27 Mass Release - Volume 3 - Chapter 3,4,5,6,7,8,9 (2/2)

As Micheal flitted through the forest, he could feel that this place was normal. He passed by a couple of Low-Tier Magic Beasts, but most of the animals in here were completely ordinary.

There was nothing special about it.

Nothing special yet, that was to say. For, there was a reason Micheal had been here before, back in his first life.

In the future, the O'Shack Grove would become a huge Magic Forest, full of rich energy, Magic Beasts, and rare treasures. It became one of the most popular hunting grounds for humanity, abounding with wealth.

But Magic Forests didn't just appear out of nowhere.

There was a legend related to the O'Shack Grove and how it became such a giant Magic Forest. A legend of a group of bandits and thieves that had made the deepest center of this forest their hideout. A legend of how these thieves had stumbled upon a fantastic treasure ground, using that to grow to power.

The legend of the Rury Gang, a notable group of outlaws that had grown to infamy in Micheal's time. Each member of the gang became powerful, gaining a myriad of strong Abilities, rare Artifacts, and accelerated Ki Cultivation.

The Rury Gang plagued humanity for a long while before their eventual destruction at the hands of the Four Barons. After their defeat, the Four Barons took control of that treasure ground, using it to grow more powerful.

The leaders of humanity growing more powerful was normally something Micheal would support. However, on the Second Layer, everything was a bit different.

At least two of the Four Barons were being manipulated by Constantine's Seeds.

Micheal wasn't sure which two. History wasn't sure about everything that took place down here, the records containing incomplete and unclear information.

But what Micheal was sure about was the treasure ground the Rury Gang found.

The bandit gang discovered the location of a Fallen Deity's Inheritance.

.

Chapter 7

As Micheal quickly traversed the forest, he kept his eyes and senses wide open. He looked for even the slightest sign of habitation, not allowing anything to slip past his gaze. He moved past several small beast colonies, three pits full of snakes, a dozen packs of wolves, and several Low Tier Magic Beasts, ignoring all of them.

By the time any of those beasts realized he was there, he was already gone, vanishing like the wind.

His feet rapidly ate up the miles as he jumped from tree to tree. He found this method of movement faster than just soaring with his Life Orbs, letting him rapidly reach an area close to the center of the forest.

'It should be somewhere near here…' The thought was on his mind as he looked around, after leaping about for around 40 minutes. The forest was huge, but his movement speed was also quite fast. Without any powerful beasts to force him to be careful, the progress he made was immense and unobstructed.

Micheal took one final jump and landed down atop the branch of a large oak tree. As soon as he landed, however, he ducked back to the side of the tree, his eyes piercing forward as he hid under some cover.

Roughly 70 meters away from Micheal, he could just barely see two humans casually conversing. Both were male, dressed in rugged leather clothing with blades on their hips. Both of them were young, white males in their early twenties, with scruffy beards and untamed hair.

Micheal strained his ears as he studied them, his eyes cool.

His powerful senses spread forward as he zeroed in, just barely allowing him to pick up what they were saying.

”…but the size of that Red Hand Snake, it must've been as big as my thigh!”

”Yeah, I don't get why they call it a Red Hand Snake. Red Leg Snake sounds kinda dumb though.”

”That's a fair point.”

Micheal wrinkled his nose as he listened to their conversation.

'Who are they?' Meeting a group of humans so deep in the forest, quite close to the location of the Fallen Deity's Inheritance…

'Oh. Right. The Rury Gang.' Micheal blinked and then flicked himself in the forehead. Obviously they had to be the Rury Gang.

But this point in time was well before the Rury Gang rose to their high levels of infamy. After all, they didn't start to appear until after Micheal first came to the Second Layer. And, in his first life, that time was still many months away.

From that, Micheal could conclude that this area must've been their hideout for a long time. It wasn't a bad choice, all things considered. The O'Shack Grove was secluded and had few things of interest within it.

For a group of people that killed other humans to gain large numbers of easy Points, it wasn't a bad deal at all.

Micheal's eyes darkened when he considered that.

Bandit groups like the Rury Gang were not at all an uncommon sight. While most humans fell in line with the Four Barons, some humans that came to the Second Layer chose to walk their own path. This became vastly more common as hundreds of millions of people swarmed into the Second Layer in the coming months, greatly weakening the control the Four Barons had.

The Rury Gang was a rather unusual bandit group, given the history that Micheal knew. They were described as an infamous, murderous plague that only the Four Barons had been able to handle, but that infamy, itself, was a rather curious thing in Micheal's eyes.

