Chapter 1687 Give Up
'Keman and Yami gave up?'
Varian closed his eyes shut, feeling like someone punched him in the gut. How could they? How could they give up?
They were the rulers of the alliance! The strongest beings here! High rank 2s!
Keman was a calm but powerful man. He left no stone unturned when he wanted to accomplish something. Yami was domineering, reckless even but she'd keep trying even if things weren't in her favor. She rose from a normal undead to the peak of the empire.
Their life stories were akin to legends and the two beings more than lived up to the tales.
Those two were supposed to take the lead, create plans and contingencies, help him so they could have a shot at victory.
The pair of eyes in his memory looked particularly condescending in this moment, as if they were mocking him for having hopes.
Varian gnashed his teeth, a gruttal roar from his throat. Aridam stepped back instinctively.
That one move shattered the last of Varian's hopes.
With a darkened face, he asked. "Are they like you?"
"No." Aridam said. Varian opened his mouth, intending to know their location.
"They're more broken than I am." Aridam said with a bleak smile. "They were the ones who faced him directly. As high rank 2s, they could feel the gap better than anyone else. And they both gave up."
"Is that so..." Varian lowered his head, shoulders drooping. "So the slivers they gave me, it wasn't for the plan, was it?"
Aridam took another step back, palms sweating. But he told the truth. "Their hopes were already shattered when they sensed his power. All their plans were abandoned.
Varian looked down at the scared man. In him, he saw his own fear.
Truth be told, he was as scared as Aridam, if not more. For his entire life, including the fire wolf that set everything in motion seemed to be in the palm of the God Emperor.
But as scared as he was, Varian couldn't not fight.
He fought too much, braved too many dangerous and passed many trials to reach where he did.
How could he give up? He was incapable of doing that.
So, a scared young man talked to a scared old man. "Aridam, I know how you feel. But what choice do we have? If you stay in this monotonous world, you'll go insane or die. If you come with me and help, we'll have a chance. I have four slivers. I have a chance at winning once my realm equals his. I just need you to help me fusin—"
"No!" Aridam screamed, his voice the loudest it had ever been. "He lived so long that even eight slivers can't help! Do you really think he doesn't know about you? He does! He knows you! He knows everything!
Go! Don't fight him. Don't have hopes.
Accept reality. Let it go. Stop it all and live as happily as you can, until it all ends when he eventually wills.
Now go!"
Gathering his power, the Punisher blasted Varian out. He did not resist the expulsion. This place might be rich in aura but it was barren of hope.
Varian didn't have the experience, strength or knowledge Aridam had.
But he had one thing.
He had hope.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om