why anyone would believe them, given their reputation. It is easy to suspect someone for an hour or a day. What about years? Decades?

They really planned that far ahead?

It was unfathomable to Vir. Humans never operated on such long time horizons. They were lucky to plan a year or two ahead.

Aye, the Chitran coup was masterful. Demons live longer than humans, you see. Far longer. As such, they plan on longer time horizons as well. The Chits infiltrated every clan, placing agents in key positions. Their coercion was absolute and complete. By the time the clans understood what had happened, it was too late. The troops had been mobilized, the damage done.

It was hard for Vir to fathom.

Make no mistake, Vir. The Chitran are your enemies. When you return, they will do everything in their power to end you. For you represent an existential threat to their hegemony. As the Clanlords child, you wield the power to rally whatever Gargans remain. You wield the power of a revolutionary. And yet, you will have to find a way to deal with them. But whether you purge them from the face of the realm or decide to pardon them for their sins is a decision only you can make.

Revolution? Vir hadnt even met these Gargans, let alone sided with them! Forget staging a couphe didnt even know how long hed stay in the demon lands. As for deciding the Chitrans' fate... it felt far too heavy a burden for him to bear.

So this is what Cirayus wants of me This is why hes training me.

You want to make me strong so I can restore the Garga, dont you?

Oh no, lad.

Thank Yuma. Vir was worried the giant would force him into that role, whether he wanted it for himself or not. That would've been bad.

Nothing as insignificant as that. I want you to live up to your name. You are Sarvaak. The One Who Makes The World Whole. Restoring the Garga is but the first step. Cirayus eyes were alight with a zealous fire. You will unite the realm and usher demonkind into a new era. One the likes of which our people have never seen!

Vir paled. It wasn't just badit was worse. Much worse.

Now, I think I have an idea how we can get through these creatures, Cirayus said. Hear me out.