Most bandit groups avoided fame like the plague. After all, one's survival often depended on how well hidden one's Abilities were, or how well one covered their strength up, only unveiling it in times of need. The Rury Gang, on the other hand, seemed to have embraced their infamy.

It was a slightly unusual point that didn't seem that important. After all, there could be a plethora of reasons that could explain why this was. Most people would've just ignored this tidbit, yet Micheal couldn't help but find it something that stuck out like a sore thumb.

Micheal crept forward silently as he moved past the two sentries. He stuck to the highest point of the trees, using his Life Orbs to silently glide.

He didn't attack the two sentries yet, but instead chose to ignore them. He wouldn't strike without first being sure this was his target. And, in the off case that there was some type of alert Artifact or Ability active on the two, he might as well play it safe.

Unlike the First Layer, the Second Layer had a far wider selection of Abilities available. Micheal's actions from this point forward would need to go under much more scrutiny. He couldn't charge in with guns blazing like was possible in the First Layer, though he hadn't done much of that then either.

From tree to tree, Micheal flitted through the tops of the forest, quickly slipping past two other sentries. In no time at all, he arrived at a large, tucked away base.

Around three dozen stone buildings dotted a small clearing. A small river ran through the middle of this clearing, next to a large mound of rocks. The rock huts all had slate roofs and looked to be created entirely out of different types of stone.

Micheal's eyes glinted when he saw this. One of the people here, likely several, must have the Stone Shaper Ability. It could be used on a mass scale, with the right Artifacts, for the creation of temporary or even long-term shelters.

Activity dotted the enclosure as various men and women moved about. Off to Micheal's right, there was an open training area in the clearing, where a dozen warriors were practicing combat. There was a notable gender discrepancy, with about three-fourths of the people present being men.

Micheal stayed put, hiding atop a tree as he studied everything. His eyes continued to scan the clearing, zeroing in on the large stone mound next to the river.

After staring at it closely, Micheal could make out what appeared to be a small opening near its base, one that appeared to dive into a dark cave.

'Is that it…?' He thought, his eyes narrowed. If this was the Rury Gang, the Fallen Deity's Inheritance grounds should be located in or near their home base.

After thinking it over for a few seconds, Micheal hid himself slightly more within the leaves of the tall trees and settled in to wait. He assumed a meditative pose, relaxing his body as he blended in with the world around him. He didn't give off a hint of energy, instead focused on becoming as passive as possible.

Seconds dripped into minutes, and minutes drizzled into hours. Micheal's eyes were calm and placid as he remained absolutely still, moving only slightly with the rustling breeze that swept through the O'Shack Grove's tall trees.

Beyond just avoiding detection, there was an important reason Micheal decided to wait till nightfall. According to the legends he knew… the Fallen Deity's Inheritance could only be interacted with after night descended.

While Micheal was in this meditative pose, he studied his surroundings keenly. He gauged the power of all of the warriors here, gaining a rough understanding of their forces. While he couldn't detect their Abilities, he could somewhat guess how strong each person was, based on the power of their physical body and Soul.

'At least 34 unrated humans, 15 Third Rate Warriors, and 1 Second Rate Warrior.' Micheal's eyes missed nothing as time flew past, daylight rapidly fading to evening.

His eyes were that of a predator, hungrily searching out every detail. His ears picked up a great deal of casual conversation, though he didn't discover anything of note. His targets weren't so kind as to spout important plans out in the open.

By the time evening arrived, Micheal had gained more than enough information about the group before him.

They were, indeed, the Rury Gang.

After hours and hours of waiting, the proof of that finally lay before him, even now, as his gaze landed upon a woman standing alone in the dying evening light.

A pale woman with a scarred, disfigured face, long red hair, and a muscular body. She was dressed in a set of tight brown leather armor, with several metal scales covering both of her arms.

Simone Alto, the 'Boss' of the Rury Gang, the only Second Rate Warrior Micheal had seen thus far. In terms of physical power, she was on the level of one of the stronger Supreme A Rankers from the First Layer. It was more common to find male leaders of gangs or violent organizations, but female warriors could be just as effective.

By this point, most of the other men and women had retired to their various homes to sleep. Several groups of warding sentries had been sent out, but there was a very relaxed feeling to the camp. No one expected any sort of trouble.

Micheal took full advantage of that as he slunk up to the edge of his branch. He took several more studied glances around the bandit hideout, tracking where every possible set of eyes and ears were located.

He found a couple moving off towards an outdoor lavatory in the woods, a few men drunkenly passed out outside of one of the stone huts, and several large dogs tied up to a stone post in the south of the outcropping.

Apart from the distant sentries, the only person actively outside, in this exact moment, was Simone Alto.

Micheal's patient waiting had finally paid off.

After he reached the edge of the branch, he used his Cloud Stepping Shoes to fling himself in the air. He then brought out his Life Orbs to silently glide downward, controlling his movements extremely precisely. He made not even a hint of noise as he acted, everything completely within his control.

In the darkness of the dying sun, Micheal descended upon the bandit enclave like a silent god of death.

.. .. .. .. .. ..

Simone sighed as she looked out at the first of the Second Layer's two moons. She never got used to such a sight, the odd juxtaposition of two enormous celestial bodies set so far away.

Around her, the rest of her gang was retiring into sleep. Today had been an average day for training, but all things considered, that was okay in Simone's book. Her gang was growing stronger every day, something she felt eternally grateful for.

The day she began to wage her war for revenge was not long off. It wouldn't be within weeks, maybe not within several months. But it was going to happen, all thanks to a random cave she'd discovered, just a couple of months ago.

She turned and glanced over at the rocky opening, just a few meters from her, smiling slightly. She then looked up at the night sky, staring at the unfamiliar stars that dotted the Second Layer.

After a moment, she frowned.

Above her, she could see a rather irregular splotch of darkness that appeared to be expanding. Her eyes narrowed as she looked up at this curious sight, wondering if it was some type of unfami-

Her thought process was abruptly frozen as a set of long, metal threads slammed into her.

Two of them circled her throat, cutting down and circling her tender neck without giving her a chance to resist. Two others lashed down onto each of her arms, circling them several times and forcing them to remain held down. One last thread slammed into her waist, limiting her movements.

Simone's eyes grew bloodshot as she prepared to resist, energy rising around her body as she simultaneously prepared to activate several Abilities. She tried to jerk her hands up, doing everything she could to rip off the metal threads.

Before she could do anything substantial, however, she froze once more, her eyes widening in terror.

For, those metal threads had suddenly become ferociously sharp. Blood dripped down from her neck as she felt the thread cut into her, causing her hands to tremble. Her breathing became ragged as she felt how delicate of a situation she was in, knowing death was a mere step away.

Alongside all of that, Simone felt an overwhelming feeling of terror sink into her bones as the splotch of darkness she saw in the air landed next to her. She continued to remain unmoving, her pupils dilating as she felt the horrifying power and intent of the man that now stood next to her.

If she dared to scream for help, she would die immediately.

If she dared to fight back, she would die immediately.

If she dared to even twitch her arms, she would die immediately.

It wasn't a question of how fast, nor was it a question of if she could resist. Simone's experience from the past three years and several months, instincts she had built up over years of battle, told her everything very clearly.

A single wrong step would lead to her death.

”Hello, Simone.” The darkness spoke to her, his voice as smooth as the devil,

”It's time you and I had a talk.”

.

Chapter 8

”Who are you? What do you think you're doing?!” Simone's voice was a quiet hiss as she lashed out at Micheal, all while remaining absolutely still.

Micheal had to hand it to her, the Rury Gang's Boss was a tough woman. Despite her obvious fear, her voice never trembled as she questioned Micheal.

”If you're from him then you might as well kill me now. I'm still too weak.” Micheal could practically feel the frost in her tone as she spoke, frigid viciousness mixed with raw anger.

'Huh…' For a small moment, he didn't know how to react. This was not at all how he had expected this to go down.

He quickly recovered just a few seconds later, replying in a calm tone,

”No, I'm not working with 'him.' But why don't you tell me about him while we walk down into the entrance of that cave?” Micheal's question was more of a command as he flicked his wrist, causing the metal threads to pull Simone forward. At the same time, his eyes roamed his surroundings, making sure that the coast was still clear.

The security of this bandit camp was both unexpectedly stringent and a bit lax. They had layers of outer sentries, a rather unusually well-organized sight, but kept a relaxed interior. He couldn't hear any arguments or fights breaking out, no shouting or anything even remotely disruptive.

For a random bandit camp, the Rury Gang was unexpectedly well disciplined and orderly. It was all the more confusing, given the history that Micheal knew.

Simone complied, unsurprisingly. Micheal gave her absolutely no leeway to refuse, knowing that she was currently much more powerful than he was in terms of stats.

The difference between a Third Rate Warrior and a Second Rate Warrior was extremely significant. In terms of physical power, a normal Second Rate Warrior would be able to handle 10 normal Third Rate Warriors without too much trouble.

Of course, Micheal was about as far from the definition of a 'normal' Third Rate Warrior as possible. But that didn't mean he would be careless.

The two of them left the top of the boulder and quickly moved to the side, where the opening was placed at. Micheal peered into it as they moved, glancing around.

The inside of the cave was surprisingly spacious. There were a set of stairs that descended a few meters underground, and then a stone passageway that ended in a large grey door. A set of blue, glowing crystals had been installed in the walls, lighting the insides of the cave up.

'So this is it.' Micheal thought as he glanced around, his eyes narrowing slightly. He could make out several long strands of symbols on the sides of the walls, and a few ornate symbols on the door in the back.

As they moved up the passageway towards the door, and out of sight of the main camp, Simone continued to speak.

”If you aren't with Rex, then what do you want from me?!” Her voice was full of exasperation, trembling only slightly.

”Rex? Baron Rex?” Micheal questioned, staring at her intently. He retracted some of his metal threads, leaving only a few up to prevent Simone from doing anything.

”Yes, the Baron… He's why I'm here in the first place. Are you really not related to him?!” Unfeigned confusion was spread about evenly as she replied, in sheer disbelief.

'Huh.' Micheal frowned.

None of this was matching up with the history he knew.

Baron Rex was one of the four strongest humans on the Second Layer. As of right now, he was an extremely strong First Rate Warrior that was almost a Supreme Warrior. He was also the leader of his own Syndicate, with a huge army of warriors at his disposal.

The Rury Gang had, allegedly, sprung up out of nowhere and begun their raids and banditry. They were a violent group that murdered wantonly, a plague upon humanity.

There shouldn't have been that much contact between the two groups prior to several months from now.

'Did history change?' It couldn't have altered that much, just by what he did on the First yet. After all, he had raced up here at a breakneck speed.

'No… it's not that it changed…' A sudden realization struck him.

'It's that the history I know might not entirely be true.'

Micheal had read about the history of each Layer, records that were recorded in a mix of detail and vagueness. Some Layers had very detailed data and tracking information, while others held history that was fragmented and confusing.

Information about the Second Layer was one of those fragmented ones, as he very well knew. Micheal had been relying more on his own knowledge about what went down. After the Great Disaster, a great deal of information had been lost.

And when it came to the Rury Gang and the Fallen Deity's Inheritance, it appeared that there was more here than meets the eye.

'History is written by the winners, after all.' He focused back on the present as he looked at Simone. As he looked at her, he thought about Cameron for a split moment.

'I can't mess up again.' He clenched his fists as he thought of his failure, determination flaring in his eyes,

'I need to do it perfectly this time. So…' He nodded to himself.

”Simone… I think you and I may have had a misunderstanding…”

.. .. .. .. .. ..

A short amount of time later, Micheal and Simone sat across from each other inside of a small stone hut. The insides of the hut were far nicer than the crude exterior would imply.

A comfortable couch, several nice chairs, a marble table, various pieces of furniture that, for any other race, would be an extraordinarily odd sight out in the middle of a huge forest.

For humans, with their magical Shop and mystical Spatial Rings, such a sight was easily explained.

Micheal currently had a frown on his face as he looked at Simone. He was sitting on an aged wooden chair, resting his hands together on the table in front of him.

”And so you've been here for the past several months, huh?” Micheal spoke aloud, examining Simone's expression.

”Yeah, that's about it.” Simone sighed, looking back at him warily. She respected the clear danger he posed, and as a result, was currently cooperating with him.

Over the past few minutes, Micheal's opinion of the Rury Gang had taken a complete 180.

After realizing something was off, Micheal had quickly defused the situation with an easy explanation.

He claimed he had been told they were a group of vile bandits, and that he was here to wipe them out, with a promise that there was a great treasure hidden here.

When Simone heard this, she nearly had a fit out of rage. She then earnestly began to explain what she knew.

The Rury Gang was not a bandit gang. In fact, they weren't even a 'Gang' at all.

They were, officially, the Rury Group, an alliance of warriors and explorers that had teamed up on the First Layer after living in the Main Cluster for a year. All of them were Second Wavers that had arrived in the 7 Layers two years before Micheal.

The group had been through a great deal together, fighting enemies and forming alliances, gradually building up in strength and might. They became one of the little powers in the Main Cluster, under the Big 3. Simone was considered a very strong A Ranker, and could've easily joined any big organization if she so chose.

Eventually, however, the general consensus of the group changed.

After growing stronger, many members wanted to leave the First Layer and move on to the next. Not everyone was satisfied living in such a hellish world, many people wanted to seek out something better, to find a new world to live in, a way to return to Earth.

And so, the Rury Group went up to the Second Layer.

And it was here that the Rury Group ran into Baron Rex.

If the S Rankers were the human monsters of the First Layer, then the Barons were the human monsters of the Second.

All four were geniuses and incredibly skilled. Despite only living in the 7 Layers for a small number of years, they had already grown incredibly strong, comparable to Byren Martial Artists that had trained for hundreds of years.

And, as time went on, they only grew more and more powerful. While they were considered extremely strong First Rate Warriors right now, Micheal was well aware that they would rise to become Supreme Warriors in the near future.

Humanity, with their 'Shop' Attribute, was famed for their rapid rise to power. There was a good reason why Micheal and Humanity's Last Army managed to reach the final, Seventh Layer, even if only for an instant.

According to Simone, she and her team had arrived at the Starting Grounds around 6 months ago. They teleported in with little fanfare, taking only a single day to fully group up.

By this point in time, the Syndicates were in full control of humanity, enforcing a rule of order and law. The Human Alliance wasn't all bad, after all, there were certainly upsides to it.

Simone and her allies were fiercely independent. As a result, they didn't join any of the Four Barons and instead went out on their own, intent on creating their own group.

And as part of that intention, Simone actually drew from something she'd gained on the First Layer. An interaction she had with someone Micheal was very familiar with.

The Seer.

Simone had become a strong enough A Ranker on the First that she earned the right to speak to the woman. And the Seer, in turn, told Simone of a vision of her future.

The vision itself had been unclear, but the general gist was that she would go through a dangerous, inescapable trial where failure meant death.

Simone, naturally, had been horrified to learn that. The Seer's visions were famed for their truthfulness, if often paired with vagueness.

The Seer had offered Simone some consolation, saying that destiny was, ultimately, in her own hands. The Seer's visions looked at someone's fate at the current moment in time. That fate could switch or change, based on the knowledge of its impending arrival.

Nothing was set in stone.

And alongside that consolation, the Seer mentioned that there was hope for Simone. When the trial came upon her, she needed to search an ancient forest for 'That which has been lost but will rise again.'

Without knowing when or where this trial would take place, Simone refused to live a passive life in fear on the First Layer. Instead, she chose to lead her force to the Second Layer and tackle it head-on.

And after she arrived, she immediately began to search for 'an ancient forest' that held what she looked for.

Unfortunately for her, the trial she was ready to fight against was far more overwhelming than she had thought.

For, just a couple of weeks after her group became independent, they ran afoul of Baron Rex.

She and her team had been out hunting in a large valley. Since her group wasn't part of any Syndicate, they were restricted from staying in most areas controlled by the Human Alliance.

Still, there were plenty of Byrens that were willing to interact, trade, or hire humans for various things, and her group was getting by quite well. The Ancient World was a world dominated by martial power, and Simone's power put her as a Second Rate Warrior, a personage that couldn't be ignored.

In particular, the Artifacts humanity could purchase were rapidly growing in demand, especially Spatial Rings.

Simone's Rury Group had been hired to clear out a grove near a large village that had been infected with Winter Wolves, Low-Tier Magic Beasts that could breed prohibitively quickly if ignored. They were to be rewarded with a slew of Spirit Crystals.

The powerful energy cores contained a fount of energy that was very useful for increasing a human's, or any race's, Ki Cultivation. It was almost impossible for a human to hunt one naturally, given that Spirit Crystals were automatically converted to Points when a creature was killed by a human.

Regular Spirit Crystals couldn't be converted to Points. It was only ones that were still within a living being that had just been killed that could be automatically absorbed. Humanity's research into this odd subject ended up concluding that it had something to do with the 'Soul' of a dying beast and how the Shop worked, though they were unable to clarify further.

When they were in the midst of their hunt, a strange man appeared out of seemingly nowhere. He had applauded them as they hunted the Winter Wolves, giving out pointers and cheering them on, though not helping directly.

Their fight took a full 2 hours to finish, yet he stayed and watched all of it.

And then, as it was over, he came down and directly challenged Simone.

'You have spirit, but you lack strength. Come, all of you. Experience true power and aspire to be better.' His words were extremely arrogant.

He then directly attacked while laughing out loud.

And, as they found out, he was absurdly powerful.

A simple wave of his hand sent half a dozen warriors flying through the air. A stomp of his foot shattered the earth, throwing up shards of stone and great spears of rock. His movements were incredibly fast, each one full of predatory power, even in a world where gravity was 30% heavier.

In mere seconds, everyone except Simone had been defeated.

And, as Simone learned, he hadn't even been serious.

Simone possessed the Silver Scaled Snake Type Ability, a strong Limited Type Ability that gave her a plethora of unique powers. She could control some breeds of snakes, her body transformed to become far more limber and stronger than a regular human, and she could partially transform her body into a powerful 'Battle State.'

She went all out as she fought against this irrational human, and was still helpless.

And then, at the very end of the fight, the Baron revealed his true power.

His body shook and abruptly blurred, transforming and expanding. In a single, frightening moment, his body distorted and grew to become huge. His arms and legs transformed, his entire body-shape changing.

Baron Rex transformed into a dinosaur.

A gargantuan, 8 meters tall predator, with enormous teeth, glistening clawed feet, and bulging muscles. He had scaled, leathery skin that was colored a faded brown, two massive main legs, two much smaller clawed arms, and a giant tail that ended with a spiked ball.

He looked much like a Tyrannosaurus Rex, but was significantly larger than most breeds from Earth, revealing how he got the 'Rex' part of his title.

On the First Layer, Transformation Type Abilities were somewhat rare. Even the strongest users typically had Soul stats that were too weak, greatly limiting their power. Apart from Vampire and Werewolf Types, which technically were Transformation Type Abilities, though they weren't often considered that, very few other Transformation Type Abilities were well known.

On the Second Layer, however… This was the Layer where Full Transformation Type Abilities shined.

Baron Rex was a Full Transformation Type Ability user, making him an Adapted Human as they came to be known. His Soul stat was at a high enough point that he could fully draw out a Full Transformation, no longer limited to the Partial Transformations of the First Layer.

And, with his extremely rare Limited Behemoth Predator Type Ability, he made full use of that power.

Simone lost the battle miserably.

However, instead of killing them, Baron Rex spared their lives. In return, he ordered them to grow stronger and more powerful, to use their hatred to fuel their strength to become strong enough to challenge him. He was incredibly outlandish in his demands, and seemed to care little for their feelings as he told them to struggle.

His speech was one that Micheal found suspiciously similar to the Vile King's mantra…

The man then left them while still laughing nonchalantly, abandoning them to deal with their injuries on their own.

That wasn't the end of it, however.

After the Baron left, Simone explained, some of his subordinates arrived in turn. And, as Simone and her crew lay unable to defend themselves, she and the rest of the Rury Group were all poisoned by these very subordinates and given an ultimatum.

The poison was a slow-acting one that magically sealed itself in their bodies, one they were unable to find any cure for. If they wanted to be healed, according to their poisoners, they would need to defeat Baron Rex and demand it by force. Otherwise, they would die within a span of two years.

And, one thing led to another, and here they were now.

Simone followed the advice of the Seer, and eventually found her way to this hidden forest, through a mixture of luck and desperate searching. However, she had had no luck so far when it came to getting past the door of this mystical cave, despite being certain she could grow vastly more powerful if she just took a single step forward.

”Huh.” Micheal looked at Simone, resisting the urge to rub his forehead in frustration.

Something was happening here… but he wasn't sure what it was.

He felt like he was missing a key piece of the puzzle, some bigger picture that he was unaware of.

Baron Rex was a fighting maniac, this was something Micheal was well aware of. But of the Four Barons, he was the least likely one to resort to subterfuge, like poisoning someone. He might be an asshole, but he was a straightforward asshole.

However, as Micheal reflected, he could definitely see how Rex's attitude was very similar to someone being influenced by the Vile King. It was entirely conceivable that he was one of the two Barons that Constantine had infected. Perhaps that was why the future played out as it did, so heavily maligning the Rury Gang.

It was also possible that Simone was lying to him. However, after all she had said, and what Micheal had observed, he was heavily inclined to believe her. He had years of experience working with people, and so much of what she said was genuine and correct, based on the history he knew for certain.

After a moment, Micheal let out a sigh.

Whatever the answer was, he would figure it out later. For now, he should just focus on the present. And right now…

His eyes flicked to his left, glancing out a stone window in Simone's hut. In the background, he could see the dimly lit entrance to the Fallen Deity's Inheritance.

”Well, Simone, then I really do have to apologize. I'd like to make up for my mistaken attack on you.” Micheal's gaze returned to zero in on Simone,

”You're trying to get past that stone door, right?” Micheal made a jerking motion with his hand towards the cave entrance.

Simone crossed her arms and looked at him gingerly before nodding,

”Yes. Otherwise, we can only wait for death.” Her words were measured as she spoke, giving away nothing.

Micheal smiled,

”Then I have some good news for you.” His eyes gleamed,

”I know how to get you past that door. And not only that…” His voice took on a deep edge,

”If we manage that, I may know a way to cure the poison you've been hit with.”

.

Chapter 9

Simone, naturally, was still wary of Micheal. He had, after all, just attacked her. Still, the fact that he called off his attack and explained what he'd been 'told' won him a great deal of credit.

There was a short back and forth as they talked, with Simone asking pointed questions and Micheal explaining them rather succinctly.

Instead of holding the information he knew over her head like an ax, refusing to give an inch unless she gave a mile, he decided to be completely open about what he knew.

”Opening that door is actually rather simple.” Micheal explained with a calm nod, trying his best to put her at ease. It was the least he could do, given the past few minutes.

”How do you know that, or any of this?” Simone crossed her arms as she interrupted him with a studying gaze.

”Hmm… well, it's not a secret.” Micheal shrugged as he began to lie through his teeth,

”I first heard of this place from a group of elderly Byrens. Apparently, this place used to be treated like a holy site, long ago. That's where I heard that a group of bandits had taken control of the area.” Micheal waved his hand around, motioning at the camp.

Simone's mouth twitched as she smiled wryly,

”Well… I suppose the men are a bit… anxious, and we probably give off that type of air. We are all slowly dying, after all. They won't do anything drastic, but it can get pretty heavy around here.” Her smile faded halfway through her reply, a dour look appearing on her face.

”I gathered that.” Micheal had picked up on the unusually serious edge that governed the warriors here, but had attributed that to discipline, something that was at odds with the lax security inside the camp.

The outer layers of sentries were strict, but apart from that, the camp was practically defenseless. The Rury Group was caught between a mix of eager self-defense and despairing acceptance of impending death. It was a confusing place to be in, one that had earned Micheal's pity.

They reminded him a bit of himself, when he was younger. Caught again and again between a rock and a hard place, oftentimes the only blades Micheal could use to fight his way out were double-edged, stained with the blood of those he was forced to sacrifice.

For a brief moment, his eyes flashed red as an image of a beautiful Farian girl appeared in his mind, stabbed in the chest by a long, black sword. An image of this girl lying in his arms, dying as she stared back up at him dully.

With an almost inhuman display of willpower, Micheal forced the image from his head. Despite that, his heart physically shuddered as emotions threatened to overwhelm him, crashing against barriers he had raised long ago.

'What the hell is wrong with me?' For a single moment, shock filled his heart at this lapse of control. Memories tried to swarm up in his mind, feelings he had let go of long ago crashing down on him.

”Are you alright?” Simone's concurred voice dragged Micheal back to the present, freeing him from the torrent of pain that had risen in his heart. Micheal looked back up, his face returning to its ever-present calmness as he nodded,

”Ah, yes. My apologies, just a bad memory.” Internally, Micheal shoved those memories of pain to the side, grimly regaining control of himself. He would have time to face all of that later, right now, he had a mission to complete.

He took a deep breath and then let it out.

”So. Getting past those doors.” He motioned at the window, pointing to the entrance to the Fallen Deity's Inheritance as if nothing had happened,

”It's not actually that complex.”

”What do we need to do?” Simone re-crossed her arms as he looked at Micheal, unsure.

”First, the door can only be opened at dawn.” Micheal began to explain,

”And when we do go to open it, the door itself will require a sacrifice.”

”A sacrifice?” Simone's eyes narrowed,

”Yes. A sacrifice.” Micheal nodded,

”A living sacrifice.”

.. .. .. .. .. ..

Meanwhile, to the North of the O'Shack Grove, within the territory of the Silent Sword Sect…

.. .. .. .. .. ..

A thousand mountains spread out into the distance, forming an enormous stone barrier full of vast, jagged pillars pointed high into the sky. The mountains towards the center of this enormous range were covered in meandering swaths of gleaming fog.

The fog wasn't ever-present and often moved about in random patterns, leaving most of each mountain exposed to sunlight. Still, a very clear dividing line was visible separating mountains that had the fog, and those that didn't.

Two furtive figures could be seen standing on the side of one of the mountains that held no fog. These figures, clad in grey robes and doing their best to remain hidden from sight, were currently talking to each other on a small stone outcropping, behind a set of large boulders. The darkness of night surrounded them, giving them the privacy they desired.

”Myla, if you can't find a way to track down these killers soon, my hand will be forced.” The first speaker had a deep voice, one that echoed quietly in the air, full of majesty and confidence. The speaker had a lean, but masculine figure, visible even through the robes that hid his appearance.

”Gregor, you need to give me more time! I told you, they aren't like normal humans. Most humans aren't evil!” The second speaker's voice was dainty and pure, despite the anger held within it. Listening to the woman speak was like listening to the fresh, clear tones of a waterfall, uplifting even when she was mad.

”Some of these killers operate almost in unison across great distances. A few of them seem to be more independent, but all of them are abnormally strong.” The woman sighed in frustration.

”Magic Messaging?” The male figure raised a question, though it was more of a statement than anything else.

The female figure shook her head,

”It shouldn't be possible. The Laws of Reality here are too restrictive, even our highest tier Magic Messaging Systems no longer works beyond a few Denim (~0.6 Kilometers). Maybe they have some of their weird Artifacts helping them.”

The male figure stood there silently, crossing his arms in a stalwart posture that gave away nothing.

”Has the Silent Sword Sect said anything?” The woman added, her voice hopeful.

The stern male figure shook his robed head.

”The Byrens value the human's Artifacts too much. As long as their own don't start dying, they don't care about us. The humans are cunning like that, too. They've only targeted our own, and maybe the other non-Byren races.” The male figure clenched his fist.

As he did so, the air around him flashed blood red. Raw energy congregated around him in a wild torrent, an Aura of power that caused the ground beneath his feet to crack.

”Gre-Gregor!” The woman gasped out loud, holding up a hand.

The powerful force of presence abruptly vanished, but the stern figure remained unapologetic as he continued,

”I won't wait like this much longer, Myla. If you can't find a way to track down these killers, then we will have to do things my way.”

”You would drag us into war, Gregor.” The woman's voice was accusatory.

”They are attacking us, Myla. Do you ask me to let our people die for nothing?” The bloody air began to rise again around him as the male figure replied, his words cutting.

”The Kowalsi Tribe operates beyond your control. Do you think our entire race should be blamed for their actions? It is your duty to seek reason in all things, Lord Justiciar.” The woman replied back, her own words equally sharp as she continued,

”Why should we listen to the decrees of whatever vile creature dragged our people here? Who says we must murder innocents? How dare it try to force that blood onto our hands!” Bloody light began to gather around the woman as her voice rose, causing everything she said to boom out loud.

”That being dragged our entire species here, Myla. I have a responsibility to protect our own.” The male figure's voice turned equal parts dark and grim,

”If the only way out for our people is to kneel down…” The man gritted his teeth, his voice trembling as if he could barely control himself,

”Then I will do what I must to ensure our people survive.” The man's overwhelming Aura returned, bloody light cascading around him like a meteor crashing down into the earth.

The woman's face was hidden, but her back stood proud as she weathered that inferno, her voice cool,

”I would rather die on my feet than live on my knees.” A weaker, but equally pure Aura of bloody light spread out around her, rebelling against the stronger man's power.

The clash of energy caused the ground to split between them, bits of rock and dirt flung up into the air. Several loud creaks and groans echoed out as the earth shifted beneath them, looking as if was bearing an enormous burden.

The woman began to sway, as if she was about to faint.

When the man saw this, his Aura immediately vanished and he turned away, exhaling in a long sigh.

”Just find a way to track down these human killers, Myla. I have a bad feeling about all of this.” The man pulled back his robe cover as he looked out into the darkness, revealing a stunningly handsome visage.

He had warm, light golden skin, green almond-shaped eyes, long blond hair that fell around his shoulders, cascading off his strong neck and square chin. His features could only be described as a thing of beauty by human standards.

And that was for a good reason.

As the man spoke, a pair of faint, delicate-looking wings flicked out from two slots in his cloak, appearing on his back. These wings gave off faint particles of light, chasing away the nearby darkness.

He wasn't a human.

He was a Farian.

”What did you say you called these killers again?” Gregor Mantorel, the Lord Justiciar of the Farian Race, asked one last question as he looked back at the female figure, preparing to leave.

The woman had recovered from her near-fainting spell in a heartbeat, resuming a cool, controlled posture. She replied without hesitation,

”It was my assistant who came up with the name, not me, and it's for the ones that all act in unison.” The woman paused briefly before continuing,

”Seeds. She thinks we should start calling them 'Seeds.'”

.